Tag: no_yh

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

Ravaged by injuries, the Hornets (27-26) look to hang onto their slipping playoff spot against the Cavaliers (19-34).

Ravaged by injuries, the Hornets (27-26) look to hang onto their slipping playoff spot against the Cavaliers (19-34), 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.

Back-to-back losses to the Hawks and Lakers have dropped the Hornets to the seventh seed and into the play-in tournament. Even down multiple bodies, Wednesday is another winnable game against one of the league’s worst teams.

The lines, courtesy of BetMGM

  • Point spread: Hornets -3.5
  • Moneyline: Hornets -160 / Cavaliers +135
  • Over-under: 213.5

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

While Terry Rozier will return for Charlotte, P.J. Washington, Gordon Hayward, LaMelo Ball and Malik Monk will not be available, making it hard to bet on the Hornets, especially as a favorite. The team has struggled even in winnable games while being undermanned, though Rozier had a huge game against Cleveland earlier this season. Take Cavaliers plus-3.5 on Wednesday.

Prediction: Cavaliers 115, Hornets 110

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.

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

Houston is a narrow home underdog (+4.5) versus Indiana, which enters on the second night of a back-to-back. An upset seems plausible.

After an unsuccessful three-game road trip on the West Coast, the Houston Rockets return to Toyota Center to kick off a brief two-game homestand. If you’re looking to do some last-minute betting research prior to Wednesday’s matchup versus Indiana, you’re in luck! We have 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.

Wednesday’s game tips off at 8 p.m. Central and can be seen on the Alternate “SW2” channel of Houston’s local television affiliate, AT&T SportsNet Southwest. The slightly delayed start time is because the Pacers also played Tuesday night and will be on the second night of a back-to-back — which could provide the Rockets with a rest advantage.

The lines, courtesy of BetMGM

  • Point spread: Pacers -4.5
  • Money line: Pacers -190 / Rockets +155
  • Over-under: 233.5

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

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Advice and prediction

At No. 9 in the East, the Pacers (25-28) have playoff positioning on the line and more to play for. By contrast, the Rockets (14-40) — who are on a three-game losing streak — have the NBA’s second-worst record, and they’re only a half-game ahead of Minnesota in the league’s cellar.

Yet, it’s not as if Houston is devoid of positives. The Rockets were very competitive on Monday night in Phoenix, even against the squad with the second-best record in the Western Conference. Young players including Christian Wood, Kevin Porter Jr., and Armoni Brooks all played well. If not for veteran John Wall shooting just 5-of-20 from the field (25%), it’s quite possible that the Rockets could have pulled off the upset.

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In Wall’s last home outing, he had a game-high 31 points and 7 assists in Houston’s surprising win over Dallas. One week later and in the same building, the five-time All-Star aims to recapture that form.

With the Pacers weary following Tuesday’s loss to the Los Angeles Clippers and the Rockets showing signs of improvement — especially at home — there’s a path to a potential upset, straight up.

Prediction: Rockets 118, Pacers 115

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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Odds for Titans’ Derrick Henry, Ryan Tannehill to win MVP in 2021

Somehow, A.J. Brown was not on the list of MVP odds despite other receivers making the cut.

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In what is a surprise to no one, Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry and quarterback Ryan Tannehill are being given the best odds of any players on the team to take home the league’s Most Valuable Player award in 2021.

According to BetMGM, Henry is +2500 to take home the honor, tied for the 10th-best odds of any NFL player, along with Carolina Panthers rusher, Christian McCaffrey.

Tannehill comes in right behind Henry at +3000, tying him with Los Angeles Chargers quarterback, Justin Herbert.

That all sounds about right after both players had phenomenal seasons in 2020. Tannehill proved his 2019 campaign was no fluke, and Henry made history after breaking the 2,000-yard mark.

Henry should have at least received more recognition for the award, and at most won it. Instead, he was completely snubbed and didn’t receive a single MVP vote. He did take home AP Offensive Player of the Year, though.

While wide receiver A.J. Brown isn’t even listed on BetMGM’s MVP odds page, he certainly should be considering other wide receivers made the cut.

Granted, a wide receiver winning it is has never happened, but Brown has the ability to put up video-game-like numbers on a weekly basis, so he has as good a chance as any to break the mold

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Celtics at Blazers: Prediction, point spread, odds, over/under, betting picks

Our prediction and best bet for Tuesday’s Blazers-Celtics game.

Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics visit Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night, 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 10 p.m. ET and can be seen on TNT.

After falling two games below .500 and facing the danger of dropping out of the top eight in the Eastern Conference, the Celtics have responded by winning five of their last six games. The Blazers (31-22), meanwhile, have lost four of six and are looking to rebound from a dreadful offensive performance in a 107-98 loss to the Heat on Sunday.

The lines, courtesy of BetMGM

  • Point spread: Blazers -1.5
  • Money line: Blazers -120 / Celtics +100
  • 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 is an incredibly tough game to call. The Blazers are undoubtedly a stronger team than the Celtics, but Boston has been playing much better lately, while the Blazers have gone 1-3 against the spread over their last four.

Damian Lillard shot 3-of-10 from the field in what was one of his quietest offensive nights of the season against Miami, and the Blazers lost the turnover battle by 10. Jayson Tatum has been on fire for Boston. With the moneyline odds so even, this game is a coin-flip.

Instead of betting the spread, I’m taking Under 228.5. Portland has been an over machine for much of the season, but has scored more than 103 points just once in its last five games, and the under has gone 5-1 in its last six. For Boston bettors, the under has gone 8-1 over the last nine. 228.5 is a big number. Take the under.

Prediction: Blazers 113, Celtics 108

Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire.

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

Lakers at Hornets: Prediction, point spread, odds, over/under, betting picks

The Lakers will need to pull another upset if they are going to get a win on Tuesday night in Charlotte.

The Los Angeles Lakers have one more game before they get to go home but they likely won’t have an easy send-off from their longest road trip of the season. Even though they’re banged up and missing several key contributors at the moment, the Charlotte Hornets are a young team that never stops going at their opponents.

The Hornets lost their last game and it was a disappointing loss at that, dropping a game at home to a Hawks team missing Trae Young, John Collins, and several other key players. The Hornets led by 10 in the 4th quarter and couldn’t hold onto the lead, or 4th place in the Eastern Conference as Atlanta leapfrogged them with the win.

The lines, courtesy of BetMGM

  • Point spread: Lakers -1
  • Money line: Hornets -105 / Lakers -115
  • Over-under: 206.5

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

Advice and prediction

Last night, I believed the Lakers would be able to use their size and their defense to pull out a win in a low-scoring game. I’m sticking with the same mindset tonight. The Lakers struggled mightily offensively against the Knicks and while the Hornets play hard, they are not as physically imposing as the Knicks are at every position.

While the Knicks have plus-size at every spot on the floor, the Hornets start two smaller guards and they’re currently starting 6-7 PJ Washington at center. Washington, Miles Bridges and Cody Zeller will also have to check Andre Drummond. The Knicks took Drummond out of the game with constant double-teams but it’s unclear whether the Hornets, who value the 3-point shot on both ends, will follow the same strategy.

I’m leaning on the Lakers pedigree, even though they’re going up against a team with a lot of talent on the road. I also think the under hits tonight.

Prediction: Lakers 103, Hornets 95

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Tennessee Titans dueling 7-round mock drafts 3.0

Which Tennessee Titans seven-round mock draft is the best in this duel?

With the 2021 NFL draft a little over two weeks away, we decided to take part in another duel of seven-round mock drafts for the Tennessee Titans, but this time around there we had some different stipulations.

In this version, we tasked each of our writers with selecting a player at a specific position based on the Titans’ biggest needs. To make things more interesting, there were no do-overs and we used mock draft simulators.

Shaun Calderon, the winner of our last mock draft via a Twitter poll we put up, had to take a wide receiver with his first pick, while John Lowell had to grab a cornerback at No. 22 overall.

Mike Moraitis had the unenviable task of finding a new right tackle of the future in the first round, something all Titans fans will undoubtedly be wary about after the disastrous Isaiah Wilson pick in 2020.

Here’s what we came up with, and make sure to vote in our Twitter poll at the bottom of this page to let us know who has the best mock draft of this bunch.

UFC on ESPN 22: Make your predictions for Robert Whittaker vs. Kelvin Gastelum (Updated)

We want your predictions for Friday’s UFC on ESPN 22 event in Las Vegas.

