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ORLANDO MAGIC (13-4) at CHICAGO BULLS (9-6)
2010-12-01
Sportsbook.com using Chicago -2 & 194 (Line & total both unchanged)
The Magic are feeling good having won eight of the past nine games as they head to Chicago for the first of three Eastern Conference road games. Orlando welcomed back the return of Vince Carter, who missed three consecutive games with a knee injury, as he dropped 13 points in the 90-79 win over Detroit Tuesday night. Jameer Nelson, averaging 14.6 PPG and 6.8 APG, will have a tough defensive matchup against the fresh-legged Derrick Rose. Rose has played beautifully in the past six contests (DNP against Denver, sore neck), with 30.5 PPG to raise his season scoring average to 26.6 (third in NBA). Rose is also eighth in the league in assists with 8.2 APG.
Orlando is 4-2 SU on the road but has not been making bettors happy with a 0-6 ATS road record. Tired legs could be an issue for the Magic Wednesday night in Chicago, where the Bulls are 5-1 SU (3-3 ATS) and have three days of rest under their belt. After a two-week, seven-game road trip (4-3 SU, 6-1 ATS), the Bulls return to United Center where they are 5-1 SU (3-3 ATS). Chicago ended its road trip (due to the circus in town) with a 96-85 win in Sacramento. Wednesday’s matchup will be a fun one in the paint as the second-highest rebounder, Joakim Noah (13.2 RPG) faces the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and fourth-best rebounder, Dwight Howard (12.1 RPG).
85% of action at Sportsbook.com is behind the underdog Magic, in spite of the fact that the Bulls have covered five straight.
Orlando crushed the Bulls by 20 in the last meeting in Chicago, but the series is an even 2-2 (SU and ATS) in Chicago over the past three seasons. Even though the Magic have won five of the last seven overall, the well-rested Bulls look good to win one at home.
Play On - Home teams (CHICAGO) - after successfully covering the spread in 4 or more consecutive games, in a game involving two good teams (60% to 75%). (30-10 over the last 5 seasons.) (75%, +19 units. Rating = 2*).
NBA: Dallas at Orlando (8:00 PM ET, ESPN)
2010-02-19
NBA Friday finds two games on ESPN, with the first one matching the Dallas Mavericks and Orlando Magic. The new-look Mavericks aren’t commanding a whole lot of respect from oddsmakers, as they’ve been installed as 6-point dogs on the road for this one, according to Sportsbook.com.
Carron Butler isn’t off to a great start with the Dallas Mavericks, but he could be in line for a big game his next time out against one of his favorite opponents. The Southwest Division-leading Mavericks have split two games with their new players, with Butler shooting 31.3 percent (10 for 32) and averaging 14.0 points.
The veteran swingman, though, has excelled this season against Orlando (37-18, 26-25-4 ATS), averaging 27.0 points in two wins for Washington. He scored 31 points and hit a 19-foot jumper with 0.5 seconds left to cap a rally from 21 down in a 92-91 win Feb. 10 in his last visit to Orlando.
The Southeast Division-leading Magic remember that shot well. “He played for the Wizards, not Dallas so the Wizards beat us,” guard Vince Carter said. “Right now, it’s our next opponent and that’s just who’s in our way.”
Haywood could be the bigger factor Friday as he’ll try to contain Magic All-Star center Dwight Howard, who averaged 21.5 points and 15.0 rebounds going up against the former Wizards big man this season. Haywood, though, was also fairly productive with averages of 11.5 points and 12.5 rebounds in those games.
Dallas used strong defense against the league’s highest-scoring team to win 107-97 at home over Phoenix on Wednesday, unfortunately they are just 28-44 ATS after a win by 10 points or more over the last three seasons.
Orlando opened a three-game homestand with a 116-91 rout of Detroit on Wednesday. Howard had 33 points, 17 rebounds and seven blocks in the Magic’s eighth win in 10 games. Orlando has had consecutive slow defense starts and they are 8-2 ATS after allowing 55 points or more in the first half in two straight games.
They finish this home stretch against two contenders, facing league-leading Cleveland on Sunday. The Mavericks and Cavaliers have both made major moves before the trade deadline, but Orlando is seemingly content with its roster.
