Author: Marc

In the second set of play-in games, the Charlotte Hornets will face the Atlanta Hawks. The Hornets finished the regular season on a three-game winning streak and will look to continue it.

However, they’ll be without Gordon Hayward in this game, which could cost them some scoring. The good news is that they aren’t the only team dealing with a ton of injuries on Wednesday.

The Atlanta Hawks will be without three players that make an impact on both sides of the ball. One of these players is John Collins, the starting power forward. If he was in, he’d be in charge of guarding Miles Bridges, the Hornets’ leading scorer. Remember all thee predictions come from our Computer Picks.

Without Collins, the Hawks will have to hope that their backups can guard Bridges. So, who has the best chance of winning this game?

Game Preview: Charlotte Hornets at Atlanta Hawks

The Hornets are among the top five scoring offenses in the NBA. With an average of 115.33 points per game, the Hornets rank fourth overall in the league. LaMelo Ball is responsible for orchestrating this offense and leading it to 43 wins this season.

On average, Ball tallies 7.6 assists per game, along with 1.6 steals. Charlotte is 2-1 against the Atlanta Hawks this year.

The Hawks are no slouch on offense either, ranking sixth in the NBA. However, one of their biggest problems is defense, where they rank 21st overall.

On average, the Hawks allow 112.38 points per game, which could be a problem against the Hornets. If they can’t find a way to stop Bridges and Ball, the game won’t go their way. Now more than ever, the Hawks need defense.

Against the Spread: Charlotte Hornets +5

We love the spread in this game, and even more, we’ll take Charlotte to win it without the points. Charlotte has had the Hawks’ number this entire year, recently beating them 116-106.

We expect a similar outcome in this game. Although some may be worried about taking the Hornets on the road, we wouldn’t. This season, the Hornets are 23-17-1 against the spread on the road.

The Total: UNDER 236

This might come as a shocker to some, but we’re going to go with the under in this one. Not because there won’t be a lot of offense, but because the Hawks are missing players.

Above we mentioned, John Collins was out for this game, but he’s not the only one. Guards Lou Williams and Chaundee Brown are also out, leaving the Hawks with holes on their bench. 

To Score 20+ Points: LaMelo Ball (-265)

One of the keys to a Hornets win is the performance of LaMelo Ball. He’ll be guarded by Trae Young, who is a speedy, but small defender.

Ball will make use of his size advantage against Young and his ability to score from range. On average, LaMelo Ball averages 20.1 points per game; it isn’t a stretch for him to go over 20 here.

Player Points: Miles Bridges OVER 22.5 (-104)

On average, Miles Bridges scores 26.0 points per game against the Atlanta Hawks. This is an easy single-game parlay to add, especially since John Collins is out. Look for Bridges to dominate the paint tonight and earn a win for the Hornets.

It’s a big day for the Cleveland Guardians after posting their first win on Sunday. In this series versus the Royals, they’re down 1-2 but can even it out tonight. After the rookie Steven Kwan posted five hits yesterday, everyone is excited to see what he can do today. As are we and we include this in our Same Game Parlay.

Could he have a repeat performance? Or will we see the same Guardians team that we saw a few nights ago?

The Royals have a lead in this series but took a massive step back in the third game. After losing by a massive 14-run difference, the Royals need to shake game three off.

The pitchers for this game have been announced, and hopefully, we see a better performance this time. If not, the Royals could be in danger of giving up another 17 runs to Cleveland on Monday afternoon. 

Game Preview: Cleveland Guardians at Kansas City Royals

Aaron Civale will get the start as the pitcher for Cleveland in today’s game. We have yet to see Civale this season, but the real key here is Cleveland’s batting. If the Guardians can have a game like they did yesterday, they should win this one easily.

However, it’s going to be difficult to repeat a performance like that. Cleveland has the best team batting average in the MLB, at .298.

The Royals really showed some talent through the first two games of this series. They held the Guardians to just one run over the first two games. In game three, the Royals allowed 17 runs and five hits by rookie Steven Kwan.

Getting the start at pitcher is the right-hander Carlos Hernandez. They’ll look to have a better showing tonight than they did in the previous game.

