Andrew Ortenberg
Show Bio
We made it through the NBA all-star break, and games are officially back starting Thursday. Basketball and hockey are in full swing and baseball is right around the corner. It’s a lot, and we’re grateful for it. There are some big contests coming up, which always create some big public sides. Let’s take a look at where the public money is going as bettors once again try to beat the ‘books, with the Nuggets leading the way on Thursday.
NBA: Nuggets -3.5 @ Kings
It felt like the NBA all-star break lasted an eternity, but at long last we’ve got full slates again. And the public only knows one way to celebrate. By fading the Sacramento Kings. A total of 85 percent of the bets and 86 percent of the public money are laying the points with the Nuggets here, per DraftKings’ internal numbers shared with us.
The Kings appeared to get a bit better after the Damontas Sabonis trade, and then proceeded to lose by 24 to a Nets team that had none of their Big 3 available. I’ve got this game as part of my NBA Thursday mega parlay with +1142 odds, so you won’t want to miss it!
NBA: Grizzlies -2 @ Timberwolves
Elsewhere on the NBA card we’ve got another big public side brewing. Every year there are a handful of teams that the public latches onto and rides for a whole season, and it appears Memphis is one this time around. Not too many people saw that coming at the beginning of the year. A total of 84 percent of the bets and 89 percent of the public money are on the Grizzlies as the shortest of road favorites.
The Timberwolves have made some noise recently, but not enough to drum up any real interest in the betting market it appears. They did stumble a bit heading into the break, which could explain this. Be sure to check out our free picks on the side and total for every NBA game tonight!
NCAAB: #2 Arizona -11 @ Utah
Turning our attention from pro hoops to college hoops now. If there’s one thing the public is never going to be afraid to do, it’s lay double digits. Especially with the No. 2 team in the country against an unranked team. Accordingly, 82 percent of the bets and 78 percent of the public money are laying the points with the Wildcats here.
Arizona is 24-2 while Utah has been a huge disappointment with a 4-13 record in PAC 12 play. With circumstances like those, you’re almost never going to see much of a public appetite for the underdog. My Thursday NCAAB mega parlay (+1052 odds) features a different PAC 12 clash out West.
NHL: Predators -150 vs Stars
We are wrapping things up now with some hockey. Oddsmakers have the Predators as a modest home favorite against Dallas, but bettors don’t see it that way and are willing to lay the reasonable juice. A total of 85 percent of the bets and 78 percent of the public money are on Nashville’s money line at around -150 on Thursday.
This one is a bit interesting since the Predators have lost four of their last five games, and usually the public likes to chase momentum. The Stars on the other hand are 10-4 in their last 14, so this one is a pretty rare dynamic. Remember, we’ve got free expert picks for all the games on the ice tonight.
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