Thursday's Best NBA Bet
Boston Celtics at Denver Nuggets (3.5, 203.5)
Nuggets coach George Karl joked after his team’s 120-107 win over Memphis that his team plays better with a shorter bench. Maybe he should try suiting up just nine players again when his team hosts the Eastern Conference leading Celtics.
Well, or maybe just do whatever caused his team to shoot a blistering 12-of-28 from beyond the arc.
"I've been told by a lot of owners that I coach better when I have a shorter bench," Karl said. "I think everybody knows I enjoy these type of games where you have to mix and match some situations and circumstances and find some success."
But now, Karl must face a totally different challenge. Instead of relying just on a nucleus of remaining players, he must integrate forwards Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari, centers Timofey Mozgov and Kosta Koufos and guard Raymond Felton into the lineup with a mere day of practice. Don’t expect the team to again feature a gaudy, 28-13 assist-to-turnover advantage against one of the league’s top defensive squads.
The Celtics have a day of rest and already have proven their ability to keep pace in an up-and-down game. Boston posted a convincing, 115-93 win in Golden State on Tuesday. The Celtics actually outscored the Warriors in fast break points that game, 30-22.
"We wanted to run. We wanted to push it up and see if we can beat them down the floor,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “But what we didn't want to do is once we didn't have that quick layup or quick open shot, we wanted to set up and execute and go to the post. I thought we did a better job of that offensively in the second half and I thought that allowed us to set our defense."
Look for them to dust that game plan off against the mix-and-matched Nuggets.
Pick: Boston
NBA TNT Doubleheader Betting Preview
By David Chan
Miami Heat at Chicago Bulls (+2, 191)
Chicago will host Miami for the second time this season before taking its talents to South Beach next month. The previous encounter between these two Eastern beasts came on January 15, when Chicago held off the LeBron-less Heat 99-96 (spread was pushed). Kyle Korver hit a tiebreaking three with 25 seconds left and Dwyane Wade missed an answer attempt at the buzzer.
Miami (42-15, 29-27-1 ATS) will have to do a better job of containing All-Star point guard Derrick Rose, who scored 34 points and dished out eight assists. Chicago also dominated the rebounding battle 42 to 30. However, it would be a stretch to put any real stock in the outcome of that contest because LeBron James missed it due to an ankle injury.
The Bulls have the best home ATS record in the NBA.
The Bulls (38-16, 32-20-2 ATS) are heading into Thursday’s showdown off a Wednesday night visit to Toronto. They have been stellar in the second of back-to-back games this season, having posted a 10-4 SU record (7-6-1 ATS).
Turn up the Heat
Miami returned home from the All-Star break Tuesday and destroyed a woeful Sacramento team 117-97. The Big Three combined for 76 points, led by LeBron’s 31. Wade, refusing to sit out after tweaking his ankle in the fourth quarter of the All-Star Game, went for 23 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
Now, though, is when it starts to get tough for the Heat. Starting on Thursday, 12 of their next 13 games are against teams that are above .500. Eleven of those 12 contests will come against opponents that are currently at least eight game over .500.
“It’s not like our schedule has been easy up to this point,” head coach Erik Spoelstra told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “We’ve played more road games than anybody else. So now we’ll play the best of the best. And if you’re a professional worth their salt, and if we truly are a contending team, we’ll find out about ourselves.”
It begins with Chicago, the best ATS home bet in the entire NBA. The Bulls are 25-4 at the United Center and 18-9-2 ATS. They have been doing it without Joakim Noah, who has missed the last 30 games due to a thumb injury. Noah, though, is healed up and ready to go this week.
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The Bulls are 4-0 ATS in their last four overall and 4-0 ATS in their last four against the Eastern Conference.
The over is 4-1 in Chicago’s last five overall and 4-0 in its last four home games. The over is also 10-2 in Miami’s last 12 road contests against teams with winning home records.
Head-to-head, the under is 5-1 in the last six meetings and the favorite is 4-1-1 ATS in the last six encounters.
Boston Celtics at Denver Nuggets (+3.5, 203.5)
The Nuggets will be looking to avenge a blowout loss earlier in the season when they take the court at home against Boston (41-14, 27-26-2 ATS) Thursday. In a December 8 clash at the Garden, the Celtics surged to a 35-21 lead after one quarter and coasted to a 105-89 win, easily covering the seven points.
