NBA on TNT: Doubleheader Odds and Preview
By Covers.com
New York Knicks at Indiana Pacers (-4.5, OFF)
The New York Knicks will be without suspended star Carmelo Anthony when they try to avoid a second consecutive loss - and their fourth defeat in six games - in a road game against the Indiana Pacers on Thursday. The NBA handed Anthony a one-game suspension Wednesday for his attempts to confront Boston's Kevin Garnett after the Knicks' home loss to the Celtics on Monday. Anthony leads the team and ranks second in the league with 29 points per game.
Facing the red-hot Pacers would have been enough of a challenge with Anthony in the lineup. Indiana has won two straight and 11 of 14, including an 87-77 home win over Miami on Tuesday. It's the second of four meetings this season and the first in Indiana. The Knicks won 88-76 on Nov. 18 at Madison Square Garden behind a game-high 26 points from Anthony. The Knicks have not lost a season series to the Pacers since they were swept in four games in the 2007-08 campaign.
ABOUT THE KNICKS (23-11): Anthony's absence adds to an already depleted roster with point guard Raymond Felton (broken finger) and forward Rasheed Wallace (foot) out. The Knicks will need J.R. Smith (16.9 points, 5.2 rebounds) to pick up some of the scoring slack along with the frontcourt duo of Tyson Chandler (12.8 points, 10.5 rebounds) and Amar'e Stoudemire (10 points).
ABOUT THE PACERS (21-14): Indiana is one of the top defensive teams in the league, and it has been terrific at that end during its recent hot streak. The Pacers' frontcourt leads the way at the offensive end with David West (16.7 points, eight rebounds) and Paul George (16.7 points, 7.4 rebounds) tied for the team scoring lead. Point guard George Hill (14.7 points, five assists) recently returned from a groin injury that kept him out three games, but he had to leave against the Heat because of dehydration.
TRENDS:
* Knicks are 4-0 ATS in their last four Thursday games.
* Knicks are 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
* Pacers are 4-1 ATS in their last five games vs. a team with a winning SU record.
* Knicks are 1-4-1 ATS in their last six road games.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. The Knicks are 17-2 when holding opponents under 100 points and 10-0 when allowing less than 90 points.
2. The Pacers have won eight straight home games dating to Dec. 7 against Denver. They are 13-3 at home this season and 47-18 in their last 65 regular-season games at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
3. New York, which hosts Chicago on Friday, is 5-2 on the front end of back-to-back sets this season.
Miami at Portland (3.5, 196)
The Miami Heat strive to make their second contest of a six-game road trip more fun than the first when they visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday. Miami scored a season-low 77 points during Tuesday’s 10-point loss to the Indiana Pacers, shooting just 41.2 percent from the field. Portland is a robust 12-4 at home – including eight straight victories – and is attempting to stretch its overall winning streak to four games.
The Trail Blazers have won 11 of their last 14 games after dispatching of the Orlando Magic on Monday. Portland’s home winning streak is its longest since claiming 12 straight during the 2008-09 campaign. The Trail Blazers are in third place in the Northwest Division. Miami has the best record in the Eastern Conference but has lost four of its last seven games. Two of the victories during the stretch came in overtime and the other was against the lowly Washington Wizards. The Heat are 7-7 on the road.
ABOUT THE HEAT (23-10): Forward LeBron James and guard Dwyane Wade are accustomed to having strong performances against the Trail Blazers. James is averaging 30.1 points, 9.7 rebounds and 7.5 assists in 17 career games against Portland and is averaging 38.5 points over the last four contests. Wade is averaging 27 points in 17 career outings against the Trail Blazers and has averaged 35 over the last three meetings. James has scored 20 or more in all 33 games, the second-best such streak to start a season behind George Gervin, who did it in the first 45 games of the 1981-82 season.
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (19-15): Portland’s victory over Orlando featured four players recording double-doubles. Forward LaMarcus Aldridge had 27 points and 10 rebounds, center J.J. Hickson had 20 points and 15 rebounds for his 20th double-double of the season, point guard Damian Lillard had 18 points and 10 assists and forward Nicolas Batum had 16 points and 10 assists. The last time the Trail Blazers had that occur was back in the 1997-98 campaign when Brian Grant, Isaiah Rider, Damon Stoudamire and Rasheed Wallace all had double-doubles in a game against the Phoenix Suns. Guard Wesley Matthews has scored 20 or more points in each of the past three games, averaging 23.7 points during the stretch while making 14 of 22 3-pointers.
TRENDS:
* Heat are 0-4 ATS in their last four road games.
* Under is 4-0 in Heat last four vs. NBA Northwest.
* Trail Blazers are 6-0 ATS in their last six games vs. a team with a winning SU record.
* Over is 7-0 in Trail Blazers’ last sene vs. a team with a winning SU record.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Miami has won its last three visits to Portland.
2. The Trail Blazers are 10-2 in games decided by six or fewer points.
3. The Heat signed F Jarvis Varnado to a 10-day contract on Wednesday. Varnado played in five games for the Boston Celtics earlier this season.
NBA: Streaks, Trends, Notes
Sportspic.com
Miami Heat at Portland Trailblazers
Miami Heat have cooled of late losing four of the past seven with the most recent defeat being a 77-87 loss at Indiana. The 77 points are a season low for Miami which has been held under the century mark in three straight games. Heat just 7-7 (5-9 ATS) on the road scoring 97.3 PPG are in dangerous betting territory facing a Blazer team 12-4 (8-7-1 ATS) at the Rose Garden holding visitors to 97.5 PPG. Heat are 0-3 ATS on the road this season following a loss by 10 or more points, 6-9 ATS away after a loss as a favorite including 1-3 ATS this season and on a 10-24 ATS skid L34 away scoring =120 points are a solid 16-3 ATS the next game.
Inside the Paint - Thursday
By Chris David
VegasInsider.com
At the start of the regular season, oddsmakers tabbed Miami as the favorite to win this year’s NBA Championship and not much has changed. Sportsbook.ag still has the Heat listed at a 7/4 (Bet $100 to win $175) price, which seems like a reasonable price considering they should make it to the finals for the third straight season. Let’s be honest, the Eastern Conference doesn’t have a team that comes close to Miami, especially in a best-of-seven series. As you know, anything can happen with injuries but the Heat’s talent is far superior to any other team in the conference and they know it, which has become the issue this season.
It’s fair to say that Miami (23-10 straight up, 16-17 against the spread) has gone through the motions this season and if you’ve been betting on this club lately, you’re coming up snake-eyes. Since the Heat knocked off Oklahoma City (103-97) on Christmas Day, which was very impressive, they’ve gone 4-4 SU and 2-6 ATS. Delving into the four wins, they came against the Bobcats, Magic, Mavericks and Wizards. Three of those four teams are already penciled into the NBA Lottery while Dallas (see below) has been horrendous this season.
The question for bettors is when will the Heat snap out of their funk and get into championship form. More importantly, when should bettors start backing the team again? The Heat started a six-game road trip on Tuesday and they were humbled by Indiana, 87-77. The scoring output was the lowest of the season and also the third straight game they were held under 100 points.
Tonight, Miami heads to Portland (19-15 SU, 15-18 ATS) and it opened as a four-point road favorite but the number has already dropped to 3½ and even 3 at some outfits. The Trail Blazers started the season 8-12 but have gone 11-3 in their last 14 and have the looks of a playoff team. They’re finally healthy and the starting five is a quality unit, especially under the guidance of rookie point guard Damian Lillard.
The Blazers have won three straight, which includes Monday’s 125-119 overtime win against Orlando at the Rose Garden. The victory over the Magic pushed Portland’s winning streak to eight games at home. Overall, the team is 12-4 SU and 8-7 ATS at home and that includes a 2-2 record as a home underdog.
You should tread lightly when looking at the recent history between these teams but make a note that the visitor has gone 7-3 both SU and ATS in the last 10 encounters, including the previous five meetings. Also, the ‘over’ has gone 8-2 during this 10-game span.
There are two other games on Thursday’s card, both conference clashes.
