Betting news, trends, odds and predictions from various handicappers and websites for Monday 11/26/18
Monday’s NBA
Minnesota won five of its last seven games; they’re 1-8 on road, 1-2 as AF. 11 of their last 12 games stayed under. Cleveland won its last two games, covered five of its last seven- they’re 3-3 as HU. Three of their last four games went over. Cavaliers won seven of last nine games with Minnesota; nine of last ten series games went over the total. Timberwolves are 1-3 vs spread in their last four visits to Cleveland.
Milwaukee won three of its last four games; they’re 4-3 on road, 1-3 as AF. Seven of their last nine games went over. Hornets lost four of their last six games; they’re 6-3 at home, 2-0 as HU. Four of their last five games went over. Bucks won five of their last seven games with Charlotte; they’re 1-3 vs spread in last four visits to Tobacco Road. Seven of last nine series games went over.
Houston lost its last two games, is 0-3 vs spread in last three; Rockets are 5-5 on road, 2-6 as AF. Rockets’ last four games went over total. Wizards lost three of their last five games; they’re 5-5 at home, 1-2 as HU. Six of their last nine games went over the total. Rockets won seven of last ten games with Washington; they covered four of last five visits here. Over is 3-1-1 in last five series games.
Spurs lost nine of their last 12 games; they’re 3-7 on road, 3-3-1 vs spread as AU. Six of their last seven games went over. Chicago lost six of its last seven games; they’re 3-8 at home, 5-4 as HU. Ten of their last thirteen games stayed under the total. Home side won seven of last eight Spurs-Bulls games; San Antonio is 1-4 vs spread in their last five visits to the Windy City (under 4-1).
Celtics lost eight of their last 12 games; they’re 5-7 on road, 1-4 as AU. Three of their last four games went over. New Orleans lost its last three games; they’re 8-1 at home, 4-4 as HF. Four of their last six games went over. Pelicans won three of last four games with Boston; four of last six series games stayed under the total. Celtics are 3-2 vs spread in their last five visits to New Orleans.
Indiana is 4-5 in its last nine games; they’re 5-4 on road, 1-4 vs spread as AU. Five of their last seven games went over. Jazz lost five of their last seven games; they’re 2-5 at home, 2-4 as HF. Three of their last four games went over the total. Pacers won three of last four games with Utah; they’re 2-2 vs spread in last four visits to Salt Lake City. Four of last six series games went over.
Magic won eight of its last 12 games; they’re 4-4 on road, 5-3 as AU. Orlando’s last three games stayed under. Warriors are 4-6 in their last ten games, 1-6 vs spread in last seven; they’re 10-2 at home, 6-6 as HF. Under is 5-3 in their last eight home games. Golden State won its last ten games with Orlando (7-3 vs spread); Magic is 3-2 vs spread in their last five visits to Oakland. Three of last four series games stayed under.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Preview and Predictions 11-26-2018
The Cleveland Cavaliers are suddenly playing great basketball and just knocked off a pair of teams with NBA Finals aspirations in wins over Philadelphia and Houston. The Cavaliers will try to make it three in a row when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday.
The Cavaliers were sitting at 2-14 after watching former star LeBron James lead his new team, the Los Angeles Lakers, to a win at Cleveland on Wednesday, but something finally clicked as they handed the 76ers their first home loss on Friday before returning home and knocking off the Houston Rockets 117-108 on Saturday. "This is two big wins," center Tristan Thompson told reporters. "I think like I've been saying for the last couple of weeks and (coach Larry Drew) said, if we stay the course then we're going to get our fair share of wins. ... I think we are figuring out if we play 48 minutes, play hard, play fast and always in attack mode then it gives ourselves a chance to be in these ballgames." The Timberwolves are still climbing out of a hole they dug with their own slow start but are winners of five of the last seven and took their own back-to-back with victories over Brooklyn and Chicago on Friday and Saturday, respectively. Star center Karl-Anthony Towns rescued Minnesota against the Bulls by collecting 35 points, 22 rebounds and six assists in the 111-96 triumph.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS North (Minnesota), FS Ohio (Cleveland)
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (9-11): Towns' performance on Saturday helped Minnesota overcome a terrible shooting effort on the wings, where starters Andrew Wiggins and Robert Covington combined to go 1-of-30 from the floor. "The first thing we told Andrew is he came in here and we just laughed with him," Towns told reporters of Wiggins, who went 0-of-12. "Everyone has a night like that. We have pretty good confidence he will come out and be just fine next game." Covington, who finished 1-of-18, was ready to move on quickly as well and expressed confidence in his shot and his abilities as a two-way player.
