NBA betting trends, odds and predictions for Sunday, March 26th, 2017 from various handicappers and websites
NBA Knowledge
Nets won two of last three games, are 4-1 vs spread in last five road games. Over is 10-3 in their last 13 games. Atlanta lost its last six games; they’re 1-8 vs spread in last nine home games. Hawks’ last five games stayed under the total. Hawks won six of last seven games with Brooklyn; last six series games stayed under. Nets lost their last five visits to Atlanta (1-3 vs spread in last four).
Phoenix lost its last seven games (1-6 vs spread); they’re 3-7 vs spread in last ten road games. Six of their last eight games stayed under total. Hornets won three of last four games; they’re 4-11 vs spread in last 15 home games. Under is 7-3 in their last ten home games. Suns won eight of last ten games with Charlotte (7-3 vs spread); they won three of last four visits here. Last four series games went over total.
Kings lost their last four games (1-3 vs spread); they’re 4-6 vs spread in last ten road games. Under is 7-2 in their last nine road games. Clippers won four of last five games, are 5-8 vs spread in last 13 games at Staples. Under is 5-2-1 in their last eight home games. Clippers won eight of last nine games with Sacramento; Kings covered three of last five- teams split last four series games played here. Over is 7-2 in last nine series games.
Houston won six of last seven games; they’re 4-5 vs spread in last nine home games. Four of their last five games went over. Thunder won six of last seven games; they’re 3-6 vs spread in last nine road games. Over is 9-4 in their last 13 games. Rockets won three of last four games with Oklahoma City; Thunder lost last three visits here, by 5-8-2 points. Over is 3-1 in last four games played here.
Milwaukee won 11 of its last 13 games; they covered five of last six home games. Under is 13-2-1 in their last 16 games. Bulls lost nine of last 12 games; they covered three of last four road games. Four of their last five games went over the total. Bucks won/covered last three games with Chicago; four of last five series games stayed under total. Teams split last four series games played here.
Miami won seven of last ten games; they’re 7-3-1 vs spread in last 11 road games. Under is 4-1 in their last five road games. Boston won six of its last seven games; they’re 5-1 vs spread in last six home games. Three of their last four home games went over. Celtics won their last six games with Miami (5-1 vs spread); under is 7-3 in last ten series games. Heat lost three visits to Beantown, by 12-10-3 points.
Sixers won three of last five games; they’re 8-1 vs spread in last nine games, 10-2 in last 12 road tilts- their last three games went over total. Indiana lost three of last four games; they’ve won five of last six home games (4-1-1 vs spread). Last four Indiana games went over. Pacers won eight of last ten games with Philly, covering six of last nine. 76ers lost last five games here (2-3 vs spread). Four of last five series games went over.
Memphis lost its last two games but covered five of last six; they covered three of last four road games. Four of their last five games stayed under. Golden State won its last six games; they’re 2-5 vs spread in last seven home games- their last nine games stayed under. Warriors won eight of last ten games with Memphis, but Grizzlies covered three of last five. Memphis lost three of last four visits to Oakland (1-3 vs spread). Three of last four series games went over.
New Orleans won three of last four games; they’re 3-4 vs spread in last seven road games. Under is 13-5 in their last 18 games. Nuggets won six of last eight games; they covered four of last five at home. Over is 4-1 in their last five games. Denver won six of last nine games with New Orleans; four of last five series games went over total. Road team won six of last seven series games; Pelicans won by 7-5 points in last couple visits to Denver.
Trailblazers won five of its last six games; they’re 5-1 vs spread in last six road games. Four of their last five games stayed under. Lakers lost 14 of last 16 games; they covered three of last four home games. Over is 7-2 in their last nine games. Portland won its last ten games with the Lakers, covering eight of last nine; Trailblazers won/covered last four series games in Staples Center. Under is 7-3 in last ten series games.
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NBA: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com
Miami Heat at Boston Celtics
When Boston and Miami clash on TD Garden hardwood Sunday, both will want the 'W'. C's are trying to keep pace with inconsistant Cavaliers for top spot in the East while Heat want to hold on to it's 8th-seed in Eastern Conference standings.
Celtics are 26-9 in front of the home audience but cashing tickets on home court hasn't been easy-money, the C's are just 16-19 against the betting line. As for Miami, life on the road has been a chore. In 35 games away from South Beach the result has been 14 wins, 21 losses. Add the great equalizer (spread) though, Heat have kept supporters happy posting a 21-14 record against the betting line including 19-10 ATS catching points on unfriendly hardwood.
Boston 3-0 (2-1 ATS) against Heat this season, 6-0 (5-1 ATS) last six meetings, 10-2 (9-3 ATS) vs the Southeast, 6-0 (5-1 ATS) last six in front of the home audience the Celtics are potentially in line for a good game.
Inside the Paint - Sunday
By Chris David
VegasInsider.com
Game of the Day – Oklahoma City at Houston
These nationally televised games have been unwatchable lately but Sunday’s affair between the Thunder (41-30 SU, 40-30-1 ATS) and Rockets (50-22 SU, 41-31 ATS) should be a good one, especially when you look at their recent meetings.
Houston has captured two of the first three encounters but all of the outcomes were decided by three points or less. The most recent matchup took place on Jan. 5 from the Toyota Center and the Rockets earned a 118-116 decision but failed to cover as eight-point favorites. Prior to that loss against the spread, the Rockets had covered eight straight in this series.
Fast forward to Sunday and the Rockets opened as six-point favorites, which is a couple points lower than the aforementioned matchup from Houston.
The Rockets have won three straight and six of their last seven headed into this matchup and that includes four consecutive wins at home. The offense has been clicking all season but in the last four at home, the club has averaged 124.5 points per game.
Oklahoma City has also won six of its last seven and while Houston has produced wins with offense, Billy Donovan and company have done it with defense. During this span, they’ve surrendered 100.5 PPG and the lone loss came against Golden State (111-95) last Monday at home.
The Thunder couldn’t play ‘keep-up’ with the Warriors last week or all season and it makes you wonder if they can do the same with Houston. They have kept it close three times and bettors will have to decide if they’re backing the Thunder’s muscle or go with the free-flowing Rockets. If Oklahoma City gets behind, it could be in trouble knowing that the team is ranked 28th in 3-point shooting percentage (32.8%).
Backing OKC as a visitor hasn’t been a sound investment (14-20 SU, 15-19 ATS) all season, especially when catching points. The Thunder are just 5-16 SU and 7- 14 ATS as a road ‘dog, which makes you believe a money-line play on Sunday presents more value at 2/1 odds.
Total bettors saw an opener of 232 sent out and bettors should make a note these teams have only eclipsed that number once in their last 10 meetings.
The race for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player shouldn’t be decided on the outcome of this game but it could certainly sway voters and Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook (35.3 PPG, 8.3 APG, 8.0 RPG) has done a much better job scoring than Houston’s James Harden (20 PPG, 12.3 APG, 8.0 RPG) in the first three contests this season.
As of Saturday evening, Sportsbook.ag had Harden listed as the 1/2 betting favorite (Bet $100 to win $50) to win the league MVP while Westbrook is an 8/5 choice (Bet $100 to win $160).
Along with the nationally televised game between the Rockets and Thunder, we have four other afternoon matchups on tap and below is my quick handicap.
Brooklyn (15-57 SU, 34-36-2 ATS) at Atlanta (37-35 SU, 33-39 ATS)
Hard to back the Nets due to their talent and lack of defense but it’s tough to make a case for Atlanta, who enter this game with a six-game losing streak and quality players Paul Millsap and Kent Bazemore aren’t expected to return Sunday.
If you’re looking for an angle, make a note that Atlanta has cleaned up versus the Atlantic Division (11-3) this season while the Nets have had their worst efforts versus the Southeast (1-13). Plus, the Hawks have won both of the meetings (1-1 ATS) against the Nets this season but failed to cover in a 110-105 victory on Mar. 8 as 10-point home favorites.
Bettors backing Brooklyn (+6½) should be aware that eight of its 15 wins occurred when they scored 120-plus points which shows you how much they rely on the outside shots, which have been inconsistent.
Total bettors should note that the ‘under’ has cashed in six straight in this series and eight of the last 10.
Phoenix (22-51 SU, 35-36-2 ATS) at Charlotte (32-40 SU, 31-38-3 ATS)
If anybody ever tells you that an elite college team could beat the worst NBA team, then I suggest you check out the latest version of the Suns. Like other teams in the NBA, Phoenix is in tank mode and has dropped seven straight and nine of their last 10 games. They’ve gone 3-7 ATS during this span and while Devin Booker’s 70-point performance was incredible on Friday, the Suns still lost by double digits (130-120) and his gunning earned them a cover.
Charlotte is coming off a 112-105 loss to Cleveland on Friday, which snapped a three-game winning streak. The Hornets have gone 4-2 both SU and ATS in their last six as home favorites and this is a revenge game with the Suns blasting them 120-103 on Mar. 2 as four-point home underdogs. Phoenix shot lights out (59%) in the win and it’s hard to imagine them posting those numbers again.
Backing the Hornets at this price (-12) doesn’t seem smart knowing they’ve dropped five straight at home versus Western Conference foes. Charlotte has gone 4-0 this season as a double-digit home favorite but it’s just 1-3 versus the number. For what it’s worth, the Suns have gone 8-2 in the last 10 meetings against the Hornets and the ‘over’ has cashed in the last four.
Chicago (34-39 SU, 36-37 ATS) at Milwaukee (37-35 SU, 32-40 ATS)
The Bucks will be looking to complete a four-game regular season sweep of the Bulls in this spot and the first three games between the pair haven’t been close. All of them have been decided by double digits and Chicago has been held to 87.3 PPG in those losses. The ‘under’ has gone 2-1.
