Announcement

**TheGame** · 02-25-2016, 07:23 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/25

NBA notebook: Sprained shoulder sidelines Pistons' Johnson
By The Sports Xchange

Detroit Pistons rookie forward Stanley Johnson has a right shoulder sprain and will miss at least a week, the team announced Wednesday.
An MRI performed Tuesday confirmed the shoulder sprain. Johnson will begin rehabilitation immediately and will be re-evaluated in a week, the team said.
Johnson, 19, suffered the injury during the fourth quarter of Detroit's 96-88 win at Cleveland on Monday night. Johnson, Detroit's first-round draft pick in 2015 out of Arizona, is averaging 9.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 57 games this season. The Pistons signed forward Justin Harper to a 10-day contract.

---Miami Heat backup point guard Beno Udrih will undergo surgery for a torn plantar plate in his right foot and is expected to miss three months, the team announced.
Udrih suffered the likely season-ending injury after playing six minutes in the first half of Miami's 101-93 overtime victory against the Indiana Pacers on Monday night. A follow-up MRI exam on Tuesday revealed Udrih needed surgery.
Udrih has appeared in 36 games (five starts) with the Heat this season, averaging 4.4 points, 2.5 assists, 1.8 rebounds and 16.3 minutes while shooting 43.4 percent from the field as the backup to Goran Dragic.

---The Sacramento Kings recalled rookie forward Duje Dukan from Reno of the NBA Developmental League affiliate.
Dukan has started 16 games for Reno this season, averaging 13.9 points and 4.2 rebounds. The 24-year-old undrafted rookie has yet to play in an NBA game for the Kings this season.

**TheGame** · 02-25-2016, 07:23 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/25

Preview: Warriors (51-5) at Magic (25-30)

Date: February 25, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Orlando Magic's best stretch in two months comes with the caveat that their opponents are hitting 3-pointers at an alarming rate.

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson certainly seem prepared to exploit that problem when the Golden State Warriors visit Thursday night.

The Warriors (51-5) are averaging a league-high 115.1 points per game and reached the 100-point mark for the 15th straight time in Wednesday's 118-112 win at Miami. They've won 14 in that span and improved to 4-1 on a seven-game road trip that ends Saturday against Oklahoma City.

Curry finished with 42 points after his go-ahead 3-pointer with 38 seconds left and clinching free throws with 18.5 seconds remaining. Thompson scored 33 for the defending NBA champions, who are one game ahead of the pace of the record 72-win Chicago Bulls of 1995-96.

Curry leads the NBA in scoring and is averaging 33.8 points in eight games this month. He reached 40 for the ninth time this season Wednesday, and he'll be looking to break Kyle Korver's record of 127 straight games with at least one 3-pointer after draining six against the Heat.

Thompson is averaging 27.8 points during the trip and has hit at least four from deep in each of the last three.

"Steph and Klay can be such equalizers," coach Steve Kerr said. "Steph has license to shoot any time he wants. I'd be an idiot if I didn't let him shoot any time he wants. I tell him all the time to shoot as much as he wants, but let's get the ball moving and force the other team to defend. He got Klay going (in the fourth quarter Wednesday)."

The Magic (25-30) have won four of six and sit in 11th in the Eastern Conference, 3 1/2 games back of Charlotte for the final playoff spot. Their only defeats in that stretch are by a combined five points to San Antonio and Indiana.

But despite their success lately, they're having trouble defending the 3. Orlando is allowing opponents to shoot 43.6 percent from long range during that stretch after Philadelphia went 10 of 21 in Tuesday's 124-115 victory.

Curry (45.5 percent) and Thompson (42.0) both rank among the league's best 3-point shooters and have combined for more 3s (442) than nine teams - including Orlando.

"Every time I watch them I feel like I'm watching the best team I've ever seen play. If they're not (the best ever), they're right there," Magic coach Scott Skiles told the team's official website. "They're the best passing team in the league, hence them shooting the ball so well. Everything is sharp with them.'

Nikola Vucevic provided the offense necessary Tuesday, scoring a season-high 35 points. Victor Oladipo finished with 22 and Evan Fournier added 21 for Orlando, which gave up 31 points apiece in the first three quarters.

The Magic likely won't want to get into a shootout in this matchup, although the Warriors are allowing an average of 107.3 points on the road compared to 98.9 at home.

