NBA Handicapping Articles

NBA Picks: Heat at Bulls Game 2 Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 5/18/2011

Every book that I checked had the Miami Heat as the series favorites against the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals as well as the slight NBA title favorite before Game 1 vs. the Bulls on Sunday night. Yet what else does Chicago have to do to prove itself? The Bulls played perhaps the best half of basketball of any team so far this postseason in turning a 48-48 halftime lead into a 103-82 statement that improved the Bulls to 4-0 against Miami this season.

NBA Picks: Thunder at Mavericks Game 1 Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 5/17/2011

It will be the typical rest vs. rust debate when the NBA’s Western Conference Finals tip off tonight in Dallas as the Thunder visit the Mavericks for Game 1. Did you even remember that Dallas was still in the NBA playoffs? It will have been eight days off by the time the Mavs take the court on Tuesday since they swept away the two-time reigning champion Lakers so impressively.

Thunder vs. Mavericks Series Odds and NBA Predictions
by David Schwab - 5/16/2011

Before the NB playoffs started Sports Interaction had the Oklahoma City Thunder at +800 to win the Western Conference and the Dallas Mavericks at +700. The Los Angeles Lakers were the prohibitive favorite at -118 and the No.1 seed San Antonio Spurs were the second favorite at +200. However, a funny thing happened on the way to the conference finals.

NBA Picks: Thunder at Grizzlies Game 6 Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 5/13/2011

While the NBA might tout parity in its league (actually does it?), it’s pretty obvious that major market teams make things go. And I guess I am guilty of this as well as this will be my first preview of the Oklahoma City-Memphis series since it started. It features two of the smallest TV markets in the league, but, outside of Game 5, has been probably the most entertaining conference semifinal so far. The Thunder can end Memphis’ Cinderella run on Friday night.

NBA Picks: Celtics at Heat Game 5 Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 5/11/2011

It looks like a changing of the guard is definitely happening right before our eyes in the NBA. Of course, the aging Los Angeles Lakers, who were the two-time reigning champions and had reached the NBA Finals three seasons in a row, were unceremoniously swept by the Dallas Mavericks in the west semis. Now it appears the Boston Celtics, who have won one title and reached two Finals overall in the past three seasons, are going to fare only slightly better in their East semi against Miami as they must go back to South Florida down 3-1 in the series with Miami for Wednesday’s game.

NBA Picks: Hawks at Bulls Game 5 Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 5/10/2011

A series that many expected to be a sweep is now down to a best-of-three as the Chicago Bulls host the Atlanta Hawks for Game 5 on Tuesday night. It’s not that the Hawks don’t have talent, it’s just that they don’t focus that often. But they certainly have at times in this series.

Lakers at Mavericks Odds and Game 3 NBA Picks
by Alan Matthews - 5/6/2011

Wow! When the Los Angeles Lakers lost Game 1 to the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night, most just chalked it up to a bit of a hiccup at the end of the game after Los Angeles had dominated for three-plus quarters. Now? The Laker bandwagon is emptying faster than a Charlie Sheen concert in Salt Lake City. Has a two-time champion ever been looked at so differently after just two games of a playoff series? Now everyone is calling the Lakers old, tired, unfocused, discouraged, selfish, full of “trust issues,” you name it.

NBA Picks: Hawks at Bulls Game 2 Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 5/4/2011

Few would have given the Atlanta Hawks much of a chance in their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Chicago Bulls regardless, but when Hawks guard Kirk Hinrich, the former Bull, was likely ruled out for the series this sure looked like a sweep waiting to happen. Hinrich is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league and a guy that Bulls star Derrick Rose has said gives him as much defensive trouble as anyone. After all, they did practice against each other for two years.

NBA Picks: Celtics at Heat Game 2 Odds and Predictions
by Darin Zank - 5/3/2011

This Eastern Conference semifinals series didn't take long to get intense, as Miami's Game 1 victory Sunday over Boston got mean at times and resulted in Paul Pierce getting ejected. So the Celtics will be trying to avoid falling down 0-2 when the teams meet Tuesday night again at American Airlines Arena in Miami (7 p.m. EST, TNT).

NBA Picks: Celtics vs. Heat Series Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 4/30/2011

It might not be hyperbole to call the Boston Celtics-Miami Heat Eastern Conference semifinal matchup the best second-round playoff pairing in years. When these two played on Opening Night it was easily the most-hyped opener ever (and a betting bonanza at sportsbooks). This is a series that everyone has been pointing toward pretty much since then – makes you wonder if the Celtics now regret tanking those final few games at the end of the regular season, which gave home court in this series to Miami (although it turned out it wouldn’t have mattered).

