Wednesday's Best NBA Bets
Memphis Grizzlies at San Antonio Spurs (-8.5)
After the first few days of the NBA Playoffs, it looks like we have a series on our hands in all eight cases, and Memphis-San Antonio is no exception.
The Grizzlies knocked off the Spurs 101-98 as 6.5-point underdogs in Game 1 Sunday afternoon. Shane Battier hit a go-ahead three with 23 seconds remaining and Memphis ended the contest on a 7-0 run.
“I know Beale Street will be a fun place tonight,” Battier told the Memphis Commercial Appeal, speaking of the famous Memphis drag. “Most of these guys don't understand the history and the heartache that the city has gone through.”
Of course, the Grizzlies should feel like they have a real chance to win the entire series—not just one game. The opener does not seem like a fluke, as Memphis split the regular-season series with San Antonio 2-2, and the Spurs needed overtime for one of their victories.
Manu Ginobili returns to action after missing Game 1 with an elbow injury. That will make it tough for the underdogs to take a 2-0 lead, but 8.5 points are a lot for a confident team like Memphis.
Pick: Grizzlies
New Orleans Hornets at Los Angeles Lakers (-11.5, 187.5)
The Spurs were not alone in catching the upset bug Sunday, as the Lakers succumbed to New Orleans 109-100. Turning in a near-flawless performance, the Hornets shot 51.9 percent from the floor and committed a mere three turnovers.
For L.A., on the other hand, Pau Gasol made only two of seven shots for eight points.
“I wasn't very sharp,” Gasol told the Los Angeles Times. “I couldn't get into a good rhythm. I didn't get myself going at all. It's up to me and get some energy out there and be aggressive and find ways to get that rhythm.”
Gasol and the rest of the team should benefit from the return of Steve Blake. The veteran guard missed Game 1 due to a bout with chicken pox, but he is listed as probable for Wednesday.
The Hornets, meanwhile, will likely be without backup center Aaron Gray (doubtful due to a sprained right ankle). Gray averaged just 3.1 points and 4.2 rebounds during the regular season, but he played 20 minutes in Game 1 and scored 12 points.
Pick: Lakers
What Bettors Need to Know: Wednesday's NBA playoff action
Denver Nuggets at Oklahoma City Thunder (-4.5, 207)
Oklahoma City leads series 1-0
THE STORY: The Denver Nuggets knew that Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook would likely do the bulk of the damage in their Western Conference quarterfinal series with the Oklahoma City Thunder. They'll need to do a much better job of containing the dynamic duo in Game 2 of the best-of-seven series Wednesday night in Oklahoma City. The Thunder escaped with a 107-103 win behind a combined 72 points from their two young superstars.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT
ABOUT THE THUNDER: Durant (41) and Westbrook (31) both set career playoff highs in Game 1, but it still took some late heroics - highlighted by a controversial non-call - to pull out the win. Kendrick Perkins' tip-in with 1:05 remaining put the Thunder ahead for good, but the basket should have been disallowed due to offensive goaltending. The referees allowed the shot to count despite pleas from Nuggets players and coaches, and Denver appeared rattled on its next possession, settling for a missed 21-footer from Kenyon Martin. The Thunder held on from there for their third win over the Nuggets in the past 13 days.
ABOUT THE NUGGETS: Frustration reigned following Sunday's season-opening loss, and most of it was directed at the officials. The league admitted the referees made a mistake in allowing the basket to count, which did little to placate Denver coach George Karl. “What can I say? It’s tough," he said. When you fight hard, it’s hard because guys give you everything you possibly can give there.” The Nuggets received more bad news Monday when they learned Arron Afflalo will miss Game 2 with a strained hamstring. Afflalo missed Game 1 with the injury, and his status for the rest of the series remains up in the air.
WHO'S HOT/WHO'S NOT: Durant was a one-man army in the opener, hitting on 13 of 22 shots from the field while going 12 of 15 from the free-throw line. Nuggets center Nene was Denver's best player in Game 1, scoring 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting while adding eight rebounds and a pair of steals.
KEY STATISTIC: 9-4 - Oklahoma City's edge in 3-pointers made in Game 1. The Thunder shot 47.4 percent from beyond the arc while limiting Denver to just 25 percent from long range.
TRENDS:
* Over is 8-3 in the last 11 meetings in Oklahoma City.
* Nuggets are 4-10 ATS in the last 14 meetings.
* Nuggets are 2-6 ATS in the last eight meetings in Oklahoma City.
LAST WORD: “I saw it come off the rim and got a hand on it,” Perkins said. “I didn’t question it.”
Memphis Grizzlies at San Antonio Spurs (-8.5, 197)
Memphis leads series 1-0
THE STORY: The drought is over. Memphis earned its first-ever playoff victory Sunday night and will look to make it two straight as the Grizzlies visit the top-seeded Spurs in Game 2 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series. Memphis had been 0-12 in its brief playoff history before stunning San Antonio 101-98 in Game 1.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, NBA TV, Fox Sports Southwest
ABOUT THE SPURS: Playing without injured swingman Manu Ginobili, the Spurs looked a step behind the invigorated Grizzlies for most of the night. San Antonio's second-leading scorer remains a question mark for Game 2 with an elbow injury. With the Spurs facing the possibility of falling down 0-2 heading back to Memphis, he may be pressed into action even if he isn't at full strength. San Antonio kept things interesting late in Sunday's game on back-to-back 3-pointers from Matt Bonner, but a defensive lapse left Shane Battier open for the go-ahead shot. Tony Parker had 20 points to lead the Spurs while Tim Duncan added 16 points and 13 rebounds.
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES: Battier has plenty to celebrate these days. The forward hit the big 3-pointer to lead Memphis to its first postseason triumph, then became a father for the second time later in the day. The Grizzlies were led, as usual, by Zach Randolph and his 25-point, 14-rebound performance. Memphis rewarded the All-Star power forward by agreeing to terms on a four-year contract extension on Monday. Marc Gasol also had a sensational showing in his playoff debut, scoring 24 points on 9-of-10 shooting while adding nine rebounds. Memphis shot over 55 percent for the game while putting up 31 points in the pivotal fourth quarter.
WHO'S HOT/WHO'S NOT: Memphis PG Mike Conley racked up 10 assists Sunday, his first double-digit assist peformance since March 21. Parker was able to overcome a 4-of-16 shooting effort by making 12 of 16 free-throw attempts Sunday.
KEY STATISTIC: 47 - The number of foul shots attempted by San Antonio in Game 1, a season high. If Memphis gives up that many free throws in Game 2, the result may be far different.
TRENDS:
* Grizzlies are 6-0 ATS in the last six meetings.
* Grizzlies are 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings in San Antonio.
* Over is 7-1 in the last eight meetings in San Antonio.
* Over is 5-1 in the last six meetings.
* Underdog is 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings.
* Road team is 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings.
LAST WORD: “What do you want to know about it? It counted for three. He caught it. He shot it. And he made it.” - Popovich on Battier's go-ahead shot.
New Orleans Hornets at Los Angeles Lakers (-11, 187.5)
New Orleans leads series 1-0
THE STORY: Los Angeles may have been too caught up in its own hype. The Lakers fell apart at home against New Orleans and had no answer for Chris Paul in a 109-100 loss in Game 1 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series. The Hornets never gave in to their bigger and more experienced foe despite the absence of power forward David West, who is out for the season with a knee injury. The Lakers have little time to waste if they want any chance of winning a third consecutive title and need a victory in Game 2 Wednesday night at Staples Center.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT
ABOUT THE LAKERS: Kobe Bryant did his part, which often is enough for the Lakers. This time, however, his 34 points went for naught as he got little support from Pau Gasol (eight points and no offensive rebounds) and the rest of the front line. Lamar Odom had 10 points but just one rebound. Ron Artest had a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. The Lakers will have guard Steve Blake back after he had chicken pox. “It’s not the end of the world,” coach Phil Jackson said. “Teams have good days and bad days. We probably had a bad day and they had a good day. Now we have to meet their energy.”
