Best Bets Today: Top Picks, Predictions from Sunday's Sports Slate
We've shopped the odds and lines at our best sportsbooks in search of today's best bets for Sunday, Feb. 26. Our top picks include offerings from college basketball, the NBA, XFL, MLB, and NASCAR.
There's a premier NBA matchup on Sunday afternoon, and a jam-packed college basketball slate. This week's NASCAR race is also worth your betting attention, and you should have an eye toward the upcoming baseball season.
Read on for today's best bets for Sunday, Feb. 26, based on the odds from our best sportsbooks.
Sunday's best bets
- NASCAR: Tyler Reddick to win the Pala Casino 400 (+1200 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐
- College basketball: Rutgers ML vs. Penn State (+135 via PointsBet) ⭐⭐⭐
- NBA: Luka Donic Under 32.5 points (-115 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐
- XFL: Brahmas -3.5 vs. Guardians (+100 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- MLB: Alek Manoah to lead MLB in wins (+2800 via Caesars)
Sunday's NASCAR best bet
Reddick to win the Pala Casino 400 (+1200 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐
Reddick made just two Cup Series starts at the Auto Club Speedway. In 2020, he crossed the finish line in 11th place. Last season, he was one of the strongest cars on the track, leading 90 laps before cutting a tire late in the race and having the No. 24 clip him. He'll now drive the No. 45 car which saw Kurt Busch finish in eighth place in last year’s race.
Books are consistent with Reddick’s odds and price him among the favorites to win, but with still enough value to warrant a wager. He loses a couple of stars of confidence given the strength of the favorites above him on this track.
Pala Casino 400 Best Bets made my Rodrigo Villagomez
Sunday's college basketball best bet
Rutgers ML vs. Penn State (+135 via PointsBet) ⭐⭐⭐
Rutgers has lost four of its last five contests. But head coach Steve Pikiell is getting his team to play hard on the defensive end after losses, as the Scarlet Knights have allowed just 50.9 points per game following a defeat in 2022-23.
One of those games came when they held Penn State to 45 points during a home win, with the Nittany Lions shooting a miserable 4-for-26 from 3-point range (15.4%). Rutgers boasts arguably the best on-ball defender in the conference in guard Caleb McConnell. His ability to use his length to frustrate Penn State point guard Jalen Pickett, the Big Ten's fourth-leading scorer (18.8 points per game), will go a long way toward helping his team earn a significant road victory.
This line opened at +130, so PointsBet once again offers the best value.
College basketball best bets made by Mike Spector.
Check out all of our top college basketball picks, as well as our 2023 March Madness odds and 2023 Wooden Award odds.
Sunday's NBA best bet
Luka Donic Under 32.5 points (-115 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐
You read that right: I’m taking the Under on the points prop for the best player in this game.
Doncic leads the league in scoring while averaging 33.2 points per game, and he's cleared this mark in two of his four contests playing alongside Irving. So why am I taking the Under?
Jarred Vanderbilt, who was acquired from the Utah Jazz in the Russell Westbrook trade, is expected to serve as the primary defender against Donic. Vanderbilt has fared well against him in the past, as Luka is averaging 21.8 points over six meetings. I also expect the Lakers to throw a bunch of different looks at Doncic.
The playmaker only scored 28 in a game when his team finished with 142 last time out. He'll struggle to crack the 30-point threshold once again.
Betting odds are typically aligned between our top-rated sportsbooks for star players, and Doncic is no exception. But FanDuel's offering saves us a few cents compared to the rest of the shops.
Lakers-Mavericks player prop picks made by Shane Jackson
Check out all of our NBA best bets, and our 2023 NBA Finals odds and 2023 NBA MVP odds.
Sunday's MLB best bet
Alek Manoah to lead MLB in wins (+2800 via Caesars)
I’m bullish about Manoah’s career trajectory, and after posting a 0.88 ERA and 0.85 WHIP across six September starts to conclude the 2022 campaign, I’m not concerned about him wearing down over the course of the season. Simply put, Manoah is mispriced in this market, and I’m happy to add him to my betting portfolio.
MLB wins leader odds and picks made by Neil Parker
Check out our 2023 MLB Rookie of the Year Odds, 2023 MLB home run leader odds, and 2023 MLB Cy young odds.
Sunday's XFL best bet
Brahmas -3.5 vs. Guardians (+100 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Orlando found themselves at the wrong end of the biggest blowout of Week 1, losing 33-12 to the Houston Roughnecks. The Guardians turned the ball over four times in the loss and scored just two touchdowns all day. Three of them were interceptions, two from backup quarterback Quinton Dormady and another by starting quarterback Paxton Lynch. This Sunday, they face a relentless San Antonio pass rush that sacked A.J. McCarron five times in last week’s game.
The Brahmas could only sit and watch, as the Battlehawks scored 15 unanswered points in the final three minutes of the game. San Antonio dominated most of the game, surrendering just 89 yards of total offense before the last two Battlehawk drives. That same defensive mentality will be what gives them a win on the road this week in Orlando.
With most sportsbooks hanging a 3-point spread for this game, FanDuel offers plus-money on a line of -3.5. That is appealing enough in a game we expect the Brahmas to control from start to finish.
XFL Odds and best bets for Week 2 done by Rodrigo Villagomez
Check out our best betting sites:
- FanDuel: No Sweat First Bet up to $1,000 | Read our FanDuel Review
- Caesars: Earn Up to a $1,250 Bet Credit | Read our Caesars Review
- DraftKings: Bet $5, Get $200 in Bonus Bets | Read our DraftKings Review
- PointsBet: Earn Five Second-Chance Bets Up to $50 Each | Read our PointsBet Review
- BetMGM: Get a Bonus Bet Up to $1,000 | Read our BetMGM Review
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* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.
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- Best Online Sportsbooks | Best Sportsbook Promos (U.S. only)
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