By Spread Astaire (@spreadastaire)
We have a fun weekend of football ahead with the first 12-team college football playoff kicking off. Let’s take a look at the happenings in sports betting 12-21-24.
Gentleman’s Agreement?
The NFL has the perfect feeder system/pipeline for their prospects. These players gain notoriety and skills under the college system before they come into the NFL with full fanfare. This gets fans of bad teams excited about the upcoming year. It’s in stark contrast to the NBA who have destroyed their pipeline by consistently drafting players after their freshman year. They bring in players who are not prepared to play the game. These players have not earned a reputation for fans to be excited about.
Knowing that they had a good thing going with this pipeline, the NFL has traditionally avoided playing games on Saturdays so the college football world can have its proper spotlight. Now we have an inaugural 12 team playoff. Why is the NFL putting two excellent games up against the debut of this new system?
I believe that all eyes should be on the college football playoffs this weekend and the NFL is doing themselves and college football a disservice by putting two marquee matchups head-to-head with these games. What happened to the gentleman’s agreement? What is happening to the game I love?
Dealing with Losing Streaks
I’ve been on a terrible run with my NBA picks lately. After a hot start to the season, I’ve given back almost all of my winnings through a slew of terrible selections.
When these things happen, it is time for some soul-searching. Have I not been focused on the game enough? Am I overthinking my plays and not letting the right plays come to me naturally? Am I letting a lack of confidence keep me off solid plays?
How you deal with these types of losing streaks defines you as a bettor. I like to lower my volume and analyze the process and possible reasons for the slump. A lot of times I am overthinking and it’s just variance coming home to roost. Even the best process will go through a bad phase. During these times it’s important to find the right balance between making adjustments and believing in yourself. I’m doing that right now and this is one of my favorite challenges of sports betting.
My Favorite Play of the Week for Sports Betting 12-21-24
I like the Carolina Panthers + 5 against the Arizona Cardinals. I don’t trust the Cardinals outdoors or on the road. The Panthers are good enough to keep this game close. Kyler Murray can struggle as the season goes on and I don’t think this team has shown enough to be a five-point favorite on the road. This is simply a numbers-backed play but I’m going to take the Carolina Panthers +5.
Best Bet: Carolina Panthers +5 (-108) at Bookmaker
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