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UTAH JAZZ at NEW YORK KNICKS
2012-02-06

Tip-off: Monday, 7:35 p.m. ET

Line: New York -3, Total: 194

Due to a fatal car crash involving his brother Monday morning, Amar’e Stoudemire will not play in New York’s game on Monday night when it hosts Utah.

The loss is obviously a big one for the Knicks, especially based on Stoudemire’s 26.9 PPG on 61% FG against Utah over the past three seasons. But the Jazz have been terrible in this series, losing 13 straight meetings ATS. Utah is also 2-5 (SU and ATS) on the road, allowing a league-worst 105.0 PPG and 42% 3-pt FG Pct. away from home. The pick here is NEW YORK to win and cover.

The Jazz dropped their past two road games by scores of 116-101 at Dallas and 119-101 at Golden State, allowing these two opponents to shoot a combined 51% FG. Despite the road woes, Utah is coming off an impressive home win on Saturday, taking down the Lakers 96-87, and holding them to just 38.7% FG. Al Jefferson scored 18 points and matched a season high with 13 boards against Los Angeles. Jefferson has owned the Knicks in his past three meetings with them, pumping in 25.7 PPG and 9.7 RPG. This included a 36-point, 12-rebound effort in last season’s visit to Manhattan. Earl Watson returned to action Saturday after missing Thursday’s loss to the Warriors with a sprained left ankle. He didn’t look injured at all, with eight points and season-high 11 assists against the Lakers.

The Knicks are trying to build upon a 99-92 home win over New Jersey when seldom-used reserve Jeremy Lin sparked the team with a career-high 25 points, while adding seven assists and five rebounds. Lin will likely start on Monday, as will Jared Jeffries, who is replacing Stoudemire whose 35-year-old brother was killed in the accident. Despite Stoudemire being out, Carmelo Anthony can probably handle the majority of the scoring load. He has averaged a whopping 31.0 PPG (52% FG) versus Utah in the past two seasons. Anthony had a tough night against the Nets (11 points on 3-of-15 FG), which ended a streak of scoring 25+ points in three straight contests. Anthony’s 39.8% FG clip this season is well below his 45.7% FG rate for his career.

Can Tom Thibodeau lead the Bulls to the next level?
2010-06-25

Since winning six NBA titles form 1991-98, the Chicago Bulls franchise has been struggling to move past the Michael Jordan era. In the last 12 years, Chicago has managed to post only two winning seasons. During this period, the Bulls have been able to win just a single postseason series. Since Phil Jackson departed the scene in Chicago after the 1998 campaign, seven different head coaches have guided the Bulls. Now, Boston Celtics assistant Tom Thibodeau will become Chicago's eighth head coach since the end of Jackson's glorious run with the franchise. Thibodeau will be a head coach in the league for the first time. He has certainly paid his dues in the NBA as an assistant over the last two decades. Before landing in Boston prior to the 2007-08 campaign, Thibodeau served stints as an assistant for the Minnesota Timberwolves, San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks and Houston Rockets. He became a notable head coaching candidate after helping the Celtics win a championship in his first season with the club. Thibodeau has been praised throughout the league for his ability to improve teams defensively, and NBA betting knows this is a key to the Bulls become a powerhouse again.

He will take over a Bulls squad that isn't too far away from becoming a serious contender in the Eastern Conference. After posting an average of just 20 wins per year in the first six seasons following the dismantling of the 1998 title squad, Chicago has managed to reach the postseason in five of the last six campaigns. The goal in the years to come will be to make some deep playoff runs. Thibodeau will certainly have some talent to work with. All-Star point guard Derrick Rose is already one of the best backcourt performers in the league at the age of 21. He averaged 21 points and 6 assists per game last season. Forward Luol Deng (18 points, 7 rebounds per game last season) has been a solid frontcourt scorer in his six years in the league. He is only 25 years of age. In the middle, center Joakim Noah has made some steady improvement during his three years in the NBA. Last year, the 25-year-old Noah averaged 11 points and 11 rebounds per outing. With a strong, young nucleus in place and no significant free agents on its own roster to deal with this summer, Chicago should be able to make some additions to its club during the offseason. MVP LeBron James heads a strong free agent class. While James is leaning towards staying in Cleveland, the Bulls are viewed as the top contender to land him if he departs the Cavaliers. Besides James, there are a few other significant free agents that might view Chicago as a good destination. The Bulls should also be able to add a solid contributor in the draft. Chicago will have the 17th overall selection in the first round of the draft. So, Thibodeau is in a good position with a franchise that appears to be on the rise.

