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The Milwaukee Bucks did what they needed to do in Game 6. That means that we’ll have a Game 7 on Saturday and the winner will advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. The loser will have a lot to be frustrated about. If the Bucks come up short, they’ll look at a golden missed opportunity. If the Brooklyn Nets come up short, they’ll wonder what could have been with a healthy roster.

The deciding game features Brooklyn favored by one point at home with a total of 215 at <strong><a href="http://bangthebook.com/sportsbooks/betus/">BetUS Sportsbook</a></strong>. We’ve seen a huge correction in the totals for this series, as the first game was 239.5 and we’ve progressively gone down from there. Depending on the source, the under is 5-0-1 in this series.

Let’s see what Game 7 could bring.
<h2><strong><u>Milwaukee Bucks</u></strong></h2>
What Kevin Durant did in Game 5 was spectacular. The Milwaukee Bucks made a strong commitment to not let it happen again. After Durant put the Nets on his back in Game 5 with 49 points over 48 minutes, the Bucks focused all of their attentions on the future Hall of Famer. He still shot 50% from the floor and had 32 points, but it sure wasn’t 49.

The Bucks really sold out on the defensive end in a way that we have not seen in any other game in this series. Brooklyn only shot 44.4% from the floor and just 30% from three. The Nets also proved to be human at the free throw line with eight made shots on 14 attempts.

The honest truth is that Milwaukee has to sell out on defense because nothing has really worked on offense. The Bucks were once again inept from three, making just seven of their 33 attempts. They shot 45% from the floor, so two-point shots were falling, but the three-ball has not been a weapon for Milwaukee in this series. Typically, when you’re seeking out a series upset, the three-ball is the great equalizer. The Bucks are shooting 28% on threes in this series.

Yet, they still have a chance to win. It probably won’t be talked about that way, as the Bucks will be viewed as a team that simply got lucky that James Harden and Kyrie Irving got hurt. We could also say that the Nets have gotten lucky that Khris Middleton has had a relatively rough series and that Giannis Antetokounmpo has not been himself either.

Those two have scored with volume, but Giannis is shooting 56.5% overall and just 24% from three. Middleton has picked it up a little from distance at 37.8%, but he is only shooting 42.1% from the floor overall. The Bucks are shooting under 68% as a team at the free throw line and Giannis is shooting under 46%. It has not been a pretty series at all.
<h2><strong><u>Brooklyn Nets</u></strong></h2>
James Harden was less than 100% in Game 6, but at least his 16 points were more than the five points that he had in Game 5. Harden was 5-of-9 from the floor and continued to be more of a decoy than an actual offensive piece in the game. His Usage Rate was under 18%, as Kevin Durant took 30 of Brooklyn’s 81 field goal attempts. Harden did make a few threes, which was nice to see after an 0-for-8 performance a couple nights prior.

The harsh reality for the Nets right now is that Durant needs to find a way to get in the ballpark of 50 or the Nets have to have a monumental Game 7 defensively. Harden is clearly laboring. Joe Harris and Blake Griffin have intermittently contributed offensively. Sometimes Jeff Green has hit a shot or two. It’s the Durant Show right now and KD has to be far and away the best player on the floor.

It can happen. And, look, the Bucks are having that horrific performance from three in this series. The Nets turned the ball over 16 times against just 14 assists in Game 6. Durant is going to have to find a way to trust somebody to score, if for nothing else to eliminate any hope of transition offense for Milwaukee. It’s not like the Bucks look great in the halfcourt.

It is hard to say with a game that the Nets lost by 15, but they weren’t that far away from being in the game. Milwaukee had twice as many free throw attempts and outscored the Nets by 15 at the free throw line. That was largely it. The two teams were pretty even from the floor, but Brooklyn didn’t take care of the basketball and dug too deep of an early hole.
<h2><strong><u>Bucks vs. Nets Free Pick</u></strong></h2>
A lot of people will probably be surprised to see the Nets favored in Game 7 here, given that Harden has not really been a factor at all. He had two points in the second half of Game 6. It’s all on Durant. At least Giannis has some help. He’s needed it, too, as he has not had a banner series. The Bucks should win this game. They have no excuse not to, but it feels like the total is a safer play here.

We have not seen many good shooting performances in this series and Game 6 was played at the slowest pace of any. We should expect more of the same in Game 7, even with the total adjusted to the degree that it has been.

<strong>Pick: Under 215</strong>

Bucks vs. Nets Game 7 Free Pick & Prediction

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<p>The UFC is going to leave the United States for the weekend as it’s time for UFC Fight night from Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia. This will be the first time that the UFC will be in that part of the world, but there is a terrific card set up.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The main event will feature a great middleweight battle between championship contenders, and the <a href="https://bangthebook.com/sportsbooks/bookmaker" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">betting odds</a> are tight as well. Here is a look at the best fights of the night, and some of the bets that should be made. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Aliskerov-Whittaker Ready for Battle</h2>



<p>The main event is a fight that is a long time coming as both the fighters have been on a path to contend for a title belt. Ikram Aliskerov will face off against Robert Whittaker and the latter is a slight betting favorite in this matchup.&nbsp;</p>



<p>This fight was actually just thrown together based on some other scratches, but these fighters were always going to meet up at some point. Aliskerov comes into this fight with odds set at +131, while Whittaker is a slight favorite at -151.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Whittaker will be delivering Aliskerov the first loss of his career, as he has been a fighter that just continues to impress. This should be a great matchup of two aggressive fighters, and this one will be decided by a knockout of some sort.&nbsp;</p>



<p>There is a really good chance that this fight will end with an upset, and getting Aliskerov at +131 is an opportunity that you can’t pass up. </p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Heavyweights Ready for Battle</h2>



<p>The UFC has done a great job of putting together some other great fights, and that includes a huge heavyweight battle between Alexander Volkov and Sergei Pavlovich. This is another fight where the betting odds are pretty tight, and it should lead to an excellent battle in Saudi Arabia.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Pavlovich has already had a shot at winning the title in this weight class, but he was clearly not prepared for that battle. He is the favorite in this battle at -201, but he will have his work cut out for him.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Volkov comes into this fight with three straight wins, and all three of them have come via stoppage. While that is an impressive run, that’s not going to be what happens in this fight.&nbsp;</p>



<p>If you are going to bet on this fight then you want to take Pavlovich at -201 to come away with another impressive win.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Desperate Welterweights Ready to Fight</h2>



<p>Daniel Rodriguez will be looking to pull off a pretty big upset when he takes on Kelvin Gastelum in Saudi Arabia this weekend. Rodriguez currently has <a href="https://bangthebook.com/sportsbooks/bookmaker">odds</a> set at +220, but he is facing Gastelum (-260), and he is another fighter that has been struggling to win of late. </p>



<p>Since both of these fighters are coming into this bout on a losing streak, there will be a bit of desperation that is shown throughout the fight. This might end up being the biggest upset of the night, and going with Rodriguez at +220 is the way to go.</p>



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UFC Fight Night Preview

When UFC on ESPN+ 38 starts at Fight Island, we will be one week away from the massive matchup between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. Fortunately, Dana White and the UFC matchmakers have given us a really good set of appetizers in advance of the main course.

UFC Fight Night 180 features a main event of Brian Ortega vs. Korean Zombie as the highlight match of this 12-fight card on Saturday October 17. We’ve had some hit and miss cards during the period without fans in both Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi, but this is not one of them.

Some talented newcomers, some proven UFC vets, and probably the best main event we’ve had outside of a pay-per-view card should make for a good evening on Saturday.

We’ll break down the card with odds from <a href="http://bangthebook.com/sportsbooks/betonline"><strong>BetOnline Sportsbook</strong></a> and pay a little more attention to the main card matches. The entire card can be seen on ESPN+.

Before we get Khabib Nurmagomedov next week, we get <strong>Said Nurmagomedov</strong> on this card at -410 for his match against <strong>Mark Striegl</strong>. This is the UFC debut for Striegl, who is making his UFC debut after posting an 18-2 record across multiple promotions. Fourteen of his wins have come via submission. Nurmagomedov lost last time out against Raoni Barcelos to fall to 2-1 in the UFC. Said’s a decision machine, as only six of his 13 wins have come via stoppage. He’s 7-2 in decisions and the total here is 2.5 juiced to -240 on the over. There really isn’t much worth playing in the opener.

<strong>Gadzhimurad Antigulov </strong>is +290 in this light heavyweight matchup against <strong>Maxim Grishin</strong>. Grishin is -355 with a total of 1.5 and -135 on the under, so Grishin by stoppage looks like the most likely outcome here. He lost his UFC debut to Marcin Tybura, but he took that fight as a heavyweight on short notice at UFC 251, so that probably isn’t the best barometer. The 36-year-old is 30-8-2 in his career and takes on a guy in Antigulov that has dropped three straight in the UFC, all by first-round stoppage. Once again, though, I don’t think that there are great betting opportunities in this fight.

<strong>Jamie Mullarkey</strong> is a -141 favorite at 155 pounds against <strong>Fares Ziam</strong>. Ziam was not impressive at all in his UFC debut fight against Don Madge back in September 2019, but it did represent a big step up in class for the 23-year-old. Mullarkey also lost his UFC debut a month later. Neither one of these guys has much experience at the top levels, but they are on more equal footing against each other. Ziam’s lack of activity in the first fight is counting against him here based on the line and Mullarkey just looks to be the more active fighter with more paths to victory.

Middleweight <strong>John Phillips</strong> was a lamb led to slaughter last time out. The 35-year-old Welshman was picked to fight Khamzat Chimaev. He was lucky to get into the second round. He’ll face <strong>Jun Yong Park</strong> this time, but it doesn’t look like it will be much more fun for him. Park is the -255 favorite here, as Phillips has lost four of five, save for what seems like an accidental outlier with a win 17 seconds into his fight with Alen Amedovski. Park is 1-1 in the UFC, but the 29-year-old seems to have a much higher ceiling now that Phillips seems to be well into the twilight of his career. The line is heavy at -255, but probably justified and supported with a Park win.

There are two women’s fights on the card and this is the first one, as <strong>Gillian Robertson </strong>is -220 against <strong>Poliana Botelho</strong>. Robertson bounced back very nicely from a loss to Maycee Barber with a solid submission win against Cortney Casey. Robertson showed some chin and a lot of technique in that fight and the 25-year-old has been rewarded with a big favorite price here. This is a striker vs. grappler sort of fight, as Botelho has six career knockouts in eight wins and Robertson has six subs in her eight wins. Botelho is fighting for the first time in 18 months here and Robertson has the higher ceiling. A Robertson/Park parlay wouldn’t be a bad approach.

