While favorites prevailed outright in all three games last night, the underdogs went 2-1 ATS as the Hawks and Timberwolves did enough late to keep it inside the number. Tonight, the attention shifts to two close-out games, as the Bucks and Warriors will look to punch their tickets to the second round.
Will underdogs have similar success tonight, however? Let’s take a closer look at the action and where the value remains as tip-off approaches.
Check out our Sports Betting Guide for strategy tips & advice >>
Leg #1. Bucks -12 | -115 at DK Sportsbook
Already without Lonzo Ball (knee) and Zach Lavine (safety protocols), the Bulls were dealt another blow this afternoon in the announcement of point guard Alex Caruso (concussion) being confirmed out as well. An already stagnant offense, which has averaged 88 points per game over their past two, the Bulls now lose a facilitator to help team leader DeMar DeRozan get open looks.
The Bulls will also be dealing with a three-point shooter in Grayson Allen who has emerged in this series as one of the best in the league. So far in this series, Allen is shooting 61.1% from the three-point line, in addition to his 63.3% from the field. Still overdue from a breakout performance from Jrue Holiday, I like for the Bucks to get up early and keep the pedal down tonight in a close-out performance that puts the rest of the East on notice.
Leg #2. Warriors -8.5 | -110 at DK Sportsbook
Just 1-4 ATS over their last five games, the lack of Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray is finally catching up with a Nuggets team whose run into a buzz saw in the red-hot Golden State Warriors. Initially struggling to re-integrate Klay Thompson into this offense, the Splash Brothers are officially back as he and Steph Curry are averaging a combined nearly 60 points over their past two; half of the total Warriors points.
For the Nuggets MVP candidate Nikola Jokic has largely been on an island offensively, averaging 31.25 points per game with little help around him. His supposed new #2, Aaron Gordon, comes into this game 5 averaging just 13.5 points per game this series.
While the Warriors’ Jordan Poole finally cooled off in game 4 after averaging 24.3 points per game through his first three this postseason, Curry and Thompson should be more than enough to close out this series at home. If Jokic can be contained down low, expect this game to get out of hand quickly in San Francisco tonight.
Total Odds: +256 at DK Sportsbook
Join the BettingPros Discord Chat for Live Betting Advice >>
Whether you’re new to sports betting or a betting pro, our Sports Betting Strategy and Advice page is for you. You can get started with our 101 section — including 10 Sports Betting Tips for Beginners — or head to more advanced strategy — like Key Numbers When Betting Against the Spread — to learn more.
Johnny is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Johnny, check out his archive and follow him @JohnnyCovers