NBA Cross Sport Props
By Josh Jacobs
Cross sport prop wagering is just another shot to risk your money while getting away from the vanilla type moneyline, spread and total options.
As the countdown to Super Bowl XLIII continues to tick away some books are offering unprecedented choices in the prop bet department. In this installment of NFL coverage we’re going to take a look at some interesting cross sport props involving the NBA.
Will you be indulging in these types of bets or does the traditional style of playing the books interest you more? Whichever your poison, here’s what we have for the big game.
Steelers’ Points (+1 ½) vs. LeBron James Points
LeBron James and the Cavaliers will square off against Detroit on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. EST on ABC. The Pistons may be defending the hoop by allowing a fourth best, 93.5 PPG but seven defeats in the last nine and scoring just 93.5 PPG (coincidence it’s the same figure on defense) has the club a full 11 games behind Cleveland in the Central division.
January has been fuel to James’ fire. The All Star forward has logged in 28.1 PPG with 8.4 APG and 10 RPG. He’s cracked the 30-plus point mark six times this month, 19 times this season and has scored 30 PPG in the last nine. And while these numbers shouldn’t come as a surprise, the best news to highlight is James’ 49.4 shooting percentage from the perimeter, the best yet of his career.
Pittsburgh finished the regular season, scoring 21.7 PPG. The Steelers also found themselves mustering up 20 points or below a total of eight times in 2008. The playoffs have seen a spike in offensive production at 29 PPG during the playoffs if that helps at all. Combine these numbers against Arizona defending the end zone for 20.8 PPG in the last four victories and the James bet could be worth looking into. Just remember that taking James’ points comes with a minus-1 ½-point handicap for a return of -115 (bet $115 to make $100).
Willie Parker Rushing Attempts (-3 ½) vs. Allen Iverson Points Scored
The Steelers’ running backs have been thoroughly analyzed in the recent breakdown comparing Arizona’s linebacker core. But to rehash quickly, Pittsburgh’s No. 1 back, Willie Parker registered his lowest statistics since logging in 186 yards with no touchdown as a rookie in 2004. Parker finished the regular season, averaging 3.8 YPG for 791 rushing yards. However, his last three outings have seen a surge in production. From Week 17 to the ‘W’ in Baltimore during the Conference Championship, Parker has averaged 103 YPG (gaining 116 and 146 games consecutively).
More importantly, Parker has averaged 20.1 carries per game in 13 contests this season. In those same three games aforementioned, the running back’s carries have risen to 24.7 attempts per game, but since his return from injury he's only seen 19.3 APG (in nine games back). Remember that if you’re taking Parker in this prop you must surrender 3 ½-carries. The price tag for taking the running back in this bet is listed at minus-115 (bet $115 to make $100).
Allen Iverson has been responsible for a sharp decline in his numbers. Averaging a career, 27.2 PPG, the Virginia born superstar has seen his numbers dip down to 17.6 PPG scored in 2008-09. In January, Iverson struggled for his worst monthly offensive average in his career (not counting the months that witnessed the guard out for an extended period of time) at 16.7 PPG scored. In just his last five games, Iverson has driven to the hoop for just 15.6 PPG. On a side note, the nine-time All-Star was placed on the bench at the end of the fourth quarter in Detroit’s, 108-105 loss versus Houston last Sunday.
Heath Miller Receiving Yards (-6 ½) vs. Dwight Howard’s Points plus Rebounds
The final exotic cross sport wager we’ll look at is whether Pittsburgh’s tight end, Heath Miller will work for more receiving yards or if Orlando’s star center, Dwight Howard will score more points.
While the Magic dropped two straight against Boston and Miami last week, Howard has been able to average 18.8 PPG with 14.2 RPG in the last five (combined figure of 33 for this betting purpose) and 20.9 PPG with 14 APG in January (combined figure of 34.9). To put this in perspective, Howard has registered a double-double in 11 of 12 games in January and 34 for the season. Add the 6 ½ handicap that Sportsbetting.com has listed for this bet and there could be enough reasons to wager on this prop.
But before we jump the gun, the Steelers TE, Miller has had just one active game this season without a catch. Minus the two contests that he sat out with an injury, Miller has tallied up 514 receiving yards. In an offensive set that ran the ball 28.8 times per game (and passed it 31.6 times per game), Miller found himself grabbing 29 catches for 329 yards since Week 13.
During the playoffs, Miller has six receptions for 99 yards and one TD. And only seven times has the TE registered under 40 yards of receiving yards (including playoffs).
Other NBA Cross Sport Bets
Who Will Have More on Feb 1st 2009
Steelers+Cardinals Points -12 ½ (-115)
LeBron James (Cavs) Points+Assists +12 ½ (-115)
Who Will Have More on Feb 1st 2009
Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers) Completions -3 ½ (+110)
LeBron James (Cavs) 1st Half Points +3 ½ (-140)
Who Will Have More on Feb 1st 2009
Jeff Reed (Steelers) Field Goals Made + ½ (+110)
LeBron James (Cavs) Missed Free Throws - ½ (-140)
Who Will Have More on Feb 1st 2009
Cardinals First Downs +2 ½ (-115)
Rasheed Wallace (Pistons) Points+Rebounds -2 ½ (-115)
Go to Sportsbetting.com for a complete list of Cross Sport Props
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