Betting news, trends, odds and predictions from various handicappers and websites for Thursday 1/31/19
Pacers are 0-3 since Oladipo got hurt, losing by 3-32-18 points; five of their last seven games stayed under total. Indy is 6-2 vs spread if they played night before. Orlando lost seven of its last eight games; they’re 0-4 vs spread in last four home games. Seven of their last nine games went over the total. Indiana won its last eight games with the Magic (7-1 vs spread); Pacers covered their last five trips to Orlando (under 3-2).
Mavericks won three of their last four games, are 4-1 vs spread in last five road games. Under is 5-1-1 in their last seven games. Detroit lost four of its last five games; they’re 3-5 vs spread in last eight home games. Under is 8-2-1 in their last 11 games. Pistons won five of last eight games with Dallas; six of last eight series games stayed under the total. Mavericks are 3-2 vs spread in last five visits to Detroit.
Bucks won seven of their last eight games; they’re 4-1 vs spread in last five road games. Under is 7-4 in their last 11 games. Toronto won 11 of its last 14 games; they covered five of their last seven home games. 10 of their last 13 games went over. Road teams won six of last nine Milwaukee-Toronto games; Bucks covered three of last four visits to Canada. Five of last six series games went over the total.
Nets won six of their last eight games; they’re 4-3 vs spread in last seven road games. Over is 6-2 in their last eight road games. San Antonio won five of its last seven games; they’re 1-3 vs spread in its last four home games. Over is 11-5 in their last 16 games. Spurs won/covered their last six games with Brooklyn; under is 8-1-1 in last ten series games. Nets are 0-4 vs spread in their last four visits to the Alamo.
76ers won six of their last eight games; they’re 2-4 vs spread in last six games as an underdog. Four of their last six games stayed under. Warriors won their last 11 games (8-3 vs spread); they covered their last three home games. Over is 10-3 inn their last 13 games. Golden State won its last ten games vs Philly, but 76ers covered six of last seven; under is 7-3 in last ten series games. Sixers are 2-3 vs spread in their last five visits to Oakland.
Lakers lost four of their last five games; they’re 2-4 vs spread in last six Staples games. Under is 8-3 in their last 11 games. Clippers won four of their last six games; they’re 1-5 vs spread in last six Staples games. Under is 8-2-1 in their last 11 games. Clippers won seven of their last eight games with the Lakers (6-2 vs spread); under is 5-4-1 in last ten series games.
NBA – TRENDS OF THE DAY
Week 16 goes on with six games on Thursday, January 31, 2019, including the clash between two best teams in the Eastern Conference as the Toronto Raptors welcome the Milwaukee Bucks. We bring you the must-read betting trends and notes for the most interesting matchups of the night to help you find the best wagers.
Featured game: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Toronto Raptors
The Bucks and the Raptors will face off against each other for the fourth and ultimate time this regular season. The Bucks lead the series 2-1 and are half a game ahead of the Raptors on the top of the Eastern Conference, so there’s a lot at stake on this one. The Raptors opened as 2.5-point favorites with the total at 229.5 points and the Bucks at +120 money line odds, while almost 80% of wagers at the moment are on the hosts to cover. The Raptors are 6-3 straight up and 5-4 ATS in their last nine meetings with the Bucks, and are 3-3 straight up and just 1-5 ATS in the previous six head-to-head duels in Canada.
The Milwaukee Bucks (36-13; 27-19-3 ATS) are coming off a 115-105 victory at the Detroit Pistons this past Tuesday. They are 7-1 straight up and 4-3-1 ATS in the last eight games overall, and the under is 5-3 during that span. The Bucks are 6-2 straight up and 5-2-1 ATS in their previous eight outings on the road, and the under is 5-3 in that span, too. Also, Milwaukee is just 3-7 straight up and ATS in its last ten road meetings with the Atlantic Division.
The Toronto Raptors (37-15; 22-29-1 ATS) beat the Dallas Mavericks 123-120 on the road this past Sunday to end up a two-game skid. The Raptors are 4-3 straight up and 3-4 ATS in their last seven games overall, and the under is 4-3 in that span. Toronto is just 3-5 straight up and 2-6 ATS in its previous eight showings on the road, and the over is 6-2 during that stretch. Also, the Raptors are 7-3 straight up and 3-7 ATS in their previous ten home meetings with the Central Division.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Los Angeles Clippers
This will be the second battle for LA this season, and the Clippers have won the first one 118-107 as the visiting side at Staples Center. Tonight, they will host the Lakers in the same building, opening as 5.5-point favorites with the total at 229.0 points and the Lakers at +190 money line odds. The Clippers are 6-1 straight up and 5-2 ATS in their last seven meetings with the Lakers, and are 11-1 straight up and 8-4 ATS in the previous 12 H2H duels when they were the hosting team. This will be a very important game for both teams, as the 9th-placed Lakers are only two games behind the Clippers who are the No. 8 seed in the West at the moment.
