It’s Halloween, and even though Saturday was a horror show, we’re now just seven days away from the best day of the year for me: the first day of college basketball season. Starting Nov. 7, we’ll have plenty of betting options available every day of the week. It’s going to be great.
But before that beautiful beginning, we’ve got one more week to get through where we need to get creative. The good news is that there’s enough here to choose games without having to dip into the NBA. The bad news is that to do that, I had to get very, very creative. Here are my best bets for October 31.
PLYMOUTH ARGYLE ML, +100
Yes, it’s a derby match in Devon for Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City. Yes, I’m dipping into the third tier of English soccer for this matchup. Why? Because nobody has taken so much as a point off Plymouth Argyle on its ground this year. The Pilgrims (that’s really their name) have played eight matches at Home Park (also a real name for their stadium) and won them all, outscoring their opposition by 15-3. They lead League One for a reason, and they should get another home win here.
RED WINGS ML, +120
Detroit has a good matchup in facing Eric Comrie tonight, as the former Jet doesn’t really look comfortable in front of Buffalo’s weak blue line. The Sabres give up far too many shots at the net, and the Wings don’t need a lot of chances as long as the goaltending performs. Detroit has the edge in the net, so taking the Wings makes more sense than drinking the juice with Buffalo.
CAPITALS ML, +150
This is a good spot to gamble on the Capitals, who have traditionally played well against Carolina. The Hurricanes are reeling a bit after a couple weak showings from Frederik Andersen, and Washington has won two of three on this road swing. Plus, the Caps got good play from Darcy Kuemper last time out and should be prepared to stymie the Canes. The value is too high to pass on Washington.
BENGALS ML, -175
Eventually, Cincinnati is going to figure things out against Cleveland. The Bengals have lost seven of eight against the Browns and haven’t won in Cleveland since the Browns went 0-16 in 2017. Cincinnati has won four of five, covering in all of them and has generally looked a lot better since an ugly start to the season. Meanwhile, the Browns seem to be regressing. Cincinnati should get back on track here.
ASTROS ML, -130
It was either this or the Blues-Kings game, and I hate both plays. However, I lean toward Houston here simply because I think Philadelphia’s bullpen eventually cracks. Naturally, the Phillies’ biggest weakness all season has been their biggest strength against Houston. In 8.2 innings of work, the Phils’ relievers haven’t allowed a run to the Astros. But Citizens Bank Park plays to the hitters’ strengths, and that’s not ideal against Houston’s lineup. I wouldn’t make a big play here, but I like the Astros.
