Betting news, trends, odds and predictions from various handicappers and websites for Saturday 2/9/19
San Antonio lost its last three games; they’re 4-5 vs spread in last nine road games- eight of their last nine games went over the total. Utah won 11 of its last 14 games; they’re 7-5 vs spread in last dozen home games. Four of their last five games went over. Home side won seven of last eight Spurs-Jazz games; San Antonio is 2-2-1 vs spread in last five visits to Utah. Eight of last ten series games went over.
Cleveland lost its last three games; they’re 2-7 vs spread in last nine road games. Four of their last six games stayed under. Indiana won/covered its last four games; they’re 5-3 vs spread in last eight home games. Four of their last five games stayed under. Cavaliers/Pacers split their last ten meetings. Four of last five series games went over the total. Cleveland is 2-2 vs spread in last four visits to Indiana.
New York lost its last 15 games; they’re 2-12-1 vs spread in last 15 home games. Eight of their last nine games stayed under. Raptors won 12 of their last 15 games; they’re 3-10 vs spread in last 13 road games. Toronto’s last four games stayed under. Knicks lost nine of last ten games with Toronto; under is 5-3 in last eight series games. Raptors are 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to Manhattan.
Hornets are 4-5 in their last nine games; they’re 4-5 vs spread in last nine road games. Under is 5-2 in their last seven road games. Atlanta is 4-6 in its last ten games; they’re 6-4-1 vs spread in last 11 home games. Seven of their last nine games went over. Charlotte won eight of last ten games with the Hawks; they’re 3-2 vs spread in last five visits to Atlanta. Four of last six series games went over.
Davis played 25:00 last nite, but didn’t play in 4th quarter; will he play here? Pelicans split their last six games; they’re 3-6 vs spread if they played night before. Over is 5-3 in their last eight games. Grizzlies lost 12 of their last 15 games, but are 5-1-1 vs spread in last seven. Under is 5-1 in their last six games. Home side won seven of last eight New Orleans-Memphis games; Pelicans are 2-2 vs spread in last four visits here. Under is 7-2 in last nine series games.
Chicago split its last four games; they’re 4-3 vs spread if they played night before, 4-1 vs spread in last five road games. Four of their last five games went over. Wizards lost five of their last seven games; they’re 8-2 vs spread in last 10 home games. Six of their last seven games went over. Bulls won last two games with Washington after losing previous five; under is 4-2-1 in last seven series games. Wizards are 3-2 vs spread in last five visits to Washington.
Clippers lost four of their last six games; they’re 4-3-1 vs spread in last eight road games. Under is 3-1 in their last four games. Celtics won 10 of their last 12 games; they’re 3-5 vs spread in last eight home games. Four of their last five games went over. Clippers won seven of their last ten games with Boston; over is 4-2-1 in last seven series games. Clippers covered four of last five visits to Beantown.
Oklahoma City won nine of its last ten games; they covered four of their last five road games. Seven of their last nine games went over. Houston won six of its last eight games; they’re 3-5 vs spread in last eight home games. Six of their last seven home games went over. Rockets/Thunder split last eight meetings; underdogs covered last seven of last nine. Under is 5-2 in last seven series games. OKC is 3-2 vs spread in last five visits to Houston.
Magic won three of their last four games; they covered their last three road games. Three of their last four road games went over Milwaukee won/covered their last six games; they’re 4-3 vs spread if they played night before. Three of their last four games went over. Bucks won seven of its last nine games with Orlando; Magic is 2-2 vs spread in their last four trips to Milwaukee (under 4-0).
NBA – TRENDS OF THE DAY
We are approaching the 17th weekend of the 2018-19 NBA season, and there are nine games on Saturday’s schedule which means plenty of markets to choose from. The action starts earlier as the Utah Jazz hosts the San Antonio Spurs at 5:00 PM ET. Later, we’ll see some quite intriguing matchups including Oklahoma City at Houston, LA Clippers at Boston, and Charlotte at Atlanta, so here are all need-to-know betting trends and notes to help you make the best wagers tonight.
