Bet on Basketball

The Memphis Grizzlies are heading to Cleveland for a challenge with the Cavaliers, with the hope of ending their poor start to the season minus the injured Pau Gasol. Playing a slow tempo game, the Grizzlies like to try to stop their opponent in the halfcourt.  But today they are up against one of the best players in NBA history (in our opinion), LeBron James.  His performance is likely to affect the game’s score with Cleveland ahead to win the game. That being said, the away team can be expected to fight hard in defense, so Memphis +10 is the pick for this game for 4 units.

The Dallas Mavericks are turning home after a win over Charlotte, increasing their winning streak to six games. In yesterday’s match, Marc Cuban’s team was eager to win the game in attack as well as defense, forcing the Bobcats into turnovers. A major factor in them eliminating San Antonio last season was their defensive capability, and they are back to that style again this season. With the help of Jush Howard, Dirk Nowitzki is executing calculating defense on key players. Tonight, Arenas must try hard to penetrate into Mavericks’ paint, so the Wizards may not reach 95+ points. Therefore, the pick for this game is Under 206 points for 4 units.

The two teams of Los Angeles are clashing tonight, the Lakers and the Clippers. This is a prestige game with plenty of pride at stake. Chris Kaman and Elton Brand are the best pivot-forward couple in the league at the moment, so the Lakers’ plans to score in the paint could be thwarted. On the other hand, Kobe Bryant’s return to form encourages the rest of the team, especially Lamar Odom, who was responsible for the team’s success when Bryant was sitting on the bench at the beginning of the season. Generally, the Clippers’ good gameplay could be challenged by Bryant’s efforts and Phil Jackson’s triangle defense revolution. So, the pick for this game is Over 192 for 4 units.

The Dallas Mavericks are traveling to Charlotte to challenge the Bobcats after a winning streak of five consecutive games. One of the early favourites for the championship, the Mavs will have to win these “easy” games, and they can do it tonight with ease. The home team is suffering from scoring problems, apparent against San Antonio when they scored only 95 points including the overtime period. Still, they can defend their basket well, but Dirk Nowitzki, the great German forward, seems to be the key player who is not matchable by any player in the league. Considering the offensive weakness of the home team, this match is likely to finish with a low score, therefore the pick is Under 190 for 4 units.

Isaah Thomas’ New York Knicks are hosting the Houston Rockets tonight with the hopes of recovering from defeat against Boston two days ago. The Knicks can score well, but when they throw the defense out of the window it becomes impossible to win that game. So, there is an expectation that this team may struggle against good defensive teams, and the Rockets are one of those “hard” teams. They tend to consolidate their defense as hard as the officials allow them, and score accordingly. Tracy McGrady does not take excessive shots, and let the Chinese pivot Yao Ming score in the paint at will. Against the Knicks, Ming should not have any difficulty to dominate the paint. In accordance with the defensive smell of this team, the game is likely to end with a low score.  The pick is Under 196 for 4 units.

The Toronto Raptors are heading to Utah to challenge the Jazz tonight after an exhaustive loss over the Denver Nuggets after scoring 109 points. They can play “small ball” well with Ford, but what can they do against a rocky team? Hopefully, Utah is not that type of a crew, but their scoring potential must not be underestimated. Being the No. 1 team in the league for now, the Jazz is seeking a win tonight, scoring 110+ points, but the Raptors are going to fight to do that too. Expecting not many defensive plays, our pick is Toronto +9 handicap for 4 units.

The Los Angeles Lakers are hosting the Chicago Bulls tonight, after Kobe Bryant’s return to full condition with 31 points against Toronto Raptors, against which he had scored 81 points in the previous season. Lakers coach Phil Jackson tries hard to stabilize the defensive strength of the team, but Lamar Odom’s fluctuating performance may sometimes leave the team with one “hard man” missing. On the other side, the Bulls would like to show the crowd that they can match it with teams away from home. Ben Wallace, though he was not able to fulfill expectations from him as a defensive player, could get into the court tonight if Andrew Bynum, the sophomore pivot of the Lakers, does not fire up. The Lakers are one step ahead to win the game. Lakers ML is the 4 unit pick for this game.

The San Antonio Spurs are leaving home for a challenge with the Sacramento Kings, who lost to the Golden State Warriors two days ago. The home team scored well on that night, but were woeful in defense, having only Ron Artest fighting for rebounds. Kevin Martin tries to handle scoring of his team with the help of Mike Bibby, but this may not be enough to win a game against a high scoring team. The Spurs are one of those teams. They can also execute good defense, so Sacramento’s offensive activity will also drop. The Spurs lost to the Charlotte Bobcats at home in overtime, but conceded only 95 points. Greg Popovic’s team is likely to test their skills one more time in Sacramento’s Arco Arena. Likely to be a close game with a high score likely.  Therefore, the pick is over 186.5 for 4 units.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are turning their route towards the capital to challenge Washington Wizards after an easy win against Minnesota, who suffered from offensive weakness last night and could score only 76 points. The Cavaliers are not an overly good defensive team. They can score well, sometimes lead NBA in total blocks in a game, they even get into three point field goal percentage leadership. On the other hand, the Wizards’ motivation for could be a huge factor. Especially, Arenas was not able to prove himself to the audience since another big star LeBron James was drafted in 2003. Expecting a close but offensive game, the pick is over 198.5 points for 5 units.

