Posts Tagged ‘NBA Picks’
The NBA trade deadline shook things up in the basketball betting world quite a bit. Check out Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in the world of the NBA at Bang the Book, brought to you by Sportsbook.com! ATS Power Poll 1: Utah Jazz (34-18-3 ATS): The All-Star Break didn’t slow down the Jazz at all from the looks of it. Utah opened up the second half with four road games and took four victories both SU and ATS. That bumped its road record to 16-9-1 ATS on the season, and even though it’s not as strong as an 18-9-2 mark in Salt Lake City, the Jazz are proving that they are a force to be reckoned with on a nightly basis and are a can’t miss team for your NBA picks. 2: Oklahoma City Thunder (33-21 ATS): Ho hum. Three more 25+ point games for F Kevin Durant. Even though the Texas product is doing nothing but boosting his case to be the league’s MVP and the Thunder continue to find ways to win games (they’re at nine in a row right now), they ran into problems covering numbers at New York and Minnesota this week. Oklahoma City’s bettors hope that that ends this week with a tough stretch of games against Phoenix and San Antonio. 3: Atlanta Hawks (33-21 ATS): Atlanta’s quest to run down the Magic for the lead in the Southeast Division took a turn for the worse this week with a pair of road losses. The good news for the Hawks is that they’re coming home for three straight soon, where they are 18-9 ATS on the season. The bad news is that they have to stop in Utah first. ATS Power Outage 1: New Jersey Nets (21-34-1 ATS): The Nets got their monthly victory last week when they took it to Charlotte as hefty underdogs, but they followed that up by getting progressively worse over the course of the week. Losses to Miami, Toronto, and Memphis at home dropped Jersey to just 10-17 ATS at home on the year. 2: Boston Celtics (21-32-1 ATS): Boston is still a level .500 team on the road this year against the NBA betting lines, but taking three out of four SU on this West Coast swing really had to help the Celtics’ cause. These next three home games are crucial. Trips to New York and New Jersey will be inexcusable, but that showdown in the middle with Cleveland may prove to this team one way or the other if it can really ball with the big boys in the East. 3: Dallas Mavericks (23-33 ATS): Once the Mavs start to gel a little bit more, they’ll be in fine shape. But for now, they’re still not consistent enough to back on a regular basis. That 95-85 win in Orlando was awfully impressive though, and it’s probably a sign of what the rest of the teams in the Western Conference can expect to see down the line from the boys from “Big D.” The Good The Bad The Ugly
Washington Wizards: That’s right. We said it. The Wizards are “The Good” this week! Their front office doesn’t get a thumbs up for dealing away their entire team (F Antawn Jamison to Cleveland and F Caron Butler to Dallas), but the pieces to the puzzle that have come together in our nation’s capitol are fighting hard to prove that they belong at this level. Since February 5th, Washington is a solid 3-2 SU and 5-0 ATS. F Andray Blatche has been on fire, scoring an average of 25.0 PPG in his L/3.
The New-Look Houston Rockets: HC Rick Adelman had better hope that these L/2 games are nothing more than a bump in the road for his Rockets, or he’ll be on the unemployment line here really soon. After acquiring both G Kevin Martin and F Jared Jeffries in a deal that really didn’t cost much of anything for the time being, Houston has laid two major eggs, getting dumped by eight at New Orleans and by ten at home to Indiana. The next four teams on the slate are all playoff squads… which means by the time next week is over, Houston may be playing for nothing but ping-pong balls.
The Front Office of the Phoenix Suns: How on earth do you successfully anger your superstar by telling him that you’re going to trade him, and then turn around and not actually figure out how to do it? Now that the Suns ultimately couldn’t pull the trigger on an F Amare Stoudemire deal, they’re stuck with him for the rest of the season, knowing that he’s declaring free agency right when it’s over. For the brass of this team, they’d better hope that Phoenix hangs on to its playoff spot, or heads are inevitably going to roll.
