Saturday's NBA and NCAAB Trends and Indexes - 4/18

[Udog]

Trends and Indexes

Saturday, April 18

Good Luck on day #108 of 2015!

NOTE: As information becomes available, we will attempt to post the trends and indexes as soon as possible.Information is posted from what we believe are reliable sources.Any opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the posting member or BettorsChat.

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NBA Matchups

NBA Hot and Not

NBA Injuries

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NCAAB Matchups

NCAAB Hot and Not

NCAAB Injuries




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[Udog]

Can underdogs dominate NBA Playoffs betting like last year?

NBA betting underdogs were unleashed in Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs last year, going an incredible 32-19-1 ATS (with one pick’em game) and covering the spread at a near 63 percent rate.

And that was the story for most of the 2014 postseason as well, as NBA underdogs finished the playoffs with a 52-36-1 ATS mark (57.8 percent). That Round 1 trend bled over into the conference semifinals, where underdogs finished 14-9 ATS, then went south in the conference finals (3-9 ATS) before showing up a bit in the NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs (3-2 ATS).

So, will basketball bettors see similar success blindly betting the underdog when the 2015 NBA Playoffs start Saturday?

“With the Western Conference, it’s a lot closer than the Eastern Conference this year,” Mark Tomita, assistant manager at the Westgate Superbook in Las Vegas tells Covers. “The West looks pretty wide open this year.”

Tomita does expect the public to come in heavy on the notable favorites, like Golden State and Cleveland, but says early money has already taken San Antonio, which is a 1.5-point pup at the Los Angeles Clippers Sunday.

As for which playoff teams hold the most underdog value, here are the top NBA underdog bets this season:

New Orleans Pelicans - 26-13 ATS
Boston Celtics - 31-17 ATS
Milwaukee Bucks - 29-20-1 ATS
Atlanta Hawks – 12-9-1 ATS
Houston Rockets - 16-12 ATS
Memphis Grizzlies – 13-10 ATS

In a cruel twist of this trend, NBA bettors should beware of double-digit NBA Playoff underdogs. Since the 2003 NBA Playoffs, when Round 1 went to a best-of-seven format from best-of-five, double-digit dogs are just 29-42-3 ATS (6-68 SU) in the postseason - covering just 41 percent of the time.

There are a pair of double-digit underdogs on the board for this weekend’s games: New Orleans +11 at Golden State, and Boston +11 at Cleveland. Those two teams, as shown above, just so happen to be the top underdog bets in the NBA this season.

Underdog-heavy results are a double-edged sword for sportsbooks. While the general public gravitates towards the big-name favorites, the sharp bettors tend to take the points in the NBA Playoffs. This is especially true with some of the earlier weekday postseason time slots – the 7 p.m. ET starts – which are on at 4 p.m. in Nevada.

These weekday afternoon games in Las Vegas don’t get much walk-in traffic from tourists and conference goers, which leaves the books to go one-on-one with the wiseguys in the opening round of the NBA Playoffs, with little money from the betting public to limit liability.

“The midweek people aren't getting engaged until after 5 p.m. and it makes the late games much more attractive, since they can come in and place a bet and have a beer,” Jay Rood, vice president of race and sports from MGM properties in Las Vegas, told Covers last April. “That leaves us going head-to-head with sharps in the early games. So if the underdogs are covering in those early midweek games, it’s not good for us.”

Last year’s early underdog trend did pull a fair share of public bettors away from the favorites. Rood said that NBA regular season games will see an 80/20 split of money on the favorite and underdog but that difference drops to 75/25 in the postseason.

As for the regular season giving any hints of how the playoffs could lean, oddsmakers did their job handicapping the games. Favorites and underdogs split, each going 601-601-27 ATS on the year.

[Udog]

The truth behind betting the Zig-Zag Theory in the NBA Playoffs

In NBA betting circles, Zig-Zags are trendy applications that have been profitable moneymakers during the playoffs. The premise is simple: Bet a team off a playoff loss in its very next game.

The theory is that in a short series involving imminent elimination, a team in more inclined to bounce back with a good effort off a losing performance than it is to continue its losing ways.

How have these plays held up of late? You might be surprised. Here are pointspread results of NBA Playoff Zig-Zags from 1991 through 2014.

