Tuesday NBA Tips
By Kevin Rogers
VegasInsider.com
The Tuesday NBA card has a little of everything with one interconference matchup, one divisional showdown, and two intraconference contests. The Lakers look to stay hot late-night against the surprising Hornets, while the Mavericks travel to the Rose Garden to take on Portland. We'll start in Cleveland with a pair of young stars trying to outdo each other on the scoreboard.
Warriors at Cavaliers
Golden State wraps up its four-game road trip in Cleveland, while playing with no rest following Tuesday's victory at Toronto. The Warriors dropped the opening two games at Chicago and Milwaukee, as the defense allowed an average of 106 points per game in those two defeats. Mark Jackson's team is just 2-5 SU/ATS the last seven highway contests, a stark contrast from a 7-2 SU/ATS run away from Oracle Arena in December.
The Cavaliers is turning things around with three consecutive victories and four wins in their last five trips to the court. The last two triumphs are putting All-Star guard Kyrie Irving in the spotlight, as he helped orchestrate comeback wins over the Bucks and Raptors by erasing double-digit deficits in the second half. In Saturday's stunner at Toronto, Irving drilled a three-pointer in the final seconds to give the Cavs a 99-98 win to cash outright as seven-point underdogs.
In the first meeting between the Cavs and Warriors, Stephen Curry scored 21 points, while David Lee put 22 in a 106-96 Golden State victory as 4½-point 'chalk' in early November. The Warriors jumped out to a 16-point advantage after one quarter, as the Cavs slowed up following an outright win over the Clippers as 10-point 'dogs two days prior. Golden State enters Wednesday's contest cashing the 'over' in nine of 11 games with no rest, including a 6-0 mark to the 'over' on the road in this situation.
Bucks at Pistons
Detroit has stolen each of the first two matchups with Milwaukee, as the Bucks go for their eighth win in 11 games. Milwaukee has won four of five, as the lone loss came at Cleveland with the Bucks squandering a 20-point lead in the third quarter of a 113-108 defeat. The Pistons enter tonight's contest off a 1-2 SU/ATS road trip, while hitting the highway once again tomorrow to battle the Pacers in Indianapolis.
The Pistons put together a terrific third quarter to overcome an eight-point halftime deficit the last time these teams met up in Milwaukee, a 103-87 triumph as 5½-point 'dogs earlier this month. Detroit outscored Milwaukee, 33-11 in the pivotal third quarter, while Greg Monroe dominated the paint by scoring 26 points and pulling down 11 rebounds. The first time these rivals hooked up at the Palace, the Pistons held off the Bucks, 96-94, as the game barely finished 'under' the total of 191 ½ thanks to a 41-point fourth quarter.
Milwaukee has cashed the 'over' in four straight games, as both the Bucks and their opponent has scored at least 100 points in this span. Excluding the London game against the Knicks, the Pistons are rolling at the Palace with wins in seven of the last nine home contests, but Detroit owns a 2-4 ATS record as a favorite.
Mavericks at Blazers
The Wizards were the hottest ATS team with 10 consecutive covers prior to last night's loss to the Kings. The club with their best ATS stretch resides in Dallas, as Rick Carlisle's squad owns an 8-1 ATS record the last nine games, while posting a 7-2 ATS mark in the previous nine road contests. Dallas heads to Portland tonight to take on a Blazers' team that has beaten the Clippers and Pacers in their previous two home games.
The Blazers did get tripped up by the Clippers on the second of a back-to-back set on Saturday night, but Portland stole the home opener on Friday, 101-100. Terry Stotts' club finished a five-game homestand at 2-3 SU/ATS, but played their two best games against the two best teams, while losing to the Cavs, Wizards, and Bucks.
Dallas dominated Portland in the first meeting at American Airlines Center in November, 114-91 as four-point 'chalk.' The Mavs led the Blazers by four points entering the fourth quarter, but Dallas outscored Portland, 31-12 in the final 12 minutes, while O.J. Mayo put up 32 points in the win. Dallas is rolling through a 5-1 'over' stretch, as the Mavs have allowed at least 105 points in three of the last four games.
