Potential Bets for 11/8/24

Everyone threw yesterday besides Cal Basketball…… I don’t have any other excuses. Let’s bounce back.

Warriors (+145) at Cavaliers (-3.5) Over/Under: 231.5

Honestly, I’m very much on the Warriors at this point. I think their win in Boston is the best in the NBA season so far, and I believe this is a deep team that can play guys for under 30 minutes a night and continue to play elite basketball. Against Boston, Stephen Curry only logged 27 minutes, and they beat the best team in the NBA, granted, not at full strength… but neither were they. This is another test game for Golden State, and I think it is another opportunity for them to make a major statement. They have won a stunning twenty-two of twenty-six on the road dating back to last season and have proven that being on the road is comfortable for them, at least for the moment. I am saying the Warriors cover the spread, and I am debating taking them straight up. Cleveland is an amazing team, and they have proven they are for real, I think the Warriors have, too, though, and I think this is a game that is winnable for them.

Pick: Warriors +3.5, may change to Warriors Moneyline.

NCAAF: California (-7.5) at Wake Forest (+225) Over/Under: 54.5

The Calgorithm is back in full force, and I am on board. Cal needs to win a conference game at some point. Fernando Mendoza, Jaivian Thomas, and Jayden Ott have too much firepower to be this stagnant on offense, and Cal’s defense is still one of the top in the country. They should have beaten Miami and should have beaten Florida State. I think this is Cal’s shot to finally get one in the ACC and start climbing back toward bowl eligibility, which is where I expected them to be this year in the first place. If it is not this game for the Bears, that may be it for them. Their next three games after this are vs Syracuse (6-2), vs Stanford (4-4), and at SMU (7-1). That is a brutal schedule for a 4-4 Golden Bears team that has had a couple of backbreaking losses across the season. This is the game they need if they want to have a shot at a bowl game because I really don’t know if they can beat Syracuse, and I don’t think they will beat SMU. This is a must-win for the bears, and I think because of the stakes, they come away with this one in a close game.

Pick: California Moneyline.

NCAAM: #9 North Carolina (+260) at #1 Kansas (-7.5) Over/Under: 151.5

This is a beautiful matchup this early in the season….. and terrifying as a Colorado alum, seeing as we play Kansas I think, twice this year. Kansas I think covers this game. They are in Lawrence, in their season opener vs Howard Kansas had three starters shoot 75% or higher, and Zeke Mayo came off the bench, shot 7-12 and 5 of 8 from three-point range to lead the Jayhawks to their thirty-point blowout win. In addition to Mayo, the Jayhawks had two more players shoot 100% from the field, including Flory Bidunga who went six for six. This Kansas team is deep, and is going to be a problem for any team that crosses their path, including anyone in the top 10. I respect the Tarheels, I don’t think they showed exactly what they are despite RJ Davis having 24 points, and Seth Trimble dropping an efficient 19 points on 50% shooting, but I think the Jayhawks depth is just a bit too much, and will prove to be to overwhelming for the Tarheels in a high scoring game.

Pick: Kansas -7.5 and the Over of 151.5

Pick of the Day/ Parlay of the Day

The pick of the day is the Warriors +3.5. Being on the road does not matter for The Warriors, and although Cleveland is a fantastic team that theoretically can match up well with teams like Golden State with Evan Mobley and Jarret Allen in the frontcourt, I think Golden State’s backcourt and the depth there with Stephen Curry, Buddy Hield, potentially Brandon Podziemski is he comes back tonight, Gary Payton II, amongst others are going to be able to outmatch the Cavs and outpace them with their three-point shooting tonight. Parlay of the day is something I am going to take a shot in, I am going to parlay Warriors Moneyline with Kansas -7.5 and the over in the Kansas and North Carolina games. I think Kansas and North Carolina will hit the over easily because both teams have players that can create their own offense and make shots under the toughest of situations, and I think that while some defense will be played tonight which will favor Kansas, they will also continue to hit their shots and keep this game at an arm’s length with their knowledge of how dangerous of a team North Carolina is.