A couple of UFC debutants meet here as undefeated <strong>Mateusz Gamrot</strong> is a -290 favorite against <strong>Guram Kutateladze</strong>. The Polish Gamrot is 17-0 and just got done winning back his KSW lightweight title in the sixth title fight of his career. He draws a tough competitor here in Kutateladze, who has won eight fights in a row across different promotions, including a couple stops in Brave CF. Gamrot is an American Top Team fighter, so we should expect better training and a stronger pedigree, which is what the -290 line also implies. KSW is also one of the stronger European promotions. The price is probably justified here, but we don’t really know much about these two fighters.
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<h4><strong>Jonathan Martinez (+110) vs. Thomas Almeida (-130); Total: 2.5 (115/-145)</strong></h4>
Thomas Almeida has not been in the Octagon since January 20, 2018, but he is still getting lots of respect for this fight against Jonathan Martinez. The 29-year-old Almeida was set to face Alejandro Perez in his return from major eye surgery and other injuries, but Perez tested positive for COVID-19, so Martinez slots in. It will be interesting to see how Almeida responds to any pressure, pain, or vision concerns with that surgically-repaired eye. It was an injury that kept him out a lot time.

Martinez beat a big name in Frankie Saenz last time out, but Saenz isn’t nearly the fighter that he once was. It was still a good bounce back win for Martinez, who lost via controversial split decision to Andre Ewell at UFC 247. Had things gone slightly different for Martinez, we’d be looking at a four-fight winning streak. Because we’re not, this price might be a little bit off. Almeida was a decent prospect getting big fights at the time of his absence, but he’s long removed from that. Maybe he’ll be sharp, but Martinez projects to be sharper with two fights in 2020 already.
<h4><strong>Pick: Jonathan Martinez</strong></h4>
<h4><strong>Claudio Silva (+142) vs. James Krause (-162); Total: 2.5 (-140/110)</strong></h4>
What do we make of Claudio Silva? He brings a 14-1 record into this fight, but will be fighting for the first time in 14 months. Three straight submission wins for Silva followed a 3.5-year layoff from November 2014 to May 2018. It looked like the 38-year-old never missed a beat. He’s 38 with a long list of injuries, which likely explains the big line here for James Krause. The 34-year-old lost to Trevin Giles at UFC 247, but had won four straight prior to that.

The question here for Krause is whether or not Giles’s speed is what negatively impacted him or if it was something else. Krause beat an aging Sergio Moraes last November in his first fight after 14 months off of his own. Silva won’t have the same speed and athleticism as Giles, but he does seem to be a better version of some of the veterans that Krause has matched up against. To me, the underdog carries more value here with that +142 price tag than Krause in the -160s.
<h4><strong>Pick: Claudio Silva</strong></h4>
<h4><strong>Modestas Bukauskas (+270) vs. Jimmy Crute (-320); Total: 1.5 (-110/-120)</strong></h4>
It was a nice debut win for Modestas Bukauskas on July 15 to score a first-round knockout right at the end of the first round over Andreas Michailidis. It had been a pretty even fight up until that point, but Bukauskas landed the big shot nd came away with the win. It looked like Michailidis had the upper hand if the fight went longer.

As such, Jimmy Crute is over a $3 favorite in this fight. Crute lost his perfect record when Misha Cirkunov forced him to tap out in September 2019. He scored a nice win over Michal Oleksiejczuk in his next fight. Crute is a pretty highly-touted prospect for the UFC right now. He’s already made four appearances since the start of December 2018 and is a light heavyweight that has a chance to move up the ranks. He’s getting a fighter here in Bukauskas that could very well have lost his debut if the fight had gone longer. It has to be Crute here as a money line parlay piece.
<h4><strong>Pick: Jimmy Crute</strong></h4>
<h4><strong>Katlyn Chookagian (+131) vs. Jessica Andrade (-151); Total: 2.5 (-245/195)</strong></h4>
Is a title shot in the works for the winner of Katlyn Chookagian and Jessica Andrade? Chookagian beat the other Shevchenko, Antonina, with a really impressive 15-minute barrage last time out on May 30. It was a good follow-up to getting beaten up by Valentina in the title fight at UFC 247.

This will be a flyweight return for Andrade, who has been fighting as a strawweight since the middle of 2016. The 29-year-old must be an easier path in this division or simply prefers the weight at 115 pounds. I’m not sure how this will go for her. Changes in weight class are tough. It would be best to see how Andrade looks at the weigh-in and also to see if she even makes the week. The 31-year-old Chookagian returned to flyweight in January 2018 and has gone 5-2. Andrade is the better fighter, as the price indicates, but the weight change is the question here. Assuming she looks the part, she should win, but it’s a pricy assumption at -151.
<h4><strong>Pick: Jessica Andrade</strong></h4>
<h4><strong>Brian Ortega (+170) vs. Chan Sung Jung (-195); Total: 2.5 (-110/-120)</strong></h4>
This is a fight worthy of a pay-per-view card. Brian Ortega will return after 22 months to take on Chan Sung Jung in a fight that is expected to result in a featherweight title shot for the winner. Ortega has not fought since he got beaten up badly by Max Holloway at UFC 231. In that span, Ortega has changed fight camps and had a lot of time to stew about his first career loss.

Ortega will be in Abu Dhabi without coach Rener Gracie, who tested positive for COVID-19. We’ll see if that impacts Ortega, who was supposed to face the Korean Zombie last December, but a knee injury kept him from competing.

