Monday's Best NBA Bets
By Covers.com
San Antonio Spurs at New Orleans Hornets (5, 178.5)
The San Antonio Spurs head to the Big Easy looking for an answer to their two-game losing skid.
The Spurs, knowing rougher roads could be ahead, gave veteran forward Tim Duncan the night off Saturday, losing 105-102 to the Houston Rockets. Saturday was San Antonio’s fourth game in five nights, and coach Gregg Popovich wanted to give his all-star a two-game hiatus before Monday’s game against the New Orleans Hornets.
New Orleans has lost seven straight games with the two most recent defeats coming at the hands of Texas teams – Dallas and Houston. The Hornets' offense can’t keep pace with star guard Eric Gordon on the sidelines.
They have topped the 90-point mark only once during their slide. San Antonio has won seven of the last nine meetings, but the Hornets defeated the Spurs 96-72 at home in their most recent meeting last January.
Pick: Under
Orlando Magic at Boston Celtics (-2.5, N/A)
In the very recent past, a battle between the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics could represent a preview of the Eastern Conference finals or at least the semifinals.
This season, the Celtics are three games below .500 and the Magic are holding their breath as their franchise player keeps a trade demand on the table. Right now, Orlando is tied for first in the Southeast Division. A trade of Dwight Howard dulls their outlook considerably.
Boston got a turn-back-the-clock performance from Paul Pierce on Sunday but lost Ray Allen to a jammed ankle in the second quarter of a win over the lowly Washington Wizards.
“At the end of the day, your big players have to play well for you to win, especially games when you have guys out,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. Boston hopes to have both Allen and point guard Rajon Rondo back in the lineup when they host the Magic on Monday.
Pick: Magic
Hot Teams
-- 76ers covered seven of eight tries as a home favorite.
-- Orlando won six of last seven games (covered last four on road).
-- Thunder won eight of last nine games (4-3 as home favorite).
-- Bulls are 7-0 at home (3-3-1 as home favorite).
-- Hawks won five of last seven games, losing last two at home. Bucks won four of their five home games.
-- Rockets won their last six games (4-1-1 vs spread). Minnesota won three of last four games, is 4-1-1 vs spread in last six.
-- Dallas won/covered its last six home games, but Nowitzki (knee) is out. Suns won their last two games on road, are 4-4 as road underdogs.
-- Sacramento won last two games; they're 2-7 as a road underdog.
-- Grizzlies won their last six games (5-1 vs spread).
Cold Teams
-- Wizards are 0-6 on road (1-4-1 as road underdog).
-- Celtics lost six of their last eight games.
-- Pistons are 1-5-1 vs spread as a road underdog.
-- Nets lost three of last four road games (5-5 as road dog).
-- Spurs lost six of seven road games (1-5-1 vs spread). New Orleans lost its last seven games (2-6 as home underdog).
-- Portland lost five of last seven games (5-2 as home favorite).
-- Warriors lost four of their last five home games.
Totals
-- Last six Washington games went over the total.
-- Last seven Boston home games stayed under the total.
-- Six of eight Detroit road games stayed under the total.
-- Three of last four New Jersey games stayed under total.
-- Under is 3-1-1 in last five Atlanta games.
-- Seven of last ten Houston games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last seven San Antonio games stayed under total.
-- Five of last six Phoenix road games stayed under the total.
-- Eight of Kings' nine road games stayed under the total.
-- Six of seven Memphis road games stayed under total.
Wear and Tear
-- Wizards: 4th game/6 nites. 76ers: 4th game/6 nites.
-- Magic: Had last two nights off. Celtics: 4th game/6 nites.
-- Pistons: 5th game/7 nites. Thunder: 2nd game/5 nites.
-- Nets: 3rd nite in row. Bulls: 3rd game/4 nites.
-- Hawks: 4th game/6 nites. Bucks: 3rd game/4 nites.
-- Rockets: 3rd game/5 nites. Wolves: 4th game/6 nites.
-- Spurs: 5th game/7 nites. Hornets: 4th game/6 nites.
-- Suns: Had last two nites off. Mavericks: 4th game/6 nites.
-- Kings: 4th game/6 nites. Blazers: 4th game/6 nites.
-- Grizzlies: 4th game/6 nites. Warriors: Had last two nites off.
WASHINGTON (2 - 14) at PHILADELPHIA (11 - 5)
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 37-61 ATS (-30.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 29-53 ATS (-29.3 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 14-33 ATS (-22.3 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 9-20 ATS (-13.0 Units) in January games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 134-173 ATS (-56.3 Units) when playing on back-to-back days since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) against Atlantic division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 32-50 ATS (-23.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) as a favorite this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 26-15 ATS (+9.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 7-2 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 5-4 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
7 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
ORLANDO (11 - 4) at BOSTON (6 - 9)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 7-5 against the spread versus ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 7-6 straight up against ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
9 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT (4 - 13) at OKLAHOMA CITY (13 - 3)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
OKLAHOMA CITY is 3-1 against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA CITY is 4-0 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
NEW JERSEY (5 - 12) at CHICAGO (15 - 3)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
NEW JERSEY is 5-2 against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 4-3 straight up against NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA (12 - 5) at MILWAUKEE (6 - 9)
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) after allowing 85 points or less over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 8-6 against the spread versus MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 8-6 straight up against MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
9 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON (9 - 7) at MINNESOTA (7 - 9)
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 26-14 ATS (+10.6 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 5-2 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 6-1 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO (10 - 7) at NEW ORLEANS (3 - 13)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 17-31 ATS (-17.1 Units) after allowing 105 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 6-2 against the spread versus NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 6-2 straight up against NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX (6 - 9) at DALLAS (10 - 7)
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 14-28 ATS (-16.8 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 72-46 ATS (+21.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 19-7 ATS (+11.3 Units) against Pacific division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in home games after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 196-156 ATS (+24.4 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 6-2 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 7-1 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
SACRAMENTO (6 - 11) at PORTLAND (9 - 7)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 6-2 against the spread versus SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
PORTLAND is 7-1 straight up against SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
MEMPHIS (9 - 6) at GOLDEN STATE (5 - 10)
Top Trends for this game.
