[Jarman]

Thank you for sharing your picks. Your time and research is appreciated! I'll be tailing you tonite

[colout]

Houston vs San Antonio
29/01

Houston Rockets will have a home court advantage. They have to take a full advantage of that advantage, because thats the only advantage they have tonight.

So you don't think Harden will have a big advantage vs Joseph and Parsons vs Belinelli.. if not, you are just not into the NBA.

[Supinoku]

So you don't think Harden will have a big advantage vs Joseph and Parsons vs Belinelli.. if not, you are just not into the NBA.

If you ask who is better player Harden or Joseph of course its the beard. But you see Houston is playing basketball that is heavily dependant on individual skills: Harden taking his man to the basket, Dwight taking his defender to the rim etc. while SAS is playing 100% teamball with few of players also having exceptional individual skills (TP) All in all the Spurs way of playing is > HOU way of playing ... and they have trophies to prove that. Name me any team in recent history that has been playing like the Rockets now and have won anything?

All that said Harden can easily score 40 points tonight and virtually kill his defender and the Rockets can still lose by 15 points despite all of that. Thats what I meant while saying HOU does not have too many advantages.

[steelerpunkie]

way to break it down, now the players and teams just need to" performer as expected"..... and that's the X factor.
great en-cite like always... tail or fade will ultimately always be your own personal choice.

[colout]

If you ask who is better player Harden or Joseph of course its the beard. But you see Houston is playing basketball that is heavily dependant on individual skills: Harden taking his man to the basket, Dwight taking his defender to the rim etc. while SAS is playing 100% teamball with few of players also having exceptional individual skills (TP) All in all the Spurs way of playing is > HOU way of playing ... and they have trophies to prove that. Name me any team in recent history that has been playing like the Rockets now and have won anything?

All that said Harden can easily score 40 points tonight and virtually kill his defender and the Rockets can still lose by 15 points despite all of that. Thats what I meant while saying HOU does not have too many advantages.

Houstons ball movement have been much better lately, and Spurs TO-rate right now is worse then ever! Spurs can't win against good teams right now, and the reason is obviously.. They have lost the good bench production..

[heavy365]

More picks for today ??

[Noleafclover]

Houston vs San Antonio
29/01

Houston Rockets will have a home court advantage. They have to take a full advantage of that advantage, because thats the only advantage they have tonight. As always the Spurs look exceptionally dangerous after losing a game. Once again a bounce back from an emotional game (bringing back bad memories) and tough loss against the Heat is what the Spurs should do.

Houston can be dangerous if they get hot, but playing against the team with such a huge amount of experience and a coach with bag full of tricks, this is unlikely to happen tonight. It would come to the point where Pop would use hack-a-dwight if he feels the need to slow the Rockets shooting down. Needless to say that the Spurs will probably be better prepared to play the Rockets than the Rockets are prepared to play the defending Western Conference champs.

Kawhi Leonrad is out with an injury, but Boris Diaw has been playing his best as a Spur. San Antonio has lost 2 games already this season to Houston (both games played in San Antonio). Now will it happen 3rd time in a row? You should seriously doubt in that and rather put your money on away team. San Antonio to win @2.05 with 4/10 stakes is the play here.

gl

Harden out, but I still can't tail this. Spurs lost twice in large part because Houston pushes the ball, and the old men can't keep up. In fact, 8 of the Spurs 11 losses have come to teams ranked 8 or higher in pace.

The X factor to me here seems to be that Houston wanted it more in both those games from what I can tell, probably felt they needed it more as 2nd place. Not sure if they can maintain that intensity after 2 wins.

Congrats on beating the line movement, and BOL though.

Ed: I tend to like Howard pts + rebounds > 29.5 -140 with the injuries to SAS bigs and Harden, if you have thoughts there.

[steelerpunkie]

Pick yourself off the ground, dust yourself off and start another streak.......

[Supinoku]

Hey, no bets tonight ... really dont like anything. Enjoy MIA-OKC game ... could be preview for the Finals.

[Supinoku]

Knicks vs Cavaliers
31/01

After Melo scored 62 points the Knicks are yet to lose the game. Yeah, its true they have played only 2 games since and against rather weak opponents, but they actually have looked better and its not like Cleveland is going for the championship this year.

With the winning streak reaching to 3 games New York now has a record of 18 wins and 27 losses. Not good by the Knicks standards, but it is now only 3 wins behind last play-off spot. Cleveland (16-29) as one of those teams the Knicks could be fighting for the spot at the end of the season both teams know the importance of that game. New York will have 7th home game in a row, which will be an advantage in a sense that home court now really feels like home as they have played there so many games in a row and have been winning lately.

Cleveland is slumping. They lost 4 of their last 5 games (all of them played at home court). Going to play an away game could in a sense be a relief here, but the problem is that the Cavaliers have been nothing short of an awful playing road games aswell. Their away record is only 5-17. Knicks should be able to continue its winning streak and cover -6.0 points aswell. 5/10 stakes.

GL

[steelerpunkie]

5/10 .... lets get it and start a new streak....

[boydako13]

BOL...tailing!!

[steelerpunkie]

back on track..

[Aye J Mac]

Good job bro

[Supinoku]

Minnesota vs Memphis 01/02

What a difference one player makes? Huge, if you ask the Grizzlies fans and players. Memphis looked like in serious troubles when Marc Gasol got injured and was unavailable for the team. Ever since his return they have looked like a good team again - they have won 7 games and lost only once. With a current record of 24-20 the Grizzlies are just 0.5 games behind the Mavericks, so clearly back on track for the race to make it to the play-offs.

Minnesota`s season can be described as an up and down ride on a roller coaster. They are having one of their up`s at the moment winning 4 of their last 5 games. All that said they lost to the Trailblazers and then beat the Bulls and the Pelicans that are clearly only average teams as of now. Nikola Pekovic sustained an injury against the Bulls and will miss tonight`s game. Other than his contribution it also hurts Minnesota cause opponents now can pay more attention to Kevin Love. What other teams have really learned is to slow down tempo against the T`Wolves and double team Love while making Ricky Rubio a jump-shooter. Memphis is clearly one of these teams to exploit that tactics and thus have the upperhand here. Having last year`s defensive player of the year back in their low-post can`t hurt aswell.

Another note ... with Kevin Love being selected as an All-Star game starter, it is likely few guys from the Grizzlies side want to prove few things. Expect the Grizzlies to be as motivated as ever. Memphis to cover -1.5 with 4/10 units.

GL

[ChicagoCover]

Good writeup, best of luck.

[steelerpunkie]

nice one..

[Aye J Mac]

I love you man thankyou

[Supinoku]

Wizards vs Thunder 02/02

It probably becomes a "public pick" and that is always a bit scary, but there`s just no way to imagine how to stop the Thunder right now. They are absolutely running their opponents out of the building lately. Oh yes, they do all that while having All-Star caliber player sidelined with a knee injury.

With a record of 38 wins and 10 losses Oklahoma City is leading the league. With 10 wins in a row they are the hottest team in the league at the moment. This streak also includes wins against Miami, San Antonio, Houston, Portland and Golden State. Average winning margin is 11,7 points. There`s one bad news - Kevin Durant`s 30+ points scoring streak ended at 12 games last night. But we all can forgive him, cause it was a blowout game and KD only played 30 minutes, still making 10 of 12 shots from the field and scoring 26 points. Shortly, its hard to even explain on what kind of roll Durant and his team are at the moment.

Now playing back-to-back against the Wizards they are only favored by -4.5 points. Washington is not bad, but they still have a losing record (22-23) and losing record in home games (10-11). It will be all about the Thunder`s effort. If they come out with energy (which they should have enough left in the tank after having easy game last night) it should be a no contest. Thunder to cover -4.5 points with 5/10 units.


GL

[steelerpunkie]

could any of us fade okc hot streak.. hell no!!! hang in there, your picks makes alot more sense
and money then mine.

