Tag: 2019-20 NBA Playoffs

Monday’s wall-to-wall NBA schedule is day two of Game 4s in the first round of the NBA playoffs. The Oklahoma City Thunder look to even the series, 2-2, with the Houston Rockets while the Miami Heat is going for a sweep of the Indiana Pacers.

Let’s stay with Game 4 of the Heat-Pacers for today’s best bet.

BetMGM Sportsbook has NBA odds and NBA props for all bubble games so we’re bringing you the best bet for every day of the NBA playoffs.

Heat-Pacers Over 107.5 first-half points (-115)

Indiana is in a win-or-go-home scenario, so they should play with a little desperation. They are a defensive team without its defensive anchor in PF Domantas Sabonis.

The Pacers have had trouble finding their offense in the first two games of the series, scoring 101 in Game 1 and 100 in Game 2, respectively, but picked it up offensively in their 124-115 Game 3 loss.

Since their backs are to the wall, expect Indiana to shoot more 3’s and be more aggressive at getting to the foul line. This would be a dramatic pivot from what they did in the regular season — the Pacers were last in the NBA in 3’s attempted and free throw attempts per game — but with nothing to lose you’d think Indiana would try some different.

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Miami doesn’t have the offensive stagnancy of the Pacers. The Heat has the best free throw rate, second-best 3-point percentage and seven-most efficient offense in the NBA.

They have elite sharpshooters featuring Duncan Robinson, Jae Crowder and Kelly Olynyk. If the Pacers pick up the tempo in an effort to shake things loose with their offense, the Heat will happily engage them in a shootout.

Also, it’s natural for teams to take their foot off the gas when up 3-1 in a series. Miami may come into Game 4 not as buttoned-up and come halftime head coach Erik Spoelstra will get into the team’s ear about stepping up the defensive intensity.

The OVER 107.5 (-115) in the first half is the right play instead of the full game because if Miami takes control of this game in the second half we could really see the scoring die. Indiana will come out motivated to prevent a sweep and we’ll see a higher tempo Pacers team than usual. 

New to sports betting? A $115 bet on Heat-Pacers Over 107.5 first-half points (-115) pays a $100 profit if they combine for 108 or more points in the first two quarters.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a legal NBA bet in CO, IN, NJ and WV at BetMGM Sportsbook.

For more NBA sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire. Follow @Geoffery_Clark on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Two teams try to get back into their series after falling down 2-0 when the Indiana Pacers meet the Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder play the Houston Rockets Saturday.

The other two games in the Game 3 quadruple-header features split series between each conference’s 1- and 8-seeds. Let’s head out West for our best bet and focus on the Los Angeles Lakers versus the Portland Trail Blazers.

BetMGM Sportsbook has NBA odds and NBA props for all bubble games so we’re bringing you the best bet for every day of the NBA playoffs.

Lakers will go Over 116.5 (-110) points 

Damian Lillard dislocating his finger in the second-half of Portland’s 111-88 loss to the Lakers is a concern, to say the least. He’s tough enough to play, but how effective will Lillard be? If he’s even slightly less effective, it’s going to be tough for him to help draw defenders and find open men.

Portland was on fire in the bubble averaging 126 points per game and .414% 3-point shooting before the playoffs. They’ve scored only 188 points in the first two games of the series and, with Lillard banged up, I am less confident in the Trail Blazers’ offense; that’s why I’d avoid the combined total. 

However, like in the “regular” regular season, Portland’s defense has been unreliable in the Orlando bubble. They ranked 28th in defensive efficiency in the regular season, giving up 116.1 points per game but allowed 123 points per game in those final 9 bubble games.

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Game 3 should be a “get right” game for the Lakers offense. Their offense in the bubble has been heavily criticized and LeBron James has scored 30-plus points in just one game since the restart. 

Los Angeles’s role players got it going a little in Game 2:  Lakers went 14-38 on 3-pointers compared to 5-32 from deep in Game 1. But LeBron only pitched in 10 points on 11 field-goal attempts and made zero. 

Anthony Davis can be expected to fill it up against the Trail Blazers (he averages 32 PPG in three meetings with the Blazers this season) and “King James” will awaken from his playoff coma to get his against Portland’s weak defense.

