In the first of two games at the Los Angeles Sparks, the Las Vegas Aces won each quarter and rolled to a decisive 99-75 win.
And yes, that was a cover even though the line moved from Aces -11 to Aces -12 in some spots. Over 164.5 also paid bettors last Wednesday.
So having seen that outcome, would you have bet the Aces in the second game vs. the Sparks on Friday? This time the line had moved to Aces -15.
Of course, the result was decidedly different. The pace was also different as the Aces slogged their way to a 66-58 win, easily the lowest scoring game the Aces have played all season. The Sparks led at one point and covered. This time, the 124 points was a clear under.
“We just missed shots. A lot of shots that we normally get that go in. Today they didn’t,” coach Bill Laimbeer told reporters. “We made the big plays down the stretch.”
Which brought bettors to Sunday’s home game with the Aces at home at Michelob Ultra Arena. Laying 15 points vs. the Atlanta Dream, the Aces rode a dominant second-half performance in which they outscored the Dream 67-47, to win 118-95 and cover with relative ease. Kelsey Plum had 23 points and A’ja Wilson added 19 in the win that sent the total over 174.
“In a game like this, we’re outscoring them,” Laimbeer told reporters after the game.
Bettors certainly took note.
The Aces next host the Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday.
Elsewhere:
— The Tampa Bay Lightning are -160 over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday night. The Habs are +135 to stave off elimination. If you’re willing to lay 1.5 goals with Montreal on the reverse puck line, you can find around +725. The Lightning hold a 3-0 game lead in the series.
If Tampa Bay wins Monday night, they would become the first team in 23 years to sweep the Final. “We’ve put ourselves in good position, obviously, but the fourth one is the hardest to get,” Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman told ESPN.
— The Phoenix Suns are -5.5 with the total at 217 for Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Tuesday. As The Associated Press noted, Phoenix won both of the regular season matchups between the two teams by one point. And both games were high-scoring with the Suns winning 125-124 in the first game, then 128-127 in overtime in the second matchup. The news service also noted that the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo was difficult to defend in both games. His status is now uncertain because of a hyperextended left knee.
— The line for Saturday’s “trilogy” fight between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor at UFC 264 is still generally around pick ’em. William Hill recently had McGregor at -115 and Poirier at +105. But Vegas Insider now has Poirier at -120 and McGregor at +110. Each fighter has won one of the two previous bouts. The lightweight match will be staged before what will likely be a capacity crowd at T-Mobile Arena on the Strip.
— Dog days: The Baltimore Orioles were one of ‘dog bettors pleasant rewards last week. The low-flying Birds were heavy underdogs at the Houston Astros for three games priced, respectively, at +280, +240 and +250 — and won all three games. In fact, they won all three games by 2 or more runs and paid reverse-run line bettors considerably more.
— Laugher of the week: The Indiana Fever were +15 home underdogs vs. the Connecticut Sun on Saturday — and won the WNBA game outright, 76-67. If you’re scoring at home, that’s a cover by 21 points.