NBA: Top NBA Weekend Power Trends

It isn’t quite the fall of the Roman Empire, but he demise of the Detroit Pistons in 2008-09 has become one of the biggest stories in the NBA season. After dominating the decade with six straight trips to the Eastern Conference Finals


2009-01-30

It isn’t quite the fall of the Roman Empire, but he demise of the Detroit Pistons in 2008-09 has become one of the biggest stories in the NBA season. After dominating the decade with six straight trips to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pistons have lost their way under first year head coach Michael Curry. The core nucleus that thrived on defense, rebounding, and clutch playmaking doesn’t seem to have that same ability minus Chauncey Billups. At 25-19 heading into this weekend’s games, Detroit is in danger of falling to the 6th seed in the East standings. They will be tested heavily at home in two separate contests, tonight against Boston, and Sunday versus Cleveland, both games on national TV. Those contests highlight another weekend of great betting opportunities in the NBA. Let’s take a look at some of the action on tap, as well as some of the Top StatFox Power Trends that you can put to use.

Friday’s action on ESPN tips off with the Celtics visiting Motown. The Pistons are just 13-9 SU & 7-15 ATS at home this season, including 1-1 as underdogs. They have gone cold of late, losing seven of their last 10, both straight up and against the pointspread. Quite the opposite for the Celtics, who carry in a 9-game winning streak in which they’ve gone 8-1 ATS. Not surprisingly, oddsmakers are heavily favoring Boston, installing the defending champs as 6-point favorites. The late matchup on ESPN features Golden State visiting New Orleans. The Warriors have had a decent month for their backers holding betting tickets, going 7-4-1 ATS. However, they are still mired at 14-32 on the season, including 4-21 SU & 8-16-1 ATS on the road. The Hornets are tied in the loss column with San Antonio atop the Southwest Division, and boast a 25-6 SU record as a favorite this season. Other big games on the Friday board include Atlanta hosting New Jersey, and the red-hot Timberwolves welcoming the Lakers to town. Minnesota is 12-6 SU & 13-4-1 ATS in its L18 games overall.

On Saturday there are 10 games to choose from, meaning several teams will be in back-to-back situations, including the Lakers who play the second game in a 6-game road trip at Memphis. On zero days rest this season, Los Angeles boasts an 8-2 SU & 7-3 ATS record. The biggest game on the menu though comes from San Antonio where the Spurs host the Hornets. Coming off their big win at Phoenix on Thursday, the Spurs lead new Orleans by 1-1/2 games heading into the weekend. Assuming the Hornets knock off Golden State on Friday, they will be playing for a share of the division lead here. It certainly won’t be easy for CP3 & Co. however, as they are just 1-6 SU & 3-4 ATS in their L7 trips to the Alamo. Elsewhere, Utah faces a big game at Portland, as they try to chase down a playoff spot in the West.

The Sunday board is a light one, as the NBA has given way to the Super Bowl by scheduling just three matinee games and one in the evening.. The big one is brought to you by ABC, with a tip time of 2:35 PM ET, as the reelign Pistons host Cleveland. Despite the Cavs’ loss at Orlando on Thursday night, they still went into the weekend leading the Central Division by 10 games. Surprisingly, Detroit still boasts the better record in divisional play this season, 6-1 compared to 7-2. In fact, in these teams’ first and only meeting of ’08, Detroit beat Cleveland at home, 96-89, their third straight win in the head-to-head series. If you get bored with the Super Bowl Game or are looking for something to square up with in terms of your bankroll, don’t forget that Oklahoma City visits Sacramento in a 9:05 PM ET start on Sunday night. The Thunder have been easy money on the road this year, going 15-6 ATS heading into Friday night’s game at Utah.

Take a look at some of the Top StatFox Power Trends available for this weekend’s big NBA betting board:

Friday, 1/30/2009
(853) MILWAUKEE vs. (854) TORONTO
MILWAUKEE is 5-18 ATS (-14.8 Units) versus teams with a losing record in 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons. The average score was MILWAUKEE 100.1, OPPONENT 108.3 - (Rating = 2*)

(855) BOSTON vs. (856) DETROIT
DETROIT is 24-5 UNDER (+18.5 Units) vs.good rebounding teams outrebounding foess by 3+ RPG over last 2 seasons. The average score was DETROIT 91, OPPONENT 87.1 - (Rating = 4*)

(859) NEW JERSEY vs. (860) ATLANTA
ATLANTA is 15-3 ATS (+11.7 Units) at home playing with triple revenge (3 straight losses vs. opponent) over L3 seasons. The average score was ATLANTA 102.7, OPPONENT 96.4 - (Rating = 2*)

(861) LA CLIPPERS vs. (862) CLEVELAND
CLEVELAND is 16-4 ATS (+11.6 Units) at home this season. The average score was CLEVELAND 104.4, OPPONENT 88 - (Rating = 3*)

(869) GOLDEN STATE vs. (870) NEW ORLEANS
NEW ORLEANS is 15-3 OVER (+11.7 Units) vs.poor teams - outscored by 3+ PPG in 2nd half of last 3 seasons. The average score was NEW ORLEANS 108, OPPONENT 96.8 - (Rating = 2*)

Saturday, 1/31/2009
(505) DALLAS vs. (506) MIAMI
MIAMI is 8-20 ATS (-14 Units) at home when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. The average score was MIAMI 90.9, OPPONENT 102.2 - (Rating = 1*)

(509) LA LAKERS vs. (510) MEMPHIS
MEMPHIS is 0-10 ATS (-11 Units) at home versus teams with a winning record in 2nd half of the last 2 seasons. The average score was MEMPHIS 95.9, OPPONENT 114 - (Rating = 3*)

(509) LA LAKERS vs. (510) MEMPHIS
MEMPHIS is 14-2 UNDER (+11.8 Units) as a home underdog this season. The average score was MEMPHIS 91.3, OPPONENT 92.3 - (Rating = 3*)

(517) CHICAGO vs. (518) PHOENIX
PHOENIX is 4-16 ATS (-13.6 Units) vs.poor pressure defensive teams - forcing <=14 turnovers/game this season. The average score was PHOENIX 104.7, OPPONENT 102.9 - (Rating = 3*)

Sunday, 2/1/2009
(851) ORLANDO vs. (852) TORONTO
ORLANDO is 22-4 ATS (+17.6 Units) revenging a same season loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons. The average score was ORLANDO 105, OPPONENT 97.1 - (Rating = 4*)

(853) MINNESOTA vs. (854) BOSTON
MINNESOTA is 7-0 ATS (+7 Units) in road games revenging a home loss vs opponent this season. The average score was MINNESOTA 98.6, OPPONENT 103 - (Rating = 1*)

(857) OKLAHOMA CITY vs. (858) SACRAMENTO
OKLAHOMA CITY is 18-6 ATS (+11.4 Units) vs.teams who make 6 or more 3PT shots/game this season. The average score was OKLAHOMA CITY 97.8, OPPONENT 104.2 - (Rating = 2*)

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