NBA Handicapping Articles

Tracking the Wizards: NBA Picks and Handicapping for Washington Basketball
by Dave Schwab - 11/24/2014

Anyone who likes to wager on the NBA is always looking for an edge, so it stands to reason that the more you know about a particular team, the better you will be able to predict its future results. I will be handicapping the Washington Wizards all season long and, in an effort to validate this betting strategy,I will also be releasing weekly free picks with the use of Doc’s Sports Unit Betting System. My main goal is to earn a long-term profit betting Wizards’ games this year.

NBA Odds and Predictions: Saturday, November 22 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 11/21/2014

One of the NBA's most-heated rivalries, fueled in large part by Dallas owner Mark Cuban, is Mavericks-Rockets. They meet for the first time this season on Saturday night in the marquee matchup on the schedule. Expect a rude welcome back to Houston for Mavericks swingman Chandler Parsons after he left the Rockets this past offseason when Cuban lured him with a three-year, $45 million offer as a restricted free agent. Of course, it's not Parsons' fault that the Rockets decided not to match. Here's a look at every game on the schedule

NBA Odds and Predictions: Friday, November 21 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 11/20/2014

The NBA isn't college football or the NFL. One win or loss does not a season make and will not change futures odds. Thus, even though Cleveland was beaten on Tuesday night at home by San Antonio in a potential NBA Finals preview, the Cavs remain +250 title favorites at Sportsbook.ag, with San Antonio still No. 2 at +400. Both sides could be caught in letdown games on Friday night. Here's a look at the full schedule.

Tracking the Wizards: NBA Picks and Handicapping for Washington Basketball
by Dave Schwab - 11/20/2014

When it comes to wagering on the NBA, a solid strategy that is often employed by some of the top expert handicappers in this sport is specialization on just a handful of teams. I have taken things one step further by concentrating all my efforts on handicapping the Washington Wizards. To help prove the value of this approach, I will also be releasing weekly free picks with the use of Doc’s Sports Unit Betting System. My main goal is to earn a long-term profit betting Wizards’ games this year.

NBA Handicapping: are Toronto Raptors a Real NBA Finals Contender?
by Trevor Whenham - 11/20/2014

I’ve been a Canadian my whole life, and a basketball fan for almost as long. There has never been a better time than the last couple of years for those two things to co-exist. College basketball and the NBA Draft have been overrun with Canadians lately, and now Canada’s team, the Toronto Raptors, have turned a corner to become a real contender.

NBA Handicapping: Expect the Lakers to Struggle All Season
by Trevor Whenham - 11/20/2014

The Lakers are in the midst of a two-game winning streak, but don’t confuse yourself in any way by thinking that that means that they are good. They aren’t. In fact, they are terrible. And they are going to remain terrible all year. There is nothing to blame but the team itself for its predicament.

NBA Handicapping: Are Sixers Historically Bad?
by Trevor Whenham - 11/20/2014

As time has passed, I have actually grown to respect the Philadelphia 76ers the last two years. I don’t remember a time in all of my sports-watching career, which spans well over 30 years now, that a team has not just been so incredibly bad but has been unapologetically and openly so. Teams like Detroit or Denver are bad, but they want you to believe that they are trying and are close to something brighter.

NBA Odds and Predictions: Thursday, November 20 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 11/19/2014

After getting carpal tunnel syndrome every Wednesday with always a big schedule of NBA games that I have to examine, I look forward to Thursdays because it's almost always a light schedule thanks to TNT's national TV contract with the NBA. And that's definitely the case this week with only the two TNT games on the slate. Here's an in-depth look at both. Alas, due to key injuries, both lines are not likely to be released until Thursday morning.

NBA Odds and Predictions: Wednesday, November 19 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 11/18/2014

One of those games NBA fans and bettors circled back when the 2014-15 regular-season schedule was released arrives on Wednesday night from Cleveland as the NBA champion Spurs face off against LeBron James. Again. Of course, the Spurs and James' Heat played in the past two NBA Finals. San Antonio's demolition of Miami this past summer essentially was the impetus for James deciding to leave South Florida for Cleveland. You know he wants this win badly. Here's a look at every game on the schedule.

NBA Odds and Predictions: Tuesday, November 18 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 11/17/2014

You've got marquee teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder in action on Tuesday night. However, those are marquee teams in name only this season -- well, the Thunder still might be worth something once healthy. Thus, the best matchup on the four-game schedule is New Orleans at Sacramento. It's also the only nationally-televised game, on NBA TV, and WagerWeb will offer live betting. Here's a look at each matchup.

NBA Odds and Predictions: Saturday, November 15 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 11/14/2014

Dear Chicago Bulls fans: Get used to daily Derrick Rose injury reports as well as questions every game on whether he will play or not. It's now clear the 26-year-old Rose is never going to play a full 82-game season again (to be fair, LeBron James never has). The guy just can't stay healthy, and it's a shame because he looked like a potential all-time great when he was the youngest NBA MVP in history a few years ago. The Rose Watch is on again for Saturday's game. Here's a look at every matchup on the schedule that night.

