NBA’s First-Half: Feast to Famine
The first half of the NBA season is slowly coming to a close. With just two more games on the Thursday (February 11th) slate, teams head into the All-Star break looking to either continue a championship run, make moves to fight for a playoff berth, or tank in hopes of landing a high draft pick (also known as playing the Ben Simmons lottery if he does declare). This first half of the season provided plenty of excitement for those betting on NBA games on a nightly basis. Just how will the second half play out for those looking to take on bookmaker’s odds each night?
NBA betting is a really feast or famine kind of proposition. Each night bettors hold their breath wondering if the top players will be indeed taking the court or not for that night’s match-up. Odds makers are left in limbo sometimes minutes before a game deciding on what kind of scoring spread impact the news of a major player sitting will have. It is a vigorous process, but some have found it to be very profitable by making some of the right moves and right betting strategies. If you indeed decide to bet on a specific game, we learned that you don’t want to take the spread against the Spurs on any given night. The Spurs, when compared to against all other NBA teams, have covered there spread more than any other team in the first half. Odds makers must have a beef with the Greg Popovich lead team, as they have compiled one of the best records in the West up to this point. If you’re looking on the other end of the spectrum, there is no love for the Bulls. The constantly injured Chicago squad has kept those betting against their spread very happy and rather fortunate. They are the league’s worst team when it comes to covering their spread on any given night.
When it comes to location, the home team doesn’t always have the advantage as made evident by the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Chicago Bulls (again). Both teams combine for an embarrassing 18 spread covers at home, while the Dallas Mavericks have that number almost eclipsed by themselves (16). There are many teams that fare well on the road, but the Oklahoma City Thunder and Phoenix Suns are not in that conversation. Betting on basketball and against these teams each night has probably fared well for you. It is evident the Suns are going to be near the bottom with Eric Bledsoe and T.J. Warren out for the season, but the high powered Thunder offense seems out of place in ranks of the bottom. If you look past Westbrook and Durant, you can see how their numbers will fluctuate throughout the season.
As the season progresses, look to see similar values from the Spurs (positive) and the Suns (negative). Both of these teams are sure fire bets to continue their ways of either winning (or losing if you’re the Suns). Betting against the spread for teams like the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers will be interesting to see. You’ll have nights where the Warrior’s starters don’t see the court in the 4th quarter, and you could recover the spread based on a team that is fighting to not be blown out. Picking against the Warriors makes sense if the spread is anything greater than 18-20, and 15-18 against the Cavaliers. Obviously you don’t want to take the spread if the Suns or the Sixers are playing either of these teams, but you might get sneaky and catch a game where the sub-par Nets and Lakers decide to fire up their spirits and put forth a worthy effort against these powerhouses.
Bettors beware when it comes to teams that are rebuilding or looking to increase their ping pong ball odds in the draft. These teams can be a nightmare and provide to be very untrustworthy for covering a spread. Do your research each night and make sure you know the direction an individual team is looking to head in before placing large sums of money on them. Failure to do so could result in a large donation. Teams that are fighting for a playoff spot will provide you with a boost of passion and effort each night. If there is a favorable spread, don’t hesitate to miss out on these opportunities as they will begin to progress as the season comes a few weeks closer to close.
This second half should provide with many thrills and many jeers as you watch your favorite team compete (or tank) each night.
