NBA Knowledge
Detroit-Cleveland
Pistons won three of last four games with Cleveland, winning last two by 8-2 points, both in Cleveland; four of last five series games went over total. Detroit won three of last four games; they're 3-2 vs spread in last five games as a dog. Cavaliers lost three of last four games; they covered three of last four at home. Five of last seven Cleveland games went over total. Cleveland is 6-0 in first round series with James. Detroit made the playoffs for first time since 2009.
Charlotte-Miami
Hornets lost three of last four visits to Miami (over 4-0); they're 4-6 in their last 10 games overall vs Miami. Charlotte won four of its last five games (over 5-0); they're 4-3 SU in last seven road games. Miami won four of its last six games; five of their last seven stayed under. Heat won, covered its last four home games. Miami missed playoffs LY, its first post-Lebron season, after making Finals all four years they had him- last time they won a first round series without James was 2006. Charlotte has not won a playoff series (0-2) since 2002.
Memphis-San Antonio
Grizzlies lost nine of last 10 games, covering one of last four road tilts; Memphis lost its last five games with Spurs (1-4 vs spread), going 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to Alamo. San Antonio is just 4-3 in its last seven first round series, after going 8-1 in first round series from '96-'08. Memphis is in playoffs for sixth year in row, having gone 3-2 in the first round last five years. Over is 3-2 in last five series games played here. San Antonio is 2-8 vs spread in its last ten games overall.
Portland-LA Clippers
Since 2000, Trailblazers are 1-7 in first round series, beating Houston in six games in 2014; Portland lost six of last eight with Clippers, going 4-1 vs spread (1-4 SU) in last five played here. Clippers are in playoffs for 5th year in row after making it seven times in 41 years before that; LA is 3-1 in first round series last four years, under Rivers/Del Negro. Portland won seven of last nine games overall; four of its last six stayed under the total. Clippers won their last five home games, covering four of them.
Armadillosports.com
Sunday's Top Action
By Sportsbook.ag
DETROIT PISTONS (44-38) at CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (57-25)
Sportsbook.ag Line: Cleveland -10.5, Total: 201
The Pistons will be looking to steal a Game 1 victory when they face the Cavaliers in Cleveland on Sunday.
The Pistons were able to grab the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference and they’ll now be hoping to upset the Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs. Detroit just might be feeling optimistic about its chances, as the team defeated Cleveland in three of the four meetings in this regular season head-to-head series. One of those games was the final game of the regular season for each team and most of the starters were resting for both the Cavaliers and Pistons. Detroit was 3-1 ATS in those four contests and the team will now look to win on a stage that actually matters.
For the Cavaliers, losing is really not an option. This is a championship or bust year for the team and the Cavaliers know that.
One interesting trend in this game is that Detroit is 23-7 ATS after a division game under Stan Van Gundy. Yet, the Cavaliers are 10-2 ATS when revenging a loss where an opponent scored 100 points or more this season. They’re also playing a Detroit team that is 5-14 ATS in road games after playing on the road this season.
PG Reggie Jackson (Abdominal) is a bit banged up heading into this one, but he will be on the court for the Pistons. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, could be without PG Mo Williams (Knee). He is listed as questionable for the team, but his absence wouldn’t necessarily hurt Cleveland’s chances in this contest.
The Pistons played well against the Cavaliers in the regular season, but the playoffs are a whole different animal. Cleveland is out for an NBA championship, so Detroit will be playing a team that is super locked in on Sunday.
One thing the Pistons have working in their favor is that they are much stronger at the center position. C Andre Drummond (16.2 PPG, 14.8 RPG, 1.4 BPG) should really be able to have his way inside in this series. Nobody on Cleveland has the combination of size and athleticism that he possesses, so he’ll need to be extremely aggressive. In three meetings with the Cavs, Drummond averaged 20.3 PPG and 13.7 RPG in the regular season. He may need to do even more the rest of this series.
Another guy that should be in for a big series is PG Reggie Jackson (18.8 PPG, 6.6 APG). Kyrie Irving is not a very good defender, so Jackson should be able to find plenty of success in this one. He’s a good shooter from the outside and also gets himself to the rim with his ability to change speeds well. If he can hold his own defensively then it’d also be big for Detroit.