Carmelo Anthony did not play in that game because of a knee injury and won’t be in Colorado after being traded to the New York Knicks this week. Reserves Ty Lawson (24 points) and J.R. Smith (16 points) picked up the slack, but it was nowhere near enough as Denver made only 6 of 19 3-pointers and got out-rebounded 42 to 34. Ray Allen led the way for Boston with 28 points on 9-of-14 shooting and Rajon Rondo had 13 dimes.
Melo-drama over
The Nuggets (33-25, 25-30-3 ATS) completed their long-awaited blockbuster deal by sending Anthony to the Knicks Monday. Denver also shipped off Renaldo Balkman, Chauncey Billups, Anthony Carter and Shelden Williams while acquiring Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Kosta Koufos and Timofey Mozgov.
Denver looked good in its first game without Anthony.
“I can’t deny that when the trade went down last night, I was kind of more sad than happy,” head coach George Karl told the Denver Post on Tuesday.
Denver’s impressive performance one day after the deal, though, must have done a lot to cure Karl’s sorrows. The Nuggets led by as many as 27 points in both the third and fourth quarters before cruising to a 120-107 victory over Memphis and making a joke out of the 1.5-point spread.
Only eight men saw action for the shorthanded home team and all eight played at least 20 minutes. Smith led six Nuggets in double figures with 26 points, while Lawson and Arron Afflalo each contributed 21. Denver forked up 28 shots from downtown and drained 12 of them, including six by Smith.
The team should have its newcomers in uniform for Thursday’s contest.
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The Nuggets are 1-4 ATS in their last five games following a SU win and they are 1-10 ATS in their last 11 against the NBA Atlantic.
The over is 5-1 in Denver’s last six overall and 8-1 in its last nine against the Eastern Conference.
Boston is 1-5 ATS in its last six trips to Denver. The home team is 10-2 ATS in the last 12 meetings between the two teams.
Heat visit Bulls in NBA betting showdown
By: Michael Robinson
Two teams with legitimate NBA title aspirations, the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls, meet Thursday night as part of nationally televised doubleheader. The Bulls will have Joakim Noah back in the lineup.
The Heat (42-15 straight-up, 29-27-1 against the spread) are the title favorite coming out of the All-State break.
Bodog.com has them at 11/5, followed by Boston (7/2), L.A. Lakers (4/1), San Antonio (4/1), Dallas, Orlando and Chicago (all 14/1).
Coach Erik Spoelstra’s team is currently percentage points behind Boston (41-14 SU) for the best record in the Eastern Conference. The Heat desperately want to avoid a potential Game 7 in Beantown in the conference finals.
Miami’s ‘Big 3’ of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh have all basically lived up to expectations, although it’s been a challenge to learn how to play together. Only Wade has a championship under his belt (2006) and this will be their first ‘playoff war’ together.
President Pat Riley knows his team still has flaws, despite what the title odds say, and he’s looking to upgrade the center or point guard position. Small forward Mike Miller is the main trade bait, but he doesn’t have much value due to injuries and four years left on his contract.
Miller (head) sat out Miami’s first game after the break, a 117-97 win over Sacramento on Tuesday as 13-point home favorites. The ‘Big 3’ combined for 76 of the 117 points, while point guard Mario Chalmers added 14 in a rare good night for him.
The 214 combined points scored went ‘over’ the 205½-point total. The ‘over’ is 8-3 in Miami’s last 11 games.
Erick Dampier got his first start at center this year and had zero points (no shots attempted) in 24 minutes. Joel Anthony is the current backup with Zydrunas Ilgauskas apparently out of the rotation for now.
The Bulls (38-16 SU, 32-20-2 ATS) are flying under the radar in the East Conference, but have the third-best record and have done most of it without their big man Noah.
Noah missed the last 30 games after suffering a thumb injury. He’s a very active player and an excellent rebounder (11.7 RPG). It was thought the Bulls may suffer without him, but veteran Kurt Thomas held down the fort and they did fine at 22-8 SU (17-12-1 ATS).
Noah was scheduled to return for Wednesday night’s road game at Toronto (result still pending). That makes Thursday the second half of a ‘back-to-back’ and Chicago is 7-6-1 ATS in that situation this year.
