no_yh – Page 1520 – Syndication Server

Clippers at Rockets: Prediction, point spread, odds, over/under, betting picks

Los Angeles won’t have Kawhi Leonard (right foot) available, but they will have Paul George. That’s enough to make them a big favorite.

In another apparent mismatch between the NBA’s worst team and one of its best, the Los Angeles Clippers travel to Toyota Center to face the Houston Rockets on Friday night. The visitors are widely viewed as title contenders for the 2021 playoffs, having won 10 of their last 11 games.

For the home side, it’s yet another game versus a top-tier opponent as the 2020-21 regular season winds down. The Rockets were blasted by Utah on Wednesday, and the Clippers will have every opportunity to do the same as Houston’s brief two-game homestand comes to a close.

As expected, Houston’s injury report for Friday is long. Kevin Porter Jr. (health and safety protocols) DJ Augustin (left ankle), Sterling Brown (left knee), Dante Exum (right calf), Eric Gordon (right groin), and David Nwaba (right wrist) are all listed as out, though Danuel House Jr. (right ankle) is probable to return after missing the last 10 games.

The Los Angeles injury report is less extensive in volume, listing only three confirmed absences. However, one of those is superstar forward Kawhi Leonard, who will miss a third straight game with right foot soreness. Serge Ibaka (lower back) and Patrick Beverley (left hand fracture) are also out, while Rajon Rondo (right wrist) is questionable.

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The lines, courtesy of BetMGM

Point spread: Clippers -10
Money line: Clippers -500 / Rockets +375
Over-under: 222.5
Player scoring props: Paul George 27.5; John Wall 22.5, Christian Wood 19.5, Kelly Olynyk 4.5, Jae’Sean Tate 12.5

Place your legal, online sports bets in VA, CO, IA, IN, NJ, PA, TN and WV at BetMGM.

With Leonard out, the Clippers are expected to start Reggie Jackson, Terance Mann, Paul George, Marcus Morris, and Ivica Zubac. Meanwhile, Stephen Silas is likely to counter with John Wall, Armoni Brooks, Jae’Sean Tate, Kelly Olynyk and Christian Wood for the Rockets.

Advice and prediction

John Wall is not on the initial injury report, but he could be a late addition, since Houston has returned to its original protocol of having Wall sit out one game of all back-to-backs for planned maintenance. (The Rockets also play on Saturday in Denver.) That might provide more value on the Clippers, since the aforementioned spread was made expecting Houston’s assists leader and second-leading scorer to be available.

Even if Wall does play, though, there are plenty of reasons that the Leonard-less Clippers could still win big. While Leonard has missed six games over the last two weeks, the Clippers are 5-1 in that stretch — with three wins by double-digit margins. Expect another one in Houston.

Prediction: Clippers 119, Rockets 107

Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire.

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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If victorious at UFC 261, Jorge Masvidal says he’ll give Kamaru Usman trilogy bout

Jorge Masvidal says he’ll return the favor and give Kamaru Usman a trilogy rematch if he beats him at UFC 261.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] doesn’t need to like [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] to repay the favor.

The former UFC title challenger is more than willing to give Usman a trilogy bout if he beats the champion in their title rematch at UFC 261, which takes place Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+..

The UFC 261 headliners first fought in 2020 at UFC 251. Usman (18-1 MMA, 13-0 UFC) beat Masvidal (35-14 MMA, 12-7 UFC) with a dominant unanimous decision. The UFC welterweight champion went on to defend his title against Gilbert Burns at UFC 258, but Masvidal has remained out of action. Following the win over Burns in February, Usman called for a rematch with Masvidal and it came to fruition. Masvidal respects that.

“Definitely, (I’ll give him a rematch if I win),” Masvidal told reporters at the UFC 261 pre-fight news conference. “He game me a chance. Whether we see eye-to-eye on things or not, he game me another chance to compete, so I’ll definitely give him another chance to compete again.”

But despite Masvidal’s reciprocation, UFC president Dana White is hesitant to promise an immediate trilogy bout if Usman loses his title.

“I don’t know. We have to see how the fight plays out,” White told MMA Junkie. “A lot of things factor in on if a fight gets made – injuries and personal things. So I don’t know. We’ll see how Saturday plays out.”

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But before a trilogy fight can be even contemplated, Masvidal has the tough task to dethrone Usman, who remains unbeaten in the UFC. Even with a full training camp heading into UFC 261, the oddsmakers have Masvidal as a significant underdog. Usman is a -400 favorite at BetMGM.

Masvidal thinks with proper training, rather than six days’ notice, he can get the job done against Usman and settle the score.

“Not having to cut 20 pounds in six days means a lot to me,” Masvidal said. “Last time, all the energy I wasted cutting weight is going to be spent in putting a finish on him.”

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PFL 2021, Week 1 predictions: Who are our three unanimous picks on the main card?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the PFL 2021, Week 1 main card, which includes Anthony Pettis, Natan Schulte and Lance Palmer.

	Pettis vs. Collard	Held vs. Schulte	Khaybulaev vs. Stojadinovic	Jenkins vs. Palmer
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2021: 46-29	Pettis (78%)	Schulte (66%)	Khaybulaev (80%)	Palmer (82%)
John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2021: 49-26	Pettis	Schulte	Khaybulaev	Palmer
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2021: 48-27 2018 Champion	Pettis	Schulte	Khaybulaev	Palmer
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 2021: 47-28	Pettis	Schulte	Khaybulaev	Palmer
Simon Samano @SJSamano 2021: 47-28	Pettis	Schulte	Khaybulaev	Palmer
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2021: 47-28	Pettis	Schulte	Khaybulaev	Palmer
Nolan King @mma_kings 2021: 45-30	Pettis	Schulte	Khaybulaev	Palmer
Brian Garcia @thegoze 2021: 45-30 2017 Champion	Pettis	Schulte	Khaybulaev	Palmer
Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2021: 44-31 2020 Champion	Pettis	Schulte	Khaybulaev	Palmer
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2021: 43-32	Pettis	Held	Khaybulaev	Palmer
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2021: 42-33	Pettis	Schulte	Khaybulaev	Palmer
Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2021: 41-34 2014 Champion	Pettis	Schulte	Khaybulaev	Palmer
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2021: 39-36	Pettis	Schulte	Khaybulaev	Palmer
BetMGM Betting Favorites	Pettis -600	Schulte -400	Khaybulaev -650	Palmer -350

The PFL returns Friday after missing 2020, and lightweights and featherweights kick off the 2021 season.

PFL 2021, Week 1 takes place at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. The main card airs on ESPN2 following prelims on ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, former UFC and WEC lightweight champion [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] (24-10) makes his PFL debut in a lightweight regular season bout against [autotag]Clay Collard[/autotag] (18-8). Whittaker is a heavy favorite at -600 at BetMGM, and he’s one of three unanimous picks from our 12 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts.

In the co-feature, two-time PFL lightweight season winner [autotag]Natan Schulte[/autotag] (20-3-1) returns to take on [autotag]Marcin Held[/autotag] (26-7). Schulte is a 4-1 favorite, and only one of our pickers is taking submission specialist Held to pull off the upset.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Movlid Khaybulaev[/autotag] (15-0-1) will try to stay unbeaten in a featherweight season bout against [autotag]Lazar Stojadinovic[/autotag] (14-7). Khaybulaev is a -650 favorite and another of our unanimous picks.

And to open the main card, two-time featherweight season winner [autotag]Lance Palmer[/autotag] (22-3) takes on [autotag]Bubba Jenkins[/autotag] (14-4). Palmer is a -350 favorite and our third unanimous pick.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Pettis (78 percent), Schulte (66 percent), Khaybulaev (80 percent) and Palmer (82 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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Will the Rams go offense or defense with their first pick in the draft?

You can bet on whether the Rams will go offense or defense with their first pick, and the odds slightly favor the latter.

When looking at the Rams’ list of needs in the 2021 NFL draft: there’s a mix of offense and defense. They need a new starting center, but they could also use help at inside linebacker. They clearly want to add a dynamic wide receiver, but cornerback is a need following Troy Hill’s departure.

It’s hard to gauge which direction the team will go at No. 57 overall, its first pick in the draft. It will likely come down to which players are on the board because if there’s one thing we’ve learned about Les Snead, it’s that he doesn’t reach for a position of need.

The oddsmakers don’t have a good feel for whether the Rams will take an offensive player or a defender with their first pick, either. According to BetMGM, the odds are as follows:

Offense: +100
Defense: -125

Those odds mean a $100 wager on the Rams picking an offensive player will return a $100 profit. On the flip side, you would have to bet $125 on a defensive player being picked first to win $100.

So, the odds slightly favor the Rams taking a defender with their first pick – but just barely. For comparison, the Bengals are -5000 to take an offensive player first and only +1200 to take a defender. Those are extremely lopsided odds, with players such as Ja’Marr Chase, Kyle Pitts and Penei Sewell all being linked to Cincinnati.

It’s hard to predict what the Rams will do, though. Mock drafts have them picking every position from a center to a cornerback to an edge rusher and an inside linebacker at No. 57 overall.

They can’t go wrong with a player at any of those positions as they would all fill needs. Among the players to watch when the Rams go on the clock for the first time are C Quinn Meinerz, LB Jabril Cox, CB Asante Samuel Jr., CB Aaron Robinson and C Creed Humphrey, none of whom are certain to even reach the Rams at 57.