The x-factor for the Pistons will likely be SF Tobias Harris (14.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG). Harris is a very solid offensively player and knows how to score both inside and outside. His ability to score will not be questioned in this series, but he will need to defend at a high level. Harris will likely be matched up with LeBron James and the Pistons have no chance of winning on Sunday if Harris can’t hold his own defensively. It’s impossible to completely shut down James, but Harris would be doing his job if he can just slow him down a little.
SF LeBron James (25.3 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 6.8 APG, 1.4 SPG) and the Cavaliers coasted through the regular season and will now be looking to defeat the Pistons in the opening round of the playoffs. James had some trouble with this team during the year, averaging just 20.7 PPG on 41.8% shooting from the field in three meetings with Detroit this season. James must do his best to get to the basket in this one, as he needs to be efficient this series. He is at his best around the rim and can’t afford to just settle for jumpers on Sunday.
If the Cavs are going to ultimately go as far as they hope then PG Kyrie Irving (19.6 PPG, 4.7 APG, 1.1 SPG) and PF Kevin Love (16.0 PPG, 9.9 RPG) will need to bring their games to another level. Irving has a tough matchup with Reggie Jackson in this series, but he is a lot quicker than the Pistons’ guard and should be able to blow by him often. Irving is also a very good shooter from the outside and that will come in handy when James is looking to kick the ball out to his teammates.
Love is also an excellent shooter and he’ll need to be ready to make some shots in catch-and-shoot situations. He’s also, however, a very good player around the basket. The Pistons are not very good at defending the power forward position, so the Cavaliers would be wise to get Love some opportunities in the post this series.
One guy that could be a huge x-factor for the Cavaliers is SG J.R. Smith (12.4 PPG, 1.1 SPG). Smith is one of the best shooters in the NBA and he has the ability to get really hot from deep. He can swing any series if he is knocking down shots and there’s no reason to believe he won’t.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (44-38) at LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (53-29)
Sportsbook.ag Line: Los Angeles -8, Total: 208.5
The Clippers will be looking to get themselves off to a quick series lead with a win at home over the Blazers in Game 1.
The Blazers shocked a lot of people by making the playoffs and they’ll now be hoping to upset a very good Clippers team. Both teams are entering this series after having finished the regular season off strong. Portland won seven of its final 10 games and Los Angeles won eight of its final 10.
The Clippers hold the edge in this head-to-head series recently, as they won three of the four meetings between these teams on the year. They are 7-4 SU versus the Blazers over the past three seasons, but Portland is 6-5 ATS in those contests. The Blazers also happen to be 4-1 ATS when playing at Staples Center in that span.
One trend worth noting when looking at this game is that Portland is 13-4 ATS when playing a team that has beaten it twice in a row this season. The Blazers know how to make adjustments and that will be crucial in this series.
C Meyers Leonard (Shoulder) is out for the year for the Blazers and SG J.J. Redick (Heel) is listed as questionable for the Clippers, but it’s hard to see him missing this one.
The Blazers are not being given a chance by many people, but that was also the case before the season started and here they are in the postseason. If Portland is going to steal Game 1 then the team will need a huge game from PG Damian Lillard (25.1 PPG, 6.8 APG, 4.0 RPG). Lillard has really struggled against the Clippers this season, averaging just 18.0 PPG on 32.4% shooting from the field in four meetings with the team. Lillard needs to be more efficient on Sunday, but he’ll also need to play solid defense. If Chris Paul torches him then Portland is going to get blown out.
While Lilllard could have trouble against Paul, SG C.J. McCollum (20.8 PPG, 4.3 APG, 1.2 SPG) should be able to play well in this series. The Clippers do not have many wing defenders that are capable of sticking with him, so he’ll need to be aggressive in this series. McCollum’s a very good shooter and he is also creative when he gets into the lane.
SF Al Farouq-Aminu (10.2 PPG, 6.1 RPG) will likely be the x-factor in this series, though. Portland needs him to really step it up in order to win a few games against Los Angeles. He could see some minutes as a small-ball power forward and if that’s the case then he’ll need to be tough. Blake Griffin is not an easy cover for anybody, so somebody will need to rise to the occasion and defend him well this series.
