Event: NBA Basketball, New Orleans Hornets at Oklahoma City Thunder

Online betting:Wednesday, March 10^th, 20:00 EST

The month of March brings great delight to sporting fans around the country, as spring training begins, March Madness takes centre stage, and the NHL and NBA pass their trade deadlines and head for the playoffs.  As the college game begins to sort itself out, the NBA has some big match ups every day.

In the Midwest Wednesday, two Western conference teams take the court as they fight for the final playoff spots.  The Oklahoma City Thunder (38-24) host the New Orleans Hornets (32-32) in a battle of two teams going in opposite directions.

The Thunder have had a couple days to rest after a short and successful road trip that saw them take down the Kings and Clippers, and continue their strong play.  Against Sacramento, Kevin Durant lead the team with 27 points and 8 rebounds. Russell Westbrook, meanwhile, led the team in the fourth quarter after leaving the game in the third with an elbow to the head.  Westbrook required six stitches, and had trouble seeing, but returned in the fourth to score 13 of his 21 points.

Since losing three in a row in January, the Thunder have clicked in every face of their game, winning 14 of 17, and moving them up to 6^th place in the Western Conference. They are 7 games behind the first place Lakers, and only two games out of the fifth seed.

New Orleans meanwhile, broke a four game losing streak on Monday with a 135-131 win over Golden State. The Hornets are 4 and half games out of eighth place with time running out.  Their schedule doesn’t get any easier with Denver and Phoenix on the horizon, and so the team needs to start putting together wins in a hurry to save their season. Another strong performance by rookie Darren Collison would go a long way to putting together a winning streak. Collison had 16 points and 20 assists in the victory over the warriors, as the team looks for players to step up in Chris Paul’s continued absence due to injury. Marcus Thornton and David West each scored 28 for the Hornets, who had six players score in double figures.

The offensive surge will be tough to continue against the Thunder, who average 96.5 points allowed per game, third lowest in the conference. After a positive performance, though, the Hornets will try to carry their recent performance

Pick: The Hornets are overmatched in this contest, but look for them to come out strong after a very encouraging and hard fought victory against Golden State Monday.  They are riding a bit of momentum, and need to catch Oklahoma City on an off night.  Though the Thunder have played strong for weeks now, they are due for a letdown.  Look for the Hornets to keep it close, and make a run for an upset late in the game.

Betting management is key this time of year with some many events going on, and help is readily available. Bet on March Madness as it only comes once a year, and enjoy the all the sports that the month of March has to offer.

With the NBA playoff race in full force, NBA Odds are the hot topic for many sports fans. The schedule for this week features several important games for NBA contenders. Every point matters, which means teams within the playoff picture will be fighting for positioning, while those outside will be battling to get in, or at the very least, to spoil the hopes of other NBA rivals.

Cleveland Cavaliers at New Jersey Nets

Saturday, February 20, 7:00PM (ET)

The Eastern Conference playoff picture is becoming clearer with every game. For the Cleveland Cavaliers, they are looking to carry momentum into the playoffs and secure their spot atop the Conference. Wednesday, they meet the lowly New Jersey Nets who are playing for pride at this point. This game is a true first versus worst match up.

What Cleveland needs to do to win

US Sportsbook Review Odds: NO LINE YET

Play strong behind their big men: With Shaquille O’Neal out for two months following thumb surgery, the Cavaliers center position goes to Anderson Verejao and JJ Hickson. Are they capable? Yes. All the Cavaliers have to do is have faith in Verajao and Hickson and play strong behind them as they did with Shaq. In fact, Verejao is averaging more rebounds per game than O’Neal and has played on average, 6-minutes per game more than O’Neal did. The Cleveland Cavaliers know and respect Varejao and Hickson. If they continue to play strong behind their center and support him, the sky is the limit for this talented team. How did the Cavs respond to their first official game without Shaq? They clobbered the New York Knicks 124-93.

Capitalize on double teams: With teams double teaming LeBron James, the Cavaliers need to find a way to score when their star is covered. Thanks to a deadline deal to acquire Antawn Jamison and with Mo Williams riding shotgun, the Cavs are lethal. Whenever LeBron is double teamed, the Cavaliers need to feel confident putting the game in the hands of Jamison and Williams. If the Cleveland Cavaliers can get legitimate scoring from these two players, they will be well positioned to win this game.