"We've got to do a better job of keeping our man in front of us and do a better job collectively, and we're capable of doing that,' Oladipo said. "(Golden State) is in a place right now where they are all playing free and playing at a high level because it's fun. They just love playing with each other and I think that's why they play so well. It's going to be a great competition and I'm looking forward to it.'

The Magic have dropped the last four meetings, but they nearly won at Golden State in the last meeting Dec. 2, 2014. Oladipo scored 27 points before Curry's 3-pointer with 2.2 seconds left gave the Warriors a 98-97 victory.

Golden State 13-1 in the second game of a back-to-back set.

**TheGame** · 02-25-2016, 07:24 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/25

Preview: Bucks (24-33) at Celtics (33-25)

Date: February 25, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

The Boston Celtics are enjoying their longest home win streak in three seasons.

The Milwaukee Bucks' Michael Carter-Williams has yet to lose in his home state.

One of those facts will change when the Celtics start a five-game homestand Thursday night against Carter-Williams and the surging Bucks.

Boston (33-25) has won eight straight at home for its longest streak there since an 11-game run in 2012-13. The Celtics now get to enjoy their longest stretch of 2015-16 on their own court.

"I'm looking forward to it, we always want to take care of home and it's going to be good being home," guard Avery Bradley said. "We just need to get wins and I'm confident that we can do that."

Carter-Williams may be confident too since his teams are 3-0 in Boston when he plays, with the Massachusetts native averaging 14.0 points and 6.7 assists.

Milwaukee (24-33) has won four of five since O.J. Mayo and Miles Plumlee moved into the starting lineup for Carter-Williams and Greg Monroe.

"Since we made the change in the lineup, it just makes our bench that much stronger," coach Jason Kidd said. "And for them to sacrifice, everybody wants to start and those two have the right to say they should be starting but we have no bench right now."

That change started with a 112-111 home win over Boston on Feb. 9, in which Monroe had 29 points and 12 rebounds. Carter-Williams got the majority of the minutes over Mayo at point guard and had 16 points, six boards and five assists as the Bucks prevailed despite blowing a 19-point lead in the fourth quarter.

Neither Carter-Williams nor Mayo may handle the bulk of the ballhandling duties Thursday since Kidd said after Monday's 108-101 home win over the Los Angeles Lakers that Giannis Antetokounmpo will shoulder a good part of that load after he recorded his first career triple-double with 27 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

"We're letting him start the offense," Kidd said. 'We're trying to get the ball to him as quick as possible and having everybody else run."

Antetokounmpo is averaging 20.3 points while posting four straight double-doubles, and Jabari Parker is averaging 22.0 in the last three.

"The way we're starting with O.J. and Khris (Middleton), we wanna get our shooters out and let Jabari and Giannis make plays in the open court, that's what their strengths are right now, we want to take advantage of that," Kidd said.

These teams have split two meetings this season, and the Bucks have done a good job of limiting Celtics leading scorer Isaiah Thomas to an average of 17.5 points on 34.5 percent shooting. Thomas averages 21.6 points and shoots 42.2 percent.

With Thomas pushing the pace, Boston averages 101.4 possessions per 48 minutes to lead the Eastern Conference. The Celtics' defense was deficient in a 1-2 trip after the All-Star break, allowing opponents to shoot 50.9 percent.

Bradley and Thomas combined for 40 points in Monday's 124-122 loss to Minnesota that has them looking forward to turning things around at home.

"Take it one game at a time but definitely we need to take advantage of this stretch," Thomas said.

**TheGame** · 02-25-2016, 07:24 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/25

Preview: Thunder (41-16) at Pelicans (22-34)

Date: February 25, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Oklahoma City Thunder rely heavily on Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. The same can be said of Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans.

Durant and Westbrook look to continue spurring the Thunder's success on the road Thursday night when they face Davis and the Pelicans.

Oklahoma City (41-16) has an 11-game lead in the Northwest Division, and the bulk of that credit goes to Durant and Westbrook.

Durant is third in the league with 27.7 points per game, while Westbrook is tied with Davis for seventh at 24.0 and also second in assists with a career-high 10.2.

Durant and Westbrook made an impact again Wednesday, scoring 24 points apiece as Oklahoma City avoided a third straight loss with a 116-103 victory at Dallas.

It was the Thunder's 13th win in the past 17 road game since Dec. 8, tying Cleveland for the best away winning percentage in that span.

Westbrook handed out 13 assists for his 10th double-double in 11 games, while Serge Ibaka and Steven Adams combined for 28 points on 13-for-21 shooting.

"My job is to be able to find those guys when they're making shots, when they're contributing to our team," Westbrook said.

Westbrook, however, has done much of the damage himself in helping Oklahoma City take three of the last four with the Pelicans (22-34). He's averaging 39.8 points and 8.8 assists while sinking 56.1 percent of his shots in those games.

He poured in 45 points in a 102-91 win in the most recent visit to New Orleans while Durant was out with a toe injury Feb. 4, 2015.

The Thunder coasted to a 121-95 win over the Pelicans on Feb. 11, getting 23 points each from Durant and Westbrook while Ibaka added 18.

They'll face a formidable home team in the Pelicans, winners of eight of 11 in New Orleans while averaging 108.7 points on 47.2 percent shooting, including 41.6 from beyond the arc.

They were nowhere near that productive Tuesday, making 34.9 percent from the field and 6 of 23 from 3-point range in a 109-89 loss at Washington.

Davis' performance was indicative to those struggles as he only managed nine points on 3-for-9 shooting while adding 20 rebounds. That came two days after the star forward had a career-high 59 points with 20 boards in a 111-106 win at Detroit.

"He's not going to force shots up there so he can have 20 shots," coach Alvin Gentry said. "If they're doing a good job, he's still going to play in the flow of the game. As coaches, what we've got to try to do is that we've got to try to figure out - even with two guys on him - how we can get more shots for him.

"The thing about this league is that everybody does a great job scouting."

Davis is averaging 31.3 points on 60 percent shooting in his last four meetings against the Thunder.

Jrue Holiday scored a team-high 20 Tuesday, part of his 22.5 average over the last six games.

**TheGame** · 02-25-2016, 07:24 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/25

Preview: Nets (15-42) at Suns (14-43)

Date: February 25, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

If draft positioning is the present goal, the Phoenix Suns are playing the game well.

Losers of 12 straight, the NBA's worst team over the past two months hosts the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night in a game that could impact their chances in this year's lottery.

Injuries and personnel changes have led to Phoenix (14-43) losing 27 of 29 to record the league's third-lowest win total, one less than Brooklyn (15-42) and just three ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers, whom the Suns will face twice in March. The Suns are on pace for their worst finish since going 16-66 in their 1968-69 NBA debut.

Phoenix also stands one loss away from its longest skid since an 0-13 start in 1996-97 after trailing throughout Monday's 124-84 drubbing by the Los Angeles Clippers.

"The process we are going through right now is we are finding out the mental toughness of our team," interim coach Earl Watson said Tuesday on his weekly radio show. "More than anything, we do not make excuses. We come out and we compete and whatever the result is we are accountable for that result."

Watson, 0-8 since replacing Jeff Hornacek on Feb. 1, may have his best opportunity yet for a breakthrough. The Nets are 4-20 on the road and have lost seven straight as the visitors after opening a season-high nine-game trek with Tuesday's 112-104 defeat at Portland.

Brooklyn has no incentive to tank, however, as its 2016 first-rounder is owned by Boston as part of the ill-fated 2013 trade which brought in Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. And the Nets have been competitive of late, going 3-4 after losing 15 of 17.

They did give the red-hot Trail Blazers a challenge, battling back from a 14-point first-quarter deficit and a 19-point margin in the third to briefly move ahead in the fourth. The game was tied at 101 with two minutes left before Portland closed on an 11-3 run for its sixth straight win.

'We had a lot more energy (in the second half) and we knuckled down on defense and got some stops,' center Brook Lopez said. 'We came out a bit relaxed. I don't know what it was. There really is no excuse to start that way.'

Lopez led the near-comeback with a season-high 36 points and is averaging 24.8 over the last 11 games. He had 23 in a 94-91 home victory over Phoenix on Dec. 1, helping the Nets amass a 50-34 advantage in the paint.

Brooklyn hasn't won when scoring under 100 since that result, having dropped 21 straight when failing to reach that mark.

Getting there may not be too difficult against Phoenix, which has yielded 101 or more in 24 of 29. The Suns have been particularly dreadful defensively in three games since the All-Star break, allowing opponents to average 119.3 points and make 46.9 percent of their 3-point attempts.

The Nets, though, are 8 of 34 from beyond the arc over their past two games.