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NBA: Lakers and Cavaliers Clash (8:00 PM ET, TNT)
2010-01-21

In a possible NBA finals preview Thursday night, Cleveland will host the Los Angeles Lakers, who have a score to settle after being embarrassed 102-87 by the Cavs on Christmas Day. It was a lump-of-coal-in-the-stocking-loss that ended with irate Lakers fans tossing foam fingers—and a few filled water bottles— onto the Staples Center court in anger. In tonight’s rematch, the host Cavaliers are 3.5-point favorites at Sportsbook.com, but the majority of bettors, 83%, are looking for the Lakers to keep ti close or pull the upset.

In December, with Mo Williams scoring 28 points, James adding 26 and Shaquille O’Neal acting as their enforcer, the Cavaliers bullied the defending NBA champions, whose frustration level led to them retaliating with some cheap shots and being slapped with several technical fouls.

“We didn’t like that Christmas game,” Lakers center Pau Gasol said. “It was very disappointing on our part. We’ve got to try to get that ballgame when we play them again. We need to do that. You never want a team to get the confidence they can beat you, especially when it’s somebody you might see down the road in the playoffs.” The Lakers are 33-20 ATS versus teams outscoring their opponents by three or points game over the last two seasons.

The stop in Cleveland begins a demanding, eight-game road trip for the Lakers (32-9, 18-22-1 ATS), who have the league’s best record in part because of a favorable schedule. They’ve played just 15 road games—compared to 25 for the Cavs—and the imbalance has helped Los Angeles open a five-game lead over Dallas in the Western Conference. L.A. is 9-6 on the road, but just 5-10 ATS.

That could change depending on how the Lakers handle a stretch of eight games in 13 days, including three sets of back-to-backs. Last season, Los Angeles went 6-0 on a similar Eastern trip that helped propel the Lakers to a title.

First, though, they want to erase the memories of an unhappy holiday that was particularly hazardous for forward Ron Artest.

“That Christmas game was tough, and then that whole day wasn’t too good for me, anyway,” said Artest, who suffered a concussion in a fall at home hours after the loss to Cleveland. “We feel like we’re a better team now than when we played them before.”

The Cavaliers believe they are better, too.

At 32-11 (20-22-1 ATS), Cleveland has the best record in the East, and with 23 of their final 39 games at home, the Cavs have a chance to run away from Boston, Orlando and Atlanta, their closest competitors in the conference. They just returned from a West Coast trip, where they displayed some bad habits—a tendency to rely too heavily on James—and also some new offensive wrinkles with O’Neal on the floor. They are on a run of 15-6 ATS at home vs. teams with a winning road record.

Seconds after LeBron James and his Cavaliers teammates dismissed the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday, one excited Cleveland fan began a solitary chant.

“Beat L.A., Beat L.A.,” he screamed.

Dude, chill. It’s January. But maybe not too early to dream about June.
After all, Kobe Bryant and the Lakers are coming.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson doesn’t want his team to get too caught up in Thursday’s matchup or the Lakers’ upcoming trip, which will take the club to New York on Friday and won’t conclude until Feb. 1 in Memphis.
“Last year’s road trip jump-started our season,” he said. “I’m setting a low bar for this team, though. We don’t need to put too much emphasis on the entire trip as a whole. We just need to play good, solid games and avoid injuries, starting in Cleveland. We don’t assign a whole lot extra importance to that game, even though it is an interesting game.”
Cleveland is a 3.5-point favorite with total of 194.5 at Sportsbook.com and has covered seven straight as home favorite of 4.5 or less points. The one potential downfall for the Cavs is they have not covered the number in their last seven games (0-6-1 ATS) off a win and is 27-12 UNDER in home games after failing to cover two of their last three against the spread.

The Lakers are 29-14 ATS as an underdog over the last three seasons and will want to get that bad taste out of their mouths from Christmas Day. Los Angeles has covered their last four Thursday assignments and is 18-6 UNDER when playing with two days rest since last season.
This is the 8:05 Eastern matchup on TNT and the underdog is 5-1 ATS in the head-to-head series with the UNDER 5-0 in Cleveland.

The StatFox Power Line shows Cleveland by 5, and getting a chance to back the Cavs as this small of a home favorite is a rarity.

NBA: Top Weekend Power Trends 4/3-4/5
2009-04-06

Less than two weeks remain in the NBA’s regular season and the Bobcats, yes, the Charlotte Bobcats are challenging for a playoff spot in the East. They enter this weekend’s action just 1-1/2 games behind Chicago for the 8th spot in the East. On Wednesday, Charlotte lost a heartbreaker in Boston. On Friday they’ll host Miami before heading to Detroit on Sunday for a key date with the Pistons. Elsewhere this weekend, the series of key conflicts affecting playoff positioning in the West continues with several important contests. In the Southwest Division, where three teams are separated by just 1-game as of Friday, San Antonio, Houston, and New Orleans all face difficult 2-game weekend sets. Here’s a look at some of the key action on tap, along with our regular feature highlighting a sample of the Top StatFox Power Trends in play.

