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**TheGame** · 02-29-2016, 07:44 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/29

NBA notebook: James sits out and Cavaliers lose
By The Sports Xchange

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James did not play in Sunday's game at the Washington Wizards due to a day of rest.
The four-time NBA Most Valuable Player was given a day off after playing 56 of 57 games for the Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers. Cleveland lost the game 113-99.
"We have three games in four nights," Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue told reporters before the afternoon game. "An early game. We just played in Toronto (Friday night). I just felt today was a good game to give him some rest."
The Cavaliers also signed guard Jordan McRae to a 10-day contract. McRae was averaging 23.3 points for the Delaware 87ers.

---Ten days after Kris Humphries was acquired by the Suns in a trade with the Washington Wizards, Phoenix waived the veteran forward.
The Suns picked up Humphries, forward DeJuan Blair and a protected 2016 first-round pick from the Wizards in exchange for forward Markieff Morris.
Humphries, 31, played in four games for the Suns, starting three times. He averaged 7.3 points and eight rebounds.
Humphries might be best known for his short-lived marriage to reality-TV star Kim Kardashian.

---Forward Steve Novak, signed by the Milwaukee Bucks as a free agent one week ago, will miss the remainder of the season due to a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee.
Novak was hurt Saturday when Detroit guard Reggie Jackson collided with him during the Pistons' 102-91 win at Milwaukee.
In three games with the Bucks, Novak averaged 2.3 points. He played seven games earlier this season for the Oklahoma City Thunder, averaging 2.4 points.

---The Brooklyn Nets signed guard Sean Kilpatrick to a 10-day contract, the team announced.
Kilpatrick, 26, has been playing for the Delaware 87ers of the D-League and averaged a league-leading 26.4 points. Kilpatrick played in eight games for the Denver Nuggets earlier this season and averaged 3.4 points.

**TheGame** · 02-29-2016, 07:45 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/29

Preview: Pacers (31-27) at Cavaliers (41-16)

Date: February 29, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

LeBron James should be back in the lineup Monday night, but the problems the Cleveland Cavaliers are facing run far deeper than what could be the occasional absence of their biggest star.

Just ask J.R. Smith.

Cleveland's sharpshooter took his team to task after its third loss in four games, a funk it will try to end as it opens a four-game homestand against an Indiana Pacers team that could soon find itself on the outside of the playoff picture.

Tyronn Lue decided to rest James on Sunday, and perhaps accustomed to mimicking their leader, the rest of the Cavs took much of the afternoon off as well. Cleveland (41-17) fell behind by as many as 30 in a 113-99 loss to Washington.

The Cavaliers' most energized performance seemed to come in the visitors' postgame locker room from Smith, who didn't attempt a 3 in 18 minutes but shot straight about his team's issues.

'If we're going to play with a lack of energy ... and come out and play the way we did today,' Smith declared, 'we shouldn't be who we are and be in these uniforms.

'We can't play basketball like this going down the stretch. ... You talk about contending or being a championship contender and you're blown out ... and get thrashed, make it look good at the end. We can't do that. If we're serious about who we're supposed to be, we can't do this."

They'll try to bounce back by improving to 8-4 on the second end of back-to-backs, and James is expected to return after missing his first game since Dec. 5.

He's only shot 42.2 percent in two games against the Pacers (31-28) this season but got to the free-throw line 24 times in a pair of tight Cavaliers wins. Kyrie Irving had 25 points while Kevin Love and Smith had 19 apiece in a 111-106 overtime victory at Indiana on Feb. 1.

Paul George was held to 11 points on 3-of-15 shooting in that loss and posted a nearly identical line Sunday against Portland. This time George made one more of his 15 attempts to finish with 11, and the Pacers could never recover from allowing 39 points in the first quarter of a 111-102 loss.

Monta Ellis, who had a team-high 18 points but shot 6 of 17, seemed to channel Smith afterward. The Pacers are sixth in the Eastern Conference, but they're only a game from being out of the picture entirely.

"We need to bring all the energy we have," Ellis said. "We've dropped two and we can't do that with how tight everything is right now. We need to leave it all on the court (Monday)."

The Pacers are 3-8 closing out back-to-backs, and the issues with no rest seem to stem from a lack of energy on the defensive end. Indiana allows 106.1 points per game on the second end of back-to-backs compared with 99.2 with at least a day between games.

The Cavaliers are better defensively with no rest - an East-best 93.2 per game allowed as opposed to 98.2 otherwise - but their fatigue shows on the offensive end. They're averaging 96.7 points after playing the day before, a precipitous dip from their 104.4 otherwise.

The NBA's ninth-best 3-point shooting team overall (35.9 percent) is its sixth-worst (33.2) with no rest, and much of that has to do with Smith's struggles. He shoots 31.9 percent from deep on back-to-backs and 43.1 percent with time off.

