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NBA Betting Info. 3/12

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  • NBA Betting Info. 3/12

    StatFox Super Situations


    NBA | PHOENIX at GOLDEN STATE
    Play Under - All teams where the total is greater than or equal to 210 after being beaten by the spread by 18 or more points total in their last three games, on Saturday games
    67-31 since 1997. ( 68.4% | 32.9 units )
    7-4 this year. ( 63.6% | 2.6 units )


    NBA | INDIANA at DALLAS
    Play On - Home favorites vs. the money line (DALLAS) after 1 or more consecutive losses, in March games
    207-62 over the last 5 seasons. ( 77.0% | 75.0 units )
    11-3 this year. ( 78.6% | 7.1 units )


    NBA | NEW ORLEANS at MILWAUKEE
    Play Over - Home teams where the first half total is greater than 105 off an upset win as an underdog, in March games
    52-22 since 1997. ( 70.3% | 27.8 units )
    1-1 this year. ( 50.0% | -0.1 units )

  • #2
    Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/12

    NBA notebook: Still no timetable for Bosh's return
    By The Sports Xchange


    One day after Chris Bosh expressed that he hopes to play again this season, the Miami Heat reiterated that there is no timetable for his return.
    The 11-time All-Star has been sidelined for more than a month due to a second round of blood-clot issues, and the possibility of seeing Bosh on the court isn't something that coach Erik Spoelstra is fretting about.
    "We don't have any kind of timetable or anything like that," Spoelstra told reporters at a mid-day shootaround in Chicago on Friday prior to a game against the Chicago Bulls.
    Bosh last played on Feb. 9 and had to pull out of the NBA All-Star Game due to the medical problem. It was first reported as a calf injury and it later became commonly referred to as an injury related to blood clots, though the Heat have repeatedly refused to clarify Bosh's situation.


    --The Memphis Grizzlies signed guard Briante Weber to a 10-day contract after he was called up from the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA Development League.
    The 6-foot-2, 165-pound Weber has appeared in 22 games (nine starts) with the Skyforce and averaged 10.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.95 steals in 28.5 minutes in his first professional season.


    --The Charlotte Hornets signed guard Jorge Gutierrez for the remainder of the season.
    The 6-foot-3 Gutierrez signed consecutive 10-day contracts with Charlotte on Feb. 20 and March 1. He has appeared in three games with the Hornets, averaging 3.0 points and 1.0 assists in 4.5 minutes per game.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/12

      Preview: Pacers (34-30) at Mavericks (33-32)


      Date: March 12, 2016 2:00 PM EDT


      A four-day break this late in the season is fairly unusual. At least two Indiana Pacers were happy about it, though their teammates might not have been.


      Newcomer Ty Lawson could be healed enough to play, and C.J. Miles might finally return as the Pacers look to reclaim the positive vibes from an impressive victory by dealing the Dallas Mavericks another crushing blow Saturday night.


      Monta Ellis wants to be a major part of doing that, playing his first game in Dallas since the Mavericks chose not to re-sign him after last season even though he was their top scorer. Ellis appeared motivated when the Mavs played in Indiana on Dec. 16, scoring 13 of his 19 points in a game-changing third quarter of the Pacers' 107-81 win.


      "It was nothing personal, but Dallas was talking in the second half, a little. It probably got me going,' Ellis said at the time.


      The loss was the Mavericks' worst in the history of this series and most lopsided of the season to a team other than San Antonio.


      It was the Spurs against whom Indiana received a big confidence boost Monday, halting their eight-game winning streak with a 99-91 victory behind Ellis' 26 points. The Pacers (34-30) haven't played since knocking off the league's second-best team.


      "For me it's a blessing, for the rest of the guys it's a curse when they've been playing and you got four days off all of a sudden," said Miles, who should be ready to go after missing nine games with a calf injury.


      "It was a blessing to be able to have the practice days and to be able to have the time in between to get ready."


      Lawson feels similarly.


      The veteran point guard made his Pacers debut against San Antonio but sprained his left foot. Lawson is hoping to play, though, after the lengthy break provided extra time to recover and get acclimated to Frank Vogel's offense, similar to the one he ran with Denver for six seasons.


      "It's exactly the same," Lawson said. "They're saying the plays, they have different names for the plays, but it's basically the same action."


      He'll come off the bench along with Miles, who is intrigued by the prospect of playing alongside a speedy point man like Lawson.


      "That second unit, we really wanna try to run anyway. I mean, that's 'beep beep' over there," said Miles, a Dallas native who has averaged 24.0 points in his last two games against the Mavs.


      Whereas Lawson and Miles provide Indiana extra perimeter production, the Mavericks likely need more. The struggles of Wesley Matthews, Deron Williams and Raymond Felton have played a role in Dallas (33-32) being at risk of falling to .500 for the first time since mid-November.


      "I think there's some anger that's got to manifest the right way on Saturday," coach Rick Carlisle told the team's official website.


      The Mavericks are trying to avoid their longest losing streak since December 2012, having dropped four in a row.


      That skid has seen Matthews average 7.0 points on 9-of-37 shooting after scoring 17.8 per game as Dallas won four of five. Felton has shot 8 for 28 during the four-game skid, and he's 1 for 21 on 3-point tries since the All-Star break.


      Williams has averaged 8.5 points on 5-of-20 shooting in the last two games, beginning a stretch of nine straight against teams with winning records.


      "The biggest thing for us right now is just for us to stay positive, stick with one another, keep believing in one another and stay confident," forward Chandler Parsons said. "You know, we're too good of a team and we've worked too hard to be having struggles like this."

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/12

        Preview: Pistons (33-32) at 76ers (9-56)


        Date: March 12, 2016 7:00 PM EDT


        Thanks to a little help from their closest pursuer, the Detroit Pistons for now remain in position to claim a postseason spot.


        A winning road trip could go a long way toward keeping them there before their late-season schedule provides a luscious gift.


        The Pistons, who lead Chicago by a half-game for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, get an easy matchup against the NBA-worst Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night before a key contest against another team chasing them in the standings.


        Detroit (33-32) lost for the third time in five games and fell to 1-1 on its four-game trip with a 118-103 loss at Charlotte on Friday. The club briefly dropped into a tie with the Bulls, but they later lost 118-96 to Miami and returned to ninth place.


        Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 24 points and Reggie Jackson had 20 and 10 rebounds for the Pistons, but big man Andre Drummond attempted only one shot and had five points against a stout Hornets interior defense that entered the game second in the league with an average of 39.3 points allowed in the paint.


        "He didn't play with any energy at all," coach Stan Van Gundy said of his 6-11 center. "He didn't roll on his pick and rolls, he didn't run the floor and he didn't go to the offensive glass other than to push people. He basically didn't do anything."


        Drummond also had only nine rebounds, marking the fourth time in 65 games that he's failed to reach double digits in both points and boards. The All-Star is averaging 16.6 points and a league-best 15.0 rebounds and leads the NBA with 54 double-doubles.


        He'll likely bounce back against the 76ers (9-56), one of the NBA's worst with 45.7 interior points allowed per game. Drummond has dominated in three wins against them this season with an average of 18.3 points on 52.5 percent shooting and 17.3 rebounds.


        Jackson has also played well versus Philadelphia this season with 21.7 points per game, and another strong performance could help Detroit to its first four-game sweep of the Sixers since the 1995-96 season. The Pistons swept three meetings in 2005-06.


        A victory in Philly would be a big boost before the Pistons close their trip Monday against 10th-place Washington, which is two and a half games behind them in the chase. Things become very favorable from there with a nine-game homestand March 16-April 1.


        Philadelphia has yet to win back-to-back games this season and will get another shot after ending a 13-game losing streak with a 95-89 victory over Brooklyn on Friday.


        Carl Landry scored 16 and Nerlens Noel had 13 and 11 rebounds for the 76ers, who announced earlier that rookie center Jahlil Okafor will miss the rest of the season because of surgery to repair a small cartilage tear in his right knee.


        Okafor, the No. 3 overall pick in last year's draft, averaged a team-high 17.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in 53 games. He'll resume basketball activities in six weeks.


        The Sixers then suffered another blow against the Nets when Robert Covington had to be removed on a stretcher and was taken to a hospital with an apparent neck injury after he was kicked in the face by teammate Jerami Grant in a collision under the basket.


        "It was a significant collision," coach Brett Brown said. "When you see a player, a teammate, a friend being taken off the court on a stretcher, it's different than someone walking off the court with a sprained ankle."


        Philadelphia's only two victories since Jan. 27 have both come against Brooklyn.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/12

          Preview: Rockets (33-32) at Hornets (36-28)


          Date: March 12, 2016 7:00 PM EDT


          As much as the Charlotte Hornets love seeing Kemba Walker register one big scoring effort after another, it has to be a little comforting to know they can win without one.


          That doesn't mean it's going to happen regularly, so the Hornets would appreciate a bounce-back performance from Walker on Saturday night as they try to win seven straight for the first time in 14 years with a rare victory over the visiting Houston Rockets.


          Baron Davis was running the point the last time Charlotte (36-28) won seven games in a row, and that was the season before the franchise moved to New Orleans.


          The Hornets' current floor general has them in position to get there again after four straight 30-point games entering Friday, but what was most impressive about the latest contest is that Walker's streak ending didn't prevent the team's from continuing.


          Walker was held to 16 points on 3-of-11 shooting, but six other Hornets scored in double figures in a 118-103 rout of Detroit. Marvin Williams led the way with 22 - his fifth 20-point game in his last 20 after having none in his previous 149.


          "We had stretches tonight that were the best we've played all year in terms of putting offense and defense together," coach Steve Clifford said. "Obviously this was a good win, a good effort and we did a lot of things better. Hopefully we take this and play well again tomorrow night."


          Charlotte moved eight games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2000-01 season. Now it takes a crack at ending a 10-game skid against the Rockets (33-32), whom it last beat when Walker was a junior at Connecticut.


          "It's gonna be a tough one," Walker said of facing Houston, which held him to 14 points on 3-of-10 shooting in a 102-95 loss Dec. 21. "Those guys can score, of course they've got one of the better players in the league in James Harden, so we have to be ready to come in and defend him."


          The Hornets winning on an off night from Walker has been a rarity. Charlotte has won 17 of its last 23 he's played, going 15-0 when he scores at least 22 and 2-6 otherwise.


          Clifford's team is just 1 1/2 games behind Southeast Division-leading Miami, while the Rockets are within a half game of Portland for sixth in the Western Conference, which would allow it to avoid Golden State or San Antonio in the first round.


          Houston will go for a fourth straight win as it tries to lay waste to another impressive streak. The Rockets began this week by ending Toronto's franchise-record 12-game run at home Sunday, and after an easy victory over Philadelphia they snapped Boston's run at TD Garden at 14 with Friday's 102-98 win.


          Houston will now try to end its five-game trip with a fourth straight victory.


          "We have the willingness to share, we have the willingness to (play) defense (since the All-Star break)," interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "There has been a camaraderie and togetherness."


