Posted
on 01/31/2008 5:45 PM
By: CappersPicks.com NBA Basketball Handicapping
Staff
NBA: Dallas at Boston (8:05 PM ET, TNT)
The greatest
fear GM Danny Ainge had to have after acquiring
Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen was the fear one
or both could get injured. Well, his fears
have been realized, as the Boston
Celtics face the Dallas Mavericks tonight
with both players on the bench.
Those betting NBA
basketball have to share the same fears.
Those betting at Sportsbook.com have nothing
to fear when taking advantage of the 50-point
Man on Fire or Overtime
Blues promotions.
Ray Allen is the lesser of the two problems,
as he has the flu and will get better each
day. Garnett, on the other hand, has a strained
abdominal muscle and has missed the last
two games. The Celtics would love to have
Garnett in the lineup but are not willing
to rush him back onto the court.
“If he can play Thursday, we'll play
him," coach Doc Rivers said. "But
again, it's got to be almost 100 percent.
That's the way I look at those types of injuries."
Boston has been
set as 2 ½-point
favorites . They have not been as
potent as they were early in the season
with 4-9-1 ATS record against teams with
winning record in last 14 outings.
Dallas
has been hotter than the HBO show “The
Wire”, winning 12 of last 14 games,
with an 8-5-1 ATS record. This has propelled
the Mavericks into second place in the
Southwest Division, only trailing the equally
sizzling New Orleans Hornets by just one
game.
Dallas will also have a thin roster, with
starting point guard Devin Harris expected
to miss at least 2-3 weeks with a bone bruise
on his left ankle. Jerry Stackhouse, one
of the team's top reserves, was sidelined
Monday with a strained right hamstring and
is considered day-to-day.
From a competition standpoint, this is
a rugged four game swing for Dallas. After
shooting over 53 percent and whipping Memphis
by 19 points on the road, starting tonight,
they have to play all three Eastern Conference
division leaders - Boston, Detroit and Orlando.
"It's going to be a tough trip," said
forward Dirk Nowitzki. "Boston
is the best team right now in the league.
Best record. We all know what Detroit is
like at home. They're tough to beat. It's
going to be a fun trip. Very tough."
Nowitzki’s
comments are well founded, as the Mavericks
have failed to cover 11 of last 14 road
games against teams with winning home records.
Dallas will
have the benefit of playing with two days
off and is 25-11 ATS in the process. The
Mavs are 9-12 ATS on the road and will
take on the NBA’s best defensive
team in Boston, who allows 88.2 PPG. Amazingly,
this could work to there benefit as Dallas
is 27-10 ATS versus good defensive teams
surrendering 91or fewer points a game.
Fully manned or not, Boston is 36-15 ATS
after breaking the century mark in scoring.
The Celtics also have a little extra against
opponents who have scored 100 or more points
in last game, covering almost 75 percent
of the time at 23-8 ATS.
TNT will use this intriguing encounter
for its usual Thursday night action, starting
at 8 pm ET. Boston is 5-2 ATS playing the
night before the weekend starts, with Dallas
desultory 1-6 ATS the same evening.
NBA Free Picks:
StatFox Power Line indicates Boston -6. However,
with the injuries affecting the contest,
be sure to follow the Live Odds and Betting
Trends pages to keep up with the latest
info.
Visit
Sportsbook.com for more analysis and all
of your NBA Hoops Odds!
Everytime
you make a deposit into your Sportsbook.com
account you can earn free cash or great
prizes. See below for our current list
of bonuses and promotions. Join Sportsbook.com
-where Everybody Bets- and we will add
a FREE 10% BONUS to your initial deposit.
Whatever your deposit amount, we'll give
you an extra 10% to play with. Sign up
and make your deposit today.
Powered
By: Sportsbook.com
Superbowl Betting
|
Cappers Picks is an online sports service
and handicapping tips website, not affiliated with any Online Scamdicappers. 
