NBA Handicapping Articles

NBA Odds: Wednesday, March 23 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 3/22/2016

Be very wary of betting the Cleveland Cavaliers the rest of the regular season, especially when playing back-to-back nights as will be the case Wednesday and Thursday. Coach Tyronn Lue has publicly changed his tune on his plans for resting guys. Coming out of the All-Star break, Lue had said that home-court advantage through the Eastern Conference playoffs was the "most important thing." Now he says this: "We definitely want the No. 1 seed if we can get it, but I think we have to rest our guys also. I think health going into the playoffs is more important than the seeding. If we're fortunate enough to get the No. 1 seed, it will be great for us. But if not, then we just got to play through it."

NBA Odds: Tuesday, March 22 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 3/21/2016

Smart move, I think, of the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday to make the decision to shut down young superstar Anthony Davis for the rest of the season. With the playoffs a pipe dream and Davis needing surgery on his left knee and let shoulder, the Pelicans decided to do it now rather than him play the final 14 games. Davis, who now will miss the Olympics, is one of my favorite players in the NBA, but I'm starting to worry he's too brittle to go down as an all-time great.

NBA Betting Trends: Hot and Cold Teams Against the Point Spread
by Aaron Smith - 3/21/2016

The Saturday night showdown between Golden State and San Antonio didn't disappoint. I think I speak for almost all NBA fans by saying I hope we get to see a series between these two. It would be great for the league as a whole. The Spurs are only three games behind the Warriors for the best record in the NBA, but the Spurs play a much tougher schedule down the stretch.

NBA Odds: Saturday, March 19 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 3/18/2016

I love the NBA, but if I'm being honest the regular season really doesn't matter much in the grand scheme of things. The most memorable regular-season games I can remember in my lifetime off the top of my head involved individuals: Michael Jordan's first games out of retirement; Kobe Bryant's 81-point night against Toronto; LeBron James' first game as a member of the Heat and then first game back in Cleveland with Miami. Things like that.

NBA Odds: Friday, March 18, 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 3/17/2016

Most experts have pegged LSU freshman Ben Simmons as the No. 1 overall pick for this summer's NBA Draft, and Simmons already has signed with an agent, so he's leaving LSU. But Simmons didn't take his schoolwork very seriously -- in fact, LSU, perhaps fearing that it would incur some NCAA violations, passed on the NIT when it missed the NCAA Tournament. Will Simmons not being a great student scare NBA teams off? Probably not. But the guy has no jumper.

NBA Odds: Thursday, March 17 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 3/16/2016

Looking for a breakout-type superstar in the NBA next season like Golden State's Steph Curry was last year? I give you Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo, a true Greek Freak who can basically play every position on the court at 6-foot-11 and with the wingspan with a pterodactyl. I've seen this guy go coast-to-coast in just four dribbles because his steps are so big. Antetokounmpo is still just 21 and he has exploded since Coach Jason Kidd moved him to point guard.

NBA Odds: Wednesday, March 16 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 3/15/2016

Sometimes players need to invent motivation in the long NBA regular season. And for that reason, I believe that Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook could have a really big game Wednesday against Boston. In the teams' first meeting this season, a Boston upset win, Westbrook and Celtics guard Marcus Smart were jawing all night, and Smart actually got the better of the matchup with 26 points.

NBA Betting Trends: Totals Report for Hot Over and Under Teams
by Aaron Smith - 3/14/2016

The playoffs get underway in April. Most teams have about 16 or 17 games left in the regular season. While both Golden State and Cleveland have had the top spot in their conferences locked down the majority of the year, both Toronto and San Antonio are within striking distance for the No. 1 spot. If San Antonio does want to make a push for the top spot in the Western Conference, they will have to win this weekend when they host Golden State. March Madness will be on all weekend, but you won't want to miss that Warriors vs. Spurs game on Saturday night!

NBA Odds: Tuesday, March 15 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 3/14/2016

How much longer can the Sacramento Kings keep up with this charade? We all know that Coach George Karl and superstar center DeMarcus Cousins can't co-exist. We all know that star players always win out in that scenario. Cousins was suspended for Friday's game against Orlando for conduct detrimental to the team. It was GM Vlade Divac who announced the suspension on Thursday, but over the weekend Cousins said he believes it was Karl who was responsible for it.

NBA Odds: Saturday, March 12 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 3/11/2016

You might want to put down a few dollars on the Miami Heat to win the Eastern Conference, which is currently priced at solid +1200 value at BetOnline. Do I think the Heat as currently constructed can beat the Cleveland Cavaliers? I don't. But if Chris Bosh can return from his blood clot problem, then I could see that because the Cavs look vulnerable. Bosh said Thursday his problem is clearing up and that he's hopeful to return this season, although doctors have yet to clear him.

