Betting news, trends, odds and predictions for Wednesday, April 25, 2018 from various handicappers and websites
NBA playoffs
Wednesday’s games
Wizards @ Raptors (2-2)
Home side won all four series games, three of which went over total. Washington is 5-9 in its last 14 games vs Toronto, 2-3 vs spread in last five series games played here. Raptors won their last five home games (4-0-1 vs spread); they won seven of their last 10 games overall. Four of last five Toronto games went over the total. Washington lost seven of its last ten games; over is 6-3 in their last nine games. Toronto was up 11 at the half in Game 4, but were outscored 66-47 in second half so now this is a best-of-3 series.
Pacers (2-2) @ Cavaliers
Cleveland led last three series games by 12-17-10 points at half; they outscored Pacers 22-8 on foul line at Indiana. Home side won five of last seven series games; Pacers covered three of last four visits here, splitting the four games SU. Under is 6-0-1 in last seven series games. Korver/Smith were combined 8-19 on arc in Game 4; Lebron needs help to win this series. Oladipo was just 5-20 in Game 4; Pacers were just 12-33 on arc, are 20-59 in last two games. Indiana put seven guys in double figures but no one had 20+.
Timberwolves @ Rockets (3-1)
Houston was up 50-49 at halftime of Game 4, then hung a 50-20 third quarter on Minnesota in third quarter, just 2nd time ever a playoff team won a quarter by 30+ points. Rockets won nine of last ten games with Minnesota, covering six of last eight; Timberwolves are 3-3 vs spread in their last six visits here. Houston was +10 (16-6) in turnovers in Game 4; they outscored Wolves 23-14 on foul line. This was first time in three games Rockets took more 2-point shots than 3-pointers. Over is 9-5 in last 14 series games. Wolves covered six of last eight games overall.
Jazz (3-1) @ Thunder
Thunder’s Big 3 shot just 21-59 in Game 4, are 39-102 in last two games, which isn’t good. Jazz lost five of last six visits to Oklahoma City (2-4 vs spread); Thunder shot just 39.3% from floor, 5-26 on arc in Game 4 loss; they lost both games in Utah, by 13-17 points, need win here to keep their season going. Utah won nine of last 11 games overall; under is 9-5 in their last 14 games. Rookie Mitchell had 33 points, 4 assists, no turnovers in Game 4; they won three of last five road games.
Eastern Conference – Game 5 (Series tied 2-2)
Washington at Toronto (NBATV, 7:05 p.m.)
The Raptors and Wizards will meet in Game 5 on Wednesday from Air Canada Centre and this series isn’t looking like your typical 1-8 matchup anymore. After watching Toronto take a commanding 2-0 lead at home, the Wizards returned the favor this past weekend and held serve in the nation’s capital with a pair of wins.
In Game 4 on Sunday, Washington evened up the series with a 106-98 victory over Toronto as a 1 ½-point home underdog but the outcome was a tad misleading. At halftime, the Raptors built a 51-40 lead and were in complete control of the game. However, the Wizards exploded for 40 points in the third quarter and then used their defense in the final 12 minutes to lock up the win.
Toronto was held to just 18 points in the fourth quarter and only eight of those came in the final six minutes as Washington closed the game on a 17-8 run. The Raptors shot just 43 percent from the field and they were very hesitant from 3-point land, shooting a season-low 18 shots from distance.
Raptors shooting guard DeMar DeRozan led all scorers with 35 points in the loss but his teammate Kyle Lowry only finished with 19 in the loss and his playoff woes are starting to get noticed again. Adding to Lowry’s struggles, Washington’s backcourt tandem of John Wall (27.5 PPG, 14 APG) and Bradley Beal (29.5 PPG) went off in the last two games.
Oddsmakers opened Toronto as a seven-point home favorite for Game 5 and the number hasn’t moved as of Wednesday evening. The Raptors closed as seven-point favorites in Game 1 and -7 ½ in Game 2.
Along with the Rockets, Toronto owns the best home record this season at 36-7.
