NBA Handicapping Articles

NBA Odds and Predictions: Friday, January 30 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 1/29/2015

I have the NBA League Pass, and I'll watch just about any game that's televised. However, a game arrives on Friday night that I'm not sure I would even bother with if it was the only game of the night -- that's not to say it can't be good betting value, however. That would be Minnesota at Philadelphia, teams that have a combined record of 17-74. Believe it or not, this could be important down the line in terms of which team gets the most ping-pong balls in the 2015 draft lottery in May. Here's a look at that matchup and the rest on Friday night.

NBA Odds and Predictions: Thursday, January 29 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 1/28/2015

It's the usual TNT doubleheader on Thursday night, but they look to be two mismatches on paper when Denver visits Memphis and the Chicago is at the L.A. Lakers. If you are big on the NBA All-Star Game, make sure to watch the pre-game show that starts on TNT at 7 p.m. ET. That's when the All-Star reserves will be announced. There are some interesting decisions to be made for sure, perhaps none more than Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant. He has missed more than half the season. So will Western Conference coach Steve Kerr take him? I say yes. Here's a look at every game on Thursday's schedule.

NBA Division Odds: Teams with the Best Betting Value
by George Monroy - 1/28/2015

The NBA All-Star break is roughly two weeks away, and with the season already past its halfway mark now is the perfect time to revisit the each division’s updated futures odds and figure out if there is any value in wagering on or against a team to win its division. All odds come from Sportsbook.ag.

NBA Handicapping: Younger and Older Squads Back-to-Back Analysis
by George Monroy - 1/28/2015

Situational handicapping can be an excellent way to approach your NBA betting on a nightly basis. Most nights picking a winner involves aspects outside of what actually happens on the court—scheduling, travel and a team’s mindset are all things that should come into play when handicapping an NBA squad. Expert bettors love to focus in on teams playing during the second night of a back-to-back in order to take advantage of fatigue problems or even a lack of motivation.

NBA Odds and Predictions: Wednesday, January 28 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 1/27/2015

Charlotte's playoff chances took a hit when star point guard Kemba Walker announced on Monday that he was going to have left knee surgery to repair a torn lateral meniscus. Walker is averaging 18.8 points and 5.2 assists in 35.6 minutes per game, leading the team in those categories. The Hornets are hoping he misses only six weeks and thus could return late in the regular season. The team is looking at trade options, with reports saying the Hornets are targeting someone like the Kings' Ramon Sessions or Miami's Norris Cole.

NBA Odds and Predictions: Tuesday, January 27 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 1/26/2015

Certainly a game I have been looking forward to for weeks arrives on Tuesday night in what I still think has a good shot of being an NBA Finals preview as the Bulls visit the Warriors for the only time this season. Golden State has looked like the West's best all season, while Chicago has been up-and-down since the calendar flipped to 2015. A Bulls-Warriors NBA Finals is priced at +1000 on Sportsbook.ag. Here's a look at every game on Tuesday's schedule.

Tracking the Wizards: NBA Picks and Handicapping for Washington Basketball
by Dave Schwab - 1/26/2015

I have spent the first half of the NBA season exclusively handicapping the Washington Wizards. While the record for my free weekly picks for their games with the use of Doc’s Sports Unit Betting System sits at 5-7-1 on the year, I am still committed to the theory that specialization when it comes to wagering on the NBA is a viable betting strategy.

NBA Odds and Predictions: Saturday, January 24 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 1/23/2015

Terrible news for the Portland Trail Blazers in that All-Star power forward LaMarcus Aldridge will miss 6-8 weeks with a ligament tear in his left thumb. I suppose on the bright side it means he should be back for the final month of the regular season, but in the incredibly deep West you want home-court advantage in the playoffs as long as possible. The Blazers are currently tied for second in the West, but I think this injury will send them outside the Top 4 by the time all is said and done.

NBA Odds and Predictions: Friday, January 23 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 1/22/2015

The Atlanta Hawks can set a franchise record with their 15th straight victory Friday night in a terrific matchup against a Thunder team starting to play to pre-injury expectations but also off a draining victory. The Hawks are only the third Eastern Conference team in the last 30 seasons to have won 28 games during a 30-game stretch in a season. The previous two -- the 2012-13 Heat and 1995-96 Bulls -- won the NBA title. Here's a look at that matchup, which sadly isn't on national TV, and every game on Friday.

NBA Betting Trends: Hot and Cold Teams Against the Point Spread
by Aaron Smith - 1/22/2015

It's time for the fifth edition of the NBA Hot and Cold Report here at Doc's Sports. Remember when everyone thought Cleveland would be the beast of the Eastern Conference this year? The Cavaliers are starting to play better now that they have a healthy LeBron James back, but the Cavs are a whopping 12 games behind the Atlanta Hawks. Atlanta is 35-8 overall on the year,

NBA Handicapping: Memphis Grizzlies Odds to win Western Conference
by George Monroy - 1/22/2015

A new era is dawning in the NBA’s Western Conference. Gone are the days when the west was ruled by the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs—even though one of those crafty old veteran squads is still competing for titles—and in their place is a conference that is 10 teams deep and run by a group of young players that are more interested in playing team basketball than running isolation sets that lead to bad shots.

