Wednesday's Best NBA Bets
By Covers.com
New Jersey Nets at Boston Celtics (-12.5, N/A)
If you ask Nets point guard Deron Williams, he’s pretty sick of his club’s five-game losing skid. Coach Avery Johnson is trying to stay more optimistic.
“This is not a dire moment for us,” Johnson told reporters after New Jersey fell 108-94 to Indiana as a 6-point underdog. “There is no surrender. That’s why I’m telling you guys, I’m pointing more towards the middle or end of January for us to really come together if we’re healthy and become a team.”
So what exactly does that mean to Nets bettors? New Jersey ranks 29th in offensive output and 26th in scoring so the outlook isn’t looking great unless some serious changes are made.
Boston has won three straight after its slow start and should use this one to build more momentum.
Pick: Celtics
Philadelphia 76ers at New Orleans Hornets (2.5, N/A)
So far Philadelphia head coach Doug Collins doesn’t have much to complain about.
His club is 2-2 straight up and has yet to play a game on home floor. Meanwhile, Sixers bettors are content with a 2-1-1 start against the spread.
But Collins is always looking ahead and he sees Wednesday’s date with New Orleans as a major test for his 76ers.
“What I have seen is we played well against teams that are like us, more finesse and we struggled against bigger, stronger teams,” Collins told reporters after Tuesday’s practice.
They’ll face a Hornets club that ranks fifth in scoring defense and first in offensive rebounding Wednesday, so it looks like Collins will get exactly what he’s looking for.
Pick: 76ers
Hot Teams
-- Cavaliers won three of last four games, covering all four.
-- Magic won four of their last five games.
-- Celtics won last three games, by 11-8-8 points.
-- Miami won five of first six games, covered one of last five. Pacers won four of first five games.
-- Chicago won its last four games (3-1 vs spread). Pistons won last two games, allowing 83 ppg.
-- Minnesota is 5-0 vs spread; they beat Spurs/Dallas last two games.
-- 2-2 76ers covered three of their four games.
-- Spurs won/covered all three home games, by 13-25-15 points.
-- Suns covered last three games, are 2-0 vs spread on road.
-- Nuggets won all three home games, by 17-9-5 points (2-0-1 spread).
Cold Teams
-- Raptors lost three of their last four games.
-- Washington is 0-5 this season, 1-4 vs spread.
-- Nets lost their last five games (1-4 vs spread).
-- Bobcats lost last four games, last three by 21-39-14 points. Knicks lost three of their last four games.
-- Memphis lost its two road games, by 13-40 points.
-- Hornets lost last three games, by 15-16-4 points.
-- Warriors lost last two games, by 28-11 points.
-- Mavericks lost four of first six games, but won last two at home.
-- Kings lost four of last five games; they're 0-2 on road, losing by 22-17.
-- Rockets are 0-3 on road, losing by 9-30-9 points.
Totals
-- Three of last four Cleveland games went over the total. Four of five Toronto games stayed under.
-- Under is 4-1-1 in Orlando games.
-- Three of four New Jersey road games stayed under total.
-- Last three Indiana games went over the total.
-- Four of six Chicago games stayed under.
-- Four of five Charlotte games went over the total.
-- Three of four Minnesota home games stayed under.
-- Under is 3-2 in New Orleans games.
-- Under is 4-0-1 in Golden State games.
-- Under is 3-1-1 in first five Phoenix games.
-- Last three Denver games stayed under total.
-- No applicable totals trends for Rockets-Clippers.
Wear and Tear
-- Cavaliers/Raptors: Third game in four nights for both.
-- Wizards: Third game in four nights. Orlando: Fifth game in seven nights.
-- Nets: 7th game in 10 nights. Celtics: Third game in four nights.
-- Pacers: 2nd game in four nights. Miami: Third game in four nights.
-- Bulls: 5th game in seven nights. Detroit: 4th game in six nights.
