NBA Betting News and Notes
By Covers.com
Each week, we look back on the NBA betting scene and give you the best –and worst – basketball bets, as well as some spots to keep an eye on with the upcoming schedule.
For the week of March 24-30
Hottest ATS
Utah Jazz (4-1 SU, 5-0 ATS)
Utah has ripped off eight consecutive covers (4-4 SU) for bettors heading into Monday’s home game with Portland. The Jazz are in a dogfight with the Lakers for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference with only eight games to play.
Coldest ATS
Portland Trail Blazers (0-4 SU, 0-4 ATS)
Portland’s postseason aspirations took a huge hit with four consecutive losses this past week. The Blazers were blown out by the Thunder, Nets, Jazz and Warriors and now face a must-win situation in Utah on Monday night.
Best over play
Chicago Bulls (2-1 SU, 3-0 over/under)
Chicago has been a good under play (32-38-1 O/U) all season long, but the Bulls have topped the total in three straight. The Bulls are averaging 101 points over the run – eight points higher than their season average (93 ppg). Chicago hosts the lowly Pistons Sunday before hitting the road for games in Washington and Brooklyn.
Best under play
Denver Nuggets (1-2 SU, 0-3 over/under)
Bettors have been cashing in on Denver’s ability to soar over totals all season long, but have taken a huge hit to the wallet over its past five games. The Nuggets faced an average total of 206.5 over a five-game under run, including a huge 221.5 total against the Kings on Mar. 23. Denver has a few days off before it visits Utah on Wednesday.
Scouting the schedule:
The Philadelphia 76ers will play seven of their last nine games away from the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers have a 10-21-3 O/U record away from home.
The Oklahoma City Thunder enter a brutal portion of their schedule next week. The Thunder will play five consecutive quality opponents, who have a combined 227-138 SU record this season. Oklahoma City kicks off the stretch of toughies Thursday when it hosts San Antonio.
NBA Over Under Total Update
By Victor King
Playbook.com
Here's your list of the BEST Home and Away OVER and UNDER teams thus far (with total overall points in parenthesis). Also included is the best and worst home / road teams from an ATS perspective.
Top HOME 'Over' teams (thru 3-30-2013):
Dallas Mavericks: 23-12-2 O/U (204.4)
Sacramento Kings: 23-12-1 O/U (208.9)
Philadelphia 76ers: 24-15 O/U (190.2)
Portland Trailblazers: 21-14 O/U (198.4)
Orlando Magic: 22-15-1 O/U (196.7)
Milwaukee Bucks: 22-15 O/U (201.5)
LA Clippers: 20-15-1 O/U (196.4)
Miami Heat: 19-15-1 O/U (203.4)
Atlanta Hawks: 20-16 O/U (197.8)
Top HOME 'Under' teams:
Chicago Bulls: 12-24 O/U (182.1)
Phoenix Suns: 13-24 O/U (190.8)
Memphis Grizzlies: 14-23 O/U (181.1)
San Antonio Spurs: 14-22 O/U (199.8)
Minnesota Timberwolves: 15-21 O/U (190.6)
Toronto Raptors: 15-21 O/U (192.2)
Utah Jazz: 15-21 O/U (195.4)
Cleveland Cavaliers: 16-20 O/U (197.4)
Detroit Pistons: 16-20-1 O/U (191.6_
Top ROAD 'Over' teams:
Phoenix Suns: 22-13-1 O/U (200.5)
Denver Nuggets: 23-14 O/U (207.8)
Toronto Raptors: 22-14 O/U (200.6)
Golden State Warriors: 23-15 O/U (202.7)
New Orleans Hornets: 21-14 O/U (196.1)
Chicago Bulls: 20-15 O/U (188.9)
Cleveland Cavaliers: 20-15 O/U (199.1)
