Timberwolves-Pelicans, Brandon Ingram prop: Daily Best Bets
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 free 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 Wednesday, Jan. 18:
TOP PLAY
The play: NBA, Pelicans -3 over Timberwolves
The odds/bet: -108 ($32.40 to win $30)
The book: FanDuel
Time/TV: 7:10 p.m. (BSNO)
Our take: It has been a rough run for the Pelicans without their two big studs in Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson. Well, Ingram returns Wednesday night, which should give New Orleans and its home fans a big kick in the pants.
After five consecutive losses and six out of the past seven, the Pels are in danger of dropping to the lower end of the Western Conference’s playoff echelon, and it’s about this time when we think it’s time to pick up the pace.
Getting Ingram back should help, but it also should take a lot of pressure off other key guys, such as CJ McCollum.
Meanwhile, Minnesota has been up and down, losing three of four, then winning three in a row before losing to lowly Houston on the road Monday night. Seems like a bad spot for the Timberwolves, especially if they get down early.
VALUE PLAYER PROP
The play: NBA player prop, Brandon Ingram to score game’s first points
The odds/bet: +600 ($5 to win $30)
The book: Caesars Sportsbook
Our take: While we don’t necessarily think BI will have a great comeback game with him being gone so long, don’t you see it fitting he would score the game’s first points?
And at 6-1, it seems like quite the value, because assuming the Pels win the tip, they will be trying to feed him the ball early.
HOW WE’VE FARED
NBA: Suns -6 over Hornets (WON $30)
NBA: Heat -4.5 over Celtics (LOST $11)
Tuesday’s profit/loss: +$29 (1-1)
Total for the week: -$12.70 (1-3)
Total for January: -$58.50 (21-25)
Total for 2023: -$58.50 (21-25)
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).
