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Top surprise of the 1st round of the NBA Playoffs
2010-05-07
After averaging only 29 wins per year over the previous three seasons, expectations weren't very high for the 2009-10 Milwaukee Bucks. However, the club jumped out quickly to post an 8-3 record. Rookie guard Brandon Jennings sparked the run by averaging 25 points per game. Then, Milwaukee stumbled to a 10-22 mark over its next 32 games. At 18-25, it appeared that the Bucks were headed for another mediocre season. Instead, the club came to life. Milwaukee stepped up to post a 28-11 record to close the regular season. The acquisition of guard John Salmons from the Chicago Bulls played a major role in the turnaround. In 30 games for the Bucks, he averaged 20 points per game. As the playoffs approached, Milwaukee was building plenty of momentum. However, the optimism surrounding the club came crashing to a halt just two weeks before the playoffs were set to begin. Center Andrew Bogut (16 points, 10 rebounds per game) suffered a broken wrist in a scary fall to the court. As the team's only viable inside threat, Bogut was a vital part of Milwaukee's success. Without him, the Bucks were a huge underdog entering its first round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks. This was the kind of series NBA bettors who were savvy made a bundle on. Knowing who the upsets will be is the key to NBA betting success. Head over to www.sportsbook.com and figure out who the next big surprise will be!
The sixth-seeded Bucks had to open the series in Atlanta against the third-seeded Hawks. During the regular season, Atlanta lost only seven games at home. Without Bogut, Milwaukee would be hard pressed to get a road win in the series. In Game 1, the Bucks appeared to be no match for the Hawks. Atlanta built a 22-point halftime lead. While Milwaukee rallied in the second half, the Hawks were still able to gain a double-digit victory. In Game 2, Atlanta was able to win another double-digit affair to gain a commanding 2-0 series lead. While the series was heading back to Milwaukee, the Bucks were given little hope of turning things around. Inspired by its home fans, Milwaukee recorded a 107-89 blowout win in Game 3. Still, many expected the Hawks to rebound against the under-manned Bucks in Game 4. Atlanta came to play in Game 4 but it wasn't enough. With a 111-104 win, the Bucks had evened up the series. In Game 5 at Atlanta, the Bucks stayed within striking distance in the fourth quarter. A 14-0 run during the final four minutes of the game enabled the Bucks to stun the Hawks at home in a 91-87 victory. Now, Milwaukee was just a single win away from pulling a significant upset. With Game 6 at home, the Bucks had a real shot at getting the job done. In a defensive struggle, Milwaukee held a 34-31 halftime lead. However, the Bucks were about to finally run out of gas. The Hawks outscored Milwaukee 29-11 in the third quarter to take firm control of the game. With an 83-69 victory, Atlanta was able to force a Game 7. In the final game of the series, the Hawks dominated to post a 95-74 win to reach the conference semi-finals. While the Bucks came up short in the series, the club was certainly a surprise in the first round of the postseason. With a healthy Bogut and the continued development of Jennings, Milwaukee won't be overlooked heading into the 2010-11 season.
NBA: Meaningful NBA betting choices 2010-04-14It’s the final day of the NBA regular season and rarely have so many questions been left up in the air to be determined. The specific fate of no less than nine teams has to be figured out before the playoffs begin, with eight of them moving on. Here is a one-by-one game outlook at the various possibilities sports bettors have to consider. See the GAME MATCHUPS pages on Sportsbook.com for the latest key betting information.
New York at Toronto 8:00E MSG
Toronto ( 39-42) came with clutch effort at Detroit and needs to defeat New York at home and hope Chicago fails on the road to ensure third invitation to the playoffs in four years. The Raptors are fighting for bid without its best player Chris Bosh and are eight-point favorites according to Sportsbook.com. Though Toronto needs the win, they are far from a safe bet with 4-12 ATS record at home in the second half of the season.
Chicago at Charlotte 8:00E
While V.P. of basketball operations John Paxson and coach Vinny Del Negro decide whether to use eight ounce or 16 ounce gloves in their rematch, the Chicago Bulls players have to win to get in the Eastern Conference postseason party. Bulls’ players have battled like Chicago management, winning nine of last 14 to be in this position and can close the deal with a victory. The Bulls (40-41) are 9-1 ATS in road games when playing against a marginal winning team like Charlotte (win percentage of 51% to 60%) this season. The Bobcats are already locked in to playing Orlando starting this weekend, but coach Larry Brown has vowed not to sit players because it wouldn’t be right and what the much-traveled Mr. Brown says can always be trusted (?).
