Chicago (6-4 SU, 4-6 ATS) at L.A. Lakers (8-3 SU, 4-7 ATS)
The Bulls continue their six-game Western Conference road swing with a stop at the Staples Center in Los Angeles to face the defending world champion Lakers.
Chicago opened the road trip with Tuesday’s 101-87 win in Sacramento, cashing in as a 2½-point favorite as Luol Deng had 16 points and 10 rebounds to go with Joakim Noah’s 15 points and 14 boards. It was just the Bulls’ second road win of the season (2-3 SU and ATS) and the first time they scored in triple digits this season. Their previous high was in Saturday’s 94-88 home win over the Sixers.
Los Angeles snapped a two-game SU and ATS losing streak with Tuesday’s 106-93 home win over the Pistons, covering as a 9½-point favorite. Kobe Bryant poured in 40 points – the 100th time in his career he hit that plateau –and dished out five assists while center Andrew Bynum had 17 points and 12 rebounds.
The Lakers have won four straight (3-1 ATS) in this series and three straight (2-1 ATS) at Staples Center. They scored a 116-109 home win last November but came up short as 13-point favorites, then went to Chicago in March and rolled 117-109 as a 3 ½-point chalk. Los Angeles is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings overall, but the road team has cashed in four of the last five overall and the ‘dog is 10-3 ATS in the last 13 clashes.
Chicago is just 1-4 ATS in its last five as a road ‘dog and 1-5 ATS in its last six after getting one day off, but the Bulls are on positive ATS runs of 14-1-1 against the Western Conference, 11-2 against Pacific Division teams, 19-9-1 as an underdog and 10-4 on Thursday. The Lakers are just 1-5 ATS in their last six against teams with winning records, but they’re otherwise on a plethora of positive pointspread streaks, including 11-4 on Thursday, 4-1 at home, 5-1 against Central Division teams and 4-1 against Eastern Conference squads.
Chicago is on several “under” runs, including 4-0 overall, 4-0 on the road, 6-1 against Western Conference teams, 4-0 as a ‘dog, 7-2 on Thursday and 5-2 against Pacific Division teams. Meanwhile, Los Angeles is on “under” streaks of 11-4 at home, 34-16-1 as a favorite, 20-7 on Thursdays, 12-4 against Eastern Conference teams and 6-1 following a spread-cover. In this rivalry, the under is 9-2 in the last 11 clashes overall, including 4-1 in the last five meetings in Hollywood.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
Thursday's Tip Sheet
By Chris David
Phoenix (10-2 SU, 7-5 ATS) at New Orleans (4-8 SU, 4-8 ATS)
The Suns wrap up their two-game trip to the Gulf Coast on Thursday when the team faces the Hornets in the Big Easy.
Phoenix is coming off a 111-105 victory against Houston on Tuesday, which saw the team outscore the Rockets 33-23 in the final 12 minutes. Amare Stoudemire led all Suns with 23 points and Steven Nash dished out 16 assists. Surprisingly, the team was just 28 percent (6-of-21) from 3-point land, which is way below their season average of 43.8 percent.
New Orleans earned its first victory under new head coach Jeff Bower on Wednesday when the team knocked off the Los Angeles Clippers, 110-102. Bower, who took over for the fired Byron Scott, lost his first two since taking on the role as coach and general manger. Not helping his start was the loss of point Chris Paul (ankle), who could miss several weeks.
Rookie point guard Darren Collison recorded his fourth straight game of 10 points or more, plus he added six assists. The former UCLA standout will be needed to pick up the slack for Paul both offensively and more importantly defensively.
The Hornets have given up 100-plus points in three of their last four games, with Portland being the lone team that was held under the plateau and it likes to slow it down.
Tonight, New Orleans will be looking to avenge a 124-104 nationally televised loss to Phoenix last Wednesday. The Hornets had Paul in that contest and he led the team in points (25), assists (6) and steals (4). Do you think the outcome will be worse without CP3?
Phoenix was listed as a 6 ½-point home favorite in that victory and the oddsmakers have kept the line (-6) in the same range even though the Hornets are at home. The total is hovering around 218 points and the 'over' has gone 6-1 in the last seven head-to-head battles.
Prior to last Wednesday’s setback, this head-to-head series was owned by New Orleans. The Hornets has won and covered six of the previous seven encounters. The ‘over’ went 4-2-1 during this span.
Phoenix has been a beast on the road this year, going 6-2 SU and 5-3 ATS. The two losses were kind of expected and both had the Suns playing their second game in two nights. Plus it doesn’t help when you meet the two teams that played in the NBA Finals last year, the Magic and Lakers.
