NBA Today
SCOREBOARD
Tuesday, Feb. 18
Atlanta at L.A. Lakers (10:30 p.m. EST). Kobe Bryant and the Lakers (42-10) have the best record in the Western Conference. Joe Johnson and the Hawks are in second place in the Southeast Division and poised to make the playoffs for a second straight season.
SEE YA
The Suns fired coach Terry Porter just four months into his first season and with the team barely in playoff contention. Assistant Alvin Gentry was appointed interim coach. Phoenix (28-23) lost five of eight going into the All-Star break and trails Utah by one game for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West. Gentry promised a return to the fast-paced style that best utilizes the team’s talent, particularly the skills of playmaker Steve Nash.
SWAP
The Detroit Pistons traded Alex Acker to the Los Angeles Clippers, creating salary-cap space for moves the next two offseasons. Detroit dealt the seldom-used guard and its second-round pick in 2011 for a conditional second-round selection in 2013 from the Clippers. Los Angeles also waived center Cheikh Samb.
SUSPENDED
The Phoenix Suns have suspended Jason Richardson for one game without pay as the result of his arrest on allegations he was driving 55 mph above the limit with his unrestrained 3-year-old son in the car. He was arrested and charged with reckless driving, excessive speeding and failure to use a child seat. He was released from jail after a few hours. He’s the team’s third-leading scorer at 15.6 points per game.
SPEAKING
“We have enough talent that we should not be on the outside looking in right now.”—New Suns coach Alvin Gentry said about his team, currently on the outside looking in at the playoff race.
CHARLOTTE vs. ORLANDO
Charlotte is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Orlando
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Charlotte's last 5 games when playing Orlando
Orlando is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games at home
Orlando is 15-3 SU in its last 18 games at home
MINNESOTA vs. WASHINGTON
Minnesota is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Minnesota is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Washington's last 12 games when playing at home against Minnesota
PHILADELPHIA vs. INDIANA
Philadelphia is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing on the road against Indiana
Indiana is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Indiana is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
MILWAUKEE vs. DETROIT
Milwaukee is 2-5-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Milwaukee is 1-12 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Detroit is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Detroit is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games at home
SAN ANTONIO vs. NEW YORK
San Antonio is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against New York
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Antonio's last 6 games when playing on the road against New York
New York is 10-3 ATS in its last 13 games
New York is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
NEW ORLEANS vs. OKLAHOMA CITY
New Orleans is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
New Orleans is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
Oklahoma City is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 6 games when playing at home against New Orleans
NEW JERSEY vs. HOUSTON
New Jersey is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Houston
New Jersey is 3-11 SU in its last 14 games when playing on the road against Houston
Houston is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Houston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
LA CLIPPERS vs. PHOENIX
LA Clippers are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games
LA Clippers are 5-20 SU in their last 25 games
Phoenix is 7-14 ATS in their last 21 games when playing at home against LA Clippers
Phoenix is 6-1 SU in their last 7 games when playing at home against LA Clippers
MEMPHIS vs. UTAH
Memphis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Utah
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Memphis's last 5 games when playing on the road against Utah
Utah is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Utah is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
ATLANTA vs. LA LAKERS
Atlanta is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Atlanta is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
LA Lakers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta
LA Lakers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta
Tips and Trends
Atlanta Hawks at Los Angeles Lakers
Hawks: Atlanta finished off the first half of the regular season by winning four of five, capped by an impressive 99-95 victory at Detroit. The Hawks sit in the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference and would have to make up 7.5 games to catch Orlando for the third seed in the second half. While that isn't likely to happen, they are still be in much better shape than last year when they earned the final spot in the East and lost to the Celtics in the first round.
Hawks are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
The OVER is 6-2 in the last 8 meetings.
Key Injuries - NONE
PROJECTED SCORE: 102
Lakers (-9.5, O/U 213.5): LA owns the best record in the NBA at 42-10 but still has some concerns in the second half of the season due to the loss of center Andrew Bynum to a knee injury for the second year in a row. There have been rumors circulating that the Lakers could look to re-acquire Shaquille O'Neal from Phoenix to help fill Bynum's void, although that remains a longshot. They won seven of their last eight games before the All-Star break, including nationally televised victories over the top two teams in the Eastern Conference (Boston and Cleveland).
Lakers are 1-8 ATS in their last 9 games vs. Southeast Division.
The OVER is 7-2 in LA's last 9 games overall.
