A daunting test awaits Pat Aquino in his first game at the helm of Blackwater as they face TNT in an attempt to return to the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup win column this Tuesday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
Much of the attention is drawn to the former Gilas Women mentor as the 7:30 PM bout would mark his debut as the Bossing’s interim head coach after Jeffrey Cariaso got sacked following another horrendous start to the conference.
So, the ex-deputy will be inheriting a team that’s currently 1-4 in the standings, with their most recent outing a 98-102 defeat to Titan Ultra last Wednesday.
It doesn’t help that their first game together post-‘Jet’ would be against the defending champs, who are coming off a 101-89 rout of Terrafirma, while they remain groping for form at this point of the tourney.
And as far as the Casino Plus sportsbook is concerned, the odds are against Blackwater as well. The Tropang 5G are favored to emerge victorious by a margin of -10.0 points, with the over/under in total points scored set at 207.0.
Bets can be made here: https://www.casinoplus.com.ph/home/inGame?name=basketball&title=SportBet.
It will be a challenging start to Aquino’s term, but the player-turned-coach is nonetheless ready to tackle it head-on. It’s a situation he’s all too familiar with, having built Gilas Women practically from the ground up.
He’s hoping to wield his magic in the pro ranks, particularly for the franchise with which he’s spent most of his basketball career.
Opening the double-header affair, meanwhile, would see NLEX (4-1) attempt to win a third straight outing against the winless Macau at 5:15. PM.
The Road Warriors are currently sitting at solo third in the standings. Taking care of business against the Black Knights would pull them up to second and join sister team Meralco once again.
The charges of Coach Jong Uichico are favored, according to the Casino Plus sportsbook. They’re projected to win by -9.5 points, with the over/under in total points scored between the teams set at 217.0.
But NLEX knows it won’t be easy, since the crew will be taking on a team desperate to break through after bowing to the Bolts last Saturday.
That 115-110 result was already their sixth loss in as many games, making their next matches a must-win if they are to make a push for the playoffs.
So far, the guest team from the Chinese SAR remains the only winless squad in this conference, as they just cannot seem to catch a lucky break.
