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, Aug. 27:
TOP PLAY
The play: NFL, Texans at Saints UNDER 38 points
The odds: -110
The book: FanDuel Sportsbook
Time/TV: 8:05 p.m. (Fox)
Our take: The starters won’t be playing long in this one. The New Orleans Saints will maybe give starters a quarter and Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans has stated his first-string players will get two drives.
The Texans’ offense showed last week in a home loss to Miami that it still has a long way to go. Houston’s defense should also be able to limit the Saints’ effectiveness with questions on the offensive line. Both teams will also be looking to boost their running games before the season openers, and that always helps under bettors by taking time off the clock.
These two teams will cap off the NFL preseason with what many expect to be a sloppy showdown at the Caesars Superdome. The focus — more than in any other week in preseason — will be on a final tune-up before Week 1, as well as roster construction. I’m not expecting many points to be scored.
FIBA WORLD CUP WAGER
The play: FIBA World Cup, Lebanon +38.5 vs. Canada
The odds: -115
The book: FanDuel Sportsbook
Time/TV: 5:45 a.m. (Courtside 1891)
Our take: There are just some spreads that are too large for their own good — this is one of them. Canada is likely the second-best team at the FIBA World Cup after its 30-point demolition of France on Friday. Combine that result with Lebanon’s 109-70 loss to Latvia and you get a spread of nearly 40 points.
Canada has an all-important clash with Germany up next, so you can expect Jordi Fernandez’s camp to take the foot off the gas a bit. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Co. are going to win comfortably, I just think it’ll be closer than two extreme scorelines lately.
HOW WE’VE FARED
NCAAF: Navy +20.5 vs. Notre Dame (LOST)
EPL: Brentford over Crystal Palace (LOST)
Saturday’s record: 0-2
Total for the week: 5-5, 2 pending
Total for August: 20-32, 2 pending
Total for 2023: 194-226, 2 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, $100 would bring in $140 (or $10 to win $14).