While the two home wins by the Wizards were impressive, VegasInsider.com NBA expert Kevin Rogers is hesitant to back Washington in Game 5 due to their recent road tendencies in the postseason.
He explained his position, “Washington rebounded from a 2-0 hole to make this series interesting, but the Wizards still need to prove their worth on the road. Dating back to last season’s playoffs, the Wizards own a dreadful 1-8 record both SU and ATS away from Capital One Arena, including six losses by double-digits. The last road victory for the Wizards in the playoffs came at Atlanta in the opening round of the 2017 playoffs in Game 7.”
Toronto’s offense did look pedestrian (103, 98) in D.C. but bettors should be aware that the Raptors haven’t lost three straight games all season, which is pretty remarkable since no other team in the NBA can say the same. Not even Houston!
With that being said, I did some data mining and Toronto has gone 5-0 straight up and 4-1 against the spread after losing back-to-back games in the regular season. Delving into those contests further, the Raptors defense only allowed 87.6 points per game in those victories and that helped the ‘under’ go 5-0.
I’m well aware that bettors don’t put as much stock into those seasonal trends like myself, rather they ride the current wave and that’s certainly understandable. Plus when you look at this matchup based on playoff trends alone, it’s hard to argue against the high side in Game 5.
As a home favorite, Toronto has watched the ‘over’ cash in four straight and seven of the last 10 games in the postseason. Also, since Toronto broke its playoff drought in 2014, the ‘over’ has gone 15-9 in 25 home playoff games.
Meanwhile, the Wizards have seen the ‘over’ go 8-0-1 in their last nine playoff games on the road and they only held one team under 100 points, which was the aforementioned victory that Rogers noted above.
The total for Game 5 was sent out at 214 and that number has been pushed up to 216 as of Tuesday evening. The ‘over’ has gone 3-1 in this series with the lone ‘under’ connecting in Game 4.
The two teams will head back to D.C. on Friday for Game 6 from Capital One Arena.
Eastern Conference – Game 5 (Series tied 2-2)
Indiana at Cleveland (TNT, 7:05 p.m.)
Even though the Cavaliers opened this series as heavy favorites (-650) over the Pacers (+480), this 4-5 matchup has been next to impossible to predict. Outside of Game 1 when Indiana captured a 98-80 win at Cleveland, the past three games in this series have been complete toss-ups and off the outcomes could’ve been reversed.
Trailing 2-1 in the series, the Cavaliers faced a must-win situation on Sunday in Game 4 and earned a 104-100 road victory over Indiana as two-point favorites. LeBron James filled up the box score (32 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists) again and he finally got some help from his cast as Kyle Korver added 18 points. The 'others guys' for the Cavs have been missing so far and only Kevin Love (12 PPG) and J.R. Smith (10 PPG) are averaging double figures for Cleveland in this series.
Indiana failed to connect again offensively (43%) in Game 4 and they fell in love with jumpers. The club took 33 from 3-point land and their lack of aggression hurt them at the free throw line, where Cleveland doubled-up Indiana 26-13 in attempts.
Pacers guard Victor Oladipo lived up to his All-Star status in Game 1 with 32 points but he’s been held in check to 19 PPG in the last three and he’s only shooting 35 percent from the field.
Cleveland opened as a 6 ½-point home favorite for Game 5 and that’s a slight drop-off from the closing numbers (-7 ½, -8) in the first two games of this series at Quicken Loans Arena.
Looking at the eight matchups played between the pair this season, it seems too obvious to take the ‘dog. Indiana has gone 5-3 SU and 6-2 ATS with the losses coming by 7, 3 and 4 points.
VI’s Rogers provided us with a historical playoff angle that could have you leaning to LeBron and the Cavs in Game 5.
“Dating back to 2012, LeBron James-led teams own a 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS record as a home squad in Game 5 of a playoff series tied at 2-2. The only loss came in the 2012 conference finals to the Celtics when James played for the Heat, but Miami eventually won that series. Since returning to Cleveland in 2014, the Cavaliers are 2-0 SU and 1-1 ATS in this situation, as they blew out the Raptors by 38 points in Game 5 at home in the 2016 Eastern finals,” said Rogers.
In the last three postseasons, the Pacers have only gone 2-7 on the road but they’ve been very competitive with a 7-2 ATS mark. The largest setback came by 11 points.
Rogers once again shared a solid number on Indiana that should be taken into consideration. He explained, “The Pacers have done a solid job of rebounding off a loss. Since late January, they are 12-2 in the last 14 games off a defeat and that includes Game 3's win in this series.”
Similar to the point-spread, the opening total of 205 hasn’t seen much movement. The ‘over’ looked like the right side in Game 4 but a weak fourth quarter helped the ‘under’ cash for the fourth consecutive time in this series. Including the regular season, the ‘under’ is 6-1-1 in the eight games between the pair.
Cavaliers point guard George Hill (back) sat out Game 4 and is listed as ‘questionable’ for Game 5. VI NBA expert Tony Mejia believes Hill is a key part to Cleveland.
Mejia said, "The Cavs fell apart in Game 3 in part because they didn’t have a healthy George Hill to rely on since he was besieged by back spasms that forced him to be held out of Sunday night’s clash entirely. It’s no surprise that he’s been limited in practice the past few days, but I’d expect him to participate on Wednesday night. Listed as questionable, Hill would provide a huge lift at both ends since he’s the team’s top perimeter defender and a more complete offensive player than veteran Jose Calderon, who has been pressed into duty. If official word comes down that he’s in, it would definitely improve the Cavs’ chances of holding serve at home."
Game 6 will take place on Friday from Indiana.
By Chris David
Preview: Pacers at Cavaliers
Gracenote
Apr 24, 2018
Every time it looks like the Cleveland Cavaliers are about to roll over and end their reign atop the Eastern Conference, they bounce right back with a win. The Cavaliers will try to take the lead for the first time in the best-of-seven, first-round series when they host the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 on Wednesday.
Cleveland had a chance to take the series lead in Game 3 and could not hold onto a 17-point advantage in a 92-90 loss, but LeBron James took over down the stretch in Game 4 and guided his team to a 104-100 triumph and tie the series at two games apiece. "We came on the road in a hostile environment and got a big win after a letdown last game," Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue told reporters after the victory. "I thought we played good enough to win that last game. The guys thought that as well. When you lose a tough game like that it’s hard to bounce back, especially on the road. It’s just tribute to our guys’ character, who they are, and we bounced back and won a tough game." The Pacers are showing plenty of fight in the series and are undaunted by Cleveland taking back homecourt advantage. "It's 0-0 and it's anybody's series right now," center Myles Turner told reporters. "And we've gotta be the hungry team. We've got a road win before, and we gotta go do it again."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TNT, FS Indiana, FS Ohio (Cleveland)
ABOUT THE PACERS: Indiana placed seven scorers in double figures in the Game 4 loss but All-Star Victor Oladipo struggled to 5-of-20 from the floor and Game 3 hero Bojan Bogdanovic went 4-of-13. "I thought we were frantic offensively throughout the game and I just didn't think we played the game the right way," Pacers coach Nate McMillan told reporters. "I thought there were some quick shots, some heroic shots that were taken throughout this game, and you're not going to win if you play the game like that." The positives came up front, where Turner and reserve center Domantas Sabonis combined for 36 points on 16-of-21 shooting.
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS: James finished with 32 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists in Game 4 but took the time out to praise the efforts of his teammates. Larry Nance Jr., Jordan Clarkson and Rodney Hood, who all joined the team at the trade deadline, combined for 24 points off the bench. "It means a lot to Rodney, Jordan and Larry,” James told reporters. "It’s their first opportunity in the postseason. It was a must-win for us in a hostile environment. For them to play the way they did meant a lot."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Cavaliers PG George Hill (back) is questionable for Game 5.
