NBA News and Notes Wednesday 3/2

Bulls try to bust Hawks in NBA betting action
By: Adam Markowitz

The Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks are certainly well on their way to being contenders in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The two will meet up in the Peach State in NBA betting action on Wednesday night in one of the marquee games on the slate. Tip-off is set for 4:00 (PT).

The Bulls are just downright scary right now. Chicago has three straight wins and seven out of eight both SU and ATS, and there are some fantastic victories in there against teams like the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs as well.

Now that this team is healthy, the depth that it has at its disposal is absolutely amazing. The combination of Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer on the inside is amazing, and though both hurt the other's production, there aren't many teams in the league that can match up with these two.

Boozer is averaging 19.0 PPG and 9.7 RPG, while Noah is averaging 13.5 PPG and 11.9 RPG. What we have to remember is that these two really didn't share the court all that much together for most of the season like they are now, as both have dealt with a slew of injuries.

Luol Deng is quietly the forgotten big in this bunch. He dropped 21 on the Washington Wizards in Chicago's most recent game, raising his scoring average up to 17.8 PPG. Taj Gibson and Omer Asik are used off the bench as well, and if he is suited, Kurt Thomas can provide some valuable minutes off of the bench now that he has been replaced by Noah in the starting five.

There's a reason that this team ranks No. 2 in rebounding and is No. 1 in rebounding differential per game this year.

Oh yes, and there's this little matter that the Hawks and the rest of the NBA faces know as trying to guard Derrick Rose. There aren't many point guards out there that can hang with the former No. 1 overall pick, as Rose is averaging 24.8 PPG and 8.1 APG, and he is a threat to go off for a triple-double every single night.

The Hawks are going to be glad to be back at Phillips Arena on Wednesday night, as they have spent the last two weeks on the road, most of which was on the West Coast. The bad news though, is that the team hasn't won a game here since February 4, and hasn't covered the NBA odds at home since February 2.

Atlanta also got some bad news on Monday when it found out that former guard Mike Bibby would be bought out from his contract and made a free agent by the Wazards. Miami, one of the teams the Hawks are chasing in the playoff picture, will likely sign Bibby.

Kirk Hinrich, acquired in the deal for Bibby, has only averaged 8.0 PPG and 2.0 APG, numbers which just aren't going to cut it on a regular basis. Hinrich missed Atlanta's game Monday at Denver with a strained calf and is questionable for Wednesday's contest. Though it's still too early to make a definitive call on the deal to get Hinrich from Washington, it's starting to look like an awful one already.

However, if there is something to hang your hat on if you're a Hawks fan on this night, it is that your team is 7-3 ATS and 8-2 SU over the course of the last 10 meetings with the Bulls. Chicago hasn't won a game here in Atlanta since 2007, and it has gone just 1-4 ATS in those five previous games.

This is the first meeting of the year for these sides. The teams will meet twice more this season, the next matchup in Chicago on March 11 and then back here in Atlanta on March 22.

NBA Betting: New-look Celtics host Suns
By: Michael Robinson

The new-look Boston Celtics will play their first home game since last week's big trade when they host the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night.

The Celtics (43-15 straight-up, 28-28-2 against the spread) are still one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference, but have gotten national rebuke for last Thursday’s trade that sent Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson to Oklahoma City for Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic.

NBA futures have Boston at plus 230 to win the East. That’s solidly behind Miami (plus 145), with Chicago (plus 250) right on its heels.

The trade of Perkins was shocking as he’s a solid defender and needed in the trenches in the playoffs to match up with the likes of Dwight Howard. Perkins was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent and couldn’t come to terms. He just signed a four-year extension with Oklahoma City.

Boston fans are not happy with this trade, even getting a proven scorer like Green (14.8 PPG). The players are reportedly still upset as well. The team did get a commitment from 6-foot-11 Troy Murphy on Tuesday, but that won’t soften the blow.

The Celtics lost at Denver (89-75 as 4½-point favorites) last Thursday, playing shorthanded after the trade was announced. To their credit, they bounced back with wins at the L.A. Clippers (99-92) and Utah (107-102), going 1-1 ATS.