Milwaukee at Boston 8:00E
The Bucks have found out about life without center Andrew Bogut the last two games and it is not pretty. Milwaukee has been easily defeated by Atlanta and Boston on their home floor and it doesn’t appear to be a coincidence the Bucks have shot under 40 percent in three of five games since the Aussie went on the injured list. Milwaukee can move up to fifth position with win over Celtics and Miami loss, but that would mean four more games with Boston. For tonight, the Bucks are 19-7 following a SU loss and are one-point underdogs.
New Jersey at Miami 8:00E YES
The Heat have been en fuego, winners of 11 of last 12 (7-4-1 ATS) and can wrap the No. 5 slot in the East with a triumph over non-combative New Jersey. Miami has made their own way since on March 1 they were in ninth place in the East, but 17-4 record has them poised to face bumbling Boston this upcoming weekend with a win, for club brimming with confidence. Miami is favored by 10 and is 8-2 ATS against opponent that surrendered 100 or more points in previous outing.
San Antonio at Dallas 8:00E
The Mavericks have won the Southwest Division and have one more bit of business left to complete. If Dallas is victorious over San Antonio, they capture the second seed in the West. A loss and Utah win drops them to third, which doesn’t sound like much, unless they would have to face the Jazz later in the playoffs. A Spurs loss would have them settle into seventh slot, which would place them right back in Dallas this weekend for first round of the postseason. The Spurs can avoid such a matchup with win and Portland loss, moving them to No. 6. The Spurs are 10-4 ATS in last 14 outings and are 7.5-point underdogs.
Phoenix at Utah 10:30E ESPN
This is the lone straight forward conflict that will have both teams deciding fate in head to head battle. This contest is particularly important to Utah, since a victory means they win Northwest Division title, have third seed (at least) and open up at EnergySolutions Arena, where they are 32-8 and 26-12-2 ATS and domineering 20-2 (14-6-2 ATS) since Jan.6. A loss gives idle Denver the division crown and the Jazz fall to fifth place in the conference, which eliminates home court advantage. The Suns are blazing on 12-2 run (9-4-1 ATS) and locked up home court for first round with demolition of Denver last night. A win gives them third overall and means they wouldn’t face the Lakers until the conference finals should both teams advance that far. Almost forgot, a Utah win and Dallas loss has the Jazz really ending on a high note, moving to second seed with tiebreaker in their favor.
Golden State at Portland 10:30E
The Trail Blazers control their fate with a win over Golden State, wrapping up the sixth seed. That would be terrific, but Portland has potentially more pressing problems with guard Brandon Roy suffering torn meniscus in his knee, making his availability an issue going forward. Portland is a nine-point favorite with total of 215. The higher total should work to Blazers advantage as they are 17-6 ATS when they score 105 or more points this season. An upset loss to the Warriors and Spurs win drops Portland down a notch to seventh.
NBA: Thursday NBA Betting Action2010-02-09It happens to most quality teams, nonetheless Miami and San Antonio drew the short straws having to play nationally televised cable games on the road after playing the night before away from home. The Heat were outscored by five points in the final 12 minutes at Boston, which proved to be the losing margin for them in a 107-102 defeat. The Spurs opened their annual Rodeo Trip with a 115-113 thriller in Sacramento. Both have little time to recoup at noted difficult places to win on Thursday night. According to Sportsbook.com, Miami is a 9.5-point dog at Cleveland, while San Antonio is favored at Portland by 2.
Wade vs James –Round 3
Miami (24-25 SU & ATS) has lost its first two games this season to Cleveland, both at home and travels to Quicken Loans Arena for the first time this campaign. The Cavaliers (39-11, 26-23-1 ATS) have the superior team as the records prove, but the matchup, though not head-to-head, of Dwyane Wade and LeBron James brings out the best of both players and teams. In the prior contests, each player has scored over 30 points, with Wade holding a slight edge 68 to 66 in total points scored.
Cleveland is a decided favorite at 9.5-points with a total of 187.5. Miami is 5-2 off a straight up loss and in the midst of playing eight of nine away from home. “This is a tough road trip we are on. We have to focus game to game,” said Wade last night. The Heat are 2-7 and 3-6 ATS playing without rest this season, losing by an unseemly 12 points per game.