          "We'll be even better in the weeks to come but we are taking steps in the right direction now."


          Harden had 32 points, which actually slightly reduced his NBA-leading average since Jan. 29 to 33.2, but the encouraging sign to come out of Friday's game was the performance of a player who was a top-3 pick a year before Harden.


          Michael Beasley, who just finished a second season in China, got in for a third game since signing with Houston a week ago. He managed to take 19 shots in 15 minutes, hitting nine to finish with 18 points.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/12

            Preview: Heat (38-27) at Raptors (43-20)


            Date: March 12, 2016 7:00 PM EDT


            While their offense has keyed a dominant stretch at home, the Toronto Raptors have been nearly unbeatable when they've been able to put together a complete defensive effort.


            That isn't likely to be an easy task against the suddenly high-scoring Miami Heat.


            The Heat hope Dwyane Wade will be able to go in the second of back-to-back games Saturday night when they try to deal the Raptors their second loss in the past 16 home games.


            The Raptors are averaging 107.1 points - far above their 102.7 mark overall - and shooting 47.9 percent from the field during a 14-1 stretch at home. However, it was the team's effort at the other end that pleased coach Dwane Casey most in Thursday's 104-96 victory over Atlanta.


            Toronto limited the Hawks to 42.7 percent shooting and 7 for 23 (30.4 percent) from 3-point range while also outrebounding them 48-33 and outscoring them 50-34 in the paint. The Raptors are riding a franchise-record 29-game winning streak when holding teams under 100 points.


            "I saw toughness," Casey explained. "I saw a longer period of physicality."


            Casey's club seemed to be both on Jan. 22 when it limited Miami to 40.7 percent shooting - including 4 of 17 from 3-point range - in a 101-81 win in the first home meeting. The Heat (38-27), however, played without Hassan Whiteside, Goran Dragic and Luol Deng.


            Former Toronto star Chris Bosh will miss his 13th straight game as Miami tries to avoid dropping three of four in the season series. The All-Star released a statement Thursday saying he would love to rejoin the playoff push at some point after his latest blood clot scare.


            Wade will try to recover quickly after finishing with nine points on 3-of-15 shooting in Friday's 118-96 win at Chicago. The All-Star guard suffered a bruised thigh in a 114-108 loss at Milwaukee in the opener of this trip that snapped a five-game winning streak.


            DeMar DeRozan has gotten the best of his matchup with Wade in the past two meetings. He finished with 30 points in a 108-94 win at Miami on Dec. 18 and had 33 at home in January. Wade totaled 43 points but also committed a combined 12 turnovers in those contests.


            The Raptors (43-20), who can get within two games of Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland, have won four of five meetings following a 16-game series losing streak.


            DeRozan is playing well heading into this one, averaging 28.6 points in his last five games. Fellow All-Star Kyle Lowry has scored 27 per game and hit 17 of 41 from 3-point range in his past six but has averaged 15.8 while shooting 5 for 27 from 3 in his last four versus Miami.


            The Heat should provide a tough challenge for Toronto defensively after averaging 113 points on 51.2 percent shooting - including 47.8 from long distance - in their last six games.


            Dragic led the way with 26 points and nine assists against the Bulls, while Josh Richardson added a career-high 22 points and Deng scored 19. Whiteside contributed 13 points and 16 rebounds, giving him an average of 18 and 15.1 over his past 11 games.


            "'Once we got the lead we started to get comfortable,' Deng said after Miami broke open the game with a 34-15 fourth quarter, 'and then they were reacting to us.'

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/12

              Preview: Pelicans (24-40) at Bucks (27-38)


              Date: March 12, 2016 7:30 PM EDT


              Anthony Davis causes problems for the Milwaukee Bucks, but Jabari Parker seems poised to do the same to the New Orleans Pelicans.


              Parker will try to give the Bucks an answer for Davis as they try to beat the Pelicans for just the third time in a decade Saturday night.


              Milwaukee (27-38) has lost 17 of 19 against New Orleans, including six straight while giving up an average of 105.2 points on 48.7 percent shooting, including 45.7 from 3-point range.


              The Bucks allowed the Pelicans (24-40) to connect on 17 of 31 from beyond the arc in a 116-99 road loss Jan. 23, part of an overall 8-13 stretch that's practically ended their postseason chances and put them at the bottom of the Central Division.


              Davis has done a lot of damage over the last four matchups, averaging 28.5 points, 5.0 assists and 2.8 blocks. The All-Star power forward had 43 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in a 114-103 win in the most recent visit to Milwaukee on March 9, 2015.


              The Bucks are hoping Parker can slow him down after he only managed 10 points at New Orleans two months ago. The rookie forward enters this one averaging 23.8 points over the last five home games, including a season-high 36 in a 128-121 win over Houston on Feb. 29.


              Parker is also getting help up front from Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has put up 22.2 points and 8.2 assists per game over the past five games. He had 29 points against the Pelicans at home last year, but he only scored 10 earlier this season.


              Parker and Antetokounmpo combined for 47 points and Khris Middleton added 22 with eight assists and seven boards in Wednesday's 114-108 win over Miami.


              "We just wanted to stay with it, execute down the stretch," Middleton said of Milwaukee's 34-23 fourth-quarter scoring edge. "We haven't been doing that lately. We finally got back to doing it, and it worked out for us."


              Middleton is averaging 24.1 points over the last seven, and he scored 22 with seven boards and five assists at New Orleans in January.


              The Pelicans are surrendering 109.6 points per game while dropping six of seven games. They're also among the worst road teams in the NBA at 7-25, losing four straight after falling 121-114 in overtime at Memphis on Friday.


