Weekly Notes - East
By Chris David
1) Miami
Weekly Recap: Miami opened up the year with a setback at Boston (80-88), which questioned the creation of the new "Big Three." The trio quickly erased that lost with three straight wins and covers in the opening week. The defense (80.6 points per game) has been solid, as all four games have gone 'under' the number.
Weekly Outlook: The Heat slow it down with three games this week, two at home versus Minnesota and New Jersey. And one on the road at New Orleans, which is the front end of a back-to-back set.
2) Boston
Weekly Recap: The Celtics opening night victory (88-80) over Miami sizzled out quickly when the club lost to Cleveland (87-95) the very next night. Boston closed the week with a win against New York (105-101) but the team didn't cover. The 'under' went 2-1.
Weekly Outlook: A road journey to Detroit starts the week on Wednesday before home battles against Milwaukee and Chicago at home. Then, Boston starts the first game of a four-game road trip on Sunday with a visit to Oklahoma City.
3) Orlando
Weekly Recap: The Magic blew the doors off Washington (112-83) in their opener but were quickly humbled at Miami (70-96) the following night. Orlando continues to be a team that relies on the long ball and it was evident (4-of-24) in the loss to the Heat.
Weekly Outlook: Orlando has a good chance to earn four wins in four games this week as Minnesota, New Jersey and Atlanta visit the new Amway Center. A road trip to Charlotte could be difficult on Friday but keep in mind that the Magic swept them in the first round of last year's playoffs.
4) Atlanta
Weekly Recap: The Hawks quietly opened up with three straight wins (1-2 ATS) and two of the victories came on the road. Atlanta's offense, which was once considered suspect, has looked sharp in the three wins (104 PPG). The 'over' went 2-1 and could easily be 3-0.
Weekly Outlook: Atlanta plays four this week, with home games against Detroit and Phoenix. The road battles could be traps versus Minnesota and Orlando.
5) Chicago
Weekly Recap: Chicago lost to Oklahoma City (95-106) on the road in its opener but bounced back a few days later at home against Detroit (101-91). Point guard Derrick Rose (33.5 PPG, 6.5 APG) has looked unbeatable so far and new head coach Tom Thibodeau probably can't wait for the recently acquired All-Star Carlos Boozer (hand) to suit up on the hardwood.
Weekly Outlook: The Bulls have three contests on tap this week. Portland and New York visit "The Windy City" earlier in the week while a Friday night affair in Boston concludes the schedule.
6) Milwaukee
Weekly Recap: After losing its first two road games (0-2 ATS) on the season, Milwaukee rebounded at home on Saturday with a double-digit win over Charlotte (98-88). The 'under' went 2-1 in the first week. After center Andrew Bogut, the Bucks don't have many superstars but they do have quality players and a solid coach in Scott Skiles. The addition of Corey Maggette is a huge offensive boost off the bench.
Weekly Outlook: Four games for the Bucks this week, two on the road and two at Bradley Center and they're broken into back-to-back situations. Portland (home) and Boston (road) should be the tougher of the pair, while Indiana (road) and New Orleans (home) isn't exactly a walk in the park either though.
7) Indiana
Weekly Recap: Danny Granger is still the No. 1 option for Indiana but the pick up of point guard Darren Collison (13.7 PPG, 5.7 APG) looks good right now. The Pacers sit at 2-1 both SU and ATS after three games, and the 'over' has gone 2-1 as well.
Weekly Outlook: Indiana only has two games on tap this week, the first on Wednesday at Philadelphia. They just beat the 76ers (99-86) at home on Saturday so the broom could be out for the home-and-home set. On Friday, Milwaukee visits Conseco Fieldhouse for a Central Division affair.
8) Toronto
Weekly Recap: The Raptors started 1-1 both SU and ATS in their opening week, with both games taking place at home. Despite their desire to run, the 'under' went 2-0.
Weekly Outlook: Toronto won't have much time to enjoy Canada as it begins an early four-game road trip to the West Coast. The action starts at Sacramento on Monday before the team visits Utah on Wednesday. Then they face the Lakers and Trail Blazers on consecutive nights.
9) New York
Weekly Recap: Are the Knicks the second best team in the Atlantic Division behind Boston? New York stopped Toronto (98-93) in its opener but feel to Boston (101-105) and Portland (95-100) in back-to-back nights. The club is 2-0-1 ATS and has looked good despite the 1-2 overall record.
