UFC 263, NBA Playoffs & Weekend Promos
Betting picks by sports bettors for sports bettors
Well, last week was probably the best week we have had here at the Gaming Today Playbook. Our futures bet - Nets to win the Finals +260 has never looked better. And we were 3-0!
Adding to our excitement, the Nuggets won game 6 (+170) which also cashed our series-winning bet at -120. Then, the Hawks won game 1 at +145. A 3-0 week and the Nets have dominated the Bucks so far in the series (more on that later).
UFC 263 is live Saturday on PPV. The NBA playoffs are in full swing. We have a big weekend ahead of us so let’s jump right into it with betting picks. These are the most betting picks we have ever had on the newsletter. Be sure to bet carefully, anywhere between .5u - 1u per play is responsible.
UFC 263 Best Bets And Our First Ever PFL Betting Pick
Israel Adesanya via KO/TKO +235 (PointsBet)
Adesanya and Vettori went to decision in their first fight in 2018. This line is close based on that fight going to a split decision. However, I think the 20-1 champion Adesanya is being undervalued. Watching Vettori struggle to get Kevin Holland and eat shots as he was exhausted makes me think he gets KO’d in this one too.
Peterson/Hooper Fight To Go The Distance +125 (BetMGM)
This one is a bonus that is not listed in our official GamingToday preview. An exclusive betting pick for our loyal subscribers! I think that Hooper via submission - probably heel hook - is on the table here. But overall I think this fight being plus money to go to a decision is much too high. And I don’t have to pick a winner!
PFL: Brittney Elkin +195 over Claressa Shields (DraftKings)
I bet Elkin last week at +380… Now she’s down to +195! Shields is a boxer turned MMA fighter who has never competed in MMA. Brittney Elkin is a brown belt in jiu-jitsu. I think Shields has a small window to get a KO here. If not, she will be tapping via submission.
Thursday Night NBA Playoff Action: Woof, Woof
Did someone let the dogs out again? Damn, I guess we have to play them, right?
Nets to win game 3 +140 (William Hill)
They won by 30 in their last game and now they are +135 dogs two days later? I’m not sure how much changes here in this game. Durant owns Giannis and the Nets understand their defense at this point. I wouldn’t dare bet Milwaukee as favorites even at home. Brooklyn could be looking to sweep.
Clippers to win game 2 +132 (FanDuel)
The Clippers were up 13 in the first half last time out and then Utah got incredibly hot from three. That’s entirely possible again in this game. However, Leonard was 9-19 and Paul George was a disgrace, shooting 4-17. The Clippers can’t expect their two best players to play that poorly again. The oddsmakers surely are, but I am not.
GamingToday’s Tony Mejia has more on the game 2 matchup in Utah.
~ Let’s hope for another NBA underdog sweep like last week! ~
This Week In Sportsbook Promotions: Get PointsBet’s $10 Free By 11 PM Saturday
PointsBet Sportsbook is giving all of their users a free $10. Israel Adesanya to land a punch is +100 (he is the best striker in the UFC and has never not landed a punch). The max bet is $10.01 but this is a free bet for us all to make a little bit of money.
DraftKings Sportsbook is getting in on the free bet promotional game. Any bettor that makes $100 in bets will get a $10 free bet! Go to the promotional page to opt-in. With a huge betting weekend ahead of us including Thursday night, this is clearly worth taking advantage of.
New Jersey In-State College Betting Coming Soon; Wyoming Inching Towards Sports Betting
As a fellow New Jerseyan, this is a big deal. Not being able to bet on Rutgers during the NCAA March Madness Tournament was painstaking. It appears we won’t have to deal with this ever again! Mary M. Shaffrey has more on this story and where New Jersey sports betting stands on this topic.
Not the biggest state that needs to legalize sports betting but still noteworthy for the 578,000 that inhabit the Cowboy State. Wyoming is likely to have legalized sports betting for football season this September, but exact timing for a launch remains unclear.
As always…. “Bet with your head, not over it…” - Furio Giunta
~ Erich Richter, Gaming Today Sports Betting Expert
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