NBA Odds and Predictions: Thursday, January 22 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 1/21/2015

Could the Chicago Bulls actually fire Tom Thibodeau? Seems hard to believe as Thibs is widely considering one of the NBA's top coaches and perhaps its best from a defensive perspective. But with the Bulls in a major funk and lacking any intensity, there's talk that Thibodeau finally may have lost the locker room -- he pushes his players harder than any other NBA guy in terms of practices and minutes played.

NBA Odds and Predictions: Wednesday, January 21 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 1/20/2015

Teams without a true superstar just don't win NBA championships these days. However, it might be time to start believing the Atlanta Hawks can do so. They attempt to tie a franchise record with their 14th straight win on Wednesday night against Indiana -- it could be a bit of a trap game with a big one Friday night for Atlanta against Oklahoma City in what could be an NBA Finals preview. Here's a look at every game on Wednesday's schedule.

Tracking the Wizards: NBA Picks and Handicapping for Washington Basketball
by Dave Schwab - 1/20/2015

This NBA season I have been exclusively handicapping the Washington Wizards to release some free weekly picks for their games with the use of Doc’s Sports’ Unit Betting System. My primary objective with this betting strategy is to earn a long-term profit with these picks to validate how specialization can give you a winning edge when wagering on the NBA. I have bounced back from a string of losses with back-to-back winners to improve my record on the year to 5-6-1, which is definitely a step in the right direction.

NBA Handicapping: Eastern Conference Contenders
by George Monroy - 1/20/2015

With the NBA nearing the All-Star Break and the Cleveland Cavaliers still struggling to play .500 basketball, the one thing that has become clear over the first 40-something games is that the Eastern Conference is as wide open as ever. When LeBron James returned to Cleveland over the summer, NBA experts and most oddsmakers immediately installed the Cavaliers as the runaway favorite to win the East and make another NBA Finals appearance.

NBA Odds and Predictions: Tuesday, January 20 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 1/19/2015

The NBA had a very busy schedule Monday for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, so it's thus an unusually light Tuesday slate with only two games. We will have hit the halfway point of the season this week as every team will have played at least half of its 82 regular-season games. And there has been a change atop the Sportsbook.ag Eastern Conference title futures odds. Atlanta is now your +220 betting favorite, with the Bulls and Cavaliers at +250. The Spurs, one of the teams in action Tuesday, are +320 second favorites to Golden State (+280) to win the West.

NBA Odds and Predictions: Saturday, January 17 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 1/16/2015

With 26 of the NBA's 30 teams in action on Friday night, that means almost all of the 16 teams in action on Saturday night will be playing in the second of a back-to-back. There is always value to be found in those situations, usually involving the home team -- especially if both ends of that club's back-to-back are at home. Here's a look at every game on Saturday's schedule, with Warriors-Rockets available for live betting as it's nationally televised on NBA TV.

NBA Odds and Predictions: Friday, January 16 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 1/15/2015

One of the busiest nights of the year on the NBA schedule with all but four teams in action Friday. There are two terrific Western Conference matchups that could be playoff previews when the Warriors visit the Thunder (8 p.m. ET on ESPN) and the Trail Blazers are in San Antonio. Also a potential Eastern Conference playoff preview with red-hot Atlanta in Toronto. And, who knows, maybe an NBA Finals preview when the Cavaliers visit the L.A. Clippers (10:30 p.m., ESPN). Not saying I would exactly recommend that exact matchup wager, which is +2400 at Sportsbook.ag.

Tracking the Wizards: NBA Picks and Handicapping for Washington Basketball
by Dave Schwab - 1/15/2015

My task this NBA season has been to exclusively handicap the Washington Wizards and release free weekly picks for their games with the use of Doc’s Sports’ Unit Betting System. My goal is to earn a long-term profit with these picks to validate specialization as a solid betting strategy. While it has been a bit of a rocky start with a 4-6-1 record in my first 11free picks, my handicapping efforts are starting to provide a higher level of predictability as the NBA regular season wears on.

NBA Odds and Predictions: Thursday, January 15 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 1/14/2015

NBA bettors get a rare weekday matinee game to wager on Thursday as the New York Knicks will face the Milwaukee Bucks with a 3 p.m. ET tip from London as part of the league's expanded NBA Global Games schedule. This is the last one outside the USA this season. The Rockets and Timberwolves played in Mexico City in November. I feel for London fans that they have to watch the steaming pile of you know what that is the Knicks right now. It's the Bucks' first-ever regular-season game overseas. Here's a look at that matchup, which is on NBA TV, and the TNT doubleheader that rounds out Thursday's light schedule.