New Orleans Hornets vs. Atlanta Hawks
The New Orleans Hornets and the Atlanta Hawks will both be gunning for a victory on Saturday when they meet at Philips Arena.
David West scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in New Orleans' 86-78 loss to the Trail Blazers on Friday night.
The Blazers managed to cover the 3.5-point spread on the road in that contest, while the combined score fell UNDER the night's posted total (187.5).
Joe Johnson had a team-high 24 points on Friday night as the Hawks picked up a 97-86 upset win over the Celtics.
The Celtics had been listed as 9-point home favorites in that contest, while the combined score fell UNDER the night's posted total (193).
Current streak:
New Orleans has lost 2 straight games.
Atlanta has won 3 straight games.
Team records:
New Orleans: 3-7 SU, 3-7 ATS
Atlanta: 7-2 SU, 8-1 ATS
New Orleans most recently:
When playing on Saturday are 6-4
Before playing LA Clippers are 5-5
After playing Portland are 5-5
After a loss are 4-6
Atlanta most recently:
When playing on Saturday are 5-5
Before playing Portland are 4-6
After playing Boston are 5-5
After a win are 5-5
A few trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of New Orleans's last 11 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 7 of New Orleans's last 10 games on the road
New Orleans is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Atlanta
New Orleans is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Atlanta's last 11 games when playing at home against New Orleans
Atlanta is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Atlanta is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Atlanta is 17-6 SU in its last 23 games at home
Next up:
New Orleans home to LA Clippers, Tuesday, November 17
Atlanta home to Portland, Monday, November 16
Detroit Pistons vs. Washington Wizards
The Detroit Pistons and the Washington Wizards will both be trying to pick up a win on Saturday when they battle at Verizon Center.
The Pistons got off to a slow start before pulling ahead for good in a 98-75 victory over the Bobcats on Wednesday. The Pistons covered the 4.5-point spread, and the combined score made it OVER the posted total of 172.
Charlie Villanueva led the way with a game-high 30 points for the Pistons, and Ben Gordon chipped in with 22 in that win.
Gilbert Arenas went for 21 points and eight assists for Washington in its 90-76 loss to Miami on Tuesday night.
Miami covered as 8-point home favorites, while the game played UNDER the 184.5-point total listed by oddsmakers.
Current streak:
Detroit has won 2 straight games.
Washington has lost 5 straight games.
Team records:
Detroit: 4-4 SU, 5-3 ATS
Washington: 2-6 SU, 2-6 ATS
Detroit most recently:
When playing on Saturday are 7-3
Before playing Dallas are 6-4
After playing Charlotte are 5-5
After a win are 4-6
Washington most recently:
When playing on Saturday are 7-3
Before playing Cleveland are 3-7
After playing Miami are 4-6
After a loss are 3-7
A few trends to consider:
Detroit is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Detroit is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Washington
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Detroit's last 9 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Detroit's last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 5 games
Washington is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Washington's last 9 games when playing at home against Detroit
Washington is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Detroit
Next up:
Detroit home to Dallas, Sunday, November 15
Washington home to Cleveland, Wednesday, November 18
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Charlotte Bobcats
The Portland Trail Blazers and the Charlotte Bobcats will both be gunning for a victory on Saturday when they meet at Time Warner Cable Arena.
LaMarcus Aldridge picked up 20 points and 13 boards on Friday night as the Trail Blazers scored an 86-78 win over the Hornets.
The Blazers managed to cover the 3.5-point spread on the road in that contest, while the combined score fell UNDER the night's posted total (187.5).
The Bobcats were trounced 98-75 by the Pistons last time out as a 4.5-pont underdog. The combined score made it OVER the posted total of 172.
Nazr Mohammed had 11 points and seven rebounds in a losing effort.
Current streak:
Portland has won 5 straight games.
Charlotte has lost 3 straight games.
Team records:
Portland: 7-3 SU, 7-3 ATS
Charlotte: 3-5 SU, 5-3 ATS
Portland most recently:
When playing on Saturday are 3-7
Before playing Atlanta are 4-6
After playing New Orleans are 5-5
After a win are 5-5
Charlotte most recently:
When playing on Saturday are 6-4
Before playing Orlando are 5-5
After playing Detroit are 6-4
After a loss are 3-7
A few trends to consider:
Portland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Portland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Portland's last 7 games when playing Charlotte
Charlotte is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Charlotte is 18-7 ATS in its last 25 games at home
Charlotte is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Charlotte's last 7 games when playing Portland
Next up:
Portland at Atlanta, Monday, November 16
Charlotte at Orlando, Monday, November 16
Boston Celtics vs. Indiana Pacers
The Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers will both be gunning for a victory on Saturday when they meet at Conseco Fieldhouse.
Paul Pierce led the way for Boston with 24 points in their 97-86 loss to the Hawks on Friday night.
The Celtics had been listed as 9-point home favorites in that contest, while the combined score fell UNDER the night's posted total (193).
Danny Granger dropped a game-high 31 points and grabbed 16 rebounds for a double-double as the Pacers ran past the Warriors 108-94 last time out. The Pacers covered the 5.5-point spread, while the teams played UNDER the night's posted total of 225.
Roy Hibbert added 16 points with nine rebounds in that victory.
Current streak:
Indiana has won 3 straight games.
Team records:
Boston: 8-2 SU, 5-5 ATS
Indiana: 3-3 SU, 3-3 ATS
Boston most recently:
When playing on Saturday are 6-4
Before playing Golden State are 3-7
After playing Atlanta are 6-4
After a loss are 9-1
Indiana most recently:
When playing on Saturday are 4-6
Before playing New Jersey are 3-7
After playing Golden State are 2-8
After a win are 5-5
A few trends to consider:
Boston is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 6 games on the road
Boston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Boston is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana's last 7 games when playing Boston
Indiana is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games at home
Next up:
Boston home to Golden State, Wednesday, November 18
Indiana at New Jersey, Tuesday, November 17
New Jersey Nets vs. Miami Heat
The New Jersey Nets and the Miami Heat will both be gunning for a victory on Saturday when they meet at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Rafer Alston tossed in 17 points in the Nets' 88-72 loss to the Magic on Friday night.
The Magic just managed to cover the 15.5-point spread in that contest, while the combined score fell UNDER the night's posted total (188.5).
Dwyane Wade tossed in a game-high 36 points in the Heat's 111-104 loss to the Cavaliers on Thursday as a pick'em. That game's combined score sailed OVER the posted total of 180.
Current streak:
New Jersey has lost 9 straight games.
Team records:
New Jersey: 0-9 SU, 3-4-2 ATS
Miami: 6-2 SU, 6-2 ATS
New Jersey most recently:
When playing on Saturday are 3-7
Before playing Indiana are 6-4
After playing Orlando are 6-4
After a loss are 1-9
Miami most recently:
When playing on Saturday are 3-7
Before playing Oklahoma City are 6-4
After playing Cleveland are 5-5
After a loss are 7-3
A few trends to consider:
New Jersey is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Miami
New Jersey is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Miami
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New Jersey's last 7 games when playing Miami
New Jersey is 5-12 SU in its last 17 games when playing on the road against Miami
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Miami's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games at home
Miami is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
Miami is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
Next up:
New Jersey home to Indiana, Tuesday, November 17
Miami home to Oklahoma City, Tuesday, November 17
Utah Jazz vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
The Utah Jazz and the Cleveland Cavaliers will both be gunning for a victory on Saturday when they meet at Quicken Loans Arena.
Carlos Boozer poured in 24 points on Friday night to lead the Jazz to a 112-90 win over the 76ers.
The Jazz had been listed as 3-point road underdogs in that contest, while the combined score went OVER the day's posted total (196.5).
LeBron James poured in 34 points to help lead the Cavaliers to a 111-104 victory over the Heat on Thursday as a pick'em. That game's combined score sailed OVER the posted total of 180.
Mo Williams added 25 points and J.J. Hickson chipped in with 18 in the win.
Current streak:
Cleveland has won 3 straight games.