As long as James has been around, the Pacers haven't had any success in Cleveland. The Cavaliers have won 13 straight at home against Indiana with James in the lineup dating to his second year in the league.

**TheGame** · 02-29-2016, 07:45 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/29

Preview: 76ers (8-50) at Wizards (27-30)

Date: February 29, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

It's obvious where to begin when looking at the Washington Wizards' turnaround since the All-Star break.

'It starts with John (Wall), there's no question,' coach Randy Wittman said. 'He's been locked in here, more recently.'

Wall's stellar play has the Wizards trending in the right direction, and he can continue working them back into the postseason discussion when the woeful Philadelphia 76ers visit on Monday night.

Washington (28-30) is still on the outside looking in on the playoffs - it's two games out of the Eastern Conference's eighth spot - but a 5-2 spurt out of the break has it in position to make a run in the season's final five weeks.

Wall's scoring hasn't been as dynamic as certain stretches this season, but he is averaging 10.5 assists while leading the Wizards to three wins in the last four games. The point guard finished with 21 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds while sitting out the fourth quarter of Sunday's 113-99 win over East-leading Cleveland.

Washington led by as many as 30 points, taking advantage of a resting LeBron James, and Wall got others involved in a win suited to the Wizards' ideal small-ball style. Otto Porter had averaged 6.0 points while shooting 38.5 percent the previous four games, but he finished 6 of 9 from the field for 21 against the Cavaliers while Bradley Beal added 17.

The Wizards have held six of their last eight opponents to fewer than 100 points.

"We're doing what we're supposed to do," said Wall, who posted his 34th double-double midway through the third quarter. "The pressure's on us. We've just got to go out there and compete."

Judging by the first two games against the 76ers, Wall's numbers might keep climbing in the second meeting in four days.

The All-Star had a triple-double with 18 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in a 106-94 win over the 76ers on Feb. 5 in Washington - that started the Wizards' current five-game home win streak - and he just missed another with 23 points, 11 assists and eight boards in Friday's 103-94 victory at Philadelphia.

Wall carries in a streak of six straight double-digit assist games against the 76ers and will try to lead Washington to its fifth consecutive win both overall in this series and at home.

Philadelphia (8-51) remained within 11 points the entire way in its latest loss to the Wizards but followed with Sunday's 130-116 defeat at Orlando. The 76ers never led and trailed by as many as 29 points in their eighth straight loss - their seventh losing streak of that many games over the last three seasons.

The streak started with a 98-92 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 8, but Philadelphia has surrendered a league-worst average of 118.9 points in the seven games that followed.

The 76ers, the league's lowest-scoring team at 96.2 points per game, scored a season high while shooting 53.2 percent on Sunday, but the Magic matched a season-high point total for a Philadelphia opponent by shooting 57 percent. Philadelphia has lost six straight on the road and is 3-28 away from home.

Orlando scored 77 points in the first half, the third most in any half in the NBA this season.

'No team should be able to score 77 points in a half, especially a team we think we can beat,' small forward Jerami Grant said.

**TheGame** · 02-29-2016, 07:45 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/29

Preview: Jazz (28-30) at Celtics (35-25)

Date: February 29, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Boston coach Brad Stevens said Utah "hit us in the mouth" following an 18-point loss to the Jazz in the Celtics' first game following the All-Star break.

Stevens' team hasn't been bullied like that since, responding with three wins in four games.

The Celtics look to avenge that ugly loss in Salt Lake City and extend their home winning streak to 11 games in Monday night's rematch with the suddenly struggling Jazz.

Boston (35-25) went into the break as one of the NBA's hottest teams with 10 wins in 12 games but emerged with a clunker. The Celtics shot 37.0 percent and scored 30 points in the paint - 15.1 less than their average which ranks among the league's best - in a 111-93 loss to Utah (28-30) on Feb. 19.

Stevens didn't blame the lackluster effort on any rust from the break but instead said, "I thought they hit us in the mouth and kept hitting us in the mouth for 46 minutes."

The Celtics got back on track with a 20-point win in Denver two nights later, the start of a three-game stretch in which they averaged 118.3 points. The lone blemish over that span was a 124-122 loss in Minnesota on the second half of a back-to-back.

Boston wasn't as sharp offensively Saturday against Miami, shooting 40.6 percent, but showed great resolve by rallying from an early 12-point deficit for a 101-89 win.

'The tide's turned a little bit," guard Evan Turner said. "We got acclimated to each other and found out rotations. We're playing pretty well."

That's certainly been the case in Boston, where the Celtics haven't lost since Jan. 6. They're seeking their first 11-game home winning streak since Jan. 27-March 16, 2013, but Stevens says location shouldn't make any difference as the focus remains simply to play up to their standards.

