NBA Betting: Vol. 2

James Smith50 said:OKC at +7.5 is my top play today alongside Chicago and Miami.

Taking the Chicago spread was a solid move and it actually paid off... a perfect start to the week.

Between Oklahoma City and Chicago, I’ve also got my eye on New Jersey at +10.5 with odds at 1.30...

I played through yesterday's entire NBA slate just for the hell of it and actually walked away with a win... so I'm riding that wave and going again today to see how things shake out.

I was looking at Oklahoma taking on Minnesota and the Lakers (assuming Kobe suits up), but seeing your posts, it looks like they might end up facing Sacramento instead. Might toss the Bulls into the mix too, though I'm still on the fence there. Definitely thinking about bumping up the stake on those first two picks...

What do you guys think?

Thoughts on
Bryant under 25.5? 1.85
Orlando vs Houston Rockets - Home win 1.65
Indiana vs Detroit Pistons - Home win 1.30
Minnesota vs Oklahoma City Thunder - Away win 1.45

Jamison A(-17,5+) - under

I honestly can't remember the last time Jamison dropped this many points... plus, you have to factor in that they’ve got Thompson, a rookie playing his exact position. Word is the front office wants to build around him, so Jamison’s minutes are likely going to be pretty limited...

Howard D(-22,5+) - over

Is Howard playing poorly just to show the owners he wants an out from Orlando? Or did he just have a bad night yesterday? Either way... if he’s looking to make up for that performance, he’ll easily clear 22 points...

Granger A.(-19,5+) - under

Indiana is much like Philly—they’re a true team-first squad. It’s totally normal to see five different guys hitting double digits because they distribute the ball so well. Because of that balanced scoring, I don't see Granger putting up huge numbers here...

I’ll probably put together another parlay later, but I’m thinking about putting down a nice little stake on this one.

I didn't catch the full game, but Howard was guarding Perkins yesterday, which is likely why his scoring took such a hit.

I find it hard to believe he would ever do that to a franchise he’s been with for so many years; frankly, it just wouldn't be fair to the fans.

Like I mentioned in my previous thread, it looks like Rose's scoring average is going to dip. He put up 22 points tonight, sure, but let's be realistic—it's nearly impossible to shoot over 60% every single night.
(statement).

For Bryant, that threshold is quite high at 25.5, especially considering he had a rough outing yesterday where he had to really force things just to scrape together 28 points.

I’m with you on Bryant—he probably doesn't need to hit 25... but then again, you never know when he'll just drop 15 shots in a single half and go off 😁

That’s precisely where the issue lies. Looking at this current roster, there really isn't anyone else on the court worth playing alongside besides Gasol.

He was forcing a lot of those difficult shots yesterday.

It’s just Blake and Gasol left—though I see Bynum’s suspended... how much longer does that last?

William Price66 said:Starting off with some college hoops, then moving on to the NBA later...

What does college have to do with the NBA?🤷

Here's what I've got:

1. PARLAY:

Orlando vs. Houston: 1

This one gives me the most anxiety...

San Antonio vs. Memphis: 2

Their playoff runs haven't been flukes... but the Spurs are getting older by the year...

2. PARLAY:

Washington vs. New Jersey: 2

One word: D-Will... Washington is just too young to compete with anyone right now...

Phoenix vs. Hornets: 2

The Hornets brought in some talent. Aside from PG, they look better at every spot than Phoenix... Gordon and the Kaman-Okafor center duo should handle this easily.

Steven Baker12 said:What does this have to do with the NBA?🤷

Here’s what I’ve placed so far:

1. PARLAY:

Orlando vs. Houston: 1

My biggest worry here...

San Antonio vs. Memphis: 2

Their playoff run wasn't just luck... and the Spurs are getting older by the year.

2. PARLAY:

Washington vs. New Jersey: 2

One word: D-Will... Washington is still way too young to compete with anyone properly.

