NBA Betting News and Notes Monday, March 23

NBA: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com

Washington Wizards at Golden State Warriors

Golden State Warriors will be going for the season sweep against Washington Wizards Monday when these two inter-conference opponents battle it out for the second time this season. Warriors continue to set the pace in the Association with nine victories in their last ten games moving the mark to an NBA best 56-13 (40-28-1 ATS) including a 33-2 record on Oracle Arena hardwood (24-10-1 ATS). Golden State looking to extend a 12-0 (8-4 ATS) streak on home court dropping an average 110.5 PPG through the iron have been given the nod by oddsmakers as Warriors have opened 11.5 point favorites. Wizards carrying a 5-2 SU/ATS stretch into Oakland after falling to Kings last night enter 40-30 (28-41-1 ATS) on the campaign but have struggle away from the Nation's Capital at 15-20 with a 12-22-1 mark against the betting line. Tough spot for Washington. The Wizards have dropped 11 of the last 13 on the road averaging just 89.7 points (3-10 ATS) and Warriors are an awesome 37-1 (26-11-1 ATS) when its opponent nets under 100 PPG. Washington has another poor situation to overcome. Wizards have failed to respond as road underdogs playing without rest posting a 1-6 ATS record including 0-4 ATS when matched up against a non-conference foe.

Game of the Day: Rockets at Pacers
By Covers.com

Houston Rockets at Indiana Pacers (-1, 202)

Indiana looks to end an ill-timed five-game losing streak at home against Houston on Monday, and there is a chance injured star Paul George will be in the mix for the first time this season. The Pacers' slide - their fourth of at least five games - has put a dent in their playoff hopes, as they entered Sunday's action a half-game out of the final spot in the Eastern Conference. The latest setback involved their worst defensive showing of the season in a 123-111 loss to Brooklyn on Saturday.

The Nets shot 61.3 percent - the highest mark ever for an opponent on Indiana's home court - against a team that has prided itself on defensive play. Houston is trying to hold off four teams for the third spot in the West and entered Sunday trailing second-place Memphis by 1 1/2 games after a 117-102 loss at home against Phoenix on Saturday. James Harden followed up his 50-point effort with 16 on 5-of-19 shooting as the Rockets had a three-game winning streak come to an end.

LINE HISTORY: Most shops opened the Pacers -1, which is where it was sitting at the time of writing.

WHAT CAPPERS SAY: "Houston and Indiana are both in poor defensive form. The Rockets have allowed 225 points in their last two games while the Pacers have allowed 103 points or more in four of their last six games. Indiana has also lost five consecutive games as a result of their lackluster defense. With three straight home losses, Indiana will be bring their best effort in this game. Houston is also off a home loss, so they are also expected to come with a concerted effort in this game." Covers Expert Steve Merril

ABOUT THE ROCKETS (46-23): The somewhat surprising result against Phoenix came in the first game after power forward Terrence Jones was sidelined due to a collapsed lung, which will keep him out of action for at least two more contests. That could put him back in the lineup right around the time star center Dwight Howard - who is considered doubtful for Monday - returns, potentially giving Houston a shot in the arm for the stretch run. The Rockets were outrebounded 49-36 against the Suns, who entered Sunday ranked 14th in the Western Conference in rebounding margin.

ABOUT THE PACERS (30-39): While Houston awaits Howard's return, Indiana is expected to update the status of George on Monday. According to an ESPN report that circulated late last week, there was a chance that George was going to come back against Brooklyn after spending the entire season recovering from a broken leg suffered last summer, but head coach Frank Vogel shot that down. It is expected that George will return during the week, which could be a boost for a struggling squad about to enter a stretch of road-heavy portion of the schedule.

TRENDS:

* Favorite is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
* Rockets are 1-7 ATS in their last eight meetings in Indiana.
* Over is 6-0 in the Rockets last six Monday games.
* Over is 4-1 in the Pacers last five home games.