'That's what's expected of us,' he said. 'That has been the same message my entire time. You play between the lines.'

Despite having a hard time knocking down shots against the Heat, the Celtics still did a good job of running their offense, finishing with 26 assists to 11 turnovers on 103 possessions.

Since Jan. 12, they lead the NBA with a 2.00 assist-to-turnover ratio and have the league's highest-scoring offense besides Golden State, averaging 112.2 points.

The Jazz averaged 113.0 points on 51.8 percent shooting over a three-game stretch, beginning with the Boston game, but they've been nowhere near as efficient in the last two. After recording a season-low 78 points in an 18-point defeat to San Antonio on Thursday, Utah had 21 turnovers in Saturday's 98-96 loss to Brooklyn. The Jazz combined to go 8 of 37 from 3-point range in those games and have dropped a half-game back of Houston for eighth place in the Western Conference.

Coach Quin Snyder summed up the game against the Nets by saying, "If we had effort, it was sporadic," but he isn't overly concerned about his team regrouping.

"If there is one thing these guys hang their hat on it's playing hard," he said. "There are some games for whatever reason you don't have a lot of juice."

Gordon Hayward bounced back from an 11-point effort against the Spurs with a game-high 27. He had 22 against the Celtics while Derrick Favors scored 23.

Boston All-Star Isaiah Thomas had 25 in the first matchup but scored 12 against Miami - his fewest since a season-low eight versus the Timberwolves on Dec. 21.

**TheGame** · 02-29-2016, 07:45 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/29

Preview: Rockets (29-30) at Bucks (24-35)

Date: February 29, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Dwight Howard made clear his intentions to opt out of the final year of current contract in order to cash in during free agency this offseason when salaries are expected to rise at a record pace.

That's reportedly part of the reason he hasn't been wearing a Milwaukee Bucks uniform since the trade deadline passed.

Instead, Howard will try to help the visiting Houston Rockets get back to .500 by beating the Bucks for the sixth straight time Monday night.

Reports surfaced that Milwaukee (24-35) and Houston (29-30) agreed to the parameters of a trade that would've sent Howard to the Bucks for a package that centered around Greg Monroe, but the deal was contingent upon Howard opting in for the final year of his contract.

As expected, Howard refused and intends to hit the open market. The Bucks wanted to guarantee another season with Howard rather than parting with quality players and draft picks for a rental who might not be enough to help them reach the playoffs.

Howard has a double-double in six of his last seven, but the Rockets have gone 2-5 in that stretch after falling 104-94 to San Antonio on Saturday. Howard finished with 11 points and 14 rebounds while James Harden had 27 for Houston, which fell behind 26-11 after one quarter and trailed by 31 in the second half.

The Rockets haven't led after the first quarter in any of their last nine. They've lost eight of their last 12 and sit in the Western Conference's final playoff spot, but they insist they're not the "broken" team interim coach J.B Bickerstaff referred to prior to All-Star weekend.

"We've just got to go out there and play better from the beginning," Howard said. "There's no books we can read or messages anyone can give us. It's about what we've got to do as a team.

"I don't think the score of (Saturday's) game showed the positive atmosphere we've had around here since the All-Star break."

Howard sat out with a left ankle sprain as Harden scored 30 points in a 102-98 win over the Bucks on Jan. 22 for Houston's fifth straight victory in the series. Harden is averaging 32.3 points while shooting 62.8 percent from the field and hitting 12 of 19 from 3-point range over the last three matchups.

Milwaukee has dropped back-to-back games after winning four of its previous five and began a five-game homestand with Saturday's 102-91 loss to Detroit. It sits 6 1/2 games behind the Pistons, Chicago and Charlotte for the East's final playoff spot with three other teams ahead of it.

"The last two games you can see the other teams are playing for something and the energy level is a lot different," coach Jason Kidd said.

Khris Middleton finished with 26 points and has had at least 20 in five of his last seven. Monroe finished with only 10, though, and has scored below his season average of 16.5 four times over the last seven since Kidd moved him to the bench.

Michael Carter-Williams finished with eight points and seven of Milwaukee's 21 turnovers. The Bucks rank near the bottom of the league with an average of 15.5 per game.

"(Turnovers have) been a problem for us all year," said Middleton, who along with Monroe scored 21 points in the first meeting with Houston. "We just have to correct it and slow it down."

The Bucks will be without recent addition Steve Novak for the rest of the season after he sprained his MCL against Detroit.

It's unclear if Clint Capela will be available for Houston. He's missed the last two with a sprained right foot.

**TheGame** · 02-29-2016, 07:46 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/29

Preview: Grizzlies (34-24) at Nuggets (23-36)

Date: February 29, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

The Memphis Grizzlies have a winning record since Marc Gasol's season-ending injury, taking advantage of matchups against lowly teams. They couldn't beat one such opponent in their latest game, however.

