April 20: NBA first-round openers
With most of Saturday's opening games in the NBA's first round having lines on the low side (none were more than 4.5 points), it didn't seem like much value with the underdogs. As it turned out, the favorites did win three of the four games, though the underdogs did salvage a 2-2 split against the spread with Utah's upset of Houston in the nightcap to go with Phoenix covering the 4-point spread in its 117-115 double-overtime loss at San Antonio.
The feeling here is that the underdogs will be barking more on Sunday with the spread in each game being at least 7 points. I'll take all four underdogs and hope for competitive playoff basketball (note: the lines are creeping upward so shop for the best number available):
Toronto +7 at Orlando
Nuggets +8.5 at LA Lakers
Philadelphia +10 at Detroit
Atlanta +15 at Boston
In the second games of the series that started Saturday, it's tempting to go with the zig-zag theory (aka the "loser of the last" theory) that says to bet the previous game's straight-up loser in the next game, but the zig-zag is nowhere near as powerful as it once was, so I'm zigging and zagging with my use of the system and actually going against it in three of four games:
MONDAY
Cleveland -2 vs. Washington (anti-ZZ, Cavs roll)
*Utah +X at Houston (anti-ZZ, Jazz the better team and McGrady not about to end jinx)
TUESDAY
Dallas +3.5 at New Orleans (ZZ, Mavs don't go down without a fight)
San Antonio -2.5 vs. Phoenix (anti-ZZ, Spur took Suns' best shot...home team could win each game of this series)
*-Utah-Houston line wasn't available late Saturday night
The feeling here is that the underdogs will be barking more on Sunday with the spread in each game being at least 7 points. I'll take all four underdogs and hope for competitive playoff basketball (note: the lines are creeping upward so shop for the best number available):
Toronto +7 at Orlando
Nuggets +8.5 at LA Lakers
Philadelphia +10 at Detroit
Atlanta +15 at Boston
In the second games of the series that started Saturday, it's tempting to go with the zig-zag theory (aka the "loser of the last" theory) that says to bet the previous game's straight-up loser in the next game, but the zig-zag is nowhere near as powerful as it once was, so I'm zigging and zagging with my use of the system and actually going against it in three of four games:
MONDAY
Cleveland -2 vs. Washington (anti-ZZ, Cavs roll)
*Utah +X at Houston (anti-ZZ, Jazz the better team and McGrady not about to end jinx)
TUESDAY
Dallas +3.5 at New Orleans (ZZ, Mavs don't go down without a fight)
San Antonio -2.5 vs. Phoenix (anti-ZZ, Spur took Suns' best shot...home team could win each game of this series)
*-Utah-Houston line wasn't available late Saturday night
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