Monday's NBA Essentials
By Tony Mejia
VegasInsider.com

Rockets at Pacers

Get used to having to monitor the potential availability of Dwight Howard. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year and would-be anchor of the Rockets resistance is expected to return at some point this week. He was upgraded to doubtful, but is highly unlikely to return without a full practice. Josh Smith has been nursing a sore ankle, point guard Patrick Beverley has a sore shoulder he’s been playing through, Jason Terry is dealing with a lingering hamstring injury and Trevor Ariza has been sick. Considering key forward Terrance Jones has also been sidelined by a collapsed lung, it’s a wonder Houston has won three of four and not surprising it comes off an ugly home loss at the hands of Houston on Saturday night. MVP candidate James Harden has served as the driving force in spite of all the injuries, but even he’s shown signs of wearing down. In the Rockets last three losses, he’s averaged 18.3 points on 15-for-51 shooting. During their last three wins, he’s averaged 33.7 points, highlighted by the 50 he dropped against Denver. Harden scored 45 points on 12-for-18 shooting in Houston’s 110-98 home win against the Pacers on Jan. 19, connecting on seven 3-pointers and dishing out seven assists. The Rockets have seen the under come in five of the last eight games.

Paul George is also likely to make his long-awaited return to action at some point this week, but the Pacers have been very quiet about precisely when that may happen. The Pacers can certainly use him to provide a lift, beginning the week on a five-game losing streak that has dropped them out of the top-eight in the Eastern Conference. Rodney Stuckey, Indiana’s second-leading scorer, left Saturday night’s 123-111 loss to Brooklyn with a sore left calf, casting doubt on his availability for this one. In a game that was critical to the team’s run at a playoff spot, it was disconcerting to see Indiana surrender the most points scored and highest field goal percentage (61.3) surrendered this season. George Hill has quietly been terrific during this current losing streak, shooting 41-for-72 (59 pct) and averaging 19 points and 4.8 assists. The Pacers go back on the road for four of the next five after this one, making it a very important game. Due to their uncharacteristic defensive struggles, five of their last seven games have gone over the posted total. Indiana is 1-5 ATS in their last six.

Celtics at Nets

Rookie Marcus Smart will return from a one-game suspension for a cheap shot on San Antonio’s Matt Bonner and should be fresh to help lift a Celtics team that blew a fourth-quarter lead and had to work OT in a costly 105-97 setback at home against Detroit on Sunday night. Evan Turner and Avery Bradley played the majority of the minutes at guard, combining for 33 points on 13-for-31 shooting, so getting back Smart to provide a spark should be key as Boston looks to snap a three-game losing streak. Jae Crowder added 17 points in a team-high 44 minutes on the wing, while sixth man Kelly Olynyk shot just 1-for-9 despite a team-high nine boards, serving as the biggest culprit for the team’s 36 percent shooting. Isaiah Thomas , who keyed the Celtics unlikely rise into the race for a playoff spot, hasn’t played since March 9 due to a back injury. He had averaged over 20 points per game off the bench since arriving from Phoenix. Despite going over last night due to OT, Boston has seen five of its last eight games played go below the posted total, another indication of how much they’ve missed Thomas. There have been reports he’s targeting Wednesday as a return date, but monitor this situation in case he’s able to make an early return.

The Nets have topped the 120-point mark in three of their last four games to quiet talk that the team had little interest in making a late run at the No. 8 seed. In fact, coming off a huge win at Indiana, Brooklyn now continues a stretch that sees them face each of the teams involved in the race for No. 8, continuing at Charlotte on Wednesday. Center Brook Lopez scored 26 points on 11-for-14 shooting and Bojan Bogdanovic added 21 on a perfect 8-for-8 from the field. Keep an eye on Bogdanovic, who 30-for-47 from the field over his last four games, averaging 17.8 points off the bench. Deron Williams hasn’t played more than 28 minutes in a single game over his last five, so the Nets are looking to keep him fresh despite not resting him on the second night of a back-to-back. He had 17 points and six assists against Indiana and looks to be getting back into the type of groove he was in just after the All-Star break. Brooklyn has won four of five and are in search of only its second three-game winning streak of 2015. They haven’t won more than three in a row this season. Six of their last seven games have gone over the posted total, a rarity under the defensive-minded Lionel Hollins. The Nets are looking for a split of the season-series against Boston.