If Miami is starting to feel the heat of playing a number of games away from home, Cleveland is just scorching. The Cavaliers have won nine in a row and has covered five straight spreads, three by double digits. Since slipping past Miami four games ago, the Cavs average margin of victory has been 19 per game. Cleveland is 38-18-1 ATS off a win by double digits and has covered last five outings with a day of rest. This is the opener on TNT starting at 8:00 Eastern, with Cleveland 8-1 and 6-3 ATS in previous nine get-togethers.
Deep breath and move on
The San Antonio Spurs have not been of recent vintage this season, with a 28-19 record (23-23-1 ATS), despite having played 29 home games, the most in the NBA. With the rodeo in San Antonio, that means the Spurs head out of town and the schedule starts to balance itself. San Antonio played its first of eight consecutive road games in Sac-Town last night and escaped with a two-point victory, thanks to the exploits of backup point guard George Hill. The second year player has taken over for an injured Tony Parker, scoring 23 points and dishing out a career high nine assists, drawing the praise of his head coach.
“George is probably the most improved player in the whole league,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “From his rookie year last year to this year he’s starting to get confident and played well at both ends of the floor. He’s going to be a really fine player for us.” The Spurs will need similar performance or better at Portland (29-22, 28-22-1 ATS) tonight since they are 4-9 ATS as visitors against teams with winning home record.
The Trailblazers have been dealing with injury issues of their own, with Greg Oden again done for the season and Brandon Roy having missed eight straight contests with strained right hamstring. Portland is 3-5 (4-4 ATS) during this stretch without Roy; however his replacement Jerryd Bayless has been better than adequate, averaging 14.6 PPG and shooting nearly 50 percent. The Blazers have not been their usual dominant selves at the Rose Garden with a 17-9 SU record and .500 against the spread. After being whipped by Utah 118-105 Wednesday, Portland is 6-1 ATS of late off a SU loss and 6-0 ATS after surrendering 100 or more points.
The Blazers have won three of last four at home against San Antonio, beating the oddsmakers number each time. The point spread has Tim Duncan’s club opening as two-point favorites, which does not correlate to rest for each team. The Spurs are 3-5 SU and ATS with zero days off, while Portland is 8-3 SU and ATS in exact same situation and 12-3 ATS dating back to last season. The tipoff will be at approximately 10:35 Eastern.
The StatFox Power Lines for these games show Cleveland by 13, Portland by 4
NBA: Denver seeks net profit against New Jersey2009-11-24The Denver Nuggets haven’t lost a regular-season home game in nearly nine months. That winning streak shouldn’t be in much danger against the New Jersey Nets. Denver looks to improve to 6-0 at the Pepsi Center on Tuesday night when it faces a Nets team that is approaching the worst start in NBA history. Sportsbook.com oddsmakers have reacted as expected, installing Denver as a 13-point favorite. Expect bettors to be backing the hosts big-time by tip-off.
Coming off a 106-99 road loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday, the Nuggets (9-4, 7-6 ATS) rebounded with a 112-93 victory over visiting Chicago on Saturday.
“This was a tough win for us, especially coming off a tough loss, tough loss,” point guard Chauncey Billups said after scoring 21 points. “We feel like we need to get as many games at home as we can, and the only way we can do that is try to win as many games at home as we can. There’s going to be some tough nights, but we do focus on establishing a great home court.”
Denver has gone undefeated in 15 games at the Pepsi Center since a 97-95 loss to Houston on March 9 and is 30-13 ATS off a home win over the last two seasons.
The Nuggets will try to extend that home-court dominance against the Nets (0-13, 4-9 ATS), who are four losses from tying the league’s worst start shared by Miami in 1988-89 and the Clippers in 1998-99.
New Jersey, which opens a four-game western trip Tuesday, lost 98-91 to New York on Saturday.
“I’ve never been in a situation like this,” said guard Chris Douglas-Roberts, averaging 18.1 points and 5.5 rebounds. “I really can’t describe the feeling I have right now. I take every loss very hard, but this many losses without a win, I really don’t know what to feel. I don’t know where I’m at right now. Mentally, it’s tough.”
New Jersey has lost 12 in a row for the first time since a 14-game skid from Jan. 19-Feb. 20, 1990 and is 21-39 ATS in non-conference games the last few years.
The Nets got back All-Star point guard Devin Harris after he missed the previous 10 games with a strained right groin. He came off the bench and contributed 12 points and seven assists. “It’s frustrating all the way around and you can see it on guys’ faces,” Harris said. It’s also frustrating to Nets backers who are 10-22 ATS playing against teams with win percentage of 60 to 70 percent over the last three seasons.
With a chance to avoid matching the franchise’s worst start, the Nets fell to 0-5 with a 122-94 loss to the visiting Nuggets on Nov. 4. Denver trailed by one at halftime but outscored New Jersey 44-26 in the third quarter, with Billups scoring all 12 of his points in the period and Carmelo Anthony adding 11 of his 22.
Anthony, the NBA’s leading scorer at 30.5 points per game, shot 58.8 percent from the field in his last four games after hitting 36.4 percent or less in five of his previous six contests. With New Jersey lacking any offensive continuity, the Nuggets are 12-2 ATS in home games versus poor passing teams, averaging 20 assists or less game.
Denver guard J.R. Smith is shooting 43.7 percent, and his ability to score in bunches from long range makes him a consistent threat. Smith scored 12 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter Saturday, hitting two 3s in the period. “He’s an explosive player,” coach George Karl said. “I thought we ran a couple of plays that got him going.”
Sportsbook.com has Denver as heavy chalk at -13, with total of 203. The Nuggets are 13-3 ATS vs. poor rebounding teams, being outrebounded three or more per game and are is 7-0 UNDER after a combined score of 205 points or more this season. New Jersey is 5-14 ATS as an underdog of 10 or more points and is 11-2 UNDER this season.
This matchup is on the YES Network at 9:00 Eastern, with the Nuggets having won and covered five of six against the Nets.
The StatFox Power Line shows Denver by 16, meaning there is still some wiggle room in the Sportsbook.com price.
NBA: Philadelphia and Houston in Mega Matchups2009-04-24The 76ers and Rockets both made good on the proverbial “we’re just happy for split” statement to open their respective NBA series’. Each did so in different, yet dramatic fashion and now they have opportunity to not only maintain homecourt advantage, but start placing themselves in position to possibly upset higher seeds in first round of playoff basketball. There is one big difference in the prospects for these clubs however. Philadelphia is a rather sizeable 3.5-point underdog, while the Rockets are heavy 5.5-point favorites. Get the latest info on these games on the TEAM STATISTICS & BETTING TRENDS pages before hitting the confirm button on your wagers.
Orlando at Philadelphia
The Sixers have covered both games in this series and they have proven unequivocally they can play with Orlando, in spite of closing the season so poorly. Philadelphia has shown if they double-down on Dwight Howard at just the right moment, they can limit his and Magic’s effectiveness in the half-court offense. Philadelphia has played with enough defensive energy to limit the effectiveness of Orlando guards and wing players for long stretches.
While it is evident Orlando has the better team; the Sixers have more athleticism and have used that to their advantage even after making bone-headed plays. Philly is less than intimidating 24-17 and 18-20-1 ATS at home and they are 11-22 ATS versus good offensive teams scoring 99 or more points a game this season.
This is a young team that can be fueled by emotion, with Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young leading the way. They’ve learned in the first two games the Magic are not focused enough about playing hard for four quarters and can be had with steadier play. Orlando does present a different challenge on the road, where they are 27-14 SU and ATS. The Magic were not as magical at the end of the season in the bright blue uniforms, with .500 record in last ten tries.
Sportsbook.com has Philadelphia as 3.5-point home underdogs with a total of 191 and they are 10-3 ATS on the receiving end of 4.5 or fewer points at the Wachovia Center. Orlando is a slick 12-4 ATS in road games where the total is between 190 and 199.5 points this season, but just 4-9 ATS as favorites in last 13 contests.
One thing to watch for has been the bizarre behavior of Magic coach Stan Van Gundy's courtside manner. Van Gundy has been incredibly frustrated, visibly berating players, which isn’t the brightest idea come playoff time. (Maybe their was more to Pat Riley taking over in Miami when they won the title than we heard) His actions and wild-eyed looks bring to mind the crazed looks of former Dallas coach Avery Johnson in the finals against the Heat, which ultimately became his demise.
If the 76ers can get Orlando off their game and play shoddy defense, they’ll pull the upset and improve to 39-17 ATS versus teams who average seven or less steals a game. This contest will be on ESPN2 starting at 8:05 Eastern.
Portland at Houston
Houston governed the opener of the series and didn’t play especially well in the second game, but still lost by only four, 107-103. Portland made a number of fine adjustments, both physically and mentally to even up series at one.