On Friday night, amazingly, every one of the 10 games figures to have some impact on the playoff proceedings. The games either match two teams in the playoff hunt, or one hoping to avoid a slip-up against a hungry spoiler. From the former group, the highlight game features Cleveland visiting Orlando, in a potential East Finals preview. The Cavs are inching closer to wrapping up home court advantage for the playoffs, but are looking to improve a 3-6 SU & 1-8 ATS record vs. the Magic over the last three seasons. Orlando trails Boston by a game for the #2 spot in the East but is tied in the loss column. Speaking of the Celtics, they’ll be hosting the Hawks Friday in another stellar East showdown. Boston has swept three meetings with Atlanta in ’08-09, but only by a combined 10 points. Getting back to Charlotte, the Bobcats welcome Miami to town, where they are 22-17 SU & 24-15 ATS this season. They are also 11-3 ATS vs. divisional foes. In the West, the big game figures to be Houston visiting the Lakers, who come home from a long 7-game road trip. Elsewhere, New Orleans needs to be on upset alert as it travels to Golden State.

The Saturday board in once again nowhere near as appealing as the action on Friday and Sunday, and for good reason, as few basketball fans figure to be paying a whole lot of attention to the proceedings in the NBA with the Final Four action going on in Detroit. Still, that said, many of the prospective playoff teams from the East will be in action. Miami is on a back-to-back at Washington, who just upset Cleveland on Thursday aided by the return of Gilbert Arenas to the floor. Detroit travels to Philadelphia hoping to build some confidence for the postseason, and Chicago looks to strengthen its hold on the final conference playoff spot when it hosts New Jersey. Finally, Orlando visits Atlanta, with both teams of course, coming off big contests the night before. These are two of the top six spread covering teams in the NBA and both have been solid in back-to-back scenarios, Orlando 9-4 SU & ATS in ’08-09, Atlanta 11-8 SU & ATS.

Sunday’s schedule is loaded with intriguing action and it all gets started with a San Antonio-Cleveland showdown on ABC at 1:05 PM ET. The Cavs have still lost just one time on the home floor this season, going 36-1 SU & 24-13 ATS. However, keep in mind that that lone defeat was at the hands of another West power, the Lakers. The second game on ABC pits Phoenix and Dallas, as the Suns get the chance to start one last unlikely surge towards the final West playoff spot. Two other games will have playoff implications in the West as well, with Houston hosting Portland, and Utah visiting New Orleans. The Hornets will be putting to the test an 18-4 ATS revenge angle as shown below. In the East, there is one key game, Charlotte visiting Detroit. Depending on how the action works out on Friday night, it’s possible the Bobcats could be looking to tie the Pistons in the standings in this contest. Even if not, the game will still be plenty meaningful for the playoff-starved Charlotte franchise. It’s not exactly the best of spots for the Pistons either, as they’ve been awful at home this season and even worse on Sunday’s.

Now, here’s a look at some of the Top StatFox Power Trends to consider for the weekend’s games.

Friday, 4/3/2009
(501) MIAMI vs. (502) CHARLOTTE
CHARLOTTE is 9-0 ATS (+9 Units) vs. poor rebounding teams outrebounded by 3+ RPG in 2nd half of this season. The average score was CHARLOTTE 102.4, OPPONENT 92 - (Rating = 3*)

(507) DALLAS vs. (508) MEMPHIS
MEMPHIS is 3-18 ATS (-16.8 Units) against marginal winning teams (Win Pct. 51%-60%) over the L2 seasons. The average score was MEMPHIS 95.6, OPPONENT 107.4 - (Rating = 4*)

(511) CLEVELAND vs. (512) ORLANDO
ORLANDO is 27-6 ATS (+20.4 Units) revenging a same season loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons. The average score was ORLANDO 104.5, OPPONENT 95.8 - (Rating = 4*)

(515) SACRAMENTO vs. (516) PHOENIX
PHOENIX is 17-2 ATS (+14.8 Units) vs. poor defensive teams (FG pct defense of >=46%) in 2nd half of the last 2 seasons. The average score was PHOENIX 124.5, OPPONENT 108.2 - (Rating = 4*)

(517) NEW ORLEANS vs. (518) GOLDEN STATE
GOLDEN STATE is 17-4 OVER (+12.6 Units) at home vs. poor pressure defensive teams (<=14 TOs/game) this season. The average score was GOLDEN STATE 116.9, OPPONENT 114 - (Rating = 3*)

