Fact or Fiction
By Mike Rose
VegasInsider.com
The trade deadline is said and done with, and this is the way that teams are going to look for the remainder of the year. Check out this week's edition of NBA Fact or Fiction, as we analyze some of the top NBA betting trends that beg to be debated.
FACT
The Magic Are the Worst Team in the NBA: When you take four players and trade them away for Beno Udrih and a couple of guys that are basically D-League level players, what do you expect to happen? Orlando effectively made itself the worst team in the NBA right now on trade deadline day when it sent off JJ Redick (more on him in a bit) and three others in two trades. That was the goal, though. Lottery picks are key in the NBA, and if the Magic can get in the Top 5 in this year's NBA Draft, they're ahead of the game.
Cleveland's Hot ATS Streak: We really like the way that the Cavs are coming together right now. Since getting Marreese Speights and Wayne Ellington in a salary dump move with the Grizzlies, Cleveland has been on fire, relatively speaking. The team is 7-6 SU and 8-5 ATS to show for its work in those games, and it has averaged 106.2 points per game in that run as well. The Cavaliers aren't ones to be messed with down the stretch.
Miami's Dominance: We have spoken about the Heat the last few weeks, and we continue to do so. LeBron James is still on fire, and the numbers that Miami is putting up are out of this world. The team is averaging over 50 rebounds per game in its last five games, and it has outscored teams by 10.0 points per game in that stretch. Now, there isn't a club out there that is going to catch this team in the Eastern Conference, and we aren't sure whether there is going to be a team ultimately able to run this one down in the entire NBA either.
FICTION
The Bucks Are Better With JJ Redick: We just don't see it. The trade to pick up Redick seemed like a good one at the time, as he was the biggest commodity moved at the deadline. Yes, Redick came off of the bench and scored 16 points in the loss to the Hawks on Sunday, but what did it all mean? Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings are basically the same player, and to put these three on the court at the same time would just be foolish. There's a reason that Milwaukee has lost seven out of eight both SU and ATS dating back to February 2nd.
Indiana's Degree of Domination: The Pacers are good, but they aren't THIS good. They have beaten their last four teams by 27.0 points per game, and the last nine games that they have won have all been won by double digits. The laws of basketball physics have to come into play at some point with this, and that is going to send Indiana back to being an above-average team that will win games by a few points and lose some games, too. We're not suggesting openly fading the Pacers, but we don't want any piece of them right now either.
Detroit's Recent Woes: This more or less goes along with what we just said about the Pacers. The Pistons aren't very good, but they aren't as bad as they were against the Pacers for those two games on Friday and Saturday. Remember that prior to those losses by a combined 50 points, Detroit had won four out of six both SU and ATS. Yes, most of that came against substandard opposition, but when you look at the schedule ahead, you see games against the Hawks at home and the Wizards and Hornets on the road. This is a very doable stretch for a team that might not totally be out of the playoff picture in the East.