NBA betting odds are up as the playoffs continue with a pair of conference semifinal games on the Sunday schedule. The prime-time tilt pits the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers against the Houston Rockets in Game 2, preceded by Game 4 of the stunningly one-sided Milwaukee Bucks-Miami Heat series.
Multiple oddsmakers provided insights on NBA opening lines and early line movement, sharp money and public betting for Sunday’s matchups. Covers will update this action report with NBA sharp picks vs. public bets and line movement throughout the day.
NBA line movement
UPDATE 7:15 P.M. ET SUNDAY: The Lakers have been pinned to -5.5 since Station Casinos sportsbooks posted the game late Friday night. The total, however, has bounced around, opening at 224.5, dipping to 222, then rebounding to 223 in the past hour.
UPDATE 3:30 P.M. ET SUNDAY: Milwaukee is up to -2 at FanDuel Sportsbook, as Giannis Antetokounmpo appears set to play.
UPDATE 2:15 P.M. ET SUNDAY: William Hill US opened the Heat -1.5 late Friday night, and the line has bounced around quite a bit. The initial move was to Heat -1, then up to -2 earlier today before dipping down to a pick 'em and then flipping to Bucks -1. With Giannis Antetokounmpo (ankle) still questionable as game time approaches, the total is down a point from 220 to 219.
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Houston got stretched to seven games by Oklahoma City in the first round, narrowly wrapping it up with a 104-102 victory Wednesday night. Then on far shorter rest than the Lakers, the Rockets put a 112-97 hurting on 6.5-point favorite Los Angeles in Friday’s Game 1.
For Game 2, The SuperBook opened at Lakers -5.5 late Friday night, and the number was pinned there through Saturday night for Sunday’s 8:30 p.m. ET start.
Meanwhile, the No. 1-overall seed in the NBA playoffs is in a world of hurt right now. Milwaukee is in a 3-0 hole in their best-of-seven series against Miami, which can put away this series with a win in a 3:30 p.m. ET tipoff. The Bucks could also be without Giannis Antetokounmpo for Game 4, due to a sprained ankle suffered in the 115-100 Game 3 loss Friday.
With that in mind, The SuperBook opened the Heat 1.5-point favorites, and the line ticked down to pick Saturday afternoon before going back up to Miami -1. However, The SuperBook took the game off the board Saturday night, after Antetokounmpo was listed as questionable.
NBA sharp money
Check back for updates throughout the day on sharp bets coming in on Sunday’s NBA games.
NBA public betting
UPDATE 8 P.M. ET SUNDAY: Thirty minutes or so before tip time, FanDuel Sportsbook has Rockets-Lakers at Los Angeles -5 and the total at 223. The Lakers are landing 64 percent of tickets on the spread, but money is much closer to two-way, with 54 percent on host Los Angeles. And the Over is getting a slim majority of tickets at 52 percent, but the Under is drawing 71 percent of the cash.
UPDATE 7:15 P.M. ET SUNDAY: Chuck Esposito, sportsbook director for Station Casinos, said the public bettors fully expect the Lakers to rebound from the blowout Game 1 loss. Although the point spread is stable, Los Angeles is drawing the bulk of the money. Esposito said the book will need the Rockets and Under.
UPDATE 3:30 P.M. ET SUNDAY: Bettors believe the Bucks will get it done today and stay alive. At FanDuel Sportsbook, Milwaukee is getting 55 percent of point-spread bets and 79 percent of spread money. The total of 219.5 is drawing two-way action.
UPDATE 2:15 P.M. ET SUNDAY: Nick Bogdanovich, director of trading for William Hill US, termed the Bucks-Heat action "dead even across the board." The bulk of the action for Rockets-Lakers Game 2 is still to come, but Bogdanovich is confident the Lakers will get plenty of public support. "We will need the Rockets for sure," he said.
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Despite Antetokounmpo’s uncertain status, Covers Consensus showed the Bucks landing 54 percent of early picks as a short underdog to the Heat. Rockets-Lakers was also seeing two-way play late Saturday night, with 52 percent of early Covers Consensus picks on the Lakers.
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