Monday 29 March 2010

NBA Review

Another loser for the Sports Betting Professor last night with the Oklahoma City Thunder failing to beat the Portland Trail Blazers, never mind covering the spread. This was an important game for both teams, as Portland is now tied in sixth spot with Oklahoma City.

The NBA regular season is entering its last couple of weeks, and as with other sports entering the final weeks if their season, I’ve noticed before that some strange results occur at this time of year. There are a number of reasons why. 


Some teams are already eliminated from the play-offs and on the face of it have nothing to play for but pride. Some teams are guaranteed a playoff spot, but want to avoid a specific opponent in the first round of the playoffs, and some teams have their playoff seeding established and can afford to either rest players or human nature being what it is, the players rest themselves during the games.

The bottom line is that form can be unpredictable.

Miami Heat (currently 6th in the East) will not want to face the Boston Celtics (currently 3rd) and if they slip a place of two in the standings, it would not be a surprise to me.

One of the teams I like best in the NBA are the Golden State Warriors because I like the teams that can hit three-pointers and come back from big deficits. They are also capable of giving up points in a hurry, which is ideal for momentum trading. Although they are eliminated from play-off contention, their coach, Don Nelson, needs just another three wins to break the record number of wins for an NBA coach. 

Although the Warriors are the third worst team in the NBA, on their day they can be exciting and with another game to come against the Los Angeles Clippers, who they defeated last night by 18 after spotting them a 13 point first half lead, (Clippers were as low as 1.3) on the second leg of a back-to-back, and I think they will get these wins before the team is sold this summer.

Looking at tonight’s schedule, there is a huge game in the East, with Toronto Raptors playing at Charlotte Bobcats. The Raptors have lost three in a row, and the Chicago Bulls are nipping at their heels for the final playoff spot. Charlotte themselves aren’t exactly secure just three wins ahead in seventh spot and this should be a close game with the Bobcats winning.

In the West the eight play-off teams are all but assured, but only the Los Angeles Lakers know their seeding for sure. The second through eighth seedings are anyone's guess! The Los Angeles Lakers are one of these teams with a tendency to play to the level of their opponents. They usually find a way to win, at least at home, but on the road they can often be opposed. Not tonight though - they play at the already eliminated New Orleans Hornets and should win.

The Denver Nuggets play at the Dallas Mavericks for the second spot in the West, with Dallas the pick here. Denver’s form has been spotty of late, and they seem like one of those teams that are maybe coasting a little, and Dallas at home are pretty good.

The Utah Jazz should be much too good for the eliminated New York Knicks as should the San Antonio Spurs at the New Jersey Nets although the Spurs did play last night, and the Nets are trying to avoid the worst ever record in the NBA so this is one of those games that could be close.

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