2nd Half Trends to Watch
By Marc Lawrence
Playbook.com
You’ll never guess which team in the NBA is 0-7 both SU and ATS away without rest this season. With that and with the NBA taking a time out for the All-Star break, there is no better time than the present to examine the condition of each team in the league at this stage of the season. From the surprise teams to the disappointments, the run to the 2017 playoffs is about to take off.
Here’s a quick look from my well-oiled database of the very best and the very worst pointspread records to date this season of every team in games played this season through the All-Star break. In addition, I also present a noteworthy most recent trend on each team.
All results are SU (Straight Up), ATS (Against The Spread) or O/U (Over Under sequence), unless stated otherwise.
ATLANTA
Best: 6-1 ATS as dogs of 5 or more points
Worst: 1-10 ATS vs foe off back-to-back losses
Trending: Hawks are 6-1 SU and 7-0 ATS in games with O/U total of 217 or more points
BOSTON
Best: 8-1 ATS vs foe off back-to-back SU & ATS wins
Worst: 1-7 ATS vs .303 or less opponents
Trending: Celtics play down to the level of opposition, just 1-8 ATS as favorites of 8 or more points
BROOKLYN
Best: 3-0 ATS vs sub .230 foe
Worst: 1-7 ATS vs foe off SU underdog win
Trending: Nets have yet to win back-to-back games, going 0-9 SU following a win
CHARLOTTE
Best: 6-0 SU and 5-1 ATS in games with O/U total of 197 or less
Worst: 2-7 SU and 1-7-1 ATS in games with O/U total of more than 217 points
Trending: The Hornets lose when they are expected to, going 0-14 SU as dogs of 3 or more points, with only 4 ATS wins
CHICAGO
Best: 5-0 ATS following three consecutive losses
Worst: 0-4 ATS as favorites of 3 or more points with no rest
Trending: The Bulls have struggled laying 4 or more points, going 1-11 ATS the last 12 games
CLEVELAND
Best: 5-0 ATS off back-to-back SU & ATS wins against foes off back-to-back wins
Worst: 0-7 SU & ATS away with no rest
Trending: The Cavs will take a walk with you, going 1-9 UNDER in games with O/U total points of 206 or less
DALLAS
Best: 8-1 SU & ATS pick or favored
Worst: Trending: 0-5 SU & ATS against sub .310 opponents
Trending: Mavs struggle keeping up in potential high scoring games, going 0-6 UNDER with O/U total of 210 or higher
DENVER
Best: 5-1-1 ATS home off a double digit win
Worst: 1-4-1 ATS as favorites of 6 or more points
Trending: Nuggets have had troubles against .666 or greater foes, going 0-4 both SU & ATS when Denver is off a win
DETROIT
Best: 4-0 both SU & ATS home against foes off a SU favorites loss
Worst: 0-5 ATS as dog if 8 or more points
Trending: The Pistons have a hard time sustaining success, going 1-5 ATS away and 1-4 ATS home following consecutive wins
GOLDEN STATE
Best: 8-0 SU and 7-1 ATS against conference foes off a win of more than 7 points
Worst: 0-9-1 ATS vs foes off back-to-back SU & ATS losses
Trending: Like the Cavs, the Warriors are struggling away with no rest, going 3-7 ATS
HOUSTON
Best: 8-1 SU & ATS in conference games following a SU loss
Worst: 1-4 ATS following SU underdog win
Trending: The Rockets have handled losing foes, going 24-5 SU and 20-9 ATS – including 6-0 both SU & ATS against unrested losers
INDIANA
Best: 4-0 ATS away following a loss of 14 or more points
Worst: 2-10 ATS with no rest, including 0-5 ATS away
Trending: Indiana has had trouble keeping pace following a SU underdog win going 2-7 ATS, including 0-5 ATS against foes off a win
LA CLIPPERS
Best: 4-0 ATS as dogs against foes off a SU favorite loss
Worst: 1-5 ATS against greater than .666 foes off consecutive wins
Trending: The Clippers like a slow pace, going 5-1 both SU & ATS in games with an O/U total of less than 200 points and can’t keep up in high scoring paced contests, going 0-4 SU & ATS with a total of more than 221
LA LAKERS
Best: 5-0 both SU & ATS in games with a win percentage of less than .325
Worst: 0-4 ATS home off a loss against foes off back-to-back losses
Trending: The Lakers suck wind in games with an O/U total of more than 226 points, going 1-6 SU & ATS
MEMPHIS
Best: 3-0 both SU & ATS as division underdog
