Betting news, trends, odds and predictions for Sunday, March 18, 2018 from various handicappers and websites
Sunday’s NBA
Thunder won three of last four games with Toronto; they’re 3-2 vs spread in last five visits to Canada. Last four series games went over total. Oklahoma City won its last five games; they’re 5-4 as road underdogs. Three of their last four games went over total. Raptors won their last 11 games; under is 7-3 in their last ten games. Toronto is 6-4 vs spread in its last ten games as a home favorite.
Boston won five of last seven games with the Pelicans; they’re 3-2 vs spread in last five visits to New Orleans. Over is 5-3 in their last eight games. Celtics split their last six games; they covered their last six road games. Six of last nine Boston games went over total. New Orleans lost four of its last five games; they’re 6-3 vs spread if they played night before, 2-6 in last eight games as a home favorite. Over is 6-2 in their last eight home games.
Rockets won nine of last ten games with Minnesota (4-6 vs spread); they’re 2-2 vs spread in last four visits to the Twin Cities. Over is 7-3 in last ten series games. Houston won 21 of its last 22 games; they’re 8-3 vs spread in last 11 road games, 4-5 vs spread if they played night before. Last six Rocket games stayed under. Timberwolves lost four of their last six games; they’re 2-3 as home underdogs. Over is 7-4 in their last 11 games.
Clippers won four of last five games with Portland; three of last four series games stayed under. Trailblazers are 3-2 vs spread in last five series games played here. Portland won its last 11 games, covered its last nine; they’re 11-6-1 as road underdogs. Under is 7-3 in last 10 Portland games. Clippers split their last six games; they’re 4-6 vs spread in last 10 games as home faves. Over is 5-3 in their last eight games.
ATS TREND OF THE DAY:
-- The Thunder are 0-10 ATS (-10.15 ppg) off a win after allowing 50-plus points in the paint.
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OU TREND OF THE DAY:
-- The Celtics are 11-0 OU (9.86 ppg) as a favorite with rest off a road game in which they shot under 40% from the field.
PLAYER TREND OF THE DAY:
-- The Pelicans are 12-0 ATS (9.25 ppg) as a home dog after Anthony Davis had a negative plus/minus last game.
CHOICE TREND:
-- The Trail Blazers are 10-0-1 ATS (8.45 ppg) with no rest off a game as a favorite.
ACTIVE TRENDS:
-- The Rockets are 11-0 ATS (9.82 ppg) on the road off a win in which James Harden had more than 30 points.
-- The Thunder are 0-11-1 OU (-16.54 ppg) as a road dog with less than two days rest after playing as a home favorite.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Toronto Raptors Preview and Predictions 03-18-2018
17th March 2018 by Gracenote
The Toronto Raptors are winners of 11 in a row and are pulling away from the Boston Celtics in the race for the No. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference. The Raptors will try to make it a franchise-record 12 straight at the expense of a team in a much tighter race when they host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday.
Toronto is 18-1 over its last 19 games and sits five games ahead of the Celtics in the East after scraping by the Dallas Mavericks 122-115 in overtime on Friday. "It's cool," Raptors All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan told reporters of the winning streak. "But I think we're all looking at it like we've got a bigger goal in hand. As long as we're playing well and we're figuring out how to pull through adversity. Every game's not going to be pretty, but as long as we're figuring out how to win and doing it the right way, that's all that matters to me." The Thunder are sitting in the No. 4 spot in the West but are only three games ahead of the ninth-place Denver Nuggets entering play on Saturday. Oklahoma City knocked off one of the teams trying to climb in the West with a 121-113 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday, pushing its winning streak to five straight.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, FS Oklahoma, TSN 1/3/4 (Toronto)
ABOUT THE THUNDER (42-29): Friday's game marked the start of a stretch of 11 straight against teams with winning records, including the current road trip that pits Oklahoma City against the top two teams in the East with a trip to Boston on Tuesday. The Thunder feel better about their chances since adding veteran small forward Corey Brewer to the mix, and the team is 5-2 since adding him to the roster. "When you got a guy that you know is out there doing everything he can to get extra possessions and energize the team, it's contagious," forward Paul George told reporters of Brewer, who collected 22 points and six steals on Friday. "We definitely feel it. We feel that energy, and you gotta match it."
