Tag: Indiana Pacers

NBA Playoffs & MLB Value Bets for Wednesday, April 17

By: Al Walsh – Follow him on Twitter @14AdotWalsh

NBA Playoffs

[7:10 p.m. EST] Under 207 – Indiana Pacers at Boston Celtics

The second-highest SK Trend Confidence of the night for NBA is the under on tonight’s game between the Celtics and Pacers. Neither team shot the ball well in Boston’s 84-74 victory in Game 1 on Sunday, and we’re probably going to see more of the same since both teams were solid on the defensive end during the regular season – Indiana ranked third in defensive efficiency while Boston was sixth.

This could also be a game that the Celtics simply run away with, leaving the Pacers in the dust. Indy did fine, in terms of scoring points without Victor Oladipo most the season, but the playoffs are a much different game – especially with Brad Stevens coaching a focused Boston team.

The 207 total that Vegas placed on this game seems to tell the story beforehand, just as the 210.5 total did in Game 1.

[9:40 p.m. EST] Under 214 – Utah Jazz at Houston Rockets

Well, the SK Trend Confidence isn’t liking too many points in the NBA tonight, as the highest grade of the slate belongs to the under in tonight’s game between the Jazz and Rockets. Game 1 of this series wasn’t even close, a 32-point Houston victory, but I wouldn’t expect the same to go down tonight. Utah is incredibly well-coached and plays a very stingy brand of defense. Look for them to make the necessary adjustments and give James Harden & Co. a tougher time than usual scoring the basketball.

Although Game 1 was a much different story, the Jazz did hold the Rockets under 100 points in three of the four regular-season meetings. The only game which Utah did not, Houston scored 102 points.

On a side note, I do think the Jazz cover the 6.5-point spread and possibly, even win outright.

MLB Value Bets

[7:10 p.m. EST] Baltimore Orioles at Tampa Bay Rays (-1.5, -128)
BAL: David Hess – R (1-2, 3.32 ERA)
TB: Ryne Stanek – R (0-0, 2.16 ERA)

I’m a big fan of taking the Rays when it’s one of their patented “bullpen games.” Reason being, they can play their best hand in most individual matchups, whereas your typical starter could get knocked around for the first few innings. Ryne Stanek will typically go one or two innings and then hand it over to the bullpen that has the seventh-best ERA (3.53) in MLB. Not to mention, Tampa Bay’s bullpen ranks in the top-five of most fancy analytic numbers that bore most people to death – not me.

After a slow start, the Rays’ offense now has at least eight runs in four of the last six games and that should play well against David Hess, who has allowed four homers and seven runs over his last 10 2/3 innings of work. If Hess can’t stay in the game long enough, Tampa Bay will have the benefit of facing Baltimore’s bullpen, which ranks dead-last for ERA (6.96) in the American League this season and second-worst in all of MLB.

The Rays’ -270 moneyline is a bit more than most people would be willing to lay, so going with the 1.5-run line lessens that quite a bit.

* Final Score Prediction: Tampa Bay Rays: 8 – Baltimore Orioles: 3 *

 [7:20 p.m. EST] Arizona Diamondbacks at Atlanta Braves (-1.5, +118)
ARZ: Zack Godley – R (1-1, 7.41 ERA)
ATL: Kevin Gausman – R (1-1, 2.84 ERA)

The Braves’ offense looks dialed in at the moment, with 44 runs in their last seven games. Tonight’s matchup against Zack Godley is a nice one, considering he has allowed 15 runs (14 earned) in 17 innings of work. Atlanta’s -160 moneyline matches its second-highest of the season, thus illuminating how much of a great spot they’re in.

Freddie Freeman, Ender Inciarte and Nick Markakis are a combined 11-for-26 (.423 avg.) lifetime against Godley. It’s also worth noting that Arizona’s bullpen has the second-worst ERA (6.04) in the National League and fourth-worst in all of MLB.

Kevin Gausman goes for the Braves, and while he didn’t have his best stuff in that last outing against the Mets, this is a guy that is capable of shutting any team down on a given night. I’ll place my faith in a talented pitcher more often than not and feel like he can at least do enough to keep the D-Backs down for most of the night.

Going with the +118 1.5-run line, you’re able to make a small profit, as opposed to shelling out more on the moneyline to earn less.