The Clippers finished off the year playing some impressive basketball, but they will really need PF Blake Griffin (21.4 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 4.9 APG) to return to form soon. Griffin is averaging just 14.0 PPG and 8.7 RPG over the past three contests. He has not looked like himself since returning from hand and quad injuries, but this is a fresh start for him. The Clippers need him to be a force around the basket and it’d be big if he can also knock down some jumpers in this series. The Blazers are weakest at the power forward position and Griffin can really give Los Angeles an advantage in this series.
PG Chris Paul (19.5 PPG, 10.0 APG, 4.2 RPG, 2.1 SPG) is still, however, the Clippers’ best player. Paul has owned Damian Lillard in the past and he will need to continue to do so beginning on Sunday. If Paul can contain Lillard defensively then the Blazers won’t have much of a shot to win this series. Paul should also be able to average a double-double on the offensive end. He is extremely tough to guard as a scorer and the Blazers don’t have much size inside, so Paul should average a ton of assists from finding his big guys.
C DeAndre Jordan (12.7 PPG, 13.8 RPG, 2.3 BPG) should be the beneficiary of a lot of Paul’s passes. Jordan will catch plenty of lobs in this series, but he’ll mostly be counted on to rebound and defend. If he can protect the rim then the Clippers will be in good shape moving forward.
Sunday's Early Tips
By Chris David
VegasInsider.com
Detroit at Cleveland
The Cavaliers have been installed as the prohibitive favorites to win the Eastern Conference and not many pundits expect the Pistons to give them much of a fight in the first round either. Cleveland is listed as high as a minus-2500 favorite (Bet $100 to win $4) while Detroit is an 11/1 underdog to capture the series.
Cleveland opened as a 10-point home favorite in Game 1 and that number has jumped to 10½ at most betting shops as of Saturday evening. The opening total of 201 has been holding steady.
2015-16 Regular Season (Pistons 3-1)
Nov. 17 Cavaliers at Pistons (+4.5) 104-99 Over (195.5)
Jan. 29 Cavaliers (-4) at Pistons 114-106 Over (207.5)
Feb. 22 Cavaliers vs. Pistons (+9) 96-88 Under (207.5)
Apr. 13 Cavaliers vs. Pistons (+4) 112-110 Over (194)
During the regular season, the Pistons took three of four matchups but you can toss out last Wednesday’s results since both clubs rested their regulars.
In the first three meetings, Detroit’s best effort came in mid-February as it stifled Cleveland for a 96-88 victory. In the first two meetings, the Pistons couldn’t do anything to slow down the Cavaliers and they were fortunate to rally past them in the fourth quarter. They also outscored them late in January’s setback but make no mistake that Cleveland controlled that game from start to finish.
Fast forward to this Sunday and I believe the Pistons only shot to be competitive in this series is by trying to control the pace and make every game ugly. Fortunately for them, the club acquired some athletic big men at the trade deadline in Tobias Harris and Marcus Morris. These guys aren’t slouches and their size combined with center Andre Drummond should muck up the middle for Cleveland.
On the road, Detroit went 7-6 both straight up and against the spread while the ‘under’ produced a 9-4 record in those games. Beating Cleveland at Quickens Loan Arena (33-8 SU, 20-21 ATS) won’t be an easy task, but staying within the number is a completely different story.
Cleveland has been listed as a double-digit favorite 20 times this season and the club has gone 18-2 with both losses coming at home. More importantly, the club has only managed to go 7-12-1 against the spread (35%) in these games. While that could have you leaning to Detroit and the points, be aware that the Pistons have gone 0-6 SU and 2-4 ATS when catching 10-plus points this season. The ‘under’ went 5-1 in those games.
If there is an edge in this series for Detroit, it’s coaching and Stan Van Gundy. The veteran owns a 48-39 record in the playoffs and he’s facing Tyronn Lue, who’s never been in this role. A lot of pundits believe coaching doesn’t matter in the NBA and that argument was certainly solidified last summer when a pair of rookie coaches (Steve Kerr, David Blatt) met in the finals. For our purposes, make a note that Van Gundy has never been swept in a playoff series. One more tidbit for you – the Cavaliers were 27-14 under Lue this season and 30-11 under the aforementioned Blatt.
