NBA betting trends, odds and predictions for Sunday, February 12th, 2017 from various handicappers and websites
NBA Knowledge
Spurs won five of their last six games; they’re 5-4 vs spread in last nine road games. Five of their last six games stayed under total. New York lost its last four games, all at home; they’re 3-10 vs spread in last 13 home games. Seven of their last eight games went over. Knicks lost three of last four games with San Antonio; teams split last four series games played in Manhattan. Over is 7-2 in last nine series games.
Chicago lost five of its last eight games; they’re 7-4 vs spread in last 11 road games. Four of their last six games went over. Timberwolves lost five of last six games; they’re 2-6 vs spread in last eight home games. Last 10 Minnesota games went over the total. Minnesota won its last three games with Chicago by 9-7-5 points, but Bulls won four of last five visits to Twin Cities. Under is 5-2 in last seven series games.
Detroit lost six of its last seven road games (2-5 vs spread); they covered five of last seven games overall. Three of their last four games stayed under total. Raptors won three of last four home games; they’re 4-9 in last 13 games overall. Under is 8-4-1 in their last thirteen games. Toronto won seven of last ten games with Detroit; Pistons lost last three visits to Canada, by 4-4-18 points. Eight of last nine series games went over.
New Orleans lost five of its last seven games; they’re 7-4 vs spread in last 11 road games. Over is 8-4 in last 12 Pelican games. Sacramento is 4-11 vs spread in its last 15 games; they won three of last four games overall, all at home. Four of their last six games stayed under. Kings lost six of last seven games with New Orleans; Pelicans won four of their last five visits to Sacramento. Three of last four series games went over.
Armadillosports.com
NBA: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com
Detroit Pistons at Toronto Raptors
When the Toronto Raptors and Detroit Pistons square off at the Air Canada Centre Sunday, there is an 'Over-Whelming' chance the teams bust 'Over' posted totals. Raptors aren't stopping anyone defensively right now, for that matter, neither are the Pistons.
Raptors giving up 107.3 points per 100 possessions during its last ten home games, the Pistons' defensive metrics a whopping 110.2 its last ten on hostile hardwood these porous defense's make 'Over' a good choice.
The clincher, last twelve meetings between the two cross-border rivals has produced 10 'Over', 2 'Under'. Additionally, 'Over' has been a good choice when the two meet at this venue. The teams have played 'Over' in 13 of 15 meetings here in Toronto.
Taking all those numbers into account, there are still two more facts that leans towards 'Over'. Raptors have a habit of playing 'Over' in situations they find themselves Sunday. Raptors have played 'Over' in 6-of-7 with 3 days rest, 3-1 'Over' after a 3 point exact loss the previous effort.
Sunday's NBA Essentials
By Tony Mejia
VegasInsider.com
Game of the Night - New Orleans at Sacramento
Although Denver and Portland are currently just ahead of them, tonight's showcase game features teams that are in the thick of the race for the Western Conference's No. 8 seed as the All-Star break approaches. Although that last playoff spot is all that seems to be available, New Orleans and Sacramento will likely be playing meaningful games in March, a welcome change from last season.
The Kings come off a dramatic 108-107 win over Atlanta that was saved by a Matt Barnes' block of Darren Collison's would-be game winner at the rim. They pulled off a spirited comeback win that saw them rally back from a 22-point deficit, much of it with DeMarcus Cousins on the bench.
The Pelicans come off a win too, opening the four-game road trip that's taking them into the break by trouncing Minnesota. Anthony Davis scored 42 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in the 122-106 win over the Timberwolves, finishing 16-for-22 from the field in getting the better of another product of the Kentucky basketball factory, Karl-Anthony Towns.
While Towns was controversially left off the Western Conference All-Star team, Davis and Cousins will be in New Orleans as part of next weekend's festivities, although neither has had a smooth first few months. Davis has displayed toughness in playing through a number of varying injuries, the most severe caused by an injured hip suffered during an in-game fall.
Cousins has dominated despite feuding with everyone from opposing assistant coaches to media to trash cans. Referees remain his primary nemesis, so he's already racked up 16 technicals and secured a league-mandated suspension. He's one shy of his entire total from last season with 26 games remaining and will be suspended an additional game for every two technicals he receives. At the rate he's racked them up so far, he'll miss another four if he doesn't curb the temper.
An interesting thing has transpired this week, though. While Cousins sat on Wednesday, Sacramento blew the doors off Boston. The Celtics have gone on to commanding wins, but couldn't hang with the Cousins-less Kings, losing 108-92. Although the tantrums and sulking continued as Atlanta ran out to a lead that swelled as large as 22 points, Cousins calmed down as his team fought back again without him, then made countless clutch plays down the stretch, hitting an enormous 3-pointer and fouling out Dwight Howard to help complete a huge win.
Afterwards, Cousins lauded his team's fight and seems to have bought in more than he has. Whether it affects future behavior remains to be seen, but the Kings have come together enough to impress him.
"It was just a matter of us getting our heads (right), starting with me," said Cousins, who committed nine turnovers in contributing to the awful start against the Hawks. "Just a lot of things going through my head, wrong place, wrong time but my teammates pulled me along.
"I'm fighting my demons right now."
With Cousins having issues, Rudy Gay (Achilles) done for the season, Omri Casspi out with a calf injury and Ty Lawson dealing with an ab strain and a hand injury, seeing Darren Collison and Ben McLemore raise their levels and getting key contributions from veterans Matt Barnes, Arron Afflalo and Anthony Tolliver has really pulled this team together. McLemore's 22 points against the Hawks were a season-high. Recent draft picks Willy Cauley-Stein and Malachi Richardson have even gotten in the mix and been effective, so we'll see if the Kings can string together some lasting momentum.
Over the past three weeks, Sacramento has beaten both Cleveland and Golden State. Only the Spurs and Grizzlies have done that. The Kings will get another crack at the Warriors on Wednesday in Oakland after visiting the Lakers on Tuesday, so this Pelicans game will conclude a six-game homestand that could yield four wins if they capture this one, giving them their second-longest winning streak of the season.
The Pelicans are looking to string together consecutive wins for just the fourth time. They've done so only once in 2017 and continue to be besieged by injuries. Tyreke Evans (knee) and Terrence Jones (thumb) missed the Timberwolves win but are hoping to play here. Before winning in Minneapolis, New Orleans had dropped five consecutive road games. They've surrendered 100 points in 11 straight.
These teams will play one more time on March 31 in what could be a key game if these teams are still in the playoff hunt. They've met just once this season, as the Kings won 102-94 in Sacramento on Nov. 8 to snap a six-game losing streak at the hands of the Pelicans that dated back to Nov. 2014. Cousins scored 28 points on 11-for-20 shooting, while Davis went for 34 points on 14-of-22 from the field, adding eight rebounds and four blocks. Three of the last four matchups have gone over the posted total.
Border Battle - Detroit at Toronto
The Pistons make the short trip north to Toronto to challenge the Raptors in Sunday's only meeting between teams that would currently make the playoffs. Separated by less than 250 miles, these teams will see each other three times between now and April 5, so they'll play a large role in each other's aspirations.
Toronto has fallen three games behind Boston in the Atlantic Division due to a dreadful run that began with a Jan. 18 loss at Philadelphia and has seen them go 4-9. The latest loss, a 112-109 setback to the Wolves way back on Wednesday, came despite them shooting 60 percent in the first half.
DeMar DeRozan has finally gotten healthy and the Raptors certainly put the three days off to good use considering they crammed four road games into the first eight days of February. They've slipped to the No. 4 seed, which puts them right into the firing line of a conference semifinal date with the Cavs.
Detroit would currently be first on that list, residing as the East's No. 8 seed. The Pistons are one game behind Chicago and just ahead of Charlotte, Miami and Milwaukee. They fell 103-92 to San Antonio on Friday, putting an end to a two-game winning streak built on home takedowns of the 76ers and Lakers. They haven't beaten a team with a winning record since Jan. 21 and have lost six of their last seven road games. Their 9-18 road mark is tied for fourth-worst in the East.
Toronto's 18-9 record at Air Canada Centre is the fifth-best at home in the East and tied for 10th overall with Utah.
These teams opened the season against one another back on Oct. 26, when DeRozan opened with a 40-point night, shooting 17-for-27. Jonas Valanciunas added 32 points and 11 rebounds, landing Andre Drummond and backup Aron Baynes in major foul trouble. Point guard Reggie Jackson didn't play. Toronto has won eight of the last 11 head-to-head matchups, taking five of the last six at home, including three straight.
Afternoon Tips
In case anyone in the country missed out on the Charles Oakley-James Dolan controversy on the heels of the Carmelo Anthony-Phil Jackson mess, a full rehashing of their dirty laundry will be available on ABC since New York has the misfortune of a home date against San Antonio.
Leave it to the Knicks to engineer a full-scale implosion on the same week they have two nationally-televised home games. The Oakley drama went down on Wednesday against the Clippers with an ESPN audience tuned in, and now the most dysfunctional franchise in the NBA faces the best-run one in a contest everyone can watch.
Anthony has responded to being booed at home in last Saturday night's loss to Cleveland by having one of his most productive individual weeks. After going 6-for-20 and costing New York a potential upset of the Cavs, he's gone 33-for-60 this week, shooting 9-for-19 from three-point range. Despite him averaging 29 points per game, the Knicks have lost to Lakers, Clips and Nuggets. All three game went over the posted total due to New York's brutal defense. All resulted in losses. It has dropped four straight and 20 of the last 26. San Antonio swept last season's two meetings and has started 2-1 on its annual Rodeo road trip that sees them remain on the road until March 1 once action resumes after the break.
Chicago visits Minnesota in the league's other 3:35 ET start. There's considerable doubt lingering over whether Jimmy Butler will play. Although he returned from a three-game absence in Friday's 115-97 loss to Phoenix, he shot just 6-for-16 and felt pain in his injured heel that may require more time off.
Dwyane Wade returned to the lineup against the Suns after an illness and a wrist issue and is probable to play here. The Bulls have dropped three of four but reside as the seventh-best team in the East.
Chicago is in danger of being swept by the Timberwolves for the second straight year since the first meeting saw Tom Thibodeau walk out of the United Center a winner in his return despite Towns shoot 6-for-21. Zach LaVine, who led the way with 24 points, is now out for the season after tearing his ACL last week. Minnesota has lost five of its last six games, beating only the Raptors, and now owns the third-worst record in the Western Conference.