NBA Handicapping Articles

NBA Playoffs Betting Advice: Zig-Zag Theory for Wagering Explained
by George Monroy - 4/12/2016

The idea behind the NBA zig-zag theory is a simple, yet powerful concept: in any playoff series bet on the team that lost the last game because they are more likely to cover the next spread. The zig-zag theory first came into prominence in the 1980s and was a moneymaker for bettors for quite some time. But, of course, like any good theory, the sportsbooks eventually caught on and adjusted their lines to take that concept into account.

NBA Odds: Tuesday, April 12 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 4/11/2016

Just two days left in the NBA's regular season, and there's not much drama in the individual department. By that I mean for awards and league leaders. Steph Curry is a lock to win the NBA MVP and the scoring title, with James Harden finishing second in scoring for the second year in a row. Curry might even win Most Improved Player as he's been that good. Detroit's Andre Drummond is your rebounding king, and Rajon Rondo will take the assists title.

NBA Odds: Saturday, April 9 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 4/8/2016

I can't say I've ever been to a Sacramento Kings game at what is now called Sleep Train Arena, but I remember loving watching games on TV from there back in the early 2000s when the Kings were one of the NBA's best and most entertaining teams. You could hear the cowbells through your screen and it was a rabid fan base.

NBA Odds: Friday, April 8, 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 4/7/2016

I generally don't root for anyone to fail -- OK, unless it benefits my team or my betting position -- so I was happy to see the Philadelphia 76ers beat the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night for their 10th win of the season, assuring that wretched team won't tie for the NBA record of single-season losses at 73. Maybe the 76ers drew inspiration from the night before when Villanova beat North Carolina for the school's first national title since 1985. One thing the 76ers haven't done yet this season: win consecutive games. Friday against the Knicks is probably their last chance to do so.

NBA Odds: Thursday, April 7 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 4/6/2016

OK, Gregg Popovich. You are clearly one of the best coaches in NBA history and a future Hall of Famer. You obviously know much better than I do when to rest your players or not. But, please, please, don't do it Thursday night when the Spurs visit the Warriors, who are looking for regular-season win No. 70, two shy of the Bulls' league record. But knowing Popovich, he's not going to play the likes of Tim Duncan, Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. He already has hinted as much and it frankly does the Spurs franchise no good to stop the Warriors' quest for 73 wins.

NBA Odds: Wednesday, April 6 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 4/5/2016

I don't really know which team qualifies as the worst playoff club in NBA history, but I'd like to nominate the Memphis Grizzlies now that it has been determined that star point guard Mike Conley won't be able to return for the postseason, joining All-Star center Marc Gasol, solid big man Brandon Wright and guard Mario Chalmers on the sidelines.

NBA Odds: Tuesday, April 5 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 4/4/2016

If the Philadelphia 76ers are going to avoid tying the NBA single-season record of 73 losses, set by their 1972-73 forefathers in Philly, it's probably going to be this week or never. The Sixers host the Pelicans on Tuesday, and New Orleans actually has fewer good players at this point than Philly does due to injury. You could probably score a ticket to that game for $1 on StubHub. Then Philly hosts the Knicks on Friday and Bucks on Sunday.

NBA Betting Trends: Hot and Cold Teams Against the Point Spread
by Aaron Smith - 4/4/2016

The final week of the regular season is here. The NBA Playoffs begin on April 16. It looks like the top seeds will be Cleveland and Golden State. There are three interesting races to follow in the last week of the regular season. The first is the NBA Southeast Division, where Atlanta, Miami, and Charlotte are all battling it out for first. The second is the race for the final spots in the Eastern Conference. Indiana and Detroit are two games ahead of Chicago for the final spot right now. In the Western Conference, Houston is chasing four teams in hopes of getting another chance at a playoff run.

NBA Eastern Conference Futures Odds: Cavaliers a Big Favorite
by George Monroy - 4/4/2016

The prevailing theory amongst most NBA fans is that LeBron James is destined to make another NBA Finals appearance, which would be his sixth consecutive trip, and that the Cleveland Cavaliers are ready to run over a weak Eastern Conference during the playoffs. However, for those that have not been paying close attention, the Eastern Conference is the strongest it has been in a decade, and James seems hell bent on torpedoing Cleveland's postseason chances.

NBA Handicapping: Can Dallas Mavericks Make Late Playoff Push?
by Trevor Whenham - 4/1/2016

The Dallas Mavericks are supposed to be a good team. Mark Cuban has endless money and even more bravado. The players are treated like royalty, and the team is supposed to shine as a result. Yet here they are in virtually a three-way tie for the last two playoff spots. As I sit here they are tied at 37-38 with the Utah Jazz. The Houston Rockets have played one more game and have one more loss. They could just as easily miss the playoffs as make them.

NBA Odds: Friday, April 1, 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 3/31/2016

So Friday is the first day of the final month of the NBA's regular season. And looking at the standings, it's been largely a chalk season thus far. The top four teams in the East are Cleveland, Toronto, Atlanta and Miami. All expected. The only newcomer to the top four from last year's final standings is the Heat; they have taken the place of the ultra-disappointing Chicago Bulls. In the West, you have a top four of Golden State, San Antonio, Oklahoma City and the L.A. Clippers.

NBA Betting and Handicapping: How to Wager on Playoff Teams Down the Stretch
by Trevor Whenham - 3/31/2016

As we sit here in the midst of the NBA regular-season stretch drive there are 18 teams still vying for the 16 spots - though I am being generous by including the Bulls in that group. You can loosely group those 18 teams into four different groups - those likely to still be giving a full effort most of the time, those that could give a full effort at times but aren't likely to do so consistently, those that need to just focus on getting healthy, and those that just don't care about anything until the playoffs roll around.

NBA Odds: Thursday, March 31 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 3/30/2016

Somewhere, Tom Thibodeau must secretly be enjoying the struggles of his Chicago Bulls. That team never had a winning percentage blow .549 under Thibodeau in his five seasons -- despite rarely having Derrick Rose -- but Thibs was fired this past offseason in part because he rode his players too hard during the season and they were worn down by the playoffs. So the Bulls hired the polar opposite type of guy in Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg, but this season has been a disaster under the laid-back Hoiberg.

NBA Odds: Wednesday, March 30 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 3/29/2016

If you happen to live in Los Angeles or another NBA city in which the Lakers will visit the rest of the season -- so New Orleans, Houston or Oklahoma City -- then good news if you are planning to see Kobe Bryant play in person before he retires. Bryant has said he plans on playing every game the rest of the way "unless something drastic happens." And that's how it should be. There's no reason at this point for Lakers fans to even attend their home games other than to see Kobe.

NBA Betting Trends: Totals Report for Hot Over and Under Teams
by Aaron Smith - 3/29/2016

The NCAA Tournament has gotten most of the attention in the past two weeks, but the NBA regular season is winding down and there are some important playoff matchups still to be determined. Because there are some teams with nothing to play for and other teams fighting hard for playoff positioning, this is a tricky time for NBA bettors. Pick your spots carefully when betting on the NBA between now and the end of the regular season.

Odds that Golden State Warriors will Beat Bulls Record for Most Regular-Season Wins
by Trevor Whenham - 3/29/2016

We've been talking about it all year, but now we are down to the nitty gritty. The Golden State Warriors have won 66 of their first 73 games. That means that they only need to go 7-2 down the stretch to beat a record that seemed unbeatable and pass the Chicago Bulls' record of 72 wins in a season.

NBA Odds: Tuesday, March 29 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 3/28/2016

The Los Angeles Clippers now know when they will get Blake Griffin back from his broken hand and quad injury: April 3. Griffin has been cleared medically but first must serve a four-game suspension because he broke that hand while punching out a member of the team's equipment staff outside a Toronto restaurant earlier this season. The Clippers have played well without Griffin, but anyone who says they are better without him doesn't know basketball. Could the Clips perhaps trade him this offseason if they flame out in the playoffs again?

NBA Odds: Saturday, March 26 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 3/25/2016

Boston visits Phoenix on Saturday night, and that brings me back to the 2015 NBA trade deadline in a deal that altered the directions of the Celtics and Suns franchises. On that deadline day, the Suns traded guard Isaiah Thomas to Boston and Goran Dragic to the Heat while acquiring Brandon Knight from Milwaukee. Big mistake.

NBA Odds: Friday, March 25, 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 3/24/2016

I remember briefly when Michael Kidd-Gilchrist came back from his shoulder injury surprisingly early and the Hornets were playing well. I wrote that Charlotte might be a solid longer-shot bet to win the Eastern Conference. I jumped off that bandwagon when MKG, a great defender, went down for the season with an injury to that same shoulder. Perhaps I was a bit too hasty.

NBA Odds: Thursday, March 24 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 3/23/2016

Could the voting for NBA MVP actually be somewhat close? Golden State's Steph Curry is going to win it, but he has been in a minor slump of late and Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook has been a triple-double monster. He had a 15th this season on Tuesday and third in a row, and the way he's going could get to 20 by the end of the season. So that's basically a triple-double 25 percent of the time.