Category: NBA

Nets-Bulls odds: Chicago given home edge

Previewing Saturday’s Brooklyn Nets at Chicago Bulls sports betting odds and lines, with NBA matchup analysis and picks.

The Brooklyn Nets (4-7) visit the Chicago Bulls (4-8) Saturday at the United Center for a 6 p.m. ET start. We analyze the Nets-Bulls odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.

Nets at Bulls: Key injuries

Nets

  • PG Kyrie Irving (shoulder) questionable
  • SG Caris LeVert (thumb) out

Bulls

  • SF Otto Porter Jr. (foot) out
  • PF Cristiano Felicio (wrist) out

Nets at Bulls: Odds, lines, picks, and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 10:30 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Bulls 115, Nets 112

Moneyline (ML)

The -139 line for the BULLS is not terrible given the uncertainty of Irving’s shoulder.

Can Chicago keep up with Brooklyn’s pace? The answer is yes and becomes a resounding yes depending on how Irving looks. Brooklyn cannot stop anyone defensively (119.5 points per game allowed) and has lost three straight games.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Bulls to win outright returns a profit of $7.19.

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The slightly better play for this game is taking the BULLS with the -2.5 points at -106 odds. A Chicago cover here (win by three or more points) returns a greater profit of $9.43.

Chicago is 3-2 at home against the spread, but is 4.7 points off the projections due to an early 108-84 blowout home loss against the Toronto Raptors on Oct. 26. Since that game, Chicago has been above projections at home.

Over/Under (O/U)

Lean slightly to the UNDER 231.5 (-125). Watch the numbers here as it will all depend on the status of Irving. That being said, Chicago plays a little more stout on defense and can limit possessions somewhat. It could be enough to keep this game just under 230.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Chris’ NBA betting record: 35-23

Follow @ChrisWasselDFS and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Hawks-Clippers odds: Clips are huge favorites at home

Previewing Saturday’s Atlanta Hawks at Los Angeles Clippers sports betting odds and lines, with NBA matchup analysis and picks.

The Atlanta Hawks (4-7) travel to meet the Los Angeles Clippers (7-5) Saturday at 10:30 p.m. ET. We analyze the Hawks-Clippers odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.

Hawks at Clippers: Key injuries

Hawks: SF Chandler Parsons (knee) is expected to be a go. SG Evan Turner (Achilles) is questionable and SG Vince Carter (personal) is listed as out. SG Kevin Huerter (shoulder) will be sidelined at least another seven to 10 days, while PF John Collins remains suspended through Dec. 23.

Clippers: SF Kawhi Leonard (knee) is listed as questionable, as is PG Patrick Beverley (calf). If Kawhi is unable to play, that moves the needle on this game quite a bit. He is expected to be ready, but could be rested as a precaution. Be careful.

Hawks at Clippers: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 9:55 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Clippers 121, Hawks 106

Moneyline (ML)

PASS. The Clippers (-715) are expected to take care of the Hawks, but if Leonard and Beverley were each unable to play, that makes this much less of a certainty. Even if they were to play, laying more than seven times your return is just not good gambling. It’s foolish.

New to sports betting? Every $1 wagered that Los Angeles wins profits $0.14 if the Bucks prevail. (Ex: Bet $10 to win $1.40, $20 to win $2.80, $71.50 to win $10).

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Take the CLIPPERS (-9.5, –125), but wait a bit until shortly before tip-off. We’ll know a lot more about Kawhi’s status leading up to the game. If he were not to play, go lightly. If he is able to play, go a little heavier.

The Hawks are just 1-4 against the spread in the past five games overall, while the Clippers are 5-0 ATS across their past five. The Clips are 5-2 ATS in the last seven games overall, and 13-6 ATS in the past 19 against Southeast Division foes, too.

Over/under (O/U)

The TOTAL 227.5 is just too risky. This game should be right around the number if Leonard is able to play. If he doesn’t go, that’s a huge chunk of offense missing. It’s best to avoid the total in this one due to uncertainty.

Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Bucks-Pacers odds: Milwaukee favored in Indy

Previewing Saturday’s Milwaukee Bucks at Indiana Pacers sports betting odds and lines, with NBA matchup analysis and picks.

The Milwaukee Bucks (8-3) travel to meet the Indiana Pacers (7-5) Saturday at 7:00 p.m. ET. We analyze the Bucks-Pacers odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.