Featured game: San Antonio Spurs vs. Utah Jazz
The San Antonio Spurs will meet the Utah Jazz for the third time this season, and the series is tied as each team has been victorious on the home court. The Jazz has demolished San Antonio 139-105 as an 8-point fave, while the Spurs have thrashed of Utah 110-97 as 4-point underdogs. The Jazz opened as a 6-point favorite on this one with the total at 221.5 points and the Spurs at +210 money line odds. The Jazz is 5-2 straight up and 3-3-1 ATS in its last seven meetings with the Spurs, while Utah has won the last four head-to-head meetings in Salt Lake City, covering the spread on two occasions along with one push.
The Spurs (32-25; 31-26 ATS) are riding a three-game losing streak following a 127-118 defeat at the Portland Trail Blazers this past Thursday, while they are 3-3 straight up and 0-6 ATS in the last six games overall. The Spurs are 3-6 straight up and 4-5 ATS in their last nine showings on the road, and the over is 7-2 during that span, while they are just 1-12 straight up and 4-8-1 ATS in the previous 13 road meetings with the Northwest Division. The Spurs are the No. 7 seed in the West at the moment just 2.5 games ahead of the 9th-placed Sacramento Kings.
The Jazz (31-24; 27-26-2 ATS) is coming off a comfortable 116-88 home win over the Phoenix Suns this past Wednesday. Utah is 5-2 straight up and 4-3 ATS in its last seven games overall, and is 10-2 straight up and 6-5-1 ATS in its previous 12 outings on the home court. Also, Utah is 3-5 straight up and ATS in its previous eight home meetings with the Southwest Division. The Jazz is the No. 6 seed in the West thanks to a better winning percentage than the Spurs, also just 2.5 games ahead of the Kings.
Charlotte Hornets vs. Atlanta Hawks
The Charlotte Hornets (26-28; 26-27-1 ATS) have dropped two games in a row in a back-to-back set to the Los Angeles Clippers 117-115 at home and the Dallas Mavericks 99-93 on the road. They are 3-4 straight up and 2-4-1 ATS in the last seven games overall, while the Hornets are just 2-7 straight up and 3-6 ATS in their previous nine outings on the road. On the other side, the Atlanta Hawks (18-36; 24-30 ATS) are coming off a 119-101 defeat to the Toronto Raptors to end up their two-game winning streak. The Hawks are 4-5 straight up and ATS in their last nine games overall, and are 1-4 straight up and ATS in their previous five showings on the home court. Atlanta is at the 12th spot in the East eight games behind the Hornets at the 7th spot who are just one game ahead of the 9th-placed Detroit.
The Hornets will meet the Hawks for the fourth time this season, leading the series 2-1 after a couple of home wins, while the Hawks have beaten the Hornets 124-123 as 6.5-point underdogs in Atlanta. The Hornets opened as slight 2.5-point favorites on this one with the total at 229.5 points and the Hawks at +120 money line odds. The Hornets are 9-2 straight up and 8-3 ATS in their last 11 meetings with the Hawks, and are 3-2 straight up and ATS in the previous five head-to-head meetings in Georgia. Also, the Hornets are 3-2 straight up and ATS in their last five road meetings with the Southeast Division, while the Hawks are 4-2 straight up and ATS in their last six home encounters with the Southeast Division.
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Boston Celtics
The Los Angeles Clippers (30-26; 30-26 ATS) are still the No. 8 seed in the West, but considering all the trades they’ve made, the Clippers will have a tall task to reach the playoffs. They are 2-4 straight up and ATS in the last six games overall, and are 4-3 straight up and ATS in their previous seven outings away from home, while the under is 6-1 during that seven-game span. On the other side, the Boston Celtics (35-20; 27-27-1 ATS) are coming off a painful 129-128 defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers Thursday night to halt their five-game winning streak. The Celtics are 3-2 straight up and 2-3 ATS in their last five games on the home court. Boston is the No. 4 seed in the East one game behind the Indiana Pacers.
The Celtics opened as huge 11.5-point favorites here with the total at 226.0 points and the Clippers at +575 money line odds. The Celtics are 3-5 straight up and ATS in their last eight meetings with the Clippers, while they are 3-3 straight up and 2-4 ATS in the last six H2H duels at TD Garden. Boston is 5-0 straight up and 2-2-1 ATS in its last five games as a double-digit favorite, and is 4-2 straight up and 3-3 ATS in the last six home meetings with the Western Conference. The Clippers are 4-2 straight up and ATS in their last six road encounters with the Eastern Conference, while they are 2-3 straight up and 5-0 ATS in the previous five showings as double-digit underdogs.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Houston Rockets
The Oklahoma City Thunder (35-19; 31-23 ATS) has been playing very well lately and is 9-1 straight up and 8-2 ATS in its last ten games overall. OKC is 6-3 straight up and ATS in its previous nine outings on the road, and is 0-5 straight up and ATS in its five road meetings with the Southwest Division this season. The Thunder is still the No. 3 seed in the West two games ahead of Portland at the 4th spot. Russell Westbrook has recorded eight straight triple-doubles and will have a chance to tie with Wilt Chamberlain at the top of the list tonight.
On the other side, James Harden has scored 30+ points in 28 straight outings, while the Houston Rockets (32-22; 25-28-1 ATS) are the No. 5 seed at the moment three games behind OKC. The Rockets are 6-2 straight up and 3-5 ATS in their last eight outings, and are 4-2 straight up and 3-2-1 ATS in their six home meetings with the Northwest Division this term.
The Thunder will meet the Rockets for the third time this season, and each team has won and covered once at home. The Rockets opened as 1.5-point favorites on this one with the total at 235.5 points and the Thunder at +110 money line odds. The Rockets are 4-3 straight up and 3-4 ATS in their last seven meetings with the Thunder, while the Rockets are 10-1 straight up and 7-4 ATS in the previous 11 head-to-head duels at Toyota Center.
February 9, 2019
By Chris David
Game of the Night (ABC, 8:35 p.m. ET)
Oklahoma City (35-19 SU, 31-23 ATS) at Houston (32-22 SU, 25-28-1 ATS)
The Western Conference will be featured on Saturday night as the Thunder and Rockets square off from the Toyota Center. Houston has been installed as a two-point favorite for this game and to no surprise, the oddsmakers are expecting a back-and-forth game with a total of 235 ½.
VegasInsider.com NBA expert and contributor Tony Mejia weighed in on the clash between these contenders.
He said, “The Thunder and Rockets are running third and fifth in the West and figure to be locked in a race to ensure they avoid the Warriors in the conference semifinals. Considering they’ll meet on the final night of the regular season and have split the first two matchups, these teams are going to remain tied together.”
“Houston has won 15 of 22 meetings between these teams but have really struggled from beyond the arc over the past eight meetings, making over 35 percent of their 3-pointers only twice. Oklahoma City has shot 28-for-100 over its past three contests against the Thunder, so keep those numbers in mind before the presence of elite scorers like (James) Harden and (Paul) George has you thinking ‘over.’ The first meeting produced just 178 points and the most recent encounter on Christmas surpassed the posted total by a half-point thanks to the foul game being implemented by OKC down the stretch in its attempted comeback.”
As mentioned by Mejia, the first meeting on Nov. 8 between the pair was ugly as ever and can be tossed out for handicapping purposes as Oklahoma City humbled Houston 98-80 at home. This was when the Rockets began the season 4-7 and the chemistry wasn’t close to connecting.
The offensive units showed up for the holiday matchup as Houston rallied past Oklahoma City 113-109 as a one-point home underdog. The Rockets didn’t have Chris Paul active and James Harden carried the team with 41 points. The total (221 ½) barely cashed and it was fortunate to do so as neither team was clicking in either the first quarter (44 points) or the fourth (48). Paul George led the Thunder with 28 points while Russell Westbrook added 21 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in the loss.
For the third installment, Paul is back in the lineup for the Rockets but they won’t have big man Clint Capela (thumb) and Eric Gordon (knee) is ‘questionable.’ Newly acquired Iman Shumpert from the Kings could be available for Houston on Saturday.
