NBA betting trends, odds and predictions for Monday, April 10th, 2017 from various handicappers and websites
NBA Knowledge
Indiana won its last three games, covered its last four; they’re 2-7 vs spread in last nine away games. Over is 9-3 in their last 12 games. 76ers lost their last six games, are 0-4 vs spread in last four home games. Under is 6-1 in their last seven home games. Pacers won seven of last eight games with Philly (6-2 vs spread); Indiana won/covered three of its last four visits here. Three of last four series games went over.
Cavaliers blew 26-point lead in 4th quarter in loss at Atlanta Sunday; they’re 6-7 in last 13 games, 2-6 vs spread in last eight road games. Over is 4-1-1 in their last six games. Heat is 4-3 in last seven games, 1-4 vs spread in last five at home. Under is 7-3 in last 10 games. Miami won four of last five games with Cavs; home side won nine of last ten series games. Cavaliers lost their last five games here (0-5 vs spread). Four of last six series games stayed under total.
Boston won seven of its last ten games; they’re 0-5 against the spread in last five home games. Over is 6-3 in their last nine games. Nets won four of last five games; they’re 7-2 vs spread in last nine road games. Under is 6-2 in their last eight ames. Celtics won last four games with Brooklyn; teams split last four series games played here. Four of last five series games stayed under total.
Wizards lost four of last six games; they’re 2-7 vs spread in last nine road games. Over is 6-3 in their last nine games. Pistons are 3-2 in their last five games they’re 2-4 vs spread in their last six home games. Under is 12-4 in their last 16 games. Home side won eight of last nine Detroit-Washington games; Wizards lost three of last four visits here (2-2 vs spread). Last three series games went over the total.
Orlando lost six of last seven games, is 2-6 vs spread in last eight road games. Over is 8-2 in their last ten games. Build won five of last seven games; they’re 3-5 vs spread in last eight home games. Under is 5-2 in their last seven games. Home side won six of last seven Orlando-Chicago games; Magic lost three of last four games in the Windy City (3-1 vs spread). Last six series games stayed under total.
Hornets lost their last three games; they’re 9-5 vs spread in last 14 road games. Over is 9-1 in his last ten games. Milwaukee lost three of last four games; they’re 0-4 vs spread in last four home games. Bucks’ last three games stayed under the total. Road team won eight of last ten Charlotte-Milwaukee games; Hornets won/covered their last four games here. Last three series games went over the total.
San Antonio is 4-3 in its last seven games; they won/covered their last three road tilts. Under is 8-3 in their last eleven games. Trailblazers won/covered its last seven home games; they’re 12-2 vs spread in last 14 games overall. Under is 8-3 in their last 11 games. Spurs won five of last six games with Portland (4-2 vs spread); they won by 12-20 points in last two visits here. Over is 8-2 in last ten series games.
Jazz lost six of last seven road games (1-6 vs spread); they won five of last seven games overall. Four of their last six games stayed under. Warriors won its last 14 games; their last loss was March 11- they’re 7-0-1 vs spread in last eight games. Last four Golden State games went over. Golden State won nine of last ten games with Utah (7-3 vs spread); Jazz lost their last five visits to Oakland (0-5 vs spread). Under is 4-0-1 in last five series games.
Houston won three of last four games but is 0-7 vs spread in last seven games, 1-5 in last six road games. Under is 5-2 in their last seven games. Clippers won heir last five games, are 3-5-1 vs spread in last nine home games. Under is 5-3 in their last eight games. Clippers lost seven of last nine games with Houston (1-8 vs spread); Rockets won/covered three of last four series games in Staples. Over is 7-3 in last ten series games.
Armadillosports.com
Monday’s NBA Game of the Day: Rockets at Clippers
By Covers.com
Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Clippers (-6.5, 229.5)
The Los Angeles Clippers attempt to reach 50 victories for the fifth consecutive season and improve their chances at home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs when they host the Houston Rockets on Monday. The Clippers are tied with Utah for fourth place in the Western Conference with two games left after winning five consecutive contests.
