Odds and Bets: Nuggets Write Their History

Heat vs Nuggets Game 5: History Without the Spread

Monday could be big for several reasons. First off all, the journey that all NBA fans embark in every autumn – that being a new campaign – could come to an end. Second, should that happen, it will mean the Denver Nuggets captured the franchise’s first-ever championship by defeating the Miami Heat in Game 5. They currently lead the series 3-1.

Except for Game 2, Denver looks like the superior unit in this series. Wins by 11, 15, and 13 points have told the story of one team, Denver, having its way with its opponent. But the Miami Heat have been a devilishly good away squad in these playoffs. They’ve won blowouts as well as heart-attack-inducing close contests. Jimmy Butler tends to bring out the best in himself and his running mates in road playoff bouts. As we mentioned in our Game 5 preview, if Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic and the gang are themselves, they’ll win, but it the -9.0 spread seems large.

Best Bet: Nuggets on the moneyline, not the spread

Heat vs Nuggets Game 5: Bam Adebayo’s Great Finals

Perhaps this pick is a little too cute, but we’ll see what happens tonight. Because the Miami Heat are in a 3-1 hole versus the Denver Nuggets, there is one player having a fantastic Finals that not many people are talking about; Bam Adebayo. After all, his efforts haven’t propelled his side to the cusp of greatness. If anything, they haven’t amounted to much considering the margin of each defeat was by double-digits.

That being said, Adebayo has had his best series so far. Not once has he scored less than 20 points a game. There is something soft about Denver’s paint and key defence that has allowed Adebayo to eat buckets to his heart’s content. Whether it’s positioning or just bad matchups, Denver can’t seem to contain him. Not that they probably care much since other than him and Butler, few are causing enough damage for the Nuggets to worry about. The Joker may be MVP of the series, but Adebayo could be Miami’s MVP.

Best Bet: Bam Adebayo over 20.5 points

Los Angeles Angels vs Texas Rangers: Rangers Run it Up

We couldn’t write an Odds and Bets column without mentioning the new number one team in Sports Interaction’s MLB Power Rankings. The Texas Rangers lead the AL West despite losing two of three to the Tampa Bay Rays over the weekend. On Monday they commence a four-game series against the Los Angeles Angels.

It’s a big moment for both clubs. The Angels are crawling their way to a record that doesn’t just flirt with .500 while the Rangers strive to assert themselves. Texas is sending Dane Dunning to the mound and L.A. puts its faith in Tyler Anderson. Dunning has partaken in 14 games this season, although hasn’t pitched nearly as many innings as some of the rotation’s true aces. Still, in his 53.2 innings of work, he sports a 5-1 record and 2.52 ERA. Texas also has the best collective batting average in the majors with .274 and Anderson’s ERA is a worrisome 5.62.

Best Bet: Rangers on the runline