Wednesday's Best NBA Bets
By Covers.com
Oklahoma City Thunder at Dallas Mavericks (-1.5, 196)
The Dallas Mavericks are slowly digging themselves out of their early-season hole, having won six of their last seven games outright.
“We place a high standard on our play,” coach Rick Carlisle told the Mavericks’ official website. “And when you get off to an abysmal start like we did, it’s painful. But we’ve climbed out of that and we’ve got to understand that just ‘cause we’re winning and playing well now, there’s nothing guaranteed and we’ve gotta keep working at it.”
Mavs supporters can attest to that. Even though the club is on a hot streak, they are just 4-3 against the spread in their last seven.
They have a major test with the Thunder coming to town, too. Oklahoma City will be looking to bounce back after a 112-100 loss to the Clippers on Monday. Kevin Durant is averaging 36.5 points and 13.5 rebounds so far on the road trip and is poised for another big game.
Pick: Thunder
Miami Heat at Milwaukee Bucks (6, 194.5)
With the Heat battling for top spot in the Eastern Conference even though Dwyane Wade has missed some time, the club has to be pleased with its start.
The tale of the tape with its betting supporters tells a different story. Miami’s 109-95 win over New Orleans on Monday was the first time it covered a pointspread in six games, moving the club to 9-12 against the spread on the year.
LeBron James came close to a triple-double with 22 points, eight assists and 11 rebounds, but didn’t see the floor in the fourth quarter as the Heat used its reserves to preserve a healthy lead.
"I didn't know," Spoelstra said of James' numbers. "I was thinking about throwing him back in and throwing Dwyane (Wade) back in, but we made a little bit of a push, decided to run it out and think big picture."
That big picture means D-Wade and James will be well rested for Wednesday, which should result in another payday for heat backers.
Pick: Heat
Wednesday Tips
By Kevin Rogers
VegasInsider.com
The Wednesday NBA card is loaded with plenty of quality matchups as bettors have 11 games to wager on. The Heat look to stay hot in a revenge spot at Milwaukee, while the Thunder and Mavericks renew acquaintances in a Western Conference Finals rematch in Dallas. We'll start in the City of Brotherly Love as Philadelphia will have a huge home test against Chicago.
Bulls at 76ers
Two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference meet at the Wells Fargo Center for the first of three meetings on Wednesday. The Bulls continue a season-long, nine-game road trip as "Mickey on Ice" has kicked them out of the United Center until Valentine's Day. Chicago (18-5) has split the first two games on this roadie after losing at Miami and beating woeful Washington. Meanwhile, the Sixers start a rough stretch following a relatively easy month of January.
Philadelphia (15-6) continues a seven-game homestand after knocking off the ice-cold Magic on Monday. The Sixers have won three straight, while going 10-2-1 to the 'under' at the Wells Fargo Center this season. Doug Collins' squad has drilled its share of subpar competition at home (Detroit twice, Toronto, Sacramento, Charlotte, and Washington), while the most significant loss in Philadelphia came in overtime to Denver as six-point favorites.
The Bulls own a 9-2 ATS record the last 11 contests on the highway, including three consecutive covers in their previous three road games. Chicago won the first meeting last season in blowout fashion, 121-76, but the Sixers claimed the final two matchups with the Bulls, while winning in the underdog role each time.
Heat at Bucks
It's rare to say that Miami is in a revenge situation, but that's the case for the Heat (16-5) as they head to the Bradley Center. The short-handed Bucks (9-11) go for their third consecutive victory, as Scott Skiles' team is coming off home wins over the Lakers and Pistons. Milwaukee sits in the eighth spot inside the Eastern Conference race, while owning a solid 6-2 SU and 5-3 ATS record at home.
The Heat overcame an early deficit to drill the Hornets on Monday, 109-95 as 11½-point favorites, snapping a five-game ATS losing streak. Erik Spoelstra's team has won eight of nine following a three-game skid, while the lone loss came to the Bucks on January 22. The Heat fell to the Bucks, 91-82 as nine-point 'chalk,' even though Milwaukee shot just 35% from the floor.
