Heat vs. Knicks, Thunder vs. Nuggets Betting Odds
Carrie Stroup here and I have two good NBA game previews for our Gambling911.com audience as we look at the Heat vs. Knicks and Thunder vs. Nuggets betting odds. Be sure to claim your FREE $100 BET at Sportsbook.com here and remember you can wager on every play of this game right up to the final minute with LIVE IN-PLAY BETTING.
MIAMI HEAT (27-8) at NEW YORK KNICKS (12-22)
Sportsbook.ag Line & Total: Miami -8.5 & 196.5
The Heat carry a three-game winning streak into Madison Square Garden Thursday to face a surging Knicks team that has won three of its last four games.
Miami hosted the Pelicans on Tuesday and coasted to a 107-88 win-and-cover, making the club 11-2 SU (5-8 ATS) over the past 13 contests. New York has been playing very well since 2014 began, posting its fourth straight ATS victory Tuesday night with an 89-85 victory over the Pistons. But while the Heat have been solid on the road (11-5 SU, 9-7 ATS), the Knicks have been atrocious at home, going 5-12 SU and 4-13 ATS. Last season, New York played extremely well against the Heat, going 3-1 (SU and ATS) in their four meetings. Over the past three seasons, however, Miami is 8-4 SU and 6-5-1 ATS in this series, with the Under going 8-3-1. Over the past three seasons, New York is 11-1 ATS at home games after 3+ straight ATS wins. The Heat, however, are 13-2 ATS as a road favorite of 6.5 to 9 points over the past two seasons. Both teams are unsure about their rosters on Thursday. PG Mario Chalmers (Achilles) and SF Shane Battier (quad) are questionable for the Heat, while the Knicks are dealing with a flu bug going around the locker room and could be without PF Kenyon Martin and C Tyson Chandler as they recover from their illness. PG Beno Udrih (knee) is also listed as questionable, but PF Andrea Bargnani and C Cole Aldrich should be active after having already gotten sick.
The Heat continue to be one of the best teams in the league on both sides of the court, averaging 104.9 PPG (5th in NBA) and allowing only 97.9 PPG (7th in league). During its 11-2 SU surge, they are scoring 108.7 PPG on a robust 52.2% FG (37.5% threes). Miami picked up a third straight victory Tuesday over the Pelicans in which SF LeBron James (25.5 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 6.7 APG) had 32 points (13-of-22 FG), five assists and two steals. James has always dominated the Knicks with gaudy averages of 27.8 PPG (49% FG), 7.3 RPG, 6.9 APG and 2.1 SPG in 33 meetings. This includes 29.4 PPG (48% FG), 7.1 RPG, 6.6 APG and 2.1 SPG in 16 visits to Madison Square Garden. SG Dwyane Wade (19.5 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 4.9 APG) was also huge for the Heat on Tuesday, as he chipped in 22 points, eight assists and eight rebounds. Although he averaged just 16.0 PPG against the Knicks last season, he has torched them for 27.0 PPG (48% FG), 6.0 RPG and 5.7 APG in 27 career meetings. The real surprise performance on Tuesday came from PF Chris Andersen (6.5 PPG, 4.4 RPG) who was perfect in the game with 15 points (7-of-7 FG), seven rebounds and a block. The Heat will need Andersen’s energy off the bench against the Knicks who are an extremely deep team. PF Chris Bosh (15.9 PPG, 6.6 RPG) will be relied on heavily as he will battle Tyson Chandler inside. Bosh has just 20 points on 5-of-16 FG over the past two games, but the Heat won’t be able to get away with another small performance from their biggest starter. Bosh's paltry 6.0 RPG against the Knicks last season was a big reason his team lost the season series, and Miami currently has the fewest amount of rebounds in the league at 36.5 RPG. PG Norris Cole (7.2 PPG, 3.1 APG) started in place of injured PG Mario Chalmers (9.3 PPG, 5.1 APG, 1.9 SPG) on Tuesday and had just nine points and two assists. The Knicks have been weak at defending the point guard position and no matter who starts for the Heat, they must get a big advantage from Cole or Chalmers.
New York's offense has been dreadful this season with just 94.9 PPG on 43.3% FG, which both rank 26th in the NBA. But the club's three-point shooting has been solid with 8.7 made threes per game (7th in NBA) on a 35.7% clip (13th in NBA). And during their 3-1 start to the 2014 calendar year, the Knicks are scoring 96.5 PPG on 45.3% FG and 40.0% threes. They also rank ninth in the league in scoring defense (98.4 PPG allowed), including 92.0 PPG allowed in January. PG Raymond Felton (10.6 PPG, 5.2 APG) missed 12 of 13 games with a groin injury, but returned to action on Tuesday against Detroit and scored 12 points while dishing out six assists in 31 minutes. His presence should really help against a Heat team that could be without Mario Chalmers, and Felton played very well in last season's series, tallying 15.0 PPG (43% threes) and 6.8 APG against Miami. SF Carmelo Anthony (26.3 PPG, 8.6 RPG) has been outstanding over the four January games, averaging 26.3 PPG, 7.8 RPG and 3.3 APG while also chipping in 2.0 SPG on the defensive end. Anthony will need to go toe-to-toe with LeBron James, which is no easy task for anybody. But Anthony sure rose to the occasion against the Heat last season with 37.3 PPG on 51% FG, 57% threes and 90% free throws. Since joining the Knicks, Anthony has averaged 33.7 PPG (48% FG, 49% threes) and 6.5 RPG in six meetings with Miami. Another big factor in the New York's recent turnaround has been the play of SG Iman Shumpert (7.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG). During the four January games, Shumpert has tallied 16.8 PPG on 60% FG and 62% threes (13-of-21) with 5.5 RPG. He will need to hold Dwyane Wade in check if the Knicks are going to pull out a victory in this one.
