Tag: NBA best bets and wagers

The Miami Heat kept its season alive thanks to another gem from Jimmy Butler in Game 5 to extend the NBA Finals with the Los Angeles Lakers. Game 6 is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. ET tip-off in the Orlando bubble.

BetMGM Sportsbook has NBA odds and NBA props for all NBA games, so we’re bringing you locks throughout the NBA playoffs.

Heat +5.5 (-106) vs. Lakers 

Butler played a once-in-a-lifetime game for the second time this series to carry the Heat to the 111-108 win. Butler’s 35-point triple-double, along with five steals, and 12-of-12 from the charity stripe was done mostly against LeBron and Anthony Davis. What seems a little off about the Lakers is AD’s passiveness in the Finals.

AD scored 28 points and 12 rebounds in Game 5 and his series averages are great—26.2 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game on .605% field goal and .500% three-point shooting. But in Game 5, AD took as many shots as SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope despite playing 11 more minutes.

The only rationale for this is AD is playing through injury and cannot assume more responsibility in the offense. AD has been in the injury report with a heel contusion and has been dinged up several times throughout the series.

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In fact, the Lakers, as a team, are wearing down as the season concludes with LeBron and Danny Green also nursing injuries. Now that we are in a clinching scenario, the supporting cast of the Lakers will need to be less relied upon.

Miami made a very important adjustment from Game 4 to 5 that Los Angeles may have to follow in suit. The Heat shortened its rotation to just seven players making the game plan simple. Butler is the creator and his teammates are ready to catch and shoot based on the attention he draws. SG Duncan Robinson stepped up in Game 5—26 points and 5 rebounds on 7-of-13 three-point shooting—and they have shooters on deck who all can get hot.

The Lakers on the other hand are still running SF Kyle Kuzma and SF Markieff Morris out there for 20-plus minutes. Also, the Lakers bench only scored a combined 14 points and were minus-38 in the +/-.

I could see the Lakers pulling out this game but I like the Heat’s intensity, self-awareness and role players more than Los Angeles. The value of HEAT +5.5 (-106) is too good to pass up.

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 like them on 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.

[lawrence-newsletter]

The Los Angeles Lakers look to win its franchise’s 17th title against the Miami Heat Friday, in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. Tip-off is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. ET in the Orlando bubble.

BetMGM Sportsbook has NBA odds and NBA props for all NBA games, so we’re bringing you locks throughout the NBA playoffs.

LeBron James to score 30+ points and Lakers win (+165, ‘Lions Boost’)

Maybe it’s the awkward, COVID-altered schedule or all the sports going on at the moment, but LeBron James leading the Lakers to a title isn’t getting the attention it deserves. 

Of course, one cannot overlook the impact of Anthony Davis, who is LeBron’s best teammate ever and the second-best defensive player in the league.

But let’s push that aside for this game because, while AD will most likely go down as an all-time great, the 2019-20 Lakers are a LeBron-team and his legacy has the most to gain.

The Lakers’ front office gutted the team, rebuilt it into something LeBron could mold into a champion and he’s the straw the stirs the LA drink. This man is in his 17th season and just decided to play point guard and then decided to lead the NBA in assists.

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Also, whether it be foul trouble or AD looking to be more of a defensive anchor, AD has been a little passive offensively the past two games. Miami has competed despite being without key contributors for a couple of games but seemingly has emptied its chamber of defensive schemes to throw at the Lakers.

Furthermore, the Lakers left some meat on the bone from deep, missing a bunch of wide-open three-point looks in Game 4 and 5. If those threes drop, the Lakers definitely win in a blowout, and even if they don’t, LeBron will carry this team past the finish line. In the last 10 clinch games for LeBron’s teams dating back to the 2017 postseason, LeBron is averaging 35 points per game on 59% field goal shooting.

Just to put a cherry square on top of this handicapping sundae:  you look good, you play good. Lakers are wearing the Mamba-black, Kobe Bryant tribute jerseys tonight.

BET ON LEBRON TO DROP 30 and LAKERS WINNING THE NBA FINALS (+165). A $100 wager on that Lion’s Boost line will payout a $165 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 like them on 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.

[lawrence-newsletter]

The Miami Heat’s Game 3 upset win over the Los Angeles Lakers was essentially a must-win and gave them heartbeat in the NBA Finals. Jimmy Butler had an all-time performance putting up a 40-point triple-double and willed the Heat past the Lakers, 115-104.

Butler did his part in keeping the Heat in this series but it would be a major development if either Bam Adebayo or Goran Dragic could play in Game 4 (both are listed on the injury report as game-time decisions).