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (52-17): DeRozan carried a bigger load on Friday with fellow All-Star Kyle Lowry getting the night off and responded with 29 points, including the go-ahead basket. DeRozan is averaging 26.5 points over the last two games after slumping to an average of 12 in the previous two contests. Center Jonas Valanciunas stepped up as well with 21 points and 12 rebounds against the Mavericks and is averaging 18.8 points and 12.4 rebounds over the last five contests.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Thunder PG Russell Westbrook recorded a triple-double in each of the last four games.
2. Raptors SF OG Anunoby (ankle) returned from an eight-game absence on Friday and managed four points in 19 minutes.
3. Westbrook collected 30 points and 13 assists in a 124-107 home win over Toronto on Dec. 27.
PREDICTION: Thunder 120, Raptors 115
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Boston Celtics vs. New Orleans Pelicans Preview and Predictions 03-18-2018
18th March 2018 by Gracenote
The Boston Celtics got back one of several injured players while snapping a two-game slide in Orlando, but they figure to remain short-handed when they visit the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday. Kyrie Irving (knee) has missed two straight contests while fellow starting guard Jaylen Brown (concussion) has no timetable for a return, and with the Celtics comfortably in second place in the Eastern Conference, there is no rush for either player to come back.
All-Star Al Horford did manage to return from an illness to produce 15 points and nine rebounds in Friday's 92-83 win over the Magic as Boston won its third straight on the road. "It wasn't pretty," Celtics coach Brad Stevens told reporters after his team held Orlando to 39.1 percent shooting. "We obviously didn't make a ton of shots, but our defense was pretty darn good." Despite receiving 26 points and 13 rebounds from Anthony Davis, the Pelicans dropped a 107-101 home decision to Houston on Saturday and remain in a tight eight-team race for six playoff spots in the Western Conference. Davis scored 45 points to lead New Orleans to a 116-113 overtime triumph at Boston on Jan. 16, evening the all-time series at 17 wins apiece.
TV: 6 p.m. ET, NBCS Boston, FS New Orleans
ABOUT THE CELTICS (47-22): Terry Rozier has made the most of his opportunities when Irving has been out this season and is averaging 19.4 points in five starts after scoring 17 at Orlando. "I'm just not even thinking about it," Rozier told reporters. "I'm going out there and having a lot of fun and just playing the right way. My coaches and my teammates do a great job of just giving me that confidence and letting me build off of it." Shane Larkin also has seen his playing time increase with Irving out and is averaging 10.5 points while making 3-of-4 3-pointers over his last two games.
ABOUT THE PELICANS (39-30): Alvin Gentry became the latest coach to criticize the officiating after railing against the referees following Saturday's loss - particularly as it relates to Davis, who attempted just four free throws in 36 minutes. "AD, he never gets a call," Gentry told reporters. "You know why? Because he doesn't (moan) and complain about it ... You can't guess on plays when teams are playing for playoff spots." Gentry chose to rest point guard Rajon Rondo, who registered 17 assists and five steals against Charlotte on Tuesday, in the opener of New Orleans' back-to-back set.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Celtics C Greg Monroe has averaged 16.5 points over his last two contests while making 14-of-17 shots.
2. Davis has recorded at least a double-double in 10 of his last 11 games.
3. Boston rookie SF Abdel Nader has scored in double digits in each of his last two games after doing so just once in his first 33 contests.
PREDICTION: Pelicans 109, Celtics 108
Houston Rockets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves Preview and Predictions 03-18-2018
18th March 2018 by Gracenote
The Houston Rockets are inching closer to locking down the top spot in the Western Conference and hope to stay hot with a visit to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday. A 107-101 win at New Orleans on Saturday gave the Rockets 21 wins in their last 22 games and a 2 1/2-game lead on second-place Golden State, and the team defense has been key of late.
