Boston At New York
When: 7:30 PM ET, Sunday, March 31, 2013
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Comcast SportsNet New England (Boston), MSG (New York)
PREDICTION: Knicks 111, Celtics 102

Oddsmakers currently have the Knicks listed as 6½-point favorites versus the Celtics, while the game’s total is sitting at 193½.

Veteran Paul Pierce and forward Jeff Green have excelled during Boston’s back-to-back wins. Pierce posted a triple-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in Friday’s victory over Atlanta, two days after falling two assists shy of a triple-double. Green had 27 points against the Hawks and is averaging 24 points over the past two games. Green has reached double digits in 10 straight games. Shavlik Randolph gave Boston 22 solid minutes in the post against Atlanta with nine points and tying his career high with 13 rebounds in just his seventh outing of the season.

Boston won its last outing, a 118-107 result against the Hawks on March 29. The Celtics covered in that game as a 2.5-point favorite, while the 225 combined points took the game OVER the total.

Team record: 38-34 SU, 34-35-3 ATS
Current streak: won 2 straight games.

The total has gone OVER in 4 of last 5 games when playing on the road against New York
is 13-4 SU in its last 17 games when playing on the road against New York
is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games when playing New York
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 7 games on the road

When playing on Sunday are 5-5
Before playing Minnesota are 6-4
After playing Atlanta are 8-2
After a win are 6-4

Smith has put together three consecutive 30-point outings, marking the first time a reserve has done that since Milwaukee’s Ricky Pierce did so during the 1989-90 campaign. Smith’s streak began with a 32-point outing against the Celtics and he followed up with 35 points against Memphis and a season-best 37 against the Charlotte Bobcats on Friday. “Last run I was on like this was in high school and that was too easy,” Smith said after the contest against Charlotte. He is averaging 34.7 points and shooting 58.3 percent from the field during the streak.

The Knicks were a 111-102 winner in their most recent outing at home against the Bobcats. They failed to cover the 14-point spread as favorites, while the total score (213) made winners of OVER bettors.

Team record: 45-26 SU, 37-33-1 ATS
Current streak: won 7 straight games.

is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of last 6 games

When playing on Sunday are 4-6
Before playing Miami are 6-4
After playing Charlotte are 6-4
After a win are 7-3

The post Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks Free Betting Pick & Matchup appeared first on IdealCapper.

Charlotte At Boston
When: 7:30 PM ET, Saturday, March 16, 2013
Where: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, SportSouth (Charlotte), Comcast SportsNet New England (Boston)
PREDICTION: Celtics 98, Bobcats 81

Oddsmakers currently have the Celtics listed as 14-point favorites versus the Bobcats, while the game’s total is sitting at 190.

Charlotte looked like something much better than the team with the worst record in the NBA on Tuesday, getting a career-high 35 points from Gerald Henderson and a double-double from Josh McRoberts while holding Boston to 28 second-half points in the easy win. Whatever was working in that game went away at the start of a two-game trip on Friday. The Bobcats were outscored 23-10 in the fourth quarter and shot 32.5 percent in the 92-78 loss at Toronto. The bright spots were again Henderson (22 points) and McRoberts (10 and nine rebounds), two players who are getting long looks in the final weeks of the regular season as the team evaluates the roster.

In their last action, Charlotte was a 92-78 loser on the road against the Raptors. They failed to cover the 12.5-point spread as underdogs, while the combined score (170) was profitable news for UNDER bettors.

Charlotte:
Team record: 14-51 SU, 21-44 ATS

The total has gone UNDER in 4 of last 5 games when playing Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of last 14 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 16 of last 22 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of last 6 games when playing on the road against Boston

When playing on Saturday are 3-7
Before playing Washington are 2-8
After playing Toronto are 3-7
After a loss are 1-9

Boston is 23-9 at home, 12-20 on the road and would love to jump up into the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference to get at least one round of home-court advantage in the playoffs. The Celtics are sitting in seventh place, 2 1/2 games shy of No. 4 Brooklyn and 3 1/2 behind the third-place New York Knicks. Pierce scored 19 points and Rajon Rondo recorded a triple-double to lead the way in a 100-89 home win over the Bobcats on Jan. 14. Boston was finishing up a stretch of 10 road games in 13 contests on Tuesday and looked weary from all the travel. Pierce got the night off to rest and Kevin Garnett played just over 20 minutes. The Celtics showed more life on Wednesday, getting 20 points from Jeff Green and 15 from Pierce in the 112-88 victory.

Last time out for Boston, they were a 112-88 winner as they battled the Raptors at home. The Celtics covered in the match as a 5-point favorite, while 200 combined points moved the game OVER for totals bettors.

Boston:
Team record: 35-29 SU, 30-31-3 ATS

is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Charlotte
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of last 5 games when playing Charlotte
is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games

When playing on Saturday are 6-4
Before playing Miami are 5-5
After playing Toronto are 7-3
After a win are 6-4

The post Charlotte Bobcats vs. Boston Celtics Free Betting Pick & Matchup appeared first on IdealCapper.

