Category: Sports

NBA and NCAAM Betting Preview for Thursday, March 28

Over the next few days, Spread Knowledge will combine the two levels of hoops into one article. It’s all about time consumption in these trying times, folks. The NBA usually only has a few games on the Thursday night schedule but, for whatever reason, they’re trying to go head-to-head against the NCAA Tournament. And this sucks because the NBA game has some excellent matchups tonight with playoff positioning at the forefront. Nonetheless, it’s a great night to make a butt groove in your favorite seat in the house.

Let’s take a look at the top hoops picks from the Spread Knowledge system this evening…

NBA BETTING PREVIEW

[8:05 p.m. EST] Los Angeles Clippers (-9/+342 ML) at Milwaukee Bucks

It’s definitely a longshot but there’s some nice value in taking the LA Clippers, who have won 11 of their last 12 games. The Milwaukee Bucks have won four of their last five, but find themselves in a peculiar spot heading into the NBA Playoffs. Milwaukee owns a four-game lead for the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but injuries to Malcolm Brogdon, Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic may force Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer to be somewhat judicious with the minutes of his key players. Giannis Antetokounmpo has already stated that he wants no part of this limitation, but it’s important to remember that the playoffs are what really matters here. The Clippers are safely in the playoffs, but they’re not too far away from grabbing home-court advantage for the first round. You could make the argument that LA has more at stake tonight and a nine-point spread is somewhat disrespectful to a team as talented as this.

The Spread Knowledge system likes LA on the moneyline, but you could also take the easier route and bet them at +9.

[8:05 p.m. EST] Under 217 – Denver Nuggets at Houston Rockets (-208)

The Houston Rockets have defeated the Denver Nuggets in nine of their last 10 meetings, and the Spread Knowledge system likes them to make it 10 of 11. Houston still has an outside chance of getting the two-seed in the Western Conference, but it’ll need a bit of a collapse from Denver down the stretch – and that doesn’t seem likely at this point. Still, the Rockets are clamoring to get that three-seed and avoid the Golden State Warriors before the Western Conference Finals.

Not only does the SK system like the Rockets in this game tonight, but it is also quite fond of the under on the total. And for good reason, as Houston games have gone under the total in 11 of the last 13 while Denver games have suffered the same fate in 16 of its last 19.

NCAAM BETTING PREVIEW

[7:29 p.m. EST] Tennessee (-2/-149 ML) vs. Purdue – played in Louisville, KY

We’re at the point in the college basketball season where everyone has put together a mini-winning streak, so we have to rely on the numbers and matchups. This is where the Tennessee Volunteers should excel, as they have the advantage in point differential and field goal percentage. Not only that, but Tennessee is just a more athletic team than the Purdue Boilermakers, who have lost in the Sweet 16 round in each of their last two seasons. The Spread Knowledge system endears the Vols on the moneyline in this one, but you could risk less money if you take them with the two-point spread.

[9:39 p.m. EST] Michigan (-1.5/-135 ML) vs. Texas Tech – played in Anaheim, CA

The Michigan Wolverines have been just fine… you know, as long as they’re not playing their rival Michigan State Spartans. In fact, the Wolverines are 8-3 in their last 11 games, with the only three losses coming to those pesky Spartans. Speaking of pesky, that’s exactly what Michigan will be facing in the Texas Tech Red Raiders tonight, who are a mirror image of the tough defensive-minded unit – in terms of adjusted defensive efficiency, Texas Tech is No. 1 and Michigan is No. 2. This is probably why the spread is so low (in favor of Michigan by 1.5 points), but nonetheless, the Spread Knowledge system is in favor of Michigan, who has plenty of experience in playing these high-profile games over the last few seasons.

[9:57 p.m. EST] Oregon (+8.5/+330 ML) vs. Virginia – played in Louisville, KY

These Oregon Ducks are on one helluva run right now, winning 10 straight games en route to landing here in the Sweet 16 against the Virginia Cavaliers. We all know UVA’s stigma – defense, defense, defense, and the Ducks will have to overcome one of the toughest units in the country in order to move on to the Elite 8. It is interesting, though, as Oregon has scored at least 70 points in 10 of its last 11 games, while UVA hasn’t allowed 70 points in each of its last 12 games. Something has to give, and the Spread Knowledge system is quacking in jubilation, going with the Ducks for the upset tonight!

DON’T FORGET ABOUT MLB!!!

We unleashed the MLB portion of the SK Product today and it already produced a win on the over in the Baltimore Orioles-New York Yankees game — depending on what your total was. Some had it at 8.5, some had it at 9. If not, it was a push — no loss of money there.

