Each day, one of our experts will offer up a best bet (or two or three) that mobile sportsbooks are offering. It might be a traditional spread bet, a player prop or one of the various odds boosts that books offer.
Here are our best bets for Sunday, Oct. 16:
TOP PLAY
The play: NFL teaser, Packers -1.5 over NY Jets and Seahawks +8.5 over Cardinals
Teaser explanation: At most books, a bettor can parlay two teams in a “teaser” and get 6 points of cushion for each bet. However, it costs -120 to play and – like a parlay – both legs must hit to cash the ticket.
The odds/bet: -120 ($36 to win $30)
The book: Caesars Sportsbook
Time: Jets at Packers, 1 p.m. and Cardinals at Seahawks, 4:05 p.m. (both times Eastern)
Our take: Going to the well is what we do when it works, and we have had back-to-back successful teasers in this spot.
Remember, the key to a good value teaser is to run through key numbers, such as 2.5, 3.5 and 7.5. Green Bay gets us off the 7.5 to where they basically need to win by 2 or more, while Seattle is now getting more than a touchdown.
In our NFL picks column this week, we liked both of these teams to cover. The Packers are going to be steaming following the loss to the Giants last week, and we asked, “Can anyone see Green Bay losing to both New York teams in back-to-back weeks?” We certainly can’t.
Meanwhile, we are buying into Seattle. Their defense is an absolute mess, but Arizona likely will have a tough time stopping Geno Smith (did I really just say that?) and their big-time receivers.
NFL PLAYER PROP
The play: NFL player prop, Falcons QB Marcus Mariota to throw at least one interception
The odds/bet: -101 ($10.10 to win $10)
The book: Caesars Sportsbook
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Our take: OK, someone is going to have to explain this line. Mariota is one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL, and he is going up against one of (if not THE) best defenses in the league.
Although the Niners have some injury issues, so do the Falcons, and Mariota (four picks in five games this season) could be in a situation where he has to throw 30-35 times in this one. The chances he does so without throwing one to the other team is much less than 50-50, hence one of the best player-prop values of the week.
HOW WE’VE FARED
NCAA football: Kentucky +4 over Mississippi State (WON $30)
MLB playoffs: Guardians to defeat Yankees (WON $10)
Saturday’s profit/loss: +$40 (2-0)
Total for the week: +$126.60 (7-4, 1 pending)
Total for October: +$287.30 (19-7, 1 pending)
Total for 2022: +$86.60 (264-290, 1 pending)
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).
