NBA Handicapping Articles

2010-11 Sacramento Kings NBA Picks with Futures Odds and Betting Preview
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 10/9/2010

The Sacramento Kings have made it clear what path they are going to take to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2006. The path is through the NBA Draft, and the players who could possibly take them there is the potential inside-outside power combination of Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins.

NBA Picks: Memphis Grizzlies Predictions with Futures Odds and Betting Preview
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 10/9/2010

The offseason is a time to incite hope amongst a fan base used to losing, but the perennial-losing Grizzlies showed why they have been stuck in a rut ever since expansion in 1995. A botched run at free agency, cheap contract negotiations, watching valuable players leave and overspending on players have left Memphis fans with an even worse-than-usual outlook of this season. When it came to throwing around money this offseason the Memphis Grizzlies could not make up their mind.

2010-11 New Orleans Hornets NBA Picks with Predictions with Futures Odds
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 10/9/2010

Despite trade winds blowing and rumors circulating, Chris Paul is still the point guard of the New Orleans Hornets and that, at the very least, ensures the relevancy of the franchise. The team was clearly not big enough for two sensational point guards, but it was Darren Collison who was dealt away instead of Paul, the clear franchise player.

NBA Picks: Dallas Mavericks Predictions with Futures Odds and Betting Preview
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 10/8/2010

The Mavericks are about as safe of a bet as there is to reach the postseason as they’ve done it 10 years in a row. They are also a pretty safe bet to fizzle out in the first round; they’ve done that three out of the last four years. Regardless of their postseason shortcomings since a trip to the NBA Finals in 2006, the Mavericks are once again looked at as a contender in the Western Conference for two reasons: Dirk Nowitzki’s jump shot and Mark Cuban’s wallet.

2010-11 Houston Rockets NBA Picks with Futures Odds and Betting Predictions
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 10/8/2010

This season is all about getting off on the right foot, which for the Rockets is actually the left foot of Yao Ming. The franchise has relied less on their 30-year-old, 7-foot-6, franchise center in recent years, but the team is still centered around the big man and his surgically repaired left foot.

2010-11 Philadelphia 76ers NBA Picks with Futures Odds and Betting Preview
by Christopher G. Shepard - 10/8/2010

The Philadelphia 76ers missed the playoffs for the first time in two years last season. The Sixers players never meshed with Head Coach Eddie Jordan’s Princeton offense and they sputtered mightily, gasping to a 27-55 record in 2009-10. This year the Sixers start the season with a new GM, Rod Thorn, who is perhaps best known for bringing Michael Jordan to the Chicago Bulls.

NBA Picks: 2010-11 Los Angeles Lakers Predictions and Preview with Futures Odds
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 10/8/2010

The media storm around the Miami Heat all offseason could not have been better news for the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers. Not only are the Lakers being somehow overlooked for a team who has reached three consecutive NBA Finals, but Kobe Bryant and company are coming into the year with a chip on their collective shoulders as all the attention is on the Miami Heat trio.

NBA Picks: 2010-11 Phoenix Suns Futures Odds and Betting Predictions
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 10/8/2010

The Suns were one missing piece away from a trip to the NBA Finals last season. They reached the Western Conference Finals and pushed the Lakers to six games, but they came up short yet again. After the playoff push the Suns appeared to be a contender again this year to unseat the Lakers, but Amare Stoudemire had other plans.

2010-11 New York Knicks NBA Picks with Futures Odds and Betting Predictions
by Christopher G. Shepard - 10/8/2010

The New York Knicks recorded their ninth consecutive losing season in 2009-10. As a result, General Manager Donnie Walsh cleaned house and the Knicks started the offseason with just four players under contract and tons of cap room, which they used to sign Amare Stoudemire.

2010-11 New Jersey Nets NBA Picks: Futures Odds and Betting Preview
by Christopher G. Shepard - 10/8/2010

The New Jersey Nets have put last year’s awful season behind them and will begin their 2010-11 campaign with a new owner, a new head coach, and at some point a new arena in Brooklyn. If there is cause for optimism for the Nets it can be directly attributed to the swagger and deep pockets that Mikhail Prophorov has brought with his ownership team.

2010-11 NBA Picks: Toronto Raptors Futures Odds and Betting Predictions
by Christopher G. Shepard - 10/8/2010

The Toronto Raptors missed the playoffs by one game last year, traded their franchise player, Chris Bosh, to the Miami Heat, and brought in seven new players to start their 2010-11 season. Without the marquee star power of Bosh the Raptors have compensated with young players, and extra cap-space, in a developmental/rebuilding year.

