NBA Betting: Vol. 2

Both teams played their season openers last night—both came away with wins. The Trail Blazers took care of business, while the Kings handled the Lakers.
Portland is clearly the superior squad. They looked sharp against a solid Philadelphia team last night, showing balance in both transition and half-court sets. Honestly, I’m a bit surprised by how cohesive they look already, especially considering the loss of Roy Hibbert and the integration of two key new pieces into the rotation.
The Blazers are playing at a much faster clip than last year; Nelson Felton is pushing the pace, forcing teams into transition where they rack up easy buckets.
Defensively, they remain stout. Having Tyson Camby healthy is huge—he owns the glass, cleans up everything, and his ability to secure tip-offs creates extra possessions on offense.

Sacramento is a young group that isn't quite playoff-ready yet. There’s potential there—specifically with DeMarcus Cousins, Greivis Vasquez, Tyreke Evans, Wayne Hickson, and Louie Felette—but they play a chaotic style. It’s loose, high-octane basketball, but their defense is an afterthought. Losing an experienced big like Eric Dalambert was also a massive blow to their interior defense.

I think a Portland victory is highly probable, and they should cover this 7.5-point spread as well; the value on Pinnacle is too good to pass up.
For context, the Blazers held a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter against Philly last night, though the 76ers nearly clawed back because they just couldn't miss—hitting five or six threes, some from way downtown.
I don't see Sacramento capable of pulling off a similar comeback. Expect Portland to win tonight, likely through sheer dominance in the paint against the Kings' frontcourt.

I really appreciate this concept of tracking our own +/- units independently. I'll be joining in on the action tonight as well. 🙂.

Pau Gasol under 👋

How was Nelson Felton playing yesterday?

analoghound21 said:How was Nelson Felton playing yesterday?

Solid. He picks up the pace, pushes teammates on the break, and creates space via the pick and pop for open looks—especially for LaMarcus Aldridge, who capitalized on that perfectly.

He did spoil the impression slightly toward the end of the game with a few turnovers and rushed shots at the rim—mistakes the 76ers exploited to close the gap.

I'm out. 👋

Saša Pavlović, a guy who has stepped up for seven games over the last four years,
after he managed to hold Carmelo to just 37 points this past Sunday,
following a night where he put up zero points, one rebound, one assist, and grabbed four fouls,
he’s tasked with guarding LeBron James tonight. Man, Saša, they clearly don't give you the respect you deserve,
but folks like us? We appreciate guys like you more than you know. 😉

Tonight
Pau Gasol under
Atlanta
Milwaukee Bucks vs Minnesota Timberwolves +5.5

Milwaukee Bucks vs Minnesota Timberwolves +5.5
My Pick: 7/10
0w/0l
The Minnesota Timberwolves have brought two rookies into the fold this season, Ricky Rubio and John Wall. Ricky’s been absolutely fascinating the American public lately—he just has this insane knack for passing that, honestly, those of us overseas have known about for ages. Then you've got Wall, who is a beast in the post and hits those threes like it's nothing, which really stretches the floor for veterans like Kevin Love, John Wall, Luke Ridnour, and that newcomer from the Dallas Mavericks, J.J. Barea. I mean, I guess that might actually be enough to pull off a win against the Bucks tonight; I think there's a pretty good chance we cover the spread here. As for Milwaukee, they haven't really added much to the roster—it's still mostly just Monta Ellis and Andrew Bogut. Both teams are playing on the second night of a back-to-back, too. The Wolves just came off a loss to one of the heavy favorites this season, the Oklahoma City Thunder, while Milwaukee looked pretty rough in their loss to the Charlotte Bobcats. Even though they're at home, I just don't see Milwaukee being able to hang with Minnesota this year. To me, the Timberwolves look legit—potentially even a strong playoff contender in a tough Western Conference.

wiredcanyon39 said:Milwaukee Bucks vs Minnesota Timberwolves +5.5
Record: 7/10
0w/0l
The Minnesota Timberwolves have added two rookies this season—Ricky Rubio and John Wall—and honestly, they’re looking sharp. Ricky has been capturing everyone's attention lately, showing off that elite passing vision we've known about for ages... and then there's John Wall, who's solid in the post and hits the three well enough to space the floor for veterans like Kevin Love, John Wall, Luke Ridnour, and that newcomer from the Dallas Mavericks, J.J. Barea. It feels like enough depth to secure a win against the Bucks tonight, and I think that handicap is a safe bet. Meanwhile, Milwaukee hasn't really bolstered their roster—it's still mostly Monta Ellis and Andrew Bogut. Both teams are playing their second game in two nights, which is always a grind. The Timberwolves just came off a loss to one of the heavy favorites, the Oklahoma City Thunder, while the Bucks struggled through a rough outing against the Charlotte Bobcats. Even though they're at home, I don't see Milwaukee keeping pace with this Minnesota squad... they look like a legitimate threat for a deep run in a crowded Western Conference.

