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 Wednesday, March 22:
TOP PLAY
The play: NIT money line, Vanderbilt over Alabama-Birmingham
The odds: +102
The book: FanDuel Sportsbook
Time/TV: 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Our take: A few experts I looked at this morning were talking about how UAB has been blowing teams away en route to the Elite Eight. Well, that is true if you’re just talking about the two games they have played in the NIT, but they received a huge break in the second round after Morehead State upset top-seeded Clemson in the opening round.
Here, they get an SEC team that has not only held its own in possibly the top basketball conference this season in the NCAA (yes, I said what you think I said), but they are playing with a chip on their shoulder thinking they should have been in the Big Dance.
Vandy (22-14) is the best overall team left in this tournament, and that will be clear if they make it past UAB and to the NIT Final Four. Getting juice from betting the team that should be the favorite seems like a nice little pre-NCAA Sweet 16 gift.
HIGH-FLYING IN BIG D
The play: NBA total, Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks over 236.5
The odds: -110
The book: FanDuel Sportsbook
Time/TV: 8 p.m. (ESPN)
Our take: With both teams hovering around that play-in line, this should be a playoff-like atmosphere kind of game with plenty of scoring. The oddsmakers have tried to jack up this number to induce some under betting, but we aren’t fooled. (It was 226 the last time they played in February and went well over.)
This time it seems as if the betting public has taken the bait thus far. Also, there’s a decent chance both Kyrie Irving (foot) and Luka Doncic (thigh) play in this one with so much on the line and both being listed as questionable.
If / when it’s announced they’re playing, this total will go even higher, so grab it early.
HOW WE’VE FARED
NBA: Pistons +13.5 over Hawks (LOST)
NBA: Pelicans -13 over Spurs (WON)
Tuesday’s record: 1-1
Total for the week: 3-1
Total for March: 23-20
Total for 2023: 55-60
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, $100 would bring in $140 (or $10 to win $14).
