Free NBA Picks – Monday, November 2
If you don’t want to bother with the analysis and explanations, tonight’s NBA picks are right here for you.
Monday’s NBA Picks
UTAH to cover 8 ½ vs. Houston
Sacramento/Memphis OVER 201
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS SU over Minnesota
And now, for the rambling. Now, the NBA odds may move a little from posting time to tip-off time, but this is where they are at the time of posting. Good luck, and gamble responsibly!
Utah Jazz (1-1) vs. Houston Rockets (2-1)
If you followed along with my picks last season, I often made mention of the massive disparity between Utah at home vs. Utah on the road.
Just for fun, I’ll rehash some facts and bring up a few new ones. Coming into this season, the Jazz were 101-22 at home and 52-71 on the road in the last three seasons (last winning road record – 2000/01 season). Last season, they were 15-26 on the road, lost nine of their last 11 regular season road games, and lost by double digits in all three road games against the Lakers in their first-round playoff loss.
Predictably, the Jazz have started this season by losing on the road (114-105 at Denver) and winning at home (111-98 against the Clippers). And look at that, they’re playing at home tonight against the Rockets. Counting two first-round playoff series in the 2006/07 and 2007/08 seasons, Utah is 11-2 at home against the Rockets since the start of the 2005/06 season (6-8 on the road, by the way). Seven of those wins have been double-digit wins, eight total have been by nine or more.
I don’t like to overdo it with trends, but I’m pulling these numbers out since they’re a perfect example of just how friendly the friendly confines are for the Jazz.
And for what it’s worth, Houston’s road results thus far this season – lost by nine at Portland, won by one at Golden State in a game in which they trailed by 10 at the half and escaped with a victory when the Warriors couldn’t connect on a game-tying three.
I think you know what direction I’m headed in, but just to give you the official word, roll with the Jazz and the points in this one.
Sacramento Kings (0-3) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (1-2)
I’m avoiding the straight up (I like the underdog Grizzlies, for what it‘s worth) and focusing on the over/under here.
The Grizzlies have put up 115 and 123 points in the last two games, and that’s without Allen Iverson, who’ll be making his Grizzlies debut tonight. Now, it‘d be unrealistic to expect a monster night right off the bat from AI. But for what it’s worth, in his debut for the Pistons last season, he scored 24 points and had six assists, and in his Nuggets debut in December ‘06 (vs. Sacramento), he had 22 points and 10 assists, so he knows how to make a good first impression.
The Kings haven’t hit their stride offensively, but there were positives in Saturday’s loss at San Antonio. Kevin Martin’s 8 for 14, 29-point showing was something to be encouraged about after he’d made only 14 of 48 shots in the first two games. And Spencer Hawes, who scored just 10 points in the first two games, had 22 at San Antonio (8-15 FG, 6-7 FT).
The over/under at the time of writing (around 2 a.m. CT) is at 201, and the total has been over 201 in nine of the last 11 meetings. Neither team is particularly strong defensively, and both have the scoring punch to hit 100+. So, I’m going with the over, hands down.
Los Angeles Clippers (0-4) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (1-2)
To think, if only Blake Griffin was healthy. Perhaps the results would still be the same, but due to the fact that the Clippers have been pretty competitive in all four of their losses, you can’t help but wonder.
Sans their injured #1 pick, it’s been much the same old Clippers. They were down by one entering the fourth in a 99-92 loss against the Lakers, tied in the final seconds in a 109-107 loss to Phoenix, up by one heading into the fourth in a 111-98 loss at Utah, and were tied with the Mavs at halftime before a Clipper-like third quarter was their undoing in Saturday‘s 93-84 loss.
Minnesota won both of last season’s meetings in L.A. comfortably (94-86 and 87-77), but those results can be thrown out because this is the Clippers.
Based on how the Clippers have played thus far, I like their chances to pull out that first win tonight. As for the spread? Few things are ever easy with the Clippers, and because a Clipper-like quarter can happen at any time against any team, I’m staying away from taking them to cover.
Dont Agree? Let us Know. We love hearing your thoughts and picks!
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