NBA Handicapping Articles

NBA Handicapping: Hot or Cold Report
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 1/13/2010

For a 23-13 team the Spurs have had some struggles on the road. They are 6-7 away from the AT&T Center. But at closer look the Spurs are actually 5-2 ATS in their last seven road games. The Spurs are ready to embark on a short four-game road swing. Playing in San Antonio in the often-used AT&T Center the Spurs are used to getting on the road for these road trips. Last year in their longest road trip of the season the Spurs went 5-3 SU and 6-2 ATS.

24 Seconds Around the NBA
by Nolan Sinclair with Robert Ferringo - 1/6/2010

As many of you already know Gilbert Arenas has gotten himself into hot water with the NBA for his actions in a locker room tiff in which guns were involved. He has stated that the gun was for a “joke” to be played on a teammate. Wow! That Gilbert is one funny guy.

NBA Handicapping: Hot or Cold Report
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 12/29/2009

The NBA’s third best team against the spread (18-11 ATS) has the potential to get even hotter against the number as the new decade arrives. The Thunder have finally figured out how to play on the road as evidenced by their 117-113 win at Phoenix and their competitive three-point loss against the Lakers on the road as 10-point underdogs.

24 Seconds Around the NBA
by Nolan Sinclair (with Robert Ferringo) - 12/28/2009

We’re entering the dog days of the NBA schedule. The excitement of the season opening has completely worn off and there is nary a thought of postseason runs. Also, with the books more focused on the NFL, college football’s bowl season, and college basketball there is also a chance for some big NBA profits and finding the occasional weak NBA line.

NBA Handicapping: Hot or Cold Report
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 12/17/2009

With temperatures dropping around the country, the Hot or Not report gets a little colder, too. It is becoming easier and easier to find teams struggling to cover and harder and harder to find teams getting hot around this time of the year but here are two:

24 Seconds Around the NBA
by Nolan Sinclair (with Robert Ferringo) - 12/8/2009

The Bulls are looking to trade Tyrus Thomas and the New York Knicks are possible suitors. News is that Al Harrington would be involved. As a Knick fan I would hope that there is more to this discussion because the Knicks would be losing their best scoring option for a guy that has never lived up to his potential as the No. 4 overall draft pick.

Six Reasons To Be Optimistic About the Nets
by T.O. Whenham - 12/4/2009

Here's a controversial statement - the New Jersey Nets are an extremely bad team. Shocking, I know, but I stand behind it. They have leapt out of the gate with a whimper, setting an all-time record for futility by going 0-18 to start the season.

NBA Handicapping: Hot or Cold Report
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 12/3/2009

The NBA’s best team against the spread did a lot to shake off a few bandwagon jumpers this past week by losing three of four games. After an unexpected 11-2 start that caught everyone in the NBA off guard, Vegas wised up and started making the Hawks favorites regardless of who they were playing or were they were playing.

NBA Handicapping: Brandon Jennings Making Immediate Impact
by T.O. Whenham - 11/20/2009

So, imagine if this is what an NBA player did over a four-game stretch: he starts out with a 32-point, nine-assist outing, then posts 55 points, he bounces back from that showing with 25 points, eight assists and seven boards, and then finishes up with 19 points and eight assists. Not bad, right?

NBA Division Winner Predictions
by Hunter Price - 11/20/2009

We are now just about one month into the NBA season, and while it may seem early to start looking back at what has transpired this season, now is the time to look for real trends and adjust our thinking so that the oddsmakers don't catch us sleeping on some of their NBA lines.

NBA Handicapping: Hot or Cold Report
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 11/18/2009

The easiest schedule in the NBA thus far has resulted in records of 3-7 straight up and 5-5 against the spread. Golden State had to get off to a better start with a light early season slate but that did not happen and the blame falls squarely on the defense. It is ranked last in the league in points per game and three-point shooting defense and second to last in the game in field-goal shooting defense.

24 Seconds Around the NBA
by Robert Ferringo and Nolan Sinclair - 11/18/2009

Did any of you watch Bucks rookie Brandon Jennings score 55 against the Golden State Warriors? I did, and what was most impressive was that he didn’t score a point in the first quarter. I am sure you can do basic math and realize that he put up an average of just more than 18 points a quarter from that point on. Can you say “Rookie of the Year”? It’s early, but I think I can.

Byron Scott Fired from New Orleans Hornets
by T.O. Whenham - 11/12/2009

No league has a coaching revolving door that spins faster than the NBA, and this year it only took nine games for the door to start spinning. Byron Scott has been fired as the head coach of the New Orleans Hornets after his team limped out of the gate with a 3-6 start. General manager Jeff Bower will wear a second hat and take over as head coach of the team. Tim Floyd, the disgraced former coach of USC who just keeps getting jobs, will be Bower's top assistant.

Best NBA Teams Against the Spread
by T.O. Whenham - 11/11/2009

It's very early in the NBA season, but already some teams have proven themselves to be better performers against the spread than others. Of the 30 teams in the league, only 12 have been profitable ATS on the season so far, and six of those teams have generated less than two units of profit. Here's a look at the six elite ATS teams through the first couple of weeks of NBA action

NBA Handicapping: Phoenix Suns Back?
by T.O. Whenham - 11/6/2009

The Phoenix Suns didn't come into the season with high expectations. That's an understatement. They lost to Orlando Wednesday night, but not before they had won their first four games, and looked more than a little competent doing it.

24 Seconds Around the NBA
by Robert Ferringo and Nolan Sinclair - 11/2/2009

The NBA is finally here and a few things have caught my eye as the first few jump balls hit the air. One, the good teams are really good. And two, the bad teams are really bad. If this sounds at all familiar I know why: it is just like the NFL this season. But we'll have to wait and see if double-digit favorites will have as much success on the hardwood as they have had on the gridiron.

Potential NBA Surprise Teams
by T.O. Whenham - 10/27/2009

With the NBA season firing up, now is a good time to think about our expectations for the teams for the season. It's not very interesting at the top end - we know that the Lakers, Spurs, Cavs, Celtics, Magic and the like are going to be more than solid, and that everyone else is going to play catch-up.

NBA Betting Tutorial for the Casual Fan
by T.O. Whenham - 10/27/2009

After a long summer, the NBA gets underway again this week. For those of you who are hardcore fans and bettors of the league these are happy times. I, too, am happy to have it back, but the league doesn't particularly change my life. I'll put it this way - it would kill me to go 10 minutes without knowing what's going on on a college football Saturday, but as long as I check the NBA scores every day or two I'm fine.

Tuesday TNT NBA Preview: Boston at Cleveland
by Robert Ferringo - 10/27/2009

I know that Orlando is the defending conference champion. But that was last year and this is this year. And when the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers take the court at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Quicken Loans Arena in the NBA season opener it will be a matchup of the two favorites to represent the East in the NBA Finals. Cleveland and Boston were the top two seeds in the East last year as is, and some key summer pickups have bolstered both squads.

NBA Handicapping: Hot or Cold Report
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 10/26/2009

The NBA season tips off Tuesday night when the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers square off. Entering the 2009-10 NBA season, Doc’s Sports will look at teams that can start off strong in terms of betting and ones that might be tough to cash a ticket on in the early going. This regular column will be posted every other week during the NBA season.