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Below is a listing of articles appearing on Doc’s site sorted by date.
NBA Betting Trends: Hot and Cold Teams Against the Point Spread
by Aaron Smith - 12/28/2012
Momentum is a powerful force, and over the course of a long season it can change numerous times. If you can catch an NBA team that is playing with a ton of confidence, they can really get on a heck of a streak covering the number. If you aren’t already keeping track of who has the momentum, you should probably start keeping an eye on it. Doc’s Sports will be presenting an NBA Hot and Cold Report every two weeks this year to help you stay ahead of the game. Please note that statistics in this initial report are from games played between Dec.13 and Dec. 26.
Read more about NBA Betting Trends: Hot and Cold Teams Against the Point Spread.
NBA Picks: Celtics at Clippers Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 12/26/2012
OK, so did the world end as the Mayans predicted on 12/21/12? I only ask because the Los Angeles Clippers – the Clippers! – have the NBA’s best overall record at 22-6 and are on a whopping 14-game winning streak, tied for the second-longest in the league in the past five seasons. Yep, I am looking out my window and there are pigs flying. It is the first time in franchise history the Clippers have the NBA’s best winning percentage after 15 games.
Read more about NBA Picks: Celtics at Clippers.
NBA Picks: Thunder vs. Heat Odds and Betting Predictions
by Dave Schwab - 12/25/2012
It will be a Holiday treat in the NBA this Tuesday afternoon when the Oklahoma City Thunder clash with the Miami Heat at the American Airlines Arena in a rematch of last season’s NBA Finals. The game is set to tip at 5:30 p.m. (ET) and it will be broadcast nationally on ABC.
Read more about NBA Picks: Thunder vs. Heat Odds.
NBA Picks: Jazz at Heat Odds and Betting Predictions
by Dave Schwab - 12/21/2012
The Utah Jazz’s current four-game road trip east takes them to South Beach this Saturday night for the first of two season matchups against the defending champion Miami Heat. This game is set to tip off at 7:30 p.m. (ET) and it will be available on NBA League Pass.
Read more about NBA Picks: Jazz at Heat Odds and Betting Predictions.
NBA Totals Betting: Handicapping Trends Report
by Aaron Smith - 12/21/2012
At Doc’s Sports, we like to take a closer look inside the numbers to help find valuable betting trends. The bi-weekly NBA Hot and Cold Report helps keep bettors up to date regarding the hot and cold teams as far as covering the number. Since totals are another great way to bet on the NBA, we decided to start a bi-weekly article which will track which teams are trending “over” and which teams are trending “under” versus the posted total. Over the course of the long season, some teams will change their style multiple times, so trends like these can be very useful.
Read more about NBA Totals Betting: Handicapping Trends Report.
NBA Picks: Thunder at Timberwolves Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 12/19/2012
Finally, no Lakers, Heat or Knicks in the TNT preview this week – only because I chose not to pick Miami again, with the Heat playing in the nightcap. This week it should be a very entertaining, up-and-down game between the red-hot Oklahoma City Thunder and the Minnesota Timberwolves, who recently welcomed Ricky Rubio back to the lineup. The Spanish sensation is still limited to 18-20 minutes a game off his major knee surgery and in fact won’t be playing the second of a back-to-back for a while. He sat out Tuesday’s loss in Miami after playing Monday in Orlando.
Read more about NBA Picks: Thunder at Timberwolves.
NBA Betting Trends: Hot and Cold Teams Against the Point Spread
by Aaron Smith - 12/14/2012
Most bettors know that the New York Knicks have been red hot of late and that the Los Angeles Lakers have been ice cold. Still, even the teams who don’t get as much coverage deserve to be looked at for signs of important trends. Hot and cold streaks are the norm in a long NBA season. Keeping track of the hot teams and cold teams can help you stay ahead of the curve when betting on the NBA. Doc’s Sports will be presenting an NBA Hot and Cold Report this year to help you stay ahead of the game. Please note that statistics in this initial report are from games played between Nov. 29 and Dec. 12.
Read more about NBA Betting Trends: Hot and Cold Teams Against the Point Spread.
NBA Handicapping: Jeremy Lin
by Trevor Whenham - 12/14/2012
I’m not sure that there has been a more interesting story in the NBA in a long time than Jeremy Lin. He was a total unknown who exploded onto the world scene and became a megastar almost overnight. Just as quickly, though, the hero worship turned into indifference, and then, in many circles, into varying levels of contempt.
Read more about NBA Handicapping: Jeremy Lin.
NBA Handicapping: Golden State Road Warriors
by Trevor Whenham - 12/13/2012
It is now officially time to take notice of the Golden State Warriors. With their win last night over the Heat they have won five straight, they are firmly entrenched in a playoff spot, and are showing real signs of being able to stay there. Most impressive, all five wins have come on the road, and it’s the first time since 1979 that they have done that. For bettors the questions about a team in a situation like this are obvious: how have they been doing it, and can they keep doing it?
Read more about NBA Handicapping: Golden State Road Warriors.
NBA Picks: Lakers at Knicks Betting Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 12/12/2012
Well, here I go previewing another matchup involving two more of the NBA’s marquee teams in the Lakers and Knicks. But here’s my reasoning this week even though I am about sick of talking about both those two: the TNT nightcap this week is San Antonio at Portland. It’s the second of a back-to-back for the Spurs and their third game already this week, all on the road. So it sure sounds like one of those times Gregg Popovich might rest one, two or all of his Big 3 of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker (the NBA would crucify him after last time).
Read more about NBA Picks: Lakers at Knicks.
NBA Picks: Knicks at Heat Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 12/6/2012
Before I preview this Thursday’s TNT opener between New York and Miami, I want to address the San Antonio Spurs and coach Gregg Popovich’s decision to send Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Danny Green home before the team traveled to Miami for last Thursday’s TNT game. You can argue whether Pop had the right to do whatever he wanted with his own team. I lean toward yes, but if I was a Spurs fan in South Florida and bought a $200 ticket I would of course be furious. As would I if I were a TNT executive or an advertiser who bought time during the game.
Read more about NBA Picks: Knicks at Heat.
NBA Betting Trends: Hot and Cold Teams Against the Point Spread
by Aaron Smith - 11/30/2012
The NBA season is a long grind, and teams go through many hot and cold periods throughout the year. Keeping track of the hot teams and cold teams can help you stay ahead of the curve when betting on the NBA. Doc’s Sports will be presenting an NBA Hot and Cold Report this year to help you stay ahead of the game. Please note that statistics in this initial report are from games played between Nov. 15 and Nov. 28.
Read more about NBA Betting Trends: Hot and Cold Teams Against the Point Spread.
NBA Handicapping: Los Angeles Lakers Struggles
by Trevor Whenham - 11/29/2012
It’s early yet, but 7-8 is definitely not where the Lakers were supposed to be after 15 games. Not after they had invested so heavily in Dwight Howard and Steve Nash in the offseason to create their Big Four to overshadow Miami’s Big Three.
Read more about NBA Handicapping: Los Angeles Lakers Struggles.
NBA Picks: San Antonio at Miami Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 11/28/2012
Let me say this right up front: I won’t always be doing the supposed “glamour” matchup in this year’s Thursday NBA on TNT preview stories. If I do, that means you are stuck with the same teams each week: Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, etc. This is, after all, a betting site, so if there’s a less attractive matchup that offers better value for bettors, I am going to lean that way in these previews.
Read more about NBA Picks: San Antonio at Miami.
NBA Handicapping: ATS Studs and Duds
by Trevor Whenham - 11/28/2012
It seems like the NBA season only just began, but we are already about 20 percent of the way through. That means that the sample size is now big enough that we can look at which teams have done well in covering spreads, which ones have struggled, and what we might learn from that. Here are the ATS studs and duds from the first month of the NBA season:
Read more about NBA Handicapping: ATS Studs and Duds.