[Supinoku]

Washington vs Portland 04/02

The Wizards took a full advantage of meeting Oklahoma City back end of their back-to-back games. Washington took an early lead as the Thunder struggled to find any kind of rhythm. Beating league`s leading team still doesn`t make the Wizards top team in the league.

What happened could explain the line for tonight`s game though. All the sudden a game between Washington and Portland is seen as a close matchup. The truth is the Wizards are still an average team with .500 record both overall and in home games. Portland on the other hand is one of the league`s leading teams with 34 wins and 13 losses. Statistically and in reality there`s an ocean between those two teams.

Both teams played their last game 2 days ago. So this time Washington will meet opponents with the same level of fatique. When it comes to Thunder ... lightning can hit once, but it usually doesnt hit twice in same place, so this time clearly a better team should take care of Washington`s ambitions. Portland -1.5 with 4/10 units.

gl

[Keenpicks]

Let's get this $$

[la cara]

Why the hell is Portland the underdog now??

[jaykarrels]

I was big on Portland before I saw this, now I am even bigger on them! RIP CITY!

[trobin31]

Portland now +1.am I missing something. Gotta hate the wiz as a favorite.

I took a look at the numbers in detail last night. Noticed Wash dropped 3-4 straight home games to west coast teams this year. I wouldn't say this wizards team is being undervalued. They have one of the better back courts in NBA that usually shows up as the underdog, esp at home

Up front they have a matchup nightmare, and, this team goes as Nene does. Biggest factor, whether superstitious or not, is the fact the Wiz drop every game to top .500 record. Lots of pressure on them again tonight.

I agree, take Portland, esp now with price gone down. Just go ML

[Supinoku]

Warriors vs Charlotte 5/02

Fact that Golden State likes to play high scoring, up tempo games probably comes as a no surprise. This is especially true in their home games when the Warriors have scored 105 pts as an average this season which is 2 pts higher than their average points scored overall. It`s actually vice versa with the Bobcats who average 96,3 points in away games and 2 points less as a overall.

So yes, statistically this game should go slightly over 200 points. But it is obviously not only the statistics here. The matter of a fact is that Golden State likes to dictate the tempo of the game and the Bobcats are usually the team to let their opponents to do so. That probably means that after having 4 days of rest the Warriors are likely to push the tempo and take early shots as often as possible. Charlotte having 3 days of rest probably won`t mind running along.

This will be 2nd meeting between these teams with 1st game finishing 115-111. That`s 25 points higher than over/under line set for tonight`s game. It probably won`t go as higher as that, but considering fresh legs and that the game is played in Oakland should still go safely over the line offered. Over 201 points with 4/10 units.

gl

[redtagboys]

Charlotte you mean?

[steelerpunkie]

Let's cash this bad boy...

[Supinoku]

Clippers vs Heat 06/02

It is true that Miami had a very mediocre month of January. At least by the standards. On the other hand the Clippers have been playing exceptionally good considering that they lost Chris Paul to a shoulder injury a month ago. Still playing without their brain could prove to be tough challenge against a smart team such as the Heat.

Main improvement for the Clippers has come from the play of Blake Griffin. Formerly known as a highlight reel dunker, he has improved his outside and free-throw shooting which together with his leaping ability makes him a tough player to defend. Thanks to Griffin`s efforts the Clippers have won 6 of their last 10 games. Worrying signs are there though as they got beaten by 20 points by the Warriors and 3 days ago lost to the Nuggets.

As said Miami had rather casual result for the January, but they have been playing better lately. They have won last 5 of their 6 games with the sole loss against the Thunder. Not sure if the Heat should be an underdog against any team. They are tonight, but should be able to expose the Clippers lack of playmaking. Miami to win @2.05 with 4/10 stakes.

GL

[Supinoku]

Orlando vs Oklahoma City

Once again it is a situation where both teams would be happy with the same outcome. Oklahoma City obviously wants to win to secure their position in top of the standings, while Orlando really wants to lose to secure as many draft balls as possible. Good thing for the Magic is that no one would blame them for losing by a double digit margin, cause the Thunder is obviously much better team here.

orlando is 2nd worst team in the East and that fact itself tells a lot. With 14 wins and 37 losses they are 1 win behind the 76ers, so losing couple of games in a row now can`t hurt. They have made it a fight against the weaker opponents, but lost games by a big margin to stronger teams. They have struggled with injuries aswell, but then again there`s no need for them to rush players back. The side effect of course is that they dont have any kind of momentum.

