So far, being closer to the action hasn’t really helped The Big Dog but things are never far from turning around. With the media absolutely having a field day around the troubles of one particular struggling franchise, the time appears right to take advantage of a likely blowout. Meanwhile, the continued inconsistency of the Cleveland Cavaliers has left the door ajar in the race for top spot in the Eastern Conference… but can the chasing Raptors take advantage?
Atlanta Hawks @ Toronto Raptors
With the Cleveland Cavaliers continuing to make hard work of closing the regular season, the Toronto Raptors are probably feeling disappointed that they are not already neck-and-neck in the race for the number one seed in the East. Having watched the Cavaliers blow a 20-point lead (without LeBron James), in a 106-100 loss to the Rockets, the Raptors can once again move to within two games of Cleveland. To do so, they need to get through a tough home contest against the Atlanta Hawks, who are presently the in-form team in the conference. Atlanta is looking for their fifth win in a row and has won nine of ten, including the last four on the road. Their last away loss came in Toronto, 104-96 on March 10th. Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan combined for 49 points and shot 17 of 34 from the field in that win and this is where The Big Dog sees the biggest opportunity for the Hawks to turn the tables on their hosts. Lowry has shot just 26.2 percent from the field in his last four games, as he deals with inflammation in his right elbow. His limited effectiveness has hurt Toronto and been a key factor in them dropping three of their last four games. Aside from Tiago Splitter, the Hawks have all troops on deck and currently lead the race for the third seed, one game ahead of the Miami Heat and a further half-game ahead of Boston and Charlotte. Winning form is good form and The Big Dog thinks the Hawks can keep rolling on the road.
Selection
Atlanta Hawks @ $2.00 (William Hill)
Miami Heat @ Los Angeles Lakers
Sometimes, as punters, we have to make decisions based on factors that have no statistical basis whatsoever. At the very least, the statistics in this match will only support the overall fact that the Lakers are a horrible basketball team. This has been well established through their atrocious 15-59 record… but what stats can’t describe is just how dysfunctional their locker-room is. As if having the second-worst offence (97.6 points per game) and fourth-worst defence (107.0 average points allowed) wasn’t bad enough, the conduct of rookie D’Angelo Russell has just created yet another sideshow to distract the failing Los Angeles franchise. The 48-point loss to Utah in their last outing was thought to be at least partially the result of the playing group’s reaction to a video of Nick Young, taken without consent by Russell, in which Young appears to admit to sleeping with girls while on the road, appears to have put the first year point guard on the outer. Adding to further concern is the fact that coach Byron Scott did not address the players after the blowout against the Jazz. Meanwhile, the Miami Heat are in a four-way battle for home court in the first week of the playoffs and will be focused on securing a solid win to keep them on track. This is definitely a match where taking a longer line is a smart move. Most bookies have the spread set at around 11 points but if you are able to take a “Pick Your Own Line” option, anything up to -19.5 feels plausible. In what could be the worst season in the history of the Lakers franchise, things will continue to go from bad to worse.
Selection
Miami Heat -11.0 @ $1.95 (William Hill)
Tools
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