Friday's Best NBA Bet
Philadelphia 76ers at Miami Heat (N/A)
The hot-and-cold Miami Heat have managed to win six of their last seven games heading into Friday’s game, but much like a lot of this season, they still have a lot of wrinkles to work out.
Heat supporters know all about it. With such a huge public following, Miami has covered in only four of its last 14 games and dropped the cash again in a 100-94 win over Detroit as the club was set as an 8.5-point favorite.
One bright spot lately has been Chris Bosh, who chipped in 23 points and seven boards against the Pistons and is riding a nice hot streak over his last half dozen contests. However, Miami’s latest project is trying to work veteran Mike Bibby into the mix and it looks like it may take a while.
"I think we'll be fine as we move forward," Miami coach Spoelstra told reporters. "We've faced a lot of different things this season. We've been able to adapt.”
Sure, but this is obviously still a work in progress. Against such a deep team like the 76ers that could have Andre Iguodala back, you may want to ride Miami’s ATS slump.
Pick: N/A
Detroit Pistons at Cleveland Cavaliers (+3, 197)
As much as we hate backing the inconsistent Pistons, this matchup is a case of picking the lesser of two evils. And Cleveland has most certainly been downright evil to bettors lately.
Granted, Cleveland did look a little better battling New Jersey to a 98-94 loss on Wednesday, but supporters still went home empty handed with the club set as a 2.5-point chalk. The Cavs now have just one win over the last nine games, covering once over that span.
“Down the stretch, on the offensive end, we just have to do a much better job of executing,” coach Byron Scott told reporters. “And again, with a young bunch of guys that we have that are inexperienced at being in that situation, this might be a good learning session for us tomorrow.”
Detroit looked good the other night against the Heat and shouldn’t have much trouble handing the young Cavs another lesson here.
Pick: Pistons
Bobcats visit Boston Celtics for NBA betting
By: Adam Markowitz
The Charlotte Bobcats and Boston Celtics are potential postseason partners this year, but both have some work in NBA betting action to do to get where they want to be.
The two will duke it out on the Parquet Court in Beantown on Friday night at 4:30 (PT).
The Bobcats are three back of a postseason slot with just 10 games to play, and they probably need to finish at least 6-4 over the course of the last 10 to have even a remote chance of getting into the playoffs for just the second time in team history. This team has lately been a wreck, as four straight have gone into the loss column and only once in those four games did Charlotte cover the NBA odds.
It's almost like the Bobcats have been searching for an identity since trading away Gerald Wallace at the deadline to the Portland Trail Blazers. Stephen Jackson, the team's leading scorer at 18.8 PPG, has a hamstring injury that leaves him questionable for this one, while the big man that came back from Portland in the Wallace deal, Joel Pryzbilla, has only suited in five games due to a knee injury that will likely once again leave him out of the lineup.
Tyrus Thomas and Boris Diaw are the top rebounding performers, and that just doesn't scare us against the Boston front line, especially since Thomas might not be in the fold for the 31st time this season. Instead, men like DJ Augustin are going to have to step up and shoot the lights out in Beantown to have any chance of pulling off this upset.
We never really like to hear a coach basically admit that he is giving up on the season, but that's what it sounds like head coach Doc Rivers is going to do for these last handful of games on the campaign. He is far more interested in keeping his team healthy and getting the likes of Shaquille O'Neal and Jermaine O'Neal back on the court for the postseason than he is nailing down the No. 1 seed in the conference, and the end result might be some ugly, ugly losses down the stretch.
Case in point: Boston lost to the Memphis Grizzlies at home 90-87 on Wednesday night and has been dropped by the Houston Rockets, New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Clippers over the course of the last two weeks and change.
The one thing that we do know about the C's is that they are going to play some ridiculously hard-nosed defense for the full 48 minutes regardless of who is on the court. Teams are only averaging 90.9 PPG against Boston this year, which ranks No. 1 in the league.
Charlotte already has one win and another cover in the series this year. The 'Cats won 94-89 on Tobacco Road back in February, and challenged in a 99-94 loss here at the TD Garden in January. Of course, in the other meeting this year, the Bobcats were absolutely blown out of the water, 93-62.
Still, Charlotte is 8-2 ATS over the course of its last 10 visits to Beantown, and the underdog in this series is 15-4 ATS over the course of the last 19.
Clippers and Lakers battle at Staples
By: Barry Daniels
It’s a good thing Los Angeles does not have terribly cold weather because the city’s two pro basketball teams are having trouble finding covers. The Clippers and Lakers, both in pointspread funks and coming off overtime games, tangle Friday at Staples Center.
