posted February 19, 2008 at 16:01 in NBA Articles
NBA Basketball Betting - Orlando at Detroit
WHO: Orlando Magic (33-21 SU, 33-20-1 ATS) at Detroit Pistons (39-13 SU, 30-21-1 ATS)
WHERE: The Palace, Auburn Hills, MI
WHEN: Tuesday, February 19 at 7:30 PM ET
BetUS NBA basketball betting odds: DETROIT -7.5, Total 194.5
In the HEAD-to-HEAD NBA betting trends:
* DET is 6-3-2 ATS in the last 11 meetings
* DET has won 10 of the last 11 meetings SU
* Seven of the last eight meetings have gone OVER the total
* DET is 2-1-2 ATS in the last five meetings as the home team
* DET has won the last five meetings SU as the home team
* The last five meetings in Detroit have gone OVER the total
Orlando has relied on outside shooting to a great extent, converting 9.1 three-point shots per game. The Magic has the league's best rebounder in Dwight Howard, and averages 42.4 boards per contest. Also:
* ORL has won nine of its last 13 games SU
* ORL has covered four of its last 11 road games
* ORL has played five of its last seven games OVER the total
* ORL has played nine of its last 12 road games OVER the total
Detroit is turning the ball over just 11 times a game. The Pistons are third in the NBA in terms of allowing the least amount of points (89.6 per outing).
* DET has won its last ten games SU
* DET has covered three of its last eight games
* DET has won its last seven home games SU
* DET has played four of its last six home games UNDER the total
Orlando got off to a hot start (16-2 ATS) as the NBA's best team on the road, but at 19-10 in that category, we're not so sure we believe in their abilities away from home as much as we did before. And here they are playing into the teeth of the NBA's most potent defensive team when on its home floor. The Pistons give up just 86 points a game at the Palace, and they're yielding just 43.5% shooting.
Yet these games have tended to go "over," which indicates that Detroit has been able to play more up-tempo if it has to. On a streak of ten straight wins, it is hard to dispute that the Pistons are making their move as a team looking to challenge Boston for the #1 spot in the Eastern Conference as we head into the playoffs.
At the outset of this streak, Detroit hosted Orlando and scored an eight-point win, shooting 51% and covering the seven-point spread. Dwight Howard got 14 rebounds, but the Orlando backcourt, which has problems on the defensive end, could not deal with Richard Hamilton, who scored 32.
It's hard to do much better than Detroit as a home favorite, as they have covered 18 of 26 in that role (only Washington is better on a percentage basis among teams with 10 home covers). We'll lay the points with red-hot Detroit, the 7.5-point favorite in the BetUS NBA betting odds.
JAY'S PLAY: DETROIT
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(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)
