Denver Nuggets vs. Philadelphia 76ers
The Denver Nuggets and the Philadelphia 76ers will both be trying to pick up a win on Monday when they battle at Wachovia Center.
Carmelo Anthony poured in a game-high 34 points to lead the Nuggets over the Spurs 106-99 on Saturday. The Nuggets won the game as a 3.5-point underdog, while the 205 points went UNDER the posted total of 206.5.
Chauncey Billups had 18 points for the Nuggets, and J.R. Smith chipped in with 17 in the win.
Current streak:
Denver has won 3 straight games.
Philadelphia has lost 9 straight games.
Team records:
Denver: 15-5 SU, 12-8 ATS
Philadelphia: 5-15 SU, 9-11 ATS
Denver most recently:
When playing on Monday are 4-6
Before playing Charlotte are 5-5
After playing San Antonio are 4-6
After a win are 6-4
Philadelphia most recently:
When playing on Monday are 9-1
Before playing Detroit are 4-6
After playing Charlotte are 4-6
After a loss are 1-9
A few trends to consider:
Denver is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
Denver is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Denver is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
Denver is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 7 games
Philadelphia is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Denver
Philadelphia is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Denver
Next up:
Denver at Charlotte, Tuesday, December 8
Philadelphia home to Detroit, Wednesday, December 9
Portland Trail Blazers vs. New York Knicks
The Portland Trail Blazers and the New York Knicks will both be gunning for a victory on Monday when they meet at Madison Square Garden.
The Trail Blazers scored in the dying seconds to slip past the Rockets 90-89 on Saturday. The Trail Blazers failed to cover the 5-point spread, while the 179 points went UNDER the posted total of 193.5.
Brandon Roy led the way with 28 points to lead the Trail Blazers, and Andre Miller added 24 points in the win.
The Knicks defeated New Jersey 106-97 as a 4-point favorite on Sunday. The combined score fell UNDER the posted over/under total (205.5).
Al Harrington scored 26 points to go along with 14 rebounds for the Knicks, while Larry Hughes added 25 points in the win.
Current streak:
New York has won 2 straight games.
Team records:
Portland: 13-8 SU, 10-11 ATS
New York: 6-15 SU, 10-11 ATS
Portland most recently:
When playing on Monday are 6-4
Before playing Indiana are 3-7
After playing Houston are 5-5
After a win are 7-3
New York most recently:
When playing on Monday are 5-5
Before playing New Orleans are 1-9
After playing New Jersey are 4-6
After a win are 3-7
A few trends to consider:
Portland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing New York
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Portland's last 15 games on the road
Portland is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Portland's last 25 games
New York is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games when playing at home against Portland
New York is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games
New York is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Portland
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New York's last 6 games at home
Next up:
Portland at Indiana, Wednesday, December 9
New York at New Orleans, Friday, December 11
Golden State Warriors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
The Golden State Warriors and the Oklahoma City Thunder will both be gunning for a victory on Monday when they meet at Ford Center.
The Warriors were defeated 126-118 by the Magic last time out, as 9.5-point underdogs. That game's combined score sailed OVER the posted total of 221.
Anthony Randolph tossed in 28 points to go with 13 rebounds for a double-double in the loss.
The Thunder were ripped apart 105-87 by the Celtics on Friday as a 4-point underdog at home. That game's 192 points made it OVER the posted total of 190.
Kevin Durant poured in a game-high 36 points in a losing effort.
Current streak:
Golden State has lost 3 straight games.
Team records:
Golden State: 6-13 SU, 11-8 ATS
Oklahoma City: 10-9 SU, 11-8 ATS
Golden State most recently:
When playing on Monday are 4-6
Before playing New Jersey are 2-8
After playing Orlando are 4-6
After a loss are 4-6
Oklahoma City most recently:
When playing on Monday are 3-7
Before playing Memphis are 3-7
After playing Boston are 5-5
After a loss are 7-3
A few trends to consider:
Golden State is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Golden State's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Golden State's last 5 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
Golden State is 9-3 ATS in its last 12 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Oklahoma City's last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Oklahoma City's last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games when playing at home against Golden State
Oklahoma City is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games when playing at home against Golden State
Next up:
Golden State at New Jersey, Wednesday, December 9
Oklahoma City at Memphis, Friday, December 11
San Antonio Spurs vs. Utah Jazz
The fans at EnergySolutions Arena will be treated to a game between the San Antonio Spurs and the Utah Jazz when they take their seats on Monday.
Tony Parker netted 27 points in the Spurs' 106-99 loss to the Nuggets on Saturday. The Spurs were 3.5-point favorites in that game, while the 205 points went UNDER the posted total of 206.5.
Tim Duncan had 26 points in a losing effort.
The Jazz were defeated 108-101 by the Timberwolves last time out, as 7.5-point favorites. That game's 209 points made it OVER the posted total of 197.5.
Carlos Boozer tossed in 19 points with 12 rebounds for a double-double in the loss.
Current streak:
San Antonio has lost 2 straight games.
Team records:
San Antonio: 9-8 SU, 8-9 ATS
Utah: 11-8 SU, 10-9 ATS
San Antonio most recently:
When playing on Monday are 7-3
Before playing Sacramento are 8-2
After playing Denver are 7-3
After a loss are 4-6
Utah most recently:
When playing on Monday are 6-4
Before playing LA Lakers are 4-6
After playing Minnesota are 8-2
After a loss are 7-3
A few trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Antonio's last 6 games when playing Utah
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Antonio's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Antonio's last 5 games
San Antonio is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
Utah is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Utah's last 6 games when playing San Antonio
Utah is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Utah is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Next up:
San Antonio home to Sacramento, Wednesday, December 9
Utah at LA Lakers, Wednesday, December 9
San Antonio (9-8, 8-9 ATS) at Utah (11-8, 10-9 ATS)
The Jazz will try to make it three in a row over the Spurs when the two Western Conference squads square off inside EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City.
San Antonio has followed a five-game winning streak (4-1 ATS) with back-to-back losses, including Saturday’s 106-99 home setback to Denver as a four-point favorite. The Spurs have not fared well on the road this season, going just 1-4 SU and ATS. They are averaging just 90.8 points a game on the highway as opposed to 99.9 overall.
Utah had its four-game winning streak snapped on Saturday in Minnesota, losing 108-101 to the Timberwolves as a 7½-point favorite. The Jazz have been dominant at home, winning eight of 11 this season while going 7-4 ATS. Most recently, they’ve won six of their last seven (5-2 ATS) in front of the home fans and average 104.2 points a game and shoot 51 percent from the floor in Salt Lake City.
The Jazz have already defeated San Antonio twice this season, winning 113-99 at home on Nov. 5 as a one-point underdog and then scoring a 90-83 road win on Nov. 19 as a 4½-point ‘dog. The favorite is 19-7 ATS in the last 26 meetings, and Utah has gotten the cash in six of the last eight in Salt Lake City.
The Spurs are on ATS runs of 4-0 on Monday and 6-2 when playing on one day of rest, but they are on pointspread slides of 1-6 on the road, 0-5 against Northwest Division teams and 5-11 against teams with a winning record. The Jazz carry several positive ATS trends, including 4-1 overall, 4-0 at home, 19-7 on Monday, 8-2 after a straight-up loss and 4-1 after getting a day off.
San Antonio has stayed below the posted total in four straight overall, four of five on the road, four of five against the Western Conference and nine of 13 on Monday. Meanwhile, Utah is on “over” streaks of 5-2 overall, 13-6 after a non-cover, four straight against the Western Conference and 5-1 after getting a day off. Also, the “over” has been the play in five of the last six overall in this rivalry.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UTAH
NBA RoundUp for 12/7
By Dan Bebe
Sports Wagering
Sixers/Nuggets - This line is OFF, but my thoughts on this one are that the Nuggets are downright lethal right now, and we'll likely see a pretty hefty road spread, somewhere in the 7-9 neighborhood. They play in Charlotte the following day, so it's not really a look-ahead spot for Denver, who aren't quite as good on the road at home, but they're just dominating since George Karl gave his team a verbal lashing. They have won and covered 3 straight, including the last one in San Antonio as a tiny dog. Philadelphia has not earned my trust. They've lost 9 straight, and now get Iverson in the mix. I think we'll see a nice, high total in this one, but no plays or leans until we see the lines.
Knicks/Blazers - The Knicks are collecting 4.5 points at home with a total of 203. The Blazers hit the road and fly across the nation after a very disappointing homestand. The Blazers lost Greg Oden for the season in their last game, a last-second win over the Rockets, but that win was their first in 4 games, so this Blazers club is not playing well, at all. A notable point, though, was that it was the first Under for Portland in 4 games, as well, so we know exactly what this team needs to do to win games, and that's play defense. Can they do it in New York against a suddenly surging Knicks club? I'm not so sure. This is a very tough game to pick a side on, though you have to lean to the home dog since the Knicks are coming off two nice wins, and the Blazers have been playing, I would say, pretty terrible basketball. In terms of the total, we know the Knicks want to push the pace, and we know the Blazers are going to want to slow things down, and if it weren't for the low-scoring Blazers win over Houston, I would tell you to grab the Over, but with Portland PERHAPS finding a little defensive intensity and the Knicks on a back-to-back, the Under is in play.
Thunder/Warriors - Thunder by 7 with a total of 222. I really am not a huge fan of laying 7 points to a team that can score 7 in about 25 seconds. I'm actually a fan of Golden State again, now that Stephen Jackson is gone. They've covered in 9 of their last 12 games, including the last 2, so even after the books seemed to adjust to their 6-game cover streak, the Warriors upped the ante one more time. Monta Ellis is a wrecking machine, and I just don't see how the Thunder can slow him down. They don't have a true interior presence to give him fits, and someone like, say, Russell Westbrook, would seemingly be destined for foul trouble. I think Golden State can hang around, but my concern is that the Thunder hit a few big shots late to pull away. It's nice, though, that the Warriors have seemed to figure out a way to win some games while getting wildly outrebounded. I think this side is pretty close to accurate, but I see Golden State losing by less than 7, so I do have a slight lean to them. The total is just outrageously high, but the Thunder have somewhat abandoned the early-season defense that led to some Unders (and some wins for the team), so this one will likely end near that posted mark. This is a line movement-watching total, so let's reapproach it later.
Jazz/Spurs - Utah favored by 2 with a total of 192.5. You just have to like the Jazz at this line, but buyer beware, life is rarely that simple. The Jazz are coming off a loss in Minnesota, and you have to wonder if that will slow this team down a tiny bit. I'm not sure it will, since Utah is really starting to shoot the lights out at home, but it's definitely something to consider when handicapping this game. Utah's next game is also in Los Angeles against the Lakers. They have a day off between games, so it's not a trademark look-ahead spot, and San Antonio is a marquee enough team to draw their full attention, so I wouldn't put too much stock in a letdown either. For the Spurs, they are coming off back-to-back tough home losses to the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets. That's a brutal stretch for any team, but San Antonio will get winnable games against the Kings, Bobcats and Clippers after this one with the Jazz. I will be very curious where the public goes on this game. We usually seem them err to the favorite, but will the key names of the Spurs (Duncan, Parker, Ginobili, Longoria) bring the money in on SAS? That may well determine our wager on this game. I definitely lean Jazz to keep up the torrid home play, but time will tell. In terms of the total, the Jazz have been playing to the Over, and the Spurs to the Under, and generally you give the nod in these scenarios to the home team, BUT San Antonio has shown a general aversion to shooting the ball into the hoop on the road. No lean on the total.
Trend Report - Monday
By Ed Meyer
Spurs @ Jazz - The Spurs are 7-0 ATS (6.0 ppg) since November 05, 1996 as a dog after a home loss in which they had more turnovers than assists. The Spurs are 7-0 ATS (13.4 ppg) since April 27, 2005 off a home loss in which they led at the end of the third quarter. The Spurs are 7-0 ATS (7.4 ppg) since April 16, 2006 after a loss at home in which Tony Parker had more turnovers than assists. The Spurs are 0-7 ATS (-11.1 ppg) since March 31, 2009 after losing the previous matchup in which Roger Mason took fewer than 10 shots. The Spurs are 6-0 ATS (6.5 ppg) since March 20, 2003 on the road after a loss at home in which Tony Parker had at least 5 turnovers. The Spurs are 6-0 ATS (7.2 ppg) since April 11, 2000 as a dog when seeking revenge for a loss in which they had no rest. The Jazz are 10-0-1 ATS (10.4 ppg) since April 26, 2007 at home with at least a day of rest after a loss in which Carlos Boozer was the Jazz's high scorer. The Jazz are 11-0-1 ATS (6.8 ppg) since November 17, 2002 as a favorite with at most one day of rest after a loss in which they scored less than 15% of their points from the free throw line. The Jazz are 6-0 ATS (9.0 ppg) since February 05, 2005 as a home favorite with at least one day of rest off a loss as a favorite in which they led by 10+ points. The Spurs are 7-0 OU (7.3 ppg) since December 04, 2004 on the road with at most one day of rest after a game at home in which they had at least five more turnovers than their season-to-date average. The Jazz are 0-7-1 OU (-10.2 ppg) since January 30, 2009 as a home favorite after a game in which they allowed at least 50% from the field.
Trailblazers @ Knicks - The Trailblazers are 8-0 ATS (8.8 ppg) since December 27, 2008 as a favorite with at most one day of rest after a game in which they had fewer than fifteen assists. The League is 0-6 ATS (-7.4 ppg) since December 31, 2007 as a road favorite with at least one day of rest after a game at home in which less than 40% of their baskets were assisted. The Trailblazers are 0-6 ATS (-6.1 ppg) since November 13, 2001 as a road favorite with at least one day of rest off a win in which they trailed at the end of the third quarter. The Knicks are 0-8-1 ATS (-8.8 ppg) since March 05, 1998 after a home win against the Nets. The Knicks are 7-0 ATS (9.6 ppg) since February 26, 2005 off a win as a home favorite in which they trailed by 10+ points. The Knicks are 6-0 ATS (8.0 ppg) since December 16, 2008 after David Lee shot better than 66% from the field the last two. The Trailblazers are 0-8-1 OU (-8.5 ppg) since March 12, 2000 as a road favorite after a win in which the percentage of their baskets that were assisted was at least ten percentage points lower than their season-to-date average. The Knicks are 11-0 OU (11.8 ppg) since November 06, 2007 at home after a win in which they made fewer baskets than their opponent. The Knicks are 0-10 OU (-13.1 ppg) since February 26, 2003 with at most one day of rest after a win in which they allowed at least 50% from the field.
Nuggets @ 76ers - The Nuggets are 6-0-1 ATS (6.3 ppg) since March 23, 2009 on the road after a win in which Kenyon Martin scored fewer than 10 points. The Nuggets are 5-0 ATS (10.5 ppg) since March 27, 2009 on the road after a win in which Chauncey Billups shot better than 50% from the arc. The Seventysixers are 5-0 ATS (7.1 ppg) since January 06, 2009 at home with at least a day of rest after a loss on the road in which Andre Iguodala was not the Seventysixers' high scorer. The Nuggets are 0-7 OU (-15.7 ppg) since March 14, 2001 as a favorite with at most one day of rest after a road win in which the percentage of their baskets that were assisted was at least ten percentage points lower than their season-to-date average.
Warriors @ Thunder - The Warriors are 10-0-1 ATS (10.5 ppg) since February 27, 2002 with at most one day of rest off a loss as a home dog in which they led at the end of the third quarter. The Warriors are 9-0 ATS (12.6 ppg) since December 20, 2006 on the road after a loss in which Monta Ellis played more than 40 minutes. The Warriors are 5-0 ATS (14.1 ppg) since November 15, 2008 as a dog with at most one day of rest after a game at home in which they scored more than 25% of their points from the free throw line. The League is 0-8 ATS (-7.6 ppg) since December 19, 2008 with two or more days of rest after a home loss in which less than 40% of their baskets were assisted. The Thunder are 6-0 ATS (4.7 ppg) since December 29, 2008 at home with at least a day of rest after a loss in which Russell Westbrook had at least 5 turnovers. The Thunder are 5-0 ATS (6.6 ppg) since December 13, 2008 with at least one day of rest after a loss in which their opponent shot at least ten three-pointers and made at least half of them. The League is 11-0 OU (18.8 ppg) since January 24, 2009 as a favorite with at least one day of rest after a double digit home loss in which they had fewer than fifteen assists.
Tips and Trends
San Antonio Spurs at Utah Jazz
Spurs: San Antonio continues to disappoint this year, as they are only 9-8 SU on the season. A big reason for their struggles are their road troubles, as they are a meager 1-4 SU and ATS this year. San Antonio is only averaging 90 PPG on the road this season. Despite their struggles, today represents only the 4th time in 18 games they've been an underdog. F Tim Duncan leads this team with 19 PPG and 11 RPG. One of the few bright spots this season has been the play of G George Hill. Hill is averaging 11 PPG with nearly a 2:1 assist to turnover ratio while relieving G Tony Parker. F Dejuan Blair has been another bright spot, as he's had double digit point and rebound totals in 2 of his past 3 games. San Antonio has been careless with the ball of late, having had more turnovers than their opponents in their past 4 games.
Spurs are 1-6 ATS last 7 road games.
Under is 4-0 last 4 games as an underdog.
Key Injuries - G Michael Finley (ankle) is out.
PROJECTED SCORE: 93
Jazz (-1.5, O/U 192.5): Utah is finally hitting their stride, winning 7 of their past 9 games SU. Utah is 8-3 ATS their past 11 games, and 7-4 ATS at home this season. This is the 2nd lowest point spread they've faced at home, with their 1st game against the Spurs being a PK. The Jazz won that game by 14 PTS. The Jazz feature 6 players that AVG double digits in PTS, with F Carlos Boozer and PG Deron Williams leading the way. This duo combine to average more than 40 PPG. Williams is 2nd in the NBA in assists with 9.9 APG. Utah averages 101 PPG while shooting 49.5% from the field, 3rd best in the NBA. The Jazz have held 7 of their past 9 opponents under 100 PTS. Of the Jazz 8 losses, 7 of them came when their opponents scored 100 PTS or more.
Jazz are 4-0 ATS last 4 games as a home favorite.
Over is 4-0 last 4 vs. team with a winning SU record.
Key Injuries - F Andrei Kirilenko (back) is questionable.
G Kyle Korver (knee) is questionable.
PROJECTED SCORE: 102 (Side of the Day)