Hornets at Bulls

Charlotte rallied from an awful first quarter that saw it fall behind by double-digits, exploding to score 91 points over the next three quarters in a 109-98 win in Minnesota. The Hornets picked up their first game of a five-game road swing that concludes tonight and helped them go a half-game up in the race for the final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist scored 18 points on 8-for-10 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds against the Timberwolves, while Al Jefferson ended up with 18 points and 11 boards, while Marvin Williams added a team-high 24 points off the bench, so the frontcourt was really the driving force against the depleted Timberwolves. Kemba Walker is rounding back into form after missing over six weeks of action and has now scored in double-figures in three consecutive games for the first time since mid-January after coming up with 16 points, eight assists and six streals in Minnesota. The Hornets have lost four of their last five on the second night of a back-to-back.

Chicago was outscored 54-19 over the final quarter-and-a-half in a disappointing 107-91 loss to the Pistons on Saturday night. Outside of Pau Gasol, who had 17 second-half points on 5-for-8 shooting, saw his teammates go 7-for-30 around him in completely falling apart. Taj Gibson did return from an ankle injury, but his availability cut into the minutes of rookie Nikola Mirotic, who had been the driving force of the team’s offense in the absence of Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler. Mirotic scored a month-low eight points on 1-for-8 shooting, never getting in a rhythm. He’s averaging 20.4 points and 8.2 rebounds in March. Chicago has fallen into the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls are 9-3 at home since February began and have played games that have gone over the posted total in 10 of the last 11, including eight straight.

Wizards at Warriors

John Wall and the Wizards wrap up a four-game Western swing looking to avoid a 1-3 trip and fly back with some momentum to begin a five-game homestand on Wednesday. Things started well when Wall was masterful in an upset of the sizzling Jazz to give the team their fifth consecutive win, but the Clippers and most disappointingly, the Kings have administered double-digit beatings since. It will be interesting to see how the team responds after a demoralizing 109-86 defeat in Sacramento on Sunday that coaches and players blamed on a lack of defensive focus. The Wizards couldn’t get stops out of the gate and then again in a third quarter that saw them outscored 33-20 in a listless performance that has those calling for beleaguered head coach Randy Wittman’s job pulling their hair out. Washington has lost 11 of its last 13 road games, with the under 9-3-1 in that stretch. Paul Pierce, Nene and Marcin Gortat all played 22 minutes or fewer, so fatigue might be less of an issue on this second night of a back-to-back, though all were on the floor for with Wall for the better part of the carnage. Bradley Beal has been the only silver lining, since he appears to be back at 100 percent and is shooting the ball the way he’s accustomed to. The Wizards are playing the second of a back-to-back for the first time since May 7 and have lost four of the last five in this situation. Beal didn’t play for precautionary reasons, so this will be his first back-to-back since Feb. 5, when he aggravated a toe injury that contributed to what became an eight-game layoff.

The Warriors have run their home record to 33-2 as they take the floor at Oracle Arena for the final time this month. A four-game road swing awaits as they look to put the finishing touches on the top seed in the Western Conference, so they won’t be back in town until April 2. Klay Thompson remains out with an ankle injury he’s not going to be rushing back from, so a new-look Warriors squad has maintained the momentum. Thompson is likely to be re-evaluated later this week, so look for Andre Iguodala and Harrison Barnes to continue factoring prominently. MVP frontrunner Stephen Curry is averaging 20 points and 9.2 assists through GSW’s current five-game winning streak. Since he sat out the Warriors’ last loss to Denver, the team has won the last 10 times he’s played and is 11-1 with him on board in March. Golden State is closing in on becoming the first team since the ’95-’96 Chicago Bulls (72-10) to lead the NBA in offensive and defensive efficiency. GSW is 4-1 ATS during this five-game run and have played to six consecutive overs. The Warriors are 13-11 ATS as a double-digit favorite.

Monday's Top Action
By Sportsbook.ag

HOUSTON ROCKETS (46-23) at INDIANA PACERS (30-39)

Sportsbook.ag Line: Indiana -1.0, Total: 202

The Indiana Pacers attempt to snap a nasty five-game losing streak when they host the Houston Rockets on Monday night.

The Rockets continue to play some solid basketball and have won five of their past eight games both SU and ATS; earning four of the victories by double-digits. The offense has been the usual driving force when the club wins as it puts up an impressive 108.4 PPG in the five most recent wins. Houston couldn’t keep up with the Suns on Saturday, though, losing by a score of 117-102 as a 7.5-point favorite at home. Phoenix made 46-of-92 shots (50%) in the manhandling of Houston as the Rockets turned the ball over 18 times.

