Wednesday's NBA betting matchup notes
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Miami at Philadelphia
The teams haven't met this season, but Philadelphia took three of four from Miami last season, including both home games.
Washington at Charlotte
Washington is 10-3 all-time against the Bobcats, including 5-2 in Charlotte.
Indiana at Atlanta
This is Atlanta's first game against the Pacers since dropping three of four meetings last season after sweeping the four-game series in 2005-06.
New York at Orlando
Dwight Howard had 22 points and 20 rebounds in a 112-102 win at New York Nov. 9, but the Knicks won the most recent meeting in Orlando, 94-86 on Feb. 3.
Detroit at New Jersey
The teams have met once this season and Detroit was impressive in a 118-95 home win over New Jersey on Dec. 2.
New Orleans at Memphis
Memphis has lost three in a row to New Orleans - including two at home - and eight of the last nine in the series. The Hornets, though, needed overtime to win both meetings with the Grizzlies this season.
Chicago at San Antonio
Chicago has dropped 14 of 17 against the Spurs, including seven of eight in San Antonio.
Milwaukee at Denver
Milwaukee also has lost eight of nine to the Nuggets since the 2002-03 season, although their one win came in Denver by a 110-89 score in February 2006.
Dallas at Utah
This is the first meeting between the teams since Utah's Deron Williams and Dallas' Josh Howard engaged in a scoring duel in the Mavs' 125-117 victory on Dec. 8.
Boston at Sacramento
The Celtics have lost 11 consecutive games in Sacramento since Feb. 16, 1996.
Minnesota at Golden State
Golden State has won four in a row over the Timberwolves by an average of more than 18 points.
Chicago (9-16, 8-17 ATS) at San Antonio (19-7, 12-12-2 ATS)
Two days after coach Scott Skiles was fired, the disappointing Bulls get the unenviable task of facing a rested Spurs team inside the AT&T Center in San Antonio.
Skiles was relieved of his duties on Monday after Chicago, amid high preseason expectations, stumbled out of the gate, including a pair of blowout losses on Friday in Boston (107-82) and Saturday at home to Houston (116-98). Since seemingly righting their ship with a 4-1 run, the Bulls have dropped five of eight, and they’re 1-5 ATS in their last six.
San Antonio went into the mini holiday break with a 99-90 victory over the Clippers on Saturday, snapping a 1-4 SU slump. However, the Spurs failed to cash as a 15-point home chalk, their third consecutive non-cover, which comes on the heels of a 7-1 ATS tear.
These teams have split their season series each of the past two years. The road team prevailed in the two meetings in 2005, but the host got it done last year, with San Antonio rolling to a 100-83 win as an eight-point home choice and Chicago pulling off a 99-87 upset victory in the Windy City as a 3½-point chalk. Last year’s results snapped a 10-0 ATS run by the visitor in this rivalry.
Chicago is just 4-9 SU and ATS on the highway, with the straight-up winner covering the spread in all 13 contests. Also the Bulls are a miserable 2-10 ATS as an underdog this season.
San Antonio, as usual, has been solid as a rock at home, winning 14 of 15 games (10-5 ATS). Dating to last season, the Spurs are on a 23-9-1 ATS roll at the AT&T Center.
The over is 7-3 in the last 10 series meetings, including 4-1 overall in the last five and 4-1 in games played in San Antonio. Also, for Chicago, the over is currently on runs of 5-2 overall and 3-1 on the highway.
ATS ADVANTAGE: SAN ANTONIO and OVER
Dallas (19-9, 12-15-1 ATS) at Utah (15-14, 13-15-1 ATS)
The road weary Jazz finally get to play a game in the comforts of their own building when they host the red-hot Mavericks in a post-Christmas clash between Western Conference rivals.
Utah has played 18 of its first 29 games on the highway, including a just-concluded month-long stretch that saw the Jazz play 12 of 16 games away from home. On Sunday, Utah capped a brutal four-game, six-day East Coast swing with a 104-102 loss in Miami as a one-point road favorite, dropping to 2-9 SU in its last 11 and 3-9 ATS in its last 12.
What little time Utah has spent at home has been successful, as the Jazz are 9-2 inside the EnergySolutions Arena (7-3 ATS). Dating to last season, Jerry Sloan’s squad is on 15-5-1 ATS roll in Salt Lake City.
Dallas carries a five-game winning streak into this contest, most recently blowing out the Clippers 102-89 as an 11½-point home chalk on Friday night. The Mavs have won seven of their last nine overall, and they’re 5-2-1 ATS in their last eight.
The Mavericks have struggled away from home, going 6-7 SU and 5-8 ATS, and they’re just 5-11 ATS in their last 16 as a visitor going back to last season. However, Dallas did prevail in its most recent road contest, blasting the Rockets 96-83 as a 3½-point underdog on Dec. 15.
These teams have alternated wins and losses in their last five series meetings (2-2-1 ATS), with the winning team scoring at least 100 points in every game. That includes Dallas’ 125-117 triumph as a 5½-point home chalk on Dec. 8, the only previous battle this season.
The home team is 14-3-1 ATS in the last 18 series tussles, with Utah cashing in seven of the last eight played in Salt Lake City. The one blemish came last Jan. 9, when the Mavs’ went to Utah and prevailed 108-105, pushing as a three-point road favorite.
The over has been the play in each of the last three meetings between these squads. However, the under is on current runs of 6-2 for Utah and 6-1 for the Mavericks. The under is also 2-0 in Utah’s last two home games and 4-0 in Dallas’ last four as a visitor.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UTAH and UNDER
gametimepicks.com
NBA Today - December 26
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SCOREBOARD
Wednesday, Dec. 26
Dallas at Utah (9 p.m. EST). The Mavericks have won five straight, while the Jazz have lost nine of 11.
STARS
Tuesday
-LeBron James, Cavaliers, had 25 points, 12 rebounds and six assists as Cleveland routed Miami 96-82.
-Andrew Bynum, Lakers, scored a career-high 28 points with 12 rebounds and a season-high four assists, and Los Angeles beat Phoenix 122-115 for its ninth win in 11 games.
STREAKING
Portland extended the longest current winning streak in the NBA to 11 with an 89-79 victory over Seattle on Tuesday night. It's the best run for the Trail Blazers since they won 12 in a row during the 2001-02 season. Portland has won 12 straight on Christmas Day.
SURGING
Kobe Bryant scored 38 points as the Lakers defeated Phoenix 122-115 Tuesday night for their ninth win in 11 games. Los Angeles moved to a season-best eight games over .500 (18-10) and within one game of the Pacific Division-leading Suns.
TURNING IT AROUND
Cleveland's 96-82 victory over Miami on Tuesday was just the Cavaliers' fourth in 14 games.
HEALTHY
Phoenix forward Grant Hill, hampered by injuries his entire career, started his 27th straight game to open the season Tuesday night in a 122-115 loss to the Lakers. It's his longest streak to open a season since he started the first 39 games for Detroit eight years ago.
REBOUNDS
Cleveland center Zydrunas Ilgauskas had eight rebounds in Tuesday's 96-82 victory over Miami, moving him into second place (4,673) on the Cavs' career rebounding list, passing John ''Hot Rod'' Williams, who had 4,669. Brad Daugherty is first with 5,227.
SPEAKING
''I feel like I could play another game right now. I put in all the hard work just for this. It's paying off. This definitely was one of my better games. Made a pretty big impact, teammates looking for me, wide open a lot of the times and they found me today. So far, perfect Christmas.'' - Lakers center Andrew Bynum after scoring a career-high 28 points and matching his career high by playing 42 minutes in Tuesday night's 122-115 victory over Phoenix.
Swelling, no tear, for McGrady
An MRI exam on Houston Rockets guard Tracy McGrady's left knee showed swelling in the tendon but no damage, the Houston Chronicle reported.
"There was no structural damage," Rockets trainer Keith Jones said. "There was some inflammation in the tendon by the kneecap where the tendon starts.
"That's really it. Now, we stay aggressive with it. We'll change a few things and get it stronger and see where it goes.
"He's still day to day, and we'll see what happens."
McGrady, who is the Rockets' leading scorer at 22.8 points a game, left at halftime of Houston's loss at Detroit on Sunday after aggravating his knee injury.
McGrady injured the knee in the Rockets' loss to Orlando on Dec. 19.
He then sat out a loss at Denver the next day but returned to play 30 minutes in Saturday's defeat of Chicago, scoring 20 points along the way.
Stephon Marbury looks ready to rejoin the New York Knicks again.
Stephon Marbury is set to return for a third time this season when the Knicks face the Magic tonight, the New York Post reported.
Marbury has missed seven of his team's last 11 games after the death of his father on Dec. 2. The Knicks have gone 3-8 during that stretch.
Marbury took his third leave last Thursday after skipping practice because of a combination of flu-like symptoms and personal reasons.
Stephon Marbury looks ready to rejoin the New York Knicks again.
Marbury apparently not set to return
New York, NY (Sports Network) - There were conflicting reports Tuesday whether New York guard Stephon Marbury would return to the team when the Knicks play in Orlando on Wednesday.
Marbury, who last played on December 17 against Indiana, has missed the last three games and seven of the last eight as he continues to mourn the death of his father on December 2.
According to the New York Post, Marbury was expected to re-join the team on its trip to Florida. The newspaper said Marbury was expected to take the team flight to Florida. However, the New York Daily News reports Marbury didn't travel with the team and wasn't likely to play against the Magic.
Marbury played both games of a home-and-home set against Philadelphia earlier in the month but then skipped four straight games before he returned at Madison Square Garden versus the Pacers. Marbury was in uniform for the following game on December 19 versus Cleveland, but received a 'Did Not Play' for the night's action.
The 30-year-old Marbury, who earlier this season had a public feud with head coach Isiah Thomas, is averaging 13.6 points and 4.7 assists for the Knicks in 2007-08. New York, which holds a 3-8 record in the 11 games since Marbury's father's death, is 8-19 on the season and currently in last place in the Atlantic Division.
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