Sports Betting
Sunday’s Best ESPN BET Bets: Buccaneers-Lions, Chiefs-Bills, Maple Leafs-Kraken
Another great Saturday for the Winning Picks! We were able to cash both of our NFL picks, with the over covering in the Texans/Ravens game and the Packers covering the +10 against the 49ers. Duke lost outright to Pitt, meaning they did not cover. Tip of the hat to Pitt, they won for the first time in Durham in nearly 50 years. They keep their NCAA Tourney hopes alive and get the Quad 1 win they needed for their resume. We move to 114-80-3 on the year.
Before we get to the Winning Picks, there is a blue blood in college basketball rising up the odds to win the NCAA Tournament that deserves your attention and a wager on them. That team is the Kentucky Wildcats. It has been a while since the Wildcats have even made the Final Four, but Moon Township native John Calipari’s squad is playing some of their best basketball in quite some time. And they just got even stronger.
The NCAA finally approved the eligibility for freshmen forward Zvonimir Ivisic. The 7’2 Croatian was considered one of the best international prospects in college basketball this season. But after a late arrival to Kentucky in mid-October, Ivisic was left to wait to be cleared by the NCAA. After being finally cleared this past week, he made his debut yesterday versus the Georgia Bulldogs and did not disappoint.
Coming off the bench, Ivisic scored 13 points and brought in 5 rebounds, going 3 for 4 from the three-point line as well. Adding a player with this size and skill level would be great for any team at this point in the season, even better for a team with National title hopes. The Wildcats are 10/1 right now on ESPN Bet to win it all, but you should be able to find better odds-on other sportsbooks. Either way, the Wildcats are a great bet to win the NCAA Tournament this year.
Now time for the Winning Picks!
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions (-6) O/U 49.5 3:00 PM on NBC
We get the Soup Bowl today in the Divisional Round of the playoffs today as Todd Bowles leads his Buccaneers squad into Detroit to face Dan Campbell and the Lions. After hosting and winning their first playoff game in 30 years, Detroit gets another home game after the Cowboys were upended by the Packers last Sunday.
The Lions are a very good offense team with balance in both their running and passing attacks. Their defense has been a huge question mark all year, but they were able to hold the Rams to multiple field goals in the red zone in their win last week. The defense looked even better when the Bucs and Lions faced off in Tampa earlier this season, holding the Buccaneers out of the end zone in a 20-6 win.
I believe the Bucs will be able to find the end zone today, more than likely with Mike Evans, who has become the favorite target of Baker Mayfield, as he has been with their previous quarterbacks with Tampa Bay. As for Detroit, Sam LaPorta should be able to find the end zone again as with David Montgomery.
Though I do believe these teams will score more than their matchup from October, the Winning Pick for this game is the under. The Lions should start fast again but simmer down as they did versus the Rams last week in the second half.
Under 49.5 Covers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17 Detroit Lions 24
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Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills (-2.5) O/U 45.5 6:30 PM on CBS
One of the biggest rivalries in the NFL over the past several seasons matches up again as the Chiefs head to Buffalo to face the Bills. This will be only the second time Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen have faced off in Buffalo and the first time in the playoffs. Mahome was able to take the first game at the Bills in 2020, a 26-17 win. Allen has never beaten Mahomes and the Chiefs in the playoffs either. Will it be different today?
Believe it or not, the Chiefs have been a better team on the road this season than at Arrowhead. The Chiefs are 6-2 on the road this season while they were only 4-4 in the regular season at home. One of the losses were to the Bills back in December when an offside call on the Chiefs called back what would have been a good ahead touchdown.
Josh Allen will need to play turnover free ball today if the Bills want to finally get past the Chiefs in the playoffs. It should be noted this is Mahomes’ first road playoff game in his career, crazy it has taken so long to happen. The question is can Mahomes not only overcome this but the inconsistencies with their other pass catchers?
I believe both Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice should have good games, going over their receiving totals and finding the end zone. Outside of those two, you have a lot of questions with their wide receivers. Gabe Davis, who has torched the Chiefs, will miss this game for the Bills. Expect Stefon Diggs and the tight ends for Buffalo to put up numbers in his absence.
With everything that happened with the Bills last season, this is their best shot to finally beat the Chiefs in this spot. They are the hottest team in the NFL, and their next man up mentality this year has them believing they can make the Super Bowl. I believe they take that next step today, winning and covering versus the Chiefs.
Bills Cover -2.5, Kansas City Chiefs 24 Buffalo Bills 27
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Toronto Maple Leafs (-115) at Seattle Kraken O/U 6.5 9:00 PM on ESPN+
The Toronto Maple Leafs limp into Seattle after dropping a tough 6-4 decision last night to the Vancouver Canucks. The Maple Leafs are in the last leg of a long western road trip, playing their 3rd game in 4 nights.
The Kraken are playing their first game since returning home from a long road trip of their own. They are fortunate enough to have been resting at home, something they needed after dropping their last three games of their road trip to the Penguins, Rangers and Oilers.
With the tired legs of the Maple Leafs, the Winning Pick tonight in this game is the Kraken. Toronto will not have the legs to score against the solid Seattle defense tonight.
Kraken Moneyline -105, Toronto Maple Leafs 2 Seattle Kraken 3
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