Seattle at Philadelphia (-11, 200)
Wow. Philadelphia is laying 11 points. That doesn’t happen every day. Actually, it hasn’t all year, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t lay the points here. The most the Sixers have been favored by this season is the 9 ½ points they were laying against Memphis three weeks ago. That wasn’t a problem for the red-hot Sixers. In fact, Philly is 3-0 when they’re favored by nine points or more, so it’s really not that risky to lay these points with a team that has won seven of its last 10 games and it helps that they're playing the Sonics in the middle of a long road stretch.
Pick: Sixers
Chicago at Boston (-11, 197)
There’s no doubt that these Celtics are an excellent team, but you don’t want to be laying too many points with these guys. Boston is 3-9 as a favorite of 11 or more points this season and the Bulls are 3-0 when they’re on the receiving end of such a spread. The Garden is a tough place to play, but even though the Celts have won nine in a row at home, they’ve only covered in four of those games. Chicago is hot right now after scoring more than 100 points in its last two games.
Pick: Bulls
San Antonio at Denver (-2, 201 ½)
This is an easy one. The Spurs are getting points against a team that is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games. You have to consider that the Spurs have lost their last four games as an underdog, but Denver’s free-wheeling style doesn’t fare so well against strong defensive teams. When facing the top five defensive teams in the NBA, the Nuggets are only 2-6 ATS. You might want to take a long look at the under here as well.
Pick: Spurs
วันศุกร์ที่ 7 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2551
วันอังคารที่ 29 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2551
nba picks 29/01/2008
Toronto Raptors at Washington Wizards (-2.5, 193)
It’s tough to say why the scoreboard virtually blows up every time these two teams get together, but for some reason the last seven games between the Raptors and Wizards have played over the total.
The strange part of that statistic is that neither defense is all that bad. Toronto allows just 95.1 points per game and Washington isn’t far behind with 97.2. But when they hook up, none of that seems to matter.
In the last meeting back in December, both teams were missing their top scorers but they still managed to combine for 198 points largely thanks to a combined 21 three-pointers. Don’t be surprised if it’s raining three-balls again in the Verizon Center because the Raptors, the best three-point shooting team in the NBA, have been shooting better than 50 percent from beyond the arc over their last five games.
Pick: Over
Detroit Pistons at Indiana Pacers (+7 1/2, 192 1/2)
Things are bad in Indy right now. Jermaine O’Neal and Jamaal Tinsley are out. The Pacers are coming off three straight losses to Chicago, Milwaukee and Miami - teams which have a combined record of 44-86). And even though they’re back at home after playing nine of their last 11 games on the road, their 9-10 record in Indianapolis isn’t all that comforting.
The most worrying thing for the Pacers is the tendency they’ve shown to fall apart on offense when their perimeter shooting fails. They gave up scoring runs of 16 points to Philadelphia, 17 to Chicago, 12 to Milwaukee and 11 to Miami, which killed their confidence and shifted the momentum in those games. That doesn’t bode well against a tough, disciplined team like Detroit. This game could easily get out of hand if the Pacers’ shooting goes cold again.
Pick: Detroit
New York Knicks at Los Angeles Lakers (-9, 206)
The Lakers haven’t just lost three straight games - they’ve also failed to cover in six of their last eight outings.
Maybe they got too much love at the sportsbooks for the surprising success that has them in the running for the lead in the Pacific division. The opposite has been true for the Knicks. They were long ago labeled as hopeless losers but they’ve still covered in six of their last eight games and even a cross-country trek couldn’t slow them down on Sunday when they played a close 104-106 thriller at Golden State as 10-point dogs.
It will be a tougher test at the Staples Center, where the Lakers are 16-7 straight-up and 13-9 ATS, but those pesky Knicks just might be able to pull off another cover if the Lakers don’t take them seriously.
Pick: Knicks
It’s tough to say why the scoreboard virtually blows up every time these two teams get together, but for some reason the last seven games between the Raptors and Wizards have played over the total.
