Saturday's Best NBA Bets
Cleveland Cavaliers at San Antonio Spurs
Forgive these teams if neither seems sharp on Saturday evening.
The Spurs played at Utah and the Cavaliers visited the surging Hornets on Friday night, meaning both teams will be on the business end of a 24-hour
turnaround.
But that shouldn’t phase the Spurs. Little else could. Tony Parker and his relationship drama? All the Spurs did was rally for a convincing win over the Bulls. Richard Jefferson returning from one of the worst seasons in his career? Playing out of his mind. And Tim Duncan losing a step on the defensive end? Try reinventing himself on the low post by using his tricks and reach against faster, younger players.
The results have the Spurs off to a 9-1 start and a 6-3-1 record ATS. The Spurs can play it either way – touting the second-best offense in the league and averaging 108.3 points per game, while yielding just 100.4 points per game, putting the team in the top-half of defensive squads in the Association.
Meantime, the Cavaliers is 3-1 on the road, but its opponents are far from impressive: Toronto, New Jersey, Washington and Philadelphia.
The Spurs will make these paper road warriors fold.
Pick: Spurs
New Jersey Nets at Denver Nuggets
Think of the Denver Nuggets offense like a really bad mixed drink – absurdly strong, but needs to be better blended.
That’s been the story so far for Denver, which scored 118 in a win over the Lakers, but a meager 83 a week later in a loss to Portland. One of the newest ingredients that needs blended into the Denver offense is forward Al Harrington, who dropped 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting in a win over the New York Knicks.
“He gives us that extra threat that we’re looking for offensively,” Denver All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony said. “We try to spread the court with him. He’s trying to find his way in the offense – I think everyone is – we have a lot of new guys.”
Down the court, the Nets also are having trouble finding consistent chemistry.
Starters Travis Outlaw, Kris Humphries, Brook Lopez, Anthony Morrow and Devin Harris each play about 30 minutes per game, but that makes it hard to find regular minutes for bench players like Jordan Farmar, Derrick Favors and Terrence Williams.
“We just got to generate more energy,” Nets coach Avery Johnson said. “Like I told the team, I don’t like our mental or physical conditioning right now. And we got to improve it on all areas. I don’t know the next time they’ll see an off-day because we need work.”
As a result of both teams struggling to find a balance, the Nets have seen four of five games fall under the total, while the Nuggets have had two of three dip under the total.
Pick: Under
Clippers look to end skid versus NY Knicks
By: Joe Freda
The Los Angeles Clippers have dropped eight straight contests, with a 4-4 NBA spread record in that stretch. Vinny Del Negro’s club looks to end its slide in Saturday’s home matchup against the New York Knicks, who play the finale of a four-game road trip.
Los Angeles’ latest setback occurred with Thursday’s 107-80 spanking as an eight-point road dog against the Indiana Pacers. The Clippers saw an early seven-point lead vanish after being outscored, 31-18, in the second quarter.
Clippers guard Eric Gordon logged a team-high 19 points and added two boards. The 21-year-old sank 8-of-12 free throws, while hitting 5-of-17 field buckets.
Los Angeles’ DeAndre Jordan struggled in the middle, shooting 0-for-7 from the field en route to finishing with no points. The three-year big man logged five rebounds and one block in his 23 minutes on the floor.
The lopsided affair’s 187 combined points plunged below the ‘total’ of 204 ½, ending a 4-0 ‘over’ streak in the Clippers’ prior four games. Los Angeles drained only 2-of-9 from beyond the arc, while allowing Indiana to hit 14-of-26 from three-point land.
The Clippers are 1-5 ATS in their first six home games, with the ‘total’ splitting at 3-3. Gordon and Co. have given up 101.5 PPG in that span, allowing visitors to shoot 46.3 percent from the field.
New York ended a six-game losing streak with Wednesday’s 113-106 victory as a four-point road dog against the Sacramento Kings. The Knicks trailed early by as many as 15 points, but rallied for as much as a 14-point lead.
Knicks forward Amare Stoudemire logged his first double-double in four games, finishing with 27 points and 10 rebounds. The five-time All-Star added two blocks and two steals.
New York’s Danilo Gallinari equaled Stoudemire’s tally of 27 points. The Italy native drained 3-of-5 from beyond the arc and sank 16-of-17 from the foul line.
The shootout’s combined 219 points sailed ‘over’ the ‘total’ of 208 ½. New York connected on 52.1 percent of its field buckets, while allowing Sacramento to hit 44.9 percent.
The Knicks’ triumph improved Mike D’Antoni’s crew to 5-2 ATS in its first seven road games, with the ‘over’ moving to 4-3. New York has piled in 104.7 PPG in that stretch, while allowing 107.9 PPG.
New York is playing the second game of a back-to-back spot, following a clash with the Golden State Warriors as part of Friday’s league slate. The Knicks are 2-1-1 ATS in their first four games played on no rest, with the ‘total’ going an even 2-2.
New York is 3-1 ATS in its last four meetings against the Clippers, with the ‘over’ also cashing at 3-1.
The Knicks picked up a 113-107 win as one-point road dogs in last April’s battle against Los Angeles. Gallinari struggled for New York, hitting 4-of-14 from the field, while Gordon drained 3-of-6 from three-point land for the Clippers.
Saturday’s tip at Staples Center is scheduled for 7:35 p.m. (PT).
New York will have two days off before hosting the Charlotte Bobcats on Tuesday’s league schedule. Los Angeles will be idle for one day before Monday’s home matchup against the New Orleans Hornets.