Sports Betting Week: Rockets on the Docket
The Houston Rockets and Utah Jazz are in a fight for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference right now, but to stay in it the Jazz are going to have to find a way to finally beat the Rockets.
Houston journeys to Utah on Tuesday night sitting half a game up on the Jazz for the last playoff spot in the West. In two previous matchups this season Houston is 2-0 straight-up and 1-1 against the spread versus Utah. They’re also 6-1 SU and 5-2 ATS in their last seven and 10-2 SU and 8-4 ATS in their last 12.
Also on the NBA slate this week, the Golden State Warriors travel through Florida with back-to-back games against the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic on Wednesday and Thursday. Against the Eastern Conference this season the Warriors are 19-2 SU, but only 9-11-1 ATS. They’ve gone 4-1 SU and 2-2-1 ATS in their last five versus the Heat and have won four in a row whole going 3-1 ATS versus the Magic.
The oddsmakers at online sportsbook Bovada are obviously going to make the Warriors a road favorite in both games. Miami has been a home underdog only five times this season, going 3-2 SU and ATS. Orlando has been a solid pick as a home underdog at 6-8 SU and 9-5 ATS.
On the ice this week the Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins square off on Wednesday, which lately has meant a win for the Bruins. Boston owns Pittsburgh, having won four in a row against them, and 10 of their last 12. At home the Bruins are also 5-1 in their last six against the Penguins.
Thursday night’s NHL schedule includes what could be a playoff preview when the Chicago Blackhawks host the Nashville Predators. Chicago is 3-1 this season versus Nashville and 5-2 in their last seven. At home Chicago dominates this matchup having won seven straight and 10 of 12 versus Nashville.
In college hoops this week the standout game is the No. 1 ranked Villanova Wildcats taking on the No. 5 Xavier Musketeers. The Wildcats took the first matchup between the two Big East rivals and it wasn’t even close. Villanova won 95-64 as a 6.5-point favorite at the sportsbooks. Overall the Wildcats have won six in a row SU and ATS versus Xavier.