Wednesday Tips
By Kevin Rogers
VegasInsider.com
Magic at Bobcats
Orlando: 6-15 SU, 10-11 ATS
Charlotte: 10-11 SU, 13-7-1 ATS
The Magic continue to slide after dropping their sixth consecutive game on Monday at Memphis in a 94-85 defeat. Orlando rallied from a 23-point deficit to cut the lead down to four points in the final minutes, but eventually lost and pushed as nine-point underdogs. The defeat dropped the Magic to 1-10 on the highway, while going 0-5 SU and 2-2-1 ATS on their current six-game road swing. Orlando's offense has disappeared of late, scoring 91 points or less in five of the past six contests.
Charlotte picked up a nice wire-to-wire home victory over Golden State on Monday night as an underdog, 115-111. The Bobcats broke the 100-point mark for only the third time this season, while covering for the fifth consecutive game. The high-scoring output against the Warriors snapped a five-game 'under' streak at Time Warner Cable Arena, as the Bobcats seek their first three-game winning streak of the season on Wednesday.
Clippers at Celtics
Los Angeles: 14-8 SU, 12-10 ATS
Boston: 10-13 SU, 13-10 ATS
The Clippers have split the first four contests of a seven-game road trip, as Los Angeles travels to Boston on Wednesday for Doc Rivers' first visit to Beantown since leaving the Celtics. Following a disappointing defeat at Cleveland, the Clips rebounded by cruising past hapless Philadelphia, 94-83 as 9½-point road favorites, holding their third consecutive opponent to fewer than 88 points. The defense has helped cashed seven 'unders' in the last 10 games, including a 5-1 'under' mark away from Staples Center.
The Celtics play with no rest following Tuesday's loss at Brooklyn, as Boston owns a 2-4 SU and 4-2 ATS record on the second of a back-to-back (all four covers came as a 'dog of at least 9½ points). Boston has won three straight games at TD Garden, while putting together a 2-2 SU/ATS home record against Western Conference foes. Brad Stevens' club picked up a home 'dog win over the Nuggets last Friday, but Boston has lost three times when receiving points at home this season, all by at least seven points.
Pistons at Pelicans
Detroit: 10-12 SU, 11-11 ATS
New Orleans: 9-10 SU, 7-11-1 ATS
The Pistons fell behind early in last night's 121-94 home defeat to the Wolves, as Detroit heads to New Orleans tonight. Detroit has hit the 'over' in six of the last seven games, while going 4-1 to the 'over' this season with no rest. Maurice Cheeks' club has fared well away from the Palace of Auburn Hills recently by winning four straight road games, as the Pistons have eclipsed the 105-point mark three times in this span.
New Orleans is also coming off consecutive home losses, including a 14-point setback to Oklahoma City last Friday. The Pelicans shot just 37% from the floor, while playing in the Big Easy has been anything but recently with defeats to the Warriors, Thunder, and Mavericks in the last two weeks. As a favorite of less than six points, the Pelicans own a dreadful 1-6 ATS record this season.
Thunder at Grizzlies
Oklahoma City: 16-4 SU, 11-9 ATS
Memphis: 10-10 SU, 7-12-1 ATS
The Thunder heads to Memphis with no rest after holding off the Hawks on Tuesday, 101-92 as 3½-point road favorites. Oklahoma City has won 11 of its past 12 games, including four of its last five on the highway. The offense has picked things up during this hot streak, eclipsing the 100-point mark six times in the previous seven contests. OKC is playing just its third game with no rest this season, but the Thunder has lost each of the first two times in this situation at Golden State and Portland.
Memphis held off a late Orlando rally in Monday's 94-85 home victory to snap a two-game home skid, while winning just its second game at FedEx Forum in the previous eight attempts. The offense has struggled for Memphis at home, tallying just 94 points or less in seven of the past eight home contests. The Grizzlies are facing the Thunder for the first time since knocking out OKC in five games of last season's second round playoff matchup, while Memphis covered in all five contests.
