Each day, one of our experts will offer up a best bet (or two or three) that mobile sportsbooks in Louisiana are offering. It might be a traditional spread bet, a player prop or one of the various odds boosts that books offer.
Here is our best bet for Friday, Sept. 23:
TOP PLAY
The play: MLB, Royals-Mariners under 7.5 runs
The odds/bet: -110 ($33 to win $30)
The book: Caesars Sportsbook
Time/TV: 8:10 p.m. (MLB.tv)
Our take: Six of the past nine games for both of these teams have stayed under this total, several of them well under, and the starting pitching lines up for a close, low-scoring game, too.
The Royals send to the mound Brady Singer, who’s been their best starter and actually has them favored in this matchup over a team chasing a playoff spot. He’s 4-0 with a 2.11 ERA in his past seven starts, and the numbers don’t drop off much if you go back further than that, either. He also gets a Mariners lineup that’s missing top sluggers Eugenio Suarez and Julio Rodriguez.
For the Mariners, Marco Gonzales is the No. 5 starter, but he’s been quietly effective, especially lately. He’s had quality starts in four of his past five, and it would be five in a row if not for a seventh-inning home run Sunday when he was left in the game a bit too long to rest a tired bullpen.
There should be no such concerns on this day — the M’s bullpen is mostly rested and among the best in baseball. With two below-average offenses going up against hot pitching, expect this one to stay under the total.
HOW WE’VE FARED
Thursday’s best bets
NFL: Steelers +4 over Browns (LOST $33)
NFL: Steelers-Browns under 38 (LOST $10.50)
Thursday’s profit/loss: -$43.50 (0-2)
Total for the week: -$65.50 (3-5)
Total for September: -$247.90 (15-26)
Total for 2022: -$296.70 (238-275)
NOTE: If a line or odds are minus, it considers the juice one must lay to place the bet. Ex: Team A is -160 on the money line, one would have to bet $160 to win $100 (or $16 to win $10). OR Team B is a 5-point favorite at -110, one would have to bet $110 to win $100 (or $11 to win $10.)
Conversely, on positive lines, if Team C is +140 on the money line, a $100 would bring in $140 (or $10 to win $14).