NBA TNT Doubleheader: Knicks at Celtics, Clippers at Suns
By Covers.com
New York Knicks at Boston Celtics (+1.5, 188)
The Boston Celtics need some sort of spark to put an end to their four-game losing streak and a visit from a bitter rival could provide that. Boston has not won since a contentious victory over the New York Knicks on Jan. 7 extended its winning streak to six games. Now the Celtics will look to put a halt to the skid when they host the Atlantic Division-leading Knicks on Thursday night. The previous meeting featured an altercation between Boston's Kevin Garnett and New York's Carmelo Anthony that led to a one-game suspension for the Knicks' superstar.
New York is in a funk of its own, having dropped four of six following Monday's 88-85 home loss to the Brooklyn Nets. An obvious concern for the Knicks is that all four losses have come against Eastern Conference contenders and two of them were at Madison Square Garden. New York is seeking to end a drought of six-plus years in Boston, having lost the last 11 matchups dating to Nov. 24, 2006.
LINE: Boston opened as a 1-point home favorite but action on New York flipped the line to +1.5.
ABOUT THE KNICKS (25-14, 20-18-1 ATS): With Raymond Felton still sidelined with a broken finger, Anthony is the one constant offensively in New York's starting unit. In the four games since the loss to Boston, Anthony has averaged 30.3 points and outscored his fellow starters by a total of six points combined. Sixth man J.R. Smith is putting up an average of 13.3 points in his last four games following a sensational 10-game stretch in which he had eight 20-point games and averaged 23 points.
ABOUT THE CELTICS (20-21, 14-24-3 ATS): Boston continued its trend of playing up or down to the competition in Tuesday's 95-90 loss at Cleveland. Three of the team's past four defeats came against teams that are a combined 45 games under .500. Point guard Rajon Rondo, who missed the last meeting with the Knicks while serving a one-game suspension, had 17 points and 13 rebounds - both team highs - in Tuesday's loss. He had a triple-double in New York's last visit to Boston in March 2012.
TRENDS:
* Over is 4-1 in the last five meetings.
* Knicks are 2-5 ATS in the last seven meetings.
* Road team is 7-2 ATS in the last nine meetings.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Anthony has averaged 25.2 points in 19 career games against the Celtics.
2. Rondo has set career highs against the Knicks in rebounding (27, March 2012) and assists (24, October 2010).
3. Five of Boston's past six home games with New York (playoffs included) have been decided by four points or fewer.
Los Angeles Clippers at Phoenix Suns (+6.5, 193)
The Los Angeles Clippers are about to embark on their most rugged stretch of the season and it appears they'll start it off without All-Star point guard Chris Paul. The Clippers will attempt to avoid a third straight defeat when they visit the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night. It begins a grueling portion of the schedule that will see Los Angeles play 10 of its next 11 games away from home. Paul has missed four of the last six games with a bruised right kneecap, including Tuesday's showdown against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said after the Thunder loss that Paul was "day-to-day" but he emphasized the team will use caution so his star guard does not aggravate the injury again. Phoenix, which is tied with New Orleans for the worst record in the Western Conference, is undergoing a major reshuffling. The team fired coach Alvin Gentry and replaced him with player development director Lindsey Hunter, who won his debut against Sacramento on Wednesday night. Hunter's hiring led to one assistant coach leaving and another could be following suit.
LINE: Los Angeles opened as a 7-point road favorite but has been bet down to -6.5. The total has moved from 193 to 192.5.
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (32-11, 25-18-0 ATS): Los Angeles had a brutal back-to-back, losing at Golden State on Monday before falling at home to the Thunder. Blake Griffin was outstanding in the two defeats, scoring a season-high 31 points against Oklahoma City after putting up 26 vs. the Warriors. It was the highest two-game total of the season for Griffin, who also tied a season high with eight assists against Golden State. Griffin is riding a string of three consecutive double-doubles during which he is averaging 24.7 points and 11.7 rebounds.
