Brian Hansen
Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors
Prediction: Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavs held Golden State to 39.8 percent from the field in a 112-97 home win on Nov. 28. They've won four of the last five meetings, including the last two at Oracle Arena; look for another beatdown tonight! Cleveland is 24-9 ATS when playing the roll of favorite; play on CLEVELAND!
JRTips
DALLAS vs. DETROIT
After watching the Mavericks allow their most points in a game in seven seasons, coach Carlisle leads Dallas into the Palace of Auburn Hills tonight where he guided the Pistons from 2001-03. Dallas (24-18) looks to improve to 2-1 on its four-game road trip following a 133-99 loss to Milwaukee on Wednesday. It was the Mavericks' most lopsided defeat since 2001. Dallas allows 99.0 points per game this season, but has surrendered an average of 109.6 while losing five of its last seven. Dirk Nowitzki is averaging 31.4 points while shooting 52.0 percent from the field in his last five games but in the teams' last meeting in Auburn Hills, Nowitzki missed 15 of 18 shots and scored just 15 points in a 90-67 loss.The Pistons (24-17), look for their third straight win after Wednesday's 95-76 win over Toronto. Detroit held the Raptors to 42.5 percent shooting after limiting Memphis to 41.6 percent from the field in an 87-79 victory on Monday. Detroit is among the NBA's best defensive squads in 2008-09 as the Pistons are fourth in the NBA in field goal defense (44.3 percent) and fewest points allowed per game (92.7) and although they've scored 100 or more points just once in the last 15 games, the Pistons have a number of players that can shoulder the team's scoring load. Dallas is not tough enough right now to beat this Pistons team on their home court that is playing good basketball.TAKE DETROIT-4
Dave Price
1 Unit on Rockets/Pacers OVER 211
Indiana's only chance to win against good teams is to push the tempo and that is what you will see from the Pacers tonight. Indiana is 8-0 OVER in home games when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 60% to 70%) over the last 2 seasons. The average score in these games has totaled 218.9 points. Indiana is also 9-1 OVER after playing 2 consecutive road games this season. The average score in these games totaled 225.6 points. Take the Over tonight!
LT Profits
Minnesota Timberwolves +1.0
Very quietly, the Minnesota Timberwolves have been the best bet in the NBA the last three weeks, and we look for them to continue their improvement with a big win over a New Orleans Hornets team that is considered one of the elite clubs in the league.
The Timberwolves are 9-1-1 against the spread in their last 11 games. Furthermore, they did win straight up in the push, which was a two-point win over an up-and-coming Milwaukee Bucks team, and they also played well in the lone ATS loss, a three-point defeat to the Miami Heat.
This recent hot streak vs. the number has now put Minnesota over .500 ATS for the season at 20-19-1, and they are also now 4-1 straight up in their last five home games with a nice average winning margin of +11.6 points per game.
Meanwhile, the Hornets may be 26-13 SU, but they have been a disappointment for their supporters this season, going just 17-20-2 ATS. They do enter this contest on a three-game winning streak, but keep in mind those three wins all came from teams from the weaker Eastern Conference.
Finally, New Orleans is playing short handed right now without David West and Tyson Chandler, and we look for the hot T-Wolves to take advantage of this fact.
Pick: Timberwolves +1
Tom Freese
Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Clippers
Prediction: Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City is 7-0 ATS their last 7 Friday games and they are 9-1 ATS when playing with one day of rest. The Thunder are 21-6 ATS their 27 games overall and they are 23-9 ATS off an ATS Win. The Clippers 10-26 ATS their last 36 home games and they are 2-9 ATS their last 11 home games vs. a team with a losing road record. Los Angeles is 8-18 ATS after allowing 100 or more points in their last game and they are 6-13 ATS off a double digit loss. PLAY ON OKLAHOMA CITY -
Brett Maverick Sports
Brown +5.5
Last week we gave out Yale over Brown as our Ivy League Game of the week, and tonight we are going with the revenge factor and taking Brown. Brown is 7-1 straight up and vs the number with same season revenge vs rival Yale, and a perfect 6-0 ats on this floor off a straight up loss in this series. Take Brown in a payback tonight.
Wunderdog
Phoenix at Charlotte
Pick: Charlotte +4.5
The Charlotte Bobcats got off to a horrendous start where they saw their record sink to 4-23 through 27 games. They have now been playing their best basketball of the season, going 9-4 in their last 13, which includes straight-up wins over Portland, Boston, and Detroit. They have also covered their last five games as a home dog. The Suns are setting in terms of ATS play as they are now just 1-8-1 ATS in their last 10. They followed a stretch of going 6-1 with their current mark of just 1-4 and two of the losses were against Minnesota and New York. Charlotte is playing better now and at home getting points presents lots of value on the Hornets and I'm on board with them tonight.
Jeff Alexander Sports
1 Unit on New Orleans Hornets pk
Minnesota is playing its best basketball of the season but it had its momentum slowed with a loss to Utah last game. The Hornets are picking up steam, having won 3 straight and 10 of their last 14. They are approaching the soft part of their schedule and will look to make the most of it. New Orleans has absolutely had Minnesota 's number as it has had no answer for CP3. New Orleans is a perfect 4-0 SU and ATS at Minnesota the last 3 seasons and has covered 12 of 15 at Minnesota since 1996. The last 2 times the Hornets have played the Wolves, they have won by 30-plus. Minnesota is 1-9 ATS in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season, losing by an average score of 90.4 to 101.5. Take the Bees!
Matt Fargo
Houston Rockets vs. Indiana Pacers
Play: Houston Rockets
To the Pacers credit, they have played the top ranked schedule in the NBA this season and that is part of the reason for their 15-27 record. 24 of their 42 games have been played on the road and that also takes that schedule ranking into consideration. However, Indiana is just 9-9 at home so the home court really is not that big of an advantage. This includes a 4-5 record against winning teams which is decent but far from solid. Indiana is 4-12 against teams ranked within the top ten and it is one of only 10 teams in the league that has at least 12 losses against that competition. For the most part, the Pacers have been competitive but that is where it ends. Incredibly, nearly half of their games have come down to one possession. They have the most losses by three points or fewer, going 5-9 in such games and they have the most overtime losses, going 1-4 in extra session games. So basically, 18 of the Pacers' first 42 games have been decided by either a final possession or tied at the end of regulation. They are only 6-12 in those games. So that means don’t be surprised to see yet another close game and here we catch a price that is within that range. Houston hits the road and it has been rolling even with injuries to Tracy McGrady and Ron Artest. The Rockets have won three straight games and six of their last seven to keep pace in the crowded Southwest Division where only 4.5 games separate four teams. And the most amazing thing about that is Dallas, which is the 4th place team, is in 9th position in the Western Conference playoff race. Only 4.5 games separates 2nd and 9th place. Houston is in better shape, only two games behind San Antonio and currently sitting in 5th place in the conference. Obviously the Rockets are far from safe and these games against the Eastern Conference cannot be taken lightly. Houston is a very average 9-7 against the opposing conference this season including a 1-4 mark in its last five road games. However, four of those were against teams currently in playoff positions and Indiana is far from there. This is also a revenge game for the Rockets, who lost at home to the Pacers early in the season and that was one of only five home losses for Houston and one of only six road wins for Indiana. The Rockets will not be looking past this team. Offensively, Indiana is one of the better scoring teams in the league, averaging 104.2 ppg. The Pacers are coming off an 81-point effort in San Antonio, the first time they have been held to fewer than 100 points in 14 games and it won’t get easier tonight. Houston is allowing only 94.4 ppg on the season and even without Artest, it has allowed fewer than 100 points in four of the six games he has been absent. The Rockets are 8th in the NBA in scoring defense and their 96 ppg allowed on the road is 7th best in the NBA. Indiana managed only 91 points in the first meeting which is just the 7th time in the last 31 games it has been held below the century mark. Defensively, the Pacers are horrid, allowing 106.7 ppg which is the third most points allowed in the league. The 105.7 ppg allowed at home is the 4th highest as well. The Pacers force only 13.9 turnovers per game and that is big as Houston is 21-3 ATS in its last 24 games in the second half of the season against teams forcing fewer than 14 turnovers per game. Houston is 10-2 ATS in the second half of the season over the last three years against teams that are winning between 25 and 40 percent of their games. Conversely the Pacers are 2-9 ATS in the second half of the season over the last three years against teams that are winning between 60 and 70 percent of their games. The revenge aspect cannot be overlooked at Houston falls into a great situation. Play on all teams that have won between 60 and 75 percent of their games where the line is +3 to -3 that are revenging a straight up loss against an opponent as a home favorite and now has a losing record. This situation is 36-12 ATS (75 percent) since 1996. Look for the Rockets to get that revenge tonight and all we need is an outright win to get the cover. 3* Houston Rockets
Alex Smart
Phoenix Suns @ Charlotte Bobcats
PICK: Charlotte Bobcats
The Phoenix Suns enter into this contest against their hosts the Charlotte Bobcats in a funk ,especially against the all important spread, as is evident by a covering just 1 of their L/10 tilts . The Suns lost their last trip to the hardwood to the New York Kicks by a score of , 114-109 for their second straight loss , which includes negative results in 4 of their last five overall.
