NBA: NBA Bettors Take a Break After Tonight
Tonight's NBA doubleheader on TNT is a good one featuring four sure fire playoff teams and Sportsbook.com is the place with the most ways to wager on these games.
Cleveland seeks small measure of revenge
If Cleveland's unassailable 12-game winning streak conjures up memories of the Cavaliers (42-11, 27-25-1 ATS) marching into the East Finals last season, that's understandable. However, in search of No. 13, pardon those who wonder if this could be unlucky number since they held tickets on Cleveland to win a series wager over Orlando last spring and saw those ducats become combustible.
"They're coming into our building, and right now we're the best team in the NBA," LeBron James said Tuesday after beating New Jersey. "It's going to be a fun one." The Cavs are 7-5 ATS during this hot streak and have won 20 of last 21 contests played at Quicken Loans Arena (23-3 and 11-15 ATS on the season).
Cleveland believes they are better equipped this season to make the NBA Finals, having acquired Shaquille O'Neal, who was brought in largely because the Cavs had no answer for Dwight Howard in the playoffs last year. The Cavaliers come into tonight 14-2 ATS at home after two games converting 50 percent or more of their shots.
Orlando (36-17, 25-24-4 ATS) doesn't arrive in Cleveland like the Washington Generals. The Magic have won 10 of 12, including the last three in a row. They have done this by playing great defense, permitting just one team to break the century mark against them. Orlando was on fire against Chicago last night and is 16-5 ATS after scoring 60 points or more in the first half of its last game. The Magic's confidence is growing as Vince Carter, who was suffering the worst slump of his career prior, has averaged 24.2 points in his last five games.
Cleveland is a 6 point favorite with total of 194 at Sportsbook.com and is a deceiving 16-7 ATS facing a team with a winning record this year, as their average margin of victory is 8.5 points a game. Here is an odd stat for a top notch team; Orlando attempts more three point shots than free throws (27.9 vs. 27.3) and they arrive near Lake Erie 21-9 ATS as a road underdog over the last two seasons. The Magic lost an earlier meeting at home to Cavs 102-93, nevertheless has split last six visits in Cleveland, covering five of them. Tipoff is just 8 Eastern.
Spurs might need a lasso to contain Denver on Rodeo Trip
San Antonio (29-21, 24-25-1 ATS) is .500 after its first four games of its annual road adventure, but both losses have come against teams lacking their stars. The Spurs didn't have to see Brandon Roy or Kobe Bryant in uniform, yet failed to win or cover in either case. Richard Jefferson thought his coach had the answer.
"Coach (Gregg Popovich) said it best: ‘We're playing soft.' And that's starting with me. I haven't shot the ball well the last 10 or so games." -Jefferson stated.
The Spurs won't catch such a break tonight, as Carmelo Anthony is back for Denver and they are 2-10 ATS against Northwest Division opponents this season. Jefferson was brought in to add energy and wing player skills on the fast break; instead he's averaging 12.1 points, his lowest since his rookie year. The Spurs are a commonplace 14th in points scored and 12th in defensive field goal percentage, their highest figure since Tim Duncan's rookie year (1997).
Denver (35-17, 24-25-3 ATS) has missed Anthony, just 4-3 in last seven outings, however is off best shooting night since Nov.17, as they destroyed Dallas 127-91, draining 60.8 percent from the field. With that last offensive output, the Nuggets are 10-2 ATS after a combined score of 205 points or more in consecutive games this season.
Denver is a 5.5-point pick with total of 206 at Sportsbook.com and is 23-4 (14-12 -1 ATS) at the Pepsi Center, winning by 10.2 PPG. The Nuggets are 43-24 ATS after playing a game as a home favorite since last year and are 18-8 OVER on their own floor after scoring 100 points or more three straight contests. San Antonio would like to end the first leg of the road trip on positive note, but are 15-29 ATS as a road underdog of six points or less since 2007. The Spurs are 9-1 UNDER as visitors after playing a road game this season.
Denver has won and covered three in a row over the Spurs, largely because they have outrebounded them by over 10 a game. This Western Conference conflict starts after preceding contest.
CBB: West Coast Conference clash has bettors intrigued
Tonight offers part 2 of the West Coast Conference showdown series between Gonzaga and St, Mary's. The Zags took the first meeting of the season but have since lost a game in conference, leaving the teams tied atop the standings. The all-important Thursday rematch is at Gonzaga, and the hosts are a hefty 6-point favorite according to Sportsbook.com.
One of the most overused words in sports today is- adversity. The moment that struck everyone that this particular word was being taken too conveniently to describe too broad a subject matter was when Tom Brady said his New England Patriots had overcome a lot of "adversity" in putting together an 18-0 record after his team had just won the 2008 AFC championship on the way to playing the New York Giants in the Super Bowl. As it turned out Brady did face real adversity the following season, blowing out his knee and coming back to play this past season.
Instead of adversity, let's start a new word for sports speak, resiliency. Gonzaga (19-4, 11-8-1 ATS) started the season with two very good guards, a potentially outstanding freshman forward and their usual rugged schedule. The Bulldogs exceeded early season expectations and quickly grew as a team under the leadership of Coach Mark Few and established themselves as the favorites again in the West Coast Conference.
After plowing thru the first part of the WCC slate, at the end of January, Gonzaga trailed by 14 points in the second half to last place Santa Clara, before winning 71-64 as 12-point favorites. Two nights later, at San Francisco, no such luck, as they lost to the Dons 81-77 to fall into a first place tie with St. Mary's. The Zags didn't take the defeat lightly and pounded Portland 76-49 at home next.
Since then the Bulldogs upset Memphis 66-58. Seniors Matt Bouldin and Steven Gray exhibited leadership and dragged the younger players back to playing 40 minutes of basketball, which they did against the Tigers. Gonzaga is 10-0 and 7-2 ATS this season off a spread cover and showed ample resiliency.
Saint Mary's (21-3, 16-6-1 ATS) has just one loss in the West Coast Conference and it was to Gonzaga 89-82, in which the team collectively felt they placed too much pressure on themselves to play perfectly. The Gaels have been buoyed by that fact and have also shown resiliency, as they have come right back and played the same kind of basketball they had prior, winning six straight (3-2-1 ATS). The St. Mary's players, led by center Omar Samhan, know this is their chance to take control of the WCC and they are 8-0 and 7-1 ATS in road games this season.
Sportsbook.com has the Gaels as six-point underdogs since they have lost 13 in a row at Gonzaga, though have been competitive in covering six times. St. Mary's is 10-2 and 9-3 ATS playing with three or more days rest and has to hope their three freshmen are more settled this time around. A loss sets up a very negative state of affair for the Gaels, who have to play Saturday against an improved Portland squad and one loss could easily turn into two.
Gonzaga has covered its last six contests vs. teams with .600 or better records and would love to see the athletic Elias Harris match his last effort against St. Mary's where he scored 31 points. The Zags are often a top heavy home favorite and are 2-4 ATS at the McCarthey Athletic Center, in spite of the 8-1 SU record. Since last season, they are 1-7 ATS at home playing teams with a winning record.
This WCC tilt is on ESPN2 starting at 8:00 Pacific and one factor every bettor has to think about is Gonzaga's 66.1 free throw percentage, dead last in the conference for accuracy.