Utah Jazz: 21-16-1 O/U (198.7)
Top ROAD 'Under' teams:
Washington Wizards: 8-28 O/U (183.3)
Philadelphia 76ers: 12-21-1 O/U (188.4)
Charlotte Bobcats: 14-23 O/U (194.3)
Milwaukee Bucks: 15-20 O/U (196.7)
Oklahoma City Thunder: 15-20-2 O/U (201.8)
Indiana Pacers: 16-21 O/U (182.7)
Miami Heat: 17-20 O/U (194.8)
Boston Celtics: 17-19 O/U (192.4)
BEST Home 'ATS' teams (thru 3-30-2013):
Oklahoma City Thunder: 26-11 ATS (+14.2 ppg AVG margin)
Denver Nuggets: 25-11 ATS (+10.6 ppg)
Utah Jazz: 23-13 ATS (+5.8 ppg)
Washington Wizards: 23-13 ATS (+2.4 ppg)
Houston Rockets: 23-14 ATS (+7.3 ppg)
Boston Celtics: 21-14-1 ATS (+5.0)
Memphis Grizzlies: 21-14-2 ATS (+6.1)
Indiana Pacers: 22-15 ATS (+9.4 ppg)
LA Clippers: 21-15 ATS (+10.4 ppg)
WORST Home 'ATS' teams:
Orlando Magic: 12-25-1 ATS (-6.5 ppg)
Milwaukee Bucks: 12-24-1 ATS (-0.9 ppg)
Chicago Bulls: 12-24 ATS (+2.1 ppg)
Charlotte Bobcats: 12-23-1 ATS (-5.5 ppg)
Phoenix Suns: 14-24 ATS (-3.4 ppg)
Detroit Pistons: 15-22 ATS (-1.4 ppg)
Brooklyn Nets: 14-20-2 ATS (+1.9 ppg)
Atlanta Hawks: 14-20-2 ATS (+2.0 ppg)
Sacramento Kings: 15-19-2 ATS (+0.1 ppg)
BEST Road 'ATS' teams:
Dallas Mavericks: 22-13-1 ATS (-4.4 ppg)
Chicago Bulls: 21-13-1 ATS (-1.1 ppg)
Cleveland Cavaliers: 20-14-1 ATS (-6.1 ppg)
Memphis Grizzlies: 21-15 ATS (+1.5 ppg)
Orlando Magic: 21-15-1 ATS (-6.8 ppg)
New Orleans Hornets: 19-15-1 ATS (-5.1 ppg)
Atlanta Hawks: 21-17 ATS (-0.7 PPG)
Washington Wizards: 19-16-1 ATS (-7.5 ppg)
Milwaukee Bucks: 19-16 ATS (-2.3 ppg)
WORST Road 'ATS' teams:
Charlotte Bobcats: 13-24 ATS (-13.7 ppg)
LA Lakers: 14-25 ATS (-2.9 ppg)
Boston Celtics: 13-21-2 ATS (-4.8 ppg)
Portland Trailblazers: 15-22 ATS (-6.3 ppg)
Phoenix Suns: 14-20-2 ATS (-9.7 ppg)
Houston Rockets: 15-20-1 ATS (-0.4 ppg)
Utah Jazz: 16-21-1 ATS (-5.9 ppg)
Philadelphia 76ers: 15-19 ATS (-6.0 ppg)
Minnesota Timberwolves: 16-19-1 ATS (-5.9 ppg)
Capping Schedules Down the Stretch
Covers.com
With the NBA season winding down, it's time to take a look at some teams that have favorable schedules and some that will be in tough down the stretch.
Four teams with tough remaining schedules:
Portland (11th in the West, .440 winning percentage)
Houston, Dallas, LA Lakers, Oklahoma City, @Denver, @LA Clippers, Golden State
Sacramento (13th in the West, .360 winning percentage)
Dallas, Memphis, New Orleans, @San Antonio, @Houston, @Oklahoma City, LA Clippers
Washington (10th in the East, .373 winning percentage)
Indiana, @Boston, @New York, Miami, Philadelphia, @Brooklyn, @Chicago
LA Lakers (ninth in the West, .520 winning percentage)
Memphis, @LA Clippers, New Orleans, @Portland, Golden State, San Antonio, Houston
Four teams with favorable remaining schedules:
Miami (first in the East, .784 winning percentage)
@Charlotte, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, @Washington, Boston, Chicago, @Cleveland, Orlando
Denver (third in the West, .680 winning percentage)
Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, @Dallas, Portland, @Milwaukee, Phoenix
Brooklyn (fourth in the East, .581 winning percentage)
Chicago, Charlotte, Philadelphia, @Boston, @Indiana, @Toronto, Washington, Detroit
LA Clippers (fourth in the West, .658 winning percentage)
LA Lakers, Minnesota, @New Orleans, @Memphis, Portland, @Sacramento
* All schedules prior to Thursday April 4th games