Sunday's Best NBA Bets
By Covers.com
Washington Wizards at Detroit Pistons (-7, 191)
Detroit enters on a four-game win streak, its longest since a five-game run in December 2009. The Pistons have covered all four, including three by double digits.
"Our guys have a good rhythm," underrated Detroit coach Lawrence Frank said. "We have to continue to raise the bar, continue to do better, but we're playing with a good rhythm and a good spirit."
Second-year big man Greg Monroe, who had 18 points and 11 rebounds in Thursday’s blowout of New Jersey, is developing. And the Pistons are improving defensively. In their hot streak, they’ve held all four opponents to 92 or fewer points.
Washington comes in on a 1-6 SU and ATS skid. The Wizards are 3-7 SU and ATS since Randy Wittman replaced fired coach Flip Saunders.
Detroit is 5-0-1 ATS in its last six home games.
Pick: Pistons
Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors (-2.5, 205)
Houston’s bench has been dominant the past two games, scoring 66 points in a win over Portland and 57 in the victory over Phoenix. Reserves combined to shoot 57 percent from beyond the arc.
The Rockets are on a 4-1 SU and ATS run.
Golden State took care of shorthanded Denver on Thursday, but have been horrible defensively as of late. The Warriors rank 30th in points allowed (100.9).
Houston is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings. Golden State is 2-6 ATS in its last eight home games.
Pick: Rockets
Game of the day: Chicago Bulls at Boston Celtics
By Covers.com
Chicago Bulls at Boston Celtics (+3.5, 175.5)
THE STORY: The Chicago Bulls have finally reached the last stop on their nine-game road trip. The on-court results have been strong, as the Bulls will take a five-game winning streak into TD Garden, but it has come at a cost. Derrick Rose is dealing with back spasms and sat out Friday’s 95-64 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats. The Boston Celtics were riding high with five-game winning streak but have fallen off with back-to-back losses, including a terrible effort at Toronto on Friday. Two of the best defensive teams in the NBA, Chicago and Boston both attempt to grind opponents down.
ABOUT THE BULLS (23-6, 18-11 ATS): With or without Rose, Chicago has no problem shutting teams down. Rose played limited minutes in the two previous games before sitting Friday and the Bulls surrendered an average of 72.7 points in the three games. Joakim Noah has stepped up lately, averaging 12.6 points on 68 percent shooting and 10.8 rebounds over the last five games. Chicago has already won at TD Garden this season, claiming an 88-79 triumph on Jan. 13 behind 25 points from Rose and 21 points and 16 rebounds from Luol Deng. The Bulls have won their last four games by an average of 24.5 points.
ABOUT THE CELTICS (14-12, 14-12 ATS): Just when it looked as though Boston had turned the corner, it has fallen back down. The Celtics got up for the rival Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday and ended up falling, 88-87, in overtime. A road trip to lowly Toronto the next night should have been an easy bounce-back win, but instead the Celtics displayed little effort in an 86-74 setback. The offense has been the biggest problem for Boston, which has not scored over 100 points since the second game of the season.
TRENDS:
* Favorite is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.
* Bulls are 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.
* Over is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings in Boston.
* Under is 6-2 in the last eight meetings.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. The Bulls have taken the last three meetings in the series while holding the Celtics to an average of 79.7 points.
2. Boston C Jermaine O’Neal (shoulder) missed Friday’s game. He is day-to-day.
3. Rose will be a game-time decision on Sunday.
PREDICTION: Bulls 88, Celtics 86
Sunday's NBA Tips
By Kevin Rogers
VegasInsider.com
The Sunday NBA card gives bettors several solid wagering opportunities when the sun goes down with three quality matchups. In the Western Conference, the Rockets look to stay hot on their road trip with a visit to the Bay Area, while the Grizzlies and Jazz meet up in Tennessee. We'll begin with two Southeast division rivals hooking up for the third time this season in Atlanta.
Heat at Hawks
The road team has won each of the first two meetings this season as Miami continues a six-game highway swing at Atlanta. In fact, the Heat begins a stretch of three games in three nights, followed by visits to Milwaukee and Indiana, so Sunday's contest is a crucial one inside the division. The Hawks helped themselves by holding off the Magic in a playoff rematch on Friday in overtime, the second straight win for Atlanta following a three-game losing streak.
This is an interesting scheduling spot for Larry Drew's club, who hits the road for five games after Sunday's contest, coming off the overtime triumph at Orlando. The Hawks wrapped up their four-game homestand on Wednesday by knocking off the Pacers, while putting a halt to a season-high three-game skid. Atlanta upended Miami in the first meeting of the season in South Florida, a 100-92 victory as 9½-point underdogs in early January. The Heat picked up revenge later that week with a triple-overtime triumph at Philips Arena, in spite of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade sitting out with injuries.
