February 2012 NBA Events
Calendar of NBA Events for February 2012 brought to you by bettingonlineonbasketball.com
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2012-01-11
DALLAS MAVERICKS (5-5) at BOSTON CELTICS (4-4)
Sportsbook.com Line & Total: Boston -5.5 & 183.5
Opening Line & Total: Celtics -5.5 & 185.5
The Mavs look to build on their first road win of the season when they visit a well-rested Celtics team on Wednesday night.
After losing their first three road games of the season (the final two by 17 and 22 points), Dallas cruised to a 100-86 win in Detroit on Tuesday. The Mavs, 4-1 (SU and ATS) in their past five games, continued their excellent team defense. In the past six games, no Dallas opponent has shot above 45% from the floor, averaging 89.2 PPG on 42% FG. The Celtics haven’t played since Friday, an ugly 87-74 home loss to Indiana, but none of the Dallas starters logged 30 minutes in Tuesday’s victory, so fresh legs should not be an issue in this one. And even though Jason Kidd (back) won’t play, Delonte West proved himself more than capable of running the point in Detroit with 10 assists, two turnovers and five steals. Since the 2005-06 season, the Mavs are 9-3 ATS (5-7 SU) against the Celtics, and with a moderate point spread, that trend should hold true again.
Dirk Nowitzki posted an incredible +42 rating in his 28 minutes of action on Tuesday, finishing with a team-high 18 points (9-10 FG) and seven rebounds. Six other Mavs scored 9+ points during the balanced attack. Nowitzki has always enjoyed facing Boston in his career, pumping in 27.4 PPG, 8.7 RPG and 3.1 APG in 24 lifetime meetings. The scoring average is his highest versus any opponent in his NBA career, helped by 31.2 PPG (57% FG) in his past five meetings with the Celtics. SG Jason Terry continues to provide a lift off the bench, as he’s second on the team with 13.8 PPG. Terry has been the team’s lone marksman from three-point land (44%), as the rest of the Mavs are a pathetic 25% from downtown this year. SG Vince Carter (9.1 PPG) is finally starting to find his rhythm though, connecting on 9-of-18 FG in his past two games. He started the season in a 20-of-58 funk (35%). Dallas is still waiting for offseason acquisition Lamar Odom to get comfortable with his new team. So far Odom is shooting a laughable 28% FG (21-for-75) including 5-of-31 (16%) from three-point range.
The Celtics offense was horrendous in Friday’s 87-74 loss, especially Paul Pierce (3-of-17 FG). Pierce also had five turnovers in the defeat. It’s been a rough season for Pierce (39% FG), but he usually plays well against Dallas in his career with 22.0 PPG on 46% FG. In contrast to Pierce, Ray Allen has been lights-out on the offensive end all season. He leads the team with 20.4 PPG on 58% FG, including an amazing 63% from three-point land. Allen had 23 (7-of-11 FG) of his team’s 74 points in Friday’s loss. Three other Celtics are shooting better than 50% this year -- Rajon Rondo (14.8 PPG, 52% FG), Kevin Garnett (12.9 PPG, 52% FG) and Brandon Bass (12.9 PPG, 53% FG). Rondo continues to be a great ball distributor (10.5 APG), but he’s committed a career-high 4.1 turnovers per game. His decision making will be key against an improving Mavs defense.
MIAMI HEAT (8-2) at LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (4-3)
Sportsbook.com Line & Total: Miami -4 & 203
Opening Line & Total: Heat -4 & 202
There will be no shortage of star power when Miami stops into L.A. for a matchup with the new look Clippers on Wednesday night.
Both teams are traveling from the Pacific Northwest after tough losses: the Heat went to overtime in Golden State while the Clippers lost at Portland Tuesday night. Fatigue is more likely to be a factor for Miami, who has a banged-up superstar and a short bench. The Heat led by 12 after three quarters and by as many as 17 on Tuesday before blowing the game in Oakland. SG Dwyane Wade returned to the lineup for the first time in eight days because of a bruised foot. He played 37 minutes while LeBron James (43) and Chris Bosh (38) played heavy minutes as well.
Wade (21.0 PPG, 5.9 APG) played well in his return to the lineup, scoring 34 thanks to 16 trips to the line at Golden State. But it’s yet to be seen how his foot will react to a back-to-back. Going with pretty much an eight-man rotation, the Heat got nearly no help from their bench, which scored just 16 points in the loss. Veterans Shane Battier and Udonis Haslem came off the bench and posted atrocious plus/minus numbers, -12 and -15 respectively. The Heat got another big game from James (29.7 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 7.6 APG), who had 26 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. But the return of Wade coincided with the disappearance of Bosh (19.7 PPG, 7.8 RPG), who had just 16 points and four rebounds against a weak Warriors front line.
The Clippers were competitive in Portland, one of the NBA’s toughest road venues. Blake Griffin (23.7 PPG, 10.6 RPG) posted another double-double (18 points, 12 rebounds), but PG Chris Paul (14.6 PPG, 8.4 APG) is still not being assertive. He scored just 11 points on nine shots with three assists on Tuesday. Perhaps the marquee matchup against the Heat will bring out a little more fire in him. He had 13 points and 19 assists in a home win over Miami with the Hornets last year.
The Clippers continued to struggle from behind the arc (6-for-23, now 31.4% on the season). The good news is that they had their best game of the season on the boards. After allowing 11.8 offensive rebounds per game through their first six games, they held Portland to just seven offensive boards on 35 misses on Tuesday night.
Can the Celtics beat the Lakers in the NBA Finals?
2010-06-17
NBA: Portland at Phoenix 10:30E TNT
2010-04-26
After Games 2 & 3 of the first round West playoff series between Portland and Phoenix, it would have been simple to just write off the Blazers. Those games were decidedly won by the Suns. However, Portland came back strong on Saturday with an emotional boost from the return of Brandon Roy to even the series. The pivotal Game 5 is set for Monday, and Sportsbook.com oddsmakers list Phoenix as a 6-point home favorite.
Right before the series, the big news in the basketball desert was Portland was not going to have their best player, Roy, who was having minor surgery on a torn meniscus. Phoenix went out and celebrated their good fortune by going thru the motions in the series opener, falling by five as eight-point favorites.
The Suns took this series seriously the next two contests, pummeling Portland by 29 and 19 points respectively and got their swagger back, making this look like a five-game series was about to unfold.