Tags: Amare Stoudemire, Andray Blatche, Atlanta Hawks, basketball betting, Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Jared Jeffries, Kevin Martin, nba betting, NBA Picks, New Jersey Nets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards
It was a short week for the NBA betting world, but in spite of that fact, there was still plenty of ups and downs to talk about. Check out Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in the world of the NBA at Bang the Book, brought to you by Sportsbook.com! ATS Power Poll 1: Atlanta Hawks (32-19 ATS): We won’t fault the Hawks for coming up well short against the Heat in the final game before the All-Star Break because of their injuries. A 108-94 victory in Memphis back on Tuesday was key for some self-confidence, especially considering that the first four off of the break are all on the West Coast. 2: Oklahoma City Thunder (32-19 ATS): You’ve been Thunder Struck! Oklahoma City went into the hiatus on a high, winning six straight SU and five of those six ATS. Three huge wins on the road against Western Conference rivals were all clutch to say the least, and with a relatively easy schedule starting on Tuesday night, the Thunder could be in the playoff picture to stay. 3: Utah Jazz (30-18-3 ATS): The Jazz had their opponents singing the blues until the Lakers clipped them 96-81 at home in their final game prior to the season’s intermission. Whereas Utah is 18-9-2 ATS at home, its 12-9-1 mark against the basketball betting lines isn’t quite as strong. The first four next week are all on the road. ATS Power Outage 1: New Jersey Nets (19-32-1 ATS): It’s never good when the turnstiles at your games only read 1,016. That’s what happened to the Nets right before the All-Star Break. One would figure that a chance to see history can’t be missed. After all, how many times in your life will you get to feast your eyes on a team that may not reach five wins on the season? Oh that’s right. Who wants to see the home team get blasted by 20 points on their home court? 2: Boston Celtics (19-30-1 ATS): The break came just at the right time for Celtics bettors, who had to be losing faith in their squad after dropping four straight ATS decisions in a row. The good news for Boston is that it is 13-13 ATS on the road this year, which is where the first four will be next week. At least that may build some momentum before coming back to the Garden on February 23rd. 3: Dallas Mavericks (21-31 ATS): Now that the Mavericks have made a move that has totally changed the face of their team, they’re going to be a tough squad to make NBA picks on. F Caron Butler is certainly going to add some scoring flare, but there’s got to be a question about how well this team will mesh. Things couldn’t get much worse from a bettors standpoint, though. Dallas had failed to cover seven of its L/8. The Good The Bad The Ugly
F LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers: It’s hard to say that LeBron is simply “The Good,” because with the way that he has been playing lately, he’s simply, “The Best.” It was just another week of back-to-back 32-point games for King James, and that came on the heels of a mere 47-point effort against the Knicks and a 36-pointer vs. Miami. Simply put: There isn’t a man that you’d rather have on your NBA team right now than LeBron James.
The Bigs for the Los Angeles Clippers: Ok, I know that it’s hard for you to even find G Stephen Curry on the court considering that he’s only 6′3″ and looks like he is about 120 lbs sopping wet, but how are all ten eyes on the court not on a guy who ends up going for 32 points, ten boards, and 13 assists in the same game? F Rasual Butler and C Chris Kaman were outrebounded by Curry 10-8 on the night. Not good, Clips. Not good at all.
Houston Rockets: Being short-handed may be a good excuse for some teams, but for the Rockets on Tuesday night, there were just no excuses. Houston only scored 66 points in an embarrassing 33-point loss in South Beach against the Heat. G Dwyane Wade’s pedestrian 17 points was more than the Rockets scored in three of the four quarters of action.