The Blazers doubled Yao Ming more frequently, fronting him with Joel Przybilla and having backside support from Greg Oden. Though Ming said he expected such tactics, he didn’t respond well to it, with 11 points and eight rebounds, while getting into foul trouble.
It's a combination," Rockets coach Rick Adelman said of the problems getting Yao touches. "He has to find a way to get position better. He has to find a way to hold their people off. And we have to have patience to look for him. We ran some stuff and he came in the middle with a guy on his back and we chucked it up there." Houston has covered five of last six off a straight up defeat.
Portland also brought a more aggressive outlook and it especially paid off for its two best players. Guard Brandon Roy was almost unstoppable with 42 points and LaMarcus Aldridge had 27 points and 12 rebounds.
Now we know what we have to do," Aldridge said. "We have to be physical with these guys and play with confidence." The Blazers are 26-10 ATS after playing a game as a home favorite this season.
The chess match continues and it is Houston’s turn to make move. The effort will certainly have to be increase from Game 2, with Ming, Shane Battier and Luis Scola playing more like they did on the first contest. The Rockets are 19-10 ATS off one or more losses this season, winning by average of 7.3 points per game. They have to return to keeping Roy in virtual square-shaped defensive box on the floor, always having defender in his face and Scola has to reassert aggressiveness against Aldridge.
Houston’s a 5.5-point favorite, with total of 184.5. The Rockets have won 10 of last 11 (5-6 ATS) at Toyota Center against Portland and this could be defensive tussle. The Trailblazers are 12-4 UNDER after a combined score of 205 points or more and the Rockets are 11-3 UNDER after allowing 105 points or more this season. This Western Conference confrontation begins at 9:35 Eastern on ESPN.
NBA: NBA All-Star Game (7:20 PM ET, TNT)2009-02-16The best players of the NBA will again take center stage for the entertainment extravaganza known as the 2009 NBA All-Star Game from Phoenix on Sunday. Sportsbook.com will be your home for betting on this annual basketball showcase, with the options including game lines, totals, and numerous prop opportunities. Find out all that is available by visiting the LIVE ODDS page.
Last season, the East defeated the West 134-128 with LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers garnering MVP honors. That was the second time in three years that he took home the trophy and with he and Kobe Bryant forming their own personal head-to-head dual, the MVP honor for ’09 figures to come down to those two and which side wins the game. We’re here to look at that prospect as well as to dig up some key handicapping information from past all-star games in order to help you if you choose to partake in this year’s proceedings. The West is a 4-1/2 point favorite with a total of 263.
James is the inarguable star for the East, but the rest of the starters include Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic, Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics, Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat and Allen Iverson of the Detroit Pistons. On the bench for the East are all-stars Rashard Lewis of the Orlando Magic, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics, Devin Harris of the New Jersey Nets, Mo Williams of the Cavaliers, Danny Granger of the Indiana Pacers and Joe Johnson of the Atlanta Hawks. Allen and Williams were named subs last week.
Iverson is the only player whose worthiness appears to be under question, so expect the rest of the East guards to receive additional playing time.
The West All-Stars starters include Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets, assuming he’s able to go with his groin injury, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, Amare Stoudemire of the Phoenix Suns, Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs and Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets. The bench of the West will include Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs, Chauncey Billups of the Denver Nuggets, Brandon Roy of the Portland Trail Blazers, David West of the New Orleans Hornets, Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks, Pau Gasol of the Los Angeles Lakers and Shaquille O’Neal of the Phoenix Suns.
Coaching the East will be Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown, and the coach of the West will be Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson. The West figures to have a size advantage, with six players towering at 7-foot or more in height. If anything, the speed could be the advantage of the East. Of course, being in Phoenix, the “home court advantage” will again be favoring the West for the 6th straight season. Officially, the East hosted the ’07 game in Vegas, but the regional edge was to the West.
It is commonly believed that the balance of power in the NBA has shifted in recent years from the Western Conference to the Eastern. Boston helped validate that theory by winning the championship last season. This year, the trend seems to be continuing, with three of the league’s four elite teams leading their respective divisions in the East. As of press time, the Lakers, Boston, Cleveland, and Orlando were all within two games of one another.
In terms of head-to-head records in non-conference play this season, through action on Thursday, the East was 20-games above .500 against the West. Compare that to last season, when the West was +43 games at that same point, and two years ago when the West was +49. The East’s success in ’08-09 has been top-to-bottom too, as only five of the conference’s 15 teams were under .500 in non-conference action.
