Not sure what the Miami Heat will blame it on, but they were anything but hot in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, and were blown off the court by the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night.
After going 3-0 in openers during the NBA Playoffs, the Heat couldn't keep up with the Western Conference top-seeded Denver Nuggets, who got a triple-double from the should-have-been MVP Nikola Jokic.
Jokic finished with 27 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds. Aaron Gordon added 16 points and Michael Porter Jr. scored 14 for Denver, which led by as many as 24.
Game 2 is Sunday, and make note the Heat have failed to cover 13 of their last 17 when playing on two days of rest.
Denver improved to 8-3 ATS at home and 5-2 ATS overall.
Just one WNBA game last night, and the underdog cashed in with the Minnesota Lynx. Defending Eastern Conference champion Connecticut laid -6 1/2 points to the Lynx, and ended up winning 89-84, the final tally soaring past the 160-point total.
The NHL and NBA are on break, so I will focus on another BASKETBALL WINNER, as the WNBA take center stage for Friday night. Love one game that is off by at least 3 points. Don't miss tonight's WNBA LINE MISTAKE LOCK.
The MLB underdogs came up with a goose egg on Thursday, with all seven failing to win. The standout victory for me was the San Diego Padres, who were a slight favorite, blowing out the Miami Marlins 10-1 on the road. The Friars have won six of 10, despite a brutal .218 batting average. Though the hits may not be coming, the home runs are, as they've smacked 16 homers in the 10-game stretch since May 21, and they're averaging 5.9 runs per game.
The NHL and NBA are on break, so I have three MLB Winners for you tonight, including my National League Dog of the Month. One of tonight's pups on the senior circuit carries an incredible DOG PRICE I cannot ignore. My NATIONAL LEAGUE DOG OF THE MONTH goes here, with two bonus winners.
Though the NHL won't start until Saturday with Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, I will keep these notes handy for you.
NHL Notes:
- Road teams are 46-37 in the postseason.
- Underdogs are 40-41 in the postseason, with a $100 wager on the pups turning a profit of roughly $1500.
- The Over is 43-39-1, but the Under has cashed 30 of the last 53 games.
- There have been 23 overtime games, and road teams are 15-8 in those games.
- NHL favorites higher than -150 are 14-34 on the puck line this postseason.
Stanley Cup Notes:
FLORIDA
- The Panthers have won 16 of their last 21 road games.
- Florida enters the SCF on an 18-6 win streak.
- The Panthers check in at seventh in the postseason with 3.11 goals-for per game.
- Florida's goals-against average during the playoffs is 2.69, ranking sixth.
VEGAS
- Vegas has won 13 of 17 against Atlantic Division teams.
- The Golden Knights are on an 18-6 roll at home.
- The Golden Knights rank third in the playoffs with 3.65 goals-for per game.
- Vegas is fourth in the postseason with a goals-against average of 2.65.
SERIES
- The home team has won the last five meetings.
- The Golden Knights have won five straight meetings in Vegas.
- Vegas is on a 5-2 roll in the overall series.