-- Bobcats: Third game in four nights. Knicks: 2nd game in four nights.
-- Memphis/Wolves: Third game in four nights for both.
-- 76ers: First game in four nights; they still haven't played at home. Hornets: Third game in four nights.
-- Warriors/Spurs: 2nd game in four nights for both.
-- Suns: 2nd game in four nights. Dallas: 5th game in seven nights.
-- Nuggets/Kings: 4th game in five nights for both.
-- Rockets: 5th game in seven nights. Clippers: First game since Sunday.
CLEVELAND (2 - 2) at TORONTO (2 - 3)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 5-3 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 4-4 straight up against CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON (0 - 5) at ORLANDO (4 - 2)
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 33-54 ATS (-26.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 26-46 ATS (-24.6 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 14-30 ATS (-19.0 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 34-55 ATS (-26.5 Units) in a road game where where the total is between 185 and 189.5 points since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 36-57 ATS (-26.7 Units) in road games in January games since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 125-173 ATS (-65.3 Units) vs. division opponents since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 30-46 ATS (-20.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
ORLANDO is 39-54 ATS (-20.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 34-47 ATS (-17.7 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
ORLANDO is 5-3 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
ORLANDO is 6-2 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
NEW JERSEY (1 - 5) at BOSTON (3 - 3)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
NEW JERSEY is 5-3 against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 6-2 straight up against NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA (4 - 1) at MIAMI (5 - 1)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 5-2 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI is 6-1 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO (4 - 1) at DETROIT (2 - 3)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 59-43 ATS (+11.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 58-36 ATS (+18.4 Units) in road games in January games since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 5-2 against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 8-0 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
CHARLOTTE (1 - 3) at NEW YORK (2 - 3)
Top Trends for this game.
NEW YORK is 59-37 ATS (+18.3 Units) in home games versus poor offensive teams - scoring <=91 points/game since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
CHARLOTTE is 4-3 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
NEW YORK is 4-3 straight up against CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
MEMPHIS (1 - 3) at MINNESOTA (2 - 3)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
MEMPHIS is 6-2 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
MEMPHIS is 7-1 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
PHILADELPHIA (2 - 2) at NEW ORLEANS (2 - 3)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 3-1 against the spread versus NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
PHILADELPHIA is 3-1 straight up against NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE (2 - 3) at SAN ANTONIO (3 - 2)
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 56-86 ATS (-38.6 Units) as a road underdog of 6.5 to 9 points since 1996.
GOLDEN STATE is 45-75 ATS (-37.5 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 553-481 ATS (+23.9 Units) as a favorite since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 146-111 ATS (+23.9 Units) off a upset loss as a favorite since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 104-72 ATS (+24.8 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 7-0 against the spread versus GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 7-0 straight up against GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX (2 - 3) at DALLAS (2 - 4)
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 64-43 ATS (+16.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) against Pacific division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 19-7 ATS (+11.3 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 52-33 ATS (+15.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
DALLAS is 10-25 ATS (-17.5 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 5-2 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 6-1 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
SACRAMENTO (2 - 3) at DENVER (4 - 2)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
SACRAMENTO is 4-2 against the spread versus DENVER over the last 3 seasons
DENVER is 4-3 straight up against SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON (2 - 2) at LA CLIPPERS (2 - 2)