Weekly Outlook: Two tough tests to start the week against Orlando (home) and Chicago (road). But the Knicks close the week with winnable games against Washington and Philadelphia from Madison Square Garden.
10) Cleveland
Weekly Recap: No LeBron, no Problem…well that was the case on opening night when Cleveland beat Boston (95-87) but that's past history. The Cavaliers followed up the upset win with back-to-back losses to Toronto (81-101) and Sacramento (104-107). The 'under' went 2-1.
Weekly Outlook: Atlanta comes to town Tuesday before the Cavs finish the week with a back-to-back set on the road at Philadelphia and Washington. Cleveland should be catching points in all three contests.
11) New Jersey
Weekly Recap: Break up the Nets! New Jersey opened the season with two wins albeit against the Pistons (101-98) and Kings (106-100) at home. Unfortunately, the club was humbled at Newark on Sunday in a 23-point (78-101) loss to the Heat.
Weekly Outlook: New Jersey gets another game at home on Wednesday versus Charlotte before embarking on the Sunshine State tour this weekend versus Orlando and Miami, which starts Friday.
12) Detroit
Weekly Recap: The Pistons have started 0-3 (2-1 ATS) but the club had legit chances to win two of them, falling to New Jersey (98-101) and Oklahoma City (104-105) in the final minutes. And they blew a 21-point lead in the loss to Chicago (91-101) on Saturday. The jury is still out on this team that does have talent to compete.
Weekly Outlook: Four games for the Pistons this week, three coming at home. The first two will be tough against the Celtics (home) and Hawks (road) since it will be a back-to-back situation and the talent gap is evident as well. But the last two will be winnable versus Charlotte and Golden State.
13) Charlotte
Weekly Recap: The Bobcats suffered three straight losses to start the season. Two by double digits, both of those were on the road. The defense (101 PPG) hasn't been great either for Larry Brown, which is surprising under his command. The 'over' cashed in all three games.
Weekly Outlook: Charlotte plays another two games on the road this week, at New Jersey on Wednesday before heading to Detroit on Friday. The club could fall to 0-2 at home with Orlando coming to town on Saturday.
14) Philadelphia
Weekly Recap: The Doug Collins era began in Philadelphia with three straight losses (1-2 ATS). This club looks like it still has no chemistry with plenty of athletes and not enough shooters. Time will tell if Collins can get it together. The 'under' went 2-1.
Weekly Outlook: Philadelphia has a good shot to get its first win this week with road battles at Washington and New York. Plus a pair of home games against the Pacers and Cavaliers.
15) Washington
Weekly Recap: The Wizards were humbled in their opening night loss at Orlando (83-112) but they showed some guts two nights later in a setback at Atlanta (95-99). Rookie John Wall (21 PPG, 9 APG) has looked sharp despite some erratic play.
Weekly Outlook: Home opener on Tuesday versus Philadelphia should be electric for Wall's debut. Still no Gilbert Arenas (ankle) on the court, which could hurt with a back-to-back set starting Friday against the Knicks (road) and Cavaliers (home).
vegasinsider.com
Weekly Notes - West
By Kevin Rogers
1 - Lakers
Weekly Rewind: The Champs began the season with three victories out of the gate over the Rockets, Suns, and Warriors. After failing to cover the opener against Houston, the Lakers cashed against Phoenix and Golden State, while holding the dynamic Warriors' offense to just 83 points.
Weekly Outlook: The Purple and Gold has a busy week with four games, while not leaving the state of California. The Lakers host the Grizzlies on Tuesday, followed by a trip with no rest to Sacramento on Wednesday. Los Angeles returns home to entertain Toronto on Friday, while wrapping up the week on Sunday against Portland.
2 - Blazers
Weekly Rewind: Portland has looked solid through the first week with a 3-0 start, as the Blazers knocked off the Suns, Clippers, and Knicks. New York was the only team to crack 100 points against this feisty Portland defense, while Portland finished with a 2-0-1 ATS mark.
Weekly Outlook: The Blazers continue a four-game road swing on Monday night at Chicago against the Bulls. Portland finishes the trip at Milwaukee on Tuesday before a Northwest Division showdown at home with Oklahoma City on Thursday. The Blazers end the week with the road-weary Raptors invading the Rose Garden on Saturday.