Los Angeles point guard Chris Paul told reporters after a solid 98-87 victory over San Antonio on Saturday that his team had the right spirit and the right intensity, but it must find consistency if it is to make a run in the postseason. Houston has dominated the season series, averaging 131 points and winning a pair of meetings by a combined 43 as MVP candidate James Harden scored 28 per game. The Rockets snapped out of a 2-4 funk with a 135-128 victory at Sacramento on Sunday as Harden recorded his 21st triple-double of the season with 35 points, 15 assists and 11 rebounds. Houston, which is third in the West and locked into a first-round playoff matchup with Oklahoma City, is expected to rest Lou Williams after he scored 18 points in Sunday’s victory.
LINE HISTORY: The Clippers opened as six-point home favorites and that spread was bumped slightly to -6.5 on Monday morning. The total hit the board at 228.5 and currently sits at 229.5. Check out the complete line history here.
INJURY REPORT:
Rockets - SG L. Williams (Out, rest), SF S. Dekker (Early May, hand).
Clippers - PG A. Rivers (Mid April, hamstring), C D. Stone (Out Indefinitely, knee).
POWER RANKINGS: Rockets (-9) - Clippers (-6.7) + home court (-3) = Clippers -0.7
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (54-26 SU, 42-38 ATS, 40-39-1 O/U): Harden is averaging 33 points in three games since sitting out one contest to rest a sore wrist and has drained 16 shots from 3-point range in that span but did commit 10 turnovers Sunday. Houston rested second-leading scorer Eric Gordon (16.3) and Trevor Ariza (11.7) against Sacramento while big man Nene (hand) is expected to miss his second straight contest Monday. Ryan Anderson scored 21 points on Sunday, making 6-of-8 shots from 3-point range in his second game back since sitting out six with an ankle injury.
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (49-31 SU, 38-41-1 ATS, 43-36-1 O/U): Los Angeles also hosts Sacramento on Wednesday while Utah takes on the top two teams in the West - Golden State and San Antonio - to end the regular season. Blake Griffin is on a roll heading into the playoffs, averaging 28.6 points over his last five games, and Paul has posted 25.2 and 10.8 assists in the same span. Center DeAndre Jordan (12.6 points, 13.8 rebounds) has recorded three straight double-doubles and needs one more to reach 40 on the season.
TRENDS:
* Rockets are 0-7 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
* Clippers are 2-8-1 ATS in their last 11 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 6-0-1 in Rockets last 7 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
* Under is 4-1-1 in Clippers last 6 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Over is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in Los Angeles.
CONSENSUS: 86 percent of the spread wagers are on the road underdog Rockets while 67 percent of the totals selections are on the Over.
Monday's NBA Essentials
By Tony Mejia
VegasInsider.com
Game of the Night - Utah at Golden State
For the first time since Feb. 28, when Kevin Durant hobbled off the court at Washington's Verizon Center just 1:33 in, the Warriors will have their Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry on the floor together.
Incorporating all four All-Stars will have to wait until the regular-season finale on Wednesday against the Lakers since Klay Thompson is expected to be given Monday night off.
Durant left the court in D.C. to audible gasps and visual angst when center Zaza Pachulia fell into his knee. There was fear he'd be done for the rest of the way, ending this season's top story line. It's come out last week on Bill Simmons' podcast that Durant initially did get the diagnosis that he was done for six months, having fractured his left tibia. He admitted to crying and losing it. Fortunately, a CT scan revealed a tibial bone bruise and Grade 2 MCL sprain. The difference in recovery time meant everything.
Durant was back in the lineup on Saturday night after practicing for the first time earlier in the week and dunked on the first play in a 123-101 win over New Orleans. He finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, but never shared any time on the court with Curry, who was resting a sore knee.
Curry averaged 27 points per game in Durant's absence and rediscovered his dominant trigger-happy form, so Golden State's goal over its final two games is to get everyone comfortable prior to Game 1 of this weekend's first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers.
That begins tonight against Utah, one of only two teams truly still playing for something in the Western Conference since they enter the night tied with the L.A. Clippers at 49-31. The teams are locked into squaring off in the 4-5 series, but it remains to be determined where the proceedings will begin. The Jazz are currently the No. 5 seed by virtue of a 1-3 head-to-head record against the Clips, so they'll need help in order to avoid a trip into Staples for Game 1.
