Milwaukee Bucks vs. Charlotte Bobcats
The Milwaukee Bucks and the Charlotte Bobcats will both be gunning for a victory on Monday when they meet at Time Warner Cable Arena.
The Bucks were defeated 112-97 by the Spurs last time out, as 2.5-point underdogs. That game's 209 points sailed OVER the posted total of 191.
Hakim Warrick netted 23 points and grabbed five rebounds in that loss.
Stephen Jackson had 24 points with eight rebounds in the Bobcats 98-91 loss to the Thunder last time out. The Bobcats were 6-point underdogs, while the combined score went UNDER the posted total of 190.5.
Current streak:
Milwaukee has lost 2 straight games.
Team records:
Milwaukee: 12-16 SU, 16-12 ATS
Charlotte: 11-17 SU, 17-11 ATS
Milwaukee most recently:
When playing on Monday are 1-9
Before playing Orlando are 3-7
After playing San Antonio are 6-4
After a loss are 3-7
Charlotte most recently:
When playing on Monday are 7-3
Before playing Toronto are 6-4
After playing Oklahoma City are 3-7
After a loss are 4-6
A few trends to consider:
Milwaukee is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Charlotte
Milwaukee is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Charlotte
Milwaukee is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 17 of Milwaukee's last 23 games
Charlotte is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Charlotte is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Charlotte is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Charlotte's last 6 games
Next up:
Milwaukee at Orlando, Wednesday, December 30
Charlotte at Toronto, Wednesday, December 30
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. New Jersey Nets
The fans at Izod Center will be treated to a game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the New Jersey Nets when they take their seats on Monday.
Kevin Durant poured in a game-high 30 points as the Thunder defeated the Bobcats 98-91 on Saturday. The Bobcats managed to cover the 6-point spread, and the combined score went UNDER the posted total of 190.5.
Russell Westbrook netted 22 points and dished out six assists for the Thunder. Nenad Krsitc collected a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds in that win.
The Nets were defeated 98-93 by the Rockets last time out, as 9-point underdogs. That game's 191 points went UNDER the posted total of 195.
Brook Lopez netted a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.
Current streak:
Oklahoma City has won 2 straight games.
New Jersey has lost 9 straight games.
Team records:
Oklahoma City: 15-14 SU, 18-11 ATS
New Jersey: 2-28 SU, 9-20-1 ATS
Oklahoma City most recently:
When playing on Monday are 4-6
Before playing Washington are 5-5
After playing Charlotte are 5-5
After a win are 3-7
New Jersey most recently:
When playing on Monday are 4-6
Before playing New York are 5-5
After playing Houston are 5-5
After a loss are 2-8
A few trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games when playing New Jersey
Oklahoma City is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Oklahoma City is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Oklahoma City is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing New Jersey
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New Jersey's last 5 games when playing Oklahoma City
New Jersey is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of New Jersey's last 22 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of New Jersey's last 9 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City
Next up:
Oklahoma City at Washington, Tuesday, December 29
New Jersey home to New York, Wednesday, December 30
Washington Wizards vs. Memphis Grizzlies
The Washington Wizards and the Memphis Grizzlies will both be trying to pick up a win on Monday when they battle at FedExForum.
The Wizards were defeated 101-89 by the Timberwolves last time out, as 2.5-point favorites on the road. That game's 190 points went UNDER the posted total of 206.5.
Gilbert Arenas netted a team-high 25 points with seven rebounds and nine assists.
Zach Randolph tossed in a game-high 27 points with 14 rebounds for a double-double in the Grizzlies 106-101 loss to the Mavericks on Saturday. The Grizzlies were 8.6-point underdogs in that game, while the combined 207 points made it OVER the day's posted total of 201.
