NBA Knowledge
Wednesday's hot teams
-- Kings are 6-4 in their last ten games (3-0 last 3AU).
-- Houston is 4-3 in its last seven games (1-5 last 6HF).
-- Dallas won seven of its last eight games (6-5HU).
-- Raptors won six of their last eight games (3-5 last 8AF).
-- Hawks won three of last four games (6-4 last 10AF).
-- Washington won three of its last four games (3-1 last 4AU).
-- Pacers won five of their last six games (2-5 last 7AF).
-- Cleveland won five of their last seven games (6-4 last 10HF).
-- Pistons are 6-4 in their last ten games (3-6 last 9AU).
-- Bulls are 5-3 in their last eight games (4-2 last 6HF).
-- Miami won four of its last five games (0-4 last 4AU).
-- Orlando won six of its last nine games (1-4 last 5AU).
-- Charlotte won three of its last four games (0-4 last 4HF).
-- Golden State won eight of its last ten games (2-5 last 7HF).
-- Portland won six of its last eight games (2-5 last 7HF).
-- Clippers won their last six games (1-3 last 4AF).
Cold teams
-- Spurs lost three of last four games (1-9 vs spread in last 10 games).
-- New Orleans lost four of its last five games (4-1 last 5AU).
-- Wolves won three of their last four games (5-10HF).
-- Brooklyn lost its last nine games (1-8 vs spread).
-- Bucks lost four of their last five games (1-6 last 7HU).
-- 76ers lost nine of their last ten games (4-1 last 5AU).
-- Boston lost last two games, by 11-14 points (9-6 last 15HF).
-- Jazz lost three of its last four games (5-0 last 5AF).
-- Lakers lost their last six games (4-2 last 6HU).
-- Memphis lost nine of its last ten games (2-4 last 6AU).
-- Denver lost six of its last eight games (3-6 last 9AU).
-- Suns lost eight of their last ten games (4-7 last 11HU).
Series records
-- Rockets won seven of last eight games with Sacramento.
-- Spurs won their last four gaes with Dallas.
-- Pelicans won seven of its last eight games with Minnesota.
-- Raptors won five of last seven games with Brooklyn.
-- Hawks won five of last six games with Washington.
-- Pacers won seven of last ten games with Milwaukee.
-- Cavaliers won seven of last ten games with Detroit.
-- Bulls won their las tnine games with Philly (3-6 vs spread).
-- Celtics won three of last four games with Miami.
-- Charlotte won four of last five games with Orlando.
-- Lakers lost their last four games with Utah.
-- Warriors won last six games (5-1 vs spread) with Memphis.
-- Portland won nine of last ten games with Denver.
-- Clippers won nine of last ten games with Phoenix.
Totals
-- Four of last five Sacramento-Houston games went over.
-- Six of last seven San Antonio-Dallas games stayed under.
-- Four of last five New Orleans-Minnesota games went over.
-- Last four Brooklyn games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Hawk-Wizard games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Indiana-Milwaukee games went over.
-- Six of last eight Detroit games stayed under the total.
-- Last six Philly-Chicago games went over the total.
-- Five of last six Miami-Boston games stayed under.
-- Over is 7-3 in last ten Charlotte-Orlando games.
-- Five of last seven Utah games stayed under the total.
-- Eight of last nine Memphis-Golden State games stayed under.
-- Six of last seven Denver-Portland games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Clipper games stayed under the total.
Back/backs
-- Spurs are 2-7 vs spread last nine times they played night before.
-- Toronto covered seven of its last eight if they played night before.
-- Indiana is 6-10 vs spread if it played the night before.
-- Pistons covered nine of last ten if they played night before.
-- 76ers are 7-10 vs spread if they played the night before.
-- Miami covered covered five of last seven if they played nite before.
-- Memphis is 12-5 vs spread if it played the night before.
-- Clippers are 7-5 in last 12 games if they played night before.
Armadillosports.com
NBA: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com
Memphis at Golden State
Golden State's guest for a league-best 73 wins continues Wednesday when the Warriors play host to visiting Memphis Grizzlies. Warriors tough nuts to crack at Oracle Arena own an amazing 38-2 (21-19 ATS) record in front of its friendly crowd with a winning margin of 14.3 points/game.