It’s safe to say the Suns aren’t on the championship level yet but they do boast five players that can finish off games with big shots, something the Hornets don’t have at all.
New Orleans has gone 3-2 SU and 2-3 ATS at home, but delving into the numbers further we find out that two of the victories came against the Kings and Clippers and the other triumph was an overtime win over Dallas, which had no business seeing an extra five minutes. In case you don’t follow the NBA nightly, it should be noted that the Mavs missed a pair from the charity strip that would’ve closed the game.
Things don’t get easier for the banged-up Hornets, who welcome the red-hot Hawks to town on Saturday. After playing eight of their last 10 on the road, the Suns catch the Pistons and Grizzlies in the desert next week.
TNT will provide national coverage of this game at 8:05 p.m. EST.
Chicago (6-4 SU, 4-6 ATS) at Los Angeles (8-3 SU, 4-6 ATS)
Perhaps a change of scenery was needed for the Bulls. Chicago opened its annual “Circus Trip” by cruising past Sacramento 101-87 as three-point road favorite on Tuesday. The 101-point outburst for Vinny Del Negro’s team was a season-high.
Despite combining for 188 points, the game still went ‘under’ the closing number of 196.5 and some ‘over’ players probably weren’t too happy with the 30-spot posted in the fourth. Ouch.
On the year, the Bulls have now seen the ‘under’ go 8-2.
Looking at the six-game road trek further, Tuesday’s affair was probably the one game you’d give the Bulls a chance because the next five are tough and it starts Thursday against the defending champs.
The Lakers went 36-5 last year at Staples Center during their championship run and even though its early, head coach Phil Jackson has to be a little concerned that the team has already dropped two at home this season.
After getting humbled 101-91 at home by Houston on Sunday as a nine-point favorite, Los Angeles showed its true colors by running past Detroit 106-93 on Tuesday. Gamblers playing correlated parlays with the Lakers-Over have now cashed four of the last five times when they play at home.
Will it happen again on Thursday? Los Angeles has been tabbed a 9 1/2-point home favorite, while the total is sitting at 191. The line makes sense according to their offensive stats, since the Lakers are averaging 101 PPG and the Bulls are posting 90.4 PPG.
Los Angeles has won and covered six of the last seven meetings against Chicago, including both regular season battles last year. The pair of games went 'over' in the 2008-09 season, which snapped a nine-game 'under' streak.
The Bulls continue their trip with a battle against Denver on Saturday, while the Lakers will be off until Sunday when Oklahoma City and its young guns visit L.A.
Tip off for this contest is set for 10:35 p.m. EST, with TNT providing national coverage.
Thursday's TNT Trends:
# Underdogs have gone 6-2 straight up and 7-1 against the spread.
# Totals have gone 4-4 on TNT this year.
# The Lakers are the only favorite to go 2-0 SU and 1-1 ATS on TNT this year.
# The Bulls have gone 2-0 both SU and ATS as underdogs this season on TNT, beating the Cavs and Spurs.
# The Suns are 0-1 both SU and ATS, after getting blasted to the Lakers last week.
# This will be the first time the Hornets play on TNT.
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Phoenix Suns vs. New Orleans Hornets
The Phoenix Suns and the New Orleans Hornets will both be gunning for a victory on Thursday when they meet at New Orleans Arena.
Amare Stoudemire went for 23 points and six rebounds to lead the Suns over the Rockets 111-105 on Tuesday night.
Phoenix cashed as 3.5-point road underdogs, while the teams played UNDER the 219.5-point total set by oddsmakers.
David West had 24 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Hornets past the Clippers 110-102 on Tuesday night.
New Orleans covered as 1.5-point home favorites, while the game played OVER the 194-point total listed by sportsbooks.
Current streak:
Phoenix has won 2 straight games.
Team records:
Phoenix: 10-2 SU, 8-4 ATS
New Orleans: 4-8 SU, 4-8 ATS
Phoenix most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 5-5
Before playing Detroit are 7-3
After playing Houston are 7-3
After a win are 8-2
New Orleans most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 5-5
Before playing Atlanta are 4-6
After playing LA Clippers are 4-6
After a win are 2-8
A few trends to consider:
Phoenix is 13-2 SU in its last 15 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Phoenix's last 7 games when playing New Orleans
Phoenix is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Phoenix is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of New Orleans's last 7 games when playing Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Orleans's last 5 games
New Orleans is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Phoenix
New Orleans is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Phoenix
Next up:
Phoenix home to Detroit, Sunday, November 22
New Orleans home to Atlanta, Saturday, November 21
Utah Jazz vs. San Antonio Spurs
The Utah Jazz and the San Antonio Spurs will both be gunning for a victory on Thursday when they meet at AT&T Center.