Phoenix is expected to have center Tyson Chandler back from a two-game absence caused by a bruised shoulder. Alex Len totaled 37 points and 21 rebounds starting in his place but is questionable after spraining an ankle in Wednesday's practice.

**TheGame** · 02-25-2016, 07:24 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/25

Preview: Rockets (28-29) at Trail Blazers (30-27)

Date: February 25, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

Despite big efforts from James Harden and Dwight Howard, the Houston Rockets have already tried - and failed - twice to halt the Portland Trail Blazers' hot streak.

The second double-digit loss to the Blazers this month caused interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff to refer to his team as "broken," and the Rockets are still seeking a fix in the final meeting.

Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum will try to accomplish something no teammates have in the past six years Thursday night when Portland looks to extend its longest winning streak in 15 months to seven.

After McCollum had 31 points and Lillard added 30 in Sunday's 115-111 home win over Utah, the dynamic duo scored 34 apiece in Tuesday's 112-104 victory over visiting Brooklyn.

Now the guards have a chance to achieve a feat not even Golden State's Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson nor Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant has done in recent years. They can become the first teammates with at least 30 points in three straight games since Golden State's Corey Maggette and Monta Ellis in January 2010.

"It's comforting for me to know that I can pitch ahead to CJ and be on the weak side and if he gets trapped, they can swing it to me, but I've got a lot of confidence in him having the ball," Lillard told the team's official website Tuesday following the team's 15th win in 18 games.

Perhaps motivated by his exclusion from the All-Star Game, Lillard has become the first Blazer to score at least 30 points in five straight since Geoff Petrie in the franchise's inaugural 1970-71 season. Lillard's tear has included a career-best 51-point effort last Friday in which he made 9 of 12 from 3-point range in a stunning 137-105 home win over league-best Golden State.

Portland (30-27), which has averaged 118.4 points on 48.5 percent shooting in its last five games, hopes to keep climbing after moving up to sixth place in the Western Conference. It's also going after its longest winning streak since a nine-game march in November 2014.

'We can't let our guard down,' coach Terry Stotts said. 'I'm glad we're making a move.'

The Rockets have had a couple of shots to end the run, but Lillard and McCollum totaled 37 points in Portland's 96-79 road win Feb. 6 and Lillard led the way with 31 in a 116-103 home victory Feb. 10. Harden and Howard have done all they can, teaming for 50 points and 22 rebounds in the home loss before finishing with 62 and 22 in the most recent meeting.

The rest of the Rockets (28-29) totaled 70 points on 29.2 percent shooting in those games. Bickerstaff had enough after the last one, calling it a "broken team" and "fragmented."

Houston responded with a 116-100 win at lowly Phoenix last Friday, but Harden's 42 points weren't enough in Tuesday's 117-114 overtime loss at Utah that dropped the club out of a playoff spot. Harden also scored 45 in a 108-103 overtime home win over Portland on Nov. 18.

The Rockets could have a difficult time slowing the red-hot Blazers this time after allowing 112.8 points per game and a 46 field-goal percentage during a 3-7 stretch.

"Our focus is on us right now," Bickerstaff said. "We are not worried about the other teams."

**TheGame** · 02-25-2016, 07:24 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/25

Game of the Day: Rockets at Trail Blazers

Houston Rockets at Portland Trail Blazers (-4.5, 222)

The Portland Trail Blazers are no longer thinking about just making the playoffs, but about earning a higher seed. The Trail Blazers are winners of six straight and 15 of their last 18 and will try to disappoint another team chasing them in the standings when they host the Houston Rockets on Thursday.

Portland came out of the All-Star break in a three-team race for the last two spots in the Western Conference with Houston and Utah but has continued its surge to put those team in the rear-view mirror. The dynamic backcourt duo of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum have each gone over 30 points in the last two games after Lillard responded to his All-Star snub by dropping 51 points on the Golden State Warriors on Friday. The Rockets had a chance to claim eighth place in the West on Tuesday but could not find a way around Utah in a 117-114 overtime loss. Houston has dropped seven of its last 10 games, including a pair of losses to the Trail Blazers by an average of 15 points.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT, ROOT (Houston), CSN Northwest (Portland)

LINE HISTORY: The Blazers opened as 4.5-point home favorites against the visiting Rockets. The total opened at a high 222.

INJURY REPORT:

Rockets - SF M. Thornton (questionable Thursday, acquisition), PF D. Motiejunas (out indefinitely, back).

