NBA Handicapping Articles

Handicapping the NBA Western Conference Playoff Race
by Trevor Whenham - 3/13/2014

We are in for one heck of a war in the NBA’s Western Conference between now and the end of the regular season. There are three teams worthy of making the playoffs as the seventh or eighth seed, and there are only two playoff spots for them. Memphis and Dallas are currently tied for the spots, with Phoenix just a game back. Memphis is dangerous, Phoenix is thrilling, and Dallas has long been built he right way, so it’s hard to cheer against any of them.

NBA Handicapping: Best and Worst ATS Team During Back-to-Backs
by George Monroy - 3/12/2014

The second night of a back-to-back can be a brutal spot for most teams during the already long grind of an NBA season. There are many bettors that love to take advantage of those situations and look for advantageous lines, particularly against old or inexperienced teams. The basketball regular season is nearly over, but it is never too late to look for a solid spot by betting on, or against, certain teams during back-to-back situations. Let’s take a closer look at the best and worst ATS teams when playing on consecutive nights.

NBA Odds: Thursday, March 13, 2014 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 3/12/2014

Enjoy the TNT opener Thursday night between Houston and Chicago, because the other two games on the NBA schedule look rather ugly. Of course, ugly can be pretty if it results in a winning bet. Here's a look at every game in order of tipoff. The TNT doubleheader was moved up an hour.

NBA Odds: Wednesday, March 12, 2014 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 3/11/2014

Busy night in the NBA on Wednesday and there could be plenty of value to be found with several teams playing in the second of a back-to-back. Here's a quick look at the opening lines of every game or perhaps why there isn't one.

LeBron James Odds to Win NBA 2014 MVP Award with Picks & Predictions
by Aaron Smith - 3/10/2014

There aren’t many other awards in all sports that are as highly coveted as the NBA Most Valuable Player Award. LeBron James has won the MVP Award in four of the last five seasons, and he was named the league’s MVP in each of the last two seasons. Kevin Durant is considered by many to be a significant favorite in this year’s MVP race, but James isn’t about to give up on this race easily.

NBA Basketball Betting and Handicapping: Scouting the Week Ahead
by Alan Matthews - 3/10/2014

There are about 20 games left in the NBA's regular season. So which is best right now: Get some struggles out of the way because there is plenty of time left to fix things before the playoffs, or start peaking now and carry it into the postseason?

NBA Odds: Tuesday, March 11 2014 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 3/10/2014

Is it time for Indiana Pacers futures backers to worry? They have lost a season-high four games in a row and have coughed up the best record in the NBA. About the only good news is that Miami has lost three straight, so the Pacers still lead the East by 1.5 games. They certainly should win Tuesday night at home against Boston. Here's a quick look at all of Tuesday's action, in order of tipoff, and their opening lines.

NBA Odds: Saturday, March 8 2014 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 3/7/2014

By far the most intriguing game on the schedule Saturday night has to be Utah at Philadelphia. Of course, it involves two of the worst teams in the NBA pulling tank jobs to land a high pick in this summer's draft. But the Sixers are doing it in almost unprecedented fashion, having lost 15 straight games and showing no signs of being competitive any time soon. Bovada has a cool prop on whether the 76es win another game: yes is 1/5 and no 3/1.

Kevin Durant Odds to Win NBA 2014 MVP Award with Picks & Predictions
by Aaron Smith - 3/6/2014

The NBA Most Valuable Player Award is one of the most coveted awards in all of sports. LeBron James has won the MVP Award in back-to-back seasons, and he has won it in four of the last five years overall. King James isn’t about to give up this award easily, but Kevin Durant is putting together a season for the ages as well.

NBA Odds: Friday, March 7 2014 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 3/6/2014

While a potential NBA Finals preview between Miami and San Antonio highlighted the TNT national TV schedule on Thursday night, so does Indiana at Houston stand out in ESPN's doubleheader Friday night. That Finals matchup is +1700 at Sportsbook.ag. Here's a quick look at all of Friday's action, in order of tipoff.

