Well these NBA playoffs are certainly taking a turn. As if the Suns haven’t been through enough and proven their merit enough to earn better fortune, we’ve learned that Chris Paul is under COVID-protocol and his status in the coming days/weeks is uncertain. But wait, that’s not all! Top 3 NBA player Kawhi Leonard might have torn his ACL and his timetable to return is also uncertain. In the words of this generation: OMG. With that crap fresh in our minds and a full 2-game slate in front us tonight, here are my picks:
Trae Young over 27.5 points (-120), 2 units: Unfortunately this is the only bet I like in this game but I like it a lot. Remember when the Hawks beat the Sixers 2 nights ago? #MeToo, but I also remember many of us forgetting just how good the Hawks can play when the pressure is on. There’s no pressure like a game 5 when the series is tied 2-2 and if there’s anyone we can count on to step up, it’s Trae Young. Once the young sharpshooter woke up in the 2nd quarter of game four, he was the biggest difference on offense for Atlanta, scoring 25 points in just 2 1/2 quarters of play. Atlanta will need Trae to put on a big performance tonight as the Hawks travel to Wells Fargo for this pivotal inflexion point in the series. I know his shoulder is bothering him but that doesn’t seem to matter when the going gets tough. In five away games this postseason, Trae is averaging 35 ppg. Count on the young star to that supervillain attitude and a big scoring night into Philly.
Clippers +8 (-105), 2 units: What happens when a star player goes down to an injury and a great team has to face the postseason without him? They crumble, right? Not so fast, my friends. A team as stacked and loaded as the Clippers often creates even MORE motivation and I think that could work wonders for LAC tonight. Now that Kawhi is out the talent, on paper, is a lot more even between Utah and Los Angeles. The Jazz are one of the best home teams in the NBA but that doesn’t mean they’re unbeatable. Look through the team stats in games three and four and you’ll be hard pressed to find ANY statistic where the Clippers didn’t out-perform or simply dominate the Jazz. Kawhi is the anchor but this is a complete team with even more reason to get fired up Wednesday.
In no way should the Clippers be valued as an 8 point underdog tonight. We play numbers because that’s what great sports bettors do and regardless of the outcome, this is the right side according to Gambling 101 and what we know about the Clippers’ as a unit. Trust bets like this and over time, the stacks of cabbage will come.