Team records:
Washington: 10-18 SU, 10-18 ATS
Memphis: 13-16 SU, 16-13 ATS
Washington most recently:
When playing on Monday are 2-8
Before playing Oklahoma City are 2-8
After playing Minnesota are 7-3
After a loss are 4-6
Memphis most recently:
When playing on Monday are 1-9
Before playing Indiana are 3-7
After playing Dallas are 5-5
After a loss are 6-4
A few trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games when playing Memphis
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games when playing on the road against Memphis
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Washington's last 16 games on the road
Washington is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Memphis is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games at home
Memphis is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Memphis is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Washington
Memphis is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Washington
Next up:
Washington home to Oklahoma City, Tuesday, December 29
Memphis at Indiana, Wednesday, December 30
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Phoenix Suns
Divisional bragging rights will be on the line on Monday when the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns meet at US Airways Center.
Kobe Bryant went for a game-high 38 points as the Lakers defeated the Kings 112-103 in double overtime on Saturday. The Lakers covered the 6.5-point spread, while the 215 points made it OVER the posted total of 208.5.
Pau Gasol added 24 points with 11 rebounds for a double-double in that win.
The Suns were cooled off 132-127 by the Warriors last time out, as 3.5-point favorites. That game's combined score sailed OVER the posted total of 233.5.
Steve Nash poured in a game-high 36 points and nine assists in a losing effort.
Team records:
Los Angeles: 24-5 SU, 13-16 ATS
Phoenix: 19-12 SU, 17-13-1 ATS
Los Angeles most recently:
When playing on Monday are 7-3
Before playing Golden State are 7-3
After playing Sacramento are 7-3
After a win are 8-2
Phoenix most recently:
When playing on Monday are 4-6
Before playing Boston are 7-3
After playing Golden State are 9-1
After a loss are 7-3
A few trends to consider:
LA Lakers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games on the road
LA Lakers are 17-2 SU in their last 19 games
LA Lakers are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games when playing Phoenix
LA Lakers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Phoenix is 20-2 SU in its last 22 games at home
Phoenix is 13-4 SU in their last 17 games when playing at home against LA Lakers
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Phoenix's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Phoenix's last 15 games
Next up:
LA Lakers home to Golden State, Tuesday, December 29
Phoenix home to Boston, Wednesday, December 30
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Portland Trail Blazers
The Philadelphia 76ers and the Portland Trail Blazers will both be trying to pick up a win on Monday when they battle at Rose Garden.
The 76ers were crushed 97-76 by the Jazz last time out, as 7-point underdogs. The 173 points went UNDER the posted total of 203.
Thaddeus Young netted 20 points and Andre Iguodala had 16 points in a losing effort.
Brandon Roy exploded for 41 points on Friday to lead the Trail Blazers to a 107-96 win over the Nuggets.
The Nuggets had been favored by 1.5 points on the road in that contest, while the combined score went OVER the posted total (195.5).
Current streak:
Philadelphia has lost 3 straight games.
Portland has won 4 straight games.
Team records:
Philadelphia: 7-22 SU, 11-18 ATS
Portland: 20-12 SU, 18-13-1 ATS
Philadelphia most recently:
When playing on Monday are 3-7
Before playing Sacramento are 4-6
After playing Utah are 5-5
After a loss are 2-8
Portland most recently:
When playing on Monday are 5-5
Before playing LA Clippers are 5-5
After playing Denver are 5-5
After a win are 6-4
A few trends to consider:
Philadelphia is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Portland
Philadelphia is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Portland
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Philadelphia's last 8 games when playing Portland
Philadelphia is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games on the road
Portland is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Portland is 6-0-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Portland is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Portland's last 8 games when playing Philadelphia
Next up:
Philadelphia at Sacramento, Wednesday, December 30
Portland home to LA Clippers, Wednesday, December 30
Denver Nuggets vs. Sacramento Kings
The fans at ARCO Arena will be treated to a game between the Denver Nuggets and the Sacramento Kings when they take their seats on Monday.
The Nuggets lost to Dallas 104-96 as a 5-point favorite on Sunday. The combined score fell UNDER the posted over/under total (207).
Kenyon Martin led Denver with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Carmelo Anthony had 16 points and 12 rebounds.
The Kings were defeated 112-103 in double overtime on Saturday, as 6.5-point underdogs by the Lakers. The Kings were 6.5-point underdogs in that game, while the 215 points made it OVER the posted total of 208.5.
