Gaming Today Picks For The Final Four & MLB Opening Day
Betting picks by sports bettors for sports bettors
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Happy April Fools’ Day from the GamingToday Playbook! Rather than kicking things off in a jester cap with a nice quip, I’ll share a truth that’s as funny as any joke: UCLA is in the Final Four.
As unpredictable as ever, the 2021 March Madness tourney has provided some much-needed fun and excitement. We now go into our predictive analysis and betting models to bring you the best picks for the rest of it. Last week we missed on Loyola Chicago, who was upset by Oregon St. But we hit on Baylor -7 vs. Villanova.
Now we drop more March Madness picks to put an exclamation point on the phenomenal NCAA Men’s Tournament. You will be missed; thanks for the memories…
March Madness Best Bets To Close The Show
Pick: Baylor Bears To Win The Tournament? +230
Baylor has been just as dominant as Gonzaga this year. It may be hard to believe, but Baylor has won all but one of their games by double digits. That lone single-digit win was by nine points against the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Gonzaga is the prohibitive favorite to win it but I suspect that Baylor could give Gonzaga fits. Their three-point shooting is a problem for anyone in the tournament. The value is absolutely Baylor as Gonzaga is already -270 with two games to play.
Pick: Under 134.5 Baylor Bears vs. Houston Cougars
“Houston has allowed an average of 58 points this season … Over their past five games, the Cougars have whittled that to 55.4. Baylor has yielded 65.5 to foes this season, but over its past three, that’s 62. That’s a magnificent recipe for an Under play here.” ~ Rob Miech
An assist from the great Rob Miech! These two teams have been putting a premium on points for the past several games. The under looks like a great play for Saturday’s tilt in the final four. See Rob’s picks here.
Every Dollar Counts - This Week In Sports Betting Promotions
FanDuel Sportsbook is celebrating the opening day of Major League Baseball with a very fun same-game parlay promotion. A $10 same-game parlay of 3 legs or more is eligible for a full refund regardless of how many legs lose. Opt-in required! This is only an Opening Day Promotion - jump in fast!
PointsBet Sportsbook is offering a “Home Run Insurance” promotion for the whole season. In this promotion, you can bet on any player to hit a home run. If that player does not hit a home run, but the team wins, then your bet is given back to you as a free bet.
This promotion will pop up throughout the season, but not every game is eligible so check out their promotions section to see which games are eligible.
MLB Regular Season Primer
Our MLB contributor Bob Christ is breaking down every division across the major leagues. One strong pick? Cardinals to win the NL Central.
I absolutely love betting on futures. Some of my best futures bets this year may not necessarily hit, but they have fantastic value. From the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Super Bowl at 28:1 (obviously hit this one!), James Harden MVP 14:1 (now 4:1), and Mets World Series 30:1 (now 9:1). There is definitely a time to take futures and you do not want to miss the window of opportunity.
Don’t miss your window on MLB futures bets either. I would recommend taking a look at any of those bets as well as Freddie Freeman to lead the league in hits +2000. Side Note: The Eloy Jimenez injury will make me feel smarter than I actually am about the White Sox…
Christmas Season Or Golfing Season?
I am not sure which is better because the Masters is one of my favorite tournaments of the entire year. Mark your calendars: The 2021 Masters will happen April 8th - 11th.
Our golf guru Bill Bowman is on the call for this weekend’s Valero Texas Open Betting Odds. Plenty of top competitors will sit out the tournament in preparation for the Masters next week.
Speaking of the Masters - get ready for the tournament here. I personally cannot wait for this year’s tournaments with guys like Bryson DeChambeau on an absolute run.
Everything in sports betting is about beating the closing line. Well, I explained that Bryson DeChambeau at +1200 was excellent value back in February. He has now plummeted to +900 on a few sportsbooks. Those odds may not be as long as one of this bomber’s drives, but still a solid choice for savvy PGA bettors.
Sports Betting (Business) Weekly
BetRivers Sportsbook has launched in the Google Play Store and is coming out with new promotions. This time, if you deposit $50 you will be given a $100 free bet. This basically equals a 200% deposit bonus. Learn more here.
Here it is - the WWE is ready to give their fans what they have been clamoring for. Errr- maybe not quite because CM Punk has still not returned from his long-standing hiatus. What they are actually getting is a deal with DraftKings Sportsbook, which officially hit this week.
The expectation is that DraftKings will be offering free-to-play tournaments for WWE fans with cash prizes as a possibility.
Soooooo you’re telling me there’s a chance? Amber Hoffman details the latest in the Big Apple as New York attempts to legalize sports betting. It is absolutely crucial for the state that this gets done - we will see if it actually does.
California may experience another gold rush in the near future...this time in the form of sports betting.
MLB and NBA parlays are coming and I cannot wait. As always - “Bet with your head, not over it…”
~Erich Richter, Gaming Today Sports Betting Expert
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