However, word was Roy’s procedure was so minor he was able to shoot free throws and do straight line running within days and low and behold he was in uniform for Game 4.
With the theme of “Rocky” playing at the Rose Garden, a delirious crowd welcomes backed their superstar and Phoenix fell for it.
It was clear Roy lacked any lateral quickness, but the Suns coaches and players had a welcoming committee whenever he touched the ball, bring an extra man to guard him, for reasons unknown, freeing up other Blazers players.
“As soon as he checked into the game, I got my first open shot with nobody guarding me, so I was thinking thank God he’s back,” Aldridge said with his team 15-4 ATS after two or more Under’s.
Amare Stoudemire brought up what is becoming an annoying theme to Suns fans and backers. “We didn’t bring it, we just didn’t bring it,” Stoudemire said. “We realized how important the game was. We didn’t bring the effort, we didn’t bring the energy, we didn’t rebound, we didn’t attack. We had a chance to go up 3-1, which would have been great. Now we’ve got to go back to a must-win situation.”
Phoenix is 25-14 ATS after playing a road game and is a six-point favorite with total of 202. If the Suns expect to win this first round Western series they have to force the tempo and are 22-6 OVER at home after two away encounters.
Portland at least knows they are going back home for a Game #6, as they are 0-8 ATS off an upset win as a home underdog.
The StatFox Game Estimator, far more “accu”rate than that of Accuscore, calls for a 106-97 Phoenix win, good enough to beat the 6-point line at Sportsbook.
NBA: Top NBA Weekend Power Trends
2010-03-20
It’s common knowledge that the NBA takes a back seat to the college guys in the public eye at this time of year, but rest assured the bookmakers don’t forget about it, and for this weekend, 25 bet-able games are on tap. The NBA’s version of “March madness” is the push for the playoffs, and despite the fact that the Top 8 teams in each conference have started to separate from the rest, there is still plenty to be decided over the last four weeks of the season, namely, who will match up with who in the first round of the postseason. That picture will continue to be sorted out, starting with the games over the next few days. Let’s take a look at the key action and reveal this weekend’s list of Top StatFox Power Trends for you to consider as you build your wagering lineup.
The Friday board features 11 games, including four in which would-be Western Conference playoff teams are playing at home. Phoenix will be hosting Utah, Portland will be at home versus Washington, the Lakers will welcome Minnesota to town, and San Antonio will play host to Golden State. The Lakers-Timberwolves game matches one of the league’s best home teams against one that has been horrible on the road and has lost its last 11 games as well as 17 of its last 18. However, the pointspread could be the great equalizer, since L.A. is just 15-19 ATS at home this season. The Spurs could have their hands full with the Warriors, since the latter have won 12 of their L17 games against the number, including their L5. Overall, Golden State is 12-games over .500 ATS on the season. San Antonio has gotten hot itself though, 8-2 SU & 7-3 ATS in its L10. The biggest game in the East has Cleveland visiting Chicago, with the Bulls trying to snap a 9-game losing skid.
On Saturday, seven games are on the board, two of which match intra-conference foes with the playoffs in their futures. In one, Boston will visit Dallas. The Mavericks are a well-publicized 14-1 in their last 15 games. However, bettors haven’t been nearly as pleased with their recent performance of 8-7 ATS in that span. In fact, the Mavericks remain an awful 8-26 ATS on the home court. Boston has played much better at times this season than it is now, and has just a 6-15 ATS mark vs. the West in ’09-10. The Bucks will also be in action, facing a back-to-back after having visited Sacramento on Friday night. That means Milwaukee will be putting its 11-6 SU & 13-3-1 ATS mark on the line when playing on zero days rest. The Nuggets will be off their Thursday night TNT game vs. New Orleans. Elsewhere on Saturday, the current #6 through #9 seeds in the East will all be in action, with Charlotte visiting Miami in the key game, Toronto traveling to New Jersey, and Philadelphia hosting Chicago.
On Sunday, there are also seven games, starting in the afternoon at 1:00 PM ET, with Houston making its only season stop in New York. The big games though are at night in a doubleheader on ESPN. In the first one, San Antonio visits Atlanta. The Hawks may be hitting a wall of late, having gone just 6-9 ATS in their L15 games after going 33-19 ATS prior. They boast a 19-9 SU & 15-13 ATS record vs. the West still. In the last ESPN game, Portland visits Phoenix. Heading into the weekend, the teams were separated by just 1-1/2 games in the standings, with the Suns tied for the 5th spot, and Portland occupying the #8 seed. That just shows how close it is right now in the West. Note that the Blazers have won four straight games in the series, both SU & ATS.
Now, here’s a look at some of this weekend’s Top StatFox Power Trends:
Friday, 03/19/2010
(801) DETROIT vs. (802) INDIANA
DETROIT is 8-22 ATS (-16.2 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons. The average score was DETROIT 91.5, OPPONENT 97.3 - (Rating = 2*)
(809) CLEVELAND vs. (810) CHICAGO
CHICAGO is 13-2 UNDER (+10.8 Units) vs good 3PT shooting teams - making >=36% of their attempts this season. The average score was CHICAGO 93.1, OPPONENT 99.7 - (Rating = 3*)
(811) BOSTON vs. (812) HOUSTON
BOSTON is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) versus up-tempo teams averaging 83 or more shots/game this season. The average score was BOSTON 97.1, OPPONENT 96.9 - (Rating = 2*)
(815) UTAH vs. (816) PHOENIX
UTAH is 19-5 ATS (+13.5 Units) versus teams who average 7 or less steals/game on the season. The average score was UTAH 107.2, OPPONENT 98.2 - (Rating = 3*)
(819) MILWAUKEE vs. (820) SACRAMENTO
MILWAUKEE is 11-1 ATS (+9.9 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ PPG in 2nd half of this season. The average score was MILWAUKEE 103.2, OPPONENT 93.5 - (Rating = 3*)
Saturday, 03/20/2010
(503) TORONTO vs. (504) NEW JERSEY
NEW JERSEY is 2-14 ATS (-13.4 Units) vs explosive offensive teams - scoring 103+ PPG this season. The average score was NEW JERSEY 92.6, OPPONENT 111 - (Rating = 3*)
(511) MILWAUKEE vs. (512) DENVER
MILWAUKEE is 23-6 ATS (+16.4 Units) vs. good free throw shooting teams making >=76% of their attempts this season. The average score was MILWAUKEE 100.9, OPPONENT 95.9 - (Rating = 4*)
(511) MILWAUKEE vs. (512) DENVER
MILWAUKEE is 18-6 OVER (+11.4 Units) in non-conference games this season. The average score was MILWAUKEE 103, OPPONENT 104 - (Rating = 2*)
(513) BOSTON vs. (514) DALLAS
BOSTON is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) versus poor foul drawing teams - attempting <=24 free throws/game this season. The average score was BOSTON 95.4, OPPONENT 94.4 - (Rating = 2*)
Sunday, 03/21/2010
(705) SACRAMENTO vs. (706) LA CLIPPERS
LA CLIPPERS are 11-25 ATS (-16.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season. The average score was LA CLIPPERS 94.3, OPPONENT 105.3 - (Rating = 2*)
(709) DETROIT vs. (710) CLEVELAND
CLEVELAND is 18-4 UNDER (+13.6 Units) on Sunday games over the last 2 seasons. The average score was CLEVELAND 97.3, OPPONENT 87.6 - (Rating = 3*)
(713) PORTLAND vs. (714) PHOENIX
PHOENIX is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) vs poor defensive teams - shooting pct defense of >=46% in 2nd half of this season. The average score was PHOENIX 109, OPPONENT 97.9 - (Rating = 2*)
NBA: Orlando at Portland (10:30 PM ET, ESPN)
2010-01-15
The nightcap of ESPN’s Friday night twinbill pits the Orlando Magic and the Portland Trailblazers. The line for the contest opened with Orlando as a lofty 5.5-point road favorite at Sportsbook.com, due much in part to the injury woes of the hosts. In particular, the Blazers’ Brandon Roy is shown as questionable for the game. Get more key info on this game and the full board of 13 Friday contests on the GAME MATCHUPS page.