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (27-8) at DENVER NUGGETS (17-17)
Sportsbook.ag Line & Total: Oklahoma City -3 & 210.5
The Nuggets look to extend their winning streak to four games on Thursday night when they travel to Oklahoma City to face one of the NBA’s best teams in the Thunder.<P>
Oklahoma City has gone 4-3 SU (3-4 ATS) since PG Russell Westbrook was sidelined with yet another knee injury and lost on Tuesday night to the Jazz, the Western Conference’s worst team. The Thunder were beaten soundly in Utah, 112-101, as 6-point favorites and allowed the Jazz to shoot 58.8% from the floor. The Nuggets fell on tough times in December, losing eight games in a row SU (1-7 ATS) from Dec. 17 to Jan. 1. Since that time they have been playing much better, winning three games in a row and averaging 125.7 PPG in that span. They defeated the Celtics 125-98 on Tuesday night while shooting 51.8% from the field and holding Boston to a meager 38.5% FG. The Thunder have a 12-5 SU record (10-7 ATS) on the road, and had won their previous eight road games SU before their loss to Utah. Meanwhile, the Nuggets have barely played above .500 (9-8 SU) in the Mile High City, while also having trouble covering the spread (6-11 ATS). These two teams have already met twice this season, with the Thunder taking both games SU but failing to cover a 9.5-point spread in the first matchup when they won 115-113 in Oklahoma City. The second time they met was much different, as the Thunder outshot Denver 49% FG to 41% FG, and outrebounded their opponent by 10 boards (53-43). Over the past three seasons, Oklahoma City has a slight edge in this series (5-4 SU), while the Nuggets have the 6-3 ATS advantage. In addition to Westbrook being out, the Thunder may also be missing PF Serge Ibaka (flu) and SG Thabo Sefolosha (hand) who are both questionable for Thursday. The Nuggets continue to be without PG Andre Miller (team suspension), and SF Wilson Chandler is questionable after suffering a groin injury on Tuesday.
Oklahoma City has the third best offense in the NBA with 105.8 PPG on 47.0% FG (4th in league), but has scored only 102.4 PPG on 44.7% FG in 10 division games. Its defense has allowed 102.4 PPG on 45.9% FG in the past five games, but is doing well overall this season, giving up just 98.3 PPG (8th in NBA) on 42.1% FG (2nd in league). SF Kevin Durant (29.5 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 4.9 APG, 1.6 SPG) could finally beat out LeBron James in the MVP race if he can continue to play at such a high level, and will be counted on more with Westbrook out until after the All-Star break. Durant has averaged 35.3 PPG (48% FG), 6.3 RPG, 6.0 APG, 2.3 SPG and 1.3 BPG in four January games and has posted 34.0 PPG (44% FG) with 7.0 RPG and 4.5 APG in two games against the Nuggets this season. PF Serge Ibaka (14.1 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 2.3 BPG) missed Tuesday’s game with flu-like symptoms and his absence will be felt greatly if he was out again, as he scored 11.5 PPG (56% FG) with 8.5 RPG and 2.0 BPG against Denver this season. In 17 career games (11 starts) against the Nuggets, he has scored 9.6 PPG (54% FG) with 7.1 RPG and an impressive 2.8 BPG. PG Reggie Jackson (13.0 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 3.7 APG) has been getting the bulk of playing time with Westbrook out, and has been on fire in his past two games with 23.5 PPG on 58% FG (4-of-7 threes) with 4.0 APG and 3.5 RPG. Jackson struggled offensively in two contests off the bench against Denver this season though, scoring 11.0 PPG (38% FG, 2-of-8 threes) with the same amount of turnovers as assists (4 each).
The Nuggets have been a very streaky team this season, and are scoring 102.2 PPG (12th in NBA) on 44.8% FG (14th in league), while netting an impressive 114.6 PPG on 49.1% FG over their past five games. Their offense has had to be great in those games though, because they have been struggling on the defensive end of the court, allowing 106.4 PPG over those same five games and 101.8 PPG (22nd in NBA) over the entire season. PG Ty Lawson (17.8 PPG, 8.4 APG, 1.4 SPG) has four straight double-doubles (18.0 PPG, 12.0 RPG) coming into this game, and has also averaged a double-double in two games against the Thunder this season (23.0 PPG, 10.5 APG). Overall in his 16 career games (11 starts) facing the opponent, Lawson has averaged 13.6 PPG (49% FG) with 5.3 APG. PF Kenneth Faried (10.3 PPG, 7.9 RPG) has been outstanding during his team's three-game win streak, averaging 18.0 PPG (69% FG) and 10.7 RPG. But Faried had only 9.0 PPG and 6.5 RPG when facing the Thunder this season, and has similar numbers in nine career meetings (8.6 PPG, 7.2 RPG). With backup PG Andre Miller (5.9 PPG, 3.3 APG) continuing to be suspended for his outburst at head coach Brian Shaw, PG Nate Robinson (10.3 PPG, 2.6 APG) has been a tremendous spark off the bench and has put up 15.3 PPG (57% FG, 7-of-11 threes) and 5.7 APG over the three-game win streak. He has scored 11.0 PPG (50% FG) against Oklahoma City this season, but has not been great in 21 career meetings (4 starts), scoring 9.6 PPG (34% FG) and dishing out 2.5 APG.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