Albeit short, the three-day break could benefit Cleveland more in this spot. The Cavs went 4-1 both SU and ATS during the season when playing on at least three days rest or more and they blasted teams by an average of 14 points per game. Total bettors should note that the ‘under’ was a perfect 5-0 in those games. Detroit was 2-3 both SU and ATS in similar circumstances while the ‘under’ was 4-1.
I'm hesitant to back teams that don’t have a lot of scoring depth and that sums up Detroit but based on the expected style and total trends above, I’m leaning to the low side in Game 1.
Game 2 is set for Wednesday from Quicken Loans Arena.
Charlotte at Miami
This matchup is as close as it gets with the Heat and Hornets entering the postseason with identical 48-34 records. The clubs met four times in the regular season and they split the series with each team winning once on the other’s homecourt.
2015-16 Regular Season (2-2)
Oct. 28 Heat (-6.5) vs. Hornets 104-94 Over (194)
Dec. 9 Heat at Hornets (+1) 99-81 Under (192)
Feb. 5 Heat (+4) at Hornets 98-95 Under (194.5)
Mar. 17 Heat vs. Hornets (+4.5) 109-106 Over (208)
The Heat are listed as minus-150 favorites (Bet $100 to win $67) to win the series, which is the shortest price of all eight opening round matchups. The takeback on Charlotte is plus-130 (Bet $100 to win $130).
If a big part of your handicapping depends on playoff history, Miami has had much more success as a franchise than Charlotte. Head coach Erik Spoelstra owns a 63-36 record in the postseason but there is a huge asterisk with that mark. He’s 4-8 without LeBron James and that includes a pair of first round exits.
Meanwhile, Charlotte hasn’t won a playoff series since 2002 and it’s been swept out of the postseason in their most recent trips. The club lost four straight to the Magic in 2010 and were dusted by the Heat in the 2014 playoffs. Current coach Steve Clifford has never won a NBA playoff game.
For the opener on Sunday, Miami has been installed as a 4½-point home favorite and it’s been good in this role. As a home favorite of five points or less, the Heat have gone 12-6 SU and 10-7-1 ATS this season. Within the same spread range (1-5 points), Charlotte is 6-7 SU and 8-5 ATS as a road underdog.
Inside the numbers, Miami has an edge in field goal percentage (47% to 43.9%) but Charlotte is much more efficient from 3-point land (36.2% to 33.6%) and the free throw stripe (79% to 74.4%).
Defensively, Miami is ranked fifth in the NBA with 98.4 points per game allowed and Charlotte (100.7 PPG) is not far behind. With that being said, the total for Game 1 opened at 202½ and has dropped down to 200 at most betting shops and I’d expect it to get lower.
The time off isn’t that big deal in my opinion and neither team has had many long breaks during the season. When playing on three days or more during the season, Miami (2-1 SU, 2-1 ATS) has benefited more than Charlotte (1-2 SU, 1-2 ATS) but both have shown the ability to play faster too, producing 2-1 ‘over’ marks.
I don’t have a strong feel for Game 1 but I predicted Charlotte to win this series in six games, which means they’ll win at least one in Miami. I’m a little hesitant to go against Dwyane Wade but Miami isn’t a great shooting team and I like what Charlotte has done with center Al Jefferson coming off the bench now. The Hornets have played well down the stretch and have a sense of confidence that we haven’t seen from this team in previous seasons.
These teams will meet again Wednesday in Game 2 from American Airlines Arena and I’d expect the Zig-Zag theory to be in play for the next contest. Especially knowing that neither team has dropped back-to-back games since the All-Star break.
Sunday's Late Tips
By Tony Mejia
VegasInsider.com
Memphis at San Antonio
2015-16 Meetings
Nov 21, 2015 - Memphis 82 at San Antonio 92 (Spurs -8, Under 190)
Dec 3, 2015 - San Antonio 103 at Memphis 83 (Spurs -3, Over 183)
Mar 25, 2016 - Memphis 104 at San Antonio 110 (Grizzlies +13, Over 190.5)
Mar 28, 2016 - San Antonio 101 at Memphis 87 (Spurs -5.5, Under 193)
It's a credit to everyone affiliated with the Grizzlies organization that the team plays on without Marc Gasol and Mike Conley, both of whom have been lost for the season. Memphis also sent Courtney Lee to Charlotte because it figured its season would end after 82 and couldn’t pass up on a good deal, so there’s an element of surprise to its inclusion in this postseason as the team makes its sixth consecutive playoff appearance. It’s Zach Randolph’s team, but the supporting cast consists of Tony Allen, Vince Carter, Matt Barnes, Lance Stephenson, Chris Andersen, JaMychal Green and Jordan Farmar. All are basically cast-offs from the land of misfit toys, haunted their entire careers by the things they can’t do well. Still, all have been willing defenders and have understood they don’t’ have the luxury to cut corners, so they’ve defeated the Clippers and taken the Warriors to OT on nights where they weren’t mentally prepared to play.
