The fall is an absolutely fantastic time to be a sports bettor. Seemingly every major sport is either underway or about to begin, and we at Indy Sportsbook have been surely reaping the benefits. After a mediocre rookie year, the start of our sophomore season proves promising. While it will be some time before any of our NFL futures bear fruit, the 49ers look like a juggernaut and the Falcons are in the thick of the divisional race. Other highlights include a spot-on WNBA finals matchup and a guaranteed Toronto Argonauts win. Even some of our misses have silver linings: while we were not so bold to think Man City would lose to Wolves, we did warn you not to trust them too much.
Unfortunately, the whirlwind nature of the fall season means there is no time to rest on our laurels. The leaves will continue to turn, and we must ride our streak of luck until it dies with them. Thankfully, things only become more exciting from here. The MLB playoffs have just begun, and both the NHL and NBA seasons are on the horizon. Here is what we think will happen for all three of them, along with a look at the NFL MVP race.
For Boston sports fans who have been lamenting yet another disappointing Patriots season (we know we earn no sympathy), the NBA season comes as a welcome respite. Bolstered by their offseason trades for Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, the Celtics open the season as co-favorites with the Bucks to win it all. Call it a homer pick, but taking Boston at +380 is too good to pass up. Worthy contenders from the West are the defending champion Nuggets (+550) and the Lakers (+1300) in what could be Lebron’s final shot at a fifth ring. Take a Celtics vs. Lakers finals matchup at +1300 if you feel like dreaming.
In terms of regular season honors, we like Luka Doncic (+550) for MVP. The Slovenian guard has been knocking on the door of this award for several years and could finally win it this season if the Mavericks make a playoff run. Another one to watch is Mikal Bridges (+1000) for Most Improved Player. After a midseason trade to the Nets last year, Bridges averaged 26 points per game in 27 outings with his new team. If he can couple these offensive strides with his outstanding defense over a full season, the MIP trophy should be his.
Many have complained that the NHL preseason ran too long. These critics have since gone quiet because the NHL is back, with the opening round of games just finishing. Even though the regular season just began, it is never too early to start thinking about the end-of-season accolades. While the Bruins did lose several important players from their record-breaking team last year, they still have an impressive roster. Here at Indy Sportsbook we still find great value in their odds to win the Stanley Cup at +1700. Additionally, don’t overlook the Edmonton Oilers at +1100. Led by the reigning “Most Outstanding Player in the NHL” Connor McDavid, the Oilers will look to capitalize on their star power and make a run deep into the playoffs.
While the NHL is just getting underway, the NFL is already 5 weeks into the season, with many teams and players not faring exactly as predicted before the season. For someone who received the most bets to be MVP before the opening kickoff, Justin Fields is not living up to expectations. His team opened with three straight losses, two of which had the football world wondering whether the Bears should trade him. Now, the MVP attention has shifted to Josh Allen (+350) and Tua Tagovailoa (+500). These two quarterbacks have both started the season off strong, each racking up multiple MVP caliber performances. If you were to pick, we would advise taking Josh Allen (+350). The AFC East isn’t turning out to be quite as difficult as predicted, and he looks to have eliminated his high turnover rate. With these conditions in his favor, it seems he will continue playing well and he remains a forerunner in the MVP race.
In our second-ever column, we made bold claims about never making any baseball picks. However, the excitement that the MLB playoffs bring is worth breaking that promise (besides, it would not be the first time we made a false prediction). While every Wild Card series resulted in a sweep, the Divisional Round is shaping up to have some battles. The Rangers have already punched their ticket to the ALCS and you should expect the Diamondbacks (-550), Astros (-385), and Phillies (+124) to join them. Considering we are picking Philadelphia to unseat one of the best-hitting teams of all time, you better believe we have them at +600 to win the whole thing too.
By the time our next column is published, you may find us walking back our posts. Bettors are a suspicious type, and we have certainly opened ourselves up to bad karma. For now, however, we are on a roll. For both our sake and yours, we are hoping it will last a little longer.
Declan Buckley ’24 (declanbuckley@college.harvard.edu) and Andrew Christie ’26 (andrewchristie@college.harvard.edu) have clearly become a bit arrogant in their success this fall.