2. Pacers PF Thaddeus Young grabbed 16 rebounds on Sunday in his first double-double of the series.
3. Cleveland SG Kyle Korver scored 18 points in Game 4 after going scoreless over 20 minutes in Game 3.
PREDICTION: Cavaliers 110, Pacers 106
__________________
ATS Trends
Indiana
Pacers are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up loss.
Pacers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS loss.
Pacers are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
Pacers are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
Pacers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
Pacers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 road games.
Pacers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 vs. NBA Central.
Pacers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
Pacers are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Pacers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games playing on 2 days rest.
Pacers are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
Pacers are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 Conference Quarterfinals games.
Pacers are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Pacers are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 games overall.
Pacers are 15-6 ATS in their last 21 vs. Eastern Conference.
Pacers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
Pacers are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 Wednesday games.
Cleveland
Cavaliers are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games following a ATS win.
Cavaliers are 16-36-1 ATS in their last 53 home games.
Cavaliers are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
Cavaliers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
Cavaliers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 vs. Eastern Conference.
Cavaliers are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games playing on 2 days rest.
OU Trends
Indiana
Under is 5-0 in Pacers last 5 Wednesday games.
Under is 7-0-1 in Pacers last 8 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Under is 7-1 in Pacers last 8 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Under is 13-2-1 in Pacers last 16 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
Under is 12-3 in Pacers last 15 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
Under is 16-4-1 in Pacers last 21 vs. NBA Central.
Under is 11-3 in Pacers last 14 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
Under is 25-7-1 in Pacers last 33 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
Under is 16-5 in Pacers last 21 Conference Quarterfinals games.
Under is 18-6 in Pacers last 24 games following a straight up loss.
Under is 20-7-1 in Pacers last 28 vs. Eastern Conference.
Under is 21-8-1 in Pacers last 30 road games.
Under is 18-7-1 in Pacers last 26 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
Under is 18-7 in Pacers last 25 games following a ATS loss.
Under is 15-6 in Pacers last 21 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
Under is 36-16-1 in Pacers last 53 overall.
Cleveland
Under is 5-0 in Cavaliers last 5 overall.
Under is 5-0 in Cavaliers last 5 vs. Eastern Conference.
Under is 4-0 in Cavaliers last 4 vs. NBA Central.
Under is 5-0 in Cavaliers last 5 Conference Quarterfinals games.
Under is 6-0-1 in Cavaliers last 7 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Under is 7-1 in Cavaliers last 8 home games.
Under is 8-2-1 in Cavaliers last 11 Wednesday games.
Under is 8-2 in Cavaliers last 10 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
Under is 3-1-1 in Cavaliers last 5 games playing on 2 days rest.
Under is 6-2 in Cavaliers last 8 games following a straight up win.
Under is 11-4 in Cavaliers last 15 games following a ATS win.
Under is 7-3 in Cavaliers last 10 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
Head to Head
Under is 6-0-1 in the last 7 meetings.
Pacers are 6-1 ATS in the last 7 meetings in Cleveland.
Pacers are 6-2 ATS in the last 8 meetings.
Road team is 9-4 ATS in the last 13 meetings.
Preview: Wizards at Raptors
Gracenote
Apr 24, 2018
The Toronto Raptors won the first two games of their first-round, Eastern Conference series over the Washington Wizards but could not find a way to win on the road. The Raptors leaned into some bad habits in a Game 4 loss and will try to correct some mistakes when they host Game 5 on Wednesday.