Beno Udrih netted 23 points for the Kings, and Tyreke Evans collected 18 in a losing cause.
Current streak:
Denver has lost 2 straight games.
Sacramento has lost 2 straight games.
Team records:
Denver: 20-11 SU, 15-16 ATS
Sacramento: 13-16 SU, 17-11-1 ATS
Denver most recently:
When playing on Monday are 5-5
Before playing Utah are 8-2
After playing Dallas are 7-3
After a loss are 6-4
Sacramento most recently:
When playing on Monday are 2-8
Before playing Philadelphia are 4-6
After playing LA Lakers are 2-8
After a loss are 4-6
A few trends to consider:
Denver is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing Sacramento
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Denver's last 20 games when playing Sacramento
Denver is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Sacramento
Denver is 5-9-1 ATS in its last 15 games when playing on the road against Sacramento
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Sacramento's last 5 games at home
Sacramento is 21-3 SU in its last 24 games when playing at home against Denver
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Sacramento's last 20 games when playing Denver
Sacramento is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games at home
Next up:
Denver at Utah, Saturday, January 2
Sacramento home to Philadelphia, Wednesday, December 30
Boston Celtics vs. Golden State Warriors
The Boston Celtics and the Golden State Warriors will both be trying to pick up a win on Monday when they battle at Oracle Arena.
The Celtic lost to the Clippers 92-90 as an 8.5-point favorite on Sunday. The combined score fell UNDER the posted over/under total (190.5).
Rajon Rondo led the Celtics with 20 points and Ray Allen had 13 points in the loss.
Monta Ellis dropped 33 points and dished out 10 assists to help lead the Warriors to a 132-127 victory over the Suns on Saturday. The Warriors won the game as 3.5-point underdogs, while the combined score sailed OVER the posted total of 233.5.
Corey Maggette also had 33 points for the Warriors, and Anthony Randolph added 17 in the win.
Team records:
Boston: 23-6 SU, 13-16 ATS
Golden State: 8-21 SU, 14-14-1 ATS
Boston most recently:
When playing on Monday are 9-1
Before playing Phoenix are 4-6
After playing LA Clippers are 4-6
After a loss are 8-2
Golden State most recently:
When playing on Monday are 2-8
Before playing LA Lakers are 6-4
After playing Phoenix are 6-4
After a win are 2-8
A few trends to consider:
Boston is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Boston is 14-2 SU in its last 16 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 7 games when playing Golden State
Boston is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Boston
Golden State is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Boston
Golden State is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Boston
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Golden State's last 7 games at home
Next up:
Boston at Phoenix, Wednesday, December 30
Golden State at LA Lakers, Tuesday, December 29
L.A. Lakers (24-5, 13-16 ATS) at Phoenix (19=12, 17-14 ATS)
The Lakers will try to continue their dominance over the Suns when they visit the US Airways Center for a Pacific Division showdown.
Los Angeles rebounded from its 102-87 Christmas Day home loss to the Cavaliers with Saturday’s 112-103 overtime victory in Sacramento on Saturday, cashing as a six-point road chalk. The Lakers have won six of their last seven games (3-4 ATS) and 17 of their last 19 (10-9 ATS), and they’ve also won five straight on the road (3-2 ATS).
Phoenix has lost three of its last four (SU and ATS) and nine of its last 14 (6-8 ATS), including Saturday’s 132-127 defeat at Golden State as a three-point road favorite. After opening the season with 10 consecutive home wins, the Suns have lost two of their last three SU and ATS at US Airways Center, but the one victory came on Friday against the Clippers, a 124-93 blowout as a 10-point favorite. The Suns average a whopping 115.2 points a game at home, while shooting 51.3 percent from the floor.
The SU winner is 17-3 ATS in Phoenix’s last 20 games (7-0 ATS last seven).
Los Angeles has already defeated Phoenix twice this season (2-0 ATS), with both wins coming at home, and the Lakers are 6-1 in the last seven meetings (5-2 ATS) and 8-2 in the last 10 (7-3 ATS). While the home team has won five in a row in this rivalry and cashed in each of the last four meetings, L.A. has managed to cover in four of its last five trips to the desert.