MEMPHIS is 68-41 ATS (+22.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 32-19 ATS (+11.1 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 21-9 ATS (+11.1 Units) in a road game where where the total is between 195 and 199.5 points over the last 3 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 26-15 ATS (+9.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 4-3 against the spread versus MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
MEMPHIS is 4-3 straight up against GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON vs. PHILADELPHIA
Washington is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 5 games when playing Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Washington
Philadelphia is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Washington
ORLANDO vs. BOSTON
Orlando is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Orlando's last 5 games on the road
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Orlando
Boston is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Orlando
NEW JERSEY vs. CHICAGO
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Jersey's last 6 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 7 of New Jersey's last 10 games
Chicago is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against New Jersey
Chicago is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
SAN ANTONIO vs. NEW ORLEANS
San Antonio is 1-11 SU in its last 12 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Antonio's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Orleans's last 5 games when playing San Antonio
New Orleans is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing San Antonio
ATLANTA vs. MILWAUKEE
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Atlanta's last 19 games when playing Milwaukee
Atlanta is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games when playing at home against Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Milwaukee's last 9 games when playing at home against Atlanta
DETROIT vs. OKLAHOMA CITY
Detroit is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Detroit is 4-13 ATS in its last 17 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 6 games when playing Detroit
Oklahoma City is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
HOUSTON vs. MINNESOTA
Houston is 14-1 SU in its last 15 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Houston's last 11 games
Minnesota is 2-12-1 ATS in its last 15 games when playing Houston
Minnesota is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
PHOENIX vs. DALLAS
Phoenix is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Phoenix is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Dallas's last 7 games
Dallas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Phoenix
SACRAMENTO vs. PORTLAND
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Sacramento's last 8 games
Sacramento is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Portland's last 5 games when playing Sacramento
Portland is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games when playing Sacramento
MEMPHIS vs. GOLDEN STATE
Memphis is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Memphis's last 5 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Golden State is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
Golden State is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Memphis
Hoop Trends - Monday
By Vince Akins
VegasInsider.com
SU TREND OF THE DAY:
The Magic are 15-0-1 ATS (7.5 ppg) since November 27, 2006 on the road after a double digit home win in which they allowed less than 40% from the field.
OU TREND OF THE DAY:
The Bulls are 10-0-1 OU (15.6 ppg) since December 31, 2008 at home after a game in which they had at least five fewer turnovers than their season-to-date average.
PLAYER BASED TREND OF THE DAY:
The Magic are 0-10-1 OU (-6.1 ppg) since February 26, 2007 after two home games in which Dwight Howard played more than 40 minutes in each.
CHOICE TREND:
The Hornets are 0-11 ATS (-8.0 ppg) since November 18, 2005 with at most one day of rest after a home loss in which they scored more than 25% of their points from the free throw line.
TODAY’S TRENDS:
The Grizzlies are 9-0 OU (15.2 ppg) since April 10, 2011 with at least a day of rest after a win at home in which Mike Conley was not the Grizzlies’ high scorer.
WASHINGTON at PHILADELPHIA
WASHINGTON: 29-53 ATS as an underdog
PHILADELPHIA: 11-2 ATS as a favorite
ORLANDO at BOSTON
ORLANDO: 6-0 ATS after a non-conference game
BOSTON: 35-58 ATS after a game where they covered the spread
DETROIT at OKLAHOMA CITY
DETROIT: 1-6 ATS after playing 4 consecutive games as an underdog
OKLAHOMA CITY: 8-1 ATS after a game where both teams scored 90 points or less
NEW JERSEY at CHICAGO
NEW JERSEY: 10-3 UNDER after playing a game as a home favorite
CHICAGO: 25-11 UNDER after a win by 6 points or less
ATLANTA at MILWAUKEE
ATLANTA: 20-37 ATS after playing a game as favorite
MILWAUKEE: 58-41 ATS after a game where they covered the spread
HOUSTON at MINNESOTA
HOUSTON: 23-12 ATS when playing 8 or more games in 14 days
MINNESOTA: 15-27 ATS after one or more consecutive overs
SAN ANTONIO at NEW ORLEANS
SAN ANTONIO: 132-86 UNDER in January games
NEW ORLEANS: 24-11 UNDER after playing 2 consecutive games as an underdog
PHOENIX at DALLAS
PHOENIX: 14-28 ATS revenging a loss vs opponent
DALLAS: 9-1 ATS in home games after a division game
SACRAMENTO at PORTLAND
SACRAMENTO: 2-8 ATS as a road underdog
PORTLAND: 44-23 ATS when playing their 3rd game in 4 days
MEMPHIS at GOLDEN STATE
MEMPHIS: 68-41 ATS in all games
GOLDEN STATE: 78-54 OVER against Southwest division opponents