ruggedgull32 said:...if Kobe Bryant doesn't suit up tonight, that 16.5 line feels like a steal because Pau Gasol should be able to clear it by at least 3 or 4 points, if not by halftime; I mean, he dropped 28 on them just a month ago... he's been playing on another level lately, and honestly, this line feels more like something you'd see in a high-stakes EuroLeague game... I'm thinking if Kobe Bryant sits out, taking the -7.5 against the Minnesota Timberwolves isn't a bad move either, though Kevin Love seems a bit fragile lately, but their bench played so incredibly well last night that it gives me enough confidence to take that spread...
Knowing how Kobe Bryant operates, he'll definitely be out there, but I have a feeling he might play a little bit "on cruise control," which means he'll probably focus more on distributing the rock to Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. 🤷
ruggedgull32 said:...man, I am absolutely gutted after that one...🤦
🤦 total disaster, honestly, it felt like we walked straight into a trap because the defense wasn't even playing with the same energy they had in our previous games 🙂 🙂
wiredcanyon39 said:If you check Hoop Data, it’s actually closer to 96. I actually went ahead and took Dirk 23.5 for the hat trick.
See, that isn't just their average points allowed per game, it's actually their average points allowed per 100 possessions, which is basically what (Defensive Efficiency - the number of points a team allows per 100 possessions.) measures.
And if you look at the standings, the Dallas Mavericks are actually ranked super high in that category—they're sitting at third in the whole NBA. 🤷
The line feels way too high when you actually look at how these two squads play, especially since Washington has been struggling big time to find any rhythm offensively on the road, averaging just about 90.1 points per game. Milwaukee isn't exactly lighting up the scoreboard like a powerhouse either, usually hovering around 97.8 points when they're playing at home. When you look at the games where Milwaukee comes out on top, they tend to put up around 101.7 points while keeping their defense tight enough to allow only 92.5. Looking back at their head-to-head matchups, they haven't even cracked the 190 mark in their last six meetings, let alone hitting 200. Usually, one side just falls short, and more often than not, that's Washington. Thinking back to their last meeting in Milwaukee back in December, the total was set at 186.5, so seeing this massive jump feels a little suspicious to me. Still, there's definitely some solid value in taking the under here, because realistically, I don't see this total going much higher than 195.🤷
Joshua Gonzalez33 said:Jones is actually a killer three-point shooter, and honestly, I think that 4.5 odds on him is a total steal because he’s just not getting enough mainstream hype—if he were more famous, he’d be the favorite at 3, so you should definitely look into that. As for the stuff below, man, anything can happen, but I’d probably lean toward George, though since they aren't just judging the dunk itself but the whole package of athleticism and everything else, it feels a bit too risky for me to put money down. Basically, grab Jones and then just chill while the beat drops.
There's a reason why the odds on Jones are sitting where they are. He isn't the favorite because he won last year, and let's be real, expecting someone to pull off a back-to-back win like that is a huge ask—it almost never happens. Anderson could easily walk away with it, even though I’m personally rooting for Morrow because of how he handles those threes. It's such a bummer they didn't invite Novak, too; that guy is absolutely lethal from deep. 🤷
Morrow A.(NJer)-Trice @ 4,50 Anderson R.(Orl)-Trice @ 4,00 Jones J.(Mia)-Trice @ 4,50 Mario Chalmers(Mia)-Trice @ 5,00 Kevin Durant(Oklahoma City Thunder)-Trice @ 5,00 Love K.(Min)-Trice @ 7,00
George P.(Ind)-zakucavati @ 2,70 Evans J.(Uth)-zakucavati @ 4,00 WilliamsDe(Min)-zakucavati @ 4,00 🙂 Carl Budinger(Hou)-zakucavati @ 3,00 😲 🤣
shadowjackal27 said:Well, what can you do? It was totally unexpected... But hey, when the Orlando Magic go three rounds deep, they usually find a way to win...🙄 🤣
Honestly, if Nelson had been in the lineup, Dwight Howard probably would've seen a lot more touches; the way it went with only 7 shots, things might have played out differently, much like how Jodie Meeks 🙄
Last night was a pretty solid run 👍 , except for that one missed shot 😢
Today I’m looking at trying this one out: To me, this feels like the best value on the board today because I honestly don't see anyone else besides the road team taking this one, especially with the odds looking this good. See, the Atlanta Hawks are going to be missing Joe Johnson, their main scoring threat who usually puts up about 17.6 points a game, and they're also dealing with Al Horford and DeMarre Carroll being sidelined (both big guys in the paint). Historically, Atlanta has had a tough time against the Orlando Magic; last season they dropped three out of four regular season matchups and even got knocked out by them in the playoffs. The Orlando squad has been playing with a lot of confidence lately, and I think this is the perfect moment for them to capitalize on a weakened Hawks roster.
Atlanta is currently stuck in a three-game winless slump, while Orlando is riding high with two straight wins and has only lost once in their last seven games—that loss was to the Miami Heat, 78-90, which honestly wasn't much of a surprise. In past matchups, the biggest headaches for Orlando's defense were guys like Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford, though he's moved over to the Portland Trailblazers now. The only ones left on the Hawks who can really shake things up are Josh Smith, Jeff Teague, and Willie Green; everyone else just doesn't carry that kind of weight. Over on the Orlando side, there's some uncertainty around Jason Richardson since he missed the last couple of games, but JJ Redick has been stepping up and covering that role quite nicely.
