There are some major changes on this report versus the one from two weeks ago. The NBA is a league where you must follow the trends very closely. The goal of this bi-weekly article series is to help you catch trends and spot teams to play or go against. Let’s take a look at the hot and cold teams against the NBA odds from the last two weeks. Note that the statistics used are for games played between Nov. 29 and Dec. 12.

Top Five “Hot” ATS NBA Teams

• New York Knicks (7-0 ATS) - There may have been several changes on the list overall, but the Knicks are still at the top. This team has covered eight straight times, including seven straight during the last two weeks. The Knicks will be tested in a big way later this week when they host both the Heat and the Celtics.

• Miami Heat (7-0 ATS) - They have been on the cold list a couple times this year,, but the Heat are smoking hot right now. This team has been covering easily of late, and it seems like the stars are finally getting on the same page. The home matchup with the Mavericks on Dec. 20 will be a great gauge of how far this team has come.
  
• Philadelphia 76ers (6-0 ATS) - The books clearly were a little too low on this team in the past couple weeks. Doug Collins has this team playing better basketball. They have actually covered the spread in eight straight games. Improvement on the defensive end is the primary reason for their success.

• Memphis Grizzlies (6-1 ATS) - The Grizzlies have been a bit of a disappointment overall this year, but they have been covering the number of late. Mike Conley has stepped up at the point guard position, which has helped this team over the last couple weeks. The Grizzlies are now 8-5 ATS on the road this year.

• Houston Rockets (5-1 ATS) - Rick Adelman’s team is still dealing with some major injuries, but they are playing much better basketball right now. This team is averaging 105 points per game this year. Four of their next five games are against teams with a losing record.

Bottom Five “Cold” ATS NBA Teams

• Cleveland Cavaliers (1-7 ATS) - Byron Scott had this team playing solid basketball in the first couple weeks of the year, but they have fallen apart of late. The game against the Heat was a huge letdown for the city as a whole. This team hasn’t won a game since Nov. 27.

• Los Angeles Lakers (1-6 ATS) - Earlier in the year, it was the Heat that everyone was questioning. Now it’s the Lakers. They are just 1-9 ATS in their last 10 games overall. Their offense has been inconsistent of late. Their next five games are against teams they should beat, so don’t be surprised if they bounce back soon.
  
• Detroit Pistons (1-6 ATS) - The Pistons had been on the hot side of this list, but they have been miserable of late. Detroit is only averaging 94 points per game, and this team is very weak down low. This team was one of the best in the league a few years ago, but now they near the bottom of the pack.

• New Jersey Nets (2-5 ATS) - The Nets started out the season by outperforming expectations, but they have come crashing down over the last couple weeks. Four of their seven losses during the last two weeks were by double-digits. Harris and Lopez are good, but they need some help.
  
• Denver Nuggets (2-5 ATS) - The Nuggets make this list for the second straight time. They haven’t been efficient on the offensive end, and their defense has been just as bad as always. Will Carmelo Anthony still be here at the end of the year? This team may be on a slow spiral downward.