- The Seattle Surge have +425 odds to defeat the Dallas Empire.
- The Miami Heat are two-point road favorites over the Houston Rockets.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins are 1-10 against the puck line this season.
LAS VEGAS - Welcome to this Thursday edition of the Daily Sports Betting Preview!
First up, in the Call of Duty League, the Seattle Surge take on the Dallas Empire. Then, in the NBA, the Miami Heat face off against the Houston Rockets. Finally, in the NHL, the Pittsburgh Penguins battle the New York Islanders.
There’s a lot to cover, so let’s get started!
Call Of Duty League Betting
The Call of Duty League sees the Seattle Surge facing off against the Dallas Empire at 4:30 p.m. EST. Like all CDL matches, odds will be available on each map, as well as for the match as a whole.
Seattle Surge vs. Dallas Empire Moneyline
- Seattle Surge +425
- Dallas Empire -750
Seattle Surge vs. Dallas Empire Spread
- Seattle Surge +2.5 (-190)
- Dallas Empire -2.5 (+140)
The spread of 2.5 in this matchup is effectively a wager on whether this will be a sweep by Dallas or not. Given the Bo5 format, in order to cover a -2.5 spread, Dallas would have to win the match 3-0.
If any other outcome were to occur, Seattle would cover at +2.5. Seattle +2.5 is favored at -190 odds, while Dallas -2.5 is enough to make Dallas an underdog at +140. Oddsmakers aren’t expecting a clean sweep, but bettors could cash out with decent odds if the Empire comes in hot.
Seattle Surge vs. Dallas Empire Correct Score
- 3 - 0 +1500
- 0 - 3 +135
- 3 - 1 +1300
- 1 - 3 +200
- 3 - 2 +850
- 2 - 3 +400
This expectation also holds true in the correct score betting, where a Seattle 0-3 Dallas result is deemed the most likely to occur at +135 odds.
The next most likely outcome is Seattle 1-3 Dallas at +200, which would result in a cover, and then Seattle 2-3 Dallas, which would also result in a cover.
Note that taking Dallas -2.5 is slightly better for any esports betting enthusiast compared to taking the 0-3 correct score, as it has +140 odds while the 0-3 has +135 odds, despite them effectively being the same bet.
NBA Betting
The Miami Heat and the Houston Rockets both entered this season with high expectations, and neither has lived up to them.
The Heat, coming off of an NBA Finals appearance, are 10-14, one of many teams in the East below .500 at the moment. The Rockets, who traded James Harden after the situation with him became untenable, are 11-13.
Miami Heat vs. Houston Rockets Spread
- Miami Heat -2.0 (-110)
- Houston Rockets +2.0 (-110)
Miami Heat vs. Houston Rockets Moneyline
- Miami Heat -130
- Houston Rockets +110
With both teams underperforming expectations, it’s no surprise that they both have poor records against the spread.
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The Heat are a woeful 8-15-1 against the spread this season, and they are once again in a tough position spread wise as road favorites. The Heat have played ten games on the road this season and only covered the spread in four of them.
Straight up, their road record is even worse - they’ve only won three of their road games this season.
However, it’s not like the Rockets are much more compelling. They’re 5-5 at home straight up, but against the spread, they’re 3-7 at home.
This matchup is between two teams that have a lot of negative trends, so many NBA betting enthusiasts might want to just take the home dogs. However, it is worth noting that the Rockets are 1-5 against the spread in their last six games as home underdogs, which makes the choice a lot harder.
NHL Betting
The Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Islanders are set to face off in the middle of the East Division standings. The Penguins are 5-5-1-0 while the Islanders are 5-4-2-0, and both teams are expecting more from themselves this season.
A matchup between these two sees both teams sitting with equivalent odds on the moneyline.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. New York Islanders Odds
- Pittsburgh Penguins -110
- New York Islanders -110
With the moneyline sitting at a pick ‘em, many NHL betting fans might turn to the puck line to get an edge.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. New York Islanders Spread
- Pittsburgh Penguins -1.5 (+230)
- New York Islanders +1.5 (-280)
Those bettors would be right to do so, as the Penguins are the owners of one of the worst runs on the puck line in recent memory. The Penguins have played 11 games, and they’ve only covered the puck line one time!
It’s worth noting that the one time they covered the puck line, they did it on the road, but 1-6 (their record on the puck line on the road) isn’t much more inspiring than 1-10.
By contrast, the Islanders sit with a 7-4 record on the puck line - even when losing, they’ve kept games close. Due to a quirk of the odds, the puck line gives the Islanders a +1.5 handicap.
Given this benefit and the huge discrepancy between the two teams in covering the puck line, the Islanders on the puck line could be a very solid wager.
Good luck!
Maxwell joined the USAOnlineSportsbooks team in 2019. He focuses on creating sports betting content that informs and educates. He focuses on the NBA, the NFL, College Football and Basketball, and whatever else comes across his desk.