NBA Futures Betting: Updated Odds to Win Conference
by Dave Schwab - 11/27/2012
The 2012-13 NBA regular season is just about a month old. This makes it a good time to take a look how a few teams’ early play on the court has affected Bovada’s original odds for their chances to win their respective conference.
Read more about NBA Futures Betting: Updated Odds to Win Conference.
Handicapping the Worst NBA Teams
by Trevor Whenham - 11/21/2012
There is a dogfight atop the NBA right now, with several teams fighting to prove that they are elite contenders that have what it takes to go all the way in the playoffs. At the opposite end of the spectrum there are teams that are in a far more pathetic but almost as crowded fight to determine which team is absolutely the worst in the league — and will have the most ping pong balls in the draft lottery hopper as reward for their ineptness. So, which team is worst in the NBA right now? Let’s take a look:
Read more about Handicapping the Worst NBA Teams.
NBA Handicapping: Top Rookies Thus Far
by Trevor Whenham - 11/20/2012
We’re only about 10 games into the NBA season, so it is far too soon to judge rookies and the impact they have had on their teams — and the impact they should have on bettors as a result. Just because it’s too early, though, doesn’t mean we won’t do it. Here’s a look at the highlights (and one lowlight) of the current crop of NBA rookies so far:
Read more about NBA Handicapping: Top Rookies Thus Far.
NBA Picks: Brooklyn at LA Lakers Predictions and Betting Odds
by Alan Matthews - 11/19/2012
By all accounts, the Mike D’Antoni Era will begin with the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night when they host the Brooklyn Nets. D'Antoni was hoping to debut on Sunday against the Houston Rockets, but the coach pushed it back because he is not fully recovered from recent knee replacement surgery. D’Antoni is officially “day-to-day,” and I’m pretty sure that’s the first time I have ever given injury status on a coach. Maybe the Lakers should have just hired interim coach Bernie Bickerstaff, as he has led the team to a 4-1 mark since replacing the fired Mike Brown. D’Antoni has been running practices.
Read more about NBA Picks: Brooklyn at LA Lakers.
NBA Betting Trends: Hot and Cold Teams Against the Point Spread
by Aaron Smith - 11/16/2012
In the NBA, the betting trends are definitely a bettor’s best friend. The NBA season is a long grind, and teams go through many hot and cold periods throughout the year. Doc’s Sports will be presenting an NBA Hot and Cold Report this year to help you stay ahead of the game in the NBA. Please note that statistics in this initial report are from games played between the beginning of the season and Nov. 14.
Read more about NBA Betting Trends: Hot and Cold Teams Against the Point Spread.
NBA Picks for Thursday: Heat at Nuggets Odds and Betting Picks
by Alan Matthews - 11/14/2012
Back-to-backs in the NBA are never easy, but the Miami Heat have an especially tricky one Thursday night. The Heat had to play the athletic, very good L.A. Clippers at Staples Center on Wednesday night before visiting Denver on Thursday. The Nuggets always have an advantage at home because of the altitude and even more so in a quick turnaround game.
Read more about NBA Picks for Thursday: Heat at Nuggets.
Betting Impact of Mike D’Antoni Hire by Lakers
by Trevor Whenham - 11/13/2012
I woke up this morning sure I was going to be writing an article about the hiring of Phil Jackson in L.A. and the betting impact that would have on the Lakers going forward. Imagine my surprise, then, to be writing instead about new boss Mike D’Antoni.
Read more about Betting Impact of Mike D’Antoni Hire by Lakers.
NBA Betting Surprises
by Trevor Whenham - 11/13/2012
The NBA season is still very young. It seems that this year, even more than most, has been very active and very educational, though. No matter how prepared you are heading into the season there will inevitably be surprises as the season gets underway. Here are six of the biggest NBA Betting surprises for me of this season so far:
Read more about NBA Betting Surprises.
NBA Picks for Thursday TNT: Oklahoma City at Chicago Predictions and Odds
by Alan Matthews - 11/7/2012
Almost 80 percent of the Chicago Bulls’ games were on national television last year. Not a surprise considering the Bulls had the league’s reigning MVP and had won the most games in the NBA in 2010-11. This year, less than 33 percent of Chicago’s games will be nationally televised, and that’s 100 percent due to the injury of Derrick Rose.
Read more about NBA Picks for Thursday TNT: Oklahoma City at Chicago.
NBA Betting and Handicapping: Scouting the Week Ahead
by Alan Matthews - 11/5/2012
I realize the new NBA season is just a week old, but is it time to worry about the two Western Conference favorites? The defending conference champion Thunder are 1-2 following Sunday’s 104-95 home loss to the Atlanta Hawks, who were playing without star forward Josh Smith because of a sprained right ankle. Of course the Thunder made the stunning trade on the eve of the season, sending James Harden to Houston (more on him in a minute).
Read more about NBA Betting and Handicapping: Scouting the Week Ahead.
Four Important Storylines Heading into the 2012-13 NBA Season
by George J Monroy - 10/30/2012
The NBA season is finally here. NBA junkies will get a full 82-game, six-month regular season. Most fans do not begin to pay attention to the NBA until after Christmas, but for those sports bettors that are salivating at the thought of spending the next three months with a full plate of NFL, NCAAF and NBA games to bet on, here is a quick look at four of the biggest storylines heading into the season.
Read more about Four Important Storylines Heading into the NBA Season.
2012-13 NBA MVP Odds and Betting Predictions
by George J Monroy - 10/30/2012
The NBA MVP award can be extremely subjective during certain years. NBA sportswriters and media members get to decide who the most valuable player is, and while there are no set criteria on what ‘most valuable’ actually means, some players have more of an inside track than others.
Read more about NBA MVP Odds and Betting Predictions.
NBA Odds and Predictions: Celtics at Heat Betting Picks
by Alan Matthews - 10/29/2012
It’s the first NBA preview of the new season, and you can’t ask for a much better opener than when Boston visits Miami in a rematch of last season’s epic Eastern Conference Finals series. Boston looked in command of that series with a 3-2 lead heading into Game 6 in Boston, but LeBron James had one of the great playoff games in history with 45 points (19-for-26 from the field), 15 rebounds and five assists as Miami blew out the Cs 98-79 to force a Game 7 back in South Florida.
Read more about NBA Odds and Predictions: Celtics at Heat.
2012-13 NBA Predictions: Atlantic Division Preview and Betting Odds
by Aaron Smith - 10/29/2012
Many divisions in the NBA have clear-cut favorites, but the Atlantic Division will be among the most competitive in the league. The Heat will win the Southeast and the Lakers will win the Pacific. The Atlantic Division has no such big favorite that will run away with the division. The Celtics had a bit of a rocky ride last year, but they were still good enough to top the division. The Knicks had team chemistry issues, and they barely squeaked into the playoffs. Philadelphia was a nice surprise, and the 76ers played great in the playoffs.
Read more about NBA Predictions: Atlantic Division.
2012-13 NBA Season Win Totals Predictions
by George J Monroy - 10/25/2012
The NBA season is only a few days away. And with both football and baseball in full swing, gamblers are about to enter into sports betting heaven. So before we start getting bombarded so full of spreads that we don’t know what to do with them, let’s take a minute and look at the betting line on NBA season win totals and make a few predictions of our own.
Read more about NBA Season Win Totals Predictions.
2012-13 NBA Predictions: Southwest Division Preview and Betting Odds
by Ricky Dimon - 10/23/2012
The story of the NBA’s Southwest Division in 2012-13 is the old trying to hold off the young. One of those “young” teams, Memphis, has already broken onto the scene. Can the Grizzlies go one step further and overtake San Antonio as the cream of the crop? One of those “old” teams, Dallas, has seemingly started a descent. Can Dirk Nowitzki return from injury and lead the Mavericks back to the playoffs?
Read more about NBA Predictions: Southwest Division.
2012-13 NBA Predictions: Pacific Division Preview and Betting Odds
by Alan Matthews - 10/18/2012
Is there really much of a point in previewing the NBA’s Pacific Division for the upcoming season? The Los Angeles Lakers won it for the fifth straight time a year ago, and all they did this offseason was add future Hall of Famers Steve Nash and Dwight Howard to go with two other future Hall of Famers in Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. The Lakers, who really only lost Andrew Bynum (and Howard is an upgrade), are now the Miami Heat of the West Coast.
Read more about 2012-13 NBA Predictions: Pacific Division Preview.
2012-13 NBA Predictions: Northwest Division Preview and Betting Odds
by Ricky Dimon - 10/18/2012
There’s Oklahoma City…and then there’s everyone else. That’s the simple nature of things in the NBA’s Northwest Division. The first question is not if, but by how many games will the Thunder win it. The other questions simply deal with how many teams the Northwest can fit into the Western Conference Playoffs.
Read more about NBA Predictions: Northwest Division Preview.
2012-13 NBA Predictions: Southeast Division Preview and Betting Odds
by Ricky Dimon - 10/12/2012
One team does not a division make. The Southeast Division may be home to the reigning NBA Champions, but there’s a reason why the Heat are once again such an overwhelming favorite at the expense of Atlanta, Charlotte, Orlando, and Washington. And it’s not because they are damn good.
Read more about NBA Southeast Division Preview and Betting Odds.
Dwight Howard Trade Alters NBA Odds
by Alan Matthews - 8/13/2012
There has been a weekend to digest the trade through the mainstream media. Now the sportsbooks have adjusted their odds and bettors have had a crack at them. Let’s look at some props unveiled by Bovada in the wake of this trade:
Read more about Dwight Howard Trade Alters NBA Odds.
2013 NBA Rookie of the Year Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 7/3/2012
OK, five bonus points if you can honestly say you knew that the NBA’s Rookie of the Year Award was officially called the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy and that you also knew Gottlieb was a former coach and owner of the Philadelphia Warriors. He was enshrined into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1972 as a contributor to the game.
Read more about NBA Rookie of the Year Odds and Predictions.
2012 NBA Draft Betting: Props and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 6/27/2012
And you thought the NBA betting season was finished? Not so fast, my friend. Bovada has rolled out a handful of props for Thursday night’s NBA Draft, the official end to the basketball season (although we are treated to Olympic basketball this year).
Read more about NBA Draft Betting: Props and Predictions.
2013 NBA Finals Predictions with Futures Odds
by Alan Matthews - 6/22/2012
LeBron James and the rest of the Miami Heat are no doubt still partying hard on South Beach less than 24 hours after the Heat won the franchise’s second NBA title and LeBron’s first in three Finals tries by beating the Oklahoma City Thunder in a surprising five games. OKC had been around a -170 series favorite heading in and that jumped to around -250 when it won Game 1. But the Heat won the final four, and Game 5 was never really in doubt.
Read more about NBA Finals Predictions.
NBA Picks: Thunder at Heat Game 5 Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 6/20/2012
Things are not looking good for the NBA season to be extended past Thursday night’s Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Miami with the Heat leading the Oklahoma City Thunder 3-1. First off, the Thunder’s chances of winning the series are very small. Only eight teams in NBA playoff history have rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win a series and never in the Finals.
Read more about NBA Picks: Thunder at Heat Game 5 Odds and Betting Predictions.
NBA Finals Picks: Thunder at Heat Game 4 Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 6/18/2012
I didn’t play in the NBA or coach in The Association, but it sure seems like Oklahoma City Coach Scott Brooks is being handed his hat by counterpart Erik Spoelstra so far in the NBA Finals as we head into Tuesday night’s Game 4 in Miami.
Read more about NBA Finals Picks: Thunder at Heat Game 4.
NBA Finals Predictions: Thunder at Heat Game 3 Odds and Betting Picks
by Alan Matthews - 6/15/2012
Can we stop criticizing LeBron James and Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra now? Both had faced the usual sniping after LeBron was completely outplayed by Kevin Durant in Game 1 of the NBA Finals loss, and Spoelstra was hearing he was vastly outcoached by Scott Brooks in the opener, much like Spoelstra was in last year’s Finals loss to Dallas.
Read more about NBA Finals Predictions: Thunder at Heat Game 3.
NBA Picks: Heat at Thunder Game 2 Betting Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 6/13/2012
The 2012 NBA Finals were hyped as a LeBron James vs. Kevin Durant showdown as part of a bigger Miami Big 3 vs. an Oklahoma City Big 3, and the Thunder won on both counts in the Game 1 opener to take a 1-0 series lead. Thus, Game 2 Thursday night in OKC is almost a must-win for the Heat or else they know this series is going back to Oklahoma City even if they can somehow sweep the middle three games of the Finals’ 2-3-2 format.
Read more about NBA Picks: Heat at Thunder Game 2.
NBA Finals Props: Betting Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 6/12/2012
The end of the NBA season is upon us as a highly-anticipated NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder tips off on Tuesday night in OKC. I’ve already previewed Game 1 here at Doc’s, so let’s take a look a few series props.
Read more about NBA Finals Props: Betting Odds and Predictions.
NBA Finals Predictions: Heat at Thunder Game 1 Odds and Picks
by Alan Matthews - 6/11/2012
The NBA was never able to give basketball fans LeBron James vs. Kobe Bryant in the NBA Finals, and it doesn’t appear likely to happen anytime soon with Kobe’s Lakers looking rather old. But the hoops gods were very kind this season as we get to see the two best players in the game today face off when LeBron’s Miami Heat face Kevin Durant’s Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2012 NBA Finals, with Game 1 Tuesday night in OKC. In my opinion, this is the best individual matchup in the Finals since the 1991 Finals when Michael Jordan’s Bulls beat Magic Johnson’s Lakers for MJ’s first title.
Read more about NBA Finals Predictions: Heat at Thunder Game 1.
2012 NBA Draft Prospects: Underrated Players
by Robert Ferringo - 6/11/2012
Building a championship team in the NBA isn’t just about finding the next superstar. If you look at the four teams that made the conference finals you will see several guys that weren’t expected to amount to much in The League but now find themselves playing key roles for the top title contenders.
Read more about NBA Draft Prospects: Underrated Players.
2012 NBA Draft: Most Overrated Players
by Robert Ferringo - 6/11/2012
The 2012 NBA Draft takes place on Thursday, June 28 in Newark, New Jersey, and it is all but a total certainty that Kentucky center Anthony Davis and his amazing unibrow will be the No. 1 overall pick by the New Orleans Hornets.
Read more about NBA Draft: Most Overrated Players.
NBA Picks: Celtics at Heat Game 7 Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 6/8/2012
The two greatest NBA playoff performances I can remember in my lifetime are Michael Jordan’s 63-point game, the most ever in the postseason, on April 20, 1986, against the Hall of Fame-laden Boston Celtics; and Lakers rookie Magic Johnson starting at center for an injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers, with Magic, a point guard by nature, putting up 42 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists in winning his first championship.
Read more about NBA Picks: Celtics at Heat Game 7.