Since Dwayne Wade (elbow) was ruled ‘out’ for the season, the club has gone 2-3 and that includes Friday’s humbling 117-107 home loss to Philadelphia. The Bulls haven’t dropped back-to-back games during this span and the offense has actually looked better (109.2) in his absence.
Milwaukee has turned it on since the All-Star break, going 12-5 and they bring a three-game winning streak into this matchup. The defense has been very solid during this span, holding opponents to 99.8 PPG and that’s contributed to a 14-3 ‘under’ record.
The Bucks opened as 6½-point favorites for this game and they haven’t been favored over the Bulls this season.
Sacramento (27-45 SU, 36-35-1 ATS) at L.A. Clippers (43-30 SU, 35-38 ATS)
Los Angeles will be playing this game on no rest and at home after defeating the Jazz 108-95 as five-point home favorites on Saturday afternoon. It’s strange to see the Clippers in this scenario but it sort of shows you that the Lakers still get the top billing at the Staples Center and they play Portland on Sunday night.
L.A. has gone 7-8 both SU and ATS when playing on no rest this season but it has won and covered two of its last three when facing back-to-back spots. The Clippers have won eight of the past nine against the Kings and that includes a 2-0 record this season (1-1 ATS) with those games taking place from Sacramento.
This will be the fifth straight game that the Kings are catching double digits and they’ve gone 0-4 SU and 1-3 ATS in the previous with all of the losses coming by double digits.
The pair will meet one more time this season, which takes place in their finale on Apr. 12 from the Staples Center.
Sunday’s NBA Game of the Day: Thunder at Rockets
By Covers.com
Oklahoma City Thunder at Houston Rockets (-6, 232)
Two of the top candidates for league MVP lead their red-hot teams into battle when the Oklahoma City Thunder visit the Houston Rockets on Sunday in what could be a preview of a first-round playoff matchup. Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook needs six triple-doubles to match Oscar Robertson’s all-time record for a season (47) and Houston’s James Harden is averaging a robust 39.5 points and 12.3 assists the last four games.
Harden boasts four triple-doubles to go along with three double-doubles in his last seven games to make his MVP case as the Rockets won six times, and he is second only to Westbrook (31.2) in scoring at 29.5 while leading the lead in assists (11.3). “I think so, but I try not to think about it too much,” Harden told reporters when asked if he is making a strong run at the MVP. “I just try to do my job at a high level and win games. That’s all I can do.” Westbrook played reduced minutes for the second straight game, but still registered a triple-double with 18 points on 6-of-6 shooting, 14 assists and 11 rebounds in Wednesday’s win over Philadelphia. “I’ve been watching some film, trying to pick my spots better,” Westbrook told reporters. “I found ways to continue to get my teammates involved throughout the game and it just happened that way.”
LINE HISTORY: The point spread for this one opened with the Rockets -6. After a brief stop at -5.5 the line returned to the opening number on Sunday morning. The total hit the board at 233 and was dropped a full point to 232. Check out the complete line history here.
INJURY REPORT:
Thunder - No injuries to report
Rockets - PF Ryan Anderson (Doubtful, ankle)
POWER RANKINGS: Thunder (-2.7) - Rockets (-9.6) + home court (-3) = Rockets -9.9
ABOUT THE THUNDER (41-30 SU, 40-30-1 ATS, 34-26-1 O/U): Westbrook should be well rested after averaging just 27.5 minutes the last two contests - seven below his season average – and has gotten strong support from Victor Oladipo during Oklahoma City’s 6-1 surge. Oladipo is averaging 18.3 points on 50 percent shooting – 60.6 from 3-point range – in eight games since returning from back spasms. Enes Kanter has also upped his production while averaging 15.5 points on 55.9 percent shooting in March and 16.8 on 55.6, respectively, in the last five contests while fellow center Steven Adams is shooting 66.7 percent from the field in the same span.
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (50-22 SU, 41-31 ATS, 37-34-1 O/U): Harden drained 16 from 3-point range and 46-of-53 free throws in the last four games, making at least 11 field goals in each contest, and is averaging 9.5 boards in the same span. Eric Gordon (16.4) is second on the team in scoring, but some of the other top performers have been cold the last few games. Lou Williams, who is averaging 13.9 points in 14 games since being acquired from the Los Angeles Lakers, is 0-for-12 from 3-point range the last four contests while Ryan Anderson is shooting 35.7 percent from the field the past five (8-of-29 from behind the arc) and is expected to miss this one with an ankle injury.
TRENDS:
* Thunder are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
* Rockets are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games following a ATS win.
* Over is 4-1-1 in Thunder last 6 road games.
* Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Houston.
* Thunder are 1-8 ATS in the last 9 meetings.
CONSENSUS: 64 percent of the point spread wagers on are siding with the home favorite Houston Rockets and 53 percent of the totals picks are on the Over.