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Big Al's Daily Angle: NBA, NHL, MLB and UCL Previews and Odds - 04/16/2024

The Tuesday sports card features NBA, NHL, MLB, and UCL action.The National Basketball Association begins its Play-In Tournament with two games on the docket on TNT. The New Orleans Pelicans host the Los Angeles Lakers at 7:40 p.m. ET as a 1-point favorite, with the total set at 223.5 (all odds from DraftKings unless indicated otherwise). The Golden State Warriors travel to Sacramento to play the Kings at 10:10 p.m. ET as a 2.5-point road favorite, with an over/under of 224. The National Hockey League has eight games on its slate. Four NHL games drop the puck at 7:07 p.m. ET. The Detroit Red Wings play in Montreal against the Canadiens as a -162 money-line road favorite with a total of 6.5. The Philadelphia Flyers play at home against the Washington Capitals as a -135 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. The Boston Bruins are at home against the Ottawa Senators as a -225 money-line favorite with a total of 6. The Carolina Hurricanes are in Columbus to play the Blue Jackets as a -285 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 6.5. The Florida Panthers host the Toronto Maple Leafs on ESPN at 7:37 p.m. ET as a -135 money-line favorite with a total of 6.5. The Winnipeg Jets play at home against the Seattle Kraken at 8:07 p.m. ET as a -205 money-line favorite with an over/under of 5.5. Two more NHL games drop the puck at 10:07 p.m. ET. The Vegas Golden Knights are at home against the Chicago Blackhawks as a -345 money-line favorite with a total of 6. The Vancouver Canucks host the Calgary Flames as a -205 money-line favorite with an over/under of 6.5.The Tuesday card in Major League Baseball has 15 games on its schedule. The Texas Rangers visit Detroit to play the Tigers at 1:10 p.m. ET as a -122 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The Baltimore Orioles play at home against the Minnesota Twins at 6:35 p.m. ET as a -170 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Two more MLB games throw out the first pitch at 6:40 p.m. ET. The Philadelphia Phillies are at home against the Colorado Rockies as a -238 money-line favorite with a total of 8.5. The San Francisco Giants play in Miami against the Marlins as a -135 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8. The Tampa Bay Rays host the Los Angeles Angels at 6:50 p.m. ET as a -155 money-line favorite with a total of 8. The New York Yankees are in Toronto to play the Blue Jays at 7:07 p.m. ET as a -115 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 8.5. Two more MLB games start at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Boston Red Sox play at home against the Cleveland Guardians as a -115 money-line favorite with an over/under of 8.5. The New York Mets are at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates as a -130 money-line favorite with a total of 7.5. Two more MLB games begin at 7:40 p.m. ET. The Kansas City Royals travel to Chicago to play the White Sox as a -175 money-in road favorite with an over/under of 8. The San Diego Padres play in Milwaukee to play the Brewers as a -125 money-line road favorite with a total of 8.5. The Atlanta Braves are in Houston to play the Astros on TBS at 8:10 p.m. ET as a -115 money-line road favorite with an over/under of 10. Three MLB games start at 9:40 p.m. ET. The Arizona Diamondbacks host the Chicago Cubs as a -130 money-line favorite with a total of 10. The Seattle Mariners play at home against the Cincinnati Reds as a -130 money-line favorite with an over/under of 7. The St. Louis Cardinals visit Oakland to play the A’s as a -148 money-line road favorite with a total of 8. The Los Angeles Dodgers are at home against the Washington Nationals at 10:10 p.m. ET. The knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League continues with the first two legs in the second round of the quarterfinals at 3 p.m. ET. Barcelona hosts Paris Saint-Germain on CBS as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with an over/under of 3 (all soccer odds from BetMGM). Borussia Dortmund plays at home against Atletico Madrid as a -0.5 goal-line favorite with a total of 3.