What New Jersey needs to do to win

Sports Betting Lines: NO LINE YET

Find a way to defend the ‘King’: When you peg a team that allows more than 100 points per game against a team that scores more than 100 points per game, fireworks are possible. For the Nets to avoid a complete blowout, they will need to shut down LeBron James. Double teaming James likely won’t work because that will only give more space for Antawn Jamison and Mo Williams to work.  The Nets will need a huge game out of Brook Lopez who leads the team in blocks and points per game.

Score from the bench: Beyond Brook Lopez, the enigmatic New Jersey Nets offense has been a letdown all season. Averaging only 90 points per game over the season, the New Jersey Nets must find a way to score from the bench. If the Nets can manage even 20 points off the bench, they should be able to stay in the game with the powerful Cavaliers.

With the trade deadline just past, it is time to take a look at which teams bettered themselves and which made themselves better for the future by sacrificing the present.

Why? So we can bet on them of course.

This Wednesday we have a clear example of what happens when a team trades away the reason for their success and has to figure out a new way to play when the Orlando Magic travel to Houston to face the new look Rockets.

Orlando Magic (38-19, 2^nd in Eastern Conference) @ Houston Rockets (28-27, t-10^th in Western Conference)

NBA odds (*note lines are approximations as they have not been posted at the time of writing)

Spread: Magic -6

Over/Under: 190

Money Line: Magic -220, Houston +145

Key Storylines

Bronze Medal: Can the Rockets cool off Vince Carter?

Vince Carter started this year off terribly. He was taking bad shots, not hitting them and not setting up teammates. He looked disinterested. Coming over from New Jersey in the offseason, the Magic thought he would be an upgrade over Hedo Turkoglu but looked like a disappointment for much of the season. About a month ago, former Nets Coach Lawrence Frank (asked by Magic coach Stan Van Gundy) came and visited Vince to see what was up. Stan Van Gundy has started using some plays Vince is used to running from his old Nets days and the results have been tremendous. Carter is averaging 20.6 points 5.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists a game in February compared to 8.7 points , 2.7 boards and 2.2 dimes in January. Carter is finally back to form and playing well with the rest of the Magic. This team is a whole new beast with Carter playing this way. The Rockets will throw Trevor Ariza at him, who is one of the league’s best defensive G/F’s. Carter has plenty of options to pass off to on this deep Magic team, but look for Carter to step up in big moments no matter who is guarding him.

Advantage: Magic

Silver Medal: Did the trade improve or hurt the Rockets?

At the trade deadline the Rockets shipped off seldom used Tracy McGrady, team leader Carl Landry and Joey Dorsey off and got back SG Kevin Martin, backup center Hilton Armstrong, rookie F Jordan Hill, F Jared Jeffries aka the worst offensive player in the NBA, and the right to swap 2011 1^st round picks with the Knicks (top 1 protected) and the Knicks 2012 1^st round pick (top 5 protected).

This trade doesn’t make the Rockets better now. Carl Landry was the all purpose dynamo underneath for the Rockets. Now they have little or no presence underneath. Martin is a sharpshooter and he will take a lot of the shooting load from Trevor Ariza. It will take some time for these guys to play as one, but expect Coach Rick Adelman to get them up to speed quickly. Martin will have to go against the likes of Vince Carter and Mikael Pietrus in this game so it probably won’t happen Wednesday.

Advantage: Magic

Gold Medal: How does this team stop Dwight Howard?

Dwight Howard is the premier center in the NBA.  Although Shaq may have gotten the best of him heads up, the Magic were able to knock off the Cavs last week. The Rockets added Jared Jeffries for his defense. Jeffries can play four positions on D, but is skinny and can’t be confused for a big banger. Dwight Howard will eat him, Chuck Hayes, Hilton Armstrong and Luis Scola alive. Howard will put up ridiculous numbers in this game.

Advantage: Magic

Prediction:

The Rockets will be on a slide until they get accustomed to playing with their new roster. Even then, this team will have trouble against teams with dominant big men. The trade really is for next year and the future as Yao Ming should be back and this team should instantly become a contender once that happens. The Knicks draft picks may be useful if the Knicks cannot land a big name and become a playoff team next year. That aside, the Rockets have very little chance, even at home, versus this Magic team.

