NBA Betting: Vol. 2

Maybe you got the wrong idea. All I meant was that there’s no need to tell someone they're talking nonsense; if you think a point makes zero sense, just tear it down with actual arguments like you did here. That's really all I'm saying.

Steven Baker12, skip the "next time we're throwing cardboard at you" comments and just read the subforum rules next time.

Joshua Garcia8 said:Maybe you guys took me the wrong way. All I meant was you shouldn't just tell someone they're talking nonsense; if you think their point makes no sense, just shut it down with better arguments like you did here. That's really all I'm getting at.

Steven Baker12, maybe skip the "gift" comments next time and actually check the subforum rules.

👍

Some news regarding the Los Angeles Lakers... they're without a coach now, and Ebanks is out there making questionable life choices... Bernie Bickerstaff will step in as interim for the matchup against Golden State tonight... initial rumors suggest the front office is looking at Mike D'Antoni, Brian Shaw, Jerry Sloan, or most notably, Phil Jackson...

Lakers forward Deven Ebanks was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor DUI in Los Angeles early Friday Morning , according to law enforcement sources and booking Records

Ebanks, 23, was stopped by California Highway Patrol officers around 2:49 a.m. in the Hollywood area and processed at 3:44 a.m.

He was released later Friday morning after posting $5,000 bail. Interestingly, a post on his Twitter account Thursday afternoon was busy encouraging followers to celebrate a woman’s birthday Thursday Night AT Roxbury Night Club near Hollywood.

His next court appearance is set for Dec. 7, per the booking records.

Sam Amick was The First to report that Brown Has been fired as Head coach of The Los Angeles Lakers after a rough 1-4 start.

The Los Angeles Lakers confirmed the move shortly after with a blunt press release:

“This was a difficult and painful decision to make,” said Mitch Kupchak. “Mike was very hard-working and dedicated, but we felt it was in the best interest of the team to make a change at this time. We appreciate Mike’s efforts and contributions and wish him and his family the best of luck.”

Early whispers about who might replace Mike Brown include former Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni, former Lakers assistant (now with the Indiana Pacers) Brian Shaw, former Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan, and—most frequently mentioned—former Lakers coach Phil Jackson. However, LaMarcus Aldridge is reporting that Jackson isn't actually a serious contender.

Current Lakers assistant Bernie Bickerstaff will taka The reins on an interim basis When The Lakers host The Golden state Warriors tonight. Per Aldridge, the organization is still refining their shortlist of candidates... Bickerstaff might stay in the running, or he might not.

Kobe's take on the coach getting canned http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2012/1...browns-firing/

I’m not buying this preseason hype. It felt like everyone was just waiting for him to get fired so Phil could take back over... we'll see how it actually plays out.

The New Orleans -6.5 spread feels like the smartest play on the board right now...

Charlotte is missing their center, Haywood—averaging about 26.7 minutes, 9 rebounds, and 8.3 points per game...

Matthew Vaughn5 said:The New Orleans -6.5 handicap at 2:00 AM feels like the best bet on the board right now...

Charlotte is missing their center, Haywood—averaging about 26.7 minutes, 9 rebounds, and 8.3 points per game...

107:99 🙂

hollowseal12 said:Phoenix Suns - Cleveland Cavaliers. 1 @ 1.60
LA Lakers - Golden State Warriors. 1 @ 1.40

KF - 2.24

I mean, Phoenix isn't exactly playing great lately, but I guess they’re still a step ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Plus, Cleveland basically used up all their luck with that road win against the LA Clippers earlier this year. I'm expecting a pretty ugly game, but maybe the home team pulls it off anyway.
The LA Lakers started the season pretty rough, so regardless of what the stats say, they really need this win just to stay level. They need to build some momentum if they want to hit that 70-80% win rate target. And hey, they've definitely got the star power. The Golden State Warriors might actually struggle a bit here.
Good luck everyone, not just the bettors!

🙂

Jerry Vaughn said:What else can I even say? Just sign these two pairs and call it a day. 😁
I’ve gotta say, I am genuinely curious to see how James Harden handles himself tonight. He's about to run straight into an elite defender who is basically camping out on him, waiting to shut him down. Honestly? I’m bracing myself for some massive flops and a shooting percentage that looks more like Russell Westbrook's. ☕
When you look at Dwight Howard, if you don't have Andrei Bogut in that lineup, it’s basically a one-way street. It’s just going to be a straight shot for Dwight to run right over the rest of the Golden State Warriors frontcourt.

I’d throw that in there too. I’m looking at Kevin Durant for under 26.5 points at 1.85. Honestly, it feels like a solid play to me. Sometimes you just have to trust the numbers and the matchup. It's like when you're at a diner deciding whether to go big on the breakfast platter or stick to the eggs—sometimes less is actually more. I've been watching the trends lately, and this one just feels right. Let's see how it plays out! Honestly, I’m still looking at that margin and thinking it’s just way too high. It’s a bit concerning. Look at Kevin Durant—he’s actually dialed back his shot attempts compared to last season by about four per game. On the defensive end, he’s putting in a massive amount of heavy lifting just hunting down rebounds. Then when we switch to offense, he’s either playing facilitator and finding teammates or just chucking them up from deep trying to find a rhythm. You also can't ignore the looming threat of a total blowout. It's always lurking there.

James Harden dropped 18 points. Not exactly his usual explosion, but hey, he showed up.
Dwight Howard just dropped 6 points. Rough night at the office.
Kevin Durant dropped 25 points. Solid stuff.

James Harden going 4/18 from the field? Honestly, there was no other way that game could end. It was a disaster. Plus, with Dwight Howard only getting 24 minutes of action, any hope of hitting the over was pretty much dead on arrival. In previous seasons, Kevin Durant would have cruised right past the over on a night like this—he’d be converting those shots easily, especially since he’s usually seeing about 20 attempts a night instead of just 16 like we saw today.

As for what's happening today...

Milwaukee Bucks vs Boston 2 @2.00
That line feels way too high to me, even if Boston has had a shaky start to the season. Sure, they could coast through some games and claim they’re just saving themselves for the playoffs, but let's be real—nobody actually enjoys losing or grinding out wins against teams that are clearly beneath them. You have to show the rest of the league you mean business once in a while, or as the old saying goes, to make a stand. I’m calling it now: that happens tonight. Also, Monta Ellis checked out of the game late last time because he shoved Bradley Beal in the back after that flagrant-2 foul. It wasn't anything crazy, but there's a real chance he gets benched for this one.

DeMar DeRozan under 17.5 @1.85
He’s a solid guard, but after struggling against that lockdown Oklahoma City defense, I think running into these gritty Philly guys might slow him down. This is more of a gut feeling than anything else. We also need to keep an eye on whether Kyle Lowry returns from that ankle injury tonight, because if he does, he's going to soak up a ton of those shot attempts. He's currently a game-time decision, though I wouldn't bet the house on him playing tonight.

James Harden over 24.5 @1.85
After our favorite bearded superstar felt the weight of being the undisputed number one option against the Memphis Grizzlies, I think it's time for him to explode again against a lackluster opponent. He dropped 37 points easy against the Detroit Pistons recently, and honestly, the Houston Rockets roster basically demands that Harden carries the load on his shoulders and uses the ball relentlessly.

Bradley Allen3 said:Orlando vs Brooklyn, away win @1.75 – I honestly don’t have much respect for this Orlando squad. Some people here disagreed with me on that, but I’ll say it again: in my opinion, they're pretty weak. They just seem to be riding a wave of lucky plays right now. That happens, I guess, but if you look at a larger sample size, I expect them to see a lot of losses. On the other hand, I really like Brooklyn. They seem well-covered at every position and actually have some real potential. The downside for them is that the last two games showed just how much they miss Ben Wallace, who got hurt in the season opener and probably won't suit up today. They don't really have a decent replacement for him at his position, and it might be smart for them to find a solution soon. But maybe I'm overthinking it; they've probably already realized that themselves. Still, I think they can make up for the lack of a solid Ben Wallace against Orlando. Plus, Orlando is missing Mehmet Okur and Al Harrington again, and Rodney Nelson is a question mark. To me, it's a good value.

Atlanta vs Miami, away win @1.45 – Atlanta is a decent team, but they aren't exactly anyone Miami should be worried about. I don't think we need to say much about Miami. I feel like we all know what they're capable of since they get so much media coverage. Assuming they stay healthy, I think they're much more powerful than Atlanta.

New York vs Dallas, home win @1.40 – Dallas is playing unexpectedly well this season, especially considering they're without Dirk Nowitzki. Of course, New York is also playing great; they actually set a record this season by starting 3-0, which is the first time they've opened like that since 1999. With the home crowd behind them today, I think they might even push it to 4-0. It's worth noting that Shawn Marion, who is huge for Dallas, won't be playing tonight either. So far, New York has surprised us all with their defense, while Dallas has relied on their offense. I'm hoping the Knicks can find whatever it takes to pull off the win in front of what I'm sure will be a wild crowd.

👋👋👋👋

Charlotte vs. Dallas 2 1,45 @SS
I honestly think you have to take the Dallas side here given these odds. They played a few days ago and ended up covering by a massive 27 points. Even though they started this season without Dirk Nowitzki, they’ve been playing better than anyone expected. They'll be missing Dirk Nowitzki and Shawn Marion again today, and there's a chance Vince Carter might miss out too after getting banged up against the New York Knicks yesterday, but let's be real: their roster is still significantly deeper than what Charlotte is putting on the floor. On the other side, the Hornets will be shorthanded without Henderson and potentially missing their center, Haywood.

Finally back in the swing of things after being MIA all day watching the games🤷, yesterday the Orlando Magic absolutely cleaned up on the books, but hey, that’s just how it goes sometimes😢

Golden State Warriors vs Denver Nuggets: Over 2
-We've got two teams sitting at a 3-3 split, but honestly? I'm giving the slight edge to the visitors. They've really found their rhythm with three straight wins after that rough 0-3 start. You have to look at the fact they've taken 18 of their last 23 games! Meanwhile, the home team is likely going to be missing Andrei Bogut again since he can't seem to shake this injury, which leaves them looking pretty thin in the paint under the rim🤷.
Indiana Pacers (-8.5) vs Washington Wizards: Over 2
-Even though the visitors haven't tasted a win yet, they haven't been total disappointments either; most of their games have been super close, which tells me that even without Ben Wallace and Nen and a Tim Crawford who isn't quite 100%, they could actually give this Indiana squad a run for their money. And let's be real, Indiana isn't anywhere near the level they were last year. Losing Danny Granger has been a massive hole in their lineup, and being 2-4 is definitely underwhelming given the hype. They've dropped their last three, and those two wins they did snag were absolute grinders—one was a nail-biter against the Toronto Raptors where they trailed most of the way, and the other was a messy overtime win against the Sacramento Kings. Because of that, I think it's worth taking the points with the underdog here
. Stephen Curry Over 19.5 points
-He's facing an opponent he usually loves playing against, especially considering how he tore it up against the Denver Nuggets recently (dropping 63 points over the last two games and shooting a ridiculous 23-30 from the field). Since I'm smelling a high-scoring shootout today, the over feels like a lock😉.
Andrea Bargnani Over 17.5 points
-With Kyle Lowry sidelined, he’s stepping back into the spotlight, which means more shot attempts. He showed exactly what he can do against the Dallas Mavericks when he put up 25 points on just 20 shots (hitting 9-15 for twos and 0-5 from deep), plus his minutes have bumped up by about five. I'm expecting something similar today because someone has to make up for those 20 missing buckets🤷, and the only guys with enough juice to step up are DeMar DeRozan and Bargnani, since they basically run the show
.
15w/15l

Kyle Lowry and Fields are both OUT.

Also, looks like Mo Williams is dealing with some adductor issues, so he might see a bit less playing time than usual.

Jackson, Boris Diaw, Tim Duncan, and Tony Parker are a mess... their availability is anyone's guess

Matthew Vaughn5 said:Jackson, Boris Diaw, Tim Duncan, and Tony Parker are questionable... they might not play.