The Bucks have scored outright home 'dog victories over the Spurs and Lakers, while putting together a 6-1 ATS record the last seven games overall. Milwaukee is playing without center Andrew Bogut (ankle), but the Bucks are scoring plenty of points lately by topping the 100-point mark in each of the last four contests. The Bucks own a dominant 7-1 ATS record this season when playing with one day of rest, including a 5-0 ATS ledger in the underdog role.
Thunder at Mavericks
These two Western Conference squads have developed a nice rivalry after Dallas eliminated Oklahoma City in six games of the conference finals last June. The Thunder and Mavs have split the first two meetings this season with the home team winning each time. Oklahoma City (16-4) had its four-game winning streak snapped in Monday's loss to the Clippers, while Dallas (14-8) dominated Phoenix for its third straight victory.
Following a 1-3 start, Rick Carlisle's squad owns a 13-4 record the last 17 games, including an 8-1 mark at the American Airlines Center. The Mavs withstood a four-game absence from leading scorer Dirk Nowitzki by winning three of four games, even though Dallas beat only one team sitting above .500 (Utah). Dallas started the season with a 13-5 'under' run, but the Mavs have cashed the 'over' in four straight games, even though point guard Jason Kidd is out with a calf injury.
The Thunder is listed as an underdog for the first time all season, while entering the Lone Star State with a 6-5 ATS road record. Despite Monday's setback at Los Angeles, Oklahoma City has put together a 9-3 ATS mark the previous 12 games. The last time the Thunder played in Dallas, OKC dropped a 100-87 decision as 2½-point favorites on January 2, as the Mavs shot 48% from the floor.
Hot Teams
-- 76ers are 11-2 at home, 10-3 as home favorite. Bulls won eight of their last eleven road games.
-- Boston won five of its last six games. Raptors are 5-3 vs spread in last eight games as road underdog.
-- Nets are 5-3 vs spread in last eight games (2-1 as home favorite).
-- Minnesota won six of its last nine games. Pacers won five of their last seven games (2-4-1 as road favorite).
-- Miami won eight of last nine games, but covered one of last six. Bucks covered six of last seven games (5-2 SU).
-- Dallas won six of its last seven games (7-3 as home favorite). Thunder won 11 of its last 13 games (1st game this year as a dog).
-- San Antonio is 10-1 at home (7-3-1 as home faves). Rockets covered their last four road games (3-1 SU).
-- Portland won/covered eight of its last nine home games.
Cold Teams
-- Orlando lost its last four games, scoring 76 ppg. Wizards are 1-6-1 vs spread as a road underdog.
-- Pistons are 1-10-1 vs spread as a road underdog.
-- Suns lost four of their last five games. Hornets lost 10 of their last 11 home games (4-7 as home underdog).
-- Charlotte is 4-8 vs spread as a road underdog.
Wear and Tear
-- Wizards: 4th game/6 nites. Magic: 7th game/10 nites.
-- Bulls: 4th game/6 nites. 76ers: 4th game/6 nites.
-- Raptors: 6th game/9 nites. Celtics: 5th game/7 nites.
-- Pistons: 3rd nite in row, 5th/6 nites. Nets: 4th game/6 nites.
-- Pacers: 6th game/9 nites. Wolves: 4th game/6 nites.
-- Heat: 6th game/9 nites. Bucks: 4th game/6 nites.
-- Suns: 4th game/6 nites. Hornets: 4th game/6 nites.
-- Thunder: 2nd game/5 nites. Mavericks: 4th game/6 nites.
-- Rockets: 4th game/6 nites. Spurs: 4th game/6 nites.
-- Bobcats: 8th game/12 nites. Blazers: 2nd game/5 nites.
Totals
-- Over is 8-3 in Washington's last eleven games.
-- Last six Philadelphia home games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 9-4-1 in Toronto's road games.
-- Under is 8-4 in Detroit's road games.
-- Last six Indiana games went over the total.
-- Seven of nine Miami road games went over the total.