The Lakers come into this one having cashed in four straight games against Pacific Division rivals, but they’re on ATS slides of 0-4 on Monday, 1-4 after getting a day off and 2-5 after a straight-up win. Phoenix is just 2-4 ATS in its last six overall and 1-4 ATS in its last five against divisional rivals, but is otherwise on positive pointspread streaks of 15-7 at home, 13-5 after a non-cover and 5-1 after a straight-up loss.
The Lakers are on several “under” runs, including 8-3 overall, 17-8 on Mondays, 11-4-1 after a spread-cover and 7-2 after a straight-up win. The Suns have followed a 13-3-2 “under” run by topping the total in their last three overall, and the over has hit in their last five against Western Conference teams. However, Phoenix is still carrying “under” streaks of 11-3-1 after a non-cover, 6-2 on Mondays and 7-3-1 after a day off. Finally, the “over” has been the play in six of the last 10 in this rivalry.
ATS ADVANTAGE: L.A. LAKERS
NBA RoundUp For 12/28
By Dan Bebe
Bucks @ Bobcats - Charlotte by 4.5 with a total of 185. Another of those home/road team matchups, this time the Bobcats are the good home team, and the Bucks are the terrible road squad. The question in these situations always becomes "can the home team cover?" Well, I'd say there's a reasonable shot at it, though obviously nothing is a sure thing. The Bobcats are an impressive 10-4 on their home court, winning games by an average of almost 6 points, and here they face a low/mid-tier opponent, the types of teams that Charlotte knows they can collect wins against in a potential effort to stay in the playoff picture. Looking at a few of Charlotte's recent home games, going backwards through the calendar, they covered in a victory against Detroit, lost to the Jazz, and covered against New York and Denver before that. They are 9-5 ATS in Charlotte, and they do a marvelous job of forcing turnovers at home and scoring points off of them. The Bucks, 3-9 on the road (7-5 ATS), lose on the road by just 4.2 points, on average, so this team does have a knack for keeping games close, but just haven't quite hit the shots to make them a team to be reckoned with when the 4th quarter winds down. Milwaukee has covered their last 3 road games, so going against them is definitely not an easy choice, and the line on this game seems somewhat low given the home/road splits of both teams. I lean Charlotte on the side, but even the slightest opposing line movement might be enough to keep me off the Cats. The low total suggests a defensive struggle, which also likely means neither team is planning on pulling away. I think this total just barely squeezes Under that mark, but it's an eerily low number, and the value is thin at this point.
Thunder @ Nets - Nets getting 6.5 points with a total of 196. The Thunder are really rolling, and I honestly thought they'd suffer a letdown hosting the Bobcats in Oklahoma City after playing such stellar basketball on the road against the Lakers and Suns (losing a heartbreaker to Los Angeles, but beating then-undefeated-at-home Phoenix), but they didn't! Oklahoma beat Charlotte, and covered, and they've now covered 3 straight games, and 4 of 5, and man, when this team gets hot offensively, they are tough to stop. The sheer number of scoring options with both inside and outside ability (Durant, Green, Harden, Westbrook) is generally enough to give the Thunder the advantage against weaker teams, but they're starting to put some pieces together against some of the better teams, too. This is the front end of a back-to-back for the Thunder, but the back end is against the Wizards, so it's not really a look-ahead spot, and for what it's worth, this team isn't much worse on the road than they are at home. I don't think I need to go into great detail about the Nets; they covered their last game against the Rockets (a winner we were able to cash on), but they're still just not a good team, and I get the feeling they may be a tad overmatched in this one. I lean Thunder, and I lean Under, though this total looks awfully high for the Nets. They just don't score against even marginal defensive teams, and I would put the Thunder in the category of half-decent defensive clubs.
