NBA betting trends, odds and predictions for Thursday, January 26th, 2017 from various handicappers and websites
NBA Knowledge
Pacers lost their last three games, are 5-9 as road underdogs. Four of their last five games stayed under totL. Timberwolves won three in row, six of last eight games; they’re 5-5 as home favorites. Under is 5-1 in their last six home games. Indiana won seven of last ten games with Minnesota, winning by 9-14 points in last two visits to Twin Cities. Over is 5-2-1 in last eight series games.
Oklahoma City won six of last nine games, is 8-1 in last nine games as a home favorite. Under is 6-3 in their last nine home games. Dallas won five of last seven games (6-1 vs spread); they are 10-12 as road underdogs (6-3 in last nine). Under is 7-3 in their last ten games. Thunder won eight of last nine games with Dallas, winning four of last five here, but Mavericks covered three of last four visits to OKC. Over is 7-3 in last ten series games.
Suns split last six games, are 5-3 vs spread in last eight road games- they’re 14-11 overall as a road underdog. Over is 6-2 in their last eight games. Denver won five of last seven games, is 8-8 (3-0 in last three) as a home favorite. Last three Denver games stayed under total. Nuggets won their last four games with Phoenix, winning by 16-18 in last two played here. Over is 4-2 in last six series games played in Denver.
Lakers lost seven of last eight games, are 1-5 in last six games as a road underdogs. Under is 6-2 in their last eight games. Jazz won six of its last seven home games, is 7-11 vs spread as a home favorite. Under is 5-2 in their last seven home games. Lakers lost seven of last eight games with Utah, losing 27-48-7 points in last three played here. Over is 3-2 in last five series games.
Armadillosports.com
Inside the Paint - Thursday
By Chris David
VegasInsider.com
It’s been a week of upsets in the NBA and bettors playing underdogs have produced solid profits and could be really ahead if they invested in money-line tickets. Last night, Sacramento (+575) and Philadelphia (+600) cashed in with impressive road wins over Cleveland and Milwaukee respectively.
It was the second time this week that the Cavaliers failed to cash as heavy favorites and also the second healthy money-line ticket for the 76ers. The confidence is really high in Philadelphia these days and I hope bettors have the same attitude with the team considering they’ve gone 10-5 straight up and 12-3 against the spread since Christmas Day.
Through three days of action this week, underdogs have gone 13-11 SU and 16-8 ATS while the ‘over’ is 13-11.
There are only four games on Thursday’s NBA card and all of the home teams have been installed as favorites.
Indiana (22-22 SU, 18-26 ATS) at Minnesota (17-28 SU, 20-25 ATS)
The Timberwolves have shown some quality lately, winners in six of their last eight games and a few of those wins came against playoff teams. Indiana has been a very streaky team this season and it’s currently mired in a three-game skid. Since returning from London, the offense is only averaging 100.6 points per game and the unit was rolling (117.5 PPG) in in six games prior to the overseas visit.
The Pacers swept the regular season series against the Timberwolves last season, which included a 102-88 victory at the Target Center. However, this year’s Indiana team is 6-16 both SU and ATS on the road. Minnesota hasn’t been great at home (10-13 SU, 12-11 ATS) but a 6-4 record when laying points is a decent mark.
Dallas (16-29 SU, 23-22 ATS) at Oklahoma City (27-19 SU, 25-20-1 ATS)
The Thunder opened as a seven-point favorite for this matchup and this is a tough game to handicap, especially with the Mavericks sitting out four players. Oklahoma City just finished a six-game road trip that saw them go 3-3, which includes a win last night at New Orleans. The Thunder’s January schedule has been road heavy and after this game, they finish the month at Cleveland on Sunday and San Antonio on Tuesday. With that being said, the urgency should be high to get a win tonight.
Dallas isn’t a slouch lately, winners of two straight and five of its last seven. Plus the Mavericks have covered six of seven during this stretch. Bettors could be hesitant to back either squad tonight since they’re both playing on no rest. The Mavericks are winless (0-9 SU, 3-6 ATS) in back-to-back spots while Oklahoma City is 2-6 SU and 3-5 ATS in these situations. This series has been one-sided lately and in Oklahoma City’s favor. The Thunder took eight of nine against the Mavericks, which included a 4-1 win in the first round of last year’s playoffs. Dallas has actually been competitive during this stretch by covering five of the games.
Phoenix (15-20 SU, 24-20-1 ATS) at Denver (19-25 SU, 24-20 ATS)
The young guns of the NBA will be on hand for this matchup and the oddsmakers are expecting a wide-open affair, listing the total at 229. Most books have Denver as a six-point favorite and the clubs will be looking to win and cover its fifth straight game at home. Make a note that one of the victories came in London but it was a designated home contest. Including those wins, the Nuggets have gone 5-2 SU and 6-1 ATS in their last seven and one of the losses came by three points.
Meanwhile, Phoenix is just 5-5 SU in its last 10 games but it’s managed to post an impressive 8-2 ATS mark during this span. Recent road wins over the Raptors and Knicks were very impressive and Earl Watson’s team is playing fast and confident. Denver has won and covered four straight in this series and that includes two wins this season. The Nuggets posted 120 in each of the recent victories and the ‘over’ connected in both games.
L.A. Lakers (16-33 SU, 21-27-1 ATS) at Utah (29-18 SU, 20-26-1 ATS)
The Jazz have been installed as the heaviest favorite (-13) on Thursday’s board and that line is based more on the opponent. The Lakers have dropped seven of their last eight games, which includes a 105-98 loss at Portland on Wednesday. Luke Walton’s squad is allowing 111.2 PPG in January and the offense just isn’t good enough to make up for that kind of effort. Playing on no rest this season has been a struggle for Los Angeles, who is 3-7 SU and 4-6 ATS while the ‘over’ is 6-4 in those games.
The Jazz have dropped two straight after winning six in a row and fatigue could be a factor tonight with the team playing their fifth game in seven nights. Utah has won all three matchups against Los Angeles this season but the outcomes were fairly tight. The Jazz captured a pair of wins at the Staples Center by a combined eight points and the first decision in Salt Lake City back in October was decided by seven points. Utah has gone 14-5 SU and 9-9-1 ATS as a home favorite this season, which includes a 5-0 record when laying double digits. However, the Jazz are just 2-3 ATS in those games. L.A. has gone 3-7 SU and 4-6 ATS as a ‘dog of 10-plus points this season.