Game On, Dude

Overall: 786-693-37 • 53.1 percent
Game 2: 195-153-13 • 54.7 percent
Game 3: 195-159-6 • 55.1 percent
Game 4: 159-163-8 • 49.4 percent
Game 5: 128-121-6 • 51.4 percent
Game 6: 79-70-2 • 53.0 percent
Game 7: 30-27-2 • 52.6 percent

The strength of NBA Zig-Zags appears to be in Game 3 where they become a better than 55 percent pointspread play on the blind.

Burn baby burn

Like all things that are popular, though, they eventually burn out and revert back to the norm.

A combination of the law of averages and an adjustment by the oddsmakers has seen the NBA Zig-Zags go up in smoke since 2001.

That’s confirmed by the fact that these plays slipped dramatically the last 14 years (2001-2014), going 475-444-27– or 51.6 percent - overall as opposed to a 311-249-10 mark – or 55.5 percent - in games played from 1991-2000.

That’s a decline of nearly four full percentage points. Talk about a buzz kill.

Round ‘em up

Here is a breakdown of how the Zig-Zags have fared during each round of the NBA Playoffs since 1991:

Round 1: 377-330-21 • 53.3 percent
Round 2: 235-205-7 • 53.4 percent
Round 3: 116-108-6 • 51.8 percent
Round 4: 58-50-3 • 53.7 percent

While it appears there is no discernable edge between rounds, it should be noted that home teams off a double-digit loss in Round 2 have delivered the largest profits, as they are 80-51-3.

Planting the seed

Here is a breakdown of how the Zig Zags have fared by seed during NBA Playoffs:

No. 1 Seeds: 110-101-5 • 52.1 percent
No. 2 Seeds: 107-86-4 • 55.4 percent
No. 3 Seeds: 91-80-9 • 53.2 percent
No. 4 Seeds: 79-71-1• 52.7 percent
No. 5 Seeds: 72-68-2• 51.4 percent
No. 6 Seeds: 62-55-2• 53.0 percent
No. 7 Seeds: 42-61-4• 40.8 percent
No. 8 Seeds: 62-44-5 • 58.5 percent

Note these results are since the 1996 season, when our database first began charting seeds.

Note the disparate results that abound between No. 7 and No. 8 seeds.

Rocky Mountain high

So when is it we can still expect to catch the best possible result when firing up with these with NBA Zig-Zags these days, you ask?

Simple. Look to back double-digit underdogs when they are off a SU and ATS loss. They’ve stood the test of time, going 33-18-2 ATS since 1991. That’s a pretty high 64.7 percent winning percentage when you think about it.

[Udog]

NBA
Dunkel

Saturday, April 18

Washington Wizards @ Toronto Raptors

Game 701-702
April 18, 2015 @ 12:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington Wizard
117.269
Toronto Raptors
119.039
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto Raptors
by 2
199
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto Raptors
by 4 1/2
193 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Washington Wizard
(+4 1/2); Over

New Orleans Pelicans @ Golden State Warriors

Game 703-704
April 18, 2015 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New Orleans Pelic
119.261
Golden State Warr
133.117
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State Warr
by 14
199
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State Warr
by 11 1/2
205
Dunkel Pick:
Golden State Warr
(-11 1/2); Under

Milwaukee Bucks @ Chicago Bulls

Game 705-706
April 18, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Milwaukee Bucks
125.308
Chicago Bulls
126.186
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago Bulls
by 1
192
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago Bulls
by 8
186 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Milwaukee Bucks
(+8); Over

Dallas Mavericks @ Houston Rockets

Game 707-708
April 18, 2015 @ 9:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Dallas Mavericks
122.229
Houston Rockets
132.694
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston Rockets
by 10 1/2
205
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston Rockets
by 5
210 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Houston Rockets
(-5); Under


Sunday, April 19

Boston Celtics @ Cleveland Cavaliers

Game 709-710
April 19, 2015 @ 3:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston Celtics
116.254
Cleveland Cavalie
130.643
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cleveland Cavalie
by 14 1/2
196
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland Cavalie
by 11
203 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Cleveland Cavalie
(-11); Under

Brooklyn Nets @ Atlanta Hawks

Game 711-712
April 19, 2015 @ 5:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Brooklyn Nets
114.974
Atlanta Hawks
126.878
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Atlanta Hawks
by 12
192
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Atlanta Hawks
by 10
202
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta Hawks
(-10); Under

