- Barcelona are mild favorites against Napoli in their Champions League clash.
- Michigan State are significant favorites against a quality Iowa team, likely due to homecourt advantage.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs are road underdogs against the excellent Tampa Bay Lightning.
BARCELONA, Spain – Today’s Daily Sports Betting Preview once again brings to the reader a three-sport wagering day. The day starts with Barcelona’s Champions League soccer match against Napoli.
After that, the Iowa Hawkeyes take on the Michigan State Spartans in men’s college basketball, and the Toronto Maple Leafs take on the Tampa Bay Lightning in the NHL.
Barcelona vs. Napoli Betting Preview
Barcelona has long been a titan of European soccer, and this game, their titan status is on full display, as they enter this match against an excellent Napoli team favored by half a goal.
It is worth noting that, on the spread, Barcelona (-0.5) has +125 odds while Napoli (+0.5) has -150 odds, so there is clearly some potential for movement in these lines.
On the moneyline, Barcelona has +115 odds to defeat Napoli, while Napoli has +215 to pull off the upset and a draw is listed at +240 odds. The over/under for the game is set at 2.5 goals, and the over has -115 odds, while the under is at -105.
The story of the game, perhaps, is that this is a pivotal week for Barcelona: they have this match, followed by a match against perennial rivals Real Madrid, each of which could define their season.
These matches might also define the people in charge of the club – there has been well-publicized turmoil surrounding the leadership of Barcelona, with people from sporting director Eric Abidal to club president Josep Maria Bartomeu being allegedly involved in possibly negative interactions with players.
Winning, as they say, cures all ills, and so win they must – otherwise a stormy month for the club might get stormier.
Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Michigan State Spartans Betting Preview
This is a classic college basketball matchup, and so it makes sense that it breaks down upon classic college basketball lines: the two teams seem even, but the home team is very favored.
Iowa is 19-8 on the season, and ranked 17th in the country, while Michigan State is 18-9 on the season, and ranked 24th.
The line for the game opened at Michigan State -7.5, and has since moved to favor the Spartans by 8.5 points.
Michigan State is -420 on the moneyline, while Iowa is +310. The over/under for the game is 151.5.
Advertising Disclosure
USAOnlineSportsbooks.com provides you with the most current information regarding sports betting and fantasy with the help of commissions we receive from links you may click on our site.
As is common in matchups like this, the thing to keep an eye on is the home/road differentials between the two teams. Iowa is 4-5 on the road overall, and 4-5 on the road against the spread.
Michigan State is 10-3 at home straight up, and 9-4 at home against the spread.
One interesting wrinkle here is that they are against the spread records are inverted when the whole sample of played games is examined – Iowa is 16-8-3 against the spread for the season, and Michigan State is 12-15 in the same sample.
This means that this game presents a dilemma to sports bettors. Is it better to trust the larger, perhaps less specific sample size, or is it better to trust the smaller, more specific sample size?
Whatever the hypothetical college basketball bettor decides, the game looks to be a great opportunity for those with an edge.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
Two of the best in the NHL face off in Tampa Bay as the Toronto Maple Leafs battle the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Maple Leafs are 32-23-8 on the season, and 16-14-1 on the road, while the Lightning are 40-17-5 overall and 20-7-2 at home.
The big difference between the two teams that NHL bettors should be aware of is their form lately, with Tampa Bay winning eight of their last ten games, and Toronto winning only four.
Tampa Bay are -190 on the moneyline, and Toronto are +165. On the puckline, Tampa Bay +1.5 is +130, while Toronto -1.5 is -150. Neither team has inspired on the puckline, with Toronto having a 26-37 puckline record, while Tampa Bay slightly edges them with a 27-35 puckline record.
The over/under for the game is set at a notably large seven goals, which is the highest over/under of all the games today – this is expected to be an offensive showdown, and should make an excellent game to watch even if one ends up betting on the wrong side.
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.