If we were to wager on offense or defense for the Rams’ first pick, we’d lean defense because there should be plenty of cornerback, linebacker and defensive line prospects available compared to the number of offensive linemen that might be there.

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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Hornets vs. Bulls: Prediction, point spread, odds, over/under, betting picks

As the Hornets (28-29) slip deeper into the play-in positions, Thursday offers one of the last chances to make a run back to the middle of the conference against the Bulls (24-34).

As the Hornets (28-29) slip deeper into the play-in positions, Thursday offers one of the last chances to make a run back to the middle of the conference against the Bulls (24-34), and if you’re looking to do some last-minute betting research, you’re in luck! We’ll give you the latest point spread, moneyline odds and over-under number, as well as the information you’ll need to make the smartest bet on BetMGM.

The Hornets currently hold the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference, 1.5 games above the 9th-seed Pacers and 3.5 games above the 10th-seed Wizards. However, they’re only 1.5 games back of the 7th-seed Celtics. The Bulls, once a contender for the 10th seed, have fallen of late and sit a game back of Washington.

The lines, courtesy of BetMGM

Point spread: Hornets -1.5
Moneyline: Hornets +100 / Bulls -120
Over-under: 209.5

Place your legal, online sports bets in CO, IN, MI, NV, NJ, PA, TN and WV at BetMGM.

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Advice and prediction

A series of trades at the deadline has not led to a second-half run from the Bulls. Chicago is also coming on the second night of a back-to-back while Charlotte had a day off yesterday. It should all add up to Charlotte being a favorite and making Hornets minus-1.5 the bet for the night.

Prediction: Hornets 109, Bulls 101

Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire.

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

Which title challenger – and underdog – has the best chance at UFC 261?

With three title bouts to go around, there is no shortage of fights to look forward to Saturday at UFC 261.

All three challengers also are the betting underdogs at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

Welterweight champion Kamaru Usman (18-1 MMA, 13-0 UFC) meets [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] (35-14 MMA, 12-7 UFC) in a rematch. Usman is a -400 favorite at BetMGM.

Women’s strawweight champ Zhang Weili (21-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) nearly is a 2-1 favorite over former champ [autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag] (9-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) in the co-feature. And women’s flyweight champ Valentina Shevchenko (20-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) is a 4-1 favorite against challenger [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag] (21-8 MMA, 12-6 UFC).

But which challenger – and underdog – has the best chance of leaving Jacksonville with a title? Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of “Gorgeous” George Garcia, Brian “Goze” Garcia and Danny Segura broke it down with host John Morgan.

You can watch their discussion in the video above, or check out this week’s full episode below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9ngSXxYeUo

Nets at Raptors: Prediction, point spread, odds, over/under, betting picks

Our prediction and best bet for Wednesday’s Nets-Raptors game.

The Brooklyn Nets play the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, and if you’re looking to do some last-minute betting research, you’re in luck! We’ll give you the latest point spread, moneyline odds and over-under number, as well as the information you’ll need to make the smartest bet on BetMGM.

The game tips off at 7 p.m. and can be seen on YES2 (BKN) and TSN (TOR).

The lines, courtesy of BetMGM

Point spread: Raptors -4
Money line: Raptors -175 / Nets +145
Over-under: 228.5

Place your legal, online sports bets in VA, CO, IA, IN, NJ, PA, TN and WV at BetMGM.

Advice and prediction

This Brooklyn team is hungry despite the circumstances. Particularly, players such as Bruce Brown, Landry Shamet and Blake Griffin have been coming through for the team, and their efforts are needed now more than ever. Kyrie Irving has to continue to find a way to lead this short-handed team while staying ready to close games in the clutch. The past two games came down to important clutch plays in the final minute. Expect more of the same for this Raptors game. Also expect the Nets to find a way to win as well. Take the Nets plus-4.

Prediction: Nets 118, Raptors 113

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Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire.

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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Jazz at Rockets: Prediction, point spread, odds, over/under, betting picks

Kevin Porter Jr. (27 points, 8 assists) helped the Rockets cover a huge spread at Utah, and he may be Houston’s best hope at doing it again.

In a battle between the NBA’s best and worst teams by current records, the Rockets host the Jazz on Wednesday night at Toyota Center. Utah’s 43-15 mark is the perfect inverse of Houston’s 15-43 record, and the Jazz also lead the league with a +9.2 point differential per game.

The one silver lining for Houston could be that the Jazz aren’t at full strength, since All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell is out with a right ankle sprain. However, that’s of limited consolation to Stephen Silas, whose Rockets still have six potential rotation players sidelined.

As expected, Houston’s injury report for Wednesday still lists DJ Augustin (left ankle), Sterling Brown (left knee), Dante Exum (right calf), Eric Gordon (right groin), Danuel House Jr. (right ankle), and David Nwaba (right wrist) as out. Utah’s injury report is less extensive in volume, listing only Mitchell and Udoka Azubuike (right ankle) as out. Ersan Ilyasova is questionable with left hamstring tightness.

One reason Utah is able to survive Mitchell’s short-term absence is the presence of a strong NBA Sixth Man of the Year candidate in Jordan Clarkson, who averages 17.4 points in 25.9 minutes off the bench. With Mitchell sidelined, Clarkson’s scoring total leads a balanced and deep squad, with six players averaging at least 12 points per game.

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The lines, courtesy of BetMGM

Point spread: Jazz -11
Money line: Jazz -650 / Rockets +450
Over-under: 226.5
Player scoring props: Bojan Bogdanovic 18.5, Mike Conley 17.5, Rudy Gobert 15.5, Joe Ingles 14.5, Royce O’Neale 7.5; John Wall 21.5, Christian Wood 19.5, Kevin Porter Jr. 14.5, Kelly Olynyk 14.5, Jae’Sean Tate 11.5

Place your legal, online sports bets in VA, CO, IA, IN, NJ, PA, TN and WV at BetMGM.

With Mitchell out, Utah coach Quin Snyder is expected to start Mike Conley, Joe Ingles, Bojan Bogdanovic, Royce O’Neale, and Rudy Gobert. Meanwhile, Houston is likely to counter with John Wall, Kevin Porter Jr., Jae’Sean Tate, Kelly Olynyk, and Christian Wood.

Advice and prediction

If there’s any hope of an upset, it likely comes in the form of improved play by Kevin Porter Jr., a second-year guard for the Rockets. During Houston’s recently completed road trip in Florida, Porter averaged 20.0 points (48.3% FG, 50.0% on 3-pointers) and 5.0 assists per game, and he played a key role in Sunday’s rare victory at Orlando. However, the Jazz are clearly in a different class than the lowly Magic (18-39).

It’s worth noting that Porter did play well in his earlier meeting with Utah, posting 27 points and 8 assists on March 12 in Salt Lake City. It still wasn’t enough for the Rockets to get the victory, and it probably won’t be this time, either. However, as was the case last month, it shouldn’t come as a shock if the Rockets are able to cover a huge spread. Similarly, the over on Porter’s personal points total (14.5) could be a worthwhile gamble.

Prediction: Jazz 116, Rockets 108

Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire.

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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Oddsmakers believe Raiders will go defense in Round 1

With just over a week to go, no one knows where the Raiders will go in the first round of the draft. Over the last three years, we’ve been surprised with who they have picked each year, but not necessarily the positions they’ve targeted on Day 1.

However, the 2021 NFL draft seems different as we have no idea if the Raiders will be going offense or defense at No. 17. The right tackle position looks to be the weakest on the roster. However, the Raiders also had the 32nd-ranked defense in 2020 and need to continue to add to all three levels of that unit.

Luckily, the folks at BetMGM might be able to help us figure out where the team might go at No. 17. The Raiders are currently -175 favorites to defense in Round 1 (bet $175 to win $100) and we know they are the betting favorites to land Micah Parsons.

If the Raiders do go defense in Round 1, linebacker (+225) appears to be the most likely pick with Parsons and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (Notre Dame) being likely targets. Both players would add speed and athleticism to a defense that desperately lacks it.

These odds are certainly fluid and can change at a moment’s notice. But as we stand here today, it appears the team will be adding a high-profile defender in a week.

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Raiders favorites to land PSU LB Micah Parsons in 2021 NFL draft

The NFL draft is just over a week away and sportsbooks have released odds on where they believe players will land. Sitting at No. 17, the Raiders could go in several different directions, but the belief here is that they will go offensive tackle in Round 1.

However, the odds don’t necessarily suggest that. At BetMGM, the Raiders are currently -175 to take a defensive player with their first pick. If that’s the case, which player makes the most sense at No. 17? Well, let’s look at the odds.

BetMGM has the Raiders the favorite to land Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons at +500. While those odds aren’t fantastic, it’s noteworthy that no team has higher odds than the Raiders. Here are the odds on potential landing spots for Parsons:

Raiders +500
Chargers +500
Vikings +500
Cowboys +800
Giants +800
Eagles +800
Cardinals +1000
Broncos +1000
Lions +10000

Parsons to the Raiders still feels like a bit of luxury, considering the team signed Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkoski last year and were able to retain Nicholas Morrow in free agency.

But if Parsons is by far the best player available when the Raiders pick, maybe Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock won’t be able to ignore his talent. He would instantly add speed and athleticism to a defense that desperately needs it. Still, it’s hard to envision that the Raiders will ignore both the offensive line and the secondary in Round 1, given their massive holes at both spots in favor of a linebacker.

Look for Parsons to come off the board somewhere between the 11-18 in next week’s draft. But don’t expect the Raiders to land Parsons despite being the odds-on favorites to pick him.

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