Weekly Review & Betting Predictions Across WNBA, UFL and NBA

by R. B. Dressler | May 11, 2026 | Sports Betting

Quick Recap:
• Record: 0-2
• Units: -2.2
• Best Win: —
• Tough Loss: Minnesota Timberwolves +5.0 (-1.1u)

Bryan Bash endured a difficult night on May 8, 2026, finishing 0-2 on his NBA playoff selections. Both bets fell short as favorites covered in contrasting fashion, with San Antonio pulling away late and New York dominating on the road to push Philadelphia to the brink of elimination.

Spurs at Timberwolves

Bash opened the evening backing the Minnesota Timberwolves +5.0 at -115 odds, but the Spurs covered comfortably in a 115-108 victory that gave San Antonio a 2-1 series lead. Lost. Victor Wembanyama delivered a masterpiece with 39 points on 13-of-18 shooting, 15 rebounds, and five blocks, controlling the paint on both ends of the floor. Anthony Edwards countered with 32 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists for Minnesota, but the Timberwolves couldn’t overcome their shooting struggles. Minnesota shot just 38.4% from the field compared to San Antonio’s 45.9%, a disparity that proved decisive. The third quarter was particularly damaging for Bash’s ticket, as the Spurs outscored the Timberwolves 35-28 to build separation. San Antonio’s dominance inside was evident as Wembanyama went 10-of-12 from the free-throw line while providing constant rim protection. The Timberwolves stayed within striking distance throughout the fourth quarter, which ended 29-29, but never threatened to cover the five-point spread. Minnesota’s 54 rebounds couldn’t compensate for their poor shooting efficiency, and the seven-point final margin left the underdog bet short.

Knicks at 76ers

Bash’s second selection fared no better, as he backed the Philadelphia 76ers -1.5 at -110 odds. The New York Knicks dominated in a 108-94 road victory, pushing the 76ers to the edge of elimination with a commanding 3-0 series lead. Lost. Jalen Brunson shook off a slow 2-of-8 start to finish with 33 points on 11-of-22 shooting, sealing the game with clutch buckets down the stretch. The turning point came in the second quarter, where New York outscored Philadelphia 33-21 to erase an early deficit and seize control. The Knicks shot an impressive 50.0% from the field for the game compared to Philadelphia’s 42.9%, while also dominating the glass with a 49-33 rebounding advantage. That 16-rebound edge gave New York numerous second-chance opportunities and limited Philadelphia’s possessions. Kelly Oubre Jr. led the 76ers with 22 points and eight rebounds, but Philadelphia lacked the firepower to keep pace. The 76ers’ struggles from beyond the arc—shooting just 28.1% on three-pointers—compounded their problems. New York’s six-game postseason winning streak continued as they cruised to a 14-point victory, easily covering the small spread and leaving Bash’s favorite bet well short of cashing.

Bryan Bash’s May 8th card resulted in an 0-2 performance as both underdogs failed to cover and both favorites won outright. The combination of San Antonio’s third-quarter surge and New York’s second-quarter explosion proved pivotal in both losses, highlighting how momentum swings in playoff basketball can quickly turn spreads. Bash will look to rebound as the postseason continues.

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RBD recaps another wild week of betting with WNBA observations, UFL lessons, and NBA playoff prediction angles worth tracking.

Weekly Review and
Mark Your Calendar Games

WNBA Recap

As I tuned in to the Las Vegas Aces at Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday I realized that watching a WNBA game is a lot like watching a comedy. It’s not laugh out loud funny like Blazing Saddles or the Holy Grail, but it is funny and it does make me smile a lot.

It’s a Festival of F*ck-Ups, a Grotesquery of Gaffes, a Miasma of Mistakes, chock full of bad passes, missed free throws, and air ball layups.

It’s hilarious (to me anyway) that they try to pass this crap off as a professional sport.
But for bettors, there is money to be made and laughs to be had, the saving grace that makes watching it tolerable.

I don’t have any data to work with yet so I’m betting blind, and it shows in my record – I’m off to a 0-2 start.
The two losses are by a combined two points.
Missed with Connecticut Team Total Under 74′.
They scored 75.
Followed that up with NY -6′, they won by 5.

I didn’t put enough time into my handicapping and got caught off guard.
I missed out on two B2B spots, which were very profitable on Overs last season.

B2B’s are rare in the WNBA and because it was opening weekend of the season I didn’t think the league would schedule any of them yet.

I noticed it late Sunday afternoon when I saw the Aces/Sparks game was going to be televised locally here in Vegas.
I took a closer look because I wanted some action on it.
Then I double checked the schedule to see if I missed any other spots.
Both Vegas and Phoenix were in Game Two of B2B’s.
Both games sailed Over the total.

Mistakes happen.
Winning sports bettors don’t repeat them.

Mark Your Calendar Spots

So here’s some Mark Your Calendar spots for this week.
On Sunday, May 17th, Las Vegas, Toronto, LA, and Chicago will all be in Game Two of B2B’s.

Toronto and LA play each other so I’ll definitely have money on that game, hoping that there will be too-tired-to-play-defense legs on both sides of the ball.
(And yes I’ll go through my charts to see if there were any games last year where both teams play the night before, and what the results were.)

UFL Recap

We’re entering week 8 and I’m still sitting on the right side of the ledger with a record of 7-6.
But only because i didn’t bet/recommend any UFL bets in week 7. If I did, I’d be at 7-7.

I started to do a write-up on a play AGAINST Birmingham, but decided not to submit it.
They were at home, getting one point from Dallas.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something wrong with the line.
My gut feel told me don’t submit the article, and my intuition was correct.

Dallas was not behind on the scoreboard for a single minute of the game.
They jumped out to a 10-0 lead and went into “Play not to Lose” mode.
And that’s exactly what they did.
The game went into OT and they lost.

The other play I considered was going against the last place Houston Gamblers.
I mentioned a few times during the season that they’re the worst team in the league.
The opening line on the first place Orlando Storm came out at -5.

Obviously Orlando was going to win SU, and I didn’t think the five points was too much to lay.
But then it dropped to -3.
The last place team picked up two points against the first place team??!!
Again my gut said, “Stay away.”

And again my instinct was correct as Orlando won SU but not ATS as Houston scored last, with a 4th quarter FG that put the final score at 24-23.

You don’t have to bet every day.
Sometimes it’s better to take a day off.
Follow your gut instinct.

NBA Recap

I shut down my NBA after a nice 7-1 run in the playoffs put me at 40-26 for the season, 60%.
But I’m still ‘capping the games so my charts will have a full season of data (data I can hopefully use to my advantage next season.)

While updating the records of my plays I saw a note in my logbook:

“Round Two, games 6 and 7, Ov/Un 41-70.”

Unfortunately, my notes don’t say the time span, over how many years that record was accumulated.
But with a sample of over 100 games I’d say it’s been pretty reliable for taking the Under.

Underneath it is one other note:
“2025, Round Two, elimination game four or five, Ov/Un 4/1.”

The Knicks game qualified yesterday.
The game went Over.
The Thunder game qualifies tonight.
The game opened at 215.
It’s been bet down to 214.

The line is moving in favor of anyone who’s thinking about taking the Over.
Hmmm…
My NBA season may not be over yet.