DENVER, CO – It’s that day of the year again, wherein the guise of Thankful Thursday is lifted for the reality of Commercialism Friday. By the time you read this approximately seven people will have died at Walmarts across this country, thirty five people will have been robbed outside Best Buy, and every grandmother forced to go out for milk and bread will return home with a special disgust reserved for bad episodes of “Murder, She Wrote”… and social disdain. Those of you with these grandmothers will have to field a phone call where you hypocritically agree that Black Friday is a disgusting act of self-indulgence, while you simultaneously unpack the 128-pack of wrapping paper that you got at Costco for $1.99.
If your grandmother’s guilt hasn’t been enough to quell your thirst to buy things you don’t need with money you don’t have, then rest easy my friends. I can surely extend you over budget with today’s Best Black Friday Deals in the Sports Betting World.
Missouri vs Arkansas 2:30pm EST line MIZ -9.5
Two teams no one has seen and no one cares to see, but CBS has a contractual obligation to have every SEC team nationally broadcast at least once a season. This game kills two terrible birds with one terrible CBS broadcast stone. However ugly it might be, this game is an unbelievable way to earn back your hard earned easily spent holiday cash. Bret Bielema is coaching for his job and the whole of the SEC is rooting for him to lose. Mizzou has won five straight after looking terrible against any team that is respectable early in the season. On the road and full of turkey is a bad recipe for the Tigers. Arky covers against the spread but Mizzou wins 30-24.
Penguins vs Bruins 1:00pm EST Pens +164
Normally I’m not apt for an on-ice wager but with a Pens team reeling from back-to-back losses and a Bruins team coming home from sweeping a road trip I am intrigued.
I think Friday’s nationally broadcast affair will mean a lot to each team but it will mean infinitely more to Pittsburgh, who have yet to win a nationally televised game this year. The interesting thing about this game is that it would stand to reason that both teams would trot out a change of pace at goalie. Tuukka Rask has been benched for the last few games, as he has been abysmal but it will likely be his turn to spell his teammate on Friday. Similarly, Matt Murray has been serviceable for the Pens but he hasn’t been amazing which could lead to a switch for Pittsburgh between the pipes as well. Given both teams are going to be Swiss cheese at the back end I think the talented Pens attack is going to make hay for the savvy bettor and the line is right given they are coming off poor play. Pens on the money line, winning 4-3.
Lastly if you have any cash left after these picks miss, you should put it in on early Super Bowl halftime prop bets. Will N’Sync join Justin Timberlake? I’d put fifty on no.
