NBA Knowledge
Wednesday's hot teams
-- Spurs won their last five games (15-7AF).
-- Orlando split its last six games, covering five of them (7-4HU).
-- Hornets won four of their last five games (9-8AU).
-- Indiana won five of its last seven games (2-4 last 6HF).
-- Denver is 4-3 in last seven games; they covered 10 of last 12.
-- Memphis won nine of its last 12 games (2-4 last 6AF).
-- Clippers won seven of their last eight games (6-4HF).
-- Celtics won eight of their last ten games (5-1 last 6HF).
-- Cleveland won seven of its last nine games (3-3HF with Lue).
-- Utah won its last seven games (2-7 last 9AU).
-- Raptors won 14 of their last 15 games (7-7AF).
-- Golden State won its last ten games (6-3 last 9AF).
-- Portland won seven of its last eight games.
Cold teams
-- Sacramento lost eight of last nine games (1-3AF).
-- 76ers lost five of their last ix games (5-2 last 7HU).
-- Pistons lost five of their last seven games (12-2 last 14HF).
-- Brooklyn lost six of its last eight games (4-2 last 6HU).
-- Lakers lost 12 of last 14 games, but covered seven of last ten.
-- Pelicans lost four of their last five games (0-4 last 4HF).
-- Hawks lost five of their last eight games (5-9 last 14HU).
-- Bulls lost five of their last six games (5-3 last 8HF).
-- Minnesota lost six of its last eight games (4-1 last 5HU).
-- Suns lost their last eight games (7-5HU).
-- Houston lost five of its last seven games.
Series records
-- Spurs won last nine games with Orlando,, but Magic covered three of last four.
-- 76ers won six of last eight games with Sacramento.
-- Pacers won eight of their last ten games with Charlotte.
-- Nuggets won eight of last ten games with Detroit.
-- Nets lost six of last eight games with Memphis.
-- Clippers won their last four games with Boston.
-- Lakers lost three of last four games with Cleveland.
-- Jazz lost five of last eight games with New Orleans.
-- Hawks won three of last four games with Chicago.
-- Raptors won last eight games with Minnesota (7-1 vs spread).
-- Warriors won last five games with Phoenix (4-1 vs spread).
-- Portland won three of last four games with Houston.
Totals
-- Over is 8-1-1 in last ten San Antonio games.
-- Six of last seven Sacramento games went over.
-- Five of last seven Charlotte games stayed under.
-- 12 of last 15 Denver games went over the total.
-- 12 of last 14 Memphis games went over the total.
-- Under is 6-1-1 in last eight Clipper games.
-- Five of last seven Cleveland games went over.
-- Six of last eight Utah games stayed under total.
-- Five of last seven Chicago games went over.
--Over is 8-2-1 in last eleven Minnesota games.
-- Seven of last ten Golden State games went over.
-- Eight of last nine Houston games went over total.
Back/backs
-- Spurs are 7-2 vs spread if they played night before.
-- Boston is 8-4 vs spread if it played night before.
-- Utah is 4-3 vs spread on road if it played night before.
-- Warriors are 10-2 vs spread if they played night before.
-- Houston is 3-8 vs spread in its last 11 games if it played nite before.
Armadillosports.com
NBA: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com
San Antonio at Orlando
San Antonio Spurs ejected from the AT&T Center by the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo are in the midst of a grueling eight game road swing. Spurs have been consistent during these rodeo road treks. With this years opening win/cover in Miami the 'Rodeo Boys' are now 32-12 SU the past 44 during the excursions cashing 25 tickets (25-18-1 ATS). It's off to Orlando before the break, then a swing out west to take on Clippers, Lakers, Suns, Kings, Jazz with the finale back in Texas against Rockets.
