The playoffs continue to roll along tonight with the NBA and NHL serving up two pivotal postseason games. First off, the Golden State Warriors look to book a spot in the NBA Finals when they square off with the Houston Rockets in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals.
Not to be outdone, the NHL has lined up a mouth-watering clash with Anaheim and Chicago locking horns in Game 5 of their Western Conference Finals duel. Who will emerge victorious in these two crucial encounters? Read on for a breakdown of these two important games and while you’re at it, you can check out our previews of Cleveland vs. Atlanta and NY Rangers vs. Tampa Bay.
[sc:MultiSportArticles ]Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets (9:00 PM ET)
Line: Golden State Warriors (-5) at Houston Rockets (+5); total: 214.0 – view all NBA lines
[sc:NBA240banner ]The Golden State Warriors moved to within a victory of the NBA Finals with a resounding 115-80 victory over the Houston Rockets in Game 3 of their Western Conference showdown. Five players scored in double-figures for the Warriors who now own a commanding 3-0 series lead.
Stephen Curry led the way for the Warriors, putting up 40 points, five rebounds and seven assists. He was sizzling from beyond the arc, going 7-of-9 from deep. The newly-minted MVP has been on fire with the long ball in this series, shooting a ridiculous 58.1% (18-of-31) from the three-point area.
For the Rockets to avoid the series sweep, they need James Harden to return to his old scoring self. He was a non-factor in that Game 3 defeat, scoring just 17 points on a horrid 3-of-16 shooting from the field. That’s way below his average of 33 points in the first two games of this series.
The Warriors are 4-1 SU and ATS in their last five road games against the Rockets.
Click here for an in-depth breakdown of this game.
Writer’s Prediction
Houston stays alive with a 104-97 win.
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Anaheim Ducks (9:00 PM ET)
Line: Chicago Blackhawks (+105) at Anaheim Ducks (-125); total: 5.0 – view all Stanley Cup lines
The Chicago Blackhawks edged past the Anaheim Ducks, 5-4, in double overtime on Saturday night to level their best-of-seven series at two games apiece. After being left out of the lineup in Game 3, Antoine Vermette showed his true worth, scoring the game-winner at 5:37 of the second extra session to lift the Blackhawks to the all-important victory.
With the win, Chicago improved to 4-0 this postseason in overtime games. For the Ducks, on the other hand, it was another gut-wrenching defeat in this epic and grueling series. The Ducks looked destined to grab the famous win after Ryan Kesler, Corey Perry and Matt Beleskey scored in a frantic 37-second stretch of the third to turn a 3-1 deficit to a 4-3 lead.
The Blackhawks dug deep, however, and will head to the pivotal Game 5 with momentum on their side. In such a huge and important game, both Frederik Andersen and Corey Crawford will need to stand tall for their respective teams. Andersen is averaging 36.8 saves (.936 SV%) in this series for Anaheim while Crawford is averaging 38.8 saves (.934 SV%) for Chicago.
The Blackhawks are 4-1 in their last five road games with the Ducks.
Writer’s Prediction
Anaheim wins, 3-1, to grab a 3-2 series lead. Create a betting account now and bet on the best games for tonight.
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