From early-morning kickoffs to late-night West Coast finishes, Saturday’s schedule is loaded with opportunities. College football rivalries, NBA shootouts and NHL showdowns combine to create one of the most intriguing boards of the month. Here are tonight’s best bets brought to you by BetOnline.ag. Click here to join. All new players get a 50% welcome bonus and up to $250 in free bets.
First Pick: Under 58.5 Points
Rundown: It’s rivalry week in college football, featuring a crosstown matchup at the Coliseum between the USC Trojans (8–3) and the UCLA Bruins (3–8). This season has been a different story for these squads, as USC looks to secure a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff while UCLA aims to play spoiler and end its season on a high note. Of USC and UCLA’s 22 combined games, 14 (63.6%) have finished under the projected point total. This rivalry has swung back and forth for decades with both teams trading victories over the past four years.
With both teams vying for the right to claim the Victory Bell, these defenses will be flying around the field and produce a low-scoring affair.
Second Pick: Mavericks +7
Rundown: A pair of faltering teams meet tonight from the Intuit Dome as the Los Angeles Clippers host the Dallas Mavericks. Dallas is coming off a 10-point loss to the Lakers, while the Clippers have dropped three straight. In their first matchup this season, the teams traded blows before Los Angeles pulled out a six-point, double-overtime win. Los Angeles has struggled this season against the spread, covering five times in 19 opportunities (26.3%). In his 17th season, James Harden has been terrific on the offensive end for Los Angeles, averaging 27.6 points per game.
As for Dallas, first overall pick Cooper Flagg has shown flashes early in his debut season, averaging 15.7 points a game. The Mavericks have entered seven matchups as a 7-point underdog or greater this season and are 4–3 ATS in those contests. Both teams come into tonight ranked near the bottom in scoring, which provides an opportunity for Dallas to keep this one within reach late. Expect a big game from Flagg and for Dallas to cover the spread.
Third Pick: Under 6.5 Goals
Rundown: In a rematch from opening day, the San Jose Sharks (12-10-3) travel to Paradise to face off with the Vegas Golden Knights (10-6-8) in a matchup from T-Mobile Arena. The first meeting in early October saw Vegas walk away with a 4–3 overtime win on a game-winning goal from Reilly Smith, stunning the San Jose crowd. Vegas will be looking to right the ship tonight at home, as they have suffered four consecutive losses.
So far this season, 60% of San Jose’s games have finished under the projected goal total, while 58% of Vegas’ matchups have resulted in fewer than 6.5 goals. Each offense ranks in the bottom half of the NHL, with Vegas 19th in goals scored and San Jose 23rd. While the overall offense has underperformed, both squads have taken advantage of power-play opportunities. San Jose has scored 17 power-play goals in 93 chances (18.3%), seventh-best in the NHL, while Vegas has converted 19 times in 81 opportunities, the fourth-most in the league. Both teams key to victory is to play tight, physical defense and look to capitalize offensively when they gain the man-advantage. In a matchup of offenses looking to find their stride, anticipate a strong performance from both defenses leading to limited scoring chances.