NBA Sunday Betting Previews

The second big day of professional basketball action this weekend has the other eight teams still competing to advance in the playoffs. Detroit has all but thrown in the towel as eighth-seed and series could end today. Chicago was feeling great about themselves just days ago, but a loss puts them on the critical list. Orlando and Portland are both are the road and need wins to avoid being down three games to one.

Boston at Chicago 1:00E ABC

Reports out of the Windy City had the Bulls feeling pretty plucky about almost winning two games at the defending NBA champs place and with a couple of home wins, Chicago was thinking upset. Instead, Boston but the basketball equivalent of water-boarding on the Bulls and blew them away by halftime. Chicago did themselves in also with 22 turnovers. Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said nerves weren’t a problem, but how else do you explain a team making 90 percent of free throws in the first two games, misses nine in the first half? Maybe the coach is right; it’s not nerves, its expectations. With more than 48 hours to prepare, Chicago is in advantageous spot since home teams off an upset loss by 10 points or more as a favorite, playing with two days rest are 54-15 ATS the last five years. For some reason, the Celtics are still three-point underdogs.

Cleveland at Detroit 3:30E ABC

If this was a MMA fight, they would have already called it. Though Detroit will say all the right things about playing possession by possession and trying to win quarters, in there hearts do they really want to put off the inevitable? The Pistons are .500 at home this season with cheerless 13-29 ATS record. They are on 0-6 SU and ATS run and 3-11 ATS at home after failing to cover the spread in two or more games this series. The final nail in the coffin is Cleveland is 15-1 ATS after leading their last three games by five or more points at the half this season. The Cavs are eight-point road favorites.

Orlando at Philadelphia 6:30E TNT

The Orlando Magic are quickly finding out they have flaws and more than most realized. They have blown double-digit second half leads in two games, winning once in the series and trailed by 17-points to come all the way back, only to be nipped with just seconds to play. Two more buzzer beaters and Philadelphia sends Orlando home for the summer most unexpectedly, but why?

Asked King Creole of Playbook.com why he thought Orlando has been less than magical. “I'm not surprised that they are struggling in this series. Orlando is historically a very POOR favorite in the NBA Playoffs (13-23-2 ATS in their history). That includes 1-5 ATS as playoff road favorites. And they're even worse when they have high aspirations. Orlando is 6-15-2 ATS in the playoffs when they have a current win/loss percentage of .666 or greater. When priced as a favorite of 11 or less points, they are 3-12 ATS.”

He went on to add, “The rims get 'tighter' in the NBA playoffs for teams who are so dependent on three-point shooting success, like the Magic. After hitting 38-percent in the regular season on three-point attempts, the numbers are down to only 31.1 percent so far in the post-season. In Game One, they shot only 27.8 percent (5 for 18). In Game Two, they shot only 26.2 percent (6 for 23).”

Bookmaker.com still has the Magic as four-point favorites with total of 191; however they are far from safe bet at 1-8 ATS record in last nine games.

Portland at Houston 9:00E TNT

This is quickly turning into a coach’s nightmare series. Both teams have had moments of utter brilliances, which were followed by foolhardy play; those watching could have laughed out loud like at a Chris Rock concert. Yao Ming has lateral movement of a battleship, yet Portland players keep taking the ball right to him. One trip the Blazers’ players set a perfect screen to free up dribble penetration and the trip down the floor, it’s a good thing NBA refs don’t call moving screens, because the attention to detail is forgotten. Portland has to put Game 3 behind them, which might not be that easy since they are 22-41 ATS off a road cover where the team lost straight up as an underdog.

Somebody on the Houston coaching staff needs to let Aaron Brooks know he doesn’t HAVE to shoot the ball in every important situation. They might also want to remind the Rockets players that nothing bad will happen if they maintain defensive focus for four quarters. Houston continues to dominate Portland at home with 11-1 record (5-7 ATS) and they are 29-12 ATS after they failed to cover the spread this season. Oddsmakers have lowered Houston to 4-point favorites.