NBA News and Notes Wednesday 2/9

NBA Betting Preview: Hornets at NJ Nets
By: Stephen Nover

Few NBA teams, if any, are streakier than the New Orleans Hornets.

New Orleans surprised everyone opening with eight consecutive victories and 11 wins in its first 12 games.

After that the Hornets got cold dropping nine of their next 12. Sparked by point guard Chris Paul and center Emeka Okafor the Hornets got hot again. They rattled off 10 straight wins during a two-week period from Jan. 9-26.

Now, though, the Hornets are back losing going 1-5 in their last six while failing to cover all six.

Paul ranks No. 3 in assists and is first in steals, but the Hornets are missing Okafor and small forward Trevor Ariza.

The Hornets hope to end their skid Wednesday at 4:05 p.m. PT on the road against New Jersey. The Hornets rank No. 2 defensively holding foes to 92 points a game. However, they’ve allowed an average of 100 points during their last five games.

The Nets are struggling, too, but the Hornets can’t take any opponent for granted after losing, 104-92, as eight-point home favorites this past Monday against Minnesota. It was just the Timberwolves’ third road win of the season.

Paul had 17 points and 13 assists. David West had 18 points, but the Hornets continue to have trouble overcoming their injuries.

Okafor has missed the past four games with a strained left oblique muscle. He’s New Orleans’ leader in rebounds, blocks and field goal percentage where his 59.3 shooting ranks third in the league.

Ariza, who is averaging 11.1 points and is the Hornets’ most dangerous long range shooter, is ‘day-to-day’ with a sprained ankle.

The Hornets are 32-21, but 12-14 on the road although they have covered in eight of their last 11 away matchups.

New Jersey had the worst record in the NBA last season at 12-70. The Nets already have 15 victories. They are a respectable 12-13 at home, including 14-11 ATS. However, they are 3-24 on the road where their youth and lack of leadership is more exposed.

The Nets are putting up just 92.5 points per game, second-worst in the NBA. Center Brook Lopez and point guard Devin Harris – their two leading scorers – are respectable. The Nets’ next four top scorers, though, are Anthony Morrow, Sasha Vujacic, Travis Outlaw and Jordan Farmar. They were all bench players with other teams last season.

New Jersey lost 105-86 to Indiana as one-point home ‘dogs this past Sunday in its previous game. The combined 191 points dipped ‘under’ the 195 ½-point total. The loss was New Jersey’s fifth in its last six games. The Nets are 1-5 ATS, too, during this span.

“We’re really going to have to address this starting team before the (All-Star) break and after the break,” Nets coach Avery Johnson was quoted as saying following the loss to Indiana, “because we’re just not getting as much energy as we need.”

There may be only so much Johnson can do with the Nets apparently unable to land Carmelo Anthony, or upgrade their roster. The Nets are averaging only 87.6 points per game during their past six contests. Only twice in their past 10 games have they exceeded 93 points.

The two teams met on Dec. 22 at New Orleans and the Hornets won, 105-91, as eight-point favorites. The combined 196 points went ‘over’ the 186½-point total.

The ‘under’ has cashed in 18 of the Hornets’ past 26 road contests. The ‘over,’ though, has cashed the past six times the two teams have met, including five of the past six times in New Jersey. The ‘over’ also is 8-0 the past eight times the Hornets have faced a foe with a losing record.

Chicago Bulls, Utah Jazz battle
By: Brad Young

Chicago (34-16 straight up, 28-20-2 against the spread) continues a five-game road trip trying to get back on the winning track. The Bulls currently enjoy the largest lead of any first-place divisional team, 12 games ahead of second-place Indiana, but they have dropped their past two games SU and ATS. Coach Tom Thibodeau’s squad has not dropped three games in a row SU all season.

Utah (31-22 SU, 24-28-1 ATS) remains in second place in the Northwest Division standings, and would be sixth in the Western Conference playoffs if the regular season ended today. The Jazz begin a brief two-game homestand with this contest, but they have struggled to a 3-8 ATS ledger their past 11 home outings.

