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, June 8:
TOP PLAY
The play: NHL Finals Game 3 money line, Golden Knights over Panthers
The odds/bet: +100 ($30 to win $30)
The book: Caesars Sportsbook
Time/TV: 7 p.m. (TNT)
Our take: So we learned a lesson yesterday in taking the lesser team just because they were at home. Yeah, yeah, that’s the NBA and this is the NHL, and the situation for Florida is completely different.
The Panthers are down 2-0 in the series and basically are fighting for their playoff lives at home for the first time in the Stanley Cup Finals. However, Vegas clearly has been – and is – the better team, winning the first two games of the series by a combined score of 12-4.
With even-money odds on the dominant team thus far, we’ll stray from taking eighth-seeded Florida just because it is a must win. If we are right, not only is there a good chance of a sweep, but this certainly will be the final time one can get Vegas at such a good price.
MLB MONEY LINE
The play: MLB money line, Cubs over Angels
The odds/bet: +110 ($10 to win $11)
The book: Caesars Sportsbook
Time/TV: 8:40 p.m. (MLB TV)
Our take: The Cubs are sometimes a very tough team to figure out. Terrible for a couple of games, and then look like the team nay thought they would be.
That being said, they have been pretty good in Drew Smyly starts, while the Angels’ Reid Detmers has been pretty darned bad.
After losing the first two games of the series, they’re ready to finish strong before heading to the city by the bay to face the San Francisco Giants in a long West-Coast trip.
HOW WE’VE FARED
NBA Finals Game 3: Heat +3.5 over Nuggets (LOSE $31.50)
PGA Canadian Open: Tyrell Hatton to finish in top 10 (PENDING)
Wednesday’s profit/loss: -$31.50 (0-1, 1 pending)
Total for the week: -$98 (1-4, 1 pending)
Total for June: -$122.70 (5-8, 1 pending)
Total for 2023: -$456.40 (126-141, 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).