Wednesday's Best NBA Bets
By Covers.com
New Orleans Hornets at Sacramento Kings (-4.5, 192)
The two worst teams in the Western Conference hook up when the Sacramento Kings host the New Orleans Hornets. Sacramento has lost four straight games and has the second-worst record in the conference.
New Orleans has been even worse and is one of three teams in the NBA that has yet to reach double digits in victories.
The Kings have a chance to make an upward move as the game against the Hornets is the first of a franchise-long nine-game homestand.
Coach Keith Smart received a vote of confidence by club management when he had his contract extended Monday through the 2012-13 season. Smart replaced fired Paul Westphal two months ago and has earned high marks for his rapport with players.
“They have responded pretty well to what I’ve been doing,” Smart said. “They take constructive criticism and take a pat on the back well. We are trying to build something that will last a long time, not a quick-fix deal.”
Sacramento center DeMarcus Cousins had 28 points and 19 rebounds when the Kings defeated New Orleans on Feb. 6.
Pick: Kings
Phoenix Suns at Oklahoma City Thunder (-9.5, 203)
They are still just 12th in the Western Conference, but the Phoenix Suns are making a run and own a three-game winning streak, rallying from double digits in each game. Now the Suns face their stiffest test of the month, playing in Oklahoma City on Wednesday night.
The Thunder will try to win their 14th in a row at home, where they are a league-best 16-1, as well as fifth straight over the Suns.
Marcin Gortat is not one of the first big men thought of when it comes to gaudy stats, but the center is one of only four NBA players – joining Dwight Howard, Andrew Bynum and Marc Gasol - averaging 15 points, 10 rebounds and 1.5 blocks.
Meanwhile, Kevin Durant is second in the league in scoring but has had limited success against Phoenix. He has averaged 17.3 points in the past three matchups and shot just 34.9 percent.
Pick: Suns
Hot Teams
-- Celtics are 5-0 since All-Star break, covering last three.
-- Toronto is 7-1-1 vs spread in its last nine home games.
-- Miami won its last 10 home games, covering four of last five. Hawks won four of their last five games.
-- Bulls won their last seven games (5-1-1 vs spread).
-- Minnesota won its last four home games, but is 0-6-1 vs spread in last seven. Clippers covered three of their last four road games.
-- Suns won/covered five of their last six games. Oklahoma City won its last 12 home games (8-4 vs spread).
-- Nuggets are 4-0 since All-Star break (3-1 vs spread).
-- Hornets covered six of last seven road games.
-- Grizzlies won eight of their last nine games. Golden State won five of its last seven home games.
Cold Teams
-- 76ers lost eight of their last ten games.
-- Houston lost its last four games, last two in OT.
-- Bobcats lost five of last six games (1-5 vs spread). Utah lost six of last seven on road, but covered three of last four.
-- Lakers lost six of last nine road games (2-7 vs spread). Washington lost five of its last six home games.
-- Bucks lost nine of last 12 games (1-6-1 vs spread last 8 at home).
-- Nets lost their last seven home games (0-6 vs spread last six).
-- Portland lost seven of its last nine road games.
-- San Antonio lost three of its last five games. Knicks lost last three road games, by 14-4-10 points.
-- Cavaliers lost last six games, covering one of last four on road.
-- Kings lost last four games, all by 8 or less points.
Wear-and-Tear
-- Celtics: 6th game/9 nites. 76ers: 6th game/9 nites.
-- Rockets: 6th game/9 nites. Raptors: 6th game/9 nites.
-- Jazz: 6th game/9 nites. Bobcats: 3rd game/4 nites.
-- Lakers: 3rd game/4 nites. Wizards: 3rd game/5 nites.
-- Hawks: 4th game/6 nites. Heat: 5th game/7 nites.
-- Bulls: 6th game/9 nites. Bucks: 6th game/9 nites.
-- Clippers: 6th game/9 nites. Nets: 3rd game/4 nites.
-- Blazers: 3rd game/5 nites. T'wolves: 3rd game/5 nites.
-- Suns: Had last two nites off. Thunder: 3rd game/5 nites.
-- Knicks: 3rd game/4 nites. Spurs: Had last two nites off.
-- Cavaliers: 6th game/9 nites. Nuggets: 3rd game/4 nites.
