What You Need To Know To Lose Your Bets
The NBA Playoffs are upon us, and if you’re an action junky like me, looking to recoup your losses after a BRUTAL NCAA tournament (effin’ Florida Atlantic), then this is not the place to go. I can almost assure you that somehow, someway, I will lose our money.
Because we’re now in this together. By reading this, you have just tied yourself to me for the rest of the NBA Playoffs. Legally.
You’re welcome.
Friday night concludes the final round of the NBA’s “Play-In” tournament where the winners will get to slide into the final spot as the Eastern & Western Conferences “8-seed”. With both home teams losing the 9th v. 10th games (NO-West/TOR-East) last night, including a massive comeback in the CHI v. TOR led by the Bulls’ Zack LeVine (39 pts) & Demar DeRozan (23 pts), and LAL & ATL punching their 7-seed tickets Tues. night, the match-ups tomorrow look like this:
*The Miami Heat (44-28, 27-14 Home) will host the Chicago Bulls (40-42, 18-23 Away)
(MIA -5.5, o/u 208.5)
*The Minnesota Timberwolves (42-40, 22-19 Home) will host the Oklahoma City Thunder (40-42, 16-25 Away)
(MIN -5.5, o/u 227.5)
The Southeast Division champion Miami Heat are fresh off the home loss Tuesday against division rival Atlanta Hawks (41-41), who swiped the 7-seed in the process. The Chicago Bulls, on the other hand, are coming off an avalanche of a comeback north of the border, out-scoring the Toronto Raptors (41-41) 37-24 in the 4th quarter to clinch their spot to advance as the 8-seed this Friday
***If this is confusing at all, don’t worry. You’re not an idiot. In an effort to make more money, the NBA made the playoffs more complicated than ever. It’s bad enough they make the first round of the actual playoffs a seven-game series. Eventually, every team will get a spot. The fleecing will be endless***.
My take: CHI covers +5.5 / OVER, MIN covers -5.5 / UNDER
CHI cruises against a banged-up MIA who have stars Jimmy Butler & Kyle Lowry listed on today’s injury report as “doubtful”. Vucevic is going to man-handle a Bam Adebayo who hasn’t made the jump the pundits predicted. Plus, LeVine & DeRozan can torch on any given night.
MIN will edge OKC in a close game, separated by missed shots & free-throws in the last 1:30 of the 4th. While MIN will miss the rebounding & rim-protecting of Gobert (listed as “doubtful”), I think the over-achieving comes to an end for an OKC team ahead of schedule.
But if I’m being completely honest, I’ll be cheering against my bet in the second game. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a straight baller, and my boy Lugentz Dortz aka Lugie Howser is repping my alma mater. And after an upset in New Orleans against a Pelicans team (42-40, 27-14 Home) who nearly made a Cinderella run in the playoffs last year (taking #1 seed PHX to 7 games), sharp money isn’t completely steering clear of an OKC upset.
LOCK PARLAY BET:
CHI +5.5 / MINvOKC: Under 228
+264