NBA Handicapping Articles

NBA Handicapping: Can Clippers Make Noise in Playoffs?
by T.O. Whenham - 4/12/2012

The Los Angeles Clippers were the most hyped team in the NBA heading into the season after winning the Chris Paul lottery. They have been a very tough team to figure out, though, because their season has been like a rollercoaster. For several games in a row they’ll play like they are truly an elite team — a true title contender. But then they’ll play several games as if they might only be the third best team in California.

NBA Handicapping Impact of Derrick Rose Injury
by T.O. Whenham - 4/12/2012

Derrick Rose is making it very tough to figure out how to deal with the Chicago Bulls this year. When Rose is playing he is the best point guard in the league, and one of a very small handful of truly elite players overall. He has a team around him that is very well suited for him, too.

Bobcats vs. Heat: On Friday Will We See Largest Point Spread of Season?
by Darin Zank - 4/12/2012

Double-digit point spreads are almost an everyday occurrence in NBA betting, and even lines of 12, 13 and 14 aren't really rare. But we're poised to deal with one of the biggest point spreads posted on an NBA game this season Friday night when King James and his Miami Heat host the atrocious Charlotte Bobcats (7:30 p.m. Eastern).

NBA Picks: Mavericks at Warriors Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 4/11/2012

Clearly the top game in this Thursday’s NBA on TNT doubleheader features Dallas at Golden State. It’s chock full of story lines: the reigning champion Mavs fighting for their playoff lives. And the Warriors …. Well, I got nothing there.

NBA Handicapping: Update on Back-to-Back-to-Back Betting Trends
by David Schwab - 4/11/2012

One of the unique aspects of this year’s NBA abbreviated 66-game regular season schedule, due to offseason labor issues, was the necessity to cram all these games into a very tight time-frame in order to start the playoffs by the beginning of May.

NBA Handicapping: ATS Studs and Duds
by T.O. Whenham - 4/9/2012

We are entering the home stretch of this shortened NBA season. As we get ready for the final push for the playoffs it’s a good time to look at the teams that have been very strong against the NBA odds this season, and those that have really struggled to cover spreads.

NBA Betting and Handicapping: Scouting The Week Ahead
by Alan Matthews - 4/9/2012

How could a reigning championship team with a superstar player and an owner willing to spend deep into the luxury tax zone possibly miss the playoffs? That’s exactly what might happen in Dallas as the Mavericks are fighting for their playoff lives.

Friday NBA Betting Report: Schedule Handicapping Breakdown
by Aaron Smith - 4/6/2012

It is the final month of the NBA regular season. The Western Conference playoff race is wide open. The Knicks and the Bucks are currently battling for the final spot in the Eastern Conference. Some teams that were struggling at the beginning of the year are now playing great basketball, while some of the top teams from early in the season have slid quickly in the standings.

NBA Handicapping: Miami Heat ATS Funk
by T.O. Whenham - 4/6/2012

The Miami Heat are in a post All-Star Game funk. They have gone just 11-7 in their last 18 games. That’s a record that a lot of teams in the NBA would kill for, but it’s just not good enough for an elite team like the Heat — one that is presumed by many to be the eventual champions this year.

NBA Handicapping: Should OKC Thunder be NBA Finals Favorite?
by T.O. Whenham - 4/6/2012

The Oklahoma City Thunder have had a very good couple of weeks. In that time they have beat the Clippers, the Bulls, and the Heat at home, and added a win at the Lakers. There were a couple of blemishes — a sloppy home loss to Memphis and a competitive loss at Miami. Still, by beating four of the biggest contenders for the NBA Championship this year the Thunder have fully established themselves as a real threat to win it all — the biggest threat out of the West, and perhaps the biggest threat of all.

NBA Betting Strategy: Fading Teams Down the Stretch
by David Schwab - 4/5/2012

The NBA regular season is winding down with just three weeks left to play before the start of the playoffs. As of Tuesday night’s games Chicago and Miami have already clinched a spot in the Eastern Conference and there are realistically seven other teams vying for the six remaining postseason berths. Over in the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder are in and there are 11 other teams battling it out for the final seven spots.

NBA Picks: Oklahoma City Thunder at Miami Heat Odds and Predictions for Wednesday
by Alan Matthews - 4/3/2012

The Miami Heat have been atop the odds to win the NBA title chart all season – currently at 19/10 on Bovada. But could we see a change at the top if the Oklahoma City Thunder can go into south Florida and beat the team with the NBA’s best home record after recently punking the Heat in OKC? It’s certainly possible (the Thunder are currently 3/1).

NBA Betting and Handicapping: Scouting The Week Ahead
by Alan Matthews - 4/2/2012

Is it time to climb on the Boston Celtics’ bandwagon? Boston had arguably its most impressive performance of the season on Sunday, beating the visiting Miami Heat, 91-72 (with Boston a 4.5-point dog). It seems ridiculous now, but remember that Boston was having conversations about trading point guard Rajon Rondo at the deadline?

Friday NBA Betting Report: Schedule Handicapping Breakdown
by Aaron Smith - 3/29/2012

Can you believe it is less than a month until the end of the NBA regular season? Jockeying for position in the NBA Playoff race is beginning in earnest right now. There are 11 or 12 teams vying for the eight playoff spots in the Western Conference. The Eastern Conference race will primarily be about teams fighting for seeding in the playoffs.

NBA Handicapping: New York Knicks after Coaching Change
by T.O. Whenham - 3/29/2012

The New York Knicks have looked like a new team since Head Coach Mike D’Antoni ‘retired’ on March 14. They are 8-1 under interim Coach Mike Woodson, with the only loss being a totally inexplicable road drubbing in Toronto. The way they are playing it is going to be very tough for them to not give Woodson a shot at a full season next year.

NBA Picks for Thursday TNT: Mavericks at Heat Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 3/28/2012

The last time the Dallas Mavericks stepped on the AmericanAirlines Arena floor in downtown Miami, the date was June 12, 2011. Behind 27 points from Jason Terry and 21 from Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavs won their third straight game in the 2011 NBA Finals and finished off the favored Heat in Game 6 that night, 105-95, for the franchise’s first NBA title.

Three Reasons to Bet against the Golden State Warriors down the Stretch
by David Schwab - 3/27/2012

This year’s trade deadline in the NBA came and went without much fanfare especially when Dwight Howard decided to stay in Orlando for at least one more year. However, there was one trade that completely alienated a team’s fan base to the point where the crowd continually booed its owner during a recent team celebration.

Friday NBA Betting Report: Schedule Handicapping Breakdown
by Aaron Smith - 3/23/2012

The new look of some teams after the trade deadline has been an interesting story to follow over the past week. While there were no blockbuster deals, there were certainly some trades that have changed the way the playoff picture looks in both conferences. For some franchises, coaching changes have led to a change in the team’s philosophy. These are all factors that bettors must keep a close eye on in the coming weeks.

NBA Handicapping: Teams That May Have Thrown In the Towel
by T.O. Whenham - 3/23/2012

In the last quarter of every NBA season we see teams quit. If a team has struggled all year, have had some bad luck, and don’t have a lot of reasons to have hope then they can just mail in their play down the stretch. Spotting those teams is clearly a very profitable activity for bettors. This year’s tight schedule has decreased the margin for error this year, and will make it even easier for teams that are in trouble to effectively start their offseason early. Here are five teams that could easily quit well before the playoffs start this year:

NBA Handicapping: Weekly Look at Key Betting Statistics
by David Schwab - 3/21/2012

When it comes to wagering on the NBA there is an abundant amount of statistics and raw data readily available to help handicap a particular matchup. The trick is to not get bogged down with information overload as many times it is the simple measures that can be the most useful in correctly predicting the outcome of a game.