NBA Betting News and Notes Friday, January 20th, 2017

NBA Knowledge

76ers won seven of last nine games, winning/covering last four at home. Sixers are 13-6 as home underdogs. Five of their last six games stayed under total. Trailblazers lost 11 of last 13 road games; they’re 4-2 as road favorites. Over is 10-5 in their last 15 road games. Portland won three of last four games with Philly; underdogs covered four of last five series games- teams split last four played here (over 3-1).

Toronto won four of its last five games, but lost five of last seven on road; they’re 1-7 vs spread in last eight road games. Over is 6-1 in their last seven games. Hornets lost five of last six games, but won seven of last eight at home (6-2 vs spread). Four of last five Charlotte games stayed under. Raptors won five of last six games with Charlotte; they lost three of last five visits here. Over is 7-3 in last ten series games.

Milwaukee lost five of its last seven games; they’re 2-1 vs spread as road favorites. Four of their last five games went over total. Magic lost seven of last eight games, are 1-8 vs spread as home underdogs; last four Orlando games went over the total. Bucks won four of last five games with Orlando; teams split last four series games played here. Over is 4-2 in last six series games.

Nets lost their last 11 games (3-8 vs spread); they’re 7-9-1 as road underdogs. Last three Brooklyn games went over. New Orleans won five of last six home games; they’re 6-9 as home favorites. Under is 8-2 in their last ten games. Pelicans won their last six games with Brooklyn; Nets lost by 9 at home to New Orleans eight days ago. Brooklyn lost last three visits here, by 2-6-5 points; dogs covered five of last six series games. Over is 7-3 in last ten series games.

Bulls lost eight of last ten road games but covered three of last four; they’re 9-9 as road underdogs. Last three Chicago games went over. Atlanta won nine of last 11 games, is 2-8 in its last ten games as a home favorite. Last three Hawk games went over. Hawks won seven of last eight games with Chicago, which lost last four visits here (0-4 vs spread). Three of last four series games stayed under.

Sacramento lost six of last seven games and now Rudy Gay is out for year; Kings covered three of last four road games, are 7-9 as road underdogs. Over is 8-4 in their last 12 games. Grizzlies lost three of last four games, are 5-6 as home favorites. Over is 6-2-1 in their last nine games. Memphis won five of last six games with Sacramento; under is 6-2 in last eight series games. Kings lost four of last five visits here (2-3 vs spread).

Golden State won its last five game (4-1 vs spread), beating Cavs/Thunder in last two games; Warriors are 2-6 in last eight games as a road favorite. Over is 5-3 in their last eight games. Houston lost three of last five games; they’re 13-2 in last 15 home games, 0-1 as home dogs. Over is 5-2 in their last seven games. Warriors won eight of last ten games with Houston; they won three of last four visits here (3-1 vs spread). Three of last four series games stayed under.

Utah won its last four games; they’re 0-5 vs spread in last five road games (2-3 SU). Five of his last seven games stayed under. Mavericks won three of last four games; they’re 5-6 SU in last 11 home games. Five of their last seven games stayed under the total. Jazz won three of last four games with Dallas, but lost three of last four visits here. Three of last four series games went over.

Pacers won seven of last eight games (only loss was in London); they’re 1-4 as road favorites. Seven of their last nine games went over total. Lakers lost last five games; they split last ten home games, are 7-8 as home dogs. Four of their last six games stayed under. Lakers lost eight of last ten games with Indiana; over is 4-2 in last six series games. Pacers won four of last five visits here (3-1-1 vs spread).

Armadillosports.com

Friday's Tip Sheet
By Kevin Rogers
VegasInsider.com

Favorites rolled to a perfect 5-0 record both straight-up and against the spread on Thursday, including home victories by the Cavaliers and Spurs, who meet up on Saturday. The Clippers had their seven-game winning streak snapped by the Timberwolves, 104-101, while the Heat ended Dallas’ three-game hot streak, 99-95.

Game of the Night – Warriors (-4½, 236½) at Rockets

Two of the top three teams in the Western Conference meet up in Houston as the Warriors are coming off a perfect 4-0 homestand. Golden State (36-6 SU, 18-23-1 ATS) is fresh off a pair of victories over the two teams the Warriors faced in the final two rounds of the playoffs last season. Steve Kerr’s squad routed the Cavaliers in an NBA Finals rematch on Monday, 126-91 as nine-point favorites, while pulling away from the Thunder on Wednesday, 126-91 as Kevin Durant torched his former team for 40 points on 13-of-16 shooting.

The Warriors square off with their third straight playoff opponent from last season on Friday as Houston (33-12 SU, 28-17 ATS) lost to Golden State in five games of the first round in 2016. The Rockets bounced back from a surprising setback at Miami to beat Milwaukee at home on Wednesday, 111-92 as 6½-point favorites. Houston overcame an early deficit to outscore Milwaukee in the second quarter, 30-12, as James Harden led the Rockets with 38 points and six assists.

Both Harden and Golden State’s Stephen Curry were named as Western Conference All-Star starters as the two superstars match up for the second time this season. Houston outlasted Golden State in overtime at Oracle Arena on December 1 in overtime, 132-127 as 11-point underdogs to snap an 11-game skid in Oakland. The Rockets have struggled with the Warriors over the years by compiling a 3-16 SU and 6-13 ATS record in the past 19 matchups since February 2014.

Philadelphia Freedom

The 76ers won only 10 games last season, but have already eclipsed that win total by owning a 14-26 record through 40 games. To show how far Philadelphia has come, the Sixers have four fewer victories than the Blazers, a team who reached the Western Conference semifinals last season. Portland travels to the City of Brotherly Love looking to snap a three-game skid, as the Blazers play the third of a four-game road swing.

Philadelphia has won seven of its past nine games, while compiling an 8-1 ATS record in this span. The 76ers are starting to build a small home-court advantage at Wells Fargo Center by winning four straight, while limiting each of those opponents to 97 points or fewer. Philadelphia and Portland split a pair of matchups last season with the home team winning each time, including a 114-89 blowout by the 76ers last January.

Flying Back

The Hawks were blitzed early in Wednesday’s 118-95 setback to the Pistons as Detroit outscored Atlanta in the first quarter, 42-18. Atlanta is riding a six-game winning streak following a loss as the Bulls invade Philips Arena tonight for the teams’ second meeting this season. The Hawks held off the Bulls in the first matchup in Atlanta in early November, 115-107 to beat Chicago for the fifth straight time. Chicago lost in the final seconds to Dallas on Tuesday, as the Bulls look to improve on a 3-1 ATS mark in the past four as a road underdog.

Time to Sting

The Hornets snapped a five-game losing streak in Wednesday’s 107-85 rout of the Blazers as Charlotte attempts to build a winning streak. Charlotte plays host to Toronto, as the Raptors had their four-game hot streak come to an end in Wednesday’s five-point defeat at Philadelphia. Toronto has had its way with Charlotte by winning five of the past six matchups since April 2015, including a 113-111 triumph at Spectrum Center in mid-November.

Hitting the Highway

Sacramento begins an eight-game road swing following a 1-6 homestand, capped off by a second meltdown in a 106-100 setback to Indiana. The Kings head to Memphis tonight as Sacramento will be without forward Rudy Gay for the remainder of the season after rupturing his Achilles’ tendon on Wednesday. The Grizzlies have dropped three of their last four contests off Wednesday’s three-point defeat at Washington. The road team has won each of the first two meetings this season between Sacramento and Memphis, but the Grizzlies are 7-2 in the last nine matchups.

Purple Pain

The Lakers have fallen apart of late by dropping five in a row, while going 0-5 ATS in this stretch. Los Angeles hosts Indiana tonight as the Pacers are rolling of late by posting a 7-1 SU and 6-2 ATS mark in the past eight games. The Pacers erased a 22-point deficit to stun the Kings on Wednesday to improve to 3-7 in the last 10 games away from Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Lakers have struggled in the underdog role of late by compiling a 1-7 SU/ATS in the last eight opportunities, but cashed at Indiana as nine-point ‘dogs in a 115-108 setback in November.

Head-to-Head Trends

Milwaukee has won four of the previous five matchups with Orlando, including the first two meetings this season. The Bucks travel to Orlando looking to snap a three-game losing streak, while the Magic have dropped seven of their past eight contests.

The Pelicans have seen plenty of success against the Nets recently by winning six straight against Brooklyn since March 2014. New Orleans rallied past Brooklyn at Barclays Center on January 12 without Anthony Davis, 104-95, while the Pelicans’ last three home victories over the Nets have come by six points or fewer.

Utah captured the first two matchups with Dallas at home this season, but visit American Airlines Center for the first time. The Mavericks are 15-2 in the past 17 home meetings with the Jazz since 2007, as Utah edged Dallas in overtime last season in Texas, 121-119.

Friday's NBA Essentials
By Tony Mejia
VegasInsider.com

Game of the Night - Golden State at Houston

For drama’s sake, it’s too bad that Kevin Durant and James Harden have such a good relationship. The NBA is always at its best when Zaza Pachulia gets to play enforcer and the on-court banter is contentious.

The Rockets handed the Warriors one of their six losses this season, so there’s a revenge factor in play, but Harden, Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green all know each other well from Team USA duty and All-Star games and get along. There won’t be the bad blood element that made Golden State’s 121-100 Wednesday night win over Oklahoma City so juicy, but we may get a competitive game for longer than a half here.

That may largely depend on the health of Houston shooters Ryan Anderson (flu) and Eric Gordon (toe), who have each missed games over the past week-plus. Gordon missed a pair of games early last week due to the issue and then had a 3-for-17 shooting night in Tuesday’s 109-103 loss at Miami, shooting 1-for-10 from beyond the arc. He was able to rebound with a 25-point night in Wednesday’s win vs. Milwaukee, his second-highest scoring output since mid-December, by knocking down seven 3-pointers. If Anderson shakes off any sluggish effects from his illness, Harden will have all his weapons around him for this showdown between the NBA’s two highest-scoring teams.

Oddsmakers have set this total at 237.5, which makes it the highest of the season, eclipsing the 234.5 that was placed on the Jan. 15 Rockets-Nets game. Houston won in Brooklyn 137-112, delivering the ‘over.’ The Warriors’ previous highest total was set at 234 in their 135-90 win over Portland on Dec. 17. The first meeting between these teams on Dec. 1 at Oracle saw the total set at 232, a figure eclipsed in overtime of the Rockets’ 132-127 2OT win that ended even at 113 after regulation. Houston snapped a run of nine consecutive losses to Golden State.

Anderson matched Harden’s output of 29 points while Gordon added 23 off the bench in a game where both teams fired up 44 3-pointers, setting an NBA record. Harden added 15 boards and 13 assists, while Durant scored 39, his largest output prior to Wednesday night’s 40 points against the Thunder.

Thompson shot just 4-for-20, missing 10 of 13 3-pointers, so he’ll be looking to get loose in this one as Mike D’Antoni and Steve Kerr square off for the second time as head coaches after sharing an extensive history working together in Phoenix last decade. That alone promises a fast tempo. These teams rank second (103.1) and fourth (101.3) in pace, with the Warriors the faster of the two, trailing only Brooklyn (104.3).

Golden State owns the NBA’s longest win streak (5) and its best road record, coming in 16-3, but has covered just seven times outside Oakland. Houston has the league’s third-best winning percentage at home, having won 17 of 21. It’s 11-10 ATS at the Toyota Center. This will mark only the second time this season that the Rockets will be a home underdog, having fallen to San Antonio as a 1.5-point dog on Nov. 12. The Warriors have been favored in every game this season and are beginning a four-game swing that will take them through Orlando, Miami and Charlotte. The Rockets open a five-game road trip in Memphis tomorrow and won't play another home game until Jan. 31.

East potential playoff preview pick'em

If the Eastern Conference playoffs began today – a leap, since we’re at the halfway point – the Hornets and Raptors would be squaring off in the 2-7 pairing. While fully aware there’s a long way to go, it’s worth humoring a potential meeting for the sole reason that sportsbooks have labeled this a pick’em in Charlotte. Presumably, that means Toronto would be roughly a 6-point favorite at home in a series opener, which illustrates just how wide open the East playoffs may be outside of heavily-favored Cleveland.

While key Raptors forwards DeMarre Carroll (neck), Patrick Patterson (knee) and Lucas Nogueira (concussion) are all question marks and Charlotte may again be missing backup guard Jeremy Lamb, both teams will have their primary catalysts in play, making this a fun barometer game.

If it’s as entertaining as the first meeting, a 113-111 Toronto win that featured Kemba Walker scoring 40 and DeMar DeRozan dropping 34, you’re going to need to be sure you’ve got this game going on a tablet. That meeting also closed as a pick’em.