* Final Score Prediction: Atlanta Braves: 9 – Arizona Diamondbacks: 4 *

NBA Betting Preview for Friday, April 5

By Al Walsh – Follow him on Twitter @14AdotWalsh

Get ready for another exciting night of NBA hoops! The Spread Knowledge top value plays of the night are listed below. However, because they are such heavy favorites on the moneyline, we’re only advising you to take them as an extra caveat to add to your parlays:

  • Los Angeles Lakers at Los Angeles Clippers (-667 ML)
  • New York Knicks at Houston Rockets (-2500 ML)

[7:10 p.m. EST] Under 226.5 – Atlanta Hawks (+342 ML) at Orlando Magic

There’s no getting around it, but the Orlando Magic need to win, as they currently sit in the final spot of the Eastern Conference playoff race. This is the final time that Orlando will have a regular season game on its home court, so the level of importance doesn’t even need to be described.

However, the SK value system loves the moneyline number on the Atlanta Hawks, who have been quite pesky down the stretch with outright wins over the 76ers (twice), Bucks and Jazz. Hawks point guard Trae Young is still trying to make one last heroic attempt at winning the NBA Rookie of the Year award and he can certainly make life difficult on the Magic defense.

While it is true that Orlando hit four straight overs, 216 has been the highest total over that stretch. Granted, Atlanta’s NBA-leading pace and lackluster defense are the reasons we see a 226.5 total tonight, but that just lends more optimism that the Hawks come in and pull off the upset win. In fact, two of the three Hawks-Magic matchups have gone under tonight’s total.

[8:10 p.m. EST] Under 213 – Boston Celtics at Indiana Pacers

These two teams just faced off last Friday and now they’ll do battle once again. The term “battle” is an understatement, as they both have the same record and find themselves jockeying for homecourt advantage in their eventual first-round playoff matchup. The Boston Celtics do hold the head-to-head tiebreaker but a win for the Indiana Pacers would be monumental here.

The one lean the SK value system has is Under 213 points in the game, mainly because of the importance of defense in this matchup, as Indiana ranks third in defensive efficiency and Boston ranks sixth. Not to mention, the two teams just saw each other and will likely have their best defensive efforts on deck.

[10:10 p.m. EST] New Orleans Pelicans (-130) at Phoenix Suns

The SK value system has quite the knack for pointing out these late-season NBA games that have absolutely no meaning whatsoever in the standings. However, the amount of key players the Phoenix Suns are missing is just too large to ignore. Granted, the New Orleans Pelicans will be missing Anthony Davis but that seems like a blip on the radar, consider the Suns are missing Devin Booker, DeAndre Ayton and T.J. Warren.

Look for the Pelicans B-team to get the win over the Suns C-team.

[10:40 p.m. EST] Portland Trail Blazers (+236 ML) at Denver Nuggets

In what would be a dazzling upset win, the SK value system loves the Portland Trail Blazers to go on the road and get the outright W over the Denver Nuggets. The Trail Blazers have won 11 of their 13 games while the Nuggets have been a very Jekyll-and-Hyde sort of team, going 3-4 over the last seven. Denver has won each of the previous two meetings versus Portland this season by a combined four points. Not to mention, these two teams will face each other in their next game on Sunday – time for the Trail Blazers to get busy and even the score.

NBA Betting Preview for Monday, April 1

Happy April Fools Day, everyone! Don’t worry, no lame jokes about getting fooled here today — just straight 🔥🔥🔥 from the Spread Knowledge system once again.

Make sure you follow us on Twitter (@SKSportsBets) and sign up for our 🚨Live Pick Alerts🚨 under Membership in the upper right-hand corner!

NBA Betting Preview

[7:10 p.m. EST] Detroit Pistons at Indiana Pacers (-5.5/-230 ML)

The SK system is showing a lot more favoritism towards the home team Indiana Pacers, despite them losing seven of their last eight games. We can attribute that to a brutal West coast road trip and when they returned home the schedule didn’t get much easier. It’s certainly worth noting how big of a favorite the Pacers are on the moneyline – tied for fourth-highest on the slate. This is also the front-end of a home-and-home series between the two teams, and that usually bodes well for the home team on either end. Look for the Pacers to get back on the good foot tonight, and then we’ll likely have a nice lean on the Detroit Pistons when the two teams meet again on Wednesday.

[7:40 p.m. EST] Chicago Bulls (+3.5/+144 ML) at New York Knicks

Yikes! If this game was played in the 90s, we might have more interest in putting this game on our TVs. However, it’s the 2019 version of the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks – essentially two G-League teams going at one another. While Chicago hasn’t been winning a lot of games lately, that’s because they have been playing some stiff competition. Not tonight, though, as the Bulls will be taking on the Knicks, who own the NBA’s worst record and find themselves in prime position for Zion Williamson with the No. 1 pick. New York has lost 14 of its last 15 games, so the SK system likes the Bulls to keep this one competitive and even get the win tonight.

[8:10 p.m. EST] Portland Trail Blazers (-3.5/-164 ML) at Minnesota Timberwolves 

A lot of people, including myself, had written off the Portland Trail Blazers when Jusuf Nurkic suffered that horrific tibia and fibula injury. Well, Portland has now won two of the last three games, with the only loss coming on the back-end of a back-to-back on Saturday night against the Detroit Pistons. The Minnesota Timberwolves have been mathematically eliminated from the playoff race and don’t have much to play for here in April. On the contrary, the Trail Blazers currently sit in the No. 4 spot of the Western Conference and could move to No. 3 with a win tonight because of their head-to-head tie-breaker over the Houston Rockets. The SK system’s top value play of the night is Portland getting the win outright, with the second-best being them covering the 3.5-point spread. How’s that for conviction?

[9:10 p.m. EST] Charlotte Hornets at Utah Jazz (-11.5/-650 ML)

The Charlotte Hornets came out to the West coast with hopes of staying in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, but things have suddenly gone awry and their defense is mostly to blame. In Friday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers they allowed 129 points while allowing another 137 in a 47-point loss to the Golden State Warriors last night. Congratulations, Charlotte – now you get to face the Utah Jazz in one of the toughest road environments in the NBA. The SK system and anyone who has ever watched basketball know the Jazz are a solid play against the spread tonight. Utah has won nine of its last 10 games, including each of its last five at home by an average of 15.6 points.

College Basketball and NBA Betting Preview for Saturday, March 30

It’s Saturday night and I know that you’re feeling alright! There are two pivotal games in the Elite 8 tonight for college basketball but don’t you forget about those professional ballplayers now, ya hear? Plenty of matchups on the Saturday docket with playoff implications on the line. Let’s take a look at what the Spread Knowledge system likes above all…

By the way, don’t forget to sign up for our 🚨Live Pick Alerts🚨 sent directly via or email or text!

COLLEGE BASKETBALL BETTING PREVIEW

[6:10 p.m. EST] Gonzaga (-4) vs. Texas Tech

The Gonzaga Bulldogs bring the nation’s top offensive efficiency rating into today’s Elite 8 matchup and the Texas Tech Red Raiders will be waiting there with the nation’s top defensive efficiency rating. Defense might win championships, but the SK system doesn’t think it’ll win this game between the two heavyweights. This is Gonzaga’s third trip to the Elite 9 in the last five seasons and they have a defense that can be quite daunting at times as well. All in all, that will be the difference in the Bulldogs getting the win and covering the spread.

[8:50 p.m. EST] Virginia (-4.5) vs. Purdue

Defense must be the theme of the evening as UVA Cavaliers take on the Purdue Boilermakers. The SK system likes UVA to overcome its first-round misfortunes from last season and move on to the Final Four. The Cavaliers have held their opponents to an average of only 52 points per game during the NCAA Tournament and tonight’s main task will be suffocating Purdue’s Carsen Edwards and Ryan Cline. Look for UVA to get the job done and do so in convincing fashion.

NBA BETTING PREVIEW

[6:10 p.m. EST] Under 228 – Sacramento Kings at Houston Rockets (-526 ML)

The SK system gives us one of its famous double-dips again with the Houston Rockets and under the total of 228. These Rockets are absolutely rolling at the moment, winning 15 of their last 18 games, and will have a chance to move up to the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. As for the under in this game – well, you’re in good hands there. Houston games have gone under the total in 15 of its last 19, and as the Rockets start inching toward the playoffs, defense is the one thing they’ll be focusing on more than anything. Look for the Rockets to win this game while keeping the Kings off the scoreboard.