The Orlando Magic had one of the league’s best road records last season, but they’ve been dreadful away from Amway Arena of late, losing seven of nine (2-6-1 ATS) following eight consecutive victories. Perhaps a trip to Portland will get them back on track - particularly if two-time All-Star Roy can’t go.
The Magic try to become the only team with an active four-game winning streak at the Rose Garden on Friday night against the injury-riddled Trail Blazers, who with one more loss will eclipse their home total from last season.
Orlando (26-13, 19-18-2 ATS) was 27-14 on the road in 2008-09, and came up with five more key victories on opponents’ home courts before reaching the NBA finals.
The Magic started 10-2 on the road this season, but have hardly been the same team lately. Orlando opened its four-game road trip with an impressive 109-88 win in Sacramento on Tuesday, but was outscored 65-44 in the second half of a 115-97 loss to Denver one night later in its third straight game without Vince Carter. “We clearly got totally dominated in the second half,” coach Stan Van Gundy said. “I’m very disappointed.”
Dwight Howard was held to eight points on 1 of 7 shooting a night after dominating the Kings with 30 points and 16 rebounds. The Magic fell to 6-8 when Howard is held to seven field-goal attempts or fewer and they are 3-7 ATS in last 10 against teams with winning record.
Possibly Orlando’s pride will shine through after being hammered by the Nuggets, since they are 20-7 ATS after losing by 10 or more points.
Carter, whose status going forward is unclear, went 1 of 14 when Portland (24-16, 21-18-1 ATS) visited Orlando on Dec. 19, but Howard’s 20 rebounds - part of a 54-35 advantage overall - helped the Magic overcome 42.1 percent shooting and 33 points from Roy to win 92-83.
That was Orlando’s sixth victory in seven games in the series. The Magic have won three straight in Portland, including a 109-108 win on Dec. 9, 2008, behind 27 from Lewis and 21 from Nelson.
Cleveland is the only other team with three consecutive wins in the Rose Garden after beating the Blazers 106-94 on Sunday, a seventh home loss that matched last season’s total in Portland.
The Blazers, though, bounced back with one of their best offensive performances of the season. Roy scored 22, LaMarcus Aldridge 21 and Andre Miller 19 as the Blazers shot a season-high 60.3 percent in a 120-108 win over Milwaukee on Wednesday. Roy, however, left with Portland up 30 late in the third quarter due to a strained right hamstring. He’s considered questionable to play Friday. Portland is also a questionable 2-7-1 ATS after allowing 100 or more points.
The Blazers have been alarming on Friday night’s with sparkling 11-2 ATS of late and 7-2 OVER if opponent has overall winning record. Orlando has covered 60 of previous 89 contests off a SU defeat and is 19-7 UNDER in that same situation.
The StatFox Power Lines for this game shows Portland a Pick
NBA: Lakers stir pot, try to chew up Nuggets (9:00 PM ET, ABC)
2009-05-29
It turned out to be true; Kobe Bryant of the Lakers really does have teammates that want to win and are willing to put forth the effort to do so. Because Kobe finally was comforted with company, Los Angeles is within one game of return trip to NBA Finals, though not without a little controversy along the way, which makes for good playoff fodder. After reading more about this Game 6 Western Conference Finals encounter, be sure to head right over to the LIVE ODDS, BETTING TRENDS, and TEAM STATISTICS pages for the latest info to make sure you’re on the right side of the wagering action.
An anonymous member of the Denver Nuggets told the Denver Post, "The Lakers paid $50,000 to win that game," he said. "They got their money's worth." He was referring to 25 grand in fines David Stern’s minions handed out to coach Phil Jackson and the Lakers organization for comments after Game 4.
Denver’s George Karl lamented essentially, the squeaky wheel gets taken care of and the Lakers got the benefit of calls for critical Game 5. Evidently Karl has no sense of history, since this coaching showmanship has gone on since Eddie Gottlieb’s Philadelphia Warriors defeated the Chicago Staggs to win first ever NBA title in 1947.
Having watched the entire game with no sound (don’t ask, just trust it made sense to me), I never got the sense the officiating was one-sided. I did however take note that Denver stopped taking the ball to the rim in the fourth quarter and was 5 for 21 shooting in last 12 minutes. I also noticed the strong interior defense of Denver completely fell apart in the fourth quarter, as the Lakers ran screens to set up isolation plays and scored six baskets that I recall within three feet of basket.
The first 17 minutes of the game was played like any regular season game, as neither team was emotionally involved, until both teams had manufactured exciting dunks, which revved up the crowd and the emotions of players.