The Jazz will also be playing their third and final game of the regular season against Golden State, which would likely be their conference semifinal opponent provided they get through L.A. The teams met twice in December, where the Warriors won both games, including a 104-74 win in Oakland on Dec. 20.
Although it would certainly benefit Utah to open the playoffs in Salt Lake City, the deck is stacked against it in making it happen. Not only has Durant returned to fortify the Warriors, but San Antonio is up next. Worse yet, Gregg Popovich has already stated he expects everyone to play since he wants his team sharp entering the weekend.
The Clippers have a potentially tough game with the Rockets in town tonight, but close the season against lowly Sacramento. Jazz leading scorer Gordon Hayward scored a career-high 39 points against the Timberwolves at home on Friday, but was said to be battling a quad injury following Saturday's 101-86 loss in Portland. He's questionable. George Hill, who has been battling a groin ailment and been out of the lineup, is also likely a game-time decision at best.
Power forward Derrick Favors, wing Rodney Hood and point guard Raul Neto have already been ruled out, so the indications are that head coach Quin Snyder would rather have a healthy, rested team in place this weekend regardless of where the playoffs start as opposed to over-exerting his guys in pursuit of the No. 4 seed.
Golden State has won 13 of 14 games in this series, including seven straight. The Jazz haven't won in Oakland since April 7, 2013. The under is 4-0-1 over the last five meetings.
Injury Concerns
Although Mike D'Antoni hasn't committed to anything as of this writing, he did hint that he might limit the minutes of his starters on the second night of a back-to-back against the Clippers. We'll see how that flies with James Harden in the midst of an MVP race against Russell Westbrook, who seemingly padded his lead by recording his NBA single-season record 42nd triple-double and drilling a game-winner to eliminate Denver in a 50-point effort on Sunday.
Harden went for a triple-double (35-11-15) of his own in a 135-128 win in Sacramento, but he may see a reduction in playing time at Staples. The L.A. native could be joined by Ryan Anderson, who just got back in the mix after dealing with ankle issues, and Lou Williams, who has already been told he'll get the night off. Nene and Patrick Beverley each got banged up against the Kings and may be questionable. Eric Gordon got yesterday off and is expected to play against the Clippers.
LeBron James was beside himself with frustration after his Cavs blew a 26-point fourth-quarter lead in Atlanta on Saturday afternoon and didn't comment on whether he would play in Miami on Monday. Make no mistake, he and Kyrie Irving would've definitely sat had Cleveland closed out the Hawks, but careless miscues were compounded by officiating errors, allowing Atlanta to rally and ultimately pick up a crucial victory for its aspirations of locking up the No. 5 seed.
Tristan Thompson is already questionable with the thumb issue that has kept him out the past few games, so the Cavs may punt on the second night of a back-to-back, which would give Boston a major edge since its final two games are home against Brooklyn and Milwaukee. The Cavs hold the head-to-head tie-breaker if the teams end up tied for the top spot in the Eastern Conference and therefore still control their fate in that regard.
The Heat can't say the same as they look to make the playoffs, entering the night even with Chicago, which holds a head-to-head tiebreaker and squandered a great chance to cut its magic number to 1 by losing at Brooklyn on Saturday afternoon. Miami hasn't ruled out getting Dion Waiters, Luke Babbitt and Josh McRoberts back this week, so it may have all hands on deck with the exception of injured second-year forward Justise Winslow.
The Bulls saw Dwyane Wade return to the lineup in the loss to the Nets. He played well in his return from what was thought to be a season-ending elbow injury, leaving with Chicago in the lead. Chicago's backcourt may be back at full strength for tonight's game against Orlando since Rajon Rondo is hoping to return from a wrist issue. The Magic may not have top scorer Evan Fournier (17.3), who has been in and out of the lineup of late due to a calf injury.
Point guard Kemba Walker is dealing with an ankle injury, while Charlotte teammate Marco Belinelli (finger) is also questionable for tonight's visit to Milwaukee, which remains in the hunt for the East's No. 5 seed. The Bucks will get back top shot-blocker John Henson from a thumb-related absence but haven't cleared top rookie Malcolm Brogdon, who has been sidelined with a back injury. Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has been dealing with an illness, is expected to play.
