- The Boston Celtics are four point underdogs to the Milwaukee Bucks.
- Everton has +220 odds to upset Manchester United on the three way moneyline.
- There are two excellent bowl games today, the New Orleans Bowl and the Montgomery Bowl.
LAS VEGAS - Welcome to this Wednesday edition of the Daily Sports Betting Preview.
Today, the NBA season is back, and there are a lot of great games, although Bucks vs. Celtics stands out. In the Premier League, Everton is set to face off against Manchester United.
Finally, in college football news, the Montgomery Bowl and the New Orleans Bowl take place today, and are solid wagering opportunities.
There’s a lot to cover, so let’s get started!
NBA Betting
The NBA returned with a bang on Tuesday night as the Brooklyn Nets dominated the Golden State Warriors and the LA Clippers beat the LA Lakers.
Today, the rest of the teams in the league are set to go, and that means there are a ton of volume NBA betting opportunities. With over a dozen games, it can be hard to find one to focus on, but the slate has a clear quote-unquote best game today, as the Milwaukee Bucks take on the Boston Celtics
The Bucks and the Celtics both lost in the playoffs to the Miami Heat, and both of them are looking to get over the hump this year.
The Bucks overpaid for Jrue Holiday over the offseason, a move that may have paid off in the long term as Giannis Antetokounmpo re-signed with the team in the aftermath.
The Celtics, meanwhile, are mostly the same team as they were last year, with some additions and subtractions around the margins. The biggest loss they suffered over the offseason was the loss of Gordon Hayward, although he was never the player they needed him to be in Boston, due mostly to injuries.
Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks
- Milwaukee Bucks -180
- Boston Celtics +160
The Bucks are mild favorites on the moneyline, which tracks with their better record than the Celtics last season. In addition, the Celtics lost some amount of talent over the offseason, while the Bucks (no matter the price they paid) did get better with the addition of Holiday.
Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks
- Milwaukee Bucks -4.0 (-115)
- Boston Celtics +4.0 (-105)
The spread favors the Bucks by four points, with a slight amount of shading moving in their direction as well.
This matchup could be a preview of the Eastern Conference Finals, although with how well Brooklyn performed yesterday, many might disagree at this point. Regardless, NBA bettors should know that this is the matchup that likely contains the most actionable knowledge for the playoffs.
Premier League Betting
The Premier League’s EFL Cup brings a solid matchup between Everton and Manchester United to the table today.
Everton, currently fourth place in the league, have cooled off a bit since their incredibly hot start, but are still drastically overperforming expectations. They have a record of eight wins, two draws and four losses, which puts them ahead of teams like Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham.
Manchester United, however, is also in the process of having a resurgent season. They sit one place ahead of Everton on the table. United’s record is eight wins, two draws and three losses - they’ve played one less game than Everton has this season.
In other words, this matchup, despite being in the league cup, is one that will likely matter going forward in the season.
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Everton vs. Manchester United
- Everton +220
- Manchester United +115
- Draw +260
The plain fact of the matter is that the sportsbooks do not trust Everton to consistently be a good team yet. In terms of records and goal differential, these teams are remarkably similar this season, but Manchester United has more highly regarded talent, and certainly spends more money on their team.
One wonders if they suffer from the Yankees Effect, wherein it’s impossible to get actually good odds on them because their fanbase drives the prices up on all wagers involving them.
Using an alternate spread of Manchester United -0.5, the matchup looks fairly even.
Everton vs. Manchester United
- Everton +0.5 (-150)
- Manchester United -0.5 (+115)
Basically, Everton winning or getting a draw is a little bit more likely than an outright United win, when those two probabilities are added together.
Soccer bettors can pick which wagering method they would prefer to use on this matchup - the moneyline or the spread.
College Football Bowl Game Betting
Two solid bowl game matchups dominate the college football airwaves today, as the Montgomery Bowl and the New Orleans Bowl are set to kick off. In the New Orleans Bowl, Georgia Southern faces off against Louisiana Tech, while the Montgomery Bowl plays host to Florida Atlantic and Memphis.
Georgia Southern vs. Louisiana Tech
- Georgia Southern -6.5 (-110)
- Louisiana Tech -6.5 (-110)
Georgia Southern enters the New Orleans Bowl as a favorite over the hometown team, Louisiana Tech. They’re favored by 6.5 points, meaning this line is a prime candidate for line shopping.
If one can get this line at -7.0, for example, that would change a lot about wagering on this matchup. Keep an eye on this line to see where it goes, and make sure to check multiple books to see if anyone has it at -7.0.
Florida Atlantic vs. Memphis
- Florida Atlantic +9.0 (-115)
- Memphis -9.0 (-105)
The Montgomery Bowl sees Florida Atlantic as a notable underdog against Memphis, with a spread to match.
It is worth noting that Memphis has some mild shading away from them on the spread. This suggests that they might not be fully fledged nine-point favorites, but they’re still decently favored in the matchup regardless.
One thing to note about this matchup is that Willie Taggart, FAU’s head coach, has never won a bowl game.
Despite coaching at programs like Oregon and Florida State, Taggart’s frequent movement from program to program has left him without a bowl win. For example, the USF Bulls won a bowl in a season he coached, but by the time they won, he had already left.
This is certainly a trend worth keeping an eye on for college football bettors - will Taggart’s streak continue? The oddsmakers certainly think so.
Happy Betting!
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.
