Skip to main content

Best Bets Today: Top Picks, Predictions from Monday's Sports Slate

Sportsbook Review

Last Updated: January 9, 2023 10:46 AM EST • 3 min 59 sec read.

Check out our sports betting experts' best bets for today's slate based on the odds from our best sportsbooks. Monday's top sports betting picks chose from the offerings in college football, college basketball, the NBA, and the NHL.

Monday brings with it the college football season finale, as the TCU Horned Frogs and Georgia Bulldogs square off to highlight the day's sports slate. Sports bettors also have college basketball, NBA, and NHL action to look forward to.

Read on for our best bets for Monday, Jan. 9, based on the odds from our top-rated sportsbooks.

Today's Best Bets

  • College football: Georgia -12.5 (-110 via DraftKings Sportsbook) vs. TCU
  • College basketball: Colgate -7 (-110 via Caesars Sportsbook) vs. Army
  • NBA: Bulls-Celtics Over 235.5 (-110 via PointsBet)
  • NHL: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Over 0.5 goals (+260 via Caesars)

Editor's note: Hey Ohio! Welcome to legal sports betting. Check out the best sites for Ohio sports betting and the best Ohio sportsbook promos! 21+ and present in OH. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Monday's College Football Best Bet

Georgia -12.5 (-110) ⭐⭐⭐

It’s hard to play anything but Georgia. With bettors backing TCU, any appeal that the double-digit underdog might’ve had dried up. 

The spread has yet to move all the way back to the opening line at some shops. With the game total already having risen two-plus points relative to where we bought the Over earlier in the week, it makes more sense to stick with betting the side at this juncture. 

There’s no denying Georgia is the more physically imposing team. TCU will be hard-pressed to slow down the Dawgs’ bruising rushing attack. As the Horned Frogs give up a lot of size in the trenches, they'll have to stack the box with extra defenders. This only helps open things up downfield for Bennett.

On the other side of the ball, TCU should have star running back Kendre Miller return after injuring his knee in the Fiesta Bowl. It's far from given that the Frogs will be successful running the ball. Georgia’s defense allowed only 84.7 rushing yards per game this season, college football's fewest. 

It’s also worth considering each team’s semifinal game. TCU barely won despite benefitting from Michigan's countless mistakes. Meanwhile, Georgia was far from perfect and still managed able to overcome Ohio State's near-flawless performance. 

At the end of the day, power ratings don’t lie. The Dawgs have personnel advantages at just about every position and are double-digit favorites for a reason.

TCU-Georgia CFP National Championship pick made by Henry John.

Check out all of our top college football best bets.

Monday's College Basketball Best Bet

Colgate -7 (-110) ⭐⭐⭐

Army enters on a four-game winning streak, with three of the four coming by double digits. However, we are not getting too excited as those three wins on the road - against Central Connecticut, Lafayette, and Loyola - were against teams that are a combined 12-40.

Colgate's last four losses were against an SEC team (Auburn), two Ivy League favorites (Penn and Cornell), and the favorite in the America East (Vermont). Despite that demanding schedule, the Raiders lead the country in effective field-goal percentage and 3-point shooting (42.5%). They return 68.3% of the minutes from a team that beat Army by 29 combined points (both wins by double digits) last year and should pose similar problems again.

While FanDuel has already gone to -7.5, we are taking advantage of the extra half-point in value at Caesars before the line moves.

College basketball best bets made by Mike Spector.

Check out all of our top college basketball picks.

Monday's NBA Best Bet

Bulls-Celtics Over 235.5 (-110) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

We featured the Bulls in Saturday’s best bets column, and the total of 244 points finished Over. Why not go back to the well for a matchup with one of the NBA’s highest-scoring teams in Boston?

Boston is 20-18-2 on the season, 13-6-1 as the home favorite, and the team has hit the Over in three of the last four games. Chicago is 12-8 on the road, hitting the Over in seven of the last nine games. The Celtics average the most points per game in the NBA at 118.1 and the second most at home at 122.6. Chicago ranks 12th in points per game at 115.1, but is third over the last three games at 124.3. The total on this game ranges from 236 to 236.5 across all but one of our featured books, as PointsBet is offering the 235.5 total at the same -110 odds, making it the best book for our Bulls-Celtics bet.

NBA best bets made by Zachary Hanshew.

Check out all of our top NBA picks.

Monday's NHL Best Bet

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Over 0.5 goals (+260) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

While Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has mostly played center throughout his NHL career, he is skating on the wing more and it has freed up him offensively.

Nugent-Hoopkins skates with Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman at even strength and has also has a spot on the first unit of the Oilers’ league-leading power play. And even though he has scored just one goal in the past seven games, Nugent-Hopkins still has 19 goals in 41 games this season. That includes at least one goal in eight of 18 road games.

While Copley has brought some stability to the net for the Kings, he has a mediocre .904 save percentage and 2.52 goals against average in a dozen games since getting called up.

For the season, the Kings rank 14th in expected goals against per 60 minutes and 21st in goals against per 60 minutes on home ice. That’s a relatively average defense, one that Nugent-Hopkins and the Oilers can exploit for a big payout.

Any odds longer than +200 make sense, so +260 is well worth your consideration.

Oilers-Kings picks made by Scott Cullen.

Check out all of our top NHL picks.

Check out our Top Betting Sites:

(21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER)

* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.

Related Pages

Best Online Sportsbooks | Best U.S. Sportsbook Promos

Written By:
Sportsbook Review
Free sports picks from SBR's experts. Get the latest analysis, odds and predictions on the top industry events. Home of the #SBRPros! SBR - trusted by sports bettors for over 20 years.