Does word of an incoming Dennis Schröder deal signal an increase in likelihood for a Rajon Rondo-Boston Celtics reunion?
With news that the Los Angeles Lakers have a deal lined up to add Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Dennis Schröder to the team once the league’s moratorium on trades is lifted at noon Monday, does this mean former Boston Celtic floor general Rajon Rondo is more likely to return to the team?
While it was assumed to be likely that the two-time champ would return to the club he won his most recent deal with, this move might signal the end of that partnership moving forward.
And while probing the possibility a Rondo reunion is far from Boston’s most critical concern at this stage of their offseason, it seems like a an avenue worthy of exploration once bigger proverbial fish have been fried.
Lakers PG Rajon Rondo could return to LA but Clippers, Celtics, 76ers & Bucks are interested too – https://t.co/7uRSdnGU7G
In @BovadaOfficial's newest odds, the purple and gold an edge, however.
It’s common knowledge Boston Celtics icon Paul Pierce can hoop — but did you know he’s a card shark too?
We know you know that Boston Celtics forward icon Paul Pierce is a champion with the team he called home for 15 seasons of his 19-year NBA career, but what you may not know about the Oakland, California native is that he also plays a mean hand of poker.
Pierce even competed in the World Series of Poker the summer he was traded from Boston to the Brooklyn Nets with teammates Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry.
Though his luck was more like the 2010 NBA Finals than in 2008, bowing out near the end despite doing quite well early in the competition, according to Bleacher Report’s Timothy Rapp.
We tracked down this clip of The Truth’s best five hands from his occasional appearances on the popular gambling show “Poker After Dark” so you can see how Pierce’s poker game matches up with his basketball acumen.
Watch the clip embedded above to see P-Double raise a few eyebrows with his skills in a very different sort of venue than we usually see him doing so.
Boston Celtics star shooting guard Jaylen Brown is being seen as an excellent wager for tonight’s tilt with a hungry Miami Heat franchise.
Boston Celtics star shooting guard Jaylen Brown has been one of the steadiest forces on the team in this most chaotic of seasons in 2019-20.
That’s making him rise in stock in terms of a solid bet according to our sister site HoopsHype.
In a recent article exploring the best prop bets of the day, the Georgia native is being touted as such by Geoff Clark, who has outlined Brown’s status as a solid wager with our official online sportsbook, BetMGM.
While the lion’s share of media attention has been focused on first-time All-Star Jayson Tatum due to the Duke product’s prodigious leap forward on both ends of the floor, Brown has quietly put together a rock-solid fourth season that’s worth a wager according to Clark.
The bet suggested by Clark is for the Cal-Berkeley product to score at least 20 points on their opponent tonight, the Miami Heat.
For that, the listed line is +105, a very reasonable bar for Brown given he’s scored over 20 points in both meetings of the two teams this season to date, which is due in part to how Boston operates on offense, as well as how the Heat defend.
With Miami heavily reliant on 2-3 zone defense, it creates a number of opportunities to score for Brown.
WATCH: Jaylen Brown highlights Celtics vs. Blazers (30 pts. 6 rebs.) https://t.co/RH6k0r8m4k
He is of course a good 3-point shooter able to function as a release valve when cutters trying to break the zone are collapsed on.
And he has shown signs of getting good at longer midrange shots he’ll be open for if the zone attempts to double Tatum, Gordon Hayward or Kemba Walker.
His athleticism, newfound ball and body control and strength also make him one of the better candidates to be the slasher, especially against their bigger lineups, so there’s usually a lot of opportunities for Brown to score against this version of the Heat.
The Boston Celtics have been the most popular bet to win it all since the start of the COVID-19 hiatus, according to a popular online sportsbook.
Now that the NBA’s regular season return is weeks instead of months away, the betting market for who will take home the 2020 NBA championship is growing quickly – and there’s some surprising news about the Boston Celtics in that regard.
Ever since the 2019-20 season was suspended in early March, more bets have been made backing the Celtics to win it all than any other team with 35 % of all wagers going Boston’s way over that period according to popular online sportsbook Oddschecker.
That this is the case even with the Celtics only the fifth-most favored team to win the title at the Disney-hosted restart with odds of +2000, too (the Oklahoma City Thunder are the second-most popular team to win it all, with just over 30 % of betting minds going in for Chris Paul’s new team).
