Posted on 4/15/2008 2:48:15 PM

NBA Basketball Betting - Orlando at Atlanta

By Charles Jay

WHO: Orlando Magic (50-30 SU, 49-29-2 ATS) at Atlanta Hawks (37-43 SU, 38-42 ATS)

WHERE: Phillips Arena in Atlanta, GA

WHEN: Tuesday, April 15 at 7 PM ET

BetUS NBA basketball online betting odds: Orlando -1, Total 204.5

In the HEAD-to-HEAD NBA basketball betting trends:

* ATL has won and covered four of the last five meetings

* Six of the last eight meetings have gone UNDER the total

* ATL has covered five of the last six meetings as the road team

* ATL has won the last five meetings SU as the home team

* Five of the last six meetings in Atlanta have gone UNDER the total

* ATL has had the shooting edge in three of the last four meetings

* ORL has had the rebounding edge in five of the last eight meetings

* ORL has made more three-pointers in five of the last six meetings

Orlando leads the NBA in three-point shooting at 9.7 per game. The Magic shoots 47.3% as a team, and scores 104 points a game on the road, which is sixth in the league. Also:

* ORL has covered five of its last seven games

* ORL has won 16 of its last 24 games SU

* ORL has played its last seven games UNDER the total

* ORL has won five of its last seven road games SU

* ORL has played its last six road games UNDER the total

Atlanta is surrendering 46.1% shooting to its opponents. The Hawks have averaged 12.3 offensive rebounds per contest and have a +3.1 rebounding margin at the Phillips Arena. Also:

* ATL has won seven of its last ten games SU

* ATL has played seven of its last ten games OVER the total

* ATL has covered one of its last five home games

* ATL has won six of its last eight home games SU

* ATL has played five of its last six home games OVER the total

The Atlanta Hawks have finally reached the playoffs, by virtue of Indiana's loss last night. That means they will play the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. Orlando is locked into the #3 slot in the East. So this game have very little bearing on anything. And we're not even sure there's a "momentum" value for either team.

Orlando has been tightening up on defense, allowing more than 41% in just one of its last seven games. And they have played deliberate offense as well, exceeding their season average in one of their last 12. The result has been a lot of lower scoring games than usual - in fact, seven straight games being played under the total. That's actually pretty good preparation for the playoffs, where many of the games get slower in pace.

For what it's worth, Dwight Howard has scored only 17 points against Atlanta. He's averaged less against only three opponents. Meanwhile, Al Horford is making a late bid for rookie of the year consideration, with 36 points and 22 rebounds in his last two games.

Orlando has covered 26 of 40 games on the road, and the Magic has covered five of its last seven. We'll look for them to slow the pace, and utilize its depth, which is better than Atlanta's. Let's take the Magic on the road in the BetUS NBA basketball betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: ORLANDO

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)