The NBA playoffs are here and there are a number of NBA bets vying for your attention. Of course your husband/wife, kids and job are also vying for your attention but don’t let any of those things distract you from what really matters in life … gambling on sports! Everything else is just background noise. Here are the bets you and I should make this week before we get too caught up in debating climate change and whether wind turbines should power the entire state of California.
NBA TITLE: BROOKLYN NETS +210
Here’s the thing. If a game is close, do you want the team with Lebron and AD or do you want the team with Kyrie, Durant and Harden? My dad always said, “three offensive weapons are better than two.” OK, he never said that. But it’s true. There’s just too many good options on the Nets. Throw in Joe harris who’s shooting 44% for his career from 3 AND the fact that Blake Griffin dunked last night and the Nets seem destined for a title. Plus, don’t forget that Harden has never won a title. Whenever there’s a superstar that hasn’t won a title, the other superstars want him to get one so he doesn’t have to feel like such a loser for the rest of his life. Now that there’s a ceasefire in Israel, Durant and Kyrie will want Harden to get a title and they’ll even play defense to make sure it happens.
NBA TITLE: MILWAUKEE BUCKS +600
If you’re looking to hedge your Nets bet, why not hedge here? The free throw shooting scares me but maybe Jrue Holiday is really what they needed to get the Bucks over the top. Even if you lose this bet, you feel good about it because Holiday is clearly the best human being in the NBA. Remember last year when he donated his salary in the bubble to help struggling black owned businesses? If you believe in karma, you root for Jrue Holiday to help lead the Bucks to a title.
CONFERENCE WINNER: DALLAS MAVERICKS +700
Are the Clippers that bad or is Luka that good? Here’s the thing. In last night’s game, there were numerous occasions when the Clippers desperately needed a stop and, well, they couldn’t get one. One possession in particular was telling. With two minutes to go in the 3rd quarter and the Clippers down by 10, Kwahi finally decided to guard Luka. Luka took advantage of him like a substitute teacher with a hearing aid. He backed Kwahi down, did a little shimmy and shot a rainbow fadeaway jumper that nearly brought rain from the heavens above. No single basket has done more to prove Luka’s pending greatness than that one. Here’s arguably the NBA’s best defender getting abused on the block by the Slovenian assassin. It’s for that shot and that shot alone that I’m betting a little on the Mavs to come out of the west.
OTHER PROPS OF NOTE
Donte DiVincenzo over 5.5 rebounds:
If they keep offering it, you have to take it, right? He doesn’t score much but in his last four games the Italian Stallion has grabbed 7,10, 9 and 9 rebounds respectively. It feels like Donte has found a way to stay on the floor with defense and rebounding, two traits that weren’t exactly his calling cards at Villanova.
Maxi Kleber over 13.5 points, rebs and assts:
He’s just getting back in the swing of things but he went for 20 combined in the last matchup and something tells me Doncic is going to receive a steady dose of double teams the rest of the way which should open things up for Kleber to get a few more shot attempts.
Memphis Grizzlies
There’s no way they should be getting 10 points tonight against the Jazz. Mitchell hasn’t played in weeks and it’s unlikely he’ll immediately be back in rhythm. More importantly, the Grizzlies believe in themselves. No one on the planet can stay in front of Ja Morant so whenever he needs get into the lane to score, he’s getting into the lane to score. Take the Grizzlies and the points as often as possible until Vegas adjusts accordingly.
