NBA Handicapping Articles

NBA Handicapping: Cavs land Jamison Instead of Stoudemire
by T.O. Whenham - 2/18/2010

We had heard for the last couple of weeks that the Cleveland Cavaliers were looking to make a significant deal to strengthen their chances of taking home the title, so it came as no surprise when they actually did it. What was very surprising, though, was that the principal player in the deal was Antawn Jamison and not Amare Stoudemire. The deal with Phoenix for Stoudemire had been talked about so long that it seemed inevitable, but for some reason - or more likely a combination of several factors - the Cavs lost patience with that deal and went with Jamison instead.

NBA Handicapping: First Half Trends
by Nolan Sinclair with Robert Ferringo - 2/16/2010

The NBA Season is a little more than half over but we still have ample opportunity to beat our local books for some late-winter cash. As All-Star weekend leads into The Stretch Run it’s time to take a close look at some of the best betting trends of the first half of the season.

24 Seconds Around the NBA
by Nolan Sinclair with Robert Ferringo - 2/16/2010

The first “half” of the NBA season is in the books and now we’re into Money Time. The stretch run is quite pronounced in the NBA season and over the next couple months it’s going to be an all-out scramble as teams try to find their way into the Second Season.

NBA Against The Spread First-Half Trends
by Matt Severance - 2/15/2010

It’s not really accurate to call the NBA’s pre-All-Star Break the first half of the season because teams have played about 65 percent of their NBA schedule so far, but the break is an obvious time to see what against the spread trends have developed so far.

NBA Skills Competition Predictions
by T.O. Whenham - 2/12/2010

The best part of the NBA All-Star Weekend comes not on Sunday with the game, but on Saturday with the skills competition. On that day the Slam Dunk Contest is the marquee event, but the three point shootout and the point guard skills contest are often more interesting, and the team shooting challenge can have its moments as well. Here's a betting preview of the Saturday events other than the Slam Dunk Contest:

NBA All-Star Game Betting Predictions
by T.O. Whenham - 2/12/2010

All you men out there take note - I guarantee that there is absolutely nothing the special lady in your life would rather do on Valentine's Day than watch a meaningless basketball exhibition. Lucky for you there happens to be one of those on TV right there in prime time on Sunday night. She will love you forever!

NBA Handicapping: Hot or Cold Report
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 2/12/2010

The NBA All-Star Game is not the midway point of the season, that has already happened, but for all intents and purposes whatever happens from tip-off at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday up until the playoffs will be considered another part to the season. Who will emerge from the All-Star Break hot and poised to make a run to the playoffs and who will never snap out of the winter break?

NBA Handicapping: Celtics Struggles
by T.O. Whenham - 2/5/2010

Two seasons ago the Boston Celtics were as dominant as a team can be en route to an impressive NBA title. Their big three players and the complementing pieces around them were perfectly suited to the pursuit of an NBA title. Last year wasn't quite the same as the year before, but many people clearly expected the Celtics to reclaim their past magic this year - they were 2-1 to win the NBA Championship heading into this season.

NBA Handicapping: Offense or Defense Key to Betting Success?
by T.O. Whenham - 1/28/2010

Offense or defense? That's the question. If you spend any time at all watching the NBA then chances are that you prefer one over the other - the potential explosiveness of offense, or the strategic determination of defense. But what about from a betting perspective?

NBA Handicapping: Hot or Cold Report
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 1/28/2010

Finally playing with a sense of urgency, the Toronto Raptors have been one of the hottest teams in the league. They are in the midst of a 13-5 SU and 12-6 ATS run and have climbed to fifth in the Eastern Conference. The impressive thing about that feat is that the Raptors have done it against a challenging stretch of their schedule.