BET THE LAKERS TO SCORE MORE THAN 116.5 POINTS (-110). New to sports betting? A $110 wager on the Lakers to go Over 116.5 (-110) points will earn a $100 profit if Los Angeles scores 117 or more points versus Portland.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a legal NBA bet in CO, IN, NJ and WV at BetMGM Sportsbook.

For more NBA sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire. Follow @Geoffery_Clark on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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What should be the first home games for the lower seeds is instead a continuation of the seven-game series, with four Game 3s, tipping off in the Orlando bubble Friday.

The quadruple-header features Joel Embiid trying to get his Philadelphia 76ers back into their series against the Boston Celtics and Luka Doncic versus Kawhi Leonard continues with the Dallas Mavericks meeting the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers-Mavericks is the game we’ll focus on today.

BetMGM Sportsbook has NBA odds and NBA props for all bubble games so we’re bringing you the best bet for every day of the NBA playoffs.

Kawhi to score more points than Luka (+115) 

This is a specialty prop, aka “Odds Boost”, offered by only BetMGM Sportsbook.

Los Angeles owned Dallas in the regular season, going 3-0, but the Mavericks are tied 1-1 in their first-round series. You could even make the argument that the Mavericks would be up 2-0 if Kristaps Porzingis weren’t thrown out of Game 1 because of the technicality of two technical fouls. 

A big reason why Dallas has looked so good is because of their MVP-contending superstar, Luka (first name basis), balling out of control in the first two games. He’s been a complete maestro out there, orchestrating the Mavericks offense to the tune of 127 points scored in their Game 2 victory.

Luka’s brilliance is made even more possible because of the injury to Clippers’ defensive force PG Pat Beverley, but that’s part of my handicap and why I actually like Kawhi to outscore him in Game 3.

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Kawhi versus Luka is the most entertaining matchup and Leonard will need to take more responsibility in guarding Luka if Los Angeles wants to get past Dallas in the first round. “The Claw,” as Kawhi is otherwise known, is no stranger to suffocating defense and if head coach Doc Rivers demands it, Leonard could oblige. 

These two have played head-to-head five times this season, including the playoffs, and they’ve scored as many points in two games, Kawhi has scored more in two games and Luka has the scoring edge in the other.

Another factor in me taking Kawhi to score more points than Luka is my “fade the market” angle. BetMGM opened the line at Kawhi favored (-118), but bettors have steamed the line to Luka favored (-115).

GRAB KAWHI (+118) since it’s going against the market. The House is usually the better side to be on. New to sports betting A $100 bet on Kawhi to score more points than Luka (+118) pays a $118 profit.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a legal NBA bet in CO, IN, NJ and WV at BetMGM Sportsbook.

For more NBA sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire. Follow @Geoffery_Clark on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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The second day of a Game 2 quadruple-header for the first round of the NBA playoffs is slated for Thursday. Each conference’s 1-seeds try to bounce back from stunning Game 1 losses when the Milwaukee Bucks meet the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers play the Portland Trail Blazers.

BetMGM Sportsbook has NBA odds and NBA props for all bubble games so we’re bringing you the best bet for every day of the NBA playoffs.

Under Nikola Vučević 22.5 points (-129)

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that something is a little off with the Milwaukee Bucks. They got routed in Game 1 by the 8-seed Magic, 122-110. A big reason why Orlando pulled off the upset is because of the work their big man Nikola Vučević put in.

He scored 35 points (a personal-high against Milwaukee) on 15-24 shooting and 5 of 8 from behind the arc. Essentially the Bucks dared Vučević to shoot and he made them pay. 

Vučević having his best scoring performance of 2019-20 led to an overreaction from BetMGM. We are getting close to three points of cushion compared to his season average of 19.6 PPG.

Also, we should expect regression from the five threes Vučević sank in Game 1, because he averaged 1.7 threes per game in the regular season and the Bucks’ bigs should close out on him more in Game 2.

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Even though the Bucks averaged the most points per game in the regular season, their defense is what will carry them to a title. Milwaukee is ranked first in defensive efficiency this season.