Hornets at Lakers
Don't look now. Really, don't look at the Lakers, but nobody is sure if they are going to turn things around. Los Angeles picked up a pair of solid home victories over Utah and Oklahoma City, as the Lakers go for their just their third winning streak of at least three games this season. The Hornets won't be a push-over, as New Orleans owns an 8-4 SU and 9-3 ATS record the last 12 contests.
The Lakers knocked off the Thunder for the first time in three meetings on Sunday, 105-96 as three-point home 'dogs. L.A. has actually covered four of its last five games at Staples Center, while cashing the 'under' in six consecutive home contests. The Lakers drilled the Hornets in the first meeting back in December, as L.A. outscored New Orleans by 17 points in a 103-87 triumph as 4½-point favorites.
The Hornets snapped a two-game skid with an impressive victory at Memphis on Sunday, 91-83 as 7 ½-point underdogs. New Orleans improved to 9-2 ATS inside the Southwest Division, but the Hornets are a pedestrian 8-8 ATS against the other two divisions in the Western Conference. Monty Williams' team is cashing at a rapid pace away from the Big Easy, posting a 5-1 ATS record on the road the last six games.
NBA Point Spreads and Betting Guide
By: The Linemakers
Sportingnews.com
With only four games on the NBA slate today, all eyes will be on the Los Angeles Lakers (19-25) to see if their new-found rhythm is a trend or a mirage. In back-to back games – wins against the Utah Jazz (24-21) and Oklahoma City Thunder (34-11) – Kobe Bryant has dished out 14 assists, each time falling one rebound shy of a triple-double. Steve Nash recorded seven assists combined in those two games.
Time will tell if the Lakers’ new offensive approach leads to sustained success. They sit 4.5 games behind the Houston Rockets (25-22) for the eighth seed in the Western Conference, so they have significant ground to make up before playing themselves into the playoff picture. In the meantime, they host the New Orleans Hornets (15-29) as 7.5-point favorites Tuesday night.
Here are some more trends and injuries to consider as you make your wagering decisions on tonight's NBA card. The point spreads below are from the LVH SuperBook as of about 9:15 a.m. PT.
NBA trends:
* The Warriors have covered five of their last seven games and 13 of their past 19 against Eastern Conference teams. They have also covered seven straight against the Cavs. The Cavs have covered four of their last six games. The Warriors have gone OVER the total in their last four road games. The Cavs and Warriors have gone OVER in five of their last six meetings. Tonight's game in Cleveland is a pick 'em, and the total is 202.5.
* The Bucks and Pistons have each covered four of their last five games. The Bucks have gone OVER the total in their past four games, while the Pistons have stayed UNDER in four of their last five against Central Division teams. The underdog has covered in seven of the last 10 meetings between the Pistons and Bucks. Detroit is tonight's 1-point home favorite, with a total of 200.5.
* The Mavericks have covered eight of their last nine games. The Blazers have covered five of their last seven games against Western Conference teams. The Mavericks have gone OVER the total in their last five Tuesday night games, and have gone OVER in their last four overall. The Mavericks and Blazers have also gone OVER the total in four of their last five meetings. Portland is -3 at home tonight, and the total is 201.5.
* The Hornets have covered their last four road games, while the Lakers have covered four of their last five at home. The Lakers have stayed UNDER the total in their last seven games following a game in which they scored 100 points or more. They have stayed UNDER in nine of their last 11 home games. The Hornets and Lakers have stayed UNDER in four of their last five meetings. L.A. is laying 7.5, with a total of 195.5.
NBA injuries:
* Warriors guard Stephen Curry (ankle) is questionable tonight after tweaking his ankle on Monday.
* Warriors forward Andrew Bogut (rest) played last night, but is OUT tonight for precautionary reasons.
* Warriors forward Harrison Barnes (calf) is questionable tonight.
* Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey (undisclosed) missed his last game and is questionable tonight.
* Lakers guard Steve Blake (abdominal) is probable to play tonight after missing an extended period of time.