Wednesday's Best NBA Bets
By Covers.com
Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks (-9.5, 192.5)
New York Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni has been looking forward to this week for a long time.
The Knicks weren’t allowed to practice on Monday as per league rules following the All-Star break, but they were able to put a healthy group in for a full workout Tuesday and have a few more practices scheduled later this week.
In this strike-shortened season, practices might as well be pots of gold for coaches.
“We’ve got to get some things sorted out,” D’Antoni told reporters. “We get the All-Star break [and] we’ve got four or five practices and that will help. We’ve got to figure out the identity we have to have and that will be right after the All-Star break.”
There are still a lot of questions to be answered about what the Knicks are all about. Is Jeremy Lin for real? Can Melo share the rock? Can they all stay healthy?
We’ll give them the benefit of the doubt in this one. New York has covered in eight of its last 10 home games.
Pick: Knicks
Portland Trail Blazers at Denver Nuggets (N/A)
Wednesday’s game against the Nuggets is a fresh start for the Trail Blazers.
They got out of the gate quickly by winning seven of their first nine games, but they have struggled to find that same consistency since then.
Portland won just four of its last 10 ahead of the break, leaving many players on the squad looking for answers last weekend.
"I truly believe that what happened at the beginning of the season was not an accident," Jamal Crawford told reporters. "It wasn't lightning in a bottle and that's it. I really believe that's who we are. We just have to find that team, find that energy again. When I first came here, I thought we were as good as any team I've been on. And I've averaged 50 wins the last two years. We just need to find that magic again."
Denver’s in a similar spot. The Nuggets covered the number in eight of their first nine, winning outright six times over that stretch before winning only one of their last six before the break.
Pick: Portland
Hot Teams
-- Magic won six of their last eight games.
-- Thunder is 7-3-1 in last 11 games as a road favorite.
-- Warriors covered six of their last nine games.
-- Knicks covered eight of their last ten home games.
-- Hornets covered their last seven games but are 0-5 as home favorite. Toronto covered six of last eight games as a road underdog.
-- Grizzlies won six of their last seven home games.
-- Rockets won last four games, by 16-4-6-3 points.
-- Bulls won five of their last six road games. Spurs won/covered four in a row at home- their last home game was Feb 4.
-- Minnesota won five of its last six games. Lakers won/covered their last five home games.
Cold Teams
-- Wizards lost their last five games (1-4 vs spread).
-- 76ers lost five of their last six games.
-- Charlotte lost 18 of last 19 games, but covered four of last five road games. Detroit lost last three games, by 1-10-29 points.
-- Hawks lost five of their last seven games.
-- Celtics lost seven of their last nine games. Bucks lost six of eight.
-- Cavaliers covered once in their last five games.
-- Mavericks lost three of their last four games.
-- Jazz lost six of its last seven games.
-- Portland covered twice in last seven games as road underdogs. Denver lost 10 of its last 13 games.
Back-to-Back
-- Wizards are 2-5 if they played night before, 0-2 at home.
-- 76ers are 3-0 vs spread at home if they played night before.
-- Pistons are 3-2 vs spread at home if they played night before.
-- Warriors are 3-1 vs spread if they lost the night before.
-- Bucks are 2-8-1 vs spread if they played the night before. Celtics are 3-1 vs spread at home if they played night before.
-- You're reading armadillosports.com.
-- Cavaliers are 4-5 vs spread if they played night before.
-- Raptors are 3-0 vs spread when playing second straight night on road. New Orleans is 5-3 vs spread if it played night before.
-- Mavericks are 7-4 vs spread if they played the night before.
-- Rockets are 9-3 vs spread if they played the night before. Jazz is 4-8 vs spread if they played night before, 1-3 at home.
-- Bulls are 4-3 vs spread on road if they played night before.
-- Minnesota is 5-2 vs spread if it won the night before.
Wear-and-Tear
-- Teams all had the last few days off, so no wear-and-tear index until Thursday at the earliest.
Totals
-- Six of last eight Orlando road games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last nine Thunder road games went over the total.
-- Nine of last 12 Charlotte road games stayed under total.
-- Over is 9-2-1 in Golden State's last dozen road games.
-- Under is 13-4 in Boston's last 17 home games.
