NBA Betting Info. 1/15

[TheGame]

StatFox Super Situations


NBA | CHARLOTTE at NEW ORLEANS
Play Against - All teams where the line is +3 to -3 (NEW ORLEANS) off an upset win as a road underdog, a bad team (25% to 40%) playing a team with a losing record
29-8 over the last 5 seasons. ( 78.4% | 20.2 units )
2-1 this year. ( 66.7% | 0.9 units )


NBA | CLEVELAND at HOUSTON
Play Against - Road teams with a money line of +135 to -155 (CLEVELAND) very good team - outscoring their opponents by 6+ points/game, after allowing 105 points or more
39-17 over the last 5 seasons. ( 69.6% | 23.8 units )


NBA | PORTLAND at BROOKLYN
Play Against - Underdogs vs. the 1rst half line (BROOKLYN) off an home win scoring 110 or more points, on Friday nights
41-15 over the last 5 seasons. ( 73.2% | 24.5 units )
4-3 this year. ( 57.1% | 0.7 units )

[TheGame]

Re: NBA Betting Info. 1/15

Preview: Wizards (18-19) at Pacers (22-17)


Date: January 15, 2016 7:00 PM EDT


It's been a rough first half in many ways for the Washington Wizards, but they should be gaining confidence in what they'll be able to accomplish once they're healthy.


When that finally happens is anyone's guess.


Bradley Beal may be back out of action along with two other starters for Friday night's visit to Indiana, where John Wall is hoping whoever's left around him can help deliver some payback to the Pacers.


Beal returned Wednesday after missing more than a month with a stress reaction in his lower right leg, scoring 11 points in 23 minutes off the bench as the Wizards rallied to beat Milwaukee 106-101 and push their winning streak to three.


'I just took my time with this injury,' said Beal, who missed eight games with a similar injury last season. 'I definitely wanted to make sure I was 100 percent before I got back out here.'


But Washington (18-19), which has missed the most games to injury in the NBA, is far from out of the woods.


Beal is likely to be on a minutes restriction and says it's doubtful he plays both Friday in Indiana and Saturday against Boston. Wall was set to have an MRI Thursday to ensure there's nothing wrong with his sore left knee. Marcin Gortat missed a second straight game with an infection in his left knee, and Otto Porter left Wednesday's win with a sore right hip.


Those two are day to day while Kris Humphries (knee) and Alan Anderson (ankle) remain out.


Whoever suits up should be heavily invested in making sure Indiana (22-17) has a more difficult time shooting from long range. The Pacers made a franchise-record 19 3-pointers on just 26 attempts when winning 123-106 in Washington on Nov. 24, with Paul George hitting seven among his 40 points and C.J. Miles going 8 of 9 while scoring 32.


"We feel like we owe Indiana," Wall said. "They came in and shot the glove off the basketball when they were here last time. We've got to defend and get to their 3-point shooters and move the ball offensively, and I think we'll be fine."


The Wizards were relatively healthy for that one, and given the current injury uncertainty, they'll likely need another big effort from Nene. The Brazilian, who has missed 21 games to injury, totaled 26 points and played some solid defense in the last two games while starting in Gortat's place.


Washington is outscoring opponents by 8.2 points per 100 possessions when Nene is on the floor - easily the best on the team - and being outscored by 4.1 when he's off.


"Nene's huge for us," forward Jared Dudley said. "I don't even know if he realizes how big he is for this team. He's probably our best low-post scorer. He can pass the ball. He's a physical presence defensively. ... It seems like when he's in there, teams go for less offensive rebounds. Whatever we can do to keep him healthy, we'll do what we've gotta do."


The Pacers aren't exactly feeling 100 percent, either. Rodney Stuckey (foot) is out for at least two weeks, and coach Frank Vogel said after Wednesday's 103-94 loss at Boston that George was feeling fatigued after missing most of last season with a leg injury.


'He's reported that to me, that his legs feel a little heavy,' Vogel said of George, who is shooting 36.7 percent over his last 13 games. 'But everybody in the league goes through that. I don't think it's a big deal because of his injury, but that could be a factor.'


Miles hasn't been much better in January, shooting 32.9 percent.

[TheGame]

Re: NBA Betting Info. 1/15

Preview: Timberwolves (12-28) at Thunder (28-12)


Date: January 15, 2016 7:00 PM EDT


The Oklahoma City Thunder have spent the last six weeks surging to a big lead in their division. The Minnesota Timberwolves, meanwhile, have been sinking deeper into the cellar.


Given the history of this series the last seven years, both trends seems likely to continue Friday night when the Thunder try for their 12th straight home win over the Timberwolves.


Oklahoma City (28-12) went 17-4 from Dec. 6-Jan. 13 and tied San Antonio for the most wins in that span. That's allowed the Thunder to build a comfortable lead in the Northwest, while Minnesota (12-28) has spent that time plummeting into last place.