Key Injuries - C Andrew Bynum (knee) is OUT.
PROJECTED SCORE: 112
Hot Teams
-- 76ers won four in row, 14 of last 18 games.
-- Bobcats won last two games, by 21-12 points. Orlando won 13 of its last 16 home games.
-- Spurs won six of their last eight games.
-- Clippers won three of their last four games.
-- Memphis won four of last six games (5-1 vs spread). Utah won four of its last five games.
-- Hawks won four of their last five games. Lakers won seven of eight.
Cold Teams
-- Pacers lost five of their last seven games.
-- Minnesota lost three in row, seven of last eight games. Wizards lost nine of their last thirteen games.
-- Pistons lost three in row, seven of last ten games. Bucks lost five of their last six road games.
-- Knicks lost last six games, but are 10-3 vs spread in last 13.
-- Hornets lost six of their last eight games. Thunder lost five of their last seven games.
-- Suns are 6-10 in last 16 games, fired their coach yesterday.
-- Rockets are 1-5-1 vs spread in game after their last seven wins. Nets lost last two games, by 17-15 points.
Totals
-- Last four Philadelphia games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Charlotte games went over the total.
-- Last eight Washington games went over the total.
-- Last four Detroit games all went over the total.
-- Last eight New York games all went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Hornet games went over the total.
-- Under is 4-1 in Houston's last five home games.
-- Seven of last eight Clipper games went over the total.
-- Last three Memphis games stayed under the total.
-- Last four Atlanta games all went over the total.
Back-to Back
-- 76ers are 8-4 vs spread if they play again the next night.
-- Charlotte is 9-5 vs spread if it plays again the next night.
-- Minnesota is 6-4 vs spread on road if it plays again the next night.
-- Milwaukee is 10-7 vs spread if it plays again the next night.
-- Hornets are 5-2-1 vs spread on road if they play again next night.
-- Five of last seven Net games stayed under the total.
-- Clippers are 6-4-1 vs spread if they play again the next night.
-- Memphis is 0-4 vs spread on road if they play again the next night.
-- Atlanta is 6-8 vs spread if it plays again the next night.
San Antonio (35-16, 25-24-2 ATS) at New York (21-31, 30-22 ATS)
After a five-day layoff for the All-Star break, the Spurs resume their eight-game road trip at Madison Square Garden against the Knicks, who come out of the break looking to put the skids on a six-game losing streak.
San Antonio is 3-2 (3-1-1 ATS) through the first five games on its three-week journey, but after back-to-back wins at the Celtics (105-99) and Nets (108-83), it fell 91-89 at Toronto on Wednesday as a 6 ½-point chalk. That non-cover snapped a 6-0-1 ATS run by the Spurs (5-0-1 ATS on the road).
The Knicks have also been idle since Wednesday, when they concluded an ugly three-game West Coast road trip with a 128-124 loss at the Clippers, cashing as a 5½-point road underdog. New York is putting up 113 points per game during its six-game slide (3-3 ATS), but has allowed a whopping 120.1 ppg. Mike D’Antoni’s squad has hit triple digits in 13 straight games, but given up 104 or more in 10 of the last 12, including eight in a row.
The Spurs have won seven straight meetings against the Knicks, and they’re 9-1 in the last 10 battles. However, since a 5-1 ATS run by San Antonio, New York has covered three of the last four. The one exception came on Nov. 11, when the Spurs rolled to a 92-80 home win as a 4½-point chalk. The favorite is 8-3 ATS in the last 11 head-to-head battles, and San Antonio is 4-1 (3-2 ATS) in its last five trips to the Garden.
Although the Knicks have alternated spread-covers in their last seven outings, they’re 10-3 ATS in their last 13, including 6-2 ATS at home and 7-3 ATS as an underdog. Additionally, New York is on ATS surges of 6-2 against the Western Conference, 4-1 against the Southwest Division, 6-2 versus winning teams, 5-2 after a SU defeat and 4-0 after allowing more than 125 points in their previous game.
In addition to their ATS runs of 6-1-1 overall and 5-1-1 on the road, the Spurs are on pointspread streaks of 4-0 on Tuesday, 4-1 after a SU loss and 23-11 when playing on three or more days’ rest. However, they’re 5-12-2 ATS in their last 19 contests against teams from the Atlantic Division.
