Five from six this weekend with the only wrong call being an in-game bet. MoneyBoy and I have been comfortably ticking away in the rugby world, and my success on American sports translated from a brilliant build up week, into a great weekend.
On Friday MoneyBoy and I released our weekly preview video, advising that a +15.5 handicap on the Highlanders was a value bet, even against a quality Crusaders side. OK, I could get that the game would be in favour of the Crusaders, I could get that they were playing in front of a sold out crowd and I could get that they had returning All Blacks. What I couldn’t get was the handicap, of 17.5 points (upped by a further two). I wrote on my Facebook page, pre-game, that “The only right bet; win, lose or draw is to take the +17.5 points on offer for the Highlanders and know you made the right bet. I am putting R1000 down to win R1900 back that the Highlanders don’t lost by 18 or more points.” I know MoneyBoy was bold in putting down I think his first R1000 on the same bet, and he too walked away happily with a R900 profit. I also put down a “conservative” R1000 to return R1320 the previous morning on the Hurricanes v Chiefs, that the teams combine for less than 47.5 points. But I probably should have stayed in bed, as the final score read 31-18 to the Canes. Comforting, however, is the fact that we still called them to win by more than a try in our video and R500 on the Hurricanes to win by 6 or more returned me R900.
Pre the rugby weekend though, I was trying to keep a perfect week going and on Thursday night, the focus was the Sacramento Kings v New Orleans Pelicans. I expected a wild shootout with very little defense being played at either end of the floor and loved the Sacramento Kings to score higher than 114.5. They had averaged 121.6 points per game against the Pelicans over the past 5 match ups and that was before playing in the bubble, which seems to have been producing ridiculous high scoring games. I put down R600 to win back R1056 that the Kings would come through. They did, and my perfect week took me into the weekend.
On Friday night, I took another points bet on the NBA, on Utah Jazz v San Antonio Spurs, and upped my American sports streak to 7/7. Bogdonovich was ruled out for the rest of the season for Utah and with nothing to play for until the playoffs they rested another 4 guys. I tipped that I expected San Antonio to win with ease, but wasn’t sure about their replacements. “It should be another track meet though on offense and I expect the Spurs to cruise to over 114.5 total points”, I wrote. My conservative R500 got back a neat R810. It’s more about small increments than big gambles!
I was chuffed to make it 8/8 on American sports in my last bet of the weekend, tipping on Facebook that The Clippers had nothing to play for, as confirmed by sitting out Kawhi Leonard, but that Portland did. “Portland love to shoot and do it well and often, and with nothing much on the line for the Clippers I think Portland score higher than 116.5”, read my post. My R1000 won back R1710, in an admittedly close call as Portland ended on 117 points. A win nonetheless and another reminder of the tiny, defining margins that characterise Sports betting.
All in all, a happy weekend as I end it 5/6 and 8/8 on American sports since I started tipping on them again at the beginning of last week. It was also a lovely weekend for viewership and I spent until 5:30 AM on Friday watching my Maple Leafs win in stunning fashion. I was shattered and like I said, probably should have stayed in bed as I wouldn’t have made that Canes bet. Such is life.
Looking forward to a great week folks.
MoneyMan.
