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00:00Wednesday hump day with some information that you need to know,
00:02which includes the spread lines of games you need to pay attention to.
00:05Some NBA action, some MLB action.
00:07Let's get it started in Cleveland tonight, Joe.
00:10The Atlanta Hawks are in town.
00:11The overnight line for this game opened up somewhere around minus 2.5
00:14as a favorite towards the Cleveland Cavaliers.
00:17Now I'm seeing 1.5s in the landscape here at most outlets
00:19and a total that's listed at 2.36.5.
00:24Cleveland still the slight favorite over Atlanta tonight in Cleveland, Joe.
00:27What's your spread line for this game?
00:30Well, this is the first of a home-and-home, Donnie, between these two teams, right?
00:34And you've got a Cleveland Cavaliers team, thanks to the Knicks beating Atlanta last game,
00:41already guaranteed them a home-court advantage in the first round
00:46because, well, they're locked into the four-seed now.
00:49They could jump up to the three-seed, but the big question is,
00:54do they really want to jump up to the three-seed given the fact that,
00:57well, that puts them in prime category to have to face the Detroit Pistons at some point?
01:03So we already know that Donovan Mitchell's still questionable.
01:07Harden is a go here, but we're at that point in the season, Donnie,
01:11where they're locked in.
01:13They have the home series to open up at the four-seed,
01:15and they're not going to push the envelope,
01:18especially given the fact, I think, that the Cavs have gone into every postseason
01:23with somebody getting injured for something stupid somewhere along the lines,
01:26the next thing you know, you're playing the what could have been.
01:29I think the Hawks are going to bounce back in this spot here.
01:33I think they're motivated.
01:34They've got to stay out of the play-in series, right?
01:37And they're not exactly locked in to the fifth or sixth seed,
01:41so they've got to be careful.
01:43They can't go on some sort of losing streak here now to end the season
01:47and have to be in the play-in spot.
01:49So I think Atlanta is the right side.
01:51I think the market does, too, with this price.
01:54A lot of landmines out here in these streets,
01:56and keep an eye on this one, Joe,
01:58which is a game that we're not going to cover.
02:00There is a game that has a line tonight, people,
02:03of minus 22.5 points in the NBA.
02:07But we're going to get to one that has something closer,
02:09and also, hint, hint, might appear in our number two, Joe,
02:12those Portland Trailblazers on the road to take on the San Antonio Spurs.
02:16You look at this line overnight, it was 3.5,
02:18where does it sit this morning?
02:19Still 3.5.
02:20The total in this game has dropped.
02:22The 239.5s, they're down at most outlets.
02:25Now, you see that graphic at 234?
02:26It's still plummeting like a rock down to 231 at places like DraftKings.
02:31Now, understand this.
02:32Nine out of every ten tickets are still coming in on the San Antonio Spurs,
02:35and that line isn't moving yet.
02:37You might want to wait until a little bit later to see those lineup projections
02:39that come out, and they are actually official.
02:41But, Joe, Spurs slightly favored tonight over those Trailblazers.
02:45What's your spread line here for this one?
02:47Well, the latest injury report is we won't have Wemba Yama,
02:52and we won't have Steven Castle tonight for San Antonio.
02:56And listen, you know, what are they?
02:59They're kind of locked into the two seed, right?
03:02So there's really not a whole lot going on here.
03:05They did bounce back last game with a win,
03:08which is nice after that overtime loss to Denver a couple of games ago.
03:13But, listen, they have, what, 12 of their last 13?
03:17You know, they beat your Sixers.
03:19We know that.
03:20That's when Wemba Yama got a little bit hurt there, got a rib problem.
03:23So there's no need to push a guy like him or Steven Castle at this point if they're ailing.
03:29So, yeah, I think San Antonio is going to be tough.
03:31But this game means more to Portland, obviously,
03:35trying to stay in either that seven or eight seed in the play-in
03:39because then you only have to win one game, Donnie, and you can advance.
03:42So Portland's got a lot to play for.
03:45Not so much for San Antonio tonight.
03:48Oklahoma City going to do the two-step there out there in Los Angeles.
03:52Absolutely hammered the Lakers.
03:53Just to show how this league is, the Lakers just took a scheduled loss.
03:56Reeves is down, and, okay, Luke is down.
03:58Hey, LeBron, you're healthy, right?