Against the Runline: Cleveland Guardians +1.5 (-215)

We know that the odds in this one won’t earn you a lot, but the Guardians have the hot hand. This is the final game of their first regular-season series, and they’re down 1-2.

They had an incredible game yesterday and have the best team batting average in the MLB. The only area we see them having a bit of trouble in is with pitching. However, we still think they’ll win tonight.

Total: Under 8.5

Although the Guardians easily put up 17 runs yesterday, we don’t think it’ll happen again this way. The Royals will find a way to slow down the Guardians, preventing the game from getting out of hand.

Sill, we think the Guardians will at least win by a single run; our expected score is 4-3. Taking the under here seems like the best bet after how the other two games finished.

To Hit A Home Run: Steven Kwan (+500)

Kwan tallied a total of five hits in Sunday’s game; tonight, we think he goes out of the park. It’s clear that he has an eye for the pitchers in the Royals bullpen.

With the odds at +500, this will give you a chance to claim some serious winnings. You could also take him -280 to record a hit since he had no problem doing so in the previous game.

The New York Knicks are entering their second to last game of the NBA season. Although they missed the playoffs this year, they’ll have a few positive things to hang their hats on. Julius Randle and RJ Barrett played well together this year.

In fact, you could say that with one more piece, the Knicks could be contenders. They’ll look to earn their 36th win of the 2021 year today.

A team that is quite literally in the same position as the Knicks is the Washington Wizards. The Wizards have the same record as the Knicks and were also eliminated from the playoffs. When looking at these two teams, you’ll see a lot of similarities.

This is likely the reason why the Knicks are only one-point underdogs. Still, there are a few picks in this game that could be worth taking. Feel free to also add this to your Parlay Picks.

Game Preview: New York Knicks at Washington Wizards

The Knicks have one of the best defenses in the NBA, allowing only 106.94 points per game. They rank seventh in this category, so it’s clear that defense wasn’t the problem this year.

Their offense, however, was absolutely atrocious, ranking 27th overall with an average of 106.40. The problem with the Knicks lies in their offense, but they do have an advantage over the Wizards.

The Wizards’ defense ranks 17th in the NBA, allowing an average of 111.83 points per game. Pairing this defense with an offense that only averages just over 108 points are a bad recipe.

Tonight, they’ll have to focus on stopping RJ Barrett, the Knicks’ leading scorer. With that being said, the Wizards won’t have to worry about finding a way to stop PF Julius Randle tonight.

Against the Spread: New York Knicks +1

The Knicks are missing a key element of their offense with Julius Randle out. However, the Wizards won’t have Kyle Kuzma in the lineup, their best player. Without Kuzma, stopping Barrett will be hard for the Wizards to do.

Since this game is essentially a pick ’em we can take the Knicks with confidence to win this game. Look for RJ Barrett to have a strong night as well. 

The Total: UNDER 222.5

We’ll be taking the under in this game for a few reasons. One, the Knicks offense and Wizards offense have a history of sputtering. Second, a few key offensive players will be out of the lineup for each team.

The total has gone under in 5 of New York’s last six games. The total has also gone under in 4 of New York’s last five games when playing on the road against Washington.

Win Margin: New York Knicks 1-10 (+195)

We like this bet because it will pad the ticket and earn you more winnings. The Knicks shouldn’t beat the Wizards by more than ten points here. They last played the Wizards in early March and won the game 100-97.

We believe that this game will end up similar to that one. In their last three games against the Wizards, the Knicks are 2-1, making this a great NBA computer pick.

With the regular season of the NBA coming to a close, we have a few games left to be played. One of these games is the Brooklyn Nets versus New York Knicks. The Nets, currently 8th in the Eastern Conference, can improve their positioning with a win.

They’re coming off of a 118-105 win over the Houston Rockets yesterday. It also looks like they aren’t resting starters just yet.

The New York Knicks have been eliminated from playoff contention. However, they can make it tougher on the Nets by dealing them a loss here. New York just claimed a huge 118-88 win over the Orlando Magic; they’ll look to do the same here.

Unfortunately, Julius Randle will be out for this game against the Nets. Without Randle, the Knicks come in at a massive disadvantage. Take a look at our same-game parlay below as well as all NBA computer picks.

