GAMBLING GUIDE
Bookie Busters: Some midweek plays on the NBA and soccer
Apr 11, 2018, 6:12 am
Ronaldo and Real Madrid should be money makers. Photo by Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images
Although the Astros had an abysmal performance Friday night, Bookie Busters still found a way to profit for the weekend
MLB 0-2
Astros-1.5 LOSS
Astros Total Runs over 5 lOSS
NBA 3-0
New Orleans Team Total Over 115 WIN
New Orleans 1st half -6 WIN
New Orleans First quarter -3 WIN
UFC 0-1
Joanna Jedrzejczyk -112 LOSS
Soccer 2-0-1
Manchester Utd vs. Manchester City
Over 2.5 goals WIN
Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid
Under 3 WIN
Roma vs. Barcelona
Over 3 -118 PUSH
NBA
Denver Nuggets at Minnesota Timberwolves
Wednesday night gives NBA enthusiast everything you want out of a season finale, one game for postseason life, an NBA scheduler 's dream!
Both teams come into this matchup with familiarity as they faced off less than a week ago in a Denver 100-96 victory. On that night, the Timberwolves played a sound first half going into the intermission with a 54-51 lead. In the closing half, they only put up 42 points while ending the night shooting 25% from 3-point range. Denver is finishing strong down the stretch, having reeled off eight wins in the last ten games. On this steak they have ranked top ten in both offensive efficiency (7th) and defensive efficiency (8th). Denver, is a team known for its offensive pace and the way the team runs out in transition. But on this streak, they have slowed down the pace considerably, ranking 20th on the five-game run. Slowing the pace down has allowed the Denver interior players to be in optimal positions to rebound and this had translated to the third best offensive rebound percentage in the NBA in the small time frame.
The Pick
In the matchup on April 4 in Denver, the Nuggets were favored by 4.5 points. Now the line has changed 7.5 points with home court flipping, and I don't know if it's justified with the current form of these two teams. Yes, Minnesota has won its last two games but the competition was subpar vs. teams in offseason mode (Lakers, Grizzlies). Before that, they lost to a couple of potential playoff teams in the Nuggets and Jazz. Dating back to March 11, the Timberwolves have been on an odd streak off winning two games and losing two games consecutively. As mentioned earlier, they just won their last two games, so I guess we know what comes next. Denver, welcome to the postseason.
Denver +3
Thunder vs. Grizzlies
Oklahoma City needs to better its seeding with a win as their playoff spot is already clinched. In their path, a poor Memphis team that is gasping for air to make it to the finish line of the NBA season. Memphis is bottom 5 in the NBA in first-half points (51) while owning a -4.1 point margin in opening halves. The Thunder, average 54.7 points in the first-halves and carry a top 5 margin of +2.8 in the opening 24 minutes of games. Look for the Thunder to come out fast and make a statement at home, this game gets out of hand, quickly.
The Pick
Thunder First Half -7
Thunder Team Total Over
*Projected line
Soccer
Champions League
Real Madrid vs. Juventus
The deciding leg in a two-way tie that sits at 3-0, the home team has the benefit of playing against a team that will be desperate and will be missing their best player Dybala. With 20 goals in their last seven matches attached to the space they will have in this game will be enough to get them on the score sheet a few times. Real Madrid, with a comfortable win.
The Pick
Real Madrid Money line
Real Madrid -1
Real Madrid Team Total Over 2
Ronaldo to score a goal anytime
For any questions or comments reach me @JerryBoknowz on twitter
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Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Key moment
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Key Stat
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Up next
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.