Trail Blazers - No injuries to report.

POWER RANKINGS: Rockets (-0.9) - Trail Blazers (-3.9) + home court (-3) = Trail Blazers (-6)

WHAT BOOKS SAY: "It's not often we get the same matchup thrice in a three-week stretch, so this somewhat turns into a handicapper's conundrum. I can say one thing, the sharp NBA players have been riding high on the Blazers since before the break. Currently, we have around 70 percent of the action on the home squad, and it looks like the spread will climb to -5 at some point soon. Portland overs have been a hot bet of late but we've seen more money on the under in this one thus far." - Scott Cooley.

WHAT SHARPS SAY: "The hottest team in the league right now, the Blazers have won six straight. But a long road trip looms and they are just 11-16 away from home. Meanwhile, what a disaster its been in Houston. Phoenix accounts for two of the Rockets three wins since January 25th." - Power Sports."

ABOUT THE ROCKETS (28-29, 25-32 ATS, 34-23 O/U): James Harden is doing his part with an average of 34.6 points in the last five games and went for 42 at Utah on Tuesday. Jason Terry buried a 3-pointer to force overtime but could not get another to fall as the extra period came to a close. “This might have been the toughest loss of the season,” Terry told ESPN. “We fought back. Give credit to Utah, they were very resilient, hit big shots. But this one is going to sit with us. We're going to be (an angry) team when we go into Portland on Wednesday.”

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (30-27, 32-25 ATS, 31-26 O/U): Lillard joined Geoff Petrie (1970) as the only players in franchise history to score 30 or more points in five straight games with 34 on Tuesday in a 112-104 over the Brooklyn Nets. Lillard downplayed the big scoring numbers and insisted the small things are the reason for the win streak. “I say it all the time - we don’t have the luxury of coming in and expecting somebody to lay down to us or expecting to win games, period,” Lillard told reporters. “We’ve got to come out, we’ve got to play four quarters, we’ve got to do those small things that make us the team that we’ve become.”

TRENDS:

* Trail Blazers are 5-0 ATS in their last five versus Western Conference opponents.
* Rockets are 0-5 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
* Over is 5-0 in Trail Blazers last five games overall.
* Over is 10-1 in Rockets last 11 road games.

CONSENSUS: Bettors are backing the Trail Blazers in this Western Conference matchup with 61 percent of wagers on Portland. As for the total, 58 percent of wagers are on the over.

**TheGame** · 02-25-2016, 07:25 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/25

NBA

Thursday's hot teams
-- Orlando won four of last six games (9-4HU). Warriors are 10-1 in last 11 games, but covered only one of last six.
-- Bucks won four of their last five games (2-5 last 7AU). Celtics won six of their last nine games (6-1 last 7HF).
-- Oklahoma City won eight of last 11 games (2-8 last 10AF). New Orleans won four of last six games (3-4HU).
-- Portland won its last six games (9-3 last 12HF).
-- Spurs won nine of last ten games, covered one of last five. Jazz won its last five home games (5-2HU).

Cold teams
-- Nets lost three of their last four games (0-0AF). Phoenix lost its last 12 games (4-3HU with Watson as coach).
-- Rockets lost four of their last five games (6-10AU).

Series records
-- Warriors won last four games with Orlando.
-- Celtics lost seven of last ten games with MIlwaukee.
-- Thunder won three of last four games with New Orleans.
-- Nets won six of last eight games with Phoenix.
-- Trailblazers won four of last five games with Houston.
-- Spurs won eight of last ten games with Utah.

Totals
-- Four of last five Orlando games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Milwaukee games stayed under. Last six Boston games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Thunder games stayed under.
-- Eight of last ten Brooklyn games went over total.
-- Six of last seven Portland games went over total.
-- Five of last seven San Antonio-Utah games went over.

Back/backs
-- Golden State is 10-4 vs spread if it played the night before.
-- Oklahoma City is 2-5 vs spread on road if it played night before.
-- San Antonio is 11-0 SU if it played night before, 7-4 vs spread; 0-4 in last four, after 7-0 in first seven.