The Charlotte Bobcats, the outstanding team of Thursday after their win over San Antonio, are looking forward to challenging Orlando Magic. The away team, even though they cannot score well, showed NBA authorities that they can play a defensive game when they have to . Contributions from their forwards Morrison and Gerald Wallace turn this team into battle warriors, and this seems likely tonight. The Magic are likely to get the win but a close one. Charlotte +8.5 handicap is is the pick for 4 units.

The Los Angeles Clippers host the Philadelphia 76ers tonight after the latter lost against the Phoenix Suns at home. The main reason why the 76ers failed to reach 100 points last night is the defensive strength of Suns’ backcourt players Barbosa and Bell, who are two of the best defensive guards in the league. Iverson and Iguodala’s performances deeply affect the entire team’s motivation, so in order for 76ers to reach the playoff phaze, these key players have to step up like they did in the first half of the last season, when Iverson was challenging Lakers’ Kobe Bryant in points per game. Philadelphia 76ers, with its tendency to score, is likely to get the ball into the basket. On the opposite side of the court, the Clippers seek a win for the leadership in the division. It is going to be an exciting game, but the home team is closer to the victory. Over 198.5 is the pick for this game for 4 units.

Minnesota is traveling to Cleveland tonight for their match against the Cavaliers, who beat the Portland Trail Blazers in their last game.  Tonight, Minnesota would like to fire the trigger and return home with a win in their pockets. Considering offensive ability of the home team, the pick for this match is Over 186.5 points for 5 units.

One of the most interesting games tonight is the Dallas Mavericks at Memphis Grizzlies matchup. The home team scored 111 points last time out even with their slow tempo gameplay, but it is also a sign of how they can quickly adapt “small ball” when they cannot be hard enough in their defensive play. Dallas is recovering from their bad start to the season, so they would like to defeat a team with an inferior scoring performance. Avery Johnson’s team is likely to force the game, so Over 186 is the pick for 5 units.

The Phoenix Suns are hosting the Philadelphia 76ers tonight after a long break for Steve Nash’s crew at home. The away team managed to survive against the Supersonics in Seattle on Wednesday night, when they conceded only 90 points in a night of misses for Seattle. The defensive strength of the 76ers only comes from Chris Webber in the highpost and Solomon Dalembert when he is on song. On the other side of the court, the Suns are eager to win this game since they know they could drift from playoff contention by falling asleep now.  Even MVP’s moderate performance is likely to be enough for Phoenix to win this game at home. Phoenix –7.5 is the pick for 4 units.

Chicago is traveling to Houston to maintain its hopes for the playoffs after a moderate but unsatisfactory season start. The Rockets lost to San Antonio two days ago, mostly suffering from Yao Ming’s inefficiency against Tim Duncan, who dominated rebounds against the Chinese pivot. The Bulls, however, challenged Dallas but the lack of their frontcourt players’ scoring abilities left them unable to keep up with the Mavericks, who try to recover from the worst start of the season of the franchise in the last 20 years. Tonight’s game is likely to be a defensive game, but over 179 is a low limit considering Chicago’s scoring performance behind the arc.  Therefore, the pick is over 179 for 4 units.

Golden State is hosting the Sacramento Kings tonight after a marvellous win over Toronto on Tuesday night. The Warriors’ capability to reach 100 points in the games they have won is thanks to their fast gameplay. Playing mostly out of the paint, they resemble a team like Phoenix without Amare Stoudamire, the great pivot helping his team to dominate the “points in the paint” when he is in full condition. So, Golden State sees defense as “Plan B” in their home games, and their defence goes out the window. On the other side, the Kings will be eager to win this game. It is also interesting that they scored 115 against the Grizzlies last night. This game is expected to finish with over 198.5 points for 5 units.

The New Jersey Nets are going to welcome the Milwaukee Bucks after a surprising defeat over Seattle two days ago. Having encountered problems in the rebounds that night, the Nets were as much as 22 points behind in the first half. Vince Carter’s second half performance to return his team back did not help them win the game. On the other side, the Bucks love to play a fast game, letting guards to mostly play with the ball. The pick for this match is 197 points or higher for 5 units.

The Charlotte Bobcats are turning its route from New Orleans to San Antonio to play a challenging game against the Spurs, who beat Houston last night. The Bobcats’ scoring problem was obvious against New Orleans, and considering the power of the San Antonio defense, the away team is not likely to score more than 90 points in this game. San Antonio, too, may not want to try hard to have a lead. This is expected as a plain game, the pick is Under 188 for 4 units.

