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We’ve got two games on the slate for the NBA playoffs on Monday, August 31. The Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat begin their second-round series, while the Houston Rockets look to close out the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round. We’ve got game splits for both matchups and how the public is betting on the games. Let’s take a look.
The majority of the spread bets on MIA-MIL are going in favor of the Heat at +5.5. Most believe that the Heat will give the Bucks a series and things will be tight. Milwaukee is the top seed but also struggled at times against a very poor Orlando Magic team in the first round. The Heat basically dominated the Indiana Pacers. We could see some lines trickle closer toward even if the Heat look good in Game 1.
The most notable trend is the O/U bets. They continue to be heavy on the over. Both games have around 70% of the handle on the over. Over 60 percent of the bets are going on the over as well. Both numbers seem reasonable. HOU-OKC appears pretty low at 226.5. Miami-Milwaukee would give me a bit of pause given both teams are supposed to be decent defensively.
Bettors are looking at the Rockets to close out the series and win 4-2. That is clear by the 93% of handle on Houston at -200 and 88% of the bets in that direction. Prior to Game 5, the Thunder had won two in a row. Russell Westbrook is back for the Rockets, however, and Houston dominated in Game 5. James Harden should look to go for the throat in this game and advance to face the Los Angeles Lakers.
NBA Playoff Betting Splits
| Teams | Point Spread | % Handle | % Bets | Total Points | % Handle | % Bets | Moneyline | % Handle | % Bets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teams | Point Spread | % Handle | % Bets | Total Points | % Handle | % Bets | Moneyline | % Handle | % Bets |
| MIA Heat | 5.5 | 56% | 53% | Over 223.0 | 71% | 60% | 200 | 52% | 39% |
| MIL Bucks | -5.5 | 44% | 47% | Under 223.0 | 29% | 40% | -240 | 48% | 61% |
| HOU Rockets | -5 | 91% | 79% | Over 226.5 | 67% | 76% | -200 | 93% | 88% |
| OKC Thunder | 5 | 9% | 21% | Under 226.5 | 33% | 24% | 170 | 7% | 12% |
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