Indiana has not had the season it would have liked and is playing very poor coming into this one with losses in each of the past five games (1-4 ATS) as it scores a meager 95.2 PPG. The defense was also horrible during that stretch, allowing opponents to net more than 110 points twice as it gave up 106.2 PPG. The Pacers finally did something on offense on Saturday, putting up 111 points, but let the Nets drop 123 points on them while giving 8.5 points at home. They made a solid 45-of-90 shots (50% FG) in the loss but let Brooklyn get an amazing 46-of-75 (61% FG) attempts to drop.

Houston hasn’t been horrible on the road with a 19-13 SU record (16-16 ATS) in away games as it faces an Indiana group that is 18-17 SU (17-17-1 ATS) at home.

The home teams have dominated the recent matchups with these two groups, winning each of the past three contests by an average of 23.7 PPG as the Rockets have come away victorious in the past two and earlier this season they were able to grab a 110-98 win against the Pacers; making 51.4% of their shots in the process.

Some trends to keep an eye on include that Houston is 10-1 ATS (91%) when coming off an upset loss this year while Indiana is 5-1 ATS after a game where it allowed a shooting percentage of 55% or higher in the past three seasons.

On the injury front, the Rockets will continue to be very shallow with their big men as both C Dwight Howard (Knee) and PF Terrence Jones (Ribs) are out while SF Kostas Papanikolaou (Ankle) is questionable. The Pacers still obviously have SF Paul George (Leg) out while SG Rodney Stuckey (Calf) is questionable.

The Houston offense has been great for a few years now and it is scoring 103.3 PPG (8th in league) behind 43.9% shooting (9th-worst in league). On the defensive side of things the Rockets are allowing opponents to put up 100.2 PPG on 44.1% shooting (10th in league).

SG James Harden (26.9 PPG, 7.0 APG, 5.8 RPG, 1.9 SPG) has made a meager 35% of his shots in the past five games and is coming off a rough showing (16 points, 5 assists, 2 steals) in the loss to Phoenix. He didn’t disappoint when he last met with Indiana though, scoring 45 points to go with seven assists and four steals.

Trevor Ariza (12.6 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.9 SPG) has had a horrible year shooting, making a mere 39% over the year, but has picked it up of late while hitting 48% of his attempts in the past five outings with 14.4 PPG. He was a non-factor when his team beat the Pacers earlier in the year as he had nine points with three steals.

SG Corey Brewer (11.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 1.6 SPG) has three double-digit scoring performances in the past five games and has grabbed 7.4 RPG in that time. He had 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting while adding little else against Indiana back in January.

The Pacers do little to instill fear in their opponents on the offensive end, netting 96.6 PPG (7th-worst in league) on 43.8% shooting (8th-worst in league). They don’t allow too much on defense, though, giving up a mere 96.8 PPG (3rd-worst in league) with 43.5% of opponents attempts going in (4th in league).

PG George Hill (15.1 PPG, 4.6 APG) has been hot recently with 21.0 PPG over his past five performances as he’s made 56.9% of his shots. He wasn’t on the court in the first meeting with Houston and averaged just 8.0 PPG (54% FG) with 4.0 APG against them in two games last year.

PF David West (11.9 PPG, 7.0 RPG) has been horrible in the past five contests with 7.8 PPG and 5.0 RPG as he also did little (8 points, 6 rebounds) in the loss to the Rockets. C Roy Hibbert (10.8 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 1.7 BPG) has had a rough season but has done well (16.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 1.3 BPG) in his past four games. He played just 19 minutes against Houston this year with 12 points and four boards.

BOSTON CELTICS (30-39) at BROOKLYN NETS (29-39)

Sportsbook.ag Line: Brooklyn -4, Total: 203.0

The Celtics and Nets continue to fight for a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs when the two teams face-off in Brooklyn Monday.

The Celtics faced the Pistons on Sunday and lost 105-97 as 6-point home favorites. Boston has now lost three straight games SU and the team has been miserable defensively, allowing 109.3 PPG in those contests. The Celtics will need to slow their opponents down or they will have little to no chance of being a part of the postseason.

