La Tonique’s NFL Week 8 Surefire Bets

By Timothy An

Moneyline: Betting on what team is going to win the game. For example, if the Spurs odds to win are -130 and the Warriors odds to win are +110, it means the Spurs are favored to win.

- If you bet $130 on the Spurs, you would win $100.

- If you bet $100 on the Warriors you would win $110.

a). (z/100) = (y/x) b). (100/z) = (y/x)

If you want to calculate how much you would win if you bet a value other than $100, use the equations above to calculate. The equation in (a) is to solve for the odds if it is a negative number. You put the odd in (z), then how much you want to be in (y), then solve for (x). So, let’s say you want to bet $50 on the Spurs winning and their line is set at -140.

(140/100) = (50/x)

X = 35.71

In this particular case, you would get a payout of $35.71.

Betting the Line: Betting the line means that you are essentially betting to double your money. An example of a line would be Los Angeles Lakers -9.5 and Miami Heat +9.5. This means that the odds are set at the Laker’s winning by 9.5 points. You can either bet the Lakers -9.5, which means you are predicting the Lakers will win by 10 or more points. Or you can bet Miami Heat +9.5, which means you are predicting that the Miami Heat will win, or lose by 9 or less. If you are correct, you double your money, and if you are incorrect you lose it all.

SUREFIRE BETS OF THE WEEK:

Indianapolis Colts (-2.5) vs. Detroit Lions

 
So far in 2020, the Colts rank in the top 3 of nearly every defensive category. (USA TODAY Sports)

So far in 2020, the Colts rank in the top 3 of nearly every defensive category. (USA TODAY Sports)

 

The Indianapolis Colts are coming off a Week 7 bye to face the Detroit Lions. Though the Lions have been playing well as of late, including the miraculous comeback against the Falcons last week, I think the Colts will be prepared to win this game. The Colts defense has been great so far this season and I expect them to slow down Stafford and the Lions passing attack. I don’t think the Lions can rely on their running game and expect to win this game. With the AFC South being a tight race for the number one seed, I think the Colts will come out of their bye week with a game plan ready to shut down the Detroit Lions pass attack, leading to a victory by at least a field goal. 

Los Angeles Rams (-3.5) vs. Miami Dolphins

 
Tua Tagovailoa makes his debut against the stingy Rams defense in Week 8. (USA TODAY Sports)

Tua Tagovailoa makes his debut against the stingy Rams defense in Week 8. (USA TODAY Sports)

 

The Miami Dolphins have surprised everyone this season, sitting at 3-3 with competitive games against the Seahawks and the Bills. This team is much better than anyone expected, but face the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. The Rams are 5-2 with both their losses coming against playoff-contending teams by only one score. The Rams are a great football team, and I don’t think the Dolphins defense will have an answer for this high-powered Sean McVay offense. This is also Tua Tagovailoa’s debut, and I don’t think we can expect a great game from him coming up against Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey, and this Rams defense. I’m expecting a blowout, and expect the Rams to get an easy victory.

*Bet at your own risk

Follow Timothy on Twitter @timothyan1

Timothy An

Timothy An is a third-year undergraduate student at New York University studying Sports Management. He is based in Los Angeles, California and is a die hard fan of the Lakers, Chargers, Dodgers, and Tottenham Hotspurs. He enjoys analyzing, discussing, speaking, and writing all things sports, and plans to pursue a career in the sports industry.

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