Toronto won a franchise-record 59 games during the regular season and earned the top seed in the East for the first time while playing a brand of basketball that encouraged ball movement and 3-point shooting, but some of those traits were hard to find down the stretch in Game 4's 106-98 setback. "At some point we've got to make sure we keep our composure and execute," Raptors coach Dwane Casey told reporters. "We missed some shots we normally make. ... We turned down some good looks I thought we'd normally step into." The Wizards allowed an average of 122 points in the first two games of the series but cut that number down to 100.5 in the next two. "You have to have resolve to win in this league," Washington coach Scott Brooks told reporters. "We've had some tough moments this year with (point guard) John (Wall) missing half the season, but we found it, and it put us in a position to make the playoffs through resolve. You win playoff games, and you win playoff series with having that. We have that, and we have to continue to have that because we have to win two more games, and one of them has to be on the road."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBATV, NBCS Washington, TSN 1/4/5 (Toronto)
ABOUT THE WIZARDS: All-Star shooting guard Bradley Beal fouled out of Game 4 with just under five minutes left, but Wall took over down the stretch and finished with 27 points and 14 assists in the win. "Just go in attack mode,” Wall told reporters. "Even when Brad’s in the game, he’s telling me, 'Be aggressive.' At the same time, I'm trying to find him. I'm trying to keep him going and play my game. That gets my teammates involved and makes the job easier for those guys. They are knocking down shots and cutting for me, and I’m going to get my opportunities to score the ball." Wall is averaging 26.3 points, 13 assists and three steals in the series.
ABOUT THE RAPTORS: DeMar DeRozan scored a game-high 35 points in Game 4 but was just 10-of-29 from the floor. "I took some shots that I wish I could have had back," DeRozan told reporters. "But it's just my mindset going out there and being aggressive, wanting to win, wanting to feel like I was doing whatever it took offensively to push us to a win. But with that came some bad shots that I will definitely understand next time." DeRozan and Kyle Lowry (7-of-15) combined for more than half of Toronto's shot attempts in the loss.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Raptors PG Fred VanVleet (shoulder) was limited to a total of three minutes in the first four games but participated in practice on Tuesday.
2. Beal averaged 29.5 points in the two home games after averaging 14 at Toronto in the first two contests.
3. Washington PF Mike Scott scored four points on Sunday after averaging 15.3 points in the first three contests.
PREDICTION: Raptors 116, Wizards 103
__________________
ATS Trends
Washington
Wizards are 11-5 ATS in their last 16 Conference Quarterfinals games.
Wizards are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
Wizards are 5-13 ATS in their last 18 Wednesday games.
Wizards are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win.
Wizards are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
Wizards are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games following a ATS win.
Wizards are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
Wizards are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 road games.
Toronto
Raptors are 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 home games.
Raptors are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 Conference Quarterfinals games.
Raptors are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
Raptors are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Raptors are 5-12-1 ATS in their last 18 games overall.
Raptors are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight up loss.
Raptors are 2-5-1 ATS in their last 8 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
Raptors are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games following a ATS loss.
OU Trends
Washington
Over is 4-0 in Wizards last 4 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
Under is 4-0-1 in Wizards last 5 games following a straight up win.
Under is 5-0-1 in Wizards last 6 games following a ATS win.
Over is 4-0 in Wizards last 4 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
Over is 6-1 in Wizards last 7 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Over is 4-1-1 in Wizards last 6 road games.
Over is 4-1 in Wizards last 5 vs. NBA Atlantic.
Over is 4-1 in Wizards last 5 Conference Quarterfinals games.
Over is 39-17 in Wizards last 56 games playing on 2 days rest.
Toronto
Over is 4-0 in Raptors last 4 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
Over is 6-1-1 in Raptors last 8 games playing on 2 days rest.
Over is 5-1 in Raptors last 6 vs. NBA Southeast.
Over is 4-1 in Raptors last 5 overall.
Over is 4-1 in Raptors last 5 vs. Eastern Conference.
Over is 7-3 in Raptors last 10 home games.
Over is 9-4 in Raptors last 13 Wednesday games.
Head to Head
Home team is 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings.
Favorite is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
Under is 12-4 in the last 16 meetings in Toronto.
Preview: Jazz at Thunder
Gracenote
Apr 24, 2018
The Utah Jazz won the last three games of a contentious Western Conference first-round series and aim to close out Oklahoma City when they visit the Thunder in Wednesday's Game 5. The Jazz averaged 114 points while winning two games on their home floor and now look to hand Oklahoma City a bitter home setback.
