 This is covering the spread part of the Fandall podcast network Big night across the NBA and the NHL forward tonight with nine games in the NBA and five in the NHL as well We're gonna break down all that today with Tom Vecchio picking his brain on Traditional market bets and player props across both leagues to get you ready for should be a fun Wednesday night This is covering the spread right here on the Fandall podcast network and Fandall research My name is Jim Sonnis. I am a managing editor of digital media for Fandall research joined here as mentioned by Tom Vecchio You can find him on Twitter at Tom underscore Vecchio one and Tom pretty fun night of sports coming up. How you doing today? I'm doing good. Yeah, really really interesting night across the NBA specifically. There are a lot of high-over undergames There's also a number of injury situations, which could change things massively for some game lines But I do think there's some really good spots to attack Yeah, and we'll talk about those spots We'll talk about traditional market bets where you're talking about the impact of those guys potentially sitting and much more to get you ready for Wednesday in just one second a first-day reminder to make sure you are subscribed to covering the spread wherever you get your podcast later on today Tom is back with you once again. We talking about a thriller Thursday night between Easton stick and Aiden O'Connell You're gonna need some action to have some fun with that one You know if you are so inclined But that'll be up on the covering the spread podcast feed later on today and also up on Fanduul TV plus I gave my first look at NFL week number 15 spreads moneylons and totals my models like that is up on the Covering the spread podcast feed the Fanduul YouTube page and Fanduul TV plus as well Score early this NFL season with Fanduul America's number one sports book right now new customers get $150 and bonus bets with any winning $5 moneyline bet That's 150 bucks if your team wins if you've been thinking about joining Fanduul There is no better time to get in on the action. The app is so easy to use There is a wide range of betting options including spreads player props totals and more so visit Fanduul and kick off the NFL season Fanduul official partner of the NFL must be 21 plus and president select states Fanduul is offering online sports waging in Kansas under an agreement with Kansas dark LLC first online real money wager only $5 pregame money line wager required $10 first deposit required bonus issued is not with trouble bonus bets that expire seven days after receipt See terms at sportsbook. Fanduul calm gambling problem call 1 800 gambler or visit Fanduul calm slash RG in Colorado Iowa Michigan New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia call 1 800 next step Or text next step to five three three four two in Arizona one eight eight seventy nine seven seven seven Or visit easy PG dot org slash chat in Connecticut one eight hundred nine with it in Indiana one eight hundred five two two forty seven hundred of his a chaos gambling health comm in Kansas One eight seven seven seven seven zero stop in Louisiana visit MD gambling health at Oregon, Maryland One eight hundred gambler net in West Virginia one eight hundred five two two forty seven hundred in Wyoming Hope is here visit gambling helpline MA dot org Or call you hundred three two seven fifty fifty four twenty four seven support in Massachusetts Or call one eight seven seventy hope and why or text open why in New York? Let's dig in now to the NBA Tom and talk about last week we saw the in-season tournament and Seen like a lot of fun honestly wrapped up on Saturday Lakers taking down the Pacers and I want to talk to you about takeaways from the tourney I think mostly from like a team level perspective from a betting perspective You know, what were the big things that stood out to you or was this format too unique to have any major takeaways going forward? I Think there's if we have to take I think there's some minor things we can take away potentially to move forward with One the Pacers are a very fun exciting team I mentioned last week that they're playing you know all these games to the over but they actually are a solid team And it's like they got a little bit of a taste of what postseason ish basketball is like sure And that is a building block for them. So a part of me Likes to take the Pacers to win the central with their plus 650 right now to win the central The cabs are at plus 290 and the bucks are minus 240 So the Pacers are showing that they can kind of hang with some of these top teams So I like them at plus 650. They're sitting in a playoff spot right now there are only a few games behind the box and I Almost just want to take this position as a spot to hold in the portfolio Waiting for a cash out and just cash out at plus money I still think the bucks are the best team in this division The cabs I'm dealing with some injuries. I if it was a seven-game series. I would take the cabs over the Pacers But I think they all can make the playoffs But just holding that ticket if it gets later in the season you could just cash out So the Pacers got that taste of postseason. I think they're for real They're here to stay and you can probably use that as some leverage going forward where they play all these games to the overs They're not amazing on defense And I think they'll still be underdogs as they are tonight And I think you could just continue to take them get them with the points is a situation We think the market has been a bit slow to react to the Pacers. Do you think what they're doing is sustainable? What's your read on where the market sits on them right now? So the I think the market reacted Appropriately especially