The Nets, however, have gotten hot lately. They won 123-111 as 8.5-point road underdogs in Indiana on Saturday and have now won four of their past five games SU. They are 3-1-1 ATS in those games and their past four have gone Over the total.

These division foes have met three times this season and Boston is 2-1 both SU and ATS in those games. They last met in Brooklyn on Jan. 7 and the Celtics won 89-81 as 5-point underdogs in that game. Prior to that game, the Nets had won-and-covered in two straight games against the Celtics at Barclays Center.

Boston is 11-1 ATS in road games after failing to cover in two of their past three games this season. Brooklyn, meanwhile, is 36-23 ATS revenging a same season loss versus an opponent over the past two seasons. PG Marcus Smart (Suspension Served) is probable for the Celtics, who are already without PG Isaiah Thomas (Back) and PF Jared Sullinger (Foot) either indefinitely or for the season. Brooklyn is not currently dealing with any serious injuries.

The Celtics have lost three straight games and will really be desperate for a victory in Brooklyn Monday. SG Evan Turner (9.2 PPG, 5.0 APG, 4.9 RPG, 1.0 SPG) has been thrown into a much bigger role over the past two games, playing 36.0 MPG and being the team’s primary scoring option. Turner has responded with 20.0 PPG, 6.0 APG, 3.5 RPG and 1.5 SPG in those contests. He must find a way to be as productive against a Brooklyn team he has struggled against this season. Turner is averaging just 6.3 PPG in three games against the Nets and will need to be more effective as a scorer Monday.

One player who has stepped up in increased minutes is PF Jonas Jerebko (5.7 PG, 3.5 RPG). Over the past two games, Jerebko is averaging 8.5 PPG, 10.5 RPG and 1.0 SPG. He should be able to be a major part of this rotation as long as he continues to be active on the glass.

PG Marcus Smart (7.9 PPG, 3.4 APG, 3.4 RPG, 1.3 SPG) was averaging 13.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 3.0 APG and 1.5 SPG in 29.3 MPG in the four games before serving a one-game suspension for Boston. Smart is a very tough defender and also knows how to get his shots off. He’ll need to hold his own against Deron Williams on Monday.

SG Avery Bradley (14.0 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.1 SPG) could also spend some time guarding Williams in this game. Bradley is one of the better on-ball defenders in the league and could make things very tough on whichever Nets guard he covers in this one. He’s also playing very well offensively recently, averaging 15.0 PPG on 44% shooting (37% 3PT) over the past five games.

SF Jae Crowder (7.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG) got hot against the Pistons last game, finishing with 19 points, seven boards, three assists, a steal and a block in 45 minutes of action. Crowder has needed to play a lot of minutes as an undersized power forward with Boston, but he’s responded well and will be an x-factor against Brooklyn.

The Nets have played extremely well as of late and C Brook Lopez (15.8 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.7 BPG) has been dominant inside for this team. Over the past two games, Lopez is averaging 29.0 PPG, 11.0 RPG and 4.5 BPG in 36.5 MPG. The Celtics do not have big men that are great at defending the rim, so he should be able to tear it up on Monday as well.

PF Thaddeus Young (14.2 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.7 SPG) has also played very well lately, putting up 15.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG and 1.4 SPG in 32.8 MPG over the past five contests. Young is very quick for a power forward and should have a strength advantage over whoever mans the spot for the Celtics on Monday. He’ll need to aggressively take the ball to the rim and also rebound well in this game.

SG Joe Johnson (15.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 3.4 APG) has been solid over the past two games, averaging 17.0 PPG. Johnson can take games off here and there and the Nets will really need him to come out firing against Boston.

PG Jarrett Jack (12.4 PPG, 5.0 APG, 3.2 RPG, 1.0 SPG) has done a very good job of running this offense recently, averaging 12.8 PPG, 6.2 APG and 3.8 RPG over the past five games. He’ll need to continue to score timely buckets and get his teammates the ball in the right spots moving forward.

PG Deron Williams (13.0 PPG, 6.1 APG, 3.0 RPG, 1.0 SPG) has turned into the wild card for Brooklyn. He played well against Indiana, finishing with 17 points and six assists in 24 minutes of action. He is, however, also capable of putting up single-digits in scoring on any given night. He’s shooting just 37% from the field in March and he must find

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