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Pressure on Hawks, Warriors in crucial Game 3 NBA playoff matchups

| 09.05.2015
SPORTSBOOK ODDS

Atlanta Hawks will be gunning for just their second SU road win in their last six games when they visit the Washington Wizards on Saturday as 3.5-point favourites in NBA betting at Coral’s online sportsbook.

The Hawks evened up their Eastern Conference semi-final at 1-1 with a 106-90 win over Washington on Tuesday, covering as strong 9.5-point betting favourites and halting a short two-game SU losing streak against the Wizards.

Atlanta has struggled to find a way to top the Wizards in recent visits to Verizon Center, going 1-4 SU in their last five trips to the nation’s capital, 2-2-1 ATS, while surrendering 102.4 points per game.

However, the Wizards will likely hit the hardwood on Saturday night without star point guard John Wall, who missed Game 2 of the series with a hand injury, that was later diagnosed as multiple fractures in his hand and wrist.

Wall has vowed to return to the court some time in the series, and if he can be effective, his presence would provide a big boost to the Wizards. Wall had recorded double-doubles in each of his last four appearances, and the club is winless in three games without him in the lineup this season.

With or without Wall, the Wizards are a strong team in their own barn, SU winners in their last five at home, 3-1-1 ATS, and 11-2 SU in their last 13, but are 0-3 SU and ATS in their last three as home underdogs.

Golden State Warriors (-4.5) @ Memphis Grizzlies
NBA Championship favourites Golden State Warriors will be looking to bounce back from a surprising 97-90 loss to the Grizzlies in Game 2 of their Western Conference semi-final, when they travel to Memphis on Saturday night for Game 3 as 4.5-point favourites in NBA Playoffs betting at Coral.

The Warriors saw their nine-game SU win streak ended with Tuesday’s loss, in which they were pegged as heavy 10-point favourites. The game also marked the first time they failed to score more than 90 points in a game since topping the Philadelphia 76ers in a low-scoring 89-84 road affair, back in early February.

The Warriors have also plummeted to a worrisome 3-8 ATS in their last 11, including 1-3 ATS in four road contests, and are 1-1 SU in a pair of visits to Memphis this season, part of a dismal 2-10 SU run in their last 12 at FedExForum, 5-7 ATS.

Despite their recent inability to pay sports bettors as a consistent favourite in basketball betting at Coral, Golden State remains a strong 6/5 favourite to capture their first NBA title in 40 years, and a heavy 1/4 favourite to eliminate the Grizzlies in NBA series betting.

Following their surprising upset win in Game 2, the Grizzlies enter Game 3 with home court advantage, and as 20/1 NBA futures betting longshots, and face no pressure in a series that few have expected them to win.

The Grizzlies have alternated between SU wins and losses in their last four following a four-game SU win streak, but currently ride a five-game SU win streak on home hardwood, 4-0-1 ATS.

At 34-10, including this year’s NBA Playoffs, Memphis owns one of the best home records in the NBA, and at 95.1, owned the second-best defense in the NBA this season.

Not surprisingly, the point total has played UNDER in seven of their last 10, and is pegged at just 196.5 in Game 3 on Saturday night.

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Author

Daniel Coyle