Carlos Boozer poured in 22 points and grabbed 18 rebounds for a double-double on Wednesday, leading the Jazz over the Raptors 104-91. The Jazz covered the 8-point spread, while the teams played UNDER the posted total of 212.
Andrei Kirilenko added 16 points with six rebounds in that win.
The Spurs were defeated 99-94 by the Mavericks last time out as a 3-point underdog. That game's 193 points went UNDER the posted total of 196.
Tim Duncan collected 22 points with 143 rebounds in a double-double performance in the loss.
Current streak:
San Antonio has lost 2 straight games.
Team records:
Utah: 5-6 SU, 5-6 ATS
San Antonio: 4-5 SU, 4-5 ATS
Utah most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 8-2
Before playing Detroit are 4-6
After playing Toronto are 4-6
After a win are 1-9
San Antonio most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 7-3
Before playing Washington are 6-4
After playing Dallas are 6-4
After a loss are 6-4
A few trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Utah's last 5 games when playing San Antonio
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Utah's last 5 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Utah's last 13 games on the road
Utah is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Antonio's last 5 games when playing Utah
San Antonio is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Utah
San Antonio is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Utah
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Antonio's last 5 games when playing at home against Utah
Next up:
Utah home to Detroit, Saturday, November 21
San Antonio home to Washington, Saturday, November 21
Chicago Bulls vs. Los Angeles Lakers
The Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers will both be gunning for a victory on Thursday when they meet at STAPLES Center.
John Salmons had 23 points and four steals to lead the Bulls past the Kings 101-87 on Tuesday night.
Chicago cashed as 1-point road underdogs, while the teams played UNDER the 198-point total listed by oddsmakers.
Kobe Bryant poured in 40 points to lead the Lakers over the Pistons 106-93 on Tuesday night.
Los Angeles covered as 10.5-point home favorites, while the teams played OVER the 191-point total listed by sportsbooks.
Current streak:
Chicago has won 2 straight games.
Team records:
Chicago: 6-4 SU, 4-6 ATS
Los Angeles: 8-3 SU, 4-7 ATS
Chicago most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 5-5
Before playing Denver are 4-6
After playing Sacramento are 7-3
After a win are 4-6
Los Angeles most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 7-3
Before playing Oklahoma City are 7-3
After playing Detroit are 6-4
After a win are 7-3
A few trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Chicago's last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Chicago's last 11 games when playing LA Lakers
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chicago's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chicago's last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
LA Lakers are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games when playing Chicago
LA Lakers are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games when playing Chicago
LA Lakers are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games when playing at home against Chicago
LA Lakers are 21-4 SU in their last 25 games at home
Next up:
Chicago at Denver, Saturday, November 21
LA Lakers home to Oklahoma City, Sunday, November 22
NBA Preview for 11/19
by Dan Bebe
How much better is this Washington team with a healthy Antawn Jamison? I mean, my goodness! That game was not just a win over the Cavs, that was a beating.
Jamison probably won't have 31 points every night (on 12-of-22 shooting), but he's always been good for near 20 points and near 10 rebounds, and like I've been saying since the season started, this Wizards team doesn't have a chance without the versatile Jamison. Most folks don't realize just how effective he is. His odd release makes him extremely difficult to defend inside, and he can also step out and hit the three. Oh, and his nose for the ball gets him 8-10 easy rebounds every time out.
Now the Wizards don't have to rely solely on outside jumpers, and their opponents suddenly have to respect one guy in particular moving towards the hoop, which should not only help build confidence (and make the rim look bigger to everyone), but also free up the outside shooters by those ever-important couple inches that change a hotly contested jumper into a shot-with-a-defender-running-at-you.
In other news, lightning struck in Indiana and the Knicks rallied from 19 down to win by 7 in a most improbable turn of events. Not too many people to blame in this one besides the Pacers, who just kept fouling, and you wonder if tired legs from the back-to-back made the difference with the Knicks coming off half a week without game action. The sharps finally got a Knicks game right, and of course, it was the one I was on the other side - hah!
