NBA Today
SCOREBOARD
Thursday, Jan. 22
Boston at Orlando (8 p.m. EST). Kevin Garnett and the Celtics lead the Atlantic Division. Dwight Howard and the surprising Magic are tops in the Southeast and each are vying for the best record in the Eastern Conference.
STARS
Wednesday
— Andrew Bynum and Kobe Bryant, Lakers. Bynum scored a career-high 42 points and Bryant had 18 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists for his second triple-double in three games in Los Angeles’ 108-97 win over the Clippers.
— LeBron James, Cavaliers, had 34 points and 14 assists in Cleveland’s 104-98 win over Portland.
— Deron Williams, Jazz, had 32 points and 11 assists in Utah’s 108-99 loss to Houston.
— Charlie Villanueva, Bucks, had 32 points and 10 rebounds and Milwaukee handed Dallas its most lopsided loss of the season, 133-99.
— Antawn Jamison, Wizards, had 33 points and nine rebounds in Washington’s 110-107 victory over Sacramento.
NEW-LOOK NEW YORK
The Knicks snapped a five-game losing streak to the Suns with a 114-109 victory, beating Phoenix for the first time since Jan. 2, 2006 and giving coach Mike D’Antoni his first win over his former team. The Knicks are 17-24 at the season’s halfway point, four games ahead of last year.
STREAKING
The Bobcats have won four of five and 10 of 17 overall. … The Celtics have won six straight. … New Orleans has won 11 of its past 13 home games.
STRUGGLES
The Grizzlies have lost seven straight, 15 of 17 and fell to 2-16 on the road with a 101-86 loss at Charlotte. … The Raptors have lost seven straight. … The Suns have lost four of five.
LORDS OF THE RINGS
Dwyane Wade’s Olympic banner will be swaying from the ceiling of the Miami Heat’s home arena soon. So, too, will one for Tim Hardaway and Alonzo Mourning. The Heat will raise two banners at halftime of their Jan. 31 game against the Dallas Mavericks: one for Wade, who was part of the 2008 U.S. gold medal team in Beijing, and the other for Mourning and Hardaway, who helped the Americans win gold at the 2000 Sydney Games. They will be displayed alongside the Heat’s division, conference and NBA championship banners.
PULL UP A CHAIR
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban got tossed out of a courtside seat early in the Mavericks’ loss at Milwaukee. He was sitting in one of the four seats to the left of the Dallas bench, but the ticketholders showed up and Cuban was forced to relocate. No worries, though. He grabbed a folding chair and created a seat for himself directly behind the bench, where he watched the Bucks rout the Mavs 133-99.
SIDELINED
Warriors center Andris Biedrins, averaging 13.7 points and 12 rebounds, was held out of the game against Oklahoma City with a sprained left wrist. … Raptors forward Kris Humphries is out indefinitely with a fractured right fibula. Humphries was kicked in the leg Sunday against the Phoenix Suns.
SPEAKING
“It’s like being jilted by a lover. Days go by, and you get over it.”— Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni after New York defeated his former team, the Phoenix Suns, 114-109 on Wednesday night.
Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic
The Celtics got out to a 19 point lead en route to a 98-83 victory over the Heat on Wedneday, The Celtics covered the 6-point spread, while the 181 points fell UNDER the posted total of 187.
Ray Allen led the way with 27 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Eddie House added 25 points in the win.
The Magic defeated the Nuggets 106-88 on Saturday, as slight 1.5-point underdogs at home. The 194 points went UNDER the posted total of 209.5.
Hedo Turkoglu turned in a strong performance with 31 points, four rebounds and five assists. Jameer Nelson added 23 points, and Rashard Lewis chipped in with 21.
Current streak:
Boston has won 6 straight games.
Orlando has won 7 straight games.
Team records:
Boston: 35-9 SU, 24-20 ATS
Orlando: 33-8 SU, 28-12-1 ATS
Boston most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 1-9
Before playing Dallas are 4-6
After playing Miami are 5-5
After a win are 7-3
Orlando most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 6-4
Before playing Miami are 8-2
After playing Denver are 5-5
After a win are 8-2
A few trends to consider:
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games when playing on the road against Orlando
Boston is 14-6 SU in its last 20 games on the road
Boston is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Orlando
Orlando is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Orlando is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Orlando is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Orlando is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Boston
Next up:
Boston home to Dallas, Sunday, January 25
Orlando at Miami, Saturday, January 24
Washington Wizards vs. Los Angeles Lakers
The Wizards were badly outplayed in the fourth quarter, but held on for a 110-107 victory over the Kings on Wednesday. The Wizards won the game as a 2.5-point underdog, and the team's played OVER the posted total of 207.5.
