NBA point spreads
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NBA News
NBA Double Header
2012-01-11
DALLAS MAVERICKS (5-5) at BOSTON CELTICS (4-4)
Sportsbook.com Line & Total: Boston -5.5 & 183.5
Opening Line & Total: Celtics -5.5 & 185.5
The Mavs look to build on their first road win of the season when they visit a well-rested Celtics team on Wednesday night.
After losing their first three road games of the season (the final two by 17 and 22 points), Dallas cruised to a 100-86 win in Detroit on Tuesday. The Mavs, 4-1 (SU and ATS) in their past five games, continued their excellent team defense. In the past six games, no Dallas opponent has shot above 45% from the floor, averaging 89.2 PPG on 42% FG. The Celtics haven’t played since Friday, an ugly 87-74 home loss to Indiana, but none of the Dallas starters logged 30 minutes in Tuesday’s victory, so fresh legs should not be an issue in this one. And even though Jason Kidd (back) won’t play, Delonte West proved himself more than capable of running the point in Detroit with 10 assists, two turnovers and five steals. Since the 2005-06 season, the Mavs are 9-3 ATS (5-7 SU) against the Celtics, and with a moderate point spread, that trend should hold true again.
Dirk Nowitzki posted an incredible +42 rating in his 28 minutes of action on Tuesday, finishing with a team-high 18 points (9-10 FG) and seven rebounds. Six other Mavs scored 9+ points during the balanced attack. Nowitzki has always enjoyed facing Boston in his career, pumping in 27.4 PPG, 8.7 RPG and 3.1 APG in 24 lifetime meetings. The scoring average is his highest versus any opponent in his NBA career, helped by 31.2 PPG (57% FG) in his past five meetings with the Celtics. SG Jason Terry continues to provide a lift off the bench, as he’s second on the team with 13.8 PPG. Terry has been the team’s lone marksman from three-point land (44%), as the rest of the Mavs are a pathetic 25% from downtown this year. SG Vince Carter (9.1 PPG) is finally starting to find his rhythm though, connecting on 9-of-18 FG in his past two games. He started the season in a 20-of-58 funk (35%). Dallas is still waiting for offseason acquisition Lamar Odom to get comfortable with his new team. So far Odom is shooting a laughable 28% FG (21-for-75) including 5-of-31 (16%) from three-point range.
The Celtics offense was horrendous in Friday’s 87-74 loss, especially Paul Pierce (3-of-17 FG). Pierce also had five turnovers in the defeat. It’s been a rough season for Pierce (39% FG), but he usually plays well against Dallas in his career with 22.0 PPG on 46% FG. In contrast to Pierce, Ray Allen has been lights-out on the offensive end all season. He leads the team with 20.4 PPG on 58% FG, including an amazing 63% from three-point land. Allen had 23 (7-of-11 FG) of his team’s 74 points in Friday’s loss. Three other Celtics are shooting better than 50% this year -- Rajon Rondo (14.8 PPG, 52% FG), Kevin Garnett (12.9 PPG, 52% FG) and Brandon Bass (12.9 PPG, 53% FG). Rondo continues to be a great ball distributor (10.5 APG), but he’s committed a career-high 4.1 turnovers per game. His decision making will be key against an improving Mavs defense.
MIAMI HEAT (8-2) at LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (4-3)
Sportsbook.com Line & Total: Miami -4 & 203
Opening Line & Total: Heat -4 & 202
There will be no shortage of star power when Miami stops into L.A. for a matchup with the new look Clippers on Wednesday night.
Both teams are traveling from the Pacific Northwest after tough losses: the Heat went to overtime in Golden State while the Clippers lost at Portland Tuesday night. Fatigue is more likely to be a factor for Miami, who has a banged-up superstar and a short bench. The Heat led by 12 after three quarters and by as many as 17 on Tuesday before blowing the game in Oakland. SG Dwyane Wade returned to the lineup for the first time in eight days because of a bruised foot. He played 37 minutes while LeBron James (43) and Chris Bosh (38) played heavy minutes as well.
