GAMBLING GUIDE

Bookie Busters: NBA Playoffs and Champions League plays

Bookie Busters: NBA Playoffs and Champions League plays
The Rockets have been tough against the Jazz. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Bookie Busters was on fire this weekend ending 7-2-2

Let's continue the streak with some NBA and Soccer plays.

Roma vs. Liverpool

The Estadio Olimpico; a place where miracles happen, and the home side will be looking to strike lightning twice in front of over 73,000 enthusiasts. Confidence, mysteriously, is at an all-time high with the locals as they fresh memory of the recent 3-0 win over a Messi led Barcelona, make this feat everything but impossible. If you can stop Messi, then why not Mohamed Salah?

For starters, Salah has netted ten goals in this tournament, and 43 this season across all competitions. He's managed to get on the scoresheet in nine of The Reds last ten fixtures and thats pushed the over 2.5 goals total eight times in that sample size. In the first leg, Salah scored twice while setting up the other two goals, making it a night to remember for the Egyptian sensation.  

The Pick

An open match with end to end action, as the home team must overcome a three-goal deficit. On their side, the benefit of scoring two away goals, but having to net at the minimum three, will leave them exposed playing out of character. The Pool counter attack is what they thrive on, and the situation will play right into their hands.

Play of the Week:

Liverpool Team Total Over 1.5 3x

Over 3

Both teams to score

Salah scores a goal 2x

Rockets vs. Jazz 7:00 PM

The No. 1 overall seed has been giving the Red Rowdy aficionadi worries for their streaky performances thus far in the playoffs. Game 1 of this series finally saw the Rockets come out and dominate from wire to wire led by James Harden's 41 point explosion while hitting seven shots from behind the arch. Houston is 5-0 ATS in the last five in this matchup. Game 1's performance comes as no surprise, as Harden has dominated in those contest averaging 31 points per game while shooting 42.2 percent from the field.

The Pick

Houston dominated the last game, all while only scoring 36 points in the paint. They relied on their bread and butter, the outside shot. When Houston is hitting their shots at the rate they do, it makes it impossible for teams to adjust, especially one that relies on a big body like Rudy Gobert.

Houston is 4-1 ATS in its last five games. The Rockets are also 5-0 ATS in the last five games vs. the Jazz. The total has gone over in four of Utah's last five games when playing on the road vs. Houston. Houston is also 7-3 ATS at home in its last 10 when playing the Jazz. Look for Houston to have its way, making the Jazz play out of character having to chase the game from the start.

Rockets first Half -6.5

Rockets over 52 First Half

Rockets Team Total Over 107.5

Over 205

Celtics  vs. 76ers

Over 207

UEFA Europa League Semifinals Thursday 1:45

Atletico Madrid  vs. Arsenal

Atletico Madrid money line -130

For any questions or comments reach me at @JerryBoKnowz on Twitter.

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Welcome to Houston, Nick! Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images.

Nick Chubb didn’t expect to be a Houston Texan. At least, not until he got the call on a quiet Saturday at home and was on a flight the next day. It happened fast — too fast, even, for the four-time Pro Bowler to fully process what it all meant. But now that he’s here, it’s clear this wasn’t a random landing spot. This was a calculated leap, one Chubb had been quietly considering from afar.

The reasons he chose Houston speak volumes not only about where Chubb is in his own career, but where the Texans are as a franchise.

For one, Chubb saw what the rest of the league saw the last two seasons: a young team turning the corner. He admired the Texans from a distance — the culture shift under head coach DeMeco Ryans, the explosive rise of C.J. Stroud, and the physical tone set by players like Joe Mixon. That identity clicked with Chubb. He’d been a fan of Ryans for years, and once he got in the building, everything aligned.

“I came here and saw a bunch of guys who like to work and not talk,” Chubb said. “And I realized I'm a perfect fit.”

As for his health, Chubb isn’t running from the injuries that cost him parts of the past two seasons, he’s owning them. But now, he says, they’re behind him. After a full offseason of training the way he always has — hitting his speed and strength benchmarks — Chubb says he’s feeling the best he has in years. He’s quick to remind people that bouncing back from major injuries, especially the one he suffered in 2023, is rarely a one-year journey. It takes time. He’s given it time.

Then there’s his fit with Mixon. The two aren’t just stylistic complements, they go way back. Same recruiting class, same reputation for running hard, same respect for each other’s games. Chubb remembers dreading matchups against the Bengals in Cleveland, worrying Mixon would take over the game. Now, he sees the opportunity in pairing up. “It’ll be us kinda doing that back-to-back against other defenses,” he said.

He’s also well aware of what C.J. Stroud brings to the table. Chubb watched Stroud nearly dismantle Georgia in the College Football Playoff. Then he saw it again, up close, when Stroud lit up the Browns in the postseason. “He torched us again,” Chubb said. Now, he gets to run alongside him, not against him.

Stroud made a point to welcome Chubb, exchanging numbers and offering support. It may seem like a small thing, but it’s the kind of leadership that helped sell Chubb on the Texans as more than just a good football fit — it’s a good locker room fit, too.

It appears the decision to come to Houston wasn’t part of some master plan. But in retrospect, it makes perfect sense. Chubb is a player with a no-nonsense work ethic, recovering from adversity, looking to write the next chapter of a career that’s far from over. And the Texans? They’re a team on the rise, built around guys who want to do the same.

You can watch the full interview in the video below.

And for those wondering how Joe Mixon feels about Nick Chubb, check out this video from last season. Let's just say he's a fan.


*ChatGPT assisted.

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