-- Seven of New York's last eight home games stayed under.
-- Armadillosports.com is America's favorite sports website.
-- Five of last six Toronto road games stayed under total.
-- Seven of last ten Memphis home games stayed under total.
-- Six of last seven Houston road games stayed under total.
-- Under is 6-1-1 in San Antonio'slast eight home games.
-- Under is 10-5-1 in Denver's last sixteen home games.
-- Eight of last ten Minnesota road games went over the total.
Armadillosports.com
OKLAHOMA CITY vs. PHILADELPHIA
Oklahoma City is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Oklahoma City is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 6 games when playing Oklahoma City
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Philadelphia's last 9 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City
ORLANDO vs. WASHINGTON
Orlando is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Orlando's last 5 games
Washington is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games when playing at home against Orlando
Washington is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Orlando
MILWAUKEE vs. BOSTON
Milwaukee is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games
Milwaukee is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
Boston is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games
GOLDEN STATE vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Golden State's last 17 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Golden State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Atlanta is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Atlanta's last 17 games when playing at home against Golden State
CLEVELAND vs. NEW YORK
Cleveland is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against New York
Cleveland is 12-1 SU in its last 13 games when playing New York
New York is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Cleveland
New York is 1-12 SU in its last 13 games when playing Cleveland
CHARLOTTE vs. DETROIT
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Charlotte's last 10 games on the road
Charlotte is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
Detroit is 16-7 SU in its last 23 games when playing Charlotte
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Detroit's last 15 games
TORONTO vs. NEW ORLEANS
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing New Orleans
Toronto is 8-16 SU in its last 24 games when playing on the road against New Orleans
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New Orleans's last 7 games when playing at home against Toronto
New Orleans is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Toronto
DALLAS vs. MEMPHIS
Dallas is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
Dallas is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Memphis is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Memphis's last 10 games at home
PORTLAND vs. DENVER
Portland is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Denver
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Portland's last 11 games
Denver is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Portland
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Denver's last 6 games when playing at home against Portland
CHICAGO vs. SAN ANTONIO
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chicago's last 5 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
Chicago is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
San Antonio is 15-1 SU in its last 16 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Antonio's last 5 games
HOUSTON vs. UTAH
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Houston's last 7 games on the road
Houston is 5-16 SU in its last 21 games when playing on the road against Utah
Utah is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Utah's last 9 games
MINNESOTA vs. LA LAKERS
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Minnesota's last 10 games on the road
Minnesota is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of the LA Lakers last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of the LA Lakers last 7 games when playing at home against Minnesota
ORLANDO (22 - 13) at WASHINGTON (7 - 27) - 2/29/2012, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ORLANDO is 8-20 ATS (-14.0 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 11-23 ATS (-14.3 Units) in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) as an underdog this season.
WASHINGTON is 40-59 ATS (-24.9 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 135-176 ATS (-58.6 Units) when playing on back-to-back days since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 128-175 ATS (-64.5 Units) vs. division opponents since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 35-48 ATS (-17.8 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 169-212 ATS (-64.2 Units) after allowing 105 points or more since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 18-33 ATS (-18.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
ORLANDO is 6-4 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
ORLANDO is 8-2 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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OKLAHOMA CITY (27 - 7) at PHILADELPHIA (21 - 14) - 2/29/2012, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 69-52 ATS (+11.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 121-97 ATS (+14.3 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 64-46 ATS (+13.4 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 43-24 ATS (+16.6 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 69-103 ATS (-44.3 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
OKLAHOMA CITY is 3-1 against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA CITY is 4-0 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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CHARLOTTE (4 - 28) at DETROIT (11 - 25) - 2/29/2012, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHARLOTTE is 11-21 ATS (-12.1 Units) in all games this season.
