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JEFFREY JAMES
#651 Toronto Raptors -4 (7:05 edt)
Toronto is awesome on the road at 23-11 ATS this season and they are 12-3 ATS against Central Division teams. The Raptors have a ton of motivation since they are leading their division and they are not in a bad scheduling spot. Cleveland put up a good effort on Sunday with a SU win as double digit underdogs to the Knicks, they are not a good enough or hungry enough team to put up another good effort so quickly especially against a non-marquee team. Lay this small number with Toronto as the play of the day. -
Bank Shots: NBA's weekly betting news and notes
Each week, we look back on the NBA betting scene and give you the best - and worst - basketball bets, as well as some spots to keep an eye on with the upcoming schedule.
For the week of March 17-23.
Hottest ATS - Philadelphia 76ers (0-4 SU, 4-0 ATS)
It looks like oddsmakers have finally found the 76ers' tipping point when it comes to margin of loss. Sure, Philadelphia is still dropping games at a potentially historic rate - going into Monday just two losses shy of the NBA record of 26 held by the Cleveland Cavaliers - but it was competitive enough over its last four games to claim the rare winless straight up, unbeaten against the spread week. That stretch may very well continue Monday, with the 76ers installed as 21 1/2-point underdogs to a San Antonio team that may call off the dogs by halftime.
Coldest ATS - Chicago Bulls (2-2 SU, 0-4 ATS)
The 76ers were no doubt aided by a pair of closer-than-expected losses to the Chicago Bulls, who struggled ATS as they try to stay in the hunt for home-court advantage in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Bulls only managed to defeat the lowly 76ers by eight and 10 points, respectively, while squeezing in 12-point defeats to the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers. Looming home games against Indiana and Portland should prove challenging, with a home-and-home set with the Boston Celtics to follow.
Best Over play - Portland Trail Blazers (2-1 SU, 3-0 O/U)
No LaMarcus Aldridge? No problem for the Trail Blazers, who can still fill the net like few teams in the NBA - and isn't too shabby at letting the opposition do the same. Portland had little trouble extending its streak of over outcomes to four last week, earning a 120-115 overtime victory over the Milwaukee Bucks before cruising past Washington 116-103 and getting thumped 124-94 at Charlotte. Expect the offense to continue as Portland resumes its road trip with games in Miami, Orlando, Atlanta and Chicago before returning home to face Memphis.
Best Under play - Memphis Grizzlies (2-1 SU, 0-3 O/U)
Things haven't changed a bit in Memphis, either, with the Grizzlies still using stifling defense and just enough offense to remain in the Western Conference playoff hunt. Memphis won two of three last week, with each outcome - a 96-86 win over Utah, a 91-86 defeat at Miami and an 82-71 triumph over Indiana - falling below the already low total. The Grizzlies face some challenging offenses this week - hosting Minnesota before hitting the road for games at Utah, Golden State and Portland - so the streak of six straight unders may be in jeopardy.
Surveying the schedule
While much of the focus will continue to be on the respective playoff races and which teams will be giving their star players the night off, there is still plenty of buzz surrounding the 76ers' streak of futility. Philadelphia isn't going to get much of a break in its quest to avoid equaling the Cavaliers' record, tangling with the Spurs before heading to Houston for a date with the Rockets on Thursday. If the 76ers lose both, they'll look to derail the streak Saturday at home against a surprisingly beatable Detroit Pistons team.Comment
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NIT quarterfinals betting cheat sheet
Belmont Bruins vs. Clemson Tigers (-7.5, 135)
The Bruins were upset by Eastern Kentucky in the championship game of the Ohio Valley Conference tournament but have rebounded for solid victories over Green Bay and Robert Morris. J.J. Mann, a guard, leads Belmont with an 18.3 scoring average, followed by guards Craig Bradshaw (15.5) and Reece Chamberlain (11) and forward Drew Windler (10.4).
Tigers' forward K.J. McDaniels (1,008 points) had 12 points against Illinois to become the 37th player in school history to reach 1,000 career points. The 6-6 junior averages 17.3 points and 9.1 rebounds and his 95 blocks this season are eighth-most in school history. Hall averages 9.6 points and 3.9 assists while center Landry Nnoko has blocked 63 shots to go with averages of 6.4 points and 6.2 rebounds for a defensive-minded squad that allows 57.9 points per game.
TRENDS:
* Belmont is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games overall.
* Clemson is 12-5 ATS in its last 17 non-conference games.
* Over is 9-3 in Clemson's last 12 games overall.
Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers (-5, 136.5)
Winning on the road has become a point of pride for Southern Mississippi coach Donnie Tyndall, who believes his team can win anywhere. Tyndall says the positive experience at Missouri could be a factor. “They will be similar to Missouri, long and athletic,” Tyndall said. “It will be a tough place to play. It is going to be another tough challenge but we have won 11 true road games and 14 times away from home. So we're going to try to do it one more time.”
The Golden Gophers certainly could have looked at playing in the NIT as a consolation prize, but instead, they've embraced the challenge of winning the tournament. “I understand the NIT is tough for everybody because the ultimate goal is to make the NCAA tournament,” Pitino told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. “But I just thought these guys, you could tell they really want to keep playing. We're excited for Tuesday night.”
TRENDS:
* Southern Miss is 4-0-1 ATS in its last five non-conference games.
* Minnesota is 7-1 ATS in its last eight games versus C-USA.
* Under is 5-1 in Southern Miss' last six games overall.Comment
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