Bucks at Pacers: Key injuries

Bucks: SF Khris Middleton (thigh) will be sidelined until early December.

Pacers: SG Malcolm Brogdon (back) is listed as questionable to face his former team, while C Myles Turner (ankle) is also a question mark.

Bucks at Pacers: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 9:30 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Bucks 113, Pacers 100

Moneyline (ML)

PASS. The Bucks (-228) are rather expensive, as you need to lay more than two times the money for a meager return.

New to sports betting? Every $1 wagered that Milwaukee wins profits $0.44 if the Bucks prevail. (Ex: Bet $10 to win $4.40, $20 to win $8.80, $22.80 to win $10).

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Take the BUCKS (-4.5, –129) for this road battle, although you’ll be ‘bucking’ some trends. Milwaukee is just 3-7 against the spread in the past 10 road games, and 0-4 ATS in the past four games overall. They are 18-7-1 ATS in the past 26 games inside the Central Division.

The favorite is also 8-2 ATS in the past 10 meetings in this series. However, for the Pacers (+4.5, +105), they’re 0-6-1 ATS in the past seven against teams with a winning overall record, and 3-10 ATS in the last 13 games against teams with a winning percentage of .600 or better.

Over/under (O/U)

The UNDER 225.5 (+105) is a decent bargain, especially at plus-money. The Under has connected in five straight meetings in Indianapolis, and six of the past seven in this series. The Under is also 3-1-1 in the past five home games for the Pacers, too.

Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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LeBron: Luke Walton did ‘as great a job as you could’ coaching Lakers

Luke Walton was back in Los Angeles with his Kings, and LeBron James only had nice things to say.

Luke Walton coached the Lakers last year, and it went, uh, not great. In LeBron James’ first year with the team, the Lakers failed to make the playoffs.

This offseason, Walton departed, along with half the young team, who were sent to New Orleans in a package that brought back Anthony Davis. The Lakers hired Frank Vogel to take over, and the Lakers now sit at 10-2 on the season after another win over the Kings on Friday night.

The coach of the Kings? Luke Walton.

After the game, LeBron was asked to reflect on his time with Walton, and was thoughtful in his praise of the young coach.

James pointed out that the Lakers were in contention right until Christmas time, when the team lost several key players to injury, and the season fell apart as the younger players failed to come together.

Via USA TODAY Sports:

James contended that Walton “did as great of a job as you could under the circumstances.” The Lakers missed a combined 210 games last season due to injuries, most notably to James, Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram.

Walton also had kind words to say.

“To be back in your old building and go against a team you used to coach and play for, it’s exciting,” Walton said. “It sucks we didn’t come with the outcome we wanted. But I’m very pleased with the effort and the way that we played the game.”

The Kings got off to an 0-5 start, but have won four of the last six and now look like a team that can hang in the West.

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Lakers – Kings: Why Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s 4th-quarter explosion was so important

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 12 points in the fourth quarter, which helped Lakers win game, but also sent a strong message to LeBron and Co.

The Lakers held off the Sacramento Kings on Friday night, winning a nail-biter 99-97 and improving to 10-2 on the year. While the final play came down to an Anthony Davis block, and LeBron James iced the game with two key free throws, the star for Los Angeles down the line was … Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Seriously. That guy!

With the Kings keyed in on the two All-Stars, KCP got aggressive in the fourth, finishing with 12 points in the quarter alone and giving the Lakers huge buckets when they needed them.

For one stretch, starting at 5:29 in the fourth, Caldwell-Pope scored four consecutive buckets for the Lakers, concluding with a huge 3-pointer that gave LA a 93-90 lead.

KCP. Of all people!

This is big for the Lakers, and not just because it gave them a nice win. KCP’s performance sent a message to his teammates that he will be aggressive when he needs to be.

As LeBron James has shown on multiple trips to the finals, he can’t just do it alone, and this league is so good at the top that it’s hard to do it with only two people.

James and Davis need people around them to step up and contribute offensively. Dwight Howard has finally started playing well by focusing on his defense and dunking the ball, but he can’t (and shouldn’t) do much more than that. (It also helps that he stopped eating 24 candy bars a day, but I digress.)

Kyle Kuzma can score a bit when called on, and Danny Green can hit an open 3. If the Lakers want to go far, though, they’ll need players like KCP and Avery Bradley to take (and make) open jumpers when called upon.

