NBA Betting: Vol. 2

Anthony Garcia12 said:Looks like we won't be seeing Wade and Bosh tonight—bummer. 😛

How can you be so sure Bosh isn't playing? — I'm just trying to avoid another situation like that day with the Chicago Bulls and Rose.

Looks like both of them might be sitting this one out.
James over 27.5 and Toronto +19.5... let's go, load 'em up!

No Wade, Bosh or Turiaf tonight. Expect at least Wade and Bosh to be back tomorrow

Honestly, you don't even need to bet on anything before tip-off. It's the end of the season, everyone's just gonna rest their starters.
Deron isn't with the Brooklyn Nets, and since the Boston Celtics are playing their fifth game in six days, I wouldn't be surprised if they sit two or three guys too.

Chicago +12.5 i Philadelphia +8.5

Honestly, there’s zero point even talking about the Charlotte Hornets anymore—they are just a hopeless squad. On the flip side, the Chicago Bulls are easily the best team in the league right now; they just dropped their last home game against Washington, D.C., so I think they’re gonna take it out on these underdogs today... even if Rose and Deng probably won't be out there, I still think the rest of the Bulls roster will cruise through this one pretty easily...
Phila is sitting on three straight losses, and the Milwaukee Bucks are breathing down their necks, so they absolutely have to win today. And where better to get a W than against the Cleveland Cavaliers? Those guys are struggling hard, dealing with a mountain of injuries, and man, after three quarters yesterday, they were trailing by 50 points against some mediocre Detroit Pistons team... there's no way a solid team like Philly doesn't bounce back here...

edit: changed my mind on the pick, actually taking the spread with Phil...

The Boston Celtics gotta protect that fourth seed and home-court advantage. Their opponent, the Atlanta Hawks, is breathing down their necks, but since Atlanta is facing off against the Detroit Pistons tonight, I don't see anyone relaxing. Honestly, taking the Celtics at 1.45 seems like a solid play, especially considering those "old heads" have already embarrassed them twice this season—once where they held a full-strength Boston squad to just 56 points.
Also, am I the only one noticing Utah playing against a desperate, shorthanded Portland Trail Blazers? Can Utah actually clinch a playoff spot, or am I just tripping? 🤷
\n\n
\nEdit:
\nTurns out Boston is gunning for that fourth seed after all, which makes this bet even better...

ruggedgull32 said:The Celtics really need to lock down that fourth seed and home-court advantage. I mean, Atlanta is breathing down their necks, and since Atlanta is playing the Pistons tonight, there’s no way anyone's taking it easy... Honestly, getting those 1.45 odds on Boston feels like a solid move, especially considering how those "old timers" have already embarrassed them twice this season—once they held them to a measly 56 points when they were running full strength...
Also, I noticed nobody is talking about Utah facing off against a totally desperate and depleted Portland Trail Blazers squad. Is it just me, or could Utah actually snatch a playoff spot here?🤷

Edit:
Actually, looking closer, Boston is definitely gunning for that fourth spot, which makes this bet even better...

The New York Knicks are really the only ones threatening Boston's hold on the 4th seed, but even they seem a bit too far out of reach right now😉

If the Utah Jazz can find their rhythm and pull it off before Boston—especially since Allen is out and Rajon Rondo is a game-time decision—they might have a shot... plus, the Orlando Magic are riding a two-game win streak, and if they pick up a third in a row, it’s game over. But honestly, that tip-off isn't until 4:00 AM, so I didn't even bother looking at them.

Watched the Boston game last night and Rajon Rondo took a nasty spill on the ice during the fourth quarter. He looked pretty shaken up, so honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if he sits out tonight. Paul Pierce spent half the game looking like he was in serious pain too, but hey, who knows? We'll just have to wait until an hour before tip-off to see what the lineup looks like.

Thanks for the heads up, I'm definitely staying far away from that...😁

New York Knicks (h+8,5) - Brooklyn Nets 1 1,85

Alright, let’s dive straight into the numbers!
The Knicks have been rolling lately, going 6-4 in their last 10 games, though they’ve struggled just a bit on the road at 2-3.
As for the Nets, they’re sitting right at .500 with a 5-5 record, and they've been a bit shaky away from home at 2-3.
Check this out: over the last month, the Knicks have been absolute beasts on back-to-back nights, going 4-0, while the Nets have struggled after a day of rest, going 5-7.
On average, the Knicks are giving up about 94 points while putting up 97 themselves.
Meanwhile, the Nets are allowing 98 points but scoring 93.

Man, the Knicks had an absolutely insane shooting night yesterday—we're talking like 60% from the field!
Novak Djokovic & J.R. Smith were absolutely unconscious, draining something like 15-20 threes!
Honestly, I don't see them being able to replicate a performance that crazy anytime soon.
Plus, playing at the Prudential Center isn't exactly ideal for shooters because the sightlines can be a little wonky, which even Deron Williams was complaining about!

But look, if you take away that ridiculous shooting percentage, there's no way the Knicks win that game because their defense was honestly pretty terrible.

The real dealbreaker here is whether Gerald Wallace actually suits up, because he's the guy who can really shut down Carmelo Anthony.

Also, watching the Memphis Grizzlies duo matchup is going to be super interesting.
Both guys are playing way above expectations, just in totally different ways.
The Memphis Grizzlies side is much more focused on offense, whereas Iman Shumpert is purely a defensive specialist.
I expect Iman Shumpert to really lock things down defensively, even if he doesn't offer much on the offensive end.

Seriously though, everything hinges on whether Wallace plays.
If he's out, let's be real—the Nets don't have anyone else capable of stopping Carmelo Anthony.
Chandler Stevenson just isn't at the level he was a few years ago, and Jeff Green tends to get into foul trouble too often, even if he's great offensively.

Looking at the big men, Tyson Chandler definitely has the edge over Jordan Williams. Plus, the Nets are going to be feeling the loss of the injured Serena Williams.
And let's face it, Johan Petra just can't hang with Tyson Chandler.
On the flip side, you've got Kris Humphries. It seems like Jason Fields is the only one who can guard him, but he won't see much floor time because his offensive game hasn't been clicking, so I'm expecting another big outing from Humphries, who always plays with extra fire against the Knicks.

Basically, if Wallace plays and they get some solid interior defense and grab a few extra boards against the Knicks, the Nets actually have a shot at pulling this off.
My gut tells me the Knicks really drained their tanks yesterday, both physically and emotionally.

Alright, here’s the plan for today

LeBron James over 27.5
9/10
I feel like everything's already been said on this one, honestly. There aren't really two other main scoring options besides LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, so he's definitely going to be taking way more shots than usual. It would actually be a massive surprise if he doesn't hit the over.

Pau Gasol over 20.5
6/10
Since Kobe Bryant isn't the primary ball handler right now, they're definitely going to feed Pau Gasol much more often. Between him and Andrew Bynum, they'll likely soak up most of the shot attempts, especially against a Warriors squad that's basically falling apart with injuries and can't really hold their own in the paint against the LA Lakers anyway.

WojYahooNBA
Man! My sources are saying the Charlotte coach, Paul Silas, actually shoved Tyrus Thomas into a locker this past Sunday night; the organization had to step in and separate the two. tinyurl.com/ce8z4nb

Hmm.

1.65 on the Spurs? 🤷
Yeah, it's their third game in three days—but the "old guys" sat out the entire fourth quarter last night, and the whole second half the night before.

For today, alongside LeBron James over 27.5, I’d take:
New Orleans under 85.5/Memphis (-8.5)
Seems like a pretty lock to me. New Orleans is absolutely decimated by injuries (honestly, all season long)—they're playing without Emeka Okafor, Erik Kaman, Jack, and Luis Ariza. Even Aaron Gordon missed the last one; no clue what's going on with him. That’s a completely broken lineup! Last game they barely scraped 75 points against the Charlotte Hornets in a pathetic showing. They did pull off a surprise win against Memphis a few days ago by about 13, but the Grizzlies are definitely going to make them pay for that. Especially since they're hunting that 4th seed and the schedule is perfect for them.

Charlotte vs Chicago betting line
The Hornets are way out of their league, especially without Al Maggette, Brendan Augustin, and Deron Williams. They might break 80 points once in a blue moon, but they won't keep up with the Bulls. Chicago is missing Luol Deng and Derrick Rose, which will tank their offense, but their defense should hold up—especially after that massive embarrassment against the Washington Wizards.

Golden State Warriors vs LA Lakers: 2 1.4/Lakers (-6.5)
The Lakers got humbled last night, and if they want to stay relevant in the West, they can't afford another slip-up tonight. Golden State is also hit hard by injuries. On top of Curry and Andrei Bogut being out, Claxton Lee is done for the season, and it looks like Richard Jefferson is out tonight too. Their only offensive threats left are Chase Wright and Klay Thompson, plus some bench depth from Al Jefferson and Joseph Rush. Defensively? They've got nothing. Even though the Lakers aren't great on the road, they have to take this one.

Boston has Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, and Matt Pietrus questionable (plus Allen Iverson is definitely out). Portland is missing Zydrunas Przybilla and Tim Crawford, while Nelson Felton and Evan Batum are questionable, and Houston has Houston Camby and David West listed as questionable.
If those guys don't suit up, Dallas and Utah should cruise to wins, and Boston would probably go under 92.5. Gotta wait for official confirmation first.

Since this is my first actual season betting on the NBA, I’m trying to get a handle on the schedule. Does anyone know exactly when the playoffs kick off, and roughly how many games per day we should expect during that opening round? Thanks in advance.

Where on earth are you all finding those final injury reports and lineup confirmations? 🤷

Rondo, Allen, and Pietrus are all sidelined. With Howard and Turkoglu out too, we're seeing Baby step up for Orlando.

Took the Bobcats under 83.5, then they hit 10 points within the first three minutes. Rough start. 🙂

Jacob Price23 said:The Bobcats were playing under 83.5, but they already hit 10 within just three and a half minutes. It was a rough start. 🙂

And the Bobcats kept scoring like that for the rest of the period. This serves as a lesson to everyone posting comments after only a few minutes have passed, or even at the end of a quarter.

Now, they’re bringing in a second, more defensive lineup.

Man, Anthony Davis is on fire! 18 points in just the first 7 minutes... 🙏

edit: bumped it up to 21 in the first... ☕

Carmelo hit 21 points—going a perfect 4-for-4 from deep and 8-of-10 from the field. Man, what an absolute bucket getter.