Sunday's NBA Playoffs betting preview and odds
The four remaining first round series of the NBA Playoffs tip off on Sunday, which includes the beginning of Lebron's quest to advance to the Finals for an eighth consecutive year when he and the Cavs host the Pacers.
Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics (-4, 201.5)
The Boston Celtics endured a regular season filled with injuries and were barely above .500 over the final three months. The second-seeded Celtics hope to turn the page from some trying times when they host the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday in Game 1 of a best-of-seven Eastern Conference first-round series.
ABOUT THE BUCKS (44-38, 34-43-5 ATS, 46-35-1 O/U): Milwaukee is in the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time since 2003 and 2004 and is looking to snap a string of seven straight first-round exits, including a six-game setback against Toronto last spring. "We're a better team than last year, more mature," Antetokounmpo told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "We're older and hopefully we can be focused as a team because I think that's what sometimes lacks on our team. There's some stages of the game that we're not focused. I don't know why that comes to our team, but hopefully this year when we get to the playoffs we can be focused for 48 minutes and do what we got to do and that's getting the job done." The Bucks did not have Jabari Parker in the playoffs last year due to an ACL tear but the 23-year-old forward is all the way back from the injury and averaged 19.5 points in April.
ABOUT THE CELTICS (55-27, 50-30-2 ATS, 43-38-1 O/U): With no Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward and Marcus Smart, Boston will lean heavily on second-year guard Jaylen Brown and rookie Jayson Tatum for scoring, while Terry Rozier - who took over at point guard when Irving was lost for the season - will be trying to prove he can run the show in a more pressure-packed environment. "It sucks to see your brothers go down ... but, like I said, it's not over," Rozier told reporters. "It's not going to be an easy road for our opponents. They still have to go through us. We're ready." Reserve center Greg Monroe, who spent two-plus seasons with the Bucks before being traded to Phoenix in November, has become a key contributor and averaged 13.5 points on 63.3 percent shooting and 7.7 rebounds in April.
SERIES PRICE (PER PINNACLE):
BETTING ACTION AND LINE MOVES: The Celtics opened Game 1 as 3.5-point home favorites and have been bet up slightly to the current number of -4. The total has seen considerably more movement dropping 3.5-points from 205 to 201.5. Despite the downward movement, the Over is getting 52 percent of wagers according to our Covers Consensu. Bettors are giving the edge to the home-side Celtics here, with them seeing 55 percent of wagers. Check out the complete line history here.
INJURY REPORT:
Bucks - No injuries to report.
Celtics - PG T. Rozier (Probable, finger), PG M. Smart (Out, thumb), PG K. Irving (Out, knee), PF D. Theis (Out, knee), SF G. Hayward (Out, ankle).
MATCHUP CHART:
TRENDS:
* Bucks are 4-1 ATS in their last five road games.
* Celtics are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games.
* Over is 9-1 in Bucks last 10 vs. Eastern Conference opponents.
* Over is 4-0 in Celtics last four overall.
* Over is 8-1-1 in the last 10 meetings in Boston.
Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers (-6.5, 212.5)
The Cleveland Cavaliers are hitting the playoffs and trying to earn their fourth consecutive trip to the NBA Finals but will be doing it from an unfamiliar position - fourth place. The Cavaliers will have homecourt advantage in the first round as they try to carry the momentum from a strong finish in the regular season into Game 1 against the visiting No. 5 seed Indiana Pacers on Sunday.
ABOUT THE PACERS (48-34, 47-35 ATS, 32-49-1 O/U): Indiana was swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Cavaliers last spring but is a different team this time around thanks to the presence of Oladipo, who was acquired last summer in the deal that sent Paul George to Oklahoma City. Oladipo led the team in scoring at an average of 23.1 points and is part of a roster that enjoys being around one another. "Great group of guys, man," point guard Darren Collison - another new addition this season - told the team's website. "Everybody is great people. It's one thing to have great players, but I've been on a lot of teams. When you play with great people, it makes everybody's job easier. Everybody's listening. Nobody has egos. You come in the locker room and everybody's smiling. It's positivity. We trust each other."
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (50-32, 32-49-1 ATS, 39-41-2 O/U): Cleveland's advantage over every other team in the East is the presence of superstar forward LeBron James, who played in all 82 regular-season games for the first time in his career. James, 33, averaged career highs in rebounds (8.6) and assists (9.1) while adding 27.5 points on 54.2 percent shooting. "Has it been my best year? It's the best I've felt all season and I've got the numbers to back it up and I've got the wins to back it up as well," James told reporters. "Me, personally, I've just tried to be available to my teammates every single night and do everything that I could to win ball games. Either by scoring, by rebounding, by defending, by assisting, taking charges, whatever the case may be. Statistically it all speaks for itself."
SERIES PRICE (PER PINNACLE):
BETTING ACTION AND LINE MOVES: The Cavaliers hit the board as 6.5-point favorites and while the number touched seven at a few places, the line mostly remains unmoved. This is yet another game where the total is seeing more action. After hitting the board at 216.5, the total has dropped 4-points to the current number of 212.5. Just like in the Bucks-Celtics game, this total is seeing reverse line movement, with 58 percent of wagers on the Over according to our Covers Consensus. The side is almost split down the middle with Indiana seeing 51 percent of wagers.
INJURY REPORT:
Pacers - SG V. Oladipo (Probable, foot).
Cavaliers - C T. Thompson (Probable, personal), SG R. Hood (Probable, achilles), SG K. Korver (Questionable, foot).
MATCHUP CHART:
TRENDS:
* Pacers are 6-1 ATS in their last sevne games vs. a team with a winning SU record.
* Cavaliers are 0-4 ATS in their last four games playing on three or more days rest.