With home court advantage eliminated due to the unique nature of the Orlando-area restart and the extended layoff giving Boston plenty of time to get healthy, they may indeed be better-positioned to win it all than at any point since a decade ago or longer.
And with 20-to-1 payouts available to optimistic (or perhaps canny) fans, it’s not hard to see why they’ve been such a popular bet.
The Boston Celtics find themselves underdogs in their first game back in the restarted 2019-20 NBA season as they face the Milwaukee Bucks.
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The Boston Celtics find themselves underdogs in their first game back of the restarted 2019-20 NBA season according to most online sportsbooks.
This comes as little surprise given their opponent on July 31st is the league-leading Milwaukee Bucks, the two East titans colliding early in the eight-game schedule revealed this past Friday.
All online bookmakers grant the Celtics a +5.5 spread according to online sportsbook amalgamator Oddsshark as of Sunday, June 28th, which is understandable given Milwaukee is squarely in first place in the Eastern Conference with 53-12 record, and Boston two slots behind them in third with a 43-21 record.
While the long break could conceivably take a little head off of the steam forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and the rest of the Bucks had built up during the season before the hiatus, they should still be favorites in this contest, arguably strong ones.
Around the rest of the league for restart tilt odds, we see the Los Angeles Lakers slight underdogs to the Clippers on July 30th with a +1.5 spread, and the Utah Jazz also +1.5 underdogs to the New Orleans Pelicans on the two first games of the restart.
Sharing the stage with the Celtics, the Orlando Magic are +1.5 underdogs to the Brooklyn Nets, the Memphis Grizzlies with a +1.5 spread of their own to the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Washington Wizards are +3.5 underdogs vs. the Phoenix Suns, the San Antonio Spurs have been granted a +2.5 spread with the Sacramento Kings, and the Dallas Mavericks are +1.5 underdogs to the Houston Rockets to close out the odds on the games restarting the season at Disney’s NBA Campus in central Florida.
The Boston Celtics are in a tie for the fourth-best odds to win the 2020 NBA Championship according to at least one online sportsbook.
Don’t look now, but online bookmakers think the Boston Celtics have pretty solid odds to win it all in Orlando when the 2019-20 NBA season is resumed at the end of July.
Popular online bookmakers SportsLine list the Celtics in a tie for the fourth-best odds to win the 2020 NBA Championship at +1600, sharing that slot with the newly diminutive, “Pocket” Houston Rockets.
The LeBron James-led Los Angeles Lakers hold the best overall odds to take home the Larry O’Brien trophy this season with +240 odds, and Giannis Antetokounmpo’s league-leading Milwaukee Bucks are not far behind with +260 odds.
LAL +240 MIL +260 LAC +320 HOU +1600 BOS +1600 TOR +2000 PHI +2000 DEN +2500 DAL +3500 MIA +4000 BKN +4000 UTA +4000 OKC +8000 IND +8000 NOP +10000 POR +10000 MEM +25000 SAS +75000 PHX +100000 ORL +100000 SAC +100000 WAS +100000 pic.twitter.com/EF7gfJczcE
The Lakers’ cross-town rivals, the Los Angeles Clippers, are in sole possession of the third-best odds with +320, and the reigning champion Toronto Raptors and a finally-healthy Philadelphia 76ers are locked into a tie for the fifth-best odds at +2000.
With the new format of the remainder of the regular season set to go before the Board of Governors today for a likely confirmation of an eight-game regular season with a play-in game for the eighth seed, a clearer idea of each team’s path to the NBA Finals is more clear.
Whether Boston makes it that far depends on a host of factors ranging from conditioning and health to chemistry and luck. But, online sportsbooks seem to agree the franchise is in one of the best positions to get to the Finals it’s been in during the Brad Stevens era.
Online bookmakers see former Boston Celtics Paul Pierce and Chauncey Billups as fifth-most likely to win today’s HORSE tournament.
The NBA and ESPN will air first round matchups of the televised H-O-R-S-E tournament today, Sunday April 12th at 7pm ET.
Fans will be able to watch the two hour, single-elimination shooting contest on ESPN and on the ESPN app, with the semifinals and finals airing on the 15th at 9pm via the same outlets.
The event will feature WNBA stars Allie Quigley and Tamika Catchings, retired Celtics alumni Paul Pierce and Chauncey Billups, and current NBAers Chris Paul, Mike Conley, Trae Young and Zach LaVine.