The Portland Trail Blazers are traveling to Cleveland to challenge the Cavs after a 12-point loss against Minnesota last night. The lack of an outstanding player beside Zach Randolph affects the away team more when they are to score over 100 points to win the game. On their last match, Cleveland Cavaliers beat New York Knicks with good gameplay after the second period. Tonight’s game is much closer to the Cavs than it is to the Blazers. Over 187 is the pick for this match for 3 units.

The Milwaukee Bucks are taking on the Hawks tonight in Atlanta. Both teams’ start the season have consisted of high scoring averages, maintaining a similar game plan to win their games by scoring more rather than creating solid defense. Atlanta, at home, is going to be eager for a win after losing to Seattle in overtime two days ago. The match is expected to be close and the total score is going to be high. Over 203.5 is our 5 unit pick for this match.

New Orleans Hornets are going to welcome the Charlotte Bobcats after a close game against Portland away from home. The Hornets are trying to play collective basketball, making each player do his own work in the game to achieve their victories. Chris Paul does have a substantial role to manage this, and he plays how he is expected to. 16 assists against the Trail Blazers was magnificent, but not enough for a young team whose shot choices are sometimes irrational. However, in this game, against a fairly offensive team, New Orleans is going to win one more home game and by a fair margin. New Orleans -7 is a 3 unit pick.

After losing to Orlando at home, the Minnesota Timberwolves are going to challenge the Portland Trail Blazers, having won against the Hornets in their last game. With a moderate squad, the Timberwolves are trying to make it to the playoffs. On the other hand, Zach Randolph is managing his team correctly, leading by example when he is supposed to. In short, Portland could return home with a win away tonight so we offer two picks, Portland +8.5 for 4 units and Portland at the Moneyline for 1 unit (current ML @ +350).

Orlando Magic will be traveling to Boston to take on the Celtics, 16-time NBA champions, though not that successful recently. The home team made a bad start to the season, so they will likely be looking to make quick amends in order not to miss the playoffs this season. On the other hand, Orlando is in the second place in the Southeast Division just a game behind the Hawks, who surprised the authorities at the beginning of the season. Orlando, having more defensive ability over Boston, can return home after a win. Orlando at the Moneyline is the pick.

After beating Washington on the road scoring 105 points, the New Jersey Nets are going to challenge Seattle Supersonics at home. The Nets don’t exceed 100 points in a game very often, but they showed they can do it if they have to. Jefferson – Carter double team handles the scoring while Kidd is executing the defensive concentration. Seattle does have good shooting guards, but the Nets’ defense is not likely to allow them to score more than 100 points tonight. New Jersey at the Moneyline is our pick for this game.

The New York Knicks are looking for a win against the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight after losing to San Antonio two days ago. Despite the loss,they try to increase game tempo in every situation by orders from the coach Isaah Thomas. Their opponents, the Cavaliers, have two of the most cumbersome players in the league, LeBron James and Larry Hughes. These young guys can carry the team in scoring but LeBron must step up in defense to stop the Knicks’ shooters tonight. This game is going to be very close indeed. New York Knicks at +6 handicap is our pick for this game.

Houston Rockets taking on Miami Heat in Miami tonight. The home team’s unpleasant start to the season does not bode well for their aims at the end of the regular season. However, they managed to recover and beat New Jersey, one of their biggest rivals in the East, mainly due to the extra effort performed by Haslem. Shaq – Ming challenge, on the other hand, always has something hidden in it. Will Yao replace Shaq in the future? The Chinese giant’s mind is occupied with such questions, and he may lose control sometimes in the match. We could expect a high scoring match considering Miami’s deficiency in defending Tracy McGrady. Dwayne Wade is also going to play a crucial role in his team’s success tonight. Over 183 is a good pick.

Having lost to its opponent once in the season, the Dallas Mavericks are traveling to Portland to challenge the Trail Blazers, a team that plays their games with incredible discipline. Zach Randolph is the star of the team, and when he plays well, Portland can make its opponent struggle. Dallas’ perception of defense is not a regular one, and they try to win their games by scoring rather than defending, like they did in the playoffs. Over 188 is the pick for this game.

After a flashing start to the season, the Los Angeles Lakers have maintained a steady level not having had Kobe Bryant in full condition. The number 24’s great efforts last season saved the team from missing the playoffs, but his injury in midsummer seems to have caused him to struggle. Until he is back to his best, Coach Phil Jackson is trying to divide the roles in the team almost equally.  On the other hand, the Memphis Grizzlies have to wait for Gasol’s turn to alter their plain gameplay, thus what they are trying to do now is to control the game as much as possible by lowering the game tempo. We are expecting a close game, so Memphis +9 handicap is the pick.