The Lakers (26-25; 22-28-1) are still without LeBron James and Lonzo Ball, while Kyle Kuzma will be a game-time decision. The wounded Lakers are 1-4 straight up and 2-3 ATS in their last five games, while they have won just six out of 17 encounters without injured LeBron. On the other side, the Clippers (28-23; 28-23 ATS) will miss Danilo Gallinari and probably Avery Bradley. The Clippers are 4-2 straight up and ATS in their last six games overall, and the under is 4-1-1 in that span, while they are just 1-5 straight up and ATS in their previous six showings on the home court. The Lakers are 7-3 straight up and 8-2 ATS in their last ten meetings with the Pacific Division, and the Clippers are 8-2 straight up and ATS in their previous ten encounters with the Pacific Division.
Brooklyn Nets vs. San Antonio Spurs
The Brooklyn Nets will meet the San Antonio Spurs for the first time this season, and the Spurs are 6-0 straight up and 4-0-2 ATS in their last six H2H duels. Also, the Spurs are ridiculous 15-0 straight up in their last 15 home meetings with the Nets who are winless in San Antonio since 2003 NBA Finals. The Nets opened as 7.5-point underdogs on this one with the total at 227.5 points and the Spurs at -300 money line odds, while 75.0% of wagers are on the hosts to cover.
Both Brooklyn and San Antonio have been playing well lately. The Nets (28-24; 29-23 ATS) are 7-1 straight up and 6-2 ATS in their last seven games overall, while the Spurs (30-22; 31-21 ATS) are 5-2 straight up and ATS in their previous seven outings. Brooklyn is 4-5 straight up and 5-4 ATS in its last nine games on the road, and is 4-3 straight up and ATS in its last seven road meetings with the Western Conference. The Nets are struggling with injuries and will miss Spencer Dinwiddie, Allen Crabbe, and Caris LeVert tonight. On the other side, DeMar DeRozan is listed as questionable, but all other players are ready to go. The Spurs are 9-2 straight up and 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games on the home court, and are 4-1 straight up and ATS in their last five home meetings with the Eastern Conference.
January 31, 2019
By Chris David
Milwaukee (36-13 SU, 27-20-2 ATS) at Toronto (37-15 SU, 22-29-1 ATS)
The TNT double-header (8:05 p.m. ET) begins Thursday with a possible preview of this year’s Eastern Conference Finals as the Bucks and Raptors meet for the fourth and final time in the regular season. The latest futures market has Toronto (2/1) and Milwaukee (3/1) as the top contenders to win the East along with Boston (2/1) and Philadelphia (6/1).
Toronto holds a one-game over Milwaukee for the top seed in the Eastern Conference and the sense of urgency should be with the home squad. The Bucks won and covered their first two encounters against the Raptors this season, a 124-109 decision at home on Oct. 29 before a 104-99 road win on Dec. 9.
Toronto avenged those losses with a 123-116 win over Milwaukee as a 5 ½-point road underdog on Jan. 5 and it will need to claim Thursday’s win to salvage a season split.
The Raptors didn’t have Kawhi Leonard available for the loss in Milwaukee at the end of October but he did post 30 points on the Bucks in early January. Make a note that Bucks All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo also missed the first meeting of the regular season between the two teams but the Greek product posted 43 points in the recent setback to the Raptors. Unfortunately, Milwaukee’s supporting cast couldn’t buy a shot and that’s been an issue on the road.
The Bucks are ranked first in scoring offense at home with 120 points per game but that number drops to 114.1 on the road. Expecting a high-scoring game could be wishful thinking knowing the Toronto is holding opponents to 106.7 PPG at home.
That defensive effort has helped Toronto go 21-4 at home but it hasn’t been profitable (12-13 ATS) for bettors. Keep in mind that 11 of the 13 non-covers occurred in straight up wins when the team was laying 8 ½ points or more.
BookMaker.eu sent out Toronto as a 2 ½-point home favorite for this installment, which is a drop-off from the spread (Raptors -5) in their first encounter from Scotiabank Arena in December. Since Milwaukee won that game at Toronto, the Raptors have ripped off 10 straight wins at home.
The adjustment from +5 to +2 ½ on the Bucks certainly shows how much respect Milwaukee has earned from the oddsmakers this season. Head coach Mike Budenholzer has been able to pull the right strings and he also has one of the deepest teams in the league. He’s surrounded Antetokounmpo with a ton of shooters and they’re not afraid to hoist from distance. The Bucks are ranked second in the league with 37.7 attempts from 3-point land, only behind Houston. When those bombs are connecting, 40-point quarters become the norm for Milwaukee.
The Bucks have only been listed as underdogs five times this season and they’ve gone 4-1 both SU and ATS in those games while the ‘over’ has gone 4-1 as well. The lone loss was a four-point setback (117-113) at Boston on Nov. 1, which was a highly competitive game.
Only four teams in the East owning winning records on the road and Milwaukee (14-9 SU, 11-10-2 ATS) is one of them. The Bucks enter this game with a 4-1 record in their last five away games, which includes Tuesday’s 115-105 win at Detroit as a seven-point favorite.
Toronto hasn’t played since Sunday when it snapped a two-game losing skid at Dallas with a 123-120 win as a 4 ½-point road favorite. The Raptors have gone 2-0 (0-2 ATS) this season when playing on three days or rest or more and the ‘over’ has cashed in both those games.