03:59No, I'm not tonight.
04:00I'm going to sit this one out.
04:01They got crushed.
04:01Can OKC stay in town and do the same thing to the Los Angeles Clippers?
04:05Overnight, Joe, this line's set at six and a half.
04:07Now you see the graphic.
04:08It has bumped up at just about every outlet to seven and a half points as a favorite for OKC.
04:13The total of this game sits at two-twenty-six and a half, Joe.
04:16OKC back-to-back, but in the same town here.
04:19What's that spread line tonight?
04:21Well, yeah, that's the real question, Donnie, is that, again, this game means way more to the Clippers
04:27who are trying to solidify themselves and lock themselves into that seven or eight seed in the play-in
04:33so they don't have to do very much but win one game to move on,
04:37while OKC second of a back-to-back for both these teams.
04:41Obviously, OKC played a G League team last night, while the Clippers, sort of a G League team,
04:49but, you know, they took their foot off the gas and then had to actually play everyone in the fourth
04:53quarter last night
04:54to make sure that they closed the game out, and they did against Cooper Flagg and company.
05:00But, yeah, I could see the Clippers at home starting everyone.
05:05Kawhi, Garland, everybody's playing for them here tonight.
05:09So, feels like you want to give me seven and a half points in a game that means more to
05:13the home team
05:14with Kawhi on it, I might take that.
05:17Right back out of here on the early line, news and notes in the NBA,
05:21which technically means the NCAA.
05:23Michael Malone had his press conference yesterday down on Chapel Hill.
05:27Joe, let's take a look here.
05:28What happened?
05:31For me, it's a great day to be a Tar Heel.
05:34Really thankful for this opportunity.
05:35I do not take it lightly.
05:37And people keep asking me, Coach, why would you leave a chance of coaching in the NBA again?
05:42You're an NBA coach.
05:43You won a championship in Denver in 2023.
05:47It wasn't an easy decision, but what I kept thinking about was I have a chance to be a part
05:51of something special,
05:53the history and tradition, to be a part of something much bigger than myself, as I said a few minutes
05:57ago.
05:58This was the only college job I'd ever consider.
06:01You know, if any other job, I wouldn't even answer the phone.
06:04And what Steve didn't tell you, if you want to know something about Steve Newmark, persistence defined.
06:10That guy would not take no for an answer.
06:14I made a decision.
06:15I felt good about it.
06:16And Steve said, can we fly to your house on Easter Sunday?
06:19And we spent five hours together, along with Eric Hoots.
06:23Had a great meeting.
06:24And my dog didn't bite him, so we knew he was okay.
06:28And that night, we talked for a while.
06:31My wife and I, we made the decision to come here.
06:32So I do really appreciate that, Steve, for you allowing me to see what this opportunity means.
06:41And I appreciate all the players showing up over here.
06:43I don't want to just have success.
06:45Coach Belichick is here, I believe, one of the greatest coaches of all time.
06:48I appreciate you being here.
06:50You talk about sustained success, excellence, doing it year in and year out.
06:54That's what I want to bring to this table.
06:57Oh, there's a lot of lies at this press conference.
06:59This was the only job I was going to think about.
07:01Why didn't you take $3 million because of how great it was here?
07:04And also, legacy at North Carolina.
07:05They'll never remember Michael Malone there.
07:07No, because the legacy has already been set by Dean Smith and Roy Williams and all those coaches.
07:12And then he says, like, well, why would you leave the NBA?
07:14Because nobody was hiring you in the NBA.
07:17That's why you left the NBA.
07:18We should put a translation.
07:20You know the guy with the sign language show on the side that do all this stuff?
07:23Yeah, put me on the side.
07:24I'll actually translate what he's saying in real time.
07:29Yeah, I wouldn't answer the phone for anybody else unless you called me and offered me, oh, I don't know,
07:35$60 million on a six-year deal.
07:37Then I would absolutely answer the phone.
07:39You're now the second highest paid college basketball coach.
07:43$50 million, six-year deal.
07:45I can assure you he wasn't going to get that from an NBA organization, Donnie.
07:50Let's just say that.
07:52Yeah, it was hard to say no to $8.33 million there that no matter what, if you get fired
07:58outside of doing some ridiculous nonsense, you will get paid that money at this point.
08:02That's going to be a high-pressure job because now you're looking at him to be the savior at North
08:05Carolina.