“We wanna win a championship,” Howard said. “We can’t focus in on what other teams are doing. We have to focus in on what we’re doing to get better.” Part of what Howard and teammates have done IS win and they are 73-46 ATS having won two of their last three contests since 2007-08 campaign.
The Mavs have won five of six against the Magic (3-3 ATS), taking three straight in Orlando, all covers. Nowitzki is averaging 26.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4.7 assists in those games for Dallas, which is trying to avoid its first three-game road slide. They are 13-5 OVER after scoring 105 points or more this season. Though not as dreadful as the Mavs, the Magic haven’t exactly had a lucky rabbit’s foot, with a 5-11 ATS mark when coming off a cover.
Sportsbook.com has the Mavericks receiving six-points with total of 201.5. Here is where it gets weird. Are you ready for this; Dallas hasn’t covered back to back games since Nov. 25-27, a span of 11 chances with no success.
This is the ESPN Friday night opener at 8:00 Eastern and Orlando is 10-1 UNDER on Friday nights this season. The StatFox Power Line shows Orlando by 11.
NBA: Do the Houston Rockets even have chance?
2009-05-05
Coach Rick Adelman's squad has engineered one upset in the NBA Playoffs; do they have a chance for another? Conventional wisdom would suggest no, going up against seemingly invincible Los Angeles Lakers, who have all the parts needed to win a NBA title. Houston lost all four games and failed to cover the spread against the Lakers this season, falling by an average of 13 points per game. No NBA team has ever won a best of seven series after losing all four contests to opponent.
Houston has only two areas that they look to have a potential edge, but they are important ones. At the center position is Yao Ming, who is bigger and more skilled than Andrew Bynum. If Ming can draw quick fouls to put Bynum on the bench, that forces coach Phil Jackson to slide Pau Gasol to play center and Ming can physically overpower him. Though Ming is mechanical and slow-footed, he has figured out how to beat double-teams with a feathery touch from about 10 feet.
The other position on the floor where the Rockets should exploit L.A. is at point guard. Aaron Brooks looks like the Energizer Bunny compared to Derek Fisher and should run circles around him on the offensive end of the floor.
Ron Artest and Shane Battier will take their shots at guarding Kobe Bryant, who averaged 28.3 points per game against Houston. Those two will try to get physical against Bryant to wear him down. Forward Luis Scola is a bit of a wild card and is very solid, not making many mistakes and can be punishing to Lakers in the frontcourt. Houston wears the underdog collar well and is 6-2 ATS as playoff dogs of five to 10 points. But will it be enough?
Los Angeles was too often a disinterested team when building big leads against Utah, and Houston is much more skilled at playing defense and controlling tempo, contrarian to how the Lakers want to play. Though the always lovable Ron-Ron is one frown away from being combustible, he seems oblivious to being a step slower with 10 years under his belt and is all-NBA trash-talker.
Kobe has to keep his cool and let his play speak for him. Houston dismantled Portland 92-76 in Game 6 to cover the 5.5-point spread and they are 13-29 ATS after a game where they covered the spread this season. Though Bynum's game is less polished than Ming's, he has enough power moves to attract silly fouls on him and he can use his quickness to thwart Ming's size.
The Lakers are 16-6 ATS versus teams outscoring opponents by three or more points a game and if Lamar Odom wants to make a name for himself, the Rockets are perfect foil, since they don't have a player on the roster to stop him if he doesn't want to be stopped.
Fisher will try to run Brooks ragged thru screens in the triangle offense and if he hits outside shots, he can negate the former Oregon Ducks speed edge.
The first two games will be at the Staples Center where the gold-clad Lakers are 39-5 (21-23 ATS) and have covered six of last seven with three or more days rest. In the series opener, L.A. is an eight-point favorite with total of 193 at Sportsbook.com. A focused Los Angeles squad is 9-1 ATS at home after three or more consecutive Unders and 6-2 OVER after a victory.
Houston has to play their game, but doing so on could be problematic, as they are 2-6 ATS recently against teams with winning home records. They are also 11-3 OVER after a blowout win by 15 points or more this season.
The Lakers are huge -1200 favorites to win the series, but Houston is capable of forcing the Lakers hand if they stay scatterbrained. TNT has Game 1 at 10:35 Eastern, watch to see who sets the pace for later profits.
