Nuggets-Lakers Game 4 total, Rangers-Pirates money line play: May 22 Best Bets

Each day, one of our experts at Bet.NOLA.com will offer up a best bet (or two or three) that mobile sportsbooks in Louisiana are offering. It might be a traditional spread bet, a player prop or one of the various odds boosts that books offer.

A reminder for those who haven’t signed up yet: New users can get a risk-free bet at Caesars Sportsbook, meaning that if your first bet loses, you get a bonus bet for the same amount up to $1,250. New users also get 1,000 Caesars Rewards points to redeem for hotel or casino credit.

Here are our best bets for Monday, May 22:

TOP PLAY

The play: NBA Western Conference Finals Game 4, Nuggets at Lakers UNDER 224 points

The odds/bet: -110 ($33 to win $30)

The book: Caesars Sportsbook

Time/TV: 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Our take: Both the Lakers and Nuggets are capable of scoring points in bunches, but we’re expecting the defense to be a little tighter in tonight’s Game 4 in which the Lakers could potentially be eliminated.

Jamal Murray was lights out for the Nuggets in Game 3, and while he’ll be tough to defend once again, the Lakers should be able to make some adjustments and have done a respectable job at containing Nikola Jokic’s scoring with Anthony Davis down low.

The Lakers likely won’t push for an up-tempo contest as they look to prevent the Nuggets from going on huge runs, so we’ll take the under in hopes that the elimination factor will see the Lakers slow down the scoring pace.

RANGERS MONEY LINE PLAY

The play: MLB, Rangers (-135) over Pirates

The odds/bet: -135 ($13.50 to win $10)

The book: Caesars Sportsbook

Time/TV: 5:35 p.m. (BSSW)

Our take: The Rangers have seen improvement across the board so far in 2023, especially in their starting rotation in which Dane Dunning has stepped up alongside several newcomers.

Dunning wasn’t even expected to be in the rotation this season after the Rangers spent big on pitching with Jacob deGrom leading the way, but deGrom’s latest injury has Dunning back starting and pitching better than ever coming into tonight’s matchup against a struggling Pirates team.

The Pirates will be starting inexperienced arm Luis Ortiz, so Dunning and the Rangers loaded lineup should have no problem securing the win tonight in what would be their fourth-straight victory.

HOW WE’VE FARED

Sunday’s best bets

• NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 3, Celtics -3 over Heat (LOST $33)

• English Premier League, Leeds United money line over West Ham (LOST $6.20)

• PGA Championship, Xander Schauffle to finish in the top 20 (WON $6)

Sunday’s profit/loss: -$33.20 (1-2)

Final total for the week: +$23.80 (9-5)

Total for May: +$138.90 (24-18)

Total for 2023: -$320.30 (112-123)

NOTE: If a line or odds are minus, it considers the juice one must lay to place the bet. Ex: Team A is -160 on the money line, one would have to bet $160 to win $100 (or $16 to win $10). OR Team B is a 5-point favorite at -110, one would have to bet $110 to win $100 (or $11 to win $10.)

Conversely, on positive lines, if Team C is +140 on the money line, $100 would bring in $140 (or $10 to win $14).