Sports Betting
Thursday’s Best ESPN BET Bets: Canucks-Penguins, Celtics-Bucks, Arizona St-Washington
Another positive night for the Winning Picks Wednesday night. We were able to go 2-1 on the night, and cruise to 2 easy victories on the under in Wizards/Pacers and Golden Knights/Avalanche. The real head scratcher of the night was our Miami spread bet. Not only did Miami not cover, but they also lost outright to a downright awful Louisville team, who won their first road game in their last 22 outings. Sometimes the blind squirrel eventually finds an acorn. We move to 94-70-3 on the year.
Now that we are getting closer and closer to Wildcard weekend, I want to revisit the Steelers/Bills game and what this potential weather situation means for both teams. As of now, it looks as if Buffalo will get snow from Saturday until about the kickoff of the game on Sunday at 1pm. But that is not as concerning as a bigger factor: the wind.
Some have forecast winds as high as 50 MPH during this game. This is the same type of conditions the Bills played the Patriots in Orchard Park on Monday Night football in 2021. In that game, Josh Allen was completely neutralized, completing only 50% of his passes for less than 150 yards. If these are the conditions on Sunday, at the very least, the Steelers will be able to cover the double digit spread and have more than a puncher’s chance of pulling the upset. We shall see.
Now time for the Winning Picks!
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Vancouver Canucks at Pittsburgh Penguins (-125) O/U 6.5 7:00 PM on SportsNet Pittsburgh
No one has been a bigger surprise in the NHL this year than the Vancouver Canucks. This team hasn’t made the playoffs since the 2014-2015 (they did make the playoffs in the bubble during the pandemic, but I am not counting that Mickey Mouse postseason). Now the Canucks face a team that has handled their business at home versus the top teams in the West: the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Penguins have knocked off the likes of Colorado and Vegas at home this season while they beat the LA Kings on the road in November. This has been a recurring trend for the Pens having success against the Western Conference, and success against the Canucks has been no difference, winning 3 of the last 4 against Vancouver.
Given that success against top level West teams and their recent success against the Canucks, the Penguins will have their A game on the ice tonight. The Pens get a big win against the hottest team in the NHL.
Penguins Moneyline -125, Vancouver Canucks 3 Pittsburgh Penguins 4
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Boston Celtics at Milwaukee Bucks (-4.5) O/U 243 7:30 PM on TNT
The Celtics make the trip out to Milwaukee after a hard-fought win against the West leading Minnesota Timberwolves in overtime last night. I was very close to making the Timberwolves spread, which was +9, the Winning Pick last night. It would’ve been a much bigger sweat than the Under in Wizards/Pacers. As for tonight’s game, the Celtics find themselves in an unusual spot as the underdog.
Boston has been in first place in the East for much of the season, and just behind them is the Bucks. The reason the Celtics find themselves as an underdog in this spot is their home and road splits. Boston is 18-0 at home, a crazy mark to have at this point of the season, while they are only 11-8 away from home.
But my pick on this game isn’t for the Celtics to win, it is for them to cover. I believe this will be a back-and-forth affair, coming down to the final seconds. Milwaukee will get the win, but Boston covers the spread.
Celtics Cover +4.5, Boston Celtics 112 Milwaukee Bucks 115
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Arizona St Sun Devils at Washington Huskies (-7) O/U 152.5 11:00 PM on FSI
If you bet as many games in college basketball as I do, you will eventually find teams that are being undervalued by the sportsbooks. This usually starts to happen at the beginning of conference play, not so much during the non-conference play. And I believe I have found the team being way undervalued by the sportsbooks this year: the Arizona St Sun Devils.
Bobby Hurley’s team has endured some ups and downs this year, losing three straight games right before conference play began. Rightfully so, the sportsbooks listed them as an underdog in those games. And in all 4 of those games, the Sun Devils haven’t only covered the spread, but have won outright as an underdog.
Tonight is no different than the previous four games. Arizona St is getting 7 points on the road at Washington, and these aren’t the same level of Husky as on the football field. The Winning Pick in this game is Arizona St +7, but I think they will beat the Huskies outright on the road. It will be a tough week for the Washington faithful.
Arizona St Covers +7, Arizona St Sun Devils 72 Washington Huskies 70
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