ABOUT THE HORNETS: Chris Paul might not be the league MVP, but don’t tell that to the Lakers. Paul was sensational and basically willed the Hornets to victory. He had 33 points on 11-for-18 shooting and added 14 assists, seven rebounds and four steals. Carl Landry scored 17 points and the New Orleans bench outscored the Lakers 39-21. The Hornets could be without 7-footer Aaron Gray, who had a season-high 12 points on 5-for-5 shooting but twisted his right ankle with 1:07 remaining in Sunday’s Game 1. Gray was in a walking boot but said he believes he can play Wednesday night.
WHO’S HOT/WHO’S NOT: Paul was the show for New Orleans. In addition to his scoring, he had seven rebounds and four steals. He also had eight of his 14 assists in the first quarter. Gasol had just eight points on 2-for-9 shooting (22.2 percent), his worst shooting game of the season.
KEY STATISTIC: New Orleans had just three turnovers, tying an NBA playoff record.
TRENDS:
* Hornets are 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings in Los Angeles.
* Over is 10-3 in the last 13 meetings in Los Angeles.
* Over is 20-8 in the last 28 meetings.
* Underdog is 15-4 ATS in the last 19 meetings.
* Road team is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
LAST WORD: “I’ve been here and done that before. We took the Lakers to seven games. That definitely gives me confidence and I was telling my teammates about the situation I was in two years ago.” – Landry on playing the Lakers in the playoffs when he was with Houston in 2009.
Memphis Grizzlies, Spurs resume NBA betting series
By: Adam Markowitz
Last Sunday was filled with carnage for high seeds in NBA playoff betting action. Since the field was expanded to 16 teams, never before had the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in the same conference lost a Game 1 on the same day.
However, now the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs can say that they share that dubious distinction.
The Spurs are back in action in a Game 2 that almost feels like a do or die against the eighth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies. Tip time from the AT&T Center in San Antonio is slated for 5:30 p.m. (PT), and the duel can be viewed live on NBA TV.
We've ripped Shane Battier before for how he didn't really do much in the way of helping out the Grizz after they traded for him right at this year's deadline. We're not bashing him or the team any longer.
Battier knocked down the go-ahead three-pointer with less than a minute to play in Game 1 to absolutely shock the faithful in San Antonio.
Of course, the argument could be made that a trade deadline deal that never happened – OJ Mayo to the Indiana Pacers – might have saved Memphis' season as well. Mayo and Battier combined to hit five of the team's six three-point baskets on the day, and they combined for 23 of the bench's 28 points.
The big days belonged to Mike Conley, Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol. Conley had a double-double with 15 points and 10 assists, but the heroes for the day were the big men in the middle. Randolph and Gasol combined for 49 points and 23 rebounds, a tremendous effort in Game 1, especially against a gritty San Antonio side with a ton of great bigs.
The Spurs really need to tighten up their interior defense which allowed a whopping 40 points in the paint against Memphis on Sunday afternoon. There are other issues as well.
San Antonio needs to shoot better than 40.0 percent from the floor, and it probably needs more than 13 assists on 28 baskets. Committing fewer than 27 personal fouls would probably help, though Memphis committed 33 fouls and sent San Antonio to the charity stripe 47 times in the game.
However, the biggest problem that head coach Gregg Popovich has is getting Manu Ginobili back into the lineup after missing the series opener with an elbow injury. Ginobili averaged 17.4 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and 4.9 APG this year, and he's officially listed as probable for Wednesday's second game.
Believe it or not, the Grizzlies have dominated this series of late, so the Game 1 upset should really come as no surprise. Last April, Memphis shocked San Antonio as 10½-point underdogs here at the AT&T Center. Since then, the Grizzlies have won four of six meetings straight up and covered the spread in all six games.
In Game 2, the Spurs are 8½-point favorites on the NBA odds at 5Dimes, while the only 'total' that is posted as of Tuesday morning is at the Las Vegas Hilton, a number set at 197.
Los Angeles Lakers host Hornets
By: Michael Robinson
The New Orleans Hornets look to build on their shocking Game 1 win at the Los Angeles Lakers when they meet Wednesday night at Staples Center.
Oddsmakers have New Orleans as big 11½-point road ‘dogs with a total of 188 points. TNT will have the tip-off at 7:30 p.m. (PT).
The Hornets (47-36 straight-up, 40-41-2 against the spread) were double-digit underdogs for Game 1 on Sunday, but won 109-100 in a result that even coach Monty Williams couldn’t have imagined.
