The All-Star break is history and the NBA is back in action this week as we head into the final two months of the regular season. Matt Fargo will be looking into Hot and Cold NBA bets throughout the season and he takes a look at four games that you will want to pay attention to coming up over the next few days.
NBA Hot Bets
Tuesday – Milwaukee Bucks at Detroit Pistons 7:30 PM ET
Milwaukee has had some of the worst luck of any team in the league as it has lost three starters over the last two weeks. The Bucks are without Michael Redd, Andrew Bogut and Luke Ridnour but that certainly isn’t stopping them from playing good basketball. It took two games to get used to life without Redd as Milwaukee lost against Minnesota and Indiana but since then it has won four of its last six games (4-2 ATS) to move into 8th place in the Eastern Conference standings. The Bucks won their last two games prior to the break and the last setback came against these same Pistons at home in overtime. The All-Star break probably could not have come at a better time for Detroit who has lost three straight and is a dreadful 6-13 over its last 19 games (6-13 ATS). After going 34-7 at home last season, the Pistons are just 14-13 at the Palace this year and while it is only a half-game out of 5th place in the standings, it is also only three and a half games away from 9th place. Detroit is 6-17 ATS as a home chalk this season.
Wednesday – Indiana Pacers at Charlotte Bobcats 7:00 PM ET
Charlotte entered the break by winning its final two games and that was without two of its best players as Gerald Wallace and Raja Bell were both in street clothes. Those two victories came against two of the worst teams in the league in Washington and Los Angeles but wins are wins and the Bobcats are now 15-14 at home (17-12 ATS). They will be coming off a road game on Tuesday at Orlando and facing off against the Pacers in a revenge game. Charlotte lost to Indiana by five points less than a month ago and will want to return the favor. The Pacers have been playing up and down and it has been mostly down on the road. Indiana is 6-22 away from home (13-14-1 ATS) and is currently riding a nine-game road losing skid (3-5-1 ATS). The Pacers are 6-9 in the second of back-to-back games (6-9 ATS) and this includes a 2-8 record (3-7 ATS) when that second game is on the road. Charlotte is 4-8 in the second of back-to-back games (6-6 ATS) but a more respectable 3-5 when the second game is at home (4-4 ATS).
NBA Cold Bets
Tuesday – San Antonio Spurs at New York Knicks 7:30 PM ET
The Knicks cannot seem to catch a break. They ended January riding a solid 6-1 run (7-0 ATS) and were heading into February with three straight home games to begin the month. The problem was that the homestand came against the Lakers, Cavaliers and Celtics, the only three teams in the league that have won 40 games. Five days and three losses later, the Knicks had to embark on a three-game west coast swing before the break and those three games also resulted in losses, one by a single point in a heartbreaker against Portland and other in overtime against the Clippers. New York now brings its 0-6 streak (3-3 ATS) back home to face another elite team in the Spurs. San Antonio is in the midst of an eight-game roadtrip because the rodeo has taken over the AT&T Center. The Spurs started 3-1 on the trek before losing in Toronto last Wednesday. The rest will benefit the Spurs more than any other team being the oldest team in the NBA. The Spurs have won seven straight meetings in this series (4-3 ATS).
Friday – New Orleans Hornets at Los Angeles Lakers 10:35 PM ET
The Lakers will come into this game following two games against Atlanta and Golden St. so they should be riding a two-game winning streak. Los Angeles lost to the Jazz in its final game before the break, this after going on an 11-1 run in its previous 12 games (9-2 ATS). The Lakers won the first two meetings in this series and both came in New Orleans but the Hornets returned the favor by winning outright in Los Angeles back on January 6th. It will be revenge time for the Lakers. New Orleans limped into the break with a 2-6 record in its last eight games (2-6 ATS) and those two wins actually came without Chris Paul in the lineup. The Hornets were an underdog in that road win against the Lakers but that is a role they have not prospered in, going 2-10 both straight up and ATS as road underdogs. Los Angeles is 15-7 ATS against teams with a winning record and a very impressive 10-3 ATS this season as a favorite of fewer than eight points. The Lakers will be in good shape for a revenge win.