ABOUT THE SUNS (14-28, 17-23-2 ATS): Forward Michael Beasley appears intent on resurrecting his career. The enigmatic Beasley, the No. 2 overall pick in 2008, was signed to a three-year, $18 million contract in the offseason but had fallen off the map until a 20-point performance against Chicago on Jan. 12. That was followed by only his second double-double of the season and led up to Wednesday's performance vs. the Kings, when Beasley scored 13 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter. "All the things he's capable of we saw it tonight," Hunter said.
TRENDS:
* Under is 4-0 in the last four meetings in Phoenix.
* Favorite is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.
* Under is 7-1 in the last eight meetings.
* Home team is 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings.
* Clippers are 2-6 ATS in the last eight meetings in Phoenix.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. The Clippers snapped a 10-game losing streak in Phoenix with a 103-77 rout of the Suns on Dec. 23.
2. Beasley has averaged 20.2 points in 11 career games against Los Angeles.
3. Phoenix is attempting to avoid its first five-game home losing streak since March 2004.
Inside the Paint - Thursday
By Chris David
VegasInsider.com
The Association slows down the pace Thursday with just three games on the docket, which includes TNT’s weekly double-header. Boston and New York will collide in the first matchup from TD Garden before the L.A. Clippers battle Phoenix from the desert in the late-night affair.
If you handicap and bet the NBA on a regular basis, you’re be able to see trends develop throughout the season. Personally, I’m a believer that all things do balance out in the long run but I’m weary of bucking certain angles. With that being said, my colleague Kevin Rogers pointed out an eye opening number to me and it the situation is in play tonight.
This week’s TNT broadcast will be the 11th installment on Thursday this season and if you’ve been following the late-night games or the second game of the double-header, you’ve seen some low-scoring affairs. And for our purposes, that means the ‘under’ has been a money-making machine.
2012-13 TNT Late-Night Games
Date Matchup Total Result
Nov. 1 Oklahoma City 84 San Antonio 86 204 Under
Nov. 8 L.A. Clippers 103 Portland 90 201.5 Under
Nov. 15 Miami 98 Denver 93 202.5 Under
Nov. 29 Denver 105 Golden State 106 199.5 Over
Dec. 6 Dallas 97 Phoenix 94 205 Under
Dec. 13 San Antonio 90 Portland 98 200.5 Under
Dec. 20 Miami 110 Dallas 95 203 Over
Dec. 27 Boston 77 L.A. Clippers 106 189.5 Under
Jan. 10 Miami 90 Portland 92 195 Under
Jan. 17 Miami 99 L.A. Lakers 90 207 Under
Jan. 24 L.A. Clippers at Phoenix - -
Looking above, you can see the ‘under’ has gone 8-2 in the first 10 late-night affairs played on TNT this season and if you include another late-night tilt on Thursday that wasn’t televised on Jan. 3, the number improves to 9-2 to the ‘under.’
Will the trend continue tonight when the Clippers and Suns square off from the desert?
The total opened at 193 and has already dropped to 192½ at most betting shops. You can understand the move when you look at the ‘over/under’ numbers on Phoenix. The Suns have seen the ‘under’ go 25-17, which includes a 15-6 record at US Airways Center. Plus, nine of the last 10 games for the Suns have gone ‘under’ the number.
Phoenix will be playing its first home game under interim coach Lindsey Hunter, who replaced Alvin Gentry after he was fired last Friday. The Suns won Hunter’s first game last night as they rallied past the Kings 106-96 on the road as three-point underdogs.
It could be tough to back Hunter’s squad tonight when you look at their record in back-to-back spots this season. Phoenix has gone 1-8 straight up and 3-6 against the spread and that dismal record can be attributed to the offense or lack thereof. The Suns are averaging 88.1 points per game on zero days rest, which has helped the ‘under’ go 7-2, perhaps another reason to expect a low-scoring battle tonight.
Even though Los Angeles won’t have All-Star point guard Chris Paul (knee) in the lineup, the Clippers opened as seven-point road favorites over the Suns. Paul banged up his bruised knee in Monday’s loss at Golden State, 106-99. The next night, the Clippers felt his absence in a 109-97 loss at home to Oklahoma City.
