Sunday’s Best Bets: NBA All-Star Game, NHL, XFL & Daytona 500
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Today’s Best Bets
Here are today’s best NBA All-Star Game bets.
NBA Best Bets
NBA All-Star Game Same Game Parlay
Put on your seatbelts because you’re in for a wild night filled with incredible dunks, insane dribbling, and a severe lack of defense. Yes, we are We are, without a doubt, referring to the All-Star game in 2023.
The NBA has, on five separate occasions in the past, elected to postpone the selection of the teams until the very end of the planning process. This had typically been the period of time beginning a few days before the actual game.
They have made the decision to take things one step further this year. Not only are they going to wait until the night of the game to make a decision about teams, but LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo will also be the ones to make the decision, and it will be the very last thing they do before the game begins.
As a member of the team’s roster, this is the point at which things start to become interesting. The worry of getting selected last for a ball game at school, or even worse, of not being picked at all, is something that many of us are familiar with. Even if you are playing at the highest level in the most prestigious basketball league in the world, you will never be able to shake that sensation. Kevin Durant stated as much just a year ago.
When you put James, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, Giannis, Jayson Tatum, and Donovan Mitchell all on the same court, what do you get? A lot of offense and very little, if any defense.
This year in the league there has been a record number of 40 and 50-point performances. In every way possible the offense has been the main event, and it’s clear that the pre-season rule change that saw referees lock down on fouls on the counter has played a pivotal role.
Consequently, regardless of whether it is Jokic notching his 20th triple-double of the season or Mitchell landing a 70-point game in a performance that took its place among the game’s most memorable, you can anticipate that despite the arid climate of Utah, the game will not at all be dry.
While it’s nearly impossible to handicap without seeing the lineups, I expect this one to mean more for LeBron, and for buckets to be at a discount on both teams.
Parlay Odds: +256
- Johnny Perun
Check out our full NBA All-Star Game Same Game Parlay Odds, Picks & Predictions >>
NBA All-Star Game Picks
With the teams not even decided yet, this is one of the more difficult handicaps each season when it comes to betting on the NBA and the All-Star Game festivities. With his years playing at an elite level dwindling, I have to think LeBron takes the game more seriously, pulling out a win in the process.
Pick: Team LeBron -3 (-110)
- Johnny Perun
Check out our full NBA All-Star Game Odds, Picks & Predictions >>
Best MVP Bets & Picks
The NBA All-Star Game MVP odds board features a number of players that could win this prize. In an exhibition All-Star game, it’s crucial to stay away from guys who might be acting robotically and not enjoying themselves throughout.
Some players will merely show up and make no effort. On the other hand, some athletes give it their best in any situation, whether it be a playoff game, streetball, or the NBA All-Star Game.
Luka Doncic is one of the top players in the NBA who hasn’t received an All-Star MVP award yet. He had a strong chance of taking home last season’s MVP honors, and with impressive numbers heading into the 72nd All-Star Game, Doncic is back at it again this year.
The Slovenian native is averaging 33.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 8.1 assists per game. He has a remarkable 50.5% field goal percentage, which makes him stand out from the field of big men that can shoot.
Even though he had a heel injury earlier this month, he came back on Saturday and hasn’t stopped since. Doncic will always give it his all on the court, and on Sunday night, expect Doncic to make a difference as the first or second pick in the draft. I love the value he currently provides at nearly 7:1 odds, potentially on the court with new teammate Kyrie Irving.
Best Bet: Luka Doncic (+120 via DraftKings)
- Johnny Perun
Check out our full NBA All-Star Game MVP Odds, Picks & Predictions >>
Check out our best NHL bets.
NHL Best Bets
Edmonton Oilers (+102) vs. Colorado Avalanche (-122) | O/U 6.5 (-130/+106)
The Oilers' offense has been on a roll as of late, scoring 16 goals in their last four games. Connor McDavid has the Hart trophy locked up with 20 more points than the next man, his teammate Leon Draisaitl.
Unfortunately, it has not resulted in wins, and they've dropped three of their last four.
On the flip side, the reigning champs are 10-1-2 in their last 14, scoring 3.50 goals per game.
They have great forwards on the top lines, with Nate McKinnon having five goals and five assists in his last ten, and Mikko Rantanen has three goals and four assists.
The Oilers and Avs are on opposite ends regarding over/under records. Edmonton has the third-most games go over the total, while Colorado has the second-fewest. I favor the over because of Edmonton’s stellar offense that they need to make up for the sub-par goaltending and Colorado's current offensive run.
Pick: Over 6.5 (-130)
- John Supowitz
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XFL Bets
Seattle Sea Dragons at DC Defenders Over 35.5 Points (-110)
Smith wasn’t the only one who had a hand in Houston’s offensive outburst in Week 1 and through the entire shortened 2020 XFL season. Run-and-Shoot expert and longtime offensive guru June Jones was the club’s head coach. Now, he’s the offensive coordinator for the Sea Dragons.
Seattle’s offense is led by dual-threat signal-caller Ben DiNucci and will frequently utilize four wide receivers, headlined by Josh Gordon. As Cody Main of Establish the Run tweeted, Jones ran a pass-happy offense in the XFL in 2020.
College football fans of a certain age will undoubtedly also remember his high-flying offenses in Hawaii. Seattle should do their part to help push this game’s total over 35.5 points.
Meanwhile, the Defenders are also led by a dual-threat quarterback, Jordan Ta’amu. Ta’amu was in the XFL in 2020 and the USFL last year, making him a grizzled veteran in spring football. He led the Tampa Bay Bandits to 17 points in the USFL in Week 1 and guided the St. Louis BattleHawks to 15 points in their opener in 2020. Unfortunately, the scoring left something to be desired in Ta’amu’s openers. However, the BattleHawks scored at least 23 points in three of his five games in 2020, and the Bandits exploded for at least 27 points three times in his starts. The bar isn’t high for DiNucci and Ta’amu to clear for this game to go over its total. So, I’ll put my faith in them and Jones’s Run-and-Shoot offense going over 35.5 points.
- Josh Shepardson
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Daytona 500 Bets
Top 5: Bubba Wallace (+200 via Caesars Sportsbook)
Daytona has become one of Bubba Wallace’s signature tracks as he enters his sixth full-time season in the Cup Series. He has the best average finish (12.4) here by a fair margin among active drivers with at least 10 career stats. He also has just two DNFs here - an impressive feat for such a volatile track.
Wallace just has a feel for this tri-oval, evident in his eye-catching 36.3% top-5 finish rate. He finished second in last year’s 500 and then 11th in the fall, leading laps in both races. Thursday night’s Bluegreen Vacation Duels was more of the same as Wallace had a late push to launch his Toyota technical alliance teammate Christopher Bell into second place. I’m riding with Wallace’s consistency in the top-5 market while these generous odds remain available.
- Seth Woolcock
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