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Robert Ferringo
7-Unit Play. Take #512 Memphis (-4) over Houston (8:00 p.m., Monday, Nov.17)
This is a matchup of two of the best teams in the West. With the injury bug hammering OKC into submission and not counting the Spurs this could be a potential West conference finals preview. Memphis is a great team in every sense of the word. They are sitting pretty at 9-1 and you don't see the level of cohesion that the Grizz have very often in the land of over privileged millionaires. Marc Gasol is the center, pun intended, of this team's success. He is a wonderful passer from the pivot and can score is almost every way possible. The rest of the starting five makes up possibly the best unit in the NBA. Mike Conley, ZBO, Tony Allen, and some combination of Courtney Lee or Tayshaun Prince are great on both ends of the floor. Memphis took care of business on Saturday against Detroit even though they could have given that one away with Houston in town tonight. It's a very good sign of a championship caliber team with a win like that. You can say almost all the same things about Houston. They are also 9-1 and have a formidable starting five with Dwight Howard and James Harden anchoring them. Houston is almost the perfect matchup for Memphis. The Grizz have more than enough beef to throw at Howard and Tony Allen will annoy the heck out of Harden. The Rockets have struggled in the last week ATS going 1-3 in their last 4 and OKC gave them all they could handle last night. I feel like Houston will have some tired legs down the stretch and this will be a crazy physical battle with a mid-May feel to it. Memphis is due to finish a game like this and they should have the fresher big men down the stretch to win by 8 or 10. Take the Grizz, give the 4, and sit back and enjoy the game.
4-Unit Play. Take #502 Cleveland (-11.5) over Denver (7:00 p.m., Monday, Nov.17)
The Cavs are rolling, finally. After a 1-3 start Lebron and company have ripped off 4 in a row and absolutely destroyed the Hawks on Saturday 127-94. It's funny how the collective mind set changes after a few Ws. The Cleveland ?faithful? were in full on panic mode two weeks ago and James was painted as the worst teammate in the history of team sports. Now all is right with the world and the Cavs are championship contenders once again. A lot of things have gone into the 4 game streak but averaging just under 120 points per game has a lot to do with it. To become a winning team is going to take more than 8 games so look for Cleveland to have its ups and downs but they certainly have looked the part the past week. Denver is a disaster and even though they pounded Indiana on Friday its dark and gloomy in the mile high city. They are near the bottom of the league in points per game allowed (27th) at 108.2 and have not fared well at all on the road with a 1-4 record. If anyone is looking for an example of what the nuggets are just look at the game last night in NY. To lose that badly to a Knicks team with no identity what so ever is a glaring sign of lack of effort and a team chemistry that is in the toilet. Brain Shaw is an early candidate to be the first coach fired which is not a contest you want to win. Cleveland has not been the best ATS with a 4-4 record but the Nugs are 2-7 so they should get over .500 without much effort. Look for Cleveland to continue to fire on all cylinders tonight covering the 11.5 with ease. Lebrons 113-90.
7-Unit Play. Take #512 Memphis (-4) over Houston (8:00 p.m., Monday, Nov.17)
This is a matchup of two of the best teams in the West. With the injury bug hammering OKC into submission and not counting the Spurs this could be a potential West conference finals preview. Memphis is a great team in every sense of the word. They are sitting pretty at 9-1 and you don't see the level of cohesion that the Grizz have very often in the land of over privileged millionaires. Marc Gasol is the center, pun intended, of this team's success. He is a wonderful passer from the pivot and can score is almost every way possible. The rest of the starting five makes up possibly the best unit in the NBA. Mike Conley, ZBO, Tony Allen, and some combination of Courtney Lee or Tayshaun Prince are great on both ends of the floor. Memphis took care of business on Saturday against Detroit even though they could have given that one away with Houston in town tonight. It's a very good sign of a championship caliber team with a win like that. You can say almost all the same things about Houston. They are also 9-1 and have a formidable starting five with Dwight Howard and James Harden anchoring them. Houston is almost the perfect matchup for Memphis. The Grizz have more than enough beef to throw at Howard and Tony Allen will annoy the heck out of Harden. The Rockets have struggled in the last week ATS going 1-3 in their last 4 and OKC gave them all they could handle last night. I feel like Houston will have some tired legs down the stretch and this will be a crazy physical battle with a mid-May feel to it. Memphis is due to finish a game like this and they should have the fresher big men down the stretch to win by 8 or 10. Take the Grizz, give the 4, and sit back and enjoy the game.
4-Unit Play. Take #502 Cleveland (-11.5) over Denver (7:00 p.m., Monday, Nov.17)
The Cavs are rolling, finally. After a 1-3 start Lebron and company have ripped off 4 in a row and absolutely destroyed the Hawks on Saturday 127-94. It's funny how the collective mind set changes after a few Ws. The Cleveland ?faithful? were in full on panic mode two weeks ago and James was painted as the worst teammate in the history of team sports. Now all is right with the world and the Cavs are championship contenders once again. A lot of things have gone into the 4 game streak but averaging just under 120 points per game has a lot to do with it. To become a winning team is going to take more than 8 games so look for Cleveland to have its ups and downs but they certainly have looked the part the past week. Denver is a disaster and even though they pounded Indiana on Friday its dark and gloomy in the mile high city. They are near the bottom of the league in points per game allowed (27th) at 108.2 and have not fared well at all on the road with a 1-4 record. If anyone is looking for an example of what the nuggets are just look at the game last night in NY. To lose that badly to a Knicks team with no identity what so ever is a glaring sign of lack of effort and a team chemistry that is in the toilet. Brain Shaw is an early candidate to be the first coach fired which is not a contest you want to win. Cleveland has not been the best ATS with a 4-4 record but the Nugs are 2-7 so they should get over .500 without much effort. Look for Cleveland to continue to fire on all cylinders tonight covering the 11.5 with ease. Lebrons 113-90.
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