NBA Handicapping Articles

2017-18 New Orleans Pelicans Predictions and NBA Futures Odds Picks
by Trevor Whenham - 9/26/2017

Teams in the NBA have, generally, gone away from a focus on big guys clogging the paint and have focused more on speed and shooting. The New Orleans Pelicans have charted an entirely different approach. They have built around two big men, and they seem short on shooting. The advantage they have, of course, is that the big guys are two of the very best in the league. But the approach they are taking in a very tough conference certainly isn't making things easier for themselves. And this isn't a good time for this team to struggle. DeMarcus Cousins is a free agent after this year, and the team really needs to figure out if Anthony Davis can be the core of a serious contender going forward. I just find it really tough to be overly optimistic about this team,

2017-18 San Antonio Spurs Predictions and NBA Futures Odds Picks
by Trevor Whenham - 9/26/2017

The San Antonio Spurs just keep rolling along. The summer turned into one big arms race in the league, as Houston, Oklahoma City, Boston, and Minnesota all got very aggressive in their attempts to match the Cavaliers - never mind the Warriors. And the Cavaliers did more than they probably wanted to as well. There was a whole lot of panicking going on. The Spurs don't panic. They tweak and adjust, but mostly they keep doing what they do.

2017-18 Memphis Grizzlies Predictions and NBA Futures Odds Picks
by Trevor Whenham - 9/26/2017

The Memphis Grizzlies have been boring for a long time. There is just no avoiding that truth. They have played a boring, grinding style of ball. They have boring, personality-limited players who don't make a pop culture splash. They always make the playoffs but then bore us with an effort that we all know is never going to be good enough to do any real damage. They are a decent team but a boring one.

NBA Handicapping: Betting Impact of Kyrie Irving Trade
by Trevor Whenham - 8/31/2017

The dust has settled, and the Kyrie Irving trade is now officially official (Cleveland accepted that when you trade for a guy with hip issues you can't really expect much compensation when you discover he has hip issues). Now that some time has passed, we can sit back and evaluate what the deal really means from a betting perspective. Here are five thoughts on the subject:

NBA Betting Props: Where will LeBron James play in 2018?
by Trevor Whenham - 8/7/2017

LeBron James is going to play for a team somewhere in 2018-19, and it will very likely be in the NBA. That's all we really know. Not long ago it would have been all but impossible to really believe that it would be anywhere but Cleveland, but the bizarre front office changes, the Kyrie Irving unrest, and the massive gap between what the team is and what they need to be to beat the Warriors with Kevin Durant all make it much more possible to believe he'll takes his services somewhere other than Cleveland for a second time. And, of course, we can bet on the possibilities.

NBA Betting Impact of Chris Paul to Houston Rockets Trade
by Trevor Whenham - 8/7/2017

Some time has passed, the dust has settled a bit, and we have had time to absorb what Chris Paul's move to Houston means when it comes to betting the Western Conference. The picture still isn't totally clear because we don't know where Kyrie Irving will land - if anywhere ultimately - and that will have further impact on things. As it stands, though, a backcourt of Paul and James Harden has the biggest disruptive factor in a disruptive offseason. Bigger than Jimmy Butler in Minnesota, or Paul George in Oklahoma City, or Gordon Hayward in Boston.

NBA Betting Advice: Jimmy Butler Trade Impact
by Trevor Whenham - 6/27/2017

At first glance, the Bulls trading away Jimmy Butler was one of the worst deals a team has made in a long time. And at second, third and fourth glance as well. It seems bizarre that the Bulls would choose to trade their lone truly attractive asset at a steep discount compared to what they could have gotten at last year's trade deadline or the next. It seems like gross mismanagement of the kind that can cripple teams for years. But was it really? (Short answer - yes). And, more significantly, what is the impact of this deal for bettors next year? Here are four factors to consider when pondering those questions:

2017 BIG3 Basketball Betting Preview and Wagering Advice
by Trevor Whenham - 6/21/2017

We are on the eve of the birth of a new sports league. The question is if anyone will care. We know that BIG3 will be exciting enough - the format lends itself to fun. But indoor sports in the summer are a tough sell, and I don't know if anyone has been crying out to see old guys play 3-on-3 basketball. I haven't bought myself a BIG3 jersey or anything, but there are odds offered on the league, so it's worth a look. (Odds are from BetOnline)

Betting on the 2017 NBA Draft: Props Odds and Expert Wagering Picks
by Trevor Whenham - 6/20/2017

The NBA Draft this year doesn't lack for depth, potential impact players or, thanks to all the trades and speculation, potential excitement. It is a great look at the future of the league. And it is a great chance to get a bet or two down in the offseason. Here is a look at some of the more interesting draft props that BetOnline is offering this year:

NBA Draft Betting Odds: Player Props with Expert Betting Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 6/20/2017

We don't yet know how the 2017 NBA Draft will turn out on the court, but we sure can't complain about the week leading up to it. The Celtics dealt the top pick to the Sixers. Paul George, Jimmy Butler and, bizarrely, Kristaps Porzingis, all seem to be in serious play. The Cavs made the strangest front office move in recent memory. And with a lot of talent available in the lottery, nothing is nearly as certain as it is some years. It's chaos like only the NBA can deliver.

2018 NBA Futures and Championship Odds with Expert Betting Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 6/14/2017

The least interesting playoffs in NBA history have mercifully ended. There were literally two games throughout the playoffs - Games 1 and 5 of the finals - that were interesting enough to get the pulse racing before they started. We didn't know if Cleveland could keep up in the opener, and we didn't know how Golden State would respond to getting punched in the mouth the first time in the fifth. Other than that the whole exercise was an exercise in inevitability.

Expert NBA Handicapping: Can Anyone Beat the Golden State Warriors?
by Trevor Whenham - 6/12/2017

As I write this the Golden State Warriors have not yet won the NBA Championship, but they are up 3-1, and it sure feels inevitable. Theoretically they could face some changes because both Kevin Durant and Steph Curry have contract flexibility, but we know that that isn't happening. Why would either guy go somewhere else when they have literally the perfect situation - a spectacular team, and no one who can match them. Which leads to the obvious question - who can beat them? The answer seems simple - the Cavs can if they play absolutely perfect basketball but probably not four times in seven games. And that's about it. Actually, that's totally it.

2017 NBA Finals Series Picks: Odds and Expert Betting Predictions
by Chris Vasile - 5/31/2017

After 2,460 regular-season games and 74 playoff games, the NBA Finals is set to (finally) tip off between the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors. I fully understand why teams play 82 games per season and then have to win another 12 just to get to the Finals, but I think this would have been a great year to skip those meaningless 2,500+ games and just have the Cavs and Warriors play a best of 21 in order to determine this year's NBA Champion. Game 1 of this best-of-seven series is scheduled for Thursday, June 1, at 9 p.m. EST at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif.

NBA Finals Expert Picks and Betting Predictions Cleveland vs. Golden State
by Trevor Whenham - 5/26/2017

To the surprise of literally not a single person on the entire planet - not even those who have never heard of basketball - we are heading to a third straight Golden State and Cleveland NBA Finals showdown. And a seventh straight finals featuring LeBron James representing the Eastern Conference. My son is about to finish first grade, and he has never been alive for an NBA Finals in which the King wasn't playing. Think about that.

Expert NBA Picks: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics Odds and Betting Predictions
by Chris Vasile - 5/16/2017

Another season, another Eastern Conference Finals appearance for LeBron James. When the ECF tips off on Wednesday night at the TD Garden in Boston, it will mark the seventh consecutive ECF appearance for "King James". That record speaks volumes for a player who has been lucky enough to stay relatively healthy throughout the first 13 years of his career. What's more remarkable is that the King is just four wins away from appearing in his seventh straight NBA Finals.

NBA Playoffs Handicapping and Betting: Golden State Warriors Look Unstoppable
by Trevor Whenham - 5/12/2017

I am unafraid to say it -- these NBA playoffs have sucked so far. There has been a major shortage of even watchable games, never mind good ones, and we seem to be headed towards a totally inevitable conclusion that no one can, or is willing to, do anything about. Neither conference seemed to have a lot of depth heading into the playoffs, and both have been exposed as having a whole lot less depth than we thought in the playoffs.

NBA Betting Advice and Handicapping: Cleveland Rolling Towards NBA Finals
by Trevor Whenham - 5/12/2017

I just finished writing about the Golden State Warriors. And now it's time to write about the Cleveland Cavaliers. And what is so striking is just how similar the stories are right now for the two teams. There are subtleties, but the broad strokes are the same in so many ways. So, it's only fitting that I ask the same questions about this team as I did about Golden State. Where are they at? How have they gotten here? What does it mean for bettors? And on a scale from 'obviously' to 'unquestionably', what are their chances of making it to the finals? Here are five factors to consider when pondering those questions:

Free NBA Picks: Friday, May 5, 2017, Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 5/4/2017

Apparently Bulls general manager Gar Forman and VP of basketball operations John Paxson learned no lessons from their team's mediocrity this season. Bulls fans were hoping for big changes during the duo's exit interview with the media Wednesday but got nothing of the sort. Coach Fred Hoiberg will return even though Paxson acknowledged there was no consistency to Hoiberg's lineups or allotment of playing time. The Bulls want to see more of their young guys but, yes, they probably will bring Rajon Rondo back as well.

Free NBA Picks: Thursday, May 4, 2017, Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 5/3/2017

Should NBA writers around the country help determine how much a player can make in his new contract? Absolutely not. But one idiotic portion of the new collective bargaining agreement does just such a thing. To make a long story short, if a player is voted to one of the three All-NBA teams he can sign a super-max deal with his current team. That's relevant this year for Utah's Gordon Hayward, who is set for free agency, and Indiana's Paul George, who isn't a free agent until after next season but can sign a new deal now.

Free NBA Picks: Wednesday, May 3, 2017, Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 5/2/2017

On my Tuesday Opening Line Report story, I wrote that I can all but guarantee you that the Golden State Warriors would have preferred playing the older, Blake Griffin-less Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference semifinals over the younger, healthier, more athletic Utah Jazz. I'm standing by that statement from an on-court perspective. Alas, I didn't consider the social aspect. If you have ever been to Salt Lake City - and I have - it's a really beautiful town, but there is nothing to do at night. Some of the Warriors said Monday that they wanted to play the Clippers just because of the nightlife differences in the two cities.