(Editor’s note: Updated at 10:30 a.m. ET on April 13, 2021, for new fight between Dakota Bush and Austin Hubbard.)

We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 22 event in Las Vegas.

Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Thursday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the UFC on ESPN 22 main card staff predictions we release Friday ahead of the event. UFC on ESPN 22 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

Make your picks for the fights below.

Only six players have better MVP odds than Matthew Stafford

Matthew Stafford has the seventh-best MVP odds in the NFL, ahead of even Russell Wilson and Dak Prescott.

The vast majority of fans and experts believe the Rams improved by acquiring Matthew Stafford from the Detroit Lions this offseason. Whether they overpaid to land Stafford is something that’s been debated heavily, but the offense should be significantly better with Stafford than it was with Jared Goff last season.

It’s also reasonable to think Stafford will have better numbers with the Rams than he did in Detroit, largely thanks to a strong supporting cast and Sean McVay calling the plays. With the NFL adding a regular-season game, too, 5,000 yards shouldn’t be out of reach for the veteran – a number Richard Sherman expects Stafford to hit.

When it comes to MVP candidates, Stafford is up there among the favorites. According to BetMGM, only six players have better odds to win 2021 NFL MVP than Stafford, who is +1800 (18/1). That means a $100 wager would return a profit of $1,800 if Stafford wins MVP.

  • Patrick Mahomes: +600
  • Aaron Rodgers: +800
  • Josh Allen: +1400
  • Lamar Jackson: +1400
  • Kyler Murray: +1400
  • Tom Brady: +1600

Slightly behind Stafford are Dak Prescott and Russell Wilson, who are tied at +2000. The top nine contenders are unsurprisingly all quarterbacks, with Christian McCaffrey and Derrick Henry tied for 10th at +2500; they’re the top non-quarterbacks.

As for other Rams players, Aaron Donald’s odds sit at +10000, or 100/1. Cam Akers is a bit further down at +15000, with Cooper Kupp’s odds being +25000. Those are the only Rams players listed with MVP odds, but even Akers and Kupp are long shots to win the coveted award.

It’s worth mentioning that Goff’s MVP odds are +12500, which puts him lower than presumed No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence (+8000).

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

Lakers at Knicks: Prediction, point spread, odds, over/under, betting picks

The Los Angeles Lakers are playing the New York Knicks for the first time this season on Monday night.

The Los Angeles Lakers shocked several bettors on Saturday night as they turned out a dominant 126-101 performance against the Brooklyn Nets in a game they entered as 11-point underdogs. The Nets had been a dominant team all season long, but the Lakers have been making a habit of covering the spread as of late even without their star players.

The bettors have reacted to their great performance on Saturday night and they come into the game as much more of an equal in Monday night’s showdown against the Knicks.

The lines, courtesy of BetMGM

  • Point spread: Knicks -2
  • Money line: Knicks -135 / Lakers +110
  • Over-under: 206.5

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

Advice and prediction

My first piece of advice for this game is that this looks like a defensive struggle on paper. An over-under of 206.5 seems like it might be dangerous, but considering the Lakers caught fire against the Nets and the Knicks struggle to score in general, the under seems like a safe play.

The Lakers are probably feeling really good after their last win and they also got the good news that their two superstars will be back soon. So now is high time to audition for a spot in the rotation before the playoffs. The Lakers defense will remind everyone why they are No. 1 again tonight in a tiny upset.

Prediction: Lakers 100, Knicks 94

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Signings and trades Titans should explore ahead of NFL draft

If the Titans want to make more upgrades, there are options still available to them via trades or signings.

After three-plus weeks of free agency, and with the 2021 NFL draft a little over two weeks away, the Tennessee Titans need to keep trying to fill their biggest needs on both sides of the ball.

Thankfully, there are still several options for the team to explore other than just waiting for the draft, whether that be via trade or free-agent signings.

The team’s biggest needs ahead of the draft are at cornerback, wide receiver, right tackle, tight end, and defensive line, whether that be at the end or nose tackle spot.

With all that in mind, here’s a look at eight moves the Titans could make to improve their roster, which would also relieve their dependence on getting immediate upgrades in what is the crapshoot called the NFL draft.

Of course, the Titans can’t make all of these moves and might have to move some money around to make a signing work, but pulling off just one of these signings and/or trades would be a step in the right direction.