Instead, Chan Sung Jung fought Frankie Edgar and scored an easy first-round win. This is a big opportunity for the Korean Zombie, who has three first-round knockouts in his last four fights. It would have been an interesting decision for the judges in the other fight, but Yair Rodriguez knocked him out with one second left in the fight.

This is a hard fight to handicap. Ortega was a prospect with a ton of helium before the loss to Holloway. Should we take all of that away because of the defeat? On the other hand, Korean Zombie has been among the top fighters in this division his entire career, including a past title shot against prime Jose Aldo. To me, the value is on Ortega at the big number, but Korean Zombie probably wins the fight.
<h4><strong>Pick: Chan Sung Jung</strong></h4>

UFC on ESPN+ 38: Ortega vs. The Korean Zombie Betting Odds, Picks, & Predictions

<p>Betting on today's Pride and Cougars game? Catch the action at Fertitta Center in Houston, TX, as the Cougars hosts this showdown at 8:00 ET on ESPN+. The over/under for this non-conference contest is set at 131 points, with Houston being favored by -27.5 over Hofstra.</p><h3>HOFSTRA PRIDE VS HOUSTON COUGARS BETTING PICK</h3><p>The Pick: Hofstra Pride +27.5</p><p>This game will be played at Fertitta Center at 8:00 ET on Friday, November 22nd.</p><h3>WHY BET THE HOFSTRA PRIDE:</h3><ul><li>We have this one finishing with a projected score of 78-69 in favor of the Cougars.</li><li>Even though we have Houston winning straight-up, we like Hofstra at +27.5.</li><li>The over/under is currently sitting at 131 points, and we like the over with a projected 147 points.</li></ul><h3>Can the Pride Offense Score Enough in Houston?</h3><h3>Hofstra Pride Recent Game/Games</h3> 

<p>Hofstra’s season continued with a 79-61 road loss to Florida State on Tuesday. The Pride entered the game as +9 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread.</p> 

<p>Hofstra trailed 32-23 at halftime and allowed 47 points in the 2nd half while scoring 38. The game’s total points (140) fell just under the O/U line of 143.5.</p><p>Hofstra's offense put up 61 points in their last game, shooting 48% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 56%. They connected on 61.5% of their two-point attempts, while hitting 33.3% from beyond the arc, going 8-for-24 from three-point range.</p> <p>Jamir Watkins led the Pride with 17 points, despite shooting just 25% from deep. Jean Aranguren, Malique Ewin, Jaquan Sanders, and KiJan Robinson each added 13 points, with Robinson hitting 50% of his threes and Sanders dishing out 5 assists.</p><p>Hofstra's defense gave up 79 points in their last game, allowing the opposing team to shoot 45% from the field. Inside the arc, they conceded 54% shooting, with the other team hitting 17 of their 31 two-point attempts.</p> <p>From three-point range, Hofstra's opponents went 9/26, shooting 34%. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 23 times, where they converted 18 free throws for a 78% success rate. Hofstra allowed 10 offensive rebounds in the game.</p><h3>Can Houston Live Up to the Hype at Home?</h3><p>Houston continued their dominant start to the season with a 91-45 win over Louisiana-Lafayette on Wednesday. The Cougars, playing at home, were -31.5 point favorites and covered the spread with ease.</p> <p>Houston took control early, leading 51-25 at halftime, and kept up the pressure in the second half, outscoring the Ragin' Cajuns 40-20. The combined points of 136 fell just under the O/U line of 140.</p><p>Houston put up 91 points in their last game, shooting 45.6% from the field and posting an effective field goal percentage of 52.9%. They hit 43.5% of their threes, going 10-for-23 from deep, while connecting on 46.7% of their two-point attempts. At the free-throw line, the Cougars shot 70.4%, making 19 of 27 attempts.</p> <p>On the offensive glass, Houston grabbed 18 rebounds, and they dished out 13 assists. Terrance Arceneaux led the team with 14 points, despite shooting just 28.6% overall and 25.0% from three. Milos Uzan added 13 points and 5 assists, hitting 55.6% of his shots and 66.7% from beyond the arc.</p><p>Despite Houston's defensive efforts, they allowed 45 points, with the opposing team shooting 45% from the field. The Cougars gave up 31 made field goals on 68 attempts.</p> <p>From beyond the arc, Houston's opponent connected on 10 of 23 threes, shooting 43%. They also went to the line 27 times, making 19 free throws for a 70% clip.</p>

Hofstra Pride vs Houston Cougars NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 11/22/24

<p>At 7:00 ET, the Orlando Magic (-468) will host the Detroit Pistons (+357) in an Eastern Conference matchup. The Magic are currently favored by 10 points, and the over/under line is set at 206.5 points.</p>

