Posted on
1/7/2008 3:40:21 PM
NBA Basketball Betting – Denver at Phoenix
By Charles Jay
The Denver Nuggets (21-12 SU, 16-15 ATS), playing their fourth game in five nights, travel to the US Airways Arena in Phoenix on Monday night to tackle the run 'n gun Phoenix Suns (23-10 SU, 14-17-1 ATS), coming off a rare home loss, in NBA action that tips off at 9 PM ET.
In the BetUS NBA basketball betting odds, the Suns are listed at -7.5, with the total posted at 227 points.
In the HEAD-to-HEAD NBA betting trends:
* PHX has won nine of the last 11 meetings SU
* PHX has won the last five meetings SU as the home team
* PHX has covered four of the last five meetings as the home team
* Four of the last six meetings at Phoenix have gone OVER the total
* DEN has had the rebounding edge in five of the last eight meetings
* The home team has covered the last four meetings
Denver has won six of its last seven games. The Nuggets rank third in the league, averaging 45 rebounds per game. But they are being out-boarded by almost one per game by the opposition. Denver gives up 107.6 ppg on the road, which is dead last in the circuit. Also:
* DEN has won six of its last seven games SU
* DEN has covered five of its last six games
* DEN has won four of its last six road games SU
Phoenix was beaten by New Orleans, a tough road team, by a 118-113 score on Saturday night. The Suns nonetheless shot 53% in that game. For the season, the Suns are 49% from the floor, which leads the NBA. That, and their up-tempo style, are two of the reasons why they only average 8.7 offensive rebounds per contest. Also:
* PHX has covered two of its last six games
* PHX has won four of its last five games SU
* PHX has won four of its last five home games SU
* PHX is 2-7 ATS in its last nine home games
Allen Iverson is on a nice run for Denver, scoring 99 points in the last three games, including 38 against his former Philadelphia teammates in a home win last night. The Nuggets have now won three straight games.
Playing four games in five nights sometimes slows you down, not necessarily in the area of getting the ball up and down the floor, but in terms of defending the opposition. Also, shooting often suffers when a team is tired. People like Kenyon Martin, who are just making their way back from injury, might have particular difficulty with this situation.
The Suns are only 5-9 against the spread at home, but you may not want to be playing Phoenix at the back end of a 4-in-5 set. And you don't want to play them when they have rest after a home defeat. That's the situation here, and with 49% marksmanship and more than eight 3-pointers per game, they are certainly going to test Denver's defensive resolve.
This is the first meeting this season, but Phoenix has had much the upper hand in the encounters between these two Western Conference contenders, winning nine of the last 11 and covering four of the last five meetings at home. We'll lay the points with Phoenix, the 7.5-point favorite in the BetUS NBA betting odds.
BetUS NBA basketball betting odds: PHOENIX -7.5, Total 227
JAY'S PLAY: PHOENIX
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)