They'll seek to bounce back Monday night by extending their recent mastery over the short-handed Denver Nuggets, who are now missing their leading scorer.

Memphis (34-24) is 4-2 since losing Gasol to a broken right foot, earning all of those wins against teams that are well out of the playoff picture. The Grizzlies opened a three-game trip by completing a home-and-home sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday but fell 111-106 to Phoenix the next night.

The Suns had lost 13 straight, tying their longest single-season skid in franchise history.

"It is frustrating knowing that we felt like we were rolling (coming into the game)," point guard Mike Conley said. "We still feel like we are rolling right now and playing good basketball. For us to come out and not play our best, I think our focus level wasn't where it need to be."

The Grizzlies have proved sharp enough to win four straight over the Nuggets (23-36), including two this season. Gasol, though, was the star in the latest matchup, a 102-101 victory in Denver on Jan. 21.

He scored 27 and delivered the go-ahead, three-point play with 12.2 seconds to go. Conley chipped in 20 points in Memphis' second victory in the past three visits to the Mile High City.

The Grizzlies won four times in their first 35 games there.

In the finale of their trip, they will face a Nuggets team that might not have Danilo Gallinari for three to four weeks. He hurt his right ankle in the third quarter of Friday's 122-116 overtime loss in Dallas.

Gallinari is averaging a career-high 19.5 points and is among the league leaders with 8.2 free-throw attempts per game while connecting at 86.8 percent from the line. He missed the final six games in December because of a sprained left ankle, and the Nuggets were 1-5 in his absence.

"He's going to be out for a while," coach Michael Malone said. "He knew that right after (the defeat). He compared it to his sprain earlier in the year ... and he says it's worse.

"I feel bad for him. He was having a career year. Obviously, it's tough when you lose a player like Gallo because we're so young."

The Nuggets have dropped four of five even with Gallinari on the floor and blew a 23-point lead in the second quarter Friday while failing to build on Wednesday's 87-81 road victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

"It was very disappointing," Malone said. "Obviously, we had a chance to get another quality win, and I feel we let it slip away."

Kenneth Faried will try to step up in Gallinari's absence with a third consecutive high-scoring performance. The forward, averaging 12.5 points, has a combined 41 on 18-of-27 shooting in the past two contests.

Faried, who also grabbed 12 rebounds against the Mavericks, had 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting and 12 boards in last month's home loss to Memphis.

Conley is averaging 20.0 points on 50.5 percent shooting in his last seven games, 5.5 more than in his first 45 this season.

**TheGame** · 02-29-2016, 07:46 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/29

Preview: Thunder (41-18) at Kings (24-33)

Date: February 29, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

Despite allowing 121 points and a record-tying 3-point performance in a home loss, the Oklahoma City Thunder were pleased with their most recent defensive effort.

That's something the Sacramento Kings rarely feel.

Facing that porous Kings defense along with the possible absence of Rajon Rondo leaves the Thunder a prime opportunity to regroup from a deflating defeat as they kick off a four-game road trip Monday night.

Oklahoma City (41-18) was in position to hand Golden State its sixth loss of the season Saturday, holding an 11-point lead with less than five minutes remaining. Instead, the Warriors came back to force overtime, and Stephen Curry hit the last of his record-tying 12 3-pointers from 32 feet with 0.6 seconds left to hand the Thunder a crushing 121-118 loss.

"Moral victories are for young teams," Kevin Durant told the team's official website after fouling out with 37 points. "We'll get better from it and worry about the next game."

Durant did say his team's defense was "better" after limiting the league's highest-scoring team - Golden State averages 115.4 points - to 103 in regulation.

'I thought all of the guys really played their hearts out and did a lot of good things,' coach Billy Donovan said. 'It's disappointing to come up short like that, but I think there is a lot we can take from it in terms of what we can do and what we are capable of doing defensively with a tremendous amount of energy and focus."

The Thunder finished with a 62-32 rebounding advantage. They've lost four of five while giving up more than 100 points in each game, but they did hold the Warriors besides Curry to 2 of 16 from 3-point range.

"If we can give that defensive effort every night that would be really great for our team," said Russell Westbrook, who had 26 points and 13 assists but shot 10 for 29.

George Karl rarely gets a good defensive effort from his Kings (24-33), who give up a league-worst 109.2 points per game. They've yielded more than 100 in 14 straight while allowing an average of 115.6.

Westbrook could have a particularly easy time if Rondo doesn't play after missing Friday's 117-110 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers with right thumb tendinitis. Without Rondo, who has made two All-NBA Defensive first teams, the Kings let an ailing Chris Paul score a season-high 40 points and hand out 13 assists.

"I think we got frustrated," Karl said. "I think Rondo gives us some leadership, some maturity out there, so when the game gets going the wrong way that we feel maybe more confident to get a stop and/or a better shot."

