NBA Handicapping Articles

Lakers at Clippers Picks with NBA Betting Odds
by Alan Matthews - 1/3/2013

Once a team sees a long winning streak ended, it often goes into a mini-funk – it’s simply hard to keep up the intensity night after night in the NBA (or NHL or MLB for that matter). And such appears to have happened to the Los Angeles Clippers, who have a killer schedule this week.

Spurs at Knicks Picks and NBA Betting Odds
by Alan Matthews - 1/2/2013

There is no NBA doubleheader on TNT this Thursday, I presume in deference to the Fiesta Bowl between Oregon and Kansas State. But I wanted to get you your weekly Thursday NBA fix, with a potential NBA Finals preview between the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks the marquee game of the night. On Sportsbook.ag, the Knicks are +1000 to win the NBA title and +350 second-favorites behind Miami to win the East. San Antonio is +700 to win the championship and a +350 third-favorite behind the Thunder and Clippers to win the Western Conference.

NBA Handicapping: Any Chance Lakers Miss Playoffs?
by Trevor Whenham - 1/2/2013

On New Year’s Day the Lakers lost to the Sixers to fall one game below .500 — 15-16. It’s obviously a whole long way from where they imagined they would be at the start of the season after totally overhauling their roster. There are signs of progress, though. Steve Nash is back, and the team has won six of their last eight. Despite their woes, they are also just a game and a half out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. So, is this team heading to the playoffs? I’m certainly not betting against it, though the road won’t be easy. Let’s take a look at the challenges and opportunities:

NBA Betting Trends: Hot and Cold Teams Against the Point Spread
by Aaron Smith - 12/28/2012

Momentum is a powerful force, and over the course of a long season it can change numerous times. If you can catch an NBA team that is playing with a ton of confidence, they can really get on a heck of a streak covering the number. If you aren’t already keeping track of who has the momentum, you should probably start keeping an eye on it. Doc’s Sports will be presenting an NBA Hot and Cold Report every two weeks this year to help you stay ahead of the game. Please note that statistics in this initial report are from games played between Dec.13 and Dec. 26.

NBA Picks: Celtics at Clippers Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 12/26/2012

OK, so did the world end as the Mayans predicted on 12/21/12? I only ask because the Los Angeles Clippers – the Clippers! – have the NBA’s best overall record at 22-6 and are on a whopping 14-game winning streak, tied for the second-longest in the league in the past five seasons. Yep, I am looking out my window and there are pigs flying. It is the first time in franchise history the Clippers have the NBA’s best winning percentage after 15 games.

NBA Picks: Thunder vs. Heat Odds and Betting Predictions
by Dave Schwab - 12/25/2012

It will be a Holiday treat in the NBA this Tuesday afternoon when the Oklahoma City Thunder clash with the Miami Heat at the American Airlines Arena in a rematch of last season’s NBA Finals. The game is set to tip at 5:30 p.m. (ET) and it will be broadcast nationally on ABC.

NBA Picks: Jazz at Heat Odds and Betting Predictions
by Dave Schwab - 12/21/2012

The Utah Jazz’s current four-game road trip east takes them to South Beach this Saturday night for the first of two season matchups against the defending champion Miami Heat. This game is set to tip off at 7:30 p.m. (ET) and it will be available on NBA League Pass.

NBA Totals Betting: Handicapping Trends Report
by Aaron Smith - 12/21/2012

At Doc’s Sports, we like to take a closer look inside the numbers to help find valuable betting trends. The bi-weekly NBA Hot and Cold Report helps keep bettors up to date regarding the hot and cold teams as far as covering the number. Since totals are another great way to bet on the NBA, we decided to start a bi-weekly article which will track which teams are trending “over” and which teams are trending “under” versus the posted total. Over the course of the long season, some teams will change their style multiple times, so trends like these can be very useful.

NBA Picks: Thunder at Timberwolves Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 12/19/2012

Finally, no Lakers, Heat or Knicks in the TNT preview this week – only because I chose not to pick Miami again, with the Heat playing in the nightcap. This week it should be a very entertaining, up-and-down game between the red-hot Oklahoma City Thunder and the Minnesota Timberwolves, who recently welcomed Ricky Rubio back to the lineup. The Spanish sensation is still limited to 18-20 minutes a game off his major knee surgery and in fact won’t be playing the second of a back-to-back for a while. He sat out Tuesday’s loss in Miami after playing Monday in Orlando.