CHARLOTTE is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) against Central division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 4-16 ATS (-13.6 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
DETROIT is 27-13 ATS (+12.7 Units) against Southeast division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 48-78 ATS (-37.8 Units) in home games when playing on back-to-back days since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 6-2 against the spread versus CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 4-4 straight up against CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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GOLDEN STATE (13 - 18) at ATLANTA (20 - 14) - 2/29/2012, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 2-2 against the spread versus GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 3-1 straight up against GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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MILWAUKEE (14 - 20) at BOSTON (16 - 17) - 2/29/2012, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 27-13 ATS (+12.7 Units) in road games second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 18-4 ATS (+13.6 Units) against Atlantic division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 23-11 ATS (+10.9 Units) after scoring 105 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 52-68 ATS (-22.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 37-53 ATS (-21.3 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 11-25 ATS (-16.5 Units) in February games over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 19-32 ATS (-16.2 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 8-20 ATS (-14.0 Units) when playing on back-to-back days over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 11-22 ATS (-13.2 Units) after allowing 85 points or less over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 38-58 ATS (-25.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 4-2 against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 5-2 straight up against MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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CLEVELAND (13 - 19) at NEW YORK (17 - 18) - 2/29/2012, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 6-2 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 7-1 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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TORONTO (10 - 24) at NEW ORLEANS (8 - 26) - 2/29/2012, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ORLEANS is 156-114 ATS (+30.6 Units) after a non-conference game since 1996.
NEW ORLEANS is 28-47 ATS (-23.7 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 4-0 against the spread versus NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 3-1 straight up against NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
4 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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DALLAS (21 - 14) at MEMPHIS (19 - 15) - 2/29/2012, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MEMPHIS is 76-52 ATS (+18.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 40-24 ATS (+13.6 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 33-19 ATS (+12.1 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 24-13 ATS (+9.7 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) off an upset win as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 66-37 ATS (+25.3 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=91 points/game since 1996.
DALLAS is 80-55 ATS (+19.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 29-13 ATS (+14.7 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 43-23 ATS (+17.7 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 101-70 ATS (+24.0 Units) in road games vs. division opponents since 1996.
DALLAS is 246-186 ATS (+41.4 Units) after a non-conference game since 1996.
DALLAS is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) in road games after playing 3 consecutive home games over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 49-27 ATS (+19.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
MEMPHIS is 5-3 against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
MEMPHIS is 4-4 straight up against DALLAS 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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HOUSTON (21 - 14) at UTAH (15 - 18) - 2/29/2012, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UTAH is 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) in home games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) against Southwest division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 9-19 ATS (-11.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
UTAH is 4-4 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 5-3 straight up against UTAH over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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CHICAGO (28 - 8) at SAN ANTONIO (24 - 10) - 2/29/2012, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 563-489 ATS (+25.1 Units) as a favorite since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 367-309 ATS (+27.1 Units) in home games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 48-31 ATS (+13.9 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
CHICAGO is 77-56 ATS (+15.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 41-27 ATS (+11.3 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 27-13 ATS (+12.7 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 26-15 ATS (+9.5 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 14-3 ATS (+10.7 Units) after playing 3 consecutive home games over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 3-1 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 3-1 straight up against SAN ANTONIO 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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PORTLAND (18 - 16) at DENVER (18 - 17) - 2/29/2012, 9:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
DENVER is 6-4 against the spread versus PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
DENVER is 5-5 straight up against PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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MINNESOTA (18 - 17) at LA LAKERS (20 - 14) - 2/29/2012, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) as an underdog this season.
LA LAKERS are 103-126 ATS (-35.6 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
LA LAKERS is 4-4 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
LA LAKERS is 8-0 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
Hoop Trends - Wednesday
By Vince Akins
VegasInsider.com
SU TREND OF THE DAY:
The Hawks are 10-0 ATS (8.5 ppg) since March 01, 2009 off a win that broke at least a three-game losing streak.
OU TREND OF THE DAY:
The Trailblazers are 0-13 OU (-10.8 ppg) since February 06, 2009 on the road after a game in which they shot at least ten three-pointers and made at least half of them.
PLAYER TREND OF THE DAY:
The Bulls are 8-0 ATS (10.3 ppg) since April 14, 2010 with no rest after a win at home in which Derrick Rose was the Bulls’ high scorer.
CHOICE TREND:
The Magic are 0-11 ATS (-11.8 ppg) since February 23, 2011 with at least one day of rest when they held their opponent to fewer than 85 points in their last game.
TODAY’S TRENDS:
The Spurs are 10-0 ATS (8.0 ppg) since February 24, 2009 at home after a double digit win in which more than 70% of their baskets were assisted.The Lakers are 7-0 ATS (10.0 ppg) since February 23, 2007 after winning the previous matchup in which Kobe Bryant made at least 5 threes.