X-rays were negative on Rondo, who is day to day but has been bothered by the thumb for a few weeks.

When these teams last met Jan. 5, Durant was out with a sprained toe and Westbrook tried to take more of the scoring load, but Rondo helped hold him to 6 of 23 from the field as Sacramento won 116-104 in Oklahoma City. Westbrook had 15 assists but Rondo had 19, and DeMarcus Cousins grabbed 19 rebounds to go with his 33 points.

It was just the Kings' third victory in the past 23 meetings.

Cousins came up one assist shy of his fifth career triple-double Friday with 26 points and 15 rebounds, but he shot 7 for 20. Sacramento is 2-12 when he's below 40 percent from the field.

The Thunder's road trip continues Wednesday against the Clippers and with a rematch the following night against the Warriors.

**TheGame** · 02-29-2016, 07:46 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/29

Preview: Nets (17-42) at Clippers (38-20)

Date: February 29, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

Coach Doc Rivers thinks Chris Paul needs to assert himself more often. The All-Star point guard may have to against the up-tempo Brooklyn Nets.

Paul looks to build on his best scoring performance of the season Monday night when the Los Angeles Clippers look to continue their home success against the Nets.

Paul, fourth in the league with 9.5 assists per game, is averaging 19.8 points but has taken on a bigger load lately with Blake Griffin still sidelined. Paul has averaged 26.7 points and 11.3 assists over the last six games.

"I always think he should be more aggressive every night," Rivers said.

Paul certainly was Friday, scoring 40 points with 13 assists in a 117-107 win at Sacramento. Despite an injured forearm, sore left calf and bruised left thigh, Paul attempted 20 field goals and 10 free throws in the same game for the first time this season.

"Just play. Just play. Once they throw up the ball, everything else is out the window," said Paul, who hit 13 of 20 from the floor and made all 10 of his foul shots.

The Clippers (38-20), who have alternated wins and losses in their last six games, have won 10 of the past 11 home matchups with the Nets.

Paul had 15 points and 14 assists in a 105-100 win at Brooklyn (17-42) on Dec. 12, but he may need to do more scoring with the Nets playing at a quicker pace under interim coach Tony Brown.

The new scheme has Brooklyn averaging 104.9 points over its last nine games - nearly eight above its season average - while shooting 48.6 percent from the field and 44.3 from 3-point range.

It has the Nets in position for a three-game winning streak for the first time this season after forcing 21 turnovers and making 12 steals in each of the last two games, including a 98-96 win at Utah on Saturday.

"The pace that we want to play with - we're doing it," guard Donald Sloan said. "The looks we want to get - we're getting those. All in all, each game we're getting more fluidity with what we're trying to play."

Thaddeus Young is finding a comfort level, sinking 18 of 27 from the floor while totaling 39 points over the last two games. The forward had a team-high 18 points against Los Angeles in December.

The Clippers might have Austin Rivers back after missing nine games with a broken left hand.

"I've been shooting for the past week, been doing a lot of shooting, a ton of therapy every day, hours of therapy every day," Rivers told the team's official website. "It feels strong. I'm a quick healer. I'm very fortunate.

"My shot feels great. I feel like I have good wind, but I just want to get back with the team. I'm ready to get back."

The guard is averaging a career-high 8.1 points.

**TheGame** · 02-29-2016, 07:47 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/29

Tanking is very real - and very profitable. Just ask NBA bettors
By JOE FORTENBAUGH

In 2003, New York Times bestselling author Michael Lewis published a book entitled, “Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game”.

It introduced the world to Oakland Athletics General Manager Billy Beane and his innovative and unorthodox approach to building a winning Major League Baseball roster with a severely limited budget through the application of sabermetrics. The book, and more specifically, Beane’s strategy, took the baseball world by storm and, as a result, triggered a new era in baseball roster composition in which front offices around the sport began embracing the use and implementation of advanced analytics.

However, what some of you may not know is that one of the beneficial byproducts to Oakland’s strategy was the ability to trick the world into thinking that the Athletics were a “small market” baseball club that couldn’t afford to spend excessive amounts of money on high-priced ballplayers.

The Athletics are not a “small market” franchise. But the club operates under the guise as one in an effort to turn a sizeable profit through the combination of a cheap payroll and significant payments received from luxury tax violators like the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.

It’s a sound strategy from a financial perspective, but less than ideal when it comes to hanging World Series banners in the modern era.

It’s at this point that many of you (OK, all of you) are probably wondering what the Oakland Athletics have to do with an NBA article. Well, the answer lies in what I consider to be the National Basketball Association’s variation of the Oakland Athletics’ “small market” parlor trick: Tanking.

Whereas, the Athletics have convinced the world that they are a cash-strapped professional sports franchise, certain NBA teams have convinced their respective fan bases that the only way for them to win is to lose… and to lose a lot.

