Docs Website

53 Years Strong! A Trusted Leader In Sports Picks, Best Bets and Predictions Since 1971.

Main Menu

Free NBA Picks: Friday, April 20, 2018, Opening Line Report and Handicapping


by - 4/19/2018

LeBron James Cleveland Cavaliers

We won't know the NBA's 2018-19 regular season schedule for months, although you can count on this season's champion being at home on opening night (probably either Oct. 16 or 23). The All-Star Game will be held in Charlotte on Feb. 17, 2019. However, we do know of two preseason games. The Dallas Mavericks and Philadelphia 76ers will play games in China: Oct. 5 in Shanghai and Oct. 8 in Shenzhen. The pairing makes some sense considering the 76ers are becoming one of the most popular teams in the league, could be a powerhouse in 2018-19 (especially if LeBron goes there) and are full of international players. The Mavs stink, but they have the greatest international player in NBA history in Germany's Dirk Nowitzki. Dirk already has said he will play next season and will become the first guy ever to play 21 seasons with the same franchise. Here's a look at the playoff Game 3s on Friday.

Pacers at Cavaliers ( Pick'em, 208.5)

A 7 p.m. ET tip on ESPN. This one is knotted at 1-1, with Cleveland at -310 on the BetOnline series line and Indiana +260. I'm far from convinced all is well in the Land even with Wednesday's 100-97 victory. Cavs coach Tyronn Lue wanted LeBron James to come out aggressive, and he sure did in scoring the game's first 16 points as the Cavs led by 15 after one. James finished with 46 points and 12 rebounds. It was his 20th career 40-point game in the playoffs, tying Jerry West for the second-most all-time. Michael Jordan leads with 38, and I don't see that being broken. It was also LeBron's 10th playoff game with at least 40 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. In the last 35 years, no other player has more than five such games in the postseason (MJ had four - he didn't get double-digit rebounds all that often).

Even with LeBron going off, the Pacers had a chance to tie late, but Victor Oladipo, who finished with 22 points, missed a 3-pointer. What should concern Cavs backers is that James again got little help. Kevin Love was meh with 15 points and eight rebounds and jammed his thumb in the fourth quarter. He's expected to be OK as X-rays were negative. Starters George Hill and J.R. Smith (he was a new starter from Game 1) combined for just 11 points in 55 minutes. The bench totaled 16 points.

Key trends: The Cavs are 5-13 against the spread in their past 18 road games vs. teams with a winning home record. The Pacers have covered five straight after a loss. The "over/under" has gone under in four of the past five meetings.

Early lean: Pacers and under.

Raptors at Wizards (-2, 218)

Starts at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2 - you just knew the one series with a Canadian team was going to be relegated to NBA TV and the Deuce the entire time. Toronto has its first-ever 2-0 series lead and is now -1600 on the BetOnline series line with Washington at +925. The Wizards' problems are many, but it starts with defense. The Raptors' 130 points in their Game 2 11-point victory were a playoff franchise record. So were Toronto's 44 first-quarter points (most for any quarter) and 76-point first half (most for any half). This isn't 1985 when you can beat a team that scores 130 points. I expect Scott Brooks to make some sort of lineup adjustment for Game 3, perhaps going small-ball. Might as well, as 7-footer Marcin Gortat didn't show up in Game 2 with zero points and two fouls in 12 minutes.

Brooks certainly won't bench All-Star guard Bradley Beal, but he was terrible in Game 2 with just 11 points on 3-for-11 shooting and minus-34 - that plus/minus was the worst of any Wizard in two decades in the playoffs. His All-Star counterpart, DeMar DeRozan, meanwhile, tied a career high in the playoffs with 37. What's especially troubling for Washington is that its bench actually outplayed Toronto's league-best unit. Mike Scott had 20 points, Ty Lawson and Kelly Oubre 14 each and Ian Mahinmi 12. Lawson made his Wizards debut, just signed off the street last week. He also had eight assists and was plus-8 in 31 minutes. Might Brooks go with a three-guard look of Lawson, Wall and Beal?

Key trends: The Raptors are 1-5 ATS in their past six road games. The Wizards are 5-2 ATS in their past seven at home vs. teams with a winning road record. The over is 5-2 ATS in Washington's previous seven after allowing at least 100 points in the previous game.

Early lean: Wizards and over.

Celtics at Bucks (-6, 203)

A 9:30 p.m. ET tip on ESPN. I no longer believe the Bucks will win this series down 2-0 because the Celtics are a pretty incredible 35-0 all-time when up 2-0 in a best-of-7 series. Now, I don't think this Celtics team is as good as most of those, but that's an impressive number regardless. On the series line, Boston is -330 and Milwaukee +275. The Bucks' Big 2 has played well in this series. In the 120-106 Game 2 loss, Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 30 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, and Khris Middleton added 25 points. But if we have learned anything in the modern-day NBA, you need a Big 3. I thought that was Eric Bledsoe, but he has been lousy this series and completely torched by Terry Rozier. Bledsoe had a measly 12 points on 5-for-13 shooting in Game 2, but it's his defense that's really killing the Bucks.

Rozier is playing like the guy he's replacing, Kyrie Irving. Rozier had 23 points, eight assists and three rebounds Tuesday and has not turned the ball over once in 78 minutes of postseason play. That's amazing. After Game 2, reporters asked Bledsoe about Rozier essentially kicking his a*ss and Bledsoe responded: "I don't even know who the f--- that is." I promise you he does. Jaylen Brown made history with his 30 points in Game 2, becoming the youngest Celtic ever with a 30-point playoff game. That's pretty noteworthy considering that franchise. At 21 years, 175 days, Brown topped a record that Celtics legend Tommy Heinsohn held for six decades after scoring 30 points at age 22 years, 209 days.

Key trends: The Bucks have covered just three of their past 16 at home vs. teams with a winning road record. The over is 6-0 in Boston's previous six. It's 11-0 in Milwaukee's past 11 following an ATS loss.

Early lean: Celtics and over.

Doc's Sports is offering $60 worth of member's picks absolutely free - no obligation, no sales people - you don't even have to enter credit card information. You can use this $60 credit any way you please on any of our top NBA handicappers. Get $60 worth of premium members' picks free . Also, for a limited time only get three top NBA handicappers for the price of one! Click Here . Get free NBA picks today at Doc's Sports basketball predictions page.

Read more articles by

Most Recent NBA Handicapping

One E-mail A Week Is All You Need!
Our weekly newsletter is loaded with exclusive free picks,insight and advice from our expert handicappers