              They opened this five-game trip with a 122-113 defeat at Charlotte on Wednesday.


              Davis has done his part on this trip, scoring 40 points with 13 rebounds against the Hornets and getting 25 and 13 versus the Grizzlies. He's averaging 31.3 points and 11.8 boards over the last four games overall.


              The Pelicans are also wasting outstanding efforts from Jrue Holiday, who's totaled 72 points and 16 assists on the trip. Holiday had 13 points and nine assists against Milwaukee two months ago.


              The Bucks will be without guard O.J. Mayo for the rest of the season after he broke his right ankle falling down stairs at his home Thursday. Mayo averaged 7.8 points and 2.9 assists in 26.6 minutes during 41 games. He'll likely be replaced by Jerryd Bayless, who averages 10.7 points and 3.4 assists while starting just eight of 42 games.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/12

                Preview: Grizzlies (39-26) at Hawks (36-29)


                Date: March 12, 2016 7:30 PM EDT


                The last time the Atlanta Hawks and Memphis Grizzlies faced each other, their records were floating around .500 during mediocre starts to the season.


                Each has separated a bit from the even-water mark since, though not without plenty of turmoil along the way.


                Both continue to jostle for better playoff position Saturday night when the Hawks go for a season sweep of the visiting Grizzlies, who may be forced to play again without their ailing stars.


                Atlanta (36-29) won the first meeting 116-101 in Memphis on Nov. 27, though that came in the middle of a 6-10 stretch that tempered expectations for the Eastern Conference's only 60-win team a season ago. The Hawks have been streaky all season, with a stiff defensive stretch helping to account for five wins in six games in their recent upswing.


                It was Toronto's defensive pressure that ended the Hawks' latest run at three on Thursday night, though. Atlanta shot 42.7 percent and hit only 7 of 23 3s in a 104-96 loss to close a five-game road trip 3-2.


                The Hawks held their previous six opponents to 88.5 points per game on 37 percent shooting. They forced a combined 39 turnovers in the final two games of that stretch, but after turning the Raptors over 11 times in the first half, only got four the rest of the way.


                'We weren't flying around all over the place like we were earlier, so probably that had something to do with it," Al Horford said. "As far as tightening up on offense, we need to be a little more focused, do things with more purpose in order for us to take the next step as a team.'


                Atlanta has taken a step or two back in the Southeast Division over the last month with Miami and Charlotte surging to the top two spots, but still holds the East's No. 6 seed - 1 1/2 games ahead of Indiana.


                Memphis (39-26) has a stranglehold on the West's fifth spot, but moving up appears unlikely - especially following a bevy of injuries highlighted by Marc Gasol's broken foot.


                The Grizzlies are 18-7 since Jan. 14 but played without their top three scorers in Friday's 121-114 overtime win over New Orleans.


                Along with Gasol, who has been out since Feb. 10, Zach Randolph sat out his second straight contest with a sore knee and point guard Mike Conley did the same with a sore left foot. Somehow, Memphis still eclipsed 120 points for the fourth time this season for its fifth win in seven games.


                The cast that led it there was unlikely to say the least.


                Lance Stephenson poured in a career-high 33 points, Matt Barnes had a triple-double with 26 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists and JaMychal Green posted a career-high 21 points along with 10 rebounds.


                Even rookie point guard Briante Weber chipped in 10 points and seven assists after signing a 10-day contract earlier Friday.


                "I was really impressed with the way they hung in there together," coach Dave Joerger said. "They helped each other try to cement things for the long term and build those relationships, and I was really, really impressed with that."

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/12

                  Preview: Thunder (44-21) at Spurs (55-10)


                  Date: March 12, 2016 8:30 PM EDT


                  It's a wonder why anyone bothers reminding the San Antonio Spurs of what outsiders deem as accomplishments. A long home winning streak? The franchise's best record through 65 games? A future Hall of Famer grabbing a noteworthy rebound?


                  Ho-hum - to everything.


                  The Spurs have won five championships since 1999, and anything less than a sixth counts as a disappointing season. So if they're able to extend their regular-season home winning streak to 41 with a win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night, fine.


                  If not, they're still legitimate contenders to be the last team standing in June.


                  "It's a record season, yes, but it doesn't mean anything if we don't go all the way," four-time champion Tony Parker said after scoring 20 points in Thursday's 109-101 home win over Chicago.


                  The Spurs (55-10) brought in LaMarcus Aldridge to help them get through a Western Conference featuring defending champion Golden State. And for all the attention the Warriors have garnered in their pursuit of the single-season wins record, San Antonio quietly isn't far behind them in the standings.


                  Aldridge's average of 17.6 points is nearly six fewer than last season with Portland, but he's shooting 50.6 percent. He's been more aggressive over his last five, scoring 25.4 points per game and hitting 58.6 percent from the floor after scoring 26 against the Bulls.


                  With Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili in the twilight of their careers, Kawhi Leonard has taken over as the top threat. He's averaging 25.6 points over his last eight after netting 29 on Thursday.


                  Duncan brushed off becoming the sixth player in NBA history with 15,000 rebounds and instead praised Leonard, who helped San Antonio win for 10th time in its last 11.


                  "He's had an incredible year thus far and he's starting to feel that he needs a little more respect than he's getting," Duncan said. "That he can make the plays that he's making if he's allowed the opportunity."


                  Leonard made plenty in the first meeting with the Thunder (44-21) on Oct. 28, finishing with 32 points in a 112-106 road victory.


                  He's shooting 60.9 percent while making 6 of 9 from 3-point range in his last three against Oklahoma City, which got 33 points and 10 assists from Russell Westbrook and 22 points from Kevin Durant in the first matchup.


                  The Thunder will try to become the first opponent to win at the AT&T Center this season, but they've dropped three of their last five on the road and are coming off Friday's 99-96 home loss to last-place Minnesota.


                  Steven Adams' layup tied it with 10.8 seconds remaining before Ricky Rubio drained a 3 with 0.2 seconds left, preventing Oklahoma City from winning its third straight.


                  "We didn't expect this loss," Enes Kanter said after scoring 17 off the bench. "The most important thing is to get past it and start worrying about (the Spurs)."


                  Durant finished with 28 points and Westbrook had 26, but they combined for 11 of the Thunder's 24 turnovers, their second-most giveaways this season.


                  "I wish I could take all of (the turnovers) back, man. I just have to watch film and see how I can be better," said Durant, who has 32 giveaways over his last five games. "I have to control those turnovers because it's bleeding into the rest of the team, and as a leader I take full responsibility."


                  The Spurs won the last matchup in San Antonio 130-91 on March 25, 2015, although the Thunder played without Durant.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/12

                    Preview: Wizards (30-34) at Nuggets (27-38)


                    Date: March 12, 2016 9:30 PM EDT


                    The Washington Wizards have fallen into a tailspin at the wrong time, though the teams directly in front of them in the playoff chase seem willing to let them hang around.


                    Things won't get easier in the finale of their trip against a Denver Nuggets team seeking its longest winning streak of the season.


                    After the rookie was in awe of All-Star John Wall in the first meeting, Emmanuel Mudiay will try to extend his surge and lead the Nuggets to their fourth straight victory Saturday night.


                    The Wizards looked as though they might make a playoff push during a recent four-game winning streak, but they've stumbled since with a season high-tying four straight defeats.


                    They remained 2 1/2 games back of the Eastern Conference's final spot following Friday's 114-93 loss at Utah when eighth-place Detroit and ninth-place Chicago also went down.


                    'We didn't come out with any sense of urgency,' coach Randy Wittman said. 'I don't know how we can do that with 18 games left."


                    Washington (30-34) had played better defensively during a 7-2 stretch, allowing an average of 98.4 points and a 43.6 field-goal percentage. However, that effort has slipped while the club has surrendered 109.5 points on 48 percent during its losing streak.


                    "We can't keep anybody in front of us," Wittman said.


                    The Wizards certainly had trouble slowing the Nuggets in a 117-113 home loss Jan. 28. Danilo Gallinari finished with 26 points, Mudiay added 20 and Nikola Jokic had 15 with 10 rebounds as Denver shot 50.6 percent and made 9 for 18 from beyond the arc.


                    Gallinari won't be around for this one due to torn ligaments in his ankle, but Mudiay looks to build on a career-high 30-point effort in Thursday's 116-98 home win over Phoenix. He's averaged 21.6 points while hitting 11 for 25 from long distance in his last five games.


                    'Coach has confidence in me and told me to stay aggressive," the seventh overall pick said after Denver matched a season high with its third consecutive victory.


                    Mudiay seemed to soak in every moment of his first encounter with Wall in January.


                    "He said to me during the game, `John Wall is the quickest guy I've ever played against,"' coach Michael Malone said. "And I said, `You're not even guarding him, Gary Harris is."'


                    Harris will likely be matched up on Washington's top scorer again after holding him to 17 points on 5-of-17 shooting. Garrett Temple had 20 for the Wizards and Bradley Beal scored 17. Beal, however, could miss a third straight game because of a lingering hip injury.


                    Markieff Morris is averaging 12.3 points and 7.2 rebounds in six games as a starter.


                    Denver (27-38) has tightened things up in its last two games, allowing an average of 96 points on 40.2 percent shooting - including 12 of 46 (26.1 percent) from 3-point range. The club had been giving up 104.5 and a 46.1 field-goal percentage heading into those contests.


                    The Nuggets, six games back of the West's final playoff spot, have scored 115.8 per game in their last five. Jokic has chipped in by averaging 16.5 points and 10.8 boards in his past four.


                    They had dropped four of six in this series before winning in January.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/12

                      Preview: Magic (28-36) at Trail Blazers (34-32)


                      Date: March 12, 2016 10:30 PM EDT


                      The Portland Trail Blazers came up well short in their bid for a second win in three weeks against the NBA's best team.


                      Next up is the struggling Orlando Magic, but two other Western Conference powers loom close behind.


                      With a difficult trip waiting around the corner, the Trail Blazers look to snap out of their recent funk when they host the Magic on Saturday night.


                      Portland (34-32) is not far removed from an 18-4 stretch which included a statement-making 137-105 win over league-leading Golden State on Feb. 19.


                      That storyline has flipped quickly, though, after Friday's 128-112 loss to the Warriors marked the Trail Blazers' fourth defeat in five games and dropped them back into a congested West playoff race.


                      Portland currently holds the sixth seed, just one-half game ahead of Houston and Dallas and three and a half up on Utah.


                      With Damian Lillard scoring in bunches and a defensive improvement on the other end of the floor, Portland seemed in control of its postseason fate, but Friday's blowout was a completely different story.


                      Lillard made only 5 of 19 shots for 17 points back in his native Oakland, and the Warriors jumped out to an 81-61 lead at halftime and led by as many as 32 points.


                      Sure, it was against the league's highest-scoring team, but Portland has suddenly surrendered 118.6 points per game over its last five after holding opponents to 99.7 over the previous 15.


