Troubleduke
11-02-2004, 11:21 PM
NBA YTD: 1-2 (-1.09 units)
Pacers @ Cavaliers -2.5 (-110)
I'm gonna grab Cleveland as a small home favorite on Tuesday night before the public focuses on the Wednesday card. Indiana has got all sorts of injury problems right now (O'neal, Miller, Foster, Bender). Not that all of those players are of equal value to the Pacers, but the bottom line is they'll be short-handed. The Cavaliers are very healthy for the most part, and Ilguaskas should have a field day in the paint if O'neal doesn't play or sees limited action. I don't know if he will play or not but I'm betting on the fact he doesn't, and that news could shift the line 2-3 points tomorrow. Even if Indiana does come out and says he'll start I don't think I'll be able to get better odds on Cleveland. If he does play I still feel there's at least a 55% chance the Cavaliers will win by 3 at home. Point guard Jeff McGinnis is back and healthy and the Cavs were a very strong team at the end of least year until he got hurt, in which they promptly fell apart.
Wizards +13 (-110) @ Grizzlies
Obviously Memphis is a much better team than the Wizards talent wise, but I like the way the Wizards match up against the Grizzlies, especially in the back court. Most players are pretty pumped up for opening night, but for Memphis facing a bad Eastern Conference team like the Wizards, it may deflate some of their excitement. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Grizzlies covering this number some time during the game, but in the end I think the Wizards can play well enough to get back to a 10 point loss.
Kings @ Spurs u189.5 (-110)
Sacramento did alot of running on Tuesday night against Dallas and now they going against a solid defense in San Antonio that makes offenses look pretty lousy. Players should be fresh because it is the first week of the season, but the Kings should be a little tired going into this one. In the Dallas/Sacramento write-up I did explain some of the problems I think Sacramento is having and I don't think they'll get fixed overnight. I figure the Kings scoring in the high 80's and the Spurs scoring in the low 90's, keeping this under the total.
Blazers @ Warriors -1.5 (-110)
When I capped this game I couldn't find much of a difference between these two teams. They did face each other in a couple of meaningless exhibition games in which the Warriors won, but the players are in second gear during those games and even the stiffs get playing time. To me home court advantage in the NBA is worth about 4-5 points and all else being equal, Golden St. is laying 1.5; I'll take the home team in this one.
Good luck to all.
It was a fun but frustrating opening night.
:gulp: :bang:
Pacers @ Cavaliers -2.5 (-110)
I'm gonna grab Cleveland as a small home favorite on Tuesday night before the public focuses on the Wednesday card. Indiana has got all sorts of injury problems right now (O'neal, Miller, Foster, Bender). Not that all of those players are of equal value to the Pacers, but the bottom line is they'll be short-handed. The Cavaliers are very healthy for the most part, and Ilguaskas should have a field day in the paint if O'neal doesn't play or sees limited action. I don't know if he will play or not but I'm betting on the fact he doesn't, and that news could shift the line 2-3 points tomorrow. Even if Indiana does come out and says he'll start I don't think I'll be able to get better odds on Cleveland. If he does play I still feel there's at least a 55% chance the Cavaliers will win by 3 at home. Point guard Jeff McGinnis is back and healthy and the Cavs were a very strong team at the end of least year until he got hurt, in which they promptly fell apart.
Wizards +13 (-110) @ Grizzlies
Obviously Memphis is a much better team than the Wizards talent wise, but I like the way the Wizards match up against the Grizzlies, especially in the back court. Most players are pretty pumped up for opening night, but for Memphis facing a bad Eastern Conference team like the Wizards, it may deflate some of their excitement. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Grizzlies covering this number some time during the game, but in the end I think the Wizards can play well enough to get back to a 10 point loss.
Kings @ Spurs u189.5 (-110)
Sacramento did alot of running on Tuesday night against Dallas and now they going against a solid defense in San Antonio that makes offenses look pretty lousy. Players should be fresh because it is the first week of the season, but the Kings should be a little tired going into this one. In the Dallas/Sacramento write-up I did explain some of the problems I think Sacramento is having and I don't think they'll get fixed overnight. I figure the Kings scoring in the high 80's and the Spurs scoring in the low 90's, keeping this under the total.
Blazers @ Warriors -1.5 (-110)
When I capped this game I couldn't find much of a difference between these two teams. They did face each other in a couple of meaningless exhibition games in which the Warriors won, but the players are in second gear during those games and even the stiffs get playing time. To me home court advantage in the NBA is worth about 4-5 points and all else being equal, Golden St. is laying 1.5; I'll take the home team in this one.
Good luck to all.
It was a fun but frustrating opening night.
:gulp: :bang: