THE LAKERS TRY TO STAY IN THE PLAYOFF PICTURE AS THEY HOST THE HORNETS

by DAVID THE MAVEN CHICOTSKY

The Lakers host the Hornets, coming into the game as nearly double-digit favorites.

Line Information for this game.

Amazingly, just 12 days after getting surgery to repair a tear to his lateral meniscus in his left knee, the artist formerly known as Ron Artest says he will play Tuesday night against the Hornets. It has been all hands on deck for the Lakers as they furiously strive to make the playoffs. They come into the game only a half game back from the Utah Jazz, trying to get into the last spot in the Western Conference, the 8-seed.

Kobe Bryant went on to say, “I call him Logan now – he’s Wolverine (with special powers of healing himself at an accelerated rate). I’m not very surprised,…He takes care of himself. He eats all the right stuff. Still, it’s very impressive.”

What’s also been impressive is the amount of time Kobe Bryant has spent on the floor this week, despite suffering from a bone spur in his left foot and is recently coming off a severe ankle sprain. He rested only 56 seconds against the Mavericks last week and has been virtually on the court full-time every game they play over the past week or so. Expect the same as they face the Hornets – as there is zero room for error for the Lakers at this point.

The Hornets aren’t a team worth talking about. The Warriors just swept them and they’re going into the Laker game as massive dogs. Tony Montana would be proud though, as they’rechanging their name next year to the Pelicans.

Betting Information

The Hornets are 26-50 straight up, 37-37-2 against the spread and 39-36-1 Over on the year. They’ve gone 2-3 SU and 2-3 ATS in their last 5 games, with a 3-2 Under record against the total. On the road they’re 11-27 SU, 20-16-2 ATS and 21-17 Over.

The Lakers are 40-37 SU, punishing bettors bigtime with their 31-45-1 ATS and 40-35-2 on the year. In their last 5 games they’re 3-2 SU and 2-3 ATS with a 3-2 Under record against the total. At home they’re a stout 25-12 SU, but still losing money for bettors with their 17-20 record against the spread and 18-18-1 against the total.

Sources: Yahoo! Sports, SLAM, New York Times

GOING FOR 28 STRAIGHT WINS: HEAT VS. BULLS

by DAVID THE MAVEN CHICOTSKY

All eyes are on the Heat as they need 6 more wins to break the longest winning streak in NBA history; they look to take down the Bulls on Wednesday 8:05 PM EDT on ESPN.

During their 27 game winning streak the Heat have gone 16-11 against the spread, putting extra coin in the pocket of bettors. They’re coming off back-to-back games in which they covered. The Heat face a Bulls team that has gone 3-4 straight up and 3-3-1 against the spread in their last 7 games.

The Oddsfather’s Injury Report

Even if the Bulls had their star Derrick Rose on the court, they still would be big dogs against a Heat team with momentum in their sails.

Keep in mind that Dwyane Wade has sat out the past two games, which didn’t stop the Heat from wiping the floor with the Charlotte Bobcats and Orlando Magic.

During the 27 game win-streak LeBron James has been the stone-cold nuts, putting up 27 points (57.5% from the field and 37.4% from 3-pointland), 8.1 rebounds, 8 assists, 1.9 steals and 1 block per game. Go ahead and make room on the mantle for his second straight NBA MVP award.

Track Line Movement for this game.

The Bulls are definitely rivals with the Heat, as they’ve been a thorn in their side in the past. Two of the biggest market teams will clash in what will be a display of defensive intensity (Bulls) and all-around basketball excellence (Heat).

In the first time these two teams met this year the Bulls won and covered on the road in Miami, 96-89 – in a game where the Heat were favored by 7 points and the total was set at 189 points. The second matchup had the Heat winning and covering in Chicago 86-67 – the Heat were favored by 3 points and the total was 186 points.

Betting Information

The Heat are 56-14 straight up, 37-33 against the spread and 34-34-2 against the total. They’re 24-11 SU, 19-16 ATS and 19-15-1 Under on the road. The Over has hit in 3 out of the last 4 Heat road games.

The Bulls are 38-30 SU, 28-37-3 ATS and 39-29 Under on the year. At home they’re 19-16 SU, 10-24-1 ATS and 24-11 Under. The Under has hit in 3 out of the last 4 Bulls home games.

Source: Bleacher Report

THE MAVERICKS NEED WINS TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS: CLIPPERS VS. MAVERICKS

by DAVID THE MAVEN CHICOTSKY

With 12 games left in the regular season, the Mavericks are a couple games back from the 8-spot. They’ll need a win against the Clippers to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Track Line Movement for this game

About the Mavericks:

The Mavs are coming off a win in which they failed to cover against the Utah Jazz. Veteran guard Mike James led the team to victory behind his 7-10 shooting from the field, 3-4 shooting from behind the 3-point arc, 5 assists and 3 rebounds. The Mavericks bench put up an impressive 45 points, led by Vince Carter who had 15 points in 21 minutes. The Mavs have won 3 out of their last 4 games, going 2-2 against the spread. They’re coming off back-to-back home wins (1-1 ATS). With the 8-seed in the Western Conference still up for grabs, look for the Mavs to lay it all on the line for a win. All eyes in Mavs country are on the Lakers as they currently hold the 8-seed. The hate for the Lakers comes all the way from the top of the Mavs’ organization, Mark Cuban. For the sake of the Mavs, they’ll need the Lakers to continue to stumble.

About the Clippers:

The Clippers are coming off a game in which they beat the Nets 101-95 in a game where they were favored by 8 points. Chris Paul had a huge game, scoring 29 points behind 8-16 shooting from the field  – with 11 assists on the night. They’ve won 3 out of their last 4 games, despite punishing bettors by going 1-2-1 during this stretch. With their playoff spot comfortably locked-up, the Clippers don’t have a ton of extra motivation in this game. They’re a solid team that’s stacked with talent – with the luxury of having such a strong bench (see Jamal Crawford just to start).

Betting Information:

The Clippers are 48-22 straight up, 38-31-1 against the spread and 36-34 Over on the year. On the road they are 20-14 SU, 17-17 ATS and 18-16 Under.

The Mavs are 34-36 SU, 41-29 ATS and 42-28 Over on the year. At home they’re 20-14 SU, 18-16 ATS and 21-13 Over.

Click HERE for the Oddsfather’s injury report.

Sources: USA Today, ESPN

DAILY FREE PICK: 76ERS VS. JAZZ

by ODDSFATHER STAFF

The 76ers will be wrapping up the 4th and final leg of their road trip – they just finished beating and covering against the Kings 117-103 in a game in which they were 3 point dogs.

The Jazz are finished with their 3 game road trip in which they lost all 3, but covered in them all. It looked like they had a chance to win last night against the Mavericks, but slowly let the game get out of site – ultimately losing 113-108.

Neither team has had a day off to rest their legs, that’s one reason the total is set so low at 192 (opened at 191).

Track LINE MOVEMENT for this game.

The 76ers have covered in back-to-back road games, while the Jazz failed to cover in their last home game against the Knicks.

Free Pick: 76ers +7

NBA BETTING: THE NUGGETS HOST THE BULLS

by ODDSFATHER STAFF

The Nuggets try to extend their long win streak when the banged-up Bulls pay a visit on Thursday night.

The Bulls have been saddled with a whole host of injuries, and while PG Kirk Hinrich (arm) is out and SG Marco Belinelli (ankle) is doubtful for Thursday’s game, PF Carlos Boozer (hamstring) and C Joakim Noah (foot) are both expected to start. Despite the injuries, Chicago has had a decent road trip so far (3-1 ATS, 2-2 SU) and is now 14-8 SU and 13-8-1 ATS (62%) on the road this season. Denver has ripped off seven straight SU victories, going 6-1 ATS during this stretch. The Nuggets have scored at least 102 points in all seven wins, averaging a hefty 113.1 PPG on 49% FG and 37% threes. They have also dominated the Bulls in recent years, winning four of the past five meetings SU and going 7-1 SU (6-2 ATS) in the past eight home games versus the Bulls. Chicago is getting healthier, and is a strong 9-6 ATS (60%) as a road underdog this season. Denver is 6-10 ATS (38%) against the more defensive-minded Eastern Conference this season. And although the Bulls lost on Monday at Indiana, they are 40-22 ATS (65%) after an SU defeat in the past three seasons, outscoring these teams by 8.2 PPG.

Chicago boasts the third-best scoring defense in the NBA (91.0 PPG) and ranks second in FG Pct. defense (42.8% FG), but allowed the Pacers to score 111 points on 53% FG in Monday’s loss. The Bulls have allowed their opponents to shoot 49% FG (39% threes) in the past three games, which coincides with their best interior defender, C Joakim Noah (12.1 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 2.1 BPG), not being in the lineup. In the past five meetings with Denver, Noah has 10.8 PPG, 13.8 RPG and 2.0 BPG. PF Carlos Boozer (15.7 PPG, 9.6 RPG) returned to action Monday after a three-game absence, and was able to tally 10 points and five rebounds in 23 minutes of action. He’s averaged a double-double in his career versus Denver with 16.3 PPG and 10.8 RPG in 25 meetings. Chicago’s most important player continues to be leading scorer SF Luol Deng (17.2 PPG, 6.7 RPG). Deng has been slow to recover from a hamstring injury though, shooting just 34.9% FG over his past five games (16.0 PPG, 8.6 RPG). He was 4-for-18 from the floor in Monday’s loss to the Pacers, but is scoring 19.2 PPG in his past six meetings with Denver. With SG Marco Belinelli (9.7 PPG; 24 points on Monday) unlikely to play, the backcourt scoring will have to come from PG Nate Robinson (11.8 PPG, 4.0 APG) and SG Richard Hamilton (11.1 PPG). Robinson has flourished in the starting role, averaging 17.0 PPG (7-of-16 threes) and 9.3 APG in the past three games, logging 40+ minutes in each contest. But Hamilton has not surpassed 10 points in any of his past seven games, averaging a paltry 7.3 PPG on 37.7% FG.

The Nuggets come into this one having won seven straight and 14 of 17 since the start of the new calendar year. Denver is averaging 26.4 fast-break PPG during its win streak and is a stellar 21-3 SU (16-8 ATS) at home this season, scoring 108.4 PPG on 47.5% FG at Pepsi Center. The Nuggets have six players averaging double-figures this season led by SF Danilo Gallinari (17.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG). He has been on fire during the seven-game win streak with 20.6 PPG (50% FG) and 5.1 RPG. He’s scored at least 22 points in three of his past four games, but shot horribly against the Bulls last season when he was with New York, making 29% FG (17-for-58) and 28% threes. PG Ty Lawson (15.2 PPG, 6.9 APG) has been the team’s most valuable player and his numbers during the win streak are even more impressive than his overall numbers: 19.3 PPG (47.4% FG, 43.5% threes), 7.6 APG, 2.4 SPG. In the past two games, Lawson has 20 assists and just two turnovers. SG Andre Iguodala (13.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 4.6 APG) is shooting a career-low 44.0% FG, but he’s made half his shots (31-of-62) in the past five games, averaging 16.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG and 5.8 APG. SF Kenneth Faried (12.0 PPG, 9.7 RPG) is coming off a double-double (13 pts, 10 reb), while fellow SF Corey Brewer (11.5 PPG, 3.2 RPG) poured in 20 points in Tuesday’s win over the Bucks. C JaVale McGee (10.1 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 2.0 BPG) had missed three straight games with a lower leg injury, but returned on Tuesday with eight points, five rebounds and four blocks in just 18 minutes of action. He could see significantly more time as the Nuggets try to combat the size of Chicago’s big men. PG Andre Miller (8.9 PPG, 5.7 APG) has done an outstanding job of distributing the basketball over the past three games, totaling 20 assists and just two turnovers during this stretch.

Source: Statfox