There is profit to be made in sports betting if you’re willing to go against the grain in certain situations. Every day, BetOnline offers boosted odds on certain games in an attempt to entice bettors to take a shot on a bet they otherwise may not consider.
When regular odds just won’t do…
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— BetOnline.ag (@betonline_ag) August 31, 2020
We have a couple of NBA playoff games on tap for Monday, as well as a full slate of Major League Baseball action. The Milwaukee Bucks will begin their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Miami Heat, while the Houston Rockets will look to close out the Oklahoma City Thunder in their first-round series. Monday’s baseball schedule features a number of interesting matchups, including Yankees-Rays, White Sox-Twins, and Phillies-Nationals.
Is there value to be had in BetOnline’s daily odds boosts for Monday, August 31? Read on to find out!
NBA: Bucks -5.5 AND Over 223.5 Points (+410)
While the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs was a bit of a snoozefest, the second round has all sorts of potential. Raptors-Celtics promises to be a thrilling series, and Monday’s Game 1 between the Bucks and Heat should be quite compelling, too.
The Heat swept their way past the shorthanded Indiana Pacers in the first round. Miami hasn’t played since last Monday, so they certainly have a rest advantage here. The Bucks, meanwhile, disposed of the Orlando Magic on Saturday, so they’ve only had one full day off before beginning their next series. It was a bit surprising to see the top-seeded Bucks struggle a little with a team as mediocre as the Magic, but Milwaukee still has minus-money odds (-118) to win the Eastern Conference.
Miami actually went 2-1 against Milwaukee during the regular season, though the Bucks did get the better of the Heat in their most recent meeting earlier this month. It’s worth noting that the Heat were without Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic for that game due to injury, however. Two of the three head-to-head clashes went over 223.5 points, though one of those was an overtime affair. Butler is dealing with a shoulder injury, but he says he will be in the lineup for Game 1.
Milwaukee has the best win/loss record in the league this season, and they have also been among the league’s elite against the spread. The Bucks are 42-35-1 against the spread on the year, while the Heat are 40-35-2. These are two of the stingier defensive teams in basketball, but games involving the Heat have typically gone over the implied total. Miami’s over is 44-31-2 on the year, while the Bucks are at 38-39-1.
MLB: Yankees and Phillies BOTH To Win (+225)
After a wild 12-10 loss last night to the Braves, the Phillies will turn around and host the reigning champion Washington Nationals on Monday night. Erick Fedde is slated to start this game for the Nats, while the Phillies will counter with right-hander Spencer Howard.
Fedde is not a good pitcher in the least, so it makes sense for the Phils to be fairly sizable -140 moneyline favorites to win this game.
Fedde started against the Phillies just five days ago, and he was knocked around to the tune of four runs on seven hits in just five innings of work. Howard has had a so-so season to this point, but he is still ranked as the top pitching prospect in Philadelphia’s farm system. He has yet to start against the Nationals so far this season, however.
The Yankees, meanwhile, will throw ace Gerrit Cole to the mound for Monday’s home game against the red-hot Tampa Bay Rays. Tampa Bay will counter with their own ace in Tyler Glasnow. New York is desperately trying to make up ground in the AL East. As things stand now, the Rays own a commanding 3.5-game lead over the Bronx Bombers. New York is ravaged by injuries right now, with Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Gleyber Torres among the players currently on the injured list.
What’s The Best Bet?
The Yankees are still among the betting favorites to win the World Series this year, but the rash of injuries has the team currently on the fringe of playoff contention. This team hasn’t been nearly as good as many expected, and the lineup these days is full of players the Yankees weren’t expecting to have to count on. Cole is legitimately great, but the Yankees don’t exactly face an easy matchup here with Glasnow toeing the rubber for Tampa Bay.
I do think Phillies will get the better of Fedde and the Nationals again, but I’m not convinced the Yankees will be able to hold up their end of the bargain. The Rays have faced the Yankees seven times already this season, and Tampa Bay has won six of those games.
There is an awful lot of profit potential in the NBA odds boost here at +410. All you need is the Bucks to win by at least six points with the teams combining to score at least 224 points. I think the over makes for a pretty easy play here. While having had more days off clearly favors the Heat, it’s a bit worrisome for Miami that Butler may not be playing at full strength. The Heat need Butler to be great to have any hope of pulling the upset in this series.
I think you take the value and run with the NBA odds boost. Bet the Bucks to cover the 5.5 points and the over on 223.5 at the current +410 odds.
Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith has been a staff writer with GamblingSites.org since early 2017. Taylor is primarily a sports writer, though he will occasionally dabble in other things like politics and entertainment betting. His primary specialties are writing about the NBA, Major League Baseball, NFL and domestic and international soccer. Fringe sports like golf and horse racing aren’t exactly his cup of tea, bu …
