- 6 months ago
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Some bangers in the NBA.
00:02The Detroit Pistons on the road to take on the San Antonio Spurs.
00:05Victor Webb and Yama going toe-to-toe.
00:07Maybe a little Cade Cunningham action.
00:08The favorites in this game tonight.
00:10That's the San Antonio Spurs at home.
00:11Minus three and a half.
00:12A total of 228 and a half tonight.
00:15Big game, 8 o'clock primetime in the NBA.
00:18Joe, what's that spread line for you today?
00:20It feels like the Spurs are always on the road, aren't they?
00:24The fact that they're home here is a little bit crazy.
00:27But, I mean, my goodness.
00:28They've won 12 of their last 13.
00:31And only five of those games were at home since February 1st here, Donnie.
00:35So, this is a San Antonio Spurs team that can win in your building, can win in their building.
00:41It's going to be nice to sleep in their bed, I'm sure, here.
00:44But another big test here for the Detroit Pistons.
00:47If you're as good as you think you are, as good as your record says you are,
00:52then you need to go on a road and win one of these games.
00:55Because you know who has, Donnie?
00:56San Antonio has.
00:58So, this is a big opportunity here with the Pistons actually getting points for the first time,
01:03it feels like, in forever against the Spurs.
01:07Lakers on the road to take on the Denver Nuggets tonight in elevation.
01:10That game's going to start at 10 o'clock Eastern here.
01:13Opening line at minus 5.
01:14Most outs, let's see now, still at minus 5 and minus 5 and a half.
01:18But look at this total, 241 and a half.
01:20Lakers on the road as a dog price here versus the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference.
01:24Joe, what's your spread line on this one?
01:27I got to tell you, the Nuggets are going the wrong way, man.
01:30It's head-scratching, Donnie.
01:33I mean, who would have thunk it that Aaron Gordon means that much to this team?
01:37Well, the Lakers now find themselves in that sixth seed in the Western Conference playoff race?
01:42They're only a half a game behind Denver right now.
01:45And who would have thunk that those two teams were even in the same category?
01:48But, yep, that's what they do.
01:50So, the Lakers have a big opportunity here tonight to get it going.
01:55And, again, they keep teasing that Aaron Gordon might be back.
01:59We know Peyton Watson has been out for over a month as well.
02:03There is a chance Aaron Gordon could return for tomorrow night's game against the Knicks.
02:09It'll be a second of a back-to-back, though.
02:11But the Lakers got to win a game against the team with a pulse.
02:16The Nuggets have a pulse, and I have my doubts that they can win this game.
02:20Yeah, sure.
02:21Again, interesting one here as it sets up.
02:23But we are waiting for these teams to get whole.
02:25Even taking a look like the Philadelphia 76ers, you know, hanging on the win last night, barely.
02:29But they're without Joel Embiid.
02:30They're without Paul George.
02:31A lot of these teams are going to look a lot different once we get to playoff time and start
02:35to ramp up.
02:35The Toronto Raptors on the road to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight.
02:38Minus sevens in the marketplace overnight, Joe.
02:41But now we're seeing a shift here towards the Toronto Raptors.
02:43Minus sixes and minus five and a half now starting to show up.
02:47A total of 227 and a half.
02:49Raptors and the Wolves tonight, Joe.
02:51What's your spread line for this one?
02:53Well, they've been on a roll here, Minnesota.
02:56Not necessarily against the spread, Donnie.
02:58But they haven't lost, I think, since February 22nd.
03:02And that was against your Sixers team.
03:04This will be a fifth straight win for them.
03:07And Anthony Edwards really starting to, you know, downshift here.
03:11I think coming off that 41-point performance against Memphis on Tuesday night, his ninth game this year with at
03:19least 40 points.
03:20Listen, the Raptors have been way too inconsistent here.
03:23They look really good for a half.
03:25And then they disappear.
03:26And that's not a good thing here against a Minnesota Timberwolves team where as long as they're not laying, Donnie,
03:33let's say, seven, eight points, I think you can trust Minnesota to win and cover this game at home tonight.
03:39By the way, we don't have to cover this game.
03:42We don't have to go over it.
03:43But sometimes the NBA just gives you some of those gems, Joe.