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 9-21 ATS (-14.1 Units) in January games over the last 3 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 15-2 ATS (+12.8 Units) in home games in January games over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 29-14 ATS (+13.6 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 8-28 ATS (-22.8 Units) against Southwest division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 5-2 against the spread versus LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 5-2 straight up against LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON vs. ORLANDO
Washington is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Orlando
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games when playing Orlando
Orlando is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Washington
Orlando is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
CLEVELAND vs. TORONTO
Cleveland is 5-20 SU in its last 25 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Cleveland's last 23 games
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Toronto's last 11 games when playing at home against Cleveland
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 7 games when playing Cleveland
NEW JERSEY vs. BOSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New Jersey's last 6 games when playing Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New Jersey's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 6 games when playing New Jersey
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Boston's last 25 games when playing at home against New Jersey
INDIANA vs. MIAMI
Indiana is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Miami
Indiana is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Miami
Miami is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Miami is 13-3 SU in its last 16 games at home
CHICAGO vs. DETROIT
Chicago is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Chicago is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Detroit
Detroit is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Chicago
Detroit is 2-13-1 ATS in its last 16 games when playing Chicago
CHARLOTTE vs. NEW YORK
Charlotte is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Charlotte's last 10 games
New York is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Charlotte
New York is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
PHILADELPHIA vs. NEW ORLEANS
Philadelphia is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing on the road against New Orleans
Philadelphia is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against New Orleans
New Orleans is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
New Orleans is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home
MEMPHIS vs. MINNESOTA
Memphis is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Memphis is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Minnesota is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 7 games at home
GOLDEN STATE vs. SAN ANTONIO
Golden State is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
Golden State is 1-10 SU in its last 11 games on the road
San Antonio is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Golden State
San Antonio is 3-8-1 ATS in its last 12 games
PHOENIX vs. DALLAS
Phoenix is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Phoenix is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Dallas
Dallas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Phoenix
Dallas is 16-7-1 ATS in its last 24 games
SACRAMENTO vs. DENVER
Sacramento is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Denver
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Sacramento's last 22 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Denver's last 8 games when playing Sacramento
Denver is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Sacramento
HOUSTON vs. LA CLIPPERS
Houston is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Houston's last 5 games when playing LA Clippers
LA Clippers are 17-6 SU in their last 23 games at home
LA Clippers are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games at home
Hoop Trends - Wednesday
By Vince Akins
VegasInsider.com
SU TREND OF THE DAY:
The Wizards are 0-11 ATS (-7.4 ppg) since November 02, 2010 after a game in which they blocked at least 10 shots.
OU TREND OF THE DAY:
The Spurs are 0-11-1 OU (-12.8 ppg) since February 23, 2001 at home after a game in which they allowed at least 55% from the field.
PLAYER BASED TREND OF THE DAY:
The 76ers are 12-0 OU (11.9 ppg) since November 13, 2009 with at least a day of rest after a win in which Elton Brand took fewer than 10 shots.
CHOICE TREND:
The Spurs are 10-0 ATS (9.7 ppg) since December 02, 1997 at home with at most one day of rest after a game in which they allowed at least 55% from the field.
TODAY’S TRENDS:
The Suns are 10-0 OU (14.7 ppg) since February 26, 2009 with at least a day of rest after a win at home in which Steve Nash was the Suns’ high scorer.
