Betting news, trends, odds and predictions for from various handicappers and websites for Wednesday 1/30/19
Bulls lost 13 of last 14 games, are 5-4 vs spread in last nine road games, 3-3 vs spread if they played night before. Over is 9-4 in their last 13 games. Heat is 5-4 in its last nine games, 3-1 vs spread in last four road games. Six of their last seven games stayed under. Miami won six of its last seven games with Chicago; under is 7-3 in last ten series games. Bulls covered their last three visits to South Beach.
Mavericks lost five of their last seven games; they’re 4-2 vs spread in last six road games. Under is 11-3-2 in their last 16 games. New York lost its last ten games; they’re 2-9 vs spread in last 11 home games. Six of their last seven games stayed under. Dallas won seven of last ten games with the Knicks; they’re 3-2 vs spread in last five visits to Manhattan. Five of last six series games stayed under.
Hornets won five of their last seven games; they’re 4-2 vs spread in last six home games. Six of their last eight games stayed under. Boston won six of its last seven games; they’re 1-4 vs spread in last five home games. Four of their last five games stayed under. Celtics won eight of last nine games with Charlotte; last three series games went over the total. Hornets are 0-4-1 vs spread in their last five visits to Boston.
Memphis lost nine of its last ten games; they’re 3-9 vs spread in last dozen road games. Last four Memphis road games went over. Minnesota is 5-5 since its coaching change; they covered one of last five home games. Over is 7-3 in their last ten games. Grizzlies won five of last six games with the Timberwolves; they’re 2-2 vs spread in last four visits to Minnesota. Six of last seven games stayed under.
Nuggets won five of their last six games; they’re 1-4 vs spread in last five road games. Seven of their last eight games went over. Pelicans lost five of their last seven games; they’re 5-3 vs spread in last eight road games. Over is 5-2 in their last seven games. Home side won last six Denver-New Orleans games; Nuggets lost last two trips to Bourbon Street, are 2-3 vs spread in last five visits there. Four of last five series games went over.
Indiana lost its first two games since Oladipo got hurt; they covered once in their last six away games. 11 of their last 15 games went over. Washington lost three of last four games; they’re 5-2 vs spread if they played night before. Three of their last four games went over. Pacers won three of last four games with the Wizards; they’re 3-2 vs spread in last five visits to Washington. Three of last four series games stayed under.
Atlanta split its last eight games; they covered five of last six games, four of last five on road. Seven of their last eight games went over. Sacramento lost four of its last six games; they covered last five home games- this is their first home game in 16 days. Under is 10-0-1 in their last 11 games. Home side won eight of last ten Hawks-Kings games; Atlanta covered once in its last four visits to Sacramento. Three of last four series games went over total.
Jazz won nine of its last ten games; they’re 4-1 vs spread in last five road games. Under is 9-4 in their last 13 games. Trailblazers won five of their last six games; they covered four of their last five home games. Five of their last six games went over. Utah/Portland split their last eight meetings; Jazz is 2-2 vs spread in its last four visits to Oregon. Eight of last ten series games stayed under the total.
Game of the Night - Utah at Portland (-1.5, 218.5), 10:35 ET, ESPN
Collectively, the top four teams in the NBA’s toughest division have won 14 consecutive games. The Nuggets and Thunder have separated themselves atop the Northwest, but the Trail Blazers and Jazz aren’t far behind and rank among the Western Conference’s top-eight rather comfortably, ranking fourth and seventh respectively entering Wednesday’s action.
This will be the fourth and final meeting of the season, so the rivals will be wrapping up early and will look to capture what could ultimately be a critical win that decides seeding once all 82 games are played.
Last season, a single game meant the difference between Portland winning the Northwest and finishing third in the conference and Utah failing to secure homecourt advantage as the No. 5 seed. Although the Jazz beat the fourth-seeded Thunder anyway and the Blazers were upset by the Pelicans in a sweep, head-to-head nevertheless played a huge role since Portland captured the final two regular-season encounters, the last of which came in a 102-93 victory in Game 82 on the final night.
The Jazz got revenge with a 120-90 rout in on Dec. 21 in their lone trip into Moda Center thus far and won at home on Christmas night 117-96 a few nights later. The Blazers pulled off a 109-104 upset on in Salt Lake City on Jan. 21 and will now look to avoid losing the season series against Utah for the first time since 2013 by matching Milwaukee for the most home victors in the NBA with 22. Only the Lakers have taken the floor in their arena more than the Blazers, who will be playing the second of a four-game homestand before hitting the road for a critical stretch between Feb. 10-March 16 that will see them play 12 of 15 outside Portland.