The fact, Warriors have had little trouble vs Grizzlies going 3-0 (2-1 ATS) this season, 6-0 (5-1 ATS) the past six encounters along with life on the road not the best for Grizzlies at 16 wins vs. 24 losses (19-20-1 ATS) the likelihood of history being made is high.
Oddsmakers have placed a -17.0 to 18.5 point premium on Curry and company. Might be a touch generous. Warriors haven't exactly been money in the bank recently as double digit chalk posting a 1-6 record against the betting line with a winning margin of only 6.2 points/game. Additionally, as bad as Memphis has been on the road the Grizzlies have kept backers happy of late handed double digits on enemy hardwood going 5-2 against the number.
Wednesday's NBA Essentials
By Tony Mejia
VegasInsider.com
The final night of the NBA's regular season can be a dark, scary place for bettors. Who's in? Who's out? What's on the line? Are they just rolling basketballs out there. Consider the content below your handy survival guide.
Miami at Boston: The Heat are looking to wrap up the Southeast Division and the Eastern Conference’s No. 3 seed and will do so with a victory. A loss really complicates matters, since different combinations exist that could have them finishing anywhere from 4-6. The Celtics are hoping to finish at No. 4 so they can open a playoff series at home, but they could finish fifth or sixth with a loss. As a result, this is the one game we have tonight where both teams won’t rest anyone healthy enough to play. On that note, Justise Winslow missed Tuesday’s win over Detroit with an ankle sprain but expressed his intention to play here if possible. No game tonight should pack the intensity this one brings to the table, giving us an early postseason feel. Boston has won both meetings between these teams, winning by double-digits on Nov. 30 and Feb. 27.
Sacramento at Houston: The Rockets can thank Utah’s collapse for the opportunity to make the playoffs with a .500 record by holding serve as a double-digit favorite here. They can thank the Kings resting DeMarcus Cousins, Rajon Rondo, Darren Collison, Marco Belinelli and Omri Casspi to lighten the load, although the same group that takes the floor tonight won in Phoenix as a 6-point underdog on Monday. Seth Curry finished with 20 points and 15 assists and will be the focal point of tonight’s Sacramento attack, which makes Patrick Beverley a critical x-factor for Houston. Rudy Gay, Ben McLemore and centers Willy Cauley-Stein and Kosta Koufos will carry the Jazz’s hopes with them, since a Rockets win will eliminate them before their game at Staples Center ever tips.
San Antonio at Dallas: Gregg Popovich is sure to sit all of his key rotation players after many worked into OT to defeat OKC on Tuesday, so expect a heavy dose of Patty Mills, Kevin Martin Kyle Anderson and Boban Marjanovic. It will be interesting to see if David West is forced to play, but Pop will definitely field a short-handed group. He will get Boris Diaw back from a groin injury that has cost him the last five games, so this one will be for him to get some conditioning work in. Considering the Mavericks can avoid a full-strength San Antonio team by holding serve at home, it’s likely that anyone who can play, will. The Mavericks will be the No. 5 seed with a Portland loss, and No. 6 otherwise with a victory.
New Orleans at Minnesota: The Pelicans will again be without F/C Alexis Ajinca, which means they’ll end their injury-ravaged season with just eight players. James Ennis scored a career-high 29 points in Monday’s 121-116 loss to Chicago and are down to just two big men, Omer Asik and Kendrick Perkins. The Timberwolves had a season-high three-game winning streak snapped at home in Houston, but should have everybody in play tonight.
Toronto at Brooklyn: The Raptors outscored the 76ers 67-37 in the second half of Tuesday’s 122-98 comeback win, but played 11 guys and won’t come anywhere near that number in Brooklyn. Having wrapped up the No. 2 seed over a week ago and unable to move up since the Cavs clinched the top spot in the East on Monday, Dwane Casey will be looking to get through these 48 minutes and is already preparing for a first-round series against Indiana this weekend. The Nets have dropped nine consecutive games and haven’t won since March 24. They’ve surrendered 120.6 points over the past four games, all of which have gone over the posted total.