NBA Odds: Friday, March 11, 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 3/10/2016

And now we start to see Operation Tank Mode across the NBA. The Philadelphia 76ers almost surely were going to finish with the NBA's worst record regardless, but they pretty much would assure that by shutting down top rookie Jahlil Okafor for the season. He has missed the past five games with soreness in his right knee, and the team may just end his year. At this point, might as well.

NBA Handicapping: Is San Antonio vs. Golden State WCF Matchup Inevitable?
by Trevor Whenham - 3/9/2016

Anything can happen in sports. That doesn't mean that there aren't some things that feel inevitable, though. The last couple of Chicago Blackhawks' Stanley Cups have felt that way. So did the last Yankee World Series. A couple of Alabama's national titles have felt very inevitable. More inevitable than all of those, though - and perhaps more inevitable than anything we've seen in awhile - is the looming showdown between Golden State and San Antonio in the Western Conference final.

NBA Odds: Thursday, March 10 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 3/9/2016

LeBron James could sit out Thursday's nationally-televised game in Los Angeles because it's the second of a back-to-back for his Cleveland Cavaliers. Kobe Bryant could sit out because, well, he's like 90 and has a bum shoulder that essentially makes him questionable for the rest of the regular season.

NBA Odds: Wednesday, March 9 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 3/8/2016

The amazing Golden State Warriors shrugged off that shocking loss at the Lakers with a win over the Magic on Monday night to set an NBA record with their 45th straight home win, breaking a tie with the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls. It's very easy to see the Warriors going 41-0 at home this season. Can't see them losing there Wednesday night against Utah, which is 10-21 away from home.

NBA Odds: Tuesday, March 8 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 3/7/2016

I'd be wary of backing the Brooklyn Nets the rest of this season -- not that you probably would, but just in case. I bring this up because the Nets are in a weird spot. Normally a club in Brooklyn's position would essentially tank the rest of the way to improve its chances at winning the lottery and the chance to take LSU freshman Ben Simmons.

NBA Betting Trends: Top Totals Wagering Teams for Over and Under This Season
by Trevor Whenham - 3/7/2016

We are, incredibly, already three-quarters of the way through the NBA season. The playoffs are just around the corner. This is as good a time as any to take a look at which teams have been making money for totals bettors so far this year. The sample size is large enough now that there is a decent chance that teams that have generated profits up to this point could keep generating them down the stretch.

NBA Betting Trends: Hot and Cold Teams Against the Point Spread
by Aaron Smith - 3/4/2016

Now is a good time to start watching the playoff standings in the NBA. Most teams only have a little bit more than 20 games left in the regular season. Every year we see some teams catch fire this time of the year and springboard themselves into the playoffs. Of course, there will some cases on the other side, where teams who currently look like contenders fall apart down the stretch. The bottom of the Eastern Conference is jammed up with all kinds of possible playoff teams. That will take some major sorting out in the coming weeks.

NBA Handicapping: Portland Trail Blazers a Boon for Bettors
by Trevor Whenham - 3/4/2016

There must be something new in the water in Portland or something, because the Trail Blazers have been playing like a whole new team since Jan. 10. On that day they were 15-24, and it looked like it was going to be yet another wasted season in the Pacific Northwest. Since then, though, they are an incredible 18-5 and have climbed right back into the playoff hunt. If the playoffs started now they would be the seventh seed, and they would likely have to play worse than they did in the first half of the season to fall out of the playoffs entirely.

NBA Odds: Saturday, March 5 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews - 3/4/2016

How well do you remember the 2008 NBA Draft? There were two clear favorites to go No. 1 overall that year: Memphis freshman point guard Derrick Rose and Kansas State freshman forward Michael Beasley. You have to remember, big men were still somewhat preferred then with all things being equal. And some scouts definitely would have taken Beasley No. 1. But the Chicago Bulls improbably won the lottery and didn't think twice about taking the hometown Rose. Sadly, it looks like neither player's career will live up to expectations.

NBA Handicapping: Injuries not Only Reason for Bulls Struggles
by Trevor Whenham - 3/4/2016

A disaster. That's really all you can say about it. This is a Bulls season that every Bulls fan will want to forget about immediately. It was not long ago that the Bulls were the only team in the East that seemed capable of testing the Heat. When the epicenter of the conference moved to Cleveland, the Bulls should have moved right along with them. Instead, they are at real risk of missing the playoffs entirely. There is basically nothing positive about the team at this point. So, what are the issues? And what does it mean for bettors? Here are five factors to consider when pondering those questions: