Posted on 3/4/2008 6:33:27 PM

NBA Betting Power Rankings - Lakers Continue Dominance

By D.S. Williamson

The Lakers fell off the BetUS against the spread wagon by not covering in two straight games. But they get to play the Sacramento Kings tonight. That should put them right back where they belong, at the top.

Also, the win versus the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday was just terrific. Of course, the Lakers didn’t cover, but that’s okay. There are other types of beauty in the NBA betting and the Lakeshow is still 7 and 3 against the BetUS spread in their last 10 games.

The Lakers are still awesome and the Eastern Conference is still a mess. Since these power rankings are decided based on against the BetUS spread information, you won’t find an Eastern Conference team in these rankings until you get to number four.

Let’s get to it!

1. Los Angeles Lakers - - 7 and 3 against the BetUS spread in their last 10 games, 14 and 4 in their last 18 and 37-2-1 on the year, is anybody as “money” as the Lakers? I don’t think so. The best thing about the Lakers is that 21-10-1 record against the spread on the road. Wow.

2. Houston Rockets - - Even without Yao, the Rockets dominated the Denver Nuggets at home the other night. They’ve gone 9 and 1 against the BetUS spread in their last 10. That includes a 20 point win in New Orleans versus the Hornets.

3. San Antonio Spurs - - They are only 6 and 4 against the BetUS spread in their last 10 games, but the reason I’ve got these guys so high is because of their incredible 9 game straight-up win streak. The Spurs, as expected, are turning it on towards the end of the season.

4. Detroit Pistons - - The Pistons are also 6 and 4 against the BetUS spread in their last 10 games. They are an up and down team. One of the keys regarding the Pistons that I’ve noticed is that against a team they should beat, they tend to take it easy. Against a team they shouldn’t beat, like the Spurs or Suns on the road, they rise to the occasion. Maybe that trend will change now that the Pistons beat the Clippers by 30 points the other night. They’re still a solid team to wager on - - under the right circumstances.

5. Orlando Magic - - Another 6 and 4 against the BetUS spread team. The difference is that the Magic are 22 and 11 against the BetUS spread on the road. That’s a terrific trend.

6. Utah Jazz - - Only 5 and 5 against the BetUS spread in their last 10 games, but they are 19 and 10 against the BetUS spread overall at home this season. Like the Magic on the road, the Jazz are almost automatic at home. That puts them in the top ten.

7. Cleveland Cavaliers - - 5 and 5 against the BetUS spread in their last 10, I wasn’t sure where to put the Cavs in these rankings. They are a very good home team and it was about this time last year that LeBron James sort of took over the league. Why not again in the weak Eastern Conference?

8. New Orleans Hornets - - Another 5 and 5 against the BetUS spread in their last 10 team, the Hornets still have a fantastic overall against the spread record this year - - 35-23-1. They are also 18-10-1 against the BetUS spread on the road this year. They should get out of their “even” funk soon.

9. Toronto Raptors - - The Raptors are 6 and 4 against the BetUS spread in their last 10. So why are they so low in these rankings? Behind a few 5 and 5 teams? Well, they lost Chris Bosh for a while. That’s a huge loss.

10. Portland Trailblazers - - The only 4 and 6 against the BetUS spread in their last 10 games team in these rankings - - there is no business for the Blazers to be here, right? Wrong! Look closer and you realize that those 4 against the spread wins started around the time that Brandon Roy got back into the line-up. The Blazers are 4 and 0 against the BetUS NBA Betting spread in their last 4 games. I expect them to continue the hot streak - - as long as Roy continues to play.

Until next week, good luck!

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!