Sports Betting Weekend: Raptors Seek Win
After an epic comeback on Tuesday night the Toronto Raptors can send the Indiana Pacers packing with a win on Friday night in NBA playoff odds action.
Toronto posted a 102-99 win in Game 5, but failed to cover the 7.5-point spread. Game 5 snapped a four straight UNDER streak in the series, with the combined score going OVER the total of 194.
Also on the NBA schedule Friday night is Game 6 between the Miami Heat and the Charlotte Hornets, and the Los Angeles Clippers and the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Hornets took a 3-2 series lead on Wednesday night with 90-88 win as a 5.5-point road underdog. Charlotte has won three in a row both straight up and against the spread after starting the series with back-to-back losses.
The Trail Blazers also hold a 3-2 series lead after a 108-98 win over the injury-plagued Clippers in Game 5. The Blazers covered the 2.5-point spread as a road favorite and have won three in a row SU and ATS. Game 5 did snap a five-game UNDER streak between the two clubs.
The second round gets underway on Saturday before the first round is even in the books with the Oklahoma City Thunder facing the San Antonio Spurs. The two heavyweights split the regular season series 2-2, but the Thunder were 4-0 ATS.
In the NHL playoffs, Friday has the opener of two second-round series, the St. Louis Blues versus the Dallas Stars and the Nashville Predators versus the San Jose Sharks.
The Blues were 4-1 against Dallas this season and at online sportsbook Bovada they’re a -130 favorite in the series. The Predators took two of three from the Sharks this season, but lost their last matchup 3-2 as a home favorite on April 2.
Looking ahead to Saturday the Tampa Bay Lightning will try to rebound from a Game 1 loss when they face the New York Islanders. The Islanders won the opener 5-3 as a +135 road underdog at Bovada. With the win the Islanders improved to 5-1 in their last six games versus the Lightning.
On the diamond this weekend baseball’s biggest rivalry is renewed when the Boston Red Sox host the New York Yankees. New York won the season series a year ago 11-8, which included a 7-2 record in Boston.
This weekend’s NASCAR stop is the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Dale Earnhardt Jr. won on the track in this race last year and he has six career victories at Talladega. He’s a +500 favorite at Bovada to claim the checkered flag again this weekend.