Look no further than the Philadelphia 76ers for proof, as the once-proud franchise that previously employed legends such as Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Charles Barkley and Allen Iverson has found a way to convince the public that it’s 37-127 record over the previous two seasons is part of a complex and well-planned “process” designed to create a championship-caliber club in the near future.

Sorry, but I’m not buying it. An NBA roster is comprised of 13 players, so four lottery picks over the last three years combined with three or four reasonable free agent acquisitions should be enough to win at least 35 games a year in the Eastern Conference.

But the Sixers (currently 8-49), along with a handful of other NBA teams, have convinced the public that they need to lose at an extremely efficient rate now in order to win big in the future. This process is refereed to as, “tanking,” and it’s plaguing professional basketball, baseball and hockey.

But while the process of tanking has become a disease to some professional sports in general, that’s not to say it’s without at least some benefit to the gambling public in specific.

As it pertains to the NBA, the strategy of tanking for the primary purpose of acquiring the first selection in the draft has seen a rise in popularity over the last three seasons. So why don’t we take a look at the worst teams the NBA has served up on a platter over the last three years to see if we can find an edge when it comes to wagering on or against these specific clubs?

Since the top three picks in each NBA draft are determined by the lottery, we’ll start with a breakdown of the four worst teams in each of the past three seasons who found themselves competing down the stretch for the highest possible draft selections. However, our grand total of teams will amount to 13 instead of 12 because two clubs (Utah and Boston) finished tied for the fourth-worst record in the league during the 2013-2014 season.

These 13 aforementioned teams finished their respective tanking seasons with a combined overall record of 269-797, good for a winning percentage of just .252. But here’s where the situation gets interesting.

If you take each of those 13 teams and combine their respective records over just the final 10 games of the season in which they were tanking, you get a record of 27-103 - good for a winning percentage of .207.

What this tells us, to an extent, is that when it came down to crunch time - the final 10 games of the season - and these teams needed to lose at a higher rate than normal in an effort to help solidify a better draft position, they succeeded by, in fact, losing more games than they had earlier in the year.

Now that we’ve established the notion that tanking teams lose at a higher rate during the final 10 games on the schedule than they had prior to that point, how did these teams fare against the oddsmakers’ pointspreads?

While it won’t exactly pad your bankroll to the point of a luxurious vacation in Bora Bora, those 13 tanking teams combined to produce an against the spread (ATS) record of 54-68-8 over the final 10 games of the season.

That means if you had wagered against each of the four worst teams in the NBA over the last three seasons in each of their final 10 games, you would have won 55.7 percent of the time. To put it another way, had you wagered $110 to win $100 in each of those situations, you would currently be up $860.

Again, this approach has proven to be profitable, but not exactly lucrative. But here’s the kicker: Tanking teams have been more efficient in both losing and failing to cover the spread over the final 10 games of the season each year since the 2012-2013 campaign. Take a look:

2012-2013: 10-30 SU (.250), 19-19-2 ATS (.500)
2013-2014: 12-38 SU (.240), 20-25-5 ATS (.444)
2014-2015: 5-35 SU (.125), 15-24-1 ATS (.384)

The moral of the story? We’re just a few weeks away from the time in which we should be keeping a real close eye on the Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Brooklyn Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves.

Even if those front offices attempt to convince us that they are “trying to win.”

*Tanking teams by season*

2012-2013: Orlando (20-62), Charlotte (21-61), Cleveland (24-58), Phoenix (25-57)

2013-2014: Milwaukee (15-67), Philadelphia (19-63), Orlando (23-59), Utah (25-57), Boston (25-57)

2014-2015: Minnesota (16-66), New York (17-65), Philadelphia (18-64), Los Angeles Lakers (21-61)

**TheGame** · 02-29-2016, 07:47 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/29

NBA

Monday's hot teams
-- Washington won five of its last seven games (3-5 lat 8HF).
-- Celtics won seven of their last ten games (7-2 last 9HF).
-- Memphis won four of its last six games (8-6AF).
-- Nets won last two games, by 10-2 points (3-1 last 4AU). Clippers won six of their last nine games (6-4 last 10HF).

Cold teams
-- Indiana lost three of its last four games (3-7 last 10AU). Cavs also lost three of last four games (3-5HF with Lue).
-- 76ers lost their last eight games (6-4 last 10AU).
-- Utah lost three of its last four games (2-8 last 10AU).
-- Rockets lost five of last seven games (5-6AF). Milwaukee is 4-6 in its last ten games (10-5 last 15HU).
-- Denver lost four of its last five games (4-1 last 5HU).
-- Thunder lost four of last five games (1-9 lst 10AF). Sacramento lost six of its last nine games (3-6HU).