Guards Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum and center Jusuf Nurkic have consistently produced for the Blazers, who are 11-4 since Dec. 30, having won five of the last six. The victory over the Jazz was the only one against a team with a winning record, secured in spite of a 36-point outburst from Utah guard Donovan Mitchell. Lillard finished with team-highs of 26 points, eight boards and eight assists while Nurkic added 22 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and six blocks as Portland rallied from a halftime deficit with a 39-point third quarter that was fueled by their Bosnian big man, who produced 17 points and four blocks in the 12 minutes coming out of the break.
Look no further than Nurkic’s matchup against Jazz center Rudy Gobert as the likely deciding factor tonight. The 7-foot-2 Frenchman held his counterpart to 8.5 points, 10 rebounds and three assists in the December meetings, holding him to 42.1 percent shooting. Nurkic has been much better thus far in 2019, averaging 17.0 points, 11.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.4 blocks this month. He put together a 24-point, 23-rebound, 7-assist, 5-block, 5-steal game on New Year’s Day in Sacramento but has slowed down over the last few weeks, shooting over 50 percent only once in his last eight games, posting just three double-doubles.
Gobert averaged 14.5 points, 12.5 boards and 4.5 blocks in Utah’s wins over the Blazers but shot just 4-for-10 with four turnovers in the Jan. 21 loss. He should be rested since he comes off his second lowest rebounding output of the season in grabbing just four boards in Sunday’s 125-111 rout in Minnesota, making seven of eight shots. The Jazz shot 71 percent in the second half against the Timberwolves, improving to 9-1 in their last 10 games, which is the NBA’s second-most prosperous run over that stretch, trailing only Golden State, which has won 11 in a row.
Only two of those games have been on the road, but Utah has managed to pick up victories in L.A. and Minneapolis and are now 14-13 in away games.
Mitchell has turned it up this month and is averaging 30.4 points and 6.1 assists over the last 10. He’s scored 28.1 points per game in January, finding a rhythm after a shaky start to his sophomore season out of necessity since the Jazz lost all three of their point guards to injuries and had no choice but to hand him the reins. Although Ricky Rubio has returned from a hamstring injury that cost him weeks, Mitchell has remained aggressive.
Rubio comes off his best game since coming back, finishing with 17 points and six assists against the Wolves to bolster the group. He was limited to only 14 minutes is his return to action after missing the better part of seven contests, so the Jazz will be able to count on him this time around after he was a key factor in the December wins, posting an average 19 points and seven assists on nearly 60 percent shooting despite wrestling with foul trouble.
Mitchell has shot just 37.5 percent in the three games against the Blazers, averaging 19.3 points. He shot 1-for-10 in the 30-point win on Dec. 21 but his 36 points 10 days ago, two off his season-high, came despite a 2-for-8 from beyond the arc. The runner-up in last season’s Rookie of the Year voting got to the line 12 times and should continue to be aggressive tonight as the 41 free throws he’s shot over the past four games is easily his high over any four-game stretch he’s had in ’18-’19.
Lillard, who played his college ball in Utah at Weber State, has averaged 21.7 points in the three games against the Jazz so far and should be well-rested after taking Saturday night off due to knee soreness and a bruised right hand he’s been playing through over the past few weeks. McCollum responded well to being the primary catalyst and put together his first career triple-double, finishing with 28 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. He’s averaged 26.3 points over the last three games as Portland has moved into the NBA’s top 10 in scoring (112.8 ppg).
The Jazz defense ranks third in point per game allowed (105.1) and fourth in defensive rating (104.8). The ‘under’ is 7-4 in Utah’s last 11 contests. The Trail Blazers have seen the ‘over’ prevail in five of their last six. The total opened at 218 and has been bet up to 218.5 at many sportsbooks.
Best of the Rest
Charlotte at Boston, 7:35 p.m. ET: Amid rumors that Kyrie Irving is having second thoughts about re-signing with Boston and may be interested in joining forces with LeBron James to chase championships and movie deals in L.A., the standout point guard is unlikely to suit up due to a hip strain. He had 25 points in a 119-103 win over the Hornets on Dec. 23. The Celtics are wrapping up a five-game homestand and didn’t have Irving available for Monday’s win over Brooklyn, registering a sixth victory in seven games. Terry Rozier should again fill in after finishing with 14 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Boston tied a franchise record with 16 blocks in the win, led by Al Horford’s six rejections. The Hornets have won five of seven. The ‘under’ is 4-1 in the Celtics’ last five contests and 6-2 in Charlotte’s last eight. These teams have split their regular-season meetings thus far and will square off one last time on March 23.
