best NBA bets

[Lumi]

best NBA bets

Detroit Pistons at Indiana Pacers (N/A)

If you?re wondering how the Cavs could lock up their division title so soon these two teams should help explain.

The Pistons and Pacers don?t have much to play for in the final weeks of the regular season. Indiana coach Jim O?Brien says his star forward and best scorer, Danny Granger, is out indefinitely after taking an elbow to the cheek Tuesday night against Charlotte.

The Pistons are still waiting to get combo guard Rodney Stuckey back. The Eastern Washington product collapsed in a game against Cleveland on March 5 and hasn?t played since. Coach John Kuester hopes to have Stuckey back for Friday?s game.

Is it possible the Pistons miss Ben Wallace more than Stuckey right now? Detroit is allowing 110 points per game over the last eight games that Wallace has been out with a knee injury.

Pick: Over

Boston Celtics at Houston Rockets (-1.5, 203)

The Houston Rockets are enjoying their longest winning streak of the season. It looks like Kevin Martin and Aaron Brooks have worked out all the kinks in backcourt. The pair is averaging 45.5 points during the four-game unbeaten run.

The team still struggles to get easy baskets and defend inside.

The Celtics seem to beat the teams they?re supposed to and lose to teams with any kind of momentum. Kevin Garnett doesn?t abuse a weak frontcourts offensively any more and you don?t want to rely on scoring from defensive center Kendrick Perkins.

Rajon Rondo is an elite defensive guard and he should keep Aaron Brooks under wraps. Expect the Celtics to close out Houston long-range bombers and slow the pace.

Pick: Under

 

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Jazz at Suns

Jazz at Suns

Jazz at Suns

Utah Jazz at Phoenix Suns (N/A)

The skinny

Who's hotter? The Suns have won 16 of their past 21 while the Jazz have won 20 of their past 26. The Jazz are currently in fourth place in the Western Conference playoff standings but have just a two-game lead on sixth-placed Phoenix.

Utah has won six of the last eight meetings overall.

Playoff push

With only 14 games until the playoffs, the Suns wish they could bottle what they have going for the postseason. Amare Stoudemire, Jason Richardson and Grant Hill are playing their best basketball of the season. Nash is the healthiest he?s been since January. Center Robin Lopez changed the team's dynamic, bringing a balance to the frontcourt to help the trouble spots of defense and rebounding.

Lopez and sixth man Channing Frye have averaged 21.5 points and 10.0 rebounds combined with Lopez in the starting lineup. Guard Leandro Barbosa made his return Tuesday after missing 23 games with a wrist injury. He had seven points, three assists and three rebounds in 15 minutes. He adds even more depth and firepower to the NBA?s No. 1 offense.

"We want to take this momentum into the playoffs," Stoudemire told reporters. "We want to play well all the way into the playoffs and also through the playoffs.?

Richardson said the playoffs essentially already have begun, starting with Friday?s key game.

"Guys aren't even worried about anything but going out there and winning games," Richardson told the media. "Especially right now, nobody has personal goals. Everybody's so focused on positioning ourselves for a better playoff spot and trying to get home-court advantage that it stepped everybody's game up. We're that team you saw when we went 14-3 at the beginning of the season.?

The Suns annihilated Minnesota 152-114 at US Airways Center in their latest game Tuesday. Phoenix scored at least 35 points in each quarter for the first time since 1972. The Suns shot 56 percent, put eight scorers in double figures, hit 27-of-29 free throws and made 15-of-31 3-point shots to set a Minnesota franchise opponent record for scoring.

Jazz singing the blues

Point guard Deron Williams came down awkwardly on his ankle in the first quarter of Wednesday night?s match-up with the T-Wolves.

Williams wasn't the only Jazz player to be injured Wednesday night, either. Starting small forward Andrei Kirilenko left the game two minutes into the third quarter after re-injuring his left calf. He was wearing a walking boot on his left foot and lower leg as he left the arena Wednesday night.

"It's frustrating when it comes back, the same injury," Kirilenko, who had missed the previous two games, told the press.

Also, Utah's starting shooting guard Wesley Matthews suffered a mild sprain to his left knee. All three players are listed as day-to-day and will be re-evaluated prior to Friday night.

"Every time you look around, somebody else is hurt," coach Jerry Sloan told the media. "We've cut our practices back to almost nothing, hoping not to tax guys too much and (so they'll be able to) come out and be ready to play. It's always a fine line."

The injuries could not have come at a worse time for Utah. The Jazz are in the midst of an unrelenting stretch in which they will play 17 games in March.

"Have you seen the rest of this month?" Williams asked. "It makes me sad. [Games] Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday. Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday. Monday, Wednesday. And I ain't even looked at April.?