The hotter Utah shoots and the better it plays, the more heated the emotions and tussles have become between the squads. "This is the playoffs. It's going to be war," Jazz point guard Ricky Rubio said after Game 4. "You're playing seven games and you've got to win four. We know that it's going to be another war next game, and we just need to be tough but at the same time mentally ready for that. We're not backing down, but at the same time we know we have to be ready for a fight and respond." The Thunder very much know their backs are against the wall as they also face the prospect of forward Paul George leaving as a free agent. "We gotta win. Nothing to it. We've just gotta win," Oklahoma City forward Carmelo Anthony told reporters. "We can sit here and say what we gotta do, or what we didn't do or what we did do, but it comes down to having the will to win that game Wednesday and forcing a Game 6 back in Utah and taking it from there."
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, NBATV, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Utah), FS Oklahoma
ABOUT THE JAZZ: Standout guard Donovan Mitchell is averaging 27.5 points and 8.5 rebounds as the best player in the series and his 33-point effort in Game 4 represents the most scored by a rookie in franchise playoff history, surpassing Karl Malone (31 in 1986). "It's definitely an honor to have a record like that," Mitchell told reporters. "Definitely an honor. No doubt about that, but we have one more game, so I'm focused on that." Rubio is having a solid series with averages of 18.5 points, eight assists, 7.8 rebounds and two steals while small forward Joe Ingles has exposed George the past two games while knocking down 10 3-pointers and averaging 20.5 points.
ABOUT THE THUNDER: George scored 32 points and Westbrook contributed 23 points and 14 rebounds in Game 4 but the team's 5-of-26 effort from 3-point range helped sink their chances. "We were aggressive. We were in attack mode," George told reporters. "We were aggressive. We missed shots. I don't think all season long we've finished a game with only five 3-pointers. We missed shots." Westbrook notched a double-double in each game - three are of the points/rebounds variety - while averaging 21.3 points, 11.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists but is shooting just 36.7 percent from the field.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Westbrook was fined $10,000 by the NBA and handed a postgame technical foul for coming on the court as a sub and confronting Utah C Rudy Gobert during Game 4.
2. Gobert has recorded three straight double-doubles and is averaging 15.3 points and 11 rebounds in the series.
3. Anthony is shooting just 37.3 percent in the series while averaging 14.3 points and 6.5 rebounds in the series.
PREDICTION: Thunder 113, Jazz 108
__________________
ATS Trends
Utah
Jazz are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
Jazz are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
Jazz are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win.
Jazz are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
Jazz are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Conference Quarterfinals games.
Jazz are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS win.
Jazz are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games playing on 1 days rest.
Jazz are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
Jazz are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Jazz are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games overall.
Jazz are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 vs. Western Conference.
Jazz are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 vs. NBA Northwest.
Jazz are 13-6 ATS in their last 19 road games.
Oklahoma City
Thunder are 14-6 ATS in their last 20 Wednesday games.
Thunder are 17-36-1 ATS in their last 54 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
Thunder are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 Conference Quarterfinals games.
Thunder are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games playing on 1 days rest.
Thunder are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points.
Thunder are 6-20 ATS in their last 26 vs. NBA Northwest.
Thunder are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
Thunder are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 vs. Western Conference.
Thunder are 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
Thunder are 1-5-1 ATS in their last 7 home games.
OU Trends
Utah
Under is 7-0 in Jazz last 7 Wednesday games.
Over is 8-1 in Jazz last 9 games playing on 1 days rest.
Over is 12-3 in Jazz last 15 vs. Western Conference.
Over is 4-1 in Jazz last 5 Conference Quarterfinals games.
Over is 7-2 in Jazz last 9 road games.
Over is 7-2 in Jazz last 9 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
Over is 9-3 in Jazz last 12 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
Over is 6-2 in Jazz last 8 games following a straight up win.
Over is 11-4 in Jazz last 15 overall.
Over is 5-2 in Jazz last 7 vs. NBA Northwest.
Oklahoma City
Over is 4-1 in Thunder last 5 overall.
Over is 4-1 in Thunder last 5 vs. Western Conference.
