John Hyslop
NBA
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Get used to playoff basketball being on your television screen every night for the near future. I actually forgot how good it was until I realized that I was still watching the Hornets/Pacers game in the fourth quarter even though the Hornets were getting dragged. Action will do that to a man. Hopefully tonight we get closer games and it looks like we will. The one I have my eye on is the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers on ESPN at 10:00 pm ET. That’s right about the time where bettors are questioning whether they have enough action. The answer tonight is yes!
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Draymond Green to record 8+ assists (-235)
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to record 2+ made threes (-168)
Kevon Looney over 7.5 rebounds (+108)
Dennis Schroder over 1.5 made threes (+132)
Parlay odds: +1028
© Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Draymond Green to record 8+ assists (-235)
This is where we should start as Green is a dish man these days plus the price is right. You would think a guy who has surpassed eight assists in each of his last eight games would be -400+ to do it again tonight but here we are. This one only costs -235 which is fine with me. What’s great is in four of the last eight games, he went into double digits in the assist category so he’s not just barely getting home. With the type of game I expected tonight, it feels right for Green to hand out at least eight helpers.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to record 2+ made threes (-168)
I like this price for KCP since the Lakers just ask him to stand by the three-point line and let it rip. In his last five games, he’s taken at least six threes in five of them. In those six games, he’s hit at least two trays in five of the six. Caldwell-Pope is a three-point shooter. That’s what he does. The only question mark is if he’ll get 30+ minutes tonight but even if he doesn’t, two is not a lot to ask of him. In the Lakers’ last game against the Pelicans, he only played 27 minutes and still managed to shoot six threes connecting on two. I think this is a good bet.
Kevon Looney over 7.5 rebounds (+108)
Don’t sleep on Looney in this spot tonight. I don’t know why, but I trust him. First, the biggest knock on him is that he doesn’t play enough minutes to matter but that has not been the case lately. In his last six games, Looney has played at least 23 minutes in five of them including 30+ last game. In those six games, he went over 7.5 rebounds in five of them. He pulled in double digit boards in four of them. The only time he missed the mark was when he only grabbed seven boards in 23 minutes against Phoenix. The Lakers have Andre Drummond and Anthony Davis, so the Warriors will need Looney’s size. I think he plays 25+ minutes and grabs at least eight rebounds.
Dennis Schroder over 1.5 made threes (+132)
Look, I know we talked about this yesterday but Schroder belongs in this parlay. When LeBron James was out, he was the primary ball-handler for the Lakers but things are way different with James in the lineup. Over the last three games he’s played with James, he has taken at least five three-pointers. He legitimately looks like a three-point shooter at times as he’s the guy that gets the ball kicked to him instead of being the guy doing the kicking. In those last three games with James, Schroder has canned at least two trays in two of them. I think he takes at least six tonight and hits at least two of them.
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