Betting news, trends, odds and predictions for Thursday, February 22, 2018 from various handicappers and websites
Thursday’s NBA
Nets lost seven of their last eight games with the Hornets, but they covered their last five visits to Charlotte. Under is 5-2 in last seven series games. Brooklyn lost its last seven games; they’re 15-5 in last 20 games as road underdogs. Four of their last six rod games stayed under the total. Hornets lost four of their last five games; they’re 6-4 in last 10 games as home favorites. Three of their last four games stayed under.
Orlando/New York split their last 10 games; Knicks are 3-2 vs spread in last five visits to Magic Kingdom. Under is 7-3 in last ten series games. New York lost its last eight games; they’re 1-5 in last six tries as road underdogs. Eight of their last ten games stayed under. Orlando lost its last three games; they’re 1-7 as home favorites this season. Four of their last five games stayed under the total.
Cavaliers won five of last six games with Washington; road team won last five series games. Wizards covered three of last four visits to Cleveland. Three of last four series games went over. Wizards won seven of their last nine games; they’re 10-3 as road underdogs. Seven of their last ten games went over. Cleveland won/covered its last four games; they’re 7-17 as home favorites. Cavs’ last four games went over.
76ers lost eight of last ten games with Chicago; they’re 1-4 vs spread in last five visits to the Windy City. Seven of last ten series games went over. Sixers won their last five games; they’re 4-4 vs spread as road favorites. Five of their last seven games stayed under. Bulls lost eight of their last ten games; they’re 10-9 as home underdogs. Seven of their last ten games went under the total.
Thunder won three of last four games with the Kings; they’re 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to Sacramento. Last three series games stayed under. Oklahoma City lost six of its last nine games; they’re 7-14 as road favorites. Last three Thunder games went over total. Sacramento lost five of its last seven games; they’re 2-10 in last dozen games as home underdogs. Three of their last four games went over.
Warriors won nine of last ten games with the Clippers but lost to LA in last meeting Jan 10; Clippers are 2-2 vs spread in last four visits to Oakland. Last six series games went over total. Clippers won seven of their last nine games; they’re 9-3 in last 12 games as road underdogs. Eight of their last nine games stayed under. Golden State split its last six games but won three in row at home. Warriors are 13-14-2 as home favorites. Over is 3-1 in their last four games.
After taking a week off for the All-Star break, the NBA returns Thursday with six games and that includes a nationally televised double-header on TNT. Even though the last quarter of the season might lack drama from a playoff chase perspective, there are plenty of opportunities that will feature situational spots for bettors.
VegasInsider.com senior handicapper Marc Lawrence did a great job identifying 2nd Half Trends to Watch for all 30 teams. Along with checking out that piece, be sure to keep an eye on Andy Iskoe’s Daily Betting Report. Unlike other sites that automatically spew out meaningless percentages of who will win, this resource provides score predictions that often lean to the underdogs.
I’ve decided pushing out some “Fearless Predictions” in my weekly pieces for the remainder of the season after a few users inquired. As always, Press, Pass or Fade but in the end – Good Luck!
Opening Odds per BookMaker.eu
(Straight Up – SU, Against the Spread – ATS)
Brooklyn (19-40 SU, 33-25 ATS) at Charlotte (24-33 SU, 22-31-4 ATS)
Opening Odds: Hornets -7 ½, Total 213 ½
The first game on the board isn’t an easy one to handicap knowing Brooklyn closed the first-half with a 1-11 record (4-8 ATS). Meanwhile, Charlotte finished 2-4 and it failed to cover in any of the six games. The Hornets have been much better at home (15-15 SU, 14-16 ATS) this season and that includes a 14-8 record when listed as favorites. Brooklyn has dropped five in a row on the road but it has been a decent investment for bettors as visitors (8-19 SU, 17-10 ATS) despite the losing record. Charlotte has owned this series recently, going 8-2 in the last 10 encounters yet Brooklyn has managed to produce an 8-2 record ATS over this span. This will be the first meeting between the pair this season.
New York (23-36 SU, 28-31 ATS) at Orlando (18-39 SU, 28-29 ATS)
Opening Odds: Magic -3, Total 211
The Magic have gone 2-0 both SU and ATS against the Knicks this season, which includes a 112-99 home win on Nov. 8 as an 8 ½-point favorite. I thought this opener would be a little bit higher with the Magic frontcourt expected to get a boost on Thursday with possible return of Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon. The early money was bet on Orlando and it makes sense with New York mired in an eight-game losing skid (1-7 ATS). The loss of Kristaps Porzingis (knee) for the season has changed the identity of this team and the defense is a mess right now. Even when the All-Star was in the lineup, New York was terrible on the road (7-24 SU, 12-19 ATS). Orlando owns a very respectable 13-3 ATS mark in its last 16 games but the club was listed as an underdog in 15 of those contests. With all that being said, backing Orlando as a home favorite hasn’t been profitable (3-5 SU, 1-7 ATS) this season. The only winning ticket for the club as a 'home chalk' came in the aforementioned meeting against New York back in November.