"Our defense, holding them to 101, that's a very potent offensive team," coach Mike D'Antoni told reporters in New Orleans. James Harden poured in 32 points to go along with 11 rebounds and eight assists in Saturday's win as Houston moved within three victories of matching the franchise record accomplished in 1993-94. While the Rockets are comfortable atop the heap, the Timberwolves are just two games clear of the ninth-place team in the West after dropping a 117-101 decision at San Antonio on Saturday. Minnesota is 26-8 at home - including 18-2 against conference opponents - but fell 126-108 against Houston at the Target Center on Feb. 13.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBATV, AT&T SportsNet Southwest (Houston), FS North (Minnesota)
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (55-14): New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry turned a few heads when he told reporters pregame Saturday that Harden was the league MVP instead of his own superstar and MVP contender Anthony Davis. Harden then went out and recorded his 23rd 30-point game of the season, while Chris Paul chipped in 21 points and added three steals to become the 12th player in NBA history with at least 2,000. "We could've been a little better down the stretch as far as giving up easy baskets," Paul told reporters. "Probably could've executed a little better but we'll take the win."
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (40-30): Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 23 points in the loss to San Antonio while draining his only two 3-point tries, making the All-Star 5-of-5 from beyond the arc over his last two games. Andrew Wiggins topped the 20-point mark for the seventh time in a nine-game stretch while matching his season high with five assists. The 23-year-old was held to seven points on 2-of-14 shooting - including 0-of-5 from 3-point range - the last time the Rockets came to town.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Timberwolves PG Jeff Teague has 31 assists and three turnovers over his last four contests.
2. Rockets C Clint Capela collected nine blocked shots in the last two contests.
3. Houston took each of the last five meetings.
PREDICTION: Rockets 111, Timberwolves 105
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Portland Trail Blazers vs. Los Angeles Clippers Preview and Predictions 03-18-2018
18th March 2018 by Gracenote
The Los Angeles Clippers will try to snap an ill-timed two-game losing streak against a team that hasn't lost in over a month when they host the red-hot Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday. While the Blazers are enjoying a 12-game winning streak that has helped solidify their playoff chances amid a tight Western Conference race, the Clippers have fallen off the pace with their consecutive losses.
Los Angeles turned it over 23 times in a sloppy 121-113 setback at Oklahoma City on Friday and sit 1 1/2 games out of a playoff spot. "That was pretty much the name of the game for us for why they were able to come away with the victory. We turned it over too many times," forward Tobias Harris, who led the Clippers with 24 points, told the media. "You got to give them credit too. They were able to capitalize off those turnovers." The Blazers' winning streak is tied for the third-longest in franchise history and four shy of the team record. Their 100-87 win over Detroit on Saturday left them two games ahead of Oklahoma City in the race for third place in the East.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, NBATV, NBCS Northwest (Portland), FS Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (43-26): Damian Lillard shot 6-of-19 from the floor against Detroit but still managed to get to 24 points - the 10th time in the past 11 games he has reached that mark. Jusuf Nurkic had 14 points and 20 rebounds in a 104-96 victory at Los Angeles on Jan. 30. Portland has done much of its damage of late at home and Saturday's win capped a 5-0 stay at the Moda Center, but eight of the next 12 contests take place on the road and two of the four home games in that stretch come against NBA-leading Houston and Eastern Conference contender Boston.
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (37-31): Los Angeles begins a four-game road trip at Minnesota on Tuesday and plays six of seven away from home overall after it is finished with Portland. Austin Rivers added 23 points in the loss to Oklahoma City while Lou Williams had 18 but missed all four of his 3-point tries to sink to 1-for-13 from beyond the arc over a three-game stretch. DeAndre Jordan hauled in 21 rebounds Friday night and has collected at least 18 in six consecutive contests.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Blazers head coach Terry Stotts has 266 wins with the team, tied with Nate McMillan for third on the franchise's all-time list.
2. Harris is averaging 20.6 points on 48.6 percent shooting in 18 games with the Clippers after posting 18.1 on 45.1 percent in 48 games with the Pistons prior to being traded to Los Angeles last month.
3. The road team won each of the first two meetings, with Lillard collecting 28 points in Portland's victory at Los Angeles earlier this season.
PREDICTION: Trail Blazers 106, Clippers 104
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