The Thunder is clearly moving to the different direction. Without somewhat surprising loss to the Wizards, their winning streak could be 13 games by now. Still there`s no question that the Thunder is clicking as a team right now. It shouldn`t be problem for Durant and Co to cover -9 pts. 4/10 stakes.

gl

[Supinoku]

Thunder vs Knicks 9/02

This is an early Sunday morning game and that`s the key factor for the bet, cause usually these early games look anything but points scoring feasts. There`s an obvious reason of course - playing early takes players and their bodies out of their normal comfort zone.

It could be especially adventurous experience for the Thunder players, since they rarely play early games. New York Knicks has had more of that experience, but it has been not pleasant. They have struggled to find offensive rhythm in most of them and usually have been finding themselves in deep hole before the 1st quarter is finished. There`s no obvious reason why this game should be high-scoring anyway, cause New York knows that if they open the game up Kevin Durant will grill and eat them alive.

New York is scoring 96,4 points per 48 minutes and Thunder has scored 104,5 points as an average. That indeed justifies the over/under line 200.5 points, but knowing New York`s proven struggles and the Thunder`s lack of experience in early games, this game should be much more of a slugfest and end below that line. Under 200,5 points with 4/10 units.

GL

[Supinoku]

Portland vs Oklahoma 12/02

Meeting of two powerhouses that probably means more than just an average game for both sides. Oklahoma City has best record in the Western Conference with 41 wins and 12 losses. Portland is not far behind with 36 wins and 15 losses, but difference between these teams is their current form. While Oklahoma City has won 8 odf their last 10 games, Portland is only 5-5. Portland is a great home team with 19-5 record when playing in Moda Centre, but they haven`t played at home for 10 games. Teams often struggle in their first game back home after a roadtrip, so home court advantage could be a smaller factor today. You can`t overestimate the level Thunder is playing now. They have won 13 of their last 15 games, with one of these wins also being a game against the Trailblazers (105-97). The unstoppable way Kevin Durant is scoring is just impossible for opponents to defend. Portland will struggle with him for sure.

Wiht their current hot streak, it is not sure if the Thunder should be underdogs in any game no matter against who or where they play. This will not be an easy game, but it will be a statement game for both teams, so its likely that the Thunder will do anything to validate their latest success with a win against a strong Western Conference team. Thunder to win @1.99 with 5/10 units.

GL

[vancityswag]

What happened to this thread?

[jaykarrels]

agreed ^

[Supinoku]

Holiday is over so let"s get back to business ...

Bostan vs Indiana 01/03

The Celtics won their last game, but these wins are rare to come. In fact they did lose 5 games in a row before that. The Celtics have an overall record of 20 wins and 39 losses, which leaves them 6 wins behind the last play-off spot in the East. Of course Boston is more interested of getting closer to the bottom than moving up in the standings. A game against the Eastern Conference powerhouse and a current leader Indiana Pacers is the perfect spot to get another loss, while saving their face and not making it too obvious that they are really doing the tanking job here.


The Pacers on the other hand want to win and they know they have to keep winning to keep their 3 win lead over the Heat. Miami has been playing hot lately and the Pacers players must be making some notes. Indiana in fact has won 3 games in a row, but being clearly a better team they have struggled to but rather weak opponents away early. Playing in Boston could actually help here as the away game makes sure that the Pacers players have a better focus.

Two teams that are moving in different direction and who would be both happy with the same outcome. Indiana is just too loaded for the Celtics to handle them. In previous 2 meetings this season Indiana has been over powering the Celtics winning them 97-82 and 106-79. If the focus for the Pacers is there, they should be able to take good care of this game early and cover the -6.5 points. 5/10 units.

GL