Betting news, trends, odds and predictions for Tuesday 5/8/18 from various handicappers and websites.
Western Conference – Game 5
Utah at Houston (TNT, 8:05 p.m. ET)
The Rockets are one victory away from their first Western Conference Finals appearance since 2015, while point guard Chris Paul is one win shy of the first conference finals trip of his 13-year career. The anticipated Houston/Golden State showdown for the Western title is upon us, but both teams need one more victory to advance.
Houston bounced back from a surprising Game 2 loss to Utah as 11-point favorites to trounce the Jazz in a pair of road blowouts to grab a commanding 3-1 series lead. After torching the Rockets for 116 points in Game 2, Utah couldn’t find that same scoring touch back in Salt Lake City by managing 92 and 87 points in the last two losses to fall to 0-4 SU/ATS at home in the Western Conference semifinals the last two postseasons.
In Sunday’s 100-87 setback to the Rockets as six-point underdogs, the Jazz were limited to 38.6% shooting from the floor, including a 7-of-29 performance from three-point range. Donovan Mitchell bounced back from a 10-point effort in Game 3, but the dynamic Utah rookie fouled out and shot 8-of-24 from the floor for a team-high 25 points in Game 4.
The Rockets didn’t set the building on fire either, but Houston received 51 points from its All-Star duo of Paul and James Harden, while Clint Capela posted a double-double with 12 points and rebounds. Although Paul and Harden combined for 2-of-13 shooting from long range, the Rockets never let their lead dip below five points over the final three quarters, while taking a 17-point advantage late in the third quarter.
The Jazz have seen the UNDER hit in five of the past six games, while being limited to 99 points or fewer five times. The only OVER occurred in the Game 2 upset at Houston as Quin Synder’s club knocked down 15 three-pointers, including seven treys and 27 points from Joe Ingles in a 116-108 victory. From the defensive side, the Jazz have allowed at least 107 points in four of five road playoff contests, as the UNDER is 3-2 in those games.
Since a 1-2 ATS start in the playoffs, Mike D’Antoni’s team has covered in five of the past six games. When Houston wins in the postseason, the pointspread hasn’t mattered in six of seven victories, while the Rockets pulled away from the Timberwolves in their first round close-out game, 102-82 as 10 ½-point home favorites.
Western Conference – Game 5
New Orleans at Golden State (TNT, 10:35 p.m. ET)
The Warriors have reached the Western Conference Finals in each of the last three seasons and captured the conference title each time. Golden State seeks a fourth consecutive appearance in the third round of the playoffs as Steve Kerr’s squad tries to shut the door on New Orleans at Oracle Arena.
The defending champions own a perfect 5-0 record at home in the playoffs, including a pair of wins in the first two games of this series. New Orleans grabbed Game 3 in the Big Easy, 119-110 as 4 ½-point underdogs to creep back in the series, at least temporarily.
Golden State rebounded from that blowout loss in which it shot 38% from the floor to crush New Orleans in Sunday’s Game 4 as six-point favorites, 118-92. The Warriors shot 10 percentage points from the field in Game 4, led by Kevin Durant’s 38 points on 15-of-27 shooting, while Stephen Curry pumped in 23 points. The Pelicans couldn’t buy a shot from long distance by hitting only 4-of-26 attempts from three-point range, as Anthony Davis paced New Orleans with 26 points and 12 rebounds.
With Sunday’s victory, the Warriors improved to an amazing 27-3 SU in the last 30 meetings since December 2012, including a 13-2 mark at New Orleans in this stretch. However, Golden State owns a 5-5 ATS record in its last 10 home matchups with New Orleans, including a 1-1 ATS mark in this series after not covering in Game 2 as 11-point favorites.
The Warriors are the fifth team to be listed as a double-digit favorite in a close-out game this postseason. Philadelphia pulled away from Miami in the opening round, while Houston blew out Minnesota to advance past the quarterfinals. The only team not to cover was Golden State, in its 99-91 victory over San Antonio in the opening round as 11-point favorites, although the Warriors held a double-digit second half lead. The fourth club in this category is Houston, who tries to eliminate Utah in Game 5.
The total for Game 5 opened at 229 and that number has dropped to 228 and as low as 227 ½ at a few books as of Monday evening.
Chris David believes the number is in the right neighborhood and based on what we’ve seen from the Pelicans, he’s expecting their offense to rebound on Tuesday.