08:06And if he doesn't, that is a terrible blow to that universe.
08:09It's like, hey, man, we tried to reset the market with a coach that wasn't a college coach and it
08:13didn't work.
08:13That could set the brand back and we'll see if it happens.
08:16Talking about setting the brand back, the only brand in Milwaukee for years has been Giannis Antetokounmpo.
08:20And take a look at this Yahoo Sports report.
08:23With Giannis' status up in the air, word around the league is Milwaukee is not a fun place at the
08:27moment.
08:27When was Milwaukee ever a fun place is my question, Joe.
08:32It's not with Doc Rivers at the helm.
08:34It's not because then the inmates run the asylum there and that's never a good situation.
08:40Listen, where there's smoke, there's fire, right?
08:42And we've been hearing about this now for two-plus seasons.
08:47And, you know, when you fired Griffin and you brought in Doc Rivers just to appease Giannis,
08:54that's where things went off the rails there.
08:56And then, of course, you know, the Lillard contract, they're going to be paying that for the next five years
09:01anyway.
09:02So they're a mess.
09:03And couldn't think of a better head coach to have for a total dumpster fire than Doc Rivers.
09:10They did everything wrong and now the chickens are coming home to roost at this point here.
09:15Now, take a look at Giannis Antetokounmpo.
09:16And, by the way, maybe the easiest job in sports is to have an NBA superstar.
09:20All the companies come to you.
09:22It's going to be Sprite.
09:23It's going to be Coca-Cola.
09:24It's going to be Nike.
09:25It's going to be Adidas here.
09:26There's going to be a national Doritos commercial or a Domino's commercial.
09:29Giannis Antetokounmpo lost his Nike bonus because it was tied to games played.
09:34What is his agent?
09:35What agent would actually sign up for that?
09:37No, like, hey, by the way, Giannis, you're getting a lot of money.
09:39But if you do get injured, you're going to lose a lot of money here.
09:41Fire his agent.
09:42What a terrible deal.
09:44Yeah, which is, I think, part of the reason why Giannis was screaming.
09:48Like, they won't let me play.
09:49I want to play.
09:50But so it really had nothing to do with you wanting to be out there with your dysfunctional teammates.
09:54It had everything to do with the fact that, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's right.
09:58Your bonus was tied to you actually being on the court.
10:01Oops.
10:03You know, when you hit retirement, it means there's pressure on you and you might get fired.
10:08So you put it out there to soften the blow.
10:09Like, yeah, we came to an amicable agreement here where I'm just going to step away at this time.
10:13Let's listen to Doc Rivers here.
10:16Doc, obviously, as you get ready to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, you've won a championship.
10:20You've done a lot in this league.
10:21I'm just curious for yourself, how much longer do you envision coaching in the NBA, given all the success that
10:26you've had?
10:27Well, I can't.
10:28I won't answer that.
10:29But I have grandkids that I want to see.
10:34I'll put it that way.
10:35And so I'll let you figure it out from there.
10:39I have seven grandkids now.
10:42And they're all eight years and under.
10:45And it kills me every time I miss Grandparents Day with each one of them in school.
10:50And it's probably time to go see them more.
10:52So I'll let you figure out the rest.
10:55We are having the most unbelievable clips today.
10:58Kudos to the producers in the background, because you want to see my blood pressure absolutely raised.
11:03He is saying he needs to retire because of Grandparents Day when his kids probably live in or grandkids probably
11:09live in different states.
11:10And he actually lives in at this time as if he was going to fly in for Grandparents Day to
11:14each one of those.
11:15And what the heck is even Grandparents Day in high school or eighth grade or third grade at this point
11:21right now?
11:22Doc, just say, I messed up this situation.
11:24I had a great career for myself.
11:26At the end of the day, I'm stepping down here.
11:27Hopefully somebody can take this job and take this organization back to prominence where we are expecting championships here.
11:33It just gets more embarrassing listening to this guy.
11:37Yeah, I'll let you decide.
11:40Yeah, well, here's what I got as an answer there, Doc, okay?
11:45You don't see your grandkids enough.
11:46That's why they have FaceTime, my friend, okay?
11:49Look it up.
11:50Google that, Doc.
11:52How about that?
11:52Google FaceTime, and you can see your grandkids any time of the day that you want.
11:57It's really simple.
