Decisive day in the NBA and a USFL play: Best Bets for May 7
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 Sunday, May 7:
TOP PLAY
The play: NBA Playoffs, Denver Nuggets money line over Phoenix Suns
The odds/bet: +124 ($24.19 to win $30)
The book: FanDuel Sportsbook
Time/TV: 7 p.m. (TNT)
Our take: It took a Herculean effort from the home team's healthy superstar duo of Devin Booker and Kevin Durant for the Phoenix Suns to avoid a 3-0 series hole on Friday night. Booker led the way with 47 points and Durant tacked on 39 of his own.
Surely the Suns dominated, right? Wrong.
No other Phoenix player had more than seven points on the night as the hosts fought tooth and nail to fend off the Denver Nuggets. The Suns are clearly missing Chris Paul and I think that will be felt most in Game 4. Phoenix is built around Paul's distribution. While Booker and Durant are undeniable superstars, shots rarely fall that frequently in the playoffs.
The Nuggets (+2.5) aren't going to allow the Suns to climb back into this series. I'm so confident of this that I've not even considered playing the spread, I'm picking the game straight up: Denver ML.
A JIM DERRY SUNDAY SPECIAL
The play: USFL, New Jersey Generals +2.5 vs. New Orleans Breakers
The odds/bet: -110 ($11 to win $10)
Time/TV: 2 p.m. (NBC)
Our take: Jim Derry may be off today, but he loves his supporters so much that he's decided to toss us a bone with this special Sunday USFL play.
The New Orleans Breakers will be without a couple of key players this afternoon. The Breakers' injury list is as long as a CVS receipt with WR Johnnie Dixon, S Jarey Elder, DT Keonte Schad, OG Kirk Kelley, DB Nevelle Clarke, DT Connor Christian, WR Johnathan Adams and others listed on Friday's report.
New Orleans is playing away from Birmingham for the first time this season and it's coming off an emotional victory. All of these factors lead to Jim's love of the Generals in this spot — we're tailing him here.
Kentucky Derby: Derma Sotogake to show (LOST $30)
MLB: Houston Astros money line over Seattle Mariners (LOST $10)
Saturday's profit/loss: -$40 (0-2)
Total for the week: +$37 (6-5, 1 pending)
Total for May: +$37 (6-5, 1 pending)
Total for 2023: -$444.80 (94-110, 1 pending)
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).