<p>Orlando is 10-7 on the season and sits 4th in the Eastern Conference. Detroit, on the other hand, is 7-10 and currently holds the 8th spot in the East. The Pistons have lost two straight games coming into tonight's matchup.</p><h3>DETROIT PISTONS VS ORLANDO MAGIC BETTING PICK</h3><p>The Pick: Detroit Pistons +10</p><p>This game will be played at Kia Center at 7:00 ET on Saturday, November 23rd.</p><h3>WHY BET THE DETROIT PISTONS:</h3><ul><li>We have this one finishing with a projected score of 112-101 in favor of the Pistons.</li><li>Our projections have Jaden Ivey finishing with 17 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists.</li><li>From the field, we have the Pistons finishing with a field goal percentage of 46.2% and knocking down 13 threes.</li></ul><h3>Can the Pistons Lock in a Win at Orlando?</h3><p>The Pistons fell to 7-10 this season after a 123-121 loss to the Hornets on Thursday. Detroit, favored by 2.5 points, not only lost the game but failed to cover the spread. The total score of 244 points exceeded the O/U line of 222.</p> <p>Charlotte went on a 12-0 run, stretching their lead from 66-61 to 78-61. Detroit responded by outscoring the Hornets 30-16 in the 4th quarter but couldn’t complete the comeback.</p><p>The Pistons connected on 17 threes in their loss to the Hornets, shooting 35.4% from deep and 42.4% overall. Cade Cunningham led the way with 27 points and 10 assists, despite shooting just 34.6% from the field and 22.2% from three.</p> <p>Tobias Harris added 26 points, hitting 6 threes at a 66.7% clip. Malik Beasley contributed 16 points, knocking down 4 threes. Jaden Ivey scored 7 of his 11 points in overtime.</p><p>Defensively, the Pistons struggled early, giving up 33 points in the 1st quarter and 30 in both the 2nd and 3rd. However, they tightened up in the 4th, allowing just 16 points. Overall, they allowed the Hornets to shoot 47% from the field.</p> <p>From beyond the arc, the Pistons had a tough night, giving up 20 threes on 45% shooting. They sent the Hornets to the line 21 times, where they made 15 free throws. Detroit finished with 35 defensive rebounds, while allowing 11 offensive boards, and recorded 8 steals and 3 blocks.</p><h3>Can the Magic Lock in a Home Win?</h3><p>The Magic improved to 10-7 on the season with a 119-118 road win over the Lakers on Thursday. Orlando, who entered the game as +5.5 point underdogs, not only pulled off the upset but also covered the spread.</p> <p>Orlando trailed 67-60 at halftime but turned things around with a strong 3rd quarter, outscoring the Lakers 29-21. They entered the 4th quarter with an 89-88 lead, and both teams scored 30 points in the final period. The total points for the game exceeded the O/U line of 216.5 by 20.5 points.</p><p>Franz Wagner's 37-point, 11-assist performance, including 15 points in the 4th quarter, helped the Magic edge the Lakers. Jalen Suggs added 23 points, hitting 5 threes, while Moritz Wagner contributed 19 points.</p> <p>Orlando connected on 15 threes at a 37.5% rate, shooting 47.3% overall. Suggs made 5 threes, and Franz Wagner hit 4, shooting 40% from deep.</p><p>Despite a rough start, giving up 38 points in the 1st quarter, the Magic tightened up defensively in the 3rd, allowing just 21 points, which helped them secure a 119-118 win over the Lakers. Orlando sent Los Angeles to the line 26 times, where they made 17 free throws.</p> <p>The Magic allowed the Lakers to shoot 50% from the field and 41% from three, with Los Angeles hitting 13 threes. Orlando finished with 33 defensive rebounds, gave up 9 offensive boards, and recorded 8 steals and 5 blocks.</p>

Detroit Pistons vs Orlando Magic Betting Pick & Prediction 11/23/24

The Atlanta Hawks and the Philadelphia 76ers are tied at 1-1, but it sure feels like Atlanta is fortunate to be in that situation. The series now shifts down to the south, so the Hawks will be at home for Game 3 and what an important swing game this one is for the series. Even though the Hawks are at home, Philadelphia is still favored to take a 2-1 series lead.

The 76ers are -1.5 at <strong><a href="http://bangthebook.com/sportsbooks/bovada/">Bovada Sportsbook</a></strong> with a total of 224.5 in the first of two NBA Playoff games on Friday night. It looks as though bettors are tempted to take Philadelphia as we get closer to tip-off, so there is a good chance that this line goes up to -2 or maybe even -2.5.
<h2><strong><u>Philadelphia 76ers</u></strong></h2>
The Hawks outscored the 76ers 42-27 in the first quarter of Game 1. Since then, the Sixers have outscored Atlanta by 29 points for the series. Atlanta’s fast start proved to be too big of a hole for Philadelphia to dig out of, despite the team’s best efforts. The Sixers really beat themselves in that game, not only with the slow start, but by leaving 11 points at the free throw line in a game decided by four points.

Philadelphia left eight more points at the free throw line in Game 2, but still won comfortably. Joel Embiid, playing with a partially torn meniscus, has scored 79 points in this series and pulled down 22 rebounds. He’s shooting 54% from the floor overall and has made 26 of 31 free throws. He has not been the problem at the stripe and he has been the leader that the Sixers need to advance.

It hasn’t all been Embiid, though. Seth Curry has provided some huge points in a secondary scoring role by starting this series 10-of-15 from three. He’s scored 42 points and so has Tobias Harris, who is shooting almost 60% from the field. The culprit at the free throw line has been Ben Simmons, who is 9-of-10 from the floor, but just 3-of-12 from the line. Maybe Hack-a-Simmons is coming for the rest of this series.

You do wonder about Embiid as the series goes along and about the workload on that knee. He’s played 73 minutes between the two games and is trying to gut it out. He’s been very effective and has been the go-to guy for the Sixers on most possessions. As long as he’s out there, they have a chance to be great. It would still be nice to see some of the bench guys contribute a bit more.
<h2><strong><u>Atlanta Hawks</u></strong></h2>
The go-to guy for the Hawks has simply not been as good as Embiid. Trae Young has only shot 43.6% from the floor and under 28% from three in this series. He’s been money at the free throw line and the Hawks have been the better team there overall, but Atlanta needs more scoring from Young. Relying on Kevin Huerter and Danilo Gallinari is not going to get it done in this series.