NBA Picks: Spurs at Thunder Game 6 Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 6/6/2012
So I wonder if the good folks of Seattle will be rooting for or against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Wednesday night’s Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals against San Antonio. I’m sure it will be a bittersweet night for many residents of the Emerald City if the Thunder finish off a stunning rally from down 2-0 in this series to reach the franchise’s first NBA Finals since Seattle’s SuperSonics lost to Michael Jordan’s Bulls in the 1996 Finals.
Read more about NBA Picks: Spurs at Thunder Game 6.
NBA Picks: Celtics at Heat Game 5 Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 6/4/2012
Well, well, well … after last Wednesday, it was starting to look like the NBA’s conference finals were going to be four-game duds in both the East and West. Now, however, it appears we might get treated to two seven-game classics.
Read more about NBA Picks: Celtics at Heat Game 5.
NBA Picks: Spurs at Thunder Game 4 Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 6/1/2012
You know how in college basketball that no coach wants his team to go into the NCAA Tournament unbeaten? The old adage is that coaches want their teams, whether unbeaten or on a long winning streak, to get a loss out of the way so the pressure of staying unbeaten or setting a record is gone when things really start to matter.
Read more about NBA Picks: Spurs at Thunder Game 4 Odds.
NBA Handicapping: The Chris Bosh Factor for Miami
by Trevor Whenham - 5/31/2012
Since the first game of the second round Miami’s Big 3 has been a Big 2. Chris Bosh has been sidelined with an abdominal strain, and his return is still uncertain — and surrounded in some mystery. He’s working out, but the efforts have still been light, and no one around the team is indicating just when he might be back in action.
Read more about NBA Handicapping: The Chris Bosh Factor for Miami.
NBA Playoffs Odds and Picks: Heat at Celtics Game 3 Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 5/31/2012
If you are the Boston Celtics, you just likely saw your season go down the drain in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Wednesday night. Miami won the very entertaining game 115-111 in overtime – I had predicted a Celtics cover but also the ‘under’ – to take a 2-0 lead in this series.
Read more about NBA Playoffs Odds and Picks: Heat at Celtics Game 3.
NBA Picks: Spurs at Thunder Game 3 Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 5/30/2012
How dare I have doubted the San Antonio Spurs in Game 2 of their Western Conference Finals series with the Oklahoma City Thunder! The game wasn’t even as close as San Antonio’s 120-111 victory looked on the scoreboard (at least I took the over). Tony Parker led the way 34 points and eight assists and Manu Ginobili added 20 points as the Spurs won their 20th consecutive game, an NBA record for a streak extended into the playoffs. By the way, no team has ever gone through one postseason unbeaten.
Read more about NBA Picks: Spurs at Thunder Game 3 Odds.
NBA Picks: Celtics at Heat Game 2 Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 5/29/2012
You never want to read too much into one game, but the Boston Celtics sure look like they are toast after losing Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, 93-79, at the Miami Heat. LeBron James and Dwayne were getting dunks and layups all night and the Heat – without their best post player in the injured Chris Bosh – had 42 points in the paint in Game 1. Boston actually might have covered if not getting called for five technical fouls.
Read more about NBA Picks: Celtics at Heat Game 2.
NBA Conference Finals Betting Update
by Dave Schwab - 5/29/2012
The NBA Conference Finals are underway with Game 1 in the books in both the East and the West best-of-seven series. The following is a look at some pertinent facts and figures as well as some current betting trends that should help your NBA handicapping for the upcoming games.
Read more about NBA Conference Finals Betting Update.
NBA Playoffs Odds: Thunder at Spurs Game 2 Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 5/28/2012
Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals wasn’t quite the offensive explosion I expected but it was an excellent game – and from it came a new catchphrase that I guarantee will be on T-shirts in San Antonio for Game 2. The Spurs were down nine points early in the fourth quarter when Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich was heard telling his team during a timeout that he wanted some “nasty.”
Read more about NBA Playoffs Odds: Thunder at Spurs Game 2.
NBA Playoffs Picks: Sixers at Celtics Game 7 Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 5/25/2012
Was it really any surprise that the Boston Celtics didn’t put their throats on the necks of the Philadelphia 76ers during Game 6 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series in Philly on Wednesday night? After all, Boston had been 2-10 since the arrival of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in road potential close-out games in the postseason. It’s almost like this team doesn’t have a killer instinct until it’s 100 percent necessary.
Read more about NBA Playoffs Picks: Sixers at Celtics Game 7.
NBA Playoffs Odds and Pick: Thunder at Spurs Game 1 Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 5/25/2012
I don’t know about you, but when Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose went down with that torn ACL late in Game 1 of Chicago’s first-round playoff series with Philadelphia, I immediately skipped ahead mentally toward the conference finals in terms of series I most wanted to see since Miami-Chicago was all but out: Oklahoma City vs. San Antonio. And with all due respect to the Heat, who have reclaimed the NBA title favorite role at 8/5 on Bovada, the Spurs and Thunder sure look like the two best teams going right now.
Read more about NBA Playoffs Odds and Pick: Thunder at Spurs Game 1.
NBA Handicapping: Are Spurs Best Team in the League?
by Trevor Whenham - 5/25/2012
The Spurs have been as good as a team can be in these playoffs. They have eight wins, they have rarely even been threatened, and they don’t look like they have even tapped what they are capable of yet. They face a very good team in Oklahoma City in the Western Final, and Miami looms in the finals, but it’s not hard to imagine this team adding their fifth franchise championship. In fact, Bovada has them at 17/10 to win it all — just a hair behind favored Miami at 8/5. I expect the Spurs to win it all. Why? Here are five good reasons:
Read more about NBA Handicapping: San Antonio Spurs.
NBA Futures Odds: Ranking the Final Five Playoff Teams
by Aaron Smith - 5/25/2012
The Western Conference Finals are set and one participant in the East is ready to go. All that is left to decide is the winner of the Philadelphia and Boston series. That one is all tied up at three a piece heading into Saturday’s Game 7.
Read more about NBA Futures Odds: Ranking the Final Five Playoff Teams.
NBA Betting Lessons We have Learned in 2012 Playoffs
by Trevor Whenham - 5/24/2012
For a while now you only barely had to pay attention to the league from year to year to essentially know what is going on. The same teams were strong, and the same players generally elevated their play when the playoffs started. This year, though, we are seeing clear signs that there is a change afoot.
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NBA Playoffs Odds and Pick: Heat at Pacers Game 6 Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 5/23/2012
Remind me not to bet against the favorites in these NBA Playoffs any longer. Not including Wednesday night’s Game 6 between the Celtics and 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals, the favorites are 7-1-1 ATS and have won all nine games straight up since last Friday (Pacers over Celtics in Game 4 and Lakers over Thunder in Game 3 out West started the run). The only ATS loss came on Sunday when the Spurs beat the Clippers by three points to finish off a sweep. That was only San Antonio’s second ATS loss during its incredible 18-game winning streak.
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NBA Conference Semifinals Betting and Handicapping Guide
by Dave Schwab - 5/22/2012
The NBA conference semifinals continue to press on, and while we already know that the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder will meet in the Western Conference Finals, the battle in the Eastern Conference rages on.
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NBA Picks: Pacers at Heat Game 5 Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 5/21/2012
Unfortunately, I have to admit that I fell into the trap as well. It was panic city for Miami after the Heat were blown out Thursday in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series vs. Indiana. That gave the Pacers a 2-1 series lead, the Heat were still not expecting Chris Bosh back in this series, and Dwyane Wade just played one of the worst games of his life and apparently was hurt.
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NBA Playoffs Picks: Heat at Pacers Game 4 Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 5/18/2012
Could we be a few games from seeing the end of the Big 3 era in Miami? That’s doubtful, but if the Heat flame out in this Eastern Conference semifinal series as one-time huge favorites against the Indiana Pacers, you can bet that the calls will come to trade one of the Big 3. Certainly LeBron James isn’t going anywhere and the past two games – both losses – have shown how important Chris Bosh is. So could Dwyane Wade be the one to go?
