Clippers at Pacers: What Bettors Need to Know
By Covers.com
Los Angeles Clippers at Indiana Pacers (-2, 187)
The Indiana Pacers will be without center Roy Hibbert when they seek their sixth straight win Thursday at home against the Los Angeles Clippers. Hibbert was ejected after a brawl with Golden State on Tuesday, and received a one-game suspension. Star forward David West, who also picked up a technical for his role, managed to avoid any discipline. West had a team-high 28 points in the 106-97 victory, which kept Indiana six games behind East-leading Miami.
Like the Pacers, the Clippers are still hoping to chip away at the top spot in their respective conference. Having won six of seven, they entered Wednesday 4 1/2 games behind front-running San Antonio in the West. Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, who could have field days with Hibbert out, combined to go 17-for-20 from the floor in a 106-84 rout of Charlotte on Wednesday. Chris Paul had 13 of Los Angeles' season-high 34 assists.
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (41-18, 33-26-0 ATS): The easy win over Charlotte came without two key reserves. Super sub Jamal Crawford, who ranks second on the team to Griffin in scoring, missed the game after his wife gave birth to a daughter Monday in Seattle. Fellow guard Eric Bledsoe sat with a sore left calf. Crawford is expected to return against Indiana. Bledsoe, the top assist man off the bench, is day-to-day. Veteran Grant Hill was questionable Tuesday night with a bothersome back, but managed to play 21 minutes as the Clippers finished a 2-1 homestand.
ABOUT THE PACERS (36-21, 33-24-0 ATS): While it will be shorthanded up front, Indiana may begin to lean a bit more on swingman Danny Granger, who will be playing his third game since returning from a left knee injury suffered just before the season began. Granger, who led the Pacers in scoring the previous five seasons, has predictably struggled a bit since coming back. He is just 2-for-17 from the floor in a total of 38 minutes, but one of his makes helped Indiana keep its edge in the fourth quarter Tuesday.
TRENDS:
* Favorite is 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings.
* Home team is 6-0 ATS in the last six meetings.
* Under is 11-3-1 in the last 15 meetings.
* Under is 7-2 in the last nine meetings in Indiana.
* Clippers are 2-5 ATS in the last seven meetings in Indiana.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. The Pacers are 30-8 all-time against the Clippers at home.
2. Each of Los Angeles' last nine games have been decided by double digits. In that span, it has won seven games by an average of 15.7 points. The two losses have come by an average of 24.
3. Indiana has won 19 of its last 21 home games.
NBA: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com
Minnesota Timberwolves at Los Angeles Lakers
In one of three scheduled in the NBA Thursday the Los Angeles Lakers off a loss in Denver will look to bounce back when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves. Lakers had their way with Minnesota in their first meeting of the season, taking a 111-100 decision on the road as a 2 point favorite marking a tenth straight win in Twolves back yard (8-2 ATS). Lakers back at the Staples Center (18-11, 13-16 ATS), Twolves struggling on the road (7-20, 12-14-1 ATS) Kobe and company with no room for error if they're to compete for a playoff spot won't let this one slip away. Lakers on a 21-0 (12-8-1 ATS) streak vs Minnesota are worth a second look. Lakers hit the hardwood 11-4-1 ATS following a loss as an underdog including 7-3 ATS as a home favorite, 4-2 ATS at home after allowing =>100 points the previous game, 5-2 ATS at home following a 10 point loss.
Thursday Tips
By Kevin Rogers
VegasInsider.com
Three games take place on the Thursday NBA card, even though the lone non-nationally televised contest possesses the most intrigue. The Clippers travel to Indiana to begin an odd two-game road trip through the Midwest, while the Bulls and Lakers each seek home victories over struggling squads.
Clippers at Pacers
Indiana has been the hottest home team in the league over the last two months by winning 19 of the last 21 games at Bankers Life Fieldhouse (the two losses came in overtime). The Pacers are also riding a five-game winning streak overall, with each victory coming by double-digits, including Tuesday's brawl-filled 108-97 triumph over the Warriors as 8 ½-point favorites.
Roy Hibbert will pay the price for the fracas between Indiana and Golden State as the Pacers' center is suspended one game by the league. Fellow big man David West avoided a suspension, while coming off a 28-point, seven rebound effort in the win. Indiana's offense has woken up recently by topping the 100-point mark in four of the five games during this hot streak, but Danny Granger has scored just seven points in the last two contests, his first two games of the season after sitting out nearly the first four months with a knee injury.
The Clippers rebounded from an embarrassing home loss to the Spurs last Thursday by racking up back-to-back routs of the Jazz and Bobcats. Los Angeles is in the midst of a 4-1 SU/ATS run on the highway, but that includes a victory over the cross-arena rival Lakers right before the All-Star break. During the Grammys road trip, the Clips had to deal with injuries to Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, resulting in losses to Washington and Toronto, but L.A. enters tonight's action at 3-1 ATS the last four tries as a road underdog.
