NBA Betting: Vol. 2

Los Angeles Lakers - Phoenix Suns -7.5 1 @1.85
The home team is finally starting to find their rhythm and actually look like they might fulfill their potential, whereas the visitors? Man, they're looking pretty desperate. They've been getting hammered lately with scores of 00+, and I honestly expect more of the same tonight. I’m betting that Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol are going to absolutely shut down Luol Deng, effectively neutralizing the Suns' biggest offensive threat. The Suns are already struggling big time on the defensive end, but facing Kobe Bryant, DH, and Gasol... I mean, it's not even just that they won't be able to stop all of them—it's that they barely have a prayer of stopping even two out of the three.
Andrei Kirilenko over 17.5
Brenda Bishop74 already covered most of this above, but honestly, I don't see anyone else on that roster capable of putting up numbers besides Andrei Kirilenko. Last time he was out there, he managed to clear the line by 9 points while taking "only" 12 shots. I’m feeling like he gets a few extra looks tonight, making this an easy win.

The New York Knicks have their own Sammir Santana... J. R. Smith decided to ditch the club scene... huge win...

Apparently, the party’s over for New York Knicks shooting guard J. R. Smith.

NBA News—he's having one of the most impressive starts to his nine-year career, and this Thursday, he pointed to staying away from the nightlife as a major reason why.

“I’m not going to lie. The New York City nightlife pretty much got to me. I was going out pretty much every other night and not focused on the task at hand,” a candid Smith told reporters in San Antonio after the NBA News.

Smith noted that a more disciplined approach to practice has been the driving force behind the Knicks' perfect 5-0 start.

Devin Harris should be good to go tonight... (Indiana Pacers)

Shawn Marion is expected to play tonight... (Dallas Mavericks)

Andrew Bogut is definitely out—getting injections... (Golden State Warriors)

Carlos Delfino is questionable; a game-time decision after missing practice yesterday... (Houston Rockets)

Steve Blake is questionable—will decide before tip-off... (Los Angeles Lakers)

Jordan Hill practiced and will likely suit up tonight... (Los Angeles Lakers)

Steve Nash is officially out tonight—slim chance he plays Sunday... (Los Angeles Lakers)

Brandon Roy is out... (Minnesota Timberwolves)

Nikola Peković is out... (Minnesota Timberwolves)

Malcolm Lee is dealing with leg cramps... (Minnesota Timberwolves)

Kevin Love and Chase Budinger will be sidelined for a while longer... (Minnesota Timberwolves)

Jameer Nelson has a slim chance of playing tonight... (Orlando Magic)

Hedo Turkoglu is out for another month... (Orlando Magic)

Jason Richardson will likely return Monday... (Philadelphia 76ers)

Jermaine O'Neal will play tonight despite some personal issues... (Phoenix Suns)

LaMarcus Aldridge practiced yesterday and is set to play tonight... (Portland Trail Blazers)

DeMarcus Cousins returns following his suspension... (Sacramento Kings)

Isaiah Thomas will likely play today—family emergency... (Sacramento Kings)

Brenda Bishop74 said:José Barea, Brandon Roy, and Nikola Peković are out today too.

Andrei Kirilenko would have to go over whatever the books set 🤣 today, which is 17.5+ @ 1.85 😁 It’s basically the same deal as two days ago. If the Timberwolves want to make an impact, he’ll probably need 40+ minutes and 20+ points. I guess they brought in Josh Howard, but he just had his first real practice with the guys today, so with whatever minutes he gets, it’s hard to say he’ll help much.
Stephen Curry could also go 19.5+ @ 1.85 since the Timberwolves' backcourt is a bit of a defensive hole. He struggled a little last game, only scoring 12, but before that, he was consistently around 19, so maybe he clears that tonight.
The Timberwolves played pretty poorly against the Bobcats last time. Kirilenko was the only one scoring in the paint, the Cats had about ten blocks, and Minnesota missed fifteen free throws. Still, thanks to Kirilenko, they almost forced overtime. The Warriors won their last one against Atlanta, 92-88. The last two matchups between these teams went to the Warriors.
Minnesota is actually quite good this season, maybe even great, on defense. They allow about 88.5 points per game (Warriors allow 98.1). They’re going to need solid defense again if they want to stay close. That’s why I’m looking at Minnesota (184.5) - Golden State Warriors Under @ 1.85 ☕
Also, don't forget about Golden State Warriors @ 2.15 since they're so banged up with injuries. Might be worth a shot ☕

