NBA Point Spread
NBA: LA Lakers vs. Milwaukee Bucks betting preview
2010-11-17
All good things must come to an end, and the Lakers’ perfect start was no exception as they suffered back-to-back losses before heading to the Midwest for a three-game stint. The oddsmakers at Sportsbook.com don’t expect the Lakers to drop another one as they are currently 3.5-point favorites tonight as they visit Milwaukee.
The reigning champs fell short by six in Denver last Thursday and went down Sunday at home 121-116 against Phoenix, which shot an incredible 22-of-40 from three-point land. The 22 three-pointers were the second-highest total in NBA history. Despite outrebounding (62-38) and outscoring (68-28) Phoenix in the paint, L.A. was unable to stop the Suns’ phenomenal outside shooting.
Kobe Bryant was one rebound away from a triple-double, and Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom both had more than 20 points and 10 boards. If the Lakers take this offense on the road, they will have no problem beating Milwaukee Tuesday night. Bryant is 21-4 in his career against the Bucks, averaging 23.9 PPG against them. Look for L.A. to bounce back in these next three road games, all of which are against teams at .500 or below.
Milwaukee is on a three-game win streak and was afforded two days of rest after a 79-72 win against the Warriors in the Bradley Center. John Salmons led the team with 26 points on 9-of-17 shooting and Brandon Jennings had his third double-double on the season with 19 points and career-high 11 boards. This matchup against the Lakers will be the Bucks’ fourth straight game against a top-10 scoring team. Milwaukee held its last three opponents to an average of 19.8 points below each team’s scoring average on the season. The Bucks, who are allowing a league-low 89.4 points per game, will need to play tight defense against the league’s top-scoring Lakers (112.5 PPG) if they want any chance to get a win against the defending champs.
The Lakers have won the past five games SU in the series, but the NBA betting public has cashed on the other side as Milwaukee is 7-1 ATS in the past eight meetings with the Lakers.
However, this NBA betting trend found at Sportsbook.com indicates that the Lakers will cover the point spread.
Play On - Road favorites (LA LAKERS) - after being beaten by the spread by 24 or more points total in their last three games against opponent after going under the total by 54 or more points total in their last ten games. (38-14 since 1996.) (73.1%, +22.6 units. Rating = 2*).
For additional basketball betting trends or to bet on any of the games on tonight’s NBA betting board, head over to Sportsbook.com now.
NBA: The King to be overthrown?
2010-05-13
LeBron James is supposed to be the best player in the NBA and probably is, but he hasn’t been close to being the best player in the second round playoff series between the Cavaliers and Celtics. With his pending free agency looming this summer, the possibility exists that tonight’s Game 6 in the series could be his last game with Cleveland. Oddsmakers at Sportsbook.com have made his team a 1-point underdog, meaning the chances are better than not that it will be at least his last game of this season.
King James showed a side of personality not seen often after he gave a lame effort like his teammates in Game 5 debacle. After losing 120-88 as seven-point home favorites, James had this to say about his 15-point showing.
"I spoil a lot of people with my play," James said. "When you have a bad game here or there, you've had three bad games in a seven-year career, then it's easy to point that out. So you got to be better.
I put a lot of pressure on myself to be out there and be the best player on the court, and when I'm not I feel bad for myself because I'm not going out there and doing the things I can do. But I don't hang my head low or make any excuses about anything that may be going on, because that's not the type of player or person I am."
It’s a bit presumptuous for James to say he’s had three lousy games in his career, but what basketball fans and those rooting for the Cavaliers want to know, where is the burning desire?
Is the elbow a much bigger issue? Does he find the lack proficiency from his teammates appalling? Does he not trust his coach in being knowledgeable to lead this club? Has he mentally checked out thinking about playing somewhere else?
Cleveland is 24-7-1 ATS off a defeat by 10 or more points, but this was one for the record books. No NBA with a regular season win percentage of .700 or higher had ever lost a home playoff game by 30 or more points. (Thanks Elias Sports)
Yes, Boston has had a few nice wrinkles to limit James, but does the game’s best player settle for idle dribbles and pass to teammate or use his brute force like in the past and blow to the cup and score or find Cavs teammate standing by himself with wide open look at the bucket with collapsing defense? Interesting to note Cleveland is 2-9 ATS in last 11 outings against teams with winning record.
Boston has outplayed and outhustled its younger opponent and is 7-3 ATS in the postseason. The Celtics don’t want to take any chances.
"We cannot come back here," Kevin Garnett said. "We have to think this is our Game 7 coming up and we cannot afford to have the best team in the league have a Game 7 on their floor. Just not possible."