Young did a good job of setting the tone to a degree in Game 1 with 35 points, but the Hawks were still -11 when he was on the floor. The bench guys provided a huge lift and some big minutes in that one. Young had 10 assists and that big first quarter to help the Hawks out to a comfortable lead, but over the last three quarters, the Sixers adjusted. For Game 2, Young only took 16 shots compared to 23 in Game 1. It was Huerter and Gallinari that combined for 41 points to make the game look closer than it actually was.

Maybe the bench production continues for the Hawks and remains a great equalizer in this series, but maybe not. If not, that means that Bogdan Bogdanovic needs to do more. It means that Young needs to be more efficient. It means that John Collins and Clint Capela have to be better. It is a big ask of those players.

What we saw in Game 2 is concerning for Hawks backers. Gallinari and Huerter combined for such a big night going 15-of-25 from the floor and the Sixers won by 16 and never really broke a sweat in the game. How much better can Atlanta’s bench be in these two games at home?

The burden falls on the shoulders of Young, who is a great player, but time and space have been limited by the Sixers defense in this series.
<h2><strong><u>76ers vs. Hawks Free Pick</u></strong></h2>
Unlike the other game on Friday night, the better team is favored here and deservedly so. As long as Joel Embiid continues to shrug off the knee injury and play at a high level, the Sixers will continue to have the upper hand in this series. Atlanta does run pretty deep, but the Sixers have not been stopped much on offense and have really only been stopped by themselves with the poor free throw efforts. It’s Philadelphia’s game to lose on Friday.

<strong>Pick: Philadelphia 76ers</strong>

76ers vs. Hawks Game 3 Free Pick & Prediction - 06/11/21

<p>At 7:00 ET, the Orlando Magic will host the Charlotte Hornets in a Southeast Division matchup. The Magic are favored by 13.5 points and have won three straight games. The Hornets have lost two in a row and are 17-51 on the season.</p>

<p>This game can be seen on BSF and will be played at the Kia Center in Orlando. The over/under line for this game is 202.5 points.</p><h3>CHARLOTTE HORNETS VS ORLANDO MAGIC BETTING PICK</h3><p>The Pick: Charlotte Hornets +13.5</p><p>This game will be played at Kia Center at 7:00 ET on Tuesday, March 19th.</p><h3>WHY BET THE CHARLOTTE HORNETS:</h3><ul><li>We have this one finishing with a projected score of 109-106 in favor of the Magic.</li><li>Our projections have Paolo Banchero finishing with Paolo Banchero points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.</li><li>From the field, we have the Magic finishing with a field goal percentage of 47.4% and knocking down 13 threes.</li></ul><h3>Does Charlotte Have A Chance at Kia Center?</h3><p>Charlotte has lost three straight games as the underdog against the spread, and they are 25-36 on the season vs. the spread as the underdog. Today, they are getting 13.5 points vs. the Magic.</p>

<p>The Hornets are 31-37 on the over/under for the season, and their games have averaged 223.5 points per game. In their last two games, the games have gone under the O/U line.</p>

<p>In their last game, the Hornets lost to the 76ers by a score of 109-98. The O/U line for that game was 209.5, and Charlotte was getting 10 points. This season, they are 17-51 overall and are in 13th place in the Eastern Conference.</p>

<p>Against other Eastern Conference teams, the Hornets are 10-33 and 4-8 against teams in their division. On the road, Charlotte is 8-27 for the season.</p><p>So far this season, the Hornets have struggled to score, ranking 29th in the league at 106.8 points per game. They have been even worse on the road, averaging just 105.7 points per game.</p>

<p>Overall, the Hornets have scored below the NBA average in 67.6% of their games. They are also currently on a two-game streak of scoring less than their season average.</p>

<p>Heading into this game, the Hornets are 28th in field goal percentage at 45%. They have been particularly poor from three-point range, shooting just 35% on the season.</p><p>At this time, the Hornets' defense is positioned 18th in the NBA, permitting 116.7 points per game. In the terms of takeaways, Hornets are causing 13 turnovers per game, ranking 19th in the league. They also enter the matchup ranked 24th in rejections, averaging 4.6 blocked shots each game.</p><h3>Will the Magic Make it Happen at Home?</h3><p>Orlando has won three straight games and is 40-28 overall, which is good for 5th place in the Eastern Conference. In the Southeast Division, they are in 1st.</p>

<p>As the favorite, the Magic have won three straight games and are 24-4 this season. Against the spread, they are 22-6 as the favorite and have an ATS record of 23-9 at home.</p>

<p>In their last game, the Magic beat the Raptors by a score of 111-96. They were favored by 11.5 points and easily covered the spread. The O/U line for the game was 218.5.</p>

<p>On average, Orlando's games have finished with 219.8 points this season. Today's O/U line is set at 202.5, and the Magic have gone 31-37 on the over/under.</p>

<p>In the Eastern Conference, the Magic are 29-17 compared to 11-11 against non-conference opponents. Their ATS record for the season is 45-23, and they have covered the spread in two straight home games.</p><p>At home, the Magic are averaging 113.7 points per game, which is 20th in the league. Overall, they are 26th in scoring at 110.7 points per game.</p>

<p>When it comes to pace, Orlando is 26th in the NBA, averaging 96.9 possessions per game.</p>

<p>So far this season, the Magic have outscored the NBA scoring average in 35.3% of their games. In terms of field goal percentage, Orlando is 14th at 47%.</p><p>At present, the Magic's defense is ranked 3rd, allowing 109.0 points per game. So far this season, the Magic's defense has struggled with fouls, averaging 5th in fouls per contest. On average, opponents are getting to the line 22.8 times per game vs. Orlando.</p>

Charlotte Hornets vs Orlando Magic Betting Pick & Prediction 3/19/24

We have reached that point in the year when it feels like there are no weeks off for the UFC. Another event comes your way this weekend down in Auckland, New Zealand. This is the third time that the UFC has gone to New Zealand and the first time since June 2017.

