The last two spots in the NBA’s version of the Sweet 16 will be on the line when the Hornets battle the Magic and the Warriors square off against the Suns in the final two games of the Play-In tournament on Friday night.
In the first matchup, the Magic will have to overcome the Hornets, LaMelo Ball and Ball’s sneaky lefty hand at the Kia Center. Charlotte advanced to Friday’s game after edging the Heat 127-126 in overtime on Tuesday. In that game, Ball reached out with his hand and tripped Miami’s Bam Adebayo early in the second quarter, causing a back injury and forcing the Heat star to miss the rest of the game. The following day,, Ball was fined $35,000 and assessed a Flagrant Foul 2 for the play.
On the other side, the Magic failed to earn a playoff spot after losing to the 76ers on Wednesday in Philadelphia.
The winner of Friday’s matchup will earn the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference playoff bracket and a first-round matchup against the top-seeded Pistons.
In the second game on Friday, the four-time NBA champion Warriors will look to channel their past glory when they face the Suns. On Wednesday, Golden State rallied from an 13-point fourth quarter deficit against the Clippers to stave off elimination, 126-121. The Warriors will face a Phoenix team that blew an 11-point quarter lead on Tuesday against the Trail Blazers. The winner between the Warriors and Suns will get a date with the defending champion Thunder in the first round.
Both the Hornets and Suns are 3.5-point favorites on Friday.
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While the Play-In tournament is the marquee attraction on Friday, there are other options on a sporting landscape that includes a full MLB schedule. Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet for Friday, April 17. All times Eastern.
NBA best bets, where to watch
Hornets at Magic
Time: 7:30 p.m. | Location: Orlando | TV: Prime Video
SportsLine pick — Model: Hornets -164 | Expert: Desmond Bane Over 19.5 total points, -120 (Mike Barner)
Charlotte is looking to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2016. The drought is the longest active one in the NBA. The Hornets are 3-1 against Orlando this season and have won each of the past three meetings by at least 15 points. Note: The Magic’s Franz Wagner did not play in any of the team’s losses and has been limited since returning from injury. The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, says there’s a 73% chance Charlotte wins and assigns a strong ‘A’ grade to the Hornets money line (-164). Meanwhile, SportsLine expert Mike Barner notes that Bane averaged 21.3 points per game at home this season. “After playing 40 minutes [on Wednesday], he should play a lot Friday as the Magic try to avoid elimination,” he says.
Warriors at Suns
Time: 10 p.m. | Location: Phoenix | TV: Prime Video
SportsLine pick — Model: Under 219.5 | Expert: Gui Santos Over 12.5 total points, -119 (Mike Barner)
This win-and-you’re-in matchup will take place at the Mortgage Matchup Center, which is key because the home-road splits for both teams are telling. The Suns are a significantly better defensive team at home (111.1 points per 100 possessions) versus the road (114.6), while the Warriors are a much worse offensive team on the road (110.9) versus at home (116.8). The SportsLine Projection Model says there’s a 67.8% chance the teams combine for 219 points or fewer and gives a ‘B’ grade to Under 219.5. Meanwhile, Barner notes that Santos started for Golden State on Wednesday and scored 20 points over 32 minutes. “The Suns are a good defensive team, but they will be focusing their efforts on slowing down Stephen Curry, not Santos,” he says.
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MLB best bets, where to watch
Rays at Pirates
Time: 6:45 p.m. | Location: Pittsburgh | TV: Apple TV
SportsLine pick — Model: Rays +106
The Tampa Bay Rays will look to stay hot when they take on the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. The AL East-leading Rays (11-7) have won six in a row, which is tied for the longest active winning streak in the AL. They also have won five straight games on the road. On Friday they will send out veteran Nick Martinez, who has had a solid start to the year. In three starts, he has a 2.16 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP. According to Baseball Savant, he ranks in the 86th percentile in pitching run value (4). The SportsLine Projection Model says Tampa Bay has a 53.0% chance to win and assigns a ‘B’ grade to the Rays money line (+106).
Tigers at Red Sox
Time: 7:15 p.m. | Location: Boston | TV: Apple TV
SportsLine pick — Model: Tigers +1.5
The other AL team on a six-game winning streak, Detroit, hits the road to face Boston. Pitching has been the key to the Tigers’ recent success. Over the last week, the Tigers rank second in all of baseball in both ERA (2.80) and WHIP (1.02). Friday starter Casey Mize is coming off his first win of the season: one run on six hits and one walk while striking out five in 5 2/3 innings against the Marlins. He also has been solid at Fenway Park, with a 2.76 ERA in three career starts. The SportsLine Projection Model says Detroit has a 65.0% chance to cover and gives a ‘C’ grade to the Tigers run line (+1.5).
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Looking ahead
Rockets at Lakers
Time: 8:30 p.m. Saturday | Location: Los Angeles | TV: ABC | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine pick — Model: Rockets -222
While LeBron James and Kevin Durant will be the main protagonists in this first round Western Conference playoff series between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets, an enormous storyline will be the health of Lakers stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. According to reports, both Doncic (hamstring) and Reaves (oblique strain) are unlikely to play in the series. Without Doncic (33.5 points per game) and Reaves (23.3) at the end of the regular season, Los Angeles went 3-2, beating the Warriors, Suns and Jazz but losing to the Mavericks and Thunder. The SportsLine Projection Model says the Rockets have a 74.0% chance to win and assigns a ‘B’ grade to the Houston money line (-222).