Portland Trail Blazers @ Memphis Grizzlies

Game 713-714
April 19, 2015 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Portland Trail Bl
114.728
Memphis Grizzlies
117.515
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Memphis Grizzlies
by 3
195
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Memphis Grizzlies
by 4 1/2
188 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Portland Trail Bl
(+4 1/2); Over

San Antonio Spurs @ Los Angeles Clippers

Game 715-716
April 19, 2015 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Antonio Spurs
132.705
Los Angeles Clipp
130.616
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Antonio Spurs
by 2
216
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Los Angeles Clipp
by 1 1/2
205 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
San Antonio Spurs
(+1 1/2); Over

[Udog]

NBA
Long Sheet

Saturday, April 18

Might update on gameday

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WASHINGTON (46 - 36) at TORONTO (49 - 33) - 4/18/2015, 12:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 7-4 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 8-3 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
8 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NEW ORLEANS (45 - 37) at GOLDEN STATE (67 - 15) - 4/18/2015, 3:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 8-2 against the spread versus NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 10-1 straight up against NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
7 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MILWAUKEE (41 - 41) at CHICAGO (50 - 32) - 4/18/2015, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 7-5 against the spread versus MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 8-4 straight up against MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
8 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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DALLAS (50 - 32) at HOUSTON (56 - 26) - 4/18/2015, 9:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 6-6 against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 6-6 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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Sunday, April 19

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BOSTON (40 - 42) at CLEVELAND (53 - 29) - 4/19/2015, 3:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 6-5 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 7-4 straight up against CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
7 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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BROOKLYN (38 - 44) at ATLANTA (60 - 22) - 4/19/2015, 5:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 7-4 against the spread versus BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 7-4 straight up against BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PORTLAND (51 - 31) at MEMPHIS (55 - 27) - 4/19/2015, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MEMPHIS is 8-3 against the spread versus PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
MEMPHIS is 9-2 straight up against PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SAN ANTONIO (55 - 27) at LA CLIPPERS (56 - 26) - 4/19/2015, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA CLIPPERS is 6-5 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 6-5 straight up against LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
7 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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[Udog]

NBA

Saturday, April 18

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Trend Report
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12:30 PM
WASHINGTON vs. TORONTO
Washington is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing Toronto
Washington is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Toronto
Toronto is 7-15 ATS in its last 22 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Toronto's last 8 games when playing Washington

3:30 PM
NEW ORLEANS vs. GOLDEN STATE
New Orleans is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
New Orleans is 2-7-1 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Golden State
Golden State is 7-2-1 ATS in its last 10 games when playing New Orleans
Golden State is 16-2 SU in its last 18 games

7:00 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. CHICAGO
Milwaukee is 3-11 SU in its last 14 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games on the road
Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chicago's last 6 games when playing at home against Milwaukee

9:30 PM
DALLAS vs. HOUSTON
Dallas is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston
Dallas is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Houston
Houston is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games
Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Dallas


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[Udog]

NBA

Saturday, April 18


Derrick Rose, Chicago - Prob Sat

Rose is expected to be ready for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Bucks despite a knee injury.


Important stat you need to know for Bucks-Bulls

No team in the NBA playoffs have been called on more personal fouls per game (22.1) than the Milwaukee Bucks. Unless the Bucks can improve their discipline, the Chicago Bulls will certainly exploit the trips to the free throw line.

The Bulls ended the regular season third in the NBA in both free throws made per game (19.7) and percentage of points from the charity strip (19.6 percent).

In their four contests against one another this season, the Bulls have shot 77.8 percent from the free throw line while averaging 20.3 points from the free looks.

Chicago is currently -7.5 for Game 1 Saturday.


Rockets' perimeter game vital against Mavs

The Houston Rockets head into the NBA Playoffs as the top perimeter team in the NBA. No team has scored more points per game (34.1) or had more of their offense (32.8 percent) come from beyond the arc than the Rockets in the regular season.

And there is literally no better opponent for the Rockets to use this shooting advantage than the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs have allowed more points per game from downtown (27.1) and ranked twenty-ninth in percentage of points against from three-point range (26.5 percent).

If this season is any indication, the Mavericks have work to do. In four games against Dallas this season, Houston hit 35.1 percent of their three's while averaging 39 points per game.

The Rockets are currently -5.5 with a total of 210 for Game 1 Saturday.

