NBA Handicapping Articles

NBA Handicapping Advice: Teams That Could Surprise
by T.O. Whenham - 12/21/2011

As we get ready for the NBA season we know that there is going to be a real war among the elite teams in the league. Talent is concentrated among the top teams, and there are far more teams with championship potential than there are championships to be won.

NBA Picks: Clippers at Warriors Odds and Betting Picks
by Alan Matthews - 12/19/2011

We are treated to a highly-anticipated debut in the NBA nightcap on Christmas night as … Mark Jackson makes his debut as Golden State’s head coach (10:30 p.m. EST) against the Los Angeles Clippers. Jackson, the long-time NBA point guard, replaces Keith Smart, who was dumped after the Warriors went 36-46 a year ago.

NBA Betting Advice: Season Player Props and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 12/15/2011

The 2011-12 NBA props are starting to roll out big-time at the various books with the season now barely a week away from tipping off, even though several teams remain in flux with free-agent signings and trades. At least the Chris Paul saga is over, however, and it appears we don’t have to hear Dwight Howard trade rumors for at least a few months.

Chris Paul Trade and Los Angeles Clippers NBA Futures Odds
by T.O. Whenham - 12/15/2011

It turned into an epic farce, but Chris Paul finally has been traded. David Stern held out for the best deal for the Hornets, and in the long term I think he got it. If you missed the details, Paul is heading to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for a huge haul. Shooting guard Eric Gordon is the centerpiece of the deal, and he is joined by former all-star center Chris Kaman and second-year player Al-Farouq Aminu.

Best Early Games on NBA Schedule
by T.O. Whenham - 12/13/2011

It took much longer than it was supposed to, and it is surrounded by ridiculous amounts of chaos, but the start of the NBA season is just around the corner. I don’t know about you, but I’m excited for teams to get back on the court so we can focus on basketball again and forget about all the other garbage.

NBA Handicapping: Getting Ready To Bet On Shortened Season
by T.O. Whenham - 12/1/2011

Now that the NBA players and owners have ended one of the most ridiculous work stoppages in sports history, the fun really begins for bettors. In less than four weeks the season will begin. Between now and then there is a whole lot that has to happen — free agency, training camp, some type of preseason, and so on. It’s going to be tough for players and teams to be ready when the season starts.

Impact of NBA Lockout for Pro Basketball Handicappers
by T.O. Whenham - 11/11/2011

The NBA strike is looking like it may never end. They have shown progress from time to time, but they certainly can’t sustain it. It doesn’t seem like either the owners or the players are on the same page with each other, never mind the other side.

NBA Odds: 2012 NBA Rookie of the Year Betting
by Alan Matthews - 6/30/2011

It’s pretty much a lock, pardon the pun, that the NBA owners will lock out the players if a new labor deal isn’t reached during an 11th-hour negotiating session today. And the chances of that deal happening are pretty much nil. So enjoy any NBA futures odds you can bet on right now. And with that said, we present a look at the 2012 NBA Rookie of the Year odds courtesy of Bodog.

2011 NBA Draft Grades
by Robert Ferringo - 6/24/2011

A shot of rail vodka, with a warm, six-month-old beer chaser. That’s pretty much what the 2011 NBA Draft was like. In a draft class that was shockingly short on talent, NBA teams were forced to man up and chug a disgusting combination of limited potential and “he has absolutely no chance of making an NBA roster”.

2011 NBA Mock Draft
by Robert Ferringo - 6/23/2011

Worst. Draft. Ever. Last year’s college basketball season was a complete and utter shit show. I mean, we had a Final Four that included Butler and VCU, along with a Connecticut team that probably would have finished seventh in the Big East back in 2006. The reason for such an unpredictable year: the lack of high-end star talent.

2011 NBA Draft Contenders: Best Players by Position
by T.O. Whenham - 6/22/2011

No need to spend too much time explaining what’s going on here - this is a ranking of the best player at each position in the upcoming NBA Draft: This list of 2011 NBA Draft contenders includes the player that we think should be the first picked for their position when the NBA Draft takes place tomorrow.