The 209 combined points scored went way ‘over’ the 182 ½-point total. The ‘over’ is 4-1 in the meetings between the teams this year, but this is the first where more than 198 points were scored.
Point guard Chris Paul had 33 points on 11-of-18 shooting. He also got to the line 12 times and had 14 assists, continually breaking down the Lakers defense. Los Angeles tried to do switches with its big men as 36-year-old Derek Fisher has no shot of guarding Paul, but that didn’t work either.
Backup guard Jarrett Jack (15 points, five assists) also had success against the Lakers defense, playing alongside Paul at some points.
The Hornets shot much better than L.A. (51.9-45.9 percent) and only committed only three turnovers. That made up for the deficiency on the boards (41-33).
New Orleans was one of the lowest scoring teams in the regular season (94.9 PPG, ranked 27th). That was even with leading scorer David West (18.9 PPG), who was lost for the year in late March (torn ACL).
Coach Williams knows his guys are out-gunned offensively, so he used a different strategy on Sunday. The Hornets pushed the ball whenever they could, trying to beat the Lakers’ big men down the court. That worked well with Carl Landry (17 points) and Aaron Gray (12 points) both contributing big.
Landry was a huge pickup at the trade deadline from Sacramento. He’s now the starting power forward with West out and he’s a proven playoff performer. Gray sprained his ankle last game and is listed as doubtful for Wednesday. That would weaken an already mediocre bench.
The Lakers (57-26 SU, 39-43-1 ATS) are trying not to push the panic button after just one outing. After all, they’re likely to get a lot more production from Pau Gasol than last game (2-of-9, eight points). He was called out by Kobe Bryant and usually responds to such motivation.
Help is also on the way with reserve point guard Steve Blake. He missed Game 1 with chicken pox, but was back at practice on Monday and listed as probable. Blake’s defense is needed against Paul, although it’s still going to take a team effort to contain him.
Blake also needs to infuse a bench that was outscored 39-21. Lamar Odom had just 10 points and Matt Barnes was shutout in eight minutes while battling a sore knee.
Bryant had 34 points, but it took him 26 field goal attempts (making 13). He’s usually the one pulling out close games in the fourth quarter, but Paul outscored him 17-7 as the Hornets beat the Lakers by eight (36-28).
Los Angeles won the four regular season meetings with New Orleans, going 3-1 ATS. Paul averaged just 15.8 PPG in the four games. That was very close to his season average (15.9 PPG), which was a career low.
Paul can’t be counted on for another monster game, which means starter Trevor Ariza (2-of-13, six points) must play a lot better against his former team.
The series shifts back to New Orleans for Game 3 on Friday. The Hornets hope they’re still shocking the world with a 2-0 lead.
Wednesday's Playoff Tips
By Kevin Rogers
The Western Conference playoffs continue on Wednesday night with three games as the two top seeds look to even up their respective series at one apiece. The Spurs and Lakers were each shocked in the series opener, but things tip off in Oklahoma City as the Thunder looks to take a 2-0 series lead over the Nuggets.
Nuggets at Thunder
The 4/5 series in the West has started with a bang after Oklahoma City staved off Denver in Sunday's Game 1, 107-103. The Nuggets managed a cover as six-point underdogs, but there was controversy down the stretch as Oklahoma City took the lead late on a tip-in by Kendrick Perkins of a missed Russell Westbrook jumper. The only problem is Perkins stuck his hand through the basket and offensive goaltending should have been called (which the league has stated), but the Nuggets now need to get out of a 1-0 hole.
Denver improved to 21-4-1 ATS the last 26 games since the All-Star break, which coincides with the trade of Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups to New York. The Nuggets are now 11-2 ATS as a road underdog in this span, but the defense has allowed 100 points or more in five straight games. George Karl's squad had five players score in double-figures in the Game 1 loss, but one thing the Nuggets can improve on for Game 2 is the below-average shooting from the line (21-33).
The Thunder didn't need much help past Westbrook (31 points) and Kevin Durant (41 points) as the two All-Stars combined to shoot 25-45 from the floor. The unsung hero in the series opener for Oklahoma City was Eric Maynor, who came off the bench to score 12 points and hit a pair of key treys down the stretch. The Thunder has captured four of five meetings this season, including three matchups at Oklahoma City Arena.
