NBA’s Coldest Teams ATS
by: Alex Smart Sports
NBA Betting – NBA’s Coldest Teams ATS
(RANK) (TEAM) (SU RECORD) (ATS RECORD) (ATS RECORD L/10 -$$)
1) Washington Wizards (11-42) (19-33-1 ATS) (2-8 ATS L/10 -$680): If mulligan’s were handed out at the halfway point of the season by NBA commissioner David Stern, the Wizards would be at the top of the list after they struggled to win just 11 of their first 53 games of the regular season. Former HC Eddie Jordan was canned, and the team has been bombarded with injuries from day one. Gilbert Arenas is yet to take the court and Brendan Haywood’s production in the post has been sorely missed. Offensively, the Wizards rank amongst the worst in the league in all major categories, and the defense currently ranks in at #24 surrendering 102+ PPG. The Wiz are the only team in the Eastern Conference not to have won a single divisional game this season, and that streak might remain intact with the front office wanting as many ping pong balls in the hopper as possible for the upcoming draft. They might cover a couple more games down the stretch with their vets returning to the line-up, but don’t expect them to go all out to improve upon their W/L record.
2) Phoenix Suns (28-23) (17-31-2 ATS) (5-5 ATS L/10 -$50): Oh my how things have changed in the desert! It certainly looks as if Mike D’Antoni was a huge part of the Suns success in the past since this year’s version of Nash and company is by no means as good or lucrative. After finishing the regular season seven games over .500 back in the 2006-07 season, the Suns finished up one game under .500 last year, and now find themselves 14-games under the breakeven point for their betting backers. The starting unit has been decent but the bench just isn’t very deep anymore, and the Suns still seem to be allergic to playing any sort of defense. Trade talks are swirling and Suns fans’ are calling for head coach Terry Porter’s job. It doesn’t look as if it will get any better for the Suns in the second half in the highly competitive Western Conference, so maybe a retooling of the roster is in order.
3) Memphis Grizzlies (15-37) (20-31-1 ATS) (5-5 ATS L/10 -$50): The Grizzlies got off to a roaring start for their betting backers, but have since gone backwards and find themselves locked into the 3rd slot of this list before the break. Memphis boasts some solid talent, but it’s very raw and it needs guidance only an experienced NBA coach can offer. Maybe new Head Coach Lionel Hollins is that guy, but he compiled a poor 18-42 SU mark his first go round as the Grizzlies interim coach back in the 1999-2000 season. The key cogs are there with stud rookie OJ Mayo, Rudy Gay, and the vastly improved Marc Gasol, but they need to fill the spots around them with more viable options if this franchise is to ever turn its fortunes around.
4) Detroit Pistons (27-24) (20-31 ATS) (2-8 ATS L/10 -$680): The Pistons have posted winning ATS records in each of their last two regular seasons, but it looks as if that streak will come to a close this year after they finished the first half of the season 11 games under .500 for NBA bettors. Trading Chauncey Billups away to the Nuggets for Allen Iverson certainly hasn’t panned out the way the head office envisioned, but it looks as if GM Joe Dumars is stock piling salary cap room for a big snatch in free agency in the coming years. This outfit is old and grizzled, but youngsters Rodney Stuckey, Jason Maxiell, and veteran TayShaun Prince should leave Piston fans hopeful of a quick turnaround down the road.
And the rest….
5) Toronto Raptors (21-34) (21-32-2 ATS) (5-5 ATS L/10 -$50):
6) Los Angeles Clippers (13-40) (22-31 ATS) (3-7 ATS L/10 -$340):
7) Houston Rockets (32-21) (23-29-1 ATS) (3-7 ATS L/10 -$340):