NBA Weekend Preview
By Bovada.lv
NBA Basketball Betting Weekend Look-Ahead at Bovada
Superstars drive the NBA more so than in any other sport. In the last 30 years, the only team that won an NBA title without a true superstar was the 2003-04 Detroit Pistons. Some might argue those Spurs teams in the 2000s, but they had David Robinson and/or Tim Duncan and they were superstars.
Because stars drive TV ratings and higher-rated games mean more betting action, stars also help drive the betting needle at Bovada. And thus the book expects Thursday night's TNT national television opener between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat, the book's two preseason NBA title favorites, to be the most-wagered game of the New Year thus far. It could overtake the Christmas opener between the Chicago Bulls and Lakers as the most-wagered game of the season. There will be live betting available on Thursday night's game.
Miami remains the book's title favorite at 7/4 and ended a three-game losing streak on Tuesday with a stunning 120-98 win over the visiting San Antonio Spurs. Stunning because the Heat were down 17 points in the first half and 14 at intermission. LeBron James outscored the Spurs himself 17-12 in the third quarter as Miami, the NBA's highest-scoring team, won that quarter 39-12.
James and Chris Bosh combined for 63 points as the Miami Heat played without the other member of the Big 3, Dwyane Wade, who was out with a sprained ankle. The Heat improved to 4-0 without Wade this season. James and Bosh have totally stepped up when Wade has been out. LeBron's points per game are almost 4 points higher without Wade and Bosh's nearly 8. It is unlikely that Wade will play vs. the Lakers but that line will be off the board until a decision is made.
The Los Angeles Lakers beat Dallas on Monday night in one the ugliest offensive games of the year, 73-70. L.A. did so despite only 14 points from Kobe Bryant, who had scored at least 40 in the previous four games. It was the Lakers' ninth straight win at home.
But L.A. is just 1-4 on the road and Kobe has had trouble with LeBron. The Miami Heat swept both games last year and, dating to his Cavaliers days, James has won four in a row against Bryant.
Previewing rest of weekend
Will Derrick Rose return for the Chicago Bulls this weekend? The reigning NBA MVP missed his second straight game on Tuesday with a toe injury as the Bulls followed an ugly loss in Memphis on Monday with a home blowout of Phoenix. Chicago did get back shooting guard Richard Hamilton in that win over the Suns. He hadn't played since Jan. 4 due to a groin injury. The Bulls are in Cleveland on Friday and home vs. Charlotte on Saturday - two games in which Chicago will be favored even without Rose.
The top game on Friday is easily Lakers at Magic and Bovada will have live play-by-play betting on that as well as on Timberwolves at Clippers that night. Of course the Lakers are one of four teams that Magic star Dwight Howard wants to play for and Orlando will get no doubt get a tired Lakers club after Thursday's game in Miami.
Timberwolves-Clippers could be one of the week's more entertaining matchups with the Clippers' "Lob City" - presuming an injured Chris Paul returns - facing Kevin Love and entertaining Minnesota rookie Ricky Rubio. Points should be aplenty there.
On Saturday, the surprising Philadelphia 76ers, who are a stellar 11-2 ATS entering Wednesday (easily the best mark in the league), can prove they are for real at the Heat. And the Denver Nuggets visit the Knicks in Carmelo Anthony's first game against his former club since last February's trade.
On Sunday, the struggling Boston Celtics should get well against the NBA's worst team, the Washington Wizards. And the Lakers host another of the NBA's surprises, the Indiana Pacers.