Let’s break down this fight card with odds from <a href="http://bangthebook.com/sportsbooks/5dimes"><strong>5Dimes Sportsbook</strong></a>. Whether you call it UFC Fight Night 168 or UFC on ESPN+ 26, we have 13 fights to consider for the card. This one starts at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday February 22. It will be Sunday in New Zealand, hence the date on the featured image.

There have been a few fighter changes on this card and one of them was in the first fight. Rachael Ostovich has been replaced by Priscilla Cachoeira for the women’s flyweight opener against Shana Dobson. Dobson is a -200 favorite over the replacement. This is a very important fight for Dobson, who has lost consecutive fights to fall to 3-3 in her pro career. Cachoeira has lost three straight, but did lost the first of those to Valentina Shevchenko. Dobson should hold serve as the chalk here, but neither fighter seems to be worth your money.

Takashi Sato is a -120 favorite over Maki Pitolo in the welterweight division in the second fight of the night. Pitolo lost his official UFC debut to Callan Potter back in October. After an impressive first-round KO victory against Justin Sumter on the Dana White Contender Series in July, Pitolo got his shot. It was an active and exciting fight, but he came up on the short end. Sato is 1-1 in UFC with a win over Ben Saunders and a loss to Belal Muhammad by submission. This will be an active fight both ways. Sato has a lot more experience at the upper levels, but this one will be about who gets the bigger shots in. Sato has shown the stoppage power against better fighters, so the lean is with him at -120.

Another fight with a fighter change in the women’s division is this strawweight bout between Loma Lookboonmee and Angela Hill. Initially, Hannah Goldy was set to fight, but Hill now slots in as the replacement. She also slots in as a -200 favorite. Hill just fought back on January 25 and knocked out Hannah Cifers with the help of some vicious elbows. She must be feeling good to come right back. It is a rapid turnaround to say the least, but Hill has really shown some good violence in her last two fights. Lookboonmee won’t be ready for it in her second career UFC fight.

Tyson Nam is one of the bigger underdogs on the card at +220 against Kai Kara-France in the men’s flyweight division. Kara-France is -260 coming off of a decision loss back in December to Brandon Moreno in what was a very exciting fight. That was the first loss for Kara-France in three years and he was a -165 favorite in that one. The -255 price looks cheap in a bounce back spot against Nam, who is only in his second career UFC fight.

Callan Potter will have some fan support here as an Australian-born fighter, but he faces long odds against Kenan Song. Potter is 1-1 in UFC so far with a violent knockout loss to Jalin Turner and a decision win over Mark Pitolo, who appears earlier on the card. Song is 3-1 in his four UFC fights. Like the previous fight, this -200 number looks a little bit cheap. You hate to go so chalk-heavy, but a Hill/Kara-France/Song parlay looks pretty nice to cut into the juice of three -200 or higher favorites. Those three fighters are just more advanced and more accomplished.

Jake Matthews is -225 against Emil Meek at 170 pounds. Matthews, also an Australian fighter, will get a little more crowd support than Meek of Norway. This will be Meek’s first fight since July 22, 2018, so cage rust could be a real factor and it could also be priced into the number a little bit here. Matthews is also more of a household name, though he just came off the shelf from a 10-month layoff to beat Rostem Akman. I don’t think Matthews is quite a -225 favorite here, but I also can’t make much of a case for Meek coming off of the layoff.

Jalin Turner is yet another chalky price at -210 for his fight against UFC newcomer Josh Culibao. Culibao was a late injury replacement for Jamie Mullarkey. He is 8-0-0 in his pro career, but I think this is a tough spot for him. He hasn’t fought anybody that matches up athletically with the 6-foot-3 Turner, so he’s giving up speed, size, and Turner has already shown a lot of knockout power. Turner doesn’t have the most impressive record at 8-5 because he is still a little bit immature as a fighter with a kill or be killed mindset. I would expect him to be the killer here, but he does have a penchant for getting caught and Culibao does have five career knockouts. My thought here is that the under round prop is a better look when those come out.

<strong>Kevin Aguilar (-110) vs. Zubaira Tukhugov (-110)</strong>

A coin flip with juice begins the main card portion of the show with Kevin Aguilar and Zubaira Tukhugov. Aguilar’s last four fights have all gone to decision and those have been all the fights under the UFC umbrella. The 31-year-old Aguilar just suffered his first loss in 5.5 years against Dan Ige. Ige got top control and stayed just aggressive enough to win the fight by decision. Aguilar is looking for a bounce back here in his fifth UFC fight.