Phoenix vs. Hornets: 2

The Hornets have bolstered their roster; they look better than Phoenix at almost every spot except point guard. With Gordon and the Kaman-Okafor center duo, they should handle this one quite easily.

None at all, I was just mentioning I'd put together another NBA parlay later on.😉

EDIT: My apologies, I seem to have posted this in the wrong thread.

I’m leaning toward the under for the Charlotte vs. Milwaukee matchup.
Both teams possess some of the least efficient offenses in the league. Last season, the Bucks bottomed out in nearly every offensive category—and Charlotte, now missing both Wallace and Jackson, hasn't exactly improved much. Both squads play at a sluggish pace and maintain decent defensive structures; given the current line feels a bit inflated, I’m taking the under at a 4/10 confidence level.

Cleveland vs. Toronto: over, 3/10

Last year, both these teams were among the league's worst—defined by abysmal defense paired with mediocre offense. Cleveland landed significant draft assets and is expected to show progress this season, while Toronto is unlikely to make any major waves. Regardless, the over looks like value here; neither team has the defensive grit to hold an opponent under 90 points, and I expect at least one side to break into triple digits.

As for the rest of the slate, I wouldn't rule out some upsets from New Orleans and Memphis.

Ever since they traded away Carmelo, Denver has been completely falling apart,
they actually had a bit of luck in the playoffs when they ran into an Oklahoma City squad that was playing hot,
and even then, they barely scraped by, losing a close one 4-3.
To top it off, that trade also gave them enough juice to take three out of four from Dallas.
But the defending champs are stumbling again; they were practically invisible yesterday until the garbage time rolled around, and I don't see them showing up tonight either.
The Spurs don't stand a chance against a Memphis team that’s looking elite right now,
the same guys who knocked them out of the playoffs last year, especially now that Rudy Gay is back and putting up numbers like 20 points and 10 rebounds per game.
Taking the 1.45 odds? No way, Memphis is taking this one easy.
Indiana is my best bet for a cover.

Honestly, after scrolling through all these comments, I’ve completely lost my bearings on who to actually back. I’m second-guessing everything now—I can't commit to the Lakers, I'm wavering on Dallas, and even San Antonio feels like a toss-up at this point.🙂
Can someone please walk me through it? What exactly makes Memphis so much better than the rest?
Denver is also looking pretty strong from where I'm sitting.☕

Three players from Denver have been held up in China.

It's J.R. Smith, Kenyon Martin, and one other. 🤔

Arthur Hill2 said:So, looks like three of the guys from Denver are actually stuck in China right now—some kind of travel mess, I guess. Just one of those things, maybe? Honestly, what a headache.

It’s gotta be J.R. Smith, Kenyon Martin, and... I think there was one more guy in that mix. 🤔

Wait, so W. Chandler... what was the deal there? I mean, looking back at everything, it’s kind of wild how things played out—if you can even call it that. I guess I'm just sitting here thinking about how much of a mess it all felt like at the time, though maybe I'm being a bit dramatic. It just seems like one of those situations where nobody really had a handle on the steering wheel, you know? Anyway, I've been mulling it over, and honestly, it's pretty hard to wrap my head around the whole thing without feeling a little skeptical. Just my two cents, I suppose.

So, I decided to take a gamble and put some money on the double—Dallas versus Oklahoma—and man, let me tell you... things didn't exactly go according to plan.

boldgull20 said:Ever since Denver traded away Carmelo, they've been falling apart.
They got lucky in the playoffs running into a hot Oklahoma team
and barely lost 3-4.
Plus, from that trade alone, they managed to beat Dallas three times out of three.
The defending champs are stumbling again; they were invisible yesterday until garbage time, and they won't show up today either.
San Antonio doesn't stand a chance against a great Memphis squad,
the same one that knocked them out last year—and now Rudy Gay is back, putting up 20 points and 10 rebounds.
1.45? No way. Memphis takes it.
Indiana is my most likely underdog pick.

True, but the Nuggets don't have the three guys who earned them that title last year. Missing J.R., Chandler, and Martin is going to be felt big time in tonight's game. Denver's only real edge is at center. Honestly, after watching Haywood and Cardinal at the five last night, I finally realized how much the Mavericks lost when Tyson left. It explains why another Finals run just isn't happening for them this year...

Steven Baker12 said:Yeah, but the Nuggets aren't exactly rolling with their three most impactful guys from last year's run—missing J-R., Chandler, and Martin is gonna sting big time in today's matchup... I mean, the only real edge Denver has is in the paint... honestly, after watching Haywood and Cardinal holding down the five spot yesterday, it finally clicked for me just how much the Mavericks lost when Tyson left... and why a trip back to the Finals feels pretty much impossible for them this season...

I don't know, man, I wouldn't say they have a massive advantage at center. This Mozgov guy isn't exactly anything special, and if the rumors are true, Nene might end up playing the four tonight...
and Haywood isn't quite as bad as he looked yesterday... he's definitely capable of way more, though whether he actually brings it today is another story entirely... 🤷

James Taylor3 said:I think the under looks like a strong play for the Charlotte vs. Milwaukee game.
Both teams have some of the worst offenses in the league. Last season, the Bucks struggled in almost every offensive category, and Charlotte—now without Wallace or Jackson—hasn't been much better. Both squads play at a very slow pace and maintain decent defense. To me, the line feels a bit too high, so I’m taking the under with a 4/10 confidence level.

Believe me, after looking over today's slate, the first pick I considered was the under for MIL vs. CHA... but 180 felt a little steep to me. Especially considering how tonight's earlier games played out—practically zero defense and seeing something like 10 turnovers per quarter. That makes me lean toward the under more than anything else. Then again, who is actually going to score 90 points? CHA or MIL? Whoever answers that gets a million dollars, right? Just kidding. I know I'm contradicting myself, but it's still way too early in the season to call these over/under types until the offenses and defenses really find their rhythm.

Keith Moore21 said:I disagree. Even if they had an advantage at center, this guy isn't anything special. Plus, word is Nene should be playing the 4 tonight...
and Haywood isn't actually as bad as he looked yesterday. He can play much better. Whether he steps up today? Who knows. 🤷

That’s just their starting five. Nene will definitely spend a good chunk of the game at the 5 because Denver only has three real big men to rotate through (Nene, Mozgov, Birdman, plus Koufos who might get 2-3 minutes, and Gallinari who'll mostly handle the 4... so the lineup will look more like—in MY opinion—Ty + Afflalo + Rudy/Farrier + Gallinari + Nene). Also, if you ever caught any of Mozgov's games over in Europe, you'd know he's a solid player. He just hasn't fully adjusted to the NBA pace yet. Regardless, he eats Haywood for breakfast. 😁

Steven Baker12 said:Look, that’s just their starting five... I mean, Nene is definitely going to be playing center for a good chunk of the game since Denver only really has three big guys they can rotate—Nene, Mozgov, and Birdman—plus maybe Koufos for a couple of minutes here and there, and Gallinari will probably spend most of his time at the four. So, the lineup is gonna look more or less like... you plus Afflalo plus Rudy/Farriad plus Gallinari plus Nene, if you ask me... and honestly, if you’ve caught any of Mozgov’s games back in Europe, you know he isn't some nobody... he just hasn't quite adjusted to the NBA pace yet... but anyway, he’ll probably eat Haywood for breakfast 😁

I never said he wasn't a solid player, I just wasn't exactly blown away... I get it, Nene is a pure center, I'm just saying how things might kick off... I don't know, Haywood isn't a bad player in my book either... okay, yeah, he clearly isn't in peak form right now, but whatever, we'll see... all in all, I'm putting my money on Dallas today...