NBA Betting Notes & Schedule Traps
By Ted Severansky
Bower power
The New Orleans Hornets were so lethargic to open the season that they fired head coach Byron Scott nine games into the campaign. General manager Jeff Bower took over on the bench, but the team continued their sluggish play; a sub .500 squad as the calendar turned to 2010. The Hornets couldn't win away from home as their 2-13 straight up road record showed.
But those road troubles have been a non-issue over the last few weeks. They’ve won 12 of their last 16 games, including three out of four on a recently finished up trip. New Orleans won straight up at Utah, Oklahoma City, Washington, Indiana, Minnesota, Portland and Golden State, notching a 7-1 ATS mark in their last eight tries as an underdog.
All star point guard Chris Paul told reporters that he was excited about the team’s improved play.
“This was a big trip for us. We won in some tough venues. Everyone knows the road has been our Achilles’ heel so far.”
But Coach Bower warned reporters that continued success wouldn’t be easy, with seven of their remaining eight games before the All-Star break coming against playoff-bound teams.
“We know how difficult it will be, especially with our upcoming schedule. We’re playing many of the same teams we’re battling… we’re going to have to continue to improve.”
Jazzing It Up
The Utah Jazz defined 'mediocre' through the first two months of the season. Jerry Sloan’s squad was sitting at 19-17 SU, 20-16-1 against the spread after splitting a home-and-home series with the Grizzlies to close out the first week of January.
Since that time, the Jazz have finally started to click, going 8-1 SU, 7-0-2 ATS in their last nine contests. Following their latest win, a 106-95 blowout at Portland on Wednesday, point guard Deron Williams told reporters “We’re definitely playing our best basketball right now.”
Utah’s transformation began in the very first game after Jerry Sloan decided to insert forward Andrei Kirilenko into the starting lineup. Sloan recently told reporters that Kirilenko’s defense has been paramount in the club's recent success.
“No question [his size] makes a big difference. He's able to block shots and play defense. I probably should have had him [starting] all along, if I'd been smart enough.”
Deron Williams concurred: “A.K.'s length bothers people defensively. He gives us an added shot-blocker out there to start the game, which helps."
Raging Bulls
The Chicago Bulls recent road trip was a complete turnaround from their early season play. The Bulls were awful for the better part of two full months to open the season, sitting at 10-17 SU, 8-17-2 ATS after blowing a 35-point lead to Sacramento at home, then losing badly to the Knicks the following night.
Published reports had head coach Vinny Del Negro with one foot out the door. Starting center Joakim Noah told reporters “When you can’t win games because you’re not talented enough to win games, that’s one thing. But that’s what was frustrating about the whole thing was we were better than that.”
Chicago's won four straight, all on the road, after dropping the first two games of the West Coast swing. More important for bettors, the Bulls have been a pointspread machine since that loss to the Knicks; 13-4 ATS since Christmas.
Equally important, the Bulls appear to be holding their value. Chicago was an underdog of at least six points in all four of those recent road victories.
All-Star Derrick Rose has keyed their recent surge on offense, averaging more than 26 points per game during the road winning streak.
“It all starts with Derrick Rose," Noah told reporters. "He’s just playing huge for us, making the right decisions, staying aggressive offensively. When your point guard is playing like that, it usually leads to good things.”
But the Bulls defense has been improving by leaps and bounds as well. They forced 14 consecutive missed shots from Oklahoma City to open up the fourth quarter in their latest win. Their 13-4 ATS run has been marked by defensive intensity, holding 12 of those 17 foes under 100 points.
Weekend schedule traps:
Friday: Chicago at New Orleans
The Bulls finally close out their longest road trip of the year at New Orleans. Will the Bulls be ‘fat and happy’ after winning four straight on the road as underdogs against the suddenly resurgent Hornets?
Saturday: Portland Trail Blazers at Dallas Mavericks
The short-handed Blazers face a Texas Two-Step here, on the second night of a back-to-back against the Mavs. This is only the beginning of a particularly nasty stretch for Portland, with five games against playoff contenders in a seven day span.
Sunday: Los Angeles Lakers at Boston Celtics
L.A. could face some road trip fatigue. The Lakers will be playing their eighth game in eight different cities in less than two weeks. To make matters worse, this is an early start game for a West Coast team. And don’t forget the following night – they’ll be playing in Memphis without rest, before finally heading home.