**TheGame** · 02-25-2016, 09:21 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/25

GOLDEN STATE vs. ORLANDO
Golden State is 6-13-1 ATS in its last 20 games when playing on the road against Orlando
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Golden State's last 6 games when playing Orlando
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Orlando's last 6 games when playing Golden State
Orlando is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

MILWAUKEE vs. BOSTON
Milwaukee is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing on the road against Boston
Boston is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games
Boston is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Milwaukee

OKLAHOMA CITY vs. NEW ORLEANS
Oklahoma City10-3-1 SU in its last 14 games on the road
Oklahoma City is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against New Orleans
New Orleans is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of New Orleans's last 9 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City

BROOKLYN vs. PHOENIX
Brooklyn is 4-17 SU in its last 21 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Brooklyn is 4-13-1 ATS in its last 18 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Phoenix's last 5 games when playing at home against Brooklyn
Phoenix is 13-4-1 ATS in its last 18 games when playing at home against Brooklyn

SAN ANTONIO vs. UTAH
San Antonio is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Utah
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of San Antonio's last 8 games when playing on the road against Utah
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Utah's last 7 games when playing San Antonio
Utah is 4-19 SU in its last 23 games when playing San Antonio

HOUSTON vs. PORTLAND
Houston is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Portland
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Houston's last 9 games when playing on the road against Portland
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Portland's last 19 games when playing Houston
Portland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Houston

**TheGame** · 02-25-2016, 09:22 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/25

MINNESOTA vs. PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Minnesota's last 7 games on the road
Minnesota is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 6 games
Philadelphia is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Minnesota

NEW JERSEY vs. COLUMBUS
New Jersey is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
New Jersey is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Columbus
Columbus is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing New Jersey
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Columbus's last 6 games when playing New Jersey

ARIZONA vs. FLORIDA
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Arizona's last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Arizona's last 5 games when playing Florida
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Florida's last 5 games when playing Arizona
Florida is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Arizona

CAROLINA vs. TORONTO
Carolina is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Carolina's last 9 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing Carolina
Toronto is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games

NASHVILLE vs. CHICAGO
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Nashville's last 5 games
Nashville is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Chicago
Chicago is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Nashville
Chicago is 14-5 SU in its last 19 games at home

NY RANGERS vs. ST. LOUIS
NY Rangers are 3-8 SU in their last 11 games when playing St. Louis
NY Rangers are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of St. Louis's last 13 games
St. Louis is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against NY Rangers

WINNIPEG vs. DALLAS
Winnipeg is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Winnipeg is 7-17 SU in its last 24 games on the road
Dallas is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Dallas's last 11 games

NY ISLANDERS vs. CALGARY
NY Islanders are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games when playing Calgary
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the NY Islanders last 6 games when playing Calgary
Calgary is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against NY Islanders
Calgary is 8-4 SU in their last 12 games when playing at home against NY Islanders

OTTAWA vs. VANCOUVER
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Ottawa's last 7 games on the road
Ottawa is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Vancouver
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Vancouver's last 5 games when playing at home against Ottawa
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Vancouver's last 5 games when playing Ottawa

EDMONTON vs. LOS ANGELES
Edmonton is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Edmonton is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Los Angeles's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Los Angeles's last 6 games when playing Edmonton

**Satch** · 02-25-2016, 09:29 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/25

Preview: Golden State At Orlando

When: 7:00 PM ET, Thursday, February 25, 2016
Where: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida
The rigors of a long road trip have tested the almighty Golden State Warriors, but Steph Curry seems unfazed. Curry and Warriors seek their fourth consecutive win as they continue a seven-game road trip at the Orlando Magic on Thursday.
Following a 32-point loss at Portland in the second game of the trek, Golden State has survived three straight games with some late drama, including a 118-112 triumph in Miami on Wednesday, as Curry scored 10 of his 42 points in the final 66 seconds. Klay Thompson added 33 points as the Warriors (51-5) continued to stay ahead of the record pace set by the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls, who were 50-6 after 56 games. Orlando will be facing the league’s best team two nights after taking care of its worst with a 124-115 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Nikola Vucevic’s season-high 35 points was the catalyst as the Magic won for the second straight time on the road following a 1-9 span away from home.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CSN Bay Area (Golden State), FSN Florida (Orlando)
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (51-5): Curry hit 6-of-12 3-pointers against the Heat and has made at least one in 127 straight games, tied with Kyle Korver for the longest such run in NBA history. The reigning MVP continues to tear it up on the road, with Wednesday’s effort leaving his scoring average at 32.4 (compared to 27.1 at home) and his shooting percentage at 52.1 (48.9 at home). Thompson has enjoyed similar upticks in road games and is averaging 27.8 points on the trip.
ABOUT THE MAGIC (25-30): While Orlando had few issues piling up the points in Philadelphia, coach Scott Skiles knew it was an incomplete effort that will not translate when the level of competition soars Thursday night. “Golden State will score 300 on us in the next game if we play like that,” Skiles told reporters after his team let the woeful 76ers shoot 54.4 percent from the floor. “Every time I watch them I feel like I’m watching the best team I’ve ever seen play.” Vucevic is carrying the load on the offensive end with a scoring average of 24.2 points over his last six games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Magic SG Evan Fournier has topped 20 points in four of his last six games after reaching that mark just three times in his previous 37 contests
2. Golden State is 13-1 in the second game of a back-to-back.
3. Curry’s 3-pointer with 2.2 seconds left lifted the Warriors to a 98-97 victory in the previous meeting on Dec. 2, 2014, at Golden State.
PREDICTION: Warriors 109, Magic 102