Those positions were further solidified when Oklahoma City won its eighth straight in the series Tuesday, 101-96 at Minnesota. Kevin Durant scored the final 12 points for the Thunder to finish with 30 and Russell Westbrook chipped in 22 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds and three steals.


Oklahoma City has won 22 of 25 over the Timberwolves.


The Thunder followed their latest win in the series with Wednesday's 108-89 victory over Dallas to improve to 13-1 against the Western Conference at home. The club did so without one of its best players, as Westbrook was ejected after receiving two technical fouls in the first half without scoring.


It was just the second scoreless game of his career, but Durant and Serge Ibaka combined for 49 points and 21 rebounds and Oklahoma City benefited from the Mavericks, who had played the night before, sitting out their starting five.


The Thunder matched a season high with 15 made 3-pointers for their 13th win in the last 15 home games. Oklahoma City topped the 100-point mark for the 10th straight game and held Dallas to 39.0 percent shooting.


Opponents have made 41.6 percent from the field against the Thunder in the last seven games.


"We didn't relax on the defensive end and that shows growth in us," Durant told the team's official website. "That's not our barometer because they didn't have their whole team there, but it was good for us to stay locked in, stay on pace and stick to what we do."


All Minnesota has done lately is lose, suffering through an eight-game skid and losing 12 of 13 - part of a 4-20 stretch. The Timberwolves are tied for the league's worst road record at 1-9.


Minnesota is the only team yet to win in the new year, though the Wolves have been more competitive of late with their last three defeats coming by six or fewer points.


Minnesota cut an 18-point deficit against the Thunder to two and then fell 107-104 at Houston on Wednesday.


'It's very frustrating not being able to win,' said guard Andrew Wiggins, who's averaged 26.5 points in the last four games and scored 22 against the Thunder. 'Every game we play good, but it's something that we're not doing right or a mistake we made and we just have to fix it.'


Turnovers have been the culprit in the last three contests with the Wolves' total climbing from 17 to 18 to 21.

[TheGame]

Re: NBA Betting Info. 1/15

Preview: Suns (13-27) at Celtics (20-19)


Date: January 15, 2016 7:30 PM EDT


Isaiah Thomas is riding the most prolific scoring stretch of his career as he faces the team that gave up on him last year.


There's a good chance he'll stay highly productive Friday night considering the Phoenix Suns have been awful defensively, especially on the road, and they provide the Boston Celtics a great shot to piece together back-to-back wins before leaving town again.


Thomas has averaged 32.3 points in the last three games, easily the highest mark of any stretch that long during his five NBA seasons. He had 17 games of 20 or more points with the Suns last season, but they dealt him to Boston on Feb. 19 for a first-round pick and the since-departed Marcus Thornton.


Three days later, Thomas went back to Phoenix and keyed the Celtics' 115-110 victory - the teams' only meeting since the trade. The 5-foot-9 point guard scored eight of his 21 points in the final 1:37 and had seven assists, though he did say afterward that there were "no hard feelings" toward the Suns.


This Phoenix team shouldn't provide much resistance, either, after allowing at least 20 points to each of the last three point guards it has faced. The Suns (13-27) have surrendered 109.1 points per game on 49.8 percent shooting while losing 12 of 13.


Those averages are 114.9 and 51.8 percent during their eight-game road losing streak, the team's longest since the 2012-13 season.


Phoenix has lost by an average of 20.6 points in three road games this month, and the first two came to lowly Sacramento and the last-place Los Angeles Lakers. The most recent was a 116-97 defeat at Indiana on Tuesday.


Brandon Knight missed the game with food poisoning, so he should return Friday, but key reserves Alex Len (hand) and Ronnie Price (toe) will sit out again. This will be Phoenix's ninth game since losing top scorer Eric Bledsoe (knee) for the season.


"It's tough, man, it's tough. But you have to keep playing in this league," forward P.J. Tucker said. "The games keep coming. It's especially tough at this time of the year, when you get guys that get sick or that get injured. It's next man up. But you have to keep trying and you have to keep playing."


The Celtics (20-19), meanwhile, are at full strength. They also played the Pacers in their most recent game but with a much different result, winning 103-94 on Wednesday. That game and this one along with a visit from Chicago next Friday are their only home dates in an 11-game span.


Boston had lost a season-high four straight and six of seven before holding Indiana to 40.7 percent from the field and 5 of 30 from 3-point range.


"We didn't do anything differently on offense. We just hunkered down and got stops," said Jae Crowder, who matched a career high with 25 points.


Thomas scored a game-high 28, but many Celtics pointed to Amir Johnson as being the difference. The 11-year veteran, in his first season with Boston, had 14 points, 18 rebounds and six assists.