Team records:
Utah: 4-5 SU, 3-6 ATS
Cleveland: 6-3 SU, 5-4 ATS
Utah most recently:
When playing on Saturday are 4-6
Before playing Toronto are 6-4
After playing Philadelphia are 2-8
After a win are 2-8
Cleveland most recently:
When playing on Saturday are 4-6
Before playing Golden State are 4-6
After playing Miami are 9-1
After a win are 6-4
A few trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Utah's last 8 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Utah's last 12 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Utah is 7-16 SU in its last 23 games
Utah is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland
Cleveland is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Utah
Cleveland is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Utah
Cleveland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Utah
Cleveland is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Next up:
Utah home to Toronto, Wednesday, November 18
Cleveland home to Golden State, Tuesday, November 17
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Memphis Grizzlies
The Minnesota Timberwolves and the Memphis Grizzlies will both be trying to pick up a win on Saturday when they battle at FedExForum.
Jonny Flynn scored 11 points and added four assists in Minnesota's 89-77 loss to the Mavericks on Friday night.
The Mavericks managed to cover the 10.5-point spread on the road in that contest, while the combined score fell UNDER the night's posted total (198).
Zach Randolph had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds in the Grizzlies' 104-79 loss to the Rockets last time out. The Grizzlies were 9-point underdogs in that game, while the teams played UNDER the posted total of 212.
Current streak:
Minnesota has lost 9 straight games.
Memphis has lost 7 straight games.
Team records:
Minnesota: 1-9 SU, 3-6-1 ATS
Memphis: 1-8 SU, 3-6 ATS
Minnesota most recently:
When playing on Saturday are 7-3
Before playing Houston are 5-5
After playing Dallas are 4-6
After a loss are 0-10
Memphis most recently:
When playing on Saturday are 3-7
Before playing LA Clippers are 3-7
After playing Houston are 3-7
After a loss are 3-7
A few trends to consider:
Minnesota is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Memphis
Minnesota is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Memphis
Minnesota is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
Minnesota is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games when playing on the road against Memphis
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Memphis's last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Memphis's last 9 games when playing Minnesota
Memphis is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Memphis is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Next up:
Minnesota home to Houston, Wednesday, November 18
Memphis home to LA Clippers, Wednesday, November 18
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Chicago Bulls
The Philadelphia 76ers and the Chicago Bulls will both be gunning for a victory on Saturday when they meet at United Center.
Thaddeus Young scored a team-high 17 points in the Sixers' 112-90 loss to the Jazz on Friday night.
The Jazz had been listed as 3-point road underdogs in that contest, while the combined score went OVER the day's posted total (196.5).
Taj Gibson and Luol Deng collected 18 points apiece in the Bulls' 99-89 loss to the Raptors last time out, as 5.5-point underdogs. That game's combined score went UNDER the posted total of 207.
Current streak:
Chicago has lost 2 straight games.
Team records:
Philadelphia: 4-5 SU, 2-7 ATS
Chicago: 4-4 SU, 3-5 ATS
Philadelphia most recently:
When playing on Saturday are 3-7
Before playing Charlotte are 5-5
After playing Utah are 6-4
After a loss are 5-5
Chicago most recently:
When playing on Saturday are 7-3
Before playing Sacramento are 4-6
After playing Toronto are 5-5
After a loss are 6-4
A few trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Philadelphia is 14-5 SU in its last 19 games when playing on the road against Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Philadelphia's last 17 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 5 games when playing Philadelphia
Chicago is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chicago's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chicago's last 5 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
Next up:
Philadelphia home to Charlotte, Wednesday, November 18
Chicago at Sacramento, Tuesday, November 17
Golden State Warriors vs. Milwaukee Bucks
The Golden State Warriors and the Milwaukee Bucks will both be trying to pick up a win on Saturday when they battle at Bradley Center.
Stephen Jackson tossed in 23 points on Friday night as the Warriors grabbed a 121-107 win over the Knicks.
The Knicks had been favored by 4 points at home in that contest, while the combined score went OVER the night's posted total (225.5).
The Bucks held off a late surge to upset the Nuggets 108-102 on Wednesday, as 4-point underdogs. That game's combined score made it OVER the posted total of 198.
Brandon Jennings led the way with a game-high 32 points with nine rebounds, while while Andre Bogut added 23 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double in the win.
Current streak:
Milwaukee has won 3 straight games.
Team records:
Golden State: 3-5 SU, 3-5 ATS
Milwaukee: 4-2 SU, 5-1 ATS
Golden State most recently:
When playing on Saturday are 5-5
Before playing Cleveland are 3-7
After playing New York are 5-5
After a win are 3-7
Milwaukee most recently:
When playing on Saturday are 4-6
Before playing Dallas are 4-6
After playing Denver are 1-9
After a win are 3-7
A few trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Golden State's last 5 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
Golden State is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Milwaukee
Golden State is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Golden State's last 10 games when playing Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Milwaukee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Milwaukee is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing at home against Golden State
Next up:
Golden State at Cleveland, Tuesday, November 17
Milwaukee home to Dallas, Monday, November 16
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs
The Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs will both be trying to pick up a win on Saturday when they battle at AT&T Center.
Kevin Durant netted 30 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for a double-double on Wednesday as the Thunder defeated the Clippers 83-79. The Thunder won the game as a slight 2-point underdog, while the 162 points went UNDER the night's posted total of 186.5.
Jeff Green added 13 points and five rebounds in that win.
The Spurs pulled ahead in the second quarter en route to a 92-83 upset victory over the Mavericks on Wednesday as a 1.5-point underdog. The 175 points went UNDER the posted total of 196.5.
Richard Jefferson led the Spurs with 29 points and seven rebounds.
Current streak:
San Antonio has won 2 straight games.
Team records:
Oklahoma City: 4-4 SU, 5-3 ATS
San Antonio: 4-3 SU, 4-3 ATS
Oklahoma City most recently:
When playing on Saturday are 4-6
Before playing LA Clippers are 2-8
After playing LA Clippers are 5-5
After a win are 2-8
San Antonio most recently:
When playing on Saturday are 8-2
Before playing Dallas are 6-4
After playing Dallas are 7-3
After a win are 4-6
A few trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Oklahoma City's last 8 games
Oklahoma City is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Oklahoma City's last 9 games on the road
Oklahoma City is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing San Antonio
San Antonio is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City
San Antonio is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
San Antonio is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Antonio's last 5 games at home
Next up:
Oklahoma City home to LA Clippers, Sunday, November 15
San Antonio at Dallas, Wednesday, November 18
NBA Round-Up for Saturday 11/14
by Dan Bebe
I need to give credit where credit's due: Sacramento has taken Kevin Martin's injury and used it as motivation. They've since rattled off 4 straight wins, some more impressive than others, but this team is above .500 on the season, and took down a solid Houston club last night 109-100. Three players scored over 20 points last night, and Jason Thompson continued his spectacular surge; he really is quite skilled and can post some beefy numbers when he stays out of foul trouble. I still maintain that this team is due for a letdown, but as long as they're rolling, and as long as they (in my opinion) passed a test last night facing a well-coached veteran opponent, they should stay in attack mode for another game or two, at least.
In other news, my desktop PC is still lying on the floor, open to the world, guts spewed across my living room. It appears, after "going canine", that the smell of burnt plastic was emanating from the power supply, but who knows how many pieces of the computer shorted out from the incident. It's an old machine, so it might be time to part with it, but there is some sort of sentimentality in a computer I've had since college. The hard drives are intact, and records of my existence from 1988 until the present have been copied to other computers, so the most frightening part of this journey is over.
For those other nerdlingtons out there, I wouldn't mind some advice. There are no Fry's Electronics in the Midwest, but I've heard of a legendary shop of wares known as Microcenter, where computer parts gather and sing camp songs. Is this place truly as marvelous as I've heard? If so, it might be worth my time to see what sort of goodies I can procure.
Sports Wagering
Pacers/Celtics - I'm honestly not positive why this line is OFF. Boston seemed to be mostly healthy in their loss to the Hawks last night. Indiana might get Troy Murphy back, which is about the only reason I can think Vegas is waiting to release a line on this game. Boston has definitely come back to Earth after a monster start to the year, playing some closer games of late, and taking their aggression out on weaker opponents, like the Nets and struggling Jazz. The Pacers seem to have found a groove, though not a particularly deep groove, while rattling off 3 straight wins over severely outclassed teams (NY, Was, GS). The Celtics are certainly still the better team, and without Troy Murphy to pull one of Boston's bigs away from the hoop, this one should go in Boston's direction. I'd be surprised if the Celtics were favored by anything less than 5 or 6, and the total, since Indiana is an up-tempo team that still can't quite shoot the ball, should be right around 190.
