Wednesday's Best NBA Bets
By Covers.com
San Antonio Spurs at Boston Celtics (1, 192)
Two of the NBA's hottest teams clash when the Spurs visit the Celtics. San Antonio routed the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday for its eighth consecutive win and 11th in 12 games and trails Oklahoma City by just two games for the best record in the Western Conference. Boston enters with a five-game winning streak and has won seven of eight while taking over first place of the Atlantic Division.
Boston has won four games by 12 or more points during its winning streak and the most impressive performance was Sunday’s 91-72 thrashing of the Miami Heat. Point guard Rajon Rondo had 16 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists for his fifth triple-double of the season.
San Antonio has received numerous contributions from its bench during its winning streak and the easy 125-90 victory over Cleveland was just the latest example. The Spurs received 62 points from reserves against the Cavaliers to follow up a much more competitive victory over Indiana in which the bench tallied 52 points.
The Spurs are 7-2 ATS in the last nine meetings in Boston.
Pick: Spurs
Denver Nuggets at New Orleans Hornets (NA)
The Nuggets finish their season-long seven-game road trip against the Hornets on Wednesday. Denver is 3-3 on the trek. The Hornets welcome the return of guard Eric Gordon, who has missed all but two games this season because of a knee injury.
Denver is seventh in the West, one-half game ahead of Houston and 1½ clear of ninth-place Utah. The Nuggets, who have won three of their last four, lead the NBA in bench scoring at 41.7 points per game, and their depth is a big reason why they also lead the league in fast break points (20.1). Ty Lawson has scored 25 or more points in three of his last five games and has averaged 21.2 during the span. He is also averaging 9.3 assists in his last three games.
New Orleans has lost three straight and five of six, but the return of Gordon should provide a spark. Gordon, who was acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers in the Chris Paul trade, has a career average of 18.1 points. The Hornets own the worst record in the West and have struggled with injuries and illness.
Denver is 7-2 ATS in its last nine road games against teams with losing home records.
Pick: Nuggets
Hot Teams
-- Pacers won three of last four games; they're 4-7-1 as road favorites.
-- Raptors won three of last four games. are 13-7 as an underdog of 4+ points.
-- Boston won its last eight home games, covered last seven. Spurs won their last eight games (6-2 vs spread).
-- Miami won its last five home games, but is 7-9 vs spread in its last 16 at home. Thunder won/covered five of last seven road games.
-- Nuggets won three of last four games, all on the road.
-- Warriors covered eight of their last nine road games.
-- Grizzlies won five of their last six games.
-- Suns won three of their last four road games.
-- Nets covered five of their last six games (4-2 SU).
-- Clippers won their last six home games (5-1 vs spread).
Cold Teams
-- Wizards lost seven of their last eight games.
-- 76ers lost seven of their last eleven games.
-- Atlanta is 5-10 as home favorite of 4+ points. Bobcats lost last eight games, but covered three of last four.
-- New Orleans lost six of its last seven home games.
-- Minnesota lost its last three games, by 21-13-8 points.
-- Milwaukee lost three of its last four home games. Cavaliers lost last eight games, failed to cover last seven.
-- Mavericks are 3-7 vs spread in their last ten home games.
-- Jazz lost five of their last six games.
-- Portland covered only three of last ten home games.
-- Lakers are 0-9 vs spread in last nine games at Staples Center.
Wear-and-Tear
-- Pacers: 6th game/8 nites. Wizards: 5th game/7 nites.
-- Raptors: 3rd game/4 nites. 76ers: 2nd nite in row, after two off.
-- Spurs: 2nd nite in row, after two off. Celtics: Last 2 nites off.
-- Bobcats: 2nd nite in row, after two off. Hawks: Last 3 nites off.
-- Thunder: 3rd game/4 nites. Heat: 5th game/7 nites.
-- Nuggets: Last 2 nites off. Hornets: Last 2 nites off.
-- Warriors: 3rd game/4 nites. T'wolves: 3rd game/4 nites.
-- Cavaliers: 2nd nite in row, after two off. Bucks: 4th game/6 nites.
-- Grizzlies: 3rd nite in row, 5th/6 nites. Mavericks: 4th game/6 nites.
-- Suns: 3rd game/4 nites. Jazz: 4th game/6 nites.
