How good, Christmas is just about here and no doubt it is time to sit back, relax, and enjoy some summer sun.
Now, Just before we crack into the festivities completely, there is still some outstanding value to kick off this week in the sporting world, and as you know we are always the first to dive into it. So, just as we did last time, we have come up with our favourite three bets for the early portion of the week and are ready to break them down for you.
The Big Bash roars into its second week of the season, and with the Christmas break coming up, we only have two more games to enjoy before then. The first of the two will see the Sydney Thunder hosting a Brisbane Heat team coming off a historic game last time out, where they chased down 253 against the Scorchers, with Matt Renshaw and Jack Wildermuth both finishing with unbeaten hundreds. The Thunder, on the other hand, are 0–2 on the season and are coming off a tough loss against their biggest rivals, the Sydney Sixers.
A lot of that performance from the Thunder had to do with their top order capitulating and digging themselves a massive hole for the middle order and tail to try to drag them out of. One member of that top order is polarising youngster Sam Konstas, who ever since blasting onto the Test scene against India, has been a consistent member of the Sydney Thunder.
With a slow start to his Big Bash season, there will be plenty of pressure on Konstas to help his team secure their first win of the season. With his talent and mentality being undeniable, I do back the youngster to get the job done.
The last game will be the much anticipated second outing of Philip Rivers remarkable comeback to the league after being retired for five years. He was thrown into the fire last weekend against the Seahawks and looked, what I would describe as, fine without being spectacular. He was able to play point guard, getting the ball out on time, not taking any sacks and giving his playmakers the room to operate, but the issue was pushing the ball down the field.
On the other side of this quarterback battle, Brock Purdy looked like the player who for the first time in a while, took his team to the Super Bowl a couple of years ago. The Niners quarterback was playing with a swagger and confidence that has driven his team to a very solid 10–4 record, while somehow being only third in their division. This means every game is important for them as they try to launch a bid for a wildcard spot in the playoffs, and the Colts are the next team in their path.
When breaking down the state of these two teams, it seems like the Colts have played their best ball and are now on a downward spiral, while the 49ers are seemingly only just hitting their stride. With that being the case, I like the option of San Francisco to cover the spread in this one come Monday Night Football.
To close this one out, we are looking towards the association for one of the big showdowns from the early portion of this week between Golden State and Orlando. Both of these teams are flirting around the middle of the pack in their respective conferences and will be looking to enter the Christmas period with another one in the W column.
When looking at the two sides, neither is short of talent, with Golden State headlined by Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, while on the other side of the ledger Orlando is led by Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane. Outside of their stars, both teams also have relatively good supporting casts who can put up plenty of points and play some decent defence on occasion.
In this one, I do expect Orlando to be able to get downhill and into the paint with their surplus of athleticism compared to Golden State. Where Golden State can be limited athletically, they make up for it with shooting talent that keeps them afloat. With that said, both teams give up around 114 points per game, and coming up against offences that can score the ball, the 110 mark does not seem too far of a stretch for both of these units.