                      The Blazers follow this contest with a four-game trip beginning at Oklahoma City on Monday before a visit to San Antonio on Thursday. They then head to New Orleans on Friday before closing the swing March 20 in Dallas.


                      "We'll check out what we can do better tomorrow on the film and what we did well and just bounce back against Orlando," Meyers Leonard told the team's official website. "That's the main thing right now, Orlando. This game is over with, Orlando is huge for us tomorrow night."


                      Lillard was bound to fall back to earth at some point, but he just so happened to plummet against a team he torched for 51 points last month. That was part of a stretch in which he averaged 33.3 points over 13 games, including 41 in Tuesday's 116-109 win over Washington - Portland's 10th win in its last 12 home games.


                      Lillard will try to regroup against a team he's never scored 20 points against. He's averaged 14.7 versus the Magic in seven career meetings, and he made just 4 of 15 shots and 2 of 9 from 3-point range for 19 points in a 102-94 loss Dec. 18.


                      Orlando (28-36) has won the last two in this series, though the Trail Blazers have taken three straight and five of six in Portland.


                      Despite Friday's 107-100 victory at Sacramento, the Magic are one of the league's worst teams since Jan. 1 with a 9-23 record.


                      Three teams and four and a half games stand in the way of the East's eighth and final playoff spot, though Orlando isn't ready to count itself out of a postseason push.


                      "We want it, everybody in this locker room wants it," Aaron Gordon said. "A couple of games here and there and we can be right back in it. We just have to keep focused. We need to make sure we're doing the right things to make that push."


                      Gordon scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds while helping the Magic snap a four-game skid on the road against the Kings.

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                      • #12
                        Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/12

                        Preview: Suns (17-48) at Warriors (58-6)


                        Date: March 12, 2016 10:30 PM EDT


                        Phoenix put up strong defensive efforts in consecutive wins, then regressed right back to its porous self in back-to-back defeats.


                        A third straight seems likely with a stop in Golden State Saturday night as the Warriors try for a 48th straight home victory as well as a seventh straight over the Suns.


                        Golden State (58-6) scored an NBA season-high 81 points in the first half and moved to 3-0 to start a six-game homestand with Friday's 128-112 win over Portland as the Warriors and Trail Blazers combined for an NBA-record 37 3-pointers. On the homestand, the Warriors have averaged 120.7 points and hit 44.8 percent from 3-point range with an average of 15.7 makes per game. And with Phoenix followed in by New Orleans and New York, extending their NBA-record home winning streak to 50 seems almost inevitable.


                        Klay Thompson had 37 points and Stephen Curry scored 34 with the former joining his teammate as the only players to make 200 3-pointers in four straight seasons. They scored 30 or more points in the same game for the sixth time in their careers.


                        Since going 0 of 8 from 3-point range in Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, Thompson has made 18 of 30 in the three straight wins while averaging 29.0 points per game.


                        "Klay came out blazing. Me, not so much," said Curry, who sold himself short after scoring 23 first-half points. "It took me a while to get into it. He brought a lot of energy on both ends of the floor. We kind of fed off of that."


                        It sounds like Golden State might again be without Andre Iguodala, who will reportedly have an MRI on his left ankle tomorrow. X-rays after the game were negative. The forward had missed three of the last six games with a hamstring injury.


                        The Warriors' three wins this season over the Suns have come by an average score of 125.0-107.7 with Golden State shooting 46.4 percent from 3-point range with 17.0 makes per game. Draymond Green has triple-doubles in two of the three while averaging 13.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 7.7 assists. The Warriors have also won the last eight home matchups with the Suns last winning in Oakland in 2010-11.


                        Phoenix (17-48) won in Orlando and Memphis last weekend while limiting those teams to 92.0 points on 37.0 percent. It followed a 1-15 span on which the Suns allowed 111.4 points on 47.0 percent and 39.4 from 3-point range.


                        In Wednesday's 128-97 home loss to New York and Thursday's 116-98 defeat in Denver, they became themselves again and allowed those teams to hit 52.0 percent and 54.7 from long range.


                        As a result, Devin Booker's offensive outpouring has been wasted. The 19-year-old became the second teenager in data available back to the 1963-64 season to score 30-plus points in consecutive games. The other was LeBron James in 2003-04 with a point more than Booker's 67.


                        A career-high 35 of those came against the Nuggets, 25 of which came in the second half. The rookie has reached at least 32 points in three of his last five games while averaging 28.4 on 48.5 percent from the field.


                        "I was more aggressive," he said of his second-half effort. "I saw them playing me tighter so I had to find other shots in transition."


                        Brandon Knight scored 10 points in 25 minutes in his first game since Jan. 19, but it sounds like interim coach Earl Watson will ease him back into his regular minutes.


                        "He had a sports hernia, a slight tear, so you know that's serious," Watson said. "That injury kind of ended my career, so I understand the seriousness of that injury."

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/12

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


                          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. Joe Johnson has made a tremendous impact on the team, and Bosh hasn't even played with him yet. You throw out a starting five of Goran Dragic, Dwyane Wade, Johnson, Bosh and Hassan Whiteside (with Luol Deng off the bench) and that matches up pretty well with Cleveland's starting five. In fact, I'd give the Cavs the edge only at point guard (Kyrie Irving) and small forward (LeBron James). A key for Miami is to get the No. 3 seed, currently held by Boston, and avoid the Cavs until the conference finals.


                          Pacers at Mavericks (-2, 205)


                          Rare matinee in Dallas with a 2 p.m. ET start. Indiana won a second straight Monday with a 99-91 home upset of San Antonio. Monta Ellis had 26 points and Paul George 23. Ty Lawson made his Indiana debut but only played five minutes before spraining his foot. It was the Pacers' second win in 17 meetings with the Spurs since 2008. Pretty rare for a team to get four days off in the middle of the season like Indiana will have here. Dallas could fall to .500 with a loss as it has dropped a season-high four straight games, three at home. On Wednesday it was 102-96 against Detroit. The Mavericks are in a stretch with nine out of 10 games at home, but they have gone 4-5 in that time. Indiana won the first meeting 107-81 on Dec. 16, the Pacers' largest margin of victory ever in the series. They have won three straight against the Mavs overall.


                          Key trends: The Pacers are 9-2 against the spread in the past 11 meetings. The "over/under" is 10-3 in the past 13 overall.


                          Early lean: These odd start times hugely favor the home team. Dallas and over.


                          Rockets at Hornets (-4.5, 216.5)


                          Houston was in Boston on Friday and Charlotte hosted Detroit. The Rockets beat the Hornets 102-95 on Dec. 21. The teams combined for 60 fouls and 72 free throw attempts. James Harden had 36 points. Al Jefferson was out then for the Hornets. Houston has won 10 straight in the series and four in a row in Charlotte.


                          Key trends: The home team is 6-1-1 ATS in the past eight meetings. The under is 5-0 in the past five in Charlotte.


                          Early lean: Hornets didn't have to travel, which is an advantage. Take them.


                          Pistons at 76ers (+9, 209)


                          Detroit was in Charlotte on Friday and Philly hosted Brooklyn with Jahlil Okafor out again. The Pistons are 3-0 against the 76ers this season. Reggie Jackson is averaging 21.7 points against Philly in those wins. Detroit is just 3-6 in its past nine trips to the City of Brotherly Love, however.


                          Key trends: The home team is 5-1 ATS in the past six meetings. The over is 9-4 in the previous 13.


                          Early lean: 76ers and under.


                          Heat at Raptors (-6, 199)


                          Miami was in Chicago on Friday. Toronto won a second straight Thursday, 104-96 over Atlanta. DeMar DeRozan had 30 points and five rebounds. Jonas Valanciunas had 10 points and 10 rebounds, his career-high 16th straight game scoring in double figures and team-best 16th double-double of the season. This is the final meeting between these two, although I could see them potentially facing off in the Eastern Conference semifinals if the Heat can get to the No. 3 seed. Toronto leads 2-1 -- all three have been blowouts -- but still is only 4-17 in the past 21 meetings.


                          Key trends: The favorite is 9-3 ATS in the past 12 meetings. The over is 4-0 in Toronto's past four on Saturday.


                          Early lean: Raptors and under.


                          Grizzlies at Hawks (TBA)


                          Memphis hosted New Orleans on Friday with both Mike Conley and Zach Randolph questionable again and with guard Mario Chalmers now out for the season -- and then waived. It sound like Conley is going to miss quite a while longer. Atlanta had a three-game winning streak end in a 104-96 defeat in Toronto on Thursday. After forcing 11 Toronto turnovers in the first half, Atlanta only forced four more. The Hawks beat the Grizzlies 116-101 on Nov. 27. Paul Millsap had 23 points and 14 rebounds. Conley led Memphis with 16 points but was 4-for-13 from the field. The Grizz still had Marc Gasol then. He's out for the season.


                          Key trends: The underdog is 7-3 ATS in the past 10 meetings. The under is 6-2 in Atlanta's past eight.


                          Early lean: Grizz are banged-up and in second of a back-to-back. Should be an easy Hawks win.


                          Pelicans at Bucks (-3.5, 211)


                          New Orleans was in Memphis on Friday. Milwaukee ended a two-game slide with a 114-108 home win over Miami on Wednesday. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 24 points and Jabari Parker added 23. Greg Monroe, who came off the bench for 12 straight games, was back in the starting lineup. Guard O.J. Mayo missed the game with a stomach bug and then fell down the stairs Thursday morning and broke his ankle. He's done for the year. The Pelicans beat the Bucks 116-99 on Jan. 23. Anthony Davis had 22 points, seven rebounds and five assists. That was the Bucks' final game under interim coach Joe Prunty before Jason Kidd returned from hip surgery. Milwaukee has lost six in a row in the series.


                          Key trends: The Pelicans are 8-2 ATS in the past 10 meetings. The over is 4-1 in the past five.


                          Early lean: Bucks and over.


                          Thunder at Spurs (-7.5, 213.5)


                          This is your ABC Saturday Primetime Game and will have live betting at sportsbooks. I wish both teams were on equal rest to give the Thunder a realistic chance of handing the Spurs their first home loss, but OKC hosted Minnesota on Friday. San Antonio beat Chicago 109-101 on Thursday to improve to 31-0 at home. Kawhi Leonard had 29 points and LaMarcus Aldridge had 26 points and 10 rebounds. The Spurs have won 40 straight at home dating to last regular season. Kevin Martin, recently signed off waivers from Minnesota, made his Spurs debut and played eight minutes. These teams have met just once, and that was in their opener. The Thunder won 112-106 at home. Russell Westbrook gave Billy Donovan a win in his NBA debut with 33 points and seven assists. Kevin Durant had 22. Leonard led the Spurs, who were up by seven at one point in the fourth quarter, with 32 points.


                          Key trends: The Thunder are 1-4 ATS in the past five in San Antonio. The over is 4-1 in the past five meetings overall.


                          Early lean: Spurs and over.


