.png)
.svg){kind=small}
Charlotte Hornets (10) v. (9) Indiana Pacers
Charlotte is an up-and-coming team who is led by young talent. The Hornets are the worst team to get into the “Playoffs” this year but it is still a massive accomplishment for a historically bad franchise. Charlotte is limping into this game, however, having lost 5 games in a row and 7 of their last 10. The Hornets also rank in the bottom 10 in the league in pace, free throw percentage, and offensive efficiency rating. Indiana, on the other side, is a veteran team who has bolstered their roster in the last year or so to make the playoffs. The addition of Malcolm Brogdon has been critical to their success and acquiring Caris LeVert this year was also supposed to be a boost but now he is out for the play-in games because of Covid-19. Indiana shoots and moves the ball well and will rely on the three-point ball at times with the strong shooting of Domantas Sabonis. The Hornets are a feel good story to get to this spot, and the loss of LeVert hurts the Pacers, but Indiana is a better team and in an elimination game their quality should shine through.
The Bet: Pacers Moneyline
Washington Wizards (8) v. (7) Boston Celtics
It is no secret how the Wizards got to this spot, Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook. Washington is led by their two clear stars who have been lights out all season. Beal barely lost the scoring title out to Steph Curry and is perhaps the most underrated superstar in the NBA. Westbrook averaged a triple double for the entire season, again, and broke the all-time NBA records for most career triple doubles. Oh, and he broke the Wizards all time record for triple doubles and this is his first season with the franchise. It's safe to say we all know who won the John Wall-Westbrook trade. Boston got here by disappointing all season. A popular preseason pick to contend with the best of them in the Eastern Conference, now the Celtics are playing play-in games. They have struggled to replace the scoring that Kyrie Irving used to provide. Kemba Walker has underperformed, and their best player, Jaylen Brown, is out for the year now with a late-season wrist injury. Their previously beloved coach, Brad Stevens, is firmly on the hot seat and if they somehow lose both play-in games then he is for sure getting fired. In a one game situation all you need is one player to take over, the Wizards have two that are capable of doing just that. With Brown out, I truly don’t think this game will be that close.
The Bet: Wizards Moneyline