-- Seven of last eight Phoenix road games stayed under total.
-- Last four Maverick games went over the total.
-- Under is 4-0-1 in last five San Antonio home games.
-- Eight of last nine Charlotte road games stayed under total.
WASHINGTON (4 - 17) at ORLANDO (12 - 9) - 2/1/2012, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 39-64 ATS (-31.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) as an underdog this season.
WASHINGTON is 15-35 ATS (-23.5 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 127-174 ATS (-64.4 Units) vs. division opponents since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 55-76 ATS (-28.6 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 16-30 ATS (-17.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=91 points/game this season.
ORLANDO is 47-61 ATS (-20.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 39-53 ATS (-19.3 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
ORLANDO is 6-3 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
ORLANDO is 7-2 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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CHICAGO (18 - 5) at PHILADELPHIA (15 - 6) - 2/1/2012, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 4-3 against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 4-3 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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TORONTO (7 - 14) at BOSTON (9 - 10) - 2/1/2012, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 7-1 against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 8-1 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
7 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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DETROIT (4 - 18) at NEW JERSEY (7 - 14) - 2/1/2012, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 7-15 ATS (-9.5 Units) in all games this season.
NEW JERSEY is 80-104 ATS (-34.4 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
NEW JERSEY is 28-47 ATS (-23.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
NEW JERSEY is 3-3 against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 4-3 straight up against NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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INDIANA (13 - 6) at MINNESOTA (10 - 11) - 2/1/2012, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 2-2 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 2-2 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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MIAMI (16 - 5) at MILWAUKEE (9 - 11) - 2/1/2012, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 105-82 ATS (+14.8 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 46-30 ATS (+13.0 Units) second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) after allowing 85 points or less over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 6-3 against the spread versus MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
MILWAUKEE is 5-4 straight up against MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
7 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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PHOENIX (7 - 13) at NEW ORLEANS (4 - 17) - 2/1/2012, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 5-4 against the spread versus NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
NEW ORLEANS is 5-5 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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OKLAHOMA CITY (16 - 4) at DALLAS (14 - 8) - 2/1/2012, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 75-48 ATS (+22.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 26-15 ATS (+9.5 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 24-8 ATS (+15.2 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 32-13 ATS (+17.7 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 46-23 ATS (+20.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 40-24 ATS (+13.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 113-91 ATS (+12.9 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 15-3 ATS (+11.7 Units) in road games revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 15-4 ATS (+10.6 Units) in road games off a upset loss as a favorite since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 8-6 against the spread versus OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 9-5 straight up against OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
8 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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HOUSTON (12 - 9) at SAN ANTONIO (13 - 9) - 2/1/2012, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 24-10 ATS (+13.0 Units) in home games after a win by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 153-111 ATS (+30.9 Units) after scoring 85 points or less since 1996.
HOUSTON is 76-38 ATS (+34.2 Units) in road games off a upset loss as a favorite since 1996.