Nice job.
Kirilenko over
Golden State Warriors 2

Too bad about the under and Curry—he was just one three away from the over, though he did pick up 6 fouls.

I mean, did we actually pull it off with Andrei Kirilenko? 😍

Alright, I took a few days off to clear my head, but now I’m back at it, getting right back into the old routine☕

Blake Griffin over 18.5
-So he started the season looking a little sluggish, definitely not hitting the numbers we all expected from him, but hasn't he really found his rhythm lately? He dropped 22 points against San Antonio (10-16) and then 20 (8-16) against Mia Hamm, which just shows how much those heavy hitters have been riding him, you know? And honestly, that really applies to today's matchup because in their last two home games, they absolutely demolished the visitors, putting up 66 points while grabbing 26 boards🙏.
Chris Bosh over 18.5
-Look, this feels like the safest bet on the board to me, especially since Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers are probably sitting this one out with those injuries, and even LeBron James is dealing with some headaches and stomach issues🤷. Because of that, Bosh is stepping into the spotlight, and you can absolutely expect him to sink more than his usual 15+ shots. If you look at how great he's been playing recently—even if he dipped slightly in the last two games where he fell under this line (14 (5-9) against Denver, 11 (3-13) against LAC)—he was consistently clearing 20+ when the whole squad was healthy. Plus, remember that win against the Phoenix Suns about ten days ago? He put up 18 points in just 25 minutes! On average, the guy puts up 19.2 points on 57% shooting and hits the free-throw line about 6 times a game
. LAC under 101.5
-I mean, who saw this coming? They're starting the season 6-2, which is easily their best start since the 2006/07 season, and that’s even with Billups and Grant Hill sidelined🤷. Now, sure, they've cleared the 100-point mark in 7 out of their 8 games so far, but I don't think that's happening today. Why? Because the visiting team is famous for that granite-hard defense, averaging 92.4 points allowed. If you ignore that last game against the Suns where they let in 112 after overtime (112-106), they haven't let anyone cross that threshold. Even Bosh barely got close with 101 points, while everyone else stayed under 100
. Boston (184.5)-Toronto under
-Even though the home team's defense doesn't inspire nearly as much confidence as it did last season, I still think they'll hold the visitors under 85 points for a ton of reasons. The home side will likely be without Rajon Rondo, who is basically their entire engine with 12.5 assists and about 15 points per game. Sure, Leandro Barbosa might step up offensively, but he can't touch Rondo's ability to run the floor and set people up, which was obvious in that loss against the Brooklyn Nets where he only had 2 assists out of the team's total 17🤷. As for the visitors, things look even worse; they're missing Kyle Lowry, who was leading the charge with nearly 24 points a game before he got hurt (and while Jose Calderon has been playing decent triple-doubles lately, he isn't even remotely as efficient)|| plus Anderson is out, and both Mehmet Okur and Gilbert Arenas are questionable. All signs point to this being a massive under, just like the last six matchups between them🤷.

Toronto vs Boston 84-79
Toronto vs Boston 86-74
Boston vs Toronto 100-64
Boston vs Toronto 96-73
Boston vs Toronto 81-73
Toronto vs Boston 75-76

That's all I've got for today. Good luck to everyone following these plays, and honestly, good luck to everyone else too😉.

24w/21l