Aram Tolegian, Author at Bang The Book

2023 NBA Draft Betting: Head-To-Head Player Props

Posted on June 16, 2023April 3, 2024 by Aram Tolegian

The 2023 NBA Draft brings back a classic feature of draft night: Which players will be taken first? We know that the No. 1 overall pick to the San Antonio Spurs will be Victor Wembanyama, who will leave French basketball to pursue his NBA dream. After that, it’s a lot less clear.

You will get plenty of props at BetAnySports.eu in which you are asked: which player of two will go first? Let’s tackle four and see which offer the best value.

Amen Thompson (-270) or Ausar Thompson (+210)?

Amen is picked multiple spots ahead of Ausar in several different draft projections. This brings up a fundamental point: If you see players separated by only one spot in potential draft projections, and it’s clear that the player projected higher is not an absolute lock (the way Wembanyama is at No. 1 in this draft), you should strongly consider taking the underdog for the plus money. If, however, projections have players separated by at least two spots and ideally three, you should take the favored player. Amen Thompson is a heavy favorite here, but at -270, the price is pretty reasonable. It’s not -350 or -400. You don’t have to say any prayers. Just choose “Amen” and get decent value.

Anthony Black (-190) or Taylor Hendricks (+150)?

A number of projections have Black just one spot ahead of Hendricks. This could be at No. 8 and No. 9, but it might also be at No. 9 and No. 10. At any rate, with just one spot separating these players in the projections, taking Hendricks at the plus-money price is worth the risk. It is not viewed as a certainty that Black will go at No. 8 in the draft. One should expect a certain degree of fluidity in the back end of the top 10, so Hendricks is a reasonable play. The point of emphasis is to differentiate between closely bunched projections on the draft board and situations in which there are several slots of separation between any two players.

Rayan Rupert (-170) or Gregory Jackson (+140)?

This NBA Draft drama applies to the back end of the first round, as opposed to the lottery (the top 14 picks). Rupert is appearing multiple spots ahead of Jackson in a number of projections, so according to the principle that you should base your selections on whether they are multiple spots apart or just one spot apart, the right play is on the favorite, Rupert, for what is a pretty reasonable price. If you see some reshuffling of projections which puts these two players in back-to-back spots – meaning they are no longer separated by two or more positions – you should reconsider your play. If the information and analysis provided leads you to think there is real and substantial separation between Rupert and Jackson, stick with Rupert.

Jordan Hawkins (-115) or Keyonte George (-115)?

This is priced basically as a toss-up, but there are some experts who have George going four spots ahead of Hawkins. It could be that Hawkins is an equally good or better player, but part of the reality of a draft in any sport is that a team might have a specific need to fill instead of going for the best player available. Based on what teams need with the 14^th through 18^th picks in the first round of the draft, George appears to be a player who will be more acutely needed than Hawkins. Take George as a result.

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Kentucky Derby Betting Picks & Preview – 05/06/23

Posted on May 5, 2023April 3, 2024 by Aram Tolegian

We’ve reached the month of May, which means horse racing is set to re-enter the mainstream. This Saturday is the 149^th running of the Kentucky Derby as all of the glitz, glamour and top thoroughbreds gather at Churchill Downs. There are a lot of big storylines, like the absence of Bob Baffert – even though some of his horses are in the race. Let’s take a look at all of the contenders and check out all of their odds at BetAnySports.eu to see who might be a good bet to win the Run for the Roses.

The Kentucky Derby Favorites

The current favorite is Forte, who is sitting at 3/1. Forte won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile back in 2022 and hasn’t lost a race since July 2022. He’s won six of his seven starts, firing on all cylinders lately. That includes the Florida Derby and Fountain of Youth Stakes. Those impressive results are why he’s favored.

Tapit Trice is going to garner a lot of betting attention as he’s on the board at 9/2. He’ll come into Saturday’s affair having won four straight races, which puts some wind in his sails. Tapit Trice also happens to be the son of Tapit, which was a three-time leading sire from North America who smashed a variety of milestones. However, Tapit’s best finish at the Kentucky Derby was a ninth.