Wednesday's Tip Sheet
By Kevin Rogers
VegasInsider.com
Spurs at Magic
San Antonio (44-8 SU, 34-18 ATS) plays with no rest after beating Miami as the Spurs face the Magic for the second time this month. Gregg Popovich’s squad pulled away from Orlando at the AT&T Center on February 1 by a 107-92 count, but failed to cash as 15½-point favorites. The Spurs have won nine straight matchups with the Magic dating back to 2012, including a 4-0 SU/ATS mark at the Amway Center. San Antonio has dominated on the second of a back-to-back, owning a 9-0 SU and 7-2 ATS mark this season.
The Magic (23-28 SU, 28-22-1 ATS) looks to close out the first half on a high note after pulling off a home-and-home sweep of the Hawks. Orlando rallied from a 20-point deficit to stun Atlanta on Monday in overtime, 117-110 to cash for the fifth time in six games. Scott Skiles’ club is holding its own during a difficult stretch, going 3-4 SU and 5-2 ATS against the Celtics (twice), Hawks (twice), Spurs, Thunder, and Clippers the last seven games. Since losing to Philadelphia last month, the Magic have put together a 7-3 run to the ‘over,’ while allowing at least 100 points nine times in this span.
Clippers at Celtics
Los Angeles (35-17 SU, 25-24-3 ATS) attempts to finish off its four-game East Coast swing at a perfect 4-0 with a trip to Boston. The Clippers rallied past the 76ers on Monday in overtime, 98-92, but failed to cash as nine-point favorites. L.A. has won five straight games away from Staples Center, while finishing ‘under’ the total in seven consecutive road contests. Doc Rivers’ squad has won 19 of 23 games since Christmas, while posting a profitable 15-8 ATS mark in this stretch.
If it wasn’t for Toronto winning 14 of 15 games of late, Boston (31-23 SU, 30-23-1 ATS) could possibly be leading the Atlantic division heading into the All-Star break. The Celtics have won nine of their past 11 games with only two signature victories in this span against Cleveland at the buzzer and Chicago at home. Boston is riding a seven-game winning streak at TD Garden since losing to Detroit in early January, while posting a 3-0 record in its last three home games against Western Conference foes.
Lakers at Cavaliers
Even though their season is going nowhere, the Lakers (11-43 SU, 25-29 ATS) have turned into a solid ATS team of late. Los Angeles erased a double-digit deficit before falling short at Indiana on Monday, 89-87 as 12½-point underdogs, the fourth straight cover for Byron Scott’s club. The Lakers lost by a combined six points to the Pacers and Spurs as double-digit ‘dogs, while going 4-0 ATS in the last four road games overall. Los Angeles has put together an impressive 8-4 ATS in 12 away games against Eastern Conference foes, but has won only three times with the last victory coming at Boston in late December.
Cleveland (37-14 SU, 23-25-3 ATS) is fresh off a pair of home blowouts over New Orleans and Sacramento, while cashing each time as a double-digit favorite. The Cavaliers cruised past the Kings on Monday, 120-100 to bust the 100-point mark for the seventh time in the last nine contests. After starting the season at 0-3 as a favorite of at least 10 points, Cleveland has posted a 5-3-1 ATS mark the last eight games as a double-digit chalk, while winning six straight home contests against Western Conference opponents.
Hawks at Bulls
Atlanta (30-24 SU, 26-27-1 ATS) is holding onto the top spot in the Southeast in spite of back-to-back losses to Orlando. The Hawks have stumbled to a 4-7 SU/ATS record the past 11 games as a road favorite, including recent losses to Phoenix, Milwaukee, and New York. Atlanta dominated Chicago at Philips Arena in January, 120-105 to cash as 2½-point favorites, as Al Horford put up 33 points on 15-of-21 shooting. Mike Budenholzer’s team has dropped four of their last five meetings at the United Center since 2013, but the only victory came as a road favorite last January, 107-99.
The Bulls (27-24 SU, 19-32 ATS) are wheezing to the finish of the first half after learning that leading scorer Jimmy Butler will be sidelined for three to four weeks with a knee injury. Chicago finished its seven-game road trip with a 2-5 SU/ATS record, while allowing at least 100 points in each of the past six contests. Fred Hoiberg's club has lost four consecutive games at the United Center, but owns a 2-1 SU/ATS record as a home underdog this season.