2010-11 Boston Celtics NBA Picks with Futures Betting Odds
by Christopher G. Shepard - 10/7/2010

Last season the Boston Celtics lost in Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers. As heartbreaking the loss was for Boston, it was clear that the Celtics sorely missed Kevin Garnett in the lineup. Now that KG is healthy and has a big 'Green Leprechaun' in Shaquille O’Neal to help crash the glass, there is cautious optimism in Boston that the Celtics will again return to the NBA Finals.

2010-11 NBA Picks: Los Angeles Clippers Futures Odds and Betting Predictions
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 10/7/2010

When you finish last almost every season like the Los Angeles Clippers do, the following season always seems to hinge on the prized lottery pick. This year the Clippers have two: Blake Griffin and Eric Bledsoe. Griffin, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, missed all of last season with a preseason injury, but he is healthy now and joins Bledsoe as two contenders for Rookie of the Year.

2010-11 NBA Picks: Golden State Warriors Basketball Futures Odds for Betting
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 10/7/2010

As years continue to pass by from Golden State’s improbable six-game upset of No. 1 seed Dallas in 2007, the feat continues to look more and more like a fluke. The Warriors have not come close to achieving anything quite like what they did in the 2006-07 postseason. Since the playoff run they have watched their win total drop from 48 to 29 and to 26 last season, their lowest in seven seasons.

2010-11 Indiana Pacers Predictions with NBA Futures Odds and Betting Picks
by Aaron Smith - 10/6/2010

The Indiana Pacers have now gone four straight years without reaching the playoffs. The 2009-2010 Pacers finished 32-50, which was their worst record since 1989. The front office has been planning ahead for the 2011-12 season for quite some time, since they have many contracts coming off the books after this year. Fans are holding out hope that the future will be brighter. This appears to be a season where a transition to better things may begin, but the progress will likely be fairly slow.

2010-11 Denver Nuggets Predictions with NBA Futures Odds and Betting Picks
by Aaron Smith - 10/2/2010

The Denver Nuggets have as much uncertainty surrounding them as any team in the NBA right now. This was a very good team the past couple years, but will they be as good in 2010-11? There are many question marks that make you wonder if they can remain one of the top teams in the Western Conference. One can only hope that George Karl is able to be on the sidelines all year, as the NBA needs a solid coach like him. Karl is 278-172 in his time as head coach of the Nuggets. This team will be scrutinized more than ever this year, and the rumors are bound to continue. They must be prepared to fight through the distractions.

2010-11 Portland Trail Blazers Predictions with NBA Futures Odds and Betting Picks
by Aaron Smith - 9/30/2010

The Portland Trail Blazers would prefer to forget all about last year and just start out completely new in 2010-2011. It isn’t that Portland had a terrible season last year. In fact, they were able to win 50 games and make the playoffs. The forgettable part of last season was the fact that they dealt with more injuries than any other team in the Northwest Division. Only two players from their entire roster were available for all 82 games last year. Portland fans can only hope that this year’s team will be much healthier.

2010-11 Minnesota Timberwolves Predictions with NBA Futures Odds and Betting Picks
by Aaron Smith - 9/28/2010

The 2009-10 Minnesota Timberwolves were absolutely terrible. There really isn’t any other way to put it when a team finishes the season 15-67. The Timberwolves have some nice young talent on the team, but they have struggled mightily to defend against solid teams. Minnesota gave up an astonishing 107.8 points per game. That was bad enough to rank as the second worst defense in the NBA. It also isn’t a bit helpful when you lead the league in turnovers, at 16.3 per game, as the Timberwolves did last year. This is a team that has a lot of work to do if they want to contend in the Northwest Division.

2010-11 Oklahoma City Thunder Predictions with NBA Futures Odds and Betting Picks
by Aaron Smith - 9/24/2010

The Oklahoma City Thunder were probably the biggest surprise in the entire NBA last season as they went from winning 23 games in 2008-2009 to a record of 50-32 last year. It wasn’t a surprise that this team got better, but the pace at which they improved shocked just about everyone. It all starts and ends with Kevin Durant, who is quickly becoming one of the best players in the NBA. The Thunder gave the Lakers all they could handle in their first round playoff series. It was no fluke that this team won 50 games last year.

2010-11 Utah Jazz Predictions with NBA Futures Odds and Betting Picks
by Aaron Smith - 9/21/2010

The Utah Jazz had a nice season last year, but they just can’t get over the hump when they play the Los Angeles Lakers. Still, any team that finishes 53-29 has to consider their season quite successful. Deron Williams had a terrific postseason, and the Jazz greatly improved their play on the road, which has been a big problem for them in the past. A team coached by Jerry Sloan is always going to be fundamentally sound, and they will definitely always run the pick-and-roll as well as anyone in the league.