Betting news, trends, odds and predictions for Saturday, March 31, 2018 from various handicappers and websites
Saturday’s NBA games
Hornets won their last three games with the Wizards; they’re 1-4 vs spread in last five visits to Washington. Eight of last ten series games went over total. Charlotte won four of its last five games; they’re 4-2 vs spread in last six road games. Four of their last six games went over total. Wizards lost four of their last five games; they’re 2-3 vs spread in last five home games. Four of their last five games stayed under.
Home side won eight of last nine Detroit-New York games; Pistons are 2-4 vs spread in last six visits to Manhattan, four of which went over total. Detroit won five of its last six games; they covered four of their last five road games. Under is 7-3 in their last ten games. Knicks lost four of their last five games, but they covered their last four home games. Under is 4-1-1 in their last six games.
Home side won eight of last nine Toronto-Boston games; Raptors are 3-2 vs spread in last five visits to Beantown. Under is 7-1 in last eight series games. Toronto won seven of last ten games; they’re 3-2 vs spread in last five road games. Over is 5-2 in their last seven games. Celtics won their last five games; they covered three of last four home games. Six of their last seven games stayed under the total.
Heat won seven of last nine games with the Nets, who are 2-1-1 vs spread in last four visits to South Beach. Last seven series games stayed under the total. Brooklyn lost six of its last nine games; they covered last six games as road underdogs. Five of their last seven games went over the total. Miami won five of its last seven games; they’re 7-2 in last nine tries as home favorites. Three of their last four games stayed under.
Kings/Warriors split their last six meetings; Golden State is 2-2 vs spread in last four visits to Sacramento. Six of last seven series games stayed under. Warriors lost seven of their last ten games; they’re 1-3 vs spread in last four road games. Six of their last nine games stayed under the total. Sacramento lost five of its last six games; they’re 5-11 in last 16 games as home dogs. Four of their last five games stayed under.
Preview: Hornets at Wizards
Gracenote
Mar 30, 2018
The Washington Wizards are falling out of the running for homecourt advantage in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs with losses in four of the last five games, but getting John Wall up to speed again might be more important. The Wizards hope to have Wall on the floor when they host the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday.
Wall, who underwent knee surgery on Jan. 31, is participating in full practices and dressed for Thursday's loss to the Detroit Pistons but did not play. "We just got to continue to move the ball, play defense, run out in transition," Washington small forward Kelly Oubre Jr. told the Washington Post. "John Wall is the fastest, and one of the best point guards in our league. We got to continue to do what we did before he went out, just run in transition and get defensive stops. And move the ball." Wall is expected to return on Saturday with the Wizards now trying to fight off the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks for the sixth spot in the East. The Hornets are on the verge of mathematical elimination from the postseason but were playing well with wins in four straight before dropping a 118-105 decision to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.
TV: 3 p.m. ET, NBATV, FS Southeast (Charlotte), NBCS Washington
ABOUT THE HORNETS (34-42): Charlotte may not be going to the playoffs but the team is still going all-out for wins, and All-Star guard Kemba Walker is making franchise history. Walker was emotional on Wednesday after he passed Dell Curry for first place on the franchise's all-time scoring list in front of the home fans, reaching 9,841 points. "I wanted this for the people who have seen me grow as a basketball player," Walker told reporters. "I wouldn't have gotten that same ovation in Washington. I wanted them to be the ones."
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (41-34): Wall was averaging 19.4 points and 9.3 assists when he went down, and the team could use a boost on offense after failing to score more than 100 points in four of the last five contests. "Obviously we know we're going to be in the playoffs," guard Jodie Meeks told the Washington Post. "I think we're ready. We get John back Saturday. Obviously, he'll be on a little minute restriction, but he's our best player. We get him back and get everybody acclimated to getting his rhythm back, I think it will be helpful." Bradley Beal carried the load in Wall's absence but is just 3-of-18 from 3-point range over the last three games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Wizards SF Otto Porter Jr. (ankle) left Thursday's game but had x-rays come back clean and is day-to-day.
2. Hornets C Dwight Howard recorded a double-double in eight of his last nine games.
3. Charlotte averaged 128 points in winning each of the first three meetings this season.
PREDICTION: Wizards 109, Hornets 105
Preview: Pistons at Knicks
Gracenote
Mar 30, 2018
The Detroit Pistons buried themselves in the Eastern Conference playoff race with a recent 3-13 stretch, but they seem intent on finishing strong. The Pistons aim for their fourth consecutive victory when they visit the New York Knicks on Saturday.
