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 (ML), Boise St. -10.5 (Tipico Sportsbook)
Odds: +112
Leg 1: Michigan (ML) at Purdue
After a very brief derailment at Minnesota, Michigan is officially back to its spread smashing ways. On offense, the Wolverines are every Gwyneth Paltrow exploding vagina candle rolled into one. They can quickly ignite, engulfing opponents in a wall of flames, minus the fiery flying bits of geranium and citrus bergamot. Through eight Big Ten contests, they’ve drained 57.1% inside the arc and 38.9% outside. Equally impressive on defense, they’ve yielded just 0.933 points per possession. Hunter Dickinson’s stellar paint execution combined with three-burying marksmen Chaundee Brown (39.2% 3PT%), Isaiah Livers (43.5%) and Mike Smith (45.5%) presents matchup nightmares for the opposition. The Boilers, who cracked the Buckeyes to record their fourth-straight win, are surging. Stout defensively, they’ve allowed 0.97 points per possession during the streak. Turnovers (18.7% in B1G) and erratic outside shooting (31.2 3PT%), however, are ongoing ills. If Dickinson neutralizes Trevion Williams in the post, it will be an uphill climb for Purdue to spring the upset. In what should be a tight one, the Wolverines are likely to prevail.
Leg 2: Fresno St. at Boise St. (-10.5)
When it comes betting the Broncos, they are my Diet Coke easy button. Every time they take the court, it’s automatically pushed. Boise’s length, athleticism, depth and versatility explain why it possesses second weekend potential in the NCAA Tournament. Matching Utah St. stride-for-stride in the Mountain West standings they’re still undefeated. Bottom feeders like Fresno St. provide little to no resistance. The analytics convey. Leon Rice’s team ranks numero uno in five different offensive categories, including points per possession scored (1.212). Unflinching on defense surrendering a mere 0.880 points per possession, they are balanced end-to-end. When it first squared off against Fresno on Wednesday, Boise found itself in an unusual position, playing from behind. A horrendous 1-for-21 in the first half from three, it built skyscrapers with the bricks laid. However, Marcus Shaver and Friends closed out the game on a 27-5 run to win by a convincing 22-point margin. The Bulldogs No. 232 in effective field-goal percentage D and north of No. 200 nationally in six offensive categories are unequivocally rancid. In what will likely be a more consistent showing by Boise, it races past Fresno for its 11th cover in 14 games.
Season record: 9-15
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