Still, even with that edge going to the East, it’s no real surprise that the West opened as the 4-1/2 point favorite. After all, it has been favored every year since 2001. Here are a few other trends that have formed in recent years in the NBA mid-season extravaganza:
* The straight up winner has taken all but one of the last eight games ATS.
* The Eastern Conference in on an all-star game run of 4-1 ATS, all as the underdog.
* The so-called “road team” has won ATS in the L7 NBA All-star games.
* OVER the total has converted in two straight games and five of the L7.
* The last five all-star game MVP’s are on rosters for the ’09 game.
So, who will win? More importantly, who should we bet on? Most often, that question can be answered by determining these two things: 1) Which roster is better? And 2) Which team will play with more cohesiveness? While it is impossible for anyone to know enough about #2 other than pure speculation, it IS possible to evaluate the first question. This can be done both from perception and quantitatively.
If you read last year’s piece I did on this same subject, I used a unique formula to determine which roster was more talented. It led me to predict a 128-126 win for the East. I’ll do the same this year.
My exercise involves taking into account the popular Hollinger Ratings on ESPN.com used for evaluating Player Efficiency (PER). I’ve estimated the minutes the starters and reserves will play and have come up with a theoretical TOTAL TEAM EFFICIENCY RATING which I use to justify a pointspread play for Sunday’s game.
- East Total PER: 5376.82
- West Total PER: 5605.46
According to the results, assuming the minutes played breakdown is somewhat near accurate, the West roster is about 4.2% better in terms of cumulative player efficiency ratings. That’s a decent sized margin for an all-star contest, much bigger than last season.
The West would also seem to be a more motivated team this year, looking to silence critics that think the East is the better conference now. Add to that the talent margin inside, and at point, I’d have to give the West the edge on the pointspread at anything less than 4-points. Prediction: West 133, East 122.
Year: Site - Score (SU/ATS, Betting Result) - MVP
2009: Phoenix - ? (?, ?) - ?
2008: New Orleans - East 134, West (-7.5, 260.5) 128; (East / East, Away-Dog-Over) - Lebron James - Cleveland
2007: Las Vegas - West (-4.5, 258) 153, East 132; (West / West, NONE-Fave-Over) - Kobe Bryant - LA Lakers
2006: Houston - East 122, West (-4.5, 257) 120; (East / East, Away-Dog-Under) - Lebron James - Cleveland
2005: Denver - East 125, West (-5.5, 263.5) 115; (East / East, Away-Dog-Under) - Allen Iverson - Philadelphia
2004: Los Angeles - West (-7.5, 255) 136, East 132; (West / East, Away-Dog-Over) - Shaquille O'Neal - LA Lakers
2003: Atlanta - West (-5, 255.5) 155, East 145; (West / West, Away-Fave-Over) - Kevin Garnett - Minnesota
2002: Philadelphia - West (-2, 252.5) 135, East 120; (West / West, Away-Fave-Over) - Kobe Bryant - LA Lakers
2001: Washington, D.C. - East 111, West (-4, 256.5) 110; (East / East, Home-Dog-Under) - Allen Iverson - Philadelphia
NBA Top Weekend Power Trends2008-11-21Wednesday and Thursday offered several different showdowns between the top contenders in the NBA. When the action was said and done, not surprisingly, it was Boston and Los Angeles left standing atop their respective conferences. We’ve already seen a ton of early stories developing, and through the first three weeks, eight teams have reached the 8-win mark. Amazingly, none of those clubs are from the Southwest Division, which saw four teams win more than 50 games in ’07-08. Here’s a look at what’s on tap for this weekend, including the Top StatFox Power Trends to consider.
On Friday there are 13 big games to whet your wagering appetite. The ESPN doubleheader features Houston visiting Washington followed by New Orleans taking on the Thunder in Oklahoma City. The Rockets go into the weekend as the only team over .500 in the once power Southwest Division. At 7-5, they lead the Hornets by one game. The Wizards meanwhile are struggling, off to a 1-8 start. The nightcap is a mismatch of sorts as well, with Oklahoma City having won just once in its first 12 games. Still, the Hornets are just 3-7 ATS and playing as a 10-point road favorite, so winning and covering the number might be two different stories. Other key games to keep an eye on Friday include Utah/San Antonio and Denver/Los Angeles.
