NBA Situational Handicapping, Betting Tips

NBA bettors who are continually searching for an edge to help them turn a profit have surely noticed there are certain teams that play well against the league’s elite clubs. Conversely, there are squads that struggle in that situation.

A peak at the Don Best Sports pro basketball statistics page shows that the Memphis Grizzlies are a sparkling 22-10-1 ATS versus teams above .500 despite a mediocre 36-29 SU ledger. Most of that success against the league’s elite has occurred on the road, where the Grizzlies are 13-5 ATS.

Though the lowly New Jersey Nets are wallowing in fourth place in the Atlantic Division with a dismal 19-43 SU mark, it is interesting to note they are 20-10 ATS versus teams above .500. Most of those spread victories have come at home, where the Nets are 13-4.

The newly remodeled New York Knicks are just 33-29 SU, but they are 19-9-1 ATS versus teams playing above .500. The road has been where the Knicks are cashing the most, going 10-3-1 ATS.

A look at the Don Best Sports standings page shows there are two first-place teams that are also enjoying success against the league’s elite.

The Pacific Division-leading Lakers are 22-10-1 ATS against teams above .500, while the Central Division-leading Bulls are 18-8 ATS with the same criteria. The Lakers are 11-5 ATS on the road against elite squads, while the Bulls are 10-3 ATS at home.

Of course, there are several teams that do not perform well against the spread versus the league’s elite teams. But a couple might be surprising.

While the Atlanta Hawks have a respectable 37-27 SU ledger, they are just 9-16 ATS versus teams above .500. The Hawks spread their failure evenly, going 5-9 ATS on the road and 4-7 ATS at home.

Another surprise comes from a Utah Jazz club that recently had longtime coach Jerry Sloan quit. Utah is 33-31 SU, but only 10-18 ATS versus teams above the break-even mark. Most of that failure has occurred at home, where the Jazz are 4-11 ATS.

It probably should not come as any surprise that the cellar-dwelling Minnesota Timberwolves and their 15-50 SU ledger are not doing well in any situation. The T-Wolves are 12-20 ATS against squads playing above .500, including 5-13 on their home court.

Accumulating a good spread record against teams struggling to reach the .500 mark isn’t as prevalent as one might imagine.

Only the Philadelphia 76ers have really cashed at a good clip in that situation. The Sixers are a nifty 21-12 ATS versus teams below .500, including 10-5 on the road and 11-7 at home.

The Washington Wizards and Sacramento Kings are not sitting in last place in their respective divisions for nothing. Both are struggling to cash against teams as bad as they are.

Washington is 11-22 ATS versus teams below .500, including 2-12 ATS on the road, while Sacramento is 8-15 ATS in that spot.

- Barry Daniels of Don Best Sports