                          Wizards at Nuggets (TBA)


                          Washington was in Utah on Friday with Bradley Beal questionable. So the Wizards go from the city at the second-highest altitude in the NBA to the one with the most just 24 hours later. Guess which way I'll lean here? Denver won a third straight on Thursday, 116-98 over Phoenix. Rookie Emmanuel Mudiay had a career-high 30 points. He's averaging 21.6 points over the past five and starting to show why he was the preseason Rookie of the Year favorite at some books. Denver won in Washington 117-113 on Jan. 28. Danilo Gallinari had 26 points but is now out for the season. John Wall had 17 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.


                          Key trends: The home team is 5-1 ATS in the past six meetings. The over has hit in five of the previous eight meetings.


                          Early lean: Uh, Nuggets.


                          Suns at Warriors (-21, 226.5)


                          Golden State hosted Portland on Friday. I will be shocked -- shocked! -- if Steve Kerr doesn't rest a guy or two here against the sorry Suns. It may not be Steph Curry, because that's what all the fans come to see, but someone's going to sit. Andrew Bogut? Draymond Green? Both? Phoenix was routed in Denver on Thursday for its second straight loss. One bright spot this season has been the play of rookie Devin Booker, and he had 35 points. Suns point guard Brandon Knight played for the first time since Jan. 19 and had 10 points in 25 minutes. The Warriors have won three high-scoring games vs. the Suns this season and taken six straight overall vs. Phoenix.


                          Key trends: The Suns are 2-6 ATS in the past eight in Oakland. The over is 13-5 in the past 18 there.


                          Early lean: Biggest spread of the year. Take all those points. And go under that crazy total.


                          Magic at Trail Blazers (TBA)


                          Orlando was in Sacramento, catching a break with DeMarcus Cousins suspended, and Portland at Golden State on Friday. The Magic beat the Blazers 102-94 on Dec. 18. Tobias Harris (25 points, 12 rebounds) and Nikola Vucevic (25/11) each had double-doubles for the Magic. Vucevic was questionable for Friday after missing the previous two games so he may not go here. Harris is now in Detroit. Damian Lillard was held to 19 in that first meeting for the Blazers. Portland has won five of its past six games against the Magic at the Moda Center.


                          Key trends: The Magic are 4-0 ATS in the past four meetings. The under is 3-1-1 in the past five.


                          Early lean: Wait to see what Portland does Friday. If Blazers somehow win in Oakland or even stay very close, bet on the Magic here. Would be a huge letdown game.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/12

                            Previews, Streaks, Tips, Notes


                            Houston at Charlotte March 12, 7:00 EST


                            Charlotte is on fire, having won five straight (4-1 ATS) and eleven of its last thirteen on the hardwood (9-4 ATS). However, you bet Hornets at some risk. Every team has that one team where it's always a struggle. That's the case for the Charlotte Hornets when it comes to the Houston Rockets. In ten meetings the result has been zero wins for Bugs with a money-burning 2-7-1 record against the betting line.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: NBA Betting Info. 3/12

                              Preview: Indiana At Dallas
                              When: 2:00 PM ET, Saturday, March 12, 2016
                              Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
                              The Indiana Pacers are coming off their most impressive win of the season and will try to carry that momentum forward as they attempt to climb the standings in the Eastern Conference. The Dallas Mavericks, who host the Pacers on Saturday, are trending in the opposite direction with four straight losses and the schedule is not getting any easier.
                              Three of Dallas’ last four losses have come at home, and two came against sub-.500 teams from the Western Conference, to drop the team into seventh place in the West heading into the weekend. “We need to look at ourselves in the mirror, see what’s missing, what we can do better for each other and stay together,” center Zaza Pachulia told reporters. “It’s not the right time to fragment and go the other way. We are professionals. We have to take it serious.” The Mavericks don’t get much of a break with the arrival of the Pacers, who knocked off the San Antonio Spurs 99-91 at home on Monday and sit in seventh place in the East with the arrow pointed up. “It kind of like strengthens our belief in each other and our confidence level,” Indiana center Ian Mahinmi told reporters. “We’ve had a good team all year, and we can beat anybody when we execute and when we play hard like we did (on Monday).”
                              TV: 2 p.m. ET, FSN Indiana, FSN Southwest (Dallas)
                              ABOUT THE PACERS (34-30): Indiana is in a tight huddle of teams between No. 5 and No. 9 in the East and is trying to move up through its efforts on the defensive end. The Pacers held the Spurs to 35.4 percent from the field, including 4-of-28 from 3-point range, in Monday’s win and held opponents under the century mark in each of their last three victories. “You have to feel good about beating the Spurs,” Indiana coach Frank Vogel told reporters. “That’s a heck of a team. But all you have to do is look at the standings to know one loss can knock you down to nine.”
                              ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (33-32): Dallas is looking in its rearview mirror at the ninth-place Utah Jazz and has little room for error during a stretch of schedule that will see them face winning teams in each of the next seven games, including a trip to East-leading Cleveland and a pair of games (home and away) against the NBA-best Golden State Warriors. “Good,” slumping shooting guard Wesley Matthews told ESPN.com about the difficult schedule. “Maybe it’ll make us pick our level of play up to where it should be. We’ve got to get off this skid. We’ve got to stop the bleeding.”
                              BUZZER BEATERS
                              1. Pacers SF C.J. Miles (calf) has missed the last nine games but is participating in practice this week and could return on Saturday.
                              2. Matthews is 6-of-27 from 3-point range in the last five games.
                              3. Indiana has taken three straight in the series, including a 107-81 home victory on Dec. 16.
                              PREDICTION: Pacers 109, Mavericks 107

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