Wednesday's Best NBA Bet
Orlando Magic at New York Knicks (+1.5, 202.5)
The Knicks have struggled since going through their honeymoon phase with Carmelo Anthony, though after some interesting comments about “waiting for next year” earlier this week, Anthony has changed his tune.
Now ‘Melo thinks his club can turn it around in the playoffs even though the club has dropped six of its last seven both straight up and against the spread.
"I believe, we believe that something will get turned around quickly," Anthony told reporters. "We have a little bit under a month to get this thing right to get ready for the playoffs. And right now, we're just figuring it out on the go. As long as we figure it out by the time the playoffs come, I'm not really too concerned about what's going on right now and how it's going on.”
Still, that’s not exactly the kind of reassurance Knicks bettors are looking for at the moment. Meanwhile, the Magic have won three straight but have covered only once in the last nine games so it’s a tricky line here.
Until the Knicks show some signs of turning it around, we have to side with the Magic in this spot.
Pick: Magic
NBA Betting Preview: Orlando Magic at Knicks
By: Adam Markowitz
Both the New York Knicks and the Orlando Magic have their sights set on the Eastern Conference playoff race, and both really think that they can do some tremendous damage in the postseason. These two potential playoff combatants meet on the hallowed court of Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night in NBA betting action.
Tip-off from Madison Square Garden in the Big Apple is slated for 5:00 p.m. (PT).
Even though the Magic are just 1-8 against the spread in their last nine games overall, a three-game winning streak has them believing they can run down the Miami Heat for the Southeast Division title over the course of the last 11 games of the season. It's going to take at least nine wins in all likelihood to get the job done, and maybe even more. If it happens, Dwight Howard has to be considered a legitimate option for the league's MVP honors.
Simply put, "Superman" does everything for the Magic except sell popcorn at the new Amway Center. Sure, he doesn't shoot threes, and his free-throw percentage is still reminiscent of what Shaquille O'Neal had back in the day, but all of the other numbers are fantastic.
Howard is averaging 23.0 PPG, 14.3 RPG, 1.3 SPG, and 2.4 BPG, and shooting 60.0 percent from the field. He leads the team in all five categories.
Howard's problem is that he hasn't had a heck of a lot of help. Sure, if you look at this team's stats for the season, you see six other players averaging double digits in scoring. What you don't see are any other legitimate superstars. Jason Richardson is as close as it gets, and his 14.2 PPG just isn't cutting it.
The Knicks certainly don't lack for stars, but it is clear they still don't have the role players in place to make a huge run towards the NBA title quite yet.
Carmelo Anthony needed to get his eye stitched up after suffering a laceration on Monday against the Boston Celtics, but he should be fine. Since coming over from the Denver Nuggets, 'Melo has been good for 24.3 PPG and 6.0 RPG, and he is shooting a blistering 42.1 percent from downtown.
Chauncey Billups, his counterpart both here and in Denver, might only be shooting 40.5 percent, but he is averaging 18.8 PPG and is proving to be a fantastic scoring option for the men in orange and blue.
The real battle though will come in the paint, when Howard takes on Amare Stoudemire. The former Phoenix Suns standout has done a fantastic job in his first year with the Knicks, averaging 25.9 PPG and 8.4 RPG. He's also blocking just under two shots per game. Stoudemire can take Howard away from the paint just a bit as well, as he does have the ability to shoot the long ball if given the chance.
Still, this is a series that the Magic tend to dominate. Not only does Orlando have five straight wins in this series, but it has scored at least 112 points in all five games. The Magic are 4-1 ATS over the course of those five, and all five have gone past the 'total.'
In two meetings this season, the Magic won 116-110 on March 1 and 112-103 on December 30, but both of those games were played at the Amway Center.
This is the makeup game from a November 2 clash that had to be postponed at MSG due to asbestos related debris falling onto the court.
Spurs visit Nuggets minus Duncan
By: Michael Robinson
The San Antonio Spurs will have their depth severely tested when they begin a three-game road trip at the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night.
ESPN will have the 7:30 p.m. (PT) broadcast from the Pepsi Center.
