Bet on Basketball

Detrot Pistons are traveling to Charlotte for a match up with the Bobcats after they won against Knicks with a final half comeback. Defensive momentum of this team is currently high, and they would like to stop their opponents before they penetrate into the paint. Rasheed Wallace and Nazr Mohammed are two role players who can do this job. On the other side of the court, the Bobcats are looking for a win in order to convince the crowd that they drafted Morrison for a solid reason: to win. However, it will be very hard for the entire team to score against the Pistons tonight, even at home. Therefore, the pick is Under 191.5 for 4 units.

The Atlanta Hawks are heading towards Portland to play a tough game with the Trail Blazers, who forced Orlando in their previous match to a struggling position allowing the Magic to score only 91 points. When Zach Randolph puts in, they tend to go close to winning matches. The Hawks, however, play a high tempo game when they are in front. They weren’t able to do it against Cleveland in their last match, conceding 62 points in the first half of the game. Joe Johnson and Josh Howard have to step up if the Hawks want a win before returning home tonight. Expected as a fight between two equal opponents, the pick for this game is Under 189.5 points for 4 units.

The Los Angeles Clippers are hosting the Orlando Magic in the Staples Center after they lost to their “rival in the city”, the Lakers, last night. A slight form slip in the entire Clippers crew was observed due to inefficient basketball from Sam Cassell, the man who is expected to organize game flow in every part of the game. However, after they lost yesterday, they would like to defeat the Magic, the hottest team after Dallas Mavericks in the league at the moment, and maintain their hopes for being a promising team for the playoffs. Their last chance is a good one since the Magic encountered a similar breakdown against Portland, scoring 91 points in the whole game. Some defensive flaws in the Magic paint may result in dramatic baskets, hard to recover against a concentrated team. Clippers –1.5 is the pick for 3 Units.

Toronto Raptors are turning their route from Boston to New York to challenge the Knicks tonight two days after they won against the Celtics, scoring as many as 108 points in the game. Playing careless defense makes this team go and force the opposite basket, but they cannot help conceding points either. The Knicks, on the toher hand, lost to Detroit yesterday night in a game whose first half ws led by them. With the start of third period, when most of their shots were missed, they were not able to come back and indicated the loss of self esteem could result in such defeats. For tonight’s game, it won’t be hard for both teams to send the ball to the opposite basket, so a high scoring game with Over 204.5 points the pick for 4 units.

The Houston Rockets are hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers after the latter’s victory over the Hawks in Atlanta last night. Fighting against the Hawks frontcourt players Joe Johnson and Josh Smith, LeBron James led the team with efforts of Gooden and Ilgauskas. However, the Rockets are not one of those teams Cleveland can deliver 100+ points to. The Rockets, even though they lost some momentum in thier last few games, are still a high standard defensive team, and would like to force the Cavs into black holes on the court. The pick for this game is Under 179.5 for 4 units.

The Seattle Supersonics are traveling to Utah to challenge the Jazz after a substantial victory over the Pacers, which made the entire Sonics team fresh their self confidence. Not working too hard in defense but working more in the opposite basket, the Supersonics had their way to high scores, and they are expected to do this again against the Jazz, who lost to Los Angeles Lakers two days ago in which they were not able to put their hands in front of Kobe Bryant’s hot hands, conceding 132 points. The chance of comeback from the home team is always there, but Seatle won’t let the game get away. Seattle +8 handicap is the pick for this game at 4 units.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are traveling to Atlanta to challenge the Hawks after they lost to New York Knicks at home two nights ago when they had difficulty in defense rather than their high scoring offensive gameplay. LeBron  James’ poor gameplay is apparent to not lead the team when he is down on rebounds and assists and to mobilize his teammates to the opposite basket. On the Hawks side, they won a spiritual victory over the Bobcats in a game they scored 99 points, a fairly high score against a moderate team. Jush Smith and Joe Johnson are in good condition now, and a high scoring game can be expected. Over 188.5 is the pick for 4 units.

