(USA TODAY Sports)`On Friday night, the Golden State Warriors squared off with the Denver Nuggets in a matchup for sole possession of the top seed in the West. In Los Angeles, the Clippers battled the Thunder aiming to cement their position in the playoffs. Today, the hardwood spotlight shifts to the NCAA with plenty of action inside the Top 25 as March Madness nears. Here’s the sports betting recap from Friday and a look at Saturday.
Cray Klay at Oracle
Klay Thompson heated up on Friday night — scoring 39 points to lead the Warriors to victory over the Denver Nuggets. Thompson went 9 of 11 from behind the arc as the Warriors covered a spread (-7) for the first time in five games. The Warriors are now tied for last ATS with the Lakers at 40.6%.
Los Angeles Clips the Thunder
The Clippers continued their winning ways — beating the Thunder late Friday night and covering another number. Los Angeles (-6) clearly does not remember their deadline dump as a trip to the playoffs continues to be more likely for the scrappy bunch. Lou Williams led the scoring with 40 points off of the bench. The Clippers keep a 58.2% win rate versus the number moving to 39-28 against the spread.
Stat of the Day
While dropping 40 points in last night’s victory versus the Thunder on Friday night, Lou Williams passed Jamal Crawford for second in all-time points scored off the bench. Williams’ 11,120 points off the bench leave him 28 points behind Dell Curry for most all time.
Temperature Meter: The Clippers Stay Hot
The aforementioned Clippers are on a four-game winning streak — vaulting them to a tie for the eighth seed in the West. After covering the number last night versus the Thunder, the Clips made it six covers in a row and 8-1 ATS in their previous nine.
NCAA Top 25 Whiparound
With Selection Sunday a little over a week away, the NCAA basketball lineup is rife with great contests to wager on and watch. The Top 25 is alive today — highlighted by two rivalries being rekindled with high stakes in their respective conferences.
First, fourth-ranked Duke travels to Chapel Hill for another tilt against rival North Carolina. The Tar Heels are 3.5-point favorites and are currently ranked just above the Blue Devils at number three. UNC enters the game fresh off a win and cover against Boston College on the road on Tuesday night.
The Dukies will likely be without star freshman Zion Williamson when they take the court today against the Tar Heels. One game behind North Carolina in the ACC Standings, Coach K’s squad hopes to get right after a near-loss on Tuesday against 24.5 underdog, Wake Forest. Duke is 5-2 SU in their last seven games but only 2-5 ATS the spread over the same time period.
Another inner-state rivalry will reignite when No. 7 Michigan travels to take on the No. 9 Michigan State Spartans. The Spartans are currently 3.5-point home favorites on FanDuel Sportsbook. The winner tonight will claim minimally a share of the Big Ten title. Michigan State edged Michigan in their last meeting away from home on Feb. 24, 77-70.
The Spartans are 11-4 ATS at home with the Wolverines a more pedestrian 6-4 on the road ATS. With the Spartans 12-17-1 and the Wolverines, 12-17 against the O/U this season, the two stalwart defenses could be poised for a low scoring affair on Saturday. Both squads are in the top 10 in defensive efficiency per KenPom, with the Wolverines at three and State at nine. Michigan allows only 58.3 points per game against and Michigan State 66. Breakfast lean: Michigan State – 3.5 and Under 135.5.
Elsewhere in the Top 25, No. 5 Tennessee hits the road to meet the Auburn Tigers as 2.5-point favorites in a SEC matchup. In the Big East, No. 23 Villanova travels to Seton Hall to play the Pirates as 2.5 point favorites. Finally, the No. 25 UCF Knights travel up north to play 1-point underdog, Temple in an American Athletic Conference showdown.
Injury Report
Zion Williamson is doubtful for Duke versus UNC with a knee injury.
Kyle Ahrens is questionable for Michigan State versus Michigan with a back injury.
T.J. Warren remains out Saturday for the Phoenix Suns with a right ankle injury.
UFC Fight Night Comes to Wichita
The UFC goes live for the first time in Kansas for Fight Night in Wichita. The card is headlined by former heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos a -196 favorite and Derrick Lewis the dog at+166 at FanDuel Sportsbook. Lewis last fought in a loss to champion Daniel Cormier at UFC 230. No. 8 in the heavyweight rankings, Dos Santos defeated Tai Tuivasa via knockout in the second round of his last fight in December. Breakfast pick: Underdog Lewis prevails.
In a welterweight bout, Curtis Millender and Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos square off with both at -108 to win. Welterweight Tim Means is a -200 favorite to beat Niko Price (+168) in the biggest but still short favorite on the main card. Means bounced back in Nov. 2018 with a TKO win over Ricky Rainey after two split decision losses. Price looks for a better performance coming off a Sept. 2018 KO loss at just 48 seconds against Abdul Razak Alhassan at UFC 228.
Prop Shop: UFC Method of Victory Props
Aside from picking winners, FanDuel Sportsbook boasts plenty of props for tonight’s UFC Fight Night Wichita. Junior Dos Santos is +120 to win via KO/TKO while Derrick Lewis is +210 for the same. This heavyweight fight is super unlikely to end in submission with at 26-1 odds for Lewis sub and 11-1 for Dos Santos.
Quick Links
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