Tim Duncan sprained his ankle in Monday’s 111-96 home win over Golden State as 11-point favorites and could be out as much as two weeks. That would leave just a few games to get ready before the postseason.
The Spurs (57-13 SU, 39-29-2 ATS) don’t need to rush Duncan back. They’ve pretty much wrapped up the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference with a seven-game lead over the Lakers with 12 games to play.
San Antonio is arguably the deepest team in the league, including at power forward and center. Antonio McDyess has started the last few games with DeJuan Blair moving to the bench. Tiago Splitter could be moved into a starting role, but all three guys will get plenty of minutes at the two positions. Matt Bonner also plays some backup ‘four.’
Duncan was rested last Saturday at home against Charlotte (109-98 win), the game before his injury. It was the only game he’s missed all year. Splitter, a 26 year-old rookie from Brazil, started and had eight points and six rebounds in 24 minutes.
Coach Gregg Popovich’s team is now 3-0 SU and 2-1 ATS since the embarrassing 110-80 loss at Miami on March 14. The only ATS failure was the Charlotte game as 12½-point favorites. The Bobcats trailed by 22 points to start the fourth quarter, but got the ‘backdoor cover.'
San Antonio is 24-10 SU and 22-11-1 ATS on the road this year. It’s 9-4 ATS in its last 13 road games, including an impressive 97-91 win as two-point ‘dogs at Dallas last Friday.
The Nuggets (42-29 SU, 37-31-3 ATS) are a team in transition that is both rebuilding and contending for the postseason at the same time. They’re currently in fifth place in the Western Conference with a playoff spot well in hand.
Some experts predicted a Rocky Mountain meltdown after the trade of Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups to the Knicks for a plethora of players including Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler.
All three are in the rotation when healthy. Gallinari (toe) came back three games ago after missing eight, while Felton (ankle) is probable for Wednesday after missing the last two.
The Nuggets have thrived since the trade at 10-4 SU and 13-1 ATS. They did have a couple of losses at Orlando (85-82) and Miami (103-98) over the weekend, but even those were ‘covers’ as 5½ and eight-point ‘dogs respectively.
Denver got back on track Monday against Toronto, a 123-90 home win as 12½-point favorites. A remarkable seven players scored in double-digits and Gallinari almost joined them with nine. There’s still plenty of scoring available, although no consistent 20 PPG guy like Anthony.
The Toronto game went just ‘under’ the 214-point total despite Denver’s offensive barrage. The ‘under’ is 4-0 in Denver’s last four games and 9-2 in the last 11, although large totals are a big reason why.
Denver is 6-0 SU and ATS at home since jettisoning Anthony. It’s 28-7 SU and 18-15-2 ATS at home this season.
San Antonio is 3-0 SU and 2-1 ATS against Denver this year, all well before the Nuggets’ makeover. The underdog and road team are both 2-1 ATS this year and 10-1 ATS in the last 11 meetings overall.
The ’under’ is 2-1 this year and 6-1 in the last seven meetings between the teams.
Denver’s shooting guard Aaron Afflalo (hamstring) will miss his second game in a row, but won’t be missed much with the team depth.
San Antonio will continue its trip Friday in Portland, while Denver hosts Washington the same night.
Wednesday NBA Tips
By Kevin Rogers
The Wednesday card is loaded with 12 games for bettors to wager on, including a handful of matchups that are imperative to the playoff race. The Knicks try to end their recent slide against the Magic, while the Spurs and Nuggets hook up at Pepsi Center. We begin in the City of Brotherly Love as the Sixers attempt to hold onto the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference against the Hawks.
Hawks at Sixers
Philadelphia begins the night four games behind Atlanta for the fifth seed in the East, while the Sixers try to hold off the Knicks for sixth. The Hawks will be playing with no rest after getting blown out at home against the co-leaders of the East, the Bulls. For the Sixers, returning home will be a pleasant sight after a five-game road swing.
Doug Collins' team finished the trip at 2-3 SU/ATS, which included losses to the Bucks, Jazz, and Blazers. Andre Iguodala sat out the Portland defeat to get an extra day of rest, as the only two victories came over the Clippers and Kings. The Sixers' offense picked up after a dreadful start to the trip when they tallied a season-low 74 points at Milwaukee. Philadelphia broke the 100-point barrier in the last four games, while hitting the 'over' three times.