Lamar Odom, showed why he can be the difference between L.A. being among the best teams, to NBA champs when he adds 19 points, 14 rebounds and 4 blocks. Derek Fisher tossed in a dozen points and though he saw limited minutes, Andrew Bynum contributed when on the floor. In fact, the Lakers bench outscored the Denver reserves 34-26, which is telling, with final margin of victory nine points.
Denver is 17-7 ATS revenging a road loss and is backed into corner. The Nuggets never matched the same intensity they had the first two games in La-La Land, even as they built seven-point lead midway thru the third quarter. This was proven as they had no answer to blunt Lakers rush that saw them run off 23 of next 28 points to wrestle control of contest. The Lakers finally challenged Karl’s troops with unfamiliar style, playing intense defense.
The Lakers enter Game 6 as five-point underdogs and are 8-3 ATS when Sportsbook.com or another oddsmaker places them in that position. Only one game has exceeded the total in West Finals and Los Angeles is 9-1 UNDER in conference finals. Denver is 7-0 against the number off a straight up loss and is 8-1 ATS as home favorites. Of the last 12 games the Nuggets have played against winning teams, 10 have gone UNDER the number.
It’s do-or-die for Carmelo Anthony and mates, and as the Lakers have shown, they don’t necessarily have the killer instinct to polish off opponent. If should be quite an atmosphere at the Pepsi Center, with Denver trying to avoid falling to 3-11 ATS when trailing in playoff series and head back to downtown Los Angeles for Sunday showdown.
NBA: Big Eastern Conference Confrontation (8:05 PM ET, TNT)
2009-01-22
Its one game out of 82 during the regular season and its true ramifications won’t be felt until later, if at all. Nevertheless, for the Orlando Magic, their goal is to make this a magical night and defeat the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics. Orlando already has the best record in the Eastern Conference (a half a game over Cleveland) and believes they have closed the gap from a year ago and are true competitors to be conference champions.
Jameer Nelson believes the Magic are the equal or extremely close of being on par with the Celtics. “They’re a great team. We’re a good team,” said Nelson. “We’re trying to get to where they are.” It’s hard to argue with Nelson on his point studying the numbers.
If you discount New York, who is learning to play Mike D’Antoni basketball, Orlando is second in the East in points scored at 102.3 and Boston is third at 100.9. The Celtics do shoot at a higher percentage (48.1 vs 46.1), but a large part of that is a matter of preference, as the Magic make over 10 three-points a game, with approximately one-third of their shots beyond the arc. Boston runs a more conventional offense in attempting nine fewer long shots a contest.
Orlando also hopes to learn what a few others believe. Boston players are well-known in the league for talking more garbage then just about anybody. If opponents let this “smack” talk get to them, game over for Kevin Garnett and the rest of the yappers. However, if a team can maintain its poise and just play with the Celtics, the belief now is they tend to become quieter and in turn less intimidating.
For NBA bettors, there is a plethora of great angles from which to choose, it looks like a $5.99 all-you-can-eat buffet at the Trends table. Boston jumped on Miami early last night and coasted to 98-83 win as 5.5-point favorites. The C’s are 24-11 ATS in road games when playing on back-to-back days and amazing 71-42 ATS in road contests period, over the last three seasons. Doc Rivers has sold his club on playing one game at a time (besides how else would you do it) and they are 18-8 ATS when playing against top-level teams with a win percentage of 70 percent or higher since last season. When facing mad bombers like the Orlando, few problems, with 37-22 ATS record versus 3-point shooting teams making 36 percent of their attempts.
Orlando this season can play the “what ever you can do, we can do better” game. The Magic are back home after sweeping a four game road trip with four covers and are the best road squad in the NBA. They are 8-1 ATS after playing a game as a road underdog and are 14-4 ATS after three or more consecutive wins this season. The largest defeat Dwight Howard’s team has suffered was at the hands of Boston 107-88 as 8.5-point road underdogs and they are 22-3 ATS revenging a same season loss vs opponent. Though Orlando is one spot behind Boston in field goal percentage defense at third, the Magic are perfect 12-0 ATS versus offensive teams scoring 99 or more points per game this season.
Sportsbook.com has Orlando as 4.5-point favorites with a total of 192.5. The Magic may have two psychological edges in this meeting in Central Florida. The first is Jameer Nelson missed the Dec.1 meeting and is back playing the best basketball of his NBA career and the Magic have won six in a row at home over the Celtics (5-1 ATS) giving them a further boost of confidence. The teams are a combined 21-13-1 UNDER in home/road dichotomy, with Boston 11-2 UNDER after four straight wins by 10 points or more and the Orlando 15-5 UNDER after scoring 100 points or more four straight outings.
Magic coach Stan Van Gundy is trying to keep this one game in perspective. “I’ve said all along, and I honestly think it’s true: If they’ll give us two wins for the Boston game, then I’ll make it bigger than the other games,” Van Gundy said. “Otherwise, it’s not.”
While the coach may feel this way, not all of his players are buying what the coach is selling. “It means a lot,” Magic forward Rashard Lewis said. “Obviously, Eastern Conference game, one of the best teams in the conference, last year’s champion. We’re at a point where we want to get home-court advantage throughout the whole playoffs, so this game means a lot. At the end of the season, it’s going to come down to games like this.”
No matter what, this is the opener on TNT NBA Thursday starting at 8 Eastern and it should be compelling.
StatFox Power Line – Orlando by 6
2012-01-11
DALLAS MAVERICKS (5-5) at BOSTON CELTICS (4-4)
Sportsbook.com Line & Total: Boston -5.5 & 183.5
Opening Line & Total: Celtics -5.5 & 185.5
The Mavs look to build on their first road win of the season when they visit a well-rested Celtics team on Wednesday night.
After losing their first three road games of the season (the final two by 17 and 22 points), Dallas cruised to a 100-86 win in Detroit on Tuesday. The Mavs, 4-1 (SU and ATS) in their past five games, continued their excellent team defense. In the past six games, no Dallas opponent has shot above 45% from the floor, averaging 89.2 PPG on 42% FG. The Celtics haven’t played since Friday, an ugly 87-74 home loss to Indiana, but none of the Dallas starters logged 30 minutes in Tuesday’s victory, so fresh legs should not be an issue in this one. And even though Jason Kidd (back) won’t play, Delonte West proved himself more than capable of running the point in Detroit with 10 assists, two turnovers and five steals. Since the 2005-06 season, the Mavs are 9-3 ATS (5-7 SU) against the Celtics, and with a moderate point spread, that trend should hold true again.