The Utah game was Monday night and the 209 combined points scored went way ‘over’ the 188 ½-point total. Boston leads the league in fewest points allowed (91.3 PPG), but that number could start to creep up.

Krstic is not much of a defender down low, but can help spread the floor with his shooting. He will log heavy minutes with both Shaquille and Jermaine O’Neal still injured. GM Danny Ainge must feel confident that Shaq will return soon.

Green hasn’t looked comfortable in his first two Boston games (12 total points), but he will provide bench minutes at both forward positions. Delonte West is the backup point with Robinson gone, but he’s doubtful Wednesday (ankle). Rajon Rondo played almost 42 minutes last game and fatigue could be a factor.

Boston is 25-5 SU at home this year, but 13-15-2 ATS. The ‘under’ is 4-0 in its last four home games.

The Suns (31-17 SU, 26-30-2 ATS) are on the playoff bubble in the West, a half-game behind eighth-seed Memphis. They made their own deadline move, acquiring Aaron Brooks from Houston for Goran Dragic and a first round pick. Brooks is a speedy point guard, who fits in nicely backing up Steve Nash in this up-tempo offense.

The Suns are 4-0 SU (3-1 ATS) since the All-Star break. They’re on a six-game road trip that started with wins at Toronto (110-92), Indiana (110-108 OT) and New Jersey (104-103 OT). Boston is a big step-up in competition.

Phoenix goes 10 deep, but there’s no dominant scorer. Nash (16.4 PPG) is the top guy followed by Grant Hill (13.8 PPG) and Vince Carter (13.5 PPG since coming over from Orlando). All are past their prime and can’t win games in the fourth like they used to.

The bench is impressive with Brooks, Marcin Gortat, Jared Dudley, Hakim Warrick and Mickael Pietrus. They outscored the starters 64-40 last game and will need another big night on Wednesday.

Phoenix is 14-14 SU and 14-13-1 ATS away this year. It’s 2-1 ATS on this trip and 4-1 ATS in its last five road games.

The ‘under is 7-2 in the Suns’ last nine road games. The ‘over’ is 2-0 in the last two, but only due to both going into overtime.

Phoenix is 3-0 SU and ATS in the last three against Boston, winning 88-71 as 4½-point home ‘dogs on January 28. The aging Celtics shot 34.2 percent playing the second half of a back-to-back (3-10 ATS under that scenario this year).

Phoenix is not reporting any significant injuries.

NBA-TV will have the 4:30 p.m. (PT) tip-off from TD Banknorth Garden, right before Houston at Blake Griffin and the Clippers.

NBA Previews
by Dan Bebe

Golden State Warriors (-1) @ Washington Wizards with a total of 214
Golden State gets set to play a back-to-back on the road, and after being home for almost the entire 2011 calendar year, this could be a bit of a culture shock. The Warriors are an extremely streaky team, and though there may be some value to dig up, depending on whether the Warriors show any signs of life on the road, I'm just not that married to betting this game. Golden State just bought out Troy Murphy, so they've unloaded some cash, and that's never good for a team's confidence. These two teams have not yet met this season, Washington showed signs of life for 1 game after being called out by their rookie point guard, and then went right back to getting creamed in their next. The Warriors had lost 3 straight prior to last night's game Indiana (result pending), so why waste our time trying to decide between two teams that could lay an egg at any moment? Golden State is going to be the public side, and honestly, while I'd love to make a case for Washington, I'm not sure we can trust that young team right now. At least the Warriors are still showing signs of giving a hoot. I'd rather pass, but I suppose I'd sooner lean WARRIORS than the other way. Washington's lack of offensive rhythm pushes me towards the UNDER.