Final: Magic 96 – Rockets 76

Sports betting tips: Take the Magic and the under as this game is a lock.

The Matchup

With one team surging and one team sagging, the outcome to this contest is fairly easy to predict. For those looking for betting tips, San Antonio travels to Philadelphia on Friday night to take on the struggling Philadelphia 76ers. While the Spurs have just two wins in Philly since 1999, look for the team to make it three after a workman-like performance on Friday night. The Spurs continued their winning ways after the break with a 90-87 win over Indiana on Wednesday. After winning three of their last four, San Antonio remain one game behind Southwest-division leading Dallas.

For their part, Philadelphia is looking to get back on track after faltering in their last two performances, most recently against Miami in their first game after the break. It was a rough night as the 76ers were blasted 105-78 in their worst loss since November. Prior to their last losses, Philly had been on a season-high five game win streak.

The Breakdown

Historical record (and sportsbooks) reveal that Philadelphia has not been kind to the San Antonio Spurs. They have lost seven of nine road matchups with the 76ers since the 1999-2000 season. In their last meeting, Philadelphia took all of the jingle and darn near most of the jangle out of the Spurs, shutting them down 109-87 on January 16. A win against a strong team such as San Antonio could give Philadelphia the confidence and fire it needs to go on another hot steak, however, the team’s play in their last outing, gave fans little to see confidence in.

Also, look for Allen Iverson to be back in the game on Friday. Iverson missed the last few games due to family medical issues, however, after seeing minimal time in Tuesday’s game, look for Iverson to be back in the starting lineup on Friday. This will mark Iverson’s first meeting with San Antonio since February, 2006. Iverson scored an incredible 42 points in that meeting and has averaged 28.8 points and 5.5 assists over 25 career games versus the San Antonio Spurs.

The Bottom Line

While San Antonio is the better team according to NBA betting lines, you cannot discount their past poor performances in Philadelphia. Also taking into account the addition of Allen Iverson back into Philly’s starting lineup, and it looks like we have the makings of an upset and a much needed win at home for Philly. Not so fast. Expect Tim Duncan to bounce back from his terrible performance from the field on Wednesday, and San Antonio to gut it out, and eek out a win in front of what will no doubt be a typically demure, high class and relaxed crowd in Philly.

The Detroit Pistons have taken a big dive from the ranks of being an NBA and Eastern Conference contender. As they continue their post All-Star break stretch, they’ll have to travel on the road to face a team that has become the best in the East.

The Magic are the reigning Eastern Conference Champs and they don’t expect to have many problems with the Pistons, who have seemingly lost their quality roster and team identity. The Pistons have made a couple of recent changes to their roster in the last year or so, such as firing head coach Flip Saunders and trading away Chauncey Billups, that has left the Pistons with a very mixed bag of a roster.

The good news for Detroit is that they are finally healthy, but they aren’t exactly a cohesive group. They have a lot of duplication, with players like Rodney Stuckey and Will Bynum, and Ben Gordon and Richard Hamilton, but they don’t have a lot of leadership or toughness anymore.

Meanwhile, the Magic are far more complete and won’t have many problems dealing with the Pistons. At best, the Pistons are looking at a cover but not a win.

Detroit Pistons @ Orlando Magic

Bodog Odds (Bodog Reviews): Magic -11

The Pistons will be on the second of back-to-back games, which means fatigue might be a factor for them. If that doesn’t tire them out, the Magic’s defense should.

Scoring 100 points has been a trek for the Pistons this season as they haven’t topped the mark in regulation over their last 28 games.

The Magic are the league’s seventh-best defensive team, allowing just 95.9 per game. Meanwhile, Detroit ranks 29^th in scoring offense while averaging just 91.7 per game. If you’re looking for some more stats to indicate that this will be a one-sided matchup, just look at the home-road statistics of both teams.

The Magic are 20-5 at home while the Pistons are 6-18 on the road. The Magic don’t lose often at home but they are coming off a home loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, which left a fairly bitter taste in their mouth.

Expect Orlando to be very focused on rebounding from that loss. Sports handicapping experts should expect this game to play out exactly how it looks, which will be a very easy Orlando win.