Dirk Nowitzki posted an incredible +42 rating in his 28 minutes of action on Tuesday, finishing with a team-high 18 points (9-10 FG) and seven rebounds. Six other Mavs scored 9+ points during the balanced attack. Nowitzki has always enjoyed facing Boston in his career, pumping in 27.4 PPG, 8.7 RPG and 3.1 APG in 24 lifetime meetings. The scoring average is his highest versus any opponent in his NBA career, helped by 31.2 PPG (57% FG) in his past five meetings with the Celtics. SG Jason Terry continues to provide a lift off the bench, as he’s second on the team with 13.8 PPG. Terry has been the team’s lone marksman from three-point land (44%), as the rest of the Mavs are a pathetic 25% from downtown this year. SG Vince Carter (9.1 PPG) is finally starting to find his rhythm though, connecting on 9-of-18 FG in his past two games. He started the season in a 20-of-58 funk (35%). Dallas is still waiting for offseason acquisition Lamar Odom to get comfortable with his new team. So far Odom is shooting a laughable 28% FG (21-for-75) including 5-of-31 (16%) from three-point range.
The Celtics offense was horrendous in Friday’s 87-74 loss, especially Paul Pierce (3-of-17 FG). Pierce also had five turnovers in the defeat. It’s been a rough season for Pierce (39% FG), but he usually plays well against Dallas in his career with 22.0 PPG on 46% FG. In contrast to Pierce, Ray Allen has been lights-out on the offensive end all season. He leads the team with 20.4 PPG on 58% FG, including an amazing 63% from three-point land. Allen had 23 (7-of-11 FG) of his team’s 74 points in Friday’s loss. Three other Celtics are shooting better than 50% this year -- Rajon Rondo (14.8 PPG, 52% FG), Kevin Garnett (12.9 PPG, 52% FG) and Brandon Bass (12.9 PPG, 53% FG). Rondo continues to be a great ball distributor (10.5 APG), but he’s committed a career-high 4.1 turnovers per game. His decision making will be key against an improving Mavs defense.
MIAMI HEAT (8-2) at LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (4-3)
Sportsbook.com Line & Total: Miami -4 & 203
Opening Line & Total: Heat -4 & 202
There will be no shortage of star power when Miami stops into L.A. for a matchup with the new look Clippers on Wednesday night.
Both teams are traveling from the Pacific Northwest after tough losses: the Heat went to overtime in Golden State while the Clippers lost at Portland Tuesday night. Fatigue is more likely to be a factor for Miami, who has a banged-up superstar and a short bench. The Heat led by 12 after three quarters and by as many as 17 on Tuesday before blowing the game in Oakland. SG Dwyane Wade returned to the lineup for the first time in eight days because of a bruised foot. He played 37 minutes while LeBron James (43) and Chris Bosh (38) played heavy minutes as well.
Wade (21.0 PPG, 5.9 APG) played well in his return to the lineup, scoring 34 thanks to 16 trips to the line at Golden State. But it’s yet to be seen how his foot will react to a back-to-back. Going with pretty much an eight-man rotation, the Heat got nearly no help from their bench, which scored just 16 points in the loss. Veterans Shane Battier and Udonis Haslem came off the bench and posted atrocious plus/minus numbers, -12 and -15 respectively. The Heat got another big game from James (29.7 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 7.6 APG), who had 26 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. But the return of Wade coincided with the disappearance of Bosh (19.7 PPG, 7.8 RPG), who had just 16 points and four rebounds against a weak Warriors front line.
The Clippers were competitive in Portland, one of the NBA’s toughest road venues. Blake Griffin (23.7 PPG, 10.6 RPG) posted another double-double (18 points, 12 rebounds), but PG Chris Paul (14.6 PPG, 8.4 APG) is still not being assertive. He scored just 11 points on nine shots with three assists on Tuesday. Perhaps the marquee matchup against the Heat will bring out a little more fire in him. He had 13 points and 19 assists in a home win over Miami with the Hornets last year.
The Clippers continued to struggle from behind the arc (6-for-23, now 31.4% on the season). The good news is that they had their best game of the season on the boards. After allowing 11.8 offensive rebounds per game through their first six games, they held Portland to just seven offensive boards on 35 misses on Tuesday night.
Can the Celtics beat the Lakers in the NBA Finals?
2010-06-17
After stealing the home court advantage away from the Lakers with a 103-94 victory at Los Angeles in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, the Boston Celtics will seek to protect its home turf beginning with Tuesday night's Game 3 at TD Garden. While the Lakers are still a -130 betting favorite to win the series, Los Angeles must now win at least once in Boston to capture the NBA title. Some historical numbers point to the Celtics ending LA's hopes of a repeat championship. The two most storied franchises in the history of the league have met in the finals on 11 previous occasions. The Lakers have been able to defeat the Celtics only twice (1985 and 1987) in the finals. When the squads met two years ago in the finals, Boston emerged with a 4-2 series win. In the three games that were contested at TD Garden, the Celtics were the winner each time. In its last three visits to the NBA Finals, the Lakers are just 2-7 on the road. In the 2004 finals, Los Angeles split its first two games at home against the Detroit Pistons. The Lakers promptly lost the next three matchups in Detroit to lose the series, much to the shock of the NBA betting community. So, it isn't a given that LA will be able to get the series back to the Staples Center with at least one victory in the next three games in Boston.
The Celtics certainly aren't the same club that limped home with a .500 record over the final two-thirds of the regular season. Boston has posted a record of 13-6 in the postseason. While the Lakers won the Western Conference title against three teams that weren't exactly overwhelming foes, Boston's path to the finals was far more difficult. First, the Celtics had to get by Dwyane Wade in the opening round of the playoffs. After dispatching the Heat, Boston had to deal with the team that posted the best record in the league during the regular season. LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers were expected to handle the aging Celtics. Trailing 2-1 in the series, Boston rallied to take the next three games in the series to shock the Cavs and NBA betting everywhere. In the Eastern Conference Finals, Boston was once again the underdog against Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic. The Celtics took prompt control of the series with a pair of road wins en route to a 4-2 series victory over the defending Eastern Conference champions. After getting by Wade, James and Howard, Boston has one more superstar foe to deal with. Kobe Bryant stands between the Celtics and another title. While Boston's star trio of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen keyed the club's title run two years ago, young guard Rajon Rondo is the focal point of the team this time around after making a smaller contribution in 2008. In Game 2, Rondo's triple-double (19 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists) was overshadowed to some degree by Allen's finals-record of eight 3-point field goals. Rondo's emergence has added a new dimension to the Boston squad. Still, the star veterans have enough left in the tank to make significant contributions to the team's success.
