NBA Betting. 12/27

[TheGame]

Suns at Warriors: What Bettors Need to Know
By Covers.com

Phoenix Suns at Golden State Warriors (-6.5, 209.5)

The Golden State Warriors are showing some fight, and it is leading to wins. The Warriors will look to post their fourth straight triumph and gain ground in the Pacific Division when they host the scorching Phoenix Suns on Friday. Golden State earned a 105-103 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday in game that featured a pair of ejections, two flagrant fouls and a scrum after the final buzzer between the clubs.

The Warriors figured on battling the Clippers all season in the Pacific but the Suns are more of a surprise and have won three straight and eight of the last nine - including one over Golden State on Dec. 15 - thanks to a well-rounded offense and rapid ball movement. “It gets real contagious, especially when everybody else is hitting and making shots,” Phoenix guard Eric Bledsoe said. The Warriors can fill it up as well but are also making a mark defensively in the last three games.

LINE: The Warriors opened as 6-point faves and now sit a -6.5. The total opened at 209.5.

COVERS POWER RANKINGS: Phoenix (-9) - Golden State (-9.5) + home court (-3) = Golden State -3.5

ABOUT THE SUNS (17-10, 20-6-1 ATS): Phoenix’s backcourt duo of Bledsoe and Groan Dragic makes the offense go, but bench pieces like Markieff and Marcus Morris and Gerald Green are also capable of putting up big scoring numbers. The Suns are getting surprising contributions from center Miles Plumlee, who played only 55 total minutes with Indiana last season but is averaging close to a double-double (9.7 points and 9.1 rebounds) and is coming off a 17-point, 20-rebound effort in a 117-90 drubbing of the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday. “It’s exciting, I guess,” Plumlee said, “because I know I can do better.”

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (17-13, 13-15-2 ATS): Golden State can counter Plumlee down low with Andrew Bogut and David Lee, who became the first pair of teammates since Rich Kelley and Truck Robinson of the 1978 New Orleans Jazz to post 10 consecutive games of 10 or more rebounds apiece in Wednesday’s win over the Clippers. Bogut is also a key to the defense, which held the Lakers and Denver Nuggets to an average of 82 points and kept Chris Paul off the board in the final minute of Wednesday’s triumph to extend the winning streak. The Warriors are playing their final home game Friday before a six-game road trip. “I think that’s three in a row now and we’re just trying to build something for this East Coast trip coming up,” Lee said after beating Los Angeles.

TRENDS:

* Home team is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.
* Over is 10-3 in the last 13 meetings in Golden State.
* Suns are 2-5 ATS in the last seven meetings.
* Suns are 6-16 ATS in the last 22 meetings in Golden State.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. The Warriors had a six-game winning streak in the series come to an end with a 106-102 loss at the Suns in the last meeting.

2. Dragic scored 21 points in the Dec. 15 matchup but has been limited to an average of 15 in his last four contests.

3. Golden State G Stephen Curry is struggling to 15.7 points on 32.6 percent shooting over the last three games.

[TheGame]

NBA

Friday, December 27

Hot teams
-- Charlotte won four of its last five games. Thunder won 10 of last 11 games (8-3 vs spread).
-- Pistons won their last three road games.
-- Raptors won four of their last six games, are 9-5 vs spread on road.
-- Wizards won their last three games, all on the road.
-- Heat won its last six games, but covered twice in last seven.
-- Golden State won its last three games, allowing 89 ppg. Suns won eight of their last nine games.

Cold Teams
-- Orlando lost four of last five games, is 4-10 vs spread at home.
-- Brooklyn lost last four games, is 5-9 vs spread at home. Bucks lost six of their last seven games.
-- Knicks covered only three of their 15 home games.
-- Timberwolves lost three of their last four games.
-- New Orleans lost four of its last five games. Nuggets lost last four games, covered one of last seven.
-- Utah lost four of last six games, is 5-8 vs spread at home. Lakers lost last three games, by 19-27-6 points.
-- Kings lost six of last eight games, covered once in last five.

Series records
-- Thunder won last five games with Charlotte, all by 17+ points.
-- Pistons are 5-3 in last eight games with Orlando.
-- Nets won their last three games with Milwaukee.
-- Raptors are 5-4 in their last nine visits to Manhattan.
-- Wizards lost last three visits to Minnesota, by 12-12-5 points.
-- Pelicans lost three of last four games with Denver.
-- Lakers lost four of last five games with Utah.
-- Heat won its last ten games vs Sacramento (8-2 vs spread).
-- Suns lost six of last seven games with Golden State.