New York at Indiana: The Knicks were already short-handed due to injuries and tonight they’ll be missing Carmelo Anthony, who was suspended for one game by the NBA for attempting to confront Boston's Kevin Garnett after Monday's home loss to the Celtics (96-102). Anthony has missed six games this season and New York has gone 3-3 in those contests. As expected, Indiana opened as a 4½-point favorite. The Pacers have gone 8-2 (6-4 ATS) in their last 10 games behind some great defensive play, especially at home. Indiana is holding opponents to 87 PPG at home, which has helped produce a 13-3 record. The club has certainly feasted on some weaker teams during this span but home victories over Memphis (88-83) on Dec. 31 and this past Tuesday against Miami (87-77) were impressive. These teams met in mid-November at Madison Square Garden and New York captured an 88-76 win over Indiana. Anthony led the Knicks with 26 points.
Dallas at Sacramento: It could be tough to pick a winner here but the line tells you everything. The Kings are laying points to the Mavericks, something they haven’t done in the last 20 meetings. If you look at the current form of each team, the line probably shouldn’t surprise you but we’re still talking about Sacramento, who could be playing in Seattle as early as next season. Dallas has lost 10 of its 11 games and for our purposes the club is 4-7 ATS during this run. The Mavericks came up short to the Clippers (93-99) last night after getting outscored 27-18 in the fourth quarter. Fatigue will be a factor tonight for Dallas, who has struggled to a 2-7 SU and 4-5 ATS record in back-to-back spots this season. Even though Sacramento has only been a favorite seven times this season, it’s produced a solid 5-2 record (4-2-1 ATS) and tonight’s line (2.5) is short. Keep in mind that the Mavs have won 20 of the last 23 encounters against the Kings, which includes a 119-96 win in Texas on Dec. 10 as six-point favorites. Total players are looking at a number of 206, which might seem high but eight of the last 10 in this series has gone ‘over’ the number. The Kings do score more at home (99.9 PPG) than on the road and that’s helped the ‘over’ connect at a 67% (12-6) clip at Power Balance Pavilion.
NBA Point Spreads and Betting Guide
By: The Linemakers
Sportingnews.com
The New York Knicks will be without star Carmelo Anthony for Thursday's game in Indiana, after the NBA suspended the Knicks' leading scorer for an altercation with Boston's Kevin Garnett on Monday.
Anthony was upset with Garnett's choice of words in the fourth quarter of a 102-96 Celtics win at Madison Square Garden. Anthony, who said he just wanted to speak with Garnett, waited outside Boston's team bus to confront the Celtics star.
NBA executive vice president of operations Stu Jackson handed down the suspension and a fine of $176,700 to Anthony, stating that "there are no circumstances in which it is acceptable for a player to confront an opponent after a game. Carmelo Anthony attempted to engage with Kevin Garnett multiple times after Monday's game and therefore a suspension was warranted."
The Knicks, who just got Amare Stoudemire back from injury, are also without point guard Raymond Felton, who is out indefinitely with a finger injury.
NBA trends:
* The Knicks have covered their last four games played on Thursday night. However, they have only covered three of their last 11 games against teams with a winning record. The Pacers, meanwhile, have covered four of their last five against teams with a winning record. The Pacers have also gone UNDER the total in their past five games. The Pacers are -4.5 at home tonight, with a total of 185.
* The Mavericks have covered the spread in four of their last five games. The Kings have covered five straight games playing against teams with a win percentage below .400; the Mavericks are currently 13-23 (.361). The Kings have gone OVER the total in their last six home games, and the Mavericks and Kings have gone OVER in their last four meetings in Sacramento. The Kings are -2 with a total of 206.
* The Heat have failed to cover their last four road games and have covered only once in their past seven games overall. The Blazers have been strong lately against good teams, covering their last four against teams with a winning percentage .600 or higher. Miami is a 3.5-point road favorite with a total of 195.
NBA injuries:
* Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (suspension) is OUT.
* Knicks guard Raymond Felton (finger) is OUT indefinitely.
* Pacers guard George Hill (bronchitis) is questionable.
* Kings guard Marcus Thornton (ankle) has missed Sacramento's last five games and is questionable tonight.
* Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge (wrist) is probable tonight.