The NBA is officially at the all-star break with regular season games resuming on Tuesday February 28th. The Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder go in to the break tied for the best record in the league at 27-7 (.794).
It’s been an interesting first half of the season with plenty of highlights. We’ve met Jeremy Lin and have gone along for the Linsanity ride. We’ve watched the Miami Heat just plow through teams and Lebron James on pace for the best statistical season ever, better than Wilt Chamberlin and Michael Jordan. And of course we have watched Kobe Bryant and the Lakers battling it out with Jim Buss and the front office.
In this condensed schedule of the NBA lockout shortened season, players are looking forward to the much needed rest. If the playoffs started now, the Boston Celtics would be the 8th seed with and the New York Knicks would be the seventh seed. Both would be heavy underdogs against the Heat and Bulls respectively. Cleveland and Milwaukee are on outside, looking in but both are in contention if they were able to go on a run. It looks like 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th could do so flip flopping before the year is over. Here is the top 8 at the break in the Eastern Conference with games back in parenthesis.
1) Miami (-)
2) Chicago (.5)
3) Indiana (5.5)
4) Philadelphia (7)
5) Orlando (5.5)
6) Atlanta (7)
7) New York (10.5)
8) Boston (11)
Cleveland (12.5), Milwaukee (13.5)
The Western Conference will come down to the wire as it usually does. At the break the Portland Trailblazers currently hold the 8th seed with Denver, Minnesota, Utah, Golden State and Phoenix within four games
1) Oklahoma City (-)
2) San Antonio (3)
3) LA Clippers (5.5)
4) Dallas (6)
5) LA Lakers (7)
6) Houston (7)
7) Memphis (8)
8) Portland (9)
Denver (9.5), Minnesota (10), Utah (11), Golden State (12), Phoenix (13)
SU WINNING STREAKS OF 3 OR MORE AT THE BREAK
Miami has won 8 in a row.
Indiana has won 4 in a row.
Philadelphia has lost 5 in a row.
Boston has lost 5 in a row
Washington has lost 4 in a row
Oklahoma City has won 5 in a row.
Houston has won 3 in a row.
Utah has lost 3 in a row.
HOT AGAINST THE SPREAD LAST 5
New Orleans has covered 5 of the last 5.
Detroit has covered 4 of the last 5.
Miami has covered 4 of the last 5.
Houston has covered 4 of the last 5.
Minnesota has covered 4 of the last 5.
COLD AGAINST THE SPREAD LAST 5
Philadelphia has covered 0 of the last 5.
Boston has covered 0 of the last 5.
Milwaukee has covered 1 of the last 5.
Cleveland has covered 1 of the last 5.
Washington has covered 1 of the last 5.
TOTALS LAST 5
San Antonio has gone over 5 of the last 5.
Detroit has gone over 4 of the last 5.
LA Lakers has gone over 4 of the last 5.
Toronto has gone over 4 of the last 5.
Phoenix has gone over 4 of the last 5.
Memphis has gone over 4 of the last 5.
Miami has gone under 4 of the last 5.
Orlando has gone under 4 of the last 5.
New Jersey has gone under 4 of the last 5.
Atlanta has gone under 4 of the last 5.
Indiana has gone under 4 of the last 5.
New York has gone under 4 of the last 5.
Milwaukee has gone under 4 of the last 5.
Cleveland has gone under 4 of the last 5.
Philadelphia has gone under 4 of the last 5.
HOT AGAINST THE SPREAD LAST 10
Detroit has covered 8 of the last 10.
Miami has covered 8 of the last 10.
Orlando has covered 7 of the last 10.
Sacramento has covered 7 of the last 10.
San Antonio has covered 7 of the last 10.
Houston has covered 7 of the last 10.
Toronto has covered 7 of the last 10.
COLD AGAINST THE SPREAD LAST 10
Boston has covered 2 of the last 10.
Milwaukee has covered 2 of the last 10.
Indiana has covered 2 of the last 10.
Philadelphia has covered 2 of the last 10.
Washington has covered 2 of the last 10.
New Jersey has covered 3 of the last 10.
TOTALS LAST 10
Detroit has gone over 8 of the last 10.
San Antonio has gone over 8 of the last 10.
Toronto has gone over 7 of the last 10.
Portland has gone over 7 of the last 10.
Atlanta has gone under 8 of the last 10.
Cleveland has gone under 8 of the last 10.
MORE ATS TEAM TRENDS
Philadelphia is 12-7 ATS at home, 16-10 as a fav & 3-5 ATS as a dog. They are 21-13 when betting under.
New York Knicks are 25-10 when betting the under.
Boston is 7-13 ATS as a favorite and 19-13 betting under.
Toronto is 10-7 ATS on the road.
New Jersey is 4-12 ATS at home.
Chicago is 13-7 ATS on the road and 19-14-1 as a favorite.
Indiana is 5-9 ATS at home and 19-13 ATS as a favorite.
Cleveland is 2-6 ATS as a favorite and 14-9 ATS as a dog.
Milwaukee is 7-11 ATS on the road.
Detroit is 6-11 ATS on the road.
Washington is 5-12 ATS at home.
Charlotte is 4-1 ATS at home.
Oklahoma City is 3-1 ATS as a dog.
Portland is 12-6 ATS at home.
Denver is 13-5 ATS on the road.
Minnesota is 10-4 ATS on the road, 5-1 ATS as favorite & 14-5 ATS as a dog.
Utah is 5-9 ATS on the road.
LA Lakers are 11-5 ATS at home, 5-13 ATS on the road.
San Antonio is 10-4 ATS at home.
Houston is 13-5 ATS at home.
New Orleans is 5-12 ATS at home, 11-5 ATS on the road, 0-4 ATS as a favorite.