NBA Handicapping Articles

NBA Odds: Thursday, December 10 2015 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 12/9/2015

I really don't know how much a Russian publication knows about the NBA, but there was a report over there that Nets coach Lionel Hollins is close to being fired -- of course, the Nets' owner is Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov. Not sure what would be the point of firing Hollins as the Nets wouldn't be any better if Phil Jackson was their coach. GM Billy King (now there's a guy who should be fired) gave his coach a vote of confidence on Tuesday. That's never a good thing. King did say he thinks the Nets will be active in trades; don't look for a move until after Dec. 15, when free agents who were signed during the offseason become eligible to be traded.

NBA Odds: Wednesday, December 9 2015 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 12/8/2015

It's about time that NBA commissioner Adam Silver stepped in and did something about the abomination that is the Philadelphia 76ers, and apparently the league office played a big role in Philly hiring Hall of Famer Jerry Colangelo as chairman of basketball operations on Monday. Finally, team ownership has wised up that the tanking plan by GM Sam Hinkie just wasn't working. Hinkie still has a job, but clearly some of his power is going to be taken away. The Sixers are 38-148 since Hinkie was hired in May 2013.

NBA Betting: Handicapping the Most Overrated ATS Teams
by George Monroy - 12/8/2015

If there is one thing we love to do as sports fans and bettors, it's to overrate teams and pump up storylines before they are even complete. That is the nature of this 24/7 social media cycle that we currently live in. Don't get us wrong, debating a player's impact or worth in real time is what makes sports so great. However, those habits can lead to fans and the media painting an incorrect picture of what a team is doing at the moment. For bettors, overrating and over-exaggerating can lead straight into our wallets. And does anyone want that?

NBA Odds: Tuesday, December 8 2015 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 12/7/2015

Should be a great matchup on Tuesday night in Indianapolis as the Pacers get their crack at handing the incredible Golden State Warriors their first loss of the season. A win would be the Warriors' 27th straight dating to last season, which would tie the 27-game run by LeBron James' 2012-13 Miami Heat as the second-longest of all-time.

NBA Betting Trends: Totals Report for Hot Over and Under Teams
by Aaron Smith - 12/4/2015

Are the Golden State Warriors going to lose a game this year? Of course they are, but it's still fun to talk about an unbeaten team in the NBA this late in the season. San Antonio has the second-best record in the NBA, and the Spurs have been extremely impressive thus far this season. There has been a lot of talk about Cleveland struggling this year, and LeBron James has talked about being disappointed with their effort a few times.

NBA Odds: Saturday, December 5 2015 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 12/4/2015

The Atlanta Hawks knew they were going to have a hole in their rotation entering 2015-16 because small forward DeMarre Carroll was going to be too expensive to re-sign as a free agent -- and he left for $60 million or so in Toronto. So the Hawks made what I thought was a pretty good trade on draft night, sending their first-round pick, guard Jerian Grant (No. 19 overall), to the New York Knicks for swingman Tim Hardaway Jr. You never know what rookies will be, especially picked that low in the first round. Hardaway, meanwhile, is just 23 years old and had averaged 11.5 points last season with the Knicks in only 24.0 minutes a night.

NBA Betting and Handicapping: Detailing Houston Rockets Struggles
by Trevor Whenham - 12/4/2015

The list of disappointing teams in the NBA is long this year. New Orleans. Philadelphia. Milwaukee. Washington. You could go on and on. The most disappointing, though, might be Houston. Viewed to be a real contender in the West, they have looked confused so far this year, and find themselves at just 8-11 - and have had to win three of their last four just to get to that underwhelming record.

NBA Odds: Friday, December 4 2015 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 12/3/2015

I don't want to call it a changing of the guard on Friday night in New Orleans, but it might be something in that ballpark when the Cavaliers visit the Pelicans. Golden State's Steph Curry most likely is going to win a second straight MVP award this season. Cleveland's LeBron James has won four of them but at his age might be done. He was the preseason betting favorite, however. Right behind him was New Orleans' Anthony Davis.

NBA Odds: Thursday, December 3 2015 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 12/2/2015

Interesting that the Boston Celtics are in Sacramento on Thursday because it's well known around the NBA that Celtics boss Danny Ainge covets Kings star center DeMarcus Cousins. And if there's one team that might convince the Kings to part with Cousins it could be Boston as it has some good young talent on the roster currently as well as potentially four first-round picks in the 2016 draft, including Brooklyn's unprotected pick that should be in the Top 3. Cousins and Coach George Karl haven't exactly been on the same page, although things have calmed down for now. But if the franchise does ever put Cousins on the market, my bet is he lands in Boston.

NBA Odds: Wednesday, December 2 2015 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 12/1/2015

My prediction for next NBA coach to be fired: Washington's Randy Wittman. And it might happen as soon as Thursday if the underachieving Wizards, who have been grumbling about their roles and the new offense, lose on Wednesday night at home to the horrid Los Angeles Lakers. Wittman was on thin ice entering last year's playoffs, but the Wizards reaching the conference semifinals saved him. Washington entered Tuesday's likely loss in Cleveland at 6-8. This was a team I thought could reach the East Finals this year.

