Posted on
12/26/2007 5:36:29 PM
NBA Basketball Betting – Miami at Philadelphia
By Charles Jay
BetUS NBA basketball betting odds: PHILADELPHIA -2.5, Total: 190
The Miami Heat (8-20 SU, 13-15 ATS), imploding under Pat Riley, will try to start gaining a little bit of momentum on Wednesday night when they face the Philadelphia 76ers (11-16 SU, 12-14-1 ATS) in an NBA game tipping off at 6 PM ET at the Wachovia Center.
In the BetUS NBA basketball betting odds, the Sixers are a 2.5-point favorite, with the total listed at 190 points.
In the HEAD-to-HEAD NBA basketball betting trends:
* PHIL has won 15 of the last 23 meetings SU
* Four of the last five meetings have gone UNDER the total
* PHIL has covered six of the last seven meetings as the home team
* PHIL has won eight of the last nine meetings at home
* four of the last five meetings at Philadelphia have gone OVER the total
Miami is actually outshooting its opponents by a 46.1%-45.3% count. So why are they 8-20 on the season? Well, a couple of reasons are that they do not shoot free throws very well (just 70%) or get many bonus points with threes (only 4.4 per game). Also:
* MIA has covered one of its last seven games
* MIA has won two of its last seven games SU
* MIA has played nine of its last 12 games OVER the total
* MIA has won four of its last 19 road games SU
* MIA has played six of its last seven road games OVER the total
Philadelphia briefly had a "hot" streak, when it won four in a row after a regime change in the front office. But the Sixers have lost three of their last five games and are shooting just 44.6% from the floor. Philly turns the ball over 15.1 times a game, which doesn't help. Also:
* PHIL has covered two of its last six games
* PHIL has won six of its last nine games SU
* PHIL has played its last six home games OVER the total
Yes, the Heat has weaknesses in long-range shooting and free throw shooting. But Philadelphia suffers from some of those same deficiencies. And the Sixers do not have Dwyane Wade or Shaquille O'Neal. Granted, O'Neal, who can not carry this team anymore, and does not have Alonzo Mourning backing him up anymore. The absence of Smush Parker and Chris Quinn also hurt Miami on the bench. But trends mean something in the NBA, and Philadelphia does not play particularly well at home (5-9-1 ATS), while Miami is 9-6 ATS on the road. The Sixers have had three full days of rest, and at least they have covered some games lately. But there is going to be a problem matching up with Wade, and with Shaq too, as long as he's effective.
Let's take the Heat, the 2.5-point underdog in the BetUS NBA betting odds.
JAY'S PLAY: MIAMI
You’ll find the latest 2007-2008 NBA odds and lines in the best online sportsbook, BetUS.com. Betting on NBA player and game props makes every aspect of the game exciting. Join BetUS.com today to bet on the NBA and make online sports betting work for you!
(Charles Jay of TotalActionExtra.com is a freelance writer and handicapper who not only can make his shots from the top of the key, but also contributes with gusto to the BetUS Locker Room)