03:46The first game of the night, seven o'clock start.
03:48The Utah Jazz on the road on a back-to-back to take on the Washington Wizards.
03:53Neither one of these teams wants to win this basketball game.
03:56And yet the Wizards are still a two to two and a half point favorite.
03:59Amazing how that shapes up.
04:01Nine games in the association tonight.
04:02Thursday edition of the Early Line Sports Grid Network.
04:05And by the way, did you guys know, yeah, WBC is here and next week is conference tournament play.
04:09But free agency in the NFL is going to begin shortly here.
04:13People will be making hundreds of millions of dollars more.
04:16Salary cap's going higher.
04:18And our salary cap here on the show must be going higher as well.
04:20We can afford the good stuff.
04:22Down here right side, Joe Ranier.
04:23We bring in Kevin Walls, host of Game Time Decisions, right here on the Sports Grid Network, 6 to 7
04:29p.m.
04:29It's Gabe and it's Kevin getting you ready for the night caps here.
04:32Come on in, Kev.
04:33Come on in.
04:34Yeah, what's going on, fellas?
04:36A lot of good stuff happening this morning.
04:38I see you guys are covering exclusively only the biggest topics in sports, which is just great to see.
04:46Kevin's been known to book himself around the channels here.
04:49Raise that payroll here.
04:50Love to see it, Kevin.
04:51But we got you here today.
04:52We want to talk the association because we got big doings.
04:55And by the way, does it feel like the Spurs just constantly play top tier teams, including the Detroit Pistons,
05:01on a night to night basis?
05:02The Spurs, they are the favorites at home, minus three and a half.
05:05The Pistons come to town as the underdog tonight.
05:08What are the expectations?
05:09Pistons, Spurs here, Kevin.
05:12It's a good point, right?
05:13San Antonio, and it's not like they're playing the top of the West.
05:16Like, somehow, every night, they're playing just the best Eastern Conference teams.
05:20I assume they play the Celtics tomorrow.
05:22It's bizarre.
05:24This line I saw overnight at two and a half.
05:26Now, seemingly, at some points, it got up to four and a half.
05:29Maybe we're going to settle in this three and a half spot here.
05:32I imagine there will be a ton of temptation on San Antonio.
05:37They played about two weeks ago.
05:39The Spurs won by double digits on the road.
05:43Cade Cunningham could not get going in that game from an efficiency standpoint there.
05:48But this is a Detroit team now coming off a loss.
05:51They don't have a ton of losses this year, and very rarely have they lost consecutive games.
05:56What stood out to me is this total.
05:58It's about three or four points lower than when they met in that week matchup around two weeks ago.
06:04If I look at this Pistons team, I think offensively they're due for a better effort here.
06:09I like what we saw from Durin in that first matchup.
06:12He got himself to about 25.
06:14The Spurs should score it no problem, right?
06:16I mean, they just hung a buck 30 on Philly in a game where Webb and Yama only scored 10.
06:23This total at 228 and a half.
06:25Look, I'm not acting like it's 215, but in today's game, when two teams get rolling, you can get through
06:31a number like that.
06:33That total is really standing out to me, fellas.
06:36Yeah.
06:38The Spurs winning games on the road like it's nothing, too, is just very impressive with what's going on.
06:45But you got Detroit, who is now, what, four and a half games better than Boston.
06:50They've been the East's best team all season long, Kev.
06:55Does the Boston Celtics catch them?
06:57Do they regress at all?
06:59Or are we just assuming with 22 games left, they're going to be the number one seed in the East?
07:05And ultimately, what does that mean when it's all said and done?
07:08What I think it means is everybody's fighting for second because the Hornets are going to sweep this entire conference.
07:13If I'm not right.
07:14It has to be like, I'm starting to eye up some of these Hornets futures at this point.
07:19I might just tap out.
07:20They're just they seem this good as I would be stunned if Detroit lost grip of the one seed.
07:27And I think for a team like Boston, does anybody care what seed they are in more so than does
07:35Jason Tatum return?
07:36Isn't that what we're all trying to really figure out with this basketball team?
07:41And it applies to the Knicks and Cavs, right?
07:43Two teams who have, to varying degrees, disappointed us in recent postseasons.
07:48And now you throw Harden into the mix here.