Tracking the Wizards: NBA Picks and Handicapping for Washington Basketball
by Dave Schwab - 11/14/2014

The new NBA season offers some golden opportunities to wager on the games. In an effort to prove the value of specialization as a viable betting strategy, I am exclusively handicapping the Washington Wizards all season long. To help prove the value of this approach, I will also be releasing weekly free picks with the use of Doc’s Sports Unit Betting System. My main goal is to earn a long-term profit betting Wizards’ games this year.

NBA Odds and Predictions: Friday, November 14 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 11/13/2014

Only one college football game on Friday this week, and it's the not-too-exciting American Athletic Conference matchup between Tulsa and Central Florida. So it's a good night to focus your betting action on the NBA. There are two national TV games for live betting at the various sportsbooks: Nuggets-Pacers on NBA TV and Spurs-Lakers on ESPN. Here's a quick look at every Friday matchup.

NBA Handicapping: Can Sacramento Kings Sustain Hot Start?
by Trevor Whenham - 11/13/2014

The Sacramento Kings appeared to be a cellar-dwelling team on paper heading into the season. They may still end up being one, but they certainly haven’t started out playing like one. After an opening loss they reeled off five straight wins. They have lost two since and blew a huge early lead against the Mavs in the most recent game, so things are not entirely positive. Still, even in the losses they have played better in many ways than seemed likely.

NBA Odds and Predictions: Thursday, November 13 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 11/12/2014

Four games on the Thursday schedule this week with a pretty solid TNT doubleheader that will feature live betting at WagerWeb: Chicago at Toronto and Brooklyn at Golden State. The Raptors and Bulls have the two best records in the East with Chicago a +250 second-favorite to win the conference at Sportsbook.ag and Toronto third at +900. Assuming the Raptors win the Atlantic Division, they probably will have to get past both the Bulls and Cavaliers to win the East because obviously only one of Chicago or Cleveland can win the Central Division. Here's a look at each matchup on the schedule.

NBA Odds and Predictions: Wednesday, November 12 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 11/11/2014

Pacers-Heat has been one of the NBA's best rivalries the past few seasons, although Miami always got the upper hand when they met in the playoffs. The two face off for the first time this year on Wednesday night, the opening game of an ESPN doubleheader. Alas, Pacers-Heat doesn't quite mean much this season. The other ESPN game is Rockets-Timberwolves, and WagerWeb will offer live betting on both. Here's a look at every game Wednesday.

NBA Betting Trends: Hot and Cold Teams Against the Point Spread
by Aaron Smith - 11/11/2014

We’re two weeks into the new NBA season. The NBA landscape changed in a big way when LeBron James left Miami in the offseason. Cleveland quickly became the favorite to win the title this year. The Spurs were the favorites in a loaded Western Conference. Both Cleveland and San Antonio have disappointed so far this year, but that shouldn’t come as any big surprise considering the circumstances. It’s a long season, and you are going to hear a lot of people overreact to early results. Make sure you keep a long-term perspective when betting in the NBA.

NBA Handicapping: Clippers Winless ATS to Start the Season
by Trevor Whenham - 11/10/2014

The L.A. Clippers, it seems, need drama to shine. Last year they were the fourth most profitable team in the league against the spread — a respectable and nicely-profitable 46-35-1 ATS. Since then they ditched their former owner — a stingy racist — for one of the richest, least controversial, and seemingly free-spending owners in Steve Ballmer. It should be happy, happy days in L.A.. So far in this young season, though, the team has been a disaster. Their 4-2 record isn’t terrible on the surface, but they have looked mostly lousy, and have a perfect, and perfectly awful, 0-6 ATS record.

NBA Odds and Predictions: Tuesday, November 11 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 11/10/2014

The major sportsbooks will have live betting available on two games Tuesday, both on NBA TV: Magic at Raptors with a 7:30 p.m. Eastern tipoff and, the game of the night, Spurs at Warriors at 10:30 p.m. That could easily be a preview of the Western Conference Finals, although the Spurs haven't looked that great in the early going. They remain +320 West favorites at Sportsbook.ag, with Golden State now up to No. 2 (with the Clippers) at +400. Here's a look at every matchup on Tuesday.

NBA Odds and Predictions: Saturday, November 8 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 11/7/2014

There have been some fine early-season matchups in the NBA's first week-and-a-half or so, but very clearly the best thus far we will see on Saturday night as Golden State travels to Houston in a battle of unbeatens. Unfortunately it's not on national TV -- only Pelicans-Spurs is (NBA TV) -- so I guess I'll be needing to order NBA League Pass. Oddsmakers still aren't convinced these are the two best teams in the league. At Sportsbook.ag, the Warriors are +500 third favorites to win the West, and Houston is fourth at +750.