Zubaira Tukhugov is a really hard guy to handicap here. His last fight against Lerone Murphy ended in a draw. It was his first fight in over three years. The last time we had seen him was UFC 198 when he lost to Renato Moicano by split decision. It isn’t that Tukhugov is old. In fact, he is only 29 and still has 23 fights under his belt with a three-year hiatus. It is just that we don’t know what we’re going to get. On the other side, I have a pretty good idea of what I will get from Aguilar. He’ll do just enough to win by decision.

<strong>Pick: Kevin Aguilar</strong>

<strong>Brad Riddell (+120) vs. Magomed Mustafaev (-140)</strong>

This is a big moment for New Zealand native Brad Riddell. The 28-year-old won his UFC debut at UFC 243 over Jamie Mullarkey by unanimous decision. He didn’t fight in a lot of great promotions, but made his way to UFC and was impressive enough to get another crack and to get it here at home. He is a kickboxer by trade and more of a striker and knockout type of guy. That is a big contrast to Mustafaev, who is viewed as more of a grappler and wrestler.

Mustafaev, like Tukhugov in the first fight, took a 2.5-year absence between fights. After losing to Kevin Lee for just the second career loss of his career, he came back to knockout Rafael Fiziev in a manner that earned him the performance of the night bonus. We have two pretty contrasting styles here, though Mustafaev did show knockout prowess in that Fiziev fight. To me, this looks like one of the hardest handicaps on the slate, but Mustafaev is more experienced against competition of this quality.

<strong>Pick: Magomed Mustafaev</strong>

<strong>Ben Sosoli (+135) vs. Marcos Rogerio De Lima (-155)</strong>

Ben Sosoli’s UFC career has been interesting. It started on the Dana White Contender Series with a No Contest declared after two minutes and eight seconds. His second fight against Greg Hardy was overturned because he used an inhaler between rounds. In essence, Sosoli is 0-0 in two career UFC fights. He gets another one here against Marcos Rogerio De Lima.

De Lima has fought some of the better guys in the heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions. Now fighting as a heavyweight, De Lima doesn’t have to worry about the weight cut that caused him to miss weight against Jeremy Kimball and Ovince Saint Preux. He is 1-1 as a heavyweight, but his loss came to Stefan Struve, who is not easy to fight at 6-foot-11. Sosoli is a much more compact heavyweight. He has the weight, but has size more closely resembling a light heavyweight at 5-foot-9. For the 6-foot-1 De Lima, the move to heavyweight likely came with some hesitation because of the height and reach considerations. He doesn’t have to worry about that here.

<strong>Pick: Marcos Rogerio De Lima</strong>

<strong>Karolina Kowalkiewicz (+225) vs. Xiaonan Yan (-265)</strong>

Karolina Kowalkiewicz has dropped each of her last three fights and it seems like the 34-year-old may be on her last legs as a fighter. She lost to Jessica Andrade by knockout back at UFC 228 and almost tapped out at the hands of Michelle Waterson in her next fight. Kowalkiewicz and Alexa Grasso exchanged flurries in her most recent fight, also a loss. This just looks like another bad matchup for her.

Xiaonan Yan has won four straight fights, all by decision. The question in this fight is whether or not Yan can keep up with Kowalkiewicz’s activity enough to get the decision victory. There is a chance that she cannot, but she is so good at controlling fights and has scored wins over other active fighters, most notably Angela Hill in her last scrap. That same gameplan should give her a win here. That being said, this juice is pretty high, so this one isn’t high on my list of picks.

<strong>Pick: Xiaonan Yan</strong>

<strong>Jimmy Crute (+115) vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk (-135)</strong>

Let’s see if Jimmy Crute can bounce back from his first career loss. In order to do so, he’ll need to pull a mild upset as a +115 underdog against Michal Oleksiejczuk at 205 pounds. Crute lost his most recent fight to Misha Cirkunov, who got the fight to the ground and took advantage with the submission win. Up until that point, Crute was 10-0, including seven stoppage wins. Crute had beaten Paul Craig and Sam Alvey, both in Australia, before the loss to Cirkunov in Vancouver, British Columbia.

He’ll be back fighting in a region that he knows well against Oleksiejczuk. The favorite is also coming off of a loss to Ovince Saint Preux back in September. Oleksiejczuk was part of a no contest against Khalil Rountree at the end of 2017 and looked to be on the rise in 2019 with first-round wins over Gian Villante and G. Antigulov before the loss to Saint Preux by submission.

These two fighters are both rising in the division and both just happened to get caught on the ground. This fight will be upright more often and that means that any flurry of strikes could end it. In fights like that, I generally side with the underdog.

<strong>Pick: Jimmy Crute</strong>

<strong>Paul Felder (+130) vs. Dan Hooker (-150)</strong>

We finish up with the lightweight main event that could need championship rounds between Paul Felder and Dan Hooker. Felder went 2-0 in 2019 with wins over James Vick and Edson Barboza that went the full 15 minutes. This looks like one that will require the championship rounds if Felder has his way.

If he doesn’t, that would suit Dan Hooker just fine. Hooker has 17 stoppage wins out of 20 career victories and knocked out Vick last year. He also bested Al Iaquinta via decision at UFC 243 with a perfect score of 30. Hooker owned the fight. He didn’t get to finish Iaquinta, but it was another extremely impressive effort from him. He was the more active fighter and the more accurate fighter.

It is hard to get Felder down, but Hooker is a high-volume striker and a significant one at that. Felder is more about controlling fights. I don’t think this is a good matchup for him at all.

<strong>Pick: Dan Hooker</strong>

UFC Fight Night 168: Felder vs. Hooker Betting Odds, Picks & Preview

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