Sports Wagering
Hornets/Suns - Suns laying 6 on the road to the reeling Hornets, who DID, in all fairness, beat the reeling'er Clippers, with a total of 217.5. This line looks way too easy, but I've thought that about Phoenix before, and they end up covering just about every time that's been my initial thought. Phoenix was unilaterally loathed by the Wiseguys in their last game in Houston, and as you heard on the Pregame.com daily Podcast "Today in Sports Betting," that line moved 2 points AGAINST heavy public money on Phoenix, and it moved EARLY. I'm not sure the sharps are going to be as quick to take New Orleans here, as Houston is a more respected team, and the Hornets are not only without their ALL-WORLD point guard, they're also without an identity. I'm just not sure I'm ready to load up on the home dog here, and Phoenix doesn't play again until the 22nd, so they can really go all out in this game that should see them overwhelm the lowly Hornets. New Orleans has been trying to increase their tempo since they really don't have the weapons to score consistently in the half court, and as a result, I'm leaning hard to Phoenix, and slightly to the Over, and yes, I feel like a public sort on this one. Oh, and I think I'm going to start ranking my leans (on a confidence scale from 1-to-5, NOT to be misinterpreted for units) for the world to see, and to save me a few lines on my scratch papers. The lean to Phoenix is a 3.5, and the Over is a 2.
Spurs/Jazz - Should be a fun one with both teams on the second half of a back-to-back. Spurs are currently favored by 7.5 with a total of 202. The Spurs, by the way, are also one of the oldest teams in the NBA, and appear to have lost Manu Ginobili during tonight's game to a groin injury. This would be a marvelous time to grab Jazz +7.5, since at the very worst, the reaction to Manu's injury should force this line down -- not substantially, but not zero. In terms of the actual game, before the Spurs injuries continued to snowball, I really liked them to get it done at home. Instead, they'll be without their two most electric players (Parker and Ginobili), and will have to rely on some old school half-court offense and defense to win. The Jazz, meanwhile, are all over the map, pulling off a nice 13-point win over Toronto, and the Raptors' Magical Disappearing Defense. This is a very tough travel schedule for the Jazz, but if they're the healthier team, which they seem to be, that should help a great deal in this back-to-back. Forget leans - I recommend grabbing the Jazz before the line adjusts to injuries or worse, goes OFF altogether. The total feels awfully high with both teams tired, and the Spurs without their two best pace-setters. The Jazz play a quick game, but the Spurs are going to try to keep tomorrow's game in the 180's, so I issue a level-2 lean to the Under.
Lakers/Bulls - The Lakers are favored by 9.5 at home with a total of 191, a mismatched line. With a total this LOW for the Lakers, you'd figure that means Chicago is going to be slowing the tempo, but yet we see the Lakers are expected to win this thing by double digits. Chicago is coming off a dominant performance against the streaking Sacramento Kings, but is a team that has seemed to play to the level of their competition. This has led to an absolute ton of close games. The big line here should get a fair amount of money on the Bulls, though the public will probably still side with the Lakers, if not because of Kobe, then because they expect to get Pau Gasol back tomorrow for his first game action of the year. It's not clear how many minutes he'll go, and I wouldn't expect him to exceed 24-25 with a tender hamstring, but even a rusty Gasol gives the Lakers a HUGE boost in the interior. The Lakers are, once again, one of the biggest teams in the NBA. They are also probably the deepest frontcourt in the League, too. Andrew Bynum has emerged as a legitimate top-5 center, Pau Gasol is an All-Star at power forward, Ron Artest has lost a step since 2005, but he's still probably among the 3 or 4 strongest small forwards currently employed, and then there's 6'10", rangy lefty Lamar Odom, who might be the most versatile player on the entire TEAM. Yikes. This is a great game for us to watch line movement. My early lean is for the Bulls to keep this thing within striking range, since, as noted, they seem to play UP against good teams, and I also think the low total would seem to indicate that they'll do a decent job on defense, though it's pretty tough to slow the Lakers for 48 minutes. Level-2 lean to the Under, and level-3 lean to the Bulls
Fantasy Advice
Larry Hughes - Just a huge game, though that means he won't have another for a couple weeks. My recommendation, let some other chump pick him up, drop him 4 days from now, THEN pick him up just in time for his next decent game.
Elton Brand - Obviously, he's not a pick-up, but damn if he didn't break out of his slump in a BIG WAY tonight. 19 points, 11 boards, 2 assists, 3 steals and SIX blocks! Sell high? Nah, I'd rather just let him stomp for a little while, THEN sell high.
Chris Douglas-Roberts - You were warned. He's destroying, and you may have missed your chance with this second monster performance in a row. 31 points, 10 boards, 3 assists, 3 steals, a 3-pointer, and 12/14 at the foul line.