It was a mixed bag for NBA bettors on Wednesday as both dogs/favorites and over/unders went 2-2. We also saw three teams get eliminated from the playoffs (Wizards, Knicks, Grizzlies) while three others punched their tickets to the second round (76ers, Hawks and Jazz). With the field narrowing, here are the updated odds to win the NBA title at BetMGM.
Nets + 175
Jazz + 350
Bucks + 550
76ers + 900
Suns + 1200
Clippers, Lakers + 1300
Mavericks, Nuggets + 2500
Hawks + 3000
Blazers + 8000
Now it's on to Thursday, where bettors have a plethora of sweats to choose from including 12 MLB games, 2 NBA playoff games and 2 NHL playoff games. For an updated breakdown of Thursday's betting action, be sure to tune in to the VSiN Market Insights Podcast with Josh Appelbaum. It will be posted at 1 p.m. ET. I'll be joining The Lombardi Line with Michael Lombardi and Patrick Meagher at 1:45 p.m. ET to offer a market update. I'll also be joining Rush Hour with Danny Burke at 7 p.m. ET to discuss tonight's late action.
In the meantime, let's discuss where the money is flowing for tonight's two NBA playoff games...
8 p.m. ET: Denver Nuggets at Portland Trail Blazers
This is Game 6 of the West first round. The Nuggets lead the series 3-2 and can eliminate the Blazers with a victory. Denver is coming off a thrilling 147-140 victory in double overtime in Game 5, covering as 2-point home favorites. Now the series shifts back to Portland. This Game 6 line opened with the Blazers listed as a 4-point home favorite. Respected money has come down on the Blazers to bounce back and force a Game 7 as we've seen Portland move from -4 to -5 tonight. Short favorites -5 or less are 18-6 ATS (75%) this postseason. The total opened as 228.5 and has been bet down to 227.5, signaling some sharp under action. This is a bit surprising as the over is 4-1 this series. When the total is 220 or higher, the over is 19-8 (70.4%) this postseason. Leading the series 3-2, the Nuggets are -250 favorites to advance to the second round. The Blazers are + 200 dogs to come back and win the series.
10:30 p.m. ET: Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Lakers
This is Game 6 of the West first round. The Suns lead the series 3-2 and can knock out the Lakers with a win. After trailing the series 2-1, the Suns have now won two straight, including a 115-85 blowout win in Game 5, easily covering as 4.5-point home favorites. This Game 6 line opened with Los Angeles listed as a 3.5-point home favorite. Wiseguys aren't overthinking this one. They've pounced on the red-hot Suns plus the points, forcing oddsmakers to drop the line from Lakers -3.5 to -2. The elephant in the room is the health of Anthony Davis. This Lakers star big man missed last game with a groin strain and is questionable for this one. If he can't go, this line may fall further to Phoenix. Respected money has also hit this under, dropping the total from 208.5 to 207.5. The under is 4-1 this series. When the total is 215 or less, the under is 8-1 this postseason. Leading the series 3-2, the Suns are -350 favorites to advance to round two. The Lakers are + 260 dogs to come back and win the series.
More Updated Series Prices
Clippers + 130 vs Mavericks -160 (Mavs lead 3-2)
Nets -200 vs Bucks + 160 (Game 1 Saturday)
76ers -200 vs Hawks + 170 (Game 1 Saturday)
Remember to check the VSiN Betting Splits every day for money and ticket counts so you can tell who the public is betting on.