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Free NBA Picks: Celtics at Sixers Game 4 Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 5/17/2012
So far during the NBA’s conference semifinals I have previewed at least one game in every series except for Boston-Philadelphia in the East. That’s because I believe those are the two toughest teams to get a read on and determine whether Jekyll or Hyde shows up on both sides.
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NBA Picks: Clippers at Spurs Game 2 Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 5/16/2012
I love L.A.! Well, you can definitely say that if you bet against the two City of Angels basketball teams in their first game of the second round of these NBA Playoffs. The Lakers played a Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets and then 48 hours later had to travel to a higher-seeded team, in this case Oklahoma City, and got blown out Monday in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.
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NBA Playoff Picks: Lakers at Thunder Game 2 Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 5/15/2012
Certainly the most stunning result of these NBA Playoffs so far had to be Monday night’s Oklahoma City 119-90 destruction of the visiting Los Angeles Lakers. That the Thunder won was no shock at all. The young, energetic club had been off more than a week and was pretty healthy. The veteran Lakers, meanwhile, had just played in a Game 7 two days’ prior and clearly were worn down and a little beaten up.
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NBA Playoffs Free Picks: Pacers at Heat Game 2 Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 5/14/2012
I obviously don’t wish an injury upon any player, but it’s about freaking time for the Miami Heat! It seemed like every NBA title contender in these playoffs had suffered a big injury – especially the East’s top-seeded Chicago Bulls -- except for the favored Heat, but that all changed in Game 1 of second-seeded Miami’s Eastern Conference semifinal series against the No. 3 Indiana Pacers.
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NBA Conference Semifinals Betting and Handicapping Guide
by Dave Schwab - 5/14/2012
The NBA Eastern Conference semifinals got underway this past Saturday and the Western Conference semifinals tip off on Monday night as the eight remaining teams continue their quest to win this season’s NBA title. The following is a look at a few stats, facts, and figures along with some current betting trends that will help to handicap this week’s slate of games.
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NBA Handicapping: Can Sixers Continue to Shine?
by Trevor Whenham - 5/11/2012
The NBA Playoffs rarely produce totally unexpected first-round results, so on some level it’s refreshing that we have seen the top team in the regular season — the Bulls — fall to the 76ers in their first-round matchup. In just six games, no less.
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Free NBA Playoff Picks: Lakers at Nuggets Game 6 Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 5/9/2012
The Los Angeles Lakers are really going to regret not winning Game 5 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series on Tuesday night at home against the Denver Nuggets. If L.A. had won, the series would have been over and those weary legs of veterans like Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol would have gotten a break until Saturday or Sunday before facing the Oklahoma City Thunder -- probably Sunday as Lakers-Thunder will be the biggest ratings draw of Round 2.
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NBA Playoffs Betting: Biggest Surprises
by Trevor Whenham - 5/9/2012
We are well into the first round of these NBA Playoffs. On paper they have gone about like you would expect — the Spurs and Thunder are in the clubhouse after easy series, and Orlando’s troubles were fatal. When you look beyond that, though, there have been some real surprises on the court so far. Here are five of the biggest surprises to date in the NBA Playoffs:
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NBA Playoffs Odds and Predictions: Knicks at Heat Game 5 Picks
by Alan Matthews - 5/8/2012
There’s no doubt the Miami Heat are a good team, but it sure feels like everything is also breaking their way so far in these playoffs. In their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series with the Knicks, which Miami leads 3-1 heading into Wednesday’s Game 5, the Heat haven’t had to deal with injured Knicks starting point guard Jeremy Lin at all (and apparently won’t). Then Miami caught a big break when starting New York shooting guard Iman Shumpert tore his ACL in Game 1.
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NBA Picks: 76ers at Bulls Game 5 Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 5/8/2012
The Chicago Bulls-Philadelphia 76ers Eastern Conference quarterfinal series was good to us last week when I previewed Game 2, with the Sixers not just covering as 6.5-point underdogs but blowing out a Bulls team that clearly was devastated in its first game without the injured Derrick Rose.
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Free NBA Picks: Hawks at Celtics Game 3 Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 5/3/2012
The Hawks have to be the most maddening team in the NBA. Just when you think they’ve turned a corner from their inconsistent, knucklehead selves, they remind you exactly who they are. Atlanta looked pretty darn good in winning Game 1 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series with Boston, 83-74, on Sunday.
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NBA Playoffs Predictions: Heat at Knicks Game 3 Odds and Picks
by Alan Matthews - 5/2/2012
The Chicago Bulls went out Tuesday night and laid an egg at home in the game immediately following losing their star for the rest of the playoffs – thankfully I recommended taking Philly and the points there. Will the New York Knicks do the same on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinals series against the Miami Heat?
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NBA Picks: Clippers at Grizzlies Game 2 Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 5/1/2012
We will find out on Wednesday night how much intestinal fortitude the Memphis Grizzlies have after they staged one of the biggest choke jobs in NBA playoff history in a Game 1 home loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in their Western Conference quarterfinals series.
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NBA Picks: 76ers at Bulls Game 2 Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 4/30/2012
I know many Chicago Bulls fans and I can tell you that all made a new friend on Saturday afternoon: Guy by the name of Jack Daniels. Of course, I am referring to the fact that many a Bulls backer needed a little something to help them forget what happened Saturday in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Philadelphia 76ers. Rose went down with a little over a minute left and the game seemingly not in doubt for Chicago.
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NBA Handicapping Impact of Derrick Rose Injury
by Trevor Whenham - 4/30/2012
With 1:22 left in the fourth quarter of the Chicago Bulls playoff-opening win over Philadelphia 76ers, my chances of seeing my preseason pick to win the NBA Championship come through took a serious and likely fatal blow. The game was totally under control, but oft-injured superstar Derrick Rose was still in the game, and on an innocent-looking play he tore his ACL and ended his season.
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NBA Playoffs Odds and Picks: Knicks vs. Heat Series Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 4/27/2012
There are some very nice first-round NBA Playoff matchups. The Dallas Mavericks face long odds to repeat as champs and are significant underdogs in their series with Oklahoma City. How will the L.A. Lakers fare without Metta World Peace against an athletic Denver Nuggets team? The L.A. Clippers are in rare territory just being in the postseason, but they face a Memphis club that many think is a dark horse to win the West. Bulls-Sixers? Could be competitive. Celtics-Hawks? Will Ray Allen be able to play?
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San Antonio Spurs Futures Odds and NBA Finals Predictions
by Aaron Smith - 4/27/2012
This wasn’t the way it was supposed to work out in the condensed NBA regular season. San Antonio locked up the top seed in the Western Conference several days before the end of the season. The Spurs were assumed out of contention for a title this season after last year’s first-round exit against the Memphis Grizzlies, and the shortened season should have hurt a veteran team that needed more time to recover between games.
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NBA Playoff Preview: Clippers vs. Grizzlies Betting Trends
by Dave Schwab - 4/27/2012
The Los Angeles Clippers and the Memphis Grizzlies tip-off their first-round, best-of-seven playoff series this Sunday with Game 1 at the FedEx Forum in Memphis. The first two games will be in there before the series shifts to the Staples Center for the next two games. The series will alternate sites for the final three games in a 2-2-1-1-1 format.
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Handicapping the 2012 NBA Playoffs Schedule
by Aaron Smith - 4/27/2012
The regular season has concluded and it is time for some NBA Playoff basketball. All through the condensed regular season we were telling you that the scheduling spots were one of the best angles for NBA handicappers to follow to gain an edge on the books. The NBA schedule changes definitely affected the regular season standings, but now it is time to focus on playoff scheduling.