NBA Betting Trends: Hot and Cold Teams Against the Point Spread
by Aaron Smith - 12/14/2012

Most bettors know that the New York Knicks have been red hot of late and that the Los Angeles Lakers have been ice cold. Still, even the teams who don’t get as much coverage deserve to be looked at for signs of important trends. Hot and cold streaks are the norm in a long NBA season. Keeping track of the hot teams and cold teams can help you stay ahead of the curve when betting on the NBA. Doc’s Sports will be presenting an NBA Hot and Cold Report this year to help you stay ahead of the game. Please note that statistics in this initial report are from games played between Nov. 29 and Dec. 12.

NBA Handicapping: Jeremy Lin
by Trevor Whenham - 12/14/2012

I’m not sure that there has been a more interesting story in the NBA in a long time than Jeremy Lin. He was a total unknown who exploded onto the world scene and became a megastar almost overnight. Just as quickly, though, the hero worship turned into indifference, and then, in many circles, into varying levels of contempt.

NBA Handicapping: Golden State Road Warriors
by Trevor Whenham - 12/13/2012

It is now officially time to take notice of the Golden State Warriors. With their win last night over the Heat they have won five straight, they are firmly entrenched in a playoff spot, and are showing real signs of being able to stay there. Most impressive, all five wins have come on the road, and it’s the first time since 1979 that they have done that. For bettors the questions about a team in a situation like this are obvious: how have they been doing it, and can they keep doing it?

NBA Picks: Lakers at Knicks Betting Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 12/12/2012

Well, here I go previewing another matchup involving two more of the NBA’s marquee teams in the Lakers and Knicks. But here’s my reasoning this week even though I am about sick of talking about both those two: the TNT nightcap this week is San Antonio at Portland. It’s the second of a back-to-back for the Spurs and their third game already this week, all on the road. So it sure sounds like one of those times Gregg Popovich might rest one, two or all of his Big 3 of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker (the NBA would crucify him after last time).

NBA Picks: Knicks at Heat Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 12/6/2012

Before I preview this Thursday’s TNT opener between New York and Miami, I want to address the San Antonio Spurs and coach Gregg Popovich’s decision to send Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Danny Green home before the team traveled to Miami for last Thursday’s TNT game. You can argue whether Pop had the right to do whatever he wanted with his own team. I lean toward yes, but if I was a Spurs fan in South Florida and bought a $200 ticket I would of course be furious. As would I if I were a TNT executive or an advertiser who bought time during the game.

NBA Betting Trends: Hot and Cold Teams Against the Point Spread
by Aaron Smith - 11/30/2012

The NBA season is a long grind, and teams go through many hot and cold periods throughout the year. Keeping track of the hot teams and cold teams can help you stay ahead of the curve when betting on the NBA. Doc’s Sports will be presenting an NBA Hot and Cold Report this year to help you stay ahead of the game. Please note that statistics in this initial report are from games played between Nov. 15 and Nov. 28.

NBA Handicapping: Los Angeles Lakers Struggles
by Trevor Wenham - 11/29/2012

It’s early yet, but 7-8 is definitely not where the Lakers were supposed to be after 15 games. Not after they had invested so heavily in Dwight Howard and Steve Nash in the offseason to create their Big Four to overshadow Miami’s Big Three.

NBA Picks: San Antonio at Miami Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 11/28/2012

Let me say this right up front: I won’t always be doing the supposed “glamour” matchup in this year’s Thursday NBA on TNT preview stories. If I do, that means you are stuck with the same teams each week: Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, etc. This is, after all, a betting site, so if there’s a less attractive matchup that offers better value for bettors, I am going to lean that way in these previews.

NBA Handicapping: ATS Studs and Duds
by T.O. Whenham - 11/28/2012

It seems like the NBA season only just began, but we are already about 20 percent of the way through. That means that the sample size is now big enough that we can look at which teams have done well in covering spreads, which ones have struggled, and what we might learn from that. Here are the ATS studs and duds from the first month of the NBA season:

NBA Futures Betting: Updated Odds to Win Conference
by Dave Schwab - 11/27/2012

The 2012-13 NBA regular season is just about a month old. This makes it a good time to take a look how a few teams’ early play on the court has affected Bovada’s original odds for their chances to win their respective conference.

Handicapping the Worst NBA Teams
by T.O. Whenham - 11/21/2012

There is a dogfight atop the NBA right now, with several teams fighting to prove that they are elite contenders that have what it takes to go all the way in the playoffs. At the opposite end of the spectrum there are teams that are in a far more pathetic but almost as crowded fight to determine which team is absolutely the worst in the league — and will have the most ping pong balls in the draft lottery hopper as reward for their ineptness. So, which team is worst in the NBA right now? Let’s take a look: