Inside the NBA's Sweet 16
By Tom Stryker
March Madness is officially over and that means it's time for one of the greatest sporting events of the year - the NBA Playoffs.
This year's pro dance could be one of the greatest ever. There are a number of teams capable of winning it all and that should allow for some tremendous battles.
To assist you with your investments throughout the course of the playoffs, I've assembled a couple of solid trends for each of the NBA's Sweet 16 teams. Please note: All records date back to the 1991 NBA Playoffs!
EASTERN CONFERENCE
No. 1 Seed - CHICAGO
Overall Record - 115-55 SU and 92-73 ATS
Solid Team Trends - The Bulls are 49-29-2 ATS on foreign courts and a profitable 33-19-3 ATS coming off a SU loss.
No. 2 Seed - MIAMI
Overall Record - 57-61 SU and 52-62-4 ATS
Solid Team Trends - The Heat are a soft 22-32-2 ATS as a guest, 18-29-2 ATS coming off a SU and ATS win and 20-31-2 ATS priced as an underdog.
No. 3 Seed - BOSTON
Overall Record - 67-62 SU and 65-61-3 ATS
Solid Team Trends - The Shamrocks are a decent 9-6 ATS off back-to-back SU and ATS losses and 12-7-1 ATS versus an opponent off back-to-back SU and ATS wins.
No. 4 Seed - ORLANDO
Overall Record - 54-58 SU and 51-57-4 ATS
Solid Team Trends - The Magic are a feeble 5-14 ATS coming off a SU loss as a favorite and 5-16 ATS facing a foe that enters off a straight up underdog win.
No. 5 Seed - ATLANTA
Overall Record - 29-54 SU and 31-51-1 ATS
Solid Team Trends - The Hawks are an unbelievable 11-32 ATS on the road, 12-37-1 ATS as an underdog and 8-24-1 ATS matched up against a foe that arrives off a blowout win of 10 points or more.
No. 6 Seed - NEW YORK
Overall Record - 72-67 SU and 71-65-3 ATS
Solid Team Trends - 18-9 ATS coming off two or more SU and ATS Wins and 21-14 ATS as an underdog matched up against a foe that checks in off a SU loss.
No. 7 Seed - PHILADELPHIA
Overall Record - 37-46 SU and 39-43-1 ATS
Solid Team Trends - 6-13 ATS if Sixers enter off two or more straight up wins and 10-5 SU and ATS if Philly is matched up against an opponent that arrives off four or more days rest.
No. 8 Seed - INDIANA
Overall Record - 80-72 SU and 82-65-5 ATS
Solid Team Trends - Pacers are a profitable 19-8-2 ATS coming off a blowout loss of eight points or more and 38-22-2 ATS if Indy is battling a foe that scoots in off a SU and ATS victory.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
No. 1 Seed - SAN ANTONIO
Overall Record - 127-94 SU and 119-96 ATS
Solid Team Trends - Spurs own a 35-22-3 ATS mark coming off a pointspread loss of five points or more and a blistering 30-16-3 ATS record facing an opponent that won SU priced as a dog last.
No. 2 Seed - LA LAKERS
Overall Record - 149-94 SU and 117-117-9 ATS
Solid Team Trends - Los Angeles is an outstanding 18-7 ATS coming off a blowout loss of 14 points or more and a woeful 14-26-3 ATS if the Lakers make it to the NBA Finals.
No. 3 Seed - DALLAS
Overall Record - 49-57 SU and 50-54-2 ATS
Solid Team Trends - Mavericks are a stiff 6-15 ATS coming off a straight up underdog win and a dismal 6-12 ATS facing a foe that enters off four or more days rest.
No. 4 Seed - OKLAHOMA CITY
Overall Record - 54-58 SU and 50-60-2 ATS
Solid Team Trends - The Thunder are a stunning 18-36-1 ATS on foreign soil and a nasty 7-23 ATS coming off a blowout win of 10 points or more.
No. 5 Seed - DENVER
Overall Record - 22-39 SU and 27-33-1 ATS
Solid Team Trends - The Nuggets are a miserable 8-22 ATS facing a foe that arrives off a SU and ATS victory and a decent 10-4 ATS in post-season action coming off a win of 10 points or more.
No. 6 Seed - PORTLAND
Overall Record - 52-63 SU and 48-63-4 ATS
Solid Team Trends - The Trailblazers are an ugly 6-20-1 ATS taking the floor with four or more days rest and a shocking 16-30-2 ATS matched up against an opponent that enters off a SU loss.
No. 7 Seed - NEW ORLEANS
Overall Record - 33-45 SU and 36-42 ATS
Solid Team Trends - The Hornets are a terrible 5-13 ATS coming off a pointspread win of 10 points or more and a stiff 15-26 ATS arriving off a SU win.
No. 8 Seed - MEMPHIS
Overall Record - 0-12 SU and 2-10 ATS
Solid Team Trends - No Significant Data.