Portland At L.A. Clippers
When: 9:30 PM ET, Sunday, January 27, 2013
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, Comcast SportsNet Northwest (Portland), Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)
Prediction: Clippers 106, Trail Blazers 93.

Oddsmakers currently have the Clippers listed as 7-point favorites versus the Trail Blazers, while the game’s total is sitting at 191.

Forward Nicolas Batum delivered his second triple-double of the week with 20 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high 12 assists in Saturday’s victory. Batum had never previously had a triple-double in his career before having 12 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in Monday’s loss to the Washington Wizards. “I know I’ve got expectations this year, so I have to do so many things on the court so that’s what I try to do,” Batum said. “I can’t promise a triple-double every week, but I try to do something and help the team win every game.”

Team record: 22-21 SU, 20-21-2 ATS
Current streak: won 2 straight games.
The total has gone OVER in 8 of last 11 games on the road
is 14-6 SU in their last 20 games when playing LA Clippers
is 6-3 SU in their last 9 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of last 6 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
When playing on Sunday are 6-4
Before playing Dallas are 6-4
After playing LA Clippers are 6-4
After a win are 6-4

Blake Griffin’s double-doubles usually come in the form of points and rebounds. But it was his passing and not his board play that resulted in his latest one as Griffin had 24 points and 10 assists in Saturday’s game. Griffin also had eight rebounds and four steals in a solid all-around game while playing on a tender ankle. The Clippers badly miss Paul’s floor play and leadership skills and the final sequence magnified that. Instead of Paul dribbling and driving or kicking it out to sharpshooter Jamal Crawford, the ball was given to Crawford, who dribbled the ball in place a few times before missing the last-second shot.

The Clippers were a 101-100 loser in their most recent outing on the road against the Trail Blazers. They failed to cover the 1-point spread as favorites, while the total score (201) made winners of OVER bettors.

Team record: 32-13 SU, 25-20 ATS
Current streak: lost 4 straight games.
LA Clippers are 14-2 SU in their last 16 games at home
LA Clippers are 18-7 SU in their last 25 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of the LA Clippers last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the LA Clippers last 6 games when playing at home against Portland
When playing on Sunday are 4-6
Before playing Minnesota are 7-3
After playing are 6-4
After a loss are 3-7

The post Portland Trail Blazers vs. Los Angeles Clippers Free Betting Pick & Matchup appeared first on IdealCapper.

Chicago At Washington
When: 7:00 PM ET, Saturday, January 26, 2013
Where: Verizon Center, Washington, District of Columbia
TV: 7 p.m. ET, WGN (Chicago), Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic (Washington), NBATV
Prediction: Bulls 98, Wizards 86.

Chicago lost All-Star forward Luol Deng to a hamstring injury last week but has seen no drop-off with Butler stepping into his spot. Butler, a second-year swingman from Marquette, has played at least 43 minutes in each of the last four games and has put up 15.5 points and 9.3 rebounds while playing strong defense. He went for 16 points and 12 rebounds on Friday to post his first career double-double. “I love his toughness,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said of Butler. “ He competes on every play. He’s not afraid.” Making it easier for Butler is the overall strength of Chicago’s frontcourt, which built up a 56-37 rebounding advantage in the win over Golden State.

Chicago won its last outing, a 103-87 result against the Warriors on January 25. The Bulls covered in that game as a 2.5-point favorite, while the 190 combined points took the game OVER the total.

Team record: 26-16 SU, 17-25 ATS
Current streak: won 3 straight games.
is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 5 games when playing Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing Washington
When playing on Saturday are 5-5
Before playing Charlotte are 9-1
After playing Golden State are 5-5
After a win are 6-4

Washington has looked like a different team since Wall’s return. The talented point guard sat out the first 33 games with a knee injury but has put up 14 points and 6.9 assists in his eight games back. The coaching staff has been monitoring his minutes and he needed only 21 to build up 14 points and five assists in Friday’s 114-101 home win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wizards have won four straight home games, dating back to a 101-99 triumph over NBA-best Oklahoma City on Jan. 7. Washington shot 36.5 percent without Wall around in an 87-77 loss at Chicago on Dec. 29. Beal led with 14 points.

The Wizards were a 114-101 winner in their most recent outing at home against the Timberwolves. They covered the 6.5-point spread as favorites, while the total score (215) made winners of OVER bettors.

Team record: 10-31 SU, 26-14-1 ATS
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 5 games when playing at home against Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 5 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 6 of last 7 games at home
is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
When playing on Saturday are 1-9
Before playing Sacramento are 3-7
After playing Minnesota are 6-4
After a win are 3-7

The post Chicago Bulls vs. Washington Wizards Free Betting Pick & Matchup appeared first on IdealCapper.

Oklahoma City At Golden State
When: 10:30 PM ET, Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Where: Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Oklahoma (Oklahoma City), Comcast SportsNet Bay Area (Golden State), NBATV
Prediction: Warriors 108, Thunder 105.