Miami bounced back from a disappointing setback at Orlando to stifle the lowly Wizards on Friday, 106-89 as 12-point road favorites. The Heat owns a 3-8 ATS record the last 11 games overall, while covering in back-to-back road games only once this season. Erik Spoelstra's team is just 1-6 ATS the past seven games in the away favorite role, but has won and covered in each of the previous four meetings at Philips Arena.
Rockets at Warriors
Following a 1-6 start away from the Toyota Center, Houston has lifted bettors on the highway with a 5-2 SU/ATS record the last seven road games. The Rockets try to extend their winning streak to four as Houston heads to Oracle Arena for an entertaining contest with the Warriors. Golden State is coming off its first away victory since mid-January in Thursday's triumph at Denver as six-point underdogs.
Stephen Curry torched the beat-up Nuggets for 36 points, two nights after Monta Ellis dropped 48 points in a three-point home loss to the Thunder. We're starting to see flashes of the old Warriors recently as Mark Jackson's club has eclipsed the 100-point mark in six of the last seven games. However, that has not translated into many ATS covers as Golden State is just 3-7 ATS the previous 10 contests, including a 2-5 ATS mark at Oracle Arena.
The Rockets haven't stopped cashing in the role of a road underdog by picking up three straight outright wins at Denver, Portland, and Phoenix this past week. Houston's defense is definitely a catalyst in its improved play by limiting five of its past six opponents to less than 100 points (5-1 to the 'under'). The Rockets dominated this series last season with a 3-1 SU/ATS mark, including a nine-point triumph at Oracle Arena as 2½-point favorites last December.
Jazz at Grizzlies
Two Western Conference squads trying to figure their identities meet in Memphis for a late-night Sunday affair. The Grizzlies have seen plenty of ups and downs this season, but are hoping that a recent two-game winning streak will get them back on track. Memphis picked up a solid home victory over Indiana on Friday to improve to 9-4 at FedEx Forum this season. The Jazz has been singing the blues on the road with a 2-7 mark away from Salt Lake City.
Utah is in the midst of three-game skid following Friday's home loss to Oklahoma City, 101-87 as one-point underdogs. All five Utah starters scored in double-figures, but the Jazz compiled only 57 points in the final three quarters. The Jazz is 1-3 ATS and 0-4 SU in their last four away games, with the lone cover coming at Indiana in a five-point loss as nine-point underdogs.
The Grizzlies have taken advantage of teams off a loss by going 6-3 SU and 5-4 ATS against clubs fresh off a defeat. Memphis is riding a 9-3 run to the 'under' the last 12 games, while scoring less than 100 points in six straight games. The home team has won each of the last nine meetings dating back to 2009, as Memphis dominated Utah in a pair of double-digit victories at FedEx Forum last season.
Hot Teams
-- Bulls won last five games, covering last four.
-- Detroit won/covered its last four games.
-- Miami won four of last five games, but is 2-6 vs spread in last eight games as a road favorite. Atlanta won last two games, allowing 87 points both games; they're 9-4 SU at home, 1-0 as home underdog.
-- Houston won/covered four of its last five games.
-- Memphis won its last two games, is 6-4 as a home favorite.
Cold Teams
-- Toronto lost five of last seven home games, is 2-4 as home underdog. Lakers lost nine of their thirteen road games.
-- Celtics lost last two games, scoring 87-74 points; they're 5-2 as a dog, 2-1 at home.
-- Washington is 2-7-1 vs spread as a road underdog.
-- Warriors are 2-5 vs spread in game following their last seven wins.
-- Jazz lost four of last five games, is 3-6 as a road underdog.
Wear and Tear
-- Lakers: 3rd game/4 days. Raptors: 3rd game/5 days.
-- Bulls: 3rd game/5 days. Celtics: 3rd game/4 days.
-- Wizards: 3rd game/5 nites. Pistons: 3rd game/5 nites.
-- Heat: 4th game/6 nites. Hawks: 3rd game/5 nites.
-- Rockets: Had last two nites off. Warriors: Had last two nites off.
-- Jazz: 2nd game/5 nites. Grizzlies: 3rd game/5 nites.
Totals
-- Five of last six Laker games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last six Boston games stayed under total.
-- Five of last six Washington road games went over.
-- Four of last five Miami games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Golden State games. Four of last five Houston road games stayed under total.
-- Three of last four Utah road games went over the total.