“Since big man DeMarcus Cousins went down in late January, the Pelicans have had to play faster and they rely much more on the 3-point shot. When New Orleans connects from the outside, it can beat anybody and it proved that in Game 3’s 119-100 win in this series. However, they don’t stand a chance to beat the worst team in the league when they aren’t falling and that was evident in Game 4 when they finished 4-of-26 from downtown,” explained David.
“The good news for New Orleans is that the offense has shown the ability to rebound after a tough outing. Including Sunday’s effort, the Pelicans have been held under 100 points eight times without ‘Boogie’ in the lineup. New Orleans has averaged 114.1 PPG in the first seven games after being held under triple digits. The Pelicans have gone 4-3 in those games and while the point-spread appears to have value Tuesday, I believe the more sound investment is the Team Total Over on New Orleans (107 ½).”
The Pelicans dropped to 6-2 ATS in the playoffs following the Game 4 loss, while being listed as a double-digit underdog for only the fourth time all season. New Orleans owns a 2-1 ATS record in this pointspread range, including a 1-1 ATS ledger against Golden State with the cover coming in Game 2 of this series thanks to a late 10-2 run in the final two minutes to cash as 11-point ‘dogs.
By Kevin Rogers
Preview: Jazz at Rockets
Gracenote
May 7, 2018
The Houston Rockets will try to punch their ticket to the Western Conference finals when they take on the Utah Jazz in Game 5 of their best-of-seven semifinal series on Tuesday. The Rockets lost their last game at home but rebounded with back-to-back double-digit victories at Salt Lake City to take a commanding 3-1 series lead.
"Houston is that good. Give them credit. They know how to control a game," Jazz coach Snyder told reporters after a 100-87 loss on Sunday in Game 4. "In spite of that, I thought we just hung in there and took shots and kept coming and kept coming and eventually couldn't get over the hill." Chris Paul ate up Utah's defense with a string of short jumpers en route to a 27-point, 12-rebound, six-assist effort for Houston. "Chris is shooting those shots like layups," teammate James Harden - who added 24 points - told the media. "So he's gonna do it, he's gonna shoot 'em 20, 40 times, as many as he has to. He was extremely aggressive tonight, which we need from him." The Rockets are aiming for their eighth trip to a conference finals and their first since 2015, when they lost to Golden State, which carries a 3-1 lead in its series with New Orleans into the other Tuesday night matchup.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT
ABOUT THE JAZZ: Ricky Rubio still has not played in the series due to a hamstring issue and Derrick Favors was limited to 16 minutes in Game 4 due to a sprained ankle as injuries have taken their toll on Utah. Rookie Donovan Mitchell is doing his best to be the leader on the offensive end but the Rockets have been able to key in on the 21-year-old, who was 8-of-24 from the floor Sunday as the Jazz shot a playoff-low 38.6 percent. "We missed 22 shots at the rim," Snyder said. "We had our chances and didn't convert. Some of them were contested. Some of them were open. You're not going to get any better shot."
ABOUT THE ROCKETS: Harden and Paul get the bulk of the headlines but center Clint Capela's ability to raise his game has made Houston particularly dangerous this spring. "I've been playing with so much energy with consistency that it just happened and it's been a big part of my game that I've improved," Capela told reporters at practice Monday. "I'm really excited to be back here but I expect (Game 5) to be as hard as yesterday." The 23-year-old had 12 points, 15 rebounds and six blocked shots in Game 4 and is averaging 15.4 points, 13 boards and 2.6 blocks in the playoffs - all increases from the regular season.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Jazz SF Jae Crowder is 2-of-17 from the floor over the last two games after going 13-of-23 over the first two.
2. Harden has made 36 free throws in the series, while Mitchell leads Utah with 12.
3. Utah SF Joe Ingles had 27 points in the Game 2 win at Houston but averaged 10.5 on 34.8 percent shooting in the two contests at home.
PREDICTION: Rockets 114, Jazz 104
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ATS Trends
Utah
Jazz are 14-5 ATS in their last 19 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
Jazz are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games following a double-digit loss at home.
Jazz are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Jazz are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
Jazz are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 Conference Semifinals games.
Jazz are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Jazz are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
Jazz are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 vs. Western Conference.
Jazz are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 vs. NBA Southwest.
Jazz are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games playing on 1 days rest.
Houston
Rockets are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games playing on 1 days rest.
Rockets are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Rockets are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
Rockets are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 vs. Western Conference.
