NBA basketball odds: Portland Trail Blazers at Houston Rockets, Game 1

Expect points aplenty in this series between two of the NBA’s highest-scoring teams when Portland and Houston face off in the final series-opening game of the weekend on Sunday night. Houston, the fourth seed in the West, is a 5.5-point favorite for Game 1 against the No. 5 Blazers.

 

If you like 3-point shooting, this is the series for you. The Rockets and Blazers are one and three, respectively, in 3-point attempts per game and both try to bombard you with outside attempts. The Rockets shooting the most threes in the NBA but they make 35.6 percent of them, which is good for 17th in the NBA. The Blazers’ attempts are much more efficient, making the league’s ninth best percentage at 37.2 percent.

 

Both teams won 54 games, and their point differentials are separated by a smaller margin (Houston edges Portland +4.7 to +4) than those of the other seven series. Both teams also have two All-Stars (the Rockets’ James Harden and Dwight Howard vs. the Blazers’ LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard), top-five offenses, top-10 paces of play and top-three units in three-pointers attempted. The average score of their four regular-season games was 116-110 Houston, with the Rockets taking the series 3-1 thanks to a dramatic overtime victory in March.

 

After sitting out for two weeks and missing eight games with a strained left ankle, Howard says he’s fully recovered and ready to re-establish himself in the middle at both ends of the floor. If that’s true, Howard is the one who tips the scales. Wesley Matthews will have his hands full trying to stop Harden from scoring by the dozens. The bearded one dropped 41 and 33 on Portland already this season. Harden also led the NBA this season with 6.9 fast-break points per game. Houston is one of two teams (the other was Minnesota) with wins over the top two seeds in each conference (Indiana, Miami, Oklahoma City and San Antonio).

 

The Rockets turned the ball over 16.3 times per 100 possessions, the second highest rate in the league and the highest among playoff teams. The Blazers rank No. 3 in turnover percentage and No. 30 in opponent turnover percentage, meaning they protect the ball well on offense and play very conservatively on defense. The Rockets, on the other hand, rank No. 29 in turnover percentage and No. 28 in opponent turnover percentage, meaning they can be quite careless on offense while not really generating many free possessions on the other end.

 

Portland allowed 105.7 points per 100 possessions before the All-Star break (23rd in the league) and 103.0 after it (10th). No team improved more defensively after the break. Only 20.9 percent of their opponents shots were 3-pointers, the lowest opponent rate in the league.

 

Howard averaged 25.5 points per game against the Blazers, his highest mark against Western Conference opponents. Terrence Jones was a minus-45 in 49 minutes. No other Rocket had a negative plus-minus against the Blazers. The Blazers’ starting lineup was a plus-36 in 72 minutes against the Rockets. All other Portland lineups were a minus-62 in 125 minutes.

 

WagerWeb trends: Rockets are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a S.U. loss. Rockets are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall. Rockets are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 vs. Western Conference. Rockets are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game. Over is 7-0 in the last 7 meetings. Over is 7-1 in the last 8 meetings in Houston. Underdog is 11-5-1 ATS in the last 17 meetings. Trail Blazers are 3-8-1 ATS in the last 12 meetings.

Links from around the rink: April 18

For the embattled coaches of the NHL, there was no real "Black Monday" mass firing, as many expected. Despite horribly disappointing seasons for a number of teams -- including the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, Washington Capitals and New York Islanders -- only Barry Trotz, the long-tenured coach of the Nashville Predators was shown the door. While the axe still could fall on Randy Carlyle (Maple Leafs), John Tortorella (Canucks) and Adam Oates (Capitals), Jack Capuano can rest easy on the Isle.