NBA Betting Odds Pick: Magic -11

Rookies vs Sophomores

Friday February 12 at 9:00 pm EST

The Rookies have not won a game since 2002 and besides last game where they came within six points, they have been beaten every year by double digits and as many as 41. Readers know that the Rookies did get one item of good news this week as sophomore Derrick Rose will not play as he was selected to play in the All Star game.

Primetime Performers

Rookies: Tyreke Evans has played great for the Sacramento Kings all year and has shown that he was worth the 4^th overall pick last summer. Averaging 20.3 points, 5.1 assists and 4.8 boards he will be the best statistical player on the court on Friday. Playing the majority of the season without Kings star shooting guard Kevin Martin has not slowed him down and should be expected to put up a lot of points in a game that is notorious for lack of defence.

Sophomores: While the Clippers have been struggling this year, Eric Gordon has led the team and improved his game across the board. Scoring 17 a game and adding three boards and three assists, he should be the focal point in the offence. Those doing NBA betting should remember that in last year’s game he put up 19 points on six of eight shooting including three for four from downtown.

X-Factors

Rookies: Stephen Curry has finally been getting steady playing time in Golden State and has responded with a huge month in January. Scoring around 20 points, six assists and four rebounds a game since New Year’s he is joining Brandon Jennings in the race to catch Evans for rookie of the year. He also just rattled off a monstrous triple-double against the L.A. Clippers putting up 36 points, 13 assists, 10 rebounds and three steals while playing against former All Star Baron Davis.

Sophomores: Marc Gasol is primed to have a monstrous game. He is the only player in the league averaging 15 points and 9.5 boards as a centre in the Western Conference and joins Andrew Bogut and Dwight Howard as the only players to do it in the entire NBA. Gasol also stands at 7’1” and will be likely be matched up with Duan Blair who stand just 6’8” since the rookie team’s tallest player is Jonas Jerebko, who stands just 6”10” and at just 231 lbs is not going to guard the 265 lb Minnesota Grizzlies player.

Matchup

The Rookies have only one player (Blair) who plays center and two (Taj Gibson and Jerebko) who play power forward, those doing sportsbetting should expect a lot of three guard line-ups. They have a huge speed advantage to make up for the lack in size and with the loss of Rose, the Sophomores have no chance of matching the Rookies in scoring from the backcourt. They will however dominate the paint as the Sophomores boast four players of 6’10” or more and should counter with a big group on the court.

Betting Recommendations

In the ten years of the Rookie versus Sophomore format of the Rookie Challenge, the Rookies have only won twice and this year should be no different as they are just too good down low.

Pick: Sophomores

According to gambling software, the Los Angeles Lakers are still one of the top favorites to win the NBA championship, but the defending champions have a couple of injury worries, notably to their star player. The Lakers will travel to Utah on Wednesday to face a red-hot Jazz team.

Lakers vs Jazz betting – Wednesday, February 10, 9:00 PM ET

Even without Kobe Bryant, the Lakers came away with a 101-89 win over San Antonio at home on Monday, and without Bryant, they had a balanced attack that moves the ball around. Pau Gasol led the way with 21 points, 19 boards and eight assists, while Lamar Odom added 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who had 20 assists as a team. The Lakers were also missing Andrew Bynum, and this was a good win for a team missing two-fifths of their starting lineup, even if it was at home.

The Jazz had won eight in a row before their road game with the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday, and they’re coming off a 116-106 win over Denver at home on Saturday night. Andrei Kirilenko and Deron Williams had 21 points apiece for the Jazz, while Carlos Boozer returned to the lineup to notch 19 points and 13 boards. The Jazz shot 49.4% from the floor and forced 20 Denver turnovers in the contest, and like they’ll have to on Wednesday against the Lakers, they were facing a short-handed team as the Nuggets were missing Carmelo Anthony.