-- Nets: 2nd nite in row, after two off. Trailblazers: 5th game/7 nites.
-- Lakers: 4th game/5 nites. Clippers: 4th game/6 nites.
Totals
-- Last three Indiana games went over the total.
-- Three of last four Toronto road games went over the total.
-- 11 of Spurs' last 12 road games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Atlanta games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Thunder games stayed under the total; four of last five Miami games went over.
-- Over is 5-2-1 in Denver's last eight games.
-- Six of Warriors' last eight road games stayed under total.
-- Over is 7-2 in Milwaukee's last nine home games.
-- Seven of last eight Memphis games stayed under total.
-- Six of last nine Phoenix road games went over the total.
-- Last five Portland games went over the total. Five of last seven New Jersey road games stayed under.
-- Three of Lakers' last four games stayed under the total.
Back-to-Back
-- Pacers are 5-4 vs spread if they won the night before.
-- Raptors are 1-4 vs spread on road if they played at home night before. 76ers are 3-4 vs spread if they lost the night before.
-- Spurs are 2-7-1 vs spread on road if they played night before.
-- Charlotte is 4-7 vs spread on road if it played night before.
-- Miami is 5-10 against spread when it played the night before.
-- Warriors are 6-2 vs spread on road if they played night before.
-- Cavaliers are 3-5 vs spread on road if they played night before.
-- Memphis is 6-1 vs spread on road if it played night before.
-- Suns are 9-6-1 vs spread if they played the night before.
-- Nets are 4-3 vs spread on road if they played the night before.
-- Lakers are 2-3 vs spread at Staples if they played night before.
Armadillosports.com
INDIANA (31 - 21) at WASHINGTON (12 - 41) - 4/4/2012, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 6-4 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 8-2 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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TORONTO (18 - 35) at PHILADELPHIA (29 - 23) - 4/4/2012, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 3-14 ATS (-12.4 Units) as a road underdog of 6.5 to 9 points over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 23-38 ATS (-18.8 Units) in road games revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 76-62 ATS (+7.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 5-3 against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 5-4 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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SAN ANTONIO (36 - 14) at BOSTON (30 - 22) - 4/4/2012, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 31-18 ATS (+11.2 Units) in all games this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 14-2 ATS (+11.8 Units) in a road game where where the total is between 190 and 194.5 points over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 20-7 ATS (+12.3 Units) second half of the season this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BOSTON is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) in home games against Southwest division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 33-50 ATS (-22.0 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 13-26 ATS (-15.6 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 38-62 ATS (-30.2 Units) in home games off an upset win as an underdog since 1996.
BOSTON is 14-31 ATS (-20.1 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 2-2 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 3-1 straight up against SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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CHARLOTTE (7 - 43) at ATLANTA (31 - 23) - 4/4/2012, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHARLOTTE is 18-31 ATS (-16.1 Units) in all games this season.
CHARLOTTE is 18-29 ATS (-13.9 Units) as an underdog this season.
CHARLOTTE is 10-25 ATS (-17.5 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
CHARLOTTE is 7-18 ATS (-12.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ATLANTA is 86-116 ATS (-41.6 Units) versus poor offensive teams - scoring <=91 points/game since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
CHARLOTTE is 6-4 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 6-4 straight up against CHARLOTTE 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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OKLAHOMA CITY (40 - 13) at MIAMI (37 - 14) - 4/4/2012, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 132-105 ATS (+16.5 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 81-56 ATS (+19.4 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 69-48 ATS (+16.2 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 22-11 ATS (+9.9 Units) in road games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 19-7 ATS (+11.3 Units) against Southeast division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in non-conference games this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 20-8 ATS (+11.2 Units) off a upset loss as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 42-26 ATS (+13.4 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 35-57 ATS (-27.7 Units) in home games in April games since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
OKLAHOMA CITY is 4-1 against the spread versus MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA CITY is 4-1 straight up against MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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DENVER (29 - 24) at NEW ORLEANS (13 - 40) - 4/4/2012, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
NEW ORLEANS is 6-4 against the spread versus DENVER over the last 3 seasons
DENVER is 6-4 straight up against NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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GOLDEN STATE (20 - 31) at MINNESOTA (25 - 30) - 4/4/2012, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 6-2 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 6-2 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
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CLEVELAND (17 - 33) at MILWAUKEE (25 - 28) - 4/4/2012, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 10-19 ATS (-10.9 Units) second half of the season this season.