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (4-14): Saturday's win featured another strong performance from rookie point guard Collin Sexton, who scored a season-high 29 points on 14-of-21 shooting while going up against Rockets star James Harden. "I'm just going out there and playing my game, getting to my shots that I know I'm capable of making nine out of 10 times," Sexton told reporters. The 19-year-old Alabama product is averaging 21.2 points on 53.7 percent shooting over the last five contests.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Thompson grabbed 20 rebounds Saturday in his third straight double-double.
2. Timberwolves PG Derrick Rose scored 20 or more points in each of the last three games and is 26-of-41 from the floor in that span.
3. Wiggins scored 22 points in a 131-123 home win over Cleveland on Oct. 19.
PREDICTION: Timberwolves 119, Cavaliers 111
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Milwaukee Bucks vs. Charlotte Hornets Preview and Predictions 11-26-2018
The Milwaukee Bucks will play their first road game in over two weeks when they visit the Charlotte Hornets on Monday. The Bucks capped a 4-2 homestand with a 135-129 win over San Antonio on Saturday behind a 34-point, 18-rebound performance by star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.
"It was a big game today," Antetokounmpo told reporters after his team bounced back from a surprising loss to lowly Phoenix on Friday. "As I said yesterday, we're a winning team now. Always, no matter what's going on, no matter if we lost the game before, we're always going to try to bounce back and get back on track. That's what we did today." The two-time All-Star recorded 25 points, 18 rebounds and eight assists in a season-opening 113-112 win at Charlotte. The Hornets will be opening a four-game homestand after falling 124-123 at Atlanta on Sunday, with Kemba Walker having a potential game-winning shot blocked in the closing seconds. Walker finished with 22 points, nine assists and just one turnover - a shot-clock violation in the final minute - as Charlotte dropped to 3-7 on the road.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee), FS Southeast (Charlotte)
ABOUT THE BUCKS (14-5): Antetokounmpo led a quartet of 20-point scorers in the win over the Spurs as Milwaukee shot 57 percent, just shy of its season high. Malcolm Brogdon was the most accurate of the bunch with 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting, and the third-year pro - who sealed the win with a 3-pointer in the closing seconds - is averaging 22.5 on 72 percent shooting over his last two games. Eric Bledsoe recorded the assist on Brogdon's late basket en route to a 20-point, 10-assist effort, giving him his second double-double of the season.
ABOUT THE HORNETS (9-10): Malik Monk came off the bench to score a career high-tying 26 points in 24 minutes in the loss to Atlanta after producing a total of 27 over his previous five contests. He hit a personal-best seven 3-pointers one game after never getting off the bench - a first this season - in a loss at Oklahoma City. "He was great tonight," coach James Borrego said of Monk during a postgame television interview. "Didn't play last game. I thought he was great tonight. Came out with an aggressive mentality. He was ready for the moment, stepped up and gave us a chance to get back in that game."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Walker scored 41 points in the loss to the Bucks earlier this season.
2. Hornets PG Tony Parker (ribs) has missed the last two games and is day-to-day.
3. Milwaukee PF Ersan Ilyasova (knee) sat out Saturday's win.
PREDICTION: Bucks 114, Hornets 110
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Houston Rockets vs. Washington Wizards Preview and Predictions 11-26-2018
The Washington Wizards aren't exactly playing up to expectations 19 games into the season but may finally be finding the formula to lead them back to a winning record. The Wizards will try to secure their sixth win in nine games when they host the Houston Rockets on Monday.
Reported infighting between players and between players and coaches marred the first month of the season but Washington is still capable of putting together a good showing and ran away from the New Orleans Pelicans late on Saturday thanks to a rare display of defensive intensity. "We just did what we needed to do, and it was all on the defensive end," Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal told reporters. "That's where it came from. Our shots were equal, and we put up a nice amount of points, but our defense is what won us the game. We accepted the challenge." The Rockets were rolling right along with wins in five straight but could not survive a back-to-back on the road and fell at Detroit and Cleveland to drop back to .500. Houston star James Harden continued his torrid pace with 40 points against the Cavaliers and is averaging 37.5 points over the last four contests.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBATV, AT&T SportsNet Southwest (Houston), NBCS Washington
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (9-9): Harden's uptick in scoring is coming with an uptick in turnovers, and his nine on Saturday marked the fourth straight game in which he committed at least six miscues. The reigning MVP was forced to do more ball handling with point guard Chris Paul out on Saturday, and he remains day-to-day after sitting out Sunday's practice with a sore left leg. Paul's absence forced sixth man Eric Gordon into the starting lineup on Saturday and robbed the reserve unit of its most potent scorer.
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (7-12): Washington guard Austin Rivers matched a season high with 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting in 27 minutes off the bench Saturday. "One thing I've learned, one thing I've got down now, is you can't defer when you're on the court with John (Wall) or Brad (Beal)," Rivers told reporters. "If anything, you have to be more aggressive, and they actually like that, too, because it makes it easier for them because you attack, and they get easy shots." Wall and Beal each handed out eight assists in the 124-114 triumph while combining for 40 points on 15-of-31 shooting.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Wizards C Dwight Howard (glute soreness) sat out the last three games and is day-to-day.
2. Rockets C Clint Capela recorded a double-double in each of the last five games.
3. The teams split two meetings last season, with each protecting homecourt.
PREDICTION: Rockets 119, Wizards 112
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Boston Celtics vs. New Orleans Pelicans Preview and Predictions 11-26-2018
When their offense has struggled, the Boston Celtics have -- at times -- been able to rely on their defense, but now that's become an issue as well. The struggling Celtics will try to bounce back from their fourth loss in the last five games when they finish a three-game road trip Monday at the New Orleans Pelicans, who hope to have superstar forward Anthony Davis available.
Boston, considered by many the favorite in the Eastern Conference before the season, lost eight of 12 since a 6-2 start, giving up an uncharacteristic average of 115.7 points in the last three defeats. "I thought we were a step slow all night," coach Brad Stevens told reporters after Saturday's 113-104 loss at Dallas. "I thought they put us on our heels. They made a ton of effort plays, they got a bunch to the rim, and then we couldn't contain the drive ... those drives really hurt us. They turned the corner, laid it in, and had a couple of and-1s, lobs ... those are just killers." The Pelicans are more accustomed to giving up loads of points and they struggled without Davis (hip), who ranks second in the NBA in blocks (2.69), in a 124-114 loss at Washington on Saturday. New Orleans has been incredibly streaky thus far and their current three-game slide comes on the heels of a 6-1 stretch.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCS Boston, FS New Orleans
ABOUT THE CELTICS (10-10): One issue in Boston's mediocre start is a slight dip in production from youngsters Jayson Tatum (field-goal percentage down from 47.5 last season to 44.3) and Jaylen Brown (11.1 points on 39.8 percent shooting after 14.5 on 46.5 in 2017-18), but they were not the problem at Dallas with a combined 37 points on 16-of-23 from the floor. Star guard Kyrie Irving added 19 points but missed all five of his 3-point tries and is shooting 36.7 percent over the last three games. Brown is considered day-to-day after he was forced to leave Saturday's loss after landing on his back.
