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posted February 19, 2008 at 16:12 in NBA Articles

WHO: Philadelphia 76ers (23-30 SU, 27-25-1 ATS) at Minnesota Timberwolves (10-41 SU, 24-26-1 ATS)

WHERE: Target Center in Minneapolis

WHEN: Tuesday, February 19 at 8 PM ET

BetUS NBA basketball betting odds: PHILADELPHIA -3, Total 186.5

In the HEAD-to-HEAD NBA betting trends:

* Four of the last six meetings have gone UNDER the total

* PHIL has covered 11 of the last 12 meetings as the road team

* MINN has won five of the last six meetings SU as the home team

* Four of the last six meetings in Minneapolis have gone UNDER the total

* MINN has had the shooting edge in five of the last seven meetings

* PHIL has had the rebounding edge in four of the last six meetings

* MINN has made more three-pointers in four of the last five meetings

Philadelphia takes the ball away a lot, stealing it 8.3 times a game. The Sixers do not have the three-point shot in their arsenal, with just 3.6 baskets from beyond the arc on average. Also:

* PHIL has won and covered its last five games

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

* PHIL has covered three of its last nine road games

* PHIL has lost eight of its last ten road games SU

Minnesota has allowed 101 points per game overall. That figure is only slightly lower when at home (100.4 ppg). The Wolves are shooting only 43.7% from the field, which is 28th in the NBA. Also:

* MINN has covered nine of its last 13 games

* MINN has lost its last five games SU

* MINN has played seven of its last eight games UNDER the total

* MINN is 7-2-1 ATS in its last ten home games

* MINN has lost four of its last five home games SU

* MINN has played five of its last six home games UNDER the total

Philadelphia has covered five in a row and is 8-0-1 ATS in its last nine. What is intriguing, however, is not so much that they have put a lot of distance between themselves and recent opponents, but that they have done so largely with defense. In the four games the Sixers played coming into the All-Star break, they surrendered just 82 points a game. One of those games was against the offensively-potent Dallas Mavericks, and the other three were against foes that might be considered in Minnesota's category (Memphis, Miami, L.A. Clippers).

Part of this involves having a strong defensive presence in the middle, and the Sixers have that with Samuel Dalembert, who has blocked 3.3 shots a game over his last six. It should be mentioned as well that in the previous meeting with Minnesota, on December 12 at the Wachovia Center, Dalembert blocked a season-high NINE shots in Philly's four-point win.

These teams have had a very strong slant to the "under" in recent games, as Minnesota has played seven of its last eight that way while the Sixers have played unders in five of their last six games. We would not discount a spirited effort from the T-Wolves, who have clearly improved from their woeful beginning. But we're going to look for a slow pace and the effort to be expended on the defensive end.

We'll move with UNDER 186.5 points, as it is posted in the BetUS NBA basketball betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: UNDER 186.5

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)