DeRozan was deservedly voted in as an All-Star starter alongside Cleveland guard Kyrie Irving in results announced Thursday, while teammate Kyle Lowry and Charlotte’s Walker and Nicolas Batum will all get support from coaches for reserve spots. Lowry has joined DeRozan as an All-Star in each of the last two seasons, but neither Walker nor Batum has ever been honored, making this a statement game for both.

Walker hit 7-of-12 from 3-point range in the Nov. 11 loss, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out six assists, while Batum finished with 18-10-6, so they’ll be quite comfortable in this matchup. Walker is shooting a career-best 46 percent from the field and .415 percent from 3-point range and his 23.0 points per game rank eighth in the East. With Boston’s Isaiah Thomas and Washington’s John Wall also playing at an All-Star level, it seems like they’ll only be room for either Walker or Lowry, not both.

Batum is one of the conference’s top two-way players and is averaging career-bests in points (15.0), rebounds (7.4) and assists (5.9). He’s struggled with his shot, shooting career-worst percentages from the field (.398) and 3-point range (.320), but he’s been invaluable and does all the little things coaches appreciate, so he’ll certainly be on the bubble. After missing losses in San Antonio and Houston due to knee issues, Batum has twice flirted with triple-doubles, but shot just 2-for-12 from 3-point range and less than 38 percent from the field. Straightening out his shot will be a huge variable in this one.

Charlotte is just 2-7 in its last nine, but comes off its first win since Jan. 4, a 107-85 rout of Portland. Toronto had its four-game winning streak snapped by the 76ers on Wednesday, ending Lowry's string of 14 consecutive wins against his hometown team. The 94-89 loss snapped a seven-game run of scoring 100 or more points in which the Raps averaged 117.4. They shot just 6-for-24 from 3-point range, but remain second in the entire league in offensive efficiency (113.3), just behind Golden State (113.4). Toronto leads the Eastern Conference and ranks third overall in scoring, averaging 111.0 points per contest. It has won five of the last six over Charlotte, including three straight. The ‘under’ has prevailed in four of the past five Hornets games.

Notable Head-to-Head Trends

The 76ers are looking to cover the number for the ninth time in 10 games, a streak that began on Dec. 30 and has seen the former league doormat go 7-2 outright. After not having a single three-game winning streak since Jan. 2014, Philadelphia could win three in a row for the second time this month if they defeat the Trail Blazers. The Sixers have won five straight games with Joel Embiid in the lineup and catch Portland in a slump since its lost three straight. The Blazers have won three of the last four in the series.

We'll see if Giannis Antetokounmpo can celebrate becoming a first-time All-Star by snapping Milwaukee's three-game losing streak. The Bucks have failed to cover in six of eight, but face a Magic squad they've beaten twice already this season. Orlando is playing at home for the first time since Jan. 6 and hasn't won at Amway Arena since Dec. 26. The Magic are 2-9 since, going 4-7 ATS, and have lost four of five in this series. Leading scorer Evan Fournier (16.5 ppg) remains out with a foot injury.

New Orleans has won six consecutive meetings against the Nets, last losing to Brooklyn in 2014. Anthony Davis' didn't play in the Pelicans' 104-95 win in Brooklyn on Jan. 12 but is expected to participate here despite leaving prematurely after getting banged up in each of the last two games. The Nets have lost a league-worst 11 straight, making them the only team winless in 2017. They've covered only once in that span.

Atlanta will look for its sixth straight victory over Chicago as it begins a three-game homestand on the heels of a dreadful 118-95 Wednesday loss at the Pistons. They haven't lost consecutive games since Dec. 5. The under has prevailed in five of the last six Chicago games. Forward Taj Gibson will be a game-time decision due to an ankle sprain but practiced Thursday.

On the same night that we get the Rockets-Warriors track meet, it's ironic that the teams tied in running the NBA's slowest pace (93.3) square off. There was no line set as of this writing early Friday morning due to doubt over whether Jazz point guard George Hill will play. He also participated in practice Thursday and should play despite being regarded as a game-time decision. Three of the last four meetings between these two typically low-scoring squads have actually gone 'over the posted total, which has hovered in the 182.5-187 range.

The Lakers own the Western Conference's longest losing streak (5) but could get Luol Deng back for this date with the Pacers in the second half of ESPN's doubleheader. Indiana has won six of seven against L.A., which has been tied to courting Paul George as a potential franchise player for the past few years. That could lead to some enthusiastic cheering for at least one of the visitors. George scored 30 against the Lakers at Staples last year and has scored 30 or more in two of the last three against them.