Handicapping NBA Road Trips
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 1/27/2010

Rodeos, the circus or Disney on Ice can all play a factor in an NBA team’s fortunes. These events can book an arena for up to two weeks at a time and send NBA teams on the dreaded extended road trip to the other side of the country. Every sport has its road trips that send West Coast teams to the East Coast and vice versa but in the NBA these long road trips seem to make good teams bad and bad teams worse and they can often can make or break a season.

NBA Trade Rumors
by T.O. Whenham - 1/27/2010

Thursday, Feb. 18 is a day that looms particularly large in the NBA this year. That's this year's trade deadline. The trade deadline isn't as significant in the NBA as it is in some sports, but with the looming 2010 free agency windfall and the impact the struggling economy is having on several teams this means that this trade deadline could be busier than normal, and could see some significant players on the move.

24 Seconds Around the NBA
by Nolan Sinclair with Robert Ferringo - 1/26/2010

Dwyane Wade threw an absolutely terrible behind-the-back pass, up one with less than 10 seconds to play, and LeBron James stole the ball. The two went flying down the floor and went crashing to the floor as Wade fouled James – hard - on the ensuing layup. As both men laid on the floor the announcers on NBA TV were swooning over how both men were down, how Wade turned an ankle, how James made such an impressive steal, and how he was hit “so” hard on the layup. Basically, it was if Rocky and Apollo had knocked each other to the mat and the ref was counting out, waiting for one man to rise and claim the victory.

NBA Handicapping: Teams Better Than Record Would Indicate
by T.O. Whenham - 1/21/2010

We're pretty much halfway through the NBA season. That means that it's a good time to take a step back and assess where we are at, and what we might be able to expect for the second half of the year. One thing I like to do at this time of year is to look for teams that are playing better than their record indicates.

24 Seconds Around the NBA
by Nolan Sinclair with Robert Ferringo - 1/19/2010

After a nice, full, healthy day of NBA basketball on Martin Luther King Jr. Day I feel like the pro league has turned the corner on the season. Most teams have already turned the halfway pole on their year. Teams are coming out of the “dog days of winter” and now they are really starting to look at where they are, where they want to be, and how they want to get there. The ballin’ and the bettin’ is about to step up a notch

The "Should Be" NBA All-Star Game Roster
by Nolan Sinclair - 1/19/2010

With the NBA All-Star Game coming up soon I feel it is my duty to inform all of you what the starting line-ups for the Eastern Conference and Western Conference should look like. Of course, because the fans vote the teams I’ve listed below won’t be near what the starting lineup will be on Sunday, Feb. 14 in Dallas at Cowboys Stadium.

NBA Handicapping: Road Success Doesn’t Equal Betting Success
by T.O. Whenham - 1/14/2010

I'm a fan of the NBA, but it's not a sport that I follow as closely as others, and I don't handicap it very often. When there are sports that I'm not avidly following I find that I like to have little rules in my mind that I can use to quickly get a sense of how a team is performing - a snapshot of where they are at.

NBA Handicapping: Effects of Gilbert Arenas Suspension
by T.O. Whenham - 1/14/2010

Gilbert Arenas is a talented basketball player. He's also a freaking idiot. By now you've heard all about Arenas' antics with guns, his gambling debts, and his suspension, so there isn't much to add on that front. What we do need to look at, though, is the betting impact of Arenas' long term suspension on the Washington Wizards.

NBA Studs and Duds Against the Spread
by T.O. Whenham - 1/13/2010

We are almost halfway through the NBA season, so this is a good time for us to assess which teams are standing out from a betting perspective, and which ones have been particularly frustrating. Here, then, are the teams that have been studs against the spread, those that have been duds, and the biggest surprise and disappointment.

Oklahoma City Thunder Among NBA’s Best ATS
by T.O. Whenham - 1/13/2010

The Oklahoma City Thunder are one of the most pleasant surprises of the NBA season. We knew that they were going to be a team to watch in the coming years, but even the most optimistic fan has to admit that they are ahead of schedule right now. If the playoffs were to start today the Thunder would secure the No. 7 spot in the West.