Tags: Atlanta Hawks, basketball betting, Boston Celtics, Caron Butler, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Dwyane Wade, Houston Rockets, lebron james, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, nba betting, NBA Picks, New Jersey Nets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Stephen Curry, Utah Jazz
NBA Betting Preview SBG Global Opening Line: Suns - 3.5 , Total 195 Two of the top teams in the Western Conference get together on Wednesday night as the Phoenix Suns host the Houston Rockets. The Rockets started fast but have slipped recently while the Suns are playing well, having won two straight. SBG Global reports that early NBA betting has the public taking Suns at Home. The Rockets did not play well on Sunday, losing 111-82 to the Lakers. “We are better than that, but we have to find answers,” head coach Rick Adelman said. “You have to work a little harder. You can’t do it on your own. We have a lot of work to do. I don’t know what else to say.” The Rockets looked good early in the season with new addition Ron Artest and he still believes the team is going to be good. “Obviously, nobody’s happy about the loss, but I feel good about where we’re going to be at,” Artest said, “I feel confident about this team. I really believe that we’re going to be there at the end.” The Rockets and Suns split their season series a year ago and both teams finished with 55-27 records at the end of last season. The Suns have won eight of the last eleven meetings between the two teams and 13 of the last 18 overall. Here are more NBA betting stats for Wednesday’s game. The Rockets are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. the Pacific. The Rockets are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 vs. the Western Conference. The Rockets are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. The Rockets are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall. The road team is 20-9 ATS in the last 29 meetings between the two teams. The Rockets are 1-4 ATS in the last 5 meetings in Phoenix. The Suns are 4-9-2 ATS in their last 15 Wednesday games. The favorite is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings between the two teams. SBG Global Current Line: Suns - 4 , Total 195 The Under is 6-0 in the Rockets last 6 Wednesday games. The Over is 4-1 in the Rockets last 5 road games. The Over is 4-0 in the Suns last 4 vs. the Western Conference. The Over is 4-1 in the Suns last 5 home games. The Over is 10-3 in the Suns last 13 Wednesday games. The Over is 6-2 in the Suns last 8 vs. the Southwest. The Over is 6-2 in the Suns last 8 overall. The Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in Phoenix between the two teams. Pick: Rockets 2 out of 5 units
Houston Rockets (4-3) at Phoenix Suns (6-2)
Wednesday, 10:35 pm Eastern – ESPN
Tags: basketball, Houston Rockets, nba, NBA Picks, Phoenix Suns, sports
NBA Betting Preview Wednesday, 8:05 pm Eastern – ESPN SBG Global Opening Line: Heat - 2 , Total 189.5
Portland Trail Blazers (4-3) at Miami Heat (4-3)
The Miami Heat will look to remain unbeaten at home as they host Brandon Roy and the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday. The Heat have won their first three games at home this season by an average of 18 points per game. The big reason the Heat are winning at home this year is Dwyane Wade. He had 33 points in Monday’s win against New Jersey. “Did you see the fourth? I mean, wow,” said Miami rookie forward Michael Beasley, “(Wade’s) such a great player and he showed again tonight, even when he’s sluggish for the first two, three quarters, he’s going to finish with a bang.” The Heat are hoping to get Shawn Marion back on Wednesday after he missed Monday’s game. Marion is averaging 18.7 points and 9.8 rebounds per game in his career against Portland. SBG Global reports that early NBA betting has the public taking Heat at Home.
Portland is playing the second game of a five-game road trip. They opened up the trip with an impressive 106-99 win at Orlando on Monday. Brandon Roy scored 27 points and Steve Blake and Travis Outlaw had 20 apiece for the Blazers.
Portland is 15-5 all-time against Miami and defeated the Heat 98-91 last season. Here are more NBA betting stats for Wednesday’s game. The Trail Blazers are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games playing on 1 day of rest. The road team is 8-3 ATS in the last 11 meetings between the two teams. The Trail Blazers are 5-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings in Miami.
The Heat are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 home games vs. a team with a losing road record. The Heat are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games playing on 1 day of rest. The Heat are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 home games. The Heat are 8-3-1 ATS in their last 12 games overall. The Heat are 6-14-1 ATS in their last 21 Wednesday games.
SBG Global Current Line: Heat - 2 , Total 189.5
The Over is 5-1 in the Trail Blazers last 6 overall. The Under is 8-3 in the Trail Blazers last 11 road games. The Under is 7-3 in the Trail Blazers last 10 games playing on 1 day of rest. The Under is 38-17-1 in the Trail Blazers last 56 Wednesday games. The Under is 6-0 in Miami’s last 6 vs. the Western Conference. The Under is 7-2 in Miami’s last 9 home games. The Under is 20-7 in Miami’s last 27 overall. The Over is 19-7-1 in Miami’s last 27 vs. the Northwest. The Under is 5-2 in Miami’s last 7 games playing on 1 day of rest. The Over is 5-2-1 in the last 8 meetings between the two teams.
