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posted March 25, 2008 at 13:07 in NBA Free Picks

WHO: San Antonio Spurs (47-23 SU, 32-38 ATS) at Orlando Magic (46-26 SU, 44-26-2 ATS)

WHERE: Amway Arena in Orlando

WHEN: Tuesday, March 25 at 7 PM ET

BetUS NBA betting odds: San Antonio -1, Total 190.5

In the HEAD-to-HEAD NBA betting trends:

* SA has won 10 of the last 13 meetings SU

* ORL has covered eight of the last 12 meetings as the home team

* SA has won five of the last seven meetings SU as the visitor

* Seven of the last eight meetings in Orlando have gone OVER the total

San Antonio has allowed the third fewest points in the NBA this season, yielding just 91 points a game. the Spurs allow two points more when on the road, which is also third best in the league. The Tony Parker-led offense turns the ball over only twelve times a contest. Also:

* SA has covered three of its last 12 games

* SA has won 18 of its last 25 games SU

* SA has played five of its last seven games UNDER the total

* SA has lost five of its last seven road games

* SA has covered two of its last seven road games

* SA has played five of its last six road games UNDER the total

Orlando is a team that loves to shoot from the outside, and indeed leads the NBA with 9.7 three-pointers per game. Overall, the Magic is shooting 47% from the field. At the Amway Arena, the Magic, behind Dwight Howard, has a +2 in rebound margin. Also:

* ORL is 2-3-1 ATS in its last six games

* ORL has won six of its last eight games SU

* ORL has played five of its last seven games UNDER the total

* ORL is 9-2-1 ATS in its last 12 home games

* ORL has won five of its last six home games SU

San Antonio's 88-81 win over Dallas on Sunday was a downer in a sense in that the Spurs shot just 33% from the field. But Manu Ginobili scored 26 points and Tim Duncan had 19 points and 13 rebounds. San Antonio has not been especially good at getting the money, going just 11-13 ATS as a road favorite.

But they seem to have some matchup advantages over the Magic, winning 10 of the last 13 meetings, and more specifically, winning the last two by a combined 46 points. And the Orlando backcourt, which has been criticized from time to time by Stan Van Gundy for not asserting itself on the defensive end, had a very difficult time with Tony Parker, who scored 32 points in an early-season meeting.

Now that San Antonio has tough guy Kurt Thomas in the rotation, it has reinforcements to combat Dwight Howard, who leads the league in rebounds, is second in field goal percentage and fifth in blocked shots, and has a defensively-challenged team in third place in the East and poised for home court advantage in its first-round playoff series.

We certainly respect Orlando's 15-6 record as an underdog, but the absence of Robert Horry is not enough to move us off the Spurs, the one-point favorite in the BetUS NBA betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: SAN ANTONIO

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 http://www.eBookies.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)