NBA Handicapping Articles

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.

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.

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.

NBA Handicapping: The Chris Bosh Factor for Miami
by T.O. 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.

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.

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.

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.

NBA Conference Finals Betting Update
by David 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.

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.”

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.

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.

NBA Handicapping: Are Spurs Best Team in the League?
by T.O. 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:

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.

NBA Betting Lessons We have Learned in 2012 Playoffs
by T.O. 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.

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.

NBA Conference Semifinals Betting and Handicapping Guide
by David 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.

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.

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?

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.

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.