CLEVELAND is 35-48 ATS (-17.8 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 121-98 ATS (+13.2 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 30-14 ATS (+14.6 Units) after scoring 105 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 60-40 ATS (+16.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 54-33 ATS (+17.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 34-18 ATS (+14.2 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 15-30 ATS (-18.0 Units) as a home favorite of 9.5 to 12 points since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 139-176 ATS (-54.6 Units) in home games second half of the season since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 7-3 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
MILWAUKEE is 7-4 straight up against CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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MEMPHIS (29 - 22) at DALLAS (30 - 24) - 4/4/2012, 8:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
MEMPHIS is 6-3 against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
MEMPHIS is 5-4 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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PHOENIX (26 - 26) at UTAH (28 - 26) - 4/4/2012, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UTAH is 100-72 ATS (+20.8 Units) in home games after a division game since 1996.
UTAH is 22-10 ATS (+11.0 Units) off an upset win as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 45-26 ATS (+16.4 Units) in a road game where where the total is between 200 and 204.5 points since 1996.
PHOENIX is 64-40 ATS (+20.0 Units) second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 5-3 against the spread versus UTAH over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 6-2 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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NEW JERSEY (19 - 35) at PORTLAND (25 - 29) - 4/4/2012, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW JERSEY is 60-74 ATS (-21.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW JERSEY is 25-38 ATS (-16.8 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NEW JERSEY is 22-36 ATS (-17.6 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
NEW JERSEY is 3-1 against the spread versus PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
PORTLAND is 3-1 straight up against NEW JERSEY 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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LA LAKERS (33 - 20) at LA CLIPPERS (32 - 21) - 4/4/2012, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
LA CLIPPERS is 7-3 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
LA LAKERS is 6-4 straight up against LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO vs. PHILADELPHIA
Toronto is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Toronto's last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 6 games at home
Philadelphia is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home
INDIANA vs. WASHINGTON
Indiana is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Indiana is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Washington's last 8 games when playing Indiana
Washington is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Indiana
SAN ANTONIO vs. BOSTON
San Antonio is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston
San Antonio is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games when playing Boston
Boston is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against San Antonio
Boston is 2-11 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against San Antonio
CHARLOTTE vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Charlotte's last 12 games when playing Atlanta
Charlotte is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Atlanta is 5-11 ATS in its last 16 games when playing Charlotte
Atlanta is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Charlotte
CLEVELAND vs. MILWAUKEE
Cleveland is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Cleveland is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 5-10 ATS in its last 15 games at home
Milwaukee is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games
OKLAHOMA CITY vs. MIAMI
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games on the road
Oklahoma City is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Miami
Miami is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Oklahoma City
Miami is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Oklahoma City
GOLDEN STATE vs. MINNESOTA
Golden State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Golden State's last 7 games when playing Minnesota
Minnesota is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games at home
Minnesota is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Golden State
DENVER vs. NEW ORLEANS
Denver is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games when playing New Orleans
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Denver's last 13 games when playing New Orleans
New Orleans is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing at home against Denver
New Orleans is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Denver
MEMPHIS vs. DALLAS
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Memphis's last 6 games on the road
Memphis is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games when playing Dallas
Dallas is 20-3 SU in its last 23 games when playing at home against Memphis
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Dallas's last 11 games when playing at home against Memphis
PHOENIX vs. UTAH
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Phoenix's last 5 games when playing on the road against Utah
Phoenix is 8-15 SU in its last 23 games when playing on the road against Utah
Utah is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games
Utah is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
NEW JERSEY vs. PORTLAND
New Jersey is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Portland
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New Jersey's last 6 games when playing Portland
Portland is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Portland is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
LA LAKERS vs. LA CLIPPERS
LA Lakers are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of the LA Lakers last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of the LA Clippers last 5 games when playing LA Lakers
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of the LA Clippers last 11 games at home
Indiana at Washington
Indiana: 1-7 ATS off BB ATS wins
Washington: 7-1 Over after allowing 110+ points
Toronto at Philadelphia
Toronto: 3-14 ATS as a road underdog of 6.5 to 9 points
Philadelphia: 17-6 ATS as a home favorite of 6.5 to 12 points
San Antonio at Boston
San Antonio: 15-7 ATS after playing 3+ games as a favorite
Boston: 5-17 ATS at home off a home win by 10+ points
Charlotte at Atlanta
Charlotte: 5-14 ATS playing with same-season revenge
Atlanta: 25-8 Under vs. division opponents
Oklahoma City at Miami
Oklahoma City: 23-8 ATS off a home loss
Miami: 13-5 Under at home off a win
Denver at New Orleans
Denver: 16-5 Under off a win by 3 points or less
New Orleans: 10-2 ATS off BB games scoring 90 points or less
Golden State at Minnesota
Golden State: 19-7 Under playing thier second road game in two days
Minnesota: 3-13 ATS in April
Cleveland at Milwaukee
Cleveland: 0-7 ATS off BB games scoring 90 points or less
Milwaukee: 30-14 ATS after scoring 105+ points
Memphis at Dallas
Memphis: 8-1 ATS after making 50%+ of their three-point shots
Dallas: 1-5 ATS after scoring 80 points or less
Phoenix at Utah
Phoenix: 18-8 Under in road games
Utah: 9-21 ATS off BB road games
New Jersey at Portland
New Jersey: 3-12 ATS away off ATS wins in 4 or 5 of ther last 6 games
Portland: 21-12 Over in the second half of the season
LA Lakers at LA Clippers
LA Lakers: 4-13 ATS off a win by 6 points or less
LA Clippers: 17-10 ATS playing with revenge
Hoop Trends - Wednesday
By Vince Akins
VegasInsider.com
SU TREND OF THE DAY:
The Warriors are 12-0 ATS (11.1 ppg) since February 08, 2009 after a game on the road in which they had at least ten fewer assists than in the game before.
OU TREND OF THE DAY:
The Jazz are 0-11 OU (-10.1 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 TREND OF THE DAY:
The Spurs are 0-11 ATS (-10.1 ppg) since January 07, 2006 with no rest after a win in which Tim Duncan had more rebounds than points.
CHOICE TREND:
The Raptors are 10-0 ATS (7.8 ppg) since February 13, 2006 with no rest after a win at home in which Jose Calderon scored fewer than 10 points.
TODAY’S TRENDS:
The Warriors are 13-0 ATS (8.7 ppg) since January 04, 2012 after a loss in which Dorell Wright scored fewer than 10 points.
The Pacers are 0-11 ATS (-13.5 ppg) since March 19, 1997 with no rest after a home win in which they had at least five fewer turnovers than their season-to-date average.
The Cavaliers are 10-0-1 OU (10.5 ppg) since December 21, 2004 as a dog after a game at home in which they had at least ten more assists than in the game before.
Inside the Paint - Wednesday
By Chris David
VegasInsider.com
First, our apologies go out to all bettors who had the Knicks last night. New York had a 15-point (87-72) lead over Indiana heading into the fourth quarter and they were getting six points too. Sure enough, Indiana outscored New York 40-17 for the win and cover.
Bad beats in this shortened season have been occurring non-stop and outcomes like the one above have become routine. You can’t handicap them, rather just accept them and move forward.
With that being said, let’s break down Wednesday’s 12-game card.
Oklahoma City at Miami: A lot of pundits are expecting these teams to clash in this year’s NBA Finals and deservingly so. If that’s the case, we could be crowning OKC as the champs considering the team has owned Miami. On Mar. 25, Oklahoma City humbled Miami 103-87 in wire-to-wire fashion, which was the fourth win and cover in the last five encounters against the Heat. Despite those stats, Miami is listed as a 2 ½-point home favorite tonight and that could be considered too low. The Heat has won 16 straight at American Airlines Arena and the majority of them have been blowouts. The Thunder was upset at home by Memphis (88-94) on Monday and it should be noted that Scott Brooks’ squad has only suffered back-to-back losses once this season, which happened on Jan. 3. OKC has gone 17-8 SU and 15-10 ATS on the road this season and that includes a 4-2 mark against Eastern Conference teams. Dwyane Wade (knee) skipped last night’s win against Philadelphia (99-93) but is listed as ‘probable’ for tonight.
