Good morning, and welcome to a new weekly article I will be posting called “Tom’s Take on the Weekend.” Here, we’ll discuss any notable changes, advantage plays I find, or anything else to get your weekend started right. While I host Wake Up and Wager on weekdays, I’ve decided we need to also talk on the weekends. There are many things that change across sports betting markets on Saturday mornings, and my job here is to get you caught up and ready to place some wagers. 

If you’d like to see anything additional featured here, send us an email at tlong@steadypicks.com or, follow me on twitter @tomlong36

On Wake Up and Wager, Ricky and I discuss the importance of line shopping. SteadyPicks is partnered with BetMGM and BetRivers, where we offer exclusive bonus offers. If you like anything that SteadyPicks has to offer, we would be most grateful if you’d consider signing up. It's the best way to support SteadyPicks! I’ll leave the links below, but do consider creating accounts. You’ll want to load them with a few units - this way you always have access to the best lines you can find.

SteadyPicks Sportsbook Offers : https://www.steadypicks.com/sportsbook-offers

Recreational bettors will likely not notice the difference and importance of line shopping, and, most of the time the difference between -3.5 and -3 will not matter. However, if you can win one extra game, or push one extra game, every now and then, it will make a long-term difference for your success and bankroll. If there’s one thing I would recommend to a novice bettor to help them become sharper, it’s line shopping.

I do like the Panthers in this spot against the Vikings. The Vikings struggle to win these types of games, and the Panthers defense has been a pleasant surprise. The Panthers haven’t necessarily played any top-tier offenses, but I’ll wait until they’re proven otherwise. I don’t think the Vikings have done anything to prove they ought to be road favorites against a defense like this.

This could end up being an extremely square play. An overwhelming majority of the money is coming on Green Bay, pushing the real line to -6 (which I still actually like). The Bears are an over-rated 3-2 team. I have them ranked 22nd in my Power Rankings. This feels like the strongest play on the contest board. It’s worth considering, though, that it will likely be one of the top 5 consensus plays of the week. 

As for normal wagering, I’ve found a few decent spots to get involved. All of my current ‘in-pocket’ plays are posted on the My Picks page of SteadyPicks.com

Some other spots I’m interested in this morning, outside of what I’ve already played, are below:

Many of you know that I don’t like playing teasers. However, I do believe they have a place in the handicap. I have both of these teams as a pick-em in their respective matchups. I think they’re both under-valued. The only time we’re looking at teasers is when we can move through 2 key numbers (3,7, or 10). Here, we’re moving through 3 and 7.

If you listen to Wake Up and Wager, you’ll know I’ve been handicapping Tennis this season. I’ve had good and bad runs, much like any other market, but boy-oh-boy do I enjoy it. There are two matchups here that I’d like to mention, along with my supporting power ratings and numbers:

Paula Badosa has the best short-term hard court numbers here. It makes sense to ride the hot hand here. I have this priced as a pick-em, so Badosa is the value play here against Azarenka. Badosa has beaten some top-tier talent in this tournament, and I like her chances of doing it again.