07:51Look, I don't mean to downplay seeding because I think the matchups are important.
07:56But I think when we're trying to figure out seeding, it's through the lens of matchups.
08:00It's maybe a little bit less about home court or, oh, one seed must be the best team.
08:06Two seed must be the second best team type of situation.
08:09Again, also, in a non-joking way, having to play Orlando or Miami in round one versus having to play
08:18this Hornets team feels very, very different.
08:21So you could be in a situation where you're better off maybe the three seed than the two seed, for
08:25example, guys.
08:27And by the way, if we are taking a look at that Western Conference, Kevin, and we are talking about
08:31seeding tonight,
08:32the Los Angeles Lakers are going to take on the Denver Nuggets, five-point favorites for the home team, the
08:36Denver Nuggets.
08:37You look at the standings right now, Nuggets, 38-24, fifth seed.
08:41Los Angeles Lakers, 37-24, the sixth seed, jockeying for position.
08:46What do you expect, an elevation tonight between these two?
08:48Yeah, so this total's been climbing, already up about three points, if I'm not mistaken, from 238.5 to 241
08:56.5 there.
08:57I wonder if there's an argument to buy back on this under and that this number's moved a little bit
09:03here.
09:03We talked yesterday, right, guys, about the Knicks defense looking improved.
09:07They didn't get a win.
09:08They got a tight cover.
09:09But that game was well under the number, right, only 203 points.
09:13For the Lakers, when we think about what's wrong with this basketball team, we often look at the defensive side
09:18of the ball.
09:19Last three games, I understand the opponents, but 101-104-101.
09:24Have they started to figure out this side of the basketball a little bit?
09:27Is that where their focus maybe is a little bit here?
09:31It's a big-time number at 241.5.
09:34You need a clean ride.
09:35Yes, these teams are capable of it.
09:37But what if this has, as you bring up the standings, Donnie, what if this has that playoff implication-type
09:44atmosphere?
09:44We know in the NBA postseason, we can trend under.
09:50I don't know what to make of it.
09:51Denver feels like that team that just, hurry up and finish the regular season and let's get to the postseason.
09:58I mean, apparently they can't win games if Aaron Gordon's not on there.
10:02They can't play defense, so trying to sweat out an under is a crazy thing, isn't it, with Denver?
10:09Oh, yeah, it is, right?
10:11I mean, yes, so their last game against Utah, I laid 11.5-12 on the road.
10:16I was like, because Denver will score 130.
10:18Score 128.
10:20I have no chance to cover.
10:21Because they just could not get any stops against Utah.
10:25But this Nuggets team is very, it's very tough to get a handle on.
10:30Because Jokic is having another, I'm not really sure Shea should be priced the way he is, by the way,
10:36in the MVP.
10:37Jokic is averaging a 29-point triple-double, leading the league in rebounds and assists.
10:42And Shea's not going to play that many more games than Nikola Jokic.
10:46That's, but, you know, maybe for another discussion.
10:48For Denver, Joe, almost the inverse, right?
10:51Actually, let the regular season go as long as possible, because maybe we'll be healthy when the playoffs begin.
10:58Probably not, because they haven't been close to healthy at any point this season.
11:01But maybe by April, we actually will have some of our guys back.
11:07And for my next magic trick, we're heading back to the MDA, where typically, Joe, I give you bad basketball
11:12teams,
11:13like, ooh, nobody wants to take them.
11:14I'm going to the game of the night tonight in the Association, Joe.
11:17Joe, Pistons-Spurs, 70% of the tickets early coming in on the Spurs here.
11:22That line opened up 3.5, still sits at 3.5.
11:25So, for me, I'm thinking a good basketball team on the road with the Pistons getting 3.5 points.
11:29Win it outright, Pistons, make it easy for me.
11:32But if not, hit that half-court three to cover that 3.5-point spread.
11:35We won't hate you for that.
11:37So, for me, Joe, I'm going Pistons, plus 3.5.
11:39Joe's going Michigan, minus 9.5.
11:42And you know what's coming up next?
11:43We're not going anywhere.
11:45Prediction Markets Edge.
11:46Stay tuned.
11:47It'll be the best half-hour of your life.
11:50Could it be?
11:50Come on back to find out.