-- Hornets: 6th game/9 nites. Kings: 6th game/9 nites.
-- Grizzlies: Had last 3 nites off. Warriors: 6th game/9 nites.
Totals
-- Last four Boston games went over total, but five of their last six road games stayed under.
-- Under is 7-2 in Houston's last nine road games.
-- Four of last five Charlotte home games went over total.
-- Four of last five Laker games stayed under the total.
-- Seven of last nine Atlanta road games stayed under total.
-- Over is 7-3 in Chicago's last ten road games.
-- Over is 6-2 in last eight New Jersey home games.
-- Three of last four Minnesota games stayed under.
-- Four of last five Phoenix games stayed under total.
-- Under is 14-4 in New York road games this season.
-- Over is 3-0-1 in Cleveland's last four road games.
-- Six of last eight New Orleans games went over.
-- Four of last five Memphis road games went over.
Back-to-Back
-- Celtics are 0-5 vs spread on road if they played nite before.
-- Rockets are 9-4 vs spread if they played night before, 2-4 on road.
-- Bobcats are 1-4 vs spread at home if they played night before.
-- Lakers are 2-6 vs spread on road if they played night before.
-- Hawks are 8-1-1 vs spread if they played night before. Heat is 4-8 vs spread if it played night before.
-- Nets are 1-6 vs spread at home if they played night before.
-- Knicks are 5-7 vs spread if they played night before.
HOUSTON vs. TORONTO
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Houston's last 18 games
Houston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Toronto's last 14 games when playing at home against Houston
Toronto is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Houston
BOSTON vs. PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 6 games on the road
Philadelphia is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games at home
LA LAKERS vs. WASHINGTON
LA Lakers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
LA Lakers are 8-3 SU in their last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 7 games at home
Washington is 0-5 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Lakers
UTAH vs. CHARLOTTE
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Utah's last 7 games when playing Charlotte
Utah is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Charlotte
Charlotte is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games at home
Charlotte is 6-14 ATS in its last 20 games
ATLANTA vs. MIAMI
Atlanta is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Miami
Atlanta is 6-16-1 ATS in its last 23 games when playing on the road against Miami
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Miami's last 22 games when playing Atlanta
Miami is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Atlanta
PHOENIX vs. OKLAHOMA CITY
Phoenix is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Phoenix's last 5 games
Oklahoma City is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Phoenix
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games
PORTLAND vs. MINNESOTA
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Portland's last 6 games
Portland is 16-1 SU in its last 17 games when playing Minnesota
Minnesota is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Portland
Minnesota is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Portland
LA CLIPPERS vs. NEW JERSEY
LA Clippers are 1-10 ATS in their last 11 games when playing on the road against New Jersey
The total has gone OVER in 10 of the LA Clippers last 15 games when playing on the road against New Jersey
The total has gone OVER in 6 of New Jersey's last 8 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 10 of New Jersey's last 15 games when playing at home against LA Clippers
CHICAGO vs. MILWAUKEE
Chicago is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
Chicago is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing Chicago
NEW YORK vs. SAN ANTONIO
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of New York's last 10 games
New York is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of San Antonio's last 9 games
San Antonio is 13-3 SU in its last 16 games
CLEVELAND vs. DENVER
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland's last 6 games when playing Denver
Cleveland is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games when playing Denver
Denver is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Denver's last 15 games when playing at home against Cleveland
NEW ORLEANS vs. SACRAMENTO
New Orleans is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
New Orleans is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Sacramento is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
Sacramento is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing New Orleans
MEMPHIS vs. GOLDEN STATE
Memphis is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Memphis is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
Golden State is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Memphis
The total has gone UNDER in 16 of Golden State's last 23 games at home
Hoop Trends - Wednesday
By Vince Akins
VegasInsider.com
SU TREND OF THE DAY:
The Bucks are 0-10-1 ATS (-9.0 ppg) since December 17, 2005 at home when seeking revenge for a loss in which they were out-rebounded by at least fifteen rebounds.
OU TREND OF THE DAY:
The Kings are 0-11 OU (-11.1 ppg) since April 03, 2010 with at least one day of rest after a road loss in which they scored less than 15% of their points from the free throw line.