Chicago takes the court for the first time since Monday’s setback to Portland as a 2½-point road ‘chalk,’ 109-103. The combined 212 points soared past the 181 ½-point closing total, helping the ‘over’ improve to 4-1 the past five games.

The Bulls won the rebounding battle, 41-31, but the Trail Blazers dished out more assists, 21-16. Chicago finished the contest by shooting 49 percent (44-of-89) from the field, and 25 percent (4-of-16) from behind the arc.

Point guard Derrick Rose stepped up with 36 points and six assists in a losing effort, while power forward Carlos Boozer added 17 and 12 rebounds. Small forward Luol Deng provided 15, while guard Kyle Korver had 14 and six.

Utah has alternated SU and ATS wins and losses its last eight outings after upending Sacramento Monday as a two-point road favorite, 107-104. The combined 211 points eclipsed the 200-point closing total, enabling the ‘over’ to cash the third consecutive contest.

The Jazz took control of the game by outscoring the Kings in the fourth quarter, 27-17. Utah was outrebounded in the matchup, 45-38, but did deliver more assists, 19-18. The Jazz shot a solid 49 percent (43-of-88) from the field, but a dismal 11 percent (1-of-9) from 3-point land.

Center Al Jefferson led a balanced scoring attack with 23 points on 10-of-18 shooting. Guard Deron Williams accounted for 21 and nine assists in the victory, while forward Paul Millsap had 18 and six boards.

Utah has won the previous two encounters with Chicago SU and ATS, but this is the first meeting this season. The ‘under’ is 5-2-1 the previous eight outings in this series. The underdog is 11-4 ATS the past 15 meetings.

Chicago center Joakim Noah remains ‘out’ indefinitely due to an injured thumb suffered in mid-December. The Bulls conclude their road trip with Saturday’s matchup at New Orleans before returning home for games against Charlotte and San Antonio. Chicago has struggled to a 3-7 ATS record its last 10 road games.

Utah guard Deron Williams (wrist), forward Paul Millsap (toe) and guard Raja Bell (personal) are all listed as ‘probable’ versus the Bulls. Center Francisco Elson (knee) is ‘questionable’ for this contest. The Jazz follow this contest with a home-and-home series with Phoenix. Utah has seen the ‘over’ go 7-2 the past nine games against Eastern Conference opponents.

Wednesday’s matchup is scheduled to start at 6:05 p.m. PT from Utah’s Energy Solutions Arena.

NBA RoundUp for 2/9
by Dan Bebe

Orlando Magic (-2) @ Philadelphia 76ers with a total of 197
Two teams on back-to-back, and between the two, I'd argue the Sixers are playing the better basketball. Does that translate to a win, or cover? Not necessarily, but it doesn't hurt. The Magic did battle with the Clippers last night at home, while the Sixers return home from a game in Atlanta. The key with this game, at least if I had to try to isolate one factor, is that the Sixers have played Orlando tough in both meetings this year. Philly actually beat Orlando in 1 of 2 meetings in Florida, and lost the other by a single point. Now, on the road, will Orlando be looking to avenge the home loss, or will they just continue to try to find a rhythm? In my opinion, the oddsmakers are pretty close to accurate with this line, but because Philly just seems to match up well with the Magic, I lean to the SIXERS. And because the previous two meetings featured poor shooting, no offensive rebounding, but a decent tempo, this one might sneak OVER due to tired legs on defense.

New Orleans Hornets (-1.5) @ New Jersey Nets with a total of 184
Who doesn't love handicapping a game between two teams that are each ice cold? The Hornets have lost 3 in a row, and are on a rather ugly 0-6 ATS run, while the Nets are 1-5 both SU and ATS in their last 6 games. The problem for each team has been different, though. The Hornets lost 2 of their 3 key defensive players (Ariza, Okafor), so the struggle has been on defense. The Nets are just in a shooting slump, simple as that. And, unfortunately for us, everything going on with these teams is pointing in different directions. One team is allowing too many points, the other can't score; both teams are losing, etc. Chris Paul could potentially will his team to a win, but I don't want to bet on either team waking up just in time. PASS ALL AROUND.