Look, if we're talking about our guys, I don't see anyone mentioning them elsewhere.

When you're pulling data from US media outlets or forums, it wouldn't hurt to include a link to the actual story.

By the way, Portland has won seven straight at home against the San Antonio Spurs.

James Taylor3 said:Look, we're all on the same page here—I haven't seen anyone else bringing that up, either.

If you're gonna start dropping stats or news pulled from US media outlets and forums, maybe it wouldn't hurt to actually drop a link to the story? Just a thought.

By the way, the Portland Trail Blazers have actually won seven straight at home against the San Antonio Spurs.

http://www.donbest.com/nba/injuries/

http://hoopshype.com/twitter/tag/san_antonio_spurs

You should probably include that bit about Portland.😁

edit: just scroll down a bit.😬

Keith Moore21 said:http://www.donbest.com/nba/injuries/

http://hoopshype.com/twitter/tag/san_antonio_spurs

Need to take that Portland game 😁

edit: scroll down a bit 😬

Man, I was just looking at Donbest and completely missed it. 🤣

Looks like both Tony Parker and Tim Duncan are playing. Boris Diaw is a marginal piece regardless—now we just see if Kevin Durant sits out.

My money is on a high-scoring affair. Portland's defense is shaky, the Spurs have deep bench depth, and they can knock down threes—both sides could easily hit triple digits.

James Taylor3 said:Man, I was just checking Donbest a second ago and missed it. 🤣

It looks like both Tony Parker and Tim Duncan are actually playing, though. Boris Diaw is basically just a role player anyway, so it really depends on whether Kevin Durant ends up sitting out or not.

Personally, I’m leaning towards a massive scoring night here—just a total shootout. Portland's defense is kind of a mess, and the Spurs have such deep bench strength and can just rip it from deep... honestly, both teams could easily clear 130.

That was my first instinct too. That spread isn't exactly easy to cover, but there's definitely potential for a high-scoring affair. 👍

But hey, if Parker and Duncan end up being rested, I'm taking the under... still gotta wait and see, though. There's still plenty of time before tip-off.

Paul Millsap over 13.5 points @ 1.85 Favorite

The Utah Jazz are sitting at home getting ready to welcome the Phoenix Suns, and honestly, looking at the numbers, the Suns have been playing some of the worst defense in the league lately, giving up an average of about 105 points per game.
There’s a bit of a question mark over whether Mo Williams will suit up for Utah—he's usually their go-to guy averaging 16.8 PPG—so if he stays sidelined, I can see Paul Millsap and the rest of the crew stepping up their scoring production. This really feels like a huge opportunity for the big men in the paint, specifically Millsap and Al Jefferson, to exploit how much the Suns struggle inside. Protecting the rim has been a major Achilles' heel for Phoenix for quite a few seasons now. Plus, Luis Scola isn't exactly a defensive powerhouse; he doesn't really protect the rim well, and he tends to struggle against those versatile perimeter forwards like Millsap who can either knock down shots from a pick-and-pop or just drive right past him to the hoop. The way the Suns defend spot-up shooters is pretty much bottom-tier, letting opponents shoot over 50% in those scenarios, and their pick-and-roll coverage isn't exactly elite either. Even though Millsap's season average has dipped a bit (down to 12.2 PPG from his usual 16.3 PPG) because he's sharing minutes with a solid player like Derrick Favors, I think he’s due for a bigger role tonight depending on how things shake out. He’s got a really smooth mid-range game, hitting about 42% from 16-23 feet, and his 72% finishing rate at the rim is super respectable. It's also worth noting that Millsap has basically been owning Luis Scola lately; over their last five matchups, Millsap has been averaging 25 points on 53.9% shooting. I was actually torn between taking Al Jefferson or Millsap for the over, but I ultimately went with Millsap since he has the better history against the Suns. Last season, he averaged 23 points on 55.2% shooting against them in three games, whereas Jefferson averaged 17.3 points on 45.3% because he had a tougher matchup against Marcin Gortat, who is the one bright spot in that Phoenix defense. This line feels a little low for him, so I’m expecting him to really shine tonight, which shouldn't be too hard to do in front of his home crowd.