NBA Cheat Sheet

[Raji]

So you’ve spent the last five months of your life salivating over NFL and college football lines and now you’ve been left on the side of the road like a bag of trash. It hurts, I know. But to get you back in the wagering spirit we’ve put together an NBA cheat sheet to get you caught up on the professional hardcourt happenings.

Recent news you need to know:

Look out for the Lakers - Kobe Bryant has seen the light. After Pau Gasol dropped 24 points, grabbed 12 boards and dished four assists in his debut with the Lakers, Bryant told a New Jersey reporter “there is a God” after the game. That, after Kobe suffered a dislocated pinky and managed just six points in the win over the Nets. Los Angeles has won four of its last five, covering in all five.

Shaq attack – Pending a physical, Shaquille O’Neal will become a member of the Phoenix Suns following a trade that will send Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks to the Miami Heat. A surprising deal when you first look at it, but the consensus is that Phoenix was looking for a presence in the middle to battle the other bigs in the Western Conference while providing a defensive boost in the paint. Meanwhile, Shawn Marion has wanted out of Phoenix for a while, so this may help the Suns’ chemistry problems while giving the Heat, who are a disgusting league-worst 16-30-1 against the spread, a fresh look.

Numbers fit for a King – You’ll hear arguments that Kobe is the best player in the league and frontrunner for the MVP award, but you have to check out what LeBron James has been up to lately. Basically Cleveland’s entire frontcourt is hurt right now with Anderson Varejao, Aleksandar Pavlovic, and Drew Gooden limping around, but James is keeping the Cavs on a roll. He’s a triple-double threat every night, leading the league in scoring (30.9) while adding 7.9 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game. Plus, he’s quieting critics by averaging a league-best 9.1 points in the fourth quarter this year.

The Jazz are having fun in Utah. No, really – Utah might not be the first place you’d think of to spend a wager-filled weekend with the boys, but there’s nothing wrong with checking out the Jazz from a safe distance. Utah is tearing up the Association right now, winning 14 of its last 15 games outright and covering the number in a dozen of those games thanks to 49.1 field-goal percentage that puts up about 105 points a night. If they finally swing a big deal to get something substantial for Andrei Kirilenko and learn how to win on the road, sharp bettors will be all over this team. “Utah, get me two.”

Trade deadline talk – There are less than three weeks left until the trading deadline. Some of the more notable players rumored to be on the move include Jason Kidd, Ron Artest, Sam Cassell, Elton Brand, and the entire New York Knicks roster.

Spread beaters – Top ATS teams in the NBA
1. Orlando Magic (32-18-1)
2. New Orleans Hornets (30-17-1)
3. Boston Celtics (29-16-1)
4. Los Angeles Lakers (28-18-1)
5. Detroit Pistons (28-19-1)

So hot right now – Streaking ATS teams
1. Utah Jazz (14-1 SU, 12-3 ATS)
2. Cleveland Cavaliers (13-3 SU, 10-6 ATS)
3. Phoenix Suns (8-2 SU, 7-2-1 ATS)
4. Denver Nuggets (7-3 SU, 7-3 ATS)
5. Los Angeles Lakers (4-1 SU, 5-0 ATS)

Wagering disappointments – Worst ATS teams in the NBA
1. Miami Heat (16-30-1)
2. Chicago Bulls (18-29-0)
3. New Jersey Nets (18-28-1)
4. Charlotte Bobcats (20-28-1)
5. Milwaukee Bucks (20-27-0)

Total takers – Best over/under bets
1. Sacramento Kings (24-18 over)
2. San Antonio Spurs (29-16 under)
3. Atlanta Hawks (27-18 under)
4. Minnesota Timberwolves (27-18 under)
5. Los Angeles Clippers (27-18 under)

Home/road warriors – Best home/away bets
1. Orlando Magic (20-9 on the road)
2. New Orleans Hornets (15-7-1 on the road)
3. Utah Jazz (15-8 at home)
4. Detroit Pistons (14-7 at home)


Raji

[Raji]

Portland Trail Blazers at Indiana Pacers (no line yet)

Things weren’t exactly going well for the Pacers before Jermaine O’Neal picked up a knee injury, but they have gotten a whole lot worse since he has been sidelined.

O’Neal picked up the injury in the Jan. 16 win over the Warriors and is out indefinitely. The Pacers have lost eight of 10 games in his absence, including a seven-game losing streak which they just about snapped against the struggling Knicks on Wednesday.

Saturday’s game gives Portland a perfect opportunity to end an unwanted streak against Indiana. The Blazers have lost eight straight games, both straight up and ATS, against the Pacers but that should come to an end this weekend.

Pick: TBA

Atlanta Hawks at Houston Rockets (-8.5,182.5)

This is a contest that has been dominated by the home team in recent seasons and that trend seems set to continue on Saturday.

The home team has won seven straight games between Atlanta and Houston, covering the spread on every occasion during that stretch. The last time a visiting team came out on top in this clash was in Feb. 2004 when Houston managed a 96-77 win at Philips Arena.

Houston has won four of its last five at the Toyota Center, while Atlanta has dropped nine of its last 10 as the visiting team.

Pick: Houston

Sacramento Kings at Golden State Warriors (-7.5,223.5)

The Kings will be sweating on the health of both Brad Miller and Ron Artest ahead of Saturday’s trip to Oakland. Miller missed Wednesday’s loss to Seattle with a lacerated right finger, while Artest was forced to drop out of practice on Thursday because of sore knees.

Even if both are fit for the clash with the Warriors, the Kings face an uphill battle. They have lost straight up and failed to cover the spread in four of their last five meetings with Golden State.

Overall, the Kings have a shocking 3-13-1 ATS record in their last 17 meetings with their California rivals. The Warriors came out as 103-96 winners in Sacramento the last time the teams met, covering a 1 ½-point spread.

Pick: Golden State

Raji

[That124Spot]

Gl Today Raj..I like GS today but havent looked over anything today. BOL