The Detroit Pistons are returning home from Miami, where they gathered a substantial victory over Dwayne Wade’s Miami Heat last night remembering what defense is and how it can be best implemented on the court. Having conceded 85 points, they managed to finish the match in front of the Heat, who had a two game winning streak beforehand. Isaah Thomas’ New York Knicks are going to look for a win in Detroit after they won against Cleveland two days ago. Lack of self esteem is the biggest rival of the Knicks, and this may show up on the entire team tonight. They don’t have defensive capability, but can score as many points as they can. However, the Pistons with good defensive play, should cruise to a comfortable win tonight. Detroit -7 is the pick for 4 units.

The Milwaukee Bucks are turning their route from Los Angeles to Phoenix tonight, two days after they won against the Lakers at the Staples Center. Michael Redd’s effective scoring play helped the Bucks in Los Angeles, and this form should be expected to continue against the Suns because Phoenix guards Steve Nash, Raja Bell and Leandro Barbosa (if he is on the court) are not very good in the backcourt. One of the biggest flaws in the Bucks defense is that they don’t have any solutions for the Suns’ Shawn Marion and Amare Stoudamire, who can dominate the paint tonight. Nonetheless, not much defensive work will be produced tonight, Milwaukee +10 is the pick for 4 units.

It’s the end of the month, and we’ve rocked the first part of the NBA season with some sterling results. I hope you’re all enjoying my free picks and analysis and best of luck for December! Here are my picks for today:

The Detroit Pistons are coming up against the Miami Heat tonight after they defeated the Wizards four nights ago when they managed to score 115 points. High scoring games are not very common for Piston fans, but they’re becoming accustomed to it after Ben Wallace’s trade to the Bulls when the Pistons’ defensive strength declined dramatically even though they picked up Nazr Mohammed. Themteam tends to play a more scoring game now, taking less measures in their half court. However, Miami is on a roll with two consecutive wins in away matches, and they would like to beat the Pistons after last year’s playoff second round. Tonight’s game seems to be a hard fight in defense, and the Heat can prevail with Dwayne Wade’s extra effort in the breaking minutes. Therefore Under 193 is the pick for this dogfight for 4 units.

The Los Angeles Lakers are hosting the Utah Jazz at the Staples Center after the former lost to the Bucks two days ago due to a poor scoring performance by their superstar Kobe Bryant. Having missed more than 60% of his field goal attempts, Bryant was not able to lead his team, and a loss over a high scoring opponent with a fire gunner was inevitable. On the other side of the court, the Jazz picked up a remarkable win over San Antonio, forcing their opponent to take uncomfortable shots and score only 75 points. However, fatigue from the last night’s game will be very effective on the strength of this team’s defense since Los Angeles does have many opportunities to penetrate into the holes in the Jazz defense. Also, Bryant would like to show the crowd that he is still the best player in the league. Expected as a tight game, the Lakers will push for the win and the margin in the final minutes. The pick is Los Angeles -3.5 for 4 units.

The New York Knicks are turning their route to Cleveland tonight for a challenge with the Cavaliers. Poor scoring performance of the Knicks resulted in a substantial loss to Chicago a few days ago. On the other side of the court, Cleveland would like to try to regain and consolidate their leadership in the division. In order to do this, LeBron James and Drew Gooden must step up their gameplay. Expected as a tight game, New York +10.5 is the pick for 4 units.

The Charlotte Bobcats are traveling to Atlanta to meet the Hawks after they chalked up a substantial win over the Nets away from home last night. Stabilizing defense and stopping Carter and Kidd helped the away team win by three points, conceding only 92. On the other hand, Atlanta lost to the Wizards in a competitive game, in which the away team forced the win until the end of the last period. Tonight’s game could be a hard fight between two strict teams, but 189 points is too low a total for a game like this. The pick is Over 189 for 4 units.

The Seattle Supersonics are hosting the Orlando Magic tonight after Orlando’s recent excellent form, thanks torising performances from Dwight Howard and defensive strength of their backcourt players. The away team considers this match as a comfortable one for themselves since they lead the division while their opponents are having nightmares. The Sonics, however, must win this game because they showed the signs of inactivity in offense and low scoring potential despite Ray Allen’s consistent gameplay. The home team seems to force the game in scoring, and the Magic is going to find a way to level it in offense too. Therefore Over 195 is the 4 point pick for this game.

Minnesota Timberwolves are traveling to Houston to challenge the Rockets tonight after they lost to Dallas, who achieved a 10 game winning streak, last night. Already defeated as early as the beginning moments of the third quarter of yesterday’s match, the Timberwolves indicated a sign of self esteem when they leveled the game with three minutes to go in the last period, forcing the Mavs to take serious measures to win the game. Garnett’s great effort was accompanied by that of Foye. For tonight’s game, they are challenging one of the hardest teams in the league with rising performance by superstar Tracy McGrady as well as defensive work of Yao Ming. Both teams are going to fight for a win, and a low score game can be expected. Under 177.5 is the pick for this game – 4 units.

The Denver Nuggets are welcoming the Memphis Grizzlies after a win against the Clippers two nights ago. The home team is on a roll, and they seem to force their opponents to play fast, like Phoenix Suns have been implementing since Steve Nash was acquired. In the high tempo, Carmelo Anthony has an advantage of physical strength and this shows on the entire team. On the other side, the Grizzlies come to Denver planning for a win by executing good and cooperative team defense. In their former away games, they showed what they can do and we expect that to continue tonight. Memphis +8.5 is the pick for 4 units.

Indiana Pacers are turning their route from home to Portland for a challenge with the Trail Blazers. The home team lost to Phoenix three night ago, when they failed to compensate for the points Phoenix guards Nash and Barbosa produced with extra effort. The scoring potential of this team is limited, and against a good defensive team, they’ll have to work hard to win. The Pacers are likely to make Portland struggle in offense, using Jermaine O’Neal in the frontcourt, and both teams will consider preventing their opponent from scoring rather than shooting the ball to the opposite basket. Hence, the pick is Under 189 for 4 units.

Minnesota Timberwolves are traveling to Dallas to challenge the Mavericks, who have won their last eight games, showing signs of challenging for the championship. The Mavs’ rise is due to efforts produced by Dirk Nowitzki and Jush Howard, having returned three days ago to the squad. This team executes great defense, and is one of the most difficult teams to deal with when they are playing at home. Minnesota, on the other hand, tries to maintain consecutive wins, but they’ve been finding it tough this season. They do have really big problems, but extra effort by Kevin Garnett is likely to compensate for those tonight. The Mavs will play a plain game, so Minnesota +9 is the pick for 4 units.

The Utah Jazz are hosting the Orlando Magic tonight after an unexpected loss to the Warriors two days ago, suffering from a low field goal percentage as well as an excessive amount of turnovers. It was apparent against the Warriors that when Utah is not able to score 100+ points a game, their chances of winning come into question because of their poor defense. On the other hand, the Magic are on a roll, and they are likely to force tonight’s game right to the death. Orlando +6 is the pick for 4 units.

The Golden State Warriors are having their second consecutive game at home against San Antonio Spurs, who beat Seattle last night. The Spurs are in good condition after a shocking loss over the Mavericks three days ago, and they have the ability to complete their Western tour with two wins. The former champions execute good team defense and force their opponent to take uncomfortable shots when the shot clock is ticking down. On the other side of the court, the Warriors keep their hopes alive for division leadership, so they must win this game. Expected as a fairly hard fight between the two teams, the Spurs are in better condition. San Antonio -3.5 is the pick for 3 units.

The Denver Nuggets are hosting the Los Angeles Clippers tonight after they scored 140 points against the Golden State Warriors two nights ago. The home team is looking forward to a good performance by superstar Carmelo Anthony, who lifeted his gameplay in the last few games drastically, and efforts of Marcus Camby in the paint in terms of rebounds and blocks to win tonight’s match up against the Clippers. The away team is aware of the fact that once the margin has been established, comeback against a team that knows how to score is going to be tough. Hence, the main aim of both teams is going to be on scoring.  Therefore the pick for this game is Over 214 for 4 units.