Denver at New Orleans, 8:05 p.m. ET: The Pelicans come off an impressive upset of the Rockets on Tuesday night, cashing as a +900 underdog behind big games from guard Jrue Holiday and center Jahlil Okafor. We’ll see if reinforcements are in store on the second night of a back-to-back since forward Julius Randle, guard Elfrid Payton and wing E’Twaun Moore are all listed as questionable here. New Orleans beat Denver 125-115 on Nov. 17 behind Anthony Davis’ 40 points but may not see their superstar wear their uniform again since he’s issued a trade demand and is currently sidelined with a finger injury. The Nuggets will be without point guard Jamal Murray, who is nursing an ankle sprain, so Will Barton and Gary Harris will enjoy heightened roles. Denver’s 95-92 comeback win over Memphis on Monday marked the first time in seven games where the Nuggets failed to reach the century mark ending a 7-0 ‘over’ run. Despite all the attrition, the last three Pels’ games have surpassed the posted total.
Indiana at Washington, 8:05 p.m. ET, ESPN: The Pacers haven’t seen life without Victor Oladipo go smoothly as they come into D.C. losers of consecutive games for the first time since Dec. 18-19 after a 132-100 blowout home loss at the hands of Golden State on Monday. Indiana is opening a four-game road trip that takes them to Orlando immediately after this one for a game tomorrow night. It hasn’t dropped three in a row all season. Washington comes off a brutal road loss in Cleveland in a game where they trailed by as many as 25 points to a team that entered Tuesday night with the NBA’s worst record. The Wizards trimmed the deficit to three points before fizzling out on the last possessions but Scott Brooks kept his ineffective regulars on the bench for the entire fourth quarter, improving the team’s chances of pulling out a win here. Indy won the most recent meeting between these teams 105-89 on Dec. 23, outrebounding Washington 57-37. Getting worked on the boards has been a season-long issue for the Wizards. Tyreke Evans, who replaced Oladipo in the starting lineup, is questionable with a back issue.
Atlanta at Sacramento, 10:05 p.m. ET: These teams remain 1-2 in pace after residing atop the NBA in that metric for most of the season, so a track meet is expected in this rematch as this is by far the highest total on Wednesday, opening at 233 before being bet up to 236.5 and rising. The Kings won the first meeting in Atlanta 146-115 on Nov. 1 behind D’Aaron Fox’s 31 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists as he got the better of rookie Trae Young. The Hawks are on the fourth leg of a season-long seven-game road trip and have defeated the Bulls and Clippers already while losing in Portland. Despite how fast the Kings operate, the ‘under’ is 10-0-1 in their games since Jan. 7. Sacramento is looking to avoid slipping under .500 after falling out of the Western Conference’s top eight.
NBA – TRENDS OF THE DAY
There are eight games in the Association tonight headlined with the Northwest Division showdown from Moda Center in Portland where the Trail Blazers host the Utah Jazz. Elsewhere, the Atlanta Hawks continue their journey with the matchup at Sacramento, the Indiana Pacers head to Washington, while the Dallas Mavericks visit the hapless New York Knicks. Hereof, we bring you all need-to-know betting trends and notes for tonight’s most interesting matchups to help you make the best wagers.
Featured game: Utah Jazz vs. Portland Trail Blazers
The Utah Jazz (29-22; 25-24-2 ATS) and the Portland Trail Blazers (31-20; 28-23 ATS) will meet each other for the fourth time this season, and the Jazz leads the series 2-1 including a 120-90 victory in the previous head-to-head duel at Moda Center back in December. The Trail Blazers opened as slight 1-point favorites on this one with the total at 218.0 points and the Jazz at -105 money line odds. The Blazers are 4-6 straight up and ATS in their last ten meetings with Utah, while they are 5-2 straight up and ATS in the previous seven H2H duels in Oregon.
The Jazz is on a three-game winning streak following a 125-111 victory at Minnesota. Utah is 9-1 straight up and 5-4-1 ATS in its last ten games overall, and is 5-2 straight up and ATS in its previous seven contests on the road. Also, Utah is 3-6 straight up and ATS in its last nine road meetings with the Northwest Division. The Jazz is occupying the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference, just two games behind the Blazers at the 4th spot. Utah is still missing Dante Exum and Raul Neto due to injuries, so Donovan Mitchell is spending a lot of time at PG.
On the other side, the Trail Blazers are coming off a 120-111 home win over the Atlanta Hawks, while they are 5-1 straight up and ATS in the last six games overall. The Blazers have won seven consecutive games on the home court, covering the spread six times in the process, while the over is 4-2-1 in that span. Also, the Blazers are 5-3 straight up and ATS in their last eight home meetings with the Northwest Division, and the under is 7-1 during that stretch. They will be without Nik Stauskas (knee), but Damian Lillard (sore knee) should be back to the lineup after skipping the clash with Atlanta.