Milwaukee Bucks @ Washington Wizards with a total of N/A
I'm not 100% sure why this line is OFF, but I'm sure we'll get more information soon. This is another battle of slumping teams, but this one at least has a tiny angle or two we can discuss. Washington is the team on revenge, but then, they've lost every road game they've played, so I'm not sure how much that truly matters. Milwaukee is set to play the second half of a back-to-back, but they've shown over the last couple seasons that the 2-point fatigue adjustment to the line is actually too much. That's well and good in most spots, but Washington hasn't played since the 5th, so they're not only rested, they're ultra-rested. I just wish Washington was still showing some signs of life at home - instead, they're just getting blasted every which way, losing 8 straight games overall. I want to lean to the WIZ, but I'm not quite there, and I expect some ugly UNDER ball.

Detroit Pistons (-2) @ Cleveland Cavaliers with a total of 196
Could this be the one? The line sure seems to think so. I know we can't take a ton from a line, but considering the Cavs haven't won a game in 2011, you know darn well that oddsmakers are going to need to continue to inflate Cleveland lines to get action on both sides. And yet, this one isn't, really. I realize Detroit isn't a team garnering a ton of betting love, but they've certainly been better than Cleveland. Indeed, the Cavs haven't seen a line this close to a Pick since January 5, and sportsbooks know that. Screw it, let's place our collective balls on the line. Lean to the CAVS to snap their losing streak in an OVER.

San Antonio Spurs (-7) @ Toronto Raptors with a total of 202
This is a lot of points to cover on the road, but if any team can hover right near the number for 45 minutes, then outscore an opponent by 10 down the stretch, it's San Antonio. San Antonio was 15-7 ATS in road games (pending the outcome in Detroit), so they're not afraid to beat someone in that someone's house. There may be a tiny bit of revenge for the Raptors, but again, the Spurs are just sort of in a class all their own this year, more or less immune to normal situational angles and scheduling anomalies. Point in case, they've played to 2 Overs and 2 Unders in the last 4 back-to-backs, covering 3 out of 4. Toronto doesn't play any defense, and like the Spurs, they haven't been predictable on back-to-back games, either, at least not lately. This is a very tough game, since the line value is pushing me towards Toronto, but the Spurs ability to win big on the road is making me want to stay away. Gun-to-head lean to RAPTORS, and slight total lean to the UNDER.

Charlotte Bobcats @ Indiana Pacers (-4.5) with a total of 190
If we're going to just cut straight to the chase, this game marks a double-revenge spot for the Bobcats, as Indiana has knocked off Charlotte once in both venues. My concern about betting this game stems from Indy's game on Tuesday night against the Heat, in Miami. I worry that everyone is going to see Indy is in a potential "letdown" spot, and should be "tired," and Charlotte is on double-revenge, and so on and so forth, and that will drive bets to the Bobcats. But maybe I'm just psyching myself out - perhaps all those angles really aren't as obvious as they feel, and perhaps Charlotte parlays a big monkey-off-the-back win against the Celtics into a nice little hot run. Something tells me the wheels come off the Pacer-Vogel honeymoon shortly, and I'm trying to find reasons not to back the Bobcats. Until further notice, at least, lean to CHARLOTTE and the OVER.

Los Angeles Clippers @ New York Knicks (-6.5) with a total of 214
Yet another Clippers revenge spot, but I'm not sure we can really play that card on a nightly basis. Still, based on how the last meeting went, the Clippers are not going to be all that overmatched by NY. I would argue that LA is the superior rebounding team, the better team (as a whole) in the paint, though certainly Amar'e is a one-man gang, and the Clippers are potentially the team with more desire. That last one is up for argument. In any case, the Knicks are coming off a ridiculous shooting exhibition against the Sixers, and I just can't see that sort of display occurring two times in a row. The issue with backing the Clippers is that the trip up from Orlando isn't all that short, and battling with Dwight Howard for 48 minutes could take a little of the wind out of LA's sails. This is a scary game, in my opinion, since we really just don't know what to expect out of the Clippers on an 11-game road trip. Can they bring the fire 2 nights in a row? Will the Knicks have a tiny letdown off the home-and-home with Philly? So many damn questions. Tiny lean to the CLIPPERS when we sum it all, and lean to the OVER.

