Betting news, trends, odds and predictions from various handicappers and websites for Friday 5/3/19
The NBA Playoffs action goes on with a couple of games Friday, May 3, 2019. The Denver Nuggets visit the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinal series, while the Boston Celtics welcome the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series, so check out all need-to-know betting trends and notes for tonight’s matchups that will help you make the best bets.
Featured game: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics (1-1; 1-1 ATS)
The Milwaukee Bucks (65-23; 52-32-4 ATS) routed the Boston Celtics (54-34; 43-43-2 ATS) 123-102 as 7.5-point favorites in Game 2 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee to even the series. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 29 points, but Khris Middleton was a key guy for the Bucks with 28 points and seven triples. On the other side, Kyrie Irving had just nine points on 4-of-18 shooting from the field, while Gordon Hayward and Jayson Tatum combined for ten points on 3-of-15 shooting.
Now, both Milwaukee and Boston are 5-1 straight up and ATS in the postseason. The Bucks are scoring 116.7 points per game on 47.0% shooting from the field and 37.6% from beyond the arc, allowing 101.0 points in a return on 41.3% shooting from the field. The Celtics are tallying 101.8 points per contest on 45.2% shooting from the field and 39.5% from downtown, surrendering 96.7 points in a return on 39.8% shooting from the field.
The Celtics opened as 2-point favorites in Game 3 with the total at 220.0 points, and the over has hit in ten of the last 14 head-to-head meetings between Boston and Milwaukee. The Celtics are 11-9 straight up and 14-6 ATS in their last 20 encounters with the Bucks and 6-1 straight up and ATS in the previous seven H2H duels in Boston.
The Bucks are 15-5 straight up and ATS in their last 20 outings away from home and 5-15 straight up and 7-12-1 ATS in their previous 20 road contests in the postseason. Milwaukee is 6-3 straight up and 7-2 ATS in its nine games this season when listed as a dog and 7-0 straight up and ATS in its previous seven road meetings with the Atlantic Division. On the other side, the Celtics are 12-1 straight up and ATS in their last 13 home games in the postseason and 17-1 straight up and ATS in their previous 18 playoff contests when listed as favorites. Boston is 7-4 straight up and 3-8 ATS in its last 11 showings on the home court and 9-1 straight up and 8-2 in its previous ten home matchups with the Central Division.
Denver Nuggets vs. Portland Trail Blazers (1-1; 1-1 ATS)
The Portland Trail Blazers (58-31; 49-39-1 ATS) outlasted the Denver Nuggets (59-32; 46-45 ATS) 97-90 as 4-point underdogs in Game 2 at Pepsi Center to tie the series. The Blazers limited the Nuggets at 34.7% shooting from the field and just 20.7% from downtown. C.J. McCollum led the Blazers with 20 points; Enes Kanter had 15 points, while Damian Lillard added 14 on 5-of-17 shooting. On the other side, Nikola Jokic posted a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds, while Jamal Murray had 15 points, seven boards, and just one assist.
The Nuggets are 5-4 straight up and 4-5 ATS in the postseason, averaging 105.2 points per game on 45.1% shooting from the field and 34.8% from beyond the 3-point line. They are allowing 103.7 points in a return on 46.4% shooting from the field. The Nuggets are 2-7 straight up and 3-6 ATS in their last nine games on the road and 1-5 straight up and 2-4 in their previous six playoff contests away from home. Also, the Nuggets are 5-3 straight up and 6-2 ATS in their last eight road meetings with the Northwest Division.
The Trail Blazers are 5-2 straight up and 4-3 ATS in the postseason, tallying 109.3 points per game on 45.3% shooting from the field and 38.9% from beyond the arc. They are surrendering 105.3 points in a return on 43.3% shooting from the field. The Blazers are 11-0 straight up and 5-5-1 ATS in their last 11 outings on the home court and 3-5 straight up and 2-6 ATS in their previous eight playoff games at home. Portland is 5-3 straight up and 3-5 ATS in its last eight home meetings with the Northwest Division.
The Blazers opened as 4-point favorites in Game 3 with the total at 215.5 points, and the over has hit in five of six H2H duels between Portland and Denver this season. The Nuggets are 7-2 straight up and 6-2-1 ATS in their last nine meetings with the Blazers who are 16-3 straight up and 10-9 ATS in the previous 19 H2H encounters in Oregon.
Things are starting to get chippy in the Western Conference Semifinals. Many have their eyes on Golden State and Houston in this regard, but the series between the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers is ramping up. Both benches cleared with under a minute to go in Game 2, and we could see that bad blood spill into Game 3 with players on both teams frustrated.
Injuries/Suspensions
It looked like Torrey Craig would be gone for a while after having his face smashed early in Game 2. Craig left the court blooded, but he ended up returning for the second half and will play in Game 3. However, Jamal Murray may not. Murray is dealing with a thigh injury and is seen as a gametime decision.
Former Nugget Jusuf Nurkic went down with a major leg injury in late March, and he might not play for the Blazers again until 2020. At the moment, another injury has taken precedence as Maurice Harkless left Game 2 early with a sprained ankle and is questionable to play in Game 3.
The Line
It’s become evident that the oddsmakers view these teams as equals. Denver was a 3.5 to 4 point favorite in its two home games against Portland, and now the Trail Blazers are -4 with the series in the Pacific Northwest. The total for tonight’s game is 215.5 points.
The Matchup
Denver couldn’t buy a bucket in the first half of Game 2 on Wednesday. The Nuggets scored a playoff season low 35 points by halftime, and a late charge wasn’t enough for Denver to come back and get the win.
Nikola Jokic was superb in the loss. He should have finished with another triple double, but his teammates kept having fantastic passes from him go right off their hands and out of bounds, and the Nuggets were missing shots too. Paul Millsap had a decent shooting game, but everyone else of consequence had a difficult time. Aside from Jokic and Millsap, Denver went 21-67 from the floor in Game 2.
If you would’ve told me before Game 2 that Damian Lillard would only have 14 points in the game, I would have told you Denver would roll. However, Portland’s bench finally came to play, and we saw some good performances from their key guys. Nearly a third of the Blazers’ points came from the bench in the win.
Denver had one of the best three-point defenses in the league, and we saw Michael Malone mix things up with his schemes for Lillard. It was a bad night for Lillard, and one or two more might be in store in the final five games of this series. He went 1-7 from behind the arc, and Lillard has now hit just 28.6 percent of his threes in four games against the Nuggets this year.
Jokic needs help for Denver to win, and while Millsap had a nice game, the Nuggets really need the scoring to come from the perimeter. Gary Harris, Murray, and Will Barton just weren’t able to get it done on Wednesday, and the Nuggets need them to figure it out with the looks they are getting.
The Bets
The under is a shrewd play after what we saw from these teams earlier in the week. Denver and Portland are both coached by sharp guys that can set up the defense they want, so grab the under.
I’ll take my chances on Denver again in terms of the side. The Nuggets will certainly have some open looks with Jokic playing big minutes, and they’ll need to make them count.
After upsetting the first-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1, the fourth-seeded Boston Celtics were blown away in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee this past Tuesday. Rarely who could expect to see a couple of blowouts at the start of the series, as Boston won 112-90 while Milwaukee thrashed off the Celtics 123-102, so the neutral fans surely want to get a close game Friday night at TD Garden in Boston.
Injuries/Suspensions
The Bucks will miss Pau Gasol (ankle), while Malcolm Brogdon (heel) is questionable to play. Brogdon practiced with the team over the last few days, but the Bucks want to be sure he’s fully recovered and ready to play. During the regular season, Brogdon was averaging 15.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists while shooting 50.5% from the field and 42.6% from beyond the arc. On the other side, the Celtics will be without Marcus Smart (oblique) who’s one of the best defensive stoppers in their team. Smart was tallying 8.9 points, 4.0 assists, and 1.8 steals in the regular season.
