Pascal Siakam scored 30 points as the Raptors broke the series tie with Orlando. The Celtics paced Indiana in the first and third quarter of their third game. The Leafs scored two goals late to take a 3-2 series lead while the Avalanche extinguished the Flames. Here’s a sports betting recap from Friday and a look ahead to a few of Saturday’s events.
Raptors Edge Magic, Celtics and Thunder Prevail
While the Magic were able to cover the 5.5, the Raptors took a 2-1 series lead on Friday night with a 98-93 victory. Pascal Siakam led the Raptors with a massive 30-11 double-double on 13/20 shooting. Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry both added double-doubles of their own to complement Siakam’s big performance on Friday night.
In Indiana, the 2.5-point underdog Boston Celtics took a 3-0 series lead with a 104-96 road victory. The Celtics dominated the first and third quarters of the game — outscoring the Pacers a combined 62-40 in the two quarters. The Celtics received 23 points from Jaylen Brown and a 19 point, 10 assist double-double from Kyrie Irving in the victory. The Celtics can close out the series on Sunday — favored by two points at the time of this writing on FanDuel Sportsbook.
Finally, in the nightcap, the Thunder desperately needed a win at home to avoid falling into a 0-3 series ditch against the Blazers. The Thunder delivered at home with a 120-108 victory and covered the 7.5 or 8-point closing spread. Russell Westbrook and Damian Lillard put on a show — scoring 33 and 32 points respectively in the contest. Paul George struggled from the field — adding 22 points on 3/16 shooting but 14/17 from the charity stripe. The Thunder will try to make it two in a row at home on Sunday night.
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NBA Saturday Preview
The NBA tips off today with the Sixers installed as 1.5-point favorites on the road against the Brooklyn Nets despite the uncertainty surrounding the knee of star center, Joel Embiid. The Sixers are coming off of a victory in Brooklyn led by the career-high 31-point game from Ben Simmons and 29 points from Tobias Harris. Embiid’s status was up in the air before tipoff and he ended up getting to watch his teammates throttled Brooklyn 131-115. It’s possible he could suit up but his possible effectiveness is a separate question.
While Caris LeVert and D’Angelo Russell both scored 26 points, the Nets will need to find a defensive answer after allowing the Sixers to shoot 48% from the field and 41% from beyond the arc. In Game 3, the Nets took 39 three-point shots but only converted 8 attempts for a very inefficient 20%. The Nets will need to both improve defensively and from an efficiency perspective to even the series.
Next, the Spurs will welcome the Denver Nuggets as 2.5-point favorites after a 118-108 victory on Thursday. Derrick White was sensational in Game 3 — scoring 36 points while holding Jamal Murray to 6 points on 2/6 shooting. DeMar DeRozan added 25 points as the Spurs leaned on guard play to overcome the Nuggets. FanDuel Sportsbook pegs the Spurs at -205 to win the series at the time of this writing — with the Nuggets sitting at +166 to make a comeback.
The Bucks look to continue their wreckage of the Detroit Pistons — coming into today’s game as 8.5-point favorites. The Bucks own 121-86 and 120-99 victories over the Pistons — making it six in a row against the Pistons this season. Without Griffin, the Pistons have been no match for the top-seeded Bucks. The trio of Middleton, Bledsoe, and Antetokounmpo scored a combined 77 points on Thursday to take a 2-0 series lead. We will likely see more of the same on Saturday with Griffin unlikely to suit up in Game 3.
Finally, the Houston Rockets take their 2-0 series lead to Utah to square off with the Jazz as 2.5-point underdogs. Despite two routs in Houston, the Jazz are favored at home and desperately need to find a way to contain James Harden. Harden put together a 32-13-10 triple-double on Wednesday and currently averages 30.5 points in two games against the Jazz.
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Avalanche Close, Leafs Push Bruins to Brink
Mikko Rantanen scored twice and assisted once to lead the Avalanche past the Calgary Flames 5-1. Colorado overcame -175 odds to win — cashing +140 tickets for bettors as they advanced to the next round in the NHL playoffs.
The Maple Leafs scored twice late to defeat the Bruins 2-1 and take a 3-2 series lead. Toronto bettors cashed +128 ML tickets when both Auston Matthews and Kasperi Kapanen scored late in the third period. The Bruins were able to score a goal after they pulled the goalie but could not find an equalizer. The series moves back to Toronto for Game 6 on Sunday afternoon.
On Saturday, the Dallas Stars travel to Nashville to break the 2-2 series tie with the -150 favored Predators. The St. Louis Blues look to close their series with the Winnipeg Jets in front of a home crowd as -140 favorites. Finally, at the time of this writing, FanDuel pegs the Washington Capitals as -140 favorites against the Hurricanes despite the loss of T.J. Oshie. The Caps are -188 to win the series and will look to break the 2-2 series tie today at home.
Diamond Notes
Under bettors were all smiles on Friday — as they went 10-2-1 throughout the course of the day. Pitchers produced notable performances — starting early in the afternoon with a Kyle Hendricks gem in Chicago.
Hendricks had the changeup working against the Diamondbacks — helping bettors cash -170 tickets in the 5-1 victory. Caleb Smith picked up right where Hendricks led off in Miami — leading the Marlins to a 3-2 victory with a 6-inning, 8 strikeout performance versus the Nationals. The Marlins were +105 home underdogs in the contest.
The Astros seemed poised to hang a huge number on the Rangers in Arlington on Friday when Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve both homered in the top of the first inning. Justin Verlander scored the 7-2 victory — pitching 7 innings and collecting 8 strikeouts., helping the game stay just under the 9.5.
The Astros are big favorites again today as -230 favorites with Gerrit Cole on the bump. The ball game at Coors Field serves as the highest total of the day with a 10.5 O/U after Charlie Blackmon walked off an extra-innings 4-3 victory for the home Rockies on Friday night. The two-run home run overcame a one-run deficit to the Phillies in the 12th inning and cashed -149 tickets for Colorado bettors.
Prop Shop: Red Sox-Rays Series Odds on FanDuel
FanDuel Sportsbook is offering prices on the remainder of the series between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays. After a 6-4 victory against the Rays in Tampa on Friday night, the Red Sox sit at 1-0 in the series.
A Red Sox sweep is priced at +400 while a 2-1 victory is priced at +130. A less likely outcome — a Rays 2-1 victory — is priced at +180. Charlie Morton takes the bump for the Rays on Saturday as a -142 ML favorite against Rick Porcello.
Quick Links
The NFL schedule was released! Thomas Casale breaks down the best games of the year and gives Week 1 betting lines with some early picks.
Matt Schmitto caught a potential arbitrage opportunity yesterday — learn about arbitrage and how to take advantage of this situation with his article.
There’s a new sportsbook being built in New York. Here’s a sneak peek from Thomas Casale.
A betting tale from the Final Four. Matt Schmitto took his alma mater — Texas Tech — to win the National Championship at long odds. He’s finally ready to talk about it.
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