NBA Tuesday Recap Matchups: Clippers Claim Battle of LA
Another Strong ATS Day for Home Teams
Closing Numbers Vital Across the Board
There were three key games in last nights NBA where the final payout was dependent on what time bettors entered the market. Let’s take a look at our NBA Tuesday Recap Matchups and see how the market performed on the seven-game slate.
The closing number didn’t matter in the nights headline act where the Los Angeles Clippers made it 10 straight win over their cross-town rivals. The Clippers comfortably covered the 4.5-point spread as they secured a 133-115 win over the Lakers.
Clippers vs Lakers
Date & Time:
Location: Crypto.com Arena
Score: Lakers 115 – 133 Clippers
Ty Lue still hasn’t lost to LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers since becoming the Clippers head coach and the team led wire-to-wire in this one despite the best efforts of James, who finished with 46 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists.
That effort ensured LeBron James has now officially scored 40+ points against all 30 teams in the NBA at least once in his storied career.
The earlier nationally televised game saw the Miami Heat secure a tense 98-95 win over the Boston Celtics as they look to move away from the play-in spots in the Eastern Conference standings NBA.
This market saw plenty of movement, with the Heat opening as 1.5-point favorites before ballooning to 4.5-point favourites with news that the Celtics would be without Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Malcolm Brogdon or Al Horford.
That number didn’t hang around for long and the +4.0 handicap on the visitors dropped further when Jimmy Butler was unexpectedly announced out for Miami, which meant the market moved to 2.5-point in favor of the home team.
The final score meant Boston covered +3.5 or better (and pushed on a +3.0) but anything at 2.5 points or lower was a winner for Miami bettors.
Nuggets, Suns Pick Up Wins
The Denver Nuggets held on to defeat the New Orleans Pelicans 99-98 in a game that had similar point spread drama. The Pelicans had opened as 1.0-point favorites, but eventually closed at +3.5 points once two-time MVP Nikola Jokic was ruled in for the road team.
Nuggets vs Pelicans
Date & Time:
Location: Smoothie King Center
Score: Nuggets 99 – 98 Pelicans
Denver covered the opening number, but the Pelicans were able to sneak in the backdoor for later bettors who trusted them thanks to a 10-2 run to close the game.
The Nuggets led by as many as 19 points in the second half before clinging on down the stretch. Jokic recorded his 15th triple-double of the season and the Nuggets are now 15-0 in matchups where the Serbian superstar achieves the feat.
Suns vs Hornets
Date & Time:
Location: Footprint Center
Score: Suns 128 – 97 Hornets
The Phoenix Suns recorded another win as they comfortably dealt with the Charlotte Hornets in a 128-97 win. The Suns led by 21 points after the first quarter and were never really challenged as they try to stack up some wins and make up ground in the crowded Western Conference.
This one featured some totals drama as the game saw Over and Under bettors cash depending on when they entered the market.
This game opened at 226.5 points but was steamed down to 223.0 points by tip-off. The game ultimately fell between the two numbers and again highlighted the importance of securing the best of the number in order to maximize your chances at cashing in a hyper efficient marketplace.
Mavs Stumble Again, Knicks Bounce Back
The Dallas Mavericks suffered another poor loss as they were ousted 127-126 at home to the Washington Wizards as 7.5-point favorites.
Mavericks vs Wizards
Date & Time:
Location: American Airlines Center Center
Score: Mavericks 126 – 127 Wizards
The visitors were without the services of Kristaps Porzingis, but their offense showed little sign of stuttering. The Mavericks defensive issues are certainly becoming worrisome for coach Jason Kidd and the team hasn’t shown any signs of rectifying things in recent weeks as they continue to fall toward the play-in scramble in the west.
This game had the biggest disparity between closing total and final scoreline, with the 225.5 point spread being eclipsed with 6:05 to play in the final quarter.
The New York Knicks snapped their recent skid with a much needed 105-103 home win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Knicks vs Cavaliers
Date & Time:
Location: Madison Square Garden
Score: Knicks 105 – 103 Cavaliers
The Cavs closed as 3.0-point favorites and while they did open up an 8-point lead in the third quarter the Knicks were able to use a 21-6 run to open up a comfortable cushion early in the fourth quarter.
Donovan Mitchell had a chance to send the game to OT but was met at the rim by Isaiah Hartenstein as the Cavs dropped another one on the road.
In the nights other matchup, the Indiana Pacers snapped their seven-game losing streak with a 116-110 win at home to the Chicago Bulls.
Pacers vs Bulls
Date & Time:
Location: Bankers Life Fieldhouse
Score: Pacers 116 – 110 Bulls
The Pacers closed as 1.5-point home underdogs and looked destined for another loss when they fell behind 21-points with less than 2 minutes to play in the first-half.
A 70-point second half from the home side saw them overrun a Chicago team that continues to lack consistency against lesser teams.
That’s all for our NBA Tuesday Recap Matchups piece. Be sure to check back for more market reviews and NBA betting trends.
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