It was an historical day in the NBA, which saw an incredible comeback and some big score differences.
The biggest game of the day involved the Los Angeles Clippers vs Washington Wizards. No lead is safe for the Wizards, and despite being the -5 betting online favorites and holding a 35-point lead, it wasn’t enough. Luke Kennard had seven points in the last nine seconds for an incredible Reggie Miller-like performance. It was yet another stunning loss for the Wizards, who are tough to bet on.
Another incredible game was the Boston Celtics vs Sacramento Kings. The Celtics entered as -9½ favorites, and although expected to win, producing a 128-75 victory was outstanding. They covered the spread by 43½ points, and despite scoring 128 points, the under 218 cashed for totals bettors.
The Detroit Pistons showed that they can continue to cover spreads. They stuck with the Denver Nuggets and lost 110-105 as a +7 underdog. The Pistons might not be winning games consistently, but they are better at covering spreads than most would assume.
The Toronto Raptors scraped their way to a 125-113 win over the Charlotte Hornets. The victory as a +1½-point underdog improved them to 23-22, which keeps them in the hunt. Pascal Siakam high-scored for the Raptors with 24 points. LaMelo Ball produced 25 points and seven assists in a losing effort. Despite a 13-14 road record, NBA betting odds had the Hornets as favorites.
Joel Embiid produced another huge performance as the Philadelphia 76ers handled the New Orleans Pelicans 117-107. However, it was the Pelicans who covered the spread narrowly despite being short-handed. Embiid has played in 19 consecutive games, which has pleased the big man.
“That was one of my goals, just to be available,” Embiid told ESPN. “Don’t plan on stopping.”
Bettors were salivating at seeing LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers against the Brooklyn Nets. James Harden finished with 33 points, but it wasn’t enough to stop the 33 points from James. The Lakers won 106-96, which is a terrific defensive performance. Only 32 points were scored in the final quarter, which saw the under cash by 22½ points. The sportsbook had the Nets as slim 1½-point favorites, so it was a closely-framed market.
The San Antonio Spurs got the better of the Houston Rockets in a battle of the Western Conference cellar-dwellers. The 134-104 win came as a -5 favorite and it couldn’t have been an easier cash for Spurs backers. Houston continued its poor form, but scoring 30 points in the fourth quarter helped the over 234½ cash.
It was expected to be a close game between the Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors, but with a 22-4 home record, the Warriors had other ideas. They shot out to a 12-point halftime lead before winning the final quarter 33-14 to eliminate all chances of Dallas getting a back-door cover. The 130-92 loss was hefty for the Mavericks, who had solid betting support at +3½.
It was a crazy finish to the Minnesota Timberwolves vs Portland Trail Blazers game, which capped the night. The Timberwolves won via a goaltending call, which you don’t see deciding games very often. Anthony Edwards had 40 points, but the Trail Blazers did enough to cover the +3 spread.