James has always made it clear that he wants his teammates playing aggressively, and he’s only really run into trouble with teammates when they start playing passively or refuse to attack when called upon. KCP attacked on Friday night, basically because the Kings dared him to.

Making those four shots is going to do a lot to help this Lakers team — not only because those shots gave them a win, but because it showed James that KCP wasn’t afraid to take them.

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Wizards’ Moritz Wagner leads NBA in charges drawn so far this season

The Washington Wizards received Moritz Wagner, a first-rounder in the 2018 NBA Draft, for pennies on the dollar from the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Washington Wizards received Moritz Wagner, a first-rounder in the 2018 NBA draft, for pennies on the dollar from the Los Angeles Lakers.

Wagner had a career-best performance against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night. The 22-year-old became the first reserve to record 30 points and 15 rebounds in a game since Yao Ming in November 2002.

The most notable takeaway from his first stretch with the Wizards thus far, however, has been his prowess for drawing charing fouls. Wagner, who was on the other end of a controversial charge call while playing for Michigan in 2016, knows exactly how devastating such a foul can be for an opponent.

Washington coach Scott Brooks, meanwhile, recently told Candace Buckner just how important this has been to their identity (via ESPN):

“Mo is willing to get there. He puts himself in those positions. He’s thinking ahead of the play and that’s what we have to do as a defensive team.”

After 10 games, he has been on the receiving end of a league-best 10 charges thus far – including three against the Timberwolves. In fact, there was even a fourth called that was overturned and ruled a block.

His current mark would be tied for 16th-best among all NBA teams, meaning he has personally earned more charges than approximately half of the squads around the league.

Wagner, who does not play starter minutes for his team, is averaging 1.9 charges per 36 minutes for the Wizards. That is by far the best in a season from a player (minimum: 100 minutes) since NBA.com began tracking this particular hustle stat during the 2016-17 season.

For context: the big man recorded just two charges the entire season as a rookie for the Lakers. It has been a remarkable change of pace and something valued by Washington.

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Point guards aren’t what they used to be and here’s why

LeBron James and Luka Doncic are the best point guards in the NBA…but they’re also forwards.

We’ve seen positionless basketball take hold of the league since the days of LeBron James’ Miami Heat. The Warriors were the apex of that with Curry playing off ball and Draymond Green running point.

Now, we see that style of play more than ever in so many different ways. It isn’t just centers stepping out and playing the perimeter like Chris Bosh did back then. Now, we’ve got small forwards shifting to the four, everybody switching every thing on defense and gigantic centers stepping out and shooting threes.

Maybe the most impressive trend, and probably the one we take for granted the most, is the evolution of the lead ball handler in the NBA. No longer is it just reserved for guards. More and more, teams are just handing the ball to their best player and letting them cook.

It’s been a joy to watch over the last decade and, honestly, it’s something we probably don’t think about so much because we’re so spoiled by LeBron James.

Just taking a look at the league’s leading ball handlers over the last decade, though, shows us that this isn’t what we’re used to.

Ball handler isn’t the same as point guard anymore

Let’s hop back in time for a bit. Five years ago in the 2014-15 NBA season, there was only one non-guard that ranked in the league’s top 20 assist leaders and, of course, it was James.

He and Blake Griffin were also the only two non-guards ranked in the top 20 in touches per game around the league. They were 10th and 12, respectively.

Let’s fast forward back to today. Five years later, three forwards are the league’s leaders in touches per game starting with Luka Doncic (103.3), James (97.1) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (91.0). It’s not a coincidence that those three are leading most people’s MVP conversations right now.

There’s more. James and Doncic rank first and second in the league in assists. Antetokounmpo ranks 17th and leads his team with 6.5 assists per game. Those three, along with Ben Simmons and Jimmy Butler, are the only non-guards that rank in the top 20 in assists.

If we go buy the old school basketball rule of “you are what you guard” then, technically, all of those guys with the exception of the 6’10 Simmons are playing forward. Yet, they’ve all got the entire offense at their fingertips.

It’s not just a gimmick, either. They’re all actually good at it. I mean, look at these numbers from James the other night.

And this creativity from Doncic here is insane — for anybody, not just a forward.

And those two are just the tip of the iceberg. We haven’t even talked about Draymond Green, Nikola Jokic and Kawhi Leonard, who have all run point at front court positions this season.