11:51Let's get over to the Association tonight.
11:53In the NBA, the biggest game on the card.
11:56It's Detroit and it's San Antonio.
11:58San Antonio trading at a 59% chance to win this game.
12:01Detroit at 41%.
12:03And the total, 4.5 here.
12:05If you say to yourself, you know what?
12:07I think San Antonio covers that spread.
12:09A $100 investment would pay back $209.
12:11That means plus money for sliding it up from the 3.5 to the 4.5 here.
12:15How about that, Joe?
12:17I love it.
12:18I mean, keep in mind here a couple of interesting trends that have surfaced, especially with Detroit.
12:23You know, they're 7-0 straight up and against the number, Donnie, as a road dog this season.
12:29And they have covered those games by 11.5 points per game.
12:34So, this is a team that, especially coming off a loss as well, it feels like, I mean, think about
12:40it, right?
12:41I mean, it's, okay, they wouldn't be a dog in their own home building.
12:44So, the fact that they've only been a dog on the road seven times and they've had no problem destroying
12:51teams,
12:51that means the market might be underrating them a little bit.
12:54I can't believe I'm saying this, but this is a buy low spot on Detroit,
12:59who can't seem to get over the hump against some of the better West Coast teams here in San Antonio.
13:05They are rolling right now, but I think this is a good spot for Detroit.
13:11Most sports books there listed at around 3.5 as a price point here, Joey.
13:14Take a look at the Calci Marketplace at 4.5.
13:16You pay a little bit of juice because it's trading at 54% to the no that San Antonio will
13:20cover.
13:20$100 investment pays back $186.
13:22You already know me, Joe.
13:24Best bet tonight.
13:25Let's go Detroit basketball.
13:27Let's get the elevation also in the NBA.
13:29The Los Angeles Lakers at the Denver Nuggets.
13:32Denver currently trading on the money line at 63% chance to win this game outright.
13:36The Los Angeles Lakers coming in at 37%.
13:39But if we're looking at the line itself, Joe, the favorite, the home team, Denver, by 5.5.
13:43That's trading at 48%.
13:45And a total, 239.5, trading at 51%.
13:49Good game tonight, Lakers Nuggets.
13:51It's a great game, and it's a game that kind of the jockeying for position right now here.
13:58But, you know, call me crazy here, Donnie.
14:00This Denver team, they're trying to put it together defensively.
14:05But without Aaron Gordon there, it's been tough.
14:10It's been really, really tough.
14:12We know the Lakers also trying to play some defense, but also not working out all that well.
14:18This feels like it's a high total, but it's high for a reason here.
14:22Something tells me expective points.
14:25I don't expect both these teams to shut down the other offensively.
14:30I think the over is the way to look.
14:32I'd even look at some of these team totals and expect them to go flying over the total as well.
14:38Take a look at this.
14:39If you think it flies over the total, Joe, bump it up just a little bit on the Couchy marketplace
14:43to 242.5.
14:44That trades at 46%, which means a $100 investment pays back $218 plus money in your pocket.
14:50Because if you figure, hey, they're going to be right on that number, that's fine.
14:53But as Joe said, if he's really looking at it over, bump it up a couple points, put that extra
14:57money in your back pocket.
14:58Toronto is going to take on Minnesota.
15:00That's the Raptors taking on the T-Wolves here.
15:02Minnesota to win the game outright, Joe, trading at a 67% chance.
15:06Toronto at 33% to win that game.
15:09Minnesota, minus 4.5 points, that's trading at 56% to the yes.
15:14So a $100 investment would pay back $179.
15:17Toronto at Minnesota, Joe.
15:21Listen, Minnesota is rolling.
15:23Anthony Edwards is on fire.
15:26He's coming off a big performance there against Memphis, where he dropped 41 points.
15:32It looks like Minnesota has really started to figure things out.
15:36I like them in this spot.
15:37I also like the Toronto Raptors team total under, Donnie.
15:41That might be a look too inconsistent offensively for me for Toronto.
15:46You're going to win that game for Minnesota here.
15:48Anthony Edwards to grab 30-plus points on Calcius plus money.
15:52A $100 investment is going to pay back $209 here.
15:56You're going to win that game for you.
15:56You're going to win that game for you.
Comments