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We’ve entered the third season of the annual South Point-lined Play of the Day competition, effective July 1.
Starting bankrolls have reset to $10,000, with the maximum bet being to win $1,000 and the minimum wager $300. Ray Brewer won the 2015-2016 season, after Taylor Bern prevailed in 2014-2015. Bern stepped away in the middle of the 2016-2017 season with a 16-12 record and $13,317 bankroll, with Mike Grimala taking his place.
San Antonio Spurs plus-5 at Houston Rockets: $660 to win $600
Nearly 80 percent of the betting action is coming in against the Spurs in a spot where they’re getting as many points on the spread as they have all season. They’re almost an automatic take in this situation.
Bettors were already leaning towards the Rockets in the series, but their position appears to have intensified with Spurs point guard Tony Parker going down with a torn quadriceps tendon in game 2. No one’s happy to see a future Hall of Famer like Parker sidelined with an injury, but it shouldn’t have much of an effect.
Parker’s replacement Patty Mills has actually been more efficient this season. The other major factor drawing gamblers towards the Rockets is they supposedly have the best player in the series in James Harden.
But an argument can be made that the Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard is even more valuable. Leonard with 13-for-16 from the floor for 34 points in a 121-96 game 2 win to even the series, while helping hold Harden to 3-for-17 from the floor with 13 points.
Harden won’t be slowed forever, but Leonard has the best chance of limiting him. There’s too much to like about the Spurs to pass up five points.
Current Standings: Grimala (9-12, $9,193), Granger (15-19-1, $8,667), Brewer (30-30-1, $7,425), Keefer (42-37-3, $7,330)
Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.
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