 

ESPN's Katie Strang reported Monday that Islanders GM Garth Snow has "no intentions" of making a coaching change before the start of the 2014-15 season despite finishing with a record of 34-37-11. That mark will leave the Islanders with the No. 5 pick in the upcoming draft, and leaves Snow with a tough decision: whether to send the No. 5 pick to Buffalo to complete the disastrous Thomas Vanek-Matt Moulson trade or defer a year and pass along the Isles' 2015 first-rounder. It's probably safe to say that if the Islanders' 2015 pick ends up in the top 5 as well, neither Capuano nor Snow will be resting easy after the season's final Sunday.

 

• The first domino has yet to fall in what will certainly be a summer of change for the Capitals. As of Friday morning, both Oates and GM George McPhee, who is in the final year of his contract, remain on the job, with decisions looming -- which should be made within the next week or two -- from team president Dick Patrick and owner Ted Leonsis. The summer speculation trickles down throughout a roster that many believe will be significantly altered.

 

[+] EnlargeMikhail Grabovski
G Fiume/Getty ImagesThe Washington Capitals have a decision to make on center Mikhail Grabovski ... and vice versa.
One important decision to make: What to do with their second-line center. Mikhail Grabovski served as a steal on a one-year, $3 million contract this season. He notched 35 points in 58 games despite missing significant time due to a late-season ankle injury. As he enters free agency, Grabovski says he would be happy to stay in Washington, reports the Washington Post's Katie Carrera, but he wants the team to settle its coaching and GM decisions first. In an offseason that lacks a strong crop of free-agent centers, retaining Grabovski likely will be a high priority. Should the Caps fail to do so, Paul Stastny of the Colorado Avalanche is the most palatable option on the free-agent market -- and likely will command inflated offers as a result -- while one internal option would be to move heralded prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov from the wing to the pivot.

 

Meanwhile, regarding a few teams still skating this spring:

 

• For those holding their breath in hopes of seeing Ben Bishop return to the crease for Game 2 of the Lightning's playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens, you'd best resume breathing normally. Bolts bench boss Jon Cooper said Thursday that he doesn't expect to see Bishop return "anytime soon." Cooper went on to add that the series would have to go long for there to be any chance for Tampa's regular season starter to suit up in Round 1. Additionally, Tampa rookie forward Ondrej Palat will be a game-time decision for the Bolts after leaving Game 1 in the third period with an upper-body injury. Palat posted 23 goals and 59 points in his first full season with the Lightning.

 

• In Anaheim, the crease situation seems to be settled, at least for now. We think. Anaheim Ducks head coach Bruce Boudreau said Thursday there was a "good chance" Frederik Andersen would get the nod for Game 2 after helping Anaheim to a 4-3 win in Game 1 of their series against the Dallas Stars. Both Jonas Hiller -- the starter for most of the regular season who struggled down the stretch -- and rookie John Gibson could be options if Andersen slips up in the days ahead.

Pittsburgh Pirates - Ike's role in Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Pirates needed an upgrade at first base and Ike Davis needed a change of scenery. The two sides finally came together Friday night when the Bucs acquired Davis from the New York Mets for or pitcher Zack Thornton and a player to be named.

According to Bill Brink of the Post-Gazette, the addition of the lefty-swinging Davis "provides a complement" to right-hander Gaby Sanchez and adds at least the potential of more power to the roster.

The Bucs experimented with minor leaguer Andrew Lambo at first base during spring training before deciding on non-roster invitee Travis Ishikawa. Ishikawa, hitting just .206 in 15 games, now figures to be the odd man out when Davis is added to the roster.

The big question will be whether manager Clint Hurdle uses a straight platoon or simply plays the hot hand. "The word platoon gets thrown around a lot," GM Neal Huntington told MLB.com. "I think this will be where Clint Hurdle uses his judgment.”

Davis has seen his numbers fall off drastically since hitting 32 homers for the Mets in 2012, but his splits suggest he could fit in well in a straight platoon system. His career slugging percentage is .471 against righthanders compared to a .331 mark against southpaws.

