Each day, one of our experts at bet.NOLA.com will offer up a best bet (or two or three) that mobile sportsbooks in Louisiana are offering. It might be a traditional spread bet, a player prop or one of the various odds boosts that books offer.
A reminder for those who haven’t signed up yet: New users can get a risk-free bet at Caesars Sportsbook, meaning that if your first bet loses, you get a bonus bet for the same amount up to $1,250. New users also get 1,000 Caesars Rewards points to redeem for hotel or casino credit.
Here are our best bets for Thursday, May 25:
THE PLAYS
The play: NBA, Eastern Conference Finals, Heat +8.5 over Celtics
The odds/bet: -110 ($33 to win $30)
Secondary play: Miami money line, +270 ($10 to win $27)
The book: BetMGM (both plays)
Time/TV: 7:30 p.m. (TNT)
Our take: How many social media posts have we seen in the past few days – or how many friends have you talked to – who think the Celtics are back in this thing and are ready to make the four-game run to the NBA Finals? Are people that willing to just ignore the fact 150 times out of 150 when a team is down 3-0, they have lost the series?
Why is this Boston team any different? "It has to end sometime!" Yeah, well let the dummies keep betting that it will happen THIS time.
This is the same Miami team that won the first two in Boston, and they have the same superstar in Jimmy Butler and the same incredible coach in Eric Spoelstra. While I would love to advocate putting all your eggs in the one basket of tonight’s money line, it’s always better to play it a little safe and take the 8.5 with the majority of your bet, and then sprinkle a little on Miami outright.
One thing for sure, if the Heat don’t win this one, we’ll (or least I will) be loading up on them in a potential Game 6.
HOW WE’VE FARED
MLB money line: Cubs over Mets (WIN $30)
PGA, Charles Schwab Challenge: Justin Rose to finish in the top 20 (PENDING)
Tuesday’s profit/loss: +$30 (1-0, 1 pending)
Total for the week: +$57.70 (3-1, 1 pending)
Total for May: +$196.60 (27-19, 1 pending)
Total for 2023: -$262.60 (115-124, 1 pending)
NOTE: If a line or odds are minus, it considers the juice one must lay to place the bet. Ex: Team A is -160 on the money line, one would have to bet $160 to win $100 (or $16 to win $10). OR Team B is a 5-point favorite at -110, one would have to bet $110 to win $100 (or $11 to win $10.)
Conversely, on positive lines, if Team C is +140 on the money line, a $100 would bring in $140 (or $10 to win $14).