Good morning, and happy Derby Day!
The Kentucky Derby runs from Churchill Downs this evening, and even though we’re not always into horse racing on this feed, today we’re all about it.
Forte is the 3/1 favorite for the Derby as of this writing, but of course with horse racing it doesn’t matter what odds you get when you bet; in pari-mutuel betting they’ll change right up until the time the gate opens.
To clear it all up, Times-Picayune columnist Jeff Duncan talked to a handful of New Orleans-area horse betting experts, who each came up with their top three finishers plus a long-shot pick. You’re gonna want to check that out before placing your bets today (and by the way, with new apps like Caesars Racebook, this is the first year it’s easy to bet from your phone on horse racing in Louisiana; sign up for Caesars Sportsbook and then click the links to get to the Racebook, which requires a separate signup.)
Jeff also spent some time with Jim Derry for Friday’s morning’s Dattitude, which started with lots of Saints talk but ended with a good segment on the Derby.
We also have our lower-risk Derby bet as well if you’re looking for a little more advice.
1. LSU baseball shut out Auburn 3-0 behind 15 strikeouts from ace Paul Skenes. The No. 1 Tigers kept rolling in a week where the headlines have been anything about the actual baseball. In case you missed it, Alabama fired coach Brad Bohannon in connection with a gambling scandal in which Bohannon reportedly called an associate who placed a large bet against the Crimson Tide last Friday. Jim and I discussed the controversy on Thursday’s edition of “Bayou Bets.”
2. In the NBA, it was two favorites covering in Friday night’s second-round games, a tie-breaking victory for the Boston Celtics over the Philadelphia 76ers as road favorites, then a desperately needed win for the Phoenix Suns over the Denver Nuggets to cut their series lead to 2-1. Here’s the schedule for the weekend:
SATURDAY’S NBA PLAYOFF GAMES
(Point spreads from Caesars Sportsbook, official odds partner of Bayou Bets)
Game 3 (series tied 1-1): Knicks at Heat (-4), 2:30 p.m., ABC
Game 3 (series tied 1-1): Warriors at Lakers (-2½), 7:30 p.m., ABC
SUNDAY’S NBA PLAYOFF GAMES
Game 4 (BOS leads 2-1): Celtics (-3½) at 76ers, 2:30 p.m., ESPN
Game 4 (DEN leads 2-1): Nuggets at Suns (-4), 7 p.m., TNT
3. Spencer the Guru is back with some picks for this weekend’s NASCAR race at Kansas. Also, throughout the NBA playoffs, check Bet.NOLA.com periodically for Spencer’s daily fantasy picks and tips.
4. Lost in a busy news week is that we have a point spread for LSU football’s opening game against Florida State, which will be Sept. 3 in Orlando. Depending on who you ask, the Tigers are either slight favorites or in a pick ’em. Check it out here, along with other Week 1 lines.
5. Finally, if you like what we’re putting down in this newsletter on a daily basis, check out the Bayou Bets YouTube channel and subscribe. That’s where you’ll get our live Bayou Bets shows, the Dattitude podcast and much more.
Thanks for reading. Now time to search for mint julep recipes.
Zach Ewing
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