Wade (21.0 PPG, 5.9 APG) played well in his return to the lineup, scoring 34 thanks to 16 trips to the line at Golden State. But it’s yet to be seen how his foot will react to a back-to-back. Going with pretty much an eight-man rotation, the Heat got nearly no help from their bench, which scored just 16 points in the loss. Veterans Shane Battier and Udonis Haslem came off the bench and posted atrocious plus/minus numbers, -12 and -15 respectively. The Heat got another big game from James (29.7 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 7.6 APG), who had 26 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. But the return of Wade coincided with the disappearance of Bosh (19.7 PPG, 7.8 RPG), who had just 16 points and four rebounds against a weak Warriors front line.
The Clippers were competitive in Portland, one of the NBA’s toughest road venues. Blake Griffin (23.7 PPG, 10.6 RPG) posted another double-double (18 points, 12 rebounds), but PG Chris Paul (14.6 PPG, 8.4 APG) is still not being assertive. He scored just 11 points on nine shots with three assists on Tuesday. Perhaps the marquee matchup against the Heat will bring out a little more fire in him. He had 13 points and 19 assists in a home win over Miami with the Hornets last year.
The Clippers continued to struggle from behind the arc (6-for-23, now 31.4% on the season). The good news is that they had their best game of the season on the boards. After allowing 11.8 offensive rebounds per game through their first six games, they held Portland to just seven offensive boards on 35 misses on Tuesday night.
NBA: Lake Show in danger of being cancelled
2010-04-27
The Lakers players were telling anyone that would listen their late season doldrums were nothing to be concerned with, once the playoffs began it would be “go” time and they would take care of business. That has not been the case thus far. After surviving the first two contests in Los Angeles vs. Oklahoma City, the Lakers were turned back soundly on the road in consecutive contests. Now, the defending champs face a pivotal Game 5 contest and oddsmakers at Sportsbook.com list them as 6-point home favorites.
Oddsmakers haven’t been fooled and neither has the public. Los Angeles has a team of mostly self-satisfied players this year, not willing to do what it takes to be great and their visible weakness cannot be masked without all-out effort. A surprisingly low percentage of bettors have actually backed the Lakers to this point.
On the season the Lakers shot 45.6 percent from the field, they have not touched that figure once in the playoffs. Oklahoma City is receiving a great of credit for how they are playing defense against the triangle offense, but the fact is the Lakers players are being outworked in trying to run their offense.
It is of little surprise that L.A. is 13-25 ATS second half of the season watching this kind of effort.
Kobe Bryant is playing a curious role in this series. Undoubtedly he is more injured than what most know. Other than Game 2 when he scored 39 points with his father in the stands, he at times is not even looking to being offensively assertive. He is either trying to get the ball to teammates for them to become more aggressive or he is trying to prove a point by saying “you are either with me or against me” and is disgusted with their lack of performance and is being indignant.
When this has happened in the past Kobe always has an answer, just like this time.
“(Oklahoma City) is a young team that plays hard, that’s playing with house money, so they go in there and let it all hang out,” Bryant said. “It’s a series, it’s a challenge. It’s how playoff basketball should be.” We’ll see he and the Lakers really feel about their situation as they are 13-3 ATS after a loss by 15 points or more.
Sportsbook.com has the Lakers as six-point home favorites with total of 193.5. Los Angeles has won 17 straight games when the series is tied at 2-2 and are 17-5 ATS when tied in a playoff series at any juncture. The Thunder will try to use its growing confidence to pull the upset and have spotted the flaws in Los Angeles and will look to attack once again and are 19-9 ATS as a road underdog this season, losing by less than a point a game (0.9).
This is the late 10:30E conflict on TNT and the Lakers are 11-0 UNDER as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points over the last two seasons.
