Covers checks in on the action and odds movement for that contest, along with a noteworthy baseball game, with insights from John Lukasik, who oversees The Book at The Linq and other Caesars Palace sportsbooks in Las Vegas.
NBA
BUCKS AT RAPTORS – OPEN: -2; MOVE: -2.5; MOVE: -2; MOVE: -1.5; MOVE: -1
Toronto is on the precipice of its first trip to the NBA Finals, in the franchise’s 24th season of existence. The Raptors (69-30 SU, 52-47 ATS) pulled off a Game 5 road upset, winning 105-99 as 7.5-point underdogs to take a 3-2 series lead.
Milwaukee won the first two games of this series and was on a 6-0 SU and ATS run entering Game 3, but has since dropped three in a row SU and ATS. The Bucks (70-26 SU, 57-35-4 ATS) had a 12-point third-quarter lead on their home floor in Game 5, but gave it all back and more to trail by eight midway through the fourth quarter. Milwaukee rallied to tie it at 93, but couldn’t regain the lead.
The Bucks were the NBA’s No. 1 team SU and ATS this year, but now face elimination in an 8:30 p.m. ET tipoff.
“Most people are taking the Bucks moneyline or the Raptors with the points,” Lukasik said. “We opened Raptors -2, got up to -2.5, and we’re currently at -1. The Bucks moneyline opened at +120, got as high as +130 and as low as -105. We’re currently at even money.”
Lukasik said Caesars books have liability to Toronto on the series, as bettors jumped on the Raptors after they opened +250 to win the East finals.
MLB
RED SOX AT ASTROS – OPEN: -124; MOVE: -120; MOVE: -126; MOVE: -123; MOVE: -120; MOVE: -122
First-place Houston stubbed its toe twice in a row at home to the sub-.500 Chicago White Sox, but got it back together Friday night. The Astros (34-18) jumped out to a 4-0 lead through four innings against the BoSox, then held on for a 4-3 victory as +132 home underdogs.
Boston entered this three-game weekend set on a 4-1 streak that began with a 4-3 home victory over Houston on Sunday. However, the Red Sox (27-24) couldn’t overcome the four-run deficit Friday, as they committed three errors behind starter Chris Sale to lose as -143 favorites.
“This is obviously the most marquee baseball matchup,” Lukasik said of the 7:15 p.m. ET first pitch. “The line has bounced around a few cents. It’s pretty evenly bet for now, with a little more on the Sox.”
Patrick Everson is a Las Vegas-based senior writer for Covers. Follow him on Twitter: @Covers_Vegas.
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