The final stretch of the NBA regular season continues to bring with it some stacked slates for bettors, as schedules among the 30 teams start to line up.
Tonight, 26 of those 30 will be in action, and of the 13 matchups, three in particular have drawn some significant attention from sharp bettors, including Celtics-Pacers (8 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Atlanta Hawks @ Orlando Magic
7 p.m. ET | FS-FL
Sharp angle: Magic (moved from -7.5 to -9)
At this point it seems that the question of whether sharps are betting on the Magic has become simply a question of whether the Magic are playing. Game after game, pros have found Orlando to be undervalued by the betting market, and even as a 7.5-point opening favorite, that's been the case again tonight.
Sixty-three percent bets and 66% of dollars have landed on Orlando, which somewhat comes with the territory of betting favorites (public bettors tend to flock toward laying the points with the better team).
According to Sports Insights' Bet Signals, though, sharps are among that majority. Four signals — triggered by market-wide line movement as a result of sharp action — have hit the Magic, revealing professional money coming down at lines of -8 and -8.5.
That's left oddsmakers with no choice but to bump the number up to its current listing, Orlando -9.
Boston Celtics @ Indiana Pacers
8 p.m. ET | ESPN
Sharp angle: Under (moved from 215 to 213)
As mentioned, this will be one of, if not the most heavily bet NBA matchup tonight. While the point spread has been bouncing back and forth across the pick'em line, the total has been moving in just one direction.
Since opening at 215, this number is down to 213. In fact, bets on the over/under are nearly split down the middle, with a slight 51% edge to the over.
And it has been sharps causing this line move, as indicated by both money percentages and more SI Bet Signals.
The 49% of bets on the under have generated 68% of actual dollars being wagered on the total, meaning bigger bettors — the ones more likely to be sharps — are among those backing the under.
Three Sports Insights Bet Signals have also hit this under at totals of 215, 214.5 and 214, driving sportsbooks to the current number.
Minnesota Timberwolves @ Miami Heat
8 p.m. ET | FS-N+
Sharp angle: Heat (moved from -1.5 to -3.5)
As was the case with the Magic, the Heat have drawn a majority of bettors as home favorites. And once again, sharps have been among that majority.
Sixty-six percent of bettors have backed Miami, but a 2-point line move in a game with relatively little meaning to sportsbooks would take more than just a two-thirds public backing.
Sports Insights has triggered another four sharp moves on the Heat at numbers ranging from -2 to -3, leading to the 3.5-point spread. The 66% of bets have also generated 80% of money, once again hinting at the opinion of bigger, likely sharper, bettors.