NBA: Denver visits Boston as underdog
2010-03-25
The Boston Celtics faced some of the top teams in the Western Conference on their recent road trip. They return home to face another. The Celtics begin a season-high six-game homestand Wednesday when they take on the Denver Nuggets, who will be without coach George Karl for a while as they try to maintain the No. 2 seed in the West. This is a tough back-to-back spot for the Nuggets after dropping one in New York on Tuesday night. Oddsmakers at Sportsbook.com have responded accordingly with a 4-point line in favor of the host Celtics.
Boston (45-25, 29-39-2 ATS) is closing in on a third straight Atlantic Division title and battling Atlanta for one of the top three seeds in the Eastern Conference. It returns home after a successful road trip, which included wins over Houston and Dallas. The Celtics almost completed a sweep of the stretch before giving up a 12-point first half lead in a 110-97 loss to Utah on Monday, which snapped a four-game winning streak.
Boston was ahead by five after the first half, but Utah went on a 9-0 run to start the third quarter and took control by outscoring the Celtics 33-19 in the period. Paul Pierce also cooled off after averaging 28.0 points in the previous three games. He shot 3 for 11 from the field, finishing with 11 points and six rebounds.
"We were kind of reacting to everything they were doing and then before you know it we were down," said Ray Allen, who scored 15 points. Boston is
12-22 ATS after playing a road game this season.
It was the first time in five games the Celtics allowed an opponent to reach 100 points. They have the second-best scoring defense in the NBA, holding opponents to 94.4 points per game. Boston also struggled to contain the Nuggets the last time the two met. Denver (47-24, 32-35-4 ATS) shot 51.3 percent in the 114-105 victory Feb. 21.
While the Celtics will try to get their defense back on track, they will also be looking to improve on some inconsistencies at home. They are 21-12 at TD Garden (10-22-1 ATS) this season after going 35-6 in 2008-09.
It won't be easy though. Boston's first five games of this homestand are against Western Conference teams before it closes the stretch against East-leading Cleveland on April 4. The Celtics have won their last three games at home and eight of 12 (4-7-1 ATS).
Denver, meanwhile, comes in trying to avoid a third consecutive loss after falling 109-104 to the Knicks on Tuesday. It was the eighth straight game Adrian Dantley coached the Nuggets, who announced that George Karl will not return until April as he continues treatment for throat cancer. Denver is 5-3 in those games. Carmelo Anthony scored 36 points and Chauncey Billups had 25, but the Nuggets allowed the Knicks to close the third quarter on an 11-0 run and never recovered.
It was a tough way to open a five-game road trip for the Nuggets, especially since it now becomes more difficult. Their next four opponents are playoff contenders, and they won't face a team with a losing record until a home game against the Los Angeles Clippers on April 3. In addition, Denver is just 6-16 ATS when playing six or more games in 10 days this season.
Denver is tied with Dallas for the No. 2 seed in the West, and it has a one-game lead over Utah in the Northwest. Monday's loss dropped the Nuggets below .500 on the road to 17-18 (15-17-3 ATS).
Boston opened as four point favorite, went to five and has returned to original number at Sportsbook.com with steady total of 206. Besides its deplorable home spread record, the Celtics are also 1-11 ATS on their own floor revenging a loss where opponent scored 100 or more points over the last two seasons. Coach Doc Rivers squad is 8-1 OVER in home games after allowing 105 points or more this year. Denver seems perfectly-suited for its role this evening with an 8-0 spread mark as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points and is 22-8 UNDER in that same price range.
This contest has a 7:05 Eastern time start on ESPN with Boston 10-3 and 8-5 ATS when the Nuggets pay a visit to Bean Town.
