College Basketball

'Bear Bets': The Group Chat's thoughts on Kentucky, NBA and MLB futures bets

Updated Apr. 11, 2024 10:47 a.m. ET

FOX Sports' digital gambling show returned this week to discuss all the hot-button topics in the sports world this week.

The Group Chat also reconvened as Chris "The Bear" Fallica and Geoff Schwartz were joined by Sam Panayotovich and Will Hill to discuss their favorite Masters bets along with college basketball, NBA and MLB futures bets. You can listen to what the gang said on the Masters in this week's episode or read "The Bear's" best bets for the tournament here.

Let's get right into their bets!

John Calipari has left Kentucky for Arkansas. Is there a coach you like as the favorite to land the gig?

The Bear: Scott Drew

"You can scratch Dan Hurley off. Dan Hurley's not going to Kentucky. That's a terrible bet. Would Billy Donovan leave the Chicago Bulls to go back to college in the NIL world? Who knows. Mark Pope is really highly thought of. BYU plays a really fun brand of basketball. Rick Pitino and his son, I think we can probably cross those names off the list. By the process of elimination, doesn't that make Scott Drew the favorite?"

Hill: Scott Drew

"People bring up Rick Pitino, people bring up Jay Wright. I don't think Jay Wright will coach again. I think Pitino is too old. Do you want your next Calipari? Say what you want about his tenure … but Calipari gave you 15 years where you were always a contender. When he was brought in, he was a home run hire who was going to bring in NBA talent. There's not that same guy who checks both those boxes. But Drew checks both boxes where he's someone who's young enough and has won a title."

Are there any wagers you like as the odds for next year's NCAA title opened up?

Sammy P: Gonzaga to win the national title

"UConn was 20-to-1 after the tournament last year. Gonzaga brings back four starters, and you can find them at 30-to-1. Graham Ike is back. Ben Gregg is back. The backcourt with Ryan Nembhard and Nolan Hickman is back. Mark Few's going to bring in good recruits and probably a transfer or two. I don't think Gonzaga at 30-to-1 is the worst bet in the middle of April."

Are there any last-minute NBA regular-season award winners you want to bet on?

The Bear: Naz Reid to win Sixth Man of the Year

"The Sixth Man of the Year Award with Malik Monk being out now, but he's favored. Naz Reid is the second choice, and he's at plus money. It seems like there might be an opportunity there for Reid at plus money."

The Bear: Victor Wembanyama to win Defensive Player of the Year

"We get it, the Timberwolves are a great defensive team. They got Kyle Anderson, Reid, Mike Conley and other great players around him. As a team, they're the best defensive team. … If you look at Wembanyama, he's got 332 blocks and steals while playing 29.6 minutes per game. Rudy Gobert's got 196 blocks and steals while playing 34 minutes per game. Defensive rebounding percentage, Wembanyama is at 27.5 and Gobert is at 25. There are no individual stats that support Gobert winning the award."

Are there any NBA futures bets you like for the playoffs?

Sammy P: Celtics to win the Eastern Conference (-140)

"You're not going to get your flowers for saying -140 on Boston, but if those guys stay healthy, man. If Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White are all healthy, that is maybe the most talented team in the league. … This is the super team in the East right now and in a hobbled East with a bunch of bad teams."

Finally, are there any baseball futures you like at this point in the season?

Sammy P: White Sox to finish with the league's worst record (+230)

"This White Sox team is pathetic, and when we did the show last week, they were +340 to be the worst team in the league. They had 16 runs in their nine games. Nine! They can't hit, they can't run, they can't throw."

The Bear: Marlins to finish with the league's worst record (+2500)

"The Marlins are sneaky because you're talking about a team that has no healthy arms. … The Marlins could be really, really bad. They won all those 1-run games last year and they kind of lucked into a lot of those. It seems like the bill is coming due."

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