Spot bets are a classic handicapping practice that have proven profitable no matter what sport you’re betting. Whether it’s a team looking past this week’s opponent, one coming off a hard-fought victory, or a rough patch of schedule, bettors can find value picking their spots.
Lookahead spot
The Golden Nugget posted their college football “Games of the Year” this past Friday and opened up a new set of odds for spot bettors to juggle. Fans of the lookahead spot can’t help but notice the Oklahoma Sooners’ home date with the TCU Horned Frogs in Week 6, just a week away from the Red River Rivalry and a showdown with the Texas Longhorns (Pick) at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. According to the Big 12 futures odds, that game could give either OU or Texas the inside track to the conference championship.
Oddsmakers opened OU as a 9-point home favorite versus TCU on October 5. The Sooners have gone 12-1 SU in the game before the Red River Rivalry since 2000, but boast a 6-7 ATS mark in that span. The Horned Frogs lost 24-17 to OU but covered as 6.5-point home underdogs in Week 14 last year. TCU is the fourth overall favorite (+500) to win the Big 12.
Letdown spot
The Tampa Bay Rays are desperately trying to pull themselves out of the American League East basement and have a good opportunity to gain ground this week, hosting the division-leading Boston Red Sox for three games. The Rays have had a tough slate recently, taking two of three with Baltimore after road sets at Detroit and Cleveland, and the level of intensity will be at an apex versus the BoSox.
Following that set with Boston, the Rays welcome the Kansas City Royals to Minute Maid Park – a drastic shift in urgency and intensity from the previous series. The Royals were the laughing stock of baseball in May but have turned it around, winning five straight heading into their series with Detroit. Kansas City could catch Tampa Bay napping at the end of the week.
Schedule spot
Jeff Van Gundy isn’t the only one voicing his opinion about the 2-3-2 format of the NBA Finals, he just happens to have the loudest microphone. The ESPN announcer bashed the finals format, which has been in place since 1985, during the Game 2 broadcast. After splitting the first two games in South Beach, the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs play three games at the AT&T Center – more importantly Game 3 Tuesday night.
Since 1985, when the series is tied 1-1, the winner of Game 3 has gone on to win the NBA Championship 12 out of 13 times. Oddsmakers have the Spurs pegged as 2-point home favorites in Game 3 but listed as +150 underdogs to win the NBA title. San Antonio is 6-1 SU and 4-3 ATS at home this postseason and posted a 35-6 SU and 19-20-2 ATS mark as hosts during the regular season.