**Satch** · 02-25-2016, 09:30 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/25

Preview: Milwaukee At Boston

When: 7:30 PM ET, Thursday, February 25, 2016
Where: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
The Boston Celtics were not pleased with their defensive effort during a 1-2 road trip but will have plenty of time at the team practice facility to iron out those issues over the next three weeks. The Celtics begin a five-game homestand and a stretch of seven of eighth in their own building by hosting the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday.
Modest expectations at the beginning of the season were elevated when Boston went into the All-Star break in third place in the Eastern Conference, and securing a high seed is now one of the goals. “We’re as close to ninth as we are to second,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens told reporters. “That’s real. That’s what it is. … You’re going to have to play these last 25 games as well as you can. You’re not going to feel safe, that’s for sure.” The Bucks are trying to put together a late run at one of those playoff spots in the East and have won four of their last five, beginning with a 112-111 home win over Boston on Feb. 9. Milwaukee is another team trying to figure things out on the defensive end but did enough offensively behind forward Giannis Antetokounmpo’s triple-double on Monday to knock off the Los Angeles Lakers 108-101.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), CSN New England (Boston)
ABOUT THE BUCKS (24-33): Milwaukee began its new lineup experiment against the Celtics in that Feb. 9 meeting and has continued to bring center Greg Monroe and point guard Michael Carter-Williams off the bench. “(Monroe) and Michael, it just makes our bench stronger,” Bucks coach Jason Kidd told reporters. “For them to sacrifice, look, everyone wants to start. Those two have the right to say they should be starting, but we have no bench right now. Our bench is hurt. With the move of those two guys, it takes being unselfish and thinking about the team. And those two have done that for us.” Antetokounmpo remains in the starting lineup and is seeing more time handling the ball with the first unit.
ABOUT THE CELTICS (33-25): Boston dropped from third in the NBA in field-goal percentage defense to fifth entering play on Wednesday after allowing the Minnesota Timberwolves to shoot 51.8 percent from the field in a 124-122 loss on Monday. “You get caught up in trying to outscore teams,” Celtics guard Avery Bradley told reporters. “Maybe that is what can happen. Everything is going well in the offensive end and you forget to play defense. That’s where we have to hold each other accountable.” Boston will play 14 of its final 24 games at home, where it has won eight straight.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Celtics G Marcus Smart collected 10 steals in the last three games.
2. Bucks G Jerryd Bayless (hyperextended knee) missed the last three games and is questionable for Thursday.
3. Milwaukee won its last trip to Boston 110-101 on April 3, 2015.
PREDICTION: Celtics 106, Bucks 95