Pick: Tblazers 3 out of 5 units
Tags: basketball, Miami Heat, nba, NBA Picks, Portland Trail Blazers, sports
NBA Playoff Betting Preview SBG Global Opening Line: Lakers – 7 , Total 193.5 The Los Angeles Lakers will try and advance to the NBA Finals by eliminating the defending champion San Antonio Spurs on Thursday. The Lakers are a perfect 7-0 at home in the playoffs this season and in their last 21 home playoff games are 18-3. Since moving to Staples Center before the 1999-2000 season the Lakers have topped the 100 points mark in over half of their postseason home games. The Lakers are not overconfident heading home though. “We’re confident, but we’re not relaxed at all. It’s going to be a battle in Game 5.” the Lakers’ Pau Gasol said, “We want to definitely take advantage of the opportunity we have to close them out and to move on.” SBG Global reports that early NBA betting has the public taking Spurs on the Road. The Lakers took control of the series by winning Game 5 in San Antonio on Tuesday as Kobe Bryant had 28 points and 10 rebounds for Los Angeles. The Lakers led all the way but San Antonio had a chance at the end of the game but Brent Barry missed a last second shot. Tim Duncan led all scorers with 29 points and 17 rebounds. The Spurs know they let a golden chance slip away. “Obviously losing at home, giving up 20+ points in second chance points, points off turnovers and losing by two.” Duncan said, “So all of that combined, when you put all of that together, it was a game that we really could have and really should have won.” SBG Global Current Line: Lakers – 8 , Total 193.5 Here are the NBA betting stats for Thursday’s game. The Spurs are 14-5 ATS in their last 19 Conference Finals games. The Spurs are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 playoff games as an underdog. The Lakers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 Thursday games. The Lakers are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games as a home favorite. The Lakers are 11-4-1 ATS in their last 16 games overall. The Under is 6-0 in the Spurs last 6 vs. the Pacific. The Under is 4-0 in the Spurs last 4 games as a road underdog. The Under is 7-0 in the Spurs last 7 overall. The Under is 11-5 in the Spurs last 16 Thursday games. The Under is 7-0 in the Lakers last 7 Thursday games. The Under is 4-0 in the Lakers last 4 overall. The Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Los Angeles between the two teams. Pick: While it looks like the Lakers will win this one to my surprise, I cant count out the Spurs here or at least a cover with the high line. Spurs 4units
San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Lakers (Lakers lead 3-1)
Thursday, 9:05 pm Eastern – TNT
Tags: betting, gambling, Los Angeles lakers, nba, nba betting, NBA Picks, nba playoffs, San Antonio Spurs, San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Lakers, sports
NBA Playoff Betting Preview SBG Global Opening Line: Spurs – 4.5 , Total 192 The San Antonio Spurs will try and even up the best of seven Western Conference Finals on Tuesday as they host the Los Angeles Lakers. The Spurs got back in the series on Sunday as Manu Ginobili hit five three pointers and scored 30 points overall to lead San Antonio. Kobe Bryant had 30 points for the Lakers but didn’t get much help. “I got to the point where I couldn’t make a shot,” said Lamar Odom, who was 2-of-11 from the field and had only 7 points on Sunday. Pau Gasol had 15 points while Derek Fisher had just two points. SBG Global reports that early NBA betting has the public taking Spurs at Home. The Spurs played a very good game on Sunday and need a repeat performance if they are to even the series on Tuesday. “Making shots is part of it. And we did a better job of that,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “They missed some shots that could have gone in without a doubt.” Game Four on Tuesday has the potential to be a great one if the Lakers bounce back as expected. SBG Global Current Line: Spurs – 4 , Total 192 Here are the NBA betting stats for Tuesday’s game. The Lakers are 12-3-2 ATS in their last 17 games as a road underdog. The Lakers are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 Tuesday games. The Lakers are 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 games playing on 1 day of rest. The Lakers are 10-4-1 ATS in their last 15 games overall. The Lakers are 2-5 ATS in the last 7 meetings between the two teams. The Spurs are 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 games as a home favorite. The Spurs are 5-1-2 ATS in their last 8 Tuesday games. The Spurs are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall. The favorite is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings between the two teams and the home team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings. The Under is 5-1 in the Lakers last 6 games as a road underdog. The Over is 4-1 in the Lakers last 5 Tuesday games. The Under is 5-0 in the Spurs last 5 vs. the Pacific. The Under is 5-0 in the Spurs last 5 games playing on 1 day of rest. The Under is 6-0 in the Spurs last 6 overall. The Under is 8-1 in the last 9 meetings in San Antonio between the two teams. Pick: Spurs 4units, as long as Ginobli plays and well the Spurs will dominate