Saturday’s board offers nine games, including a quick turnaround rematch between New Orleans and Oklahoma City. After playing at their part-time home from a couple years back on Friday, the Hornets will return to their current home on Saturday. With the spread having been set at 10 at OKC, expect a mid-teens line for this one. Much of HC Byron Scott’s team’s early struggles can be attributed to their opponents shooting 45.8% from the floor so far. With the Thunder shooting just 40.7%, look for those season numbers to improve for New Orleans over the next two days. Elsewhere on Saturday is a showdown in the East between Atlanta and Cleveland. The Hawks have cooled of late, going 1-4 SU & ATS in their L5 games heading into the weekend after the 6-1 start. Cleveland has been stellar at home, winning its first six games, all convincingly.
The weekend gets wrapped up with five Sunday contests, including one for the early risers. Boston visits Toronto for a 12:35 PM ET start, so be sure to get your action down on this one before the NFL kicks off. The Celtics remain the class of the East, having proven it on Thursday in their easy 98-80 win over Detroit. At 10-2, they have only covered the spread five times however. Toronto is just 3-5 in its L8 games after opening the season with three straight wins. A bit later in the day, Golden State will visit Philadelphia at 5:05 PM ET, and Chicago will continue its long west coast trip with a visit to Denver at 9:05 PM ET.
Here are some of the top StatFox Power Trends that will be in play over the next three days.
Friday, 11/21/2008
(501) NEW JERSEY at (502) TORONTO 7:05 PM
NEW JERSEY is 3-14 ATS (-12.4 Units) in road games vs. good 3PT shooting teams (>=36%) over L2 seasons. The average score was NEW JERSEY 93.4, OPPONENT 106.4 - (Rating = 2*)
(515) UTAH at (516) SAN ANTONIO 8:35 PM
SAN ANTONIO is 33-14 ATS (+17.6 Units) at home vs. good shooting teams (>=46% of their shots) over L3 seasons. The average score was SAN ANTONIO 100.9, OPPONENT 92.0 - (Rating = 2*)
(523) DENVER at (524) LA LAKERS 10:35 PM
LA LAKERS are 0-10 ATS (-11.0 Units) vs. good defensive teams (shooting pct defense <=43%) over L2 seasons. The average score was LA LAKERS 94.4, OPPONENT 105.2 - (Rating = 3*)
(525) CHICAGO at (526) GOLDEN STATE 10:35 PM
GOLDEN ST is 1-10 ATS (-10.0 Units) at home vs. up-tempo teams averaging >=83 FG Atts/game over L2 seasons. The average score was GOLDEN STATE 112.7, OPPONENT 111.8 - (Rating = 1*)
Saturday, 11/22/2008
(703) MILWAUKEE at (704) CHARLOTTE 7:05 PM
MILWAUKEE is 32-54 ATS (-27.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over L3 seasons. The average score was MILWAUKEE 98.2, OPPONENT 102.8 - (Rating = 1*)
(707) ATLANTA at (708) CLEVELAND 7:35 PM
CLEVELAND is 26-12 ATS (+12.8 Units) vs. good offensive teams - scoring 99+ PPG over L2 seasons. The average score was CLEVELAND 98.2, OPPONENT 97.4 - (Rating = 1*)
(715) UTAH at (716) MEMPHIS 8:05 PM
UTAH is 40-17 ATS (+21.3 Units) vs. terrible 3 point shooting teams -making <=30% of their attempts since 1996. The average score was UTAH 98.1, OPPONENT 89.0 - (Rating = 2*)
Sunday, 11/23/2008
(501) BOSTON at (502) TORONTO 12:35 PM
BOSTON is 25-8 ATS (+16.2 Units) in road games vs. good 3PT shooting teams (>=36%) over L3 seasons. The average score was BOSTON 95.2, OPPONENT 93.2 - (Rating = 2*)
(503) GOLDEN STATE at (504) PHILADELPHIA 5:05 PM
Cheeks is 10-21 ATS (-13.1 Units) vs. explosive offensive teams scoring 103+ PPG ascoach of PHILADELPHIA. The average score was PHILADELPHIA 98.0, OPPONENT 105.5 - (Rating = 1*)
(509) SACRAMENTO at (510) LA LAKERS 9:35 PM
LA LAKERS are 36-12 ATS (+22.8 Units) vs. poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ PPG over L2 seasons. The average score was LA LAKERS 113.0, OPPONENT 102.1 - (Rating = 3*)