NBA ATS: Comparing the Historic Chicago Bulls and the 2015 Golden State Warriors
by George Monroy - 12/1/2015

The Golden State Warriors pushed their historic start to the NBA season to 19 straight wins after early MVP favorite Stephen Curry hit a step-back 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter against the Utah Jazz. At this point, the Warriors just refuse to lose, which may have been the defining quality of those 72-10 Chicago Bulls. Both Phil Jackson and Steve Kerr have said on numerous occasions that there were five to 10 games during the season that Michael Jordan decided not to lose.

NBA Odds: Tuesday, December 1 2015 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 11/30/2015

Not sure there's been a more interesting game in NBA history between two such horrific teams as in Tuesday night's Los Angeles Lakers at Philadelphia 76ers matchup. The clubs have all of two wins between them, so it certainly could have lottery ramifications down the road if the teams finished tied for the NBA's worst record. But of more immediate relevance, the 76ers can set the NBA record with a 19th straight loss to open a season.

NBA Betting Advice: Fade or Follow Slumping Teams
by George Monroy - 11/30/2015

The only streak NBA fans seem to care about is the Golden State Warriors' historic 18-game winning streak to start the season. The defending NBA Champions certainly have been impressive, but there are many other storylines and streaks taking place in the rest of the league, particularly losing streaks or slumps, which are always something bettors should keep an eye on. Let's open the door into the ATS vault and take a look at the teams that are struggling to cover spreads and figure out the best way to wager on them over the next few weeks.

NBA Odds: Saturday, November 28 2015 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 11/27/2015

I know the Lakers' Kobe Bryant is one of the most competitive, proud players not just in the NBA currently but in league history. He's just like Michael Jordan in that regard. Thus, Kobe would never quit in the middle of his last season, but perhaps he should have during the Thanksgiving league-wide day off. Kobe is the worst player in the NBA right now, and it's not close. Sure, he's averaging a team-best 15.2 points per game, but he's last in overall field-goal percentage (.311) and 3-point percentage (.195) while being the NBA's highest-paid player.

NBA Odds: Friday, November 27 2015 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 11/26/2015

With the NBA going dark on Thanksgiving, it's a good time to catch up on updated BetOnline futures odds around The Association heading into a busy Black Friday schedule. The site has a prop on whether the Warriors will break the Bulls' record of 72 regular-season wins. That Golden State will win 72 or fewer is -700 and 73 or more +450. I still don't think it happens. Obviously the Warriors are title favorites at +175 with Cleveland next at +275.

NBA Betting Trends: Hot and Cold Teams Against the Point Spread
by Aaron Smith - 11/25/2015

We are almost a month into the NBA season, and the Golden State Warriors have yet to lose. They set an NBA record by starting 16-0. What's the ceiling for this team? They are definitely making things look very tough for the rest of the league. Having said that, don't be one of those people who practically hand the Warriors the trophy after a hot start. This is a really long season, and there are several quality teams who will have something to say about who wins it all this year.

NBA Odds: Wednesday, November 25 2015 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 11/24/2015

The Philadelphia 76ers are inching closer to that first win, losing their past two games by just five points each. But the Sixers just can't get over the hump and are 0-15. Might we be looking at the worst team in league history? The fewest wins in an 82-game NBA season is nine by the 1972-73 Sixers. That team also started 0-15.

NBA Handicapping: Betting on the Warriors First Loss
by George Monroy - 11/24/2015

The Golden State Warriors are on a quest for history, and Stephen Curry, along with the rest of the team's principle players, are not shying away from the prospect. The defending NBA champions spent the offseason catching flak from every basketball circle imaginable. Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc's Rivers said the Warriors "got lucky", while Charles Barkley, Dennis Rodman and multiple other players from the Michael Jordan era have knocked Golden State for being too soft or too much of a jump-shooting team.

NBA Odds: Tuesday, November 24 2015 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 11/23/2015

So what's the most unlikely NBA regular-season single-game result you can remember? I can recall one of the top of my head, and that was on Dec. 9, 2004, when Houston was down 10 points with 1:02 left against San Antonio but the Rockets' Tracy McGrady scored 13 points in the final 35 seconds, including the winning 3-pointer. One I didn't see but have heard about was on Nov. 18, 1972, when the New York Knicks trailed the Milwaukee Bucks 86-68 but scored 19 straight points in the final 5:11 to win at Madison Square Garden.

NBA Odds: Saturday, November 21 2015 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 11/20/2015

The Cleveland Cavaliers will be holding their breath on Friday as center Timofey Mozgov, who is probably the most important defensive player on the team as an excellent rim protector, is undergoing an MRI on his shoulder. He hurt his right shoulder Thursday in the first half and didn't return after playing only 11 minutes. Mozgov is still rounding himself into shape from offseason knee surgery. He came into Thursday's game averaging 8.5 points on 51.6 percent shooting and 5.0 rebounds. Tristan Thompson started the second half in his place. If Mozgov misses significant time, the Cavs would have to dust off Anderson Varejao, who barely plays these days.