Sportsbook.com has Boston as one-point favorites, as they go for their second three game winning streak in the playoffs. The C’s are 2-10 ATS off a road win by 10 points or more this season and 17-4 UNDER after a huge blowout victory by 30 or more. Cleveland has its back against the proverbial wall and is 2-5 ATS in last seven as road underdogs and is 16-5 OVER revenging a home massacre loss of 20 points or more.
The biggest deciding factor is LeBron’s mental state. This contest is being played with one day between games and James is shooting 36.1 percent on his meager total of 47 shot attempts, including 0-13 beyond the arc in this East semi-final with less than 48 hours between contests. In the two games Cleveland has won and covered, James is shooting 56.5 percent on 46 shots with two or more days in between outings. The Cavs are 0-6 ATS with one day of rest since April 11.
Game 6 is on ESPN at 8:00 Eastern and if Cleveland can force one more game, they will have two days off between conflicts.
The StatFox Power Line shows Boston by 6.
NBA: Celtics Favored to start Western Swing
2010-02-17
In the first game after the 2009 All-Star break, the Boston Celtics lost Kevin Garnett to a knee injury. A year later, they may still be feeling the effects. After an injury-plagued first half of the season and quiet All-Star game, Garnett and the sputtering Celtics still hope to reestablish themselves as title contenders during the season’s second half, which begins with Tuesday night’s visit to the Sacramento Kings. The road team is a hefty 5.5-point favorite at Sportsbook.com. Get more on this contest on the GAME MATCHUP page.
It was during a 90-85 loss at Utah last Feb. 19 that Garnett was initially injured, causing the 2004 MVP to miss all but four remaining games and the playoffs. Garnett missed nine contests from Dec. 30-Jan. 20 with another knee problem, and he’s been held without a double-double in 10 games since returning, averaging 12.4 points and 6.4 rebounds.
He started but played just 13 minutes in the All-Star game, totaling four points and three rebounds, and seemed miffed by questions about his health before Sunday’s game. “I’ll speak one time about my health. It’s great,” Garnett said.
The Celtics (32-18, 19-30-1 ATS) are 5-5 since his return and 9-13 since Christmas as their lead in the Atlantic Division has slipped to four games over Toronto. They’re already two losses shy of their total from last season and two over the total from their 2007-08 championship campaign. Since Dec. 27, Boston is burying backers with 6-15-1 ATS mark.
“Our expectations are to try to win a championship and be consistent, and that’s something we haven’t been able to do over the last month or so,” Paul Pierce said. “But we’re a veteran team, we stick together, and we’ll turn this thing around.”
Boston will start by trying to avoid a third straight defeat. After a 96-89 home loss to Orlando on Feb. 7, the Celtics went into the break with a 93-85 defeat at New Orleans on Wednesday, with Garnett totaling seven points and shooting 2 of 9 from the field. “Our starters struggled,” Boston coach Doc Rivers said. “Kevin struggled in the second half and Paul forced too much due to the struggling of the team.” This is the first of four games west of the Mississippi River and the C’s are 10-7 against Western Conference clubs with a repulsive 4-12-1 ATS record.
While Pierce won the 3-point shooting contest on Saturday night, he’d love to share some of his outside touch with teammate Ray Allen, who missed the loss at New Orleans due to back spasms after shooting 38.9 percent from the field and 26.8 percent from 3-point range in his previous 10 games. Allen has been mentioned in trade rumors ahead of Thursday’s deadline. If traded, he would have played his last home game with the Celtics, who also face the Los Angeles Lakers, Portland and Denver on this trip.
Sacramento (18-34, 25-25-2 ATS) is the weakest opponent on the trip after it lost 18 of 22 (7-14-1 ATS) going into the break to effectively end its playoff chances. But the young Kings won their last two games (both as road underdogs) and will be trying for their first three-game winning streak since they won four straight from Nov. 25-Dec. 2. Kevin Martin scored 26 points and Beno Udrih added 22 off the bench as Sacramento won 103-97 at Detroit on Wednesday, prompting coach Paul Westphal to lament the timing of All-Star weekend.
“We’re learning and getting good performances from different people,” Westphal said. “I hate to see the break coming right now.” The Kings are 19-34 ATS in home games after playing a game as an underdog.
The Kings have also been involved in some trade rumors, mostly involving Martin as rookie guard Tyreke Evans continues to emerge. Evans leads all rookies with 20.3 points per game. He’s never faced the Celtics, who’ve held Sacramento to an average of 77.5 points in four straight wins (3-1 ATS) since they acquired Garnett and Allen. Boston’s last visit to Arco Arena resulted in the biggest home loss in Kings history, a 108-63 defeat on Dec. 28, 2008.