That isn’t likely to be the case against San Antonio, who has treated the regular season like a layup line and is fresh for this series with all hands on deck. LaMarcus Aldridge has been dealing with a finger injury suffered against Golden State and is playing with his pinky taped to another finger, hoping time will ultimately increase his range of motion. He’ll play in the series. The Grizzlies have lost 10 of 11 games outright, beating only the Bulls at home in a stretch which began with a setback at the Lakers.
The Spurs have dropped three of five, losing twice to Golden State and once in Denver with most regulars resting. Aldridge participated in three games against the Griz, averaging 27 points and 9.7 boards while shooting 65 percent from the field. Kawhi Leonard has only played against Memphis twice this season, averaging 23 points and 7.5 rebounds. The ‘under’ has prevailed in six of the last nine San Antonio games. Randolph has only been out there against the Spurs once all season, scoring nine points and grabbing six boards. He averaged 17.3 points per game in April since becoming the focal point of the offense. San Antonio is 37-0 straight up as a double-digit favorite, but is just 20-17 against the spread in that situation. Memphis is just 1-7 SU as a double-digit dog, but is 5-3 against the number.
Portland at L.A. Clippers
2015-16 Meetings
Nov 20, 2015 - L.A. Clippers 91 at Portland 102 (Blazers +4.5, Under 210)
Nov 30, 2015 - Portland 87 at L.A. Clippers 102 (Clippers -7, Under 206)
Jan 6, 2016 - L.A. Clippers 109 at Portland 98 (Clippers -3.5, Over 205.5)
Mar 24, 2016 - Portland 94 at L.A. Clippers 96 (Blazers +5.5, Under 216)
Portland's Terry Stotts has a real shot at Coach of the Year given the unexpected success his team has experienced this season. After losing Aldridge, Nicolas Batum, Wes Matthews and Robin Lopez to other teams, the Trail Blazers paid to keep Damian Lillard happy long-term and decided to build around him with other young talent. The franchise couldn’t have envisioned the growth Most Improved front-runner CJ McCollum would make, not to mention the contributions wings like Al-Farouq Aminu and Mo Harkless would make given the opportunity. The Blazers nearly doubled their expected season win total in finishing fifth in the Western Conference, beating out a number of teams that came into the season as top contenders for the NBA title.
Despite all this, the Trail Blazers are undoubtedly the underdog in this series, opening on the road at Staples Center against a Clippers squad that finished with the sixth-best record in the league despite missing Blake Griffin for 47 games with multiple injuries, most recently a broken hand suffered while punching a friend and team employee back in January. Griffin has averaged 22.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists in splitting a pair of games against Portland back in November, but hasn’t been a part of the last two meetings, both Clippers wins. Since returning on April 3, Griffin has gotten into five contests, averaging just 10.4 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 40 percent from the field. He’s notched one double-double, playing more than 25 minutes in a single game only once. Although Doc Rivers is expected to give him a longer leash to help him get his rhythm this postseason, the expectation is that he still won’t be himself early in this series.
L.A. point guard Chris Paul outplayed Lillard in the most recent meeting between these teams back on March 24, scoring 25 points and dishing out seven assists while holding the Blazers star to just 18 points on 4-for-16 shooting. Lillard really struggled against L.A. this season, averaging 18.0 points, more than seven below his season average, while shooting just 32 percent, his worst clip against any team this season besides Philadelphia. Jamal Crawford added 25 points off the bench in the most recent outing against Portland and has scored 30 or more points in two of the last five contests, closing his Sixth Man of the Year campaign in style. DeAndre Jordan played in all four games against the Blazers, averaging 14.0 points, 16.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks while shooting over 65 percent from the field. If he can keep Mason Plumlee from being a factor in the paint, Portland will be too one-dimensional and perimeter-oriented to pull the upset in the series. Although the Trail Blazers have won seven of the last nine games, they’re just 3-6 ATS in those contests. L.A. has won 10 of 12 outright, going 8-4 against the number in that span. The ‘under’ was prevailed in nine of the last 13 Clippers games.
