Saturday's Best NBA Bet
Boston Celtics at Washington Wizards (+6, 193)
Sure, the Wizards are 0-20 on the road. But at home at the Verizon Center? Now that’s a different story entirely.
At the Phone Booth, the team is 12-8, posting wins over Utah, Portland and Memphis. Washington also has one-point losses to Miami and Orlando on their own court. Think the sharps don’t know this? The line already has been bet down since it opened at 6.5 points.
Boston will be playing the second of back-to-back games after a matchup with Utah in Boston on Friday. It also will be the team’s third game in four days, something that could take a toll on the veteran-laden lineup, especially with the big minutes being seen by Shaquille O’Neal at center. And the Celtics already have made it clear they don’t worry about style points.
With forward Kendrick Perkins rehabbing his knee injury, Kevin Garnett still a bit limited by a lower body injury, guard Delonte West on the shelf with a broken hand and forward Jermaine O’Neal out indefinitely due to a bum knee, the team has been forced deep into its bench. The results? A 3-6-1 ATS record in its past 10 games. In their past 10 victories, the Celtics are just 4-5-1 ATS.
Pick: Wizards
Indiana Pacers at Portland Trail Blazers
By: Barry Daniels
The Indiana Pacers will attempt to snap their three-game losing skid Saturday when they continue a four-game West Coast excursion with a stop in Portland to play a Blazers squad that is on a four-game winning streak.
Tip-off from Portland's Rose Garden is 7 p.m. (PT). No television coverage is listed for the contest.
Indiana began the trip Monday by dropping a 114-107 decision to the Clippers as three-point road underdogs. The combined 221 points soared ‘over’ the 199½-point closing total.
The expedition continued Wednesday, with the Pacers suffering a heartbreaking 110-108 setback at Golden State as five-point road underdogs. Though the combined 218 points once again went ‘over’ the 214-point closing total, the ‘under’ is still 26-13 in Indiana’s first 39 outings.
The Pacers lost the game when Golden State’s Monta Ellis sank a basket with just 0.6 seconds remaining in regulation.
Danny Granger led the Pacers with 32 points, 13 rebounds and six assists. Tyler Hansbrough finished with 16 points and five rebounds, but saw minimal minutes in the second half as the Pacers stuck with a small lineup.
Roy Hibbert, who leads the team in rebounding at eight boards per game, missed the contest with an upper respiratory infection. Josh McRoberts started in place of Hibbert at center and played 18 minutes. The Don Best Sports injury report lists Hibbert as “questionable” for Saturday’s contest.
The two losses lowered Indiana’s road ledger to 6-13 SU and 8-10-1 ATS. The Pacers are getting outscored away from home by a little more than five points per game (100.7 to 95.1).
The Pacers rank 19th offensively overall, averaging 97.3 PPG average. They are a dismal 28th in field goal percentage, hitting just 43.3 of their shots. Indiana is allowing 98.3 PPG, which ranks 14th. The squad is holding the opposition to 43.9 percent from the field, which is the fourth best mark in the league.
Portland extended its winning streak to four with Thursday’s 108-93 victory against the Clippers as three-point home favorites. The win raised the Blazers’ home ledger to 15-5 SU and 12-8 ATS. They are outscoring the opposition at home by a little more than six points per game (99.1 to 93.0).
Though the combined 201 points topped the 194½-point closing total, the ‘under’ is still 22-21-1 in Portland’s first 44 efforts and 10-9-1 in its first 20 home dates.
Portland looked tired at the beginning of the game against the Clippers because it had played an overtime contest the night before against Sacramento. As a result, the Blazers missed seven of their first eight shots and fell behind 16-2 before catching fire late.
LaMarcus Aldridge and Wesley Matthews each scored 28 points to lead Portland’s offense. Aldridge was particularly efficient, hitting 13 of his 20 shots. Point guard Andre Miller added 15 points, seven assists and eight rebounds.
Despite registering triple-digits in six of their last 10 games, the Blazers still rank near the bottom of most offensive categories. They are 24th in average points scored (96.1), 25th in field goal percentage (44.2) and 28th in three-point percentage (33.1).
Marcus Camby has elected to undergo surgery on a partial tear of the meniscus in his left knee and will be sidelined for approximately five weeks. The center was leading the Blazers with 11.9 rebounds per contest through his first 39 games.
The Pacers and Blazers have not met this season, but Indiana is a nifty 10-3 ATS in the last 13 series matchups. However, Portland is 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS in the last four meetings.
Portland will continue its five-game homestand Monday by hosting Sacramento. The Pacers will conclude their four-game road trip Sunday by traveling to Denver for a date with the Nuggets.