Sportsbook.com opened with Boston as six-point favorites with total of 199.5, but they are 2-10 ATS off an upset loss as a favorite and 8-0 UNDER after leading their last two games by 10 or more points at the half. Sacramento returns to action 17-35 ATS in non-conference clashes, losing by more than nine points per game and is 16-7 OVER after they’ve covered the spread this season.
This contest is viewable in local markets starting at 10 Eastern and the Celtics are 17-9 on the road with .500 spread record. The StatFox Power Line shows Boston by 1, well shy of Sportsbook.com’s betting line.
NBA: NBA Top Weekend Power Trends 12/4-12/6
2009-12-04
The NBA season rolls into its first full December weekend and after anxious starts for some teams, the standings are beginning to look as expected. Orlando, Boston, and Cleveland have moved into the Top 3 spots in the Eastern Conference Playoff pecking order, while the Lakers and Denver rank #1 & #2 in the West. All of those teams will be in action in what looks to be a weekend full of big matchups. Let’s take a look at some of the feature games plus reveal some of the weekend’s top StatFox Power Trends for you to consider in your wagering action. Visit Sportsbook.com’s LIVE ODDS page for the latest lines.
On Friday night, there are 10 games to choose from highlighted as always by the ESPN doubleheader. In the opening game, division rivals Chicago and Cleveland get together. The Bulls are off to a disappointing start, already 5.5-games back in the standings. Much of that is due to their abysmal road efforts so far, as they are just 2-8 away. However, one of those two wins came in Cleveland in a shocking 86-85 upset in the season’s first week. The Cavaliers are playing much better since then however, and have gone on to win 10 of 12 games since that setback. This is the third and final game of a homestand that has already seen impressive wins over Phoenix and Dallas. In the ESPN nightcap, the Heat and Lakers go head-to-head. These teams played two very tight games last year as it seems that Dwyane Wade really gets up for these showdowns with Kobe. Miami is coming off an ugly 17-point loss on Thursday night and faces a difficult back-to-back scenario here. Los Angeles is playing its best basketball of the season and comes in with a 9-game winning streak. In other Friday action, New Jersey will be looking for its first win of the season when it hosts Charlotte, and Boston, off a nice win at San Antonio, treks to Oklahoma City.
The Saturday betting board is one of the busiest of the year for the NBA, as nine games are on tap. Eight of the league’s teams will be playing their second game in as many nights. Among the highlight games is Denver visiting San Antonio and Atlanta taking on Dallas on the road. The Suns are also in action, back at home off a 4-game road trip that started well but ended with two humbling losses out East. They will host Sacramento. As far as the Spurs-Nuggets game is concerned, recall Denver’s historical struggles in San Antonio before hitting the confirm button on any wagers for that contest. Also, be sure to note that the Spurs are 7-0 SU & 6-1 ATS this season when playing with a day of rest. They lost to Boston on Thursday but should be refreshed for this Saturday tilt. The Hawks have lost three of their last five games as they head into the weekend. After hosting New York on Friday, they travel to Dallas for a short one-game road trip. They have actually played well in the back end of consecutive game nights thus far, going 4-1 SU & ATS in ’09.
On Sunday, the weekend will wrap up with five games. If the Nets were unable to beat Charlotte on Friday night, they’ll be looking for that elusive first win at New York in an early afternoon affair. On the road in ’09 New Jersey is 0-11 SU & 3-8 ATS. However, the Knicks had won just twice in 10 home games leading up to the Friday game vs. Atlanta. Elsewhere, the top two teams in the Central Division will hook up when Cleveland visits Milwaukee. The Bucks held the lead in the standings for a few days two weeks ago but have already been battling serious injury woes. Still, they boast an impressive 7-2 SU & 6-3 ATS mark at home in the early going and will be jacked up for this chance to upset the Cavs on the home court. Finally, on Sunday night, the Suns visit the Lakers for the second time in ’09. In the first outing, L.A. flexed its muscles to the tune of a 19-point win.
It figures to be a great weekend of sports, not the least of which is an exciting NBA card. Here’s a look at some of the top StatFox Power Trends you’ll want to consider as you build your betting tickets:
Friday, 12/4/2009
(501) TORONTO vs. (502) WASHINGTON
WASHINGTON is 3-18 ATS (-16.8 Units) when the line is +3 to -3 over the last 2 seasons. The average score was WASHINGTON 99.8, OPPONENT 105.6 - (Rating = 4*)
(503) NEW YORK vs. (504) ATLANTA
NEW YORK is 20-7 ATS (+12.3 Units) on the road revenging a loss where opponent >=100 points over L2 seasons. The average score was NEW YORK 104.4, OPPONENT 107.4 - (Rating = 2*)
(513) MINNESOTA vs. (514) NEW ORLEANS
NEW ORLEANS is 4-16 ATS (-13.6 Units) vs. terrible defensive teams - allowing 103+ PPG over the last 2 seasons. The average score was NEW ORLEANS 101.2, OPPONENT 102.2 - (Rating = 2*)
(513) MINNESOTA vs. (514) NEW ORLEANS
NEW ORLEANS is 17-4 UNDER (+12.6 Units) on Friday nights over the last 2 seasons. The average score was NEW ORLEANS 93.6, OPPONENT 93.4 - (Rating = 2*)
Saturday, 12/5/2009
(701) PHILADELPHIA vs. (702) CHARLOTTE
CHARLOTTE is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) vs. poor teams - outscored by 3+ PPG over the last 2 seasons. The average score was CHARLOTTE 96.9, OPPONENT 90.2 - (Rating = 1*)
(703) TORONTO vs. (704) CHICAGO
CHICAGO is 20-6 UNDER (+13.4 Units) vs. poor defensive teams (FG pct defense of >=46%) over the L2 seasons. The average score was CHICAGO 100.1, OPPONENT 101.1 - (Rating = 2*)
(705) UTAH vs. (706) MINNESOTA
MINNESOTA is 4-21 ATS (-19.1 Units) in home games versus teams with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. The average score was MINNESOTA 92.3, OPPONENT 103.9 - (Rating = 4*)
(717) ORLANDO vs. (718) GOLDEN STATE
ORLANDO is 29-13 ATS (+14.7 Units) vs. good shooting teams - making >=46% FG Atts over the last 2 seasons. The average score was ORLANDO 98.7, OPPONENT 93.8 - (Rating = 2*)
Sunday, 12/6/2009
(503) CLEVELAND vs. (504) MILWAUKEE
CLEVELAND is 13-1 UNDER (+11.9 Units) on Sunday games over the last 2 seasons. The average score was CLEVELAND 95.1, OPPONENT 85.1 - (Rating = 3*)
(505) WASHINGTON vs. (506) DETROIT
WASHINGTON is 22-44 ATS (-26.4 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons. The average score was WASHINGTON 95.3, OPPONENT 102.6 - (Rating = 2*)
(507) MIAMI vs. (508) SACRAMENTO
Erik Spoelstra is 13-28 ATS (-17.8 Units) vs. teams who attempt 18 or more 3PT shots/game as coach of MIAMI. The average score was Spoelstra 94.1, OPPONENT 97.6 - (Rating = 1*)
NBA: Cleveland hopes to shake off rust quickly
2009-05-05
Basketball coaches despise too many days off. The occasional two or three after a tough stretch of games is welcome now and again, but idly sitting by and practicing tends to have negative affect. This can happen in the playoffs, where one team is superior over another and sweeps them in four, while upcoming opponent had to go the distance and play seven games to advance to next round. This is what Cleveland coach Mike Anderson has to deal with after his Cavaliers strolled thru Detroit, winning four games by 13 points a game and covering the spread four times. Tonight, they’ll host Atlanta in Game 1 of their second round series. Get the latest info for this contest on the LIVE ODDS, BETTING TRENDS, and TEAM STATISTICS pages.
The Cavs have won nine of last 10 and backers have profited enormously with same 9-1 ATS record.
LeBron James and the coach made sure the team stayed focused, unlike the Lakers in the first round and oddsmakers like those at Sportsbook.com are expecting similar outcome, at least in the series. Cleveland is a -2450 to win the series, meaning somebody would want to layout serious “dinero” just to show a modest profit.
Atlanta’s only hope in the series is to catch Cleveland taking a catnap in the first game. LeBron won’t be asleep, but the timing of his shots or the crispness of passes might be off a trifle, giving the Hawks a chance for easier than expected baskets. The eight day layoff might affect the marksmanship of sharp shooters like Delonte West, Mo Williams, Daniel Gibson and Wally Szczerbiak.
Atlanta does a good job handling the ball with Mike Bibby and Joe Johnson in the backcourt and the Hawks are 10-2 ATS after a game committing eight or less turnovers this season. Cleveland is 28-19 ATS against teams that commit 14 or less turnovers like Atlanta, bettors should at least be aware the average margin of victory is 7.3 points per game, well the below 11.5 in which the Cavs are favored.
Of course, this is also asking Al Horford to be Windex-man, Johnson and Bibby to shoot 60 percent and Josh Smith to act like mature veteran who has a number of years of service under his belt. Possible yes, likely no.
Cleveland is pretty much everything Miami wasn’t. They have even a better superstar play in James, plenty of veteran players who know the playoff drill and have hunger and desire to win championship, not satisfied by posting a single victory. The Cavaliers take great pride in 41-2 record in Quicken Loans Arena, in which they covered the spread 29 times. About the only fault one can find is pedestrian 9-10 ATS mark in last 19 games as double digit home favorite.
They like to set a first half tempo that allows them to play at whatever pace they desire. Cleveland is 7-0 ATS after four victories in a row and 16-1 ATS after leading their last three games by five or more points at the half this season.
Atlanta has been a nemesis of sorts to Cleveland, playing the Cavs tight all three games this season, winning once and covering the trio of tilts. The Hawks have taken two of seven in northern Ohio and flown away spread winners five times.
TNT will have the first contest of the last conference semi-final to start at 8:05 Eastern, with the Cavs 14-3 ATS as playoff chalk.
NBA: Betting Southwest Division Battle (9:30 PM ET, ESPN)
2008-12-18
The New Orleans Hornets had their breakthrough season cut short by the San Antonio Spurs last spring. Though both teams could have deep playoff runs ahead of them this season, neither looked ready for that kind of success recently. The Hornets and Spurs look to bounce back from shaky performances in wins over last-place teams as the Southwest Division rivals square off for the first time since last season’s playoffs on Wednesday night in New Orleans.
After three straight trips to the lottery, New Orleans won a franchise-record 56 games last season and got their first playoff series win since 2002 by beating Dallas in the first round. The Hornets’ stunning success ended when they lost a seven-game series against the Spurs in the Western Conference semifinals. Both teams expect to be back in the postseason this spring, but that’ll likely take better performances than they put together in their last games.
San Antonio (15-8, 12-11 ATS) nearly blew a 26-point lead as 16.5-point home favorite in a tight 109-104 win over NBA-worst Oklahoma City on Sunday, and New Orleans (14-7, 10-10-1 ATS) needed a late surge on Tuesday to pull out a 91-84 win to earn a “push” over Memphis, the last-place team in the Southwest.
Spurs guard Tony Parker scored six straight points in the final minutes on Sunday to help San Antonio escape with its sixth straight win and 13th in 16 games after a 2-5 start. The Spurs are 11-5 ATS during this surge. “You never want to (have a big lead early in a game), because it’s always dangerous,” said Parker, who finished with 22 points and seven assists and went 9-for-18 from the field. “At the end it was kind of ugly, but we got the win and that’s the most important thing.” The San Antonio defense, though solid, has not forced many miscues by the opposition and is 23-8 ATS after three straight games forcing opponent to commit 11 or less turnovers.
The Hornets All-Star point guard Chris Paul echoed similar sentiments to Parker’s Tuesday night after scoring five points with three assists in the final five minutes to help New Orleans pull out its ninth win in 11 games. The victory pulled the Hornets into a virtual tie with San Antonio and Houston atop the division.
“We feel like we’ve been through a lot of things, and we were able to pull it together in the fourth,” said Paul, who had 18 points, nine assists and five steals. Paul recorded a steal in his 105th straight contest, tying Alvin Robertson’s NBA record. New Orleans is 18-8 ATS after playing a game as a road favorite over the last two seasons.
Sportsbook.com has the Hornets as three-point home favorites with a total of 185.5. New Orleans is 43-24 ATS at home after playing two consecutive road games, while San Antonio is 3-13 ATS after having won 15 or more of their last 20 games. The total has been a mixed bag during the regular season for these two squads, favoring the Under. Based on current stated number, this could be the case again. The Spurs are 17-6 UNDER in a road game where the total is between 180 and 189.5 points over the last two seasons and the Hornets are 25-10 UNDER in the same point range and timeframe.
Now, Paul will try to claim sole possession of that mark against a San Antonio team he averaged 23.1 points, 10.4 assists and 2.3 steals against last season, including the playoffs. He also shot 51.5 percent from the field as New Orleans went 5-6 in those 11 overall games. Despite Paul’s consistent success, the Spurs overcame 0-2 deficit in the playoffs by winning four of the clubs’ last five games, including a series-clinching 91-82 road win on May 19.
San Antonio was 2-4 SU and ATS overall in New Orleans in 2007-08.
The Hornets are averaging 106.0 points and shooting 50.0 percent during their four-game home winning streak, during which they’ve outscored opponents by an average of 15.0 points, with three covers in a row. The Spurs, meanwhile, have won six of seven (6-1 ATS) on the road.
This is the last game on the ESPN NBA doubleheader Wednesday, starting at 9:30 Eastern.
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