GAMBLING GUIDE

Bookie Busters: In the zone

Bookie Busters: In the zone
Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Who doesn't like a Hot Pocket? But these are filled with dollars and cents, and a little cheese. Let's stay hot, this is the perfect time of the season. I have some nice spots this weekend, let's make some money.

New Plays

Coming soon

12/26 548

Washington Wizards at Detroit Pistons over 228.5 5U MAX BOMB

First Q Over 59 1U

FH over 117.5 2U


Memphis Grizzlies at Oklahoma City Thunder

First Q over 55 4U

FH over 109 4U

Game over 224 5U MAX

Parlay 2u

Wash/Det over 228.5

Mem/OKC over 224

NCAAF Pitt TT over 30.5

12/25

Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors Rockets first Q -3.5

2U First Q TT over 31.5

2U First Q over 59.5 4U

Rockets TT over 119 5U MAX

338 12/23 

Central Florida-7 2nd half 5U MAX

1146 CST 12/21

Texans -3 MAX BOMB 5U

711 CST

TORONTO RAPTORS @ DETROIT PISTONS 3rd Q over 53.5 5U MAX


CHICAGO BULLS @ WASHINGTON WIZARDS 2nd half over 112 5U MAX BOMB

7 CST

Memphis Grizzlies at Oklahoma City Thunder First Q over 54 3U

652 CST

New Orleans Pelicans at Minnesota Timberwolves FH over 117.5 5U MAX

Game over 230 5U MAX

1255 cst 12-18

Barcelona/Real Madrid Both teams score and over 2.5 5U MAX

Suarez goal 1U
Barca TT over 2 3U

557 CSt

Orlando Magic at Utah Jazz Jazz -2 first Q 5U MAX

Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Clippers

Clippers FH TT over 58.5 5U MAX

Game over 224 3U

Clippers FH -7.5 3U

Clippers -13.5 2U


12/17  550 CST

Nets Player prop S.Dinwiddie Over 24.5 points 3U

assist over 6.5 4U


Los Angeles Lakers at Indiana Pacers Pacers FH +1.5 2U

Game Under 211 3U


12/15 253

Parlay 1U

Buffalo ML

Raiders-6.5

Browns ML

Falcons/Niners over 49

Parlay 1U

Browns/Cards over 49

Atl +11

Raiders-6.5


Teaser 7 point 5U MAX

Raiders +.5

Bills +7

Saturday 12-14  123

UCLA/NOTRE DAME over 138 5U MAX

Previous Plays

Goff over 1.5 passing TD 3U

Rams TT over 23.5 5U MAX TOTAL of the week

813 CST

‪WASHINGTON WIZARDS @ MIAMI ‬

‪2nd half Over 111 5U MAX ‬‪3rd Q over 55.5 5U MAX ‬

Bears TT over 9.5 3U 2nd half

SACRAMENTO KINGS @ PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

2nd half over 107.5 5U MAX

For any questions or comments reach me @Jerryboknowz Twitter.

Be sure to check out my show MoneyLine with Josh Jordan on ESPN 97.5. We're on every Sunday from 10-noon, and we'll talk a lot of fantasy football and NFL gambling. Also, be sure to follow us @Moneyline975 on Twitter.

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Can the Astros overcome the loss of Bregman? Composite Getty Image.

So where does one turn now in Houston for mediocre, overpriced salsa? I kid, I kid. While wondering if Breggy Baked Beans are on the horizon. Congrats to Alex Bregman and agent Scott Boras for landing an on its face outlandish three-year 120-million dollar contract with the Boston Red Sox. With deferred money part of the deal the contract will be valuated in the neighborhood of “only” three years 90 million. Would Bregman have taken that from the Astros if offered? The Astros’ six-year 156-million dollar proposal was 26 mil per season. Bregman has the right to opt out after each of the first two seasons of his BoSox deal. If his decline (while still a very good player) of the last two seasons continues, or even if he holds steady, there is near zero chance of Bregman opting out unless he hates life in New England. At the end of the three years, will Bregman be able to land a three-year 66 million-dollar deal when he’s about to turn 34 years old? That plus the 90 mil with deferrals accounted for in his new deal would total 156 million. Massachusetts taxes personal income of just over a million dollars and upward at a nine percent rate. Playing half his games in the Bay State, Bregman will pay Massachusetts tax on half his salary.