This is the game’s natural evolution

As things have become more spread out and teams are thinking about how to best utilize their talent, they’ve begun to trust their best playmakers to actually make plays no matter what position they’re playing.

There have always been solid passers from bigger positions. Think about Arvydas Sabonis back in his hayday or even someone like Al Horford, who is proficient but has never played that “point center” role like a Nikola Jokic is right now.

Some of that is a matter of coming up at the wrong place and wrong time. Most of it is just the evolution of modern basketball and putting players in the best positions they can to thrive.

Spoelstra put it perfectly in this ESPN piece seven years ago.

“We have to view this team in a different lens,” Spoelstra said. “When we try to think conventionally and put guys in certain boxes or positions, it really hamstrings us. Not only in terms of our flow but mentally, too. We developed that term [position-less] just for guys to understand our versatility and how we need to play.”

Now, instead of it just being one team that is positionless, it’s multiple. And the game of basketball is so much better because of it.

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Warriors on pace for worst drop in winning percentage in NBA history

After their first twelve games of the 2019-20 season, the once-mighty Golden State Warriors currently have the worst record in the league.

After their first 12 games of the 2019-20 season, the once-mighty Golden State Warriors currently have the worst record in the league.

Their roster has been absolutely decimated, mostly due to injuries to their two franchise cornerstones Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. But their wild offseason also included the departures of two former NBA Finals MVP in both Kevin Durant and Andre Iguodala. Golden State hardly resembles the team that won the Western Conference five years in a row.

While the offense has struggled without these players, it has been especially bad on the other end of the court. Their defensive rating (117.2) ranks as the worst in the league. Overall, their winning percentage (.167) is a far cry from their mark in 2018-19 (.695).

According to our research, that would be the largest year-over-year negative difference in NBA history. This pace would be worse than the Cleveland Cavaliers after they first lost LeBron James in 2010-11 and the Chicago Bulls after Michael Jordan retired for the second time.

The good news is their eerie similarities thus far to the San Antonio Spurs in 1996-97. Much like the Warriors who added an All-Star (D’Angelo Russell) in the offseason and have started 2-10, the Spurs signed a former All-Star in Dominique Wilkins before the season began and started 2-13. San Antonio received just six games from David Robinson due to an injury while Golden State lost Curry after only four appearances.

The Spurs finished the season 20-62 and ended up with a lottery pick that was used to draft Tim Duncan. Once he returned from injury and played alongside Duncan, they went on to win two titles together following their rough speed bump in 1997. If Golden State gets a high lottery pick to add alongside Curry and Thompson, perhaps a similar fate is coming to the Bay Area.

For context: This is not the first time that the Warriors have experienced an incredibly poor change in their year-over-year performance. They made the NBA Finals in 1964 behind 36.9 points per game from Wilt Chamberlain, who was traded the following season. Later the year, the team then finished with the worst record in the league.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report

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James Harden’s early-season stats are even more mind blowing than last year’s

Whoa.

It’s been only 11 games for James Harden in the 2019-20 season.

But his numbers this year are even wilder than they were a year ago, when he averaged 36.1 ppg, which ended up being the eighth-best season for a scorer in NBA history.

This year, he’s up to 38.1 ppg (that would be fourth all-time). He’s shooting 15.3 free throws per contest, more than FOUR per game more than he averaged in 2018-19. His field goal and three-point percentages are down, but I’m willing to bet no one on the Houston Rockets is complaining.

In our weekly video look at the NBA, we dive into some other impressive numbers that include a LeBron James stat.

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All hail Trae Young, king of the NBA nutmeg

He’s so good at these.

Trae Young in Year 2 is exactly what we all hoped for: A better, more efficient scorer expanding his already-incredible range and becoming a defensive force.

We knew he was a human highlight reel, but now he’s become the king of the nutmeg, the dribble between the wide-open legs of a defender squaring up to attempt to stop the guard, which was already hard enough to begin with. Now, could this mean defenders try to close their legs more and watch as Young breaks their ankles by dribbling around and not through them?

Let’s all grab some popcorn and enjoy a highlight reel of some Young nutmegs.

Poor J.J. Redick.

He stared at the Nuggets bench after what he did to Will Barton.

He did it Ricky Rubio.

He did this last year, too! Here’s a nutmeg from the Rising Stars Challenge that went through Josh Okogie’s legs:

He’s had this move for a loooooooooong time:

Keep ’em coming, Trae.

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