NBA: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com
Detroit at Cleveland
The Cleveland Cavaliers (57-25, 37-42-3 ATS) will host the Detroit Pistons (44-38, 42-38-2 ATS) this weekend in Game 1 of their first-round series. Detroit took three out of four SU/ATS vs. Cleveland this season including Wednesday night's 112-110 OT win at Quicken Loans Arena as 4.0-point road dogs. However, Cavaliers sat LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and J.R. Smith for the home finale.
Detroit is in postseason for the first time since 2008-09, when they were swept in the opening round by Cleveland dropping the cash in each contest. Pistons could be in for another quick exit, Lebron James is 13-0 (10-3 ATS) in his last thirteen Conference Quarterfinals games with Cleveland and Miami.
Memphis at San Antonio
Spurs have the best defense in the league allowing a lowly 96.6 points per opponent 100 possessions. Spurs also feature the third-best shooting team in the league netting 108.4 points per 100 possessions. In a nut shell, Spurs score a lot of points and don't let opponent score many. A deadly mix against this injury plagued Memphis team without Marc Gasol (16.6), Mike Conley (15.3) and a team a dreadful 1-10 (4-7 ATS) down the stretch.
Those facts in hand, oddsmakers have placed a -15.5 point premium on San Antonio. A hefty price, but home-court is something Spurs can tap into (40-1 SU, 22-18-1 ATS). Additionally, Spurs swept the season series (4-0 SU , 3-1 ATS) and have dominating the past sixteen meetings (14-2 SU, 11-5 ATS) including a sweep in the 2013 Conference Finals (4-0 SU, 3-1 ATS). Spurs hand Grizzlies a serious beat-down in the opener.
Sunday's NBA Playoffs Betting Preview
By Covers.com
Detroit Pistons at Cleveland Cavaliers (-10.5, 200.5)
The Cleveland Cavaliers aim to return to the NBA Finals - and get there with fewer distractions - and they begin that journey with Sunday's home game against the eighth-seeded Detroit Pistons. The top-seeded Cavaliers reached the finals last season's despite LeBron James' lack of confidence in coach David Blatt before losing to the Golden State Warriors.
Blatt was fired midway through this season and there is less tension within the squad with Tyronn Lue serving as head coach. "We trust the system that he's put in, we trust the process that he's put in, and the game plan going into Sunday we trust," James told reporters. "So I think the fact that he's been a part of big playoff games as a player and as a coach benefits our team for sure." Cleveland is supposed to roll through the opening round despite the fact the Pistons won three of the four regular-season meetings and crave an epic series upset. "I don't want to fight Goliath's homeboy or little brother, I want to go and fight Goliath," Detroit point guard Reggie Jackson told reporters. "I think that's how this locker room feels."
LINE HISTORY: LeBron and the Cavs opened Game 1 as 10.5-point home favorites and have yet to move off that number. The total has been bet down a point from 201.5 to 200.5. Check out the complete line history here.
ABOUT THE PISTONS (44-38, 42-38-2 ATS, 42-40 O/U): Detroit is part of the postseason for the first time since 2009 and the players want to do more than gain valuable playoff experience. "Guys always come through here and they're like, 'Oh, let's make it competitive.' No, we're trying to win the series," rookie forward Stanley Johnson told reporters. "We think, we know, we can win the series. We know we can beat them in seven games. So that's no shade on LeBron, or the Cavaliers, or Kyrie (Irving), because they have a great team. Fifty-seven wins this year, you know, that's an awesome organization, what they have going." All-Star center Andre Drummond led the NBA with 66 double-doubles and averaged 20.3 points and 13.7 rebounds in three games against Cleveland.
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (57-25, 37-42-3 ATS, 41-41 O/U): James was superb in the postseason last year with averages of 30.1 points, 11.3 rebounds and 8.5 assists and figures to once again carry the squad. Power forward Kevin Love and Irving were battling injuries last postseason and Cleveland is hoping its "Big Three" can run the course healthy this time around. The Cavaliers are certainly concerned with defending Drummond as they announced that Tristan Thompson has been elevated to starting center over inconsistent Timofey Mozgov.