Wednesday' NBA Tips
By Kevin Rogers
VegasInsider.com
There's plenty of NBA to bet on from now until the summer with the second half of the season underway. Twelve games are showcased on the Wednesday card, including several key matchups inside the Western Conference. The Mavericks head to Memphis for a Southwest division battle, while the Nuggets and Blazers hook up at the Pepsi Center. We'll start with the top team in the West traveling to the City of Brotherly Love for a meeting with a struggling division leader.
Thunder at 76ers
Philadelphia returns home following Tuesday's blowout of Detroit, as the Sixers welcome in the Thunder. Oklahoma City owns the best record in the Western Conference at 27-7, while starting a three-game East Coast swing that continues in Orlando (Thursday) and Atlanta (Saturday). The Thunder tries for their 13th road victory of the season in 19 tries, as Scott Brooks' team puts a five-game winning streak on the line.
The Sixers dropped five consecutive games prior to the All-Star break, while cashing in just one of their last seven contests. After starting the season 10-2 SU/ATS at the Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia is just 2-5 ATS at home. The Sixers have split a pair of games in the home underdog role, including a victory over the Bulls as two-point 'dogs, 98-82 on February 1.
Oklahoma City has struggled to cover numbers against unrested foes, compiling a 3-6 ATS record in this role. The Thunder's offense is rolling on the road by cashing the 'over' in six of the past nine games on the highway, but each of the last two away games away from Oklahoma City have finished 'under' the total. Oklahoma City won an overtime thriller at Philadelphia last March, 110-105 as 1 ½-point 'dogs, while winning each of the previous five meetings in this series.
Mavericks at Grizzlies
Memphis has turned into one of the great roller-coaster rides this season, as the Grizzlies have endured three separate losing streaks of three games each, while also owning a seven-game hot streak. The Mavs invade FedEx Forum on Wednesday, marking the first of three meetings between the two Southwest Division rivals this season.
Dallas begins a mini two-game road trip through the division (New Orleans on Friday) as the Mavs are coming off Wednesday's home loss as double-digit favorites over the Nets. Rick Carlisle's club owns a 6-1 ATS record as a road underdog this season, while wrapping up the first half of the season at 6-3 ATS. The Mavs dropped three of four meetings with the Grizzlies last season, as Dallas' lone victory came in Memphis, 106-91 in November 2010.
Memphis is just 5-3 SU and 2-6 ATS the previous eight contests as a home favorite, including one-point wins over Denver and Golden State. The Grizzlies were fantastic last season against unrested teams, but Memphis has compiled a 3-8 ATS record in this situation, including three straight ATS losses at FedEx Forum.
Bulls at Spurs
Two of the top point guards square off at the AT&T Center as Derrick Rose leads Chicago against Tony Parker and San Antonio. The Spurs finished the first half as the hottest team in the league by going 12-1 SU and 10-2-1 ATS, including an 8-1 run on the "Rodeo Road Trip." The Bulls head to the Alamo with nine victories in their last 11 games, while winning the final two games with Rose in the lineup after the MVP missed five contests with back spasms.
The Spurs are playing their first home game since a victory over Oklahoma City on February 4, while San Antonio has lost just once at the AT&T Center (Sacramento on January 20) in 14 tries. Gregg Popovich's team owns a 10-4 ATS record on their home court, while going 9-3 ATS in the pointspread range of -3 ½ to +3 ½.
The Bulls are listed as underdog for just the third time all season, while cashing at Orlando (97-83 W) and Miami (97-93 L) in two previous 'dog opportunities. Chicago finished 6-3 SU/ATS on its most recent nine-game road trip, as the Bulls go for just their second win at San Antonio in its last six visits.
Blazers at Nuggets
These two Northwest Division rivals hook up for the third time this season as Denver looks to beat Portland for the first time. The Blazers dispatched the Nuggets twice at the Rose Garden, while averaging 114 points per game in the two blowout wins. Denver attempts to get on track as it plays without leading scorer Danilo Gallinari (ankle) and team leader Nene (calf).