The Jazz should be favored at home in your sportsbook, as they are 22-6 at EnergySolutions Arena. The Lakers have lost six of their last 10 in Utah, including a 102-94 loss back in December. They’ll have their hands full dealing with a streaking Utah team, especially with no Bryant (back, finger, ankle) or Bynum (hip), and the Bynum absence could be more important. This could allow Boozer and Paul Millsap to have their way in the post against the Lakers. Also, the Lakers have to find something to do at the point, namely, do they make the switch from Derek Fisher to Shannon Brown? Fisher has problems staying in front of the better point guards in the Western Conference, as shown by Tony Parker’s ability to penetrate against the Lakers at will. The Lakers got some help for Fisher in the second half, but if they wait until then to pick up Williams, it’ll be a long day for the Lakers, who are also 19-23 without Bryant in the lineup since the 2003-04 season. Look for the Jazz to keep their winning ways going.

NBA betting pick: Utah

Minnesota Timberwolves (+6.5) vs Philadelphia 76ers Minnesota Timberwolves (+6.5) to win at (  1.952)
Dallas Mavericks/Denver Nuggets (Over 210.5) points at (  1.952)

Statistic: 138/279 50%

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The countdown to the Super Bowl Sunday has begun and Super Bowl XLIV odds are up as are countless NFL predictions across the web. With all this going on, it is easy to overlook some key NBA matchups that have both playoff and sports betting implications.

Memphis Grizzlies (25-19 7^th in Western Conference) @ San Antonio Spurs (26-18, 5^th in Western Conference)

Spread: Spurs -4

Total: 198

Money Line: Spurs – 150, Grizzlies +120

Top Storylines

Bronze Medal: O.J. Mayo vs. Manu Ginobili

O.J. Mayo has emerged in his sophomore season as a very good shooting guard. Averaging 18.1points a game and his ability to guard most guards with his athleticism makes him a player coaches now have to game-plan for.

Manu seems like he’s been in the league for ever. I’ve seen his bald spot grow and develop in front of my eyes for a decade now and it seems like Manu is slowing down a bit. Nagged by various injuries this season Manu has struggled to find consistency. The Spurs will need him to play like his old all-star self in this one as they will most likely be without Tony Parker (ankle).

If Manu can score on O.J. Mayo in this game with banged up shins slowing him down, I would be pretty surprised. He is still a player with great awareness in the game and he will need it in this one. Mayo should be able to score at will on Ginobili in his state and that may well be the Grizzlies game plan in this one.

Silver Medal: Tim Duncan vs. Zack Randolph and Marc Gasol

Tim Duncan has been one of the top 5 players in the NBA for over a decade running now and while he has looked a little slower and older, was still able to put up 21 points and a career high 27 rebounds with 6 assists in a domination of the 29-15 Atlanta Hawks. He will have to be that good again as he is taking on two players with improving and diverse games.

Zeebo has all but clinched either Comeback Player or Most Improved Player of the year, whichever one they want to give him. He has averaged 21 ppg and 11.6 rpg this season and is a sure fire all-star. Marc Gasol has developed into a low post threat and is averaging 15.1ppg and 9.6 rpg. The two of them play different styles with Zack’s mid range game and crashing of the boards (4.6 offensive boards a game) while Gasol plays a more traditional post-up game. This big man flexibility has been nightmares for opposing teams.

Duncan will get some help from DeJuan Blair and Antonio McDyess but don’t make a mistake on who will get the assignments in crunch-time. I expect Duncan to be able to shut down Gasol, but Randolph will just step out on him. The battle on the boards in this one promises to be epic and is a reason to watch the game all in its own. Will it be the young hot-shots or the future hall-of-famer who shows more resolve in this midseason matchup? It’s a toss-up, but I would give Timmy D the benefit of the doubt.

Gold Medal: How the Spurs replace Tony Parker

Tony Parker suffered a badly sprained ankle driving to the hoop on Wednesday. George Hill and Keith Bogans will likely share PG responsibilities in this one with Manu Ginobili bringing the ball up often. Parker is the main cog in this offense and creates shots extremely well for his teammates. He is virtually un-guardable by guards the same size as him, like Memphis’ Mike Conley Jr., and his loss will be felt in this game.

Prediction: To win, the Spurs will have to put up a valiant effort on their home court in this game and Tim Duncan will have to be great. I think he will be very good and the Spurs will fall just short against a streaking young and athletic Grizzlies team.

Final: Grizzlies 92- Spurs 88. Take the Grizzlies and the under.

NBA Wednesday Preview:  Utah Jazz (26-18) @ Portland Trail Blazers (27-19)

With most of everyone’s attention being on the Super Bowl odds, various prop bets and NFL picks , many are overlooking the NBA that has some interesting midseason matchups to bet on.