TRENDS:
* Pistons are 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings in Cleveland.
* Cavaliers are 4-1 ATS in their last five games playing on three or more days rest.
* Under is 5-0 in Cavaliers last five games playing on three or more days rest.
* Over is 4-1 in the last five meetings.
Charlotte Hornets at Miami Heat (-4.5, 199.5)
The Miami Heat escaped from the tiebreaker scenario in the Eastern Conference at the top of the pack and will have homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The third-seeded Heat ended up with the Southeast Division title and will host Game 1 on Sunday against the Charlotte Hornets, who finished with an identical record but got the sixth seed based on the tiebreakers.
Miami, Atlanta, Boston and Charlotte all finished with the same record after the Celtics overcame a 24-point halftime deficit to defeat the Heat on the final day of the regular season. Miami is shaking off that loss and is ready to face the playoffs without All-Star Chris Bosh, who has been out since the All-Star break and will miss the postseason due to a medical condition. The Heat added veteran Joe Johnson when it became clear that Bosh would not be coming back anytime soon, and Johnson averaged 13.4 points in 24 games while helping the team go 16-8 in that span. The Hornets surged with an 18-6 mark over the final 24 games to pull into the four-way tie behind Kemba Walker’s average of 21.6 points in that span.
LINE HISTORY: The Heat opened as 4.5-point home favorites and have yet to move off that number. The total opened at 202.5 and has been bet down a whole 2.5-points to sit at its current number of 200. Check out the complete line history here.
ABOUT THE HORNETS (48-34, 42-39-1 ATS, 40-40-2 O/U): Walker is at his best when Nicolas Batum is alongside in the backcourt, and Batum plans to be ready for Game 1 despite missing Wednesday’s finale with a sprained left ankle. "Unless we get a setback, I think he'll be fine," Hornets coach Steve Clifford told reporters. "We're going to do more contact (Saturday), but we did some defensive drills and stuff (Friday) and he was fine. So I think he'll be good." The 27-year-old Frenchman averaged career highs of 14.9 points and 5.8 assists in his first season with Charlotte and posted 14.8 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in four games against Miami.
ABOUT THE HEAT (48-34, 43-38-1 ATS, 34-47-1 O/U): Miami ended up losing 98-88 at Boston on Wednesday but quickly brushed aside what could have been a demoralizing loss and focused on the positives. The Heat are back in the playoffs after missing out last season and come in with some momentum after a surprising surge without Bosh following the break. “We’ve had a lot of adversity in that locker room, and I really commend those guys for coming together and not making excuses,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters. “It looked pretty bleak after the All-Star break. You look at it now and say, ‘Oh, this is what was expected, to go 19-10.’ That’s not what people were thinking. But guys really banded together and got out of their comfort zones and we put together a pretty good run finishing it out.”
TRENDS:
* Underdog is 5-1-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.
* Heat are 6-0 ATS in their last six home games.
* Over is 5-0 in Hornets last five overall.
* Over is 8-0 in the last eight meetings in Miami.
Memphis Grizzlies at San Antonio Spurs (-15.5, 189.5)
The host San Antonio Spurs set a franchise record with 67 victories and begin what they hope is a deep postseason run when they open the playoffs against the seventh-seeded Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday. The second-seeded Spurs are expected to cruise past the Grizzlies, who lost 10 of their final 11 regular-season games and also went winless in four games against San Antonio this season.
The Spurs added power forward LaMarcus Aldridge in the offseason to beef up their championship hopes and the All-Star will be playing with a dislocated right pinky finger. Aldridge meshed well with All-Star small forward Kawhi Leonard and became a more potent offensive force over the second half of the season. Memphis has been decimated by injuries - most notably the losses of center Marc Gasol (foot) and point guard Mike Conley (Achilles) - and faces long odds in a seven-game series. "If we do what they say, we've got what - a two percent chance of advancing?" shooting guard Tony Allen said of the forecasts to reporters. "We've just got to go out there and play hard and play for each other. Hopefully, we can beat the odds."