PLAYER TREND OF THE DAY:
The Grizzlies are 10-0 OU (8.8 ppg) since February 22, 2011 on the road after winning the previous matchup at home in which Marc Gasol was not the Grizzlies’ high scorer.
CHOICE TREND:
The Nuggets are 10-0-1 ATS (10.5 ppg) since February 24, 2011 with at least one day of rest after a win in which they had an assist to turnover ratio of at least two.
TODAY’S TRENDS:
The Thunder are 11-0 OU (13.9 ppg) since January 28, 2009 at home with at most one day of rest after a game at home in which they scored more than 25% of their points from the free throw line.
BOSTON at PHILADELPHIA
BOSTON: 8-21 ATS when playing on back-to-back days
PHILADELPHIA: 20-8 ATS after a loss by 6 points or less
HOUSTON at TORONTO
HOUSTON: 10-1 UNDER off a road loss
TORONTO: 26-13 UNDER after covering 2 of their last 3 against the spread
UTAH at CHARLOTTE
UTAH: 44-25 ATS in non-conference games
CHARLOTTE: 13-27 ATS after a division game
LA LAKERS at WASHINGTON
LA LAKERS: 5-14 ATS in road games
WASHINGTON: 12-25 ATS in all games
ATLANTA at MIAMI
ATLANTA: 19-33 ATS revenging a loss where opponent scored 100 or more points
MIAMI: 42-29 ATS after having won 6 or 7 of their last 8 games
CHICAGO at MILWAUKEE
CHICAGO: 15-5 ATS in road games after a division game
MILWAUKEE: 1-9 ATS revenging a same season loss vs opponent
LA CLIPPERS at NEW JERSEY
LA CLIPPERS: 10-2 ATS after playing a game as an underdog
NEW JERSEY: 0-7 ATS in home games revenging a loss vs opponent of 10 points or more
PORTLAND at MINNESOTA
PORTLAND: 0-9 ATS when the line is +3 to -3
MINNESOTA: 36-23 UNDER after playing a home game
PHOENIX at OKLAHOMA CITY
PHOENIX: 17-36 ATS revenging a loss vs opponent
OKLAHOMA CITY: 41-28 ATS after playing 2 consecutive games as favorite
NEW YORK at SAN ANTONIO
NEW YORK: 10-1 ATS when playing their 3rd road game in 4 day
SAN ANTONIO: 2-12 ATS when playing 5 or less games in 14 days
CLEVELAND at DENVER
CLEVELAND: 1-12 ATS against Northwest division opponents
DENVER: 11-2 ATS against Central division opponents
NEW ORLEANS at SACRAMENTO
NEW ORLEANS: 23-10 ATS in road games after playing a game as an underdog
SACRAMENTO: 28-53 ATS when playing their 5th game in 7 days
MEMPHIS at GOLDEN STATE
MEMPHIS: 26-13 ATS after a non-conference game
GOLDEN STATE: 104-137 ATS after 2 consecutive non-conference games
Inside the Paint - Wednesday
By Chris David
VegasInsider.com
Even though the month of March is dominated by college basketball, the Association continues to offer opportunities on a nightly basis. Gamblers have 13 games to choose tonight and we’ve identified teams that have opened the second-half with streaks and skids.
Hot
Chicago (32-8 SU, 25-15 ATS) has opened the second-half with five straight wins, including a dominating 92-72 home victory over Indiana on Monday. The Bulls are 4-1 against the spread during this run and three of the wins have come on the road. Chicago heads to Milwaukee (15-23 SU, 15-23 ATS) tonight and it’s won seven straight (6-1 ATS) against the Bucks, which includes three meetings this season. The ‘over’ has cashed in all three and we note that because Milwaukee has been a serious ‘over’ team (23-13) this season, especially at home (12-3). The Bucks are 4-6 ATS as home underdogs this season.
The odds of Phoenix (17-20 SU, 17-20 ATS) making the playoffs are going to be tough in the competitive Western Conference, yet the team hasn’t folded like some believed it would. The Suns have won and covered three straight, all of the victories coming in the desert. Tonight the Suns head to Oklahoma City (30-8 SU, 21-17 ATS), who has been nearly unbeatable at home (16-1 SU, 9-8 ATS). The Thunder are giving 9 ½-points and already beat Phoenix by this margin (107-97) at home on Dec. 31. The total (203) seems a bit high when you look at the Suns lean to the ‘under’ (12-5) on the road and both teams bring 4-1 ‘under’ streaks into this affair.
