NBA Handicapping Articles

NBA Odds and Predictions: Saturday, February 7 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 2/6/2015

The Orlando Magic fired coach Jacque Vaughn on Thursday, making Vaughn the second NBA coach canned this season after Sacramento's Mike Malone (the Kings made a huge mistake). Will there be a third to go during the season? Some of the coaches on the worst teams -- the Knicks' Derek Fisher, 76ers' Brett Brown, Lakers' Byron Scott and Timberwolves' Flip Saunders -- seem safe for various reasons.

NBA Handicapping: Trail Blazers Losing Their Momentum in the West
by Trevor Whenham - 2/6/2015

On Jan. 11 the Portland Trail Blazers won at the Lakers to move their record to 30-8. They were flying high. Since then they have doubled their loss total, dropping eight of 12. Golden State was 29-5 back on the 11th and was in a dogfight with Portland. The Warriors haven’t quit winning, though, and are now seven games ahead of the Blazers. Portland was once in a race to win the West. Now they have to be more worried about holding off the Clippers and Mavs — both just a half game behind — and keep the right to a home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

NBA Odds and Predictions: Friday, February 6 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 2/5/2015

You know how when the NBA releases its schedule in the summer that sites like ESPN or SI.com or NBA.com come out with a list of Top 10 games? Those are usually dead on because there are so few surprise teams in the Association. You pretty much know who will be a title contender. Well, I guarantee you that Friday's Golden State at Atlanta matchup wasn't on any Top 10 list, but it's the clear game of the season thus far -- and sadly not on national television.

NBA Odds and Predictions: Thursday, February 5 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 2/4/2015

Before this season began, my NBA Finals predicted matchups was L.A. Clippers against Cleveland Cavaliers. That still may happen, and is priced at +2100 on Sportsbook.ag, but I'm much more confident about the red-hot Cavaliers making it there than the Clippers. It's not that L.A. isn't a good team, but that the West is so tough. The Clips could win 55 games and not even get home-court advantage in a series. Thursday is the final meeting between the teams during the regular season. Here's a look at the four games on the schedule.

NBA Betting: Correlation Between Team Age and ATS Record
by George Monroy - 2/4/2015

The NBA is a sport that is based on age and experience. Young teams simply do not win titles, and those battle-tested squads with multiple playoffs wins and disappointments seem to be the ones that break through every June. The San Antonio Spurs won their fifth title in a 16-year span last season, while the Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers—all playoff-hardened veteran teams—have been the only other squads to win a championship in the last decade.

NBA Odds and Predictions: Wednesday, February 4 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 2/3/2015

Many times after a long winning streak ends, a team will go into a little funk. It's human nature to feel a little deflated and perhaps have your intensity drop for a few games. Thus it might be wise to bet against the Atlanta Hawks for a couple of games as their franchise-record 19-game winning streak ended Monday night. The Hawks' next three games are all against NBA title contenders as well, including Wednesday vs. Washington. Here's a look at that and the rest of Wednesday's schedule.

Tracking the Wizards: NBA Picks and Handicapping for Washington Basketball
by Dave Schwab - 2/3/2015

Washington will try and make up some ground in the Southeast title race this Wednesday night against the first-place Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena. Game time for this division matchup is set for 7:30 p.m. (ET), and the game will be available on NBA League Pass.

NBA Handicapping: Bad Teams with Good ATS Records
by George Monroy - 2/3/2015

Handicapping NBA basketball games can be a bit deceiving. Good teams do not necessarily cover the most spreads, and bad teams do not necessarily cover the least. ATS success is often determined by a group’s reputation amongst the media, bettors and the general public. Squads like the Cleveland Cavaliers, who brought three superstars together during the offseason, will always get the lion’s share of the media attention, which will eventually skew the spreads they receive on a nightly basis.

NBA Odds and Predictions: Tuesday, February 3 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 2/2/2015

The Portland Trail Blazers have to be thrilled to be home. They just finished a four-game road trip winless, although not 0-4. That's because one game was snowed out. The Blazers are one of the toughest teams to beat at home with a 20-5 mark. The only clubs with fewer home losses are Atlanta and Golden State, the two conference leaders. Here's a look at Portland's game vs. Utah and the rest of Tuesday's schedule. Heat-Pistons and Jazz-Blazers are both nationally televised on NBA TV.

NBA Odds and Predictions: Friday, January 30 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 1/29/2015

I have the NBA League Pass, and I'll watch just about any game that's televised. However, a game arrives on Friday night that I'm not sure I would even bother with if it was the only game of the night -- that's not to say it can't be good betting value, however. That would be Minnesota at Philadelphia, teams that have a combined record of 17-74. Believe it or not, this could be important down the line in terms of which team gets the most ping-pong balls in the 2015 draft lottery in May. Here's a look at that matchup and the rest on Friday night.

