Betting: How will the Anthony Davis injury affect Lakers betting odds?
Minty Bets is joined by Geoff Sheasby (@OldManWhoBets) to discuss the Lakers betting futures with Anthony Davis sidelined due to injury.
Video Transcript
MINTY BETS: Before we get started, get $25 when you sign up for the Yahoo Sportsbook today. Welcome to Mad Bets, everyone. We're talking a little NBA. And joining me today to do so is my friend Geoff Sheasby. Geoff, before the NBA season started, the LA Lakers were the absolute favorites to win the title again. Now with AD out most likely through the all-star break, how do you think this affects Lakers futures bets? And do you like them to win the title again?
GEOFF SHEASBY: Yeah, I think we're taking a wait-and-see approach here, which isn't as fun for the get rich quick crowd out there. But Anthony Davis, obviously, has suffered from Achilles tendonitis, I believe they're calling it, in previous seasons. He also has a calf that's a little banged up.
Their future total here hasn't changed. Still plus-250, still the best odds in the game. So I think Vegas is banking on him coming back. And with him there, I think they're definitely the odds on favorite.
But I just don't see any value in playing it at plus-250 right now, especially with teams like the Nets starting to percolate as they figure out their big three. We've got a great matchup Thursday night, Nets versus Lakers, which I think is a great proxy in whether or not the Lakers can continue to be a championship-caliber team without Anthony Davis.
MINTY BETS: And the NBA is a little bit trickier to handicap. Are there any betting angles that you've used this season to help you get an edge?
GEOFF SHEASBY: Yeah, always just looking for data, data, data, right? I've been doing a lot of NBA props lately, looking for essentially opponent 3-point percentage and opponent points in the paint. Only playing players that are going against either top five or bottom five in those statistics.
I've been going a little bit further and looking at specific defense versus position to figure out whether, OK, let's say the Sacramento Kings are allowing I believe it's the 28th most points in the paint. Is that coming from the center position? Is that coming from the small forward position? Is that from the power forward position? And then just trying to hone in on whatever prop makes sense there.
So always kind of a learning game here. Test, learn, and then scale, scale, scale, bet, bet, bet. And so far, so good.
MINTY BETS: Alrighty, thank you so much, Geoff.
GEOFF SHEASBY: Thanks, Minty.