The Bulls have three main scorers with point guard Derrick Rose (24.9 PPG), power forward Carlos Boozer (19.3 PPG) and small forward Luol Deng (17.6 PPG). Noah averaged 14 PPG before getting hurt (10.7 PPG last year), but his offensive role is mainly to pick up garbage points.
Chicago (25-4 SU) is the best home team in the Eastern Conference. The 18-9-2 home ATS mark is the NBA’s best. Miami is 21-10 SU and 18-12-1 ATS away.
Chicago went 4-0 SU and ATS before the All-Star break. The ‘over’ is 3-0 in the last three and 7-2 in the last nine.
The Bulls and Heat have met once this year, a 99-96 Bulls home win as three-point favorites back on Jan. 15. James was out with an ankle injury and Chris Bosh left in the third quarter with an ankle injury as well.
Wade did his best to get the shorthanded win, pouring in 33 points in his hometown. Rose had 34 points for the victors, but Thursday should be much harder with Miami at full strength.
TNT will have the 5 p.m. (PT) tip-off from the United Center, right before Boston at the new-look Denver Nuggets (minus Carmelo Anthony).
Celtics, Nuggets cap NBA betting twinbill
By: Barry Daniels
A reshaped Denver Nuggets roster, minus Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups, will host the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Celtics during the second half of Thursday’s TNT pro hoop doubleheader.
Tip-off will be 7:30 p.m. (PT) from Denver’s Pepsi Center and follows the telecast of the Heat and Bulls in Chicago.
Despite playing with just nine players on Tuesday against Memphis, the Nuggets registered a 120-107 victory against the Grizzlies as 1½-point home favorites. The win and cover lifted Denver’s home ledger to 23-7 straight up and 13-15-2 against the spread.
The combined 227 points soared above the 205½-point closing total, enabling the ‘over’ to improve to 17-12-1 at home and 31-26-1 overall.
J.R. Smith's 26 points helped short-handed Denver defeat the Grizzlies hours after the Nuggets finalized a blockbuster deal that sent Anthony and Billups to the New York Knicks for Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov and a 2014 first-round draft pick. Denver also acquired center Kosta Koufos from the Timberwolves.
No Anthony meant more shots to go around for Smith, who finished 9-of-22 as he stepped into Anthony's starting spot. Speedy Ty Lawson efficiently ran the team in place of Billups, scoring 21 points and dishing out seven assists.
However, Smith hobbled off the court late in the game favoring his right leg. The Don Best Sports injury report lists Smith as “probable,” as are the new players Denver acquired from the Knicks in the Anthony trade.
The Nuggets have 24 more games to reassemble the pieces in an effort to make the playoffs for an eighth straight season. The team entered the night in seventh place in the Western Conference, just ahead of Memphis and Utah.
Boston doesn’t have any roster issues or new players to welcome. Doc Rivers’ troops own the best record in the Eastern Conference at 41-14 SU, but they are just 27-26-2 ATS.
Boston ran its winning streak to three games with Tuesday’s 115-93 shelling of the Golden State Warriors as a 4½-point road favorite. It was Boston’s first game on a four-game West Coast trip.
The victory lifted Boston’s road ledger to 16-9 SU and 14-11 ATS. The squad is outscoring its opponents away from home by an average of six points per game (96-90).
Rajon Rondo celebrated his 25th birthday by scoring 19 points and dishing out 15 assists to lead Boston’s offense.
The win might have come with a harsh price, as Kendrick Perkins bruised his left knee in the third quarter and didn’t return. quarter and didn’t return. The 6-foot-10, 280-pound center, who is averaging eight rebounds per game, is listed as “questionable.”
Defense continues to be Boston’s calling card this season, as the club leads the league by yielding a meager 91.2 PPG. The Celtics are allowing the opposition to shoot just 43.5 percent from the field (3rd) and 33.5 percent from beyond the arc (5th).
Though the Celtics are just 19th offensively with a 98.2 PPG average, they are shooting a league-leading 49.4 percent from the field.
Boston and Denver have met once this season (Dec. 8), with the Celtics recording a 105-89 victory as seven-point home favorites. Though the combined 194 points dipped ‘under’ the 204-point closing total, the ‘over’ is still 8-3 in the last 11 series meetings.
Ironically, Anthony missed that game with an injury. Ray Allen led the Boston attack with 28 points.
Denver is 5-1 ATS in its last six home meetings against Boston, with the ‘over’ going 4-1 in the
last five home matchups.
