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Ben Burns' 10* NBA BEST BET! (Off Yet Another Sweep!)
I’m playing on PHILADELPHIA. The 76’ers have struggled lately. Actually, that’s putting it nicely. They’ve lost seven straight and they lost their last two games by 45 and 43 points. Needless to say, not many are going to give them much of a chance here. I believe we’re going to see a much effort from them though. In fact, I won’t be surprised if they step up and score the outright upset. Obviously, the 76’ers have been embarrassed with their recent effort. They’re professional athletes and they’ve got a lot of pride. Coach Brett Brown had this to say of the recent blowout losses: 'It's hard for everybody. The reality of it is they have put in so much time and despite all the turmoil, it's a group that's been together, stayed together … “ Utah’s Gordon Hayward noted: 'Obviously, Philadelphia's been beaten pretty handily the past couple of games, so they're going to come out with something to prove.' While the 76’ers obviously have some issues, the Jazz are a team they can match up better against either the Warriors or Clippers, the two teams that just destroyed them. Not only are the Jazz a step down in class from recent opponents, the 76’ers also have the schedule in their favor. While they had last night off, the Jazz were busy playing a late game at LA, against the Lakers. While they did lose their last game in that situation (the blowout against the Warriors) the 76’ers are still 75% ATS (3-1) this season, after scoring 85 or fewer points points in their previous game. After scoring 85 against the Spurs on 11/11, the 76’ers followed it up by winning 123-117 vs. Houston (as +6.5 underdogs) the next game. After scoring 83 vs. the Clippers on 12/9, they followed it up with a relatively easy cover (lost by 7 as +13 underdogs) at Minnesota. After scoring 78 at Chicago on 1/19, they followed it up by covering at Washington the next day. A look at Utah’s last 10 games shows that prior to last night’s double-digit win at LA, NONE of those games had resulted in a win of greater than seven points. I look for this one to also prove closer than expected. 10* best bet
Ben Burns' 10* NBA Personal Favorite! *BLOWOUT ALERT*
II’m playing on BROOKLYN. While I successfully backed the Bobcats last night, I won’t hesitate to go against them here. The Nets, 3-1 their last four games and 13-5 (12-6 ATS) their last 18, have the schedule in their favor here. While the Bobcats were busy beating up on Dallas last night, Brooklyn had the last two nights off. Prior to that, the Nets had delivered one of their best defensive performances in a 93-81 home win over New Orleans on Sunday. They limited the Pelicans to a mere 28 first-half points. Note that the Nets are 3-1 SU/ATS on the season after allowing 85 or fewer points in their previous game. (The lone loss came by a single point in a game where they were playing the second of back-to-back games.) They’re 2-0 ATS on the season when playing with at least one day's rest, after allowing 85 or fewer points. The Bobcats have struggled when playing the second of back-to-back games. A double-digit loss at Phoenix on 02/01 dropped them to 4-9-1 ATS (3-11 SU) in that situation. The Nets are a solid 4-1 ATS (5-0 SU) when listed as home favorites in the 6.5 to 9 range. They’re also 3-1 ATS (4-0 SU) as a host in this series the past couple of seasons. They won by nine and 16 here last season. With the schedule in their favor, I look for them to avenge a November loss at Charlotte, covering the relatively small number along the way. 10* personal favorite
