NBA Postseason Best Bets (5/17)
Alex Christenson
Multiple times each week, FTN Bets’ resident college basketball junkie, Brad Evans, will attempt to posterize the ‘books with his favorite selections, whether sides, totals, teasers or parlays. As always, fade or follow Brad’s picks — fading is encouraged — that’s up to you.
2-leg alternative line parlay play: Michigan -3.5, Wake Forest UNDER 56.5 points (Tipico)
Odds: +161
Leg 1: Minnesota at Michigan (-3.5)
Michigan, which vaulted into the top-10 of popularity polls this week, is no longer the best-kept secret in college basketball. The Wolverines wield sharpened blades and superhuman qualities in multiple categories. Thus far in Big Ten action, they’re the pacesetters in several offensive categories including effective field-goal percentage, two-point percentage (60.6%) and free-throw percentage (80.9%). Equally sensational on the defensive end, they’ve allowed a lowly 0.956 points per possession. Essentially, Franz Wagner, Chaundee Brown, Isaiah Livers and freshman dandy Hunter Dickerson are a handful. To coast to a cover, they must dodge whistles. Minnesota is at its best attacking the tin and making opponents pay on freebies. A whopping 26.5% of the Gophers’ points come at the charity stripe. Reduce transition opportunities and challenge Marcus Carr and Brandon Johnson along the perimeter and Juwan Howard’s juggernaut will only assert their entrenchment atop the conference ranks.
Leg 2: Wake Forest (Under 56.5 pts) at Virginia
Attempting to keep a gregarious teenager off social media apps for an entire hour. That, my fellow sports betting fanatics, is how difficult it is to score on Virginia’s pack-line defense. When dug in, they’re practically unmovable, a staunch phalanx that challenges even the highest percentage shot. Methodical in their offensive execution, the Cavs are the slowest team in the country. They typically bleed the shot clock, limit possessions and generally frustrate. Three teams fell short of the proposed total this season. Wake, which scored 54 points versus Georgia Tech in its ACC opener and checks in at No. 143 in offensive efficiency, is a strong candidate to add its name to the list. Thanks to steady conversions by forward Isaiah Mucius and slashing guard Daivien Williamson, the Deacs have netted 60.8% inside the arc. However, only four games in due to a COVID shutdown, they’ve played only one top-300 KenPom team (GT). In what will surely be a grind-it-out affair, Steve Forbes’ club fails to crack 55.
Season record: 2-6 (Bleeping fantastic)