The Line
The Celtics opened as 2-point favorites with the total at 220.0 points and the Bucks at +110 money line odds. Boston is 12-1 straight up and ATS in its last 13 games at home in the postseason, and the Celtics went 4-0 straight up and ATS in their last year’s four matchups with the Bucks in the first round of the playoffs. Milwaukee is 4-11 straight up and 6-9 ATS in its last 15 playoff games on the road. The Bucks are 6-1 straight up and ATS in their seven road contests this season when listed as underdogs, while the Celtics are 6-2 straight up and 2-6 ATS in their previous eight outings at home as favorites.
What’s at Stake?
The Bucks lost the home-court advantage in this series and need a victory at TD Garden in the next two games. On the other side, the Celtics want to keep that advantage and set the Bucks in a difficult situation ahead of Game 4 in Boston.
The Spot
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The Celtics are coming off their first loss in the postseason, but they shouldn’t be affected too much, considering their playoff experience. The Bucks bounced back from a tough loss in the opening game of the series, and a strong performance in Game 2 certainly boosted their confidence. Milwaukee is not an experienced team, but Mike Budenholzer’s boys are showing a great desire to compete with the Celtics. The Bucks are looking for their first conference finals since 2001.
The Matchup
After a terrible performance in the opener, the Bucks went off in Game 2, smashing the Celtics 123-102 while setting the franchise record with 20 made triples. They shot 44.3% from the field and 42.6% from beyond the arc while posting eight rebounds and three assists more than the Celtics. Also, the Bucks managed to speed up the tempo and score 23 fast break points. On the other side, the Celtics made just 39.5% of their field goals and 35.7% of their 3-pointers.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton led the Bucks after both guys were awful in Game 1. The Greek Freak scored 29 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the field and 13-of-18 from the free-throw line, adding nine rebounds and four assists in 31 minutes on the floor. Middleton dropped 20 of his 28 points in the first half while making seven of his ten 3-point attempts. Eric Bledsoe finished the game with 21 points and five assists after scoring only six points in Game 1.
On the other side, the Celtics had a poor shooting night, especially Kyrie Irving and Jason Tatum. Uncle Drew had nine points on 4-of-18 shooting from the field along with five boards and four assists, while Tatum scored five points on 2-of-10 shooting. Tatum was excellent in the first-round series with Indiana, but he had four points in Game 1 against the Bucks, and sophomore guard needs to break out of his funk as soon as possible.
The Celtics need to execute better on the offensive end and hope the Bucks won’t replicate their shooting performance from Tuesday. Boston played solid defense, but the Bucks were terrific from downtown. Kyrie Irving will have to bounce back just as Antetokounmpo and Middleton did in Game 2.
The Bets
I’ve mentioned in the previous article that the Celtics will probably have one bad day in the office after winning their first five games in the postseason, and it happened in Game 2 in Milwaukee. Now, the Celtics need to regroup and put on a strong performance in front of the home audience. I rely on their experience, as the Celtics have won 12 of their last 13 home games in the postseason, so I’m backing them to take the lead in the series and cover a 2-point spread. This should be a really tight game decided by a few possessions, and picking the winning margin of one to five points is another interesting wager.
While the opening game was finished in the under, the over has hit in Game 2, and it is 10-4 in the previous 14 duels between Milwaukee and Boston. However, I’m backing the under on this one, expecting to see a tough defensive effort on both sides, while the Celtics will try to force the Bucks into half-court basketball.
Bucks outscored Boston 73-43 in middle two quarters Tuesday, evening series 1-1- they made 20-47 on arc. Celtics’ starting guards shot a combined 9-30. Milwaukee lost three of last four visits to Beantown; home side won 11 of last 12 series games. Antetokounmpo got to line 18 times in Game 2, eight more than in Game 1. Milwaukee won five of last six games overall, covering last three road games. Boston is home for first time in two weeks; they’re 5-1-1 vs spread in last seven games overall. Four of last six series games went over the total.
Trailblazers held Denver to 12 second quarter points in their 97-90 road win Wednesday; Nuggets were 6-29 on arc, after going 12-29 in Game 1. Denver won seven of its last nine games with Portland; five of last six series games went over the total. Home side won six of last eight series games, with teams 2-2 vs spread in last four played here. Portland won eight of its last ten games overall; they lost two of three road games in the San Antonio series. Under is 4-1 in last five Portland wins; their last two losses went over. Denver’s last three road games went over.