MLB Opening Day Betting Preview for Thursday, March 28

It’s the most wonderful time of the year – MLB Opening Day!!! Sure, the start of baseball is the true signal that summer and warm weather are right around the corner, but it’s the game that we have missed so much. Sit down and get comfortable, folks — we’ve got 162 of these to get through. Let’s just start with the first day, though. Here are three games that we should all be keeping an eye on today.

MLB Betting Preview for Thursday, March 28 (Opening Day)

[1:05 p.m. EST] Over 9 – Baltimore Orioles at New York Yankees
BAL: Andrew Cashner – R
NYY: Masahiro Tanaka – R

The New York Yankees hit an MLB-record 267 home runs last season, and they’ll look to pick right back up where they left off against Andrew Cashner and the Baltimore Orioles. Cashner went 1-2 with a 4.26 ERA in four starts against the Yanks last season, and he’ll have to deal with a New York lineup that had the second-most homers (49), only one behind the Milwaukee Brewers, during Spring Training. Aaron Judge led the way for the Yanks with six homers, 15 RBI and a 1.394 OPS down in Florida, while Giancarlo Stanton, Gleyber Torres, Troy Tulowitzki, Luke Voit, Greg Bird and Brett Gardner all raked as well. Masahiro Tanaka gets the ball on Opening Day for the Yanks, but he was much less effective at the (un)friendly confines of Yankee Stadium, going 5-5 with a 4.09 ERA in 12 starts there last season. He also allowed a .272 batting average there, compared to .212 on the road. Yankee Stadium is one of the best parks in all of baseball for offense and we should be reminded of that in the first game of the season. The Spread Knowledge system likes the over!

 [4:05 p.m. EST] Houston Astros at Tampa Bay Rays (+120)
HOU: Justin Verlander – R
TBR: Blake Snell – L

In what will likely be the second-best pitching matchup of the day (sorry, deGrom-Scherzer takes the crown), Justin Verlander and Blake Snell will go toe-to-toe at Tropicana Field to open the season. Snell was a remarkable 10-1 with a 1.27 ERA in 14 starts at home last season, and the Spread Knowledge system likes him to pick back up on that string of success and lead the Rays to a win. It won’t come easy, though, as Verlander was 12-2 with a 2.14 ERA in 15 road starts last season. This one will likely come down to the bullpens, in which Tampa Bay may have a slight advantage. Not to mention, Carlos Correa could miss this game with a sore neck and that would be a glaring hole in the Astros’ lineup. The Spread Knowledge system leans in favor of the home team Rays on Opening Day!

Update: Carlos Correa will indeed miss today’s game. 

[4:10 p.m. EST] Colorado Rockies at Miami Marlins (+126)
COL: Kyle Freeland – L
MIA: Jose Urena – R

Kyle Freeland gets the ball for the Colorado Rockies on Opening Day, and it’s worth noting that he has had a better record and ERA at Coors Field in each of his first two MLB seasons. Reason being, he’s from Colorado and grew up learning to pitch in the high altitude. Call it what you will, but Freeland just isn’t the same pitcher away from home. Perhaps the oddsmakers are giving the Miami Marlins the benefit of the doubt on Opening Day, but their +126 moneyline odds to win outright don’t measure up to a team that is supposed to finish last in nearly every category this season. In fact, there are actually four teams with lesser moneyline odds today than the Marlins. The value is there for Miami, especially with Jose Urena on the mound. He has made incredible strides in each of the last two seasons, and the 1.18 WHIP that Urena sported in 2018 is a true testament to how far he has come. The Spread Knowledge system is rolling with MIA in this one!

Don’t forget to check out our NBA and NCAA value picks to be released later today!

NBA Betting Preview for Wednesday, March 27

Welcome back for another night of NBA action! Before we get to tonight’s slate of five games, let’s take a look at how Spread Knowledge did last night:

✅ Under 227 in Houston/Milwaukee
✅ LA Clippers moneyline over Minnesota
✅ Over 233.5 in Washington/LA Lakers
❌ Houston moneyline over Milwaukee
❌ Under 226.5 in Sacramento/Dallas

Don’t forget, tomorrow is MLB Opening Day, so be on the lookout for that betting preview!

NBA Betting Preview for Wednesday, March 27

[8:05 p.m. EST] Portland Trail Blazers (-8.5/-294 ML) at Chicago Bulls – Total: 216.5

The Portland Trail Blazers were dealt a massive blow in Monday’s double-overtime win over the Brooklyn Nets, losing center Jusuf Nurkic for the season to a horrific leg injury – not to mention, C.J. McCollum is already on the shelf with a knee injury. While their championship aspirations have likely capsized, the Trail Blazers should still handle the Chicago Bulls with relative ease tonight. Our system thinks Portland, winners in seven of its last eight games, rally around one another to get the win on the moneyline over Chicago, which has lost nine of its last 12.