NBA Play-in Tournament Strengths, Weaknesses & ATS Looks

With the 2024 NBA Play-In Tournament upon us, let's take a look at the eight teams involved:WESTERN CONFERENCE(7) PelicansSTRENGTH: While the Pelicans were in the play-in tournament previously, they were without Zion Williamson. So of course, this being the first postseason action for Williamson, I'd have to think this is their biggest strength. Williamson averaged 22.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5 assists in the regular season while playing a career-high 70 games. His presence will be felt.WEAKNESS: The Pels struggle to bring a standout player off the bench. Some may believe Jose Alvarado's defense makes him the go-to guy, but his lack of offensive prowess leaves New Orleans without a scoring punch off the bench. Trey Murphy III can answer the call at times, but their lack of offensive depth is concerning.ATS WATCH: The Pelicans failed to cover eight of their last 12 to close the regular season.(8) LakersSTRENGTH: No question about it, the strength is the combination of LeBron James and A.D. And when they’re on, they rank among the best duos in the league, combining for 50.2 points, 19.9 rebounds, and 11.7 assists per game. In opening against a very familiar foe, especially LeBron from his days in Cleveland, the King could very well hold court in New Orleans in the opener.WEAKNESS: An ever-changing and inconsistent backcourt. A lot of that has to do with the fact that James has his hands on the ball for the majority of the possessions. The Lakers are also known to be injury prone which has also led to lineup and rotation inconsistencies. Chemistry, or lack thereof, could work against them.ATS WATCH: The Lakers were the exact opposite of the Warriors, with a 38-44 ATS mark during the regular season, one of the bottom eight records in the NBA.(9) KingsSTRENGTH: Sacramento is a very energetic bunch with an extremely quick backcourt of De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk. That duo has a nice chemistry and knows each other's nuances, which is why we see them play hard on both sides of the court, spurring the efficiency Sacramento tends to enjoy.WEAKNESS: As hard as we've seen them play, the Kings rank next-to-last in 3-point defense, allowing the opposition to hit 39.1% from long range. Opposing offenses know it, too, as teams challenge them every game, attempting a league eighth-highest 33.7 3-pointers per game.ATS WATCH: The Kings closed the season on an 8-5 ATS roll.(10) WarriorsSTRENGTH: Steph Curry is all I should have to say, but we know there's much more to this team. Once again, surrounding the experience coach Steve Kerr has on board, there is a young and trustworthy bench consisting of Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, Trayce Jackson-Davis, and Jonathan Kuminga. Coming out of the play-in round with a team like this should have the higher seeds on alert.WEAKNESS: The Warriors are severely undersized. Jackson-Davis (6-9) and Dario Saric (6-10) are their tallest players. And often, we'll see them with Kuminga (6-7) or Draymond Green (6-6) playing the center position. Dealing with A.D. in the first game of the play-in round isn't going to be easy. Plus, as big of a strength as he can be, keep an eye on Green’s antics which often are momentum killers and a weakness for Golden State.ATS WATCH: The Warriors were a top-10 team at the window, as they were 44-38 ATS this season.EASTERN CONFERENCE(7) 76ersSTRENGTH: One thing we know about the Sixers, expectations in Philly are certainly bigger than Allen Iverson's recently unveiled statue. After all, the Sixers were a top-10 team in both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency when Joel Embiid was healthy earlier in the season. Through Jan. 30, Philly was shooting 47.6% from the floor while holding teams to 46.8%. But from Feb. 1 through March 31, the Sixers shot 44.6% from the field while the opposition was shooting 48%. With Embiid back for Philadelphia, and his supporting cast healthy, this team looks like it can make a deep run in the playoffs.WEAKNESS: The 76ers' ho-hum pace could pose a problem against a seasoned Heat team from last year's NBA Finals. Sitting 18th in the NBA with 97.5 possessions per 48 minutes, Philly will have to keep up with Miami when it pushes the tempo, looking to make scoring runs. Philly averaged just 107.7 points per game in its last 20 games, well below the 116.8 ppg. it was scoring over the first 62 games.ATS WATCH: The 76ers were a covering machine, ranking second in the league with a 49-33 ATS mark.(8) HeatSTRENGTH: Jimmy Butler. Point blank, period. He's Miami's biggest strength and the obstacle the 76ers have to worry about. Butler closed the campaign averaging 18.8 points per game on 49.1% shooting, including 41.7% from 3-point range. Remarkably, his career average against the 76ers is 18.8 points per game, on 47.9% shooting, including 35.3% from beyond the arc. Butler can single-handedly lead Miami to the next round.WEAKNESS: If Butler isn't on point, this isn't an offense that can afford to have an off night. The Heat finished the season ranked 21st with 114.4 points per 100 possessions in non-garbage time. That number did improve the final two weeks of the season, but that doesn't mean it will translate into the play-in round against Philly's defense. Miami will have to do a better job.ATS WATCH: The Heat closed the season on a 7-4 ATS roll.(9) BullsSTRENGTH: Homecourt is a big edge for the Bulls, who won the season series with the Hawks, 2-1. Strange as it was, Atlanta won the one meeting Trae Young missed. Chicago boasts all-defense stalwart Alex Caruso, whose number will be called upon to neutralize Young or Dejounte Murray. WEAKNESS: Overcoming injuries will be tough, with the Bulls missing Zach LaVine and Patrick Williams. LaVine was the team's No. 2 scorer with 19.5 points per game, but he also played just 25 games. It was actually a bit shocking they made it in with LaVine missing as many games as he did. Williams played 43 games, and he wasn't a scoring machine with just 10.0 points per game, but he provided 27.3 minutes per game and could have been pivotal with timely shots or assists.ATS WATCH: While the Bulls covered their last three, make note they failed to cover 11 of their last 19.(10) HawksSTRENGTH: Despite finishing 10th in the Eastern Conference, this was an elite offensive team that finished fifth in the league with 118.3 points per game during the regular season. It helps that the Hawks clean the glass on the offensive end of the floor, ranking third with 12.5 offensive boards per game. The second-chance opportunities are crucial, especially with the number of possessions you can expect. Atlanta is tied for fifth in the NBA with 100.1 possessions per 48 minutes.WEAKNESS: Sure, it's easy to point out the injuries as their weakness, as I did with the Bulls, but I'm baffled elsewhere. Can someone justify not converting two-way wing Vít Krejčí to a roster contract? The Hawks should have done this after he proved himself with an average of 15 minutes in 19 of the final 20 regular season games, including starts in 11 of them. Instead, he's ineligible for the postseason and the Hawks' rotation is even thinner.ATS WATCH: The Hawks were the worst team to bet on this season, finishing a league-worst 29-53 at the window.