The strange part of that statistic is that neither defense is all that bad. Toronto allows just 95.1 points per game and Washington isn’t far behind with 97.2. But when they hook up, none of that seems to matter.
In the last meeting back in December, both teams were missing their top scorers but they still managed to combine for 198 points largely thanks to a combined 21 three-pointers. Don’t be surprised if it’s raining three-balls again in the Verizon Center because the Raptors, the best three-point shooting team in the NBA, have been shooting better than 50 percent from beyond the arc over their last five games.
Pick: Over
Detroit Pistons at Indiana Pacers (+7 1/2, 192 1/2)
Things are bad in Indy right now. Jermaine O’Neal and Jamaal Tinsley are out. The Pacers are coming off three straight losses to Chicago, Milwaukee and Miami - teams which have a combined record of 44-86). And even though they’re back at home after playing nine of their last 11 games on the road, their 9-10 record in Indianapolis isn’t all that comforting.
The most worrying thing for the Pacers is the tendency they’ve shown to fall apart on offense when their perimeter shooting fails. They gave up scoring runs of 16 points to Philadelphia, 17 to Chicago, 12 to Milwaukee and 11 to Miami, which killed their confidence and shifted the momentum in those games. That doesn’t bode well against a tough, disciplined team like Detroit. This game could easily get out of hand if the Pacers’ shooting goes cold again.
Pick: Detroit
New York Knicks at Los Angeles Lakers (-9, 206)
The Lakers haven’t just lost three straight games - they’ve also failed to cover in six of their last eight outings.
Maybe they got too much love at the sportsbooks for the surprising success that has them in the running for the lead in the Pacific division. The opposite has been true for the Knicks. They were long ago labeled as hopeless losers but they’ve still covered in six of their last eight games and even a cross-country trek couldn’t slow them down on Sunday when they played a close 104-106 thriller at Golden State as 10-point dogs.
It will be a tougher test at the Staples Center, where the Lakers are 16-7 straight-up and 13-9 ATS, but those pesky Knicks just might be able to pull off another cover if the Lakers don’t take them seriously.
Pick: Knicks
วันพุธที่ 16 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2551
nba picks 16/01/2008
Sacramento Kings at Toronto Raptors (-5, 200 ½)
Tough stretch for the Raptors. They slipped by Portland 116-109 in overtime as 5 ½-point favorites on Sunday and then had to travel to Detroit on Tuesday for visit with a Pistons team that was coming off a terrible loss to the Knicks.
Wednesday, Toronto gets a date with a Kings team that has won three of its last four, including a 122-120 win over Dallas as a 5 ½-point underdog. Kevin Martin dropped 39 points in just his second game back after spending the previous 17 games on the shelf with a groin injury.
Pick: Sacramento +5
Orlando Magic at Charlotte Bobcats (+1 ½, 207 ½)
Check out the Charlotte Bobcats covering five straight pointspreads against some tough competition. They’ve beaten New Jersey, Boston and Denver over that profitable stretch and lost to Detroit and Cleveland in overtime.
“We’re playing great ball now,” Raymond Felton told reporters after the win over Denver. “We’re starting to feel each other out and are starting to jell. It’s obvious we’re getting better.”
Orlando, meanwhile, had dropped five of its last seven against the number heading into Tuesday’s tilt with the Chicago Bulls.
Pick: Charlotte +1 ½
New York Knicks at New Jersey Nets (-8, 191)
If you’re ever going to bet the dysfunctional Knicks without getting indigestion, this might be your spot. The Knicks somehow managed to shock Detroit as the Pistons finished up a grueling road swing.
"We knew they would be pretty tired and we tried to play with as much energy as we possibly could and I think we caught them on a good night," Knicks coach Isiah Thomas told reporters. "They were a little flat and we played a good basketball game."