A 3-0 homestand - capped by Thursday's 103-92 win over Washington - gave Detroit a 5-1 mark since that earlier 16-game swoon and kept the squad within five games of eighth-place Milwaukee with seven to play. Andre Drummond produced 24 points and 23 rebounds in the victory over the Wizards for his fifth consecutive double-double. "Obviously, 24 and 23 is incredible, but that doesn't tell you how good he really was," Detroit coach Stan Van Gundy told reporters. "He was so active on both ends of the floor that he changed the game." The Knicks are coming off a loss at Philadelphia and begin a five-game homestand with an 18-18 mark at Madison Square Garden.
TV: 5 p.m. ET, FS Detroit, MSG (New York)
ABOUT THE PISTONS (35-40): Thursday's victory came without power forward Blake Griffin, who was a late scratch due to an ankle contusion and underwent an MRI, with the results due Friday. Point guard Reggie Jackson continues to progress in his return from a 37-game layoff due to an ankle injury, going for 13 points and eight assists in 28 minutes versus Washington. "Reggie still doesn't have his legs back -- he played 28 minutes tonight and he was really tired -- but we were able to go back to running that offense," Van Gundy told the media. "He had eight assists, but if you look at the passes he made where we missed shots, he could have had even more."
ABOUT THE KNICKS (27-49): One of the few remaining dramas as New York plays out the string is the fluctuating situation in the backcourt, as young guards fight to be a part of the franchise's plans going forward. Trey Burke recently took the starting job from Emmanuel Mudiay, but that latter was outstanding in Wednesday's 118-101 loss to the 76ers with 22 points in 25 minutes off the bench. "He just was on the attack," coach Jeff Hornacek told reporters of Mudiay after the loss. "He made some plays. He's got the ball handling ability to get in on the pick and rolls and hold guys off. He's able to hold guys off and then make shots. He's trying the best he can. I don't think his mentality is any different from when he was starting. He's just trying to play hard."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Drummond averaged 19.5 points on 63 percent shooting with 13.5 rebounds as Detroit took the first two meetings.
2. Pistons PF Anthony Tolliver scored 14 points starting in place of Griffin on Thursday and is averaging 18 over his last three contests to raise his season mark to 8.1.
3. Burke averaged 26.3 points and seven assists over his first three starts.
PREDICTION: Pistons 106, Knicks 104
Preview: Raptors at Celtics
Gracenote
Mar 30, 2018
The Boston Celtics have weathered a storm of injuries and somehow kept alive their chances at claiming the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. They can make that race much more interesting with a win over the first-place Toronto Raptors, who visit Boston on Saturday.
Jaylen Brown's game-winning 3-pointer at Utah on Wednesday capped a 4-0 road trip for the Celtics, who have won five in a row overall and are three games behind the Raptors with seven to play - including a matchup between the rivals in Toronto next week. "Celtics fans know that we come back from behind, we don't get too wound up, and we're resilient," Brown told reporters after his last-second shot. "And I think that's just the whole undertone of the whole season: resiliency, and I think that's going to take us far." The Raptors exchanged losses and wins since an 11-game winning streak and capped a 2-1 homestand with a 114-110 win over Denver on Tuesday. The Celtics won the first meeting in Boston by a point before the Raptors claimed the second matchup in Toronto by 20.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBATV, Sportsnet One (Toronto), NBCS Boston
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (55-20): Toronto moved within one victory of matching the franchise record of 56 set two seasons ago after a balanced attack topped Denver, and it is welcoming the intensity of the race with the Celtics. "No question, somebody chasing you, pushing you, you feel the footsteps behind you," coach Dwane Casey told reporters. "I think it will help us going into the playoffs, that mentality, keeping that edge. I thought the last couple years we lost it a little bit. Even without (this tough stretch), we should be looking at the big picture and looking at something that is very important, which is the playoffs." The Raptors visit third-place Cleveland before hosting Boston on Wednesday to begin its final homestand.
ABOUT THE CELTICS (52-23): Brown returned from a concussion just as All-Star teammate Kyrie Irving was undergoing knee surgery and has shown little rust following his six-game layoff. The 21-year-old had 21 points against the Jazz and his game-winner left him 4-for-4 from beyond the arc over the last two games. Al Horford, another injured All-Star, missed the dramatic win with an ankle injury and is day-to-day.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Opponents are averaging 96 points against the Celtics during their five-game run.
2. Raptors SG DeMar DeRozan is 1-for-11 from 3-point range over his last four games.
3. Toronto recorded a season-high 16 blocked shots on Tuesday, including a career high-tying four from point guard Kyle Lowry.
PREDICTION: Celtics 108, Raptors 106
Preview: Nets at Heat
Gracenote
Mar 30, 2018
The Miami Heat are on the verge of clinching a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs but are still battling for seeding as the regular season winds down. The Heat will try to jump into the No. 6 spot when they host the lowly Brooklyn Nets on Saturday.