HOUSTON is 155-119 ATS (+24.1 Units) after allowing 105 points or more since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 6-5 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 6-5 straight up against HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
7 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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CHARLOTTE (3 - 18) at PORTLAND (12 - 9) - 2/1/2012, 10:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 3-1 against the spread versus CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
PORTLAND is 3-1 straight up against CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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LA CLIPPERS (12 - 6) at UTAH (12 - 7) - 2/1/2012, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
UTAH is 6-2 against the spread versus LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
UTAH is 7-1 straight up against LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON vs. ORLANDO
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Washington's last 9 games when playing on the road against Orlando
Washington is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Orlando
Orlando is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
Orlando is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
CHICAGO vs. PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Chicago's last 9 games
Chicago is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 5 games
Philadelphia is 7-14 ATS in its last 21 games when playing at home against Chicago
TORONTO vs. BOSTON
Toronto is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Boston
Toronto is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games
Boston is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games at home
DETROIT vs. NEW JERSEY
Detroit is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing on the road against New Jersey
New Jersey is 5-13 SU in its last 18 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 7 of New Jersey's last 9 games when playing Detroit
PHOENIX vs. NEW ORLEANS
Phoenix is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing New Orleans
Phoenix is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against New Orleans
New Orleans is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Phoenix
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New Orleans's last 6 games when playing at home against Phoenix
MIAMI vs. MILWAUKEE
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Miami's last 10 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Miami's last 17 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Milwaukee's last 17 games when playing at home against Miami
OKLAHOMA CITY vs. DALLAS
Oklahoma City is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Oklahoma City is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Dallas
Dallas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Oklahoma City
Dallas is 2-8-1 ATS in its last 11 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City
INDIANA vs. MINNESOTA
Indiana is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
Indiana is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Minnesota's last 12 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Minnesota's last 8 games when playing Indiana
HOUSTON vs. SAN ANTONIO
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Houston's last 19 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of San Antonio's last 12 games
San Antonio is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games when playing at home against Houston
CHARLOTTE vs. PORTLAND
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Charlotte's last 6 games
Charlotte is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Portland's last 5 games when playing Charlotte
Portland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Charlotte
LA CLIPPERS vs. UTAH
The total has gone OVER in 4 of the LA Clippers last 5 games on the road
LA Clippers are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games on the road
Utah is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Utah is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games
Hoop Trends - Wednesday
By Vince Akins
VegasInsider.com
SU TREND OF THE DAY:
The Bucks are 0-12 ATS (-8.7 ppg) since February 15, 2006 with at most one day of rest off a win in which they never trailed.
OU TREND OF THE DAY:
The Jazz are 0-10 OU (-9.4 ppg) since January 19, 2007 with at least one day of rest off a win as a dog in which they trailed by 10+ points.
PLAYER BASED TREND OF THE DAY:
The Suns are 12-0 ATS (5.4 ppg) since January 15, 2007 after winning the previous matchup in which Steve Nash shot worse than 33% from the field.
CHOICE TREND:
The Trailblazers are 0-12 OU (-14.5 ppg) since December 10, 2006 with at least one day of rest off a road loss in which they led by 10+ points.
TODAY’S TRENDS:
The Timberwolves are 0-12 ATS (-9.0 ppg) since March 27, 2007 at home after a win in which their DPA was positive.
WASHINGTON at ORLANDO
WASHINGTON: 11-33 ATS as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points
ORLANDO: 39-53 ATS as a favorite
CHICAGO at PHILADELPHIA
CHICAGO: 8-2 ATS after having won 2 of their last 3 games
PHILADELPHIA: 10-3 ATS in home games
TORONTO at BOSTON
TORONTO: 6-11 ATS after scoring 85 points or less
BOSTON: 25-35 ATS off a road win
DETROIT at NEW JERSEY
DETROIT: 2-10 ATS as a road underdog
NEW JERSEY: 16-29 ATS in home games after playing a road game
INDIANA at MINNESOTA
INDIANA: 7-1 ATS after a game where they failed to cover the spread
MINNESOTA: 5-1 ATS as a home underdog
MIAMI at MILWAUKEE
MIAMI: 15-5 OVER in road games revenging a loss vs opponent
MILWAUKEE: 106-70 OVER as a home underdog
PHOENIX at NEW ORLEANS
PHOENIX: 17-7 ATS in February games
NEW ORLEANS: N/A
OKLAHOMA CITY at DALLAS
OKLAHOMA CITY: 15-3 ATS in road games revenging a loss vs opponent
DALLAS: 15-4 ATS in road games off a upset loss as a favorite
HOUSTON at SAN ANTONIO
HOUSTON: 8-0 UNDER after 1 or more consecutive losses
SAN ANTONIO: 108-77 UNDER in home games off a road win
CHARLOTTE at PORTLAND
CHARLOTTE: 4-15 ATS after playing a game as an underdog
PORTLAND: 16-6 ATS in home games after playing a road game
LA CLIPPERS at UTAH
LA CLIPPERS: 7-1 ATS revenging a road loss vs opponent
UTAH: 6-1 ATS after having won 2 of their last 3 games