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NBA Picks for Thursday TNT: Lakers at Kings Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 4/25/2012
The NBA’s scoring title could well be decided on Thursday night depending on what Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant does Wednesday night in the Thunder’s season finale and presuming the Lakers play Kobe Bryant in this game against the Kings. Oh, and it’s also possibly the final NBA game in Sacramento, meaning it should be a fired-up crowd against the Laker franchise that Kings fans love to hate.
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NBA Odds and Picks: Utah Jazz at Phoenix Suns Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 4/23/2012
Barring a spectacular collapse by the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference, we know 15 of the 16 playoff teams in the NBA with the postseason set to tip off on Saturday. That lone spot left could be decided Tuesday night in what is almost a play-in game when Phoenix visits Utah.
Read more about Utah Jazz at Phoenix Suns Predictions.
NBA Picks for Thursday TNT: Mavericks at Heat Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 4/19/2012
The late game on TNT features the L.A. Clippers at Phoenix and both still have plenty to play for. The Clips enter just a half-game behind their Staples Center co-tenant Lakers for the Pacific Division lead and the No. 3 seed in the West (Clips and Lakers tied in loss column). The Suns enter a half-game out of the No. 8 spot in the West and are in a three-way battle with Utah and Houston for that last slot. Phoenix could still rise as high as No. 6 (where Dallas is and 2.5 games ahead) in the West race or fall out entirely.
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NBA Handicapping: NBA Championship Futures Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 4/19/2012
We are in the home stretch of this lockout-shortened NBA season. As we look ahead to the playoffs it’s a good time to look at the NBA Championship futures odds to see what stands out as interesting and what seems like a bad idea (all odds are from Bovada):
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NBA Handicapping: NBA Championship Contenders Each Have Fatal Flaw
by Trevor Whenham - 4/18/2012
Each of these six contenders is very talented. Each team has a big flaw, though, and those flaws are more significant for some teams than others. Here’s a look at the biggest flaws of the six most likely NBA Championship winners, according to the NBA odds:
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NBA Betting: Picking the Exact Finals Matchup Props
by Darin Zank - 4/15/2012
Going into this season, and right up until a couple of weeks or so ago, picking the NBA Finalists for this season didn't look like too tough a task. The NBA isn't exactly known for being kind to longshots and underdogs, so big dogs like the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference and the Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Lakers in the West seemed fairly obvious choices.
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Friday NBA Betting Report: Schedule Handicapping Breakdown
by Aaron Smith - 4/12/2012
Just two weeks remain in the NBA regular season. Some teams only have six games remaining, while others have as many as 10. Jockeying for position in the standings is starting to hit high gear as the playoffs draw near. Situational betting is a good way to play the NBA all season, but it is particularly crucial near the end of the season when different teams have varying amounts of interest in the game.
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NBA Handicapping: Can Clippers Make Noise in Playoffs?
by Trevor Whenham - 4/12/2012
The Los Angeles Clippers were the most hyped team in the NBA heading into the season after winning the Chris Paul lottery. They have been a very tough team to figure out, though, because their season has been like a rollercoaster. For several games in a row they’ll play like they are truly an elite team — a true title contender. But then they’ll play several games as if they might only be the third best team in California.
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NBA Handicapping Impact of Derrick Rose Injury
by Trevor Whenham - 4/12/2012
Derrick Rose is making it very tough to figure out how to deal with the Chicago Bulls this year. When Rose is playing he is the best point guard in the league, and one of a very small handful of truly elite players overall. He has a team around him that is very well suited for him, too.
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Bobcats vs. Heat: On Friday Will We See Largest Point Spread of Season?
by Darin Zank - 4/12/2012
Double-digit point spreads are almost an everyday occurrence in NBA betting, and even lines of 12, 13 and 14 aren't really rare. But we're poised to deal with one of the biggest point spreads posted on an NBA game this season Friday night when King James and his Miami Heat host the atrocious Charlotte Bobcats (7:30 p.m. Eastern).
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NBA Picks: Mavericks at Warriors Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 4/11/2012
Clearly the top game in this Thursday’s NBA on TNT doubleheader features Dallas at Golden State. It’s chock full of story lines: the reigning champion Mavs fighting for their playoff lives. And the Warriors …. Well, I got nothing there.
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NBA Handicapping: Update on Back-to-Back-to-Back Betting Trends
by Dave Schwab - 4/11/2012
One of the unique aspects of this year’s NBA abbreviated 66-game regular season schedule, due to offseason labor issues, was the necessity to cram all these games into a very tight time-frame in order to start the playoffs by the beginning of May.
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NBA Handicapping: ATS Studs and Duds
by Trevor Whenham - 4/9/2012
We are entering the home stretch of this shortened NBA season. As we get ready for the final push for the playoffs it’s a good time to look at the teams that have been very strong against the NBA odds this season, and those that have really struggled to cover spreads.
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NBA Betting and Handicapping: Scouting The Week Ahead
by Alan Matthews - 4/9/2012
How could a reigning championship team with a superstar player and an owner willing to spend deep into the luxury tax zone possibly miss the playoffs? That’s exactly what might happen in Dallas as the Mavericks are fighting for their playoff lives.
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Friday NBA Betting Report: Schedule Handicapping Breakdown
by Aaron Smith - 4/6/2012
It is the final month of the NBA regular season. The Western Conference playoff race is wide open. The Knicks and the Bucks are currently battling for the final spot in the Eastern Conference. Some teams that were struggling at the beginning of the year are now playing great basketball, while some of the top teams from early in the season have slid quickly in the standings.
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NBA Handicapping: Miami Heat ATS Funk
by Trevor Whenham - 4/6/2012
The Miami Heat are in a post All-Star Game funk. They have gone just 11-7 in their last 18 games. That’s a record that a lot of teams in the NBA would kill for, but it’s just not good enough for an elite team like the Heat — one that is presumed by many to be the eventual champions this year.
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NBA Handicapping: Should OKC Thunder be NBA Finals Favorite?
by Trevor Whenham - 4/6/2012
The Oklahoma City Thunder have had a very good couple of weeks. In that time they have beat the Clippers, the Bulls, and the Heat at home, and added a win at the Lakers. There were a couple of blemishes — a sloppy home loss to Memphis and a competitive loss at Miami. Still, by beating four of the biggest contenders for the NBA Championship this year the Thunder have fully established themselves as a real threat to win it all — the biggest threat out of the West, and perhaps the biggest threat of all.
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NBA Betting Strategy: Fading Teams Down the Stretch
by Dave Schwab - 4/5/2012
The NBA regular season is winding down with just three weeks left to play before the start of the playoffs. As of Tuesday night’s games Chicago and Miami have already clinched a spot in the Eastern Conference and there are realistically seven other teams vying for the six remaining postseason berths. Over in the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder are in and there are 11 other teams battling it out for the final seven spots.
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NBA Picks: Oklahoma City Thunder at Miami Heat Odds and Predictions for Wednesday
by Alan Matthews - 4/3/2012
The Miami Heat have been atop the odds to win the NBA title chart all season – currently at 19/10 on Bovada. But could we see a change at the top if the Oklahoma City Thunder can go into south Florida and beat the team with the NBA’s best home record after recently punking the Heat in OKC? It’s certainly possible (the Thunder are currently 3/1).
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NBA Betting and Handicapping: Scouting The Week Ahead
by Alan Matthews - 4/2/2012
Is it time to climb on the Boston Celtics’ bandwagon? Boston had arguably its most impressive performance of the season on Sunday, beating the visiting Miami Heat, 91-72 (with Boston a 4.5-point dog). It seems ridiculous now, but remember that Boston was having conversations about trading point guard Rajon Rondo at the deadline?
