Welcome to the Second Round! The most exciting and dramatic opening round in NBA Playoff history is finally compete. Sports bettors and handicappers must now quickly focus on Round Two openers that are scheduled Monday and Tuesday Nights. We’ll study how sharps have been betting the two games set for tonight on this report (Washington at Indiana and LA Clippers at Oklahoma City), then we’ll look at the next matched set (Brooklyn at Miami and Portland at San Antonio) when we get together at this time Tuesday.
WASHINGTON AT INDIANA: An opener of Indiana -4.5 has been bet down to -4. Sharps are very skeptical about Indiana’s chances to play well through the rest of the postseason given their struggles with lowly Atlanta in the first round. No interest in the Pacers on the opener. Sharps waited and didn’t see any public love for the Pacers, and decided +4.5 was the best they’d get on the Wizards. Maybe the public will nibble at Indiana -4 between now and tip-off, creating a potential tug-of-war. As of now, sources tell us Washington is the sharp side in this series. Remember that Washington was 3-0 straight up and ATS on the road in the Chicago series, beating the closing number by 13.5, 7.5, and 9 points.
The opening total of 182 has been bet up to 183.5. We’re now starting over…so all the “old school” guys who bet Unders in Games 5-6-7 are on the sideline until next week. Some of those same guys like betting Overs early in a series on the assumption that teams save their most intense defense for later games. That, plus the fact that the math guys made this game 183 has led to Over bets at the market opener.
LA CLIPPERS AT OKLAHOMA CITY: Looks like a tug-of-war shaping up here between Oklahoma City -5 and LA Clippers +5.5 set up by different factions…and by the public’s natural tendency to bet on favorites. Unlike Indiana, OKC is likely to get public interest because they were seen as playing very well late in the regular season, and then when it came time to win their series over Memphis. Sharps largely see this as an even series…but sources tell us some of the Wise guys are waiting until Game Two and beyond to get involved because the Clippers had to travel after a late Saturday Night finish, while OKC stayed at home after an earlier second half cakewalk. Sharp support destined to come the Clippers way will show up later in the series. And, if Chris Paul shows improved movement as he deals with a nagging hamstring injury, that sharp money will come in even stronger later.
The total here has been bet up from an opener of 211 to 212. We hear that the math guys had it at the opener of 211. Matchup (and some old-school) guys bet the Over because both teams push tempo and because they just played to 229 and 247 in what were supposed to be more defensive-minded Game Seven’s. This could end up being a very high scoring series because of a fast pace and the need for referees to call a lot of fouls to keep physical play from getting out-of-control. We hear some sharps will be looking at Overs in each of the first four games.
WASHINGTON AT INDIANA: An opener of Indiana -4.5 has been bet down to -4. Sharps are very skeptical about Indiana’s chances to play well through the rest of the postseason given their struggles with lowly Atlanta in the first round. No interest in the Pacers on the opener. Sharps waited and didn’t see any public love for the Pacers, and decided +4.5 was the best they’d get on the Wizards. Maybe the public will nibble at Indiana -4 between now and tip-off, creating a potential tug-of-war. As of now, sources tell us Washington is the sharp side in this series. Remember that Washington was 3-0 straight up and ATS on the road in the Chicago series, beating the closing number by 13.5, 7.5, and 9 points.
The opening total of 182 has been bet up to 183.5. We’re now starting over…so all the “old school” guys who bet Unders in Games 5-6-7 are on the sideline until next week. Some of those same guys like betting Overs early in a series on the assumption that teams save their most intense defense for later games. That, plus the fact that the math guys made this game 183 has led to Over bets at the market opener.
LA CLIPPERS AT OKLAHOMA CITY: Looks like a tug-of-war shaping up here between Oklahoma City -5 and LA Clippers +5.5 set up by different factions…and by the public’s natural tendency to bet on favorites. Unlike Indiana, OKC is likely to get public interest because they were seen as playing very well late in the regular season, and then when it came time to win their series over Memphis. Sharps largely see this as an even series…but sources tell us some of the Wise guys are waiting until Game Two and beyond to get involved because the Clippers had to travel after a late Saturday Night finish, while OKC stayed at home after an earlier second half cakewalk. Sharp support destined to come the Clippers way will show up later in the series. And, if Chris Paul shows improved movement as he deals with a nagging hamstring injury, that sharp money will come in even stronger later.
The total here has been bet up from an opener of 211 to 212. We hear that the math guys had it at the opener of 211. Matchup (and some old-school) guys bet the Over because both teams push tempo and because they just played to 229 and 247 in what were supposed to be more defensive-minded Game Seven’s. This could end up being a very high scoring series because of a fast pace and the need for referees to call a lot of fouls to keep physical play from getting out-of-control. We hear some sharps will be looking at Overs in each of the first four games.