Rockets are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 vs. NBA Northwest.
Rockets are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
Rockets are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
Rockets are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 Conference Semifinals games.
OU Trends
Utah
Under is 5-0 in Jazz last 5 games playing on 1 days rest.
Under is 6-1 in Jazz last 7 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Under is 5-1 in Jazz last 6 overall.
Under is 5-1 in Jazz last 6 vs. Western Conference.
Under is 4-1 in Jazz last 5 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
Under is 4-1 in Jazz last 5 games following a ATS loss.
Under is 4-1 in Jazz last 5 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Under is 16-5 in Jazz last 21 Tuesday games.
Over is 26-12 in Jazz last 38 vs. NBA Southwest.
Houston
Over is 9-2 in Rockets last 11 Tuesday games.
Under is 4-1 in Rockets last 5 Conference Semifinals games.
Under is 4-1 in Rockets last 5 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Under is 11-3 in Rockets last 14 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
Under is 9-3 in Rockets last 12 games following a straight up win.
Under is 29-10 in Rockets last 39 vs. Western Conference.
Under is 14-5 in Rockets last 19 home games.
Under is 21-8 in Rockets last 29 games playing on 1 days rest.
Under is 18-7 in Rockets last 25 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
Under is 35-16 in Rockets last 51 overall.
Under is 19-9 in Rockets last 28 games following a ATS win.
Head to Head
Favorite is 7-1 ATS in the last 8 meetings.
Over is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in Houston.
Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
Jazz are 3-8 ATS in the last 11 meetings in Houston.
Road team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
Jazz are 1-7 ATS in the last 8 meetings.
Preview: Pelicans at Warriors
Gracenote
May 7, 2018
The Golden State Warriors look to close out the Western Conference semifinals when they host the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday. The Warriors hold a 3-1 series lead after rolling to a 118-92 victory on Sunday for their second win by more than 20 points in the series.
Golden State has averaged 120.7 points in its three victories in the series as the Pelicans have been powerless to halt the assault. Forward Kevin Durant poured in 38 points in the Game 4 victory as the Warriors moved closer to their fourth straight Western Conference finals appearance. New Orleans is insisting it won't roll over with its season on the line but ripping off three straight wins will be a daunting chore. "No, no. We've got to win one game at Oracle and that's the one that we play next," Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said in reference to Game 5 in Oakland. "That's as far as we need to look. Obviously it's a monumental task. It's been done before. As I said to the guys, we've just got to go play and you're not out until they win four games."
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT
ABOUT THE PELICANS: New Orleans suffered from poor shooting (36.4) and ball-handling (19 turnovers) in the Game 4 setback and star power forward Anthony Davis is expecting a strong bounce-back effort. "We just can't afford to shoot that poorly, but we've got another one," Davis told reporters. "Any time we've been punched in the mouth, we've always responded very well." Davis is averaging 26.3 points and 13.8 rebounds in the series and has a double-double in all eight of the team's postseason games.
ABOUT THE WARRIORS: Durant was 15-of-27 shooting in Game 4 and his scoring output was his highest of nine games this postseason. The splurge came after he received a critical 4 a.m. text from teammate Draymond Green after he was just 8-of-22 shooting while scoring 22 points in Game 3. "What we saw from him (Sunday), that's what we need," Green told reporters after Game 4. "He was engaged and scoring all over the place. He was changing the game. That's the impact he has when he's playing aggressive out there for us. That's what I love seeing."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Warriors PG Stephen Curry made four 3-pointers in Game 4 to move into third place on the career postseason list with 326, passing San Antonio's Manu Ginobili (324).
2. New Orleans swingman E'Twaun Moore scored 20 points in Game 4 and is averaging 15.5 points in the series.
3. Golden State SG Klay Thompson is just 6-of-26 from 3-point range over the past three games.
PREDICTION: Warriors 124, Pelicans 112
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ATS Trends
New Orleans
Pelicans are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
Pelicans are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 road games.
Pelicans are 11-2 ATS in their last 13 games overall.
Pelicans are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 vs. NBA Pacific.
Pelicans are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games playing on 1 days rest.
Pelicans are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
Pelicans are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Pelicans are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
Pelicans are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
Pelicans are 20-7 ATS in their last 27 vs. Western Conference.
Pelicans are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Pelicans are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points.
Pelicans are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games following a double-digit loss at home.