Over is 4-1 in Thunder last 5 vs. NBA Northwest.
Under is 8-3 in Thunder last 11 games playing on 1 days rest.
Head to Head
Under is 14-6 in the last 20 meetings.
Home team is 21-9 ATS in the last 30 meetings.
Under is 11-5 in the last 16 meetings in Oklahoma City.
Jazz are 4-11-1 ATS in the last 16 meetings in Oklahoma City.
Preview: Timberwolves at Rockets
Gracenote
Apr 24, 2018
The Houston Rockets look to close out the Western Conference first-round series with Minnesota when they host the Timberwolves in Wednesday's Game 5. Houston holds a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series after using a 50-point third quarter to prevail in Game 4.
The Rockets led by just one point at halftime of Game 4 before the explosive quarter that fell one point short of the postseason record set by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1962. "We can be that team," Houston reserve guard Eric Gordon told reporters. "We just hadn't gotten into a flow throughout this whole series. It was good to see that." Eighth-seeded Minnesota faces an uphill climb against the top-seeded Rockets and instantly forgetting about the defensive breakdowns might be a tall task. "Fifty points in a quarter is a lot of points," Timberwolves shooting guard Jimmy Butler said. "That can't happen. That's the game in itself."
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, TNT, FS North (Minnesota), AT&T SportsNet Southwest (Houston)
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES: Backup point guard Derrick Rose tallied 17 points in each of the past two games and he would be in line for a lot of minutes once again with starter Jeff Teague (two points on 1-of-7 shooting) dealing with a dislocated right pinky finger. Center Karl-Anthony Towns put together back-to-back strong games by averaging 20 points and 15.5 rebounds after averaging 6.5 points (on 5-of-18 shooting) and 11 rebounds in the first two games of the series. Butler is averaging 17.8 points in the series with a high of 28 while small forward Andrew Wiggins is chipping in 16.3 per game.
ABOUT THE ROCKETS: Guard James Harden scored 22 of his 36 points in the third-quarter spree and is averaging 30.8 points in the series on 41.8 percent shooting. "We had the mentality to be aggressive, make or missed shots," Harden told reporters of the third-quarter outburst. "That's what we do. We shoot the basketball, and eventually they'll start falling." Point guard Chris Paul was all-around solid with 25 points, six rebounds, six assists and five steals in Game 4 and is averaging 20.8 points in the series.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Timberwolves have lost 13 straight games in Houston following losses in Games 1 and 2 of this series.
2. Minnesota PF Taj Gibson is averaging just 5.3 points and 4.5 rebounds in the series after posting averages of 12.2 points and 7.1 boards during the regular season.
3. Houston C Clint Capela had 14 points and 17 rebounds in Game 4 and he is the postseason rebounding leader at 14 per game.
PREDICTION: Rockets 127, Timberwolves 93
__________________
NBA
Long Sheet
Wednesday, April 25
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WASHINGTON (45 - 41) at TORONTO (61 - 25) - 4/25/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 38-46 ATS (-12.6 Units) in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 6-18 ATS (-13.8 Units) in road games against Atlantic division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 23-42 ATS (-23.2 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game since 1996.
TORONTO is 197-249 ATS (-76.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 8-7 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 10-5 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
9 of 15 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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INDIANA (50 - 36) at CLEVELAND (52 - 34) - 4/25/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 49-36 ATS (+9.4 Units) in all games this season.
INDIANA is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) in April games over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 21-12 ATS (+7.8 Units) in the second half of the season this season.
INDIANA is 16-5 ATS (+10.5 Units) in road games when playing with 2 days rest over the last 3 seasons.
INDIANA is 35-19 ATS (+14.1 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
INDIANA is 76-52 ATS (+18.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
INDIANA is 25-13 ATS (+10.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
CLEVELAND is 33-51 ATS (-23.1 Units) in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 20-45 ATS (-29.5 Units) as a favorite this season.
CLEVELAND is 13-29 ATS (-18.9 Units) in home games this season.