CLEVELAND at TORONTO
CLEVELAND: 17-5 ATS off a home win by 10 points or more
TORONTO: 26-39 ATS after playing a game as an underdog
WASHINGTON at ORLANDO
WASHINGTON: 26-46 ATS as an underdog
ORLANDO: 109-72 ATS in home games after having won 3 of their last 4 games
NEW JERSEY at BOSTON
NEW JERSEY: 29-52 ATS after a loss by 10 points or more
BOSTON: 12-17 ATS in January games
INDIANA at MIAMI
INDIANA: 52-27 ATS in road games after playing a game as a road favorite
MIAMI: 2-15 ATS in home games after 1 or more consecutive losses
CHICAGO at DETROIT
CHICAGO: 58-36 ATS in road games in January games
DETROIT: 39-26 OVER after playing a game as an underdog
CHARLOTTE at NEW YORK
CHARLOTTE: 74-47 ATS after failing to cover the spread in 2 or more consecutive games
NEW YORK: 23-12 OVER as a home favorite
MEMPHIS at MINNESOTA
MEMPHIS: 13-17 ATS off a home win by 10 points or more
MINNESOTA: 4-7 ATS off an upset win as a home underdog
PHILADELPHIA at NEW ORLEANS
PHILADELPHIA: 48-24 OVER after a blowout win by 20 points or more
NEW ORLEANS: 6-15 ATS against Atlantic division opponents
GOLDEN STATE at SAN ANTONIO
GOLDEN STATE: 56-86 ATS as a road underdog of 6.5 to 9 point
SAN ANTONIO: 32-17 ATS after playing 4 consecutive games as favorite
PHOENIX at DALLAS
PHOENIX: 8-8 ATS after having won 2 of their last 3 games
DALLAS: 0-8 ATS after playing a game as a home underdog
SACRAMENTO at DENVER
SACRAMENTO: 17-21 ATS when playing on back-to-back days
DENVER: 5-1 ATS in all games
HOUSTON at LA CLIPPERS
HOUSTON: 95-56 ATS in road games off a road loss
LA CLIPPERS: 8-28 ATS against Southwest division opponents
CLEVELAND at TORONTO
CLEVELAND: 17-5 ATS off a home win by 10 points or more
TORONTO: 26-39 ATS after playing a game as an underdog
WASHINGTON at ORLANDO
WASHINGTON: 26-46 ATS as an underdog
ORLANDO: 109-72 ATS in home games after having won 3 of their last 4 games
NEW JERSEY at BOSTON
NEW JERSEY: 29-52 ATS after a loss by 10 points or more
BOSTON: 12-17 ATS in January games
INDIANA at MIAMI
INDIANA: 52-27 ATS in road games after playing a game as a road favorite
MIAMI: 2-15 ATS in home games after 1 or more consecutive losses
CHICAGO at DETROIT
CHICAGO: 58-36 ATS in road games in January games
DETROIT: 39-26 OVER after playing a game as an underdog
CHARLOTTE at NEW YORK
CHARLOTTE: 74-47 ATS after failing to cover the spread in 2 or more consecutive games
NEW YORK: 23-12 OVER as a home favorite
MEMPHIS at MINNESOTA
MEMPHIS: 13-17 ATS off a home win by 10 points or more
MINNESOTA: 4-7 ATS off an upset win as a home underdog
PHILADELPHIA at NEW ORLEANS
PHILADELPHIA: 48-24 OVER after a blowout win by 20 points or more
NEW ORLEANS: 6-15 ATS against Atlantic division opponents
GOLDEN STATE at SAN ANTONIO
GOLDEN STATE: 56-86 ATS as a road underdog of 6.5 to 9 point
SAN ANTONIO: 32-17 ATS after playing 4 consecutive games as favorite
PHOENIX at DALLAS
PHOENIX: 8-8 ATS after having won 2 of their last 3 games
DALLAS: 0-8 ATS after playing a game as a home underdog
SACRAMENTO at DENVER
SACRAMENTO: 17-21 ATS when playing on back-to-back days
DENVER: 5-1 ATS in all games
HOUSTON at LA CLIPPERS
HOUSTON: 95-56 ATS in road games off a road loss
LA CLIPPERS: 8-28 ATS against Southwest division opponents
Wednesday's Tips
By Kevin Rogers
VegasInsider.com
After nine days of frenetic play, some things are starting to shake out inside the NBA. Teams are playing with little rest, while trying to get their legs under them in spite of an abbreviated preseason following the lockout. Out of the three top ATS teams so far, two qualified for the postseason last year, but one of them has turned into a surprise for backers. We'll take a look at the hottest and coldest ATS teams that take the court on Wednesday night.
Minnesota (5-0 ATS) vs. Memphis
The Timberwolves have played four of their first five games at the Target Center, but Rick Adelman's young team isn't complaining so far. Following last-minute losses to the Thunder and Heat, the Wolves have pulled off consecutive victories over the Mavericks and Spurs as home underdogs. The key to Minnesota's success is the uptempo play (100 points per game) and the improved rebounding numbers (47 per game).