[Udog]

NBA

Saturday, April 18


Warriors' Lee ruled out for Game 1 vs. Pelicans

Golden State Warriors big man David Lee has officially been ruled out for his team's opening game of the Western Conference Quarterfinals against the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday.

Lee has been suffering from nagging back issues. Despite the news, the Dubs had moved from -11.5 to -12 at the time of writing.


Mavs F Parsons plans to play in Game 1

Dallas Mavericks forward Chandler Parsons plans to play in Saturday night's series opener against the Houston Rockets.

Parsons, who missed the final six games of the regular season due to a sore right knee, practiced Friday for the first time since leaving an April 2 game against the Rockets.

[Udog]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, April 18

Toronto won seven of last eight games with Washington (6-2 vs spread); Wizards lost four of last five played here, losing by 2-19-8-10 points. Raptors/Wizards are both in playoffs for second year in row after a 5-year abesence; Wiz won in first round LY, Toronto hasn't won first round series since '01. Washington lost three of last four games overall, with four of last five going over the total. Raptors won four of last five; four of those five stayed under.

Pelicans won three of last four games, beating Spurs in last game Wednesday to get here; New Orleans lost nine of last ten games with Golden State, beating Warriors by three in NO 11 days ago. Pelicans are in playoffs for first time in four years; their last series win was in 2008. Warriors have had magical (67-15) season, taking they're in playoffs for third year in row, after missing playoffs 15 if previous 16 years. Golden State won eight of last ten games, but covered only one of last six.

Milwaukee is in playoffs for second time in last five years; with its last series was in 2001. Bucks won three of last four games, with four of last five going over total. Bulls went 50-32 despite ton of injuries; they've won six of last seven games with Milwaukee (5-1 vs spread in last six)-- six of last eight games stayed under total. Chicago won last three games, allowing 92.7 ppg; they've lost in first round of playoffs four of last six seasons.

Houston won four of last five games with Dallas; last four series games stayed under total. Rockets won six of last eight overall to grab #2 seed; five of their last six games went over. Dallas is 4-1 in its las five games; eight of its last nine went over. Mavericks have not won playoff series (0-2) in three years since they won '11 title; they're 2-5 overall in last seven first round series. Houston is 1-8 in first round series since 1998- their last series win was in 2009.

[Udog]

NBA

Saturday, April 18

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Game of the Day: Saturday's NBA Playoffs matchups
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Washington Wizards at Toronto Raptors (-3.5, 193.5)

Trash-talking is on high alert status as the Toronto Raptors open the Eastern Conference first-round series against the visiting Washington Wizards on Saturday. Washington forward Paul Pierce was part of the Brooklyn squad that ousted the Raptors out of the first round last season and he made it clear Toronto doesn’t concern him despite the Wizards going 0-3 against the Raptors this season.

“We haven’t done particularly well against Toronto, but I don’t feel they have the ‘It’ that makes you worried,” Pierce told reporters. That didn’t sit well with the Raptors, particularly standout guard DeMar DeRozan. “Paul Pierce has always got to say something,” DeRozan told reporters. “He said something last year. He’s always got to say something. Just let him talk. I could care less what he says.” The Wizards are looking to advance to the second round for the second consecutive season.

TRENDS:

*Raptors are 7-15 ATS in their last 22 home games.
*Over is 8-0 in Wizards last 8 games playing on 2 days rest.
*Under is 6-1 in the last 7 meetings in Toronto.
*Underdog is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings.


New Orleans Pelicans at Golden State Warriors (-12, 204.5)

The Golden State Warriors smashed franchise records en route to the best record in the NBA but the real work has yet to begin. The top-seeded Warriors will start that work when they host the No. 8 seed New Orleans Pelicans in Game 1 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs on Saturday.

The Pelicans battled all the way down to the last day of the regular season to lock up the No. 8 spot and have been in playoff mode for weeks while Golden State long ago clinched its position at the top of the West. Instead of sitting its starters for the final two weeks of the season, the Warriors kept their foot on the gas as much as possible and finished out the season with four straight wins. The streak gave them a Western Conference-record 39 home wins. “To get to this number of wins is really surprising, especially in the West,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr told reporters. “Everything has gone well. Our players have played exceptionally well, both individually and as a team. We’ve also been pretty fortunate health-wise. It’s just been one of those years where it has all come together, and it’s been a lot of fun.”