* Under is 7-1 in Pacers last eight games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Under is 5-1 in Cavaliers last six home games.
* Pacers are 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings in Cleveland.
Utah Jazz at Oklahoma City Thunder (-3.5, 206)
The Utah Jazz were one of the hottest teams in the NBA over the final two-plus months of the regular season and they'll try to carry that momentum into the playoffs, which begins with a visit to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Game 1 of their best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series on Sunday. The Jazz were 19-28 after a loss at Atlanta on Jan. 22 but stormed back with a 29-6 mark down the stretch to seize the fifth seed in the West.
ABOUT THE JAZZ (48-34, 43-39 ATS, 39-42-1 O/U): Utah's turnaround roughly coincided with Gobert's return from a knee injury and he was dominant at times during the stretch run, averaging 16.6 points on 68.2 percent shooting to go along with 12.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in March. "As a competitor, it's always hard to watch from the sideline," he told the Tribune. "But watching them every night really gave me the motivation. When I came back, I really felt like we could do something special." Mitchell averaged 20.5 points in his first season and did not show any signs of hitting a rookie wall by scoring above his average in 12 of the final 14 games of the regular season.
ABOUT THE THUNDER (48-34, 34-47-1 ATS, 36-46 O/U): Following a first-round exit last season during Russell Westbrook's MVP campaign, Oklahoma City brought in forwards Paul George and Carmelo Anthony for support, and while it took time to develop, a strong finish has the team feeling pretty good entering the postseason. "This is part of kind of why we wanted to all come together, because we saw an opportunity," Anthony told reporters. "This is actually a part of the big picture. This is the journey; to be able to accomplish what we came together to accomplish." While Westbrook rallied late to produce his historic triple-double average, George heated up offensively down the stretch while averaging 27.6 points and shooting 40.7 percent from 3-point range in April.
SERIES PRICE (PER PINNACLE):
BETTING ACTION AND LINE MOVES: The Thunder opened this matchup as 3.5-point home faves and were briefly bet to -3 before returning to the opening number. The total opened at 205 and is up slightly to 206. Despite little movement, bettors are giving the edge to the Thunder here, with 57 percent of wagers backing them, according to our Covers Consensus. The total has been bet evenly with the Over seeing 52 percent of wagers.
INJURY REPORT:
Jazz - SF T. Sefolosha (Out, knee).
Thunder - SG C. Brewer (Probable, knee), SG A. Abrines (Questionable, concussion), A. Roberson (Out, knee).
MATCHUP CHART:
TRENDS:
* Jazz are 12-2 ATS in their last 14 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Thunder are 0-4-1 ATS in their last five home games.
* Over is 6-1 in Jazz last seven road games.
* Under is 8-2 in Thunder last 10 overall.
* Under is 21-7 in the last 28 meetings.
Minnesota Timberwolves at Houston Rockets (-11.5, 216.5)
The Minnesota Timberwolves needed to scratch their way to an overtime victory on the final day of the regular season to clinch a playoff spot - the franchise's first since Kevin Garnett led the team to the 2004 Western Conference finals. The Timberwolves' reward for that strong finish is a date with the NBA-best Houston Rockets, who host Game 1 of the first-round series on Sunday.
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (47-35, 37-42-3 ATS, 45-36-1 O/U): Minnesota hovered around the third or fourth spot in the West for much of the season before falling off when Butler went down with a knee injury. Butler's return sparked the team down the stretch, and the No. 8 seed and a date with the Rockets is not about to intimidate the Timberwolves. "We?re a talented group, we got a lot of talent on this team,? point guard Jeff Teague, whose Atlanta squad took top-seeded Indiana to seven games in the 2014 postseason, told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "In the playoffs, you need someone who can make shots and take over games at times. I think we have a lot of people on this team who can take over games and have moments. It?s all about having fun now. There?s no pressure on us. We got in, eighth seed. I?ve been there and it?s a lot of fun. When you're the eighth seed, I promise you it?s a lot of fun."
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (65-17, 41-40-1 ATS, 33-48-1 O/U): Houston, which set a franchise record with 65 wins, is led by superstar guard James Harden, who is the odds-on favorite to win his first MVP award this season after leading the league in scoring at an average of 30.4 points and adding 8.8 assists. The difference for the team this time around in the playoffs is that Harden has another future Hall of Famer in the backcourt with the addition of point guard Chris Paul, who is in awe of his teammate. "You just never get this opportunity too often in your career to play with somebody like James," Paul told reporters. "You get a chance to appreciate greatness. What he's doing on a nightly basis and stuff like that, it's crazy, and I'm grateful that I get the opportunity to play alongside him."
SERIES PRICE (PER PINNACLE):
BETTING ACTION AND LINE MOVES: The Rockets opened this matchup as 9.5-point home favorites, but bettors did't think that was enough, moving the line all the way to -11.5. The total meanwhile, has dropped two points to sit at the current number of 216.5. Even with the line moving in the Rockets favor, 53 percent of wagers are on teh T-wolves according to our Covers Consensus, while the total has also seen reverse line movement as a big 68 percent of wagers are on the Over.
INJURY REPORT:
Timberwolves - C J. Patton (Questionable, illness).
Rockets - SG E. gordon (Probable, ankle), PF R. Anderson (Questionable, ankle), C C. Capela (Questionable, hand), PF L. Mbah a Moute (Out, shoulder).
MATCHUP CHART:
TRENDS:
* Timberwolves are 4-0 ATS in their last four games overall.
* Rockets are 0-6 ATS in their last six vs. Western Conference opponents.
* Over is 11-3 in Timberwolves last 14 vs. a team with a winning SU record.
* Under is 8-2 in Rockets last 10 home games.
* Over is 14-3 in the last 17 meetings.