The Wolves own a 2-0 ATS record against unrested competition, as the Grizzlies are coming off Tuesday's home victory with the Kings. Kevin Love continues to show he is a top frontline player in this league by averaging 25.4 ppg and 15.2 rpg through five games, while rookie point guard Ricky Rubio is scoring nearly 9 ppg and dishing out 6.4 assists per game. Minnesota's schedule eases up this week with a home contest against Cleveland on Friday, followed by road games at Washington (Sunday) and Toronto (Monday).
Denver (5-1 ATS) vs. Sacramento
Since the Nuggets traded Carmelo Anthony last February, Denver owns an outstanding 27-7-2 ATS record (79.4%). Also, the Nuggets have played without J.R. Smith, Kenyon Martin, and Wilson Chandler this season, as all three players went overseas during the lockout (Martin's contract also wasn't renewed). George Karl's club pulled off a pair of ATS wins over the Lakers this past weekend, including a 99-90 victory at Pepsi Center on Sunday night as 5½-point favorites.
The Nuggets own a 12-3-2 ATS mark in this stretch since the blockbuster trade with the Knicks, including a perfect 3-0 ATS record this season. Six Denver players are averaging double-figures, while being led by Ty Lawson's 18.2 points per game. The Nuggets are taking advantage of unrested teams by posting a 3-0 ATS ledger, as Sacramento heads to Pepsi Center after losing Tuesday night at Memphis.
Boston (4-2 ATS) vs. New Jersey
The Celtics started the season by losing their first three games to the Knicks, Heat, and Hornets, but Boston is covering 67% of its games so far. The C's cashed as road 'dogs at New York and Miami with late rallies, while taking care of the Pistons and Wizards as substantial favorites. Boston failed to cover in the back-end of a home-and-home with Washington as 10-point 'chalk,' but the Celtics have quietly won three straight games to even their mark at 3-3.
The key to the early-season ATS success for Doc Rivers' club is the 4-0 ATS record with at least one day of rest, as eight of the next nine games for the Celtics will come with rest. This stretch starts on Wednesday at home against New Jersey, as the Nets play their seventh game in 10 days to start the season. However, 12 of the next 14 opponents for the Celtics will play with rest closing out the month of January.
New York (1-4 ATS) vs. Charlotte
The Knicks were expected to do great things heading into this season, but New York isn't helping out backers by covering just one time in its first five games. Amare Stoudemire missed the last two games with an ankle injury, as the Knicks' All-Star is expected to be a game-time decision against the Bobcats on Wednesday. New York's offense has eclipsed the 100-point mark in victories over Boston and Sacramento, while averaging 81.6 ppg in three losses.
Mike D'Antoni's team is in the midst of six consecutive games against non-playoff squads from last season, but the Knicks didn't take advantage by putting up a clunker in a 90-85 home loss to the Raptors on Monday. New York is 5-8 ATS as a home favorite since acquiring Anthony last season, including the two ATS losses to Boston and Toronto. The Knicks will play the Bobcats twice in the next six days at Madison Square Garden, while hitting the road this weekend at Washington and Detroit.
Washington (1-4 ATS) at Orlando
This can't be that big of a shocker as the Wizards are winless through the first five games of the season, while failing to score more than 92 points in a game. Washington covered for the first time in an eight-point loss at Boston as 10½-point underdogs, but there are very few positives with Flip Saunders' club moving forward.
The Wizards rank last in the NBA in points per game, while sitting as one of five teams that has not reached the 100-point plateau yet this season. Washington is 1-3 ATS as an underdog of seven points or more, as the Wizards will be getting 13 points at Orlando on Wednesday night. The Wizards have turned into a coin-flip proposition as double-digit road 'dogs since last season as Washington has put together a 9-9 ATS mark, including the cover against the Celtics on Monday.