This Wednesday Deron Williams leads the Utah Jazz into Portland to face LaMarcus Aldridge and the Blazers.

Sportsbook outlook:

Spread: Jazz -2.5

Over/Under: 195.5

Money Lines: Jazz -150, Blazers +125

Let’s take a look at the matchups in this one:

PG: Deron Williams vs. Andre Miller

Deron Williams has been one of the best point guards in the game since he joined the league from the University of Illinois. He has a gold medal as a part of the “Redeem Team” two summers ago. This season has been more of the same from Williams who is averaging 18.9 points, 9.6 assists and 3.9 rebounds with a steal per game for the Jazz. His on ball defense is a big part of his value.

Andre Miller has been well traveled in the NBA and many thought that he would have a hard time adjusting to Portland’s slow-paced methodical half-court approach. Well, after Greg Oden and Joel Pryzbilla went down for the season and now without Brandon Roy for the forseable future, Miller gets to play his style. He has always been a great passer, but has rarely been accused of being a great teammate.

Advantage: Utah

SG: Ronnie Brewer vs. Rudy Fernandez

If the Jazz have a weakness, it’s at shooting guard. Brewer has been platooning with Kyle Korver and Wesley Matthews at this spot mainly because of his lack of range on his shot (7-27 from 3 this season). Brewer offers the best defensive option at the position but his name has been floated around in trade talks, most notably with Memphis, who is looking for bench depth.

Rudy Fernandez remains an enigma in the NBA. After dazzling everyone with dunks and threes in the Olympics for Silver medalist Spain, Fernandez has never really gained any consistency at the highest level. With star guard Brandon Roy, out with a hamstring (and getting experiemental plasma treatment to it), Rudy finally gets a chance to start and show why he was the second best player in Spain behind Pau Gasol.

Advantage: Blazers

SF: Andrei Kirilenko vs. Martell Webster

AK-47 has been in the Jerry Sloan’s doghouse for his uninspired play for most of the season. Recently, Kirilenko was moved to the starting lineup and has two 25+ point games in his last three contests. The former all-star is regaining his form and is always tough defensively.

Webster has been a revelation for the Blazers with all the injuries to the team. Nic Batum came back from a shoulder injury against the Hornets Monday but played only10 minutes. Webster will have his playing time cut into, but is playing too well right now to be demoted back to the bench, especially for Batum. Still, neither player will be able to do much against the presence of AK-47.

Advantage: Jazz

PF: Carlos Boozer vs. LaMarcus Aldridge

Boozer is a perennial all-star and has put up another solid season for the Jazz. Averaging 18.9 points and 10.8 rebounds with 3.5 assists a steal and 54% shooting from the field. He is a premier power-forward with numbers backing it up.

Aldridge has emerged as a force and Portland’s best player for most of the season. Aldridge is averaging just over 16 points and 8 rebounds. Being forced to cover every team’s big man without a true center left on the roster, Aldridge has been putting in Yeoman’s work this season, but doesn’t appear to have the stats to make the trip to Dallas for the all-star game

Advantage: Jazz

C: Mehmet Okur vs. Juwan Howard

Memo Okur has seen his numbers fall off a bit from last season, but that is not that significant as his number have fallen to his carrer averages. Still shooting 38% from downtown, Memo stretches the defense and makes for a dynamic inside-outside game with him, Boozer and Deron Williams.

Juwan Howard should not be in the NBA anymore

Advantage : Jazz

Bench: Paul Millsap, Wesley Matthews, Ronnie Price, C.J. Miles, Kyle Korver vs Jeff Pendergraph, Dante Cunningham, Jerryd Bayless, Steve Blake

The Blazers are decimated by injuries. They have no true center on the roster. Rookie Dante Cunningham has shown he hassome skill, but is still very young. Bayless and Blake are both point guards, a position filled by Andre Miller.

The Jazz have perhaps the best backup power forward in the league in Paul Millsap as well as shooters that can come off the bench.

Advantage: Jazz

Prediction: The Jazz seem to have too much man power for the beaten up Trail Blazers. I expect the Jazz to take this one handily: Utah 108- Portland 92

NBA Picks: Take the Jazz and the under