* Update: Chicago will be without its four best players tonight – Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen and Otto Porter.

[8:05 p.m. EST] Golden State Warriors (-11/-650 ML) at Memphis Grizzlies – Total: 219.5

Who the heck is this Memphis Grizzlies team trying to make a name for themselves down the stretch? After another season of disappointment, Memphis is 5-1 outright in its last six home games, with wins against current playoff teams – Portland, Utah, Orlando, Houston, OKC. The system’s lean, however, lies in the total going under in this game. That’s probably because Golden State Warriors’ games have had that fate in 13 of their last 15. This is usually the time of the year that Golden State goes through the motions, and The Grindhouse has always presented a stiff challenge for this team over the years.

[8:05 p.m. EST] Indiana Pacers (+6.5/+231 ML) at Oklahoma City Thunder – Total: 217

The Indiana Pacers have slowly been losing their hold on home-court advantage for the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, losing four of their last five games. Meanwhile, Boston Celtics are just 1.5 games behind them for the four-seed, so it would behoove the Pacers to get their act together before the postseason starts in a little more than two weeks. The OKC Thunder have been equally as dreadful down the stretch, losing five of their last six games. Indy did get a narrow 108-106 win over OKC two weeks ago, and our system likes the Pacers to do so once again tonight on the road.

[10:05 p.m. EST] Washington Wizards (-3.5/-128 ML) at Phoenix Suns – Total: 231

The Washington Wizards played last night, so our system feels like they won’t have enough left in the tank to put up enough points tonight. And that’s interesting, considering the Phoenix Suns have the NBA’s second-worst defensive efficiency – the Wizards are no better themselves, sporting the fourth-worst defensive efficiency. The Suns will be missing Josh Jackson, Tyler Johnson and T.J. Warren tonight, so the scoring could be a lot harder to come by at that end of the floor. That, combined with the Wizards playing their second game in as many nights, has the system liking the under.

[10:35 p.m. EST] Los Angeles Lakers at Utah Jazz (-15/-1200 ML) – Total: 217.5

We had the under in the last Utah Jazz game, but absolutely bizarre circumstances from the Phoenix Suns (thanks guys!) prohibited us from getting the win on that bet. That’s alright, now the Jazz owes us one tonight. The Los Angeles Lakers played (and won) last night, but the key here is the absence of LeBron James. He won’t be playing certain games down the stretch, particularly on the back-end of back-to-backs, and that’ll certainly make this Lakers team a shell of themselves on the road in such a hostile Salt Lake City environment. Utah is in “all-business” mode heading towards the postseason, with a 7-1 record over its last eight games. Our system likes the under in this game, so expect the Jazz to hold the Lakers down with relative ease.

NBA Preview for Tuesday, March 26

We’ve got a 10-game slate on the NBA docket with many of the teams still fighting for playoff positioning. The most crucial game of the night takes place down in the Sunshine State as the Miami Heat will host the Orlando Magic in a matchup of teams sitting in the eighth and ninth place of the Eastern Conference. If you’re looking for pure entertainment, look no further than the battle of MVP candidates in the Houston Rockets-Milwaukee Bucks game. Later on, in the Mile High City, the Detroit Pistons will look to hold onto their playoff lives as they’ll face the Denver Nuggets.

Let’s take a look at what the Spread Knowledge system likes tonight…

(8:00 p.m. EST) Houston Rockets (+4/+148 ML) at Milwaukee Bucks – Total: 227

We’ll have a matchup of MVP hopefuls tonight as James Harden and the Houston Rockets hit the road to face Giannis Antetokounmpo and his Milwaukee Bucks on TNT. The Rockets have been rolling, winning 14 of their last 16 games, while the Bucks have been somewhat middling over their last 10 games. Part of the reason for that is that Milwaukee’s depth taking some big hits lately with injuries to Malcolm Brogdon, Nikola Mirotic and Pau Gasol. Because of that, our system likes Houston to grab the win tonight with the total going under. The Rockets are tied for the league’s fourth-slowest pace, so that should help limit what the Bucks do on offense.