with Tyrus Halbert into an MVP. I think was that like 30 to 1 to an MVP things around 16 to 1 right now We have to double-check that 15 to 1 16 to 1 for Halbert into an MVP somewhere around there Yeah, 60 or 15 to 1 right now 15 to 1 so like it he moved and it's like okay He has this like these big performances prime time and people are like buying into that so the hype is real around Haliburton and there are a lot of encouraging reports From Adrian Wojnowski that Haliburton is trying to do what a tentacumbo did in Milwaukee and instead of you know Moving somewhere else. He wants to bring people into the Pacers. Yeah so at the trade deadline There's a lot of rumors that they're going to be very aggressive at the trade deadline and that could just be another thing that bolsters They're they're central to vision odds Okay So we got a little taste of the Pacers being a fun basketball team in the in-season tournaments got to see them You know make a really good run didn't get the win there But some potential takeaways about ways to get exposure to them going forward again 15 to 1 for Halbert and to win MVP And then they are plus 650 to win the division and Tom as we talked about before I'm not the most in tune with the NBA. So I want to ask you about the division stuff Is the benefit of winning the division great enough where we'd see the bucks like fully fully pushed during the regular season in order to win that division because we know that like they're a team that has you know They have NBA finals aspirations We've seen teams like that not push a hundred percent during the regular season if it's tight late in the year will they actually go all out to kind of maybe negate a run from the Pacers or calves or Does it not matter to it to the extent where they care a ton? So the division the division definitely Matters less because at a certain point They're gonna be worried about the one or the two seed against the 76ers of the Celtics It's not about the division so okay They're gonna be pushing to keep the one seed rather than keep the division if that makes sense So like having home court against the the Celtics is more important than having home court and winning the division over the calves Okay, that does make a lot of sense and I appreciate that explainer Let's shift now and talk about the games in the NBA for tonight nine separate games Let's begin things off with the traditional market bets You mentioned a lot of things up in the air as far as injuries go Where is he in value right now in the traditional markets at fangirl sports? Let's go to two of the late games and I'll be starting off with the Brooklyn Nets plus two and a half Against the Phoenix Suns the Suns are on the second night of the back-to-back the Suns are dealing with a number of injuries so last night Kevin Durant did not play for the Suns and You know will he play tonight against this former team? Not not sure yet Bradley Biel for the Suns returned to the lineup last night It was his first game since November 12th and Given his injury situation the fact that he this was his fourth game this season So given his injury situation, I'm not entirely sure that they're gonna push him out there on the second I have a back-to-back Josh a Koji also is not expected to play for the Suns tonight So their lineup is completely in flux tonight and are gonna be shorthanded in some capacity The Nets are playing solid ball. They're 16 5 and 1 against the spread this year. They didn't play last night They're coming off a full rest and they match up well Against the Suns from like a size perspective So when we add all this together And maybe do the Nets want to get some a little bit of revenge knowing that Durant's on the other side They traded him like all these sorts of things maybe But it really does make sense for the Nets who have been playing really good ball against the team that their lineup is Shorthanded they're on the second back-to-back There's a lot going on combined the fact that yeah, the Suns are struggling a little bit on defense this year Yeah reporting was a KD should be good to go tonight Beal though had a minutes restriction on him last night So I kind of assume the same as you were less likely to go for him and a Kogi or Koji getting getting hurt in that game Last night a lot of ambiguity for the Suns so the Nets plus two and a half Minus 1 14 right now for that game mention another game out west in the later slots Which one are you looking at there? That would be the Knicks minus six against Utah The Nicks are actually playing really solid basketball as of late looking at their Recent performances. You know you see these two losses. They lost against the Celtics and they lost against the Bucks I don't consider those bad losses. They're really good teams and more importantly the jazz are extremely injured especially when it comes to their big men between Walker Kessler and Kelly Olenek should be good to go large marketing is questionable Jordan Clarkson is out And John Collins is also questionable for the Utah Jazz So this is a really straightforward spot for the Knicks they've been playing good ball despite some actual losses in terms of the win-loss column and Julius Randall being at like peak form right now their powerful He really should be able to dominate down low given the lack of depth that the jazz haven't big men So Knicks they and they're also getting like a tough break because like oh They have to play the Celtics and the Bucks X amount more time because the in-season toward them in and they're kind of I don't want to say complaining about that But that's kind of the vibe that I've gotten from some of these reports where it's true Like they have to play against the best teams extra times just because the in-season tournament This is a chance for them to write the ship get back going like in an easy matchup And it's also a big pace-up spot for them because they're dead last and leading pace So literally anyone they play is gonna be a pace-up spot and the pace-up spot matters here because they are laying You're laying six points and you want them to be able to get a larger total when you're laying that much In a game so I think that does make a lot of sense Mitchell Robinson out for the Knicks kind of a bummer there But something they've got the depth to cover up for that in the interim. What about player props Tom What stands out to you there across the NBA for tonight? Let's go to Hawks and Raptors. This game has a One-and-a-half point spread has a two forty-and-a-half over under Massive total super close spread fantastic for player production This is also a pace-up spot for the Raptors. They're 19th in the league. The Hawks are sitting at fourth So let's go to the PRA that points rebounds assist combined for Scotty Barnes for the Toronto Raptors over 36 and a half PRA sitting a minus 111. He's averaging About 33 and a half 34 and it depending if you want to round up or not But the double double slash triple double potential from him is there every single night The shot volume is there from him the usages there You know, can you look I mean the steals and assists of the steels and blocks don't matter too much for PRA but he's all over the place in terms of filling up the stat sheet and defensively this game is not gonna have much of it as the 240 over under would indicate and a One-and-a-half point spread means theoretically, this is probably one of the best games on the slate that has overtime potential So if we look at Barnes and his production when he can already go for 30 plus real points I love this game environment from a fancy perspective. I spoke heavily about Scotty Barnes on the daily iso I love him for PRA bet. I'm not worried about the Hawks defense Everything every box is possibly checked for the Raptors tonight. Okay, so Scotty Barnes across the board Not just for betting but also in DFS Forts and I check out the daily ISO on the number fire daily fantasy podcast feed for that But then Scotty Barnes the PRA bet over 36 and a half Minus 111 right now at Fandall Sportsbook for that one any other player props your eye in for tonight, Tom I don't believe any Lakers props are posted They played last night and the report after the game was that both LeBron and Anthony Davis Their status is quote-unquote uncertain So I'm not sure if there were are their Laker props but points props for the Lakers posted yet But if there are or once there are D'Angelo Russell, they're starting point guard could be the new primary Ball not just a primary ballhander, but the primary usage player if LeBron and AD are out tonight and the Spurs are terrible this year Like despite the hype around women down and they're terrible their defense is terrible They play super fast bull teams top 10 leading offense base close spread high over under D'Angelo Russell could be the player for the Lakers tonight if LeBron and AD are out How high would that number need to be for Russell to scare you off? Just in case, you know, we do see major adjustments for injuries and stuff like that How high would it have to be for you to like maybe not? It's probably gonna be in the low 20s. Okay, so anything under If it gets to 24 and a half, I don't know if it'll get that high I don't know what is normal normal points prop is but like a 22 20 22 and a half 23 and a half. I think it's fine Probably talk about this a lot on the the NFL shows But is Russell a guy where you'd look at alternate markets to try to take advantage of potential variants Or is he not that kind of player even when those guys are out? No, he's he's been known to go for 30 plus. So that's I Mean given the matchup which I already love to begin with okay I mean that that's actually a pretty good slant that I didn't really think about okay So check out the end of Russell props once they're up for the Lakers and Spurs game 24 and a half is where Tom gets a little bit hesitant for the regular market, but also could potentially dig into Some alternate markets for Russell depending on what those numbers look like for that one Let's talk now about the NHL Tom got some pretty fun games going on over there works night a total five games slate In the NHL side of things. Let's begin things with the traditional markets there as well What stands out to you in the NHL when looking at sides and totals the Bruins and the devils over six and a half. It's a plus 104 For the Bruins, it's expected that their top defenseman Charlie McAvoy is going to be out tonight the Bruins Got off to another super hot start They've taken a slight dip in production as of late defensive defensive, you know consistency as of late The devils got off to a slower start. They got healthy and their offense has really picked up and The Bruins also have an often awesome offense to begin with so these teams don't need help score Also, on the other side for the devils, their top defenseman Dougie Hamilton has been out for about a week at this point So they have like all these teams have all this offense lackluster on defense simply due to injuries and it really should just present a very wide open game for both teams tonight and if this game ends Five to four four to three in either side I won't be surprised that like it could be a it's a toss of game as the money line kind of indicate So I'm I'm in for the over not the winner Yeah money line for devils Bruins devils are minus 130 Bruins plus one away total as Tom mentioned is six and a half Plus one oh four on the over for that one any other traditional markets you're eyeing