NBA Betting Against the Spread Report Card: Grading the Phoenix Suns
by George Monroy - 3/5/2014

The Phoenix Suns have quietly been the best ATS team in the NBA for some time now. Entering the year Phoenix was expected to be one of the worst squads in the league and one of the few organizations to “tank” its season in order to get a premium spot during this summer’s NBA Draft. The Suns, however, decided to prove the experts wrong, and they are currently the eighth seed in a packed Western Conference and could move even higher up the standings before the season comes to an end.

NBA Odds: Thursday March 6, 2014 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 3/5/2014

Only three games on the NBA schedule Thursday night, but it features four title contenders in the Heat, Spurs, Thunder and Clippers in action. The sportsbooks will have live betting on Heat-Spurs and Clippers-Lakers as those are the two TNT nationally-televised games. Here's a quick rundown of the NBA opening odds on each game.

NBA Basketball Betting and Handicapping: Scouting the Week Ahead
by Alan Matthews - 3/4/2014

The NBA's MVP race is far from over, my friends. LeBron James is making darn sure of that. James had his signature game of the season on Monday night, scoring a career-high and Heat franchise record 61 points in a blowout of a Charlotte team that's pretty good defensively. It wasn't an NBA season high, however, as the Bobcats allowed 62 points to the Knicks' Carmelo Anthony earlier this season.

NBA Odds and Betting Preview for Wednesday
by Dave Schwab - 3/4/2014

The elite teams in the NBA continue to battle it out for the top spot in both the Eastern and Western Conference, but the two matchups I want to focus on for this Wednesday’s betting preview involve a couple of teams battling for a spot in the postseason.

NBA Handicapping: the Horrible Philadelphia 76ers
by Trevor Whenham - 3/3/2014

The Philadelphia 76ers are really, really bad at basketball. That’s obvious, but you can’t really overstate it at this point. Sunday night was a case in point. They lost by 11 to the Magic — a really lousy team in their own right. The saddest part, though, is that they still almost covered — Orlando was favored by 10.5. It was the second time in three games they had fallen to the Magic by 11. Before that they lost by 20 to the Bucks and by 29 to Cleveland.

NBA Handicapping Results from the NBA Buyouts
by Trevor Whenham - 3/3/2014

NBA buyout season has just ended. It was a very active time this year as teams looked to the waiver wire to get out from under annoying contracts or to beef up the rosters heading into the postseason. There were some very recognizable names involved this year. When bettors are looking at the potential betting and handicapping impacts of these buyout and signings, here are four questions to ask:

NBA Handicapping: Betting on the Miami Heat Down the Stretch
by Trevor Whenham - 2/28/2014

Earlier this year it became fashionable to question the Miami Heat. They had stumbled out of the gate this year, and were playing generally lethargic basketball. They weren’t covering spreads, and they didn’t seem to care. Dwyane Wade is a shadow of his very best, and it seemed like cracks were forming all over the NBA’s giant.

NBA Basketball Betting and Handicapping: Scouting the Week Ahead
by Alan Matthews - 2/25/2014

Brazilian big man Nene isn't the biggest star on the Washington Wizards. That would be John Wall. Nene isn't even No. 2 -- that would be Bradley Beal. But the statistics show that Nene is as important to Washington as anyone, and now the Wizards' playoff hopes could be in serious jeopardy with Nene out six weeks.

NBA Finals Matchup Odds with Picks and Predictions
by George Monroy - 2/25/2014

The long grind of the NBA schedule has finally reached a point where games actually matter. Most teams have somewhere near 26 games left in the season, and for the handful of top contenders, now is the time to start fine tuning and preparing for the playoffs. The Miami Heat may have taken the first half of the season slowly, but the competitive level in the league has reached a high point, especially since the all-star break.

NBA Odds and Wednesday Handicapping and ESPN Doubleheader Betting Preview
by Dave Schwab - 2/25/2014

There are 10 games on this Wednesday’s NBA schedule as the regular season churns its way towards the end of February. The two Texas-sized matchups that I want to focus on for this NBA betting preview make up ESPN’s doubleheader for the night. First, New Orleans will be on the road against Dallas in an 8 p.m. (ET) tip, and the nightcap sends the red-hot Houston Rockets on the road to face the Los Angeles Clippers. That game is set to get underway at 10:30 p.m.