Online Betting Contest

The tonight match between SA Spurs @ NO Hornets is the match where the coaches’ experience will have a bigger impact in the entire match.

Although almost all previews are talking only about players, I want to emphasize the coaches’ roles.

It is true that players play the game in the field, but the real “minds” behind this match are coaches.

The San Antonio’s coach Gregg Popovich is leading the team this year in the 12 consecutive seasons.

More statistical data can be found here http://www.nba.com/coachfile/gregg_popovich/

What I can tell you is that Gregg Popovich is one of the coach who learn from his mistakes and can use the opposite team strength into his advantage. This sounds strange but this is one of his abilities.

It is all right for Spurs that NBA review doesn’t find problem with Horry’s foul on Hornets’ West few days ago. I’m sure that this foul was one of the coach’s strategies. What does Robert Horry did for 5 years? Almost nothing in statistical table, but in reality he did a great job helping with a memorable 3 pointer 3 years ago when SA Spurs win the title, and now with a “magical” foul.

The whole SA Spurs is a UNITED team with players that played together since more than any other NBA team.

The NBA is a TEAM game not superstars players which are playing basketball.

The strongest mentally (team & coach) will go into NBA 2007 – 2008 semifinal and the winner takes it all!

I would take SA Spurs @ 2.74 (game of the year)

Pick: ATL Hawks +15.0

Odd: 1.95

Stake: 9/10

Sportbook: Mansion.com

Reasons:

I have to admit that I see Celtics in the PlayOff final, but the game of today will have more impact over Celtics’ players. Everybody sees Celtics in the NBA final (I meant every sportbook) few days ago (and also few weeks ago), and almost none sees Hawks join the playoff. This is sport. The Boston has to win this match but do they really prove that can beat the Atlanta with more than 15 points? The main reason is not the big revenge, instead is taking away the next step toward NBA final (or even the title). On the other hand for the Hawks, this match is more important than any other match from the past years. Statistically speaking in this PlayOff, in all three matches played at home by Celtics against the Hawks, the margin of victory was more than 19 (23, 19, 25 points) and the spread was set by sportsbook to 14. I’m sure that the bigger pressure is under the Celtics. If this match would took place in the regular season, I probably would say to take BOS -15.0 but being such an important for BOS, I suggest you to take ATL +15.0

Professional Gambler Pleads Guilty in NBA Betting Scandal

A professional gambler pleaded guilty on Thursday to making bets based on inside tips from former NBA referee Tim Donaghy.
James Battista told a judge in federal court in Brooklyn he hatched a scheme in late 2006 with another old friend of Donaghy, Thomas Martino, to pay the referee thousands of dollars for the information while Battista was “engaged in the business of sports betting.”
Battista’s lawyer had notified the court last week that his client wanted to go to trial rather than plead guilty to charges of defrauding the NBA, as Martino did earlier this month. But he changed his mind after prosecutors offered a last-minute deal allowing him to instead plead guilty to a lesser charge of conspiring to make illegal bets, said the lawyer, Jack McMahon.
“He’s a gambler, and he bet,” McMahon said. “We never really contested that.”
The deal spares Donaghy from having to testify as the government’s star witness at a high-profile federal trial. It also means Battista, 42, will face only 10 to 16 months in prison at sentencing on July 11. By contrast, Martino faces 12 to 18 months.
Donaghy, of Bradenton, Fla., pleaded guilty last year to charges he conspired to engage in wire fraud and transmitted betting information through interstate commerce.
The referee said he made NBA bets for four years, even wagering on games he worked. He also admitted recommending bets to high-stakes gamblers and collecting $5,000 if his picks hit.
Donaghy, 41, is scheduled to be sentenced May 22. By law, he faces up to 25 years in prison, though the term could be much lower under sentencing guidelines.
The three men attended high school together in Springfield, Pa.

Source: EOG.com by AP

The Suns and Lakers have not met since Los Angeles won 119-98 in US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona opener on November 2, 2007. The Lakers led by as many as 33 points.

“It is going to be tough, they have a lot of length and size which is going to be tough for us if we don’t play well,” said Nash, who had a season-low three assists in last month’s loss. “But if we’re active and hustle defensively and move the ball it is going to give us the chance to win on the road. It’s a big game they’re playing well and fired up to play at home on Christmas day.”

Lakers will play their ninth straight Christmas game and Suns did not play in Christmas day since 1996.

Finally the bookies has set the spread to -7.5 when HOU will visit DEN.
Few bookies have opened the spread for this match few hours ago.
One of them was orakulas.lt with DEN -5.5@1.85 (now is set to -7.5@1.85)

PinnacleSports is known that have biggest odds but right now I have found that another bookie is better for taking moneyline for Denver.
So please take a look (pay attention at the hour when post is up)
pinnaclesports.com DEN@1.31
wettpunkt.com DEN@1.45

If Pinnacle set -7.5 spread, I thing it is 95% that Tracy McGrady will not play tonight and I will thing at another good pick - Yao Ming (points+rebounds Over 34 @ 1.83 bodoglife.com)

HOU Rockets @ DEN Nuggets
Pick: DEN -5.5 @ 1.85 (orakulas.lt)
Stake: 10 units from 10

The revenge taste of victory is in Denver’s players mind for tonight match. In November 24, 2007 at Toyota Center – Houston (TX) Denver had lost 81-109. In that match Tracy Mc.Grady and Yao Ming scored 57 points. For tonight match Tracy Mc.Grady is very improbably to play because he bruised his left knee.
I would recommend to wait until the players will be on court at the match time and sees if the Mc Grady will play or not.

Phoenix Suns is the first NBA team this season who beat SA Spurs in AT&T Center.  After few years of frustrations, Suns it seems to be a complete team. Although Mavericks is 11-2 at home, they do not reach yet the complete game which we have seen at them in last year.
Both teams have the complete list players, without injuries report and have one day rest from the last game.
PHO is a better team compared with last year (Grant Hill joined to PHO this season). Dirk Novittzki played a little above 40 minutes last game and Josh Howard almost 38 and a half minutes. All 5 starters from PHO played last game between 32-35 minutes. Comparing these times, Dirk could not play at 110% from his NBA abilities.
I thing this game has nothing in common with past statistics and will win the team who will me more focused.

Normally NY Knicks is a team that could beat any non-top-5 NBA team at Madison Square Arena. Until now they do not prove this issue. Although it is almost the most expensive NBA team the rank results are not as high as the salaries are. Past game shows that things are changing. Knicks beat Nets without Stephon Marbury. Marbury returned to practice Sunday and said it had been difficult to return to the arena and he expects to play Monday.

J. O’Neal from Indiana is questionable for tonight match (he left Saturday’s game against Heat with a sore neck late in the 4-th Q). Eddy Curry had 23 points and nine rebounds Saturday night as the Knicks snapped a five-game losing streak and played a season-high 38 minutes.

The Pacers is favorite with -3.5 spread handicap.

Indiana Pacers will host the Toronto Raptors tonight at Conseco Fieldhouse Arena.In this game will miss TJ Ford (TOR Raptors) because he is taking a week off after hitting his head on the floor in Tuesday’s game. J.Foster (IND Pacers) is doubtful for this game because of a back injury.

The Indiana concept of basketball is to run and score all the time: “We run to score all the time,” J. O’Neal (IND) said. “If we’re going to run to score, we have to run back and play defense. We cannot score and give up buckets on the other end; that’s been the thing. We feel very confident that with the way we play, as the season progresses, we’re going to get a lot better.”

Even the Indiana coach Jim O’Brien believes that they can rally from double-digit deficits: “I’ve seen a lot of games lost or almost lost by going into a style that’s not your style because you’re trying to protect the lead,” O’Brien said. “We are a running team until the three-minute mark.”

Indiana has won 8 of its last 10 home games against Toronto.

Bookmakers have set the Pacers as a favorite with -1.5 spread handicap and the total to 205. 

 The concept of beating the Spurs (17-4) brightened somewhat after the Golden State Warriors dropped them Tuesday, 96-84. Tim Duncan missed a third consecutive game because of a sprained right ankle and is listed as questionable for tonight’s game. Tony Parker has been playing with a sprained left ankle and is also questionable. Manu Ginobili is not injured, which is good news for the Spurs. He had scored 37 points in two consecutive games before falling to 13 points on four-for-14 shooting against Golden State.

“It’s a good test for us to see how much we’ve improved since the last time we played them,” Kobe Bryant said. “We just weren’t prepared in terms of our experience as a team and being able to go deeper into our offense to be able to combat what they do against us defensively … but now we’re much better prepared and more equipped. It’s going to be a nice challenge.”

Tonight match will be the last of consecutive home games for LA LAkers, which will play five of its next six on the road. San Antonio has won eight of its last 10 road games against the Lakers.

It is very probale that coach Phil Jackson and the entire LA Lakers team will celebrate a victory tonight.