ABOUT THE PELICANS (10-10): Julius Randle stepped into the starting lineup in place of Davis and had 29 points and 15 rebounds in the defeat at Washington, and New Orleans made no excuses for their leader's absence. "Our defense is atrocious right now," coach Alvin Gentry told the media. "Especially on the road. You're not going to be able to win games on the road until you can at least control the ball somewhat and take away all the driving lanes and take away the open 3s." The Pelicans are 0-4 while allowing an average of 126 points without Davis in the lineup.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Randle has five double-doubles and a triple-double in the last six games while averaging 20.8 points and 11.7 rebounds.
2. Celtics PG Marcus Smart scored a season-high 19 points off the bench at Dallas
3. Davis averaged 39.5 points and 13.5 rebounds to help New Orleans win both meetings last season.
PREDICTION: Pelicans 112, Celtics 110
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San Antonio Spurs vs. Chicago Bulls Preview and Predictions 11-26-2018
The San Antonio Spurs are struggling to generate any positive momentum and dropped one game under .500 with a 135-129 loss at Milwaukee on Saturday - their eighth setback in 11 games. The Spurs will try to bounce back when they visit the Chicago Bulls on Monday for the third stop of a four-game trip.
The 135 points allowed on Saturday marked the most San Antonio allowed in a non-overtime game this season, and the final number looks even worse when considering the 40 points surrendered in the fourth quarter alone. "We scored enough points to win," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told reporters. "You've got to be able to get stops in the fourth quarter." The Bulls are losers of six of their last seven contests and know all about poor fourth quarters after being outscored 27-17 in the final period of Saturday's 111-96 home loss to Minnesota. "You can only say so much because we keep doing the same thing over and over again," Chicago guard Zach LaVine told reporters. "You can only say so much about it. I'm doing the best I can. We do some things out there just - you guys see it. It makes you turn your head. 'What the hell are we doing?'"
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (San Antonio), NBCS Chicago
ABOUT THE SPURS (9-10): DeMar DeRozan matched a season high with 34 points and handed out seven assists on Saturday but was upset with a team defensive performance that allowed Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo to take over down the stretch. "We've got to be better," DeRozan told reporters. "We know a key guy like Giannis is going to be extremely aggressive. We've got to be disciplined and understand how we can help the guy who is guarding him and make things as difficult as possible. It's not just a one-guy thing. It's a team thing. We kind of slacked on that." DeRozan is averaging 24.9 points and 6.3 assists while settling in in his first season with San Antonio.
ABOUT THE BULLS (5-15): Power forward Jabari Parker did his best to try to pull the team to a win Saturday and finished with a season-high 27 points on 11-of-18 shooting and seven rebounds. "I'd say overall for me - I can just speak for myself - I am just trying to keep fighting and do what I can to make it easier for everybody," Parker told the team's website. "Just trying to improve myself; that's all I can focus on. All I know is if I am doing what I can, improving, then I can look myself in the mirror; it's just about trying to improve. The game is about makes and misses and also what you do to stay in the game, so it's a bigger picture than just the jumper." Parker scored 20 or more points in three straight games and four of the last five.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Spurs SG Bryn Forbes is 20-of-37 from 3-point range over the last seven games.
2. Chicago SG Justin Holiday recorded a double-double in each of the last two games and is averaging 12 rebounds in that span.
3. San Antonio took the last three in the series, including a 133-94 drubbing in the last meeting on Nov. 11, 2017.
PREDICTION: Spurs 116, Bulls 103
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Indiana Pacers vs. Utah Jazz Preview and Predictions 11-26-2018
The Indiana Pacers may be operating once again without star guard Victor Oladipo when they kick off a four-game road trip Monday against the Utah Jazz. The Pacers' leader in scoring (21.4 points per game), assists (4.7) and steals (1.56), Oladipo has missed three consecutive contests due to a knee issue and is considered a game-time decision for this one.