Wizards @ Grizzlies - Memphis by 6 with a total of 203. Washington is really tough to figure out these days. They beat Philadelphia at home, then won decidedly in Milwaukee, but followed that up with an egg in Minnesota, losing by 12 to the lowly T'Wolves. Based on that effort in Minnesota, I'd have to consider this game a play on the home Grizz or nothing at all. Washington plays host to Oklahoma City tomorrow, as I mentioned above, so they may be looking ahead to getting home and playing in front of the friendly crowd, or hell, with their inconsistency, the third string shooting guard might have a mortal enemy in Memphis, and he will inspire the team to play their butt off. But seriously, if you see something in the Wizards that I'm missing, please toss it out there, because this team is just all over the map. The Grizzlies have been tearing teams apart in Memphis, 10-4 ATS at home, winners of 3 straight, and covers in 4 straight home games. They have shown the ability to beat both good and bad teams at home, and a team this young just doesn't seem likely to look past anyone, especially a bad team with good players. One area of concern is that Memphis has been getting caught up in high-scoring games, breaking 100 themselves in 4 straight, and that's why we're seeing this total up over 200. I think this game has a shot of being a poor-shooting contest, with Washington potentially ending near 90 again. I'm not saying I like the Under, but I'd be careful of the Over, if nothing else.
Lakers @ Suns - This line is OFF. You can bet the Suns are going to bring everything they've got in this one, and that's where we need to start when handicapping this game. They've been embarrassed by the Lakers twice, both games in Los Angeles, and both losses by roughly 20 points, and I have to believe they will not take kindly to that fact, nor will the fans. Phoenix is also fresh off a disappointment in Golden State, losing straight up to the Warriors, a taste that the public will likely not forget this quickly, and this actually does create a little more value for the Suns. Also, Kobe Bryant is likely to play through another injury, this time a slight elbow sprain. I just can't expect the Lakers to have the energy for this one after the 2-OT game in Sacramento, the loss of Ron Artest to a concussion, and Kobe's 3 nagging injuries piling up. I think the Suns come out and really give it the old College try. They're outsized by the Lakers, and outclasses, but the Suns are a tough bird at home, and if they can successfully push the tempo, I think they have a nice shot of winning this one. I expect to see the Lakers as 1-2 point favorites on the road with a total near 210, and I lean hard to the Suns and will have more feelings on the total when we see where it ends up.
Nuggets @ Kings - This line is OFF. Presumably, we're working line-less because of Chauncey Billups, clearly a vital cog in the Nuggets offensive machine. And as evidenced last night, if Chauncey is out and Carmelo Anthony gets into foul trouble, the Nuggets are in big, big trouble. Unfortunately, I bit the bullet on that one, but, lesson learned, and on we move to this contest. The Nuggets will likely open close to a Pick, potentially a tiny favorite, and their dismal road run is to blame. Denver has lost 6 straight road games, and no Championship caliber team will ever encounter that sort of stretch when healthy. However, this team is not healthy, so I'm giving them a temporary reprieve. Still, from a handicapping standpoint, this game is a real pickle. The Nuggets are going to be irritable coming off the home loss to Dallas last night, and my greatest fear is that they will finally wake up on the road just in time to take our their aggression on the Kings. Anything more you need to know about Denver, you can pull from yesterday's extensive blog write-up on Denver-Dallas. For Sacramento, they are coming off two of the most heartbreaking losses that I can remember. They took Cleveland to OT, and got skunked 13-0 in the extra period, then they took the Lakers to 2-OT, and got outscored by a hefty chunk in that one. The only way things could get more ridiculous would be a 3-OT loss to Denver, and the odds of that happening are somewhat slim. Still, I think this team is ripe to bounce back. They showed good fortitude bouncing back from the Cavs loss, and I think they'll show good fortitude bouncing back from the Lakers loss. I lean Sacramento to keep playing good ball at home, and I think they win this game straight up, in regulation. I also think we might see a potential Under situation, since these two high-scoring teams will likely get a slightly inflated line from name alone, forgetting that without Billups the Nuggets don't play quite as fast.