Rockets at Blazers
Houston (27-27 SU, 23-31 ATS) has dropped five of its last seven contests to fall back to the .500 mark, capped off by Tuesday’s 123-110 defeat at Golden State. The Rockets have finished ‘over’ the total in seven of the past eight games away from the Toyota Center, while giving up at least 100 points in six straight road contests. One of Houston’s worst offensive performances of the season came last Saturday at home against Portland, shooting 32% from the floor in a 96-79 defeat as six Blazers finished in double-figures.
Portland (26-27 SU, 29-24 ATS) is closing the first half with plenty of momentum, winning seven of their past nine games to close within one game of .500. The Blazers swept a short two-game road trip at Houston and Memphis, improving to 6-2 SU/ATS in their past eight away contests. Terry Stotts’ club hasn’t been bad at the Moda Center either by winning seven of their previous nine home games, including five straight victories against Western Conference opponents.
Wednesday's Top Action
By Sportsbook.ag
LOS ANGELES LAKERS (11-43) at CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (37-14)
Sportsbook.ag Line: Cleveland -15.5, 208
The Cavaliers will be looking to earn an easy home win over Kobe Bryant and the Lakers on Wednesday.
The Lakers have been a lot more competitive recently, winning two of their past four and covering in all of those games. Los Angeles is coming off of an 89-87 loss as 12.5-point underdogs in Indiana on Monday and has now lost two straight games SU, but the team is showing a lot more fight. One thing the Lakers are doing to help themselves is that they are shooting the three well. They have shot a better percentage from the outside than their opponents in three of the past four and it would really help them if they can start knocking it down consistently.
The Cavaliers, meanwhile, have now won two straight games and they covered in both of them. Cleveland most recently faced Sacramento and won 120-100 as a 12-point home favorite. The Cavaliers shot the ball incredibly well in that game, knocking down 16-of-35 from the outside. If they can continue to shoot anywhere near that well then it’d be hard to imagine them not representing the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals.
One trend to watch out for in this game is the fact that the Lakers are an impressive 12-7 ATS when facing Eastern Conference opponents this season. They are, however, facing a Cavaliers team that is 11-8-1 ATS versus Western Conference opponents on the year. The only injury worth noting in this game is that PG Matthew Dellavedova (Hamstring) is considered doubtful for the Cavaliers.
The Lakers have been showing up to play recently and that is an encouraging sign for the young team. One reason the team has played better is because SG Kobe Bryant (16.9 PPG) has been healthy and playing great. Over the past five games, Bryant is averaging 26.4 PPG and 6.4 RPG. He is hitting 39.7% of his threes in that span and would give the Lakers a huge boost if he can get it going against Cleveland on Wednesday. He should be amped up for another crack at facing LeBron James.
PF Julius Randle (11.2 PPG, 10.0 RPG) also continues to play well for this Lakers team. Over the past five games, Randle is averaging 13.2 PPG and 13.2 RPG. He had 15 points and 19 rebounds in 34 minutes against the Pacers on Monday and should have an easy time scoring against the Cavaliers on Wednesday. He’ll likely be guarded by Kevin Love and Love does not have the strength or athleticism to really stick with him. Randle must attack the basket and be aggressive or the Lakers won’t have much of a shot of winning.
The Cavaliers will be going for their third straight win when they face the Lakers on Wednesday and SF LeBron James (24.9 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 6.4 APG, 1.4 SPG) will be out to dominate this game. James was unstoppable against the Kings on Monday, finishing with 21 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds in 31 minutes of action. He has been extremely efficient recently, shooting 19-for-36 from the field over the past two games. If he can continue to take good shots then the Cavaliers will likely keep winning games.
PF Kevin Love (15.8 PPG, 10.4 RPG) is going to be very important to Cleveland in this game, though. Love will be guarding Julius Randle plenty in this one and he can’t allow the Lakers’ forward to push him around inside. Randle has been on a tear and Love will need to get physical with him. It’d also help if Love can stay moving on offense to tire out Randle on the defensive end.