Golden State
Warriors are 7-16 ATS in their last 23 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
Warriors are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 home games.
Warriors are 8-20 ATS in their last 28 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Warriors are 7-18-1 ATS in their last 26 games following a ATS win.
Warriors are 7-18-1 ATS in their last 26 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points.
Warriors are 7-20-1 ATS in their last 28 Tuesday games.
Warriors are 4-13 ATS in their last 17 games playing on 1 days rest.
Warriors are 4-14 ATS in their last 18 games following a straight up win.
OU Trends
New Orleans
Over is 5-1 in Pelicans last 6 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points.
Over is 4-1 in Pelicans last 5 games following a double-digit loss at home.
Over is 8-2 in Pelicans last 10 Tuesday games.
Under is 6-2 in Pelicans last 8 games following a straight up loss.
Under is 6-2 in Pelicans last 8 Conference Semifinals games.
Under is 8-3 in Pelicans last 11 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Under is 5-2 in Pelicans last 7 games following a ATS loss.
Over is 5-2 in Pelicans last 7 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
Over is 9-4 in Pelicans last 13 vs. NBA Pacific.
Over is 9-4 in Pelicans last 13 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Over is 26-12 in Pelicans last 38 games playing on 1 days rest.
Golden State
Under is 6-1 in Warriors last 7 Tuesday games.
Over is 6-1-1 in Warriors last 8 home games.
Over is 6-2 in Warriors last 8 games following a ATS win.
Over is 5-2 in Warriors last 7 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points.
Under is 12-5 in Warriors last 17 games playing on 1 days rest.
Head to Head
Over is 6-1 in the last 7 meetings in Golden State.
Over is 10-4 in the last 14 meetings.
NBA
Long Sheet
Tuesday, May 8
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UTAH (53 - 39) at HOUSTON (72 - 19) - 5/8/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 45-37 ATS (+4.3 Units) as a favorite this season.
HOUSTON is 19-7 ATS (+11.3 Units) against Northwest division opponents this season.
HOUSTON is 23-12 ATS (+9.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
HOUSTON is 58-77 ATS (-26.7 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 16-28 ATS (-14.8 Units) in home games after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 10-5 against the spread versus UTAH over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 10-5 straight up against UTAH over the last 3 seasons
9 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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NEW ORLEANS (53 - 37) at GOLDEN STATE (65 - 26) - 5/8/2018, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 61-39 ATS (+18.1 Units) in all playoff games since 1996.
GOLDEN STATE is 63-37 ATS (+22.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
NEW ORLEANS is 51-38 ATS (+9.2 Units) in all games this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 29-16 ATS (+11.4 Units) in road games this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 25-16 ATS (+7.4 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 38-50 ATS (-17.0 Units) in all games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 37-45 ATS (-12.5 Units) as a favorite this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) on Tuesday nights this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 19-31 ATS (-15.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 9-20 ATS (-13.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 8-7 against the spread versus NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 13-2 straight up against NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
10 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
NBA
Tuesday, May 8
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Trend Report
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Utah Jazz
Utah is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Utah is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Utah's last 6 games
Utah is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Utah is 17-5 SU in its last 22 games on the road
Utah is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Utah's last 12 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Utah's last 6 games on the road
Utah is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Houston
Utah is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Utah's last 5 games when playing Houston
Utah is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Houston
Utah is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Utah's last 6 games when playing on the road against Houston
Houston Rockets
Houston is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Houston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Houston's last 17 games
Houston is 23-2 SU in its last 25 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Houston's last 19 games at home
Houston is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Utah
Houston is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Utah
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games when playing Utah
Houston is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games when playing at home against Utah
Houston is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against Utah
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston's last 6 games when playing at home against Utah
New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans is 11-2 ATS in its last 13 games
New Orleans is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Orleans's last 6 games
New Orleans is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
New Orleans is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
New Orleans is 2-17 SU in its last 19 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 10 of New Orleans's last 14 games when playing Golden State
New Orleans is 1-14 SU in its last 15 games when playing on the road against Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 6 of New Orleans's last 7 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Golden State Warriors
Golden State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Golden State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Golden State's last 6 games
Golden State is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games at home
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Golden State's last 8 games at home
Golden State is 17-2 SU in its last 19 games when playing New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Golden State's last 14 games when playing New Orleans
Golden State is 14-1 SU in its last 15 games when playing at home against New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Golden State's last 7 games when playing at home against New Orleans