The San Antonio Spurs are traveling to Seattle to challenge the Supersonics after a close loss to Dallas. Having concede 39 points in the first period of the game, the Spurs managed to consolidate their defense and come back in the middle of the third quarter. On the other side of the court, the Supersonics lost to Sacramento two days ago, scoring less than what they were expected to. Inefficiency in scoring gameplay is due to concentration, and tonight’s game may be an example of that. The pick is Under 198 for 4 units.

The Los Angeles Lakers are returning home after a loss to the Jazz even with the efforts of Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom. This team works hard, and Kobe, being a smarter player now, normally gets itself out of trouble. Odom’s role in the team is substantial, and Luke Walton must be there, too. On the other side, New Jersey, after losing to Phoenix, need a win, but they must get significant contribution from Jason Kidd and Vince Carter. The gameplay of these two is likely to draw the scheme of tonight’s game, but Lakers are two steps ahead of the Nets, having a better discipline for now. Lakers –4.5 is the pick for 4 units.

In perhaps the biggest rivalry in the league today, the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks meet tonight to try to continue their respective winning streaks. The first match up between these teams ended happily for the Spurs, but can do this again. The Mavericks, after a very poor 0-4 start to the season, came back winning 7 straight by going back to their successful defensive plays of last year. Dirk Nowitzki and his teammates would like to have a win over their biggest rival, and their defensive capability is likely to determine the result of the game. This is expected to be a close game.  The pick is Dallas + 4.5 for 4 units.

The Memphis Grizzlies are hosting the Washington Wizards tonight after a loss to Cleveland three days ago. Memphis like to play slow tempo games and they will determine the game flow at home against a team which has the ability to score but limited in defense.  Arenas’ performance in the last games left alone due to lots of misses from the rest of the team, and they are not likely to reach 95 points against a good defensive team. The pick for this match is Under 192 for 5 units.

The league frontrunners Utah Jazz are hosting the Los Angeles Lakers, who beat the Bulls and Clippers by sticking to the strict gameplay of Phil Jackson, in which much of the work is handled by Kobe Bryant and Odom’s shooting guard performances. The main difference in the home team this season is that not only is their defense first class, but they are also able to score lots of points.  However, the Jazz defense may be spoiled by Andrew Bynum, the sophomore pivot of the Lakers, along with Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur in the paint. This game is going to be a clash of two rising teams, so a close game is expected. Lakers +5.5 is the pick for 4 units.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are traveling to Toronto to take on the Raptors after an exhaustive win against the Grizzlies whose last period was an enormous breakdown for Cleveland’s defense. Cleveland’s scoring potential was almost normal, but their defensive weakness in the last minutes of the game creates some pessimistic opinions in the minds of NBA analysts. Drew Gooden’s extraordinary performance was not fully supported by LeBron James, but the Cavs was able to win the game. On the other side of the court, Toronto would like to beat a tired Cavs crew at home and end their losing streak as soon as possible. Both teams tend to play offensive gameplay, but Under 200 would be a rational choice since both teams show some signs of scoring problems in the game.  The pick is Under 200 for 4 units.

Detroit Pistons are hosting the Atlanta Hawks tonight at the Palace, having beaten Philadelphia 76ers last night. When Nazr Mohammed and Rasheed Wallace are motivated, the Pistons are a hard team to challenge especially at home. The Hawks are going to end their three-day holiday, but their intensive eagerness for high scoring matches does not seem to waiver. It is obvious that the away team will fight hard to be as close as they can to the Pistons in every minute of the match. So, Atlanta +7 handicap for 4 units is the pick for this match.

The Los Angeles Clippers are leaving the bench for a match up with the Seattle Supersonics in the Staples Center after last night’s loss to the Lakers, in which their superstar scored 40 points for the first time in the season to carry his team to the win. The Clippers frontcourt crew did not show up last night very effectively, but the team still managed to score over 100 points. Against a less defensive team, the Supersonics, Los Angeles is closer to a win with the exact gameplay they would like to execute. Sam Cassell’s limited contribution last night will spark him, and with a high scoring game, the pick Over 202 for 4 units.