Atlanta at Washington: John Wall and Bradley Beal are likely to close the season in suits, leaving the Wizards short-handed as they attempt to avoid a losing season by winning a third straight. They’re also looking to split the season series with the Hawks, which would in turn do the Heat a solid if they’re unable to take care of business in Boston. Despite coming from the school of Popovich, Mike Budenholzer should have everybody available as Atlanta looks to claim a second consecutive Southeast Division title if it gets help from the Celtics. The Hawks will be shooting for their 109th win over a two-year stretch, the most prosperous run in franchise history.
Indiana at Milwaukee: After rallying to handle a Carmelo Anthony-less Knicks squad that hung 36 points in the first quarter, the Pacers benefited from Miami’s win in Auburn Hills, wrapping up the No. 7 and officially avoiding a first-round date with Cleveland. It remains to be seen who Frank Vogel turns to, but you can count on Paul George, Monta Ellis and George Hill sitting this one out. Ty Lawson has been effective of late, so this may be an opportunity for him to continue carving out playing time. The Bucks are 1-2 this season against the Pacers, winning in Indianapolis on Dec. 31. Giannis Antetokounmpo has slowed down of late after a monster run, but is still averaging 21.0 points 9.2 rebounds and 7.5 assists in April.
Detroit at Cleveland: These teams will turn around and face each other in an extremely meaningful playoff contest this weekend, so count on both teams going through the motions and displaying nothing of significance while playing very few regulars. Reggie Jackson missed Tuesday’s loss to Miami and will again sit with an ab strain, so look for Spencer Dinwiddie and Jordan McRae to play major roles. If you ever wanted to see Aron Baynes featured, defended by Sasha Kaun no less, this is your lucky day. The Pistons have won two of the three meetings between the teams so far.
Philadelphia at Chicago: The season comes to a merciful end for both of these teams. The 10-win 76ers are the NBA’s biggest travesty. The Bulls are its biggest underachivers. A win would allow Chicago to finish 42-40 in Fred Hoiberg’s first season, but considering this will be the worst mark since Vinny Del Negro went 41-41 in consecutive seasons before being let go in 2010, that’s not saying much. Jimmy Butler is choosing to play out the string because he feels he’s missed enough time as it is, having been absent for 15 games this season. Pau Gasol, Derrick Rose, Taj Gibson and E’Twuan Moore have all been ruled out. Philadelphia is headed for the second-worst finish in NBA history and will sport a 3-38 road record with another loss here. The ‘over’ has prevailed in the last three Sixers games.
Orlando at Charlotte: Nikola Vucevic sat out the Magic’s home finale with a bruised right leg and may sit this one out too. Fellow starters Victor Oladipo and Aaron Gordon have been out, stuck in concussion protocol, so the Magic are likely to be shorthanded as they face former assistant Steve Clifford as they aim to split the season series between these Southeast Division rivals. The Hornets lose the majority of tiebreakers so they’re looking at opening the postseason on the road as either the No. 5 or No. 6 seed. Nicolas Batum left Monday’s upset in Boston with a sprained ankle and likely won’t play here. F/C Cody Zeller is also probably out with a chest injury. The ‘over’ has hit in the last four Charlotte games.
Memphis at Golden State: Every one of the Warriors wants to be a part of history, so odds are good that Steve Kerr will find a way to get everybody into this potentially historic game as they look for their record-setting 73rd win. The Grizzlies nearly defeated Memphis on Saturday night, squandering a substantial late lead and ultimately falling in OT. We’ll see how seriously the Grizzlies take this rematch when Tony Allen’s availability is determined. He sat out last night’s loss at the L.A. Clippers with a sore hamstring, so if he’s out there defending on the perimeter, you can bet the Griz are embracing being the potential gate-keepers of history. Barring a win and a Dallas loss, Memphis will be the No. 7 seed, opening the playoffs in San Antonio.