San Antonio Spurs (-9) @ Cleveland Cavaliers with a total of 201
Here's an interesting one...or not. This one comes down to weighing two factors side-by-side. The first is recent ATS play of the two teams - the Cavaliers have been a covering machine, slipping just under the spread repeatedly while squeaking out a win every so often. The Spurs win games, but San Antonio has slowed considerably ATS as oddsmakers have finally gone ahead and overinflated their lines. The Spurs are also without Tony Parker for a few weeks, and Tim Duncan is battling a few nagging injuries of his own, and the Cavs just lost Antawn Jamison for the season. The second question is whether the Spurs are motivated enough to win by double digits on the road? They've done it before, and that's sort of the reason to be cautious, but given the injuries and the Spurs catbird seat in the West, I don't expect them to pour it on...though, now that last night's results are in, maybe they do get a little pissed and beat someone silly. NO real lean on the side, and the OVER.

Chicago Bulls @ Atlanta Hawks with a total of N/A
I would assume this line is off because of the injury to Josh Smith. No matter the reason, the Hawks, who, to their credit, are playing better, are in a terrible scheduling spot, here. Atlanta has been out west since the All Star Break, and they've been on the road since the 14th of February. This is a true sluggish spot. The Bulls, meanwhile, are playing dominant basketball, working Joakim Noah back into the mix perfectly, aside from a first game hiccup against Toronto. Since that loss, the Bulls are 3-0, including 2 road wins, Chicago's only real weakness. Interestingly, these teams have not met this year, so no revenge to speak of, and each team has a pretty meaningful game coming up on the schedule. All other things equal, I can't ignore Atlanta's return home being a rough spot for them - lean to CHICAGO and the UNDER.

New Orleans Hornets @ New York Knicks (-3.5) with a total of 201
This is one of those spots where the Hornets are going to try to just hang around, and hang around a little more. They know they're going to be at a huge disadvantage on the offensive end, and that's the case for New Orleans in about half their games, but if the Hornets can clamp down those defensive hooks and just keep it close, anything can happen. Both teams are playing the second half of a back-to-back, with New Orleans traveling in from Toronto, and New York returning from Orlando. This game is going to be one of the more heavily bet contests of the night, courtesy of the Chris Paul in New York angle, and though that should create some built-in line value on the road team, the Hornets are a little unpredictable these days. Is playing New York the easy side? Absolutely, but I think they've got as decent a shot as the Hornets at covering this number. Don't overthink things too much - tiny lean to the KNICKS and the UNDER.

Minnesota Timberwolves @ Detroit Pistons with a total of N/A
I think we'll learn a fair amount about the Pistons from last night's game when it's done. As I type this, Milwaukee is out to a very early lead, but to me, betting this Pistons-Wolves game comes down to what we think we can expect from Detroit. The Pistons have gone back to square one, and Coach Kuester, who still has a job, amazingly, has said that effort level will determine playing time, that he's not going to pick favorites, and if you show up and play hard, he'll get you in the game. That should, on paper, make sense for a Pistons team that has been in turmoil for darn near 3 months, but only time will tell if this plan makes any sense. It feels like Detroit is just looking for a stop-gap to get them to the end of another lost season, but hey, what do I know? Full disclosure - I actually don't even care what Minnesota's doing. My handicapping of this game is entirely Detroit, since I believe we'll see a line that is just an oddsmaker's best guess. Can we exploit it? Possibly. Let's WAIT AND SEE.

Phoenix Suns @ Boston Celtics (-7) with a total of 197.5
Cursed competing angles. The Celtics haven't been home in over 2 weeks, spending the All Star Break in Los Angeles before kicking off a road trip on the West coast. Now, coming home, this is the type of spot where I would normally be salivating to fade Boston. Unfortunately, Boston has revenge from an awful performance in Phoenix a shade over a month ago. Boston was exhausted in that game, and I can't help but think they'll want to show Phoenix that the Suns can't just run up and down the court in their house. Phoenix, somewhat quietly, put together a nice little 9-3 SU February, and they closed the month witha 4-game win streak, albeit on a series of heart-stoppers. I'm curious to see how the betting public reacts to this game, since the line strikes me as a bit of a throw-away. Considering Boston was a 4.5-point road favorite on the second half of a back-to-back, and now lay just 7 at home, I'd love to fade the team coming home, but there just isn't much value there. Microscopic lean to the visiting SUNS and the OVER.

