NBA Monday Recap and Scores: Dominant Day for Road Teams
Unders and Road Teams Perform Strongest
Magic Fight Back for Big Underdog Win
The Orlando Magic ran out 119-109 road winners over the Philadelphia 76ers on a night where they closed as 10.0-point underdogs. Let’s take a look at our full NBA Monday Recap and Scores as we check in on the market performance across the league.
The Magic trailed by as many as 21 points in the first half as the 76ers threatened to bulldoze their way to an eighth straight win. A 24-8 run midway through the third quarter turned the tide however and the home team couldn’t wrestle back momentum as the Magic cashed in a big way for bettors.
Orlando closed at +375 on the Moneyline and were as high as +1400 in some spots as the Sixers opened up a comfortable lead. Rookie Paolo Banchero led the way with 29 points and the Magic had five scorers finish in double-digits. Philadelphia scored just 19 points in the fourth quarter and their offensive struggles helped this one stay Under the 230.5 point total.
A shorthanded Lakers team couldn’t keep pace with the Brooklyn Nets down the stretch as they went down 121-104 as 9.0-point underdogs. The tough NBA games schedule meant the Lakers opted to rest LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the front end of this back-to-back, which ultimately proved too big of a hurdle to overcome for the road team.
The Lakers led for the majority of the third quarter, but a 36-22 fourth quarter in favor of the home team saw the Nets comfortably cover the spread. Despite the uptempo nature of the contest this one stayed Under the 231.0 point total as both teams shot below 40% from 3-point range and the Lakers shooting just 39% from the field as a whole.
Warriors, Suns Earn Big Wins
The Golden State Warriors picked up a much-needed road win as they secured a 128-120 win over the OKC Thunder.
The Warriors looked like they too would blow a 20+ point lead in this one, but managed to hold on down the stretch against a young Thunder team that is beginning to make legitimate claims at a playoff spot in the West. This game also looked destined to stay Under the total, but 28 points in the final 2:40 helped this one clear the 242.5 point closing total.
The Phoenix Suns also continue to climb the NBA standings as they outlasted the Toronto Raptors 114-106 in front of their home fans.
The Suns closed as 2.5-point favorites but it was the total that saw plenty of drama in the closing stages. This number opened at 221.5 points and sat at 221.0 up until the final few hours before tip-off. A late surge toward the Under pushed this down to 219.5 points and meant that those who tried to bet the Under late were done on late free throws that saw this total finish on 220 points.
Nine points in the final 31 seconds meant this one finished between the opening and closing total, with the Raptors insistence on fouling down the stretch costing late bettors dearly if they tried to get in on the market steam.
The Sacramento Kings exacted some quick revenge on the Minnesota Timberwolves as they stole a 118-111 OT win at Target Center. These teams played for the second time in three days and in what was almost a carbon copy of the first meeting we got a game that stayed well below the 238.0 point total – even with five extra minutes of basketball.
Wizards Streaking, Mavs Win Ugly
The Washington Wizards continue to make a push for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference as they secured a comfortable 127-106 win over the San Antonio Spurs to wrap up their west coast road trip.
The Wizards comfortably covered the five-point spread as they led by double-digits for most of the way, but despite their hot offensive showing this one also stayed Under the inflated closing total of 240.5 points.
The Dallas Mavericks were able to get back to winning ways as they welcomed Luka Doncic back for their home showdown with the Detroit Pistons.
Doncic scored 53 points in his return and the Mavs needed just about every last one as they emerged with a 111-105 win. Detroit led through three quarters in this one but they simply couldn’t generate enough scoring down the stretch despite getting some good looks on this flawed Dallas defense.
This total ticked up from its opening number on the news Doncic would be made available, but it fell well Under the closing number of 232.5 points.
The Portland Trail Blazers were 129-125 winners over an Atlanta Hawks team who was missing star guard Trae Young for the night.
Young was ruled out just before tip-off and this number went from 2.5 to 5.0 in favor of the home team. Market entry proved vital as well, with the Hawks able to squeeze in the back door for late bettors while the Blazers covered the opening number of -2.5 points.
That’s all for our NBA Monday Recap and Scores. Be sure to check back for more market previews and reviews.
Follow us on Twitter
