NBA Knowledge
Wednesday's hot teams
-- Indiana won four of its last six games (10-5 last 15 HF).
-- Cavaliers won five of their last six games (3-6HF with Lue as the coach).
-- Charlotte won seven of its last eight games (10-9AU).
-- Minnesota is 4-3 in its last seven games (3-5 last 8AU).
-- Toronto won five of last seven games (6-2 last 8HF).
-- Warriors won nine of their last ten games (4-6 last 10AF).
-- Heat won five of their last seven games (3-1HU).
-- Chicago won its last two games, scoring 121 ppg (8-16HF).
-- Wizards won three of their last four games (7-3 last 10AU).
-- Clippers won five of their last seven games (7-4 last 11HF).
-- Spurs won eight of their last nine games (2-6 last 8AF).
-- Kings won their last three games, scoring 114-116-114 (3-5HU).
Cold teams
-- Knicks lost eight of their last nine games (5-2 last 7AU).
-- 76ers lost last five games, are 4-2 vs spread in last six.
-- Detroit lost five of its last six games (12-4 last 16HF).
-- Memphis is 2-3 in its last five games (9-4-1 last 14 HF).
-- Lakers lost last six games, but covered seven of last eight.
-- Thunder lost three of its last five games (1-8 last 9AF).
-- Dallas lost five of last seven games (5-3HU).
-- Denver lost four of its last five games (7-2 last 9AU).
Series records
-- Knicks lost seven of last eight games with Indiana.
-- Cavaliers won four of last five games with Charlotte.
-- 76ers are 4-3 in last seven games with Detroit.
-- Raptors won eight of last nine games with Minnesota.
-- Warriors won four of last five games with Miami.
-- Lakers lost their last seven games with Memphis, but are 5-1-1 vs spread in those games.
-- Wizards won five of last seven games with Chicago.
-- Thunder won last three games with Dallas by 3-19-3 points.
-- Clippers won their last four games with Denver.
-- Spurs won nine of last ten games with Sacramento.
Totals
-- Last five New York-Indiana games stayed under.
-- Under is 7-2 in last nine Charlotte-Cleveland games.
-- Seven of last ten Philly-Detroit games went over.
-- Seven of last eight Minnesota games went over total.
-- Three of last four Golden State games stayed under.
-- Six of last eight Memphis games went over the total.
-- Over is 7-3 in last ten Chicago-Washington games.
-- Six of last eight Thunder-Maverick games went over.
-- Under is 8-2 in last ten Denver-Celipper games.
-- Last six Sacramento games went over the total.
Back/backs
-- 76ers are 2-6 vs spread last eight times they played night before.
-- Washington is 6-4 vs spread last ten times they played nite before.
-- Denver covered five of last seven if they played night before.
-- Sacramento is 7-6 vs spread if it played the night before.
Armadillosports.com
NBA: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com
Minnesota at Toronto
Toronto Raptors off a dominating 122-95 win at New York Knicks return to the comfort of Air Canada Center hardwood where they'll host Minnesota Timberwolves. According to opening odds at Bovada.lv the Raptors have been pegged -9.5 point favorites.
It's not difficult to make a case here for the Dinos'. Every team has that one team where they've got their number. That's the case for the Toronto Raptors when it comes to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Despite suffering a 117-112 setback prior to the All-Star break at Minnesota the Raptors remain a solid 18-2 the past twenty meetings with a profitable 16-4 record against the betting line. Even more eye-opening, the Raptors have a perfect 10-0 streak running the hardwood vs Timberwolves north of the border along with a sparkling 9-1 record at the betting window.
Toronto ridding an eight game home court win streak (6-2 ATS) outscoring visitors by a margin of 12.5 points/game, Minnesota not a peg to hang your hat in enemy territory at just 8-19 (15-12 ATS) expect Raptors to exact pay-back with a comfortable win that covers the number.
Wednesday's Tip Sheet
By Kevin Rogers
VegasInsider.com
Hornets at Cavaliers
The hottest team in the Eastern Conference is riding a five-game winning streak as Charlotte (29-26 SU, 28-26-1 ATS) goes for its second win over Cleveland this month. The Hornets have won each of their first three games of their six-game road swing at Indiana, Milwaukee, and Brooklyn, while capturing four straight victories away from Time Warner Cable Arena. The last time Charlotte faced Cleveland on February 3, the Hornets erased a nine-point halftime deficit to beat the Cavaliers, 106-97 as eight-point underdogs.
The Cavaliers (40-15 SU, 24-28-3 ATS) saw their five-game hot streak go down in flames in Monday’s 96-88 home setback to the Pistons as 9½-point favorites. Cleveland couldn’t capitalize off Sunday’s rout of Oklahoma City as LeBron James was limited to 12 points on 5-of-18 shooting against Detroit as the Cavs suffered just their fifth home defeat of the season. Tyronn Lue’s club owns a 3-1 SU and 1-2-1 ATS record off a home loss, while the Cavs are coming off three consecutive ‘unders’ after allowing 96 points or less during each game of this span.
Warriors at Heat
Golden State (50-5 SU, 32-22-1 ATS) became the fastest team to 50 wins in the regular season in NBA history after staving off Atlanta on Monday, 102-92 to cash as six-point road favorites. The Warriors snapped a four-game ATS skid as Stephen Curry exploded for 36 points, while the defending champions won in spite of missing 31 three-point attempts (14-of-45). Steve Kerr’s squad has cashed the ‘under’ in five of the last seven road games, while winning six consecutive away contests against Eastern Conference foes.
After dropping its final two home games prior to the All-Star break, the Heat (32-24 SU, 29-26-1 ATS) have rebounded nicely by winning three straight. Miami overcame a 4-of-21 shooting performance by Dwyane Wade to outlast Indiana in overtime, 101-93 as two-point home favorites on Monday. The Heat have jumped the Hawks for the top spot in the Southeast division, while extending its winning streak to eight against Eastern Conference opponents. However, Miami has dropped four of its last five against the West, while losing at Golden State last month, 111-103 as 14-point underdogs.
Wizards at Bulls
The one team that is expected to make a run towards the Eastern Conference playoffs is Washington (26-29 SU, 29-26 ATS), who has won three of four games since the All-Star break. The Wizards pulled away from the Pelicans last night, 109-89 as 4½-point favorites as Randy Wittman’s team allowed 89 points or fewer for the third straight home game. Washington goes for its second victory at the United Center this season after the Wizards cruised past the Bulls in January as 8 ½-point underdogs, 114-100.
After suffering a five-game losing streak, the Bulls (29-26 SU, 22-33 ATS) showed some signs of life by beating the Raptors and Lakers at home. Chicago’s offense woke up from its slumber which saw them score 95 points or less in the final three losses of that skid, as Fred Hoiberg’s club put up 116 against Toronto and 126 against Los Angeles. The defense continues to be atrocious for the Bulls, allowing at least 100 points in 10 consecutive games, resulting in six ‘overs.’
Thunder at Mavericks
Oklahoma City (40-16 SU, 22-34 ATS) goes for the four-game season sweep of Dallas, as two of the first three victories came by three points each. In the last matchup at the American Airlines Center last month, the Thunder held off the Mavs, 109-106, but Dallas cashed as six-point home underdogs. OKC looks to get back on track after consecutive home losses to Indiana and Cleveland, while being limited to below 100 points in back-to-back games for the first time since December. Billy Donovan’s team has struggled as a road favorite recently by posting a 1-8 ATS record in the last nine times in this role.
The Mavericks (30-27 SU, 31-25-1 ATS) have cashed the ‘over’ in five straight games, coming off Sunday’s 129-103 blowout of the 76ers as nine-point home favorites. In all five of these contests, Dallas has allowed at least 100 points each time, although three of those games went to overtime. Rick Carlisle’s club has covered four of its past five games as a home underdog, but won only twice straight-up against the Warriors and Celtics.
Spurs at Kings
San Antonio (47-9 SU, 34-22 ATS) has dominated Sacramento over the years, winning nine of the past 10 matchups, including a 106-88 victory at Sleep Train Arena in November. The Spurs continue their eight-game road trip after beating the Lakers and Suns in high-scoring affairs, but Gregg Popovich’s squad has failed to cover in their last four games. San Antonio has cashed the ‘over’ in five of the past seven road contests, as the Spurs hope to get All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard back in the lineup, who has missed the last three games with a calf injury.
A tough homestand begins for the Kings (24-31 SU, 25-30 ATS), who host the Clippers and Thunder later this week after facing the Spurs. Sacramento held off Denver on Tuesday at the Pepsi Center, 114-110 to pick up its third consecutive win, led by a 39-point effort from DeMarcus Cousins. The Kings aren’t exactly a defensive juggernaut, giving up at least 110 points in six straight games, resulting in six ‘overs.’ George Karl’s team hasn’t fared well without rest, putting together a 2-11 SU and 7-6 ATS record, but has covered in both opportunities at home against Atlanta and Golden State in this situation.
Wizards, Bulls square off
By Sportsbook.ag
WASHINGTON WIZARDS (26-29) at CHICAGO BULLS (29-26)
Sportsbook.ag Line: Chicago -1, Total: 212
Derrick Rose and the Bulls will be looking to win their third straight game when they host the Wizards on Wednesday.
Washington has played very well since the break, winning-and-covering in their third straight game after a 109-89 victory as a five-point favorite against New Orleans on Tuesday. The Wizards have been playing some smart basketball lately and that has helped them turn things around a bit. They have committed just 10 turnovers per game over the past four games and if they can continue to avoid mistakes then they should be able to get themselves back in the playoff picture quickly.
The Bulls have also played some solid basketball since the break, covering in all three of the games they’ve played, and winning their most recent two SU. Chicago is coming off of a 126-115 win as a seven-point home favorite against the Lakers on Sunday and the team has now shot better than 51% from the field in back-to-back games.
These two teams have met just once this season and the Wizards won that game 114-100 as a nine-point road underdog. Washington has been dominant in this series over the years, going 9-4 SU and 8-5 ATS when facing Chicago in the past three seasons. That includes a 6-1 record both SU and ATS when playing in Chicago. Six of those seven games have gone Over the total as well.
One thing that stands out when looking at this game is the fact that the Bulls are 0-9 ATS when facing Southeast division opponents this season. The Wizards, meanwhile, are 21-9 ATS in road games against Central division opponents over the past three seasons.
The Wizards had no trouble defeating the Pelicans on Tuesday, winning 109-89 in a game that PG John Wall (19.8 PPG, 9.8 APG, 4.7 RPG, 2.0 SPG) completely dominated. Wall posted a triple-double in the win, racking up 16 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in 32 minutes of action. The Wizards will need more of the same on Wednesday as well. This game could come down to who wins the matchup between Wall and Derrick Rose, so it’s important that Wall doesn’t let up after his performance on Tuesday.
SG Bradley Beal (18.3 PPG) is somebody that really needs to get back on track for Washington. He was just 3-for-10 with nine points in the win over the Pelicans on Tuesday, but he has an opportunity to have a really good game against Chicago. Beal will not have to deal with Butler in this one, so he will be able to save some energy on the defensive end. That should allow him to go off offensively and Washington desperately needs that.
One guy that could be an x-factor in this game is PF Jared Dudley (9.2 PPG, 1.0 SPG). Dudley has played very well in his role as a stretch four this season, shooting 45.9% from three. If he can knock down some jumpers early on then it will take a lot of pressure off of his teammates.
The Bulls have won two straight games and PG Derrick Rose (16.5 PPG, 4.8 APG) has looked as good as ever for the team. Over the past three games, Rose is averaging 26.0 PPG and he has been efficient in doing so. Rose is 31-for-54 from the field in that span and Chicago will need him to continue to play like this the rest of the season. His play on Wednesday will be extremely important, though. He needs to hold his own against John Wall or the Bulls will not win this game at home. He would be wise to use his speed and attack the basket, as Wall has been banged up and is not moving as well as he did earlier in the season.
C Pau Gasol (17.1 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 2.0 BPG) will also need to play well for Chicago in this one. Over the past two games, Gasol is averaging 19.5 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 7.0 APG and 3.0 BPG. He has been dominant on both ends of the floor and the Bulls need him to control the paint in this game.
If he can command some extra attention then SF Doug McDermott (8.7 PPG) might be able to continue to light it up for Chicago. McDermott had 30 points in a win over the Raptors last Friday and followed it up with 16 in the win over the Lakers on Sunday. He is 7-for-9 from the outside over the past two games and his ability to score the ball has given this team a huge lift.