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Friday NBA Betting Report: Schedule Handicapping Breakdown
by Aaron Smith - 3/29/2012
Can you believe it is less than a month until the end of the NBA regular season? Jockeying for position in the NBA Playoff race is beginning in earnest right now. There are 11 or 12 teams vying for the eight playoff spots in the Western Conference. The Eastern Conference race will primarily be about teams fighting for seeding in the playoffs.
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NBA Handicapping: New York Knicks after Coaching Change
by Trevor Whenham - 3/29/2012
The New York Knicks have looked like a new team since Head Coach Mike D’Antoni ‘retired’ on March 14. They are 8-1 under interim Coach Mike Woodson, with the only loss being a totally inexplicable road drubbing in Toronto. The way they are playing it is going to be very tough for them to not give Woodson a shot at a full season next year.
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NBA Picks for Thursday TNT: Mavericks at Heat Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 3/28/2012
The last time the Dallas Mavericks stepped on the AmericanAirlines Arena floor in downtown Miami, the date was June 12, 2011. Behind 27 points from Jason Terry and 21 from Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavs won their third straight game in the 2011 NBA Finals and finished off the favored Heat in Game 6 that night, 105-95, for the franchise’s first NBA title.
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Three Reasons to Bet against the Golden State Warriors down the Stretch
by Dave Schwab - 3/27/2012
This year’s trade deadline in the NBA came and went without much fanfare especially when Dwight Howard decided to stay in Orlando for at least one more year. However, there was one trade that completely alienated a team’s fan base to the point where the crowd continually booed its owner during a recent team celebration.
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Friday NBA Betting Report: Schedule Handicapping Breakdown
by Aaron Smith - 3/23/2012
The new look of some teams after the trade deadline has been an interesting story to follow over the past week. While there were no blockbuster deals, there were certainly some trades that have changed the way the playoff picture looks in both conferences. For some franchises, coaching changes have led to a change in the team’s philosophy. These are all factors that bettors must keep a close eye on in the coming weeks.
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NBA Handicapping: Teams That May Have Thrown In the Towel
by Trevor Whenham - 3/23/2012
In the last quarter of every NBA season we see teams quit. If a team has struggled all year, have had some bad luck, and don’t have a lot of reasons to have hope then they can just mail in their play down the stretch. Spotting those teams is clearly a very profitable activity for bettors. This year’s tight schedule has decreased the margin for error this year, and will make it even easier for teams that are in trouble to effectively start their offseason early. Here are five teams that could easily quit well before the playoffs start this year:
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NBA Handicapping: Weekly Look at Key Betting Statistics
by Dave Schwab - 3/21/2012
When it comes to wagering on the NBA there is an abundant amount of statistics and raw data readily available to help handicap a particular matchup. The trick is to not get bogged down with information overload as many times it is the simple measures that can be the most useful in correctly predicting the outcome of a game.
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NBA Trade Deadline Winners and Losers
by Trevor Whenham - 3/21/2012
The NBA trade deadline has passed and the dust has settled a bit. It wasn’t nearly as exciting as it could have been. That’s mainly because Dwight Howard didn’t move, and Pau Gasol or even Steve Nash could have made it interesting but stayed put. Despite the lack of fireworks, though, there were several moves made. Some teams stood out as winners, and others just should have quit before they started. Here are the two biggest winners and losers:
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NBA Betting and Handicapping: Scouting The Week Ahead
by Alan Matthews - 3/19/2012
Are the Phoenix Suns a playoff team? The Suns were pretty much an afterthought in the Western Conference and possibly up for trading the face of the franchise in Steve Nash before last Thursday’s trade deadline. But Nash didn’t want to leave and that is starting to look rather sage. Entering Tuesday’s game at Miami, Phoenix has won four in a row (4-0 ATS) to get into the playoff conversation.
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Friday NBA Betting Report: Schedule Handicapping Breakdown
by Aaron Smith - 3/16/2012
The trade deadline has come and gone. Dwight Howard is still with the Orlando Magic, and for the most part there weren’t many major deals. The condensed NBA regular season ends in just six weeks. Most teams still have to play somewhere between 23 and 25 games in that period of time.
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Mike D’Antoni New York Knicks Props Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 3/15/2012
It was expected that the big NBA news this week would come down Thursday, when the Orlando Magic would either trade superstar franchise center Dwight Howard – likely to the Nets – or hang onto Howard with the hopes that he wouldn’t walk away for nothing as a free agent – likely to the Nets – this summer. (Now it looks like Howard will stay in Orlando through 2012-13).
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NBA Handicapping: Dallas Mavericks
by Trevor Whenham - 3/9/2012
I don`t feel like I am particularly going out on a limb by predicting that the Dallas Mavericks are not going to repeat as World Champions this year. At this point I don`t think it`s that likely that they would even win a playoff series at this point, though I do expect them to make the playoffs. It was said many times last year that the window was closing for the Mavs, so they had to take advantage of it before it was too late. They did, and it was impressive.
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NBA Handicapping: Most Valuable Point Guards
by Trevor Whenham - 3/9/2012
It is incredible how good point guard play is in the NBA right now. There are more good point guards in the league — really good ones — than there have been in a very long time. Maybe ever. It`s the deepest position in the league right now, and it`s only going to get better as guys like Kyrie Irving and John Wall grow into themselves and get some help around them. It`s really the golden age of the point guard.
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Friday NBA Betting Report: Schedule Handicapping Breakdown
by Aaron Smith - 3/9/2012
The NBA all-star break was probably a good thing for quite a few of the players this year. Many players reported out of shape after expecting the lockout to last all season. In addition, the scheduling this year has taken a toll on quite a few veteran teams. Over the past week the ‘over’ is 32-25 in the NBA as a whole, which is a big change from the first few months of the year. It might be that players are finally getting into an offensive rhythm.
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NBA Trade Deadline Player Props and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 3/7/2012
The shape of the rest of the NBA season should come more into focus by a little after 3 p.m. Eastern next Thursday when the trade deadline passes. For most of the good teams the immediate future is the biggest concern, and they will be looking to fill holes for a playoff run. Others are looking more at the big picture, and they'll be looking for young talent, salary-cap flexibility and other franchise-building assets.
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NBA Handicapping: Weekly Look at Key Betting Statistics
by Dave Schwab - 3/7/2012
Given that the NBA regular season is already half over, we have a wealth of information and statistics on all 30 teams that we can easily access when it comes to handicapping matchups. The problem with trying to process too much information is that it becomes extremely easy to bog yourself down by trying to factor in every possible measure known to mankind. Sometimes it is the simple things in this game that can provide the most important insight to correctly predicting the actual outcome of a game.
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NBA Betting and Handicapping: Scouting The Week Ahead
by Alan Matthews - 3/5/2012
First off, I want to give myself props here for essentially calling that Miami Heat loss in Utah on Friday night after the Heat had won nine straight games, all by at least 12 points (it was in the Heat-Blazers TNT Thursday preview).
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Friday NBA Betting Report: Schedule Handicapping Breakdown
by Aaron Smith - 3/2/2012
The all-star break was a chance for players to get a break from the daily grind. However, it’s back to work now for the entire league. The Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat top the Western and Eastern Conference, respectively, at the halfway point. There are still plenty of teams in contention in both leagues, and the trade deadline is only two weeks away.
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NBA Picks Thursday TNT: Heat at Blazers Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 2/29/2012
It’s the second week in a row I go with a Miami Heat game for the TNT Thursday doubleheader game of the night preview. But how can you not go with the Heat? They covered for me last week in beating the Knicks, and they are beating everyone into submission right now and also are a cover machine. However, Portland’s Rose Garden has always been one of the toughest places to win in the NBA.
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NBA Handicapping: Weekly Look at Key Betting Statistics
by Dave Schwab - 2/29/2012
The first half of the NBA regular season is in the books so there is now a wealth of information readily available for all 30 teams for all you stat junkies out there. When it comes to NBA betting, sometimes it is best to stick with the simple measures that often times provide the most important insight in helping you successfully predict the outcome of a particular matchup.
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NBA Post All-Star Break Futures Updates and Picks
by Alan Matthews - 2/27/2012
Back on Dec. 15 at Doc’s, my NBA player props season preview story was posted. And with the Association in its final day off before resuming post-all-star break, let’s take an updated look at the MVP odds as well as the futures odds of some championship contenders.
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NBA Betting and Handicapping: Scouting The Week Ahead
by Alan Matthews - 2/27/2012
How cramped has the first half of the 2011-12 NBA season been? It has been a little more than 11 weeks since the launch of training camps after the lockout. In any other year, the 11th week would find most teams having played 25 games of an 82-game schedule. This season, most clubs have played 35 games of their 66-game NBA schedule.
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NBA Picks Thursday TNT: Knicks at Heat Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 2/22/2012
Thursday is the final night of NBA basketball – outside of the All-Star Game and its activities – until next Tuesday, and the NBA on TNT doubleheader features two terrific matchups: Knicks at Heat and Lakers at Thunder. As much as I hate to do it, I have to go Knicks-Heat for this week’s preview because of the whole J.R. Smith hysteria!
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2012 NBA Slam Dunk Contest Odds Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 2/22/2012
Dominique Wilkins. Michael Jordan. Kobe Bryant. Dwight Howard. Two Hall of Famers and two more who will be. Vince Carter. Blake Griffin. Perennial all-stars, with Carter having a perhaps Hall of Fame-caliber career (iffy) and Griffin starting his young career strong and maybe on his way to Springfield.
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Handicapping the NBA Division Leaders
by Trevor Whenham - 2/22/2012
We’re only about halfway through the NBA season, but there are four divisional leaders that have opened up a comfortable lead in their division so far. The 76ers are up by four games in the Atlantic Division, and the Bulls, the Heat, and the Thunder are up by more than that.
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NBA Handicapping: Spurs Hottest Team in NBA
by Trevor Whenham - 2/21/2012
The San Antonio Spurs were a pretty easy team to write off heading into the season. They are getting older and they haven’t made a splashy move in a while, so it was easy to think they had fallen a step behind the big guns in the West.
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NBA Handicapping: Weekly Look at Key Betting Statistics
by Dave Schwab - 2/21/2012
This weekend’s all-star break in the NBA marks the halfway point of an abbreviated 66-game regular season schedule. With a wealth of information on all 30 teams covering every possible aspect and statistical measure known to mankind, it is very easy to bog yourself down to the point of overload when it comes to handicapping the games. Sometimes it is the simple things in the game of basketball that can provide the best insight into predicting the correct outcome of a particular matchup.
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NBA Betting and Handicapping: Scouting The Week Ahead
by Alan Matthews - 2/20/2012
OK, this time I mean it: Nothing about Jeremy Lin in this week’s NBA week ahead preview. I’m frankly fed up with it all and if the guy played in say, Portland, instead of New York we wouldn’t even be talking about him. Blame ESPN and its Northeast bias.
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NBA Handicapping: Checking in on the Clippers
by Trevor Whenham - 2/17/2012
In the lead up to this NBA season all of the buzz was with the Los Angeles Clippers. They had stolen Chris Paul out of the hands of other teams desperate to get him. That, combined with the emergence of Blake Griffin and the offseason road bumps of their rivals from across the hall, had optimism and excitement at higher levels around the team in a long, long time — probably ever.
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Friday NBA Betting Report: Schedule Handicapping Breakdown
by Aaron Smith - 2/17/2012
Isn’t it hard to believe that we are almost half way through the NBA’s regular season? Most teams have played about 30 games, and the shortened regular season will consist of 66 games. In the past week, the league has been hit by Lin Mania as Jeremy Lin has led the Knicks to seven straight wins. The All-Star Game is just a week away, and every team is looking to go into the break with some momentum.
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Will Jeremy Lin Continue To Make Knicks a Strong Bet?
by Trevor Whenham - 2/16/2012
I have to admit — I have come down with a case of Linsanity. I always try to be a skeptic in these situations (not that we have seen a situation quite like this one before), but Jeremy Lin won me over on Tuesday night. In the first three quarters against the lowly Raptors he was pretty underwhelming. His play in the fourth quarter as he led his team back to tie with less than a minute left, though, was impressive. Where he really got me, though, was with his three pointer to win it all. That was freaking ridiculous.
Read more about Jeremy Lin New York Knicks.
NBA Handicapping: Weekly Look at Key Betting Statistics
by Dave Schwab - 2/15/2012
As the abbreviated 66-game NBA regular season approaches the halfway point, we now have a wealth of information and statistics on all 30 teams. One of the problems to having easy access to all this information is that it can actually bog you down if you try and study every possible statistical measure known to mankind. Many times you will find that it is the simple things in the game of basketball that can provide the best insight into predicting the correct outcome of a particular matchup.
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NBA Betting and Handicapping: Scouting The Week Ahead
by Alan Matthews - 2/13/2012
I absolutely refuse to mention any headline variation of Jeremy Lin-sanity in this week’s NBA preview. Dang! Yeah, the last thing I wanted to do was lead with the Knicks again and the media sensation that Lin has become in leading New York to five straight wins. Actually, the Knicks were at one point one of the worst teams to back in the NBA but have covered an amazing eight straight games to improve to 13-15 overall ATS entering Tuesday’s matchup at Toronto.
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NBA Betting and Handicapping: Impact of Abbreviated Schedule
by Trevor Whenham - 2/10/2012
The biggest impact of the ridiculous NBA Lockout last year is the significantly compacted schedule. There are only 66 games this year, and they are played in much less time than they would in normal circumstances. It only makes sense that we look at the impacts that this situation is having on NBA betting, and what it could have going forward. Let’s start by looking at something that was surprising to me:
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Friday NBA Betting Report: Schedule Handicapping Breakdown
by Aaron Smith - 2/10/2012
It’s hard to believe, but the NBA All-Star Game is only a couple weeks away. The first half of the season has been very abbreviated due to the lockout, but that will be the theme of this season as a whole. Most teams have played at least 25 games, and the oddsmakers are getting a better read on each team. In order to beat the books, the average bettor will have to find important trends that help them stay ahead of the game.
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NBA Futures Odds and NBA Finals Betting Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 2/9/2012
It seems like the NBA season only just began, but thanks to the shortened season and the compact schedule we are already nearly halfway through the season. That means that it is a good time to check in on the NBA futures odds to see what looks interesting. (all odds are from Bovada):
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NBA Handicapping: Will Bobcats Continue to Struggle?
by Trevor Whenham - 2/9/2012
It was going to be a frustrating year at times for the Charlotte Bobcats — we knew that going into the season. They had gotten much younger and less experienced when they dealt Stephen Jackson and Shaun Livingston on draft day, so growing pains were inevitable.
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NBA Handicapping: Weekly Look at Key Betting Statistics
by Dave Schwab - 2/8/2012
The first full week of February is in the books, adding to the wealth of information and statistics we now have on all 30 NBA teams. The problem is that oftentimes you end-up with too much information, which, in turn, can actually bog you down if you try and study every possible statistical measure known to mankind. Most often it is the simple things in this game that can provide the most valuable information to correctly predicting the correct outcome of a particular matchup.
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