NBA Betting: Vol. 2

Knicks 1 1.50
Thunder 1.30
@1.95
So, after seeing that Joe Johnson and maybe Deron Williams are out, I’m leaning towards taking the Knicks against the Hawks, especially since they haven't looked great on the road lately.

I find it strange that nobody is talking about the Knicks vs Hawks matchup. Atlanta is going to be playing without Joe Johnson, Al Horford, and likely Monta Ellis as well. Carmelo Anthony and Jeremy Lin have had two days to settle things between themselves, and they probably would have even taken down the Brooklyn Nets if Deron Williams hadn't completely shut them down with his tricks. At 1.50, I am definitely taking this one.

For Dirk Nowitzki, I'm seeing lines ranging from -22.5 up to -25.5 😲 🤷
Something about this lower over feels tempting, but I’m definitely taking the under on Kobe Bryant tonight. He's been averaging 18.6 over his last five games in Dallas, so that’s way below the line they set for him today...

I don't think anyone really caught onto the fact that Al Jamison is sitting at over 18.5 points—and honestly, I'm feeling it. The guy is playing out of his mind lately; he's been consistently dropping 20+ in recent games, which is just wild given his age. Plus, I'm not seeing any reason for this to turn into a total blowout either way, so his minutes should stay pretty much where they usually are—somewhere around the 35-minute mark, I guess... and here’s the kicker: New Orleans is dealing with some serious issues tonight because Emeka Okafor, Nate Smith, and Kevin Landry are all sidelined. They're basically running thin, and since Kuurt Kaman is probably the only one left who actually knows what he's doing in those rotation spots, things could get messy...

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. 😁

Philadelphia could pull off a win here, right? 🤷

Nicholas Chase34 said:The Cavs were playing the Pistons last night, and Al Jamison clocked in nearly 40 minutes.
But honestly, when you actually look at all the facts, the over looks pretty solid 😁

Man, I know—I went back and edited my post just a minute after 👍
I had this thought hit me like, wait a second, didn't they guys not even play last night? 🤣 😵
Yeah, and the thing is, they don't really have anyone to step up at that position right now—since Joel Anthony isn't in the rotation yet, they're basically running Al Jamison, Klay Thompson, and JaVale McGee at the 4 and 5 spots...

Nicholas Chase34 said:Before unknown starts playing games with the odds and margins, let's give this a shot:

• Everyone knows what to expect with Amar'e; the Knicks have way too many mouths to feed right now, especially with a solid defender like Nate Smith waiting for him.
• Ricky Rubio should be able to exploit the Utah Jazz's weak backcourt defense—Gordon Harris just isn't providing much protection.
• Kobe Bryant is going to have a rough time dealing with that Dallas Mavericks zone; they are absolute beasts at shutting down guards.
• The Phoenix Suns should handle this road game easily against a struggling Golden State Warriors squad, who haven't even managed to beat them at home in nearly seven years.
• Boston is basically a non-factor without Rondati. 🤷☕

Count me in, boss. I'm riding with you. 👍

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 👍

🤣 This isn't going to end well 😍

Remaining credit for following: 0 😂

I thought I’d hold off on the betting until the All-Star Game, but I need to get back in the action—today's slate is too good to pass up. 😍

Dallas Mavericks, LA Clippers, OKC getting dismantled... 🤷

vividbison47 said:Man, I'm right there with you, keeping tabs on this too 👍

Where did everyone go, all the Americans and even that one little guy from Canada🙂 Guess that means I'm following along too

Denver is missing Nene, Luigi Gallinari, and most likely Danilo Lawson and Rudy Gay, plus Tim Afflalo is looking pretty questionable too... honestly, I think they’re all just counting down the minutes until the All-Star Break hits. Especially when you remember how the Nuggets absolutely tore them apart by 21 points at the Staples Center last time (and that specific group of four combined for 57 points back then). Toss in the fact that the Nuggets have played two straight overtime games before this day off, and now they’ve got the Spurs coming to town tomorrow—a team they've already lost to once this season.
...If these guys don't start taking them seriously and actually capitalize on this opening, they might as well just commit collective suicide. ☕

So, yeah, that goes for the LA Clippers too...😁

The Oklahoma City Thunder take on the LA Lakers tomorrow—they could easily underestimate a depleted Boston Celtics squad. A straight win feels like a lock, though I wouldn't touch the handicap if I were you. :nezna:

Is there any real chance we see both Minnesota vs Utah and Raptors vs Pistons land as two units?

@Playmaker, I think you're being a bit too dismissive of the Golden State Warriors here; they're a remarkably solid group, and honestly, it’s far from impossible for them to take down the Phoenix Suns.

The Pistons have been playing with some serious heart lately, meanwhile, Toronto has been struggling big time at home during this six-game stretch—they've only managed one win, and honestly, that was against a distracted Boston squad that I think had a huge game scheduled for the very next day, plus they just dropped one to the Bobcats. On top of that, the Pistons have been beating them pretty convincingly in their last three 🤷

If you look at the Raptors, the logic says they should have the edge because they’ve had four days to recover while the Pistons are stuck on a back-to-back, but man, I can't ignore how hot Detroit has been rolling recently. I don't know, I'd probably steer clear of this one if I were betting 🤷

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.🤷

That's right, panda—if I recall correctly, they played Detroit constantly last season in their matchups, and the odds were always solid. 👍

Hey, that link in your signature is top-tier; I only just realized how good it is. 🙏 🙏 🙏

Who’s taking the Sacramento Kings? Personally, I think grabbing them at 2.30 odds is a total steal. Even though they've been struggling with a six-game losing streak lately, don't forget they actually went toe-to-toe with the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat, and even managed to take down the Oklahoma City Thunder. It’s high time they finally grab a win, and honestly, the Washington Wizards aren't exactly anything to write home about.🤷

33w/35l ; +17,258 units ; ROI: +5.11%

Phoenix vs Golden State
Pick: Under 206.5 total points

Odds: 1.917

Bookmaker: Pinnacle

Unit: 8/10

The line feels a bit inflated for tonight. These aren't those old-school run-and-gun squads that were routinely dropping 130 points back in the day.
Phoenix is a veteran group—two of their starters combined are pushing 80 years old. I'm talking about Steve Nash and Tim Hill. That said, Marcin Gortat might actually be their most impactful player this season; he’s finally seeing real minutes and proving his worth. He's got genuine double-double potential, so the Suns made a smart move there. The rest of the roster is finding its rhythm after a shaky start, specifically Gerald Dudley and Al Frye. Even the rookie, Marcus Morris, looks promising, particularly on the defensive end.

Golden State has struggled on the road (3-8), and they haven't even managed to beat Phoenix at home in their last 13 meetings. The last time the Warriors took a win in Arizona was all the way back in 2005. Monta Ellis has been inconsistent, and frankly, he hasn't looked great this season even when healthy.

A quick look at the numbers: Golden State ranks 4th offensively, averaging 99.0 points per game, while Phoenix sits at 16th with an average of 94.3.
Defensively, Golden State gives up 100.6 points per game, whereas Phoenix allows just 96.8.

Injury reports are relatively clean for both sides. Phoenix is fully intact heading into tonight, while Golden State has been missing center Kwame Brown since the start of the season, and they'll be without Andris Biedrins tonight as well. It looks like Andre Udoh is healthy and available to suit up.

Both teams are facing their final matchup before the All-Star Break (Phoenix doesn't play again until Jan 3rd, and Golden State isn't back until Feb 28th, so they have plenty of downtime). They'll likely bring maximum intensity on the defensive end—there's no reason to save anything for later.

They've met twice already this season, and both contests stayed well under tonight's projected total. The first meeting in Phoenix on Jan 2nd ended 102-91 for the home team, and the second, held in Golden State, saw the Warriors win 102-96. Total scores were 193 and 198 respectively.

In my view, tonight's line is overshooting by about 5 or 6 points, so I’m taking this with high confidence. While I think Phoenix is in better shape and likely to win, the under is the much more attractive play here.

I don't see either side breaking the 100-point mark, let alone anyone clearing 110.

James Taylor3 said:Man, that link in your signature is absolute gold, I just realized how good it is. 🙏 🙏 🙏

I actually stumbled onto it just the other day 😁

James Taylor3 said:Phoenix vs Golden State
Pick: under 206.5 total points

I'm totally with you there, no clue why they bumped the line up by 4 points 😕
It feels way higher now, like by at least 5 or 6 points 🤷

Is Goron Pekovic playing tonight?
If he sits out, I’d say we should look at the Minnesota total going under 99 points. He usually puts up about 20 on his own, so even if it isn't a guarantee, that's a pretty significant margin to work with. 🙂