Game Preview: Brooklyn Nets at New York Knicks

The Nets possess one of the best offensive tandems in the NBA. With Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn has nights where they seem unstoppable.

In their last game against the Rockets, Irving put up 42 points. As a team, the Nets average 112.54 points per game, ranking ninth in the NBA. The question is, will this offense be enough as they take New York on tonight?

The Knicks’ defense is deceptively good and one of the best in the NBA. If they had the offense to go along with it, they’d likely be in the playoffs.

However, their offense ranks 27th in the NBA and averages just 106.51 points per game. The defense is much more impressive, allowing an average of 106.90 and ranking 7th in the NBA. The Knicks will hope that their defense holds up.

Against the Spread: Brooklyn Nets -7

Although the Nets haven’t been great against the spread recently, the Knicks haven’t either. New York is playing at home, where they’ve gone 16-23 this year. Against the spread, the Knicks are 15-24 when playing at home.

Because of this and Julius Randle being sidelined, we’re going to take the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets are 22-16-2 against the spread on the road.

The Total: UNDER 232

The total in this game is set at a whopping 232 points, quite large for both of these teams. The total has gone UNDER in four of New York’s last five games. In five of Brooklyn’s last six games, the total has gone UNDER as well.

The Knicks’ defense is solid and shouldn’t allow the score to get too out of hand. We think the total in this game will go well under the allotted 232.

Win Margin: Brooklyn Nets 1-10 (+165)

As we mentioned, we think the Nets will win this game, but not by much more than the seven needed. Brooklyn beat the Houston Rockets, the worst team in the NBA, by just 13 points.

Before that, they lost to the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks. In a game versus the Detroit Pistons, who have an awful offense, the Nets only won by seven.

On April 4, Crystal Palace will face off against Arsenal in a game that’s sure to be entertaining. Crystal Palace is coming off of a huge 4-0 victory against Everton and has gone 3-0-1 over their last four.

However, beating Arsenal won’t be an easy task, and Crystal Palace comes into the game as underdogs. So, what steps will Crystal Palace need to take to ensure another victory?

Arsenal is one of the best teams in the English Premier League, currently ranked 5th overall. They have a record of 17-3-8 and have gone 3-1 in their last four matches.

Their most recent match was a 1-0 win over Aston Villa. Crystal Palace could prove to be a tough match for Arsenal tonight. With that being said, which of these teams (if any) will be the best bet tonight? This is one of our first Same Game Parlays for soccer.

Game Preview: Crystal Palace versus Arsenal

Ranked 12th in the English Premier League (EPL), Crystal Palace is currently 7-13-9. Although they don’t have a great record, they’ve performed well in recent games. Marc Guehi and Jean-Philippe Mateta scored first-half goals in the win over Everton.

As they prepare to face Arsenal, they’ll need these players to have a similar game. Arsenal is not an easy team to beat.

Arsenal follows closely behind Tottenham in terms of EPL rankings. In order to move up, they’ll need to land a few key wins. One way they can do this is by taking down Crystal Palace, which has had a tough season so far.

However, Arsenal hasn’t been exactly dominant either, having eight matches lost over 28 matches. So, how can you build a solid EPL same-game parlay?

Moneyline: Crystal Palace +340

This might be a shocking bet, but once you look at how each team has performed, it isn’t. Crystal Palace easily walked over Everton, but perhaps more impressive is their 2-0 win over Wolverhampton.

Their most recent game against Arsenal was in October of 2021, and they tied 2-2. We think Crystal Palace actually finds a way to take down Arsenal in the match today.

Correct Score: 2-1 +1400

Now, this one is slightly harder and requires a bit of analytics to figure out. The largest margin of victory in the last five meetings between these two is just two goals. Because of this and the most recent game, we think the score will end 2-1.

Arsenal just lost 3-2 to Watford, a team that Crystal Palace beat 4-1. Taking these games into account, we’re going with a score of 2-1. 

Over/Under 2.5 Goals: Over +116

This pick will continue to build the odds up to maximize your winnings. Each of these teams is able to, on their own, score over 2.5 goals. This game will easily land at about the three-goal mark, but we don’t think it will go further.

One thing Crystal Palace and Arsenal are good at are limiting goals against them. Look for the score to land right at three goals in tonight’s match. 