Chicago Bulls @ Utah Jazz (-2.5) with a total of 193
This game is a little more interesting from a pure basketball perspective, but is yet another in a long list of games, today, that have weird competing angles. The Bulls are in the middle of a strange slump, but one that isn't that surprising. The NBA season is very long, and teams tend to play in waves, and right now, the Bulls defense is a little suspect. They've lost 2 in a row on this 5-game west coast swing to fall back below 500 away from home, and there's a little tension among the team to get things right in road spots. When teams press, they usually doesn't help. Utah, meanwhile, is trying to pull it together after a pretty significant rough patch. Deron Williams is back, and though his hand isn't quite right, he's playing, and that's huge. Something tells me Utah just wants this one a tiny bit more, so I do have a small lean to the JAZZ, but the low total would almost seem to point the other way. But then, I thought that about the Jazz-Bobcats game, and was way off. Lean to UNDER.

Dallas Mavericks (-4) @ Sacramento Kings with a total of 196.5;
Dallas looks like they might be going back to being road warriors. The Mavs are in a stretch of games where they're on the road for 6 of 7 games (two sets of 3). Based on what we saw in November and December, before the Mavs ran into a buzz-saw of injuries, the 3-0 mark they posted this last week would not have been surprising. Neither would the failed cover at home against the Cavs. So now, in a line that is beginning to get inflated to the pre-hurt Mavs area, Dallas is laying 7 against a Kings team that does have a knack for keeping games close. At the same time, the Kings have been cooling just a tad in the last week, and showing signs of the mistakes they made early in the year. This is a home revenge game for Sacramento, potentially avenging a 2-point loss to Dallas earlier this year when the Mavs were a 7.5-point favorite. Yeah, I know, there's a lot going on. At this partially-inflated number, I lean square and look to the hot MAVS to cover another road game with the total going OVER.

Denver Nuggets @ Golden State Warriors with a total of N/A
This line is off because half the Nuggets are bruised. Chauncey, Nene, possibly some other gentlemen we can refer to by one name (or ones that might just have only one name), all battling naggies issues. In terms of the game itself, the question that needs answering is what happened to the Warriors against Phoenix? Was that a sign that Golden State is set to slip into a multi-game offensive slump, or just a minor blip? Will Golden State avenge a beatdown they took at the hands of the Nuggets back in late November here in the Bay? Looking at that game, it's tough to see Denver playing much better - they shot 12-for-21 from 3-point land, made 24-of-26 free throws, and outrebounded the Warriors by 11 while holding Golden State to just 40% from the field, and 6-of-26 from long distance. This game should be much closer, but "should" is such a loose term. Lean to the WARRIORS, but this one could come down to the wire, and I look to the UNDER.

Inside the Paint - Wednesday
By Chris David

Losing yet Winning

Cleveland (8-44 SU, 19-30 ATS) has dropped a league-record 25 straight games but for our purposes, the team has been winning lately. The Cavaliers are 4-1-1 against the spread in their last six and they’ve lost by seven points or less in the last four. Could tonight be the night that the streak ends? Cleveland is listed as a one-point home favorite against Detroit (19-33 SU, 28-23 ATS) and that say’s a lot. During their current losing streak, the Cavs were favored twice and they fell to the Timberwolves (97-98) and Raptors (105-120) at home. Like every other opponent Cleveland has faced, the Pistons are better on paper. However, Detroit is coming off loss to San Antonio (89-100) yesterday and has to play a back-to-back spot here. The Pistons have gone 3-9 SU and 5-7 ATS on zero days rest, and their road record (6-21 SU, 14-12 ATS) isn’t good. The pair has only met once this season, with Detroit capturing a 102-92 win at home on Dec. 5.

Back-to-Back Spots

We have a bunch of teams (in bold) playing two games in two nights on Wednesday.

Milwaukee at Washington: The Bucks snapped their four-game losing streak last night with a 92-74 decision over Toronto. Milwaukee has gone 6-7 SU and 8-5 ATS on zero days rest. Different faces on these rosters, but the Bucks have gone 6-2 SU and 7-1 ATS in their last eight against the Wizards.

Charlotte at Indiana: The Pacers were 4-0 under interim head coach Frank Vogel up until last night when the team ran into the LeBron James buzzsaw. Indiana fell to Miami (117-112) but managed to cover as a 9 ½-point underdog. The club returns home to host Charlotte and the Pacers are just 5-6 SU and 4-7 ATS on zero days rest. Total players might want to make a note that Indiana has watched the ‘under’ go 8-3 in the back-end of these situations. However, the team has busted 100-plus in the first five under Vogel. The Pacers are 2-0 both SU and ATS versus the ‘Cats this season.

Detroit at Cleveland: See above

San Antonio at Toronto: San Antonio only has eight losses this season and if you look at its record on zero days rest (5-4 SU, 6-3 ATS), this might not be a bad spot to fade the league’s top team. The problem is that you’ll have to bet on Toronto, who has lost 13 of its last 14. On no rest, the Raptors have gone 4-7 SU and 6-5 ATS. San Antonio beat Toronto 104-95 at home on Jan. 19, but failed to cover as a 12-point favorite.

Orlando at Philadelphia: The Magic stole a win over the 76ers (99-98) on Jan. 19 at home and now the pair meets in Philadelphia tonight. They both traveled to this venue after playing last night and neither Orlando (8-6 SU, 5-9 ATS) or Philadelphia (5-8 SU, 7-6 ATS) has shown any consistency on zero days rest.

L.A. Clippers at New York: Most handicappers saw the Clippers’ fall coming, especially with a huge road trip on tap and the more importantly the loss of shooting Eric Gordon (wrist). Los Angeles can’t find anybody to fill his shoes and it’s hurt the team badly on offense. The Clips have dropped four straight (1-3 ATS), including a loss to Orlando (85-101) last night. They should be able to score against New York tonight and the team’s record on zero days rest (4-8 SU, 6-5-1 ATS) has been decent from a covering standpoint. The two teams played on Nov. 20 and the Knicks outscored the Clippers 124-115 in what was known as the Blake Griffin dunkathon.

Contender or Pretender?

After Boston and Miami in the Eastern Conference, a lot of people would say that Chicago (34-16 SU, 29-21 ATS) is the one team that could surprise the two frontrunners. While the Bulls have some nice pieces in place, their inability to win on the road (11-12 SU, 12-11 ATS) isn’t a sign of a contender. After beating the Clippers (106-88) last Wednesday, the club fell to the Warriors (90-101) and Trail Blazers (103-109). Defensively, the Bulls have been known to stifle teams under head coach Tom Thibodeau and giving up 100-plus in back-to-back nights is surprising. The team looks to get back on track when it heads to Salt Lake City to meet Utah (31-22 SU, 24-29 ATS). Bulls’ forward Carlos Boozer will be facing his former team for the first time on Wednesday and he could expect to hear some cheers and jeers. The Jazz have alternated wins and losses in their last five and dropping six in a row. Utah was once a tough out at home (17-10 SU, 12-15 ATS) but its dropped two in a row at EnergySolutions Arena. Utah has been made a short favorite (-2) against Chicago.

Perfect 10

Dallas (36-15 SU, 27-22 ATS) has quietly ripped off nine straight wins (5-3-1 ATS) and four of those victories came on the road. The offense has busted triple digits in seven of the nine, which has helped the ‘over’ go 7-2 during this span. The Mavs head back on the road tonight for three games spread out over four days. The first opponent will be Sacramento (12-36 SU, 19-29 ATS), who has dropped three straight games, all coming at home too. To give the Kings some credit, they did fall to the Celtics (90-95), Spurs (100-113) and Jazz (104-107). It’s fair to say that Dallas is on par with those teams, which is why it’s laying five points on the road. The Mavs have gone 7-1 SU (5-3 ATS) in their last eight encounters against the Kings.

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