**Satch** · 02-25-2016, 09:30 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/25

Preview: Oklahoma City At New Orleans
When: 8:00 PM ET, Thursday, February 25, 2016
Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans All-Star forward Anthony Davis suffered a scoring dropoff of 50 points in his last game and looks to regain his form when the Pelicans host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday. Davis scored an NBA season-high 59 points against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday and then was swarmed by Washington defenders and held to nine points in Tuesday’s 109-89 loss.
Davis did collect 20 rebounds for the second straight game but was just 3-of-9 shooting as the Wizards made sure he couldn’t operate offensively. “I think they decided to double-team me, deny me the ball a lot,” Davis told reporters. “We talked about it, we knew they were going to try and do that, and we needed to have other guys play off of that to free me up a bit. They did a good job defensively.” Oklahoma City All-Star guard Russell Westbrook has torched the Pelicans twice this season and is averaging 33 points, nine rebounds, nine assists in the Thunder’s two victories. Westbrook had 24 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds as Oklahoma City finished a four-game season sweep of Dallas with a 116-103 victory Wednesday.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT, FSN Oklahoma
ABOUT THE THUNDER (41-16): Oklahoma City felt the Dallas game was highly important after losing back-to-back contests, including a 115-92 drubbing by the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday. “We didn’t want to lose three in a row,” Thunder forward Kevin Durant said afterward. “We definitely don’t like losing games. The guys came out and played with a sense of urgency. We moved the ball well and the guys didn’t force anything.” Durant scored 24 points and has scored 20 or more points in 42 consecutive games.
ABOUT THE PELICANS (22-34): Davis missed the first meeting with the Thunder because of an injury and scored 23 in the second — a 121-95 loss in Oklahoma City on Feb. 11. Coach Alvin Gentry hopes his team will adjust better the next time a team takes Davis completely out of a game like the Wizards did. “I think what we have to do is create space, but he has to be a facilitator more than anything,” Gentry told reporters. “If we are getting easy basket after easy basket, then we have to make them adjust. We never really got to that point where we made them adjust. They were going to make other guys beat us, which makes total sense.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Thunder have averaged 115.5 points while winning both of this season’s meetings.
2. New Orleans C Omer Asik (ankle) will miss his second straight game and isn’t expected back until early March.
3. Oklahoma City SG Andre Roberson (knee) had four points in 21 minutes against Dallas after missing the previous nine games.
PREDICTION: Thunder 118, Pelicans 111

**Satch** · 02-25-2016, 09:30 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/25

Preview: Brooklyn At Phoenix

When: 9:00 PM ET, Thursday, February 25, 2016
Where: Talking Stick Resort Arena, Phoenix, Arizona
The Phoenix Suns have dropped 12 straight and 18 of 19 but could be looking at their best chance to snap that string. The Brooklyn Nets, who visit the Suns on Thursday, have dropped seven in a row on the road and began their nine-game road trip with a 112-104 setback in Portland on Tuesday.
Phoenix may have hit rock bottom on Monday, when it was wiped off the floor in a 124-84 loss at the Los Angeles Clippers. “This is a competitive league,” Suns interim coach Earl Watson said on Arizona Sports’ Doug & Wolf radio show. “The process we are going through right now is we are finding out the mental toughness of our team. More than anything, we do not make excuses. We come out and we compete and whatever the result is we are accountable for that result.” The Nets nearly pulled off a signature win on Tuesday after coming back from a 19-point deficit to tie, but in the end they suffered a 112-104 loss to the Trail Blazers. Brooklyn, which will travel nearly 8,000 miles on the longest road trip in team history, is 4-20 away from home.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, YES (Brooklyn), FSN Arizona (Phoenix)
ABOUT THE NETS (15-42): Brooklyn would be battling Phoenix for the number of ping pong balls available in the draft lottery, but the Nets traded their first-round pick this season to the Boston Celtics as part of the Kevin Garnett-Paul Pierce trade prior to the 2013-14 season. The Nets at least still have center Brook Lopez, who put up a season-high 36 points and 10 rebounds at Portland. Lopez has gone over 30 points twice in three games since the break and is averaging 23.6 points on 57.8 percent shooting in nine games this month.
ABOUT THE SUNS (14-43): Lopez will do battle with Phoenix center Alex Len, who was one of few players drawing praise from his coach. “I think it was great (for Len) to have starters minutes against the best big-man defender in the league,” Watson told the radio show after Len went up against Los Angeles’ DeAndre Jordan. “There was one play where he had the ball in the paint, made a move, made a pivot and had an and-one dunk. To me, that was more impactful than anything he did the entire game. He always gives you his heart, he’s always in tune with the game and he cares – that means more than anything to us as a program.” Len saw an increase in minutes in the last three games with center Tyson Chandler (shoulder) ailing.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Suns rookie G Devin Booker is 8-of-30 from the field in three games since the All-Star break.
2. Brooklyn SF Joe Johnson is averaging 18 points on 11-of-19 shooting in the last two contests.
3. Lopez scored 23 points in a 94-91 home win over Phoenix on Dec. 1.
PREDICTION: Suns 103, Nets 101

Announcement

NBA Betting Info. 2/25

NBA Betting Info. 2/25

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment