Wednesday Tips
By Kevin Rogers
VegasInsider.com
Rockets at 76ers
Houston: 5-3 SU, 3-4-1 ATS
Philadelphia: 4-4 SU, 5-3 ATS
The Rockets have stumbled since a 3-0 start, as Houston has won just twice in its last five trips to the court. Houston held off Toronto in double overtime on Monday, 110-104, but failed to cover as seven-point home favorites. Kevin McHale's club hasn't registered an ATS win in the last three games, but has covered in the lone opportunity as a road favorite at Utah on November 2.
The Sixers also began the season at 3-0, even though that was significantly more shocking than Houston's unbeaten start. Philadelphia has returned to Earth by losing four of its last five games, while losing three times at home by double-digits to Washington, Golden State, and San Antonio. The Sixers' defense is amongst the worst in the league, as Philadelphia has given up at least 100 points in seven of eight games this season.
Knicks at Hawks
New York: 2-4 SU, 2-4 ATS
Atlanta: 4-3 SU, 5-2 ATS
The Knicks blew a 25-point lead in the season opener to the Bucks, but held off Milwaukee to start the season at 1-0. New York has won just once since that night, posting a 1-4 mark with the lone victory coming at Charlotte. Mike Woodson's team was run out early in Sunday's home blowout loss to the Spurs, 120-89 as three-point underdogs. The Knicks did own the Hawks last season by sweeping all three games, including a 13-point triumph at Philips Arena.
Atlanta returns home for a pair of games after rallying past Charlotte on Monday, 103-94. The Hawks have quietly covered four straight contests, although all four of their straight-up victories are against teams currently sitting below the .500 mark. All of the sudden, the Hawks have transformed into an uptempo team by eclipsing the 'over' in six of seven games, while breaking the 100-point mark in all seven trips to the court.
Suns at Blazers
Phoenix: 5-2 SU, 6-0-1 ATS
Portland: 5-2 SU, 5-2 ATS
Two of the most surprising teams through the first two weeks meet for the second time after the Suns whipped the Blazers on opening night, 104-91 as five-point home underdogs. The venue shifts to the Moda Center in Oregon, as the Blazers have won and covered three consecutive games. Portland swept a home-and-home set from Sacramento, followed by a home triumph over Detroit. Since being limited to 91 points in the opener, the Blazers have tallied at least 100 points in five of the last six contests.
Phoenix has turned into the most profitable team in the league through seven games, covering six times and picking up a 'push' in a buzzer-beating win over Utah. The Suns have been impressive on the road by beating the Pelicans as a nine-point 'dog, while cashing as double-digit 'dogs at Oklahoma City and San Antonio. The home team has owned this series recently, winning seven of the last eight meetings, although the lone road victory came by Phoenix last season at Portland as six-point 'dogs.
Nets at Kings
Brooklyn: 2-4 SU, 2-4 ATS
Sacramento: 1-5 SU, 0-5-1 ATS
The Nets start a three-game West Coast swing tonight as Brooklyn tries to get on track following consecutive losses to Indiana and Washington. The road trip begins in Sacramento, as the Nets have failed to win in the three tries away from the Barclays Center, all in the road favorite role. To make matters worse, the three road defeats came to teams that are a combined 8-15 (Cleveland, Orlando, and Washington).
Another squad that falls in that category is the Kings, who have lost five straight games since edging the Nuggets in the season opener. Four of those five setbacks came by at least nine points, including the only loss in the home underdog role against the Clippers back on November 1. The Kings have lost five of the past six meetings with the Nets, as Brooklyn swept Sacramento last season.
Thunder at Clippers
Oklahoma City: 5-1 SU, 2-4 ATS
Los Angeles: 5-3 SU, 5-3 ATS
Since getting blown out at Minnesota, the Thunder has stormed back with four consecutive victories, while scoring at least 103 points in each win during this stretch. OKC heads to the West Coast to start a three-game road trip which takes them to Golden State tomorrow, but the Clippers stand in their way tonight. The Thunder swept the three-game season series last season, including a pair of triumphs at Staples Center.
The Clippers continue a four-game homestand after edging the Timberwolves, 109-107 on Monday, but failed to cash as 6 ½-point favorites. Los Angeles has cashed the 'over' in all three home games, including double-digit victories over Golden State and Houston. Seven of the last eight meetings between the Clippers and Thunder have finished 'over' the total, while OKC put up at least 108 points in all three wins last season.
Wizards look to end futility against Spurs
By: The Linemakers
Sportingnews.com
LAS VEGAS - The Washington Wizards offer a much better product than we’ve seen in recent years, with at least some promise for the future and talented young players like Bradley Beal and John Wall, but they’ve got a lot going against them tonight in San Antonio, where they haven’t won since 1997. You remember. That was the year David Robinson missed almost the entire season, affording the Spurs the opportunity to draft Wake Forest senior Tim Duncan No. 1. It was also the year coach Gregg Popovich took over after a quarter of the season and began an NBA dynasty.
In the Wizards 13-game slide at San Antonio, they have averaged only 83.8 points per game, shot only 39 percent and been outscored by an average of 16 point a game. The Spurs’ dominance over the Wizards hasn’t just been at home, as they've won 14 straight over them and covered nine of the last 10 meetings. Tonight, the Spurs are 10-point favorites.
Wizards-Spurs is one of a dozen games on Wednesday night’s NBA card. Also on the slate: Rockets (-6) at 76ers, Knicks (+4.5) at Hawks, Lakers at Nuggets (-9.5), and Thunder at Clippers (-4.5).
The Spurs started the season a little sluggish, at least much as a 7-1 team can, as they covered only one of their first five games. However, in their last two games on an east coast trip to Philadelphia and New York, they covered both easily and looked every bit as tough as we’ve become accustomed to out of the Spurs, winning by an average of 27.5 points.
A major change in the Spurs’ recent play has been the reemergence of Danny Green, who has averaged 16 points over his last four games after posting only 3.5 points a game in his first four. On the recent east coast trip, he caught fire from 3-point land, hitting 11 of 16.
Perhaps the biggest problem for the Wizards tonight, beyond the lengthy losing stretch in San Antonio, is that the Spurs play defense and the Wizards don’t. The Spurs (7-1 SU, 4-4 ATS) allow opponents only 91 points per game, while the Wizards allow 106, second most in the NBA. The Wizards (2-5 SU, 5-3 ATS) are also the only team in the NBA to allow at least 100 points in every game.
The Linemakers’ lean: We like the roll the Spurs are on, and if Green stays hot, the Spurs should win by 20. He’s the key variable that takes San Antonio from a good to a great team. It’s also a tough situation for Washington because they are playing back-to-back nights for the first time this season. They lost 105-95 at Dallas last night, and the Texas two-step is difficult even for the best of teams in the league.