Pistons host Wizards on Monday
By: Sam Chase
StatFox.com
It’s the last game at The Palace at Auburn Hills when the Pistons host the Wizards on Monday.
After escaping Madison Square Garden with a 106-103 win over the Knicks on Thursday night (NYK +6), the Wizards fell by the exact same score to the Heat at home on Saturday (MIA +3.5). They have already clinched the Southeast Division title at 48-32 (40-39-1 ATS) and are locked into the Eastern Conference’s fourth seed—and home-court advantage in the conference quarterfinals—after the No. 3 seed Raptors won on Saturday. They can reach the 50-win plateau for the first time since 1979 by winning their final two regular season games, the first of which takes Monday night against the Pistons in Detroit. The Pistons have won two straight games against Western Conference playoff teams with victories over Memphis and Houston, but they are officially eliminated from the playoffs at 37-43 (38-42 ATS). Monday marks the last ever Pistons game in The Palace of Auburn Hills, as the team will move to a new downtown arena next season. Since 1996, teams coming off a close loss of no more than three points to a division rival and looking to revenge a loss of no more than three points (Detroit beat Washington 113-112 on Jan. 21) are 9-32 ATS when the line is set between +3 and -3. In the same timeframe, games involving a road team coming off a loss of three points or fewer and a team that has topped 100 points in four straight games are 77-37 Over against totals of 200 or more. Detroit PG Reggie Jackson is out for the year with a knee injury. Washington SF Otto Porter is questionable to play.
Porter (13.5 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.5 SPG) had not missed a single game all season until Saturday, when he sat against the Heat with what appears to be a minor injury. It has been a breakout fourth season for the former third overall pick, as he is averaging career highs across the board and is 21st in the league in shooting percentage (51.6%, second among non-PF/Cs). With no room to improve on their playoff seeding, don’t be surprised if the Wiz opt to rest him. It appears that everyone else is a go, though, as PF Markieff Morris (13.9 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.1 SPG) scored 21 points in 30 minutes on Saturday after having sat out the Knicks game with a small ankle issue. PF Jason Smith (5.7 PPG, 3.5 RPG) started for Morris on Thursday and SF Kelly Oubre Jr. (6.3 PPG, 3.3 RPG) started for Porter on Saturday; Oubre regularly gets significant minutes off the bench. The other frontcourt starter is C Marcin Gortat (10.7 PG, 10.4 RPG), who lined up with his season averages on Saturday in posting 11 points and 11 rebounds. The team’s stars are in its backcourt, though, and PG John Wall (23.1 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 10.7 APG, 2.0 SPG) and SG Bradley Beal (23.0 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.1 SPG) have been among the best players in the East this year. They had an uncharacteristically low 32 combined points against the Heat, which was a large reason for the Wizards losing.
Former San Antonio Spur Boban Marjanovic (5.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG) has been the difference-maker in Detroit’s two recent wins: He had 27 points and 12 rebounds in only 28 minutes against the Rockets, and he had 14 (on six shots) and 10 in 23 minutes against the Grizzlies. Boban had sat out the team’s previous five games, and his addition to the lineup now looks like a no-brainer. With Jackson (14.5 PPG, 5.2 APG) out—and having long been out of favor—Ish Smith (9.1 PPG, 5.1 APG) is the team’s starting point guard. He scored 11 against Memphis, but had scored at least 15 points in seven consecutive games leading into that one. His seven assists against the Grizz were more than any he had during a game in that stretch, though. Along with Marjanovic, the Pistons’ leading scorer in that game was SF Reggie Bullock (3.9 PPG), as he took advantage of extra minutes as the team rested SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (13.8 PPG) and PF Marcus Morris (14.0 PPG, 4.6 RPG). In double figures off the bench was PG Beno Udrih with 11 but, oddly, the team waived him Monday morning and picked up G Lorenzo Brown. C Andre Drummond (13.7 PPG, 13.8 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 1.1 BPG) has been incredibly quiet as far as scoring in recent games, averaging 6.6 PPG and reaching double-digits only once in his last five games. He is, however, still putting up 11.6 RPG in that span. The team’s leading scorer on the year is SF Tobias Harris (16.2 PPG, 5.1 RPG), whose best recent game was a 23-point outing against the Bucks on March 31.