The total on this game opened 230 ½ and the early money has pushed the number to 232 as of Thursday morning. The ‘over’ is on a 5-1 run in this series and that includes a 2-1 mark in the last three games play in Canada.
Philadelphia (33-18 SU, 24-27 ATS) at Golden State (36-14 SU, 23-26-1 ATS)
The Warriors and 76ers will wrap up the TNT double-header at 10:35 p.m. ET in a quality non-conference matchup. Oddsmakers sent out Golden State as an 8 ½-point home favorite and the number has been nudged up to -9 ½ as of Thursday morning.
The Warriors have been on a roll, winners in 11 straight games and they’ve produced a 6-4-1 ATS mark during the streak. The team is 5-0 since DeMarcus Cousins suited up on Jan. 18 and the defense (106.8 PPG) has actually dropped from their season average (111.8 PPG).
This will be the first game back at Oracle Arena after winning five straight on the road and getting up for the first contest back at home is never easy. Plus, the 76ers are no slouch and they’re starting to click on all cylinders as well.
Philadelphia has gone 10-4 in 2019 and while a couple of the losses were embarrassing (Wizards, Hawks), they’ve posted some quality wins recently over the Pacers, Rockets and Spurs.
After losing at Denver 126-110 on Saturday with a short-handed squad, Philadelphia bounced back on Tuesday with a wire-to-wire 121-105 blowout over the L.A. Lakers from the Staples Center. The 76ers have won seven of their last nine games against the Western Conference and the offense is averaging 120.4 PPG in those games.
Philly is going to need hit that average and perhaps more on Thursday because Golden State’s offense has been lights out. During its 11-game winning streak, the Warriors are averaging 128.9 PPG and that’s helped the ‘over’ go 8-3.
Along with its current winning streak, Golden State has also won 10 in a row against Philadelphia. The 76ers have saved some face and turned profits for bettors during this run by going 6-1- ATS in the last seven meetings and they were catching some heavy digits.
Last season in the Bay Area, the Warriors ran the 76ers by 21 points (135-114) at home as 13 ½-point favorites.
Versus the East this season, Golden State has gone 15-4 SU and 12-7 ATS. Two of those non-conference losses did come at home to the clubs (Bucks, Raptors) playing in the first game on TNT tonight. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Philadelphia join the duo and the money-line (+380) does seem tempting, especially knowing that the 76ers have gone 13-5 against the West this season. Make a note that a lot of those wins came against the cellar dwellers in that conference and they’re just 4-4 away from home.
Anytime I see a total listed in the 230s, my initial instinct is to play the ‘over’ and Thursday’s opener was sent out at 240 ½.
Golden State (28-22) and Philadelphia (28-23) have both leaned to the ‘over’ this season but most of the high side tickets for the Warriors have come on the road (17-9) as opposed to home (11-13).
The Warriors have had six totals this season close in the 240s and the ‘over/under’ went 3-3 in those games. Philadelphia has never been in that totals neighborhood but it has had 10 numbers close in the 230s and the ‘under’ is 7-3.
If there is one flaw in the 76ers game this season, it’s their defense. The unit is ranked 22nd in scoring, surrendering 112.1 PPG and that’s a big jump from 105.3 PPG last season.
The pair will meet again on Mar. 2 from Philadelphia in a Saturday night showdown.
Along with the nationally televised games on TNT, we’ve got four other contests set for Thursday.
Indiana at Orlando: Since Victor Oladipo (quad) went down for the season, the Pacers have dropped three straight games and that includes last night’s 107-89 loss at Washington. Indiana has been solid on no rest (6-2 SU, 6-2 ATS) but it looks mentally shook right now. While I’m not sold on the Pacers, it’s hard to back the Magic as home favorites. They’ve gone 4-6 SAU and 3-7 ATS when laying points at home and none of those wins came against a team with a winning record.
Dallas at Detroit: Quick rematch game here as the Mavericks defeated the Pistons 106-101 last Friday as five-point favorites. The game pushed and the total pushed (207) as well. For the rematch, Detroit (-2) is listed as a short favorite and they’re catching Dallas on no rest. This has been an issue for the Mavericks, who have gone 1-7 SU and 4-4 ATS when facing back-to-back sets.
Brooklyn at San Antonio: DeMar DeRozan (knee) is expected to be back tonight but this line seems a little short with San Antonio only laying seven points. The Spurs have won six straight against the Nets and they’ve gone 4-0-2 ATS during this run while the ‘under’ is 5-1. San Antonio has been a solid investment at home recently, going 15-5 SU and 14-6 ATS. The spread only mattered in one of those games, which took place on Tuesday as the Spurs defeated the Suns 126-124 but failed to cover as 13 ½-point home favorites.
L.A. Lakers at L.A. Clippers: LeBron James (groin) has been ruled ‘out’ for this game and the Clippers opened as home favorites (-5 ½) over the Lakers. The pair recently played in late December and the Clippers captured a 118-107 over the Lakers as seven-point road favorites. The Clippers have been solid as home favorites, going 13-6 SU and 12-7 ATS.