Good afternoon everyone, it’s Chris Bengel here. Welcome to one of the most fun weeks of sports betting on the entire calendar. The last six months of NFL action come down to just one more game on Sunday before the offseason truly begins 😞

Caesars Sportsbook and others make it fun for fans to get involved in just about any angle of the action during the Super Bowl. You can bet on everything from the length of the national anthem to the color of Gatorade that the winning coach will have poured on him. Oh, yeah, you can also bet on the game itself. 

Speaking of the game itself, this one is definitely tough to get a barometer on. As of this writing, the Los Angeles Rams are 4.5-point favorites — and deservedly so. However, if there’s one thing that the betting public has learned throughout this postseason, it’s that you should never count out Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals. I’m still debating, but I’m leaning more towards the Bengals side and may even like them to pull off the upset.

Before we get to the “Big Game,” we’ve got some action on the hardwood and the ice that I love tonight. Let’s dive into the picks!

All times Eastern, and all odds via Caesars Sportsbook

🔥 The Hot Ticket

🏀Rockets at Pelicans, 8 p.m. | TV: NBA.TV

The Pick: Under 225.0 points (-110): While the Super Bowl has most people talking, bettors can’t forget about the NBA trade deadline and its significance over the next three days. On Tuesday, the Pelicans made a trade to acquire star guard CJ McCollum from the Trail Blazers. 

To make that move a reality, the Pelicans had to part with guards Josh Hart and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. With these talented guards switching teams, that will leaves the Pelicans without two of their top five leading scorers and they won’t have the services of McCollum until later this week. Since the Pelicans will be shorthanded, I love the under in this spot.

Throughout the 2021-22 season, the Pelicans are averaging 105.8 points-per-game, which is good for 26th in the league. In addition, the under is 6-2 in the Pelicans’ last eight home games against a team with a road winning percentage less than .400. With a 15-38 record, the Rockets have the worst mark in the Western Conference and the third-worst across the NBA. The Rockets also average just 108.3 points-per-game (No. 18 in the league) and sure the Pelicans should score their fair share of points. However, with New Orleans being without two previous members of their backcourt, I don’t see these teams hitting this fairly large total.

Key Trend: The under is 5-0-1 in the Pelicans’ last six games

💰 The Picks

🏀 NBA

Clippers at Grizzlies, 8 p.m. | TV: NBA.TV

Latest Odds:

Los Angeles Clippers
+8.5

Advertisement

The Pick: Clippers +8.0 (-110): — This may not seem like the greatest spot to side with the Clippers after getting manhandled by the Bucks on Sunday. However, the Clippers have had a mentality of bouncing back after big losses as of late. The Clippers are 5-0 ATS over their last five games after allowing over 125 points in their previous game. On Sunday, the Clippers yielded a staggering 137 points to the Bucks and ended up falling, 137-113.

The Grizzlies are one of the more prolific offenses in the NBA as they average 112.7 points-per-game (No. 5 in the NBA). However, the Clippers are also one of the better defensive units as they surrender just 107.4 points per contest. The Clippers also hold their opponents to a 33.5 percent shooting clip from three, which is the third-best mark in the league. Certainly, it hasn’t been an easy road without Kawhi Leonard and now Paul George in the lineup this season, but the Clippers are a resilient group that I feel confident will bounce back in this spot. 

Key Trend: The Clippers are 4-0 ATS in their last four games as a road underdog

🏒 NHL

Penguins at Bruins, 7 p.m. I TV: ESPN+

Latest Odds:

Advertisement

Pittsburgh Penguins
+110

The Pick: Penguins (+110) — The Penguins return from the All-Star break in the midst of one of their biggest slumps of the 2021-22 season. This is a group that lost four consecutive games prior to the All-Star break, including three of those losses coming in overtime or shootout. Still, I like the Penguins to bounce back in this spot.

Even in the midst of their four-game losing streak, the Penguins are still 7-2 over their last nine games against Eastern Conference foes. The Penguins do possess one of the most dangerous offenses around as they average 3.3 goals-per-game — good for eighth in the NHL. 

Now, it’s worth noting that Pittsburgh will be without star forward Evgeni Malkin, who was placed in COVID-19 protocol on Monday. While it’s not great to be without Malkin, the star center did miss the first first three months of the season due to offseason knee surgery. They’ve been without Malkin before and excelled, so I expect the Penguins to be able to pull off the win as the road underdog in this spot. It also doesn’t hurt that the Penguins are facing a Bruins team that has dropped four of their last six games.

Key Trend: The Penguins are 9-2 in their last 11 road games