Denver (22-17 SU, 23-16 ATS) started the regular season on a great run but they cooled off and had to deal with a slew of injuries. It appears that the All-Star break has helped the Nuggets, who have quietly ripped off four wins in a row (3-1 ATS). Make a note that none of the wins have been by double digits and that’s what the Nuggets (-10) are giving Cleveland tonight. The Cavaliers (see below) haven’t been playing well of late, but a 9-7 ATS mark on the road is solid.
When it comes to looking at talent, Toronto (12-26 SU, 23-14 ATS) doesn’t have much yet the team has been golden to gamblers. The Raptors have covered six straight and are 9-1-1 in the last 11 games. The oddsmakers have taken notice and perhaps that’s why Houston (21-17 SU, 20-18 ATS) is listed as a short road favorite (1 ½) here. These teams met last Tuesday in Houston and the Rockets won 88-85 but failed to cover as 9 ½-point favorites. The Rockets have opened up the second-half with a 1-4 SU and 0-5 ATS run, which includes a heart-breaking setback to Boston (92-97) yesterday.
A lot of people forget that Memphis (22-15 SU, 18-19 ATS) made a deep playoff run last season. The Grizzlies are legit and they’re starting to pick up the pace. They opened the second-half with three straight wins (2-1 ATS) and they’ve gone 10-2 over the last 12. Memphis has been made a short underdog (+1) at Golden State tonight, which seems a little off but the first two meetings between the pair this season have been decided by exactly one point. Memphis stopped Golden State 104-103 at home and 91-90 on the road. The Warriors are returning from a six-game road trip (3-3 SU, 3-3 ATS) and being a visitor in the Bay Area (9-9 SU, 8-10 ATS) hasn’t been that tough this season.
Boston (22-17 SU, 21-18 ATS) has quietly ripped off five straight wins (3-2 ATS), which includes back-to-back overtime victories. Last night, the Celtics stopped the Rockets 97-92, covering as 4 ½-point home favorites. And that win was preceded by a rally against New York (115-111) win on Sunday. The Celtics head to Philadelphia (see below) tonight with a subpar road record (5-9 SU, 5-9 ATS) and they’re getting a lot of points. Before you back the Celtics tonight, check out this stat. Boston is 5-5 SU and 3-8 ATS on zero days rest and that includes a 0-5 both SU and ATS mark on the road. Also, all of the losses on the road were by nine points or more.
Cold
Philadelphia (22-17 SU, 21-18 ATS) has been very easy to figure out lately and for the entire season for that matter. The 76ers beat up the bad teams and fold to the quality clubs. To prove this point, Philadelphia is 2-3 both SU and ATS in the second-half and the wins were against Detroit and Golden State. The losses were to the Thunder, Bulls and Bucks. Now Philadelphia welcomes Boston, who has won five straight (2-2 ATS) games. The 76ers are giving six points to the Celtics, which tells you everything here. Even though Boston is still often considered an elite team, it’s not! The C’s should’ve lost last night to Houston and New York on Sunday, but they managed to steal overtime wins and covers.
The Cavaliers have had some solid performances this season and they’re not pushovers anymore but they’re far from good. Cleveland (13-23 SU, 18-18 ATS) has suffered five straight setbacks to open the second-half and the defense has allowed 105.6 points per game during this losing skid. Knowing that fact, playing against an explosive Denver team tonight won’t be easy. Unfortunately for the Cavs, the Nuggets have won and covered four straight in this head-to-head series.
We’re not going to beat up Sacramento (12-26 SU, 20-18 ATS) too much since its second-half schedule has been brutal. Three of the four games have been against playoff teams and three were also on the road. However, the Kings have shown no ability to close and that was clear in Monday’s overtime loss to Denver, 119-116. They also had chances against Phoenix (88-96) and the Clippers (100-108) too. Tonight, the Kings go from the hunter to the hunted as they’re giving 4 ½ points to New Orleans (9-29 SU, 18-20 ATS). Make a note that Sacramento is 3-1 both SU and ATS as a favorite this season.