Angel Empire has gained some steam recently and is now up to 7/1 on the board. This is a horse that’s trained by Brad Cox and has had a good run on the Kentucky Derby Trail. Angel Empire won the Arkansas Derby on April 1^st and the Risen Star in February. The three-year-old colt has won four of his six starts and is viewed as a serious contender out of the No. 14 gate.

The Longshots

We’ve seen some massive longshots cash in at the Kentucky Derby recently, so why not another? After all, who could forget Rich Strike, who cashed at 80-1 odds.

This year, a few longshots are intriguing, with Skinner being the first that comes to mind. Skinner is at 20/1 at the moment but is the son of a former Derby winner. He has been done well recently, finishing in the money in three straight with a win and two third-place results.

Verifying is going to get some bettors behind him at 18/1. He’s another Brad Cox entry but he’ll have a difficult starting position. He’s in the No. 2 post and keep in mind that a horse hasn’t been able to win from there since 1978. He only has two wins in his six career races but he also has a pair of runner-ups – including one to Tapit Trice in the Blue Grass Stakes. Verifying is also the son of a former Triple Crown winner, so he has good pedigree.

Some bettors feel like Hit Show might be a value play at 25/1. In five career starts, he’s finished first or second four times. That includes a win at the Withers Stakes and a runner-up at the Wood Memorial. Hit Show is also from the Cox umbrella, so he’ll have multiple opportunities to win the Run for the Roses.

March Madness Betting: Power Ranking the Final Four Teams

Posted on March 30, 2023April 3, 2024 by Aram Tolegian

The 2023 NCAA Tournament is down to the last weekend and just three more games. The three-game finale to the college basketball season is known as the Final Four. Houston is the host city for the big party in a football stadium with more than 70,000 fans on hand. In 2011, Houston hosted the Final Four, and there are a lot of parallels with 2023. In 2011, UConn was the highest remaining seed. In 2011, the first semifinal had two teams from mid-major conferences, VCU and Butler. This year, it’s Florida Atlantic versus San Diego State. There is so much to compare between 2011 and 2023. Now, though, let’s rank the teams gathered for this 2023 Final Four and look at their odds to win it all at BetAnySports.eu:

1. Connecticut

Odds To Win Championship At BAS: -130

It is clear that UConn is the best team left in the field. If Texas had beaten Miami, there would have been a real debate about the best team left in Houston. UConn and Texas would have played a headline-grabbing semifinal between the two hottest teams in the tournament. Texas looked very strong in handling Colgate, Penn State, and Xavier, and was leading Miami by 12 with just over 10 minutes left. However, with the Longhorns losing to Miami, UConn should be viewed as the overwhelming favorite to win the national title, which would be the Huskies’ fifth men’s basketball national championship. The Huskies have a lot of length, size and power inside, and their young guards are hitting perimeter shots to create an unbeatable combination. The only way the Huskies can lose is if they shoot poorly from 3-point range and their opponent goes crazy from 3-point land. It’s hard to come up with another scenario in which UConn loses.

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2. Miami

Odds To Win Championship At BAS: +430

The Hurricanes would be a clear favorite over Florida Atlantic or San Diego State if they played the Owls or the Aztecs in the national semifinals, but it’s their misfortune to have to go up against Connecticut, the top team left in Houston. However, Miami shouldn’t be fully counted out in a battle against UConn. The Hurricanes have a quality big man, Norchad Omier, who can go up against Adama Sanogo and potentially limit the effectiveness of the Huskies’ thriving center. If Omier can play to a draw in that one-on-one matchup, Miami might be able to steer this game in its direction and lean on its guards to outplay the UConn backcourt. However, UConn has multiple quality bigs, not just one, and Omier won’t be able to guard all of them.

3. Florida Atlantic

Odds To Win Championship At BAS: +500

The Owls are better than San Diego State because their offense isn’t as likely to go through a very long scoring drought, and because they have size and length which can cancel out San Diego State’s size and toughness near the basket. Florida Atlantic won its Elite Eight game against Kansas State because it was able to grab over a dozen offensive rebounds and score second-chance points. FAU is not just a sleek playmaking team (though it can certainly make beautiful plays). It is a tough, blue-collar team which can fight and scrap with San Diego State.