(8:00 p.m. EST) Los Angeles Clippers (-2/-128 ML) at Minnesota Timberwolves – Total: 230

The Los Angeles Clippers, winners in 10 of their last 11, hit the road to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves, who have already been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. With the season-ending injury to Jusuf Nurkic, a few of these teams in the Western Conference might be able to leapfrog the Portland Trail Blazers for that coveted four-seed to get home-court advantage for the first round of the playoffs. The Clippers have a golden opportunity tonight against a T-Wolves team that has lost five of their last six games. Our system likes LA to get the win on the moneyline.

(8:30 p.m. EST) Sacramento Kings (-1.5/-122 ML) at Dallas Mavericks – Total: 226.5

This game between the Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks won’t move the needle on the NBA Playoffs. However, our system likes the under on tonight’s game as these two teams just played each other five days ago. There should be plenty of familiarities here, and that could be a key for the Mavs slowing down Kings’ point guard De’Aaron Fox. The Kings’ last three games have gone under the total, while the Mavs’ last two games have had the same fate.

(10:30 p.m. EST) Washington Wizards (+2/+114 ML) at Los Angeles Lakers – Total: 233.5

While the Washington Wizards are still “mathematically alive” we all know the deal – they’re not making the playoffs. Speaking of not making the playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers will continue their ways of going through the motion, just as they have all season. Granted, the 233.5 total is quite large, but we shouldn’t expect either team to put any effort in on the defensive end tonight. Our system likes the over with the Lakers allowing at least 106 points in every game since Jan. 29.

NBA Preview for Monday, March 25th

There are only four games on the NBA docket this evening but plenty of playoff implications on the line. In fact, six of the eight teams on tonight’s schedule have some level of urgency to get a win.

(7:05 p.m. EST) Philadelphia 76ers (-1.5) at Orlando Magic – Total: 219

To start the evening, the Philadelphia 76ers face the Orlando Magic. With the Eastern Conference playoff picture starting to take shape, the Magic are trying to make sure they’re not left out of the race. They currently find themselves one game behind the eighth-place Miami Heat, who will be waiting for Orlando and their monumental showdown tomorrow night. The Magic have gone 4-0 on their current five-game homestand, all against teams with a losing record (Cleveland, Atlanta, New Orleans, Memphis), while the 76ers have a stronghold on the three-seed in the East but did have their six-game winning streak snapped in Atlanta on Saturday night.

It’s interesting to note that the Sixers opened as 4.5-point favorites, but that spread has since plummeted three points down to 1.5 in favor of the visitors. Philly is 2-1 against Orlando this season, with the average margin being five points between the three games. 78 percent of public bets are on the Sixers tonight, perhaps giving some credence to the fact that the Magic have more motivation to win — Our system also thinks so.

(8:05 p.m. EST) Oklahoma City Thunder (-7) at Memphis Grizzlies – Total: 216.5

The Oklahoma City Thunder should be happy to see the Memphis Grizzlies on their schedule, considering they have been winners in nine of the last 10 meetings between the teams – 6-4 against the spread. However, OKC has failed to cover the spread in 12 of its last 16 games, while Memphis is 4-1 outright in its last five games, winning against top-flight teams like Portland, Utah, Orlando and Houston. Our system doesn’t have a specific lean for this game, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Memphis get up for a marquee opponent and keep it close.

(9:05 p.m. EST) Phoenix Suns at Utah Jazz (-15) – Total: 216

The Utah Jazz aren’t in serious jeopardy of losing of their playoff bid, but it would behoove them to keep on their winning ways against a hapless Phoenix Suns team that has the second-worst record in the NBA. And they should, as the Jazz have already defeated the Suns by 28 and 17 points in each of their first two meetings this season. The totals went under in each of those two games, and it’s worth noting that Jazz games have produced the under on totals in 10 of their last 14. Our system likes more of the same tonight, with Utah proving to be ultra-focused defensively on its home floor.

(10:05 p.m. EST) Brooklyn Nets at Portland Trail Blazers (-6.5) – Total: 222.5

This game between the Brooklyn Nets and Portland Trail Blazers could end up being the best one of the night when it’s all said and done. The Trail Blazers could clinch a playoff berth with a win, while the Nets are clinging on to one of the last spots in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Brooklyn has the toughest remaining schedule in the NBA and is currently in the midst of a daunting seven-game road trip that will end on Thursday in Philly. Luckily, the Nets had two full days off prior to tonight’s game.

One thing is for certain – both teams need this game. Sure, Portland will make the playoffs but holding on to home-court advantage for its first-round matchup looms large. Meanwhile, making the playoffs for Brooklyn would mean the world. After three years of losing records and not having control of their own draft pick, the Nets rebuild has certainly been fast-tracked quicker than anyone would have ever imagined. Expect both teams to come out crisp on offense and put up plenty of points.