The Celtics continue their four-game West Coast excursion Saturday against the Los Angeles Clippers, while the Nuggets travel to Portland for a Friday contest against the Blazers.
NBA RoundUp for 2/24
by Dan Bebe
Miami Heat (-1) @ Chicago Bulls with a total of 192
The Chicago Bulls have, time and again, showed how strong they can be at home, but this opening number scares the bejesus out of me. How Chicago could close the first half of the season as a 2-point favorite to the San Antonio Spurs, the team with the best record in the NBA, and, with back-to-back adjustment, open as a 1-point dog and quickly move to a 2-point dog is, well, a little intriguing. It's not an overwhelmingly strong line for the Heat, but I do think it says something that the Bulls are a home underdog. It could, I suppose, have something to do with the return of Joakim Noah, though you'd normally expect that to move the line in Chicago's favor, as opposed to getting adjusted for the normal "disruption" that occurs when an important cog comes back. However you shake it out, Miami lost its previous meeting with the Bulls, here in Chicago, in a game LeBron sat out, so you have to think they'll bring their A game, and you also have to think Chicago plays a better game than they did last night in Toronto. How does that all play out? My assessment is that the Heat's revenge factor probably gets them just a tiny bit of value, but probably not enough to warrant a play, or at least not a full size play. I also think oddsmakers have done a nice job with the total, since a slightly defensive game should put these teams right around that listed mark. Thus, very, very small leans to the HEAT and the OVER.
Boston Celtics (-3) @ Denver Nuggets with a total of 204
As good as Denver looked in their first game out of the Break, I wouldn't be surprised to see them look that bad, tonight. Denver is going to be introducing a handful of former Knicks, that, independently, are solid basketball players, but in trying to learn a new system, might run into some difficulties. Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari each figure to play some minutes, with Mosgov logging significantly fewer, but trying to get all the pieces in the right spots can be a royal pain, especially against a lockdown defensive club like Boston. And to Boston's credit, they lost 3 of 4 in a mini-slump, but have come right back with wins over the Heat, Nets and Warriors, each decisive in its own right, and the final win (over GS) snapping a skid at Oracle Arena. Boston has had a day off, so the altitude shouldn't be a huge issue, and you can tell they would like to bring home the best record in the East. The only problem, from where I stand, is that Denver is the team on revenge - but really, I believe we can partially toss that angle out the window since the two team leaders on Denver (Melo and Billups) aren't around to rally the troops. The Injured Star Theory COULD carry over for a few games for Denver, but if any opponent can take the shine off, it's the ultra-physical Celtics. Lean to BOSTON and the UNDER.
Tips and Trends
Miami Heat at Chicago Bulls
HEAT: (-2, O/U 191) Miami might have started the season slowly, but no team is hotter entering the 2nd half of the year. Miami is tied with Boston for the best record in the Eastern Conference. The Heat are 42-15 SU and 29-27-1 ATS overall this season. Miami is an impressive 21-10 SU and 18-12 ATS in road games this year. The Heat were expected to struggle on the road this year, but that hasn't turned out to be the case. Miami is just 1-3 ATS as a road favorite of 3 PTS or fewer this season. The Heat are certainly looking forward to this game, considering they lost earlier this season to Chicago. F LeBron James has been dynamic this season, as he's having his finest all around season of his career. James is averaging a team high 26.2 PPG and 7.2 APG this season, in addition to 7.4 RPG. F Chris Cosh is averaging 18.6 PPG and 8.1 RPG this year. The Heat are 13-4-1 ATS in their last 18 games playing on 1 days rest. Miami is 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 road games against a team with a home winning percentage greater than .600%. The Heat are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games overall. Miami is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 road games.
Heat are 5-1 ATS last 6 road games against a team with a winning home record.
Over is 10-3 last 13 road games.
Key Injuries - F Mike Miller (eye) is out.
Projected Score: 98 (SIDE of the Day)
BULLS: Chicago has an opportunity for a statement win tonight against the Miami Heat. The Bulls have already beaten the Heat once this year, and they'd love to do so again. Chicago is almost completely healthy, with the return of C Joakim Noah. The Bulls are 38-16 SU and 32-20-2 ATS overall this year. Chicago is an impressive 25-4 SU at home this season. Despite their strong SU home record, Chicago is just 12-17 ATS at home this season. Chicago is 9-4 ATS as the listed underdog this year, including 3-0 ATS as a home underdog of 3 PTS or fewer. PG Derrick Rose is having an MVP caliber season, as he leads the Bulls with 24.9 PPG and 8.2 APG. F Carlos Boozer is averaging 19.3 PPG and 9.9 RPG this year. F Luol Deng is also having a great season for Chicago, as he's averaging 17.7 PPG. The Bulls are 6-0-1 ATS in their last 7 games against a team with a winning percentage above .600%. Chicago is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall. The Bulls are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Thursday games. Chicago is 15-5-1 ATS in their last 21 home games.
Bulls are 4-0 ATS last 4 games against the Eastern Conference.
Over is 4-1 last 5 games overall.
Key Injuries - C Joakim Noah (thumb) is probable.
Projected Score: 89
Boston Celtics at Denver Nuggets
CELTICS: (-3.5, O/U 203.5) Boston has won their past 3 games SU as they enter a primetime game with Denver tonight. The Celtics are currently tied with Miami for the best record in the Eastern Conference. Boston is 41-14 SU and 27-26-2 ATS overall this season. The Celtics are 16-9 SU and 14-11 ATS on the road this year. With age creeping up on them, Boston knows this is their best chance at another NBA Championship. The Celtics are expected to make a push in the 2nd half of the regular season, as they desperately want home court advantage throughout the playoffs. Boston is 19-24 ATS as the listed underdog this season. F Paul Pierce is averaging a team high 18.9 PPG this season. G Ray Allen has had a historic season, as he's become the most prolific 3 point shooter in NBA history. Allen is averaging 17.3 PPG this season, while shooting better than 45% from beyond the arc. All 5 starters are shooting better than 50% from the field this year. The Celtics are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 Thursday games. Boston is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 road games against a team with a home winning percentage greater than .600%. The Celtics are 5-13-1 ATS in their last 19 games following a SU win. Boston is 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games following an ATS win. The Celtics are 15-37-1 ATS in their last 53 games following a SU win of more than 10 points. Boston is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
Celtics are 4-1 ATS last 5 games playing on 1 days rest.
Under is 4-0 last 4 games after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
Key Injuries - C Kendrick Perkins (knee) is questionable.
Projected Score: 107 (OVER-Total of the Day)
NUGGETS: Denver is growing accustomed to life without Carmelo Anthony. The Nuggets played one of their strongest games of this season in their last outing, as they crushed the Memphis Grizzlies. The home crowd has really taken a liking to their rebuilding Nuggets, and their home court is likely to be as formidable as ever. Denver is 33-25 SU and 25-30-3 ATS overall this season. The Nuggets are 23-7 SU and 13-15 ATS in home games this year. Denver is 10-11 ATS as the listed underdog this season, including 2- ATS as a home underdog of 3 PTS or fewer. C Nene Hilario is going to be the focal point of this Nuggets team moving forward. Hilario is averaging 15 PPG and 7.1 RPG this season. G Arron Afflalo is one of the most improved players in the NBA this year, as he's averaging 12.9 PPG while playing lockdown defense. The Nuggets are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games against the Eastern Conference. Denver is 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games playing on 1 days rest. The Nuggets are 6-19-4 ATS in their last 29 games following a SU win of more than 10 points. Denver is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 Thursday games. The Nuggets are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games against a team with a winning percentage above .600%.
Nuggets are 14-5 ATS last 19 home games against a team with a winning road record.
Over is 9-2 last 11 games following a SU win of more than 10 points.
Key Injuries - None Reported.
Projected Score: 103
Inside the Paint - Thursday
By Chris David
Eastern Conference powers will be on display tonight as TNT returns with its weekly double-header. Even though Boston (+160) owns the best win percentage, Miami (+110) is still the favorite at Sportsbook.com to claim the conference.
If the playoffs started today, the Celtics would have the top seed over the Heat and Chicago would be penciled into the third slot. Both the Bulls and Celtics have 27 games remaining, while the Heat only has 25. Most pundits believe that either Boston or Miami will use their experience and talent to lock up the first two spots, but VegasInsider.com senior writer and handicapper Kevin Rogers disagrees.