Are you ready for some NBA betting? Place you NBA finals bet today at www.sportsbook.com.
NBA: Portland at Phoenix 10:30E TNT
2010-04-26
After Games 2 & 3 of the first round West playoff series between Portland and Phoenix, it would have been simple to just write off the Blazers. Those games were decidedly won by the Suns. However, Portland came back strong on Saturday with an emotional boost from the return of Brandon Roy to even the series. The pivotal Game 5 is set for Monday, and Sportsbook.com oddsmakers list Phoenix as a 6-point home favorite.
Right before the series, the big news in the basketball desert was Portland was not going to have their best player, Roy, who was having minor surgery on a torn meniscus. Phoenix went out and celebrated their good fortune by going thru the motions in the series opener, falling by five as eight-point favorites.
The Suns took this series seriously the next two contests, pummeling Portland by 29 and 19 points respectively and got their swagger back, making this look like a five-game series was about to unfold.
However, word was Roy’s procedure was so minor he was able to shoot free throws and do straight line running within days and low and behold he was in uniform for Game 4.
With the theme of “Rocky” playing at the Rose Garden, a delirious crowd welcomes backed their superstar and Phoenix fell for it.
It was clear Roy lacked any lateral quickness, but the Suns coaches and players had a welcoming committee whenever he touched the ball, bring an extra man to guard him, for reasons unknown, freeing up other Blazers players.
“As soon as he checked into the game, I got my first open shot with nobody guarding me, so I was thinking thank God he’s back,” Aldridge said with his team 15-4 ATS after two or more Under’s.
Amare Stoudemire brought up what is becoming an annoying theme to Suns fans and backers. “We didn’t bring it, we just didn’t bring it,” Stoudemire said. “We realized how important the game was. We didn’t bring the effort, we didn’t bring the energy, we didn’t rebound, we didn’t attack. We had a chance to go up 3-1, which would have been great. Now we’ve got to go back to a must-win situation.”
Phoenix is 25-14 ATS after playing a road game and is a six-point favorite with total of 202. If the Suns expect to win this first round Western series they have to force the tempo and are 22-6 OVER at home after two away encounters.
Portland at least knows they are going back home for a Game #6, as they are 0-8 ATS off an upset win as a home underdog.
The StatFox Game Estimator, far more “accu”rate than that of Accuscore, calls for a 106-97 Phoenix win, good enough to beat the 6-point line at Sportsbook.
NBA: Top NBA Weekend Power Trends
2010-03-20
It’s common knowledge that the NBA takes a back seat to the college guys in the public eye at this time of year, but rest assured the bookmakers don’t forget about it, and for this weekend, 25 bet-able games are on tap. The NBA’s version of “March madness” is the push for the playoffs, and despite the fact that the Top 8 teams in each conference have started to separate from the rest, there is still plenty to be decided over the last four weeks of the season, namely, who will match up with who in the first round of the postseason. That picture will continue to be sorted out, starting with the games over the next few days. Let’s take a look at the key action and reveal this weekend’s list of Top StatFox Power Trends for you to consider as you build your wagering lineup.
The Friday board features 11 games, including four in which would-be Western Conference playoff teams are playing at home. Phoenix will be hosting Utah, Portland will be at home versus Washington, the Lakers will welcome Minnesota to town, and San Antonio will play host to Golden State. The Lakers-Timberwolves game matches one of the league’s best home teams against one that has been horrible on the road and has lost its last 11 games as well as 17 of its last 18. However, the pointspread could be the great equalizer, since L.A. is just 15-19 ATS at home this season. The Spurs could have their hands full with the Warriors, since the latter have won 12 of their L17 games against the number, including their L5. Overall, Golden State is 12-games over .500 ATS on the season. San Antonio has gotten hot itself though, 8-2 SU & 7-3 ATS in its L10. The biggest game in the East has Cleveland visiting Chicago, with the Bulls trying to snap a 9-game losing skid.
On Saturday, seven games are on the board, two of which match intra-conference foes with the playoffs in their futures. In one, Boston will visit Dallas. The Mavericks are a well-publicized 14-1 in their last 15 games. However, bettors haven’t been nearly as pleased with their recent performance of 8-7 ATS in that span. In fact, the Mavericks remain an awful 8-26 ATS on the home court. Boston has played much better at times this season than it is now, and has just a 6-15 ATS mark vs. the West in ’09-10. The Bucks will also be in action, facing a back-to-back after having visited Sacramento on Friday night. That means Milwaukee will be putting its 11-6 SU & 13-3-1 ATS mark on the line when playing on zero days rest. The Nuggets will be off their Thursday night TNT game vs. New Orleans. Elsewhere on Saturday, the current #6 through #9 seeds in the East will all be in action, with Charlotte visiting Miami in the key game, Toronto traveling to New Jersey, and Philadelphia hosting Chicago.
On Sunday, there are also seven games, starting in the afternoon at 1:00 PM ET, with Houston making its only season stop in New York. The big games though are at night in a doubleheader on ESPN. In the first one, San Antonio visits Atlanta. The Hawks may be hitting a wall of late, having gone just 6-9 ATS in their L15 games after going 33-19 ATS prior. They boast a 19-9 SU & 15-13 ATS record vs. the West still. In the last ESPN game, Portland visits Phoenix. Heading into the weekend, the teams were separated by just 1-1/2 games in the standings, with the Suns tied for the 5th spot, and Portland occupying the #8 seed. That just shows how close it is right now in the West. Note that the Blazers have won four straight games in the series, both SU & ATS.