Sixers @ Blazers - Portland by 7.5 with a total of 189. I can almost say right here that I won't have a play on the side in this one. Portland is suddenly surging, the Sixers remain a terrible team that actually plays slightly better on the road than at home, and it just doesn't really matter the situation, playing Philly is almost always a recipe for disaster. They are 11-18 ATS this season, and have lost and failed to cover 3 straight games, as well. I believe they are a Morrison "C" bet, as well, so we're likely to lose a full point of value, at least right up until game time. I would not be surprised to see this line make an initial move down from 7.5 on the favorite, then work its way back up as the Morrison bet barrage dwindles in the afternoon. Boy, I'll tell ya, if 'capping wasn't hard enough, they throw these crazy systems in our way, and now we have to worry about how the books are preparing for the influx of money as a result. If we happen to like the same side as the system (like we did yesterday on the Rockets loser), we have to be extra cautious not to get trapped in a bad line. If we like the other side, which I have a very tiny, microscopic lean to in this game, we might be able to snatch the play with an extra point of value! In any case, this line right now is not cheap enough for me to bite on the Blazers, but if the system plays get us down to -6 or so, I might be persuaded into making it a free play, just because we'd be getting 15-20 cents of value, and basically giving ourselves better than 50/50 odds in the long term on similar play. I just can't pass that up, especially if it's a team I like. We shall see. The total looks pretty low, but Portland has been D'ing up like you wouldn't believe. They have gone Over in 2 straight games, but oddsmakers have dropped the totals for the Blazers by a good chunk in this stretch. I lean Under, but only barely.
Celtics @ Warriors - Celtics by 6 with a total of 212.5. How about those scrappy Clippers? If you read through yesterday's blog, you saw how when all signs point to one team, that's usually a good indicator that you should pass on that game. The Celtics were such a powerhouse, and the line move climbed 2 points for them, and the Clippers were coming home off a 6-game trip and they had just lost by 30 to the Suns, and...voila! The Clippers come up with the outright, upset winner over the toughest road team in the NBA. Now, that toughest road team heads to Northern California to tackle a Warriors club coming off a win over the Suns. You just have to wonder how much the short Christmas rest actually did for this severely undermanned team, slowly getting some healthy bodies back, and trying to work them into the rotation. I'm a bit concerned the Celtics use this second half of the back-to-back to take out some aggression, but that 6-point line seems pretty low, given the disparity in skill. The Warriors were 16-point underdogs when they played in Boston back in November, and they covered by a bucket, so a 10-point home/road swing is pretty stark unless the Warriors have improved that much in the oddsmakers' eyes or the Celtics have fallen off, and I don't think either of those claims is true. This line is either too low for Boston because it's packed with value, or it's too low because oddsmakers have a stronger feeling for the Warriors than I do. Golden State plays the Lakers in LA tomorrow, so they're gearing up for a brutal 2-day stretch, and I'm not sure they've got the gusto to hang with either of those teams. Still, there's something awfully fishy about this line, and I intend to get a good, hard look at which way it moves off the opening number. The total of 212.5 should draw public action on the Over, courtesy of the Warriors 250+ point combined effort with Phoenix, but I'm taking a long look at the Under -- I just don't see Boston getting sucked into that sort of game, but hey, I've certainly been wrong before. There are a ton of games on tomorrow's card that just really need further review, which likely means the Top Play will be for 1-unit, and another freebie for a halfer.
Fantasy Advice
Tyrus Thomas - He's back, baby! Grab as fast as you can!
Kirk Hinrich - Supposedly will be playing starters' minutes with John Salmons coming off the bench. Potential to really rack up the steals, 3's, and assists.
Home Warrior
By SportsPic
On Monday night, Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors come together in Oakland, and if history can be used as an indicator, surprises could be in store. Celtics with a 23-6 record appear to have a clear advantage over the 8-21 Warriors. But, there's something about Oakland that doesn't sit well with Boston. The Celtics are 0-5 (1-4 ATS) last five trips into Warriors back-yard, 2-11 the past thirteen in Oakland with a cash draining 4-9 ATS mark at the betting window. Golden State knocking off high scoring Suns 132-127 in shooting 51.7% from the field Saturday can't be sold short. Warriors are 8-2 ATS after scoring =>130 points in the previous game including a perfect 4-0 ATS at home and 11-3 ATS at home following a 50+% performance from the field. Other trends of interest: Boston enters 1-6 ATS running the hardwood vs a team with losing home record, Warriors are 14-3 ATS against Atlantic Division opponents.