NBA Picks: Grizzlies at Spurs Game 5 Odds and Predictions
by Darin Zank - 4/27/2011

The NBA playoffs, in their current format, are not particularly conducive to surprises. The top seeds usually win series, and the best teams usually meet in the league finals. That's probably because over the course of a seven-game series the better teams can overcome one- or two-game spurts by the upstarts. Since the league has gone to the seven-game format for the first round of the playoffs only one eight seed has beaten a one seed. That was the Golden State Warriors of 2007, who upset the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks.

NBA Picks: Hawks at Magic Odds and Predictions
by Darin Zank - 4/26/2011

Last spring the Orlando Magic knocked the Atlanta Hawks out of the playoffs in record-breaking fashion, sweeping the four games of an Eastern Conference semifinals series by an average of 25 points. This spring, it looks like Atlanta has revenge on its mind, because the Hawks have won three of the first four games of this opening-round series. Tuesday night the Hawks go for the kill when they take on the Magic in a Game 5 in Orlando (7:30 p.m. EST, NBATV).

NBA Picks: Bulls at Pacers Game 3 Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 4/21/2011

In many ways the Chicago Bulls were the chic pick to win the NBA title when the playoffs began even though they were only the third-favorites behind the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat. All those TV talking heads started jumping on the Bulls’ bandwagon when they finished the regular season with nine consecutive wins and the NBA’s best overall record. It’s funny how that bandwagon emptied quickly despite Chicago being up 2-0 on eighth-seeded Indiana.

Free NBA Playoff Predictions: Grizzlies at Spurs Game 2 Odds
by Alan Matthews - 4/20/2011

The Memphis Grizzlies essentially tanked their final few games of the regular season because they wanted a first-round playoff matchup with the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs (although Coach Lionel Hollins denies it). Of course, the Spurs had a “be careful what you wish for” attitude when learning this, but right now Memphis is looking rather smart for that decision after a shocking Game 1 victory in the Alamo City. Now Game 2 is pretty much a must win for the Spurs.

NBA Picks: Hornets vs. Lakers Odds and Betting Predictions
by Darin Zank - 4/20/2011

We've had a couple of real shockers already in these NBA playoffs, and none was bigger than the New Orleans Hornets' 109-100 victory Sunday over the two-time defending NBA champion LA Lakers at Staples Center. That win gives New Orleans, the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference, an early 1-0 lead in this first-round playoff series. So it will be the Lakers trying to avoid falling to 0-2 when the teams meet for Game 2 of their series Wednesday night in Los Angeles (10:30 p.m. EST, TNT).

NBA Picks: Knicks at Celtics Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 4/19/2011

The New York Knicks know they let one get away in Game 1 on Sunday against the Boston Celtics, and they now face a potential 2-0 hole on Tuesday night because New York appears likely to be without point guard Chauncey Billups.

NBA Playoffs Picks: Series Odds and Predictions
by Darin Zank - 4/15/2011

The NBA playoffs start Saturday, which gives us a little time yet to take a quick look at the first-round series, and maybe get down on some series betting. So here we go with some NBA Playoffs picks with series odds and some predictions for betting.

NBA Picks: First-Round Playoff Prop Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 4/15/2011

After having to watch teams like the Boston Celtics and Memphis Grizzlies mail it in for the final few games of the regular season – think Spurs coach Gregg Popovich wishes he had sat his starters (i.e. the now-injured and Game 1 doubtful Manu Ginobili) for a second straight night on Wednesday? – the NBA playoffs can’t arrive a moment too soon. And they do on Saturday. With that said, the books are rolling out the props.

NBA Playoffs Predictions: Potential Upsets
by T.O. Whenham - 4/15/2011

The NBA playoffs are usually pretty exciting, but in the first round they typically don’t offer much for people who like big upsets. The gap between good teams and lesser ones is usually pretty wide, and top teams rarely get surprised. The No. 1 seeds have only been upset three times, for example. While upsets are rare they are too exciting — and potentially profitable — to ignore. This year’s playoff picture seems relatively straight forward with some great teams and some underwhelming ones. As with most years I am not expecting a lot of upsets in the first round of the NBA playoffs, but there are a few that could happen. Here are three potential upsets that could happen this year:

NBA Picks: Spurs at Lakers Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 4/12/2011

It’s the final NBA on TNT doubleheader of the regular season tonight. It looks like two nice matchups on paper, but in reality three of the four teams have zilch to play for this evening. But thanks to a recent slide, the Lakers still do and now can’t really rest their starters like they probably would want to. Actually, to say that the Spurs have nothing to play for isn’t totally accurate: They have the West’s top seed locked up, but are just one game ahead of the Chicago Bulls for the overall No. 1 seed in the NBA playoffs. But they aren’t really thinking about that.