Johnson has averaged 13.4 points and 10.0 boards over the last five games, far exceeding his season averages. Coach Brad Stevens said he has "really come on big time," though Thomas recognizes his contributions go well beyond the numbers.


"He just does all the little things that the fans don't see in the stat book," Thomas told the team's official website. "That's what type of player he's always been, and that's how he's made his name."

[TheGame]

Re: NBA Betting Info. 1/15

Preview: Trail Blazers (17-24) at Nets (11-28)


Date: January 15, 2016 7:30 PM EDT


The Portland Trail Blazers have an opportunity to build a bit of momentum before beginning a season-high homestand. The Brooklyn Nets are just hoping their first home win in over a month helps get the ball rolling.


While the Trail Blazers try to take advantage of a pivotal stretch starting Friday night in Brooklyn, the Nets seek their first winning streak since mid-December.


Portland (17-24) opened a five-game homestand with losses against Memphis, the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State, but the Trail Blazers beat Oklahoma City 115-110 on Sunday and Utah 99-85 on Wednesday.


They now play at the bottom two teams in the Eastern Conference, Brooklyn (11-28) and Philadelphia, and at under-.500 Washington before playing seven straight at home against underwhelming competition.


In all, eight of Portland's next 10 opponents have losing records.


The Trail Blazers sit in the ninth spot in the West at the midpoint of their season, and a push to get into the top eight rests largely on Damian Lillard's shoulders.


Without LaMarcus Aldridge, Wesley Matthews and Nicolas Batum for the first time in his career, Lillard's scoring average has risen from last season's 21.0 to 24.7 while his assists per game are up from 6.2 to 7.1. Lillard joins Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook as the only players ranked in the top 10 in scoring and assists.


The point guard missed the first seven games of his career Dec. 21-Jan. 3 with plantar fasciitis on his left foot, but he has come back strong. In his last three games, Lillard is averaging 30.7 points, 9.7 assists and 5.7 rebounds while making half of his 36 3-pointers.


He finished three boards shy of his first career triple-double while scoring 21 points and dishing out 10 assists in 29 minutes against the Jazz, even while sitting out the final quarter. It was his eighth double-double in 33 games, more than in any of his first four years.


Lillard scored 13 points in the third quarter, moving his average in that period to 7.9 - tied for third-best in the league.


"At the start of the game, people are locked in on the scouting report," Lillard said. "At the start of that third, the focus isn't as much there as it is at the start of the game and neither is the energy. So those are the times where I've tried to pick my spots and try to get aggressive."


Portland had won three straight in this series before the Nets took the last meeting 106-96 on April 6 in Brooklyn despite Lillard's 36 points.


Brooklyn snapped a five-game losing streak with Wednesday's 110-104 win over New York. The victory also ended a 10-game skid at home and was the first in two games under interim coach Tony Brown, who took over when Lionel Hollins was fired and general manager Billy King was reassigned Sunday.


Brook Lopez made 8 of 13 shots and finished with 20 points, eight rebounds and five assists, while Thaddeus Young chipped in 19 points and 11 rebounds.


'Games like this, it's going to help turn our fan base around,' Brown said. 'If we continue to play in this kind of fashion, we'll fill the seats - but we've got to show them first. It'll take time, but (Wednesday) was a good start.'

[TheGame]

Re: NBA Betting Info. 1/15

Preview: Mavericks (22-18) at Bulls (23-15)


Date: January 15, 2016 8:00 PM EDT


Derrick Rose is supposed to be back from his latest injury, but Jimmy Butler's presence on the court is much more important to the Chicago Bulls.


Butler looks to build on the best performance of his career Friday night when the Bulls face the Dallas Mavericks.


Rose has missed six games this season due to various injuries, an improvement after he sat out 31 in 2014-15.


Chicago (23-15), though, is 5-1 without the former NBA MVP mostly because of Butler. The guard is averaging 34.3 points and 6.2 assists while hitting 51.9 percent from the floor in games without Rose.


Butler, who has started every game this season, willed the Bulls to Thursday's 115-111 overtime win at Philadelphia, erasing a 24-point deficit while Rose nursed a sprained knee. He had a career-high and NBA season high-tying 53 points with 10 rebounds, six assists and three steals while no other Bull scored more than 17.


"That's as good of a performance as I've seen," coach Fred Hoiberg said. "The guys hopped on his shoulders and he carried us home. Play after play, it was an unbelievable performance."


Butler, however, struggled in a 118-111 loss at Dallas on Dec. 26, scoring 17 points with five turnovers while shooting 4 of 11. He totaled 43 points over the two previous matchups, which the teams split.


Rose had one of his best performances of the season against the Mavericks (22-18) in December, connecting on 12 of 20 shots to finish with 25 points.


