NBA Betting Odds Friday March 2, 2012

Carrie Stroup here with all your latest NBA betting odds for Friday March 2, 2012.  Check the Sportsbook.com website for regularly updated lines here. 

Sportsbook.com Line & Total: Philadelphia -7 & 189

Opening Line & Total: 76ers -6.5 & 189.5

The Warriors continue their second half road trek when they visit Philadelphia on Friday night.

The Warriors could have PG Stephen Curry (15.7 PPG, 6.0 APG) back in the lineup for this one. He missed their first two games of the second half with a nagging foot injury. It may not make a difference. The 76ers are outstanding defensively, especially on their home floor where they’re allowing 84.0 PPG and 40.9% opponent FG. The Warriors, meanwhile, have scored 78 at Indiana and 85 in Atlanta in their first two games since the All-Star break. The Sixers have won and covered at home against Golden State each of the last three years, and this year the streak should extend to four.

After an embarrassing loss in Indiana on Tuesday, the Warriors bounced back with a solid road win in Atlanta one night later, 85-82. They benefited from a horrific shooting night for the Hawks, who shot 33.7% from the field. Offense continues to be an issue in road games, as Monta Ellis (22.2 PPG, 5.8 APG) scored 24 points in Atlanta, but needed 27 shots to get them. Ellis is averaging 21.0 PPG on 39.9% FG and 28.6% from three in road games. PF David Lee (19.1 PPG, 9.8 RPG) double-doubled in Atlanta, but he needed 21 shots to get his 22 points. Head coach Mark Jackson shuffled his lineup again, moving SF Dominic McGuire into the starting five in Atlanta. It didn’t make much of a difference, but he did manage to grab 15 rebounds and not score a single point.

The 76ers have looked good in their first two games of the second half. They absolutely destroyed the Pistons in Detroit, 97-68, then lost a back-and-forth battle with Oklahoma City at home, 92-88. They’ve allowed 100 points in regulation just once in 20 home games this season.

Offensively, Philly continues to use a deliberate, slow-down tempo and rarely turns the ball over. SF Andre Iguodala (12.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG) is starting to heat up a bit, averaging 15.0 PPG and shooting 54.5% from the field in their first two games back from the break. PF Thaddeus Young (12.9 PPG) also continues to assert himself as a legitimate scorer off the bench, averaging 18.0 PPG on 53.1% FG and 8.5 RPG in the past two games.

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (21-12) at PHOENIX SUNS (15-20)

Sportsbook.com Line: Clippers -3 & 197

Opening Line & Total: Clippers -2.5 & 196.5

The Clippers search for their first win in Phoenix in nine tries when they face the Suns on Friday night.

Although the Suns haven’t lost at home to L.A. since April 2007, winning eight straight home meetings by a whopping 17.2 PPG, the Clippers are becoming a great road team this season. Los Angeles has played nine road games since the start of February, and has won six of those, going 5-2-2 ATS. L.A. has also been a great bet as a favorite, going 15-5 SU (12-7-1 ATS, 63%). Phoenix will get its points Friday night, but if this game is a shootout, the Clippers will prevail. In the last five seasons, well-rested (6 or less games in 14 days) NBA road teams are a ridiculous 31-8 ATS (80%) where the line is +3 to -3 after a road game where both teams score 100+ points.

Although the Clippers won by just eight points in Thursday’s 108-100 road victory in Sacramento, they led by 19 points in the fourth and were able to use get a lot of minutes from their bench. No player logged more than 32 minutes. L.A. continues to be led by PG Chris Paul (19.6 PPG, 8.5 RPG) who had 22 points and nine assists against the Kings. That gives him 28.3 PPG on 61% FG in his past three contests. Paul has absolutely loved playing in the desert, as he has burned Phoenix for 24.6 PPG and 10.9 APG in his past dozen meetings with the Suns. Five other Clips scored 13+ points in Sacramento as Mo Williams (13.5 PPG) had 18 points and five assists off the bench, while Blake Griffin (21.4 PPG, 11.2 RPG) added an efficient 14 points (7-of-12 FG) and nine rebounds in his 30 minutes of action. That stopped Griffin’s eight-game streak of scoring 20+ points, as he’s averaging 22.1 PPG (56% FG) and 11.4 RPG in his past nine contests. In four meetings with Phoenix last year, Griffin averaged 21.3 PPG and 10.3 RPG. 

The Clippers aren’t the only team with a star point guard playing great basketball. Steve Nash (13.9 PPG, 11.1 APG) had 13 points, 17 assists and a season-high (and team-high) eight rebounds in the Suns’ 104-95 home win over Minnesota on Thursday. Nash is averaging 10.5 PPG and 14.1 APG in his past eight games, carting a 3.1 assist-to-turnover ratio in this span. Nash has a 21-6 record (.778) in his past 27 meetings with L.A., averaging 15.3 PPG and 11.5 APG during this run. Five other Phoenx players scored at least a dozen points against the Wolves, led by Grant Hill’s season-high 20 points (8-of-12 FG) and Martin Gortat’s 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting. This duo was a big reason the team shot 53.2% FG on Thursday. The Suns offense has really been clicking lately, scoring 99+ points in six straight games, averaging 102.0 PPG, 48% FG, and carrying a strong 1.7 assist-to-turnover ratio.

- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter