It’s officially playoff time in the NBA and NHL and bettors around the country jumped right into the action.
Both leagues began their postseasons last week, with the NBA play-in games starting Tuesday and the first round opening over the weekend. The NHL’s regular season ended Thursday, and the first round of the playoffs began Saturday.
The NBA Finals will start on June 6, while the Stanley Cup Final dates haven’t been set but will likely be the first week of June.
Home teams dominated in both leagues. In the NBA’s eight Game 1s, home teams went 7-1 against the spread, with all home teams winning. Oklahoma City was the only team not to cover. The Thunder were 8.5-point favorites and needed a late rally to beat New Orleans 94-92. The Bucks (over Pacers) and Clippers (over Mavericks) won as home underdogs.
In the NHL’s six Game 1s over the weekend, the home teams went undefeated. In each game, the home team received the most tickets and the most money for moneyline bets.
Sunday’s matchup between the Jets and Avalanche saw the over (5.5) hit only 15 minutes into the game, and the Jets went on to win 7-6.
The Clippers beat the Mavericks 109-97 in Game 1 on Sunday. With Kawhi Leonard out with an injury, the Clippers closed as 3.5-point underdogs at home. Bettors at BetMGM Sportsbook backed the Mavericks, accounting for 93% of the money with against-the-spread bets for the game.
Tyler Reddick won the NASCAR race at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, taking the lead for good on the final lap. He went into the race with +2500 odds to win and only accounted for 1.6% of the tickets and 1% of the money. On the final lap, Reddick was in third place out of Turn 4, but earned a slight 0.208-second win.
Ryan Garcia defeated Devin Haney by a majority decision on Saturday at the Barclays Center. He had three knockdowns during the fight. Garcia closed at +375 to win after opening at +333. Despite being the underdog, 87% of the bets and 51% of the money were on Garcia to win. Additionally, he was +6600 to win by majority decision.
The NFL Draft is Thursday through Saturday in Detroit, with plenty of storylines to follow, especially at the top of the draft with quarterbacks.
NFL Draft odds at BetMGM Sportsbook have moved quite a bit and will continue until the names are called Thursday night.
The Bears will almost certainly take Caleb Williams at No. 1 overall, and he is -10000 to be the first pick. But it gets interesting after that.
Odds to be the No. 2 overall pick (Commanders) have Jayden Daniels at -155 and Drake Maye +125, with J.J. McCarthy lurking at +1800. Then at No. 3 overall (Patriots), Maye is -130, Daniels +160 and McCarthy +300.
McCarthy has climbed the draft boards in a big way over the last few months. When markets opened, he was +20000 to be the No. 2 overall pick.
This column was provided to The Associated Press by BetMGM Sportsbook.
AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports
Boston Bruins' Morgan Geekie (39) checks Toronto Maple Leafs' Nicholas Robertson (89) during the third period in Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Saturday, April 20, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Vancouver Canucks' Tyler Myers, back right, checks Nashville Predators' Ryan O'Reilly during the second period in Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) goes up to shoot against Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, right, during the second half in Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Saturday, April 20, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) looks to shoot at the basket as Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) and forward Jayson Tatum (0) defend in the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Lauren Coughlin held onto the lead Friday in the CPKC Women’s Open, while Canadian star Brooke Henderson was derailed by closing bogeys at windy and smokey Earl Grey Golf Club.
Coughlin followed her opening 4-under 68 on Thursday in chilly and windy conditions with a 70 on Friday to get to 6 under, a stroke ahead of Hannah Green and Haeran Ryu. The temperature made it into the 70s after barely climbing into the 60s on Thursday.
“I think I handled it really well overall,” Coughlin said. “It was just really difficult to judge how far the ball was going to go with the wind and the crosswind and how firm the greens got. And they had some tough pins, especially considering the direction of the wind.”
Playing through a smokey haze from wildfires, Henderson bogeyed the final four holes in her afternoon round for a 73 that left her seven strokes back at 1 over. She won the 2018 tournament.
Coughlin is coming off a fourth-place finish two weeks ago in France in the major Evian Champions. The 31-year-old former University of Virginia player is winless on the LPGA Tour.
On Friday, she had three front-none birdies and dropped a stroke on the par-4 11th. In two rounds, she's 7 under on the first nine holes and 1 over on the second nine.
“I putted extremely well,” Coughlin said. “Two-putted really well all day. Took advantage of the front nine, which you have to, and then kind of hold on on the back nine.”
Green matched Coughlin with a 70. The Australian is a two-time winner this year, taking the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore in February and the JM Eagle LA Championship in April.
“It was tough again out there,” Green said. “There was some pretty strong wind gusts, especially our last few holes, so committing to the shot you were envisioning was kind of difficult.”
Ryu bogeyed the 18th for 69.
“The weather is really bad,” Ryu said. “Is a little bit cold and so windy.”
The 23-year-old South Korean player won the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship last year for her first LPGA Tour title. She was second last week in Ohio in the Dana Open.
Three-time champion Lydia Ko had a 71 to join second-ranked Lilia Vu (70) and Jennifer Kupcho (72) at 3 under. Ko won as an amateur in 2012 at age 15, successfully defended her title as an amateur in 2013 and won as a professional in 2015.
“It’s not easy — and I think the scores are showing,” Ko said. “Anything kind of under par the past couple days is a really solid round. I’m pretty happy with the way I started this week.”
Kupcho topped the leaderboard at 8 under after birdieing five of the first eight holes in her morning round, then was 5 over the rest of the way. She had a double bogey on the par-4 16th, four bogeys and a birdie on her final nine holes.
“I’m pretty upset,” Kupcho said. “I think in hindsight I still hit 15 greens. Like I was hitting the ball really good. Three-putted 10 and 11 and four-putted 16. I didn’t play bad. Just had a couple shaky putts down the stretch — and that’s going to happen.”
Lexi Thompson was in the group with Henderson tied for 26th at 1 over after a 73 The American plans to play a limited schedule after this season.
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Lexi Thompson, of the United States, chips on the first hole during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh /The Canadian Press via AP)
Jennifer Kupcho, of the United States, watches her tee shot on the fifteenth hole during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh /The Canadian Press via AP)
Jennifer Kupcho, of the United States, lines up a putt on the fourteenth green during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh /The Canadian Press via AP)
New Zealand's Lydia Ko hits a tee shot on the first hole during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh /The Canadian Press via AP)
Korea's Haeran Ryu hits a tee shot on the fourth hole during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
Canada's Brooke Henderson hits a tee shot on the second hole during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
Lauren Coughlin, of the United States, hits from the fairway on the sixth hole during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
Lauren Coughlin, of the United States, hits a tee shot on the seventh hole during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