Pau Gasol chipped in 18 in that matchup, and he had 29 with 14 boards in a 132-129 double-OT loss in the most recent meeting at United Center. The forward should be fresh for this one since he was given the day off Thursday.


The Mavericks are on the cusp of matching their season-high three-game slide from Nov. 22-25, but having their full compliment of starters back should make a difference.


A day after falling 110-107 in overtime to Cleveland on Tuesday, coach Rick Carlisle rested all of his starters and Dallas shot 39.0 percent from the floor - 6 for 31 from beyond the arc - in a 108-89 loss at Oklahoma City.


Salah Mejri, however, may have earned more playing time after totaling 17 points and nine rebounds in 25 minutes off the bench. The center, a native of Tunisia, logged 19 minutes while collecting five boards over the first five games of his NBA career.


"He's been working hard with our developmental people," Carlisle said. "He's been practicing hard. The work paid off. He had a really good night offensively. He rebounded the ball. He showed that he's in shape and that he's ready. Very positive sign."


Carlisle is expected to have Dirk Nowitzki, Wesley Matthews, Chandler Parsons, Deron Williams and Zaza Pachulia back.


Parsons and Pachulia keyed the Mavs against Chicago last month. Parsons had 20 points with five assists and five rebounds, while Pachulia scored 17 and pulled down 12 off the glass as Dallas outscored the Bulls 30-19 in second-chance points and 28-11 in points off turnovers.


Parsons has averaged 21.0 points over the last three meetings with the Bulls.


Nowitzki has 20.8 points per game over his last nine on the road, and he had 22 while grabbing 14 boards in the most recent visit to Chicago.


The forward's next game will tie him with Elvin Hayes for 15th on the NBA's all-time games played list at 1,303. Only 17 players have played in 1,300 or more NBA games.

[TheGame]

Re: NBA Betting Info. 1/15

Preview: Hawks (23-16) at Bucks (16-25)


Date: January 15, 2016 8:00 PM EDT


What might be tougher to explain than Al Horford's misstep this week is his team's lunge backward in the process.


The low point of an inconsistent stretch has left the Atlanta Hawks with questions, which they'll attempt to answer Friday night as they go for their seventh straight road win over the Milwaukee Bucks.


Victories over Philadelphia and Chicago last Friday and Sunday followed a 1-3 stretch as Atlanta played more like the team that won six in a row preceding that slump. However, a blowout loss to a last-place team their last time out washed away any positive feelings.


Atlanta (23-16) suffered its second-worst defeat of the season Wednesday, 107-84 at Charlotte, which trails the first-place Hawks by just 4 1/2 games in the Southeast Division. Atlanta led only after the first basket of the game and trailed by as many as 35.


Paul Millsap had 20 points but no other Hawk scored in double figures as the club shot 37 percent. Horford's stats might have been the most stunning, as he scored a career-low two points, committed four turnovers and posted a minus-30 rating - the worst for an Atlanta player this season.


The forward had averaged 21.4 points in the previous five games and scored 33 with 10 rebounds, six assists and four blocks in the 120-105 win over the Bulls.


'Our whole group did not play well,' coach Mike Budenholzer said. "Our entire group, from top to bottom, I don't think anybody feels real great about how we played."


The Hawks have given up at least 105 points five times in the last six games. Atlanta hasn't been able to end its up-and-down play this season, with win streaks of seven and six games surrounded by spotty results. The Hawks have gone 3-4 since the six consecutive victories.


They'll try to steady themselves against another last-place team in Milwaukee (16-25), continuing a stretch of seven of eight against sub-.500 teams that started with the Hornets game.


Atlanta has won 13 of 15 against the Bucks, and the six in a row at the Bradley Center have seen Milwaukee average 93.7 points. They scored 86 and 85 in the past two.


Milwaukee also felt good following Tuesday's 106-101 win over Chicago, but it lost by the same score at Washington on Wednesday for its fourth defeat in six games. One night after setting a season low with five turnovers, the Bucks committed a season-high 27 with 12 coming in the final 12 minutes.


'Way too much,' said center Greg Monroe, who had 21 points and 12 rebounds. 'If we take care of the ball, we probably give ourselves a better chance to win.'


Khris Middleton led the Bucks with 25 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo had 19 and 11 rebounds - his third straight game with double-digit boards.


The Bucks are 11-7 in Milwaukee and have won two straight there. Atlanta has lost nine of its last 15 road games after opening the season 4-0 away from home.

[TheGame]

Re: NBA Betting Info. 1/15

Preview: Hornets (18-20) at Pelicans (12-26)


Date: January 15, 2016 8:00 PM EDT


The Charlotte Hornets ended their losing streak with the kind of defense they've needed to win all season, and the New Orleans Pelicans halted theirs with an outside shooting effort that's typically absent from their arsenal.