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Washington (33-24 SU, 27-30 ATS) at Cleveland (34-22 SU, 18-37-1 ATS)
Opening Odds: Cavaliers -5, Total 220
The new-look Cavaliers went into the break with four consecutive wins and covers plus the ‘over’ connected in all four as well. What’s more impressive is that three of the wins came as underdogs to playoff teams in the Timberwolves, Celtics and Thunder, the last two on the road. Washington is certainly on the same level with that trio and it has produced a 7-2 record both SU and ATS with All-Star John Wall out of the lineup. During this span, the team has gone 5-1 on the road. The Cavaliers have won and covered five of their last six encounters against the Wizards which includes a pair of wins (130-122, 106-99) this season, both of them taking place away from home. Believing that the All-Star break will slow down the momentum for the Cavs is a very fair argument but I don’t blame you for riding the wave either. Cleveland will likely be favored in its next 13 games and six of the upcoming seven are at home. As bad as the team has been for the betting public, things do have a way of balancing out in the end. TNT will provide national coverage of this game at 8:05 p.m. ET.
Philadelphia (30-25 SU, 31-24 ATS) at Chicago (20-37 SU, 30-25-2 ATS)
Opening Odds: 76ers -5, Total 214 ½
This will be the third and final meeting between the pair this season. The first two matchups were split with the 76ers winning 115-101 at home on Jan. 24 before the Bulls took a 117-115 decision on Dec. 18 from the United Center. Philadelphia finished up the first-half with five straight wins but they all came at home, where they’ve won 11 in a row at the Wells Fargo Center. On the road, much different story! The 76ers have gone 1-5 in their last six and that includes a run of four consecutive setbacks. When laying points as a visitor, Philadelphia is just 4-5 both SU and ATS and the point-spread hasn’t mattered which could have you leaning Chicago money-line. However, you could be hesitant to back the Bulls knowing they’re 7-13 SU and 10-9-1 ATS as home ‘dogs this season. Also, this team has gone 6-26 this season without forward Nikola Mirotic in the lineup and he was traded in late January to New Orleans.
Oklahoma City (33-26 SU, 24-34-1 ATS) at Sacramento (18-39 SU, 25-29-3 ATS)
Opening Odds: Thunder -7 ½, Total 213
Oklahoma City continues to live on its reputation as a contender while continuing to burn bettors, especially on the road (13-16 SU, 12-17-1 ATS). When laying points away, the team has gone 9-14 SU and 8-15 ATS. Toss in the fact that the Kings have gone 1-1 SU and 2-0 ATS versus the Thunder this season and you might be leaning to the ‘dog tonight. That record for Sacramento includes a 94-86 win on Nov. 7 as a 10 ½-point home underdog over OKC. The Kings closed the first-half of the season with a 3-0 mark ATS but those results came on the road. For whatever reason, the Kings have gone 2-8 both SU and ATS in their last eight at the Golden 1 Center and they’ve allowed 117 PPG in the losses. If you’re backing Sacramento, hope for an off night from OKC. Eleven of the 18 wins by the Kings have come when they’ve held teams under 100 points.
L.A. Clippers (30-26 SU, 31-25 ATS) at Golden State (44-14 SU, 26-31 ATS)
Opening Odds: Warriors -11, Total 233
Laying double digits is nothing new for Golden State, who has gone 24-5 SU and 14-14-1 ATS in that role this season. They closed the first-half with a 3-1 mark and all three victories came as favorites of 10-plus points. The Clippers did upset the Warriors 125-106 on Jan. 10 as 12-point road underdogs, cashing money-line tickets as high as 6/1 odds. Lou Williams scored a career-high 50 points as Los Angeles snapped a 12-game losing streak to Golden State. During that run prior to the loss, the Warriors covered eight of those wins and nine of the victories were by double digits. Los Angeles has gone 5-2 since it traded Blake Griffin to Detroit and the ‘under’ has produced a 6-1 mark in those games. Coincidentally these teams played right after the All-Star break last season and Golden State (-13 ½) beat the Clippers 123-113 but failed to cover. In 2016, Golden State was treated with a 137-105 blowout loss at Portland right after the break. Will we see another lackluster effort in this spot? The Warriors do enter this game off a loss and they’ve only dropped two straight games once all season. Total bettors should note that the 'under' has gone 6-0 in Golden State's last six games with a total closing in the 230s. Tip-off is slated for 10:35 p.m. ET with TNT providing national coverage.
Fearless Predictions
Charlotte -7 ½ vs. Brooklyn
I’m not a huge fan of the Hornets, but they’re a bully and more than half of their wins (13-6) have come against teams below .500. The Nets are ranked second in 3-pointers attempted, but unfortunately they’re ranked 28th in 3-pointers made. The only way Brooklyn stays in this game is if they shoot a high percentage from distance because they’re awful defensively and they have no depth whatsoever. I’ll play the percentages and take the favorite.
Over 76ers-Bulls 214 ½
While digging up numbers on the 76ers, I noticed that Philadelphia is 8-1 to the ‘over’ when listed as a road favorite, averaging 110.7 PPG. If you recall, Chicago was a great ‘under’ bet in the beginning of the season but that’s changed and the defense has only held one team under 100 in 2018. The Bulls have been rolling the ball out lately with their young guards (LaVine and Dunne) and they shoot a ton of bombs (30.9) from 3-point land, ranked 7th. Keep an eye on Chicago’s totals as I expect the numbers to start roaming into the neighborhood of the 220s in the final quarter of the season.
By Chris David
VegasInsider.com
NBA
Thursday, February 22
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Trend Report
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NEW YORK @ ORLANDO
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New York's last 6 games when playing on the road against Orlando
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New York's last 6 games on the road
Orlando is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Orlando's last 6 games when playing at home against New York
BROOKLYN @ CHARLOTTE
Brooklyn is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Charlotte
Brooklyn is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Charlotte
Charlotte is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Brooklyn
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Charlotte's last 7 games at home
PHILADELPHIA @ CHICAGO
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Philadelphia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 5 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
Chicago is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
WASHINGTON @ CLEVELAND
Washington is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Washington is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Cleveland is 18-3 SU in its last 21 games at home
Cleveland is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Washington
OKLAHOMA CITY @ SACRAMENTO
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games when playing on the road against Sacramento
Oklahoma City is 18-5 SU in its last 23 games when playing Sacramento
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Sacramento's last 5 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City
Sacramento is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
LA CLIPPERS @ GOLDEN STATE
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Clippers's last 5 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of LA Clippers's last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Golden State's last 5 games when playing LA Clippers
Golden State is 12-1 SU in its last 13 games when playing LA Clippers
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NBA
Long Sheet
Thursday, February 22
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BROOKLYN (19 - 40) at CHARLOTTE (24 - 33) - 2/22/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BROOKLYN is 28-44 ATS (-20.4 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 3 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 28-19 ATS (+7.1 Units) as an underdog this season.
BROOKLYN is 12-2 ATS (+9.8 Units) in road games when playing with 3 or more days rest since 1996.
BROOKLYN is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) against Southeast division opponents this season.
CHARLOTTE is 21-32 ATS (-14.2 Units) in all games this season.
CHARLOTTE is 5-19 ATS (-15.9 Units) against Atlantic division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
BROOKLYN is 6-1 against the spread versus CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
CHARLOTTE is 7-1 straight up against BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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NEW YORK (23 - 36) at ORLANDO (18 - 39) - 2/22/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW YORK is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) in February games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 221-173 ATS (+30.7 Units) revenging a home loss vs opponent since 1996.
ORLANDO is 60-77 ATS (-24.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 25-42 ATS (-21.2 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 8-20 ATS (-14.0 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 25-39 ATS (-17.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 21-35 ATS (-17.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
ORLANDO is 5-4 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
ORLANDO is 5-4 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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WASHINGTON (33 - 24) at CLEVELAND (34 - 22) - 2/22/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 20-39 ATS (-22.9 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in road games against Central division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 18-37 ATS (-22.7 Units) in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 7-16 ATS (-10.6 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 this season.
CLEVELAND is 9-32 ATS (-26.2 Units) as a favorite this season.
CLEVELAND is 6-20 ATS (-16.0 Units) in home games this season.
CLEVELAND is 20-32 ATS (-15.2 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 7-15 ATS (-9.5 Units) after scoring 115 points or more this season.
CLEVELAND is 7-15 ATS (-9.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 5-4 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 6-3 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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PHILADELPHIA (30 - 25) at CHICAGO (20 - 37) - 2/22/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 80-56 ATS (+18.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 7-3 against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 8-2 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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OKLAHOMA CITY (33 - 26) at SACRAMENTO (18 - 39) - 2/22/2018, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 24-34 ATS (-13.4 Units) in all games this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 18-32 ATS (-17.2 Units) as a favorite this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 31-52 ATS (-26.2 Units) in road games after scoring 115 points or more since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
SACRAMENTO is 6-3 against the spread versus OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA CITY is 5-4 straight up against SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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LA CLIPPERS (30 - 26) at GOLDEN STATE (44 - 14) - 2/22/2018, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA CLIPPERS are 213-268 ATS (-81.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
GOLDEN STATE is 98-71 ATS (+19.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game since 1996.
GOLDEN STATE is 58-32 ATS (+22.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 7-4 against the spread versus LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 10-1 straight up against LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
8 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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