TRENDS:

*Pelicans are 0-4 ATS in the last 4 meetings in Golden State.
*Warriors are 15-2 ATS in their last 17 Conference Quarterfinals games.
*Under is 4-0 in Pelicans last 4 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
*Over is 9-2 in Warriors last 11 home games.


Milwaukee Bucks at Chicago Bulls (-7.5, 184.5)

Derrick Rose continues to experience knee soreness but insists he will be on the floor Saturday when the Chicago Bulls host the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1 of the first-round Eastern Conference series. “I think I’m used to knee injuries and my knee being sore,” Rose told reporters. “My whole mindset going into these playoffs are no excuses and get the job done.”

The third-seeded Bulls won three of four regular-season meetings with the sixth-seeded Bucks, who are in the playoffs for the first time since 2013. “We talked about the playoffs every day,” guard Khris Middleton told reporters. “That was one of our goals. It was one of the first things we said in our first meeting, and we put ourselves in position to reach it.” Milwaukee cracked the postseason despite losing rookie star Jabari Parker to a season-ending knee injury in December and later revamped the club in February by dealing point guard Brandon Knight and replacing him with Michael Carter-Williams. Chicago received a big season from power forward Pau Gasol, who excelled in his first season since joining the club as a free agent.

TRENDS:

*Bucks are 1-5 ATS in the last 6 meetings.
*Bulls are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games playing on 2 days rest.
*Under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings.
*Over is 7-2 in Bulls last 9 games following a ATS win.


Dallas Mavericks at Houston Rockets (-5, 211.5)

The Houston Rockets battled all the way to the last night of the regular season to lock up the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference and roll into the playoffs with that momentum. The seventh-seeded Dallas Mavericks, who visit the Rockets in Game 1 of the first round on Saturday, will try to find a way to slow down James Harden and Houston’s potent attack.

The Rockets earned their first division title since their championship 1993-94 season when they downed the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, outlasting San Antonio and Memphis in a division race that came down to the final day. “It's a blessing. The regular season was great but whatever happened in the regular season we've got to put that behind us,” Houston center Dwight Howard told reporters. “This is a whole new season and we've gotta come out ready to go.” The Mavericks were locked into the No. 7 spot a week ago and ended up fourth in the Southwest despite reaching 50 wins for the first time since the championship season of 2010-11. The intrastate rivals are meeting in the postseason for the first time since 2005.

TRENDS:

*Mavericks are 1-4 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
*Rockets are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games playing on 2 days rest.
*Under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings.
*Over is 6-0 in Mavericks last 6 overall.


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[Udog]

NBA
Short Sheet

Saturday, April 18


Eastern Conference - Round 1 - Best of 7 - Game 1

Washington Wizards at Toronto Raptors, 12:35 ET
Washington: 79-55 ATS as an underdog
Toronto: 38-25 OVER after failing to cover 2 of their last 3 against the spread

Milwaukee at Chicago, 7:05 ET
Milwaukee: 20-11 ATS as a road underdog
Chicago: 20-37 ATS in home Playoff Games

Western Conference - Round 1 - Best of 7 - Game 1

New Orleans at Golden State, 3:30 ET
New Orleans: 33-20 OVER after failing to cover 2 of their last 3 against the spread
Golden State: 42-26 ATS as a favorite

Dallas at Houston, 9:35 ET
Dallas: 5-13 ATS after covering 2 of their last 3 against the spread
Houston: 34-21 ATS as a favorite

[Udog]

NBA

Saturday, April 18


Raptors had Wizards' number in regular season

The Toronto Raptors have given the Washington Wizards fits this season, a trend the Wiz will be seeking to buck when Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series gets underway Saturday afternoon north of the border.

Toronto emerged victorious in all three of their meetings with Washington this year, but went 2-1 ATS thanks to the Wizards covering as 5-point underdogs in a 95-93 loss on Feb. 11.

Oddsmakers have set the Raps as a 3.5-point favorite with the total sitting at 193.5 as of this writing.


Bulls seeking to continue dominance over Bucks

The Chicago Bulls dominated their season series with Milwaukee both on the court and at the betting window.

Tom Thibodeau's crew took three out of four against the Bucks while also covering three times during that span. The two sides will renew acquaintances Saturday in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal mathcup.

Books presently have the Bulls as an 8-point favorite. The total is the lowest on the board on the hardwood, sitting at 185.5 as of 10:30 a.m. EST.