11:58You just push a couple of buttons, and voila, you're in front of them.
12:02I mean, growing up as a kid, like, depending on where your grandparents were, even if they were within, like,
12:0620 miles, you probably saw them, like, four times a year, which is on the major holidays.
12:09And this guy's talking about, I want to retire to see my grandkids.
12:12Most of that excuse is usually, see, he's too old for this.
12:15Oh, I just want to spend time with the wife and kids.
12:17And then after three months, you go right back into coaching.
12:19It was all a lie because you knew you were going to get fired and just took the easy way
12:22out.
12:22Hilarious stuff from Doc Rivers that he's missing his grandkids' day at school.
12:27That means he wants to step away from his job at this point.
12:30Irving Magic Johnson.
12:32You ready for some fun on this tweet, Joe?
12:33He does this a lot.
12:34We always like to poke fun.
12:35He said, just when I thought Luka's injury was devastating for my Lakers, we got the news that Austin Reeves
12:40will also be out with an oblique injury.
12:42The timing of these injuries couldn't be worse with the NBA playoffs a week away.
12:46This was probably from April 3rd or April 4th, right?
12:49No!
12:49It was from yesterday when we knew for days of all these injury situations.
12:54Shout out, Matt.
12:55Was he on a yacht?
12:55Where was he at?
12:56Like, he missed it?
12:57Oh, Magic.
12:59He's got a lot going on.
13:00Might have been in a Dodger game.
13:02You know, he was probably in Indy at the Final Four and the National Championship.
13:08You know, a lot going on here.
13:10You know, good old Magic.
13:12So, yeah.
13:13But glad that you got back and realized that the Lakers are pretty much stick a fork in them.
13:17They're done.
13:19Now, the comment on, hey, my Lakers only scored 87 points last night, lost 123-87 in a scheduled loss.
13:26This is probably one of those games, like, the NBA looked at as, like, ooh, a lot of people are
13:29going to watch this game.
13:30Lakers versus the Thunder.
13:31And, yeah, you have injuries, but at least you have LeBron James.
13:33And LeBron James is like, you think I'm going out there against the best team in the NBA and playing
13:37without other superstars?
13:38Y'all sit this one out, too.
13:39They got hammered last night.
13:43Yeah, and he was a late scratch at that, which was kind of hysterical there.
13:47But, hey, listen, you know, I don't know what took him so long to figure that one out.
13:50But, yeah, it's rough go here for the Lakers.
13:54Doesn't look like it's going to end well this year.
13:57Look at that starting lineup for the Lakers yesterday.
13:59Rui Hachamora, Drew Timmy, Jake LaRavia, DeAndre Ayton, and Luke Kennard in the lineup.
14:04Wasn't up to stave it off.
14:05And, by the way, they scored 15 points in the third quarter than the Lakers.
14:09So, some great adjustments that you have by J.J., and away they go in Laker land.
14:13Now, tonight, also, you're going to have the Thunder taking on the Los Angeles Clippers, trying to do that two
14:17-step.
14:17Here's where you like it, Joe.
14:19Same city.
14:19You didn't even have to.
14:21Yeah, basically said you could have relaxed the entire fourth quarter.
14:23You might get a rested and refreshed OKC team on a back-to-back tonight, no?
14:29Playing the G League team, that tends to do that, yep.
14:33Sterling on on a hump day Wednesday.
14:35No better place to be than right here, right now, hanging out with us and having some fun.
14:39It's on the right side of Joe O'Neill.
14:40Let's bring Kevin Walsh to the mix yesterday.
14:43Put him for a vacation day yesterday.
14:45Boom.
14:45Stamped and got it.
14:46The man loves it.
14:47He's resting and ready.
14:48And back with us this morning, Kevin.
14:50Love to see you, man, too.
14:51Yeah, also, the show that you tell people to watch, I was on it last night.
14:57So, I don't know what you're talking about.
14:59Classic DRS.
15:00Off to a hot start on a Wednesday, my friend.
15:03Absolutely.
15:04I saw your tweets yesterday, and you were right on it, saying Michael Malone's going
15:07to be the biggest disaster move in the history of North Carolina sports, Kevin.
15:10No.
15:10Come on this program and tell me it's going to be a disaster, because we all think it is,
15:14Why do you think it's going to be a disaster?
15:16I don't know.