NBA: NBA Duel in Denver (10:35 PM ET, TNT)
2009-03-06
One of the most exciting divisional races in the NBA at this point in the season is that in the Northwest Division, where Denver & Portland are separated by just ½ game. The two teams get together in the Mile High City tonight in a key TNT televised clash. Get the latest line & total for this contest by visiting the LIVE ODDS page.
For whatever reasons, normally the Northwest Division doesn’t get much play nationally. Everybody has heard of Denver, Portland, Salt Lake City, Minneapolis and to a much lesser degree Oklahoma City, but none of them are vacation spots or have deep-rooted history like a Boston of Philadelphia. From the basketball perspective, this division is the only one since realignment that has never had a NBA champion which may be another reason not many pay attention. But as we head down the backstretch of another NBA campaign, the Northwest has a scintillating three team horse race, all grouped right together, with quite a finish anticipated.
The top two teams are Denver (39-22, 33-27-1 ATS) and Portland (38-22, 30-29-1 ATS) and they will do battle on TNT tonight in tussle for the division lead.
Two weeks ago, the Nuggets had a moderately comfortable 3.5-game lead in the division, but after losing five of seven (1-6 ATS), including the last two, they are tied in the loss column with the Trailblazers. Portland has not backed into this position either, winners of six of last eight, including a non-cover over Indiana last night 107-105.
The Blazers are 25-11 ATS after scoring 105 or more points and this is a critical game for them based on scheduling. Portland has been a superb home team all season, yet like many young teams; find the road not nearly as friendly. The Blazers are 13-17 and 12-18 ATS as visitors and if they could manage to win tonight and take over first place, their next four games are back in Oregon, where they are 25-5.
Denver traveled into the Midwest and found an Indiana team that is playing competitive and was beaten, which was followed by the misfortune of playing at Detroit who has regained confidence. The Nuggets star, Carmelo Anthony, sat out the Pistons game after coach George Karl suspended him for one game, basically for insubordination. Anthony returns and the last thing Denver needs at the moment is locker room issues, since they have to travel to Utah tomorrow, who has won nine in a row and is one game behind the Nuggets.
Sportsbook.com has Denver as 4.5-point home favorites with a total of 198.5. The Nuggets are 23-9 ATS after playing two consecutive road games and have shown a tendency to play Over when favored by 3.5 to 9.5 points with 35-21 OVER mark. Brandon Roy and the Trailblazers have blazed a winning wager trail with 11-2 ATS record after playing two games as a home favorite this season and are 18-6 UNDER after scoring 100 points or more in consecutive outings.
These division rivals have split a pair of games this season, each winning and covering on home floor. In the history between these clubs, Denver has held the upper hand in the Mile High City with 18-6 and 16-7-1 ATS record, with the total going OVER 73.9 percent of the time. Tip off is set for 10:35 Eastern.
StatFox Power Line – Denver by 2
NBA Top Weekend Power Trends
2008-12-19
A check of the NBA standings after a month-and-a-half reveals that the balance of power has shifted to the Eastern Conference. After being dominated by the West for most of this decade, the East has finally rebounded, boasting three of the league’s top four teams. In fact, as a show of this strength, on Thursday night, the Orlando Magic manhandled the Spurs to become the league’s fourth 20-game winner, joining Boston, the Lakers, and Cleveland. All four teams will be in action this weekend, and all are playing well enough to earn your trust and betting dollar. Here’s a look at the games over the next few days, plus this weekend’s top StatFox Power Trends to consider.
On Friday there are 12 games to whet your wagering appetite. The ESPN doubleheader features the Lakers visiting Miami followed by Cleveland taking on the Nuggets in the Mile High City. Los Angeles is the only one of our four top teams to be under-.500 against the spread at 11-13 ATS. However, the heat are the league’s worst team against the number so far at 8-16 ATS. They have won seven of 12 games at home. The Cavaliers are playing the third game of a 4-game road trip. They’ve won 12 of their L13 games both SU & ATS, but haven’t won in Denver since 2004. Elsewhere on Friday, the Jazz will look for a 6th straight win over the Pistons when they visit the Motor City, Chicago will take on the Celtics in Boston.