L.A. Lakers at L.A. Clippers: The Lakers and Clippers will meet for the third and final time tonight at Staples Center. The first two encounters between the pair were split, with the host winning each time and the ‘over’ cashed in both affairs. The Clips have opened as three-point favorites and the total is hovering around 188 points for what’s expected to be an intense battle, especially since the Lakers division lead over the Clippers has shrunk to 1 ½-games. The Clips will bring a six-game winning streak (5-1 ATS) into this matchup, five of the victories coming at this venue. The Lakers have won three straight but gamblers haven’t been pleased with this squad, who is 0-8 ATS in their last eight, and that includes last night’s non-cover against New Jersey. Not only are the Lakers playing on zero days rest but this will be their fourth game in five nights. Center Andrew Bynum (knee) missed the win over the Nets and is ‘questionable’ for tonight.
Under the Radar
San Antonio (37-14 SU, 32-18 ATS) and Boston (30-22 SU, 26-26 ATS) are similar in a lot of ways. The two teams have championship experience and they both enter tonight’s matchup on fire. The Spurs have won seven straight (6-1 ATS), which includes a blowout win at Cleveland (125-90) last night. Meanwhile, Boston has ripped off five consecutive wins and covers. The Celtics have allowed an average of 80.5 PPG during this stretch, and that includes holding Miami to 72 points on Sunday. San Antonio opened as a short road favorite (-1) and that shouldn’t be surprising considering its record (16-10 SU, 14-11 ATS) away from home. Total players saw the opener jump from 192 to 193. The Spurs have watched the ‘over’ go 19-7 (73%) on the road this season.
Back-to-Back Spots
There are 12 teams that will be playing on no rest tonight.
Indiana: 10-9 SU, 8-11 ATS
Toronto: 3-13 SU, 7-8 ATS
Philadelphia: 8-6 SU, 7-7 ATS
San Antonio: 9-5 SU, 7-6 ATS
Charlotte: 2-14 SU, 6-10 ATS
Miami: 8-7 SU, 5-10 ATS
Golden State: 6-8 SU, 10-4 ATS
Cleveland: 4-11 SU, 6-9 ATS
Memphis: 11-3 SU, 10-4 ATS (*This will be the third game in three nights for the Grizzlies. They rallied past Golden State (98-94) but failed to cover the number. Tonight, they’re catching six points at Dallas. On the season, teams facing this daunting situation have gone 18-16 ATS. The ‘under’ has gone 18-16 as well. Results)
Phoenix: 9-7 SU, 9-7 ATS
New Jersey: 6-12 SU, 8-10 ATS
L.A. Lakers: 8-8 SU, 6-10 ATS
Total Talk
Milwaukee still remains the top ‘over’ team in the league (33-19) and that’s helped with a 17-6 ‘over’ mark at home. Tonight, the Bucks welcome the Cavaliers and the number is bouncing around 206 points. Cleveland’s offense has been gross during its current seven-game losing streak, but the defense has been just as worse. These two teams have met three times this season, which includes Milwaukee’s 121-84 win over the Cavaliers last Friday. Surprisingly, that game went ‘under’ (205) but the other two affairs saw 225 and 220 combined points posted. The pace should be there but will the shots fall?
Memphis has watched the ‘under’ cash in five straight and it’s playing its third game in three nights (see above). The Grizzlies have been an ‘under’ team (18-9) on the road, plus Dallas doesn’t run and gun as much as it once did. Memphis beat Dallas 96-85 on Feb. 29 and the combined points just slid ‘under’ the closing number of 182. Knowing all these facts, the opener for tonight’s game was 184 and it got pushed up to 185. Hmmm…
Every April in the NBA, you’ll always have matchups that feature non-playoff teams and I often played the ‘over’ blindly, believing that a loose style and lack of defense would be apparent. Tonight’s matchup between Portland and New Jersey fits that billing and both teams have scorers that can fill it up. Portland has seen the ‘over’ go 5-0 in its last five and the total (196) seems short. The point-spread (Blazers -8) also seems a little off, considering the Nets have covered four straight (3-1 SU) and Portland is 4-3 SU and 2-5 ATS in its last seven home games.