15:16I assume that means you think it's going to be a disaster.
15:19Back me up, Joe.
15:20Well, I mean, listen, I'll hear the case, but what are we worried about?
15:24Him recruiting in the NIL era?
15:27Because it's just money.
15:28Again, Jokic, did he promise Jokic is coming along with him?
15:31It's just money, and they made him the second highest paid coach, so pretty sure they have
15:36money.
15:37Is he a good head coach?
15:38Does anyone want to tell me that he's a bad head coach?
15:42Because Michael Malone is an NBA champion who went over his win total every single year
15:46in the NBA.
15:47So, he's a good coach.
15:49They're going to have the roster.
15:53So, just tell me, what am I missing that you two knuckleheads have figured out?
15:58Joe, tell him.
15:59Look, he's disrespected us two at the same time, Joe.
16:02Come on now.
16:02Listen.
16:03First of all, you should know better, Kevin.
16:05Do not include me in his shenanigans here.
16:08Yeah, it's a good point by you.
16:08It's a good point by you.
16:09I was the one that said, if anybody is capable of dealing with free agency and you're paying
16:15players millions of dollars, it would be a successful NBA coach.
16:19So, yes, I think it's either going to be the best thing North Carolina has ever done
16:25or it's going to end in a dumpster fire situation that is just going to be laughable.
16:30I don't think there's any in between here.
16:32I think it's going to work and it's going to work masterfully or it's going to be over
16:37rather quickly.
16:38Yeah, my only thing I would just add is I understand it's North Carolina.
16:45So, if in the first year he doesn't win the national championship, where you're right,
16:52Joe, not to include you.
16:54Some knuckleheads are going to be tweeting about, what a nightmare hire, just fire him.
16:59This whole thing's a mess.
17:00But that's not reality, right?
17:03Not even remotely.
17:05Like, ultimately, they moved off Hubert Davis, I think, because he went to the national championship
17:10game in his first year and it set the bar way too high for what Hubert Davis was about
17:15to do at North Carolina.
17:18So, look, I think it's going to come down to the money.
17:22Like, I know Michigan won.
17:23I know the Michigan Wolverines like to pretend they're this scrappy underdog story with Dusty
17:28May coaching everybody up.
17:29They just nailed about four or five of the best guys in the portal and they turned it
17:34into a national championship.
17:35And it was a really, really good basketball team.
17:37But that's what happened.
17:39That is what happened here.
17:41But let's keep it in the basketball realm.
17:42We'll get a little baseball talk in just a few moments.
17:44There is a game tonight, Kevin, that's a 22 and a half point spread with the Denver Nuggets.
17:48But that's not the game I want to talk about.
17:49I want to talk about the game tonight in Los Angeles.
17:52OKC was in L.A. last night playing at Crypto.com Arena.
17:55And LeBron James, you think I'm playing this team with you scrubs out here?
17:58I'm sitting this one out as well.
18:00And they got blasted.
18:01So talk to me tonight where the Clippers are in town, obviously being an L.A. team.
18:05But OKC stayed over.
18:06Didn't need to do much to beat the Lakers last night and find themselves roughly a seven
18:10point favorite in this game tonight.
18:12Thunder Clippers on the West Coast.
18:1410 o'clock start.
18:15Yeah, this is actually one where, despite it being the second leg of a back-to-back for
18:20both teams, again, shout out this league.
18:22We're still running back-to-backs late April.
18:24Half the stars aren't healthy.
18:26We can't figure out why.
18:29I think you might see these teams still going for it, just when I look at the standings.
18:34The Thunder are a win away from clinching the number one seed across the league.
18:41So, you know, and that's expected, the top team in the West.
18:45But San Antonio wouldn't be able to catch them.
18:47And if you're the Thunder, I know you still have two to play.
18:51But then it's at Denver.
18:54Again, you'd be favored.
18:55But, like, I don't know, right?
18:57And then you're home against Phoenix.
18:58Do you really want to need the last game of the regular season?
19:01I don't think so.
19:02So, I think you'll get OKC's best shot.
19:04But the Clippers are trying to hold off a surging Blazers team from all of a sudden
19:09this Clippers resurgence ending up in the 9-10 spot.
19:13When we talk about the play-in here, I bet SGA last night for 30, I absolutely knew what
19:19I was getting myself into because the blowout, the blowout, the blowout.