Since the rugged 4-7 start, which includes a 0-5 record at home, the Rockets have posted a 28-15 mark. At home, the club has gone 19-4 straight up and 15-7-1 against the spread. One of those losses came in their last home game, a 121-116 decision to New Orleans as a 13 ½-point favorite.
After that setback, the Rockets began a four-game road trip which saw them go 3-1 (2-2 ATS). Playing the first game back from a long roadie is never easy but they’ve been off since Wednesday and hopefully that break will have them ready.
Coming out flat against OKC could cost you, especially this year’s team. The Thunder were a pedestrian road team (21-20) last season but they’ve turned that around. This year’s squad is 16-12 both SU and ATS as a visitor and they’re just one of three teams (Warriors, Clippers) in the West that can boast a winning road record. They’ve had some clunkers (Hawks, Mavericks) along the way, yet they’ve been competitive in losses which includes their last road setback to Boston (134-129) on Super Bowl Sunday.
Including that defeat, Oklahoma City enters this game with a 9-1 record in its last 10 games and the offense has been humming, averaging 122.9 points per game. That production has helped the ‘over’ go 7-3 during this span.
The Rockets (31-23) and Thunder (28-25-1) have both leaned to the ‘over’ this season and most of those results have come at home for the pair. For instance, Houston is 18-9 (67%) to the high side at the Toyota Center while OKC has watched the ‘under’ go 16-12 on the road. The Thunder play the fastest pace in the league, averaging 93.2 shots per game while the Rockets attempt the most 3-pointers (44.4). Based on those tendencies, these teams both eclipse 120-plus points if the shots are falling.
This will be the fourth week that ABC is providing national coverage in the Saturday night slot. So far, we’ve seen home teams go 2-1 SU and 1-2 ATS while the ‘under’ is 2-1. The Warriors captured the lone road win (115-111) over the Celtics a couple weeks ago. Houston kicked off the schedule on Jan. 19 with a thrilling 138-134 overtime win over the Lakers as a seven-point favorite.
While wishful thinking could have you leaning to another shootout tonight, I’m hesitant to go down that road based on Oklahoma City’s trends as an underdog. The Thunder are 7-6 SU and 8-5 ATS when catching points this season, which are solid numbers but the ‘under’ has gone 11-2 in those games.
Both clubs will play in this spot again before the season ends, coincidentally they’ll both face the Warriors.
Back-to-Back Spots
There are eight other games on tap for Saturday and while none of them measure up to the headliner, we do have six clubs playing on no rest and some have been good while others have struggled.
New Orleans at Memphis: The Pelicans have been terrible in these spots, going 1-8 SU and 3-6 ATS. They have covered their last two in this role but they likely won’t have Anthony Davis available after last night’s win at home versus Minnesota. The ‘under’ has cashed in three of the last four games for the Pelicans on no rest.
New York vs. Toronto: Exactly like New Orleans, the Knicks are 1-8 SU and 3-6 ATS on no rest. What’s surprising is that five of the games took place at Madison Square Garden, where they went 0-5 SU and 1-4 ATS. The last three losses came by 18, 12 and 16 points.
Washington at Chicago: Both clubs dealing with fatigue in this matchup and Washington (7-2 SU, 7-2 ATS) has looked better in this role than Chicago (2-6 SU, 4-4 ATS). The Wizards have won and covered four straight games on no rest and the United Center hasn’t treated the Bulls well when facing these situations. Chicago is 0-3 at home (1-2 ATS) and two of those losses were by 56 and 39 points to the Celtics and Raptors respectively. Make a note that Chicago is off a win at Brooklyn and is has only won back-to-backs games once this season.
Cleveland at Indiana: As expected, the Cavaliers have struggled to a 2-8 record on no rest this season. However, Cleveland has managed to go 6-4 ATS. Make a note that it hasn’t covered in three straight games on no rest and the ‘over’ has gone 3-0 due to some poor defensive numbers (132.3 PPG).
Milwaukee vs. Orlando: The Bucks have gone 5-2 SU and 4-3 ATS on no rest and that includes a 2-1 record on the road. One of those wins came on Oct. 27 versus Orlando, a 113-91 win as a nine-point home favorite.