The Knicks followed up that win with another over Washington as 2-point underdogs on Tuesday night. During this terrible season, the Knicks have played good ball against their rivals from New Jersey. New York has scored the straight up upset in each of its last two meetings with the Nets.
Pick: New York +8
Tough stretch for the Raptors. They slipped by Portland 116-109 in overtime as 5 ½-point favorites on Sunday and then had to travel to Detroit on Tuesday for visit with a Pistons team that was coming off a terrible loss to the Knicks.
Wednesday, Toronto gets a date with a Kings team that has won three of its last four, including a 122-120 win over Dallas as a 5 ½-point underdog. Kevin Martin dropped 39 points in just his second game back after spending the previous 17 games on the shelf with a groin injury.
Pick: Sacramento +5
Orlando Magic at Charlotte Bobcats (+1 ½, 207 ½)
Check out the Charlotte Bobcats covering five straight pointspreads against some tough competition. They’ve beaten New Jersey, Boston and Denver over that profitable stretch and lost to Detroit and Cleveland in overtime.
“We’re playing great ball now,” Raymond Felton told reporters after the win over Denver. “We’re starting to feel each other out and are starting to jell. It’s obvious we’re getting better.”
Orlando, meanwhile, had dropped five of its last seven against the number heading into Tuesday’s tilt with the Chicago Bulls.
Pick: Charlotte +1 ½
New York Knicks at New Jersey Nets (-8, 191)
If you’re ever going to bet the dysfunctional Knicks without getting indigestion, this might be your spot. The Knicks somehow managed to shock Detroit as the Pistons finished up a grueling road swing.
"We knew they would be pretty tired and we tried to play with as much energy as we possibly could and I think we caught them on a good night," Knicks coach Isiah Thomas told reporters. "They were a little flat and we played a good basketball game."
The Knicks followed up that win with another over Washington as 2-point underdogs on Tuesday night. During this terrible season, the Knicks have played good ball against their rivals from New Jersey. New York has scored the straight up upset in each of its last two meetings with the Nets.
Pick: New York +8
วันอังคารที่ 15 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2551
nba picks 15/01/2008
Denver Nuggets at Atlanta Hawks (-2, 205)
When Joe Johnson is playing well, the Hawks suddenly become a difficult team to beat. He is averaging 29.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 6.7 assists while shooting 50.8 percent from the field and 63.6 percent from 3-point range in his last three games. Atlanta has won two of those after dropping four straight before that."Hopefully we can build on this," Johnson said after Sunday’s 105-84 win over Chicago. "We have a tough game against Denver. We just have to key in and try to keep home court.”Johnson has faced the Nuggets once this season, putting up 27 points, seven rebounds and four assists in the Hawks’ 98-96 victory.
Pick: Hawks -2
Washington Wizards at New York Knicks (2 ½, 192)
The Wizards hit Madison Square Garden having won three straight and five of six. They are coming off back-to-back wins over the NBA-leading Celtics, including an 88-83 road victory on Monday night.
"Our eyes are on winning a championship," forward Caron Butler said after the second win over Boston. "Hopefully we get Gilbert (Arenas) back by March and when he comes back we will be even more dangerous."
Washington has now won three straight road games, while the visiting team is 13-6 ATS in the last 19 meetings between the Wizards and the Knicks.
Pick: Wizards -2 ½
Phoenix Suns at L.A. Clippers (7 ½, 207 ½)
A bout of the flu didn't keep Steve Nash from having one of his best offensive games of the season. He scored a season-high 35 points Saturday in a 122-114 win over Milwaukee, Phoenix's third win in four games and seventh in nine.
Nash is averaging 13.9 points and 7.9 assists in 44 games versus the Clippers and 13.0 points and 10.7 assists in three wins against them this season.
Los Angeles has been outscored by an average of 15 points in this season's three meetings with the Suns. The Clippers have lost 17 of their last 22 home games against Phoenix.