The StatFox Power Line shows Boston by 4
NBA: Top NBA Weekend Power Trends 1/15-1/17
2010-01-15
With the NFL Divisional Playoffs on tap for this weekend, and a full slew of college basketball action scheduled for Saturday, it might be easy to overlook the NBA, but don’t, as there are 23 games slated for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Most of them, or 13, tip-off on Friday, as all but four teams will be in play. Read on for a brief look at the most compelling games you’ll want to tune in for, plus a look at the Top StatFox Betting Trends you’ll want to consider as you handicap the pro’s this weekend.
On Friday, the full slate of games will be highlighted by the ESPN doubleheader. In a matchup pitting two of the league’s top offenses, the Suns will try to bounce back from their latest loss Friday night against a Hawks team seeking its fifth win in six games. Phoenix is averaging 118.0 points in its last three road games and its 106.3 road scoring average leads the league. They may need to light up the scoreboard at least that much against a Hawks team that’s plenty capable of scoring in its own right. Atlanta (25-13) ranks fourth in the NBA with 108.2 points per game at home, helping produce a 15-4 record at Philips Arena. Atlanta is the best bet in the NBA at 26-12 ATS and also has the finest home spread record at 14-5.
In the late game, the Magic will try to stop a recent stretch of unusually poor play on the road when they visit the Blazers. Orlando is just 2-6-1 ATS in its L9 road contests after covering away games at about a 70% rate over the season-plus prior. Portland is dealing with seemingly endless injury woes and will be a home dog in this game thanks to the questionable status of G Brandon Roy. Elsewhere on Friday night, two of the upstart teams in the West, Oklahoma City and the Clippers, look to unseat two of the established powers when they visit Dallas, and the Lakers, respectively.
The Saturday night board features 14 teams that will be playing in the second of back-to-back game scenarios, including several rare situations of consecutive road or home games. In fact, this is the most unusual weekend of the year in terms of scheduling, since the Friday and Saturday schedules are loaded with games while the Sunday board is light due to the heavy upcoming Monday holiday schedule. In any case, on Saturday night, watch for six teams that will be playing their second straight game night on the road. These include Milwaukee, San Antonio, Sacramento, Phoenix, New Orleans, and Miami. Note that of the six clubs, only the Bucks have a winning record when playing on zero days rest. They are 5-1 ATS in that role, but face a difficult second game in Utah, who will be riding the high from Thursday night’s buzzer beating win vs. Cleveland. Three of Saturday’s games will also feature a team playing a second straight night at home, with Charlotte, Detroit, and Memphis meeting the criteria. Of those, the Bobcats figure to be the best bet, hosting Phoenix and riding a stretch of 7-2 ATS in ’09-10 on back-to-back games.
The Sunday board features just two games but both are intriguing in their own right. Dallas and Toronto will get it tipped off at 12:35 PM ET. Of the two, the Raptors have actually been playing better basketball of late. They of course have become used to the early matinee games on Sunday afternoons, so this could be a tough spot for the Mavericks. Watch where oddsmakers place the final number for the contest, since Toronto has been very successful this season when favored at home but not when playing as the underdog. At night, Denver will host Utah and will have been off since Wednesday the 13th, the big win over Orlando. This time off should benefit the Nuggets, as they have been looking to get healthy and are 3-0 SU & ATS when playing with 3+ days of rest this season. Utah will have played two games in between that span as well.
Now, here’s a look at those top StatFox Power Trends you’ll want to consider as you build your wagering lineup for the weekend.
Friday, 1/15/2010
(811) TORONTO vs. (812) NEW YORK
TORONTO is 11-28 ATS (-19.8 Units) as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points over the last 2 seasons. The average score was TORONTO 97.8, OPPONENT 108.4 - (Rating = 2*)
(811) TORONTO vs. (812) NEW YORK
TORONTO is 24-8 OVER (+15.2 Units) in road games versus teams who make 6 or more 3PT's/g over the last 2 seasons. The average score was TORONTO 99.9, OPPONENT 108.9 - (Rating = 2*)
(821) MILWAUKEE vs. (822) GOLDEN STATE
MILWAUKEE is 27-9 ATS (+17.1 Units) in road games vs. horrible rebounding teams outrebounded by 5+ RPG since '96. The average score was MILWAUKEE 101.1, OPPONENT 97.4 - (Rating = 2*)
(825) LA CLIPPERS vs. (826) LA LAKERS
LA CLIPPERS are 23-43 ATS (-24.3 Units) vs good shooting teams - making >=46% of FG atts. over the last 3 seasons. The average score was LA CLIPPERS 93.8, OPPONENT 105.1 - (Rating = 1*)
Saturday, 1/16/2010
(505) NEW ORLEANS vs. (506) INDIANA
NEW ORLEANS is 1-10 ATS (-10 Units) versus terrible defensive teams - allowing 103+ PPG this season. The average score was NEW ORLEANS 99.8, OPPONENT 105 - (Rating = 2*)
(507) NEW YORK vs. (508) DETROIT
NEW YORK is 11-2 UNDER (+8.8 Units) versus poor 3PT shooting teams - making <=33% of their attempts this season. The average score was NEW YORK 98.3, OPPONENT 94.8 - (Rating = 2*)
(513) MILWAUKEE vs. (514) UTAH
UTAH is 1-10 ATS (-10 Units) versus horrible foul drawing teams - attempting <=21 FTs/game over the last 2 seasons. The average score was UTAH 98.6, OPPONENT 104.1 - (Rating = 1*)
(515) CLEVELAND vs. (516) LA CLIPPERS
Mike Brown is 77-41 ATS (+31.9 Units) vs good shooting teams (>=46% FG atts) as the coach of CLEVELAND. The average score was Brown 97.5, OPPONENT 93.9 - (Rating = 3*)
Sunday, 1/17/2010
(801) DALLAS vs. (802) TORONTO
TORONTO is 18-32 ATS (-17.2 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ PPG over the last 2 seasons. The average score was TORONTO 100.8, OPPONENT 107.1 - (Rating = 1*)
(803) UTAH vs. (804) DENVER
UTAH is 6-18 ATS (-13.8 Units) in road games revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons. The average score was UTAH 98.1, OPPONENT 107.1 - (Rating = 1*)
(803) UTAH vs. (804) DENVER
UTAH is 25-12 OVER (+11.8 Units) as a road underdog over the last 2 seasons. The average score was UTAH 98.5, OPPONENT 106 - (Rating = 1*)
NBA: Can Orlando closeout Cavs at home? (8:35 PM ET, TNT)
2009-05-29
From sweaty t-shirts printed, to songs from Cold World and Non Phixion, the story is all the same – Refuse to Lose. That is what the Cleveland Cavaliers did at home and they live to play again in Game 6 in Orlando. The chief architect was a familiar face, LeBron James and while he deserves the king’s share of credit, he hardly did it by himself this time. His team will look to force a deciding Game 7 contest on Monday with a win in Orlando Saturday night. The Magic opened as a 2-point favorite at Sportsbook. Follow the line and betting action right up until tip-time.
The focus on news outlets was James triple-double; however this time he had comrades in arms, who were ready to seize the moment. LeBron was also helped by the fact his coach Mike Brown, made adjustments prior to the game, which kept the Magic off-balance and could play into how long this Eastern Final continues.
Cleveland started the game with best ball movement of the series, having all five players on the floor involved and it paid immediate dividends with both Mo Williams and Delonte West making shots and restoring their confidence. Of course with Orlando, take nothing for granted and by halftime, the Cavaliers 17-point lead had melted faster than a Disney snow cone in June, with Cleveland up by just a single point after 24 minutes.
The third quarter was back and forth, with Orlando showing why they were 17-4 ATS playing as underdog coming into Game 5 and held slim one digit lead after three quarters.
With Cleveland 6-1 ATS in last seven games after breaking century mark in points, it was James will that did not allow his team to lose. After receiving much credit for guarding LeBron well, Orlando’s Mickael Pietrus more resembled Wally Szczerbiak trying to contain James. When LeBron needed to score he did, when he needed to find open shooter, he did and this time his teammates responded.