Utah at L.A. Lakers: Kobe Bryant’s farewell game is going to be riveting for that reason alone, but will only carry postseason implications if the Rockets failed to defeat depleted Sacramento. The Jazz will undoubtedly be watching pre-game, so they may be a dejected bunch with nothing to play for come tip-off. They’ll definitely be without center Rudy Gobert, who left Monday’s crippling home loss to Dallas with a badly sprained ankle and didn’t travel to L.A. Derrick Favors is playing through a knee injury, but came off the bench against the Mavs and is obviously not 100 percent. If Utah is eliminated, don’t expect to see him suit up. Bryant, who will likely get in 20-plus shots in this one for old time’s sake, will be out there as long as he wants to be, according to head coach Byron Scott. Bryant scored 35 points, his second-largest output of the season, in just 27 minutes in Sunday’s 130-110 loss in Houston. He’ll want to put on one last show at Staples and will probably play over 35 minutes for the first time since early December. Monty McCutchen, David Guthrie and ex-guard turned ref Haywoode Workman will officiate his final game.
Denver at Portland: The Trail Blazers would lose a tie-breaker to the Mavericks if the teams finish with identical records, so they need a home win here to wrap up the No. 5 seed. The Nuggets are unlikely to play Kenneth Faried, who has sat out the past two games. Denver has lost two of its last eight games and is 1-2 against Portland this season.
L.A. Clippers at Phoenix: Following last night's dominant win over Memphis, Doc Rivers announced that Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, J.J. Redick, Paul Pierce and Jamal Crawford will all sit here. The Suns could fall into their third victory in four tries to end the season, which would help avoid a 60th loss.
Game of the Day: Grizzlies at Warriors
By Covers.com
Memphis Grizzlies at Golden State Warriors (-19, 212.5)
The Golden State Warriors have the opportunity to become known as the winningest team in NBA history when they seek victory No. 73 in Wednesday's regular-season finale against the visiting Memphis Grizzlies. The Warriors have tied the regular-season mark set by the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls (72-10), who were led by Hall of Famers Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.
Reigning MVP Stephen Curry leads the Warriors and is looking forward to see if his team can dethrone the Bulls. "So many great players have suited up since the NBA began, and for us 15 guys to say we accomplished something as a group that has never been done before, that's remarkable," Curry told reporters after Tuesday's practice. "We earned the right to have a 48-minute game to eclipse that mark, and we have to go out and finish the job and do it the right way." Memphis put up a strong fight against the Warriors on Saturday but let a 10-point fourth-quarter lead get away before succumbing 100-99. The Grizzlies have lost nine of their last 10 games after being routed 110-84 by the Los Angeles Clippers and slipped into a tie for the sixth place with the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference playoff race.
LINE HISTORY: The line for this potentially historic game opened with the Warriors as 17.5-point favorites and the public quickly bet that up to -18.5 by Wednesday morning. Later in the day the book moved the line even higher to -19. The total opened at 213.5 and, somewhat surprisingly, was bet down to 212.5.
INJURY REPORT:
Grizzlies - SG T. Allen (Doubtful Wednesday, hamstring), PF B. Wright (Out For Season, knee), PG M. Conley (Out For Season, achilles), C M. Gasol (Out For Season, foot).
Warriors - SF K. Looney (Out Indefinitely, hip).
POWER RANKINGS: Grizzlies (-1) - Warriors (-14.6) + home court (-3) = Warriors -16.6
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (42-39, 42-38-1 ATS, 44-35-2 O/U): Memphis has been decimated by injuries and has been powerless to end its issues and the Grizzlies will be the seventh seed in the West should they finish tied with the Mavericks. "Yeah, the emotional tank is a little bit empty right now," Memphis coach David Joerger said after the loss to the Clippers. "You also know that sitting out there 24 hours you've got a chance to be the answer on every Trivial Pursuit card for the next 75 years. We'll see what we're going to do with that." Small forward Matt Barnes scored just seven points against the Clippers to halt a run of four straight double-digit efforts, which included 24 points and a season-high 15 rebounds in Saturday's loss to the Warriors.
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (72-9, 44-35-2 ATS, 44-36-1 O/U): The Golden State players are adamant that a 73rd victory won't feel like a success unless the franchise wins a second consecutive NBA title. "In Chicago, they have a championship banner that says, '72-10,'" forward Draymond Green said. "If we don't win a championship, we're not posting a banner that says, God willing, '73-9,' unless we can win a championship. So as bad as I want this record, we need to get something else to go along with it." Center Andrew Bogut isn't the least bit concerned about getting win No. 73, saying "I'd rather have the ring."
