Posted on
4/16/2008 6:13:23 PM
Bet On NBA Basketball – Hornets Look To Sting Mavs
By Eric Williams
The New Orleans Hornets, (56-25 SU, 50-29-2 ATS, 39-40-2 O/U) have proven to NBA sportsbook bettors that they are for real time and time again in their best season in franchise history and will take the floor against the Dallas Mavericks, (50-31 SU, 34-43-4 ATS, 38-41-2 O/U) tonight for the first time as division champs when they finish up their regular season at Dallas tonight.
The Hornets won their first division title in the 20-year history of their franchise after missing out on the playoffs altogether last season and come into tonight’s contest coming off a convincing 114-92 win over the lowly Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday.
"A lot of people had us not even getting in the playoffs," said center Tyson Chandler, one of the league’s best rebounders. "I don't think any of us believed that. We all believed that we're one of the better teams in the conference. If you win this division it says a lot about the team because this is the best division in basketball."
All-star point guard Chris Paul recorded his 55th double-double of the season against the Clippers, achieving a feat that no other NBA point guard, including Phoenix two-time MVP Steve Nash, has been able to pull off since former Utah Jazz legend John Stockton in 1991-92.
The Mavericks come in riding a two-game losing streak in the BetUS Sportsbook including a dismal 99-95 loss to the Seattle Supersonics on Sunday.
Dallas will end up as the conference’s No. 7 or No. 8 seed in the West depending on what happens in this contest. A loss will make them the eight seed and give them a date with the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round while beating the Hornets tonight would pit them against the Hornets in the first round.
The good news for the Mavericks is that they have beaten the Hornets 12 straight times at home by an average of 13.0 points per game.
"We've played New Orleans three times already this year," Johnson told the team's official Web site. "When we play against them in the playoffs, it's going to be pick-and-rolls with Chris Paul and (Peja) Stojakovic is going to be shooting the basketball from Slovenia somewhere, and we're going to have to stop them."
Here is a look at tonight’s key trends followed by my analysis and NBA Betting Picks.
The Hornets are 26-6-2 ATS in their last 34 games playing on zero days rest.
The Hornets are 4-1-1 ATS in their last six road games.
The Mavericks are 6-2 ATS in their last eight Wednesday games.
The Mavericks are 36-15-1 ATS in their last 52 vs. NBA Southwest.
The Under is 4-0 in Hornets last four games vs. a team with a winning percentage above .600.
The Under is 4-0 in Mavericks last four home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
The Under is 7-0 in the last seven meetings in Dallas.
The Under is 7-2-1 in the last ten meetings.
Analysis: I know the Hornets have struggled to beat the Mavericks in Dallas for quite some time, but I like them to cover this insanely high spread easily tonight while giving themselves an excellent chance to win outright. Take the Hornets to cover and don’t look back.
NBA Free Picks: Hornets +8½ Points/Over 191½ Total Points
07:05 PM EST NBA Odds
New Orleans Hornets +8½ -110
Dallas Mavericks -8½ -110
Over 191½ -110
Under 191½ -110
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