The Marshall Plan in Cincinnati Reds

Another piece of the Cincinnati Reds' injury-plagued bullpen could be back in a day or two.

Sean Marshall, shut down in spring training after experiencing tightness in his shoulder, has rejoined the Reds on their current road trip. While it is unclear when he will be placed on the active roster, the Reds say it will be soon, reports John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Marshall pitched in back-to-back games for Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday and Wednesday. When Jonathan Broxton was working his way back from the disabled list, the Reds gave him two days off after his back-to-back outings and then activated him. If that's the case with Marshall, he'll be activated Saturday.

Long reliever Logan Ondrusek could be the odd man out when Marshall is activated.

There also is good news on Aroldis Chapman, who threw his second bullpen session on Thursday. Chapman, who was hit in the face with a line drive in spring training, has been given the green light to participate in pitcher's fielding practice and pitch in live batting practice.

NASCAR Betting Odds - Kyle Busch Favored to Win Sunday’s Food City 500 at Bristol

NASCAR Betting Odds: The Food City 500 on Sunday at the Bristol Motor Speedway is the fourth race of the Sprint Cup season. Kyle Busch is listed as the favorite at BetDSI sportsbook with Brad Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth right behind. Also expected to contend are Daytona 500 winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Las Vegas winner Kevin Harvick. The new format for the Chase this year has put a premium on winning races so driver are taking more chances and the racing has been exciting.

 

Here is a look at Sunday’s Food City 500 on Fox and NASCAR predictions.

 

Odds to Win Food City 500

 

Kyle Busch 6-1

 

Kevin Harvick 7-1

 

Matt Kenseth 7-1

 

Jimmie Johnson 8-1

 

Brad Keselowski 8-1

 

Kasey Kahne 10-1

 

Dale Earnhardt Jr. 10-1

 

Jeff Gordon 12-1

 

Denny Hamlin 12-1

 

Joey Logano 12-1

 

Kurt Busch 15-1

 

Clint Bowyer 18-1

 

Ryan Newman 20-1

 

Carl Edwards 20-1

 

Greg Biffle 20-1

 

Tony Stewart 20-1

 

Brian Vickers 20-1

 

Martin Truex Jr. 30-1

 

Field 15-1

 

It is all about winning races this season in the new Chase format so the racing has been exciting. Last week it was Dale Earnhardt Jr. going for the win even though he was short on gas. "Yeah, it gives us freedom, and it's nice to have that freedom to do the things that we did today, even though we knew our odds weren't good.” Jr. said, “We really shouldn't have made it, and we didn't, but we got to try because of the new system.

 

So yeah, I think it's pretty cool." It has been a great start to the season for Jr. who has been in the mix to win every race. And Jr. has been really good at Bristol in his career with an average finish of 9.4 which leads all active drivers. He finished 6th and 10th in the two races at the track last season.

 

NASCAR Predictions

 

The driver that could have the most value in NASCAR betting odds at BetDSI sportsbook could be Kasey Kahne. He won this race a year ago and finished second in the fall race. We get Kahne at odds of 10-1 to win this race. I will also take Denny Hamlin at odds of 12-1.

 

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Big 12 Tournament basketball odds: TCU vs. Baylor

Baylor is probably in the NCAA Tournament as things stand, but the Bears certainly can’t afford a loss to one of the Big 12?s worst teams in TCU on Wednesday in Kansas City. Baylor opened as a 15-point WagerWeb favorite.

 

TCU (9-21, 0-18) enters on an 18-game losing streak and finished the season losing its final nine games all by double digits. Of the 16 players listed on the 2013-14 roster, only four in Kyan Anderson, Jarvis Ray, Brandon Parrish and Christian Gore have played in every game this season. The last five games, the Frogs have played without the services of second-leading scorer and junior Amric Fields. In the last five minutes of a game when TCU has the lead during any point, it has gone on to claim victory. In the 21 losses, the Frogs have never led under the five-minute mark.