Coach Brown added a new offense wrinkle that widened the area James had at the top of the key, giving him more freedom to roam than a person wanting breakfast at dinner time at IHOP. This spacing prevented effective Orlando double-teams and set up Cleveland shooters to “walk into” shots in rhythm. Because of how effective this adjustment worked, coach Ron Jeremy, whoops, Stan Van Gundy will have to come up with an answer to counter, otherwise this series heads back to Cleveland.
The Cavaliers are 8-0 ATS in road games after failing to cover four of their last five contests against the spread since 2007, winning by almost six points a game (5.8). Coach Brown and James, have their fingers crossed the Cavs guards have rediscovered shooting touch and reserve Daniel Gibson can come off the bench and supply double digits again. Cleveland is a two-point underdog at Sportsbook.com, with a total of 193, easily the highest of the series. The Cavs are 14-4 ATS after scoring 110 points or more and seemed resigned to the fact they have to outscore Orlando, rather than out-defend them.
This will be the Magic’s second opportunity in the postseason to clinch series at Amway Arena, having failed in same spot against Boston. Orlando is 10-1 ATS at home after a loss by 10 points or more and 14-2 against the spread in downtown Orlando after allowing 110 points or more two straight games. The Magic will have to bring sterner defense, as Cavs shot 50 percent from the field and the three-balls. Dwight Howard needs more than 10 attempts and he has to be more assertive on offensive glass then snagging three boards.
Rashard Lewis can’t be so passive and Rafer Alston can’t miss nine of 10 shots. Coach Van Gundy must talk about ball movement, since Orlando had as many assists (12) as LeBron did.
Game 6 should be fascinating on TNT starting at 8:35 Eastern and totals players; here is a sterling system to consider - Play OVER when the total is between 190 to 199.5 points in the sixth game of a playoff series. (22-4, 84.6 percent L13Y)
NBA: April Fool’s Day NBA Betting System
2009-04-02
It’s the first of April and this is no joke, the New Jersey Nets and Phoenix Suns are nearly finished when it comes to playoff talk. Each is four games behind the current eighth place team in their respective conference and even if each wins their remaining eight games, it would probably not be enough. Well, you can’t win eight without winning the first one, and tonight, both teams play at home. The Suns specifically are in a tough spot, hosting Houston and going up against a reliable betting system. Be sure to consider this system before unloading your wagers on the game.
New Jersey’s idea of playoff push has ended being like reputed mobster Jim Hoffa, dead and buried. The Nets (30-44, 37-36-1 ATS) have lost five in a row and nine of last 11 (3-8 ATS). The last loss on Monday was the most mortifying, being slammed by Milwaukee at home 107-78, a team they have owned, who had lost 10 of last 12. Leave it to the wise one to explain New Jersey’s problems.
“We have too many guys on this team who believe in what we have,” Vince Carter said. “I don’t think this team has given up. We just have to change our approach.” Ah Vince, it might be a little late for that, seeing your team is 4-14 ATS in home games when playing their third game in four days since last season.
Even as bad as Detroit is playing having lost seven out of 10, the oddsmakers at Sportsbook.com have them as only one-point underdogs in the New Jersey Meadowlands.
The Phoenix Suns (40-34, 31-42-1 ATS) had set their sights on being a game or two behind Dallas when they meet Sunday, instead the setting Suns might be playing official elimination encounter after losing three straight on the road.
Phoenix likely had its tipping point, losing at Sacramento 126-118 as six-point road favorites, allowing the Kings to shoot 51.6 percent on Monday. Of course there is always a reason.
“There’s some emotional hangover (from an overtime loss in Utah) and we’re tired, but we’ve still got to dig down and find a way to get it done,” Suns point guard Steve Nash said. “No disrespect for that young team, but we weren’t playing the Lakers or the Celtics. We laid an egg, it was very frustrating.” That’s a great explanation, if you would have played a better team, you might have tried harder even though your season is and was in the balance.
