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The L.A. Lakers, Boston Celtics, Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals; those are the teams that early Sportsbook.com bettors expect to bring home the cash on a Friday night packed with big games across the board.
The NBA and NHL Playoffs continue all weekend and with 45 Major League Baseball games, there are hundreds of ways to make money this weekend, whether it's betting on game lines, totals or props.
Check out the Live Odds pages for an up-to-date list of odds and don't forget to check out latest Betting Trends to see how bettors are wagering.
Here's a quick breakdown of Friday's playoff games from the NBA and NHL.
National Basketball Association
Boston Celtics (+4.5) at Orlando Magic
Sportsbook.com members love seeing the Celtics getting points, especially after the 112-94 beating they handed Orlando in Game 2. Wednesday's victory against the spread (ATS) was the fourth in six meetings against Orlando dating back to the regular season.
A total of 61% of early bettors are siding with the Celtics for Game 3. In Boston's last trip to Orlando, they lost 84-82 but covered the spread as 3 ½-point underdogs.
Trends
Celtics are 7-0-1 ATS in their last eight playoff games as an underdog.
Celtics are 7-1-1 ATS in their last nine road games.
Magic are 4-0 ATS in their last four games following a straightup loss of more than 10 points.
L.A. Lakers (-1) at Houston Rockets
An overwhelming 90% of the early action is on the visiting Lakers as one-point favorites and who can blame the bettors. L.A. ran away with a 111-98 win on Wednesday to cover as 10-point favorites.
The Lakers have dominated the Rockets recently, winning and covering all four regular season games before being stunned by Houston in Game 1 of the series. Sportsbook.com members obviously don't expect L.A. to be caught off guard anymore.
Trends
Lakers are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games in Houston.
Under is 8-1 in Lakers last nine games as a road favorite.
Under is 5-0 in Rockets last five home games.
National Hockey League
Washington Capitals (+160) at Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins needed overtime to get back in the series. Now, after losing the first two games in Washington, the Penguins have new life and bettors should be encouraged that Evgeni Malkin had his best game of the playoffs on Wednesday night.
Sportsbook.com bettors are not impressed however, with much of the early action going on the +160 underdogs from Washington. Will the Capitals take a stranglehold on the series?
Trends
Capitals are just 6-20 in their last 26 games in Pittsburgh.
Penguins are 5-0 in their last five home games against teams with a winning road record.
Over is 4-1 in the last five meetings between these teams in Pittsburgh.
Boston Bruins (-130) at Carolina Hurricanes
The second best team in the regular season, Boston faces a must-win situation on Friday night after losing in overtime on Wednesday. Oddsmakers have the Bruins listed as the favorite and bettors agree with just of 53% of them backing the visitors.
Boston has the talent to overtake the series but didn't show up ready to play on Wednesday and, as a result, is trailing 2-1 to a confident Carolina bunch.
Trends
Bruins are 6-1 in their last seven Friday games.
Hurricanes are 9-2 in their last 11 Conference Semifinal games.
Over is 17-5-3 in last 25 meetings between these teams in Carolina.
Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