Breaking Down The Play In

This year’s NBA Play In tournament features plenty of star power – LeBron James, Steph Curry, MVP Joel Embiid, Zion Williamson. And the potential exists for four marquee franchises (Lakers, Warriors, Heat, 76ers) to make it into the playoff proper in what looks like a wide-open post-season for the Association. A look at the Play In:WESTLos Angeles Lakers (8) at New Orleans (7)Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. ETPelicans -1The only thing that prevented a Lakers-Warriors elimination game was Sacramento’s late-season slump – 6 losses in their final 10 games dropped them to the 9 seed in the West. LA has been forced to play LeBron James big minutes in the last week, and that will continue for one (or two) Play In games. But that’s a must if the Lakers are going to make another long playoff run. Had the Pelicans been able to take care of business against lowly San Antonio (111-109 loss) a few weeks ago, they would have been the 6 seed and avoided this play-in business. And getting spanked by the Lakers at home after four straight wins has to make them question things.Golden State (10) at Sacramento (9)Tuesday, 10 p.m. ETWarriors -1.5One last bite of the apple for the NBA’s most recent dynasty? It’s probably too much to expect Steph Curry and Klay Thompson to turn back the clock through the Play In and two or three 7-game series. But for one game, sure. Especially since Sacramento seems to be treading water at best. The teams have seen a lot of each other in the post-season. They met last year in the first round, with Golden State winning in seven. Sacramento, which seems to be on the receiving end of tough officials calls in big games, will no doubt be wary of bad whistles in this one.EASTMiami (8) at Philadelphia (7)Wednesday, 7 p.m. ET76ers -4.5Catching a Sixers team with a returning (from injury) Joel Embiid was a nightmare for several Eastern Conference teams, and the Heat have drawn the short straw. Embiid will have had four days of rest when he attempts to wreak havoc on Miami’s front line. The winner gets the 7 seed and some rest before facing New York in the first round. Philly has plenty of momentum, winning 8 of its last 10, and Embiid has only 39 regular season games on his legs entering the post-season. Whether he has the wind to play 35 minutes a game in the playoffs is the question, as he has been gassed late in playoff games in the recent past. As for Miami, can the Heat make a second straight run to the Finals after embarrassing Boston in the Eastern finals a year ago? And will we see Playoff Jimmy Butler again, at age 34?Atlanta (10) at Chicago (9)Wednesday, 9 p.m. ETBulls -3.5Chicago started the season 5-14 and was left for dead before rallying somewhat and settling into the No. 9 spot in the East, which is where they’ve been since mid-January. The most notable thing about the Bulls’ season was the injury to Zach Lavine, which made it impossible to trade him and his contract. Other than that, few highlights. This is Trae Young’s third straight trip to the Play In, and could be his second straight first-round battle against the Celtics. Last year Atlanta played Boston tough in a 6-game first-round series, which no doubt affected the Celtics when they lost to Miami in the EC finals. The loser of this game is no doubt headed for a rebuild.

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