Thursday 9/3/20 thread for free handicapping service plays and expert predictions for MLB, NBA & NCAAF games
Red Dog Sports
Sep 03 '20, 2:45 PM in 20h
Soccer | Greece vs Slovenia
Play on: Draw +213 at Pinnacle
draw +213
Slovenia 1
Greece 1
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THE LEGEND!
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White Sox @ Royals
TIME: 8:05 PM EST
PICK: OVER 9.5
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Blue Jays @ Red Sox
TIME: 7:30 PM EST
PICKS: OVER 10.5
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THURSDAY 9/3/2020
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Golden Knights @ Canucks
TIME: 9:45 PM EST
PICK: OVER 6
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Stephen DeAngelo
Last season on their way to the NBA Championship, the Toronto Raptors found themselves down in their Eastern Conference Finals series to the Milwaukee Bucks two games to none. This season in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Raptors find themselves in the same predicament to the Boston Celtics, but while the Raptors were able to dig out of the hole last season, I do not see them digging out of the hole this season.
For one thing, Toronto no longer has Kawhi Leonard helping them in their comeback bid and as good as Pascal Siakam is, he is much better suited at playing the "Robin" role to someone else's "Batman" role. Siakam has not been able to carry his team this series and with Fred VanVleet most definitely in a shooting slump - 3-of-12 from 3, and 8-of-22 overall for the Game 2 loss - this Toronto team that actually led by a 78-66 margin with just under 3 minutes to go in the third quarter.
Boston refused to fold though and battled back. This time is was Marcus Smart who caught fire with five 3-pointers and 16 total points in a span of just over 3 minutes in the 4th quarter to get the Celtics back in control of the game. Smart ended the game with 19 points, while Jayson led all scorers with 34 points. Kemba Walker netted 17 total and scored 11 of the C's last 16 points to put the Celtics up 2-0 in this series.
No reason Boston cannot make it 3-0. They have shown this year that they know how to beat this Toronto team, as they have now won 5 of the 6 games played between the teams, including 3 wins and covers in as many tries in Orlando.
Nick Nurse is a great coach, but Brad Stevens is no slouch and unless Boston suddenly gets full of themselves, their streak of 6 straight wins to open this postseason - 5-1 against the spread - should improve to 7 wins in a row.
The oddsmakers continue to give the Raptors a little too much respect and not quite enough respect to the Celtics. Their mistake is to our advantage.
Take Boston over Toronto.
4* BOSTON
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Bob Valentino
After 2 comes 3, as in 3 games played in these Eastern Conference Semifinals and 3 games Under the total.
The Raptors find themselves in an 0-2 hole as they take the court here on Thursday and the big reason they trail is their inability to score. Toronto has twice failed to reach 100 points as BOTH games contested have landed Under the total.
That makes it 4 of their last 5 this postseason Under the total for Nick Nurse's club and it also puts the Raptors on an overall Under run of 10 of 14 since arriving in Orlando. That 10-4 run does include one regular season meeting with Boston just before the playoffs started.
The Celtics are on an even more pronounced Under run, as they have played each of their last 4 and 7 of their last 8 overall have held Under the posted price.
If we are to include the regular season August meeting in Orlando against the Raptors that landed Under it is a 8-2 Under run now for Brad Stevens' team their last 10 times on the hardwood.
As for the series, the teams have been Under in 5 of the past 7 meetings.
Until I see evidence Toronto remembers how to score 100 points, I will look for another Under in this spot.
Celtics-Raptors Under the total in Game Three.
2* TORONTO-BOSTON UNDER
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Mitchell Newman
Denver just ended their series with Utah on Tuesday night in a game that saw just 158 combined points in a game where the total was 217 1/2 points! Obviously well Under the total.
The Clippers brushed away the pesky Dallas Mavericks on Sunday in a game that also landed Under the total.
Will this game to open the semifinals in the Western Conference also hold Under the total?
My thought is, No!
Prior to that Game 7 Under, the Nuggets had played Overs in 3 straight and 13 of their 14 games played in the Orlando bubble! Included was a 111-124 loss to the same Clippers they will face tonight back on August 12th that landed Over the total.
Prior to their Game 6 Under in eliminating the Mavericks, the Clippers had played Over the total in 4 straight and in 9 of 11 which includes that game against the Nuggets that I just mentioned above.
The last pair in this series and 5 of the previous 9 series meetings have landed Over when the teams have played and this one does too.
1* DENVER-L.A. CLIPPERS OVER
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