Prior to the recent two losses, the Clippers had won four in a row and three of the victories came on the road without Paul in the lineup. Surprisingly, the Clips were ‘dogs in two of those games and all of the wins came by nine or more points.
This will be third meeting between the two teams this season. The Clippers blasted the Suns 117-99 at the Staples Center on Dec. 8 and two weeks later they posted a 26-point victory (103-77) from the desert.
Toronto at Orlando: The Magic is listed as four-point favorites over the Raptors and that line could have you scratching your head. Toronto has already beaten Orlando three times this season and that includes a 35-point road win (123-88) on Dec. 29 as a 3 ½-point underdog. If you follow the Raptors, you understand they’re 1-4 in their last five but three of the five setbacks came in overtime, including last night’s loss to Miami, 116-123. Fatigue could be a factor for Toronto but it has gone 5-5 SU on zero days rest and three of the five losses came by five points or less. The close calls have helped the team go 7-3 ATS and the ‘over’ is 6-4 during this span. Orlando is 2-8 in its last 10 games, which includes a 1-4 mark at home. The Magic haven’t been a good bet this season as a favorite, going 4-4 SU and 2-6 ATS, which includes six straight non-covers as favorites at home.
New York at Boston: The Celtics opened as one-point home favorites but the money has shifted to the Knicks and it’s hard to back either team in this spot. New York has gone 4-6 SU and 5-5 ATS in its last 10 games and three of the wins came against the Magic, Hornets and Pistons. Meanwhile, Boston has dropped four in a row and they also fell to the Hornets and Pistons. The other setback came to Cleveland (90-95), which occurred Tuesday. Boston defeated New York 102-96 as a 7½-point underdog on Jan. 7 at Madison Square Garden. During that outcome, there was an altercation between Boston's Kevin Garnett and New York's Carmelo Anthony, which made every guy go buy “Honey Nut Cheerios.” Tip-off for this battle takes place at 8:05 p.m. ET on TNT.
NBA Point Spreads and Betting Guide
By: The Linemakers
Sportingnews.com
There's a typically light — but hopefully lucrative — Thursday night NBA card on tap, the most compelling game for most being the the Knicks visiting the Celtics at TD Garden. It will be the first time the two teams have met since the Carmelo Anthony-Kevin Garnett altercation on January 7th.
Doc Rivers, when his team was in the midst of a six-game winning streak, said the Celtics were right where they needed to be. But after dropping their last four, not so much. Rivers has ripped into his guys, telling them they can either buy in or hit the road. Boston is 20-21 this season, and more importantly for gamblers, an NBA worst 14-23 ATS. The Knicks, meanwhile, are a very solid 11-8 SU on the road this season, and are a short, 1-point favorite tonight.
The Los Angeles Clippers, meanwhile, will be without Chris Paul again tonight when they visit the Phoenix Suns. The Clippers have a comfortable five-game lead on the second-place Golden State Warriors in the Pacific Division, and they face a Suns team that has failed to cover in its last four home games.
Here are some more key trends and injuries to consider as you make your wagering decisions on Thursday's NBA games.
NBA trends:
* The Raptors have covered nine of their last 11 games playing in the second of back-to-back games. They are 3-1-1 ATS over their past five games. The Magic have covered only one of their past five games. Even worse, Orlando hasn't covered its last seven home games against teams with a road winning percentage of .400 or below. The Raptors have gone OVER the total in their last six games. Orlando is -4 with a total of 199.
* The Knicks have covered their past six Thursday games. The Celtics have failed to cover their past five games and are 1-6 ATS in their last seven following a loss. The Celtics have gone OVER the total in their past 12 games against a team with a winning record. The Knicks are 1-point road favorites with a total of 189.5.
* The Clippers have covered 11 of their last 15 games playing on one-day's rest. The Suns have failed to cover their last four home games. The Clippers and Suns have gone UNDER the total in their past four meetings at Phoenix and seven of eight overall. The Clippers are 6.5-point road favorites with a total of 191.5.
NBA injuries:
* Knicks guard Raymond Felton (finger) is OUT indefinitely.
* Clippers guard Chris Paul is OUT indefinitely.