NBA Odds and Predictions: Thursday, January 29 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 1/28/2015

It's the usual TNT doubleheader on Thursday night, but they look to be two mismatches on paper when Denver visits Memphis and the Chicago is at the L.A. Lakers. If you are big on the NBA All-Star Game, make sure to watch the pre-game show that starts on TNT at 7 p.m. ET. That's when the All-Star reserves will be announced. There are some interesting decisions to be made for sure, perhaps none more than Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant. He has missed more than half the season. So will Western Conference coach Steve Kerr take him? I say yes. Here's a look at every game on Thursday's schedule.

NBA Division Odds: Teams with the Best Betting Value
by George Monroy - 1/28/2015

The NBA All-Star break is roughly two weeks away, and with the season already past its halfway mark now is the perfect time to revisit the each division’s updated futures odds and figure out if there is any value in wagering on or against a team to win its division. All odds come from Sportsbook.ag.

NBA Handicapping: Younger and Older Squads Back-to-Back Analysis
by George Monroy - 1/28/2015

Situational handicapping can be an excellent way to approach your NBA betting on a nightly basis. Most nights picking a winner involves aspects outside of what actually happens on the court—scheduling, travel and a team’s mindset are all things that should come into play when handicapping an NBA squad. Expert bettors love to focus in on teams playing during the second night of a back-to-back in order to take advantage of fatigue problems or even a lack of motivation.

NBA Odds and Predictions: Wednesday, January 28 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 1/27/2015

Charlotte's playoff chances took a hit when star point guard Kemba Walker announced on Monday that he was going to have left knee surgery to repair a torn lateral meniscus. Walker is averaging 18.8 points and 5.2 assists in 35.6 minutes per game, leading the team in those categories. The Hornets are hoping he misses only six weeks and thus could return late in the regular season. The team is looking at trade options, with reports saying the Hornets are targeting someone like the Kings' Ramon Sessions or Miami's Norris Cole.

NBA Odds and Predictions: Tuesday, January 27 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 1/26/2015

Certainly a game I have been looking forward to for weeks arrives on Tuesday night in what I still think has a good shot of being an NBA Finals preview as the Bulls visit the Warriors for the only time this season. Golden State has looked like the West's best all season, while Chicago has been up-and-down since the calendar flipped to 2015. A Bulls-Warriors NBA Finals is priced at +1000 on Sportsbook.ag. Here's a look at every game on Tuesday's schedule.

Tracking the Wizards: NBA Picks and Handicapping for Washington Basketball
by Dave Schwab - 1/26/2015

I have spent the first half of the NBA season exclusively handicapping the Washington Wizards. While the record for my free weekly picks for their games with the use of Doc’s Sports Unit Betting System sits at 5-7-1 on the year, I am still committed to the theory that specialization when it comes to wagering on the NBA is a viable betting strategy.

NBA Odds and Predictions: Saturday, January 24 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 1/23/2015

Terrible news for the Portland Trail Blazers in that All-Star power forward LaMarcus Aldridge will miss 6-8 weeks with a ligament tear in his left thumb. I suppose on the bright side it means he should be back for the final month of the regular season, but in the incredibly deep West you want home-court advantage in the playoffs as long as possible. The Blazers are currently tied for second in the West, but I think this injury will send them outside the Top 4 by the time all is said and done.

NBA Odds and Predictions: Friday, January 23 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 1/22/2015

The Atlanta Hawks can set a franchise record with their 15th straight victory Friday night in a terrific matchup against a Thunder team starting to play to pre-injury expectations but also off a draining victory. The Hawks are only the third Eastern Conference team in the last 30 seasons to have won 28 games during a 30-game stretch in a season. The previous two -- the 2012-13 Heat and 1995-96 Bulls -- won the NBA title. Here's a look at that matchup, which sadly isn't on national TV, and every game on Friday.

NBA Betting Trends: Hot and Cold Teams Against the Point Spread
by Aaron Smith - 1/22/2015

It's time for the fifth edition of the NBA Hot and Cold Report here at Doc's Sports. Remember when everyone thought Cleveland would be the beast of the Eastern Conference this year? The Cavaliers are starting to play better now that they have a healthy LeBron James back, but the Cavs are a whopping 12 games behind the Atlanta Hawks. Atlanta is 35-8 overall on the year,

NBA Handicapping: Memphis Grizzlies Odds to win Western Conference
by George Monroy - 1/22/2015

A new era is dawning in the NBA’s Western Conference. Gone are the days when the west was ruled by the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs—even though one of those crafty old veteran squads is still competing for titles—and in their place is a conference that is 10 teams deep and run by a group of young players that are more interested in playing team basketball than running isolation sets that lead to bad shots.