Worst: 1-9 ATS following a win when facing non-conference opponents
Trending: The bigger they are the harder they fall as the Grizzlies are 5-1 SU & ATS versus .780 or greater foes
MIAMI
Best: 7-0 ATS home following consecutive wins
Worst: 0-4 SU and 1-3 ATS away against .750 or greater opponents
Trending: Erik Spoelstra loves taking the air out of the ball against quality teams, going 1-10 UNDER against .700 or greater foes
MILWAUKEE
Best: 5-1 ATS as favorites following a SU underdog win
Worst: 1-8 ATS as a favorite against foes off a loss
Trending: Rest makes rust for the Bucks, who are 0-6 both SU & ATS with 3 or more days off
MINNESOTA
Best: 6-0 ATS as underdogs following three consecutive losses
Worst: 1-6 SU and 0-7 ATS following a win of more than 14 points
Trending: Wolves waltz in games with O/U total of 221 or more, going 0-5 UNDER
NEW ORLEANS
Best: 7-1 ATS against foes off a SU favorite loss
Worst: 1-5 ATS home against foes off a double-digit win
Trending: Pelicans snooze in games with O/U total less than 205 points, going 1-9 SU and 1-8-1 ATS
NEW YORK
Best: 5-1 ATS as dogs following a SU favorite loss
Worst: 1-6 both SU & ATS following a win of more than 10 points
Trending: The Knicks raise their level of play depending on opposition, going 4-2 SU and 5-1 ATS versus .750 or greater foes, including 3-0 SU & ATS at home
OKLAHOMA CITY
Best: 6-1 ATS home against opponents off back-to-back wins
Worst: 0-7-1 ATS in non-division games against foes off a SU favorite loss
Trending: The Thunder can’t keep up with the big boys, going 0-7 SU and 1-6 ATS as dogs of 8 or more points
ORLANDO
Best: 7-0 ATS as dogs of more than 7 points following consecutive losses
Worst: 1-4 SU and 0-5 ATS home in division games
Trending: Magic act disappears in games with high totals, going both 0-4 SU & ATS with O/U of 220 or more points
PHILADELPHIA
Best: 8-1 ATS against foes off a SU underdog win
Worst: 1-4 ATS as underdogs of more than 12 points
Trending: Sixers enjoy games with high totals, gong 9-3-1 ATS with O/U of more than 212 points, including 3-0-1 ATS at home
PHOENIX
Best: 6-1 ATS following SU loss as a favorite
Worst: 0-4 both SU & ATS home off SU & ATS win vs foe off SU & ATS loss
Trending: Suns have been double perfect in games with an O/U total of more than 227 points, going 6-0 OVER and 0-6 SU & ATS
PORTLAND
Best: 4-1 ATS as a double-digit dog
Worst: 0-6 ATS home against conference foes off a loss
Trending: The Blazers have had trouble sustaining success, going 1-8 ATS as favorites of 3 or more points following a win
SACRAMENTO
Best: 6-1 ATS following a loss of 14 or more points
Worst: 1-8 SU & ATS following a win of 7 or more points
Trending: Kings take the air out of the ball against the better teams in the league, going 1-6 UNDER against .800 or greater foes
SAN ANTONIO
Best: 5-0 both SU & ATS versus opponents off BB SU & ATS wins
Worst: 1-4 ATS following a double-digit loss
Trending: The Spurs play down to the level of opposition that is off back-to-back losses, going 4-3 SU and 1-6 ATS as double-digit favorites
TORONTO
Best: 7-0 both SU & ATS versus .250 or less opponents
Worst: 1-4 ATS following a double-digit loss
Trending: Raptors have been division dominators, going 6-0 SU and 5-1 at home, and 4-2 SU and 5-1 ATS away
UTAH
Best: 6-0 ATS as non-conference road favorites
Worst: 1-10 ATS as road dogs
Trending: As poorly as the Jazz have performed as underdogs this year, they have excelled as small favorites of less than 5 points, going 11-2 both SU & ATS
WASHINGTON
Best: 8-1 ATS versus an opponent off a double-digit win
Worst: 1-6 ATS away versus sub .300 opponents
Trending: After a dismal 7-13 both SU & ATS start to the season, the Wizards took a 27-8 SU and 25-10 ATS win skein into the All Star break
FYI: Teams that have responded exceptionally well in same season revenge affairs this season include the Thunder (7-4 SU and 9-2 ATS) and the Wizards (9-4 SU and 10-3 ATS), while the teams that have struggled mightily in these same payback situations include the Raptors (2-8 SU & ATS) and the Hornets (5-9 SU and 3-10-1 ATS).