Andrew Ortenberg
Show Bio
The NFL playoffs are winding down and the Super Bowl is rapidly approaching, 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 Suns leading the way on Thursday.
NBA: Suns -5 @ Hawks
It’s not every day that we see a team that was just on a seven-game win streak getting faded this hard. But apparently that’s what happens when you play a team on an 11-game winning streak. The public loves to chase momentum, and Phoenix is red hot while the Hawks just got their streak snapped in their most recent game. Accordingly, 80 percent of the bets and 88 percent of the public money are laying the points with the Suns on Thursday, per DraftKings’ internal numbers shared with us.
The Suns have lost one game since December, and it looks like the public is going to ride them for the foreseeable future. Atlanta has been very streaky this season, so it’ll be very interesting to see how they respond to this latest loss. Be sure to check out our same game parlay for Suns vs Hawks (+1667 odds!)
NBA: Kings @ Warriors over 224.5
Nothing the public loves more than a good over. Bettors are more often than not going to want to root for points, and that’s certainly the case here for this Western Conference showdown. A total of 72 percent of the bets and 90 percent of the public money are coming in on the over 224.5 for Kings vs Warriors.
Obviously the Warriors have an explosive offense, and the public is always going to want to back Stephen Curry. Golden State has scored at least 122 points in four of their last five, so this one isn’t too hard to understand. Dive into our full game preview for Kings vs Warriors to see if our expert agrees.
NCAAB: #19 USC -6 @ Arizona State
Turning our attention to some college basketball now, it would be hard for this one to get more lopsided. It’s a small college hoops slate on Thursday, and one of the best games is this Pac-12 showdown. The public certainly knows who they like here. A near unanimous 97 percent of the bets and 97 percent of the public money are laying the points with the favorite here.
Apparently there’s no appetite at all for the Sun Devils as a home ‘dog. ASU is in the middle of a very disappointing 6-12 campaign, so I guess that’s not too shocking. Head over to our NCAAB picks page for free picks on the side and total of every big college basketball game.
Super Bowl 56: Bengals +4.5 vs Rams
Wrapping things up now with an early look at Super Bowl 56. A public underdog is somewhat rare to see, and while the bet splits so far have been fairly even, the public is initially leaning toward grabbing the points with Joe Burrow and the Bengals. 66 percent of the bets are on Cincy plus the points as of right now. However, only 56 percent of the handle is on the Bengals.
That means that some of the larger volume bets have been coming in on the Rams. With this being a Super Bowl, betting volume is going to be absolutely off the charts. It will be very interesting to monitor how these splits move as we get even closer to the big game and money truly starts pouring in. The Bengals have covered seven straight games, and as of right now the public lean is that they’ll make it eight in a row. Personally, I disagree.
Pickswise is the home of free NFL predictions, NBA predictions , NHL predictions, and college basketball predictions.
