Oklahoma City looks to tie things up on the road before the Heat run away with the series. What are NBA odds makers offering us in Game 4, and where are we placing our NBA picks?
The NBA
Finals have reached a do or die situation for Oklahoma City, as the Thunder are faced
with a must win to keep their title hopes alive. Although you need four wins to
hoist the trophy, Miami would have a commanding 3-1 series lead if they win
tonight at home.
NBA Odds have the Heat favored at -3 ½, with a total of 192
points. Which side of these numbers do you want to be on in order to add to
your bankroll?
Game 3 recap
Game 3
was probably the best and worst game in these whole Finals so far. I say best
because it was competitive and fun to watch. I say worst, because there were 23
total turnovers, a lot of bad shots, and multiple sloppy plays throughout the
game. Miami was able to grind their way to a 91-85 victory, in what was the
lowest scoring game so far in the NBA Finals.
Neither
team shot the ball very well, as Miami’s Big Three shot 38% and together the
Heat were only 37.8% from the floor. Although the Thunder out shot the Heat,
Oklahoma City missed nine free throws, (62.5%) and had several costly
turnovers.
However
the game turned out, you can tell in all three of these games that the Heat
have looked uncomfortable in the 4th quarter. In my opinion, the
Heat have been outplayed in all three of these games. The Thunder have just
made too many mistakes and haven’t been able to capitalize on Miami’s missteps,
because they have too many of their own.
Rebound
I highly
doubt Game 4 will be as sloppy as what Game 3 was. There is no way the Heat
shoot that bad again, and if they do, the Thunder will win this game. We are
still waiting on the Thunder to have a complete game, and I’m afraid if it
doesn’t happen tonight, it won’t happen at all. However, I think the Thunder
finally put it all together tonight. Russell Westbrook had a better game in Game
3, but he still didn’t shoot the ball well. James Harden had a horrible game,
and when his team needed him the most, he could not score.
I see
both teams playing much better. They will limit the turnovers, and shoot the
ball better. That’s why I like the over in tonight’s game. One of these teams
will crack 100 points, and the other won’t be far behind. I’m seeing a 101-99
type of game, and I expect it to be close throughout.
The Sharp Pick
Luckily,
I jumped on the total when it had dropped to 191 for a very short time. However,
you can find it at 192 in a lot of sportsbooks still, and you can even buy a
half point or point if you feel like it. I still see around a 60% chance of
this total going over even at 192 and -110. Keep your eyes on the NBA odds boards for any moevment in our favor.
The
total has gone over in five of OKC’s last seven road games, and even though the
under has cashed more often when these two teams have gotten together, the
total is 1-1-1 in this series, which I put more stock in. The regular season
doesn’t mean much to me at this point in this series. It’s all about the now.
The reason the total has gone under so much is that the average total between
these two teams since Miami’s Big Three got together is 198 ½. For my NBA picks tonight I am all over the OVER.
My Picks
OVER 192
4 ½ point teaser- Thunder +8 & OVER 187.5