NBA Handicapping Articles

Free NBA Picks: Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 2/15/2017

Two things happened around the NBA Tuesday that now make me think the Cleveland Cavaliers aren't quite such a sure thing to win the Eastern Conference for a third straight season. The first was that Cavs All-Star forward Kevin Love has been ruled out six weeks following knee surgery. Love, who is averaging 20 points and 11.1 rebounds this season, first experienced the pain during Cleveland's 125-109 win over the Nuggets on Saturday. A six-week timetable means Love would return with a couple of weeks left in the regular season.

NBA Betting Advice: Are the Washington Wizards a Legit Contender?
by Trevor Whenham - 2/15/2017

There is a team that started the season 2-8 and seemed completely, hopelessly doomed. It seemed like it was time to tear the whole thing apart and start over. And there is a team that has won 14 of their last 16, is arguably the most exciting team to watch the league right now, and is right in the middle of the playoff picture - not just making it but contending. Remarkably, both teams are the Washington Wizards.

Free NBA Picks: Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017, Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 2/14/2017

By the time you read this, the Philadelphia 76ers might have traded second-year big man Jahlil Okafor. He was the team's No. 3 overall pick in 2015, taken one spot ahead of Kristaps Porzingis, which was clearly a mistake in hindsight. Okafor played well as a rookie in averaging 17.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in 53 outings but also had some injury and off-the-court concerns. He simply doesn't fit next to Joel Embiid and is a terrible defensive player. When Okafor is on the court, Philadelphia gives up 113.8 points per 100 possessions. Thus the Sixers are going to be taking maybe 50 cents on the dollar in dealing him.

Free NBA Picks: Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017, Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 2/13/2017

While I am not particularly a Milwaukee Bucks fan, I love the NBA and enjoy watching any new rising, exciting teams play. Thus I was definitely tuning in at times to watch the Bucks as that team has the incomparable Giannis Antetokounmpo, who only leads his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. The Greek Freak is the alpha dog. But to win a title in the modern-day NBA, you need a star wingman.

NBA MVP Betting Predictions with Futures Odds and Analysis
by Trevor Whenham - 2/13/2017

This year's edition of the NBA MVP race is an interesting one. We seem to be well on our way to a first-time MVP, and it should be a great race down the stretch. It's a two-way race for supremacy right now, with at least one long shot that's a little bit interesting. It has been a great season so far, and the excitement of this race surely reflects that. Here's a look at how the race breaks down (futures odds are from BetOnline):

NBA Trade Deadline: Sellers May be Teams to Bet Against
by Trevor Whenham - 2/13/2017

The Feb. 23 NBA trade deadline is drawing near. As we get closer we can't help but look for teams that are likely to be, or at least have the potential to be, sellers. The fate of those teams are not always easy to predict - a few years back the Raptors were clear sellers when they got rid of Rudy Gay and have played the franchise's best basketball ever since.

Free NBA Picks: Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017, Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 2/10/2017

The most interesting game the rest of the 2016-17 NBA regular season arrives Saturday as Kevin Durant makes his long-awaited return to Oklahoma City after jettisoning the title-contending Thunder for the Golden State Warriors in free agency. I'm still shocked he did that. There's no doubt in my mind that Durant will be booed heavily in introductions and every time he touches the ball despite all he did for that franchise. The folks in OKC justifiably, in my opinion, feel that Durant left their small-town talented team for a bigger-city championship near-lock. If you can't beat them, join them type of thing.

NBA Handicapping: Can Miami Heat Keep on Winning?
by Trevor Whenham - 2/10/2017

There are a lot of surprising things in the NBA this season. There always are. The most significant of them, though - at least in the last month - is the Miami Heat. After starting the season a truly awful 11-30, they have somehow won 12 straight games. Now they are just two games out of the final playoff spot. Strange things happen all the times in sports, but few as strange and unpredictable as this.

NBA Handicapping: Why the Los Angeles Lakers have Floundered after Hot Start
by Trevor Whenham - 2/10/2017

The last time I wrote about the Lakers was early in the season, and it was a surprisingly rosy portrait. They were playing surprisingly well, they were in playoff position early on, and it seemed like they were on strong path under the guidance of new coach Luke Walton. Soon after, though, the wheels fell off. They were 10-10 on Nov. 30. They have gone just 8-27 since. The struggles have led to some 'creative' decision making - like bringing Magic Johnson into the front office to fix everything. And rumors are floating around that Jerry West is flirting with the idea of a return, too.

Free NBA Picks: Friday, Feb. 10, 2017, Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 2/9/2017

Did the Phoenix Suns make a mistake by selecting Croatian teenager Dragan Bender at No. 4 overall in the 2016 draft? It's too early to say that, but the early returns aren't great. Bender was always going to be a long-term project, but his season could be over following ankle surgery on Wednesday. The 7-foot-1 Bender, whom the Suns hope can be Dirk Nowitzki-lite someday, averaged just 12.7 minutes in 38 games and put up 3.2 points and 2.2 rebounds when he did get off the bench.

