Best NBA futures bet? Take the West at plus money

The Miami Heat are looking so hot these days but they’re still the favorite to win the NBA title. That’s not surprising. If you want to fade the Heat on the futures board, the best way to do it might be to take the Western Conference to win the title at plus-money.

Outside of Miami, the Chicago Bulls are the only serious (sorry Boston fans) championship contenders from the East. The West’s field, however, includes the Lakers, Spurs, Thunder, Mavericks and Thunder – five teams that are good enough to win it all.

Sportsbook.com and a few other books have the West at +115 to win the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

Remember the last three champs (Mavs and Lakers twice) have come from the West, the Thunder are the second overall fave and the Grizz might be the hottest team in the league.

J-Kidd says Mavs aren't getting calls from refs

The Dallas Mavericks are 1-5 SU and ATS over their last six games and part of the reason for the skid, according to point guard Jason Kidd, is a lack of respect from the referees.

"We don't get the benefit of the whistle," Kidd told ESPN Dallas after losing 95-91 to the Oklahoma City Thunder. "I don't think we're looked upon as champions, but that's a whole other story. Dirk should live at the line if they would call it the way it's supposed to be. But he doesn't."

The Mavs were up by four with 2:44 to go in the fourth quarter but didn't score another point the rest of the way. The Thunder scored eight, five of which came at the charity strip. OKC 23 more free-throw attempts than Dallas, overall in the game.

I don't know. Sounds like Kidd is reaching. The Thunder like to shoot long jumpers as much as the Mavs but Westbrook, Durant and Harden all attack the rim too. Dirk doesn't. When he gets close, he still prefers to take that fall-away jumper off his back foot. The shot doesn't get blocked but it doesn't draw a lot of contact either.

The other thing that was weird was Kidd talking about being looked upon as champions by the refs. I've heard of star calls but never championship calls. Am I being naive here?

The Magic will be real bad, real soon

LeBron's "Decision" left a bad taste in all our mouths. Fans didn't like seeing players conspire to join forces but you can't blame the two-time MVP from wanting to play GM.

Danny Ferry could never put the right pieces around James in Cleveland, so why wouldn't he just say, "Screw it, I'll do this myself."

Well, get ready to see the Orlando Magic look as bad as the Cleveland Cavaliers very soon.

John Hollinger and a bunch of other statheads think Dwight Howard is the league's most valuable player. I didn't believe it until I started watching Orlando's playoff series against the Hawks.

No superstar as a worst supporting cast than Howard. GM Otis Smith has surrounding the league's best center with a cast of streak shooters who are allergic to playing defense.

I couldn't believe it when I read Forbes Magazine's report that the Magic had the second highest payroll ($89 million) in the NBA and fifth largest in team sports. Smith has assembled the worst roster - outside of Howard - that money can buy.

The Magic might come back to win the series against the Hawks - BetJamaica has them at -240 despite being down 2-1 - but there's no way they're going to be able to beat Chicago and then either Boston or Miami.

That's wh... [More]

Is Chris Webber the biggest waste of talent ever?

Just watching all those old Chris Webber highlights from his Michigan days. Here’s a guy who’s 6-10, can jump out of the gym and passes and dribbles better than most wing players.

That’s why, despite all his success in the NBA, I gotta consider his pro career a disappointment.

I don’t think I’ve seen a complete and polished player at the college level in the last 20 years. I never saw Len Bias play, but Chris Webber had all the skills and athleticism that give college coaches like John Calipari 24-hour erections.

Some people are going to put guys that never panned out in the Association ahead of Webber on this but I think that’s a mistake.

Think of it this way: C-Webb was so talented that GM’s never gave up on this guy despite the marijuana charges, despite the shoulder injuries and despite his sour attitude (Golden State and Washington).

Sure he became an All-Star and even an All-NBA third teamer, but that’s small potatoes for Webber. I’m just think that for the first 10 years of his pro career, 90 percent of the time Webber took the floor that he was the most talented player on the hardwood.

Look, we know Chris is a prideful guy. Remember when he verbally choke slammed David Kahn when the T-Wolves GM compared him to Darko Milicic? Skip to the two-minute mark.


I just can’t help but look back at Webber’s career and think “what if”?

What do you guys think? Am I way off base here?

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What exactly does Richard Hamilton want?

How do you solve a problem like Richard Hamilton? The grumpy veteran continues to mope on the bench in Detroit all because of his own actions and decisions.

He, according to reports, belittled his coach, John Kuester, twice in front of the rest of the Pistons team. That's why he's buried on the pine.

So, Detroit management, hoping to rid themselves of the distraction, put together a trade that would have sent Rip to Cleveland. The Cavaliers would have immediately bought out the former All-Star's contract, giving Hamilton the chance to sign with a contender for the rest of the season.

But Hamilton didn't like the conditions of the buyout - thought he wasn't going to see enough cash. So, instead of playing a contributing role for a championship caliber team (Chicago probably), Hamilton is left whining and trying to sabotage Kuester with mutinous ploys.

I don't get it. I mean, who does Rip have to blame other than himself? He had his chance to skip town and he blew it and now he's organizing no-shows at practice because he's pissed with how things turned out?

Someone's going to have to explain the logic to me.

The Pistons fell to the Sixers with a limited bench on Friday but bounced back with a win against the Jazz as 5-point home dogs. I think the best way to play this team is to back the over. Detroit's players aren't interested in playing defense which is why its opponents have reach the century mark in seven of its last eight games.... [More]

How do you bet teams missing star players?

You can't win in the NBA without star players. You need a guy or two who can carry your offense at times and get to the free throw line when your offense is. So how do you bet a team when its missing its best player?

We’ve got a piece in the No. 1 today about which players are worth the most to the line and some people are questioning whether these ballers are worth as much as our panel says.

It’s a fair question and something I find pretty interesting. I’ve talked to oddsmakers and cappers a bunch of times about this topic and I always learn something new.

Here are two things to keep in mind:

Oddsmakers set these lines with the public in mind. I know, I know. Not breaking any news here but sometimes we forget how much public perception plays into the art of making a line. If the majority of people jump at the chance to fade the Lakers when Kobe Bryant’s not playing, the bookies have to alter the line to the point that backing the Kobe-less Lakers becomes more attractive.

Another thing you want to watch for whenever a star player goes down is how that team plays in the first game or two. A couple different oddsmakers have told me that teams missing their best players will rally in the first instance or so and overachieve. Over time the void begins to be felt and those teams really start to struggle.

Best example of this is the Cleveland Cavaliers with and without LeBron James.

Many expected the Cavaliers to really struggle at... [More]

Are the Sacramento Kings flashes in the pan or ATS gold mine?

So the Sacramento Kings won consecutive games over the weekend for the first time since Games 3 and 4 of the season. The most of NBA fans were shocked to see Sac-Town top the Lakers at the Staples Center and then end the Hornets' 10-game winning streak the following night, but sharp bettors saw this coming.

The Kings are a bad team - we all know that. But they've been playing hard and covering the number in the process. Sacramento is 9-4 against the spread over its last 13 games but the club faces a daunting schedule over the first three weeks of February.

They've got a five-game home stand on deck with the Celtics, Spurs, Jazz, Mavs and Thunder coming to town. My guess is that the Kings' luck will run out on their court. They've been one of the worst home cover teams all season. It's like they need those extra points oddsmakers give them when they're on the road.

I say fade 'em at home and back 'em on the road. What do you guys think? 

Bet the NBA at BetJamaica.com.

Is LeBron James trying to get Heat coach Erik Spoelstra fired?

He wouldn’t be the first NBA superstar to pull this maneuver. Magic Johnson did it to Paul Westhead and Jason Kidd did it to Bryon Scott - and they didn't have a proven NBA head coaching legend waiting in the wings like LeBron does in Miami.

Pat Riley, the Heat's team president and former bench boss, is a five-time NBA champion as a head coach and he’s one of the main guys who convinced James to take his talents to South Beach.

The defending, two-time league MVP obviously isn’t a big fan of Spoelstra’s. Check out this rude little bump during last night’s loss to the Mavericks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYFOxa5ljc8


James also called out his new coach after the Heat’s loss to the Celtics back on Veterans’ Day.

“For myself, 44 minutes is too much,” LeBron told reporters after the game. “I think Coach Spo knows that.”

James and the Heat are 1-4 straight up over their last five games and are just 1-11 against the spread in their last 12 games.

So what’s the over/under games Spoelstra has left as the Heat’s head coach? I’d make the line around 5.5 and I’d take the under.

Wager on the NBA at BetJamaica.com.
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Steve Nash still among NBA’s most valuable players

He’s a 36-year-old point guard who can’t play a lick of defense but he’s still arguably the league’s most valuable players.

Don’t believe me?

Then you obviously didn’t see the Suns in action Wednesday night against the Heat and Thursday against the Magic.

Nash played against the Heat but his groin was clearly bothering him. He sat out against the Magic and it's not clear when he'll be back.

It doesn’t matter who's on the Suns roster. Their offense doesn't function without Nash on the floor. Phoenix lives and dies with the 3-pointer and it doesn't get off good looks without Nash opening things up.

Backup point guard Goran Dragic is a great at getting to the paint and he was huge coming off the bench for Phoenix last year in the playoffs. But he’s a scoring guard and isn’t great at getting his teammates involved.

Nash won’t play tonight against the Bobcats (BetJamaica has Charlotte as a 1-point home dog) and is doubtful for Monday’s game against the Rockets. I know those are two bad teams, but I’m going to be fading Phoenix in both spots.

Other injury notes

Multiple oddsmakers have told me that an NBA team missing its star player usually puts out a maximum effort in the first game. After that game things tend to balance out and the absence of the start player really gets felt.[More]

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Where does Pau Gasol rank among Laker big men?

You want to know why the Los Angeles Lakers are creeping up on the Celtics’ record for most NBA championships? Two words: Pau Gasol.

The Purple and Gold have been to three Finals and won two of them in the 2.5 seasons Pau has been a Laker. The guy is averaging a career-high 23.4 points to go along with 10.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists.

It’s impossible not to appreciate the bad bearded man’s skills when you watch him play. He shoots, passes and dribbles like a point guard and his hands are softer than the world's finest quilted toilet paper.

The Lakers Fox Sports crew put up a poll during a game against the T-Wolves asking who the greatest Los Angeles big man of all-time is: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, George Mikan, Shaquille O’Neal or Pau Gasol.

After getting over the initial shock that Vlade Divac, Elden Campbell and Travis Knight all were not included in this poll, I debated over how high Gasol would be on this list.

Here’s how I’d rank ‘em.

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

He was there for 14 years and helped the Lakers win five titles. He was the best player in at least three of those Finals wins too. Longevity is the reason this guy stays at the top of this list.

2. Shaquille O’Neal

La-La land owned the best years of Shaq’s dominating career. No one could guard the Big Fella unless they fouled him and that’s why every contending team in the West at that time had to have three centers (18 fouls) on the roster.<... [More]

Al Horford or Joakim Noah: Whom would you rather have?

The Atlanta Hawks just locked up their All-Star big man Al Horford. Five years, $60 million. It’s the same deal that former Florida Gator teammate Joakim Noah signed with the Chicago Bulls over the summer.

So, this begs the question – which guy would you rather have on your team?

Bet on the NBA at BetJamaica.com.

Most draft analysts thought Noah would have been the first overall pick in the 2006 draft if he’d left Florida. But the eccentric center returned for another year and championship with the Gators and scouts soon decided that Horford was the better prospect.

Noah was scooped up by the Bulls with the ninth pick while the Hawks jumped on Horford with the third pick. Joakim didn’t show much polish in his rookie season while Horford made a late charge for Rookie of the Year almost stealing the honor from some guy named Durant.

But the gap has closed since. Horford’s offensive post game has been slow to develop. Still, Big Al is in ESPN stat guru John Hollinger’s top 11 in PER (player efficiency rating) while Noah is just outside the top 80.

But Noah’s ridiculous rebounding rate and interior defending have made him one of the league’s most indispensable players. Remember, the Bulls wouldn’t give up Noah for an... [More]

Why does Kurt Rambis hate Kevin Love so much?

Minnesota Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis promised that fourth quarter benching of Kevin Love in last week’s game against the Kings was a one-time deal. But there was the T-Wolves’ franchise player with his butt on the bench in the third quarter against the Heat.

Less than four minutes into the second half, Rambis pulled Love in favor of Anthony Tolliver. Love didn’t play the rest of the quarter and, not surprisingly, Minnesota’s offense went to the pine with him.

The Wolves ended up losing 129-97 and failed to cover as 16.5-point dogs at BetJamaica.com.
 
So why does Rambis hate his talented big man so much? Because Love is everything that Rambis wasn’t as a player: offensively gifted and defensively limited.

Rambis was a dirty work kind of guy during his playing career. His game wasn’t pretty but he worked his butt off and that’s why he prefers Tolliver. He sees himself in the fourth-year man out of Missouri.

Memo to Rambis: Effort can only get you so far. You need guys that can fill the hoop, and Love is one of those guys. Tolliver isn’t. You think Pat Riley would have benched James Worthy in favor Rambis because Worthy was late on a defensive rotation?

So Love has been pulled for long stretches in two games so far and the Wolves’ record in those games against the spread is… what for it… 0-2. What a surprise.

Continue ... [More]