19:24And that's what happened.
19:25They were up a million.
19:26He didn't play the fourth.
19:28I'm a little surprised, though, that the books are going with a 29-and-a-half as we sit here
19:34early morning.
19:35SGA has not scored 30 in three straight games.
19:38He's not played the fourth quarter in three straight games.
19:40So, to me, with only a 7-and-a-half-point number, I am tempted to go to the league
19:45MVP again.
19:49Kind of tricky, though, because it feels like the market wants you saying, wait a minute,
19:54San Antonio is only a three-point favorite?
19:56It's like they want you to bet San Antonio with no Stephen Castle and no Webb Ayama.
20:02That number feels light.
20:04Even though you're going to be missing those two guys here tonight, it feels like they want
20:08you to be like, oh, that number is ridiculous.
20:10Give me San Antonio.
20:12So, I'm glad you brought up Wemby because this is one of the fun things that the three of us
20:19get to do now, I don't know, twice a week, which is talk about which new superstar won't
20:24make all NBA due to the awful 65-game rule.
20:28Victor Webb Ayama, who two weeks ago was surging to potentially win league MVP, now, if he does
20:37not play in two of the last three games for the third straight year to start off his young
20:42career, also won't win defensive player of the year, there's a book that has it at minus
20:474,000, which is really just the odds of him playing two of the last three.
20:52He's in 63 games played, so I actually don't know why, I actually think that, like, Wemby
20:59might sneak out there, maybe not tonight, but then he's got two more, like, he's going
21:05to not, like, we're going to do the DPOY thing, we're going to pretend it's Chad Holmgren, okay?
21:11It's awful, it's really bad.
21:13Again, this rule, really bad, really, really bad.
21:17Best ability, availability, we all know.
21:20Well, he can be as great as you want, you don't show up to work, you're going to get
21:22fired, they're tough seeing Wemby, and by the way, on his basketball card in a couple
21:26years, man, Wemby never made any all-star game, or made an all-star game, but no end-of-year
21:31awards, no teams, no MVPs, I can't even be in the awards ceremony, just, I'm going to
21:35stay in the association, picked up a W last night on a team that many people didn't want
21:39to bet, the Brooklyn Nets just rotting this, yeah, they won outright yesterday, people
21:43maybe get an outright winner again today.
21:45The Portland Trailblazers in town to take on the San Antonio Spurs, as we pointed out
21:49to start the show, three and a half was the line overnight, three and a half still this
21:53morning, including 90% of the ticket count still coming in on the San Antonio Spurs, so
21:58here's your handicap once again today, people, nobody wants to take the Trailblazers, nah,
22:04your boy Donnie Wrightside, he's taking the Portland Trailblazers with the three and a half,
22:09six and oh, Joe, that sounds like a good start to the week, doesn't it?
22:13Donnie, I'm with you, it just feels like the market is begging you to take San Antonio
22:18there, aren't they?
22:19Just begging you to take them, but nope, Donnie, he's not falling for it, and I don't blame
22:26you.
22:27Prediction Markets Edge right here on the Early Line, I'm Donnie Wrightside, he's Joe Raniere,
22:31the next half hour, we take that alternate approach here to investing, where maybe you could take
22:36out that contract designed to get you more money in your pocket, Joe, that's what we do,
22:40bring the people the angles that they need to know.
22:44That's what it's all about here, Donnie, a lot going on this week, Major League Baseball,
22:48a couple of weeks in now, Masters coming up, NBA playoffs, a lot to be excited about.
22:55A lot to be excited about, so let's get down to the business tonight, we're going to start
22:58in the NBA and in Cleveland here, Atlanta, the Hawks going to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers,
23:03currently trading right now on Cal, she a 52% chance to win this game outright, is with
23:08Cleveland, 48% there with Atlantic, think Atlantic can pull off the upset here and say,
23:13you know what, $100 investment would pay back 209, that's plus money, if we include the point
23:17spread, and you think Cleveland's going to win this game and win it by margin, Joe, which
23:21means by four plus points, that's currently trading at 44 cents, so a $100 investment to
23:27win by four points for Cleveland would pay back $228.