Reminders...

Bregman obviously had an excellent Astros’ career, among non-pitchers he is top 10 all-time, but the excellence was frontloaded. Over Bregman’s first three big seasons he compiled a .289 batting average and .924 OPS. Elite numbers. Over the five seasons since: .261 and .795. Good, nothing legendary. After his monster MVP runner-up 2019 season (stats aided by the juiced balls of that season) Bregman was on a strong early Hall of Fame track. Now not so much, without some offensive resurgence. Fenway Park should suit Bregman well. He’ll bang singles and doubles off of the Green Monster, though the much higher than Crawford Boxes wall will not goose his home run numbers. In his time with the Astros Bregman mashed at Fenway with a .375 batting average and 1.240 OPS. That’s in a statistically not very significant 98 regular season plate appearances.

It is myth that Bregman in the postseason was some relentless hitting machine. He posted phenomenal numbers over seven Division Series batting .333 with an OPS over 1.000. Over 68 American League Championship Series and World Series games: batting average .196, OPS sub-.700.

For his career, Bregman’s worst month of performance by far has been April (plus any days in March, .737 OPS). In 2024 Bregman was baseball garbage into mid-May. Should a typical slow start happen again, we’ll see what the Fenway faithful patience level is. By far, Bregman’s best batting month has been August (.992 OPS). As it works out, both Astros-Red Sox series are in August this year. First in Boston August 1-3 then in Houston August 11-13.

Who's on third?

Over the last two seasons combined, new Astros’ third baseman Isaac Paredes has been as good offensively as Bregman. That includes Paredes pretty much stinking for two months in Chicago after being dealt from the Rays to the Cubs. Paredes, who turns 26 years old on Tuesday, was an AL All-Star last season. Bregman, who turns 31 March 30, was last an All-Star in 2019. The defensive drop-off from Bregman to Paredes is a fairly steep one.

There is no question that Bregman’s official departure weakens the Astros via a domino effect. Had Bregman wound up staying here, Paredes would have shifted to second base with Jose Altuve primarily in left field. Now, 600-plus plate appearances that Bregman would have taken project to be divided among Mauricio Dubon, Ben Gamel, Zach Dezenzo, and others. That projects as a substantial offensive downgrade. The lineup net result of the Astros’ offseason is negative. Christian Walker and Paredes joining the infield in lieu of Jon Singleton and Bregman is fine. Kyle Tucker out, hodge-podge in in the outfield, oh boy.

Alex Bregman is an unquestioned gamer, leader, and would seem to have the temperament to take well to the more intense baseball environment of Boston relative to that in Houston. Yankee fans should reeeeally love him now!

New beginnings

Considering baseball wasn’t invented until more than a century later, the poet Alexander Pope did not have baseball in mind when in 1732 he wrote “Hope springs eternal (in the human breast).” It works though. Other than the Chicago White Sox and Colorado Rockies, Major League teams have convened in Florida or Arizona thinking if things break right this could be their year! I’d probably put the Miami Marlins in with the ChiSox and Rockies. Many Astros’ fans are strongly disgruntled over the departures of Bregman and Kyle Tucker. This team still has “gruntlement” potential. The batting order appears Morganna-level (Google as necessary) top heavy, but one through five stacks well versus most other lineups. In the American League only the Mariners, Yankees, and maybe Royals have starting pitching rotations that should rate above the Astros’ rotation. Let the countdown to Opening Day begin!

Spring training is up and running. Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch!

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