Thursday, May 1, 2014 | 12:15 p.m.
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Like an amateur getting checked against the boards by an NHL enforcer, my hockey experience resulted in pain.
The first Play of the Day, which features odds from the South Point and starting bankrolls of $10,000, on the NHL Playoffs was a blowout loss. I’m skating back to less treacherous hard-floor, despite the plus-170 price on the Montreal Canadiens not looking all that icy.
Golden State Warriors plus-100 moneyline vs. Los Angeles Clippers: $215 to win $215
With this betting line trimmed a point in favor of Golden State since the last game in Oakland, Calif. — from plus-2 to plus-1 — oddsmakers are moving in the right direction. They’re just not going far enough.
Oracle Arena probably boasts one of the top home-court advantages in the NBA, especially come playoff time. The Warriors covered in each of the first two games in front of their raucous fans. They’ve gone 5-1 against the spread at home since the start of April.
This is not the type of venue where a bettor can comfortably go against the home team with their season on the line. Even if it’s against the Clippers, a team I’ll continue to champion as my pick to win the Western Conference. They’ll just have to wait until Saturday’s Game 7 at Staples Center to take the next step toward that end.
Handicapping a team’s emotional state is a volatile procedure, so I’ll ignore the extended Donald Sterling fallout and focus on what’s happened on the court. And at Oracle this season, the Warriors have outscored the Clippers by a combined 38 points in four games.
Chris Paul notably missed one of the games, but take that one away and the Clippers are still minus-19 in point differential at the Warriors this season.
The shots fall and the calls come a little easier at home for Golden State.
Standings: Bern (21-16-1, $10,600), Keefer (18-20, $9,393), Brewer (15-20-3, $6,595)
Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer
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