Can Lakers, Pelicans stay alive?

www.thescore.com

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.

The first round of the NBA playoffs is proving to be delightful. Only one series is complete – the Timberwolves swept the Suns – and even the lopsided series are entertaining and chaotic.

Monday’s slate features two teams – the Nuggets and Thunder – that can advance to the second round with a win. Let’s get to our bets.

Lakers @ Nuggets (-7.5, O/U 217)

The Lakers snapped their 11-game losing streak to the Nuggets and staved off elimination Saturday night in Los Angeles.

Most of the matchups between these two teams follow a similar blueprint – the Lakers build a lead before Denver comes back by executing at a high level in the clutch – but that wasn’t the case in Game 4, when the Lakers were playing for pride and trying to avoid a sweep in consecutive postseasons.

Expect Game 5 to revert to the norm. The better team will emerge victorious in relatively dominant fashion. Jamal Murray‘s health is the only reason this is debatable. He’s listed as questionable with a calf strain.

Murray should play, but I’d wait to pull the trigger on Denver until it’s confirmed. The line assumes Murray is playing, so it won’t move in Denver’s direction, and it’ll certainly move in L.A.’s favor if he’s out.

Pick: Nuggets -7.5

Kristaps Porzingis: Over 1.5 threes

Porzingis is an excellent shooting big. He connected on 37.5% of his 3-point looks this season. The Celtics need him attempting – and making – threes in this series so that Bam Adebayo is dragged away from the rim.

If Porzingis is knocking down outside shots, Adebayo has to guard him on the perimeter. Plus, the Heat play a decent amount of zone, which usually leads to more 3-pointers from the offense.

Expect this to be the case in Game 4 and Porzingis to hit at least two threes.

Odds: -120

Pelicans team total: Under 100.5 points

The Pelicans have yet to break 93 points through three games of their series against the Thunder, who have the top-rated defense in the playoffs.

New Orleans is feeling the absence of Zion Willamson and lacks a consistent creator and reliable top option offensively.

If the Pelicans compete – they’re 4.5-point home underdogs – in a must-win game to keep their season alive, it’ll be because of their defensive tenacity that limits the Thunder’s explosive offense.

It’s hard to imagine New Orleans’ lackluster and unimaginative offense breaking 100 points.

Odds: -120

Jalen Williams: Over 10.5 rebounds and assists

Jalen Williams is the perfect complement to MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Williams wasn’t much of a playmaker or rebounder throughout the year, but he’s averaging 12.3 combined rebounds and assists through three games and recorded at least 11 in each. Oddsmakers don’t expect that to continue, but it’s worth a bet at plus-money.

Odds: +110

Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more betting coverage.

Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Sam Oshtry

Published: 2024-04-29 16:54:33

Read Entire Article