He explained, “The Bulls have an excellent opportunity to finish either as the first or second seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs for one simple reason. Chicago’s schedule is the easiest the rest of the way, as the Bulls are done with the Spurs, Lakers, Mavs, and Thunder. The Bulls are a perfect 11-0 against the putrid Central Division, while getting home games against Raptors, Nets, Kings, Wizards, Sixers, and re-tooled Jazz over the final seven weeks. Chicago still does face Atlanta three times, Miami and Orlando on the road in early March, but plenty of its away contests are against sub .500 competition.”
Another thing that Chicago has going its way is its dominance at the United Center. The Bulls own a conference-best 25-4 home record. With 13 games remaining in The Windy City, its hard not to give this team a future look (+350) at Sportsbook.com.
Before we jump ahead further, let’s look at tonight’s matchups. As always, the first game on TNT tips at 8:05 p.m. EST before the late-night battle at 10:35 p.m. EST.
Miami (42-15 SU, 28-28 ATS) at Chicago (38-16 SU, 33-21 ATS)
The NBA postseason doesn’t begin until mid-April but this particular matchup should be as intense as it gets. Just reading Dwyane Wade’s quotes tells you enough. “It's a big game,'' Wade said. ”We know that.'' Miami definitely has a sense of urgency for this tip, knowing that if it loses to Chicago on Thursday then it will also lose the head-to-head tiebreaker to the Bulls as well.
The two teams met on Jan. 15 from Chicago and the Bulls earned a 99-96 decision but the Heat were without LeBron James (ankle) and Chris Bosh (ankle) also left the game early too. Despite two superstars not in the lineup, Wade kept the team within reach and helped rally from a 14-point deficit. Also missing action was Chicago center Joakim Noah (foot).
The former Florida Gators standout finally returned to the hardwood last night and surprisingly Chicago lost at Toronto (113-118). Noah finished with seven points and 16 boards in just 24 minutes. The Bulls might’ve been looking ahead to Miami but let’s not take anything away from the Raptors, who shot an eye opening 58 percent from the floor, plus they drilled 32-of-34 free throws. Anytime that happens, it’s tough to pull out a win, especially on the road. Make a note that Chicago has gone 10-4 SU and 7-6-1 ATS on zero days rest this season.
As mentioned above, Chicago has been outstanding at home (19-10 ATS) but Miami has been a beast on the road (21-10 SU, 18-13 ATS). The Heat has gone 6-2 in their last eight road tilts, with the losses coming against New York (88-93) and Boston (82-85).
Miami opened as a one-point road favorite and the action has quickly been pressed up to 2 ½ points at most shops. Chicago has been a home underdog twice this season and Tom Thibodeau’s team has stepped up with a pair of victories over the Lakers (88-84) and Magic (99-90).
Gamblers looking for a shootout might want to turn away. Chicago (92.9 PPG) is ranked third in points per game allowed and Miami (94.1 PPG) is listed just behind in fifth. The total on tonight’s tilt is hovering between 192 and 193 points.
Boston (41-14 SU, 26-27 ATS) at Denver (33-25 SU, 25-30 ATS)
On paper, this matchup looks easy for Boston but you never know which team will show up for head coach Doc Rivers. To no surprise, the Celtics are laying points (4) and backing this team on the road (16-9 SU, 14-11 ATS) has been a very sound investment.
On Tuesday, Boston started its four-game trip against the Western Conference with a 115-93 win at Golden State. The game was actually knotted after the first 24 minutes (60-60) but then we watched the Celtics dominate with a 55-33 second-half.
Which effort will we get on Thursday? The Carmelo Anthony trade was finalized earlier in the week and Denver responded with a 120-107 home victory on Memphis without the superstar. All of the new players the team acquired from the N.Y. Knicks will be suited up tonight and you might see some chemistry issues for head coach George Karl.
The one thing Denver does well is score, especially at home (111 PPG). The team owns a 23-7 SU and 13-15 ATS mark at home but a lot of the non-covers came with heavy spreads due to ‘Melo and point guard Chauncey Billups. With that talented pair gone, you’re probably going to get some nice value with the Nuggets since the novice bettor believes this team is done. Denver won’t make any noise in the postseason but it will make the dance and the team will be fun to watch.
Boston has won three of its last four head-to-head battles against Denver, including a 105-89 home win on Dec. 8. The Nuggets didn’t have ‘Melo in the lineup for that loss, which might be a sign of things to happen tonight.
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