Xam’s Daily Gems:
Celtics Money Line -142
The Celtics are widely considered one of the favorites to win a championship, this year, and it’s easy to see why. Jayson Tatum is a superstar, Jaylen Brown is a capable sidekick, and Kristaps Porzingis has brought another dimension to this team. The Celtics have arguably the best offense in the league right now. Few teams have shown an ability to consistently slow them down. The Clippers have been hot in their own right. They just had a 9 game winning streak snapped in their last game. However, the Clippers have been iffy on the defensive end in recent games, giving up 111 or more points in 6 of their last 7 games. The Celtics are younger and have an extra day of rest coming into this game as well.
Bengals Money Line -152
The Bengals come into this game riding high. Backup QB Jake Browning has the team on a 3 game winning streak, beating tough teams on the road along the way. The Bengals are playing with a ton of confidence. Number 1 wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is out today, but the Bengals are no strangers to adversity. The Steelers, meanwhile, are in freefall. The last win the Steelers have came 4 weeks ago in Cincinnati. They are not playing with much confidence right now, and lost to two of the worst teams in the league, against Arizona and New England. 2 of their 3 losses have been by double digits. Mason Rudolph gets the start today, as Mitchell Trubisky has proven to be ineffective. The Bengals have the better offense and the more confident team in this one.
Pacers Money Line -134
The Pacers have been up and down this year, but when they’re on, they have one of the better offenses in the league. Their issues have been on the defensive side. However, it’s clear the Magic have the offensive ability to take advantage. The Magic have scored 106 or less points in 4 of their last 8 games. Tyrese Haliburton and his friends will be ready to go at home, where the Pacers have shown an ability to score in bunches. It’ll be up to guys like Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner to keep the Magic competitive in this one. If they don’t, it can be a long day for the Magic.
Bills/Chargers Over 44 Points -115
The Bills have been rolling offensively in the last month, scoring 31 or more points in 3 of their last 4 games. Now they face a Chargers defense that ranks at the bottom of the league, and just gashed for 63 points last week against the Raiders. The Bills have scored 25 or more points in 7 games this year, and there’s little reason to think they’ll be slowed down in this one. The question is what the Chargers will do offensively. Keenan Allen is out, but they have Austin Ekeler who should see a heavy workload. The Chargers will likely be forced to throw early and often in this one, as they are double digit underdogs. That’ll either lead to some positive plays, or some turnovers like they had in their last game against the Raiders.
Josh Allen Over 245.5 Passing Yards -110
The Chargers have arguably the worst defense in the league, and arguably the worst pass defense in the league. Last week Aidan O’Connell went over this number! Josh Allen shouldn’t have any issues hitting his big playmakers as early and as often as he wants. The Chargers don’t just give up a ton of passing yards, but they give up a ton of big passing plays. They have given up the most passing yards for any team in the league. The biggest question in this game as it relates to this bet is whether or not the Chargers can keep this game competitive and force Allen to throw throughout the game. If they can keep it close, Allen has shown the ability and willingness to throw it all over the field.