?It's tough, especially when we've got a lot of guys banged up, myself included. You need the rest. When we went on that win streak, the games were more spread out, we were able to recover. It just seems like we haven't had a chance to just recover. ?

Despite the injuries, Utah is playing great basketball right now. The Jazz won seven of their last 10 games and trail the Nuggets by just two games in the Northwest Standings. If they want to hold on to the fourth spot in the Western Conference playoff standings, they?ll have to continue to get wins over other playoff teams.

Head to head

The most recent meeting was in Phoenix on March 4. Phoenix had a lead almost the entire game (8-point lead at halftime, 11-point lead after the third quarter). Utah exploded for 41 points in the fourth quarter and won the game 116-108.

Phoenix shot 57.5 percent from the floor, but had 19 turnovers and allowed 19 offensive rebounds to the Jazz.

That was the Jazz?s second straight win over the Suns this season after a 124-115 win back in January. Again, Phoenix held a lead going into the fourth quarter but was outscored 33-19 in the final period.

Utah is 7-2 ATS in the last nine meetings with Phoenix and 8-1 ATS in the last nine games at Phoenix. The underdog is 17-8 ATS in the last 25 meetings and the road team is 12-5 ATS in the last 17 meetings.

Trends

Utah is 36-15-3 ATS in its last 54 games overall and 13-4-1 ATS in its last 18 road games.
Phoenix is 16-5 ATS in its last 21 games overall and 7-3 ATS in its last 10 home games.

 

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Lakers C Gasol iffy with tonsillitis

Lakers C Gasol iffy with tonsillitis

Lakers C Gasol iffy with tonsillitis

Los Angeles Lakers center Pau Gasol missed practice Thursday because of tonsillitis, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Gasol is listed as day-to-day and his status is in question for Friday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Oddsmakers have set the Lakers as 15.5-point home favorites while the total is at 215.5.

He is averaging 17.3 points and 11.0 points this season.

 

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Today's NBA Picks

Today's NBA Picks

Today's NBA Picks
Minnesota at LA Lakers
The Timberwolves look to take advantage of a Lakers team that is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games as a favorite of 11 points or more. Minnesota is the pick (+15 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Lakers favored by only 12 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+15 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

FRIDAY, MARCH 19
Time Posted: 10:30 a.m. EST
Game 801-802: Detroit at Indiana
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 113.149; Indiana 116.700
Dunkel Line & Total: Indiana by 3 1/2; 206
Vegas Line & Total: Indiana by 2 1/2; 203
Dunkel Pick: Indiana (-2 1/2); Over
Game 803-804: Oklahoma City at Toronto
Dunkel Ratings: Oklahoma City 118.314; Toronto 115.335
Dunkel Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 3; 208
Vegas Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 1; 208 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oklahoma City (-1); Under
Game 805-806: Charlotte at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: Charlotte 118.098; Atlanta 125.777
Dunkel Line & Total: Atlanta by 7 1/2; 190
Vegas Line & Total: Atlanta by 5; 192 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-5); Under
Game 807-808: Philadelphia at New York
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia 112.263; New York 113.997
Dunkel Line & Total: New York by 1 1/2; 209
Vegas Line & Total: New York by 3 1/2; 207 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (+3 1/2); Over
Game 809-810: Cleveland at Chicago
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland 123.897; Chicago 114.707
Dunkel Line & Total: Cleveland by 9; 198
Vegas Line & Total: Cleveland by 10 1/2; 204
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (+10 1/2); Under
Game 811-812: Boston at Houston
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 120.040; Houston 119.687
Dunkel Line & Total: Even; 202
Vegas Line & Total: Boston by 2 1/2; 203
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+2 1/2); Under
Game 813-814: Golden State at San Antonio
Dunkel Ratings: Golden State 114.842; San Antonio 125.225
Dunkel Line & Total: San Antonio by 10 1/2; 222
Vegas Line & Total: San Antonio by 11; 220 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Golden State (+11); Over
Game 815-816: Utah at Phoenix
Dunkel Ratings: Utah 121.800; Phoenix 127.974
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 6; 235
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix by 3 1/2; 222 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (-3 1/2); Over
Game 817-818: Washington at Portland
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 111.662; Portland 124.512
Dunkel Line & Total: Portland by 13; 190
Vegas Line & Total: Portland by 12; 191
Dunkel Pick: Portland (-12); Under
Game 819-820: Milwaukee at Sacramento
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee 125.562; Sacramento 117.002
Dunkel Line & Total: Milwaukee by 8 1/2; 191
Vegas Line & Total: Milwaukee by 3; 197 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-3); Under
Game 821-822: Minnesota at LA Lakers
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 110.830; LA Lakers 123.111
Dunkel Line & Total: LA Lakers by 12 1/2; 213
Vegas Line & Total: LA Lakers by 15 1/2; 216
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+15 1/2); Under