Los Angeles Lakers at San Antonio Spurs (Lakers lead 2-1)
Tuesday, 9:05 pm Eastern – TNT
Tags: basketball, betting, gambling, Los Angeles lakers, Los Angeles Lakers at San Antonio Spurs, nba, nba betting, NBA Picks, San Antonio Spurs, sports
NBA Playoff Betting Preview SBG Global Opening Line: Lakers – 6.5, Total 193 The San Antonio Spurs let a golden chance slip away in Game One against the Los Angeles Lakers as they blew a 20 point third quarter lead and lost 89-85. “No one gives any excuse,” Spurs guard Tony Parker said, “We were in pretty good shape, had a great lead. We had a great chance to win the game and we just didn’t play well enough in the fourth quarter.” History is now not on the Spurs side. The Lakers are 52-7 when winning Game 1 in a best-of-seven series. The also have owned the Spurs in the postseason. They have beaten them in seven of their previous 10 postseason matchups, including all three in the conference finals. Further history indicates that the Spurs are facing even more dismal numbers as Lakers’ head coach Phil Jackson is a perfect 40-0 when his teams win the opening game of a 7 game series. SBG Global reports that early NBA betting has the public taking Lakers at Home. Kobe Bryant scored all but two of his 27 points after halftime as the Spurs couldn’t slow him down. Losing a 20 point lead could be difficult for the Spurs to bounce back from. “Obviously a difficult loss and we had a great opportunity. We didn’t take advantage of it. Hurts like hell.” Spurs head coach Greg Popovich said. The Lakers are now 7-0 in the postseason at Staples Center and have won 13 straight games overall at home. The Lakers don’t expect the Spurs to quit though. “We expect them to come back with renewed energy,” said coach Phil Jackson. Kobe doesn’t believe the Spurs will be crushed by the loss. “I don’t think so,” said Kobe, “They’ve won four championships.” SBG Global Current Line: Lakers – 6.5, Total 192.5 Here are the NBA betting stats for Friday’s game. The Spurs are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 Conference Finals games. The Spurs are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Friday games. The Spurs are 7-16 ATS in their last 23 games as a road underdog. The Spurs are 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings between the two teams. The Lakers are 9-3-1 ATS in their last 13 games overall. The Lakers are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games as a home favorite. The Lakers are 2-9-1 ATS in their last 12 vs. the Southwest. The Lakers are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 Conference Finals games. The Under is 4-0 in the Spurs last 4 overall. The Under is 4-1-1 in the Spurs last 6 games as a road underdog. The Over is 11-4 in the Lakers last 15 Friday games. The Under is 5-2 in the last 7 meetings between the two teams. Pick: Spurs +6.5 3units. I would say outright win here if Ginobli was healthy
San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Lakers (Lakers lead 1-0)
Friday, 9:05 pm Eastern – TNT
Tags: betting, gambling, Los Angeles lakers, nba, nba betting, NBA Picks, nba playoffs, San Antonio Spurs, San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Lakers, sports
NBA Playoff Betting Preview SBG Global Opening Line: Celtics – 3.5, Total 172.5 The Boston Celtics had enough energy to win Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Detroit Pistons as they won 88-79 on Tuesday. They expect a much tougher test on Tuesday since Detroit is not likely to be as rusty. Point guard Chauncey Billups had not played in quite a while after missing the last two games against Orlando. He had just nine points with two assists and two turnovers. “I needed to play that game,” he said. “I don’t feel good about the outcome of it, but I feel good having been out there, having seen what it was going to be like in my first game, and I look to make improvements in the second game. It’s difficult getting back out there. It’s not like I’m just getting out there in a regular season game. There’s a lot at stake.” The Celtics were led by Kevin Garnett who had 26 points and 9 rebounds while Paul Pierce added 22 points, 6 rebounds and six assists. “The things he does on the floor don’t surprise me,” Kevin Garnett said about Pierce. “You see him work on it every day. He’s probably one of the strongest mental players in the league. He’s able to, for some reason, lock in a zone there and get his work done and come in today and carry it over to the floor. And not a lot of players can do that in this league.” SBG Global reports that early NBA betting has the public taking Celtics at Home. “We played a horrible game,” Detroit’s Antonio McDyess said. “We felt we played a horrible game and we just can’t continue playing that way. I think tomorrow is going to be a little different.” The Pistons were fortunate to only be down one at the half but then came out and played a poor third quarter. “We didn’t get it done. We turned the ball over too much. We beat ourselves. We’re a team that, we came off of a playoff low of three turnovers and we had seven in the third quarter.” Head coach Flip Saunders said, “So when it’s a close game, we turn it over seven times, we don’t give ourselves a chance.” The Celtics won Game One without much from Ray Allen who continues to play poorly in the playoffs. Allen had just nine points. “I’ve scored a lot in my career,” Allen said, “But it’s good to be in this position, where I’m not going to let it” affect the rest of the game. As part of the Big Three, Allen was expected to score more in the playoffs but so far it has been all Garnett and Pierce. “Ray’s a part of the Boston Celtics, and the Boston Celtics are winning,” Garnett said, “I’m sure it’s not his first shooting slump, and it’s definitely not his last. So I don’t have any sympathy for Ray Allen. I think he’s playing great basketball.” SBG Global Current Line: Celtics – 4 , Total 172 Here are the NBA betting stats for Thursday’s game. The Pistons are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games playing on 1 day of rest. The Pistons are 11-5 ATS in their last 16 games overall. The Pistons are 5-16 ATS in their last 21 Conference Finals games. The Pistons are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 playoff games as an underdog. The Pistons are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games as a road underdog. The Pistons are 2-5 ATS in the last 7 meetings between the two teams. The Underdog is 10-4 ATS in the last 14 meetings. The road team is 7-2 ATS in the last 9 meetings. The Celtics are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 Thursday games. The Celtics are 12-3 ATS in their last 15 games as a home favorite. The Celtics are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 Conference Finals games. The Celtics are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games playing on 1 day of rest. The Under is 13-3 in the Pistons last 16 road games. The Under is 4-1 in the Pistons last 5 vs. the Atlantic. The Under is 41-12-1 in the Pistons last 54 Thursday games. The Under is 19-7-1 in the Pistons last 27 Conference Finals games. The Under is 19-7-1 in the Pistons last 27 playoff games as an underdog. The Under is 10-4 in the Pistons last 14 games playing on 1 day of rest. The Under is 5-2 in the Pistons last 7 overall. The Under is 43-18-1 in the Pistons last 62 games as a road underdog. The Under is 5-1 in the Celtics last 6 Conference Finals games. The Under is 8-2 in the Celtics last 10 Thursday games. The Under is 17-7 in the Celtics last 24 vs. the Central. The Under is 9-4 in the Celtics last 13 games as a home favorite. The Under is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings between the two teams. The Under is 6-0 in the last 6 meetings in Boston. Pick: Stick with the home teams in this series. Celtics 3units
Detroit Pistons at Boston Celtics (Celtics lead 1-0)
Thursday, 8:35 pm Eastern – ESPN
Tags: basketball, betting, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Detroit Pistons at Boston Celtics, gambling, nba, NBA Picks, sports
NBA Playoff Betting Preview SBG Global Opening Line: Celtics – 4 , Total 174 The two best teams in the Eastern Conference will meet for the right to play in the NBA Finals. The Boston Celtics took the long way to get here as they defeated the Atlanta Hawks in seven games and the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games. The Detroit Pistons were more efficient, dispatching the 76ers in six games and the Magic in five. While the Western Conference gets all the publicity, the Eastern Conference actually had the two best teams in the NBA as the Celtics finished with 66 wins and the Pistons finished with 59 wins. SBG Global reports that early NBA betting has the public taking Celtics at Home. The Pistons are in the Conference Finals for the sixth straight season while it is been quite a while for Boston. The teams are very evenly matched and it promises to be a very good series. The Celtics