76ers at Bulls
Philadelphia has turned into an unmitigated disaster recently by losing six straight games, including a humiliating home defeat to struggling Orlando on Tuesday night as 8½-point favorites. The offense has been offensive for Doug Collins' squad, failing to bust the 93-point mark in 11 consecutive games, resulting in eight 'unders.' The Sixers head to Chicago tonight, who hasn't exactly been a treat from a pointspread perspective.
The Bulls were tripped up by the Cavaliers on Tuesday, as Cleveland's top scorer Kyrie Irving sat out the game due to injury. The Cavs grabbed a 101-98 victory to shock the Bulls as 8 ½-point road underdogs, the third consecutive SU/ATS home loss for Chicago. Tom Thibodeau's club has won just three of its previous 10 games overall, but the Bulls have beaten the Sixers twice in low-scoring affairs this season.
Getting out of town may be a positive for the Sixers tonight, who took the Knicks and Bucks down to the wire as heavy road 'dogs, while having a late rally fall short at Minnesota right after the All-Star break. Since Derrick Rose's knee injury in the opener of the first round playoff series last April, the Sixers have won four of six the last seven meetings, while covering in two of the past three trips to the United Center.
Wolves at Lakers
It's very rare when Minnesota makes the appearance on national television, but that's the case tonight for Rick Adelman's team. The Wolves continue a three-game West Coast swing against a Lakers' team that Minnesota has lost to 20 consecutive times, dating back to March 2007. In fact, Minnesota hasn't grabbed a win at Staples Center over L.A. in 12 opportunities, which goes back to December 2005.
The Lakers aren't on cruise control like the past, as L.A. needs every win possible to get back into the top eight of the Western Conference playoff race. L.A. is taking care of its business recently with victories in 11 of its last 16 games, while posting a 6-1 SU and 3-4 ATS record at home. Mike D'Antoni's club has failed to cover in each of its last three games as home favorite of at least eight points against the Hornets, Suns, and Blazers, but the offense is returning to form by scoring at least 100 points in five straight games.
The Wolves have piled up plenty of injuries this season, but the latest one will definitely hurt the middle as center Nikola Pekovic is listed as questionable after receiving an IV following Tuesday's overtime loss at Phoenix. Minnesota has cashed in back-to-back losses to Golden State and Phoenix, while the 'under' hit each time. The Wolves now sit at 6-1 to the 'over' the last seven games away from the Target Center, while allowing at least 100 points in nine of the previous 11 road contests.
NBA Betting Guide
By: The Linemakers
Sportingnews.com
Despite the Lakers’ obvious struggles – they’re 28-30 on the year – the public keeps betting them and they continue to be overvalued. L.A. is a 10.5-point favorite Thursday night at home vs. the Timberwolves.
Kobe Bryant & Co. are wallet-wrenching 23-34-1 ATS overall and 13-16 against the number at home on the season.
Minnesota came into the season with relatively high expectations, but its season has been hamstrung by injuries. Forwards Kevin Love and Chase Budinger have missed big portions of the season, and point guard Rick Rubio – who’s been finding his groove of late – has played in just 29 games.
The T'Wolves haven't exactly been getting the cash this season, either, covering just 25 times in 54 games. They’re 7-20 SU and 12-14-1 ATS on the road.
T'Wolves-Lakers (10:35 p.m. ET, TNT) is one of three games on tonight's NBA card. In the first game of TNT's doubleheader, the Bulls are 7-point favorites at home vs. the 76ers (8:05 p.m. ET). Also, the Clippers visit the Pacers in a 7:05 p.m. tip.
The Lakers’ playoff chances, meanwhile, have gotten a boost as teams ahead of them in the Western Conference standings have stumbled. The eighth-place Rockets have dropped two straight, and the seventh-place Jazz have lost three in a row. The Lakers have almost quietly won 11 of their last 16 games, their most recent loss coming Monday in Denver, where the Nuggets seldom lose.
L.A. is now a favorite to advance to the postseason. The LVH SuperBook lists them at -130 to get there and +110 to miss out, according to a tweet from assistant book manager Jeff Sherman.
The lines below are from the LVH SuperBook as of about 8 a.m. PT.
Trends:
* The Clippers have covered five of their last seven games and four of their past five road games. The Pacers have covered their past five games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. Tonight's game in Indiana is a pick 'em, and the total is 190.5.
* The Sixers have covered only two of their last eight road games. The Bulls have covered only seven of their last 29 home games. The Bulls and Sixers have stayed UNDER the total in five of their last six games. Chicago is -7, with a total of 179.
* The T'Wolves have failed to cover their past six road games against teams with a winning home record. The Lakers have covered only once in their past five home games. The Lakers and T'Wolves have gone OVER in five of their last six meetings. L.A. is -10.5, the total is 205.5.
Injury news:
Pacers C Roy Hibbert will serve his one-game suspension tonight.
Bulls F Taj Gibson (ankle) is not expected to play vs. the Sixers.