Best Sports Betting Picks Today: Monday Night Football, College Basketball, NBA Bets December 2nd

A second straight Cleveland Browns’ game is on national television, and another Thursday game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Dec. 19 was just flexed out to the following Sunday. This scheduling weirdness really makes you wonder about the thinking ability of TV executives.

Obviously, they can’t know the Browns will be 3-10 entering Monday’s game at the Denver Broncos. But when the NFL stares at the entirety of the schedule before publicly releasing it, you’d think someone might say, “This team has won one playoff game in 25 seasons; do we really want them aired nationally three times in 29 days at this point of the season?”

LeBron, A.D. and the rest of the Lakers will be battling the Minnesota Timberwolves. Have to wonder how much energy the Lakers will bring on the second side of a road back-to-back.

Ranked teams are nowhere to be found on Monday’s college basketball slate, so let’s look at that Ivy League team (Yale) that produced a huge March Madness victory last season.

CLEVELAND BROWNS AT DENVER BRONCOS

The Broncos are 7-3 since losing their first two games of the season, and a victory against Cleveland will bolster their AFC wild-card hopes. Denver has a late-season bye after this contest and returns to host the Indianapolis Colts.

The Broncos scored well by drafting quarterback Bo Nix with the 12th overall pick, and he has thrown eight touchdown passes without being picked off over the last three games. Nix has helped change the perception of a franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs since the 2015 season when Denver won the Super Bowl behind Peyton Manning.

Cleveland survived horrible weather to slay the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-19 on a Thursday night in its last game and has performed better since Jameis Winston replaced injured Deshaun Watson. Former Broncos wideout Jerry Jeudy, who was traded to Cleveland after four years in the Mile High City, is salivating to play this game.

Cleveland star Myles Garrett had three sacks against Pittsburgh. But even another great effort from Garrett isn’t going to get the Browns a win this time.

Broncos -6 spread, -115 (DraftKings)

LOS ANGELES LAKERS VS. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

The Lakers dropped four of five games before posting a 105-104 win over the Utah Jazz on Sunday night. Following was travel from Salt Lake City to Minnesota to face a team that hasn’t played since Friday as it enters the finale of a four-game homestand.

Anthony Davis had 33 points and 11 rebounds and LeBron James contributed 27 points and 14 assists against the Jazz. Austin Reaves (hip) was among four injured Lakers rotation players who missed the game and depth figures to be a problem against Minnesota.

The Timberwolves had dropped four straight games and seven of nine before beating the Los Angeles Clippers 93-92 on Friday. Anthony Edwards scored 21 points and has tallied at least 20 in every game this season.

Edwards is just 24-of-67 shooting (35.8) over the past three games, so efficiency is an issue. He had 27 points on 10-of-25 shooting when the Timberwolves lost to the Lakers 110-103 in Los Angeles in the season opener for both teams on Oct. 22.

Timberwolves -6.5 spread, -110 (DraftKings)

YALE AT RHODE ISLAND

One of the highlights of the first round of last season’s NCAA Tournament was when John Poulakidas and 13th-seeded Yale shot fourth-seeded Auburn out of the tournament with a 78-76 victory. Nobody cares that the Bulldogs were obliterated by San Diego State in the second round, because an Ivy League team sent home a highly seeded SEC team.

Poulakidas made 6 of 9 3-point shots and scored 28 points to become a household name—even if it doesn’t roll off the tongue. He’s averaging 20.6 points this season with 30 treys in eight games and a low outing of 18 points.

Rhode Island certainly knows slowing down Yale’s long-range bomber is a must to notch a victory. The Rams have been stellar defensively, holding opponents to 28.3 percent from behind the arc while allowing 69.4 points per game.

However, Rhode Island’s 7-0 start is a mirage as the schedule is filled with softies. Looks for Poulakidas and the Bulldogs to hand the Rams their first defeat.

Yale +4 goals, -115 (DraftKings)