When to bet NBA game line vs. 1st half line?

[twincities77]

It seems like betting 1st half lines is fairly popular these days, but I'm not too familiar with it. How do you cap the spread differently when you're looking at betting a first half only?
Edit: Throw in "when to bet 2nd half lines" as well. It seems there may be some differences.

[williams22]

I tend to lean towards first half lines in games with a strong favorite (-8 or more usually) and especially so when the favorite is home. No NBA team will really go deep in their bench in the first half. The Lakers game last night is a perfect example. The Lakers covered the first half line easily, but then bench players getting more minutes in the second half let the lead slowly slip away and finish winning by 7, which didn't cover the spread.

Also, certain teams are notorious for fast starts. Cleveland, the Lakers, Boston, and Golden State tend to go on big runs early when at home. Hope that helps some.

[twincities77]

It helps a lot, thank you for the info, still looking for more thoughts/angles.