are led by the big three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen although lately it has only been the big two as Allen has been invisible in the playoffs. The Pistons have Chauncey Billiups, Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Rasheed Wallace. “We’re mirror images,” Detroit head coach Flip Saunders said, “Defensive-oriented teams; both teams are good offensively when they move the ball; both teams have inside guys who like to play outside at times; two guards (Allen and Hamilton), both (from) Connecticut … you can go right on down the list. Right now Pierce is their best player in the playoffs; Tay might be our best player, both at the three spot. And when their point guard plays well, they win; when our point guard plays well, we win.” The difference might be the play of Ray Allen. He has been awful in the playoffs and actually sat on the bench in the fourth quarter of Game 7 against Cleveland. “Ray’s a great shooter,” said Hamilton, “You can’t sleep on him at any point in time of the game.” The question for Boston is whether or not Allen will turn around his poor shooting. Another key in the series will be how well Rasheed Wallace handles Kevin Garnett. “Both have great respect for each other,” Saunders said. “The difference is that Rasheed has more of a perimeter, 3-point type of game where KG is more mid-range. Both have the ability to get down on the block and score, but they’re both reluctant to get down there. Both are great defensive players. Both can run the floor. They’re kind of clones of each other. Most of the time when we played Portland, when Sheed got the best of KG, they’d win. When KG got the best of Sheed, Minnesota would win. That’s a key matchup. If one of them can get on the other one, you have an opportunity for success for your team.” One matchup edge the Pistons hold is at the point where Chauncey Billups is a three-time All-Star and Rajon Rondo is a second-year player. It could also be that Sam Cassell gets a lot of playing time for Boston in this series. SBG Global Current Line: Celtics – 4.5, Total 174 The home team has dominated in the playoffs but the Pistons know they can win in Boston. They won in December 87-85 at Boston. “That’s a big plus for us, that we have won there … in a season that they pretty much won most of their home games, probably 30-something of them, but (Dec. 19) was one of their losses and we draw confidence from that,” Billups said. “Not only that, but we know we’re a great road team.” The Pistons rarely go into a series without the home court edge. “This will be a great, great challenge for us,” Billups said. “Starting out the series on the road, it’s been a long time since we’ve done that. So it will be a lot of great matchups out there. It’s going to be some great basketball. I’m excited for that.” Here are the NBA betting stats for Tuesday’s game. The Pistons are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. the Atlantic. The Pistons are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games overall. The Pistons are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 playoff games as an underdog. The Pistons are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 Tuesday games. The Pistons are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games as a road underdog. The Pistons are 1-11 ATS in their last 12 Conference Finals games. The underdog is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings between the two teams and the road team is 7-1 ATS in the last 8 meetings. The Celtics are 11-3 ATS in their last 14 games as a home favorite. The Celtics are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 Conference Finals games. The Celtics are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 vs. the Central. The Under is 10-2 in the Pistons last 12 road games. The Under is 17-5-1 in the Pistons last 23 playoff games as an underdog. The Over is 12-4 in the Pistons last 16 Tuesday games. The Under is 5-2 in the Pistons last 7 vs. the Atlantic. The Under is 20-8-1 in the Pistons last 29 Conference Finals games. The Under is 42-18-1 in the Pistons last 61 games as a road underdog. The Under is 4-1 in the Celtics last 5 Conference Finals games. The Under is 16-7 in the Celtics last 23 vs. the Central. The Under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings between the two teams and the Under is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings in Boston. Pick: Still have to back the home team here: Celtics 4units
Detroit Pistons at Boston Celtics (Game One)
Tuesday, 8:35 pm Eastern – ESPN
Tags: betting, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, free nba picks, gambling, nba, NBA Picks, sports