Now, here’s a look at some of this weekend’s Top StatFox Power Trends:
Friday, 03/19/2010
(801) DETROIT vs. (802) INDIANA
DETROIT is 8-22 ATS (-16.2 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons. The average score was DETROIT 91.5, OPPONENT 97.3 - (Rating = 2*)
(809) CLEVELAND vs. (810) CHICAGO
CHICAGO is 13-2 UNDER (+10.8 Units) vs good 3PT shooting teams - making >=36% of their attempts this season. The average score was CHICAGO 93.1, OPPONENT 99.7 - (Rating = 3*)
(811) BOSTON vs. (812) HOUSTON
BOSTON is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) versus up-tempo teams averaging 83 or more shots/game this season. The average score was BOSTON 97.1, OPPONENT 96.9 - (Rating = 2*)
(815) UTAH vs. (816) PHOENIX
UTAH is 19-5 ATS (+13.5 Units) versus teams who average 7 or less steals/game on the season. The average score was UTAH 107.2, OPPONENT 98.2 - (Rating = 3*)
(819) MILWAUKEE vs. (820) SACRAMENTO
MILWAUKEE is 11-1 ATS (+9.9 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ PPG in 2nd half of this season. The average score was MILWAUKEE 103.2, OPPONENT 93.5 - (Rating = 3*)
Saturday, 03/20/2010
(503) TORONTO vs. (504) NEW JERSEY
NEW JERSEY is 2-14 ATS (-13.4 Units) vs explosive offensive teams - scoring 103+ PPG this season. The average score was NEW JERSEY 92.6, OPPONENT 111 - (Rating = 3*)
(511) MILWAUKEE vs. (512) DENVER
MILWAUKEE is 23-6 ATS (+16.4 Units) vs. good free throw shooting teams making >=76% of their attempts this season. The average score was MILWAUKEE 100.9, OPPONENT 95.9 - (Rating = 4*)
(511) MILWAUKEE vs. (512) DENVER
MILWAUKEE is 18-6 OVER (+11.4 Units) in non-conference games this season. The average score was MILWAUKEE 103, OPPONENT 104 - (Rating = 2*)
(513) BOSTON vs. (514) DALLAS
BOSTON is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) versus poor foul drawing teams - attempting <=24 free throws/game this season. The average score was BOSTON 95.4, OPPONENT 94.4 - (Rating = 2*)
Sunday, 03/21/2010
(705) SACRAMENTO vs. (706) LA CLIPPERS
LA CLIPPERS are 11-25 ATS (-16.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season. The average score was LA CLIPPERS 94.3, OPPONENT 105.3 - (Rating = 2*)
(709) DETROIT vs. (710) CLEVELAND
CLEVELAND is 18-4 UNDER (+13.6 Units) on Sunday games over the last 2 seasons. The average score was CLEVELAND 97.3, OPPONENT 87.6 - (Rating = 3*)
(713) PORTLAND vs. (714) PHOENIX
PHOENIX is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) vs poor defensive teams - shooting pct defense of >=46% in 2nd half of this season. The average score was PHOENIX 109, OPPONENT 97.9 - (Rating = 2*)
NBA: Orlando at Portland (10:30 PM ET, ESPN)
2010-01-15
The nightcap of ESPN’s Friday night twinbill pits the Orlando Magic and the Portland Trailblazers. The line for the contest opened with Orlando as a lofty 5.5-point road favorite at Sportsbook.com, due much in part to the injury woes of the hosts. In particular, the Blazers’ Brandon Roy is shown as questionable for the game. Get more key info on this game and the full board of 13 Friday contests on the GAME MATCHUPS page.
The Orlando Magic had one of the league’s best road records last season, but they’ve been dreadful away from Amway Arena of late, losing seven of nine (2-6-1 ATS) following eight consecutive victories. Perhaps a trip to Portland will get them back on track - particularly if two-time All-Star Roy can’t go.
The Magic try to become the only team with an active four-game winning streak at the Rose Garden on Friday night against the injury-riddled Trail Blazers, who with one more loss will eclipse their home total from last season.
Orlando (26-13, 19-18-2 ATS) was 27-14 on the road in 2008-09, and came up with five more key victories on opponents’ home courts before reaching the NBA finals.
The Magic started 10-2 on the road this season, but have hardly been the same team lately. Orlando opened its four-game road trip with an impressive 109-88 win in Sacramento on Tuesday, but was outscored 65-44 in the second half of a 115-97 loss to Denver one night later in its third straight game without Vince Carter. “We clearly got totally dominated in the second half,” coach Stan Van Gundy said. “I’m very disappointed.”
Dwight Howard was held to eight points on 1 of 7 shooting a night after dominating the Kings with 30 points and 16 rebounds. The Magic fell to 6-8 when Howard is held to seven field-goal attempts or fewer and they are 3-7 ATS in last 10 against teams with winning record.
Possibly Orlando’s pride will shine through after being hammered by the Nuggets, since they are 20-7 ATS after losing by 10 or more points.
Carter, whose status going forward is unclear, went 1 of 14 when Portland (24-16, 21-18-1 ATS) visited Orlando on Dec. 19, but Howard’s 20 rebounds - part of a 54-35 advantage overall - helped the Magic overcome 42.1 percent shooting and 33 points from Roy to win 92-83.
That was Orlando’s sixth victory in seven games in the series. The Magic have won three straight in Portland, including a 109-108 win on Dec. 9, 2008, behind 27 from Lewis and 21 from Nelson.
Cleveland is the only other team with three consecutive wins in the Rose Garden after beating the Blazers 106-94 on Sunday, a seventh home loss that matched last season’s total in Portland.
The Blazers, though, bounced back with one of their best offensive performances of the season. Roy scored 22, LaMarcus Aldridge 21 and Andre Miller 19 as the Blazers shot a season-high 60.3 percent in a 120-108 win over Milwaukee on Wednesday. Roy, however, left with Portland up 30 late in the third quarter due to a strained right hamstring. He’s considered questionable to play Friday. Portland is also a questionable 2-7-1 ATS after allowing 100 or more points.
The Blazers have been alarming on Friday night’s with sparkling 11-2 ATS of late and 7-2 OVER if opponent has overall winning record. Orlando has covered 60 of previous 89 contests off a SU defeat and is 19-7 UNDER in that same situation.
The StatFox Power Lines for this game shows Portland a Pick
NBA: Lakers stir pot, try to chew up Nuggets (9:00 PM ET, ABC)
2009-05-29
It turned out to be true; Kobe Bryant of the Lakers really does have teammates that want to win and are willing to put forth the effort to do so. Because Kobe finally was comforted with company, Los Angeles is within one game of return trip to NBA Finals, though not without a little controversy along the way, which makes for good playoff fodder. After reading more about this Game 6 Western Conference Finals encounter, be sure to head right over to the LIVE ODDS, BETTING TRENDS, and TEAM STATISTICS pages for the latest info to make sure you’re on the right side of the wagering action.
An anonymous member of the Denver Nuggets told the Denver Post, "The Lakers paid $50,000 to win that game," he said. "They got their money's worth." He was referring to 25 grand in fines David Stern’s minions handed out to coach Phil Jackson and the Lakers organization for comments after Game 4.
