Andrew Ortenberg
Show Bio
The NFL playoffs are winding down, but basketball and hockey are in full swing and baseball is right around the corner. It’s a lot, and we’re grateful for it. There are plenty of crucial contests coming up, which always attract some big public sides. Let’s take a look at where the public money is going as bettors once again try to beat the ‘books, with the Bulls leading the way on Friday.
NBA: Bulls -2 @ Spurs
The Bulls endured a bit of a rough patch with a bunch of guys missing, but now that Zach LaVine is back in the lineup the public is ready to buy back in. And bettors are never afraid of laying points on the road. Accordingly, 92 percent of the bets and 94 percent of the public money are on Chicago on Friday, per DraftKings’ internal numbers shared with us.
The Bulls have won back to back games, which is enough to get everyone back on board. On the other hand the Spurs are just 3-9 in their last 12 games, so it’s not too surprising that bettors are fading them. Check out our full game preview for Bulls vs Spurs to see what side our expert is on.
NBA: Grizzlies -3 vs Jets
Now here’s something we didn’t see coming at the beginning of the season. The public pounding the Grizzlies in a game against the Jazz. But things change fast in the NBA, and here we are. Utah has been dealing with a bunch of injuries, and they’ve been struggling mightily. Not too long ago they were top dogs in the West, but 86 percent of the bets and 92 percent of the public money are now lining up to fade them.
Donovan Mitchell isn’t going to play yet again, and this spread is now -5 at most shops. Memphis has surprisingly turned into one of the best teams in the league while the Jazz are in a tailspin. Be sure to check out our free picks on the side and total for every NBA game on Friday!
NHL: Capitals @ Stars over 5.5
Turning our attention to some hockey now. Nothing the public loves more than a good over. And that’s certainly the case here in Dallas, as bettors are hammering this total. 82 percent of the bets and a whopping 95 percent of the public money are on the over 5.5 here. The gap in those two percentages means there have been some large volume bets on the over as well.
Alex Ovechkin is having another great season, and clearly bettors are expecting him to keep it rolling here. This one is a bit interesting, since the Caps have scored only one total goal across their last two games. Even that isn’t enough to dissuade people from backing the over. Read Tyler Mortimer’s full betting preview of Capitals vs Stars.
NFL: Chiefs @ Bengals over 54.5
See what I mean about the public and their overs? That’s also the case for the AFC Championship Game, where bettors are expecting to see plenty of points in the rematch between Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes. 75 percent of the bets and 82 percent of the public money are on the over 54.5 here. The total has already ticked up a bit from an opener of 53.5.
This one might be the least surprising public side I’ve seen in a while. There was no way anybody was going to want to root for punts in this matchup between two dynamic offenses. You won’t want to miss our expert roundtable where a group of us give our best plays for Championship Sunday!
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