Posted on
1/24/2008 4:25:58 PM
NBA Basketball Betting – New Jersey at Golden State
By Charles Jay
The New Jersey Nets (18-23 SU, 15-25-1 ATS) have been getting clobbered. And they have hardly found an elixir in Oakland, as they take on the Golden State Warriors (25-18 SU, 20-23 ATS) in Thursday night NBA action starting at 10:30 PM ET from the Oracle Arena.
In the BetUS NBA basketball betting odds, the Warriors are listed at -8, with the total posted at 215 points.
In the HEAD-to-HEAD NBA betting trends:
* NJ has covered the last four meetings
* NJ has covered nine of the last ten meetings
* Four of the last six meetings have gone UNDER the total
* The home team has covered four of the last five meetings
* The home team has scored 100 points or more in each of the last five meetings
* NJ has had the shooting edge in five of the last seven meetings
* NJ has had the rebounding edge in each of the last four meetings
New Jersey is 28th in the NBA in scoring, averaging just 93.4 points per game. Shooting has been a disappointment, with the Nets hitting just 43.4% of their shots. And there have been more turnovers than usual, and more than you would expect from a Jason Kidd-led team, as the nets have logged 15.2 a game, which ranks it as the 25th worst team in the league in that category. Also:
* NJ has lost its last six games SU
* NJ is 0-6 ATS in its last six games
* NJ has lost its last four road games SU
* NJ is 0-4 ATS in its last four road games
* NJ has played three of its last four games OVER the total
* NJ has played four of its last five road games OVER the total
Golden State is second in the league in scoring at home, as it registers 112.3 points a game. The Warriors shoot 74.2% from the free throw line, placing them 21st in the circuit, and they generate 12.3 offensive rebounds on average, which is eighth in the league. Also:
* GS has won three of its last four home games SU
* GS has covered two of its last eight home games
* GS has played its last four games OVER the total
* GS has played four of its last six home games OVER the total
In their last five games - all losses - the Nets have been outscored by over 20 points per game. they have a day of rest and have to travel to Denver tomorrow. But it is safe to say that the bottom has fallen out of their defensive effort. During a four-game period that began with a dismal loss to the hated Knicks, New Jersey has allowed 119 points a game. And if we're just counting the road trip they're currently on, that figure increases to 121 ppg.
Golden State is coming off a very disappointing loss to Minnesota on Monday, when it allowed the offensively-challenged T-Wolves to shoot 51%, with Ryan Gomes netting a career-high 35 points. Coming off that defeat, we certainly wouldn't expect anything less than a maximum effort from the guys from the Bay Area tonight.
However, recent series trends indicate that this is a tough matchup for the Warriors, probably because the Nets play a slower, more deliberate style, with patience on offense and the ability to (well, usually) get back on defense. New Jersey is in a position right now where it has to fight for the last playoff spot in the East, and this may be a chance for their athletic big men (Josh Boone, Sean Williams) to take charge against a team that does not have a lot of bulk.
We'll take the points with the Nets, the eight-point underdog in the BetUS NBA betting odds.
BetUS NBA basketball betting odds: GOLDEN STATE -8, Total 215
JAY'S PLAY: NEW JERSEY
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(Charles Jay of TotalActionExtra.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)