Oddsmakers currently have the Thunder listed as 3-point favorites versus the Warriors, while the game’s total is sitting at 207½.

Oklahoma City has not been slowed a schedule that has had them on the road for eight of their past 10 games. The Thunder are halfway through their current six-game road trip and will be playing the first back-to-back of this set with the Warriors. After falling in overtime at Denver to snap a six-game winning streak on Sunday, Oklahoma City bounced back by posting a 109-97 victory over the Clippers on Tuesday. Durant scored 24 of his 32 points in the second half and went 5-of-6 from 3-point range in the win. The highest-scoring team in the NBA, the Thunder have reached the century mark in each of their last five contests. Durant collected his first career triple-double with 25 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in the first meeting with the Warriors

Last time out for Oklahoma City, they were a 109-97 winner as they battled the Clippers on the road. The Thunder covered in the match as a 2.5-point favorite, while 206 combined points moved the game OVER for totals bettors.

Team record: 33-9 SU, 24-15-3 ATS
is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Golden State
is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of last 5 games
When playing on Wednesday are 5-5
Before playing Sacramento are 6-4
After playing LA Clippers are 8-2
After a win are 7-3

Golden State had dropped five of six before rallying late to win at New Orleans on Saturday, and showed some resilience down the stretch by outscoring the Clippers 33-19 in the fourth quarter and pulling out a 106-99 triumph on Monday at home. Curry hit four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to help spark the rally while Jarrett Jack came off the bench to deliver 18 points and 10 assists. The Warriors had averaged 81.5 points in the two games Curry sat out but have put up 111 in the two games since his return. The All-Star hopeful hit four 3-pointers en route to a team-high 22 points in the December meeting with the Thunder but joined his teammates in struggling to slow Durant, Russell Westbrook (30 points) and Kevin Martin (23) on the defensive end. Golden State will hit the road for four straight after facing Oklahoma City, beginning in Chicago on Friday.

Golden State won its last outing, a 106-99 result against the Clippers on January 21. The Warriors covered in that game as a 4.5-point underdog, while the 205 combined points took the game OVER the total.

Team record: 25-15 SU, 23-15-2 ATS
Current streak: won 2 straight games.

The total has gone OVER in 4 of last 5 games when playing Oklahoma City
is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of last 8 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City
The total has gone OVER in 4 of last 6 games

When playing on Wednesday are 0-10
Before playing Chicago are 6-4
After playing LA Clippers are 4-6
After a win are 5-5

The post Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Golden State Warriors NBA Free Pick & Matchup appeared first on IdealCapper.

Denver At Houston
When: 8:00 PM ET, Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Where: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
TV: 8 p.m. ET, Altitude (Denver), Comcast SportsNet Houston, NBATV
Prediction: Nuggets 109, Rockets 104

Denver has some of the same problems as Houston on the defensive end but has usually been able to make up for it on offense. After a surprising 112-108 home loss to one of the worst teams in the NBA, the Washington Wizards, on Friday, the Nuggets took out the best when they outlasted the Thunder on Sunday 121-118. Seven players reached double figures in scoring in the win over Oklahoma City, and that balance along with a strong rebounding philosophy has helped Denver go 14-6 over the last 20 contests. Wednesday marks a rare one-game road trip for the Nuggets, who will be back in Colorado for a six-game homestand beginning on Saturday. Denver is 16-3 at home but 9-15 on the road

In their last action, Denver was a 121-118 winner at home against the Thunder. They covered the 1-point spread as underdogs, while the combined score (239) was profitable news for OVER bettors.

Team record: 25-18 SU, 24-19 ATS
The total has gone OVER in 5 of last 5 games
is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Houston
is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston
is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
When playing on Wednesday are 5-5
Before playing Sacramento are 9-1
After playing Oklahoma City are 6-4
After a win are 6-4

Of Harden’s 29 points on Monday, 19 came at the free throw line. The star guard is shooting 25 percent from the floor over the last four games, including 4-of-27 from 3-point range. Harden has also turned the ball over 4.9 times in the last eight contests. The bench came through for 47 points in the win at Charlotte to help take some of the pressure off Harden, Jeremy Lin and the rest of the starters. The Rockets held a players-only meeting over the weekend to address some of the effort issues on the defensive end and looked stronger in that area against the Bobcats. The recent slide has dipped the Rockets into eighth place in the Western Conference, and three of the next four will be on the road to close out January.

Last time out for Houston, they were a 100-94 winner as they battled the Bobcats on the road. The Rockets failed to cover in the match as a 7-point favorite, while 194 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors.

Team record: 22-21 SU, 21-21-1 ATS
The total has gone OVER in 6 of last 7 games at home
is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games at home
is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Denver
is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Denver
When playing on Wednesday are 5-5
Before playing New Orleans are 4-6
After playing Charlotte are 5-5
After a win are 8-2

The post Denver Nuggets vs. Houston Rockets Basketball Free Pick & Matchup appeared first on IdealCapper.