Online bookmakers are rating former Celtics Pierce and Billups as having a tie for fifth-best odds to win the contest, and current Atlanta Hawk Young the best odds overall.
NBA "HORSE" Competition Odds:
Trae Young +200 Chris Paul +250 Mike Conley +350 Zach LaVine +375 Paul Pierce +600 Chauncey Billups +600 Allie Quigley +800 Tamika Catchings +1000
Individual performances will be filmed at the home of each respective player which may feature indoor or outdoor courts, with each player declaring their shot ahead of the attempt for it to count — no dunking allowed.
Missed shots on the match will give a player one of the letters of “HORSE” — thus the name — with all five letters forcing a loss.
Previewing the NCAA Championship Game with the Clemson Tigers and LSU Tigers, sports betting odds and lines, with matchup analysis, picks and tips.
The Clemson Tigers are in the CFP brackets for a fifth straight year. On Monday night at the Superdome, HC Dabo Swinney and company will take on LSU in the National Championship Game, marking Clemson’s fourth final in five years. A win on Monday would be back-to-back titles and a third championship trophy in four years. If you are thinking about betting on the Clemson Tigers to do just that, here are a few reasons backing your decision.
1. Clemson’s Defense
Some pundits have decried the old “defense wins championships” as being outdated in modern, spread, RPO college football. That statement isn’t truly outdated, but an updated version would be “defense, along with offense, wins championships.” And that seems like common sense, if not exactly some Rosetta Stone of pigskin knowledge.
Good defenses… in fact, great defenses have been quite effective over the first five years of championship bracket ball. By one reliable analytic measure, three of five titles have been won be teams rated either first or second in defense. Only in 2014, when Ohio State beat Oregon, was the winning defense not a top-10 unit. And that year sided with defense being more important: OSU’s 14th-ranked defense beat Oregon’s top-ranked offense. The Ducks’ defense? No. 38.
The teams winning titles have been better on defense than they are on offense (like Clemson this year). The 2015 Alabama Crimson Tide ranked No. 1 on defense … and No. 24 on offense. Scores of games may be higher, but there can still be plenty of tremendous and crucial defensive plays turned in 38-35 game. On defense, the Clemson Tigers are former elite recruits who have received elite college coaching. They are especially proficient in situational defense, on third downs and in the red zone. They are better at such than any team LSU has faced this season.
Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet atBetMGM.
2. Clemson’s Game Control
Other than the win over Ohio State, Clemson can’t claim statistical game comps to LSU’s victories over Florida, Auburn, Alabama and Georgia. But then, none of those teams hold a candle to the 2019 Buckeyes, which is a team that may have won the lion’s share of the brackets if they could be played 100 times on a loop. Clemson’s “poor-man’s comps” – routs of North Carolina, Florida State, Wake Forest and Virginia (all top 60s) – were just that commanding in the area of game control.
That ability to play at their pace, control the exchange of field position, get multi-score leads and boat-race opponents stems from RB Travis Etienne. His ability to move first-down markers and find pay dirt (8.0 yards per carry, 18 touchdowns), and the ability of DC Brent Venables and his troops to force three-and-outs at the front of drives or field-goal attempts at the end of them.
3. Five-and-a-Half Points
Clemson doesn’t have to win outright for you to win your point-spread bet! The Clemson Tigers are 12-2 against the spread over their last 14 neutral-site games and 8-2 over their last 10 games as an underdog. Odds last updated at 6:00 p.m. EST.
And that last note includes the 2019 title game when Clemson beat Alabama 44-16. All hail Charles K. McNeil, inventor of the point spread.
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Alamo Bowl Preview: Utah Utes vs. Texas Longhorns odds, picks and best bets
On New Year’s Eve, the (11-2) Utah Utes will take on the (7-5) Texas Longhorns in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, Texas. That game can be seen on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. ET. We analyze the Utah-Texas odds and betting lines, while providing college football betting tips and advice on this matchup.
Get some action on the game at BetMGM by placing a sports bet!
Utah vs. Texas: Three things you need to know
1. Utah had one of the best defenses in the country during the regular season, allowing just over 13 points per game.
2. Texas has won only one of their last six games against a Pac-12 opponent.
3. Utah has won five-straight games against Big-12 opponents
Despite being 11-2 on the season, UTAH is only a -286 favorite to win this game over Texas. There certainly will be a “home” feel for the Longhorns, but the Utes are just a better team. Considering how well Utah has played this season, don’t be afraid to grab the Utah moneyline here.