Wizards/Pistons - I had a feeling this line would move overnight, and it did, though only slightly. After seeing Detroit getting 5 points late last night, they're getting 4.5 this morning. My first impression is to take the Pistons, who are playing defense like it's 2004, but not quite there offensively. Still, Charlie Villanueva has recovered from the flu (and other nagging injuries), and between he and Ben Gordon, they seem to have about enough offense to take care of the weaker NBA teams. Washington is definitely among the weak, but they're supposed to get BOTH Antawn Jamison and Mike Miller back for tonight's home game. Mike Miller helps, obviously, with his versatility, but Antawn Jamison is really the motor that keeps this team running. He shoots a great percentage from the field, and is just one of those guys that has a nose for the ball. Plus, his quick-release style near the bucket is extremely difficult to defend. I would wait and see how the Wizards gel in his return before taking a chance on them. The total of 185 is right on the money. No play in this one.
Bobcats/Blazers - Charlotte getting 3 points at home with a frightfully low total of 172.5. We've seen Charlotte's home-road splits all throughout this young season, and I feel as though tonight should be no different. This team just cannot shoot the ball on the road, but at home they play with confidence, and are 3-1. They are, however, coming off getting spanked in Detroit, and now face another top defensive club in Portland. At first glance, I'm inclined to take Charlotte, as they're in the better spot. Portland is coming off a horrifically ugly game in New Orleans that they won, but it was just an unbearable game to be a part of. It's not a terribly long flight for this back-to-back, and Portland has won 5 straight. This could be interpreted two ways: either they've figured out how to win on the road (and the solution was "play the world's slowest games"), or they're due for a few lapses. I would tend to side with the latter. Portland is on a 4-games-in-5-nights stretch that concludes tonight in Charlotte. They started in Memphis on the 10th, played in Minnesota on the 11th, last night in N'awleans, and now tonight in Charlotte. This is just a spot where almost everybody feels a little dead-legged. Early lean to Charlotte.
Hawks/Hornets - This is a game I mentioned in my daily thread last night when the line was Hawks -8. I mentioned Chris Paul's ankle injury in their game against Portland, and that the line would jump on news that Paul would miss a week or two while he heals. Whether the Hawks deserve to have a line near double-digits or not, it's happened, and if you grabbed Atlanta at -8, you have a very nice situation on your hands. You could, (a) keep your current wager on the Hawks at -8, and just hope they run the Hornets right out of the building, (b) buy back on the Hornets at +9.5 and set up a small middle, or (c) wait a little longer and see if the line continues to climb. I would recommend a or c, since it's still quite early on the west coast, and the public action in Vegas around 11am eastern time should move this line up another half point or so. I still like my original pick of Hawks -8, so waiting is definitely the way I'm going to go. The total of 202.5 would be on the low side if Paul was healthy, but being fully unaware of how the Hornets will respond with Darren Collison at the point, I'd rather not take a gamble on the total.
Cavaliers/Jazz - This line is OFF, as well. My thoughts, though, are that the Jazz finally got it together for one game, and put the Sixers over their knee. Does this mean Utah is back? I'm not convinced. The Sixers are having all kinds of problems figuring out a rotation without a true point guard to run the offense (once again, Andre Miller's departure sends a team into disarray: see Nuggets trade for Allen Iverson), so I'm not impressed with the Jazz just yet. The Cavs, meanwhile, seem to be learning how to play with one another, but it really seemed to come down to Mo Williams. When he's shooting at or above 50%, Lebron can have some rest and remain fresh for throwing daggers late in the 4th. When Williams struggles, this team goes back to being a one-man-gang with 10 role-players. The Cavs need one more scorer for me to consider them among the elite, preferably at the power forward spot. I know J.J. Hickson had a nice game against Miami, and he may yet become a good NBA player, but that game was not the start of a bum rush, but rather an explosion, and he'll return to normal production soon enough. Cavs should be favored in this one by 6, or thereabouts, with a total just under 190. Early lean to the Cavs to cover such a potential line.