The Hawks aren't playing their best basketball at the moment with losses in seven of their last 10 games, even though nine of those contests were played at Philips Arena. Atlanta hopes road is where the heart (and wins) is as Larry Drew's club is 2-6 ATS the previous eight games on the highway. The Hawks look to cover for the first time in four meetings this season, while Atlanta plays with revenge after getting embarrassed by Philadelphia in their last matchup, 117-83.
Grizzlies at Celtics
Boston returns home after its comeback victory at New York on Monday to keep pace with Chicago for home-court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Celtics battle a Grizzlies' squad that looks to maintain hold of the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference race, as Memphis begins a tough stretch.
If the Grizzlies can keep their heads above water over the next five days against Boston, Chicago (Friday), and San Antonio (Sunday), Memphis has an excellent shot to qualify for the postseason with five of its final eight games coming against below .500 teams. The club received tough news on Tuesday when swingman Rudy Gay elected to have season-ending shoulder surgery since getting hurt prior to the All-Star break. Since Gay has been sidelined, the Grizzlies are 8-6 SU and 9-5 ATS, while splitting six games on the road from an ATS perspective.
Boston's defense is suffocating opponents by cashing the 'under' in seven straight games, topped off by holding New York to just 35 points in Tuesday's triumph at Madison Square Garden. Over the last two months, the Celtics profited as home favorites with a 7-4 ATS ledger, but all four losses have come when laying single-digits. The Celtics look for the season sweep of the Grizzlies after winning in overtime at FedEx Forum, 116-110 in early November. However, Memphis is an amazing 12-0-1 ATS the last 13 meetings in Boston, including a 20-point blowout of the Celtics last season.
Magic at Knicks
The Empire State of Mind for the Knicks is to just win games at this point, as Mike D'Antoni's embattled squad has lost six of their last seven games. New York's task to bounce back doesn't ease up against Orlando, who is riding a 4-1 streak to keep hold of the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. Life isn't as good for the Knicks, who are still trying to figure things out since the trade for Carmelo Anthony.
New York is 7-9 SU/ATS since the All-Star break, even though six of those games came without point guard Chauncey Billups. What's interesting is the Knicks went 4-2 SU/ATS with Billups out due to a quad injury, including wins over the Hornets, Hawks, and Grizzlies. The Knicks look to improve from an offensive standpoint after scoring 95 points in each of the last three losses, all 'unders.'
Orlando hasn't been profitable at all by failing to cover in eight of the previous nine games, including Monday's ATS loss at Cleveland as 12-point favorites (Magic led by 22 heading into final quarter). Stan Van Gundy's team has limited 10 of the last 13 opponents to less than 100 points, resulting in nine 'unders.' A big issue for Orlando is covering on the highway, owning a 1-5 ATS mark the last six away games, even though the Magic won four of those contests.
Spurs at Nuggets
The night wraps up at Pepsi Center as Denver looks to stay hot against a San Antonio team that will be down its big man. Tim Duncan is likely out the next three games with a sprained ankle suffered in Monday's home victory over Golden State. Even without Duncan, the Spurs go for the four-game season sweep of the Nuggets.
San Antonio has won six of seven since a home loss to the Lakers on March 6, even though Gregg Popovich's team is 3-4 ATS in this stretch. The Spurs are an excellent 8-3 ATS as an underdog of four points or less, including victories at Houston and Dallas on their last road trip. This is the first meeting against the Nuggets since Denver revamped its roster at the All-Star break, as the Spurs are 3-0 SU and 2-1 ATS in the season series.
The Nuggets are an incredible 13-1 ATS the last 14 games since acquiring Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, and Wilson Chandler from New York, while solidifying themselves in the fifth spot of the Western Conference. Even though the competition hasn't been superb in the last three home games (Charlotte, Detroit, and Toronto), George Karl's club is averaging a margin of victory of 34.3 points/game in this span. The defense is stepping up as well by cashing the 'under' in nine of the last 11 contests.
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