Posted on
12/28/2007 3:47:54 PM
NBA Basketball Betting – Minnesota at Portland
By Charles Jay
BetUS NBA Basketball betting odds: PORTLAND -9.5, Total: 188
The Portland Trail Blazers (16-12 SU, 17-11 ATS) are the hottest team in the league right now. And on Friday night, the Blazers go after their 12th win in a row when they play host to the Minnesota Timberwolves (4-23 SU, 13-14 ATS) in an NBA game starting at 10 PM ET from the Rose Garden in Portland.
In the BetUS NBA betting odds, the Blazers are listed at -9.5, with a total of 188.5 points.
In the HEAD-to-HEAD NBA basketball betting trends:
* PORT has covered five of the last six meetings
* MINN has won eight of the last 12 meetings
* Eleven of the last 15 meetings have gone UNDER the total
* PORT has won 17 of the last 25 meetings as the home team
* Six of the last seven meetings in Portland have gone UNDER the total
* The home team has covered seven of the last ten meetings
Minnesota is averaging a shade under 94 points per game on 43.8% shooting. The Wolves have allowed the opposition to shoot 46% from the field. Minnesota has yielded at least 105 points in each of its last five games (average of 111 per game). Also:
* MINN has covered four of its last six games
* MINN has lost eight of its last nine games SU
* MINN has covered four of its last five road games
* MINN has played seven of its last eight road games UNDER the total
* MINN has played eight of its last 11 games UNDER the total
The Blazers are shooting 46.2% as a team for the season. They have hit for 6.3 three-pointers per game, and rank sixth in the NBA with just 92.9 ppg allowed at home. In their last three games, the Blazers have made 26 three-point shots. They've turned the ball over only 13.8 times a game. That's ninth-best in the NBA. Also:
* PORT has covered 10 of its last 11 games
* PORT has covered seven of its last eight home games
* PORT has played six of its last eight games UNDER the total
* PORT has played five of its last six home games UNDER the total
The T-Wolves have experienced some real highs and lows lately. Last Friday they scored 131 points and routed Indiana by 13, then came back the next night and shot 39% in a 110-76 pasting by New Orleans. Minnesota committed to building with youth this season and traded Kevin Garnett to Boston. there have, of course, been growing pains, as the Wolves have the worst record in the league. Another reason for the disappointment has been a kneecap injury to second-year player Randy Foye, who has yet to play this season.
Portland's second-year star, Brandon Roy, has had a much more fortuitous fate. Roy is winging his way toward an NBA All-Star selection. During the current 11-game winning streak he's tallied 24 points or more seven times. LaMarcus Aldridge has now returned from injury to join Joel Przybilla, who had 16 rebounds in 28 minutes against Seattle three nights ago.
We realize that in the process of being an overpriced dog, Minnesota has covered four of its last five road games. But at this point in time, why buck Portland, which has covered the number in ten of those last 11 wins? Let's lay it with the Blazers, the 9.5-point favorite in the BetUS NBA basketball betting odds.
JAY'S PLAY: PORTLAND
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)