CLEVELAND is 21-36 ATS (-18.6 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 13-5 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 13-7 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
10 of 19 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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MINNESOTA (48 - 38) at HOUSTON (68 - 18) - 4/25/2018, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 374-438 ATS (-107.8 Units) in the second half of the season since 1996.
HOUSTON is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) against Northwest division opponents this season.
HOUSTON is 38-51 ATS (-18.1 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 14-27 ATS (-15.7 Units) in home games after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 7-15 ATS (-9.5 Units) in home games after scoring 115 points or more this season.
Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 8-7 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 13-2 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
10 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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UTAH (51 - 35) at OKLAHOMA CITY (49 - 37) - 4/25/2018, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UTAH is 21-11 ATS (+8.9 Units) after a win by 10 points or more this season.
UTAH is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins this season.
UTAH is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 26-17 ATS (+7.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
UTAH is 16-4 ATS (+11.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 34-50 ATS (-21.0 Units) in all games this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 25-42 ATS (-21.2 Units) as a favorite this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 16-25 ATS (-11.5 Units) in home games this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 3-17 ATS (-15.7 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 11-26 ATS (-17.6 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 17-28 ATS (-13.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
Head-to-Head Series History
OKLAHOMA CITY is 8-7 against the spread versus UTAH over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA CITY is 11-5 straight up against UTAH over the last 3 seasons
10 of 16 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
NBA
Wednesday, April 25
Trend Report
Washington Wizards
Washington is 8-15-1 ATS in its last 24 games
Washington is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Washington's last 10 games
Washington is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
Washington is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 6 games on the road
Washington is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games when playing Toronto
Washington is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Washington is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Washington's last 16 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Toronto Raptors
Toronto is 5-12-1 ATS in its last 18 games
Toronto is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games
Toronto is 4-0-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Toronto is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Toronto is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games when playing Washington
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing Washington
Toronto is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Washington
Toronto is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Toronto's last 16 games when playing at home against Washington
Indiana Pacers
Indiana is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana's last 5 games
Indiana is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games on the road
Indiana is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Cleveland
Indiana is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Indiana's last 7 games when playing Cleveland
Indiana is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Indiana is 2-11 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Cleveland is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland's last 5 games
Cleveland is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Cleveland is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Cleveland's last 8 games at home
Cleveland is 5-17-1 ATS in its last 23 games when playing Indiana
Cleveland is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Cleveland's last 7 games when playing Indiana
Cleveland is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Indiana
Cleveland is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against Indiana
Utah Jazz
Utah is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
Utah is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Utah's last 15 games
Utah is 13-5-1 ATS in its last 19 games on the road
Utah is 16-3 SU in its last 19 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Utah's last 9 games on the road
Utah is 5-11 SU in its last 16 games when playing Oklahoma City
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Utah's last 20 games when playing Oklahoma City
Utah is 4-11-1 ATS in its last 16 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
Utah is 1-15 SU in its last 16 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Utah's last 16 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games
Oklahoma City is 1-5-1 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Oklahoma City is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
Oklahoma City is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games when playing Utah
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Oklahoma City's last 20 games when playing Utah
Oklahoma City is 11-4 ATS in its last 15 games when playing at home against Utah
Oklahoma City is 15-1 SU in its last 16 games when playing at home against Utah
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Oklahoma City's last 16 games when playing at home against Utah
Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
Minnesota is 7-17 ATS in its last 24 games on the road
Minnesota is 6-18 SU in its last 24 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 5 games on the road
Minnesota is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Houston
Minnesota is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games when playing Houston
The total has gone OVER in 16 of Minnesota's last 21 games when playing Houston
Minnesota is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Houston
Minnesota is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston
Houston Rockets
Houston is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
Houston is 17-4 SU in its last 21 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Houston's last 8 games
Houston is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Houston is 22-1 SU in its last 23 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Houston's last 7 games at home
Houston is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Minnesota
Houston is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 16 of Houston's last 21 games when playing Minnesota
Houston is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games when playing at home against Minnesota