Posted on
3/17/2008 2:10:46 PM
NBA Basketball Betting – San Antonio Spurs Host Celtics
By Eric Williams
The Boston Celtics, (52-13 SU, 39-24-2 ATS, 29-35-1 O/U), got back to their winning ways on Saturday, beating the lowly Milwaukee Bucks 99-77 on the road after getting soundly beaten by the Utah Jazz 110-92 just one night earlier.
While the Celtics have won nine of their last ten games in the BetUS.com Sportsbook, the defending champion San Antonio Spurs, (44-22 SU, 28-36-2 ATS, 27-39 O/U), are suddenly in the midst of their greatest struggles all season, having lost three straight coming into this affair and five of their last six overall.
The Celtics, who have already clinched the Atlantic Division and are seeking home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, are seeking their sixth consecutive road while San Antonio is just hoping to bounce back from its latest loss, a 103-96 defeat to the streaking Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday.
Both teams are expecting nothing less than an all-out war with a playoff type of atmosphere and intensity to match.
"These are going to be playoff-style basketball games," Celtics forward Kevin Garnett said. "We have to be ready. We've got a long road trip, so it's good to get this first one and try to carry it on."
The Spurs (44-22) have won seven in a row at home, but haven’t looked like their usual selves lately.
"We could never get a run going," Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said. "They (Sixers) didn't miss many shots and every time we got within seven, they hit a big shot or we turned over the ball."
The Celtics have won five straight on the road and 11 of 12 overall after routing out the Bucks and are tied with the Detroit Pistons for the league’s best defense, (90.3 ppg) while the Spurs are in third place in defensive scoring, allowing just 91.3 points per contest.
The Celtics have covered the spread in six of their last seven while the Spurs are just 1-8-1 against the spread over the same span and have failed to cover in eight straight games.
Here is a look at tonight’s Key Trends, followed by my analysis and NBA Betting Picks.
The Celtics are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
The Celtics are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 Monday games.
The Spurs are 2-7-1 ATS in their last 10 vs. NBA Atlantic.
The Spurs are 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 vs. Eastern Conference.
The Under is 4-0 in Celtics last 4 overall.
The Under is 6-1 in Spurs last 7 games playing on 1 days rest.
The Favorite is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
The Celtics are 3-7 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
Analysis: This pick is really tough seeing as how the Spurs need this game in the worst way but the Celtics are not likely to give it to them on a silver platter. I’m thinking this is a classic ‘last-possession’ type of game in the making. Take the Celtics to cover and possibly win outright. Oh, and the 177-point Over/Under is a bit too low, even for these fine defensive teams.
NBA Free Picks: Boston +3½ Points/Over 177 Total Points
08:35 PM EST NBA Betting Odds
Boston Celtics +3½ -110
San Antonio Spurs -3½ -110
Over 177 -110
Under 177 -110
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!