Phoenix returns home to face Houston, who has caught San Antonio for first place in the Southwest Division and has won five of six. The Rockets are 1.5-point underdog for this contest.
This leads to a very profitable system with the turn of the calendar that reads this way.
Play Against home teams where the line is +3 to -3, after three or more consecutive losses, in April games.
This NBA April system has been around since 2005 and is 26-6 ATS, 81.2 percent. The point spread has not been a large component with straight up winner 25-7, winning by an average 6.3 points per game.
If you are looking to play a joke, do it on the oddsmakers playing against two bumbling home teams.
NBA: Buy or Sell on Two Central Division Teams Tonight
2009-01-23
Other than the Cleveland Cavaliers, the rest of the Central Division is about as interesting as reading the nutritional value of Cocoa Crispies. For sports bettors, this division may not the race of say the Northwest or Southwest Divisions or flat out dreadful teams as the West, but as long as they have a number posted next to their name and provide a chance for us to win that is good enough. This evening we’ll determine if Detroit or Milwaukee is a buy or sell prospect.
If you asked most NBA fans who is the coach of the Detroit Pistons (24-17), they would probably hesitate before attempting to formulate an answer. Most fans would know the Pistons are still playing good defense, ranked fourth in points allowed at 92.7 points per game and many of the main players from their most recent championship in 2004 are still there, just older. Michael Curry is the man in charge of trying to restore Detroit among the NBA elite and he has a rough job.
In many ways the Pistons are like a Ford Taurus, once very popular among the common people, but now have a few nicks and dents, the color slightly faded, as the miles are taking their toll, though it still performs a service . Familiar names like Rip Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess and Tayshaun Prince are stilling roaming the court, just not with the same speed and skill as before.
After suffering five consecutive losses, Detroit was won two in a row and will look to improve upon 13-7 home record. The Pistons have been a decrepit wager at home at 7-13 ATS, with a scoring margin differential of only +2.1 telling the story. Detroit is at their best when the defense is playing well and after surrendering just 154 total points in last two games, they are 12-1 ATS after allowing 85 points or less in consecutive contests.
Sportsbook.com has the Pistons as a standard four-point favorite with total of 182 against Dallas, who was humiliated 133-99 in Milwaukee, two nights ago. The Mavericks are .500 on the road with a 13-9 ATS record and are 11-3 ATS as a visitor after playing a game as favorite. This might be the time to “sell” on Detroit, as most NBA teams can take losing, however they don’t like being embarrassed. With the Pistons a soft home favorite all season, consider going against them on this 7 Eastern contest on ESPN.
The Milwaukee Bucks (21-24) are a little bit like Wal-Mart these days to oddsmakers, being a category-killer of sorts. Milwaukee is the fourth best bet in the NBA at 27-16-2 against the spread and they rank fifth in playing over the total in the league at 26-19.
The Bucks were unbelievable at home versus Dallas in winning by 34 points. In the middle quarters they shot 83 and 74 percent, in totaling 79 points, ending two game losing streak. Tonight they travel to Atlanta, a place where they have not had much joy lately with four losses in a row (1-3 ATS). Milwaukee does have some positives coming in, like being 12-4 ATS off a home game and 18-8 ATS after last encounter if they were in underdog role.
The Bucks are 4.5-point underdogs to Atlanta who is fighting through being down two starters in Al Horford and Marvin Williams. After losing five of seven, the Hawks have bounced back with a pair of wins and are 11-3 ATS if their opponent scored 100 or more points in last game. Milwaukee has rarely shown the ability to put two hot shooting games together with 2-11 ATS mark after a game where they made 12 or more 3-point shots. This is expected to be close call; however the “sell” seems the most appropriate investment on coach Scott Skiles Bucks tonight.