Posted on
12/13/2007 2:39:36 PM
NBA Betting Free Picks – Thursday Night Preview
By Dave Golokhov
The Miami Heat have had a nightmarish start to the season but it looks like they’ve seen the white light at the end of the tunnel. After a long, enduring west coast road trip, the Heat ended their swing with back-to-back wins in Los Angeles (Clippers) and in Phoenix.
Washington Wizards (11-10) @ Miami Heat (6-15)
The Heat are now six-point favorites over the Washington Wizards, who are only 3-8 this year as an underdog.
While the Heat are off a six-game road trip, the Wizards have just completed a five-game homestand where they went 4-1.
They’ve been playing without Gilbert Arenas for a little while now but haven’t seen a significant drop-off.
Miami has dominated this series at home. They have won the last four and 19 of the last 23 games played at Miami. They are 15-7 against the spread in those games.
The total sits 201.5. The Heat are 8-1 straight up over the last three years and 26-2 in their last 28 home games when the total is between 200 and 204.5. They are 19-7 against the spread in their last 26 situations like that.
The Wizards are 9-3 against the spread against teams with a losing record.
Pick: Miami -6
With Tim Duncan expected to be out tonight, the Los Angeles Lakers are 5.5 favorites on the reigning NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs.
Playing without Duncan hasn’t hindered the Spurs too much, though.
San Antonio Spurs (17-4) @ Los Angeles Lakers (12-8)
The Spurs defeated the Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz, before losing in Golden State in the third of three games that Duncan has missed with an ankle sprain.
The Spurs haven’t lost two consecutive games all season long but are only 5-4 on the road. They are 3-1 in their last four meetings with the Lakers at the Staples Center.
The Lakers have played well in December over the last three years. They are 3-1 against the spread this year and 26-10 against the spread in the last three years in the final month of the year.
The Lakers will be looking to exact a little revenge as they’ve already loss to the Spurs once this season. They fell 107-92 on November 13th.
One thing the Lakers can do is beat up on losing teams. Where they struggle is against winning outfits.
The Lakers are only 7-6 straight up and 38-51 in the last three years against teams that are above .500.
The Spurs, meanwhile, are 72-40 in that same situation.
Given the Spurs modest road record and the fact that they are without Tim Duncan, they will be in tough tonight.
Pick: Los Angeles -5.5
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