NBA 7th

[TazaD]

Dallas v. Portland under 192.5 This game comes down to the fact that Portland just can't score! They aer last in the NBA for scoring, and in their last 9 road games, their highest score has been 91....and in those 9 games they have averaged a terrible 83.1! Both meetings this season have gone under...95-81 @ Dallas, and 89-95 in OT @ Portland!...in fact the last 6 meetings have been 'under', averaging just 183.6. Dallas are 2-8 under as favs of 10+, so they win with strong D and don't run up scores late...they are also 2-9 under off a loss, and allowing Phoenix to shoot >50% last game will sting. Portland are 8-19 under v. >.500 teams, so even a lowish total such as this wil be tough to reach with only one team scoring.

[wayniac]

Re: NBA 7th My thoughts on today's games (Pinny's lines): Boston +6 @ Wizards -6 - I won't be touching this one with a pole. A battle of two notoriously inconsistent teams. Maybe Delonte will come out and put up Oscar Robertson-like numbers or the "Truth" will catch fire? Perhaps Gomes might have one of those 14 rebound nights? Another Gilbert Arenas 40 point explosion? Perhaps instead, one of those 11-27 shooting nights and a ton of TOs. Rather play roulette... No play for me. New York +11 @ Indiana -11 - A huge spread here, and who can blame the bookies? New York have been terrible all season and the stink has increased with the Steve "Franchise" acquisition. Indiana have also been in good form lately. Still, I don't think Indiana deserve an 11 point handicap and I suspect that they may be slow off the blocks in this one. Without Jermaine, they are a mediocre middle-of-the-pack team at best. A weak lean to NY ATS here; no play. Toronto +6 @ Cleveland -6 - This is a tricky one. I think the bookies have it spot on actually. Cleveland do look tasty at home against the Raps who have a poor record on the road. The Cavs have been under scrutiny in the media for their form and apparent late season plunge (just as was the case last year). Bron and company will come out firing in this one but Toronto are no push-over. They have the fire-power to more than match it with the Cavs if it's played in an uptempo fashion (e.g. Mo Pete, James). Questions also remain about Lebron's ability to perform under pressure and especially when the game is there to be won down the stretch. Moderate lean to the Cavs ATS; no play. GSW +1 @ Hawks -1 - The value is clearly with the Warriors on this one, who have the fire-power to put away the Hawks, despite their recent good play. The only thing that concerns me is that Baron has just come back, and being an important part of the team, they are likely to give him more opportunity than he deserves to shake the rust. Provided he doesn't stink it up, I see the Warriors knocking the Hawks over with relative ease. Play GSW +1 1 unit. Rox +3 @ Minny -3 - I hate betting on games involving the Rox, one of the most confusing and annoying teams to figure out. However, I have to oppose them here. Minny are starting to put together some decent form as RD adjusts to the team. KG has been dominant lately and I expect him to remind everyone just how overrated Ming is in this game. He has also copped some criticism for ignoring Team USA's invite. This seems to have lit a fire in his ass, much the same way it has for AI. I like Minny in this one. Play Minny -3 3 units. Portland +13 @ Dallas -13 - I don't touch monster lines like these. Portland ATS is tempting, heck any team with that kind of start is tempting. But then again, Dallas is a far superior team and a 20 point thumping is not unrealistic. If I was convinced that Darius Miles was fully recovered from his injury, then I would probably take the Blazers here. But he has been woeful since coming back and Randolph is notorious for missing games when you least want him to. No play - run a mile! NJ +3 @ Chicago -3 - This game is much like the Boston v Wizards game. A coin flip really. The Nets are the better team on paper but the Bulls have the home advantage and have been playing inspired ball lately - due mostly to the excellent play of Captain Kirk. Will NJ turn up for this one? That's the real question in my mind. At times this season they have seemed disinterested. This is hardly surprising given that two of their most important players - VC and RJ - are renown pouters. Anyhow, moderate lean on the Nets +3; no play. Spurs -2.5 @ LA Clippers +2.5 - This line is a little inflated in favour of the Spurs me thinks. The Spurs have been playing sub-par basketball lately, due partially to the poor play of Manu Ginobili, who while showing signs of life in his last game, has been disappointing all season. Their winning streak is duly noted, but the wins have hardly impressed me. Meanwhile, the Clippers have played two games with CMags, one of those being a heart breaker loss on the road against the Jazz. Just like Baron, the Clips will probably underperform while bringing CMags into their line-up. Ordinarily I would be all over the Clips straight up in this one @ $2.30. However, I think there's better games on offer to place my cash on. Moderate lean on the Clips SU; no play. Good luck everyone with your bets Good luck TazD with your total, looks a solid play :ok