Orlando has plenty of reliable pieces to lean on, with Dwight Howard still dominating the paint like he always does, supported by Ryan Anderson and Glen Davis. On the perimeter, they've got solid shooting from Hedo Türkoğlu, JJ Redick, and David Lee. They also have decent depth coming off the bench, aside from Glen Davis, with Jordan Duhon and Rafer Alston ready to chip in. All things considered, the Orlando roster looks pretty sturdy compared to where Atlanta is right now, so I'm leaning heavily toward the Magic. We saw last night against the New York Knicks how the Hawks just ran out of options on offense, and I expect that same struggle to happen again tonight. Meanwhile, the Orlando players had a relatively easy night against the Brooklyn Nets, with four of their five starters playing under 30 minutes, so they should be feeling fresh heading into this matchup against the home team. Zaza Pachulia is going to have his hands full trying to contain Dwight Howard, and if Dwight plays smart and gets Zaza into early foul trouble, they could cruise to a win because the Hawks are spread so thin at the center position—they've basically just got Eric Dampier left. Either way, I think Orlando walks away with the W tonight. 🎉 Atlanta Hawks - Orlando Magic Orlando @ 1.8
Jeremy Lee67 said:Man, you're kind of lowballing the Warriors here; they're a legit squad, and honestly, it’s totally possible for them to take down the Suns.
Here’s my take on why I’m riding with the Suns on this one:
- The Warriors have been absolutely struggling on the road—you only have to look at their 3-8 record to see how rough it's been for them away from home. - Monta Ellis has tasted victory at the US Airways Center before, but man, his stats in that arena are brutal; he's got the lowest numbers in the league there, averaging just 14.6 points on a shaky 37.8% shooting over 11 games. - Marcin Gortat is playing out of his mind right now, dropping over 20.7 points on 60% shooting through his last three outings. - With Andre Udoh and Andris Biedrins dealing with some minor injuries (Udoh missed practice yesterday), it really comes down to whether the bench can hold things down for Gortat. - Phoenix is basically a veteran crew that knows exactly how to grind out wins like this, especially since Gerald Dudley, Al Frye, and Redd have all been looking pretty sharp lately.
I don't know, everything just feels like it's leaning toward a home win, though I'm still debating if it's worth taking the handicap. The Suns have had plenty of downtime to recharge, and with Tim Hill and Steve Nash having fully relaxed, I think they’ll come out with enough energy to really give the Warriors a run for their money.🤷
Brandon Gonzalez4 said:@Nicholas Chase34/">@@Nicholas Chase34 I actually tried to give you a hand there, leaving out the unknown part so we can see how things shake out 🙂 Good luck
Terry Cook48 said:I'm keeping an eye on this one too....😁 Let's hope for the best for all of us....😉
vividbison47 said:Man, I'm following along right behind you 👍
Keith Moore21 said:I don't think anyone really caught onto Al Jamison going over 18.5 points here... honestly, despite his age, he's playing out of his mind lately, dropping 20+ consistently in his last few outings. Since they had a day off, and they aren't playing tomorrow either, his minutes should be right where we want them—around that 35-minute mark. But here's the real kicker: New Orleans is missing Emeka Okafor, Nate Smith, and Kevin Landry tonight, so their rotation is looking pretty thin. With Kuurt Kaman being basically the only reliable guy left at those spots, there’s going to be a massive void to fill.
The Cleveland Cavaliers played the Detroit Pistons last night, and Jamison ended up logging nearly 40 minutes on the floor. When you actually sit down and weigh all the factors, that over looks like a total winner to me. 😁
Brandon Gonzalez4 said:@Nicholas Chase34/">@@Nicholas Chase34 I actually tried to account for you, just without the Ricky Rubio factor, so let's see how it plays out 🙂 Good luck
Until unknown starts dropping those odds and margins, let's give this a shot:
When it comes to Amar'e Stoudemire, the outlook is pretty clear since the New York Knicks have such a massive roster of consumers right now, especially with a solid defender like Nate Smith waiting for him on the other side.
Ricky Rubio should really be able to exploit how weak the Utah Jazz are defending the backcourt, because honestly, Gordon Harris just isn't providing much of a guard defense.
Kobe Bryant is probably going to have a rough night trying to navigate through that Dallas Mavericks zone, since they are incredibly disciplined at shutting down guards.
The Phoenix Suns should walk away with an easy win on their home floor against a struggling Golden State Warriors squad, especially considering the Warriors haven't managed to beat them in their own arena for almost seven years.
If the Boston Celtics don't have their rhythm, they basically don't stand a chance. 🤷☕
Nicholas Chase34 said:For those looking to raise the stakes: Portland -4.5 at 1.85
NBA news. NBA news: Tim Duncan and Tony Parker are sitting out tonight's matchup against the Blazers to get some much-needed rest.
Gregg Popovich is pulling his usual moves again, and since we're staring down the barrel of the final game in a heavy five-game stretch, fantasy managers are basically just going to have to suck it up and deal with the fallout. It looks like we'll see Gary Neal stepping in at point guard, while Matt Bonner gets the nod at power forward. As for the big guys, we're also guessing the Spurs will have Tim Duncan and Tony Parker back in action for Thursday's All-Star Break finale against the Nuggets.
It couldn't have gone any smoother, honestly—a massive 40-point blowout. 😲 😁
For those looking to up the ante: Portland -4.5 @ 1.85
The big names are sitting this one out. NBA news
It looks like Gregg Popovich is pulling another tactical move, and since we're staring down the final leg of this five-game stretch, anyone playing fantasy ball is probably going to feel the sting of these lineup changes. Our best guess is that Gary Neal steps in to run the point, while Matt Bonner gets the nod at power forward. We're also guessing that they'll be back in action for Thursday's All-Star Break finale against the Nuggets.