For San Antonio, the over is on runs of 7-1 overall, 6-1 on the road, 5-1-1 on Tuesday, 5-1 against winning teams and 5-2 versus the Atlantic Division. New York is riding “over” streaks of 8-0 overall, 4-0 at home, 4-0 against the Western Conference, 5-0 against the Southwest Division and 6-0 when playing after three or more days off. Lastly, five of the last seven Knicks-Spurs clashes have topped the posted total.
ATS ADVANTAGE: OVER
Atlanta (31-21, 28-24 ATS) at L.A. Lakers (42-10, 27-25 ATS)
Fresh off earning a share of the MVP trophy in Sunday’s All-Star game, Kobe Bryant returns to action when he leads the Lakers against the improved Hawks at Staples Center.
Los Angeles had a seven-game winning streak snapped in Wednesday’s 113-109 loss at Utah as a one-point road favorite, the team’s second straight non-cover after a 6-0 ATS surge. Phil Jackson’s team has scored at least 100 points in nine straight games and 22 of the last 23, the only exception being a 99-point effort in a blowout win over San Antonio. Furthermore, the Lakers have scored in triple digits in 45 of 52 games this season, averaging 108.7 ppg overall.
Atlanta went into the All-Star break after consecutive wins and covers over the Wizards (111-90 as a nine-point home favorite last Tuesday) and Pistons (99-95 as a 3½-point road underdog Wednesday). The Hawks have won and covered four of their last five and five of their last seven, and they’re on a 3-0 SU and ATS run on the highway.
These teams split their season series last year, with the Hawks prevailing 98-95 as a 3½-point home underdog and Los Angeles returning the favor with a 122-93 blowout victory as an 11-point home chalk. The host is 7-3 SU and ATS in the last 10 meetings, and the Lakers are also 7-3 SU and ATS during this stretch. That includes a 4-1 SU and ATS when hosting the Hawks in Los Angeles, with those four home victories coming by margins of 29, 11, 16 and 46 points.
The SU winner is 10-1 ATS in the Lakers’ last 11 games, 12-0 ATS in the Hawks’ last 12 and 10-0 ATS in the last 10 meetings in this rivalry.
Atlanta is on pointspread upticks of 4-1 overall, 4-0 on Tuesday, 5-2 on three or more days of rest, 20-8 as an underdog (17-6 this season) and 11-4 as a road pup. However, the Hawks have failed to cash in five of their last seven against winning teams.
Los Angeles carries positive ATS trends of 6-2 overall, 4-0 against the Eastern Conference, 4-1 as a favorite, 6-0 when laying between five and 10½ points, 4-1 after a non-cover and 4-1 when playing on three or more days’ rest. On the downside, the Lakers are in pointspread ruts of 2-6 on Tuesday, 3-9 after a SU loss and 1-8 versus the Southeast Division.
The over is 6-2 in the last eight Hawks-Lakers battles, including 4-0 in the last four meetings at Staples Center. Also, the Lakers are on “over” streaks of 7-2 overall, 5-1 as a favorite, 9-2 on Tuesday, 5-1 against the Eastern Conference and 4-1 versus the Southeast Division. Finally, Atlanta is on “over” surges of 4-0 overall, 4-1 on the road, 4-0 after a victory, 4-0 after a spread-cover and 4-1 when playing on three or more days’ rest.
ATS ADVANTAGE: L.A. LAKERS and OVER
GAMETIMEPICKS.COM
Hot and Cold Bets - Week 16
By Matt Fargo
The All-Star break is history and the NBA is back in action this week as we head into the final two months of the regular season. 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 coming up over the next few days.
NBA Hot Bets
Tuesday – Milwaukee Bucks at Detroit Pistons 7:30 PM ET
Milwaukee has had some of the worst luck of any team in the league as it has lost three starters over the last two weeks. The Bucks are without Michael Redd, Andrew Bogut and Luke Ridnour but that certainly isn’t stopping them from playing good basketball. It took two games to get used to life without Redd as Milwaukee lost against Minnesota and Indiana but since then it has won four of its last six games (4-2 ATS) to move into 8th place in the Eastern Conference standings. The Bucks won their last two games prior to the break and the last setback came against these same Pistons at home in overtime. The All-Star break probably could not have come at a better time for Detroit who has lost three straight and is a dreadful 6-13 over its last 19 games (6-13 ATS). After going 34-7 at home last season, the Pistons are just 14-13 at the Palace this year and while it is only a half-game out of 5th place in the standings, it is also only three and a half games away from 9th place. Detroit is 6-17 ATS as a home chalk this season.
NBA Cold Bets
Tuesday – San Antonio Spurs at New York Knicks 7:30 PM ET
The Knicks cannot seem to catch a break. They ended January riding a solid 6-1 run (7-0 ATS) and were heading into February with three straight home games to begin the month. The problem was that the homestand came against the Lakers, Cavaliers and Celtics, the only three teams in the league that have won 40 games. Five days and three losses later, the Knicks had to embark on a three-game west coast swing before the break and those three games also resulted in losses, one by a single point in a heartbreaker against Portland and other in overtime against the Clippers. New York now brings its 0-6 streak (3-3 ATS) back home to face another elite team in the Spurs. San Antonio is in the midst of an eight-game roadtrip because the rodeo has taken over the AT&T Center. The Spurs started 3-1 on the trek before losing in Toronto last Wednesday. The rest will benefit the Spurs more than any other team being the oldest team in the NBA. The Spurs have won seven straight meetings in this series (4-3 ATS).
Monday Research
By Indiancowboy
Injury Updates for the start of the second half of the year:
Pacers: Daniels, Dunleavy, Granger are all Questionable. Granger is listed as probable.
Charlotte: Wallace and Bell are Probable.
Minnesota: Jefferson - OUT. Blatche and Stevenson are Questionable.
Milwaukee: Bogut is OUT.
Detroit: Wallace is Probable and McDyess is Questionable.
New York: Duhon is questionable. Richardson is Questionable.
New Orleans: Peterson is Questionable and Chandler is Questionable.
New Jersey: Yi is Questionable.
Houston: McGrady is OUT.
Clippers: Camby is Probable.
Suns: Porter is Fired, Gentry takes over, Nash is Questionable.
Memphis: Arthur and Gay are Questionable.
Utah: Kirilenko is Questionable and Boozer is Questionable.
Philadelphia vs. Indiana
I would normally lean on Indiana here, but the fact they are a bit banged up as the injury report shows is a reason to be wary. Note, that Philly beat this team by 5 points earlier this year back in February and Indy has revenge here. Philly comes off 4 straight wins, and although they failed to cover at New Orleans, they did cover at Houston. Frankly, I think this game is a tossup and it really depends on who ends up lacing up for the Pacers.
Charlotte vs. Orlando
Orlando beat this team by 5 earlier this year. This game is interesting for several reasons and for starters, Bell and Wallace are likely suiting up for the Bobcats today as they make their return. But, the Magic are solid at home and will look to cover despite Charlotte having revenge. I wish this game was in Charlotte as I can take the Bobcats for a strong cover, but on the road, it makes me a bit weary. Nevertheless, with the Bob's in full strength, they can be competitive despite being on the road imo as they were in Miami when they weren't even in full strength. I wonder if the two new players returning to the starting lineup will mess up the chemistry a bit...but then again, Augustin has been playing great and will likely guide the ship early on.
Milwaukee vs. Detroit
I wonder if these two teams get sick of playing each other. Detroit most recently beat this team by 5 on the road in OT. Milwaukee does have revenge and they did beat the Raptors without Michael Redd earlier this year. Milwaukee also took care of Indiana and Houston and ar 4-2 ATS over their last 6. Detroit comes into this game having lost 3 straight and Curry realizes his neck is on the line - certainly, even more so now that Porter got the hook. The rumors are soaring that Curry is next. Lean on the Bucks to stay inside the number especially considering this is likely to feature a low-scoring game.
San Antonio vs. New York
SA beat this team by 5 earlier this year at home and now the spread has yet to change for this game as they play in MSG. The Spurs are 6-1-1 ATS over their last 7 coming into this game and lost to the Spurs SU on the road in their last game. The Knicks although have lost 6 straight are 7-3 ATS over their last 10 and do have revenge, are playing well - but why go against the Spurs off a loss? A small lean on the over here.
New Orleans vs. OKC
New Orleans beat this team by 25 points on the road and 12 at NO earlier this year. OKC comes into this game having lost to the Blazers and Lakers on the road. The Hornets themselves are just 2-6 SU over their last 8. I actually lean on the Thunder here to get the SU win as 80% of the public will likely ride teh banged up Hornets. Note, that there Chandler and Peterson are both questionable for this game. Chris Paul did play 30 minutes in their last game - albeit, this team still lost at Memphis and most recently to Boston.