Antawn Jamison led the way with a game-high 33 points, and Caron Butler had 32 points with six rebounds and five assists in that win.
The Lakers took control in the third quarter and went on to clobber the Clippers 108-97 on Wednesday. The Lakers failed to cover the 16-point spread, while the combined score made it OVER the posted total of 203.5.
Andrew Bynum tossed in a game-high 42 points with 15 rebounds for a double-double to lead the way.
Current streak:
Los Angeles has won 2 straight games.
Team records:
Washington: 9-32 SU, 17-24 ATS
Los Angeles: 33-8 SU, 19-22 ATS
Washington most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 2-8
Before playing Portland are 7-3
After playing Sacramento are 3-7
After a win are 1-9
Los Angeles most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 8-2
Before playing San Antonio are 9-1
After playing LA Clippers are 7-3
After a win are 8-2
A few trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Washington's last 7 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Washington's last 15 games when playing LA Lakers
Washington is 5-12 ATS in their last 17 games when playing LA Lakers
Washington is 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
LA Lakers are 18-2 SU in their last 20 games at home
LA Lakers are 12-2 SU in their last 14 games when playing at home against Washington
The total has gone OVER in 6 of the LA Lakers last 7 games when playing at home against Washington
LA Lakers are 12-3 SU in their last 15 games
Next up:
Washington at Portland, Saturday, January 24
LA Lakers home to San Antonio, Sunday, January 25
BOSTON (34 - 9) at ORLANDO (33 - 8)
Top Trends for this game.
ORLANDO is 29-12 ATS (+15.8 Units) in all games this season.
ORLANDO is 56-33 ATS (+19.7 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 39-24 ATS (+12.6 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 12-2 ATS (+9.8 Units) in home games against Atlantic division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 16-5 ATS (+10.5 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
ORLANDO is 37-13 ATS (+22.7 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) after scoring 105 points or more this season.
ORLANDO is 11-1 ATS (+9.9 Units) after playing 3 consecutive road games over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins this season.
ORLANDO is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ORLANDO is 12-0 ATS (+12.0 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
BOSTON is 90-60 ATS (+24.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 54-34 ATS (+16.6 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 70-42 ATS (+23.8 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
ORLANDO is 4-4 against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
ORLANDO is 5-3 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON (8 - 32) at LA LAKERS (32 - 8)
Top Trends for this game.
LA LAKERS are 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 3-2 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
LA LAKERS is 4-1 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON vs. ORLANDO
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Boston is 14-6 SU in its last 20 games on the road
Orlando is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Boston
Orlando is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Boston
WASHINGTON vs. LA LAKERS
Washington is 5-12 ATS in their last 17 games when playing LA Lakers
Washington is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Lakers
LA Lakers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games at home
LA Lakers are 18-2 SU in their last 20 games at home
Hot Teams
-- Celtics won their last six games (5-1 against spread). Magic won five of their last six (4-1 vs spread in last five).
-- Lakers won six of their last eight games (1-5 vs spread in last six at Staples).
Cold Teams
-- Wizards lost seven of last nine games (2-6 vs spread in last eight).
Totals
-- Six of last eight Boston games stayed under the total.
-- Nine of last twelve Washington games stayed under the total.
Back-to Back
-- Celtics are 3-7 vs spread if they played the night before.
-- Lakers are 5-3 vs spread if they played the night before
Boston (35-9, 24-20 ATS) at Orlando (33-8, 28-12-1 ATS)
Two of the NBA’s best teams square off inside Amway Arena in Orlando when the Magic host the Celtics in an Eastern Conference showdown.
Boston comes into this one having won six straight (5-1 ATS), including a 98-83 road win in Miami on Wednesday, covering as a 5 ½-point favorite. The Celtics have been getting the job done on the defensive end, limiting each of their last four opponents to 87 points or less.
Orlando carries a seven-game winning streak (6-1 ATS) into tonight, including a four-game Western Conference road trip that saw the Magic go 4-0 SU and ATS. They have been doing it with offense, scoring at least 105 points in each of their last six games and winning their last five games by an average of 20 points (116-96.6).
In this series, the host has won seven straight (6-1 ATS) and eight of 10 (8-2 ATS), including the only matchup this year when Boston got a 107-88 home win on Dec. 1 as an 8 ½-point favorite. In fact, the home team is on a 21-6 ATS run in this series and the chalk has gotten the cash in 19 of the last 26.
The Celtics are just 2-6 ATS in their last eight games against teams with a winning record and 1-4 ATS in their last five games when playing on no rest. On a positive note, they are on ATS runs of 37-17 as an underdog, 4-1 on Thursdays and 10-1 as an underdog of five to 10 ½ points. For the Magic, they are on a plethora of positive ATS streaks, including 36-17-1 overall, 10-3 as a favorite, 5-1 as a home favorite, 4-1 on Thursdays and 5-2 against the Atlantic Division.
For Boston, the under is on runs of 22-7 on the road, 11-4 overall, 10-3 as a ‘dog, 10-2 as a road ‘dog and 5-1 on the second night of a back-to-back. Orlando is on “under” streaks of 7-1 as a home favorite, 7-0 on Thursday, 4-1 at home and 41-19-1 as a home favorite of five to 10 ½-points. In this rivalry, the under is 4-1 in the last five meetings in Orlando.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
Washington (9-32, 17-24 ATS) at L.A. Lakers (33-8, 19-22 ATS)
The Wizards continue their West Coast road trip tonight, making a stop in Hollywood as they visit the Lakers inside the Staples Center.
Washington has split the first two games of this four-game swing, losing to Golden State 119-98 on Monday as a 4 ½-point ‘dog and then edging Sacramento 110-107 Wednesday and cashing as a 2 ½-point underdog. The Wizards are just 2-7 SU (3-6 ATS) since Jan. 7 and Wednesday’s win was just their third (3-17 SU) on the highway this season (9-11 ATS).
Los Angeles comes into this one off a 108-97 win over the Clippers Wednesday, but failing to cash as a 16-point favorite. Last time the Staples Center court was decorated in Lakers’ colors they were blowing out the Cavaliers on Monday 105-88, covering as five-point favorites.
The Lakers have won the last four matchups in this series, including a 106-104 victory in Washington back on Dec. 5, but failing to cash as 12-point favorites. Last year in Los Angeles these two played a thriller with the Lakers getting a 126-120 overtime win but coming up just short as a seven-point chalk. Los Angeles is 12-5 ATS in the last 17 series clashes and the road team is 5-1 ATS in the last six.
Washington is on ATS slides of 2-6 overall and 1-4 as an underdog, but the Wizards are on positive ATS runs of 5-1 against the Pacific Division, 7-2 against the Western Conference and 8-2 in their last 10 games as a road ‘dog of 11 points or more. The Lakers are 16-7 in their last 23 on the second night of back-to-backs, but otherwise it’s all negative ATS trends that include 6-16 as a favorite, 6-20 against the Eastern Conference, 1-4 at home, 1-10 against teams with a losing record and 0-7 against the Southeast Division.
The Wizards have topped the total in 22 of their last 29 games against Pacific Division teams, but the under is on runs of 9-3 on the road, 10-3 as a ‘dog, 25-11 as a road ‘dog and 6-2 agaisnt Western Conference teams. Los Angeles is on “over” streaks of 16-7 at home, 13-5 as a favorite of 11 points or more and 5-1 at home against teams with a losing road mark. In this series, the over has been the play in six of the last seven inside the Staples Center.
ATS ADVANTAGE: NONE
Gametimepicks.com
Hot and Cold Bets - Week 12
By Matt Fargo
The NBA is now in full swing and our eight-month marathon of the pro basketball season is close to half over. Matt Fargo will be looking into Hot and Cold NBA bets throughout the season and he takes a look at four games that you will want to pay attention to.
NBA Hot Bets
Thursday – Boston Celtics at Orlando Magic 8:00 PM ET
The Celtics are picking up steam at the right time as they have a brutally hard schedule following Monday’s game against Phoenix. Boston has to deal with 10 of its next 14 games are on the road including eight games against teams currently sitting in playoff spots. While the Celtics have won four straight after going 2-7 in their previous nine games, they are not the ‘Hot’ bet here. Orlando continues to eat the league up as it has won seven straight (6-1 ATS) including all four games from its just completed roadtrip. That includes solid wins over the Spurs, Lakers and Nuggets. The Magic are now 33-8 on the season (28-12-1 ATS) and one of those eight losses happened to come against the Celtics. They lost that game by 19 points which was the biggest loss of the season. Orlando won two of three against Boston last season with both wins coming at home so revenge is no doubt a very good possibility. Orlando will have had five days off prior to this game and while rust could be an issue, the rest from playing seven games in 12 days will be more beneficial.
VegasInsider.com
What bettors need to know: TNT NBA double header
By MATT SOUTHARD
Boston Celtics at Orlando Magic (-5, 192.5)
Recent history: Boston defeated Orlando 107-88 in Boston December 1.
Celtics no longer crossed up
After struggling through the waning days of December, Boston (34-9 SU, 23-20 ATS) looked disjointed entering the New Year. Starting with their Christmas Day loss against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Celtics dropped seven of nine games (straight up and against the spread). But after a 98-83 drubbing by Cleveland Jan. 9, the Celtics have pulled themselves back from the abyss and have won five straight games and going 4-1 ATS.
Magic money
Orlando is 33-8 SU and has won nine of its last 10 games, including a current seven-game winning streak. Orlando has not lost two consecutive games since starting the season 0-2. The Magic also boast the best ATS record in the NBA, sitting atop the league at 28-12-1. Orlando is also the only team on the TNT Thursday docket that did not play Wednesday night.
Both squads on point
Despite both teams being star-studded and having a variety of ways to beat opposing squads, the play of point guards Rajon Rondo for Boston and Jameer Nelson for Orlando has been critical.
During the Celtic skid, Rondo looked erratic and his shot selection was off. But during the five-game winning streak, the point guard has seemingly recollected himself and is averaging 13 points, 10.4 assists and is shooting 50.4 percent from the field.
Surrounded by an array of deep threats and the inside dominance of Dwight Howard, Nelson is having the best year of his four-season career. In the month of January, in which the Magic are 8-1 SU, Nelson has averaged 18.9 points and 5.9 assists per game. Nelson missed the previous game between the two teams.
Washington Wizards at Los Angeles Lakers (-15.5, 206.5)
Recent history: Los Angeles beat Washington 106-104 Dec. 5.
Tale of two teams
While Los Angeles possesses the second-best record in the league at 32-8, Washington is slumming with the second-worst record in the NBA with an 8-32 mark.
The Lakers have had their superstar for the entire season in Kobe Bryant. The Wizards, on the other hand, are still without go-to guy Gilbert Arenas.
About the only thing the two teams have in common are their ATS records, and even Los Angeles has the Wizards beat there, posting a 19-21 record to Washington's 16-24 mark.
Los Angeles running up (and giving up) points
The Lakers have struggled on defense in the month of January, allowing 104.1 points per contest. Fortunately, they have also been lighting the scoreboard up themselves, scoring 108.5 points per game. Because of the high-scoring games, Bryant has excelled offensively for the Lakers, averaging 29.1 points.
But the up-tempo games have also allowed the reigning league MVP to expand upon his role of offensive facilitator. Bryant is dishing out assists to the tune of 7.6 per game this month and is probably playing at his most efficient level this season.
Those numbers might catch a snag after Bryant dislocated his finger in the team's 105-88 victory over Cleveland Monday. He described the injury as the most pain he has ever had to deal with. Fortunately for the Lakers, they probably won't need a career night from Bryant against the Wizards.
Wizards trying to rely on defense
It seemed that the start of the New Year brought a new philosophy for Washington: Abandon the reckless offensive style and gravitate more towards defense. Washington had allowed 100-plus points once prior to their last three games. Then it all went haywire.
In the last three, the Wizards have allowed 112 points and that doesn't bode well considering the Lakers have the best offense in terms of efficiency in the league at the moment.
Yet, in 2009, the Wizards are 6-3-1 against the number. But that's probably due to more offensive liabilities than defensive discipline considering Washington is 2-8 ATS in their last ten.