Series records
-- Cavaliers won their last four games with Indiana.
-- 76ers lost eight of last nine games with Washington.
-- Celtics won eight of last ten games with Utah.
-- Rockets won their last five games with Milwaukee.
-- Grizzlies won their last four games with Denver.
-- Thunder won eight of last ten games against Sacramento, but the Kings covered last four games.
-- Clippers won four of last six games with Brooklyn.

Totals
-- Four of last six Cleveland games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last seven Philly games went over the total.
-- Seven of last eight Boston games went over the total.
-- Five of last six Houston games went over the total.
-- Six of last eight Memphis games went over the total.
-- Seven of last eight Sacramento games went over total.
-- Five of last seven Brooklyn games went over total.

Back/backs
-- Cavaliers covered four of last five if they played the night before. Indiana is 1-7 vs spread last eight times they played night before.
-- Washington is 6-8 vs spread if it played night before. 76ers are 2-7 vs spread last nine times they played night before.

**TheGame** · 02-29-2016, 07:47 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/29

'Nets visit Clippers'

Brooklyn Nets in the midst of a brutal nine game road trek earned its second win Saturday evening defeating Utah 98-96 as +11.5 point underdogs. Nets now take the show to Staples Center where they'll take on the Clippers.

Clippers at 38-20 (29-26-3 ATS) behind an offensive efficiency rating of 106.4 (pts per 100 possession), Nets sitting at 17-42 (30-29 ATS) with an offensive effeciency rating of 99.8 the oddsmakers have pegged Clippers a whopping 13.0 point home favorites. Going against Clippers might be considered sacrilege by some, but leaving a boat-load of points on the table with Clippers not likely getting too excited about facing lowly Nets could be costly.

Clippers are just 3-7 ATS as home chalk against teams with a record below .350 and have a habit of struggling against the betting line handing opponents double digits (4-6 ATS). Additionally, Clippers have not responded running the hardwood vs Brooklyn/New Jersey Nets posting a 1-6 ATS record last seven, 2-10 ATS mark last twelve meetings. Finally, Nets have a tendency to come up big at the betting window in road games facing a team with a winning home record (10-6 ATS) including 6-3 ATS as double digit dogs.

**Satch** · 02-29-2016, 09:04 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/29

Preview: Indiana At Cleveland
When: 7:00 PM ET, Monday, February 29, 2016
Where: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
All-Star forward LeBron James was given a rare day off and the results were disastrous, so now the Cleveland Cavaliers look to bounce back Monday when they host the Indiana Pacers. James didn’t play in Sunday’s 113-99 loss to the Washington Wizards — a contest in which Cleveland trailed by as many as 30 points and prompted coach Tyronn Lue to bench the team’s other four starters.
The Cavaliers have lost three of their last four games and the effort was so poor against Washington that shooting guard J.R. Smith blasted his teammates afterward. “If we’re going to play with a lack of energy … and come out and play the way we did (Sunday), we shouldn’t be who we are and be in these uniforms,” Smith told reporters. “You talk about contending or being a championship contender and you’re blown out … and get thrashed, and make it look good at the end. We can’t do that. If we’re serious about who we’re supposed to be, we can’t do this.” Indiana also is struggling with three losses in four games after falling 111-102 to the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday. The Pacers are in sixth place in the Eastern Conference but are just a half-game ahead of three other teams — Charlotte, Chicago and Detroit.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBATV, FSN Indiana, FSN Ohio
ABOUT THE PACERS (31-28): Indiana relies heavily on All-Star forward Paul George and the offense quickly goes out of sync when George is struggling with his shot. He was just 4-of-15 from the field against the Trail Blazers and scored only 11 points after posting 10 straight 20-point outings and averaging 27.7 points during the stretch. Rookie power forward Myles Turner also had an off-night with eight points against Portland to end his streak of nine straight double-digit performances.
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (41-17): James dodged reporters after Sunday’s beatdown and the move to sit him out was stunning with Cleveland having three consecutive days off following the game against the Pacers. The Cavaliers are 0-2 this season and 3-12 in the past two seasons when James sits out, and neither Smith nor forward Kevin Love are surprised at the lack of success without him in the lineup. “He gives us everything and he’s one of those guys, one of very few that really makes everyone on his team better and makes everybody play at a high level,” Love told reporters. “Yeah, we definitely missed him.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Cavaliers are 2-0 against the Pacers this season and have won the past three meetings.
2. Indiana SF C.J. Miles (calf) likely will miss his fifth straight contest.
3. Love is three 3-pointers away from 700 for his career but is just 5-of-20 from long range during the past three games.
PREDICTION: Cavaliers 112, Pacers 105

**Satch** · 02-29-2016, 09:04 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/29

Preview: Philadelphia At Washington
When: 7:00 PM ET, Monday, February 29, 2016
Where: Verizon Center, Washington, District of Columbia
Every time the Orlando Magic take a step forward, they tend to take two steps back. The Magic will try to avoid a big third step back and put some positive momentum together when they host the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.
Orlando earned a 124-115 win at the 76ers on Tuesday but followed it up with a pair of losses, including a 108-95 setback to the struggling New York Knicks on Friday. “It was kind of a go-through-the-motions type of game and we didn’t have much life,” Magic coach Scott Skiles told reporters. “In many ways we were worse (defensively than in a 130-114 home loss to Golden State on Thursday). We were just completely fatigued. That’s what we looked like right from the beginning of the game.” Philadelphia’s latest losing streak hit seven with a 103-94 loss to the Washington Wizards on Friday. The NBA-worst 76ers held a halftime lead over the Wizards before faltering.
TV: 6 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia, FSN Florida (Orlando)
ABOUT THE 76ERS (8-50): Philadelphia is all about development, and the frontcourt of Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel continues to show promise. Coach Brett Brown is juggling the positioning of his two young big man, with both preferring to play the center spot. Okafor served as the nominal center on Friday and finished with 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting while Noel added nine points and eight rebounds.
ABOUT THE MAGIC (25-32): Even dunk contest star Aaron Gordon looked like he was suffering from tired legs on Friday but still managed 17 points and eight rebounds. “We’ve got to continue to play regardless of whether or not we feel the momentum is swinging,” Gordon told reporters. “Obviously, basketball is a game of runs, but regardless of what runs they go on, we need to continue to go on and continue to fight. I don’t think we did that (Friday).” Gordon bridged the All-Star break with a string of six straight double-digit rebounding efforts but was held to eight boards in each of the last two contests.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Magic F Ersan Ilyasova averaged 10.3 points in his first four games after being acquired from the Detroit Pistons but was held scoreless on Friday.
2. 76ers SF Robert Covington has made multiple 3-pointers in each of the last six games.
3. The road team has taken each of the last three in the series, with Philadelphia earning a 96-87 victory in Orlando on Jan. 20.
PREDICTION: Magic 112, 76ers 105

**Satch** · 02-29-2016, 09:04 AM

Re: NBA Betting Info. 2/29

Preview: Utah At Boston
When: 7:30 PM ET, Monday, February 29, 2016
Where: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
The Boston Celtics have taken advantage of the beginning of their homestand with back-to-back wins and will try to make it three in a row when they host the Utah Jazz on Monday. The Celtics came out of the All-Star break sluggish on a three-game road trip that included an 18-point loss in Utah but are turning it around in their own building.
Boston extended its home winning streak to 10 straight with a 101-89 triumph over the Miami Heat on Saturday that served the dual purpose of also solidifying its hold on the No. 3 spot in the Eastern Conference. “I think we’re all aware (of the standings),” Celtics coach Brad Stevens told reporters. “I just think it’s not relevant to playing the next possession. I don’t really do a lot of talking about that. Obviously, we want to play well against everybody.” The Jazz have gone into a bit of a funk since beating Boston with losses in three of their last four games. The worst of the bunch came on Saturday, when Utah committed 21 turnovers and had a late rally fall short in a 98-96 home loss to the lowly Brooklyn Nets.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, ROOT (Utah), CSN New England (Boston)
ABOUT THE JAZZ (28-30): Utah is trying to stay in the battle for one of the last few playoff spots in the Western Conference but fell a half-game behind eighth-place Houston with the latest loss and is still struggling at the point guard position. The Jazz lost starting point guard Dante Exum to a torn ACL before the season started, and both Trey Burke and Raul Neto struggled in his place before the team decided to bring in veteran backup Shelvin Mack from Atlanta at the trade deadline. Mack is getting a chance to start but has more turnovers (12) than assists (seven) in the last three games.
ABOUT THE CELTICS (35-25): Boston allowed the Jazz to shoot 54.4 percent in a 111-93 setback on Feb. 19 but has concentrated on tightening up the defense since returning home. “We did what we’re supposed to do on the defensive end,” Celtics guard Marcus Smart told reporters after Saturday’s win. “Everyone knows defense is gonna win games, especially when your offense isn’t clicking from the outside. So we tried to pick it up at the defensive end, and that helped our offense a lot.” Smart was part of a perimeter defensive effort that limited Miami to 1-of-13 from beyond the arc on Saturday.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Celtics C Jared Sullinger recorded a double-double in three of the last four games.
2. Jazz C Rudy Gobert delivered 12 points, 19 rebounds and six blocks in Saturday’s setback.
3. Boston earned an 85-84 home win over Utah on Mar. 4, 2015, on Tyler Zeller’s last-second shot.
PREDICTION: Celtics 96, Jazz 88

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NBA Betting Info. 2/29

NBA Betting Info. 2/29

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