Mavericks at Warriors
Dallas: 13-9 SU, 11-11 ATS
Golden State: 12-10 SU, 10-10-2 ATS
The Mavericks conclude a four-game road swing tonight, as Dallas looks to bounce back from Monday's disappointing effort at Sacramento. The Kings threw an early knockout punch by taking an 11-point lead and never looked back in a 112-97 home win, resulting in the sixth straight ATS loss for Dallas as a favorite. The good news for Dallas is the Mavericks have won two games on this trip as an underdog at New Orleans and Portland, while beating Golden State last month at home, 103-99.
The Warriors return to the Bay area after a 1-2 SU/ATS away trip, which was punctuated by a 115-111 loss at Charlotte on Monday as six-point favorites. Golden State has won six of eight games at Oracle Arena this season, but is playing for the second time at home since Thanksgiving. Mark Jackson's team has struggled to cover numbers this season as a favorite of six or less, cashing just once in seven opportunities.
Mavericks at Warriors: What Bettors Need to Know
By Covers.com
Dallas Mavericks at Golden State Warriors (-5.5, 208.5)
Back home after another unsatisfying road trip, the Golden State Warriors will again look to regain their early-season form when they host the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. The Warriors put plenty of points up on one of the best defenses in the league at Charlotte on Monday but could not get any stops against one of the worst offenses in a 115-111 setback. The Mavericks, behind Dirk Nowitzki and old friend Monta Ellis, will offer that defense another stiff test.
Golden State’s recent trend is starting slow, and the Warriors have been behind at the end of the first quarter in six of the last seven contests. “We don’t have to prove that we can fight back into ballgames,” said coach Mark Jackson after watching his team battle back from another double-digit deficit only to fall short. “What we do have to prove is that we can take over games early and play 48 minutes of our brand of basketball.” Dallas is coming to the end of a four-game road trip and was crushed 112-97 at Sacramento on Monday.
LINE: The Warriors opened as 6-point home faves and have been bet to -5.5. The total opened at 209 and has moved down slightly to 208.5.
COVERS POWER RANKINGS: Dallas (-7.8) - Golden State (-11.5) + home court (-3) = Golden State -6.7
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (13-9, 11-11 ATS): Dallas took the first two games of its trip in impressive fashion at New Orleans and especially at Portland, beating the Western Conference’s best team on a last-second shot by Ellis on Saturday. The Mavericks could not carry that momentum to Monday when Ellis, who spent the first 6 1/2 years of his career in Golden State, scored 21 points but got little help. “I don’t think we took them lightly,” coach Rick Carlisle said of the Kings. “I just think they outplayed us, and it was just one of those nights where they made a lot more plays than we did.”
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (12-10, 10-10-2 ATS): Stephen Curry collected 43 points and nine assists in front of his hometown fans in Charlotte but did the bulk of his damage in the second half while trying to pull Golden State out of another early hole. The Warriors are still without Andre Iguodala due to a hamstring injury, reportedly for another 2-to-4 weeks, and are 4-5 in the nine games he has missed while allowing opponents an average of 105.3 points. Seven of those nine games have come on the road, however, and Golden State is beginning a stretch of seven of nine at home. “Great teams are great on the road and at home, especially when you know you’re better than the other team,” Klay Thompson said. “We’re about to go home, which is nice, but you’ve got to take it one game at a time.”
TRENDS:
* Under is 4-1 in the last five meetings.
* Underdog is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
* Road team is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.
* Over is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings in Golden State.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Golden State C Jermaine O’Neal (wrist) and F Draymond Green (ankle) are both questionable for Wednesday.
2. Dallas took the first meeting 103-99 at home on Nov. 27, despite Ellis struggling to a season-low four points on 2-of-16 shooting.
3. Curry is averaging 30 points and 9.8 assists over the last five games.