Saturday’s board offers ten games, none bigger than the Lakers and Magic from the land of Disney World. Kobe & Co. will be playing the second half of their annual back-to-back Florida road swing after visiting Miami on Friday night. After beating the Spurs Thursday, Orlando advanced to 9-3 at home. They are also 10-4 SU & ATS vs. the Western Conference this season, another sign of how far the East has come the last couple of years. Other big games on the Saturday slate include Utah visiting Chicago on a back-to-back, and Denver taking on the Suns in Phoenix. HC Terry Porter’s team continues to struggle with inconsistency and is 5-14 ATS over the last month or so.
The weekend gets wrapped up with four Sunday contests, including one matinee affair between the Pistons and Hawks from Atlanta, a 2:05 PM ET start. Detroit has won eight of its L9 vs. Atlanta but of course, these Hawks are much improved over most of the teams accounting for that horrid stretch. However, they are in the midst of a tough bit of scheduling in which they’ve faced many of the league’s top teams. Later on in the evening, Boston hosts a New York, Dallas visits the nation’s capitol, and Cleveland concludes its road trip in Oklahoma City versus the Thunder, who went into the weekend with a 2-24 record.
Here are some of the top StatFox Power Trends that will be in play over the next three days.
Friday, 12/19/2008
(507) CHICAGO vs. (508) BOSTON
BOSTON is 40-21 ATS (+16.9 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ PPG over L2 seasons. The average score was BOSTON 102.9, OPPONENT 91.5 - (Rating = 2*)
(509) DALLAS vs. (510) NEW JERSEY
DALLAS is 17-5 UNDER (+11.5 Units) vs poor passing teams, averaging <=20 assists/game over L2 seasons. The average score was DALLAS 97.7, OPPONENT 93.7 - (Rating = 2*)
(515) CHARLOTTE vs. (516) MEMPHIS
MEMPHIS is 27-9 OVER (+17.1 Units) as a home favorite over L3 seasons. The average score was MEMPHIS 108, OPPONENT 107.6 - (Rating = 2*)
(517) LA LAKERS vs. (518) MIAMI
LA LAKERS are 15-2 ATS (+12.8 Units) vs. poor rebounding teams - outrebounded by 3+ RPG over L2 seasons. The average score was LA LAKERS 113.7, OPPONENT 101.5 - (Rating = 3*)
(523) CLEVELAND vs. (524) DENVER
George Karl is 19-6 ATS (+12.4 Units) at home vs. good rebounding teams (3+ RPG Diff) as coach of DENVER. The average score was Karl 104.8, OPPONENT 96.5 - (Rating = 2*)
Saturday, 12/20/2008
(707) SACRAMENTO vs. (708) NEW ORLEANS
NEW ORLEANS is 12-1 ATS (+10.9 Units) at home revenging a same season loss vs opponent over L2 seasons. The average score was NEW ORLEANS 102.7, OPPONENT 86.9 - (Rating = 3*)
(707) SACRAMENTO vs. (708) NEW ORLEANS
NEW ORLEANS is 32-14 UNDER (+16.6 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over L2 seasons. The average score was NEW ORLEANS 96.5, OPPONENT 92.6 - (Rating = 2*)
(711) HOUSTON vs. (712) MINNESOTA
Rick Adelman is 39-16 ATS (+21.4 Units) vs poor pressure defenses forcing <=14 TO's/game as coach of HOUSTON. The average score was Adelman 95.4, OPPONENT 87.6 - (Rating = 3*)
(719) DENVER vs. (720) PHOENIX
George Karl is 37-18 ATS (+17.2 Units) vs. marginal winning teams (Win Pct. 51% - 60%) as coach of DENVER. The average score was Karl 104.6, OPPONENT 101.7 - (Rating = 2*)
Sunday, 12/21/2008
(501) DETROIT vs. (502) ATLANTA
DETROIT is 42-22 ATS (+17.8 Units) versus teams who make 6 or more 3PT shots/game over L2 seasons. The average score was DETROIT 96.4, OPPONENT 90.4 - (Rating = 2*)
(503) NEW YORK vs. (504) BOSTON
BOSTON is 16-3 ATS (+12.7 Units) vs. division opponents over L2 seasons. The average score was BOSTON 103.6, OPPONENT 90.1 - (Rating = 3*)