Meanwhile, the Charlotte Bobcats, are currently performing at the opposite end of the proverbial performance spectrum winning 4 of their L/5 SU , while bringing home the cash to their betting backers in all 5 affairs.
Considering both teams current form it will be an easy decision to back a home underdog that is has covered 5 of their L/6 vs Western Conference teams. It must also be noted that the Suns are 0-6-1 ATS L/7 vs non conference foes, and are a lowly 3-12 ATS in their last 15 vs a below .500 team.
Projected score: Charlotte 101 Phoenix 100
Scott Rickenbach
Memphis Grizzlies @ New York Knicks
PICK: New York Knicks
There is going to be an over-reaction to the Memphis side in this one because their head coach just got fired. Traditionally teams are a strong play in their first game right after their coach gets fired. However, note that traditionally certainly doesn’t mean always and special circumstances here dictate that the value in this one is with the home team laying a very short number of points! The Knicks have won four of their last six games and this included wins against a Bulls team now getting healthy, a solid Hornets club that was healthier when they faced them, and the Suns in their most recent game. Keep in mind the win over the Hornets came in New Orleans. All of these are impressive wins for the Knicks and they show just how far this team has come! Now back to Memphis and the firing of their coach. Oftentimes a team will show improvement right after their coach is fired simply because the talent was there all along for the team to be successful but the players just weren’t meshing with the coach. That is NOT the case in this particular instance. In our opinion, the Grizzlies roster is mostly devoid of talent. There will be a few nights when they’re able to grind out a win and, quite frankly, that’s precisely what Coach Marc Iavaroni was trying to do with Memphis. However, their most talented players are also their youngest and they’re trying to run the back-court of an NBA team. That spells trouble or, at the very least, growing pains! While the Grizzlies are going to continue to suffer with these growing pains, this Knicks team is starting to hit their stride. They’re also very dangerous from the outside while the Grizzlies have struggled to guard the perimeter. In other words, this one could get ugly in a hurry and we’re recommending that you consider a small play on the Knicks on Friday night.
Dennis Macklin
Cleveland State at Youngstown State
Prediction: Cleveland State
Cleveland is just 1-3 on the Horizon road but they've done EXACTLY what they've supposed to do. The drilled Detroit and lost at both Wiskys and tough Wright State. Vikes sweep at home and split the road (Bradley yet to come) and this once downtrodden program is right in Conference hunt. The Penguins have lost their last three by a combined 47 points (all loses of 11+) and are just 1-3 at home with all three losses by eight plus. Not a great number but the visitors rate a flyer. Take Cleveland State.
Matty O'Shea
NOH vs MIN
The Timberwolves have clearly been playing over their heads lately, and we shouldn't forget that this is a team that lost 13 straight games just a month ago. They will be hosting a team that is 13-3 ATS in the last 16 meetings and has impressive road wins against the Pistons, Mavs and Lakers in three of their last five games away from home. In fact, the Hornets have won the last two meetings with Minnesota by an average of 33 points. Bet New Orleans to get another easy victory here.
Ron Raymond
LAC / OKL Over 194
When OKLAHOMA team played as a Road team - Vs Pacific opponent - Total is between 190 to 195; the OVER is an incredible 24-1-0 for the Thunder/Supersonics since 1996. My ATS Numbers have this total landing on 195.57 points, take the OVER.
Matt Rivers
For Friday take the Thunder out West
Backing Oklahoma City on the road certainly does not make me feel great but the Clippers are a decimated team that is literally missing their four best players and the way the Thunder have been covering games I'll roll witht hem here.
The Clippers had some hopes this season after bringing in both Baron Davis and Marcus Camby but these guys have been injured along with Chris Kaman and Zach Randolph. The season has been as dreadful as ever for Los Angeles and are going to be in some trouble here as well even up against the 9-34 Thunder.
Okie City has a terrible record but these guys have been playing hard and covering number after number. At one point Kevin Durant and the fellas covered 21 of their last 27 games and that was just last week. Now throw in an outright victory in Golden State on Wednesday and we have a team that at least competes.
Besides Durant there is some hope for Seattle's former franchise as Russell Westbrook and Jeff Green appear to be quality NBA players for years' to come.
The Clips are just a pathetic franchise that appears to be cursed. They are 9-34 and probably would have been alright if they stayed somewhat healthy but right now with their losing culture are not going to turn anything around in the near future.
No doubt a few bad teams here but the Thunder will strike and get to the ten win mark first!