TRENDS:
* Grizzlies are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 games following a ATS loss.
* Warriors are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
* Under is 8-1 in Grizzlies last 9 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Under is 8-1 in Warriors last 9 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Under is 8-1 in the last 9 meetings.
* Grizzlies are 1-5 ATS in the last 6 meetings.
CONSENSUS: The public is crushing the Grizzlies at both +17.5 and +18.5 at a total rate of 69 percent. The over is getting hit at 63 percent.
Heat, Celtics square off
By Sportsbook.ag
MIAMI HEAT (48-33) at BOSTON CELTICS (47-34)
Sportsbook.ag Line: Celtics -4, Total 206
The Heat will be looking to clinch the third seed in the Eastern Conference with a win over the Celtics in Boston on Wednesday.
Miami finds itself in a tough position on Wednesday, as the team can finish anywhere from third to sixth in the Eastern Conference. A win over the Celtics would guarantee the three spot for the Heat, but the Celtics will also have a victory on their minds.
If Boston can defeat Miami and Atlanta defeats Washington then the Celtics will end up as the fourth seed in the East. Home court advantage is crucial in the postseason, so this game could have the intensity of a playoff matchup.
The Heat are the hotter team coming into this one, as they have now won-and-covered in two straight and four of their past five. The Celtics, meanwhile, have now lost two straight games both SU and ATS. The Celtics have, however, had the Heat’s number this season.
Boston is 2-0 both SU and ATS in this head-to-head series on the year and the team is also 5-4 SU and 6-3 ATS versus Miami over the past three seasons. One thing working in Miami’s favor is the fact that the team is 6-1 ATS when revenging two straight losses versus an opponent that scored 100 or more points in each meeting this season.
SF Justise Winslow (Ankle) is listed as questionable for the Heat, who are already without PF Chris Bosh (Blood Clot) and SG Tyler Johnson (Shoulder) indefinitely. The Celtics, meanwhile, are expected to be at full strength on Wednesday.
The Heat have been on fire lately and Dwyane Wade (19.1 PPG, 4.6 APG, 4.1 RPG, 1.1 SPG) will now be looking to lead his team to a third place finish in the Eastern Conference regular season standings.
Over the past five games, Wade is averaging 17.0 PPG on 47.2% shooting. He’ll need to be very aggressive going to the basket against a Celtics team that lacks a true rim protector.
PG Goran Dragic (14.1 PPG, 5.9 APG, 1.0 SPG) will also need to get himself to the rim in this game. Dragic has been playing extremely well for Miami, averaging 17.6 PPG, 6.4 RPG and 5.6 APG on 51.4% shooting from the field over the past five games. He’s been outstanding for the team since it finally switched to a quicker pace. Dragic must, however, come to play defensively in this one.
SG Joe Johnson (12.2 PPG, 4.0 APG, 3.6 RPG) could be an x-factor in this game and will certainly be crucial throughout the postseason. He poured in 25 points in a win over the Pistons on Tuesday and the Heat will need him to knock down some outside shots in this one.
The Celtics may not have a chance to get third, but they can still earn themselves a home court advantage in the first round with a win on Wednesday and some help from Atlanta.
PG Isaiah Thomas (22.2 PPG, 6.2 APG, 3.0 RPG, 1.1 SPG) is going to need to be a lot better than he has been against Miami in this game. In two meetings with the Heat, Thomas is averaging just 14.0 PPG on 26.5% shooting from the field. He has struggled against Dragic and that can’t be the case on Wednesday. He’d be wise to try to attack the rim and draw fouls in this game.
SG Avery Bradley (15.2 PPG, 1.5 SPG) is going to be very important in this game. Bradley will be covering Dwyane Wade on Wednesday and it’s important that he can at least contain the Miami superstar.
C Kelly Olynyk (9.9 PPG, 4.1 RPG) is another guy that the Celtics will need a lot out of on Wednesday. Miami has a ton of size inside, so Boston needs a big man to step it up. Olynyk can be the one to give the Heat trouble, as he can stretch the floor and also finish around the rim.