Friday, 3 May 2019 • 07:30 PM
587 DENVER @ 588 PORTLAND
Play on PORTLAND using the money line in All games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game
The record is 27 Wins and 5 this season (+19.9 units)
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Friday, 3 May 2019 • 05:00 PM
585 MILWAUKEE @ 586 BOSTON
Play on BOSTON against the spread in All games in all playoff games
The record is 12 Wins and 1 for the last two seasons (+10.9 units)
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NBA
Long Sheet
Friday, May 3
MILWAUKEE (65 - 23) at BOSTON (54 - 34) - 5/3/2019, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 212-259 ATS (-72.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
BOSTON is 103-80 ATS (+15.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 52-39 ATS (+9.1 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 34-21 ATS (+10.9 Units) against Central division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 12-1 ATS (+10.9 Units) in home games in all playoff games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 38-25 ATS (+10.5 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 55-40 ATS (+11.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 73-55 ATS (+12.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 52-33 ATS (+15.7 Units) in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 26-15 ATS (+9.5 Units) in road games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 142-104 ATS (+27.6 Units) in road games against Atlantic division opponents since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 28-18 ATS (+8.2 Units) after a win by 10 points or more this season.
MILWAUKEE is 63-39 ATS (+20.1 Units) in road games after scoring 115 points or more since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 42-28 ATS (+11.2 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
MILWAUKEE is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
MILWAUKEE is 41-26 ATS (+12.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
MILWAUKEE is 14-6 ATS (+7.4 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 13-6 against the spread versus MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 10-9 straight up against MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
12 of 18 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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DENVER (59 - 32) at PORTLAND (58 - 31) - 5/3/2019, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DENVER is 35-48 ATS (-17.8 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 49-40 ATS (+5.0 Units) in all games this season.
PORTLAND is 32-21 ATS (+8.9 Units) as a favorite this season.
PORTLAND is 49-34 ATS (+11.6 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 149-110 ATS (+28.0 Units) in home games after allowing 90 points or less since 1996.
PORTLAND is 37-24 ATS (+10.6 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 37-24 ATS (+10.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
DENVER is 8-5 against the spread versus PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
DENVER is 8-6 straight up against PORTLAND 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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NBA
Friday, May 3
Trend Report
Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Milwaukee is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games
Milwaukee is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Milwaukee is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 5 games on the road
Milwaukee is 4-11 ATS in its last 15 games when playing Boston
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Milwaukee's last 14 games when playing Boston
Milwaukee is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Boston
Milwaukee is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Milwaukee's last 8 games when playing on the road against Boston
Boston Celtics
Boston is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Boston is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games
Boston is 11-4 ATS in its last 15 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Boston's last 14 games when playing Milwaukee
Boston is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
Boston is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Boston's last 8 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
Denver Nuggets
Denver is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Denver is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Denver is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Denver's last 5 games on the road
Denver is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Portland
Denver is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing Portland
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Denver's last 6 games when playing Portland
Denver is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Portland
Denver is 3-16 SU in its last 19 games when playing on the road against Portland
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Denver's last 10 games when playing on the road against Portland
Portland Trail Blazers
Portland is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games
Portland is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Portland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Portland's last 19 games at home
Portland is 2-6-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Denver
Portland is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing Denver
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Portland's last 6 games when playing Denver
Portland is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Denver
Portland is 16-3 SU in its last 19 games when playing at home against Denver
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Portland's last 10 games when playing at home against Denver
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NBA
Dunkel
Friday, May 3
Milwaukee @ Boston
Game 585-586
May 3, 2019 @ 8:00 pm
Dunkel Rating:
Milwaukee
125.926
Boston
123.100
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Milwaukee
by 3
224
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
by 2
219 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Milwaukee
(+2); Over
Denver @ Portland
Game 587-588
May 3, 2019 @ 10:30 pm
Dunkel Rating:
Denver
122.176
Portland
123.624
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Portland
by 1 1/2
217
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Portland
by 4 1/2
215 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Denver
(+4 1/2); Over
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