NBA Betting News and Notes Wednesday, April 19th, 2017

NBA Knowledge

Wizards won their last four games with Atlanta, by 3-26-4-7 points; Wiz won game 1 by 7, with +7 turnover ratio (19-12). Hawks were 32-39 on foul line but also had nine shots blocked. Washington is 4-5 in its last nine games overall. Hawks won four of their last six games, under is 6-3 in their last nine road games. Washington is in playoffs for third time in last four years, after a 5-year drought; they won last two first round series. Atlanta is in playoffs for 10th year in row; they’re 5-4 in last nine first round series, winning in first round last two years. Four of Wizards’ five starters were +18 or better in Game 1- their subs were -53.

Houston won four of five games with Oklahoma City this year; three of the five were decided by 3 or less points, with Rockets winning last four- they won Game 1 by 31, outscoring OKC 59-33 in second half, holding Westbrook to 6-23 from floor. Thunder is 4-3 in its last seven games, with last five staying under the total. Houston is in playoffs for fifth year in row, making Western final two years ago, but since 1998, the Rockets are 2-9 in first round series. Oklahoma City won 8 fewer games this year than last; they won their last five first round series, but without Durant, they’re obviously not as good a team now.

Warriors swept Portland this season, winning five games by 23-45-8–2-12 points; Golden State won Game 1 by 12 -it was tied after 3rd quarter. Lillard/McCollum combined for 75 points, but no other Blazer scored more than 12. Golden State won 16 of its last 17 games overall, win 10-4-2 vs spread in last 16 games- over is 6-3 in their last nine. Portland won nine of its last 13 games; they covered six of their last seven road games. Golden State won NBA title in 2015, lost Finals LY, added Durant last summer. Since 2001, Portland is 2-7 in first round series, with wins coming in last three years (2-1).

Armadillosports.com

NBA: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com

San Antonio at Memphis

Sometimes a team just has another teams number. That certainly applies to the San Antonio Spurs in post season when it comes to the Memphis Grizzlies. The Suprs have won ten straight second season matchups by an average 17.5 points/game recording a profitable 8-2 mark against the betting line.

According to current odds at Sports Interaction the Spurs are -3.0 point road favorites.

San Antonio one of the best at keeping the ball out of their own basket (97.9) holding Memphis under the century mark in scoring in each of those contest expect Grizzlies agonizing drought to continue as the offense scrounges for points.

Consider San Antonio knowing they're a bankroll-building 10-4 ATS on the road in second season holding opponents to 100 or less including 8-2 ATS in unfriendly territory laying -3.5 or less points.

Wednesday's Tip Sheet
By Brian Edwards
VegasInsider.com

Atlanta at Washington

Washington took a 1-0 series advantage with Sunday’s 114-107 win over Atlanta as a 5.5-point home favorite. The 221 combined points went ‘over’ the 209.5-point total. After the Wizards raced out to a 23-12 advantage, the Hawks’ reserves sparked them to a lead that stretched out to eight in the second quarter. Trailing by three at intermission, Washington’s John Wall led a 38-28 blitz in the third quarter. The lead grew to as many as 15 in the final stanza, but Taurean’s Prince’s 3-pointer with 2:07 remaining trimmed the deficit to 108-103. The Wizards would respond with straight free throws to put the game on ice.

Wall was the catalyst in Game 1, producing 32 points, 14 assists and four rebounds on 12-of-24 shooting from the field. Bradley Beal added 22 points, three steals, three boards and three assists, while Markieff Morris recorded 21 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots. Six players scored in double figures, including Marcin Gortat (14 and 10 boards), Kelly Oubre (11) and Otto Porter Jr. (10).

Atlanta won the battle of the boards by a 48-42 margin and hit 32-of-39 FTs compared to 16-of-17 for Washington. However, the Wizards had a 28/12 assists-to-turnovers ratio, while Atlanta had 18 assists compared to 21 turnovers.

Dennis Schroder scored a team-best 25 points and had nine assists compared to merely two turnovers. Paul Millsap added 19 points, while Prince scored 14 points and pulled down six rebounds in his postseason debut. Kent Bazemore finished with 12 points and four assists, while Dwight Howard had seven points and 14 boards. Tim Hardaway Jr. struggled mightily, making just 2-of-11 attempts from the field and misfiring on all six launches from 3-point range. Although Mike Budenholzer declared him healthy, Thabo Sefolosha took a DNP – CD (did not play – coach’s decision).

As of late Tuesday afternoon, most betting shops had Washington (50-33 straight up, 43-39 against the spread) installed as a 5.5-point ‘chalk’ with a total of 211. The Hawks were +185 on the money line (risk $100 to win $185).