Saturday, 4/4/2009
(801) TORONTO vs. (802) NEW YORK
NEW YORK is 16-4 ATS (+11.6 Units) vs. good ball handling teams committing <=14 TOs/game in 2nd half of this season. The average score was NEW YORK 108, OPPONENT 108.1 - (Rating = 3*)

(807) ORLANDO vs. (808) ATLANTA
ORLANDO is 16-4 ATS (+11.6 Units) vs. good shooting teams - making >=46% of their shots this season. The average score was ORLANDO 99.4, OPPONENT 91.7 - (Rating = 3*)

(807) ORLANDO vs. (808) ATLANTA
ATLANTA is 13-3 UNDER (+9.7 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent of 10 points or more this season. The average score was ATLANTA 96.1, OPPONENT 92.8 - (Rating = 2*)

(811) MEMPHIS vs. (812) MILWAUKEE
MILWAUKEE is 3-16 ATS (-14.6 Units) vs. poor teams outscored by 3+ PPG in 2nd half of the last 2 seasons. The average score was MILWAUKEE 100.5, OPPONENT 106.1 - (Rating = 3*)

Sunday, 4/5/2009
(507) CHARLOTTE vs. (508) DETROIT
DETROIT is 1-13 ATS (-13.3 Units) on Sunday games this season. The average score was DETROIT 87.9, OPPONENT 97.1 - (Rating = 4*)

(513) DENVER vs. (514) MINNESOTA
MINNESOTA is 3-15 ATS (-13.5 Units) at home when playing against a team with a winning record this season. The average score was MINNESOTA 94.5, OPPONENT 104.7 - (Rating = 3*)

(515) UTAH vs. (516) NEW ORLEANS
NEW ORLEANS is 18-4 ATS (+13.6 Units) at home revenging a same season loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons. The average score was NEW ORLEANS 99.7, OPPONENT 87.5 - (Rating = 3*)

NBA: Lakers a Potential Bad Bet in this Situation (10:30 PM ET, FSN)
2009-01-27

Confidence is funny thing in basketball; it can disappear without notice for a star player and reappear, banking in an off-target three-point shot from the wing. The Los Angeles Lakers are flowing with confidence on a four game win streak, after thrashing San Antonio 99-85 as 7.5-point favorites. The contest was so lopsided, Kobe Bryant only got off the bench in the fourth quarter for timeouts. It was the Lakers 14th triumph in last 17 games (10-7 ATS) and they have everyone as healthy as they have been all season with Jordan Farmar, Luke Walton, Lamar Odom and Sasha Vujacic all back to add incredible depth.

Charlotte (18-26, 27-17 ATS) has been playing with a great deal of confidence, winning five of seven and giving NBA bettors a sense of invincibility with seven straight covers. The fragile nature of confidence can undermine a weaker team in a hurry when circumstances arise. The Bobcats opened a five game road trip in Indiana and lost 98-93 as 5.5-point underdogs. Though Charlotte ultimately covered the spread, coach Larry Brown was not impressed with his squad.
“We didn’t match their energy early and we got killed on the boards in the first half,” coach Brown said. “When you’re on the road and you give a team a jump-start like that, it’s pretty tough to overcome.” He was referring to his club allowing 54 points in the first half to the Pacers and trailing by 14 points at the half. For the game, Charlotte was out-rebounded by 16. Despite the loss, the Bobcats are still 17-8 ATS after playing two consecutive games as an underdog this season.
The Lakers (35-8, 21-22 ATS) are 5-2 ATS off a double digit win in last seven tries and 26-13 ATS in home games after covering two of their last three against the spread. Sportsbook.com has Los Angeles as 11-point favorites with a total of 196. Phil Jackson team is not always interested in games just like this. The Lakers are 28-4 when favored by 7.5 or more points this season, but a cringing 12-20 ATS. They have the third best home record in the NBA at 22-3, yet are a less than sterling 13-13 ATS.

Charlotte has been dynamite on the road for sports bettors despite only five wins in 18 contests. The Bobcats are 12-6 ATS as visitors and 22-12 as underdogs.

Whichever way one might feel about what is the correct side, the total is a potential match for parlay. L.A. is 16-6 OVER as a favorite of 10 or more points this season. If Charlotte has the look catching this many points, they are 22-11 UNDER as an underdog this season, with total maxing out at just over 194.

The Lakers have been a disinterested participant against Charlotte with a 4-4 record all-time and just two covers. Los Angeles will be embarking on a six-game road after this contest, thus will they want to enjoy one more home game or being thinking about what lies ahead? All questions will be answered starting at 10:30 Eastern and the more confident and interested team will cover the spread.

StatFox Power Line – Lakers by 10