23:32Well, so this is interesting, because the question is, who's playing here for the Cleveland
23:38Guardians here, who are the Cleveland Guardians, the Cleveland Cavaliers, yeah, the Guardians
23:43wish they could score as many points as the Cavs, the reality of this situation, Donnie,
23:48is that they're locked into the fourth seed already, there's not a lot going on here for
23:55the Cavs, I don't think they want to move up, the Knicks are in the third seed, I'm not
23:59sure that it makes sense for them, given the path on who they'd have to eventually face
24:04after that, which of course would be Detroit, but I think Atlanta is motivated, I think Jalen
24:10Johnson is a guy that you got to look on is over in the props market, and I think this
24:15line tells you everything you need to know, are these teams really this close, Donnie,
24:21because the market is telling you, a home court for the Cavs means nothing, Donovan Mitchell
24:27is questionable, Harden has been ruled in, but, so on a neutral court, there's no difference
24:32between these two teams, is that what you're telling me? I think Atlanta wins this game,
24:37and I think the market is telling you so.
24:40ATL here, you think CJ McCollum could put up 20 points tonight, having a $100 investment
24:44Joe pays back $228, let's take a look at Portland and San Antonio, I love this game here, if you
24:51think San Antonio wins this game outright, you can take an investment on that, $100 wage
24:56would pay back $167, if you think Portland can actually pull the upset, $100 investment
25:01pays back $244, but when we get down to the business on the line itself, and I'm just seeing
25:06the spread here, listed at four and a half on the Calci marketplace, if you say no, that San Antonio
25:11won't cover that line, $100 pays back $186, that's what I love, give me the four and a half points
25:17here on Calci, I'll take it here with my Portland Trailblazers.
25:21Yeah, and no reason not to, I mean, that was a tough loss for Portland in Denver that last game
25:28there, Donnie, they should have won that game, but they'll have an opportunity, again, battling to
25:33try and stay out of anything other than maybe the seventh or eighth seed here, out in the West with
25:39the Clippers, so it is a battle, this is playoff basketball, make no mistake about it, for the
25:44Portland Trailblazers here tonight, because each of these games is going to matter, and keep them from
25:50having to win two games in the play-in, so yeah, I like Portland here, I am with you, you
25:56know what else I
25:56like, I like the under, Donnie, because I think this is, without Wimbayama, without Stephen Castle,
26:03I think this is going to be a much slower-paced game, a lot more defense in this one.
26:08By the way, the under overnight almost dropped double digits so far at this point, so catching
26:12that falling knife at this point, how much lower is that going to go? I feel Drew Holiday can spark
26:17a big comeback here for the Portland Trailblazers, how about this, to get 20-plus points tonight,
26:21Joe, $100 investment with payback, $209, that's plus money people, OKC, who was in LA last night,
26:27and absolutely smashed the Lakers, and maybe that was the El Segundo Lakers out there playing,
26:32not the Los Angeles Lakers, they're going to take on the Clippers tonight at the Intuit Dome,
26:36OKC is the heavy favorite, currently trading Joe, at a 70% chance to win this game outright,
26:41the Clippers as the underdog, trading at 30%, if we include the point spread, OKC here on Cal State,
26:47trading at 53% to win this game by 6.5 points or more, that's currently there, as we said,
26:53at that 53% level, $100 investment with payback, $189, the favorite on the road, on a back-to-back,
26:59still OKC here, Joe. Yeah, and listen, it makes sense, and they should be, right? But Kawhi's coming
27:07off a night where he dropped 34 in the game there last night, and they needed all 34 to actually
27:14pull
27:14away when it was all said and done. He did play 30 minutes last night, so did Garland, played 28,
27:22Jones played 23, so they weren't able to rest quite like, well, OKC was when they were blowing
27:28out the G League Lakers last night. So, but again, this is a matter of, yeah, the Clippers need,
27:36it means more to the Clippers here at home than anything else.
27:40I tend to want to take points in a spot like this because OKC hasn't exactly against better
27:47teams, been blowing everybody out this year like they did a year ago, but I would also keep an eye
27:52on Kawhi Leonard's point prop, too. It might be a little high given the fact that it's a second
27:57of a back-to-back. I might look to fade him tonight a little bit.
28:01If you're thinking of a repeat performance from last night, Joe, 30-plus points in the marketplace,
28:05Kelsey has it listed here at $100 investment, would pay back $264 for Kawhi to go back-to-back.
28:10Both teams, again, on back-to-backs, but really in the same stadium for the Clippers' sake,
28:15in the same building here.
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