NBA Trends April 27

Trend Sheet

1:00 PM CLEVELAND vs. WASHINGTON
Cleveland is 5-10 ATS in its last 15 games
Cleveland is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Washington is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Cleveland
Washington is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games when playing at home against Cleveland

3:30 PM SAN ANTONIO vs. PHOENIX
San Antonio is 11-4 ATS in its last 15 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
San Antonio is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Phoenix is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games at home
Phoenix is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games at home

7:00 PM DETROIT vs. PHILADELPHIA
Detroit is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Detroit is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
Philadelphia is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Detroit
Philadelphia is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Detroit

9:30 PM NEW ORLEANS vs. DALLAS
New Orleans is 15-8 ATS in its last 23 games
New Orleans is 14-6 SU in its last 20 games
Dallas is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against New Orleans
Dallas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against New Orleans

Tips and Trends

Cleveland Cavaliers at Washington Wizards

Cavs: Cleveland will need somebody else to step up offensively in support of star LeBron James in Game 4, with Daniel Gibson, Wally Szczerbiak or Zydrunas Ilgauskas the most likely candidates. The trio combined for just 19 points in Game 3 while James led the way with 22. Szczerbiak is averaging 9.7 points per game in the series after moving into the starting lineup. "I'm really enjoying the starting position," he said. "It's given me the opportunity to build good chemistry with the starting unit, especially LeBron (James). I'm getting back to the mindset that I'm starting games, something I've done for pretty much my whole career. Sometimes people forget I've made the All-Star team as a starter. When I'm out there, it helps my production."

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Cavs are 8-1 SU in the last 9 meetings.
The UNDER is 8-1 in Cleveland's last 9 games overall.

Key Injuries - NONE

Wizards (-4, O/U 190): Washington is coming its biggest playoff win ever - literally. The Wizards beat the Cavs by 36 points in Game 3 after losing Game 2 by 30, and you will not see many more extreme results in back-to-back games than that. Now the pressure is on the home team to even the series. "From day one, this team has always showed good character," Wizards forward Antawn Jamison said. "When our back is against the wall, we always find a way to get it done. When things don?t go well, we never sulk. We just find a way to get it done and play to the end."

Favorite is 7-2 ATS in the last 9 meetings.
The UNDER is 8-3 in Washington's last 11 Sunday games.

Key Injuries - G Gilbert Arenas (19.4 ppg; knee) may not start but is expected to play.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

San Antonio Spurs at Phoenix Suns

Spurs: San Antonio point guard Tony Parker proved again in Game 3 why he might be the team's most valuable player. Parker burned the Suns for a career-high 41 points on 17-of-26 shooting and also limited Phoenix point guard Steve Nash to just 7 points on 8 shots. Parker has clearly been the difference in the last 2 games of the series, and it's hard to imagine the Spurs playing much better in Game 4. "We possibly played our best game of the year," said San Antonio head coach Gregg Popovich.

The OVER is 7-1 in San Antonio's last 8 games following an ATS win.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 99

Suns (-4, O/U 201): Ironically, Phoenix did not lose 3 straight games during the entire regular season but is the first team to accomplish that feat in the playoffs. No team has ever rallied back from a 3-0 deficit to win a series, and it might be simply too tough to even win Game 4 (.33at this point against the defending NBA champs. "They played playoff basketball - it's pure and simple," Suns forward Amare Stoudemire said. "There's no out-of-control plays, no shooting the ball within the first seconds. They take their time and make sure they get a good shot every time down. That?s how you win a title."

Suns are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 home games.
The OVER is 10-4 in Phoenix's last 14 games vs. Southwest Division.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 103

Detroit Pistons at Philadelphia 76ers

Pistons (-6, O/U 179.5): Detroit's "Mr. Big Shot" is simply not living up to his nickname in this series, just like he failed to do so against the Cavs in last year's Eastern Conference Finals. Chauncey Billups is averaging just 11.3 points per game through the first 3 games compared to 17 against the 76ers during the regular season. Still, he remains confident in his team's ability despite his below-average play so far. "If we can match their intensity and their energy, I think our chances are better," Billups said.

Pistons are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 road games.
The UNDER is 7-1 in Detroit's last 8 road games.

Key Injuries - F Antonio McDyess (8.8 ppg; broken nose) is questionable.

PROJECTED SCORE: 93

76ers: Philly head coach Maurice Cheeks has warned his players not to get too over-confident due to their huge disadvantage in playoff experience even though that "loose" play has enabled the 76ers to succeed. "I keep trying to make our players aware of situations they've been in, and they've been around a long time and they have the capability of coming back," Cheeks said. "I keep trying to make our players aware of the things that Detroit can do."

76ers are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games vs. Central Division.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 87

New Orleans Hornets at Dallas Mavericks

Hornets: Despite a sub-par performance in Game 3, New Orleans point guard Chris Paul remains confident in his team's play. Paul and David West combined to shoot just 10-for-38 from the field for 30 total points. "All day long I'm going to keep feeding (West)," Paul said. "I'm going to keep being aggressive myself. We're going to keep playing our game. There's no reason for us to go to the drawing board and scratch everything we?ve done. We're not going to change too much of what we do."

The UNDER is 6-2 in New Orleans' last 8 Sunday games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 95

Mavs (-5, O/U 195): 2007 NBA MVP Dirk Nowitzki enjoyed one of his best all-around playoff performances ever in Game 3 and will need to continue that strong play in Game 4. Nowitzki totaled 32 points, 19 rebounds and 6 assists to lead the Mavs to a 10-point victory. "There's been a lot of pressure on him," Dallas guard Jason Terry said. "A lot of people are talking about what happened last year. We just need him to be Dirk and play with that emotion, that fire that you saw (Friday)."

Favorite is 16-5-1 ATS in the last 22 meetings.
The UNDER is 8-1 in the last 9 meetings at Dallas.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 100