One thing that could help the Cavaliers win this game convincingly is a big performance from PG Kyrie Irving (18.3 PPG, 4.4 APG). The Lakers do not defend the point guard position very well and Irving has been playing very well recently. Over the past five games, he’s averaging 26.6 PPG and 6.6 APG and is looking as healthy as ever for Cleveland. He should be in for a huge game on Wednesday.
HOUSTON ROCKETS (27-27) at PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (26-27)
Sportsbook.ag Line: Portland -4.5, 214.5
The Blazers will be going for their third straight victory when they host the Rockets on Monday.
The Rockets are going to be a bit tired heading into Wednesday’s meeting with the Blazers, as they are coming off of a 123-110 loss in Golden State on Tuesday. Houston has lost two straight games and chasing around the Warriors’ perimeter weapons for 48 minutes does not help its chances of getting back into the win column in Portland.
The Blazers have won-and-covered in their past two games and that includes a 96-79 victory in Houston on Saturday. Portland is now 8-7 both SU and ATS when facing Houston over the past three seasons and the team is 4-2 SU when playing at Moda Center in that span. One trend that stands out in this game is that the Blazers are 16-5 ATS after a game where both teams scored 105 points or more over the past two seasons. They also get to face a Houston team that is 6-14 ATS after allowing 55 points or more in the first half of two straight games on the year.
PF Terrence Jones (Concussion) is listed as questionable for the Rockets and the Blazers are likely going to be without PF Noah Vonley (Ankle) in this one.
The Rockets played a tough game against the Warriors on Tuesday, but the team was unable to come away with a victory. They’ll now look to get back over .500 with a win in Portland, but the Blazers blew them out when these teams met on Saturday.
SG James Harden (27.9 PPG, 7.0 APG, 6.3 RPG, 1.6 SPG) is going to have to do everything in his power to make sure that his team does not lose its third straight game. Harden was good against the Blazers on Saturday, finishing with 33 points and eight rebounds in 36 minutes of action. He did, however, turn the ball over 10 times and it’s going to be very hard for his team to win if he is making that many mistakes. Harden can’t afford to be lackadaisical in this one and he’ll need to make better decisions.
Another guy that the Rockets are counting on to play well is PG Patrick Beverley (9.0 PPG, 1.2 SPG). Beverley will need to play stifling defense on a number of Blazers guards on Wednesday, but he must also find his stroke in this one. Beverley was an embarrassing 0-for-9 from the outside over the past two games and the Rockets need him to start knocking down his open looks. He is a 40.7% shooter from three on the season, so it’s likely that he’ll start hitting his shots sooner rather than later.
C Dwight Howard (14.3 PPG, 12.0 RPG, 1.5 BPG) must also come to play for Houston. Howard has been a monster inside as of late, averaging 16.5 PPG and 14.5 RPG over the past two games. He had 17 points and 14 boards against Portland on Saturday and he’ll need to affect the game on both ends of the floor Wednesday.
The Blazers have been extremely hot as of late and the team is suddenly in the running for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. One reason this team is playing so well is because PG Damian Lillard (24.2 PPG, 7.3 APG, 4.4 RPG) has taken his game to another level. Lillard had 21 points and 10 assists in a win over the Rockets on Saturday and followed it up with 33 points in a win over the Grizzlies on Monday. He is in complete control of the game right now and is making a huge impact despite shooting just 38.5% from the field and 26.2% from the outside over the past five contests. If he can find his stroke then it’s scary to think about how good this Blazers team can be.
Another player that is playing at a high level for the Blazers is SG C.J. McCollum (20.8 PPG, 4.3 APG, 1.2 SPG). Over the past five games, McCollum is averaging 21.8 PPG and 2.4 SPG. He had 16 points and four steals against the Rockets on Saturday and he more than held his own against James Harden in that game. He’ll need to do that again if the Blazers are going to pick up a big win on Wednesday.