Trend Report - Monday
By Ed Meyer
Bucks at Bobcats - The Bucks are 0-10 ATS (-6.8 ppg) since January 14, 2008 with at most one day of rest after a game in which they allowed at least 55% from the field. The Bucks are 0-8 ATS (-7.2 ppg) since March 11, 2008 after a loss in which they allowed a shooting percentage at least 10 percentage points higher than their season-to-date average. The Bucks are 6-0 ATS (5.4 ppg) since April 26, 2003 after a loss at home in which Michael Redd scored fewer than 10 points.
Wizards at Grizzlies - The Wizards are 8-0 ATS (8.2 ppg) since January 26, 2007 on the road with at least one day of rest after a double digit loss in which they had fewer than fifteen assists. The Grizzlies are 7-0 ATS (7.9 ppg) since February 08, 2005 as a home favorite off a loss in which they led by 10+ points.
Nuggets at Kings - The Nuggets are 0-6 ATS (-10.7 ppg) since April 02, 1997 with no rest after a home loss in which they allowed at least 50% from the field. The League is 10-0 ATS (9.9 ppg) since December 20, 2008 with at most one day of rest off an overtime loss as a home dog.
Thunder at Nets - The Thunder are 0-9 ATS (-11.2 ppg) since January 18, 2009 after a win in which Jeff Green played more than 40 minutes. The Nets are 0-7-1 ATS (-5.9 ppg) since March 20, 2007 at home with at most one day of rest after a game at home in which they had an assist to turnover ratio of at least two. The Nets are 6-0 ATS (5.8 ppg) since February 23, 2009 with at least a day of rest after a loss at home in which Yi Jianlian was not the Nets' high scorer.
Lakers at Suns - The League is 10-0 ATS (11.6 ppg) since April 08, 2008 on the road with at least one day of rest off an overtime game as an away favorite. The Lakers are 5-0 ATS (8.1 ppg) since March 23, 2007 as a road dog after a road win in which their DPA was positive. The Suns are 8-0 ATS (5.0 ppg) since March 30, 2006 with at most one day of rest after a game on the road in which they allowed a shooting percentage at least 10 percentage points higher than their season-to-date average. The Suns are 7-0 ATS (14.4 ppg) since December 18, 2004 as a home favorite after playing on the road when their opponent is off an overtime game.
Sixers at Trailblazers - The Seventysixers are 0-7 ATS (-6.4 ppg) since November 26, 2008 with at most one day of rest after a game on the road in which less than 45% of their baskets were assisted. The Seventysixers are 7-0 ATS (6.9 ppg) since February 23, 2008 as a road dog with at most one day of rest after a double digit loss in which they allowed at least 50% from the field. The League is 0-10 ATS (-10.0 ppg) since November 20, 2004 as a favorite with two or more days of rest off a win as a home dog in which they trailed at the end of the third quarter.
Celtics at Warriors - The Celtics are 0-12 ATS (-7.9 ppg) since February 12, 1997 after playing on the road against the Clippers. The Celtics are 10-0 ATS (8.1 ppg) since December 16, 2007 after winning the previous matchup in which Ray Allen played fewer than 30 minutes. The Celtics are 9-0 ATS (12.9 ppg) since January 25, 2005 as a favorite off a loss as a favorite in which they led at the end of each of the first three quarters. The Celtics are 0-6 ATS (-4.9 ppg) since January 04, 2008 as a favorite when they have a revenge game on the road next. The Warriors are 10-0 ATS (10.2 ppg) since February 20, 2008 at home when facing a non-conference team they lost to on the road in their first match-up of the season. The Warriors are 0-8 ATS (-11.9 ppg) since May 13, 2007 when playing the second game of a two game homestand after winning the first.