Heat/Nets - Another line OFF. What gives?? The Nets are coming off a loss last night, and 3 very poor quarters after a good 1st. The Heat got outscored by the Cavs in a strange up-and-down game between two defensive clubs. I don't know if the Nets are expecting anyone back, but the Heat are mostly healthy, so this line being OFF feels strange to me. I think Miami will be favored near double-digits, and we'll probably see Miami's defensive style impact the total more than their up-tempo last game against the Cavs. With the Nets playing the second half of a back-to-back, I'm not sure they can really compete in this one. I lean to the favorite.
Bulls/Sixers - I had a sneaking suspicion we'd see the line move towards Chicago overnight, but the shift was only by a half point, with the Bulls favored by 6.5 now, as opposed to just 6 last night. I agree with the move. The Bulls are coming off a tired performance in Toronto after that home loss to the Nuggets ripped the team's collective heart out. Tonight, they get their act back together. Of course, that being said, before getting worked over in Toronto, they had played ONLY close games for about a week straight. Does that mean they're just going to hang with the Sixers and hope to win late? Maybe. Philadelphia is a mess, though, and it's tough to bank on them to cover anything these days. Very, very slight lean to the Bulls, but not a strong one at all. The total of 188 is a pure average. Chicago has been playing games right around 180, and Philly has been totaling near 196. I'm inclined to think Chicago will keep this thing from running out of control, and I have a slight lean to the Under.
Grizzlies/Timberwolves - Grizzlies by 8 with a total of 201.5. This total has dropped from its opening mark despite public money on the Over, so oddsmakers think Minnesota, without Al Jefferson, is going to struggle to break 90. That leaves an awful lot of ground for Memphis to cover if we're going to get a total over 200. Still, the Grizzlies play some of the highest-scoring games in the league, and have, arguably, the worst defense available. Even the horrid Wolves might be able to score a few buckets, and if the line drops much further, I'd be inclined to think we might get better value going back up Over the total. I'm also rather surprised Memphis is favored by 8. That team shouldn't be considered good enough to lay 8 points to anyone, even the Wolves. Is this a sucker-line, and will Memphis dominate from start to finish, or are we getting a gift on a Minny team that stinks, but doesn't stink all that much worse than the Grizz? These are the questions that need to be answered throughout the day.
Bucks/Warriors - The Bucks are starting to earn some cred, and are favorites of 7 at home to the Warriors with a total of 208.5. I have to be frank: I'm still not sure what to expect from the Bucks. They're finding ways to win games, and beat the Nuggets at home in their last game. This has a great deal to do with the hefty 7 points they need to cover in this one. The Warriors got a rare road win last night in New York, but I think it's safe to say that beating the Knicks is about as worthwhile an accomplishment as dunking on a 6-foot rim. Early money is on Milwaukee and the Over, and I'm inclined to believe that those dollars win half of their bets. Milwaukee covers, but the Under is a distinct possibility.
Spurs/Thunder - Another line OFF, though this one is because we may or may not see one or both of San Antonio's injured All-Stars. It's tough to offer elaborate, thorough opinions of the game if we don't know who's playing - especially when those guys that may or may not see the court are true impact players. I don't know where the lines are going to be, and they'll be different depending on the active guys, but despite San Antonio's high-scoring home games, the Thunder have been engaged in defensive battles, and are an Under cash cow. I'd definitely keep an eye on a potential clanker, but I'll offer more thoughts when we see what these lines might look like.
Fantasy Advice
Kelenna Azubuike - I thought about tossing him into the fantasy mix 2 games back, but decided to wait, and now he's probably been picked up in a handful of Leagues. Still, it sounds like Don Nelson might either quit or be fired in the next 2 weeks, which would drastically change the value of everyone in Golden State. Azubuike is worth having, Anthony Randolph is a top talent, and who knows what else might be worth grabbing if the Warriors get a coach that starts the same 5 guys for more than 2 games at a time.