Sports Betting Week: Postseason Heats Up
The postseason continues to dominate the betting landscape this week as the drive toward the Larry O’Brien trophy and the Stanley Cup both continue.
In the NBA the Tuesday night schedule is fairly light with only two games on tap. In the early game the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks square off in Game 2 of their series. The Hawks escaped with a 102-101 victory in Game 1, but failed to cover the 5.5-point spread at online sportsbook Bovada.
The late game Monday is Game 2 between the San Antonio Spurs and the Memphis Grizzlies. If Game 1 is any indication this could be a short series, as the Spurs crushed the Grizzlies 106-74 as a 16.5-point favorite. With that win the Spurs have won six straight against Memphis while going 5-1 against the spread.
Three more series reach Game 2 on Wednesday, including the Charlotte Hornets versus the Miami Heat, the Detroit Pistons versus the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Portland Trail Blazers versus the Los Angeles Clippers. The only opener from those series that was close was between Cleveland and Detroit; the Cavaliers won Game 1 106-101 and failed to cover the 11-point spread. Cleveland has now dropped three in a row ATS against Detroit.
In the NHL playoffs, Tuesday and Wednesday are both jam packed with four games on each night.
Highlighting the Tuesday night schedule is Game 3 between the Nashville Predators and Anaheim Ducks. The series heads to Nashville with the Predators up 2-0 after taking both games as the underdog in Anaheim. Nashville has won three in a row and four of their last five against the Ducks.
On Wednesday night the New York Islanders and Florida Panthers clash in Game 4 following a wild Game 3 on Sunday night. The Islanders took a 2-1 series lead with a 4-3 overtime win in which they never led until the overtime goal.
In baseball this week the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros clash for the first time this season in Arlington. The Rangers ruled this series last season with a 13-6 record in 19 matchups. At home the Rangers were 8-2 against Houston last season and they’ve won their last seven games.
The PGA Tour stop this week is the Valero Texas Open. The favorite at Bovada is defending champion Jimmy Walker at +1400. Zach Johnson, a two-time winner of the Valero, is listed at +2000.