3 - Hornets
Weekly Rewind: With all the Chris Paul trade rumors flying through the summer, many thought New Orleans wouldn't be a factor in the West. It is early, but the Hornets have started 3-0 with three victories over playoff teams from a season ago over the Bucks, Nuggets, and Spurs. The constant has been solid defense, limiting each opponent to 95 points or less, resulting in three 'unders.'
Weekly Outlook: The road doesn't ease up for Monty Williams' squad, as the Hornets head to Houston to battle the winless Rockets on Wednesday. The Hornets return to the Big Easy for a matchup that is anything but, hosting the Heat on Friday. The week wraps up on Saturday in Milwaukee, taking on a Bucks' team that is playing its fourth game in five nights.
4 - Nuggets
Weekly Rewind: The Hornets don't have the star-grumbling drama quite like the Nuggets do, but Carmelo Anthony and the defending Northwest Division champs have won two of their first three games. Melo is trying to silence the trade rumors by lifting the Nuggets to wins over the Jazz and Rockets, while Denver was tripped up at New Orleans. With the inflated totals out of the gate, the Nuggets have managed three 'unders.'
Weekly Outlook: The Nuggets return to the Pepsi Center for a pair of games against the Mavs (Wednesday) and Clippers (Friday), while heading to Dallas on Saturday with no rest for a second meeting with the defending Southwest champs.
5 - Thunder
Weekly Rewind: The hunters from a season ago are now turning into the hunted as Oklahoma City grabbed its first two games before getting blown out at home to previously winless Utah. The Thunder needed a strong fourth quarter to stave off the Bulls in the home opener, followed by Jeff Green's layup at the buzzer to edge the Pistons, while failing to cover as six-point road 'chalk.'
Weekly Outlook: The Thunder make a quick trip out west for a pair of games against the Clippers (Wednesday) and Blazers (Thursday) before heading back to the Ford Center for a four-game homestand that begins with the Celtics on Sunday evening.
6 - Mavericks
Weekly Rewind: Dallas hasn't had the most difficult schedule to begin the season by playing two non-playoff teams out of the first three games. The Mavs drilled the Bobcats in the season opener by 15, but stubbed their toe as 9 ½-point favorites against the Grizzlies in a 91-90 loss. Dallas finished the week on a good note with Sunday's 15-point victory over the dreadful Clippers at Staples Center.
Weekly Outlook: The Mavericks play only two games this week and both contests come against the same team. Dallas heads to the Pepsi Center on Wednesday to battle Denver before the Nuggets make their second visit to the Lone Star State in a week to tangle with the Mavs on Saturday.
7 - Grizzlies
Weekly Rewind: Memphis bounced back from an embarrassing home opening loss to Atlanta to pick up consecutive wins over Dallas and Minnesota. What made the victories over the Mavs and Wolves so impressive was the team did it without forward Zach Randolph, who sat out with a bruised tailbone.
Weekly Outlook: The Grizzlies make their customary November West Coast trip with a four-game swing that begins in Los Angeles on Tuesday against the Lakers. Memphis travels to the Bay Area on Wednesday to take on Golden State, followed by a Friday meeting with the Suns in Phoenix. The trip concludes back in Northern California with the Kings on Saturday, the fourth game in five nights for the Grizzlies.
8 - Spurs
Weekly Rewind: Past Tony Parker inking a contract extension to remain in San Antonio, it was a pretty uneventful week for the Spurs. The Black and Silver won an uptempo contest against the Pacers as 8 ½-point favorites before falling as nine-point 'chalk' to the Hornets, 99-90.
Weekly Outlook: The Spurs head to Staples Center on Monday to take on the winless Clippers, as Los Angeles comes in with no rest off Sunday's home loss to Dallas. San Antonio concludes its mini-road trip at Phoenix on Wednesday, as the Suns will have four days of rest. The Spurs finish the week back at home against the Rockets on Saturday.
9 - Warriors
Weekly Rewind: Golden State changed its uniforms, the color of its home floor, and its head coach, looking for a spark. The Warriors restored some of the old Oracle Arena magic with victories over the Rockets and Clippers, but lost sharpshooter Stephen Curry to an ankle injury in the Los Angeles blowout. Curry sat out Sunday's drubbing to the Lakers at Staples Center, as the Warriors shot 40% from the floor in a 107-83 defeat.