The Bucks allow opponents to shoot the most threes per game in the NBA but that’s by design because opponents score the least amount of points in the paint per game. Vučević averaged the ninth-most paint touches and 11th-most field goal attempts in the paint in the NBA. 

In 24 career starts against the Bucks, Vučević has eclipsed 22.5 points in just three games and he’s averaging 16.7 points per game against Milwaukee. Expect a motivated Bucks team, and both Lopez brothers, to focus on shutting down Vučević. 

New to sports betting? A $129 bet on Under Nikola Vučević 22.5 points (-129) pays out a $100 profit if the Bucks hold him to 22 or fewer points. 

Get some action on this game or others by placing a legal NBA bet in CO, IN, NJ and WV at BetMGM Sportsbook.

For more NBA sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire. Follow @Geoffery_Clark on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Four first-round series Game 2s tip-off on Wednesday in the NBA. We’ll see the Denver Nuggets match up with the Utah Jazz, fresh off spoiling a 57-point performance, after beating them 135-125 in overtime and if the Toronto Raptors can stay hot from deep following their Game 1, 134-110, victory.

We are going to zero in on the Dallas Mavericks vs. Los Angeles Clippers for the best bet of the day.

BetMGM Sportsbook has NBA odds and NBA props for all bubble games so we’re bringing you the best bet for every day of the NBA playoffs.

Paul George Over 26.5 points (-100) vs. the Dallas Mavericks

Dallas came to play in Game 1 against the Clippers. Not only did they take a punch on the chin to start the game, but they returned with a haymaker to eventually take the lead.

There’s a good chance the Mavericks pull off an upset if PF Kristaps Porzingis doesn’t get ejected in the first half. Also, the Clippers bench was pretty ineffective on Monday when both PG Reggie Jackson and SG Landry Shamet scored 0 points and PF Montrezl Harrell only scored six points in 15 minutes in his first game back in the bubble.

My point is the superstars of the Clippers — SF Kawhi Leonard and SG Paul George — need to step up if their team is going on a title run. And in this series, against a Dallas team that was the most efficient offense in the league, their scoring output is especially vital.

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George, in particular, needs to step up in this series. He’s got the easiest positional matchup of either teams’ starters. PG has cooked his Mavericks matchup, SG Tim Hardaway Jr., over the years.

His team has beaten Hardaway Jr.’s team in seven straight contests and George has scored 26-plus points in six of those seven games. PG put up 27 points on .455% field goal shooting and 4-11 on 3-pointers but only had three free throws.

If George can knock down one more three and/or get to the foul line more, he should clear 30 easily. Plus I’m not going to lie, I am enticed by no vig on George’s points prop. Let’s take advantage of that and BET PAUL GEORGE OVER 26.5 POINTS (-100/EVEN).

New to sports betting? A $100 bet on Paul George (26.5 points, -100) returns a $100 profit if George scores 27 or more points against the Mavericks.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a legal NBA bet in CO, IN, NJ and WV at BetMGM Sportsbook.

For more NBA sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire. Follow @Geoffery_Clark on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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The remaining first-round Game 1s tip-off, Tuesday, headlined by a meeting of former teammates Chris Paul and James Harden in the Oklahoma City Thunder versus the Houston Rockets, and the runaway 1-seed Los Angeles Lakers playing red-hot Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers.

Let’s turn our attention to a player prop in Trail Blazers-Lakers.

Just like in the seed schedule, BetMGM Sportsbook has NBA odds and NBA props for all bubble games so we’re bringing you the best bet for every day of the NBA playoffs.

Anthony Davis Over 29.5 points (-106) vs. the Portland Trail Blazers

Davis scored 36 or more points in four of his last six games against the Trail Blazers, including two of three this season on the Lakers. Davis has scored 30-plus points in two of the three playoff series’ Game 1s his teams have played in.

AD has feasted in games against the Trail Blazers C Jusuf Nurkic. He’s averaging 27.1 points and 10.6 rebounds per game in his nine head-to-head meetings with Nurkic, but has scored 36 or more points in three of them and dropped a 50-burger on him in another game.

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Portland is allowing the most points per game to power forwards in the NBA (25 PPG), according to fantasypros.com. The Trail Blazers opponents have scored 120-plus points in seven of their nine bubble games and they have the third-worst defensive efficiency in the NBA. The Lakers have the 11th most efficient offense in the league.