2011 NBA Draft Prospects: Players That May Go Undrafted
by T.O. Whenham - 6/22/2011

I don’t want to be ‘that guy’ — the one who isn’t a scout and doesn’t attend workouts but pretends to know how to run a draft better than every GM in the NBA. In some ways, though, I just can’t help myself. I always have a soft spot for the players who aren’t likely to get drafted but who should, in my eyes, hear their name called. That’s the problem with having a draft that is only two rounds deep — a lot of very good college players are left out in the cold. Here are five 2011 NBA Draft prospects that likely won’t get drafted who I would really like to see in the Association:

NBA Draft Odds and Projections: Will Sixers Trade Andre Iguodala?
by Alan Matthews - 6/21/2011

Despite the fact that he’s one of the better all-around players in the NBA and certainly the best player on the Philadelphia 76ers, it appears that Philly is ready to trade swingman Andre Iguodala either before or during Thursday’s NBA Draft.

2011 NBA Draft Predictions: Jimmer Fredette Props
by Alan Matthews - 6/20/2011

The 2011 NBA Draft is on Thursday night, and basketball betting fans better enjoy it because I have a feeling we won’t see any more pro basketball for a long while with the owners set to lock out the players when the current collective bargaining agreement expires at the end of the month. With said, we’ll hit the NBA Draft props hard this week with a variety of 2011 NBA Draft predictions throughout the week.

NBA Championship Odds and Predictions for 2011-12 Season
by Alan Matthews - 6/17/2011

Thanks to rich players and even richer owners arguing over their share of billions of dollars, this in many ways has been the worst summer ever to bet on 2012 title props. Of course I’m referring to the NFL’s current lockout and the impending NBA version, with that league’s CBA set to expire on the last day of the month. Make no mistake about it, the NBA will lockout its players because ownership and players are way, way apart on a new CBA as team owners, other than a few big-market ones, are losing millions thanks to all those long-term guaranteed player-friendly contracts.

NBA Draft Contenders: European Players
by T.O. Whenham - 6/16/2011

Picking European players in the NBA Draft must terrify the management of teams. For every Dirk Nowititzki there are three Darko Milicic’s. The draft is always a guessing game, but with Euros the guesses are even more terrifying. You have to assess guys you have rarely seen play live that are playing a different style of game against uncertain competition, and you don’t get to see them play against college players or American pros in meaningful games in most cases. Language is often an issue, and you can’t always know if or when you are going to be able to get the player you pick to join your team.

2011 NBA Draft Predictions: First-Round Bargains
by T.O. Whenham - 6/15/2011

The lottery is supposed to be where the stars come from in the NBA Draft, and that is often the case. Many times, though, a guy who doesn’t quite make the lottery but is still a first rounder can become a valuable player when they land in the right spot. Some of these guys are guys who just weren’t quite good enough to be a lottery pick. More often, though, they were players with all sorts of potential who just had something working against them. Here’s a look at my 2011 NBA Draft predictions for six guys that are likely to go in the first round, but out of the lottery, that have a chance to be very nice players when all is said and done.

2011 NBA Draft Projections: Second–Round Value
by T.O. Whenham - 6/15/2011

Every year there is a couple of guys that come out of the second round of the NBA Draft that become solid contributors to their teams. Superstars may be rare in the second round, but key role players can be found if teams get lucky. Here’s a look at my 2011 NBA Draft projections for seven guys that are likely to go in the second round this year who could easily be valuable players for their new teams. A few of the players -- Tyler, Smith and Jackson - could potentially find themselves at the end of the first round, but they could still be strong value even there.

NBA Betting Tips: Looking Forward To Next Season
by T.O. Whenham - 6/14/2011

The NBA season is over, and unless you are from Miami you are probably thrilled with the results. For a lot of bettors the end of the season means the end of thinking about the sport until things get going again in the fall — with perhaps a brief break to consider the outcome of the draft. Before you put your NBA betting to bed for the year, though, it pays to invest some time looking back on what happened, an ahead to what could happen next year. By putting a little effort in now you can be very well positioned when the season starts up next year. Here are four effective areas to look at:

NBA Picks: Heat at Mavericks Game 4 Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 6/7/2011

The only chance the Dallas Mavericks had in these NBA Finals was if their vastly superior bench depth was enough to even out the fact that Dallas has just one superstar – Dirk Nowitzki – against the Heat’s trio of stars: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. In Game 1, Miami’s bench had a double-digit advantage in points over the Mavs. Heat won. In Game 2, the Dallas bench had a double-digit advantage in points over Miami’s. Mavs won. In Game 3, Dallas had just a 25-19 edge in reserve points, which just isn’t going to get it done. Miami won to take home-court advantage back and 2-1 series lead.