Pick: Suns -7 ½
When Joe Johnson is playing well, the Hawks suddenly become a difficult team to beat. He is averaging 29.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 6.7 assists while shooting 50.8 percent from the field and 63.6 percent from 3-point range in his last three games. Atlanta has won two of those after dropping four straight before that."Hopefully we can build on this," Johnson said after Sunday’s 105-84 win over Chicago. "We have a tough game against Denver. We just have to key in and try to keep home court.”Johnson has faced the Nuggets once this season, putting up 27 points, seven rebounds and four assists in the Hawks’ 98-96 victory.
Pick: Hawks -2
Washington Wizards at New York Knicks (2 ½, 192)
The Wizards hit Madison Square Garden having won three straight and five of six. They are coming off back-to-back wins over the NBA-leading Celtics, including an 88-83 road victory on Monday night.
"Our eyes are on winning a championship," forward Caron Butler said after the second win over Boston. "Hopefully we get Gilbert (Arenas) back by March and when he comes back we will be even more dangerous."
Washington has now won three straight road games, while the visiting team is 13-6 ATS in the last 19 meetings between the Wizards and the Knicks.
Pick: Wizards -2 ½
Phoenix Suns at L.A. Clippers (7 ½, 207 ½)
A bout of the flu didn't keep Steve Nash from having one of his best offensive games of the season. He scored a season-high 35 points Saturday in a 122-114 win over Milwaukee, Phoenix's third win in four games and seventh in nine.
Nash is averaging 13.9 points and 7.9 assists in 44 games versus the Clippers and 13.0 points and 10.7 assists in three wins against them this season.
Los Angeles has been outscored by an average of 15 points in this season's three meetings with the Suns. The Clippers have lost 17 of their last 22 home games against Phoenix.
Pick: Suns -7 ½
วันจันทร์ที่ 14 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2551
nba picks 14/01/2008
Portland Trail Blazers at New Jersey Nets (-4 ½, 187)
Portland coach Nate McMillian has a backup plan if starting point guard Steve Blake is forced to the bench with a bruised left calf. He’ll use a guard rotation of Brandon Roy, Sergio Rodriguez and Jarrett Jack, with Jack seeing most of the minutes.
Blake, who averages 4.7 assists per game, has been a big part of Portland’s strong run. The Blazers have won 17 of their last 18 games and own the league’s second best record against the spread at 23-12.
Pick: (Blazers +4 ½)
Philadelphia 76ers at San Antonio Spurs (-12, 188)
San Antonio needed a huge second half to cover the 15 ½ points in Saturday’s 105-88 win over the Timberwolves. The win snapped the Spurs’ five-game losing streak against the number.
"We are not playing that great," Manu Ginobili told reporters following the game. "It was important for us to keep the game close and keep bringing the best effort possible. Today we made some shots but we are still not playing the way we should be at this point in the season. We look frustrated and sometimes things look like they are going bad and they are not going bad at all. I guess it's just a mental block and hopefully we are going to come back to play the way we were playing in November."
Things could be worse for the 24-11 Spurs. Philadelphia has lost six straight and dropped the cash in its last five.
Pick: Spurs (-12)
Milwaukee Bucks at Utah Jazz (-9 ½)
The Utah Jazz have taken each of the last five meetings between these teams and have covered the number in 10 straight games against the Bucks. The Jazz have also gone 5-1 straight up since bringing in Kyle Korver last month.
"When we're all hitting and we're all playing well, everyone out there is really, really dangerous," Korver told reporters.
"If we can just sharpen up our defense a little bit and get everyone clicking on the same page. I think we can be really tough.”
Pick: Utah (-9 ½)
Portland coach Nate McMillian has a backup plan if starting point guard Steve Blake is forced to the bench with a bruised left calf. He’ll use a guard rotation of Brandon Roy, Sergio Rodriguez and Jarrett Jack, with Jack seeing most of the minutes.
Blake, who averages 4.7 assists per game, has been a big part of Portland’s strong run. The Blazers have won 17 of their last 18 games and own the league’s second best record against the spread at 23-12.
Pick: (Blazers +4 ½)
Philadelphia 76ers at San Antonio Spurs (-12, 188)
San Antonio needed a huge second half to cover the 15 ½ points in Saturday’s 105-88 win over the Timberwolves. The win snapped the Spurs’ five-game losing streak against the number.
"We are not playing that great," Manu Ginobili told reporters following the game. "It was important for us to keep the game close and keep bringing the best effort possible. Today we made some shots but we are still not playing the way we should be at this point in the season. We look frustrated and sometimes things look like they are going bad and they are not going bad at all. I guess it's just a mental block and hopefully we are going to come back to play the way we were playing in November."
Things could be worse for the 24-11 Spurs. Philadelphia has lost six straight and dropped the cash in its last five.
Pick: Spurs (-12)
Milwaukee Bucks at Utah Jazz (-9 ½)
The Utah Jazz have taken each of the last five meetings between these teams and have covered the number in 10 straight games against the Bucks. The Jazz have also gone 5-1 straight up since bringing in Kyle Korver last month.
"When we're all hitting and we're all playing well, everyone out there is really, really dangerous," Korver told reporters.
"If we can just sharpen up our defense a little bit and get everyone clicking on the same page. I think we can be really tough.”
Pick: Utah (-9 ½)
วันอาทิตย์ที่ 13 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2551
hot picks nba 13/1/2008
Detroit Pistons at New York Knicks (+7, 190)
There’s nothing the Knicks can do to quiet rumors that coach Isiah Thomas is on his way out. The New York Post reports Thomas is thinking about relinquishing his coaching duties to focus on his role as team president.
Meanwhile, Stephon Marbury’s still complaining about his role and the Knicks have dropped nine of their last 10 games on the hardwood, covering just three pointspreads over that stretch.
Pick: Detroit -7
Indiana Pacers at Golden State Warriors (-8, 225)
If the Knicks weren’t so terrible, you’d hear a lot more about the Indiana Pacers’ plight right now. They too have dropped nine of their last 10 games and covered only three of those pointspreads as they head into tonight’s matchup with the Warriors.
Poor defense is Indiana’s biggest issue on its current road trip. The Pacers have allowed at least 111 points in each of their last four. Golden State averages 108.4 points a night, second best in the league.
Pick: Golden State -8
Memphis Grizzlies at Los Angeles Lakers (-12 ½, 220)
Memphis’ two wins in its last 11 tries isn’t anything to write home about, but the Grizzlies have covered the number in four of their last six games.
Memphis is getting scoring from everybody with Pau Gasol, Rudy Gay, and Mike Miller leading the way. The Grizzlies have cracked the 100-point barrier in four straight.
Kobe Bryant is probable after missing Saturday’s practice with an upper respiratory illness.
Pick: Memphis +12 ½
There’s nothing the Knicks can do to quiet rumors that coach Isiah Thomas is on his way out. The New York Post reports Thomas is thinking about relinquishing his coaching duties to focus on his role as team president.
Meanwhile, Stephon Marbury’s still complaining about his role and the Knicks have dropped nine of their last 10 games on the hardwood, covering just three pointspreads over that stretch.
Pick: Detroit -7
Indiana Pacers at Golden State Warriors (-8, 225)
If the Knicks weren’t so terrible, you’d hear a lot more about the Indiana Pacers’ plight right now. They too have dropped nine of their last 10 games and covered only three of those pointspreads as they head into tonight’s matchup with the Warriors.
Poor defense is Indiana’s biggest issue on its current road trip. The Pacers have allowed at least 111 points in each of their last four. Golden State averages 108.4 points a night, second best in the league.
Pick: Golden State -8
Memphis Grizzlies at Los Angeles Lakers (-12 ½, 220)
Memphis’ two wins in its last 11 tries isn’t anything to write home about, but the Grizzlies have covered the number in four of their last six games.
Memphis is getting scoring from everybody with Pau Gasol, Rudy Gay, and Mike Miller leading the way. The Grizzlies have cracked the 100-point barrier in four straight.
Kobe Bryant is probable after missing Saturday’s practice with an upper respiratory illness.
Pick: Memphis +12 ½
วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 10 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2551
hot picks nba 11/1/2008
Detroit Pistons at San Antonio Spurs (-4, 180 ½)
The Pistons are on the verge of their first three-game losing streak of the season, and they’ll have to beat the defending NBA champs on the road to avoid that.
Detroit is fresh off an 11-game winning streak in which it outscored opponents by an average of 17 points, but it’s all gone wrong this week. The Pistons have shot 39.9 percent from the field in the last two games, failing to score more than 86 points in either contest.
It’s not going to get any easier for the Pistons tonight when they face Spurs star Tim Duncan. He has recorded double-doubles in all 10 regular-season home games against Detroit in his career, leading San Antonio to a 9-1 record.
Pick: Spurs
Memphis Grizzlies at Sacramento Kings (-4, 203)
Three key injuries have contributed to the Kings dropping six of their last eight games overall and four of five at home.
Ron Artest, Mike Bibby and Kevin Martin are all currently sidelined and Sacramento has struggled in their absence. It was outscored by an average of 12 points during its recent four-game home skid, shooting just 41.9 percent from the field.
The Kings snapped their home losing streak with a win over Orlando last night, but the continued absence of those key players should enable the visiting Grizzlies to keep tonight’s score close enough to cover.
Pick: Grizzlies
Phoenix Suns at Utah Jazz (-5, 223)
The Suns arrive in Utah after an exhausting overtime victory over the Indiana Pacers last night. They could also be without Steve Nash, who missed most of yesterday’s game with a stomach flu.
Raja Bell picked up the slack in Nash’s absence. He scored a season-high 27 points, while Amare Stoudemire stole the win by converting five of six free throws in the final few minutes of the contest.
But an overtime outing, followed by a trip from Phoenix to Utah, will take it toll on the Suns – especially if they are without Nash. Look for the Jazz to win, while covering the spread for the fifth time in their last seven games against Phoenix.
Pick: Jazz
The Pistons are on the verge of their first three-game losing streak of the season, and they’ll have to beat the defending NBA champs on the road to avoid that.
Detroit is fresh off an 11-game winning streak in which it outscored opponents by an average of 17 points, but it’s all gone wrong this week. The Pistons have shot 39.9 percent from the field in the last two games, failing to score more than 86 points in either contest.
It’s not going to get any easier for the Pistons tonight when they face Spurs star Tim Duncan. He has recorded double-doubles in all 10 regular-season home games against Detroit in his career, leading San Antonio to a 9-1 record.
Pick: Spurs
Memphis Grizzlies at Sacramento Kings (-4, 203)
Three key injuries have contributed to the Kings dropping six of their last eight games overall and four of five at home.
Ron Artest, Mike Bibby and Kevin Martin are all currently sidelined and Sacramento has struggled in their absence. It was outscored by an average of 12 points during its recent four-game home skid, shooting just 41.9 percent from the field.
The Kings snapped their home losing streak with a win over Orlando last night, but the continued absence of those key players should enable the visiting Grizzlies to keep tonight’s score close enough to cover.
Pick: Grizzlies
Phoenix Suns at Utah Jazz (-5, 223)
The Suns arrive in Utah after an exhausting overtime victory over the Indiana Pacers last night. They could also be without Steve Nash, who missed most of yesterday’s game with a stomach flu.
Raja Bell picked up the slack in Nash’s absence. He scored a season-high 27 points, while Amare Stoudemire stole the win by converting five of six free throws in the final few minutes of the contest.
But an overtime outing, followed by a trip from Phoenix to Utah, will take it toll on the Suns – especially if they are without Nash. Look for the Jazz to win, while covering the spread for the fifth time in their last seven games against Phoenix.
Pick: Jazz
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