Just in case you forgot who the defending NBA champions are, the Miami Heat sent the league a reminder with a 114-96 road win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals. That one-sided victory has prompted oddsmakers to tack on a little extra to the Game 4 spread.
We chat with Aron Black of online sportsbook Bet365 about the betting patterns heading into Tuesday?s 8:30 p.m. ET tipoff:
Miami Heat at Indiana Pacers ? Open: +2, Move: +2.5
Some books opened Game 4 at Pacers +2 while others added an extra half point to the spread. Regardless, it?s been all Miami money as of Tuesday afternoon. According to Black, they?ve taken more action on the Heat than the Pacers at a near 4:1 pace. The moneyline is also lopsided, with SU wagers on Miami -147 at a 7:1 rate over Indiana +125.
?This line was always going to open up a bit more to Miami given the last game?s result,? Black. The (Indiana) +2 was a bit light, so I?m not surprised to see the move to +2.5.?
?Paul George has to pick up some scoring, which is hard when he?s also the primary defender against LeBron,? Black adds. ?He?s got the chance to further his rise to stardom if he can put in a big performance tonight. Given the lack of depth on the Indiana bench, it?s hard to see a win unless the starters have big games.?
As for the total, books opened the number at 185 which has come down to 184.5 at some markets. The Heat and Pacers have produced a 3-0 over/under count so far and have topped the total in eight of their last nine head-to-head meetings.
?The total is seeing over action given the last game?s score, so we could see the total creep up as we approach game time,? says Black. ?The spread and moneyline should stay as is. I expect Indiana money back throughout the day, but that will still be largely dwarfed by Miami money.?
We chat with Aron Black of online sportsbook Bet365 about the betting patterns heading into Tuesday?s 8:30 p.m. ET tipoff:
Miami Heat at Indiana Pacers ? Open: +2, Move: +2.5
Some books opened Game 4 at Pacers +2 while others added an extra half point to the spread. Regardless, it?s been all Miami money as of Tuesday afternoon. According to Black, they?ve taken more action on the Heat than the Pacers at a near 4:1 pace. The moneyline is also lopsided, with SU wagers on Miami -147 at a 7:1 rate over Indiana +125.
?This line was always going to open up a bit more to Miami given the last game?s result,? Black. The (Indiana) +2 was a bit light, so I?m not surprised to see the move to +2.5.?
?Paul George has to pick up some scoring, which is hard when he?s also the primary defender against LeBron,? Black adds. ?He?s got the chance to further his rise to stardom if he can put in a big performance tonight. Given the lack of depth on the Indiana bench, it?s hard to see a win unless the starters have big games.?
As for the total, books opened the number at 185 which has come down to 184.5 at some markets. The Heat and Pacers have produced a 3-0 over/under count so far and have topped the total in eight of their last nine head-to-head meetings.
?The total is seeing over action given the last game?s score, so we could see the total creep up as we approach game time,? says Black. ?The spread and moneyline should stay as is. I expect Indiana money back throughout the day, but that will still be largely dwarfed by Miami money.?