UTAH (-7.5) opens this contest as a touchdown favorite over Texas, and that line doesn’t seem quite high enough. Utah has been incredible against the spread this season, covering in nine of their 14 games. They have even covered in eight of their last nine games as their defense only continues to improve. Given Texas’ weaknesses on defense, expect Utah to have no problem moving the ball. I like Utah to cover the spread reasonably easily in this contest.
The over/under for the Alamo Bowl is set at 54.5, which seems just about right given how well Utah’s defense has played this season. However, don’t be surprised if there is some late-game scoring that pushes the total OVER in San Antonio.
Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
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Our weekly NFL underdog betting staple continues into Week 15 where Ken Pomponio features three teams likely to upset their underdog odds
Another big week for underdogs (10-6 against the mid-week point spreads) meant another strong week here as we notched our third straight winning weekend with a 3-0 mark.
As expected, one of my three Week 14 underdog selections won outright with the host Los Angeles Rams beating the favored Seattle Seahawks 28-12 on Sunday night, despite being 2.5-point home ‘dogs midweek.
But we saw TWO of our underdogs win straight up as rookie quarterback Drew Lock and the Denver Broncos dominated the host Houston Texans (7.5-point favorites) in a shocking 38-24 win.
The third of our three picks, the 12.5 -point underdog Washington Redskins, hung tough as expected in a 20-15 road loss on the frozen tundra of Green Bay.
That all ups our season record here to a nice, shiny and – best of all – profitable26-16.
Now we move on to a Week 15 slate that doesn’t appear as promising at first (or even fourth) glance, looking like a rare 2019 week of favorites. Regardless, we’ve found three ‘dogs to back, utilizing, as usual, Wednesday’s posted point spreads at BetMGM.com.
Here goes …
Chicago Bears (+4½) at Packers
Photo Credit: Benny Sieu – USA TODAY Sports
Don’t look now but Mitchell Trubisky and the Bears have rebounded from a 3-5 start to win four of their last five and inch onto the fringe of the crowded NFC playoff chase.
The 7-6 Bears are 4-9 against the spread, but seven of those losses have come as favorites. Now they’re getting the third-most points they’ve received all season.
The Pack? They’ve won two straight since coming out on the wrong side of a 37-8 beatdown against the 49ers in Week 12 and, at 10-3, are fighting for the NFC North title and a possible first-round postseason bye.
Green Bay, though, is 4-3 ATS as a home favorite this season. And despite the Packers’ 10-3 win in Chicago in the season opener, Trubisky & Co. should be able to keep the rematch within the number, even if they wind up falling short in the latest installment of this storied rivalry.
Dallas Cowboys (+1½) vs. L.A. Rams
Photo Credit: Quinn Harris – USA TODAY Sports
Yeah, we’re going against all the momentum and trends on both ends and side with embattled coach Jason Garrett and the ‘Boys here.
Dallas has dropped three straight, four of five and seven of 10 overall since a 3-0 start, but the club is still somehow tied for the NFC (L)East lead.
It goes against all logic to take that resume over that of the suddenly surging Rams, who have won three of four to move to 8-5 and into the wild-card hunt, but sometimes the ugly ‘dog is the right ‘dog, and we’ll bank on the Cowboys avoiding a third straight home loss.
Buffalo Bills (+2½) at Pittsburgh Steelers
Photo Credit: Rich Barnes – USA TODAY Sports
The 8-5 Steelers are a truly impressive 7-1 since a Week 5 overtime home loss to the Ravens dropped them to 1-4, and they’ve done so with the backup-QB combo of Duck Hodges and Mason Rudolph at the helm.
Still, only one of Pittsburgh’s eight wins – a 17-12 Week 10 triumph over the visiting Rams – has come against a team currently sporting a winning record.
The 9-4 Bills own a rather similar resume with only one of their nine wins – a Week 5 victory over the then-Marcus Mariota-quarterbacked Tennessee Titans – coming against a team currently sitting above .500.
But in a Sunday night matchup of AFC wild-card front-runners possessing strong defenses, we’ll take the better QB (Josh Allen) and the points on the road in a mild upset.
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