Scott Brooks’s squad is 31-11 SU and 24-18 ATS at home this year.

Wall averages team-bests in scoring (23.1 points per game), assists (10.7 APG) and steals (2.0 SPG). Beal scores at a 23.1 PPG clip as well. Morris (14.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG) gives Washington to the type of physical/nasty presence that’s so vital in the playoffs. He set the tone from an intensity level in Game 1.

Atlanta (43-40 SU, 39-44 ATS) owns a 20-22 SU record and a 22-20 ATS mark in its road assignments this season. The Hawks are 6-2 ATS with three outright victories in their last eight games as underdogs.

Since Atlanta won a 114-99 decision at home in late October, Washington has won four in a row in this rivalry. The Wizards are 3-1 ATS in those four contests. The ‘under’ had hit in three straight encounters until the series opener went ‘over’ the number.

The ‘under’ is 48-33-2 overall for the Hawks, 25-15-2 in their road outings. However, they’ve seen the ‘over’ go 4-2 in their last six contests.

The ‘over’ is 52-31 overall for the Wizards, 26-16 in their home games.

The updated series price at Sportsbook.ag is Washington -360 (risk $360 to win $100), with Atlanta as +280 underdogs.

Oklahoma City at Houston

Houston (56-27 SU, 43-40 ATS) took a 1-0 series lead by virtue of Sunday’s 118-87 win over OKC as a 7.5-point home favorite. The 205 combined points went ‘under’ the 227.5-point total. Just as he has throughout a career season, James Harden led the way with 37 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and three steals. Patrick Beverley exploded for 21 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals. The University of Arkansas product buried 4-of-6 attempts from long distance. Clint Capela contributed 14 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and a pair of assists without a turnover. Nene was also in double figures, scoring 15 points and grabbing five boards in 18-plus minutes of playing time from off the bench.

In the Game 1 setback, OKC lost the rebounding battle by a lopsided 56-41 margin. The Thunder shot 30-of-81 FGs (37.0%) and 9-of-29 (31.0%) from 3-point range. They committed 15 turnovers compared to just 19 assists.

Russell Westbrook had a horrific Game 1. He made merely 6-of-23 FGs and 3-of-11 from downtown, finishing with 22 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, two steals. Westbrook coughed up nine turnovers. Andre Roberson contributed 18 points, eight boards, two steals and a pair of rejections. Jerami Grant was also in double figures with 10 points.

As of Tuesday night, most spots had Houston listed as a 7.5-point favorite with a total of 224. Gamblers could take the Thunder to win outright for a +290 return (risk $100 to win $290).

Oklahoma City (47-36 SU, 45-37 ATS) owns a 19-23 record both SU and ATS on the road.

Totals have been an overall wash (41-41-1) for the Rockets, with the ‘over’ going 22-20 in their home games.

The ‘under’ is 45-37-1 overall for OKC, 25-16-1 in its road contests. The ‘under’ has cashed in five straight games, nine of the last 11 and 12 of the last 15.

Sportsbook.ag has the updated series price as Houston -950, leaving OKC at +635 on the comeback (risk $100 to win $635).

Portland at Golden State

As of Tuesday night, most books had Golden St. (68-15 SU, 40-40-3 ATS) listed as a 13.5-point favorite with a total of 219.5. The Trail Blazers had 10/1 odds to win outright at The Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas, but there were a few offshores that were offering a 13/1 payout. The line opened at 15 but moved down to 13.5 on Tuesday when Kevin Durant was declared ‘questionable’ for Game 2 due to a calf injury.

Steve Kerr’s team captured a 121-109 win in Sunday’s Game 1 at Oracle Arena in Oakland. The 230 combined points hopped ‘over’ the 219.5-point tally. Bettors on the Trail Blazers cashed tickets catching 15 points. The Warriors used a 15-2 run in the fourth quarter to pull away in a tight game that was tied going into the final stanza. Reserve point guard Ian Clark scored seven points in the crucial surge.

Kerr remarked to the media afterward, “It was, to me, the perfect way to win in Game 1. You get a real taste for what you’re up against. You see how good they are, but you’re able to overcome everything and still get the win. So, I like it.”

Durant was the catalyst with 32 points and 11 rebounds. Steph Curry produced 29 points, five rebounds and four assists. Draymond Green was terrific, tallying 19 points, 12 boards, five blocked shots, three steals and a 9/1 assists-to-turnovers ratio. Klay Thompson (15) and Clark (12) also scored in double figures, but Thompson buried only 1-of-6 from distance.