NBA Handicapping: Can Toronto Raptors Bounce Back from Struggles?
by Trevor Whenham - 2/9/2017

I was in Orlando last week for a family vacation. On Friday we went to see the Magic and the Raptors play. Beautiful barn. Pitiful crowd. Plenty of fellow Canadians cheering on our national team. And a truly awful performance from Toronto. They started poorly and never shook it off. They couldn't shoot, and they really didn't seem to care. Orlando is a long way from a good team, but they had no problem at all with the Raptors - a squad that is supposed to be among the best in the conference.

NBA Betting Trends: Totals Report for Hot Over and Under Teams
by Aaron Smith - 2/8/2017

Golden State comfortably has the best record in basketball. It's hard to imagine anyone other than the Warriors being the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs. Cleveland has the top spot in the Eastern Conference, but Boston is only 2.5 games back. You can't say enough about the way Isaiah Thomas is playing for the Celtics right now. If Boston starts playing defense the way they have in the past, they'll be an even more dangerous team.

Free NBA Picks: Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017, Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 2/8/2017

Do I think that LeBron James personally likes his buddy Carmelo Anthony better than he does teammate Kevin Love? No question. But James has to know that Love is the better player at this point and is four years younger than Anthony - thus would be a better teammate to have over the next handful of years as LeBron winds down his Hall of Famer career. The big rumor this week was that James reportedly was pushing Cavs management to trade for Melo, even if it meant sending Love to New York.

Free NBA Picks: Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2017, Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 2/7/2017

Perhaps the Minnesota Timberwolves should have traded 21-year-old Zach LaVine in a package for Chicago Bulls star Jimmy Butler when they had the chance at the 2016 draft. The Bulls weren't doing any deal without LaVine and the No. 5 overall pick, among other things, and the Wolves balked even though new Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau loves Butler from his Bulls days. Now that trade won't be happening at all with the news that LaVine tore his ACL, meaning his season is over and he probably misses the start of the 2017-18 campaign.

Free NBA Picks: Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017, Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 2/6/2017

The New England Patriots are your Super Bowl Champions, which means there's a chance that we will see the city of Boston win multiple championships in the four major U.S. sports leagues in the same calendar year. The NBA's Celtics will certainly make the playoffs and have a minor shot to upset the Cleveland Cavaliers and at least reach the NBA Finals. I still think GM Danny Ainge will add a big piece ahead of the Feb. 23 deadline (Jimmy Butler?) to improve his team's chances.

Free NBA Picks: Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017, Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 2/3/2017

While I'm usually tired of all the Super Bowl talk and betting analysis by the time the game actually kicks off, I do love all the cross-sport props that the various sportsbooks put out. BetOnline has a few regarding the NBA and Patriots-Falcons in Super Bowl LI. There's the number LeBron James points on Saturday night at the Knicks (+100) vs. number of Matt Ryan completions (-130) against New England's No. 1 defense. Ryan averaged 23 completions during the regular season and is up to 26.5 in two playoff games.

Free NBA Picks: Friday, Feb. 3, 2017, Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 2/2/2017

I'm not going to sit here and tell you that the health of Zaza Pachulia could determine whether the Golden State Warriors win their second NBA title in three years. I will say, however, that the Dubs had trouble with the big lineups trotted out by Oklahoma City and Cleveland in last year's playoffs because of their lack of interior size other than Andrew Bogut. The Warriors had to say goodbye to Bogut, their top rim protector, this offseason after adding Kevin Durant. Pachulia now starts at center. He will miss at least a week with a rotator cuff strain.

Free NBA Picks: Thursday, Feb. 2, 2017, Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 2/1/2017

Being as Thursday night is the usual TNT doubleheader, I feel I must address the sudden public feud between Hall of Famer Charles Barkley and future Hall of Famer LeBron James. I won't go over every word said as I'm sure you heard it all over the past 24 hours or so because it led every sports show out there - temporarily overtaking the Super Bowl. Did Barkley have some valid points in his criticisms of LeBron? I think so.

Free NBA Picks: Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017, Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 1/31/2017

Now that we are into February as of Wednesday, the trade chatter will start to heat up ahead of the Feb. 23 deadline. There are only 19 players in the league who can't be traded without their consent by that deadline. Three guys, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Dirk Nowitzki, all future Hall of Famers, have full no-trade clauses. Miami's Tyler Johnson and Portland's Allen Crabbe both possess the right to block any trade until July 10, 2017. I won't get into full detail of why, but it's because they re-signed with their teams after said team matched an offer sheet in free agency.

Free NBA Picks: Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017, Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 1/30/2017

Yes, the Knicks were off on Monday, but I wonder how much their key guys will have left in the tank for Tuesday's game considering the Knicks and Hawks played a four-overtime epic on Sunday, a 142-139 Atlanta win. It was the first four-OT game since Bulls-Pistons in 2015 and only the 11th quadruple-OT game in NBA history. It was New York's first since 1951 against the Rochester Royals. Four Knicks fouled out: Carmelo Anthony, Kristaps Porzingis, Joakim Noah and Kyle O'Quinn. Anthony played 46 minutes and finished with 45 points, his first 40-point game since November 2014.