That's my play too... Minnesota takes it today. They just seem much more cohesive than the Bucks...

In my book, the Milwaukee Bucks vs Minnesota Timberwolves game with the spread at -11.5 is a total lock. I'm feeling really good about this one!
I’m also looking at adding a few more pieces to my action today. I've got my eye on Rajon Rondo staying under 16.5 points, and I'm thinking LeBron James and Kobe Bryant are both going to go over their lines. What do you guys think? Any thoughts on those picks?

When it comes to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Ricky Rubio was the absolute standout for me—just a classic, pure floor general.

They kept the Oklahoma City Thunder hanging on until the very last minute, but after a little help from the refs, they pulled away for the win.👋

Arthur Hill2 said:What really stood out to me about the Minnesota Timberwolves was Ricky Rubio—a true, classic floor general.

They kept the Oklahoma City Thunder hanging on until the final minutes, but a little help from the refs and they cruised to the win... 👋

The Minnesota Timberwolves might actually make a run in the playoffs this year... they’ve got a young, talented roster on their hands.

It could certainly work—J.J. Barea, Kevin Love, John Wall, and Ricky Rubio are all above-average players.

If only they could somehow find a way to deal with Dark.🤣

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.c...-against-heat/

Here’s a link to an NBA article, just in case anyone was wondering about the situation regarding Paul Pierce.

Arthur Hill2 said:I really dig this idea of tracking +/- units independently. I think I'll jump on board tonight too.🙂.

Pau Gasol under 👋

Honestly, everyone should be keeping some kind of stat log... I'm going to start tracking my picks after New Year's, and I'll keep the record right here in my signature!

To start things off, I’m calling it now: LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are going to outscore the entire Boston Celtics roster combined. 😬

I honestly find it hard to believe the Los Angeles Lakers would drop 95 points against a fresh Utah Jazz squad. It just feels off.

My plays:

Parlay 1:
Miami Heat -10
Rajon Rondo under 16
Dwyane Wade over 24

Parlay 2:
Pau Gasol under 18
Miami Heat to win
Atlanta Hawks or Milwaukee Bucks

I have massive hopes for that second slip! 🙂

Good luck to everyone tonight. 👋

ended up playing the Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks, and James Taylor3's Portland Trail Blazers 😁

hey there...

Finished the shift
Kobe Bryant over
Miami Heat vs Boston Celtics (+9) 1
Portland Trail Blazers win money
Milwaukee Bucks vs Minnesota Timberwolves (+6) 2

NBA Parlay

I'm taking Miami by one, Boško under, and a Portland win with a moderate stake, so we'll just have to see how things unfold... $483 Looking at the guy ahead of me in the betting queue, he's putting money down on the Los Angeles Lakers without a second thought; it seems like he really enjoys rooting for them, or perhaps he just enjoys losing money, especially with Pau Gasol under... good luck to everyone...

Parlay 1
G. Wallace under 17.5—Wallace was absolutely cooking yesterday, taking a few extra shots against Sacramento, so I honestly find it hard to believe we're going under here today.
Ray Allen under 17.5—What do you guys think? He’s facing Dwyane Wade, and you know how motivated he gets whenever he's playing against the Celtics.
Kevin Garnett over 14.5—I'll just say this: he's being guarded by Boško Buha, and KG always seems to love hunting for points when he's matched up against him...
Dwyane Wade over 24.5—I'm feeling the over on this one. I have a hunch he’s going to be the one grabbing all the shot attempts tonight, especially compared to Sunday when James was taking everything. Maybe James will take more shots again since Paul Pierce isn't playing?

Parlay 2
Lakers -1—They're sitting at 0-2 right now, and I just can't see Kobe letting them slide to an 0-3 start.
Kevin Love under 21.5—The Milwaukee Bucks are a squad that typically plays at a really slow pace with low scoring and heavy defense. Plus, Andrei Bogut is playing such solid ball that it's going to be tough for Love to snag those offensive rebounds.
Kobe Bryant over 26.5—Same logic here as I applied to the Lakers play.
J. Smith over 16.5—He's back and looking much sharper. They're facing the Knicks, who, if you ask me, look pretty shaky on defense right now... even though I'm rooting for him to hit his mark, I just hope they let Smith loose enough to go over!