Miami looks to even the series in Game 4, Tuesday, in the Orlando bubble at 9 p.m. ET.

BetMGM Sportsbook has NBA odds and NBA props for all NBA games, so we’re bringing you locks throughout the NBA playoffs.

Race to 20 points, Heat (+155)

Miami has the momentum coming into this one after stealing Game 3 and I think they are going to come out chucking in Game 4. The Heat have beaten the Lakers to 20 points in two of the three Finals games and that’s partially due to their bevy of three-point shooters that Lakers need to adjust to. Duncan Robinson, Jae Crowder and Tyler Herro are all capable of hitting a few early threes before the Lakers get set on defense.

Also, Bam Adebayo has missed the past two games and his replacement C Meyers Leonard has connected on a three inside the first three minutes of each game. The rationale is simple: Lakers are backing off of Leonard, giving him an open look, to worry about the Heat’s starting three-point specialists.

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It would be awesome if the trend continued in Game 4 and Los Angeles leaves Leonard—who’s shooting .414% from three this season—wide open. If Adebayo is healthy enough to start, then we are getting an All-Star back from injury which is a motivator.

Either way, the Heat will win the race to 20 points (+155) in Game 4. New to sports betting? A $100 bet on the Heat to score 20 points faster than the Lakers (+155) pays a $155 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 like them on 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.

[lawrence-newsletter]

The Los Angeles Lakers look to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat in the Orlando Bubble at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Miami snuck in the backdoor (covered the spread) in a Lakers’ 124-114 Game 2 win that was never as close as the score indicates. The deck is really stacked against the Heat, who could be without its leading-scorer in Goran Dragic and All-Star Bam Adebayo in Game 3.

BetMGM Sportsbook has NBA odds and NBA props for all NBA games, so we’re bringing you locks throughout the NBA playoffs.

Jimmy Butler Over 38.5 points, rebounds & assists (-106)

I’m pushing the numbers aside for a second in this handicap to take a drive through narrativeville.

Miami is banged up right now and it goes without saying that the Heat are going to need a Herculean effort from Jimmy Butler if they have any hope of getting a game in this series. Sure the role players need to hit threes and every Heat player will need to do their part at reducing the rebounding margin.

Questions were answered this season about Butler’s place among NBA stars. He has gelled perfectly with this team and he’s got the talent to fill the box score. Butler’s season average for points, rebounds and assists combined is 32.6.

But as the team’s star, it’s important for Butler to take the reins in Game 3. He had a great Game 2—putting up 25 points, 8 rebounds and 13 assists—and since Game 3 production is needed, Game 3 production is what we’ll get from Butler.

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Place your legal, online NBA bets in CO, IN, NJ and WV at BetMGM, The King of Sportsbooks. Terms and conditions apply. Place your bet now!

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Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Over 1.5 three-pointers (-176)

The volume isn’t and should not be the issue for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s three-pointers made player prop. KCP is leading the Lakers in three-point attempts and is third in minutes played in the Finals. He’ll probably get even more minutes in Game 3 since the other shooting guard Danny Green is playing through a hip injury that forced him to just play 22 minutes in Game 2.

Miami is getting killed in the paint through two games and judging by the injury report it probably won’t get much better in Game 3. As much as 2020 NBA is about the three-ball, the Heat cannot just get bullied and hope this series continues so I figure they’ll be collapsing inside when the ball is in the point.

Anthony Davis has an offensive rating of 144, LeBron James is at 139 and most of their damage has been done on the interior. To compensate the Heat have been playing a lot of zone and zone defense’s biggest flaw is being to able to effectively guard three-point shots.

If Miami uses a zone in Game 3 and Green is hampered with a hip issue, expect KCP to easily clear two threes and I like it up to 2.5 threes made if BetMGM lists a line at plus-money.

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 like them on 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.

[lawrence-newsletter]

The Miami Heat hope to bounce back from a 116-98 beatdown they took from the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Game 2 tips off in the Orlando bubble at 9:00 p.m. ET.

BetMGM Sportsbook has NBA odds and NBA props for all NBA games, so we’re bringing you locks throughout the NBA playoffs.

Anthony Davis Over 32.5 points & assists (-112)

If Game 1 was any indication of how the rest of this series will be played, I’d say Anthony Davis to win Finals MVP would be a great ticket to be holding. Don’t get me wrong, this is LeBron’s team but the offense figures to run through AD even more so now that Bam Adebayo will miss at least Game 2.

