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, Dec. 11:
TOP PLAY
The play: NFL teaser, Vikings +8 over Lions and Ravens +8 over Steelers
The odds/bet: -120 ($36 to win $30)
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 book: Caesars Sportsbook
Time: Both games at 1 p.m.
Our take: We went at length with this teaser selection in our NFL Week 14 picks column. So in a nutshell, while there is value here on both lines to play a parlay, we like the teaser that goes through both the numbers of 3 and 7 with each play.
First off, who is Detroit to be favored against the team with the second-best record in the NFL? Even if you’re like most of the sharps who love to discount the Vikings because of “false finals” and how “lucky” they have been, the fact is they keep winning. And we all know Bill Parcells’ ole line of at this point in the season “You are what your record says you are.”
The Vikings win, and the Lions don’t – at least not all that often. Also with a win, the Vikings can put away the NFC North, and they are well aware.
Lastly on this one, a reminder that since spreads have been recorded in 1952 – SEVENTY YEARS AGO – the Lions have NEVER been favored over a team that had 10 wins and hadn’t already clinched the top seed when they played them. Ever. (Again, why are they favored here again?)
As for the Ravens, losing Lamar Jackson for this one is a tough blow, but expect them to come out ultra-focused, and the fact is Pittsburgh has had trouble with running quarterbacks, which doesn’t change now that Tyler Huntley will be back there.
We like Baltimore to win straight up, but we like them even more in a teaser leg, as we think this might be our strongest teaser of the season, and that’s saying something considering how successful we have been with them.
TITANS MORE THAN D-HENRY
The play: NFL player prop, Titans QB Ryan Tannehill to pass for more than 197.5 yards
The odds/bet: -115 ($11.50 to win $10)
The book: BetMGM and DraftKings
Time/TV: Sunday at 1 p.m. (CBS)
Our take: Say what? I ain’t betting on Tannehill, Derry! Well, hear me out. The Jags’ pass defense stinks. Like really stinks. Not only that, only two teams in the NFL have racked up fewer sacks so far this season – the Bears and the Falcons.
Meanwhile, they have the 12th-ranked rushing defense, which could mean lots of play-action passing. Even with Treylon Burks out, Tannehill should easily be able to get past 200 yards for the day – something he had done in three straight games before going against the tough Eagles last week.
In fact, he has thrown for more than 250 yards in five of the 10 games he has played this season and that’s against better passing defenses.
HOW WE’VE FARED
College basketball: Kansas at Missouri over 154.5 (WON $30)
World Cup soccer: Portugal over Morocco (LOST $14)
Editor’s note: We accidentally typed in our bet to be $140 to win $10 for the World Cup bet, but it was clear we meant $14 with odds of -140.
Saturday’s profit/loss: +$16 (1-1)
Total for the week: -$54.50 (4-8)
Total for December: -$42.50 (8-12)
Total for 2022: +$329.90 (322-342)
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).