Portland’s bigs are compromised — PF Zach Collins is out of Game 1 with an ankle injury — so there could be extended stretches of C Hassan Whiteside, PF Wenyen Gabriel and SF Mario Hezonja, playing a stretch four.

Gabriel is not a regular rotation player and has only appeared in 19 games, averaging 9.2 minutes per game. Hezonja has a 110 defensive rating for his career and is not a guy you want guarding AD. Davis has worked Whiteside in their career head-to-head matchups:  AD is averaging 29.9 points on .519/.400/.807 shooting in their 10 meetings.

Another thing to factor is in LeBron’s motivation to get AD involved in the offense early and often this postseason. LeBron has never played with a big as dynamic as AD and getting him the rock makes LeBron’s job a whole lot easier. There’s been a lot of criticism levied on the Lakers for their offensive performance in the bubble and the best way for their offense to get back on track is a little pick-and-roll basketball with AD and LeBron.

This isn’t LeBron’s first rodeo and he’ll be more of a facilitator until Los Angeles needs him to be more of a scorer. Expect AD to get the ball early and often.

BET OVER 29.5 POINTS FOR ANTHONY DAVIS (-106). New to sports betting? A $106 bet on Anthony Davis to go Over his projected 29.5 points will pay a $100 profit if AD drops a 30-piece on the Trail Blazers.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a legal NBA bet in CO, IN, NJ and WV at BetMGM Sportsbook.

For more NBA sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire. Follow @Geoffery_Clark on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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The restart regular (“preseason”) schedule is over and now the NBA begins its real season — the NBA playoffs! Monday’s first-round slate features longtime rivals the Philadelphia 76ers versus the Boston Celtics and young Luka Doncic and his Dallas Mavericks going against Kawhi Leonard’s Los Angeles Clippers.

We’ll focus on the defending champion Toronto Raptors beginning their title defense against the 7-seed Brooklyn Nets. 

Just like in the seed schedule, BetMGM Sportsbook has NBA odds and NBA props for all bubble games so we’re bringing you the best bet for every day of the NBA playoffs.

Brooklyn Nets +9.5 (-110) vs. Toronto Raptors

Fortunately for the Nets +9.5 (-110), they will not have to go into “Jurassic Park” for Game 1 of the Raptors’ quest to go back-to-back. The edge of that “Holy Schnikes” moment for an unexperienced-playoff Nets team, with a new head coach, is lost.

Toronto went 3-1 in the regular season against the Nets, but Brooklyn won the last meeting and covered two of the four games. In the Dec. 14 game, the Raptors won 110-102 and covered by a half-point but the Nets were without SG Caris LeVert and PG Kyrie Irving.

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Brooklyn’s 19-point loss, and against the spread loss, to Toronto on Jan. 4 mostly went awry for the Nets in a fourth-quarter they were outscored 38-22. The line was Nets (-1.5) at home (which doesn’t matter all that much in Brooklyn’s case), despite Irving being sidelined, and the Raptors were only without PG Fred VanVleet. That line tells me bookmakers respect the Nets’ depth and continuity.

The Nets have played up to their competition throughout the restart. Their upsets over 19.5-point and 9-point favorites, the Milwaukee Bucks and Clippers, respectively, were the biggest surprises of the bubble.

A big reason for Brooklyn’s feistiness is because LeVert is hoopin’. He’s putting up 25 points, 5 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game since the restart. LeVert stole the show in Brooklyn’s last regular-season game with 37 points in a 1-point loss to the desperate Portland Trail Blazers.

Don’t get me wrong — Brooklyn ain’t winning this series and most likely not this game — but THE NETS +9.5 (-110) ARE GOOD MONEY to make it a close Game 1 against the Raptors.

New to sports betting? A $110 wager on the Nets +9.5 (-110) earns a $100 profit if Brooklyn wins or loses by nine or fewer points.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a legal NBA bet in CO, IN, NJ and WV at BetMGM Sportsbook.

Also see:

• NetsWire

For more NBA sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire. Follow @Geoffery_Clark on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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