The teams seek their first winning streak of the new year Friday night in New Orleans, though additional losing streaks loom: The Hornets are up against an eight-game road skid while the Pelicans are in danger of losing a season-worst fourth straight at home.


Wednesday's 107-84 win over Atlanta ended a season-worst seven-game losing streak for the Hornets (18-20), on which they'd fallen from 1 1/2 games back of the Hawks to 5 1/2 and last place in the Southeast Division. Charlotte limited Atlanta to 37 percent shooting.


"We did it from start to finish," said Kemba Walker, who was 9 of 13 for 23 points after shooting 30.8 percent in his previous three games. "We came out aggressive, came out some great intensity and some great togetherness. We played some good defense from the start, and maintained it. We came out with a big win."


No matter their position in the standings in recent weeks, the Hornets haven't won a game in which an opponent shot at least 42 percent since Nov. 23. For a team that allows 44 percent for the season, that's a trend that'll have to change if a playoff push is in its future.


Charlotte also needs to end a road skid that's dropped it to 4-13 in opponents' buildings. It's the team's longest since ending 2012-13 with 14 straight. The win over the Hawks followed a disappointing four-game road trip.


"This was an important game for us to kind of put that road trip behind us," Cody Zeller said after a 19-point, 10-rebound game. "We knew we had to get off to a good start to beat this team. We kind of carried it all through. To come out and play defense the way we did tonight was a big key for us."


New Orleans (12-26) hasn't been a particularly imposing team offensively, shooting 39.7 percent over a 1-4 span. In Wednesday's 109-97 victory in Sacramento, though, the Pelicans were 16 of 33 from 3-point range.


"We really did a good job of moving the ball," said coach Alvin Gentry, whose team ranks in the league's bottom half in 3-point percentage (34.9). "We were locked in early."


Eric Gordon scored 24 points and hit 6 of 12 from long range, and that was necessary with Anthony Davis going 8 of 23 from the field. The power forward still finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds, and just his presence was a boost after he missed two games with a bruised back. The Pelicans are 0-5 without him.


"He's our best player, our go-to guy," said Ryan Anderson, who hit 4 of 6 from long range on his way to 18 points. "We rely a lot on him. We have extra confidence when he's in there."


Playing in New Orleans hasn't provided any similar boost. The Pelicans, who play eight of their next nine at home, have dropped three straight there for the second time this season, averaging 88.7 points while shooting 39.3 percent and 27.4 from 3-point range on the latest skid.


The teams have split four games over the past two seasons with the Pelicans winning both in New Orleans. Davis averaged 28 points and 12.5 rebounds in last season's meetings. Walker had 31 points in the latest - a 98-94 Hornets' win on Jan. 7, 2015.

[TheGame]

Re: NBA Betting Info. 1/15

Preview: Heat (22-17) at Nuggets (15-24)


Date: January 15, 2016 9:00 PM EDT


It's been a dream start to the longest homestand of the season for the Denver Nuggets, while the Miami Heat's longest road trip has turned sour.


Erik Spoelstra's club can still salvage a split with wins in the last two, and that begins Friday night in Denver with the Nuggets coming off a win over the NBA's best team.


Denver (15-24) became the third team to beat Golden State with Wednesday's 112-110 victory. It was also its third win in four games since dropping six straight, and the success has come with a limited amount of offensive execution. The Nuggets shot 42.5 percent against Golden State while hitting 5 of 22 from 3-point range, and they've been limited to 39.2 percent in their last four. It was the worst opponent shooting percentage in a Warriors' regular-season loss since the Los Angeles Clippers shot 39.1 percent on Dec. 25, 2014.


Unsurprisingly, they've all been tight games with Denver tipping the scale by holding teams to 39.9 percent and with a 49.5-40.5 rebounding advantage. That includes a 13.3-8.8 edge on the offensive glass.


Against the Warriors, Danilo Gallinari led the Nuggets with 28 points, but his defense against Steph Curry in the game's closing seconds was just as noteworthy.


"Gallo has proven this year he can guard most players on the floor," said coach Michael Malone, whose team is two wins into an eight-game homestand. "And he did a great job. He got into a stance, forced a deflection, was first to the floor and comes out with the loose ball. Those are winning plays. Those are what separate teams, and we had enough winning plays tonight where we were able to withstand the furious comeback that they made."


Gallinari has strung together three of his top six scoring efforts of the season, and the forward is averaging 26.2 points in six games since returning from an ankle injury.


Regardless of who Denver just beat, Miami (22-17) figures to be relieved with its next opponent after stops in Golden State and Los Angeles. Wednesday's 104-90 loss to the Clippers was the fourth on a six-game trip that began with a win in Phoenix and a loss in Utah.


The Heat committed a season-high 24 turnovers with seven from Dwyane Wade, who's averaging exactly 4 in his last five games after entering that span at 2.27 per contest. That probably has something to do with point guard Goran Dragic missing the game with a strained calf, and he'll miss the rest of the trip after being sent back to Miami.


"I was trying to make things happen, but I had too many turnovers," Wade said. "I was just trying to be aggressive, especially in transition. We had some opportunities, but they did a good job of getting back, gambling at certain times, and we did some lazy passing."


On the three-game skid, Wade has averaged 14.7 points on 31.9 percent shooting, while Chris Bosh has been held to 13 points per game while shooting 34.6 percent - with a 0-for-9 mark from 3-point range - in the last two.


They've averaged 17.3 turnovers on the skid, and Spoelstra attributed those individual efforts and their 92 points per game to not taking care of the ball.


"That's the No. 1 thing because that flattens us out," he said. "Everybody gets out of rhythm. Not able to execute with detail, and you naturally get discouraged on that. We all have to develop a better mental toughness in those situations. We're the same team. We're the same team that won the first game on this trip."


Gerald Green has at least stepped up, scoring a team-high 19 against the Clippers. The reserve guard is averaging 17 points and shooting 51 percent in his last four games.

[TheGame]

Re: NBA Betting Info. 1/15

Preview: Cavaliers (27-10) at Rockets (21-19)


Date: January 15, 2016 9:30 PM EDT


The Cleveland Cavaliers were nearly up to the challenge at one of the NBA's most difficult venues. The next one doesn't figure to be easy, either.


The Cavaliers close out their longest trip of the season in a city where they haven't won in nearly 10 years when they visit the rolling Houston Rockets on Friday night.


Cleveland (27-10) had visions of handing San Antonio its first regular-season home loss in 10 months after jumping out to a 15-point first-quarter advantage and leading by three early in the fourth, but couldn't quite hold on in Thursday's 99-95 loss that snapped an eight-game winning streak. The victory was the Spurs' 32nd straight at home since an overtime loss to the Cavaliers on March 12.


The Cavaliers shot 59.1 percent during a 32-point opening quarter but couldn't keep that pace as the Spurs' league-best defense stiffened down the stretch, limiting Cleveland to 8 of 22 shooting over the final 11-plus minutes.


'They did a good job of taking us out of our sets, but we also had some really good looks that didn't go down for us,' said LeBron James, who finished with 22 points but had just eight in the second half.


Cleveland also committed 18 turnovers, its highest total since Dec. 17.


"Having 18 turnovers for 19 points against this team, who executes so well and don't make many mistakes themselves, we've got to take care of the ball a little bit more," James said.


The Cavaliers now attempt to regroup and shake off any lingering fatigue as they conclude a six-game trek with a third game in four days. They'll also be working against history in Friday's matchup, as they've lost eight straight in Houston since a 104-102 overtime victory on March 26, 2006, and 23 of their last 26 there.


James had 37 points in the Cavaliers' last visit to Toyota Center on March 1, but missed two free throws in the final seconds of overtime in a 105-103 loss.


Houston (21-19) has won 10 of 12 at home and a season-high five straight overall after fending off determined Minnesota 107-104 on Wednesday to move two games above .500 for the first time this season.


'I think we would have let this game slip away (early in the season)," guard James Harden said. "But no matter how bad we struggled, especially in the first three quarters, we locked in and we got stops when we needed to and we just scored."


An improved defense has helped trigger the Rockets' turnaround, as they're yielding 96.6 points per game during the win streak after allowing 116.5 in losing their previous four. They'll likely need that trend to continue to earn a seventh consecutive win in the series, as the Cavaliers are 19-2 when scoring 100 or more.


Houston also overcame a 7 of 30 performance from 3-point range against the Timberwolves, a departure from its recent form. The Rockets shot 43.0 percent from beyond the arc over their previous nine games.


Patrick Beverley went 17 of 27 over the first eight of that stretch before sitting out Wednesday's game for a personal matter.


Cleveland's J.R. Smith is also shooting well, having gone 27 of 54 from 3 over a six-game run in which he's averaged 19.5 points.

[TheGame]

Re: NBA Betting Info. 1/15

NBA


Hot teams
-- Toronto won five of last seven games (7-5AF).
-- Memphis won four of last five home games (5-0 last five HF). Detroit won three of its last four games (3-6 last nine AU).
-- Cavaliers won last eight games (3-1AU). Spurs won their last nine games, covered six of last seven.
-- Utah won four of last six games (5-3 last eight HF).
-- Warriors won seven of their last eight games (1-4 last five HF).


Cold teams
-- Orlando lost five of its last six games (1-3 last four HU).
-- Bulls lost their last three games (3-1AF). 76ers lost five of their last six games (2-8 last 10 HU).
-- Kings lost six of their last nine games (5-2 last seven AU).
-- Lakers lost four of their last five games (3-1 last four AU).


Series records
-- Raptors won nine of last ten games with Orlando.
-- Bulls won last eight games with Philly (3-1 last four vs spread).
-- Pistons lost nine of last ten games with Memphis.
-- Spurs won nine of last ten games with Cleveland.
-- Jazz won five of last seven games with Sacramento.
-- Warriors won seven of last eight games against the Lakers.


Totals
-- Seven of last ten Toronto games went over total; six of last eight Magic games stayed under.
-- Last five Chicago-Philly games went over total.
-- Three of last four Memphis games went over total.
-- Four of last five Cleveland games went over total.
-- Over is 6-2-1 in last nine Sacramento-Utah games.
-- Five of last seven Laker games stayed under total.


Back/backs
-- Sacramento is 5-4 vs spread if it played night before. Utah is 5-3.
-- Golden State is 8-2 vs spread if it played night before.

[TheGame]

Re: NBA Betting Info. 1/15

Streaks, Tips, Notes


Cleveland at Houston January 15, 9:30 EST


King James and his Cavaliers had an eight-game win streak snapped in San Antonio last night and will try to start a new streak when they visit the Toyota Center in Houston to take on Rockets. Tough spot, teams playing without rest this season after a game against Spurs are winless 0-9 (3-6 ATS). Additionally, Cavaliers have had little success in Rockets back yard posting a 1-7 SU/ATS record last eight trips into Houston.

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Re: NBA Betting Info. 1/15

Why NBA bettors should fade the Cavs on their ‘Texas Triangle’ road trip
By BIG AL MCMORDIE
It’s been a fantastically entertaining first half of the NBA season, with Golden State garnering most of the attention, due to its 24-game win streak to start the season. But a number of teams are starting to play very good basketball, among them the Clippers and Knicks. And that must make Commissioner Adam Silver very happy, as he no doubt wants relevant teams in the two biggest markets. Let’s take a look at some of the stories making news around the NBA.
Spread watch
The Brooklyn Nets are an absolute train wreck. They’re 10-27 SU, and fired GM Billy King and coach Lionel Hollins this weekend. Tony Brown, who played a season for the Nets in 1986-87, has been named interim head coach.
Owner Mikhail Prokhorov claimed that he made the moves because the franchise needed a “fresh start and a new vision for the direction of the team.” But it was Prokhorov’s impatient “Win Now” vision, which was at the root of Billy King’s player moves the last few years, that started the team down this path.
Brooklyn has failed to cover its last four games and has been installed as a 14-point home underdog to the Spurs Monday night. Given that the Nets are 8-20-1 ATS their last 29 versus the Spurs does not bode well for Tony Brown’s first day on the job. Brooklyn’s best chance in the near term for a win seems to be at home versus Portland Friday.
Total watch
Two weeks ago, I highlighted the Atlanta Hawks, who were on a six-game streak of going Over the total. Well, all the Hawks have done since then is go Over the total in five of their last six (so, 11 of their last 12), including the last five in a row.
One of the main reasons for Atlanta’s high-scoring run has been the insertion of Kent Bazemore into the starting lineup by coach Mike Budenholzer. And, in their last 12 games, the Hawks have averaged 110.08 points, compared to 100.1 prior to the insertion of Bazemore into the starting five.
Atlanta will attempt to go Over the total for the sixth straight time when it takes the court on Wednesday, at Charlotte. And the Hornets have been a red carpet on defense, lately, as they’ve allowed five of their last seven opponents to reach the century mark and have given up an average of 107 points per game over their last seven games (compared to 98.9 ppg prior to that point). Another high-scoring game by the Hawks wouldn’t surprise.
Injury watch
Rudy Gobert missed 18 games for Utah with a sprained MCL, but returned last Thursday and played 15 minutes versus the Rockets. But his playing time expanded to 28 minutes against the Heat Saturday, and 30 minutes at the Lakers Sunday. Gobert’s one of the best defensive players in the league and his value is illustrated by the fact that, in the 18 games he missed, Utah’s defense was the fourth-worst in the NBA, but ranked as the seventh-best defense in the games Gobert’s played this season.
The Jazz held the Miami Heat to 83 points, in a 15-point win Saturday and followed that up with an 86-74 victory against the Lakers the next night. With games this week against Portland, Sacramento and the Lakers, I look for Utah to continue its strong defensive play and extend its win streak to five games.
Schedule watch
The Cleveland Cavaliers will embark on the dreaded “Texas Triangle” this week. They’ll play three consecutive road games at (W) Dallas (Tuesday), (L) San Antonio (Thursday) and Houston (Friday). LeBron James’ Cavs have been a money-burner on the road in the regular season the past two years, as they’re 25-34-1 ATS.
Since 1990, NBA teams are an awful 133-260 SU on this Lone Star State trip. And they’re especially poor when the Texas teams are off back-to-back SU/ATS wins, as they’re 12-47 SU and 22-36 ATS in that situation. So, check the recent results of the Mavericks, Spurs and Rockets prior to playing the Cavs to see if any of the games qualify under this angle.

[Satch]

Re: NBA Betting Info. 1/15

Preview: Washington At Indiana
When: 7:00 PM ET, Friday, January 15, 2016
Where: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
The Washington Wizards have suddenly found their footing again with a three-game winning streak and got a major piece back in the lineup on Wednesday. The Wizards will try to make it four straight and improve to .500 when they visit the Indiana Pacers on Friday.
Bradley Beal (stress reaction) was the most devastating of a series of injuries that crippled Washington last month, and the star guard finally returned from a 16-game absence in a 106-101 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. “I just took my time with this injury,” Beal, who recorded 11 points in 23 minutes off the bench, told reporters. “I definitely wanted to make sure I was 100 percent before I got back out here.” The Pacers are battling through some inconsistency and dropped a 103-94 decision at Boston on Wednesday to fall to 6-8 in the last 14 games. Indiana is making a brief stop at home before hitting the road for a four-game trip and the team is 13-5 in its own building.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CSN Mid-Atlantic (Washington), FSN Indiana
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (18-19): Beal re-entered the lineup just as Marcin Gortat (illness) was headed out. Gortat had to be hospitalized and was given intravenous antibiotics in an effort to fight an infection in his left knee. The starting center’s absence was mitigated in part by the recent return to the lineup of another player that missed most of the last month, and Nene (calf) delivered 12 points, two blocks and three steals in Wednesday’s triumph.
ABOUT THE PACERS (22-17): Indiana sandwiched a pair of road losses around a home win over lowly Phoenix in its last three games and is working on executing better down the stretch. “That’s what it comes down to with us, trying to win these close games we got to execute every detail on the offensive end, we got to get the ball where we want to get the ball, deep cut, break open, set our screens and take care of the basketball,” coach Frank Vogel told reporters. “We didn’t do that (against the Celtics) and it cost us.” The Pacers committed 20 turnovers in their most recent loss, including four in the final 2:33.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Wizards backup PG Ramon Sessions averaged 15.5 points on 12-of-21 shooting in the last two games.
2. The Pacers went 5-of-30 from 3-point range on Wednesday, including a combined 0-of-14 from C.J. Miles and Monta Ellis.
3. Paul George scored 40 points in Indiana’s 123-106 win at Washington on Nov. 24.
PREDICTION: Pacers 101, Wizards 97

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Re: NBA Betting Info. 1/15

Preview: Minnesota At Oklahoma City
When: 7:00 PM ET, Friday, January 15, 2016
Where: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
The Oklahoma City Thunder recorded their ninth straight victory over Minnesota earlier this week and aim to stretch that streak to 10 when they host the Timberwolves on Friday. Small forward Kevin Durant scored 30 points and Oklahoma City held off a late Minnesota charge to post a 101-96 road win on Tuesday.
Durant had 29 points and 10 rebounds in Wednesday’s 108-89 dismantling of the Dallas Mavericks to stretch his streak of consecutive 20-point outings to 25. The Thunder have won 17 of their last 21 games and the victory over Dallas marked the 10th straight time and 16th in 17 games that they scored 100 or more points. Struggling Minnesota has lost a season-worst eight consecutive games and dropped 12 of its last 13 while suffering through another dismal season. Shooting guard Andrew Wiggins is averaging 26.5 points over the past four games and poured in 28 during Wednesday’s 107-104 loss to the Houston Rockets.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN Oklahoma, FSN North (Minnesota)
ABOUT THE THUNDER (28-12): Point guard Russell Westbrook was ejected in the first half of the victory over Dallas to finish scoreless for just the second time in his stellar career. His only other scoreless outing occurred against the Indiana Pacers on March 21, 2010, and Wednesday’s ejection was the third of his career. Westbrook was on a roll entering the contest as he averaged 25.8 points over the previous four games and scored 20 or more points in 10 of 12 games.
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (12-28): Minnesota failed to reach 100 points in 12 consecutive games before ending the dubious streak in the loss to Houston. Wiggins has been solid but the Timberwolves don’t have enough parts to compete with the upper-echelon teams and the losses are beginning to mount. “It’s very frustrating not being able to win,” Wiggins told reporters. “Every game we play good but it’s something that we’re not doing right or a mistake we made and we just have to fix it.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Thunder have won 22 of the past 25 meetings.
2. Minnesota PG Ricky Rubio had 12 assists against Houston but also committed a season-worst eight turnovers.
3. Oklahoma City PF Serge Ibaka had 20 points and 11 rebounds against Dallas for his first double-double since Dec. 10.
PREDICTION: Thunder 116, Timberwolves 101