How Sharps are Betting Monday NBA (4/22)
Marquee franchises Knicks, Lakers Highlight Tripleheader
Busy weekend in the rearview mirror. Three games on tap Monday night as rematches begin. Are sharps betting the zig zag? Or, is there an assumption that home teams will continue to impose their will early in the 2024 NBA playoffs?
Let’s see how the money that matters most is betting Monday action. Games are presented in tipoff order…
Orlando at Cleveland (7 p.m. ET, on NBA Network)
Opening line of Cleveland -5.5 was first bet up to -6. Possibly some sharps deciding that Orlando was just too inexperienced to play well away from home early this postseason. Dog lovers jumped pretty hard on the zig-zag dog +6 points. Line fell back to the opener of +5.5, and then down to +5 in recent betting.
The public doesn’t consider this a marquee series, and may not lay points with this particular single-digit favorite that’s only on the NBA Network tonight. Old school sharps in particular like the zig-zag. Not because they’re betting “the due theory.” But, because the G1 winner might come out a step slow from overconfidence, while the G1 loser has every reason to make adjustments and come out breathing fire in the bounce back spot.
Not sure if we’re going to see a tug-of-war between Cleveland -5 and Orlando +5.5. Dog lovers have expressed their preference pretty emphatically at +5.5 or better. While some matchup-minded sharps may like Cleveland -5, it seems that Orlando +5.5 or more would be considered the “sharper” of the two bets.
Opening total of 203 has stayed in very tight trading range between a floor of 202.5 and a ceiling of 203.5. If there was a STRONG preference from sharps on the total, it would have shown by now. Big adjustment down from the opener of 207.5. That game stayed Under by a mile with a 97-83 finish. We’re obviously likely to see a lot more than 180 points this time around. But, clearing 203? Sharps aren’t doing much of anything just yet. Minor quibbles about what represents value around that 203.