Gambling Guide

Bookie busters: Fatten your bankroll with some midweek games

Jerry Bo
Mar 7, 2018, 7:15 am
You can make some cash on Anthony Davis and the Pelicans. New Orleans Pelicans/Facebook

Our bookie busters went 2-2 for the weekend, but let's examine a specific sequence from one of our plays that prohibited us from the sweep.

NBA
Friday 3/2/2018 6:35 pm
Warriors at Hawks
Warriors -13  Over/Under 227

The Picks were:
Warriors-13
Warriors Team Total over 120

Our thoughts were that the game would be high scoring due to not only the obvious in the Warrior's prolific offense but in the new-found pace, the Hawks have been playing at in the last month. Golden State played its part and scored 62 in the first half, and with less than five minutes left in the 4th quarter, the Warriors held a double-digit lead needing to cover -13. What happened in the last 2 minutes is inexcusable. Following a pair of Kevin Durant free throws to put the Thunder up 111-100 and put the spread at a baskets distance, the Warriors allowed Atlanta to go on a 9-0 run in 1:40 killing the bet.  A key to being successful betting is to learn from every wager you make whether it's a win or a loss. Go back and look at what exactly happened and did the game play at the pace you expected.

Cris Cyborg Under 1.5 rounds was easy cash as the Champion scored a first-round TKO.

Michigan State vs. Wisconsin under 132 was also easy cash as the game ended 63-60, with the number never in doubt.


NBA 3/7 9:00 PM
New Orleans Pelicans at Sacramento Kings
The Pelicans travel to Sacramento to finish a four-game round trip. (This is being written before the Clippers game) During this road trip, the Pelicans have been involved in shootouts, with all of their games seeing over 235 point totals. Not just on this road trip but going back to February 9th, all of New Orleans contest have seen their totals go over 221 points. In the past 15 games, the Pelicans rank 1st in pace in the NBA (105.7). New Orleans' Over/Under record sits at 38-23-1 on the year, the best in the NBA, with their games cashing over tickets 62.3% of the time. Their opponents, also have seen success with totals this season, and they are ranked top 5 in the league seeing the game go over in 54% of their contest while holding a 34-29-1 overall record. With the Pelicans coming off back-to-backs to finish off the road trip, I fully expect them to keep playing at the pace that has given them success on the current eight-game win streak.

Plays
Pelicans -5
Pelicans Team Total over 114.5
Over 224

More Action

ACC Tournament 3/7 1:00 PM
NC State vs. Boston College
NC State-3    Over/Under 158

NC State on a 5-1 run, scoring 74+ in the last six contest. BC 2-4 in last six games allowing 84,82,79 and 85 points in those losses.
Pick: NC State-3

Big East Tournament
St John's vs. Georgetown
St John's -4.5    Over/Under 145.5

The Red Storm averaged 73 points per game this season, and in their last five wins, they have surpassed 75+ points. They will be looking to continue that remedy. Georgetown on a four-game losing streak, allowing the opponent to score 89,74,90, and 97 on that streak. Look for an extremely fast-paced game.

Picks:
Over 145.5
St John's Team Total Over 74.5



For any questions or comments reach me @JerryBoknowz On Twitter

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THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT

Examining the Houston Astros latest moves and what they reveal

Yainer Diaz should be a big factor early in the season. Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images.

Opening Day for the Houston Astros is right around the corner and the reigning champions of the baseball world have set their final roster.

Three players whose names stood on the final 26 were catchers Yainer Diaz and Cesar Salazar as well as right-handed pitcher Ronel Blanco, and outfielder Corey Julks.

While some might be surprised to see their names on the main roster, the Astros’ logic behind it reveals the focus is not just on this season, but for the future as well.

Let’s start with Diaz and Salazar, who both edged out prospect Korey Lee for the backup catcher position. Lee was the Astros’ first-round selection in the 2019 draft. His numbers during 2023 spring training were .258/.343/.827 with two home runs and six RBI in 31 at-bats.

In comparison, Diaz’s slashes were .325/.317/.892 with one home run and eight RBI in 40 at-bats. Salazar put together a slash line of .286/.407/.978 with a home run and seven RBI in 21 at-bats.

While not making the opening day roster is a blow for Lee, Houston general manager Dana Brown said it is not necessarily a reflection of where the organization views him as a player.

Brown said it is vital for Lee to play every single day being a first-round sound selection. That would not be the case had he made the Astros roster, with Martin Maldonaldo solidified as the starter.

“He's like a big time, frontline guy with some power, so you can't have guys like that sitting on the bench at the Major League level, so you have to get him playing time,” Brown said. “Whereas Salazar is a backup catcher, and he fills that role better.”

While that argument works regarding Salazar, it will be interesting to see what Diaz does with his roster spot. Both Diaz and Lee are 24 years old. Diaz made his MLB debut last September and appeared in only six games for the Astros.

As for Blanco, the right-handed pitcher put together an impressive spring training for Houston that earned him his spot in the bullpen. The Dominican Republic native pitched 14 innings, giving up only one run. He put together a 0.64 ERA.

Blanco is going to be raring to showcase to Houston his improvement from last season. He had a rough 2022 season in the big leagues, appearing in only seven games and giving up five runs and accumulating a 7.11 ERA.

The 29-year-old beat out pitchers like Brandon Bielak and veteran Austin Davis to make the team’s crowded bullpen. For Blanco, it is all about producing in the majors.

One final player to spotlight is Corey Julks. He came as a bit of a surprise as well, with many thinking Justin Dirden's impressive spring could get him a spot on the roster. But Julks has more experience and posted a big year with the Space Cowboys in 2022. The former University of Houston Cougar crushed 31 home runs for Sugar Land last year and had a slash line this spring of .275/.318/.550 with 2 homers.

Cesar SalazarKorey LeeRonel Blancocorey julksastros

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