 

Baylor closed the season winning three straight. It beat Kansas State 76-74 in Manhattan on Saturday. Kenny Cherry had 29 points and Cory Jefferson added 16 points for the Bears (21-10, 9-9 Big 12), who erased a 12-point second-half deficit to win for the seventh time in their last eight games. Baylor’s winning stretch coincides with the return of Chery to the starting lineup. He had been struggling with turf toe earlier in the season.

 

Wednesday is the 175th all-time series meeting between Baylor and TCU, but the first time the teams have met in a conference tournament since the 1992 Southwest Conference Tournament. Baylor is 4-0 against TCU since the Horned Frogs joined the Big 12, winning by an average of 24 points per game. Baylor’s 33-point win at TCU on Feb. 12 was the largest margin-of-victory in any Big 12 game this season. Baylor is looking to beat a Big 12 team three times in a season for the second time ever (3-0 vs. Texas in 2010). Baylor is 11-16 all-time in the Big 12 Championship, including a 7-9 mark under Coach Bryce Drew and a 6-5 record since 2009.

 

TCU has posted a 19-36 record in conference tournament games. The Frogs’ all-time records by conference tournament: Southwest Conference (1976-96: 10-20), WAC (1997-2001: 5-5), Conference USA (2002-05: 2-3), Mountain West (2006-12: 2-7) and Big 12 (2013-present: 0-1).

 

WagerWeb trends: Horned Frogs are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games following a SU loss of more than 20 points. Horned Frogs are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games following a double-digit loss at home. Bears are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 games vs. a team with a winning % below .400. Bears are 6-1-1 ATS in their last 8 games overall. Bears are 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a S.U. win.

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Denver Broncos now clear AFC favorites with free-agent haul

The Denver Broncos already were the WagerWeb betting favorites to win the AFC for the second year in a row next season following the Super Bowl, but those odds are going to get shorter once free agency has totally shaken out as Denver has landed arguably the best free-agent cornerback in former Patriot Aqib Talib and top safety in former Brown T.J. Ward. It’s likely to get better: Former Dallas defensive end DeMarcus Ware is also likely to sign in the Mile High City.

 

The Broncos clearly saw how important a stellar secondary was when Seattle’s No. 1 defense, led by that secondary, shut down Peyton Manning and Co. in the Super Bowl blowout. Denver signed Ward first, which made the Talib signing even more shocking. Ward grew into his role at safety and had his best season in 2013 for Cleveland, with 112 tackles, 1.5 sacks, a fumble recovery and two interceptions. Ward is a big, physical player who can play near the line of scrimmage in run support. He fits in a system that values aggressive safeties.

 

Talib got a monster six-year, $57 million deal, something that not only helps the Broncos but hurts the rival Patriots. Last year Talib shut down numerous high-profile offensive players with the Patriots, including Saints tight end Jimmy Graham. Talib was also knocked out of the AFC title game for the second straight season on a somewhat controversial play involving a pick from Denver receiver Wes Welker. So it’s ironic he will be facing Welker in practice every day.

 

Clearly the Broncos are in a win-now mode with Manning likely only having another season or two left in his Hall of Fame career (the team will lose WR Eric Decker). The team is confident about landing Ware as well. Ware, the Dallas all-time sack leader, was released by the Cowboys on Tuesday afternoon. From 2005 through ’12, Ware was one of the best and most consistent pass-rushers in the NFL. The first-round pick out of Troy had 111 sacks at the left and right outside linebacker positions in the Cowboys’ defenses those first eight years.

 

Despite being older (31) and showing some signs of slowing down in 2013 (he only played in 13 games), Ware can still get after the quarterback. He would fit an immediate need for someone to provide pressure opposite Von Miller. Ware spent the first eight years of his career in a 3-4 defense, playing outside linebacker. Last year, he moved to defensive end in a 4-3 and struggled with a career-low six sacks.

 

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