Both Teams To Score: Yes -108

This is probably one of the most secure bets you can place on the match between these two. Each team has great scorers and is bound to at least be a 1-1 tie.

However, adding this to your ticket will boost your winnings and is essentially a sure thing.

The Dallas Mavericks head out to Milwaukee to face off against the Bucks on Sunday. Dallas is fresh off of an uncharacteristic loss to the Washington Wizards a few nights ago. They lost to the Wizards, 135-103, after a horrible defensive night.

Was this just a strange anomaly for the Dallas Mavericks? We’ll find out as they face one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.

The Milwaukee Bucks are coming off of a loss as well. However, the reason why each of these teams has lost recent games is that they’re beginning to rest players. It makes sense, too, because the NBA playoffs are almost here.

Milwaukee lost 153-119 to the Los Angeles Clippers; tonight, they’ll face the Dallas Mavericks. With key players being rested, who’s the best bet?

Game Preview: Dallas Mavericks at Milwaukee Bucks

The Mavericks have one of the best defenses in the NBA, but that all changes now. While they prepare for the playoffs, a few of their best players will be sidelined. This means that they might not have the same defense that only allows 104.67 points per game.

The good news is they won’t have to worry about Giannis Antetokounmppo. Still, it’s going to be a tough game tonight.

The Milwaukee Bucks’ defense caved against the Los Angeles Clippers, allowing 153 points. After watching that, we feel the Mavericks actually come in with an advantage here.

Something to note is that even when Dallas plays all of their starters, they only average 107.06 ppg. Offensively, the Bucks have the upper hand, but this game depends on who’s being rested. 

Against the Spread: Dallas Mavericks +5

Although each team is coming off terrible losses, we definitely like the Mavericks in this game. Dallas has the better defense and didn’t give up 153 points.

We don’t necessarily think that they’ll win the game, but they should be able to cover. This season, the Dallas Mavericks are 44-33-1 against the spread. Look for them to keep the game close and cover on Sunday.

The Total: OVER 228

This is a slightly riskier bet, but each of these teams gave up over 130 points. It might seem like a long shot, but we think it could happen again tonight. You have to remember, with key players being rested, the defense won’t be as good.

Dallas still has an average defense, but they allowed the Wizards to score 135 points. Taking the over in this game seems like the better bet.

Win Margin: Milwaukee Bucks 1-10 (+170)

We think that throwing this onto your ticket will definitely boost your winnings. We’ve already noted that we believe the Bucks could win this game, but only by a narrow margin.

By adding this to your ticket, you’ll boost your winnings on this Sunday morning game. The last time the Bucks played the Mavericks was in December of 2021; Milwaukee won the game 102-95.

Player Points: Jalen Brunson OVER 15.5 

Brunson came up as a prominent figure in the Mavericks game against the Wizards. He scored 21 points and went four for nine from the three-point line.

The Mavericks didn’t rest Luka Doncic in the game against the Wizards, but they could in this one. Because of this, we think Brunson will have another strong game, so add this to your single-game parlay.

These two teams possess the best offenses in the NBA and are in the same conference. The Phoenix Suns sit atop the Western Conference with no sign of surrendering the spot.

Today, they face the team that they could potentially play in the Western Conference Finals. With Chris Paul in the lineup with Devin Booker, this game is bound to be the most entertaining of the day.

The Memphis Grizzlies are another team that knows how to put up points. As one of the best in the NBA, the Grizzlies are currently on a six-game win streak.

They’ll try to increase this win streak to seven as they face the Phoenix Suns. They’ll host Phoenix in this game, giving the Grizzlies a slight advantage. Grizzlies will need all the help they can get against the Phoenix Suns.  See our NBA Same Game Parlay predictions, which form part of our NBA computer predictions we make for all NBA games.

Game Preview: Phoenix Suns at Memphis Grizzlies

It’s not hard to see why the Phoenix Suns are at the top of the Western Conference. They average 115.21 points per game and are on a nine-game winning streak.

They also have Chris Paul back in the lineup, which is a huge boost to their team. Both Paul and Booker are vital to the success of the Suns. Phoenix also won’t need to worry about facing Ja Morant tonight.