He and forward Domantas Sabonis (ankle) both missed practice on Saturday and coach Nate McMillan seems to want to see more from Oladipo before thrusting him back into game action. "He hasn't done anything live on the floor in a week," McMillan told reporters over the weekend. "He's a lot farther away from coming back than those two guys (Sabonis and Myles Turner). He's going to have to go through a couple of live practices before he is allowed to play." The Pacers are 1-2 without Oladipo, with the win coming in the form of a 121-94 rout of the Jazz at home last Monday. Utah followed that with two more defeats before taking out its frustrations with a 133-112 triumph at Sacramento on Sunday, producing 50 more points than it did in a setback at the Los Angeles Lakers two nights earlier.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, FS Indiana, AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountain (Utah)
ABOUT THE PACERS (11-8): Bojan Bogdanovic scored 21 points and Sabonis added 19 and 16 rebounds before suffering the ankle injury late in Friday's 111-100 loss to San Antonio. Indiana also played that game without Turner (ankle), who has recorded at least three blocked shots in each of his last five contests and will be a game-time decision on Monday. "Hopefully, I can get it good to go on Monday," Turner told the Indianapolis Star. "It's good I got another day to try to get it right."
ABOUT THE JAZZ (9-11): Sunday's offensive breakout came without leading scorer Donovan Mitchell, who sat with a rib contusion. Fellow guard Ricky Rubio scored 27 points against the Kings for his third effort with at least 20 in the last five contests, including a season high-tying 28-point performance at Indiana. Center Rudy Gobert added 18 points and 15 rebounds on Sunday for his Western Conference-leading 18th double-double.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Bogdanovic led six players in double figures with 21 points in last week's win over the Jazz.
2. Utah SG Alec Burks is averaging 15.5 points over his last two games after producing a total of 22 in his previous five contests.
3. Pacers SG Tyreke Evans was 1-for-12 from the floor while tying a season low with two points in the loss to the Spurs.
PREDICTION: Jazz 113, Pacers 110
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Orlando Magic vs. Golden State Warriors Preview and Predictions 11-26-2018
The Golden State Warriors have put together consecutive wins for the first time in nearly three weeks and hope to pick up one more home victory before a challenging road trip when they host the Orlando Magic on Monday. Following an uncharacteristic 2-6 swoon that featured multiple injuries and plenty of drama in the locker room, the Warriors defeated Portland and Sacramento in a back-to-back set.
Kevin Durant has emerged from a mild shooting slump to produce 76 points to go along with 21 rebounds and 14 assists during the two-game winning streak for Golden State, which begins a five-game trek Thursday against Eastern Conference-leading Toronto. "Phenomenal," Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters of Durant after Saturday's 117-116 victory over the Kings. "He's taking on such a big responsibility, along with Klay (Thompson). You see the shot distribution; those guys are really carrying the load offensively. Kevin was just amazing. There were so many possessions that were dead in the water, and he bailed us out late." The Magic have had a very uneven start to their six-game road trip, first losing by 25 points at Denver and then stopping the surging Los Angeles Lakers 108-104 on Sunday. Center Nikola Vucevic had another big game with 31 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists as Orlando improved to 4-4 on the road.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, FS Florida (Orlando), NBCS Bay Area (Golden State)
ABOUT THE MAGIC (10-10): Vucevic averaged 33.5 points and 14 rebounds in two wins over the Lakers in a span of just nine days. "He's had our number this year," Lakers superstar LeBron James told reporters of Vucevic. "He has been good inside and outside." Aaron Gordon chipped in 17 points and Terrance Ross added 16 off the bench, including a key hoop in the final minute.
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (14-7): The road trip could feature the return of two-time MVP Stephen Curry, who will miss Monday's game - his 10th in a row - due to a strained groin. His eventual return will help ease things for Durant and Thompson, who had 31 points in the win over the Kings - including the decisive basket with five seconds to go. Forward Draymond Green has missed five games due to a toe injury and remains day-to-day.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Magic SG Evan Fournier was 2-for-10 from the field in each of the first two games of the road trip while missing all seven of his 3-point attempts.
2. After scoring fewer than 20 points in each of his first seven games, Thompson has reached that mark in 12 of the last 14 contests.
3. Golden State has won each of the last 10 meetings.
PREDICTION: Warriors 115, Magic 107
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