Trail Blazers vs. Grizzlies, Nets vs. Hawks Game 5 Betting Odds
Carrie Stroup here with your Trail Blazers vs. Grizzlies and Nets vs. Hawks Game 5 betting odds courtesy of Sportsbook.ag.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (52-34) at MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (58-28)
Western Conference - First Round – Game 5
Sportsbook.ag Line: Memphis -6, Total: 190.5
The Grizzlies look to advance to the next round with a victory over the Blazers in Memphis on Wednesday.
The Blazers were able to avoid being swept with a 99-92 victory as 4-point favorites versus the Grizzlies in Game 4 on Monday. The Blazers shot the ball terribly, going 36-for-87 from the field and 8-for-25 from three. They did, however, go 19-for-21 from the charity stripe and only turned the ball over nine times. They’ll need to limit their mistakes once again on Wednesday, as it will be extremely tough to fight off elimination once again in Memphis.
This Grizzlies team is a miserable 14-26 ATS after four straight games committing 14 or less turnovers over the past two seasons. However, they are 15-5 ATS as a home favorite of six points or less this season and gets to face a Portland team that is 4-13 ATS in road games where the total is between 190 and 199.5 points this season.
The Blazers are without SF Dorell Wright (Hand) and SG Wesley Matthews (Achilles) for the season and PG Mike Conley (Facial) is out indefinitely for the Grizzlies. He underwent surgery and his return this series hasn’t been ruled out, but is not likely.
The Blazers did not want to go home on Monday and PG Damian Lillard (21.5 PPG, 5.0 APG, 3.5 RPG in playoffs) had his best performance of the postseason, finishing with 32 points and seven assists in 39 minutes of action. The Grizzlies are playing without Mike Conley and that means that Lillard will need to continue to attack. He is much quicker than the guys filling in for Conley and must use that to his advantage.
SG C.J. McCollum (13.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.5 SPG in playoffs) played very well in both games in Portland, averaging 22.0 PPG at Moda Center. He is 4-for-6 from the outside over the past two games and must continue to hit big shots for this Blazers team.
PF LaMarcus Aldridge (23.8 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 2.5 BPG in playoffs) had just 18 points on 6-for-22 shooting in Game 4. The Blazers were able to win the game, but they will need Aldridge to find his stroke on Wednesday. He has a major size advantage over Zach Randolph and needs to exploit it in order to send this series back to Portland.
SF Nicolas Batum (16.3 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 4.8 APG in playoffs) also needs to find his stroke in this series. He’s shooting just 37.9% from the field and 37.5% from the outside so far and will not help his team with that type of inefficiency.
C Meyers Leonard (7.5 PPG, 7.3 RPG in playoffs) had 13 points and 13 rebounds on 5-for-6 shooting from the field and 3-for-3 shooting from behind the arc in Game 4. If he can provide a spark off the bench then it will really help his team extend this series.
The Grizzlies are going to try to wrap this series up as fast as possible and that would mean a victory in Game 5 in Memphis on Wednesday. Memphis is playing without PG Mike Conley (16.0 PPG, 3.7 APG, 1.0 SPG in playoffs) for a second straight game in this postseason.
The Grizzlies did not win Game 4, but PGs Nick Calathes (6.8 PPG, 1.5 APG, 1.0 SPG in playoffs) and Beno Udrih (14.3 PPG, 3.7 APG, 3.0 RPG in playoffs) combined for 25 points and six assists in the game. Both played very well and will need to step it up once again on Wednesday.
C Marc Gasol (19.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 5.5 APG, 2.5 BPG in playoffs) has put up remarkable numbers in this series, but he has not shot the ball well. Gasol is shooting just 37.5% from the field in the series and he must start making a higher percentage of his shots. He’s getting good looks and just needs to bury them on Wednesday to get his team into the next round.
PF Zach Randolph (13.5 PPG, 8.5 RPG in playoffs) also needs to find the bottom of the net. He is shooting just 34.3% from the field and was 6-for-20 in Game 4. Randolph needs to start finishing around the rim or he will not be helping this team much. He is counted on to be a scorer in the post and needs to play better soon.
BROOKLYN NETS (40-46) at ATLANTA HAWKS (62-24)
Eastern Conference - First Round – Game 5
Sportsbook.ag Line: Atlanta -8.5, Total: 200.0
The Hawks look to retake the lead in this series when they host the Nets in Game 5 on Wednesday.
The Nets have taken all the momentum in this series after winning both of their games in Brooklyn. They were outstanding offensively in Game 4, wining 120-115 as 6-point underdogs. The Nets shot 47.9% from the field, 45.2% from the outside and only turned the ball over nine times in the game. The Hawks, meanwhile, had 16 turnovers and that ended up being the difference in the game.
One thing that will seriously favor Atlanta is that this is now a three game series that the team will play at home for the most part. Game 4 was the only game in this series that went Over the total.
Brooklyn is 11-2 ATS when playing four or less games in 10 days this season. The team is also 12-2 ATS in road games after playing three consecutive games as an underdog over the past three seasons. Atlanta, however, is 27-11 ATS when the total is between 200 and 209.5 this season. The Hawks are also 12-3 ATS when playing a team that has beaten them in two straight meetings this season.
SG Sergey Karasev (Leg) is out for the season for the Nets and SG Thabo Sefolosha (Leg) is out for the season for the Hawks.
The Nets evened up the series with a 120-115 victory in Brooklyn on Monday and PG Deron Williams (13.3 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 5.8 APG in playoffs) played the game of his life. After scoring a combined five points in Games 2 and 3, Williams put up 35 points in 46 minutes of action. He was 13-for-25 from the field and 7-for-11 from three and also had seven assists, five boards and three steals. He’ll need to come out with the same intensity again on Wednesday.
C Brook Lopez (21.3 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 2.3 BPG in playoffs) had 26 points, 10 boards and four blocks in Game 4. His size has been a huge issue for the Hawks in this series and the Nets must continue to pound the ball inside.
SG Joe Johnson (17.3 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.3 SPG in playoffs) has put up solid numbers in this series, but he is shooting just 33.3% from the field and 25.9% from behind the arc in the four games. He must find his stroke moving forward or it will be tough for the Nets to steal a game in Atlanta.
One guy who has really stepped up for the Nets is SG Bojan Bogdanovic (11.8 PPG, 4.0 RPG in playoffs). The guard is averaging 17.0 PPG over the past two games and has hit six threes in those contests. He has not been afraid of the moment and will need to continue to knock down some big shots for Brooklyn.
The Hawks were unable to take a 3-1 series lead and must now win two of the next three in order to avoid being upset by the Nets. PF Paul Millsap (14.8 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 2.8 APG, 2.5 SPG, 1.8 BPG in playoffs) was excellent in Game 4, finishing with 16 points, 12 boards, four assists, three blocks and three steals in 47 minutes of action. Millsap will need to continue to rebound the ball well because this Nets team is very big inside with Lopez in the middle.
C Al Horford (12.0 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.3 BPG in playoffs) has been the one that has had to deal with Lopez. Horford has struggled in that matchup and must start to play better on both ends of the floor.
PG Jeff Teague (16.3 PPG, 6.5 APG, 1.8 SPG in playoffs) finally broke out of his slump offensively in Game 4, finishing the contest with 20 points, 11 assists, four boards and two steals in 39 minutes of action. He was, however, awful defensively and can’t afford to let the Nets’ guards have their way again on Wednesday.
SG Kyle Korver (14.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.5 SPG in playoffs) is shooting just 33.3% from the outside in this series after shooting 49.2% during the regular season. The Hawks desperately need him to find his shot beginning Wednesday.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