Indiana Pacers @ Oklahoma City Thunder (-7) with a total of 210.5
I guess the question in this game is whether either team will put any effort into playing defense. We know the Pacers can walk the ball up the court when they have to and dump it to Roy Hibbert, but that hasn't been the plan under Coach Vogel. Indiana played to quite a few overs before a few poor offensive performances this last week. The Thunder have played some lower scoring games, but that has been largely because of the ridiculous size of the two opponents (Lakers, Magic). You have to think the Thunder are going to look to get back into their quicker tempo, especially against a Pacers team that should be willing to let that happen. The Thunder did beat Indiana on the road earlier this year, so there could be just a tiny flavor of revenge, though I'm not sure it's enough to shift me to the Pacers side, not when the Thunder are as good as they are coming off losses. I suppose I could offer a very small side lean to the THUNDER and a slightly larger lean to the OVER.

Charlotte Bobcats @ Denver Nuggets (-7.5) with a total of 202
I wonder if Denver swung from underrated to overrated in one game. It's quite possible, though it's also possible that this line is exactly where it should be. The one thing I don't believe to be the case is that this line is deflated. Denver has come out since the trade deadline move and has covered every single game. That can't go on forever. The Bobcats began a very difficult road trip with a decisive loss in Orlando, now they play in Denver before heading to LA and then Portland. The ultimate conservative play would be to fade the Bobcats when they head home, since the return trip from Portland is going to tire them just as much as the trip itself, but if we're going to try to find times to bet on Charlotte games between now and then, we need to be extremely deliberate. Both teams in this game have lost some valuable pieces, and gained some others, and I can't help but think the Bobcats will cover a few spreads, eventually. Alright, enough fluff - very small lean to DENVER in this one, and I mean extremely small, and I would take a peek at the UNDER, since both teams are going to be a little disjointed at times.

Portland Trailblazers (-4.5) @ Sacramento Kings with a total of 198
This line isn't right. Portland is hosting the Houston Rockets as we speak, and oddsmakers feel they're strong enough to still lay 4.5 in Sacramento, a pretty darn tough place to play? I'm not sure I'm buying it. Portland was laying just 1.5 points the last time they visited Sacramento, and they weren't on a back-to-back in that one. Is Tyreke Evans really worth almost 5 points? I'm not in love with the Kings by any stretch, since we know how they can go through brutal offensive slumps mid-game, but in terms of pure line value, I just don't believe the Blazers are 9.5-points better than the Kings right now. Of course, if Portland's starters only play 25 minutes against Houston, that's another story, but with Roy likely sitting this one out, Camby not quite at full strength, and Aldridge starting to cool a tad, the KINGS might just slip through and win one, and we know Portland tends to run a little more when they're tired, so slight OVER lean.

Houston Rockets @ Los Angeles Clippers with a total of N/A
The possibility of Eric Gordon's return makes me want to watch this game and see how he looks. We know how strong the Clippers can be when Gordon and Griffin are running an inside-outside game, but if he's not completely healthy, he's going to move the line unnecessarily, and the Rockets, a very good offensive team, can take advantage of the type of long rebounds that long, missed shots lead to. The Clippers are not a good bet right now, and we only got on them in their last game because I felt Sacramento would come out much flatter than they ultimately did. Unless we have a great reason to back Griffin and company, they are a team best avoided. LA heads back out on the road after a game with Denver, too, so things aren't going to get any easier. At some point the value will pass through that midpoint, and we can start watching LA more closely, but as long as they're working Mo Williams into the offense, and Gordon is going to try to get back into game shape, they're a fade or an under play until further notice. No real lean on the side, though HOUSTON has been hot, and some offensive funkiness on the Clippers side just might keep this under, if the total is high enough.

Wednesday Tips
By Kevin Rogers

The Wednesday NBA card gives bettors a nice 10-game slate to look over. Several teams return from long road trips (Atlanta and Boston), while the Knicks come back to Madison Square Garden off the huge win at Miami as New York hosts New Orleans. We'll begin at Philips Arena with the Hawks and Bulls squaring off for the first time this season.

Bulls at Hawks

For some odd reason, these two playoff-bound clubs needed four months until their first matchup of the season. Chicago and Atlanta will see plenty of each other coming up with three meetings in the next three weeks, with the two hooking up on Wednesday night. The Bulls look for their fourth straight victory and eighth win in nine games, while continuing a five-game road trip.

Chicago's defense has stepped up recently after allowing 118 points in a five-point setback at Toronto by limiting the last three opponents to 89 points or less. The Bulls' defense stifled the Bucks (75 points) and Wizards (77 points) in road victories, while easily cashing the 'under' each time. Chicago owns a 4-1 SU/ATS record the last five games on the road, with only two games coming against over .500 teams in wins at Utah and New Orleans.

The Hawks return home for the first time since February 12 after a 3-4 stretch on the highway. Granted, the road trip was split up by the All-Star break; however, Atlanta scored under 100 points in each game while falling short at Denver on Monday, 100-90. The Hawks are turning into a solid 'under' play by cashing in seven of the last eight games, including a pair of strong defensive efforts in wins at Golden State and Portland.

Atlanta won three of four meetings last season, while each game at Philips Arena was decided by double-digits. The Hawks covered in each of their victories, as the Bulls averaged 82 ppg in the road defeats. Josh Smith is listed as questionable for Atlanta after spraining his right knee in the loss to the Nuggets.

Hornets at Knicks

New York returns to the World's Most Famous Arena after knocking off Miami on Sunday night, 91-86 as 10-point underdogs. The Knicks go for their third win in five games after the Carmelo Anthony trade as Chris Paul takes his Hornets into the Garden. The Hornets continue a five-game road swing following Tuesday's ugly loss at Toronto.

New Orleans cleaned up in its first two games after the break with easy victories over the Clippers and Timberwolves. The Hornets were on the way to a third straight win as they led the Rockets by 15 points at the half. Houston rallied back for a 91-89 triumph, while cashing as six-point underdogs. Since a 10-game winning streak in the middle of January, the Hornets are 4-11 SU and 3-12 ATS. New Orleans has taken care of business with no rest, while its opponent is unrested with a 5-2 ATS mark in this situation.

The Knicks come home after a three-game road trip that wrapped up in Orlando on Tuesday with a 116-110 setback. New York will have growing pains by trying to find chemistry with Anthony, Chauncey Billups, and Amare Stoudemire. The Knicks failed to cover the first two games against the Bucks and Cavs, while cashing in the comeback win at Miami. Even though many of the pieces are different, the Knicks go for the season sweep of the Hornets after winning in the Big Easy, 100-92 in early December as 5 ½-point underdogs.

Suns at Celtics

Phoenix's long and winding road continues in Beantown as the Suns go for a fifth straight victory over the top team in the Eastern Conference. The Suns needed overtime to beat the Pacers and Nets by a combined three points, while surging above the .500 mark. The Celtics, meanwhile, return to TD Garden after a 3-1 SU and 2-2 ATS road trip that saw the defending East champs knock off the Clippers and Jazz to end the swing.

Many people though the Suns packed it in after the trade of Jason Richardson and Hedo Turkoglu to Orlando for Vince Carter. It seemed for two weeks that was the right assumption with Phoenix going 3-8, but the Suns have rebounded nicely with an 11-3 run since beating the Celtics at home on January 28. In that victory, Phoenix caught Boston on the second end of a back-to-back in an 88-71 triumph that saw Kevin Garnett and Doc Rivers each getting thrown out. Boston was held to 34% shooting from the floor, while the Suns jumped out to a 14-point lead after the first quarter and never looked back.

The Celtics have won five of six games since a short two-game skid against the Bobcats and Lakers. Boston has scored 100 points or more in just two of the past 11 games, but the C's have held two of their last 11 opponents to double-digits. The Celtics weren't great last season as a home favorite, but they have responded lately with covers in four of the last five games at TD Garden.

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