Tip-off for this Pacific Division matchup is set for 7:30 p.m. (PT).
The Clippers are off Wednesday’s 127-119 double overtime victory against the Washington Wizards. But the Clips did not cover as hefty 13 ½-point home favorites, marking their fifth straight pointspread failure. They are now 33-38-1 ATS in their first 72 endeavors.
The combined 246 points soared above the 203-point closing total, but the game would have barely gone ‘over’ during regulation. The contest was tied at 102 at the end of four quarters.
Though the ‘over’ is 36-35-1 in the Clippers’ first 72 overall outings, the ‘under’ is 20-17 in the club’s 37 dates at Staples Center.
Starting center Blake Griffin recorded the first triple-double of his career with 33 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists.
During a game full of near-finishes, the last dagger came from Clippers guard Randy Foye, who knocked down a three-pointer with 46.1 seconds left. That turned a three point lead into a six-point margin.
Earlier, the Clippers' Eric Gordon, who had 32 points, sent it into double overtime by nailing a three-pointer from the left wing with 1.9 seconds remaining in the first overtime.
Vinny Del Negro’s club ranks 18th in the league offensively, averaging 98.9 points per game. The team is shooting 45.7 percent from the field (19th) and 34 percent from beyond the arc (26th).
The Lakers did the Clippers one better in their most recent game on Tuesday, going into triple overtime before outlasting the Phoenix Suns, 139-137.
While the Lakers are a league-best 13-1 SU after the all-star break, they continue to burn money at the betting window.
Phil Jackson’s troops failed to cover Tuesday as seven-point home favorites, marking their third straight spread failure and lowering their pointspread record to 34-36-1 overall and 13-21 at Staples Center.
The Lakers relinquished a 21-point third-quarter lead and a nine-point lead during the closing minutes of the fourth quarter.
Kobe Bryant led the Lakers attack by scoring a season-high 42 points and adding 12 rebounds and nine assists in exactly 48 minutes. Lamar Odom also registered a season-high 29 points.
The Lakers were again playing without starting center Andrew Bynum, who was serving a league-imposed two-game suspension for last week’s flagrant foul. Bynum will be back in the lineup for Friday’s game against the Clippers.
These two residents of Staples Center have met three times this season, with the Lakers winning two straight-up and the Clippers covering the spread twice. In fact, the Clippers are 7-2 ATS in the last nine series meetings.
The initial meeting took place on Dec. 8, with the Lakers sneaking past the Clippers as 7½-point favorites, 87-86. The combined 173 points dipped well ‘under’ the 204½-point closing total.
The Clippers got revenge during the Jan. 16 rematch by upsetting the Lakers as five-point underdogs, 99-92. The combined 191 points again slipped ‘under’ the 196-point closing total.
The most recent matchup (Feb 25) was the most lopsided result. The Lakers registered a 108-95 victory and also covered the spread as 10½-point favorites. This was the lone meeting to go ‘over’ the total, which closed at 193 points.
It is interesting to note that the Lakers are 7-23 ATS in their last 30 games at Staples Center versus teams with a losing record.
This will be the Clippers’ first game of a back-to-back situation, as they will host the Toronto Raptors on Saturday. The Lakers continue their seven-game homestand Sunday against the New Orleans Hornets.
What bettors need to know: Spurs at Blazers
San Antonio Spurs at Portland Trail Blazers (N/A)
THE STORY: The Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs will see a lot of one another the next few days, beginning with Friday’s game in Portland. The two teams square off again Monday in San Antonio with both teams playing a game on Sunday – the Trail Blazers visit Oklahoma City and the Spurs visit Memphis. Portland has defeated San Antonio six of the last seven meetings and had beaten the Spurs five straight times before San Antonio recorded a victory in December. Both teams appear solidly entrenched for the Western Conference playoffs. The Spurs are en route to being the top seed while Portland is in sixth place with 11 games to play.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, FSSW, KGW.
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (41-30): Portland has won four of five games and trounced the Washington Wizards 111-76 on Tuesday. The Trail Blazers allowed 17 or fewer points in each of the final three quarters, posted a season-best 14 steals and limited Washington to 37.1 percent shooting. Gerald Wallace had 28 points and eight rebounds, Nicolas Batum had 22 points and 12 rebounds and LaMarcus Aldridge scored 22 points. Wallace’s scoring output was his highest in 13 games since being acquired from the Charlotte Bobcats. Center Marcus Camby missed the contest with an ankle injury but expects to play against San Antonio. Portland is 25-10 at home.
ABOUT THE SPURS (57-14): San Antonio opened a three-game road trip with a 115-112 loss to Denver on Wednesday. Gary Neal scored 25 points for the Spurs, who were playing their first game without forward Tim Duncan, who sprained his left ankle against Golden State on Monday. Duncan won’t be back until sometime in April. Tiago Splitter moved into the starting lineup and had four points and seven rebounds in 17 minutes. Antonio McDyess picked up the inside slack with 13 points and 12 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season. DeJuan Blair was back from a wrist injury and had eight points and six rebounds in 25 minutes off the bench. San Antonio is 24-11 on the road.
WHO'S HOT/WHO’S NOT: Batum is averaging 19.3 points over the last four games. San Antonio guard Manu Ginobili is averaging 24 points and has made eight 3-pointers over the last two games. Portland guard Brandon Roy has made just 5 of 25 shots while averaging 4.3 points over the past four contests. Spurs forward Richard Jefferson is averaging just 7.6 points over the last five outings.
KEY STATISTIC: Portland has allowed just 87 points per game over the last 10 games and held three teams to 76 points or fewer. The Trail Blazers give up 94.7 on average. San Antonio scores 103.6 per game.
SEASON SERIES: The teams have split two meetings. San Antonio notched a 95-78 home victory over Dec. 12 and Portland also won at home, 99-86 on Feb. 1.
KEY INJURIES: SAN ANTONIO: F Tim Duncan (ankle). PORTLAND: C Marcus Camby (ankle).
KEY TRENDS: Home team is 9-2 against the spread in the last 11 meetings.
San Antonio has played over in 11 of its last 16.
Portland has covered in five of the last six meetings between the two teams.
LAST WORD: “You want to play because this is fun basketball. We haven’t clinched a spot in the playoffs yet and every game right now seems like a playoff game in a playoff atmosphere.” – Portland center Marcus Camby to reporters Thursday on why he plans to play against the Spurs despite an ailing ankle.
Inside the Paint - Friday
By Chris David
College basketball is still the king of the hardwood in March but bettors looking for another alternative can direct their attention to the Association. Friday’s pro basketball card features 13 games and rather than point out the obvious, we’re going to break down every contest and offer up a winning – we hope – selection on each battle.
Let’s break ‘em down!
New Jersey at Orlando: The first game on the board could be the toughest to pick, especially when you look at current form. Sure, the Magic have won four straight and six of 10, but they’re just 2-8 ATS over this span. Meanwhile, New Jersey just snapped a four-game losing skid with a lucky overtime win against Cleveland (98-94) on Wednesday. Prior to that, the Nets won five in a row (4-1 ATS). Orlando has won eight of the last nine head-to-head battles in this series, and New Jersey has lost by 15, 16, 3 and 17 points in its last four trips to the Magic Kingdom. And point guard Deron Williams (wrist) is ‘questionable.’ Play - Magic
Sacramento at Indiana: The Pacers only laying 7 ½-points scares me here, especially with the team coming off a successful road trip (2-1 SU, 2-1 ATS). I don’t like to back the home squad in its first game back after a road trip of three or more, and the Kings have started their five-game trip with a 2-1 record. Point guard Tyreke Evans (foot) is expected back and that may or may not matter here. Rather than look at the side, the opening total (211 ½) sends a message. The first meeting was listed at 192 ½. That’s a big adjustment but the Kings have been running out the season with an up-tempo approach. We expect Indiana to respond and play fast as well. Play - Over
Milwaukee at New York: This line is as tricky as they come. What’s funny is that Carmelo Anthony’s debut for the Knicks came against the Bucks and they won (114-108) on Feb. 23 but failed to cover the line (7). Since that win, the Knicks are 6-10 SU and 7-9 ATS and that includes four straight losses both SU and ATS. Milwaukee has been awful on the road (9-24 SU, 16-17 ATS) and it just played four straight at home (2-2 SU, 3-1 ATS). The previous two games on the road saw the Bucks lose by 31 and 25 points. Could be a blowout here but we’re going to take the points, especially when you see that Milwaukee is 8-2 SU and 9-1 ATS in its last 10 against N.Y. Play - Bucks
Philadelphia at Miami: Bully meets Bully in South Beach. The 76ers and Heat both have comparable resumes against weaker teams and quality opponents, except Miami has knocked off more top-tier teams. Andre Iguodala (knee) is ‘questionable’ which could be a good thing for the 76ers, since they’ve dropped six straight (3-3 ATS) to the Heat. Tough game to handicap with no opener posted. Play – 76ers (small)
