NBA betting gets chaotic with Paul George out of commission tonight

On a loaded day of sports across the three major leagues, the main draw has to be the NBA play-in tournament's final games.

It's truly win-or-go-home tonight in the NBA. Win and you're in the postseason. Lose and your season is over. Here's how to prep for the action:

Hawks at Cavaliers (+2) - Atlanta is coming off a win over Charlotte, while Cleveland fell to Brooklyn earlier this week. On a first pass, one has to consider that the Hawks bring playoff experience and success, having reached the Eastern Conference Finals last season.

On the injury front, the Cavs are getting good news in the potential return of Jarrett Allen, while the Hawks will have to make do without John Collins.

Still, we recommend backing Trae Young and Atlanta here. The Hawks have beaten the Cavs in three straight and have the momentum after a blowout win over the Hornets. Back the road favorites and take Atlanta to cover the two-point spread.

Pelicans (-.5) at Clippers - This game has been thrown into chaos territory with Paul George testing positive for COVID-19 and being ruled out for the game. We were prepared to back the Clippers giving 4, but things can change on a dime. George missed a majority of the season, but the Clippers were just 24-27 in his absence. This is a tough break and it's an open question whether they'll have enough offense to survive an underrated Pelicans attack. 

Meanwhile, the Pelicans have been a different team with CJ McCollum in the mix and he is projecting confidence that the Pelicans future is bright. We think that brightness continues to shine and the Pelicans find a way against the reeling Clippers. Take the Pelicans. 

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In Other News

Gilmore Heads to the Colts: Indianapolis continues to add pieces to their team with the signing of former All-Pro corner Stephon Gilmore. This is the second addition to their secondary after adding former Eagles safety Rodney McLeod earlier this offseason, and most importantly they upgraded at QB by trading for Matt Ryan. They still desperately need help at WR, but the Colts are now the favorites to win the AFC South at +110 on FanDuel.

Brady's Last Touchdown Pass Remains to be Seen: Buyer beware? Not so for the auction that sold Brady's "last touchdown" football prior to his return from a brief retirement. Good news for the individual who purchased the ball for $518K as the sale was voided. Brady and the Buccaneers are in a great position to continue their success, particularly through the air. While we don't know when Brady's last touchdown will be, you can bet on how many he throws this season. DraftKings has his over/under set at 35.5 touchdowns. Considering he's thrown for 40+ touchdowns in both seasons in Tampa Bay, we recommend taking the over here.

Brad Stevens Scoffs at Lakers Job: The current GM of the Celtics has no interest in joining the Los Angeles Lakers after they fired head coach Frank Vogel this week. We don't blame him, considering his first season with roster control in Boston has yielded a second-seed in the East and the fourth-best odds to win it all. With news that Robert Williams could return early in the series against Brooklyn, Boston may be in a good position to get back to their defensive dominance. At +850, the Celtics are worth a bet to win it all this season.