Denver’s George Karl lamented essentially, the squeaky wheel gets taken care of and the Lakers got the benefit of calls for critical Game 5. Evidently Karl has no sense of history, since this coaching showmanship has gone on since Eddie Gottlieb’s Philadelphia Warriors defeated the Chicago Staggs to win first ever NBA title in 1947.
Having watched the entire game with no sound (don’t ask, just trust it made sense to me), I never got the sense the officiating was one-sided. I did however take note that Denver stopped taking the ball to the rim in the fourth quarter and was 5 for 21 shooting in last 12 minutes. I also noticed the strong interior defense of Denver completely fell apart in the fourth quarter, as the Lakers ran screens to set up isolation plays and scored six baskets that I recall within three feet of basket.
The first 17 minutes of the game was played like any regular season game, as neither team was emotionally involved, until both teams had manufactured exciting dunks, which revved up the crowd and the emotions of players.
Lamar Odom, showed why he can be the difference between L.A. being among the best teams, to NBA champs when he adds 19 points, 14 rebounds and 4 blocks. Derek Fisher tossed in a dozen points and though he saw limited minutes, Andrew Bynum contributed when on the floor. In fact, the Lakers bench outscored the Denver reserves 34-26, which is telling, with final margin of victory nine points.
Denver is 17-7 ATS revenging a road loss and is backed into corner. The Nuggets never matched the same intensity they had the first two games in La-La Land, even as they built seven-point lead midway thru the third quarter. This was proven as they had no answer to blunt Lakers rush that saw them run off 23 of next 28 points to wrestle control of contest. The Lakers finally challenged Karl’s troops with unfamiliar style, playing intense defense.
The Lakers enter Game 6 as five-point underdogs and are 8-3 ATS when Sportsbook.com or another oddsmaker places them in that position. Only one game has exceeded the total in West Finals and Los Angeles is 9-1 UNDER in conference finals. Denver is 7-0 against the number off a straight up loss and is 8-1 ATS as home favorites. Of the last 12 games the Nuggets have played against winning teams, 10 have gone UNDER the number.
It’s do-or-die for Carmelo Anthony and mates, and as the Lakers have shown, they don’t necessarily have the killer instinct to polish off opponent. If should be quite an atmosphere at the Pepsi Center, with Denver trying to avoid falling to 3-11 ATS when trailing in playoff series and head back to downtown Los Angeles for Sunday showdown.
NBA: Big Eastern Conference Confrontation (8:05 PM ET, TNT)
2009-01-22
Its one game out of 82 during the regular season and its true ramifications won’t be felt until later, if at all. Nevertheless, for the Orlando Magic, their goal is to make this a magical night and defeat the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics. Orlando already has the best record in the Eastern Conference (a half a game over Cleveland) and believes they have closed the gap from a year ago and are true competitors to be conference champions.
Jameer Nelson believes the Magic are the equal or extremely close of being on par with the Celtics. “They’re a great team. We’re a good team,” said Nelson. “We’re trying to get to where they are.” It’s hard to argue with Nelson on his point studying the numbers.
If you discount New York, who is learning to play Mike D’Antoni basketball, Orlando is second in the East in points scored at 102.3 and Boston is third at 100.9. The Celtics do shoot at a higher percentage (48.1 vs 46.1), but a large part of that is a matter of preference, as the Magic make over 10 three-points a game, with approximately one-third of their shots beyond the arc. Boston runs a more conventional offense in attempting nine fewer long shots a contest.
Orlando also hopes to learn what a few others believe. Boston players are well-known in the league for talking more garbage then just about anybody. If opponents let this “smack” talk get to them, game over for Kevin Garnett and the rest of the yappers. However, if a team can maintain its poise and just play with the Celtics, the belief now is they tend to become quieter and in turn less intimidating.
For NBA bettors, there is a plethora of great angles from which to choose, it looks like a $5.99 all-you-can-eat buffet at the Trends table. Boston jumped on Miami early last night and coasted to 98-83 win as 5.5-point favorites. The C’s are 24-11 ATS in road games when playing on back-to-back days and amazing 71-42 ATS in road contests period, over the last three seasons. Doc Rivers has sold his club on playing one game at a time (besides how else would you do it) and they are 18-8 ATS when playing against top-level teams with a win percentage of 70 percent or higher since last season. When facing mad bombers like the Orlando, few problems, with 37-22 ATS record versus 3-point shooting teams making 36 percent of their attempts.
Orlando this season can play the “what ever you can do, we can do better” game. The Magic are back home after sweeping a four game road trip with four covers and are the best road squad in the NBA. They are 8-1 ATS after playing a game as a road underdog and are 14-4 ATS after three or more consecutive wins this season. The largest defeat Dwight Howard’s team has suffered was at the hands of Boston 107-88 as 8.5-point road underdogs and they are 22-3 ATS revenging a same season loss vs opponent. Though Orlando is one spot behind Boston in field goal percentage defense at third, the Magic are perfect 12-0 ATS versus offensive teams scoring 99 or more points per game this season.
Sportsbook.com has Orlando as 4.5-point favorites with a total of 192.5. The Magic may have two psychological edges in this meeting in Central Florida. The first is Jameer Nelson missed the Dec.1 meeting and is back playing the best basketball of his NBA career and the Magic have won six in a row at home over the Celtics (5-1 ATS) giving them a further boost of confidence. The teams are a combined 21-13-1 UNDER in home/road dichotomy, with Boston 11-2 UNDER after four straight wins by 10 points or more and the Orlando 15-5 UNDER after scoring 100 points or more four straight outings.
Magic coach Stan Van Gundy is trying to keep this one game in perspective. “I’ve said all along, and I honestly think it’s true: If they’ll give us two wins for the Boston game, then I’ll make it bigger than the other games,” Van Gundy said. “Otherwise, it’s not.”
While the coach may feel this way, not all of his players are buying what the coach is selling. “It means a lot,” Magic forward Rashard Lewis said. “Obviously, Eastern Conference game, one of the best teams in the conference, last year’s champion. We’re at a point where we want to get home-court advantage throughout the whole playoffs, so this game means a lot. At the end of the season, it’s going to come down to games like this.”
No matter what, this is the opener on TNT NBA Thursday starting at 8 Eastern and it should be compelling.
StatFox Power Line – Orlando by 6