Totals
-- Over is 3-1 in last four games for both Thunder/Bobcats.
-- Over is 23-7 in Detroit's games, 11-3 on road.
-- Last six Milwaukee games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Toronto games went over total.
-- Last five Washington games went over the total.
-- Last eight Denver games stayed under the total.
-- Last five Laker games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last six Miami games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Golden State road games stayed under

[TheGame]

Friday's NBA Tips
By Kevin Rogers
VegasInsider.com

Nuggets at Pelicans

Denver: 14-13 SU, 12-15 ATS
New Orleans: 12-14 SU, 11-14-1 ATS

The Nuggets have hit the skids of late by suffering four consecutive losses, while scoring 99 points or less in each of those defeats. Denver cashed the 'under' for the eighth straight game in Monday's 89-81 home loss to Golden State, as the Nuggets have dropped three consecutive contests at the Pepsi Center (Denver lost three home games all last regular season).

The Pelicans return to the Big Easy after losing four of five games on their West Coast swing, as New Orleans finished the trip with a 113-100 victory at Sacramento on Monday. Monty Williams' club allowed at least 100 points in all five contests, while giving up over 100 points in nine of the last 10 games overall ('over' 5-5 in this stretch). New Orleans is playing with revenge as the Pelicans lost at Denver to start their recent road trip, 102-93, but the Nuggets have dropped their last two visits to Louisiana.

Lakers at Jazz

Los Angeles: 13-16 SU, 16-12-1 ATS
Utah: 8-23 SU, 13-17-1 ATS

The Lakers held their own on Christmas, but fell short to the defending champion Heat, 101-95. Los Angeles cashed as 9½-point home underdogs, as the Lakers try to snap their three-game skid with a trip to Salt Lake City. Since Kobe Bryant suffered his knee injury at Memphis, the Lakers have lost three of four games, as the team will be without Pau Gasol on Friday due to a respiratory infection. Mike D'Antoni's club has cashed the 'under' in five straight games, while failing to bust the 96-point mark four times in this stretch.

Utah heads home following a 2-3 SU/ATS road trip, before heading to Los Angeles on Saturday to take on the Clippers. The Jazz is listed as a favorite for just the second time this season, losing in their first opportunity in overtime to Sacramento. Tyrone Corbin's squad has dropped four straight home contests (all by double-digits), while last winning at Energy Solutions Arena on December 2 against Houston.

Heat at Kings

Miami: 22-6 SU, 13-15 ATS
Sacramento: 8-19 SU, 9-17-1 ATS

The Heat continues their West Coast swing after holding off the Lakers on Christmas, as Miami goes for its second win over Sacramento in seven days. The last time these teams met, Miami outlasted Sacramento, 122-103 to cash as 10-point favorites, the 10th straight win in the series for the Heat. Erik Spoelstra's club has won and covered four consecutive visits to Sleep Train Arena, all in the favorite role. Miami owns a perfect 7-0 record against Western Conference foes, but the Heat is playing just their third road game against the West this season.

The Kings have lost six of their last eight games, including a 13-point home defeat to the Pelicans on Monday. Sacramento has covered four straight home contests in the underdog role, including outright victories over Houston and Dallas this month. Since a two-point loss to Oklahoma City, the Kings are 9-2 to the 'over' in the last 11 games, while giving up at least 100 points in four consecutive games.

Suns at Warriors

Phoenix: 17-10 SU, 20-6-1 ATS
Golden State: 17-13 SU, 13-15-2 ATS

The Suns are surprisingly the best ATS team in the league through nearly two months, as Phoenix goes for its second win over Golden State this month. Phoenix held off Golden State in the Valley on December 15 in a 106-102 triumph as a short home underdog. The win snapped a six-game skid to the Warriors which dated back to 2012, while losing three straight visits in Oakland. Jeff Hornacek's team is 4-2 SU and 5-1 ATS against division foes, while both straight-up losses are to last-place Sacramento.

The Warriors slipped by the Clippers on Christmas night, 105-103, but failed to cash as three-point favorites. Golden State has won three straight games, as Mark Jackson's club owns a dreadful 3-6 ATS record the last nine trips to the court. The Warriors have struggled as a home favorite of seven points or less, posting an 0-7 ATS mark, while the three straight-up wins in this situation have all come by two points or less.