The NBA Play-In Tournament is the league’s way to let everyone compete for a postseason spot. I am not complaining, considering we get more basketball, but it’s slightly crazy that 20 out of 30 teams get to play postseason basketball.
Nevertheless, it’s time to hammer some bets for the second night of play-in contests. The games will begin with the Charlotte Hornets and Atlanta Hawks at 7:00 PM ET, and then at 9:30, the San Antonio Spurs will battle the New Orleans Pelicans.
Let’s get into some of the best bets for Wednesday, April 13.
Charlotte Hornets vs Atlanta Hawks -4.5
The Charlotte Hornets will have a tough challenge on their hands in Atlanta on Wednesday. However, this is a winnable game for the team against an inconsistent Atlanta club. The Hawks are favored by 4.5 points, and 65% of the bets are coming in on the Hawks.
Although, I would not take this side without doing some research. One of the most important factors to look at when betting on the NBA playoffs is a team’s record ATS. The Hornets have been one of the best teams against the spread this season, posting a 45-32-2 record.
The Hawks have beaten good teams, but they have been below average when it comes to covering. The team is 37-45 ATS this season which shows their flaws. The hard part about betting this game is both teams are entering with solid records in the final portion of the season.
The Hornets are 10-5 ATS and 11-4 SU over their past 15 games, so they have been delivering for bettors. The Hawks are 11-1 SU in their past 12 games at home and 7-2 ATS in their past nine. Learn more about NBA Parlay Picks with the BParlay.com guide.
The two players to watch in this game are Miles Bridges and Trae Young. Young is more important to the Hawks than Bridges is to the Hornets. If Charlotte is able to neutralize Young, my money is on the Hornets to cover the spread.
As far as the total, this game has over written all over it because of the offenses. Both these teams score a lot of points, as Charlotte has gone over in six of their past seven road games. The Hornets make teams score, and I expect this to be on full display on Wednesday.
San Antonio Spurs vs New Orleans Pelicans -5.5
The Pelicans are the future of the NBA because of the young and exciting talent they have on the club. Although, they are on upset alert when it comes to Wednesday’s game against the Pelicans. I like New Orleans, but the numbers are heavy on the Spurs. Why not learn how to place a bet on the Sugar House Sportsbook for this game.
The Spurs are 6-0-1 ATS in their last seven games, which is remarkable considering the Pelicans are 0-7 ATS. In these team’s past ten H2H, the Spurs are 8-2 ATS, so they have owned New Orleans.
Throughout the season, both teams have been solid ATS. Yet, the Spurs are riding the hot hand into this game, and that’s helping me make my bet in this contest. For the Spurs to win this game, they need to ride Dejounte Murray’s hand.
He is the best player on the team and averaging 21.1 PPG. This ranks him at 20th in the league. The point guard is also averaging 8.3 RPG and 9.2 APG, so he is a tremendous basketball player making plays all over the floor.
If Murray starts balling on Wednesday, he should give his team a spark and a cover on Wednesday. Best of luck betting on the action this week and throughout the NBA playoffs.