[7:10 p.m. EST] Under 204.5 – Orlando Magic at Indiana Pacers

This is a big game for both sides here as the Orlando Magic hit the road to take on the Indiana Pacers. Th Magic are a half-game behind the Miami Heat for the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference, while the Pacers would love to crawl back to the No. 4 spot with a win and a Boston Celtics’ loss tonight. Magic games have gone under the total in 12 of the last 16 games, while the Pacers played a tough game in Boston last night. Look for the pace to be slowed down a bit and a lot of energy put on the defensive end for both sides in such an important game.

College Basketball and NBA Betting Preview for Friday, March 29

Welcome back for a fantastic Friday night of hoops in the college and pro games! Just as we said yesterday, it’s a great night to put a butt groove in your favorite seat.  Here’s what the Spread Knowledge system has in store for our fanbase tonight!

College Basketball Betting Preview

[7:09 p.m. EST] Michigan State Spartans (-6) vs. LSU Tigers – played in Washington, DC

The Michigan State Spartans are back in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2015 and they’ll take on an LSU Tigers squad that had to squeak by in each of their first two games of the tournament. The SK system thinks the Tigers’ luck runs out tonight against Sparty, with Tom Izzo and the boys moving on to the Elite 8. LSU failed to cover the spread in those two games and now face a much stiffer test. Michigan State ranks highly in a number of different statistics, including field goal percentage, 3-point percentages, free-throw percentage, offensive rebounding and blocks, so look for them to have a well-rounded performance against LSU en route to victory.

[7:29 p.m. EST] Auburn Tigers (+5.5/+204 ML) vs. UNC Tar Heels – played in Kansas City, MO

It should be a fun night in the CBS studios with Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith having their alma maters matched against each other. But, on the court is where the real action is. The Auburn Tigers got lucky in an opening round win against the New Mexico State Aggies but parlayed that good fate into a second-round clobbering of the Kansas Jayhawks. The SK system likes Auburn to move on to the Elite 8 with an upset win over the North Carolina Tar Heels – as always, if you feel like that’s too much, take the Tigers with the 5.5 points they’re getting. One big loss for UNC could be Nassir Little, who is a true game-time decision with an illness.

Bettors will certainly want to keep an eye for our Live Picks alert during this game, as both teams can put up points in a hurry. If the game gets off to a slow start, you might get a much lower number on the total to take the over. Once again, sign up here for Live Pick alerts!

[9:57 p.m. EST] Kentucky Wildcats (-141 ML) vs. Houston Cougars – played in Kansas City, MO

The Kentucky Wildcats may have P.J. Washington back for this game and would welcome him back with welcome arms. With Washington in the lineup, Kentucky’s offensive metrics are through the roof compared to when he’s absent. Granted, there could be some problems integrating him back into the offense, but it was clear that the Wildcats missed the versatility that Washington brings to the team in their second-round win against Wofford. Kentucky will especially need his presence to improve its 3-point shooting against a Houston Cougars team that defends the arc as well as any team in the nation. All in all, the SK system is in favor of a well-rounded Kentucky team, on the moneyline, that could potentially have its best player back in the lineup.

NBA Betting Preview

[7:10 p.m.] Under 213.5 – Indiana Pacers at Boston Celtics

It’s a HUGE matchup tonight as the Indiana Pacers travel to Beantown for a date with the Boston Celtics. Currently, the Pacers have a one-game lead on the Celtics, and this is the first of two meetings between these two teams in a span of eight days. It’s also worth noting, Indiana games have gone under the total in 11 of its last 13. The SK system likes another under, in what should be a hard-fought game between two teams playing for home-court advantage in a series that’ll likely be against each other.

[8:10 p.m.] Under 228.5 – Golden State Warriors (-9.5/-500 ML) at Minnesota Timberwolves

This is a nice combo-play that the SK system loves tonight with the Golden State Warriors over the Minnesota Timberwolves and the under in the game. The Warriors actually just played in Minnesota 10 days ago and won by 10 with the total falling at 224, which resulted in the under hitting. These T-Wolves are well out of the playoff race while the Warriors have a No. 1 seed to clinch. Look for Golden State to take care of business tonight and put its competition out of commission early.

[10:40 p.m.] Charlotte Hornets (-135 ML) at Los Angeles Lakers

In what is SK system’s top pick of the night, the Charlotte Hornets are in an advantageous position against the uninspired Los Angeles Lakers. Charlotte has made an incredible run down the stretch and now find themselves only 1.5 games away from the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference. The Hornets certainly need this game considering their schedule is quite brutal down the stretch, while the Lakers have no interest in winning whatsoever.

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.