He’s had his way with Miami this year with Adebayo in the lineup: AD averaged 29.5 points, nine rebounds and four assists on .595% field goal shooting during the regular season. Davis put up 34 on 11-of-21 shooting and 10-of-10 from the free throw line in Game 1.

I am taking the Anthony Davis Over 32.5 points and assists prop (-115) because the Heat know they have to pay extra attention to AD so he might have to pass out of double teams or make kick-out passes to keep Miami’s defense honest. AD has combined for 33 or more points and assists in nine of his 16 playoff games this season so I think we are getting a good number here.

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Special NBA Finals Betting Promotion!

Bet just $1 on either the Los Angeles Lakers or Miami Heat money line, WIN $100 (in free bets) if either team hits a 3-point shot during their matchup.

Place your legal, online NBA bets in CO, IN, NJ and WV at BetMGM, The King of Sportsbooks. Terms and conditions apply. Place your bet now!

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Tyler Herro Over 2.5 threes made (+115)

Tyler Herro looked as bad in Miami’s Game 1 drubbing. He only connected on 2-of-8 threes and had the worst +/- in the game at -35. But the absence of Dragic is going to create more opportunities for Herro. The Heat are going to need threes to go down so he’ll be taking the shots needed to cash an Over here. I don’t see Herro being too eager to penetrate against LA’s bigs with no Adebayo to throw a lob to.

Also, BetMGM has baked his usage and Dragic’s absence into their Herro player prop line for his points, which is 18.5 (Over -110, Under -115). Herro averaged 13.5 points per game in the regular season, he’s averaging 16.3 PPG in the playoffs and the Lakers are an elite defensive team.

In normal circumstances, Herro’s points prop would be priced at 14.5-15 and it’s a good bet that the additional three will come from behind the arc.

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 like them on 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.

[lawrence-newsletter]

Game 1 of the first-ever NBA Finals meeting between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat tips off, Wednesday, at 9 p.m. ET in the Orlando bubble.

LeBron James is making his ninth Finals appearance in 10 years, and 10th overall, against his former team. The 2019-20 Miami Heat is yet another masterful creation from all-time NBA legend Pat Riley.

Piece-by-piece the Heat were assembled via free agency, drafting and trade deadline acquisitions and armed Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra with the arsenal he needs to take down LeBron and co.

Series Price: Lakers (-358) | Heat (+300)

BetMGM Sportsbook has NBA odds and NBA props for all NBA games, so we’re bringing you locks throughout the NBA playoffs.

Heat +4.5 (-110) vs. Lakers 

There’s been an accurate narrative over this century about the Western Conference being superior to the Eastern Conference, which has been reinforced upon LeBron’s arrival in 2018. However, that narrative is going to be challenged in these NBA Finals as it should.

Miami is playing like the perfect 2020 team. They have the fourth-highest three-point percentage and hold opponents to the fifth-lowest three-point percentage (both ahead of the Lakers). Plus the Heat has the highest free throw attempt rate in the NBA during the regular season and is ranked second in these playoffs.

The Lakers struggled in their first two Game 1s this postseason because they used that game to assess their opponents and adjust. They ended a back-to-back Game 1 losing streak by rolling the Denver Nuggets in the opening game of the Western Conference Finals. My read on that is the Nuggets have more of a straightforward team rotation that the Lakers don’t need to adjust much too.

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Bet just $1 on either the Los Angeles Lakers or Miami Heat money line, WIN $100 (in free bets) if either team hits a 3-point shot during their matchup.

Place your legal, online NBA bets in CO, IN, NJ and WV at BetMGM, The King of Sportsbooks. Terms and conditions apply. Place your bet now!

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The Heat’s versatility and a bevy of scoring options are going to pose a threat to Los Angeles. All they need are two players from the crop of Jae Crowder, Tyler Herro, Goran Dragic and Duncan Robinson to get hot from three and they’ll be in games.

Also, this is your standard Pros vs. Joes matchup in betting markets. The Lakers with LeBron James are the definition of a public team yet on 53% of the money and 54% of the bets are on Los Angeles, according to pregame.com. Furthermore, Los Angeles opened as 5.5-point favorites, but big bets on Miami has taken it down to 4.5. The only explanation for this movement is that sharp money is on the Heat and public money is on the Lakers. We are following the sharp money.

I LIKE Miami to pull off an upset and “LOVE” HEAT +4.5 (-110). New to sports betting? A $110 bet on the Heat +4.5 (-110) pays a $100 profit if Miami wins outright … or loses by four 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 like them on 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.