Oklahoma City is listed as 4½-point favorites, while the total is set at 207. The game will be televised nationally on TNT.
Grizzlies at Spurs
Memphis finally picked up its first playoff win in franchise history after 12 losses as the Grizzlies shocked the Spurs in the series opener, 101-98 as 6 ½-point 'dogs. Shane Battier's three-pointer put Memphis up for good, as the Spurs couldn't overcome the absence of Manu Ginobili, who missed the loss due to an elbow injury.
Ginobili is listed as 'probable' for Wednesday's Game 2, which will be a welcome return since San Antonio shot just 40% from the floor in the series opener. The Spurs' defense was exposed by allowing 55% shooting to Memphis, including 49 points to the frontcourt duo of Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol. The Grizzlies have held their own against the Spurs by covering all five meetings this season, including all three matchups at the AT&T Center.
The Spurs are pointspread poison as of late by covering just three of the last 11 contests. San Antonio has been involved in plenty of high-scoring affairs recently with an 11-2 mark to the 'over' the previous 13 games, even though the Spurs busted the 100-point plateau just seven times. Gregg Popovich's team owns a 1-3 ATS mark off a home loss this season, while going 3-8 ATS the last 11 games at the AT&T Center.
San Antonio is listed as 8½-point favorites, while the total is set at 197. The game will be televised on NBA TV.
Hornets at Lakers
The night wraps up in Southern California as the two-time defending champions look to even up their series with New Orleans at one game apiece. Already playing without David West, the Hornets had their hands full heading into Sunday's Game 1. However, New Orleans didn't let up in a 109-100 victory as 10-point underdogs, while basically leading from start to finish.
Chris Paul dominated the Lakers' defense with a 33-point, 14-assist effort, while the Hornets shot lights out at 52% from the floor. The Lakers knocked down 46% of their shots, as Kobe Bryant paced the Lakers with 34 points. The Hornets received huge contributions off the bench from Jarrett Jack (15 points) and Aaron Gray (12 points) to hand the Lakers their first series opening loss since the second round of the 2009 playoffs against Houston.
The Purple and Gold owns an 11-3 SU and 10-4 ATS mark off a playoff loss since the start of 2009, as all three defeats came in last year's postseason. Phil Jackson's club has compiled a 4-11 ATS ledger the last 15 games overall, while going 0-5 ATS the past five games at Staples Center. Los Angeles is not in a favorable ATS spot here as home favorites of at least 9½ points off a home loss are 8-22-1 against the number this season.
The Lakers opened up as 11½-point favorites, as this number has dropped to 11 at several books. The total is set between 187½ and 188, as the game can be seen on TNT.
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NBA Playoff Preview
Under is 6-2 in Eastern games so far, 1-4 in Western games; favorites are 2-3 vs spread out west, but just 1-7 in the East.
Memphis is 5-0 vs spread when playing Spurs this year; they're 10-3 vs spread in last 13 games overall, 13-5 in last 18 games as a dog. Spurs are 4-9 in last 13 games; they missed Ginobili badly in Game 1, as Grizzlies shot 55% from floor, offsetting Spurs' 36-21 scoring edge from foul line. Game 1 win was Grizzlies' first playoff win in franchise history.
Lakers were 4-0 vs New Orleans during season (3-1 vs spread) but lost Game 1 at home, as Hornets shot 52% while turning ball over only three times whole game, as Paul had 33 points, 14 assists. Over is 3-1-1 in the series. Lakers lost six of their last eight games; they're 5-10 vs spread in last 15 games as a favorite. Hornets are 3-4 vs spread in last seven games as an underdog. Kobe sat out 5:55; Lakers were -11 in that 5:55.
Thunder bench was combined +32 in Game 1, as VCU alum Maynor had 12 points in just 11:32. Denver is 16-7 after trading Carmelo Anthony, but they've lost three of four vs Oklahoma City this year, with losses by 8-15-4 on this court. Denver is 10-2 vs spread as an underdog since the trade. Thunder won six of their last seven games overall.