Just like that, we are back once again to put a bow on the week and bring you what has become a tradition around these parts at betcha, with our five best bets for the upcoming slate of sport.
If you have been reading along and following us, you will know most of the value right now is in the Northern Hemisphere, because that is largely where it is all happening in the sporting world at the moment. With that said, this weekend will be no different, as four out of our five best bets are in the North. To get underway, we are going to take quick trip to Twickenham, where the All Blacks are set to face of with England in their last major test of the season.
The All Blacks have announced their squad and will look to snap England’s long-standing record at Twickenham, and I like what I am seeing based on who they have available. England, on the other hand, will be feeling pretty good about things after a convincing win against Australia last weekend.
I think, based on what we saw the last time these two sides clashed on New Zealand shores, that this will be a closely fought bout between the two heavyweight rugby nations. I also understand that many things have changed since last year’s three-match tour, but I still feel a similar game script could play out to what we saw in the past.
If this is the case, the unders on the total points would be a good play, as in those three games none of them reached more than 46 points, and in a couple they were not even close.
Finally, a great week of college football is upon us after the last few have not had too many major matchups on the cards. We are heading to the South, where Oklahoma will make the trip to take on Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.
These two teams are currently poised as top-11 teams in the nation and should produce some serious fireworks in what could be the most important game for either programme so far this season. Those said fireworks will come from the arms of both quarterbacks, Ty Simpson and John Mateer, who at certain points this season were both named Heisman front-runners.
It is not just the signal callers though, as both programmes with all their resources, have some of the most talented rosters in the country. With that said, I think when it comes to big games, Alabama have the right people in the key positions to ensure they do not let this one slip at home while they launch a College Football Playoff bid. So give me the Tide by a field goal at home under the spotlight of the nation.
Speaking of the spotlight, we are staying in the SEC as Steve Sarkisian and Arch Manning head to Athens for what is the biggest game of young Manning’s career. They are set to take on fellow college powerhouse the Georgia Bulldogs, led by national championship-winning coach Kirby Smart. Like the other SEC matchup we discussed above, both of these teams are looking to secure a playoff berth, and the result of this game could be season-defining.
The fact that this result is even in question is a positive for the Longhorns, because just a month ago they looked like a side with plenty of preseason hype that was not able to live up to the billing. However, Arch Manning is now looking as advertised, and the Texas defence looks as good as any in the nation. When looking at Georgia, they are about what you would expect from a Kirby Smart-coached team, with an offence that takes care of business and a hard-nosed defence that backs that group up.
When looking at value in this one, I am leaning towards the Longhorns to cover the spread. I think the lift in performance we have seen recently has been huge for the programme, and with their backs against the wall to make this season somewhat successful, they are going to come out swinging.
If we have learnt anything through the spring of cricket, it is that teams have been struggling to score runs in the slightly longer format of the game, so the bet I am leaning towards might seem a bit strange. Throw in the fact that the player I am targeting has somewhat been on the outside looking in when it comes to the New Zealand cricket setup, and it seems even more unusual.
However, I am going with Devon Conway to go over his runs prop on Sunday, and that is based on what we have seen in his past few outings. He has looked like the confident player we saw take the international stage by storm during his first two years with the Blackcaps.
This series will be massive for Conway and his prospects of staying in the white-ball side, and I expect him to make the most of it.
This game is good enough to be the NFC Championship come late January, and as a neutral between these two sides, I am very excited to sit down and watch what could be nothing short of cinema on Monday morning. The Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams have been two of the hottest teams in the NFL this season. They both have very good coaching staffs and complete rosters that allow them to dominate in every facet of the game.
What is most exciting is the matchup between the two passing games, anchored by two of the MVP front-runners in Matthew Stafford and Sam Darnold. These two are legitimate NFL quarterbacks who can do all the boring stuff in the pocket while also making some ridiculous throws at every level of the field. What helps them is that both have a receiver who could easily be considered the best in the league. For Darnold, that is JSN, who now in his third year, leads the league in just about every receiving metric. For Stafford, he has the player right on JSN’s tail in those numbers, Puka Nacua.
Because of this, and even though I have the utmost respect for both sides defences, I think we could see a bit of an offensive show come Monday, which is why I have the quarterbacks combining for 500 yards on the day.
