It was only a six-game NBA Tuesday card, but it couldn’t have been more exciting. Two games came down to the final shot and star players put up impressive stats.
Kicking off the NBA betting card was the Brooklyn Nets vs Charlotte Hornets. Kyrie Irving produced one of his finest performances with a 50-point effort to lead the Nets to a 132-121 victory. The Nets were -4 favorites and the win never looked in doubt after leading 69-43 at halftime. It got trimmed in the second half, but by then the Nets were in cruise control. The win got the Nets back to .500 as the NBA playoffs get closer.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are one of the best teams to back against the spread. They came away with a narrow half-point cover when beating the Indiana Pacers 127-124. It was a big fourth quarter that saw them turn an eight-point deficit into a three-point win. It was much needed after some struggles post-All Star break, and coming up with the goods was Darius Garland with 41 points. The sportsbook had the over at 221½, which went over by 29½ points.
The Phoenix Suns continue to win games but covering spreads is proving more difficult. They edged out the Orlando Magic 102-99 as a -6 favorite, so although they won the game to improve to 52-13, bettors didn’t cash. The Magic have been a solid bet over the last couple of months and they could continue to be a good bet. NBA odds typically have the Magic as outsiders and they could continue to push teams like the Suns.
No Blues in Memphis
As if it wasn’t already obvious, the Memphis Grizzlies signaled their NBA playoffs intentions with a 132-111 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Ja Morant had another solid game with 24 points, eight assists and eight rebounds. They were the -8 favorites and scoring 44 points in the opening quarter set the tone early. The Pelicans have attracted betting support of late, despite being 27-38.
“Obviously getting stops on the defensive end helps us get out and run rather than taking the ball out of the net,” Morant told ESPN. “At that point, we’ve got a lot of guys who can push the break.”
Another star player who turned up was Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, who scored 39 points in a 142-115 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. It was a comfortable cover for the -13½ favorites, who are a good chance to repeat as champions. NBA betting lines are starting to take notice of the Bucks, who are starting to put it all together.
Closing out NBA Tuesday was the Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Clippers. The Warriors ended their losing streak with a 112-97 win thanks to 21 points from Jonathan Kuminga, who had the best game of his career. Despite being down on talent, the Warriors pulled out the stops and covered the spread by nine points. It was a low scoring game, so the under 225 was an easy wager.