Armadillosports.com
LA LAKERS (15 - 12) at TORONTO (9 - 19) - 2/12/2012, 1:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA LAKERS are 99-123 ATS (-36.3 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 37-58 ATS (-26.8 Units) as a home underdog of 3.5 to 6 points since 1996.
TORONTO is 125-161 ATS (-52.1 Units) in home games second half of the season since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 3-1 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
LA LAKERS is 3-1 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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CHICAGO (23 - 6) at BOSTON (14 - 12) - 2/12/2012, 3:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 74-52 ATS (+16.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 41-26 ATS (+12.4 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 16-4 ATS (+11.6 Units) after playing 3 consecutive road games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 146-191 ATS (-64.1 Units) in home games revenging a loss vs opponent since 1996.
BOSTON is 41-71 ATS (-37.1 Units) in home games versus good defensive teams - allowing <=91 points/game since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 6-3 against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 5-4 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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WASHINGTON (5 - 22) at DETROIT (8 - 20) - 2/12/2012, 6:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 5-16 ATS (-12.6 Units) as an underdog this season.
WASHINGTON is 0-11 ATS (-12.1 Units) as a road underdog of 3.5 to 6 points over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 16-36 ATS (-23.6 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 11-28 ATS (-19.8 Units) against Central division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 167-210 ATS (-64.0 Units) after allowing 105 points or more since 1996.
DETROIT is 27-12 ATS (+13.8 Units) against Southeast division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 6-1 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 6-1 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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MIAMI (20 - 7) at ATLANTA (18 - 9) - 2/12/2012, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 7-3 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI is 7-3 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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HOUSTON (16 - 11) at GOLDEN STATE (9 - 14) - 2/12/2012, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 29-15 ATS (+12.5 Units) in home games after scoring 105 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 31-17 ATS (+12.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 32-15 ATS (+15.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 5-2 against the spread versus GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 6-1 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
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UTAH (13 - 12) at MEMPHIS (14 - 13) - 2/12/2012, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UTAH is 41-70 ATS (-36.0 Units) in a road game where where the total is between 185 and 189.5 points since 1996.
MEMPHIS is 73-48 ATS (+20.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 36-23 ATS (+10.7 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 38-21 ATS (+14.9 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 30-15 ATS (+13.5 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 24-11 ATS (+11.9 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 38-21 ATS (+14.9 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 42-29 ATS (+10.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
MEMPHIS is 4-4 against the spread versus UTAH over the last 3 seasons
UTAH is 5-3 straight up against MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
LA LAKERS at TORONTO
LA LAKERS: 12-24 ATS when playing 6 or more games in 10 days
TORONTO: 37-58 ATS as a home underdog of 3.5 to 6 points
CHICAGO at BOSTON
CHICAGO: 41-26 ATS in road games
BOSTON: 37-50 ATS after playing a game as favorite
WASHINGTON at DETROIT
WASHINGTON: 5-16 ATS as an underdog
DETROIT: 18-7 ATS in road games after having won 2 of their last 3 games
MIAMI at ATLANTA
MIAMI: 18-8 UNDER after a blowout win by 15 points or more
ATLANTA: 11-26 ATS after 2 or more consecutive wins
HOUSTON at GOLDEN STATE
HOUSTON: 18-6 ATS after playing 3 consecutive games as an underdog
GOLDEN STATE: 53-79 ATS after a game where they made 50% of their 3 point shots or better
UTAH at MEMPHIS
UTAH: 47-31 ATS after playing a game as an underdog
MEMPHIS: 15-5 OVER in home games off a home win
Hoop Trends - Sunday
By Vince Akins
VegasInsider.com
SU TREND OF THE DAY:
The Heat are 12-0 ATS (13.0 ppg) since March 18, 2008 when they have a revenge game on the road tomorrow.
OU TREND OF THE DAY:
The Lakers are 10-0-1 OU (8.7 ppg) since April 29, 2003 as a favorite when they shot less than 40% from the field in each of their last two games.
PLAYER BASED TREND OF THE DAY:
The Grizzlies are 10-0 ATS (9.4 ppg) since November 30, 2010 at home after losing the previous matchup in which Oj Mayo shot worse than 33% from the field.
CHOICE TREND:
The Raptors are 0-10-1 OU (-11.1 ppg) since January 12, 2011 with at least a day of rest after a win in which Jose Calderon was not the Raptors’ high scorer.
TODAY’S TRENDS:
The Jazz are 10-0 OU (13.3 ppg) since February 17, 2004 on the road after a loss at home in which Raja Bell took fewer than 10 shots.