Weekly Outlook: The Warriors will be looking to run out the Grizzlies on Wednesday night when Memphis plays the second of a back-to-back. Golden State hosts Utah on Friday, followed by a five-game road trip out east that begins in Detroit on Sunday.
10 - Kings
Weekly Rewind: The other Northern California club has also started at 2-1, as Sacramento picked up wins at Minnesota and Cleveland as underdogs. The Kings allowed a late 17-3 run in last Friday's loss at New Jersey, as Sacramento has hit the 'over' in all three games to start the season.
Weekly Outlook: Following that road trip, it's going to be some nice home cooking at Arco Arena this week. The Kings host the Raptors on Monday, followed by a visit from the Lakers on Wednesday. Sacramento concludes the week against Memphis on Saturday, the second straight opponent the Kings get that is on a back-to-back.
11 - Suns
Weekly Rewind: It's tough to remember the last time the Suns were listed as an underdog in the first three games of a season, much less at three consecutive times of any season in recent memory. Phoenix stumbled in the final quarter of an opening night loss at Portland, but rebounded nicely with an outright underdog slap-down at Utah as 7 ½-point underdogs. The sun set on Phoenix in an eight-point home defeat to the Lakers, but the Suns did cash their first 'over' in three games.
Weekly Outlook: The Suns will have four days to prepare for their old playoff rival when the Spurs invade the Valley on Wednesday. Phoenix battles a Memphis club that gave the Suns fits last season when the Grizzlies come to town on Friday. The week ends on Sunday night in Atlanta, the beginning of a two-game road swing.
12 - Jazz
Weekly Rewind: Utah made plenty of changes in the offseason, but that didn't translate into immediate success, as the Jazz dropped their first two games in ugly fashion against the Nuggets and Suns. Jerry Sloan's club got things going with Sunday's blowout victory at Oklahoma City, the start of a great race in the Northwest this season.
Weekly Outlook: The Jazz will alternate home and away games for the first seven games of the season, as Utah heads back to Salt Lake on Wednesday to take on Toronto. Utah travels to Golden State on Friday before coming home on Saturday to host a Clippers' team that hasn't won in Salt Lake since January 2003 (14 straight home wins for Jazz in series).
13 - Timberwolves
Weekly Rewind: Minnesota has a long way to go to get to the relevant of the Western Conference, but the Wolves were competitive in a pair of home games to start the season. Kurt Rambis' bunch lost a one-point decision to the Kings before beating the Bucks as four-point home 'dogs. The week came to a screeching halt with Saturday's blowout loss at Memphis, a game in which the Wolves dug a huge hole in a 109-89 defeat.
Weekly Outlook: The Wolves will have a long week as they head to the Sunshine State where they will no doubt be double-digit underdogs at Miami (Tuesday) and Orlando (Wednesday). Minnesota returns home from another tough contest against Atlanta on Friday before starting a three-game road trip in Houston on Sunday.
14 - Rockets
Weekly Rewind: Houston seemed like that "turning the corner" team with Yao Ming back in the fold, but the Rockets have stumbled to an 0-3 start. An opening night loss to the Lakers didn't help matters, followed by a 132-128 shootout loss at Golden State started the season on a sour note. The Rockets melted down in the second half of a 13-point home defeat to the Nuggets, as Houston has allowed 107 points or more in all three setbacks.
Weekly Outlook: Things can turn around this week for Rick Adelman's team as the 3-0 Hornets come to Houston on Wednesday. The Rockets make the short trip to San Antonio on Saturday, followed by a home contest with the woeful Wolves on Sunday.
15 - Clippers
Weekly Rewind: And then there was one, Vinny Del Negro's 0-3 Clippers. Los Angeles plays that second fiddle well in Southern California, dropping games to Portland, Golden State, and Dallas -- all by double-figures. The only constant for the Clips is cashing the 'under' in all three games.
Weekly Outlook: The Clippers stay at Staples Center for two not-so-easy contests against the Spurs (Monday) and Thunder (Wednesday). Los Angeles' prize for this homestand comes on a four-game road swing that takes the Clips to Denver (Friday) and Utah (Saturday). At least the Jazz will be playing with no rest, if that's any consolation for L.A.
vegasinsider.com