It’s a heavy basketball show today with a big slate of games on tap in the NBA and NCAA. Plus we’ve got a little Premier League and PGA.
We’re now a few games in since the blockbuster trade that saw James Harden go to the Brooklyn Nets and there are still some chemistry issues to be worked out. The Nets are on the road tonight against the Atlanta Hawks, who are fresh off a 108-99 win over the Clippers. With the Nets still working through their comfort level with each other, Joe sees an opportunity to bet on James Harden’s point total.
On to another player prop for Joe as the Sacramento Kings are in Orlando to face the Magic. The Kings have had issues in many different areas on defense this season, giving up the most points per game in the NBA at 121.2. The Magic have a couple of players who could be good options to hit their totals, but Joe has it narrowed down to one player in particular for this bet.
One more NBA bet for Joe, as the San Antonio Spurs host the Boston Celtics. The Celtics are finally healthy and have appeared to turn the corner, going 7-3 in their last 10 games. The Spurs had their game on Monday against the Pelicans postponed, so they’ve had a couple of extra days off. Jaylen Brown has been an absolute force for the Celtics, averaging 27.3 points per game, good enough for sixth-best in the league. Joe isn’t looking at the game spread or the total, but rather the first-half line.
Over in the English Premier League, Brighton takes the pitch against Fulham this afternoon. Brighton is five points clear of Fulham in the relegation battle, but Ninja isn’t looking at picking a side, but rather a goal total. It’s a plus-money play that does give the option of a PUSH as well. You can make the case that both teams have been really unlucky this season, so Ninja has a strong analytics push on this play.
Iain has a bet for some SEC action in college hoops tonight with the Georgia Bulldogs on the road to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks. South Carolina has won the last eight games in this head-to-head matchup, but Georgia is putting up solid numbers away from home. The Bulldogs have been moving the ball well, getting assists on 61.2 percent of their baskets in the last three games.
Let’s finish with a golf play. The PGA Tour stop this week is the Farmers Insurance Open, played at Torrey Pines. Iain is betting on a heads-up match between Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele. McIlroy is fresh off a third-place finish in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, which saw him put together a nice card at -13. Schauffele last played in the Sentry Tournament of Champions, where he finished T5 at -7.
Related News