Portland’s electric guards had it right in the thick of the Game 1 fight through three quarters. C.J. McCollum was nothing short of sensational, scoring 41 points and grabbing eight rebounds. The fourth-year shooting guard out of Lehigh drained 16-of-28 shots, including 4-of-6 from 3-point land. Damian Lillard finished with 34 points (12-26 FGs), five rebounds, three assists and two steals. Evan Turner added 12 points, 10 boards and four assists compared to only one turnover, while Maurice Harkless had 11 points.

Golden St. is 37-5 SU at home this year, 21-19-3 ATS.

Portland (41-42 SU, 41-42 ATS) has struggled on the road, losing 26 of 42 games while going 19-23 ATS. The Trail Blazers have taken the cash in four consecutive games as double-digit underdogs, winning outright twice.

Durant (calf) and Shaun Livingston (hand/sprained index finger on shooting hand) are both listed as ‘questionable.’ Durant is averaging 25.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.1 steals per game. Livingston averaged 5.1 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 76 regular-season games.

The ‘under’ is 50-33 overall for the Warriors, 22-20 in their home games.

The ‘over’ is 45-37-1 overall for Portland, 23-19 in its road assignments.

The ‘over’ is 6-2 in the last eight head-to-head meetings between these Western Conference rivals.

Golden St. exceeded its NBA-best 115.9 PPG average in Game 1. The Warriors also pace The Association in field-goal percentage (49.5%), field-goal defense (43.5%) and defending the 3-point line (32.4%).

Since losing Game 3 at Portland in last year’s West semifinals, the Warriors have won five in a row over Portland. However, the Trail Blazers have covered the number in the last three encounters.

B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets

The underdogs and the ‘over’ were the winning plays in Tuesday’s two early games in the NBA Playoffs. This space has covered Toronto guard Kyle Lowry’s postseason struggles quite often in this space around this time of year. However, Lowry got it done in Game 2 with the Raptors staring at a 2-0 deficit. His stepback jumper with 8.9 seconds remaining extended his team’s lead to four in a 106-100 win. The Bucks covered the number again as eight-point underdogs, while the 206 combined points slipped ‘over’ the 194-point total.

After going 2-of-11 from the field in the series opener, Lowry scored 22 points, dished out five assists, grabbed four rebounds and made three steals. DeMar DeRozan finished with 23 points and seven boards, while Serge Ibaka contributed 16 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and six assists compared to just one turnover.

Chicago had to win its regular-season finale to earn the East’s No. 8 seed just ahead of Miami. One week later, the Bulls are headed back home with a 2-0 series advantage on the top-seeded Boston. And Game 2 wasn’t even close. Fred Hoiberg’s team got downright greedy and then some, coasting to a 111-97 win as a seven-point underdog. Chicago hooked up money-line backers with an outstanding +290 payout. The Bulls led by as many as 19 in the fourth quarter.

Chicago veteran PG Rajon Rondo nearly recorded a triple-double in Game 2. The mercurial Rondo, who played two years of college ball at Kentucky during Tubby Smith’s tenure, produced 11 points, 14 assists nine rebounds and five steals. Jimmy Butler stuffed the box score with 22 points, eight boards, eight assists, four steals and two blocked shots. Dwyane Wade finished with 22 points on 9-of-16 FGs, draining 3-of-4 launches from downtown.

Boston All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas was scheduled to fly to Seattle to be with his family following Game 2. Thomas’s 22-year-old sister Chyna was killed this past weekend in a one-car automobile accident. Thomas had 33 points in Game 1 and finished Game 2 with 20. Brad Stevens has indicated that the team will join Thomas in Washington for the funeral services, which are expected to be between now and Friday's Game 3 in the Windy City.

Wednesday's NBA Playoffs Betting Preview
Covers.com

Atlanta Hawks at Washington Wizards (-5, 210.5)

ABOUT THE HAWKS: Atlanta needed to control the tempo and hang onto the ball in Game 1, but instead committed 21 turnovers and allowed 25 fast-break points in the setback. "We were ahead at halftime and 17 fast-break points (in the first half) was something we felt we could really improve on," Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters. "To some degree we did that. The game obviously changed. It will continue to be an emphasis. It's not the only thing. We have to do a lot of things well." Budenholzer started rookie Taurean Prince at small forward instead of veteran defensive stopper Thabo Sefolosha, who did not get off the bench, and intents to stick with that lineup moving forward.

ABOUT THE WIZARDS: All-Star point guard John Wall scored a playoff career-high 32 points to go with 14 assists and led the charge in the third quarter when Washington came out with a faster tempo. "Just being aggressive," Wall told reporters. "We started to get a lot of stops out in transition and I got into a rhythm of knocking down shots and being more aggressive." Power forward Markieff Morris joined Wall in the aggressive tone, getting in the face of Millsap while pouring in 21 points and recording four blocks.