The Nuggets will likely get guard Ty Lawson back in the lineup after the former University of North Carolina standout missed a pair of games with a sprained ankle. Denver dropped five of its final six games prior to the All-Star break, but the Nuggets were a profitable 5-3 ATS in the last eight contests. The Nuggets have allowed 100 points or more in nine of the previous 10 games, as the Suns were limited to 92 points on February 14 even though Steve Nash and Grant Hill didn't suit up.
The Blazers started the season on fire with a 7-2 record, but limped to a 6-8 record in the final 14 games of the first half, while not winning consecutive games once in this stretch. Portland blew out an undermanned San Antonio squad in the final game before the break, 137-97 as 7 ½-point favorites. The Blazers are just 2-6 in their last eight road contests, while failing to bust the 95-point mark in any of those games.
Are Durant, Thunder Ready to be Champs?
Sportspic.com
Have Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder arrived as the top team in the Western Conference? They lead that pack heading into the second half of the season this week.
The Thunder sit first in both the Northwest Division standings and the Western Conference at 27-7 coming out of the All-Star Break, and they're a healthy nine games up on Portland for their division crown. Last year a 55-27 Thunder club won the Northwest by five games over the Nuggets.
But last year the Thunder also fell short in the playoffs, losing in five games to the eventual-champion Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals. The consensus was that young Oklahoma City wasn't yet ready to win a title.
With two of the league's two five scorers, however, the Thunder look ready to run with anyone in this year's playoffs. Durant is second in the league at 27.9 PPG, with Russell Westbrook fifth at 23.5 PPG.
And that has the Thunder high on the NBA futures list at BOVADA, as they sit at 17/4 to win the championship this spring – behind only the 3/2 Heat and just ahead of the 5/1 Bulls.
Oklahoma City is also pegged at 5/4 to win the Western Conference in this year's playoffs, and that's the top odds on that list; the Clippers and Spurs are both second at 11/2, with the Lakers (6/1) and Mavericks (7/1) a step back.
The Thunder head into the second half on a roll, having won five games in a row and eight of their past 10 contests. For bettors, Oklahoma City sits at 19-15 against the spread through 34 games, and 17-17 on the OVER/UNDER.
Durant and company return to the floor on Wednesday night on the road in Philadelphia.
ORLANDO at WASHINGTON
ORLANDO: 8-20 ATS after a division game
WASHINGTON: 8-19 ATS as an underdog
OKLAHOMA CITY at PHILADELPHIA
OKLAHOMA CITY: 58-40 OVER after playing a game as a home favorite
PHILADELPHIA: 50-29 OVER after a blowout win by 20 points or more
CHARLOTTE at DETROIT
CHARLOTTE: 4-16 ATS revenging a loss vs opponent
DETROIT: 27-13 ATS against Southeast division opponents
GOLDEN STATE at ATLANTA
GOLDEN STATE: 29-9 ATS off a road loss by 10 points or more
ATLANTA: 12-27 ATS in non-conference games
MILWAUKEE at BOSTON
MILWAUKEE: 18-4 ATS against Atlantic division opponents
BOSTON: 11-25 ATS in February games
CLEVELAND at NEW YORK
CLEVELAND: 1-7 ATS after playing a game as a home underdog
NEW YORK: 17-3 UNDER as a favorite
TORONTO at NEW ORLEANS
TORONTO: 11-3 ATS after having lost 3 of their last 4 game
NEW ORLEANS: 28-47 ATS as a favorite
DALLAS at MEMPHIS
DALLAS: 29-13 ATS as an underdog
MEMPHIS: 24-13 ATS after a non-conference game
HOUSTON at UTAH
HOUSTON: 19-8 ATS in road games after covering 2 of their last 3 against the spread
UTAH: 8-19 ATS against Southwest division opponent
CHICAGO at SAN ANTONIO
CHICAGO: 36-19 ATS off a home win
SAN ANTONIO: 2-11 ATS when playing 5 or less games in 14 days
PORTLAND at DENVER
PORTLAND: 0-8 ATS when the line is +3 to -3
DENVER: 32-20 ATS second half of the season
MINNESOTA at LA LAKERS
MINNESOTA: 15-5 ATS as an underdog
LA LAKERS: 26-41 ATS after a game where they failed to cover the spread