Unfortunately for the Grizzlies, they’re missing their best player. Ja Morant is out with a knee injury that will definitely impact how the Grizzlies perform today. Morant isn’t the only player sidelined for the Grizzlies.

Steven Adams could be out for this game, Desmond Bane, and Tyus Jones as well. These injuries don’t just impact this game but the games in the future as well. 

Against the Spread: Phoenix Suns -7.5

Even if the Grizzlies were at full strength, we’d likely take the Phoenix Suns in this game. Phoenix is 7-2 against the spread over their last nine games. In their last eight games on the road, the Suns have gone 8-0.

The injuries that the Grizzlies are dealing with just reconfirms the best option here is the Suns. Look for the Suns to win this game 121-110, covering the spread.

The Total: OVER 228.5

It might seem odd that we’re taking the over in a game where the Grizzlies are missing their best player. However, you have to take into account how badly their defense will suffer tonight as well.

This will leave the Phoenix Suns an opening to run up the score against Memphis. In the Suns’ last ten games, the total has gone over seven times. We’ll definitely take the over. 

To Score 15+ Points – Deandre Ayton (-180)

As we mentioned above, there’s a good chance that Steven Adams is missing in this game. If he is, that will leave Deandre Ayton to run wild in the paint.

On average, Ayton puts up 17.2 points per game, but he’s averaged 19.3 in his last ten. We expect Booker and Paul to work the ball to Ayton more in this game which will help him go over 15.

Two strong defenses are set to face off as the Mavericks face the Cavaliers. Luka Doncic, fresh off a win over the Los Angeles Lakers, is ready to lead his team to another victory. Getting through the defense of the Cavaliers won’t be an easy task, though.

Dallas still has time to go up in the Western Conference, and a win here would help. Can they grab a third straight win today? 

The Cleveland Cavaliers currently have the No.7 spot in the Eastern Conference. After suffering three losses in a row, they’ve fallen pretty far back.

However, the Eastern Conference is a tight race, and they’re only a few games behind the No.5 team. Their most recent game was a win over the Orlando Magic. If they can beat the Mavericks tonight, it could move them up to No.6. We also have this in our standard Parlay Pick for tonight.

Game Preview: Dallas Mavericks at Cleveland Cavaliers

Neither of these teams has an incredible offense; in fact, they both rank in the bottom ten. The Mavericks average just 106.67 points per game, ranking 25th in the NBA.

Most already know that the Mavericks and the Cavaliers both rely on their defense to win games. As a defense, the Mavericks rank second in the NBA, allowing 104.09 ppg. Is it good enough to beat Cleveland?

The Cavaliers have a slightly better scoring offense than the Dallas Mavericks. They average 107.17 points per game and have a better shooting percentage.

However, Luka Doncic is one thing the Cavaliers don’t have, and they’ll need to stop him. The last time these two played, the Cavaliers had no problem doing that. The question is, can they repeat their performance today?

Against the Spread: Dallas Mavericks -4.5

Although Cleveland handily beat the Mavericks in the last game they played, we think this will go differently. The Mavericks recently beat the Jazz by 14 points, then went on to beat the Lakers by 18.

If Dallas can pull off two wins like that, we can trust them to take down the Cavaliers. It’s also important to note that the Cavaliers are missing C Evan Mobley tonight.

The Total: UNDER 214

Because of the tenacity of these defenses, we don’t see this game going over 214. Our score prediction for this game is 108-102, with Dallas winning.

Over the last three meetings between these two, the total has gone under twice. This season, the Dallas Mavericks are 26-48-2 against the total. The Cleveland Cavaliers are 32-41-2 at the time of writing. 

First Basket: Dwight Powell (+800)

This is an interesting wager to add to your ticket, but it could prove worthwhile. Dwight Powell is the center for the Dallas Mavericks.

One of the first things Dallas could do is test Cleveland’s interior since they’re missing Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. This will put Powell in the perfect position to score the first basket of the game. 

Win Margin: Dallas Mavericks 1-10 (+170)

Finally, the win margin pick is perfect for a 1-10-point victory by the Dallas Mavericks. We already gave our prediction above, with the Mavericks winning by six.

Because these teams have strong defenses, the final score is bound to be close. Adding this Computer pick will boost your winnings on this Wednesday night game.