NBA Playoff Betting Preview SBG Global Opening Line: Spurs – 7.5 , Total 184.5 The San Antonio Spurs will hope that the trend of home teams winning in the playoffs continues for at least one more game on Thursday as they host the New Orleans Hornets. The Spurs trail three games to two and must win to send the series back to New Orleans for a Game Seven. The Hornets know that they have a chance to end the series on Thursday. “The best opportunity for us is really tomorrow (Thursday). We’ve got to look at it that way,” Hornets coach Byron Scott said. “We’ve got a chance to close out the defending champions. Obviously we know it’s going to be a very, very tough game to do that, especially in San Antonio.” SBG Global reports that early NBA betting has the public taking Spurs at Home. The series has been dominated by the home team. The Hornets routed the Spurs in the first two games in New Orleans, were blown out at San Antonio in Games 3 and 4 and then routed the Spurs in Game Five back in New Orleans. If the trend continues in this series then the Spurs should play well on Thursday. “The bottom line is that the better team wins in a seven-game series,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “I’ve always said that. So whoever wins the series it will be because they’re the better team.” The Hornets will try and reverse the trend in this series and take the momentum of the Game Five win into Thursday’s game. “That’s something we’re going to talk about probably all day and before the game tomorrow,” New Orleans guard Chris Paul said. “When you make shots and stuff like that, it helps a lot, but we just got to find some way somehow.” It was David West that led the Hornets in Game 5. He had 38 points, 14 rebounds and five blocked shots. The Hornets are not relaxing knowing that Game 7 would be back in New Orleans. “We can’t relax and say, ‘All right, we’ll wait to beat them when we come back here,”‘ Paul said. “We need to win tomorrow (Thursday).” SBG Global Current Line: Spurs – 7, Total 184 None of the games in this series have been close. The home team has won by blowout margins each time. The Spurs will try and use that home court advantage to extend the series. “We know their backs are against the wall and they’re going to come at us with everything they got,” Scott said. The Spurs have never won back-to-back NBA titles. They could already be considered a dynasty though with four titles in the last 10 years. To continue their quest for a title this season they must win on Thursday. Here are the NBA betting stats for Thursday’s game. The Hornets are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games playing on 1 day of rest. The Hornets are 13-6 ATS in their last 19 vs. the Western Conference. The Hornets are 4-9-1 ATS in their last 14 playoff games as an underdog. The Hornets are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games as a road underdog. The Hornets are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games. The Hornets are 1-10 ATS in their last 11 Thursday games. The Spurs are 15-3-2 ATS in their last 20 playoff games as a favorite. The The Under is 6-1 in the Hornets last 7 games playing on 1 day of rest. The Over is 6-1 in the Hornets last 7 Thursday games. The Under is 5-1-1 in the Hornets last 7 playoff games as an underdog. The Over is 8-2-1 in the Hornets last 11 Conference Semifinals games. The Over is 8-3 in the Hornets last 11 games as a road underdog. The Over is 4-1 in the Spurs last 5 games as a home favorite. The Over is 4-1 in the Spurs last 5 Thursday games. The Over is 7-2 in the Spurs last 9 home games vs. a team with a winning road record. The Over is 8-3-1 in the Spurs last 12 overall. The Over is 13-6-1 in the Spurs last 20 Conference Semifinals games. The Under is 17-8-1 in the Spurs last 26 vs. the Southwest. The Over is 8-3 in the last 11 meetings in San Antonio between the two teams. Pick: Despite the trend of Home teams winning and covering, Look for the Hornets to buck the trend and win outright or keep it very close. Hornets +7.5 4units
New Orleans Hornets at San Antonio Spurs (Hornets lead 3-2)
Thursday, 9:05 pm Eastern – ESPN
Spurs are 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 games as a home favorite. The Spurs are 7-15-1 ATS in their last 23 vs. the Southwest. The Spurs are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 Thursday games. The Spurs are 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 games playing on 1 day of rest. The Spurs are 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall. The favorite is 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings between the two teams and the home team is 6-0 ATS in the last 6 meetings.
Tags: basketball, betting, free picks, gambling, nba, NBA Picks, nba playoffs, New Orleans Hornets, San Antonio Spurs
