Each day, one of our experts will offer up a best bet (or two or three) that mobile sportsbooks are offering. It might be a traditional spread bet, a player prop or one of the various odds boosts that books offer.
Here are our best bets for Sunday, Sept. 3:
TOP PLAY
The play: NCAAF, LSU to win by 1-13 points at Florida State
The odds/bet: +170 ($20 to win $34)
The book: FanDuel Sportsbook
Time/TV: 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Our take: No. 5 LSU at No. 8 Florida State (in Orlando) is the marquee matchup of the Week 1 college football slate. The top 10 clash is nearly too hard to pick with the spread ranging from LSU -2.5 to LSU -1.5 depending on where you look. Regardless, there’s not much between these two teams.
There certainly won’t be a two-touchdown gap between the two teams. Thus, if you’re going to pick an outright winner, FanDuel Sportsbook has four-way winning margins where you can get the Tigers (+170) and the Seminoles (+175) both at plus money to win by 1-13 points.
LSU will come out hungry in this game after a heartbreaking loss to Florida State to open last season. The Tigers also have more individual talent on the defensive side — namely Harold Perkins — and they return plenty of playmakers on offense who have only had time to mature in this system. Brian Kelly’s also a more experienced head coach, and that matters in these big spots.
LSU typically does well in season openers against power five opponents too, so we’re expecting the same this evening.
GUNNERS GET THE BEST OF THE RED DEVILS
The play: EPL, Arsenal money line vs. Manchester United
The odds/bet: -130 ($13 to win $10)
The book: Barstool Sportsbook
Time/TV: 11:30 a.m. (NBC)
Our take: Arsenal and Manchester United never fail to produce instant classics when they get together in the Premier League. Games between these storied clubs have been incredibly hard to predict in the past with the last five results ending like this for the Gunners: DLWLW.
The only consistency in these showdowns lately has been three points for the hosts. The home side has won the last four meetings between Arsenal and Manchester United.
This is a big opportunity for one of these two title challengers to make a statement early in the season. Mikel Arteta’s side has the more clinical finishers, as well as more talent going forward. Both sides have struggled early but we’re backing the Gunners to get it done at home.
HOW WE’VE FARED
Saturday’s best bets
NCAAF: Tennessee -27.5 vs. Virginia (WON $30)NCAAF: Texas Tech -14 at Wyoming (LOST $10.50)
Saturday’s profit/loss: +$19.50 (1-1)
Total for the week: +$47.50 (7-5)
Total for September: -$3.50 (2-2)
Total for 2023: -$596.20 (203-233)
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, $100 would bring in $140 (or $10 to win $14).