here Tom That would be the Kings in regulation their three-way money line, which is minus 125 Minus 180 for them on the money line. I think is appropriate Minus 125 for the regulation bet is what I prefer. They are back at home. They're coming off of a two game losing streak I'm not sure if I told you said specifically, but I've said it on other shows where the Kings are awesome And I'm not sure if a lot of people are particularly paying attention to that simply do the fact that they don't necessarily have a superstar and They're just like their start to the season was incredibly strong but there were so many other storylines where Vegas is strong and Vancouver strong and the Oilers were horrible and they fire their coach and like There's all these storylines going on and they got overlooked and the Kings are super strong because they play great defense They're super deep down the middle at center, which is an extremely important thing to have especially when it comes to the playoffs And they're coming off of two losses They're back at home They're going up against the Jets who are on the second night of a back-to-back They traveled from San Jose last night Also was announced yesterday for the Jets that their best player Kyle Connor is out for six to eight weeks due to a knee injury which is an immense Decrease to their offensive production and it's like this is the time for the Kings to like okay East Coast road trip doesn't end well with two losses back at home time to show everybody who we are Divisional matchup or non-divisional matchup Western Conference matchup come away with the win It's as easy as that and that's again a three-way money line for the Jets and Kings Tom likes the Kings minus 125 in that market Specifically you mentioned the money line the overall money line for them is minus 188 there as well I prefer to go that route instead on the Kings. Let's talk player props Tom What's you eyeing in that department for tonight? So the player prop market at least at first glance is is kind of tough tonight Because they're like the the aisles have been playing a lot better as of late and the their shop props are accurate They're just there's no value in the shop prop market. Yeah, the penguins are in a good spot tonight going up against Montreal I think Sydney Crosby is due for a goal. It's Sydney Crosby. He's amazing. We can see all these things But more importantly the matchup is fantastic He has great shot volume as of late and he only has one goal over his last four or five games So we have a player with immense skill easy matchup incredible shot volume. He's just not scoring. I just don't like the odds So it's kind of the same situation in some of these games where bad odds great player But it doesn't make the right combination. So the easiest spot for me tonight would be in Colorado with Nathan McKinnon over four and a half shots Minus 113 going up against Buffalo six-and-a-half over under I'm expecting the over McKinnon is averaging four and a half shots on goal per game He has I think he's third or fourth in the league depending after last night's I would have to check in terms of overall shots in the League he is constantly up there over the past few seasons top center top forward Top forward line center and the top power play unit. I'm expecting the overtip which means I'm expecting a lot of back-and-forth Their defense has certainly slipped which means they're gonna have to constantly push the pace because the Sabres aren't Terrible on offense this year. I was expecting to be a little better, but we had the right combination of odds role and Production and McKinnon kind of fits that not only tonight, but on most nights very annoying when the sportsbooks are on to the guys We want to target so I definitely understand the pain there McKinnon over four now shots minus 113 Right now at Vanduul sportsbook you mentioned the total in this game six-and-a-half right now for Sabres versus avalanche Over is minus one 14 So it's something you just like the game environment overall You think that McKinnon is a guy who with the way you plays benefits from that pretty greatly, right? And I mean his speed and and the lackluster defense really from the Sabres should allow that Okay, and if you can find a shot prop for the aisle someone like Noah Dobson I think he's at minus 188 or minus 180 for over two and a half which is It's a little heavy on the juice as you're asking me if you could find it at minus 150 minus one minus 140 I Think he's listed there. It's not in the alt market. Unfortunately. Actually. Yeah. He's plus 140 to get four plus shots Too much. Yeah. Yeah, it might be a little bit too much like over two and a half or three plus That's probably the best spot for him. He is taking a big step forward on offense this year Yeah, minus 182 to get three plus shots for Dobson. So again Was dang sports books doing their jobs. Well, very unfortunate When that happens. Alrighty, that is Tom and Vecchio Tom want to thank you as always for the time Looking forward to hearing you again later on today with prime time Tom talking that Raiders and Sharger scheme and good luck And enjoy all the basketball and hockey for tonight. Thanks for having me. Alrighty fine Tom on Twitter at Tom underscore Vecchio one I am on Twitter at Jim Saunders. You can find me on threads at Jim dots on us You can find fan dual research on Twitter at fan dual research subscribe to covering the spread to get the prime time Tom show later On today, you can also find that on a fan dual TV plus want to thank you all for tuning in Good luck to you all with your best for tonight as well. We'll talk to you once again tomorrow for NFL week 15 preview This has been covering the spread right here on the fan dual podcast network