NBA: Top NBA Weekend Power Trends 3/26-3/28

Have you had the chance to look at the current standings in the Western Conference playoff race in the NBA? The 2nd through 8th place teams are separated by a mere 4-games! At this point, anyone attempting to project a possible bracket would have better l

2010-03-26

Have you had the chance to look at the current standings in the Western Conference playoff race in the NBA? The 2nd through 8th place teams are separated by a mere 4-games! At this point, anyone attempting to project a possible bracket would have better luck solving Rubik’s Cube. Perhaps this weekend’s list of 26 games from Friday through Sunday will help clarify the picture a bit. Everyone of the teams in the hunt will be in action. Let’s take a look at the key games affecting both the West & East playoff races on tap for the next three days, plus reveal this weekend’s list of Top StatFox Power Trends to consider as you build your wagering lineup.

On Friday, there are 11 games to choose from, and only one pits two teams not heading to the playoffs against one another, so the other 10 game will impact the standings. The highlight games are the Lakers visiting Oklahoma City and Cleveland taking on the Spurs in San Antonio. Los Angeles is the only team out West to have separated itself from the rest of the pack, leading Dallas, Denver, and Utah by 6.5-games for the top spot at the outset of the weekend. The Lakers will be in OKC on Friday looking for their first back-to-back spread wins since February 10th. The Thunder, though 23-12 overall at home, are 1-5 SU & 2-4 ATS as a home dog. The Cavs will be looking for a season sweep of the Spurs, having beat them in Cleveland without Lebron James on March 8th. Other key Friday games include Miami visiting Milwaukee and Denver at Toronto. The Heat are off a huge 103-74 win at Chicago that brought them to within 2-games of the Bucks and the #5 spot in the East.

On Saturday, the Lakers will play a back-to-back in Houston. They are 8-9 ATS on zero days rest this season, while the Rockets boast a 5-4 SU & 6-3 ATS mark as home dogs. Utah will also be facing a back-to-back as well. After playing in Indiana on Friday night, the Jazz travel to Washington for a Saturday tilt. Unlike past year’s, the Jazz have thrived on little rest, going 9-7 SU & 11-4-1 ATS on consecutive nights this season. Elsewhere, the two teams that met on TNT’s late Thursday night tilt, Portland & Dallas, will be on the road in separate games. The Blazers are at New Orleans, and the Mavericks are at Golden State. Both teams have been solid bets on the road this season, with Portland going 21-12 ATS and Dallas 21-15 ATS.
On Sunday, there are 10 games, starting at 3:00 PM ET, and running through a 9:30 PM ET start. Cleveland and Milwaukee will be hosting games in the afternoon versus Sacramento and Memphis. The Kings have struggled with the East, going 9-18 SU & 10-17 ATS, including a 117-104 loss to the Cavs back in December. The Grizzlies have been quite the opposite, going 18-9 SU & 16-10 ATS vs. East foes. There are three other big games that will impact the however are Denver-Orlando, Portland-Oklahoma City and San Antonio-Boston. Of course, the four West teams mentioned there are all grouped in the pack of teams fighting for the 2nd-8th seeds in the West. Of the four, Portland is the hottest team at 8-2 in its L10 games, while Denver is 6-4 is the club with the worst record in that span.

Now, here’s a look at those top trends to watch for over the next few days.
Friday, 03/26/2010
(851) MINNESOTA vs. (852) ORLANDO
MINNESOTA is 3-20 ATS (-19 Units) versus teams who average 7 or less steals/game on the season this season. The average score was MINNESOTA 95.7, OPPONENT 112.3 - (Rating = 5*)

(851) MINNESOTA vs. (852) ORLANDO
ORLANDO is 13-1 UNDER (+11.9 Units) on Friday nights this season. The average score was ORLANDO 93.7, OPPONENT 92 - (Rating = 4*)
(867) MIAMI vs. (868) MILWAUKEE
MILWAUKEE is 18-6 ATS (+11.4 Units) versus poor foul drawing teams - attempting <=24 free throws/game this season. The average score was MILWAUKEE 98.7, OPPONENT 93.7 - (Rating = 2*)

(869) CLEVELAND vs. (870) SAN ANTONIO
SAN ANTONIO is 6-21 ATS (-17.1 Units) revenging a road loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons. The average score was SAN ANTONIO 98.1, OPPONENT 99.6 - (Rating = 2*)

(871) NEW YORK vs. (872) PHOENIX
PHOENIX is 12-1 ATS (+10.9 Units) vs poor defensive teams (FG pct def >=46%) in 2nd half of this season. The average score was PHOENIX 111.7, OPPONENT 98.9 - (Rating = 3*)

Saturday, 03/27/2010
(501) UTAH vs. (502) WASHINGTON
UTAH is 30-15 ATS (+13.5 Units) as a favorite this season. The average score was UTAH 106.2, OPPONENT 97.1 - (Rating = 2*)

(501) UTAH vs. (502) WASHINGTON
UTAH is 12-0 OVER (+12 Units) in road games on Saturday games over the last 2 seasons. The average score was UTAH 106.9, OPPONENT 109.8 - (Rating = 4*)

(503) PORTLAND vs. (504) NEW ORLEANS
NEW ORLEANS is 6-20 ATS (-16 Units) versus poor defensive teams - shooting pct defense of >=46% this season. The average score was NEW ORLEANS 104, OPPONENT 106 - (Rating = 3*)

(507) LA LAKERS vs. (508) HOUSTON
LA LAKERS are 32-11 ATS (+19.9 Units) in road games vs poor defensive teams allowing 99+ PPG - 2nd half of L3 seasons. The average score was LA LAKERS 110, OPPONENT 101.3 - (Rating = 3*)

Sunday, 03/28/2010
(707) TORONTO vs. (708) MIAMI
TORONTO is 11-1 OVER (+9.9 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season. The average score was TORONTO 103.2, OPPONENT 115.9 - (Rating = 3*)

(715) PHOENIX vs. (716) MINNESOTA
MINNESOTA is 10-29 ATS (-21.9 Units) at home when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. The average score was MINNESOTA 94.8, OPPONENT 105.4 - (Rating = 3*)

(719) GOLDEN STATE vs. (720) LA CLIPPERS
LA CLIPPERS are 8-25 ATS (-19.5 Units) revenging a loss where opponent scored 110 or more points over L2 seasons. The average score was LA CLIPPERS 95, OPPONENT 104.5 - (Rating = 3*)

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