NBA Premium Card 03/01

NBA - 505 Detroit Pistons @ 506 Houston Rockets

Play #2

I think that the Rockets are a bit overrated going for tonight’s contest...

They are coming from a tough road trip and after today’s game vs. lowly DET, they will face the NBA Champions Heat… some of their key players like Beverly & Parsons are banged up although most likely they will play tonight.

B. Jennings is banged up and can miss tonight’s game…that would be good news for DET because Jennings has been awful lately w/ 8-34 FG 23.5% FG in L4 games! DET frontcourt can hang around w/ D. Howard and this could be huge in here.

The X factor for this contest IMO is related with Turnovers. For some reason, HOU has been really careless handling the ball lately – they are committing the absurd number of almost 20 TO’s per game in L7 contests! DET’s is a good team creating TO’s and them being decent on the boards as well, I think that they can be competitive tonight and therefore, I’m taking the Pistons in here as my Single Dime Play.

Pick: 3 units (Single Dime Play) on 505 Detroit Pistons (+11) @ -110 / 1.91 on Bookmaker

NBA - 509 Brooklyn Nets @ 510 Milwaukee Bucks

Play #3

MIL has improved and is playing well lately… They have now an identity and defined rotations while B. Knight is clearly their floor leader. Knight is coming from a nice (once again) game vs. IND in the last game w/ 10-20 FG for 23 points while the Bucks were really competitive in that game. They were able to be efficient in PNR’s against the Pacers, and if a team is able to be effective vs. IND defense…then, they are in a nice spot to be effective against the #24 ranked PNR ball handler defense in the Nets!

Kevin Garnett is OUT for tonight and BKN is coming from a b2b spot and will end their current road trip tonight @MIL – a potential “trap spot”. They are 2-0 vs. MIL this season, but the current MIL team is way improved vs. team that BKN played against in the first 2 H2H’s games of the season.

Pick: 3 units (Single Dime Play) on 510 Milwaukee Bucks (+6.5) @ -110 / 1.91 on 5 Dimes

NBA - 511 Cleveland Cavaliers @ 512 Memphis Grizzlies

Play #4

I played both MEM & CLE last night with success and going for this contest, I think that the Cavaliers will be competitive and this 9.5-pts line is way too much for MEM.

I like the Grizzlies are playing right now but last night M. Conley was really awful…this is problematic because he will face tonight K. Irving who is simply dominating games! His ability @PNR’s will be a tough matchup for MEM’s lack of speed on the frontcourt. It might sound strange, but S. Hawes is playing well for CLE as him & Irving developed a nice chemistry w/ “Pick n Pop’s” plays. Also, CLE is rebounding well the basketball w/ 54% reb/rate% in L7 games.

Down the stretch, I expect a confident Irving to be a tough cover for MEM… MEM’s coach has now the problem to make the right decisions w/ lineups, and I think that CLE will take advantage of it, especially down the stretch.

Pick: 3 units (Single Dime Play) on 511 Cleveland Cavaliers (+9.5) @ -110 / 1.91 on Bookmaker

NBA - 501 Washington Wizards @ 502 Philadelphia 76ers

Play #1

The 76ers are tanking and they are by far the worst team in the NBA right now. However, I feel that this is a good spot for them to be competitive and so, I’m taking them tonight as my Single Dime Play.

The Wizards in this season have the tendency to “relax” when facing inferior level competition…they are 0-5-1 ATS this season when being favored by more than 8 points! Also, they are coming from a brutal game @TOR this past Thursday in which the game went triple OT. Their key players logged some major minutes: Beal + Ariza + Gortat with +50 min and John Wall with 49 min! So WAS is dealing w/ a tough physical spot for tonight.

Matchup wise, this 76ers team is predicated to shoot 3pts + attack the rim. The problem is that they can’t hit 3pts to save their lives, so they really need to score some points down low. The good news is that WAS is shorthanded @frontcourt right now without Nene + Seraphin while M. Gortat didn’t practice yesterday:  "I'm going to pull my veteran wild card [Friday], I want a day off," he said afterward. "I just can't go. I played 51 minutes and I'm barely standing right now."

With the 76ers having some physical edge over the Wizards and being able to generate some points near the basket, I expect them to be decent tonight while my fair line in this contest is WAS-9.

Pick: 3 units (Single Dime Play) on 502 Philadelphia 76ers (+12) @ -110 / 1.91 on Bookmaker