LINE HISTORY: The Spurs opened as large 15.5-point home favorites against the injury riddled Grizzlies and have yet to move off that number. The total also hasn't moved off its opening number of 190. Check out the complete line history here.
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (42-40, 42-39-1 ATS, 45-35-2 O/U): Memphis lost its final two games of the regular season by an average of 23.5 points and the players are well aware it will take a supreme effort to win the series. "We know our margin of error is non-existent," Grizzlies small forward Matt Barnes told reporters. "We pretty much have to be perfect every single game but crazier things have happened." Players like Barnes and swingman Lance Stephenson will need to complement power forward Zach Randolph, who returned to the go-to player role after the injuries to Gasol and Conley.
ABOUT THE SPURS (67-15, 44-38 ATS, 35-45-2 O/U): Aldridge averaged 19.9 points in 25 games after the All-Star break and thrived once he figured out how to fit in with a veteran group fully acclimated to the San Antonio system. "I think it took him longer to adjust to us that it did us to get used to him," veteran Tim Duncan told reporters. "He continued to try to defer to us for a long time while we were trying to push him to take over." Leonard emerged as the club's top option even with Aldridge on board and averaged a career-high 21.2 points and scored 20 or more points in 15 of his last 20 games.
TRENDS:
* Grizzlies are 0-4 ATS in their last four road games.
* Spurs are 0-5 ATS in their last five home games.
* Over is 5-1 in Grizzlies last six road games.
* Under is 5-1 in Spurs last six versus Southwest Division opponents.
Portland Trail Blazers at Los Angeles Clippers (-8.5, 209)
The Los Angeles Clippers breezed their way to the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference despite operating without All-Star forward Blake Griffin for over three months. Griffin is back in the fold for the playoffs and will try to help the Clippers slip past the fifth-seeded Portland Trail Blazers, who visit for Game 1 on Sunday.
Griffin returned to the lineup on April 3 after missing extended time due to quad, hand and suspension issues and played in five of the final seven games, averaging 10.4 points on 40 percent shooting in 24.6 minutes. “We still have to get Blake even better, but I think he has looked great,” Los Angeles coach Doc Rivers told reporters. “I think his pace is back, his speed, and more important, I think his confidence that he can play is back.” The Clippers could have their hands full against the Trail Blazers, who were not even expected to make the postseason but instead surged all the way to the No. 5 spot and clinched it on the final day of the regular season. “It’s going to be tough,” Portland guard Damian Lillard told reporters of the matchup with Los Angeles. “They’re a really good team. but we know that we have a chance. We have to go out there and be ourselves, lock in and be ready.”
LINE HISTORY: The Clippers opened as 7.5-point home favorites and have been bet up to -8. The total opened a 207.5 and have since been bet up a point and a half to the current number of 209. Check out the complete line history here.
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (44-38, 44-38 ATS, 44-38 O/U): Portland’s low preseason prognostications drove the team throughout the campaign and inspired the players to drive for the highest playoff seed possible. “When everybody came out with the expectations and all their expertise about what we were going to do this season, I feel like that was the biggest thing that, not only just me, but everybody remembered," guard Allen Crabbe told reporters. "One person picked us as what, 15 out of 15 in the West? The list goes on, man. Everybody felt disrespected, and that’s not what our season is gonna be. It was everybody’s goal since training camp that we were gonna play hard." The Trail Blazers were 15-24 after a loss on Jan. 8 but went 29-14 the rest of the way.
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (53-29, 40-39-3 ATS, 34-48 O/U): The big challenge might be avoiding looking ahead to a potential second-round meeting with Golden State, and Los Angeles is comfortable being overlooked in the West behind historically great teams like the Warriors and San Antonio Spurs. “I don’t think anybody really gives us any kind of chance of winning (it all),” Griffin told reporters. “We’re not favored by any means, so that (underdog mentality) should be our mindset.” Los Angeles is hoping guard J.J. Redick, who suffered a bruised heel Tuesday against the Grizzlies and sat out practice on Friday, is ready to go on Sunday.
TRENDS:
* Trail Blazers are 1-4 ATS in their last five games overall.
* Clippers are 4-0 ATS in their last four versus Northwest Division opponents.
* Over is 8-2 in Trail Blazers last 10 road games.
* Under is 4-1 in Clippers last five games following a ATS loss.