4. San Diego State

Odds To Win Championship At BAS: +380

The Aztecs could easily beat Florida Atlantic. The game is expected to be close, and the Aztecs just won a one-point game against Creighton this past Sunday to make their first-ever Final Four. They’re a tough team which plays terrific defense and is therefore able to work its way back into a game if it falls behind early. San Diego State trailed Alabama, a No. 1 seed, by nine points and fought back to win by shutting down the Crimson Tide’s offense. SDSU trailed Creighton by eight but worked its way back to win because its defense simply refused to give up many points in the final 10 minutes of a game. San Diego State will give FAU a tough battle. The Aztecs will need more – and better – offense than what we’ve seen the past few games from them.

March Madness Betting: Best Bets To Win It All At 15-1 Or Longer

Posted on March 15, 2023April 3, 2024 by Aram Tolegian

The 2023 NCAA Tournament is here. What are some compelling, realistic candidates to win the national championship which are currently not among the top tier of favorites? There are some very attractive choices, partly because the amount of choices is so great that you’re bound to identify some enticing options. Let’s take a look at the teams and their odds to win it all at BetAnySports.eu.

Texas Longhorns

Odds To Win Championship At BetAnySport.eu: 16/1

The Longhorns have opened as a 16-to-1 choice in some betting markets, but beyond that, let’s inform you that in the early lines for national championship teams – before any game has been played in the NCAA Tournament, including the First Four in Dayton – only six teams have smaller odds than 15-to-1. Those six teams are the four No. 1 seeds – Alabama, Kansas, Houston and Purdue – plus No. 2 seeds UCLA and Arizona. That’s it. Those are the only six teams with odds smaller than 15-1. Everyone else is larger than 15-1, so you have a wide selection to choose from.

Texas is in a region where Houston is the No. 1 seed and Miami is the No. 5 seed. Those two teams have the potential to go to the Final Four, but both of those teams are dealing with important injuries as the tournament begins. Houston’s Marcus Sasser got hurt over the weekend in the AAC Tournament. Miami’s Norchad Omier got injured over the weekend in the AAC Tournament. Until we know more about those injuries, Houston and Miami face significant questions. Simply by process of elimination, Texas is currently the best bet to come out of the Midwest Region and get to the Final Four. It might play Kansas in the semifinals, and it just did beat KU twice over the past 10 days. The Longhorns are for real.

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Kansas State Wildcats

Odds To Win Championship At BetAnySports.eu: 39/1

The Wildcats got a great draw. They are a No. 3 seed. Marquette is the No. 2 seed in their region, a really good team but also a team no one will fear. The top seed in Kansas State’s region, the East, is Purdue, a team which feasted on a bad Big Ten Conference this season and which is bound to struggle once it plays other really good teams from other conferences. Kansas State plays really good defense and has demonstrated toughness throughout this college basketball season. The Wildcats are in a great position to finally return to the Final Four for the first time since 1964.

Duke Blue Devils

Odds To Win Championship At BetAnySports.eu: 34/1

The Duke Blue Devils are seeded No. 5, but they have a very workable draw. They are in the same subsection of the bracket as Purdue. A lot of people in college basketball would tell you that Duke is likely to beat Purdue if the two teams met now. Purdue crushed Duke in November, but Duke has gotten a lot better since then, and rematch could easily go the other way. Duke could play Tennessee in the second round. Tennessee is missing guard Zakai Zeigler, an important part of the Vols’ roster during the regular season. Duke has a great chance to make the Elite Eight, and if it does, all things are possible for the Blue Devils.

Baylor Bears

Odds To Win Championship At BetAnySports.eu: 20/1

The Bears have struggled recently, but they are a No. 3 seed in the South Region. Arizona is the No. 2 seed in their region. Arizona does not play strong defense. Baylor can win that matchup and get to the Elite Eight. Alabama is the No. 1 seed in Baylor’s region. Alabama is a feast-or-famine team: great when everything is going well, mediocre when 3-point shots are not falling. Baylor can beat Bama and get back to the Final Four.