Monday's NBA slate may not feature any of the top five teams in the league (by record), but it still does feature at least a couple intriguing matchups between playoff teams.
Of course, that's not the sort of thing that concerns sharp bettors. So while Thunder-Jazz and Celtics-Clippers take in most of Monday's bettors, wiseguys are looking to two less exciting games to find value. In fact, they happen to be the two least popular games on the six-game slate.
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Toronto Raptors @ Cleveland Cavaliers
7 p.m. ET
Sharp angle: Cavaliers (moved from +10.5 to +9)
Even though it's one of the earliest starts on Monday's slate, this game has attracted the lowest number of bets of any matchup tonight. But despite its overall lack of popularity, it has drawn the attention of sharp bettors.
The Raptors enter tonight in second place in the East, while the Cavs sit in second-to-last, 31.5 games behind Toronto. The Raps also became the second team in the conference to clinch a playoff berth on Saturday, while the Cavs became the second team eliminated just one day prior.
All of that has 69% of bettors happily laying the points with Toronto.
For the most part, sharps don't seem to be among them, though. Even with the heavy backing of the Raptors, this line has fallen from -10.5 to -9. For a bit, it even made its way down to -8.5.
Sports Insights' Bet Signals, which are triggered whenever sharp action causes a market-wide line move, have revealed four instances of wiseguy activity on Cleveland, at numbers ranging from +10.5 to +9.
It's worth noting that one move was triggered on the Raptors when the line got down to -8.5, pushing the spread back to the current number.
Charlotte Hornets @ Houston Rockets
8 p.m. ET
Sharp angle: Under (moved from 225.5 to 224)
This over is one of three on today's slate to receive at least 70% of bets on the total. That shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, as the public generally wants to root for for points rather than defense (only Kings-Wizards has drawn more than 70% of bets to the under today).
But despite this over's popularity, it has been the under drawing action from sharps.
The 30% of bets on the under have generated a ridiculous 82% of actual money being wagered on the total. While that certainly creates a monetary liability for sportsbooks, it more importantly reveals that bigger bettors — the ones more likely to be sharps — are playing the under.
Confirming that indication have been three SI Bet Signals on the under, most recently at a total of 224.5. That's brought this number down to 224, and even 223.5 at some shops.