Detroit at Cleveland: Detroit (-2.5) drops down in class after facing New York, Atlanta and Miami. The Pistons went 1-2 SU and 2-1 ATS in those affairs and you wonder if they get up for Cleveland, who they already beat twice this season by double digits. Cavs off an overtime loss and is 0-4 SU and 2-2 ATS in their last four. First two games went ‘over’ the totals of 192 and 195. The number is up to 197, which says something. Play - Over
Charlotte at Boston: The Celtics should beat a hobbled Bobcats team tonight without Stephen Jackson (hamstring) but can they cover the number? Boston is 29-7 SU and 15-19 ATS at home this year. Here’s the kicker on that record. All seven of the losses came against Western Conference foes, including Memphis (87-90) on Wednesday. The C’s offense scares me a bit but we like them to explode against a Charlotte team that has given up 99, 109 and 111 in its last three. This should be a high number when available, but we’re buying big into Boston here. Also a little bit of a revenge spot for Doc’s club, losing in Charlotte (89-94) on Feb. 7. Play - Celtics
Minnesota at Oklahoma City: We never tough double-digit numbers, especially high ones. So we reached out to VegasInsider.com handicapper Kevin Rogers for his analysis. He said, “The Thunder has been bullies all season long at home, including blowout wins over the Bobcats, Pistons, Pacers, and Clippers since the All-Star break. Oklahoma City’s defense is stifling opponents with seven consecutive ‘unders,’ while holding each team to less than 95 points. Obviously, the Wolves will have problems scoring with Love hurt, but all three of Minnesota’s losses to OKC this season have come by 10 points or less.” Play - Thunder
Memphis at Chicago: Is the number (Chicago -8) too high here? Grizzlies have been amazing on the road (23-14 ATS), plus they’ve gone 10-5 ATS since the All-Star break. While that’s great, Chicago is 13-3 SU and 12-4 ATS in the second-half. Could be a bit of a flat spot for the Bulls, but the offense (108, 132, 114) is on fire in the last three. Something tells me that we’re looking at a grinder tonight between two decent defensive teams. Play - Under
Washington at Denver: Rogers chimed in on this heavy number as well. “Despite Wednesday’s non-cover against San Antonio, the Nuggets own a 13-2 ATS mark since the Carmelo Anthony trade. Similarly to the Thunder, Denver is routing weaker competition at home with convincing victories over Detroit, Charlotte, and Toronto by an average of 34 ppg. The Wizards are running out of bodies by the day and are just 1-11 ATS the last 12 games off a cover, coming off an ATS win in Wednesday’s double-overtime setback to the Clippers.” Play - Nuggets
San Antonio at Portland: No opening number posted even thought we already know the Spurs’ Tim Duncan (ankle) is ‘out’ for two weeks. San Antonio (24-11 SU, 23-11 ATS) has been great on the road and Portland (25-10 SU, 20-15 ATS) is solid at the Rose Garden. Did you know that the Trail Blazers have won seven of the last nine meetings between these two? Seems like a must-win spot for Portland, with three straight on the road in four nights against Thunder, Spurs and Hornets. Home team gets the check here tonight. Play – Trail Blazers
New Orleans at Phoenix: The Suns’ playoff hopes are fading late in the season but the team has gone 3-1 SU and 4-0 ATS over their last four. This pair met in the Big Easy recently on Mar. 16 and New Orleans captured a 100-95 decision with a late push. The Hornets will be playing on zero days rest after facing the Jazz in Salt Lake City on Thursday. New Orleans is 5-11 SU and 7-9 ATS on zero days rest. In that same situation, the ‘under’ is 12-4 (75%). Play – Under
Toronto at Golden State: This is a spot where I love fading the home team after a long road trip. I thought Golden State (-6.5) would be a tad higher since its better at home (21-14 SU, 18-16 ATS) and Toronto (6-29 SU, 15-19 ATS) isn’t profitable on the road. Still, the Raptors have shown glimpses of life lately, especially their outright win at Oklahoma City (95-93) on Sunday. You never want to lay points with a team, in this case the Warriors, that’s 0-6 both SU and ATS in their last six. Play – Raptors
L.A. Clippers at L.A. Lakers: The fourth and final meeting between this pair tonight and the number (Lakers -9.5) seems fair and on par (8, 5 ½, 10 ½). The Clippers did cover the first two meetings and won one (99-92 on Jan. 16) when they were hosting at Staples Center, but were blasted by 13 (95-108) as visitors. Tough to go against the Lakers, who are 13-1 SU and 8-5 ATS since the All-Star break, but they’re on a three-game losing skid versus the number. Clippers are 0-5 ATS (2-3 SU) in their last five. The line still seems short for the Purple and Gold. Play – Lakers (small)
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