NBA: Top Weekend Power Trends 1/23-1/25
2009-01-23
After Boston’s upset of the Magic in Orlando on Thursday night, all three top teams in the East are separated by a game and a half in the standings heading into this weekend’s play. That’s not only big because the race for home court advantage in the conference figures to come down to the season’s last week, but also because the East has yet to name its coach for the February 15th All-star Game. Phil Jackson of the Lakers will lead the West, but Celtics head man Doc Rivers is ineligible, leaving Cleveland’s Mike Brown and Orlando’s Stan Van Gundy to duke it out for the honor. The decision comes down to whether or not Cleveland can win in Golden State Friday night. That is just one of many intriguing NBA games on tap for this weekend. Here’s a quick look at some of the action along with a set of Top StatFox Power Trends for you to consider.
On Friday night, ESPN takes a break from its doubleheader schedule by slicing it in half. The only nationally televised game scheduled is Dallas visiting Detroit. The Mavericks will try to rebound from a 34-point pasting at Milwaukee on Wednesday. The Pistons have won back-to-back games since losing their prior five. At home, Detroit is just 7-13 ATS in ’08-09, and against the West, just 7-10 ATS. Elsewhere on Friday, the Bucks visit Atlanta, the Nets take on San Antonio, and the Cavs visit the Warriors. That game may seem easy on paper based upon the 19-game win difference this season, but keep in mind that the Warriors are 19-6 ATS in home games when playing against a top-level team (Win Pct. > 70%) over the last 3 seasons.
On Saturday, the betting board is light in the NBA with just six games, and only two of the games involve teams that are considered playoff contenders. Those contests are Orlando at Miami and Cleveland at Utah. The Magic will try to shake off the disappointment of Thursday’s loss to the Celtics. Their chances are good too, as Miami is on a 7-19 ATS slide at home versus teams with winning records, and the Magic have won 10 straight games in the head-to-head series. Speaking of series domination, that will also be the story in Utah, where the Cavaliers will be looking to extend a 7-2 SU & 9-0 ATS run vs. the Jazz.
Finally, on Sunday, the NBA takes center stage on your TV dial with ABC bringing a daytime doubleheader and ESPN wrapping it up with an evening contest. In all there are nine games. The ABC two-pack features Dallas visiting Boston in the opener and the Lakers hosting the Spurs in the late game, as the league’s top two teams host foes. The ESPN telecast starts at 6:35 PM ET, and features Houston at Detroit. The Rockets were 1-2 SU & 0-3 ATS vs. the Central Division this year heading into the Friday night game at Indiana.
Now, here’s a look at those Top StatFox Power Trends alluded to earlier.
Friday, 1/23/09
(851) PHOENIX vs. (852) CHARLOTTE
PHOENIX is 1-10 ATS (-10 Units) vs. poor passing teams, averaging <=20 assists/game this season. The average score was PHOENIX 101, OPPONENT 102 - (Rating = 2*)
(855) HOUSTON vs. (856) INDIANA
INDIANA is 13-2 OVER (+10.8 Units) in non-conference games this season. The average score was INDIANA 111.2, OPPONENT 113.4 - (Rating = 3*)
(855) HOUSTON vs. (856) INDIANA
HOUSTON is 48-28 ATS (+17.2 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons. The average score was HOUSTON 95.9, OPPONENT 88.8 - (Rating = 1*)
(863) NEW JERSEY vs. (864) SAN ANTONIO
NEW JERSEY is 2-13 ATS (-12.3 Units) as a road underdog of 9.5 to 12 points over the last 3 seasons. The average score was NEW JERSEY 88.7, OPPONENT 104.7 - (Rating = 2*)
(867) CLEVELAND vs. (868) GOLDEN STATE
Don Nelson is 19-6 ATS (+12.4 Units) at home against a top-level team (Win Pct. > 70%) as coach of GOLDEN STATE. The average score was Nelson 110.5, OPPONENT 105 - (Rating = 2*)
Saturday, 1/24/09
(501) NEW YORK vs. (502) PHILADELPHIA
NEW YORK is 10-2 UNDER (+7.8 Units) revenging 2 straight losses where opp scored 100 or more points this season. The average score was NEW YORK 102.9, OPPONENT 102.9 - (Rating = 1*)
(503) ORLANDO vs. (504) MIAMI
ORLANDO is 13-1 ATS (+11.9 Units) vs. teams who attempt 18 or more 3PT shots/game this season. The average score was ORLANDO 103.1, OPPONENT 92.1 - (Rating = 4*)
(509) CLEVELAND vs. (510) UTAH
CLEVELAND is 22-6 ATS (+15.4 Units) vs. good shooting teams - making >=46% of their shots over last 2 seasons. The average score was CLEVELAND 94.6, OPPONENT 91.9 - (Rating = 3*)
Sunday, 1/25/09
(803) SAN ANTONIO vs. (804) LA LAKERS
LA LAKERS are 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) in home games revenging a same season loss vs opponent over last 2 seasons. The average score was LA LAKERS 105.7, OPPONENT 100.1 - (Rating = 1*)
(805) PHOENIX vs. (806) ATLANTA
PHOENIX is 67-37 ATS (+26.3 Units) in road games against a marginal winning team (Win Pct. 51%-60%) since 1996. The average score was PHOENIX 100.5, OPPONENT 99.5 - (Rating = 1*)
(815) UTAH vs. (816) DENVER
UTAH is 29-16 ATS (+11.4 Units) vs. good teams - outscoring opponents by 3+ PPG over the last 2 seasons. The average score was UTAH 102.4, OPPONENT 98.4 - (Rating = 1*)
(817) LA CLIPPERS vs. (818) GOLDEN STATE
GOLDEN STATE is 8-20 ATS (-14 Units) in home games against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. The average score was GOLDEN STATE 115.3, OPPONENT 110.9 - (Rating = 1*)
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