The 2020 NFL season kicks off one week from tonight. Given the year we’ve all endured, there’s nothing we deserve more than the beginning of football season. That said, you’re going to want to boost that betting bankroll before the NFL gets underway.
What better way to accomplish that goal than by targeting the odds boost offers you’ll find at BetOnline? We’ve got another sizable slate of Major League Baseball games alongside the usual NBA and NHL playoff offerings. Let’s sort through the options from BetOnline.ag and find the best bet, shall we?
MLB: Red Sox, White Sox, and Dodgers ALL To Win (+465)
The Red Sox have been one of the worst teams in baseball this season, which should come as no surprise considering their pitching staff is in tatters. Martin Perez will take the mound on Thursday evening at home against the Blue Jays, who will counter with right-hander Taijuan Walker.
Perez has been bad this season. His 4.58 ERA is belied by an ugly 5.38 xFIP, and he’s a lefty with a wide split facing a righty-heavy Jays lineup at hitter-friendly Fenway Park.
Toronto doesn’t have the most disciplined lineup, but it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see these guys peppering the Green Monster all night long against a hittable southpaw like Perez. The Red Sox are +120 home underdogs on the moneyline.
The White Sox will put Dylan Cease on the mound when they face Danny Duffy and the Royals in Kansas City tonight. Cease has had control issues this season, but the White Sox’ lineup full of right-handed sluggers does profile well against a left-hander like Duffy. Chicago is a -135 road favorite on the moneyline, and with good reason. Cease may be facing a Royals lineup without its best power bat in Jorge Soler, who left Wednesday’s game with back soreness.
The Dodgers, meanwhile, are massive -280 favorites to beat the Diamondbacks at home. That’s because Clayton Kershaw is on the mound. Kershaw has looked rejuvenated so far this season, and the D-Backs have been one of the worst offenses in the majors. Betting on the Dodgers to win at -280 is dreadful value on its own, but it’s appealing to be able to lump them in with the Red Sox and White Sox at +465 here.
NBA: Clippers to Win AND Over 223.5 Points (+310)
The Clippers, who got past the Mavericks in six games in their first-round series, will take on the Nuggets in Game 1 of the Western Conference semis on Thursday. The Clips haven’t played since Sunday, while Denver just won a hard-fought Game 7 over the Jazz on Tuesday night. Needless to say, Los Angeles should be the fresher team in this one.
The THRILLING FINISH to Game 7!@nuggets win the series 4-3 and advance to play the Clippers in the West semis! #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/6AkuYn9EaV
— NBA (@NBA) September 2, 2020
The Clips are among the betting favorites to win the title this season, while Denver is still playing without a key start in Will Barton. The Nuggets showed a good amount of grit in overcoming a 3-1 series deficit against Utah, but beating the Clippers is an entirely new challenge. The Clips are 8.5-point favorites in Game 1, and with good reason.
LAC took two of the three regular-season meetings with Denver. The teams combined for 218, 235, and 235 points in those games. Tonight’s over/under of 223.5 looks pretty low by comparison, but we have seen a scoring decline over the past few days in the postseason. In terms of hitting the over this season, the Nuggets are 43-36-1, while the Clippers are 38-39-1.
NHL: Flyers and Canucks BOTH To Win (+180)
Much to my surprise, the Flyers and Canucks were both able to stay alive in their respective series on Tuesday. Philadelphia picked up a 4-3 overtime win to pull to within 3-2 of the New York Islanders, while the Canucks squeaked past the Vegas Golden Knights, 2-1.
We’ve seen more dramatic playoff comebacks in hockey than we have in other sports over the years, but both teams are still very much up against it. The Isles are -127 favorites to close out the Flyers in Thursday’s Game 6, while the Knights are even heavier -238 favorites to do the same to the Canucks.
What’s The Best Bet?
Anything is possible, but you aren’t getting much bang for your buck in both the Flyers and Canucks pulling the upset at +180. Frankly, you’re better off just betting on these teams individually. You can get Philadelphia at +115 to win by themselves, while the Canucks offer even more value at +212. I’d bet on either of those teams by themselves before taking a shot on the combined result at +180. Pass on the NHL boost tonight.
The MLB boost has the loathsome Red Sox dragging things down.
There’s plenty of reason to like the White Sox and Dodgers to win, of course, but Boston’s presence here makes things more difficult. That said, the risk is baked into the massive +435 odds here. It doesn’t take a huge wager for you to see a nice profit at that number, and it’s not like the Blue Jays are an elite opponent themselves.
The Clippers certainly make for a smart bet to win Game 1 over the Nuggets, and the over/under of 223.5 is hardly egregious. These have been two of the better offensive teams in basketball all year long. Even if you expect the Clips to win this game fairly easily, it’s pretty easy to foresee this one being a high-scoring affair. The NBA boost is very attractive at +310.
If you don’t mind the awful feeling that comes with trying to depend on the Red Sox, the baseball boost is worth your attention at +465. I have plenty of confidence in the White Sox and Dodgers both holding up their ends of the bargain. If betting on the Red Sox makes you too queasy, the odds on the Clippers winning and the game going over 223.5 are quite advantageous themselves at +310. Both look like great options tonight.
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 …
