February 2012 NBA Events
Calendar of NBA Events for February 2012 brought to you by nbapointspreads.com
NBA News
NBA: NBA Finals Game 7…Enough Said
2010-06-17
With an emphatic, historic blowout win in Game 6 Tuesday night, Los Angeles earned the right to host the grand finale to the NBA season. The winner-take-all Game 7 between the Lakers and Celtics is set for Thursday night, with the tip-off at 9:05 PM ET. Despite the 67-points scored by the Celtics and the 22-point winning margin, oddsmakers at Sportsbook.com have adjusted the opening line only slightly, making the Lakers 7-point favorites after showing them at minus-6.5 points on Tuesday.
This being the biggest game of the season, expect betting action to be brisk. On Tuesday, a greater percentage of bettors (53%) actually favored the Celtics against the number at Sportsbook.com. It will be interesting to see how they react to the price for Game 7.
In the game Tuesday night, Kobe Bryant scored 26 points, Pau Gasol added 17 points and 13 rebounds, and the Lakers held Boston to the second lowest-scoring performance in NBA finals history in an 89-67 victory.
Faced with elimination for the first time in this postseason, the defending champion Lakers didn’t flinch.
“We’re used to being in must-win situations,” Bryant said. “The way we look at it, (Game 7) is just a game we’ve got to win. … I don’t mean to be a buzzkill. I know what’s at stake, but I’m not tripping.”
He left that to the Celtics, who fell all over themselves after falling behind by 22 points in the first half. Boston memorably eliminated the Lakers in the sixth game of the 2008 finals with a 39-point blowout—but this time around, the Celtics lost their series lead and their starting center in one disastrous Game 6, as Kendrick Perkins will have to miss the all-important game with a knee injury.
These rivals have played a Game 7 four times in their 11 previous finals meetings, with Boston winning all four. But it hasn’t happened since 1984—and it hasn’t happened to Bryant or head coach Phil Jackson.
Overall, this will be just the third NBA Finals Game 7 in the last 23 years. There hasn’t been a winner-take-all finals game since San Antonio finished off Detroit five years ago, and Thursday’s Game 7 will be the 17th in NBA history. The Spurs’ victory over the Pistons was the first Game 7 since 1994, when the Houston Rockets capped a comeback with two home victories over the New York Knicks and their point guard—now Celtics’ head coach Doc Rivers.
In the ugly loss, Paul Pierce scored 13 points and Kevin Garnett added 12, but the Celtics’ offense was a jumbled, stand-around mess. Rajon Rondo(notes), the late-game hero in Boston’s last appearance in Los Angeles, got off to a 1-for-8 shooting start before finishing with 10 points and six assists.
“I thought we’d play better, obviously,” Rivers said. “I thought we were ready. … We played an individual game tonight on both ends. We never gave ourselves an opportunity offensively, because we never trusted each other. Everybody was out to make their own place.”
The Lakers improved to 10-1 in the postseason at Staples Center, while the Celtics dropped to 3-4 in closeout playoff games this season—including 0-3 on the road. Boston had nine chances to finish a playoff series away from home in the past three postseasons, but has been successful only once.
Here are some of the key StatFox betting angles that figure to affect this contest:
Favoring LA Lakers:
• BOSTON is 9-21 ATS (-14.1 Units) versus up-tempo teams averaging 83 or more shots/game this season. The average score was BOSTON 96.4, OPPONENT 96.4 - (Rating = 2*)
Favoring Boston:
• BOSTON is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) in road games revenging a road loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons. The average score was BOSTON 104.9, OPPONENT 92.6 - (Rating = 1*)
Favoring OVER the total:
• LA LAKERS are 18-5 OVER (+12.5 Units) after a combined score of 160 points or less since 1996. The average score was LA LAKERS 101.5, OPPONENT 97.1 - (Rating = 1*)
Favoring UNDER the total:
• LA LAKERS are 10-1 UNDER (+8.9 Units) after allowing 80 points or less over the last 2 seasons. The average score was LA LAKERS 100.9, OPPONENT 97.1 - (Rating = 1*)
There figures to be a lot to consider when analyzing Thursday’s game. Don’t miss out on a single potential golden nugget.
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: 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.