[lawrence-newsletter]

The Denver Nuggets come into Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals down 2-0 to the Los Angeles Lakers thanks to a buzzer-beater by Anthony Davis to beat them, 105-103. Tip-off is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. ET in the Orlando bubble.

Let’s take a shot at BetMGM’s exclusive prop they call Lions Boost with our Lakers-Nuggets handicap.

BetMGM Sportsbook has NBA odds and NBA props for all NBA games, so we’re bringing you locks throughout the NBA playoffs.

Anthony Davis to score 30+ points and Lakers (+250) — ‘Lions Boost’

The Lakers inexplicably gave up a 10-point lead heading into the break and needed Anthony Davis to save them at the end of regulation to be up 2-0. I mentioned in my Lakers-Nuggets Game 2 handicap how the Nuggets have given up the most dunks and layups to opponents this postseason. 

Well, Denver held LA to just 34 points in the paint (the Lakers average second-most points in the paint per game at 52.2 points) and eight fastbreak points (the Lakers averaged the second-most fastbreak points per game at 17.9), yet still lost.

It’s a tough blow to withstand but the Nuggets have the freakish resilience of a crappy horror movie villain. Coming back from 3-1 deficits in two straight series highlights that.

The Nuggets got 30 points from Nikola Jokic, 25 points from Jamal Murray and an efficient 15 points from Michael Porter Jr. Denver can’t squander games like that from their All-Stars and hopeful future franchise cornerstone in Porter Jr.

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AD is averaging 30.8 points per game on 54% field goal shooting in six games, including the playoffs, against Denver this season. In 15 career games against Jokic, AD is averaging 29.6 points per game and he failed to score in six minutes during his first game against Jokic. Davis has a 50-point game, two 40-point games and five 40-point games out of his 15 career games versus Jokic.

The Nuggets have a lot of fight in them so I am weary of laying seven points to bet the Lakers against the spread. However, I am very confident in AD’s ability to get buckets plus getting LA without needing to win by a certain margin at a +250 payout is too exciting to pass up.

A $100 wager on this Lion’s Boost BetMGM special bet for Anthony Davis to score 30-plus points and the Lakers to win outright (+250) pays a $250 profit if they happen.

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 like them on 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.

[lawrence-newsletter]

The Miami Heat are up 2-0 on the Boston Celtics in their Eastern Conference Finals series heading into Game 3 Saturday. Emotions ran hot in Boston’s locker room following its Game 2 loss, 106-101.

The Celtics need to harness that intensity and use it to avoid going down an insurmountable 3-0 series deficit.

BetMGM Sportsbook has NBA odds and NBA props for all NBA games, so we’re bringing you locks throughout the NBA playoffs.

Heat +2.5 (-110) vs. Celtics

The Celtics -2.5 (-110) entered this series as a slight favorite and I don’t think the market accurately weighed the discrepancy in depth between the two rosters. 

Gordon Hayward has been sidelined with a sprained ankle he suffered in Game 2 of Boston’s first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers. Hayward being upgraded to “questionable” is welcomed news, but if he cannot give it a go or struggles in his return than Boston isn’t getting enough help.

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Bet $1 on either the Boston Celtics or Miami Heat money line, WIN $100 (in free bets) if either team hits a 3-pointer during their matchup.

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Jayson Tatum, Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart are all scoring north of 19 points per the first two games, but the Heat +2.5 (-110) have been just too dynamic. Miami has six players averaging double-digit points per game, they have 16 more assists and are shooting 23 percentage points higher from three-point land than Boston in this series.

The tension with the Celtics players linked above is a sign of their frustration with Miami’s style. The Heat are moving the ball, setting screens for shooters and running dribble handoffs, all in an effort to create open looks for their second-ranked three-point shooting team. Goran Dragić, Jimmy Butler, Jae Crowder and Duncan Robinson are all shooting 40% or better from three. Two of those guys could have a bad game and Miami still shoots well from three as a team.

Also see: Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat Game 3 odds, picks and best bets

There COVID-altered NBA atmosphere makes it hard to come off of gambling reads in my opinion. There is no travel or many outside influences that could affect the prices. It’s only the market’s action that is dictating these prices and I’m on Miami in this series. They are 10-1 in these playoffs and are completely in rhythm.

It’s an absolute must-win for the Celtics so I’ll layoff the money line. But I have to BET HEAT +2.5 (-110) in Game 3. New to sports betting? A $110 wager on the Heat +2.5 (-110) returns a $100 profit if Miami wins or loses by two or one 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 like them on 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.

[lawrence-newsletter]