Miami goes into play on Friday in seventh place in the East, a half-game behind sixth-place Washington, after beating Cleveland and Chicago in the first two of a four-game homestand. The schedule is lining up nicely for the Heat, who play five straight games against teams well out of the race beginning with Thursday's win over the Bulls and continuing with Brooklyn, two straight against last-place Atlanta and a visit to the New York Knicks. “You play a team that’s playing for something different, not necessarily playing for something different, but they’re just in a different place than you are – those can be dangerous games because you get tempted into thinking there’s going to be a knockout punch early,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters. “You have to expect every game in this league to be a 48-minute game where you’re required to compete and play at a high level." The Nets snapped a three-game slide with a 111-104 win over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday but haven't beaten a team with a current winning record since Jan. 31.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, YES (Brooklyn), FS Sun (Miami)
ABOUT THE NETS (24-51): Brooklyn does not own its first-round draft pick and is not fighting for lottery position, leaving the organization searching for momentum going into the offseason. “(General manager) Sean Marks talked to us after the All-Star break and (coach) Kenny (Atkinson) repeats it to us all the time,” Nets guard Joe Harris told Newsday. “We’re about trying to finish this season the right way. We’re trying to compete and set ourselves up the right way with good momentum going into next season.” Harris is finishing the right way and is 15-of-18 from the floor in the last two games.
ABOUT THE HEAT (41-35): Miami got center Hassan Whiteside (hip) back from a nine-game absence on Thursday and he scored eight points on 3-of-8 shooting in 19 minutes. “His conditioning was a little bit better than I anticipated,” Spoelstra told reporters of Whiteside. “But he’s been doing a lot of work behind the scenes and I thought he was able to play with the pace that we’re playing at. He had four assists. So, we were able to play some offense through him. He made some nice easy plays on handoffs. It’s just good to have him back out there. He clearly gives us something different.” Backup center Bam Adebayo (ankle) returned from a one-game absence and added three points off the bench.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Heat SG Tyler Johnson (ankle) left Thursday's game and is day-to-day.
2. Nets SF DeMarre Carroll recorded four double-doubles in March - his high for any month this season.
3. Brooklyn took the last two meetings, including a 111-87 win at Miami on Dec. 29.
PREDICTION: Heat 103, Nets 100
Preview: Warriors at Kings
Gracenote
Mar 30, 2018
The Golden State Warriors got one of their star players back from injury on Thursday, but he didn't last long as the team suffered its third straight setback. Kevin Durant will try to keep his emotions in check when the Warriors try to snap the slide by visiting the Sacramento Kings on Saturday.
Golden State is still missing Stephen Curry (knee) and Klay Thompson (hand), but Durant (ribs) returned from a six-game absence on Thursday and was ejected late in the second quarter after drawing two technical fouls for arguing with officials. "It's just my emotions and passion for the game," Durant told ESPN.com after Friday's practice session. "After winning that championship (last season), I learned that much hadn't changed. I thought it would fill a certain [void]. It didn't. That's when I realized in the offseason that the only thing that matters is this game and how much work you put into it. Everything else off the court, social media, perception, isn't important. What people say, how they view you, it's not important." The Warriors are locked into the No. 2 spot in the West and are just trying to get healthy and find a rhythm heading into the playoffs. The Kings are fighting for lottery position and dropped three straight and five of their last six games.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, NBCS Bay Area (Golden State), NBCS California (Sacramento)
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (54-21): Durant wasn't the only All-Star to return for Golden State on Thursday as Draymond Green (pelvic contusion, illness) came back after a three-game absence and delivered 11 points and six assists in 28 minutes. Curry's replacement at the starting point guard spot, Quinn Cook, did his best Curry impression in the 116-107 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks by exploding for 30 points on 12-of-15 shooting, including 5-of-5 from 3-point range. Cook is averaging 19.6 points over the last eight games.
ABOUT THE KINGS (24-52): Sacramento is focusing on player development and is seeing signs of growth from center Willie Cauley-Stein. The 24-year-old Kentucky product scored 19 points in Thursday's 106-103 loss to the Indiana Pacers and is 14-of-16 from the floor over the last two games after going 5-of-19 in the previous two. Power forward Skal Labissiere is trying to find some consistency and slumped to two points on 1-of-5 shooting on Thursday after leading the team with 19 points on 8-of-15 in Tuesday's loss to Dallas.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Warriors SF Andre Iguodala (knee) left Thursday's game and is not expected to play Saturday.
2. Kings PF Zach Randolph (illness) sat out the last four games and remains day-to-day.
3. Sacramento snapped a four-game losing streak in the series with a 98-93 win at Golden State on March 16.
PREDICTION: Warriors 109, Kings 98