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened the Wizards as 6-point home favorites for Game 2, but they have been faded a bit to sit at the current number of Washington -5. The total hit the board at 212 and that has resulted in Under money coming in, moving the number to 210.5.

INJURY REPORT:

Hawks- No injuries to report.

Wizards - SF K. Oubre Jr. (Questionable Wednesday, knee), PF J. Smith (Questionable Wednesday, knee), C I. Mahinmi (Late April, calf).

TRENDS:

* Hawks are 1-4 ATS in their last five games following a SU loss.
* Wizards are 7-0 ATS in their last seven first round games.
* Over is 6-0-1 in Hawks last seven games vs. a team with a winning percentage above .600.
* Over is 8-1 in Wizards last nine home games vs. a team with a losing road record.

Oklahoma City Thunder at Houston Rockets (-7.5, 224)

ABOUT THE THUNDER: Westbrook's off-shooting outing in Game 1 was bad enough but several members of the supporting cast had poor showings as well. Shooting guard Victor Oladipo was the biggest culprit with a 1-of-12 shooting performance while the frontcourt trio of Steven Adams, Taj Gibson and Enes Kanter combined for just 19 points and were the prime reason why Oklahoma City was outrebounded 56-41. "We got to play and do a better job, starting with myself," Westbrook told reporters. "I got to do a better job of taking care of the basketball and making some shots."

ABOUT THE ROCKETS: While Harden did his typical damage in Game 1, backcourt mate Patrick Beverley frustrated Westbrook and was a star in his own right with 21 points and 10 rebounds. "That's the reason we're in the position we're in," Harden told reporters. "He brings it every game. Whether his shot is falling or not, he brings that intensity, that resolve." Post players Nene (15 points on 7-of-8 shooting) and Clint Capela (14 points on 7-of-9) operated at will against the Thunder in Game 1.

LINE HISTORY: The Rockets opened Game 2 as 7.5-point home favorites and the line has yet to move off that number. The total for Game 2 hit the board at 224 and has been bet down to 223 after Game 1's total easily went Under the 228.5.

INJURY REPORT:

Thunder - No injuries to report.

Rockets - SF S. Dekker (Early May, hand).

TRENDS:

* Thunder are 5-1 ATS in their last six games playing on two days rest.
* Rockets are 10-1 ATS in the last 11 meetings.
* Under is 5-0 in Thunder last five overall.
* Under is 5-0 in Rockets last five games following a SU win.

Portland Trail Blazers at Golden State Warriors (-15, 220.5)

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS: Damian Lillard, who before the series predicted Portland would win in six games, scored 34 points and CJ McCollum added 41 but the rest of the team combined for 34 points on 12-of-39 shooting in Game 1. "It's going to take a team to beat (the Warriors)," Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts told reporters. "Damian and CJ are talented scorers and they both had great offensive nights. ... But we need everybody. Guys have to be ready to make shots. (Golden State is) good defensive help team, so when the ball is swung out, they've got to be able to take advantage of those opportunities." Portland is still awaiting word on the return of center Jusuf Nurkic, who is out with a fractured leg and is considered questionable for the series.

ABOUT THE WARRIORS: Kevin Durant sat out 19 games with a knee injury before easing his way back into the flow in the final three games of the regular season and did not appear rusty in his Golden State playoff debut. "The game ratchets up when you get into the playoffs, so it definitely felt good out there," Durant told reporters after pouring in 32 points on 12-of-20 shooting and grabbing 10 rebounds. "I didn’t worry about not playing 20 games in the regular season. I just tried to get out there and be me. Physically, I felt great." Durant averaged 29.3 points on 60 percent shooting in four regular-season meetings with the Trail Blazers.

LINE HISTORY: The Warriors were able to pull away late in Game 1, but not enough to cover the 15-point chalk and despite this the Dubs are once again currently 15-point favorites for Game 2. Oddsmakers opened the total at 221.5 and it has been bet down slightly to the current number of 220.5.

INJURY REPORT:

Trail Blazers - C J. Nurkic (Questionable Wednesday, leg), SG T. Quarterman (Questionable Wednesday, concussion), C F. Ezeli (Our for season, knee), PF E. Davis (Out for season, shoulder).

Warriors - SF K. Durant (Porbable Wednesday, calf), SF K. Looney (Questionable Wednesday, hip), SF M. Barnes (Doutbful Wednesday, ankle).

TRENDS:

* Trail Blazers are 5-0 ATS in their last five games vs. Pacific Division opponents.
* Warriors are 12-3-1 ATS in their last 16 games overall.
* Over is 6-1 in Trail Blazers last seven games playing on two days rest.
* Over is 5-1 in Warriors last six games following a straight up win.