Dallas Mavericks vs. New York Knicks
The New York Knicks have beaten the Dallas Mavericks 118-106 as 5.5-point road dogs in their first head-to-head duel of the season. The Mavs opened as 6-point favorites on this one with the total at 217.5 points and the Knicks at +200 money line odds. While the Knicks’ season is already ruined, the Mavs still have a slim chance to reach the playoffs but will need to start winning in sequences. The Mavs are 7-3 straight up and 4-6 ATS in their last ten meetings with the Knicks, while they are 4-1 straight up and 3-2 ATS in the previous five H2H duels at Madison Square Garden.
The Mavericks (22-27; 29-19-1 ATS) are coming off a 123-120 home defeat to the Toronto Raptors this past Sunday. They are just 4-8 straight up and 6-5-1 ATS in their last 12 games overall, while the Mavs are terrible 2-13 straight up and 7-8 ATS in their previous 15 showings on the road. Also, the Mavs are 2-6 straight up and 5-3 ATS in their eight road meetings with the Eastern Conference this season, and the under is 7-1 in that span. Dallas is playing without J.J. Barea who ended the season due to an Achilles tendon injury, but all other guys are ready to go.
The New York Knicks (10-39; 22-25-2 ATS) are riding a ten-game losing streak following a 101-92 defeat at Charlotte this past Monday, while they are 5-5 ATS during that terrible stretch. The Knicks have won just two of their last 20 games overall, obviously trying to buy as much lottery picks as they can. The Knicks are 0-11 straight up and 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games on the home court, and are 1-5 straight up and 3-3 ATS in their six home meetings with the Western Conference this season. While Kristaps Porzingis is questionable for the season, Luke Kornet (ankle) and Emmanuel Mudiay (shoulder) are both sidelined for tonight’s game.
Atlanta Hawks vs. Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings have thrashed of the Atlanta Hawks 146-115 in their first head-to-head duel of the season in Georgia and will be looking for another victory over the Hawks to continue their battle for the playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Kings opened as 5.5-point favorites here with the total at 235.0 points and the Hawks at +190 money line odds, while 75.0% of wagers are on the hosts to cover. The Kings are 4-2 straight up and ATS in their last six meetings with the Hawks, and are 3-0 straight up and ATS in the previous three H2H duels in Sacramento.
The Atlanta Hawks (16-33; 22-27 ATS) are on a seven-game road trip, and after a 121-101 win at Chicago and a 120-111 defeat at Portland, the Hawks beat the Los Angeles Clippers 123-118 this past Monday. They cannot make it to the playoffs, but the Hawks obviously don’t want to tank, as they are 5-6 straight up and 6-5 ATS in the last 11 games overall. Atlanta is 6-6 straight up and 8-4 ATS in its last 12 games on the road, and is 2-7 straight up and 5-4 ATS in its nine road meetings with the Western Conference this season. Miles Plumlee (knee) is out for at least two weeks, while Kent Bazemore (ankle) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game.
The Sacramento Kings (25-25; 28-21-1 ATS) are coming off a 122-108 defeat at the Los Angeles Clippers which was their third defeat in the last four outings. The Kings are 5-5 straight up and ATS in their last ten games overall, and the under is 9-0-1 in that span. Sacramento is 4-0 straight up and ATS in its last four games on the home court, and is 5-1 straight up and 5-0-1 ATS in six home meetings with the Eastern Conference this season. The Kings are coming in full strength tonight without any injury problems.
Indiana Pacers vs. Washington Wizards
The Pacers are still in shock from Victor Oladipo season-ending injury, but they have to regroup and start thinking about the future. They meet the Washington Wizards for the third time this season, leading the series with a couple of wins on the home court. This one opened at even odds with the total at 217.5 points, and the Pacers are 5-5 straight up and ATS in their last ten meetings with the Wizards who are 3-1 straight up and 2-2 ATS in the previous four H2H duels in Washington.
The Indiana Pacers (32-17; 24-24-1 ATS) are still holding the No. 3 seed in the East just half a game ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers and will have a difficult time to stay in the top four teams. The Pacers are 5-3 straight up and 4-4 ATS in their last eight games overall, while they are 3-3 straight up and just 1-5 ATS in the last six tilts on the road. Also, the Pacers are 4-1 straight up and ATS in their last five road meetings with the Southeast Division.
On the other side, the Washington Wizards (21-28; 22-27 ATS) are coming off a painful 116-113 defeat at the Cleveland Cavaliers. They are 10th in the East, trailing three games behind the 8th-placed Charlotte Hornets. The Wizards are 3-4 straight up and 4-3 ATS in their last seven games overall, and are 6-2 straight up and 7-1 ATS in the last eight games on the home court, while the Wizards are 4-1 straight up and ATS in their last five home meetings with the Central Division. John Wall (heel) ended the season, Dwight Howard is out through the All-Star break, while Markieff Morris is sidelined for at least a couple of weeks.