Filling the Basket - NBA's Hottest 'Over' Teams
by Mike Rose
With the pro hoops sports betting season about to enter the All Star break, let’s take a look at which teams have scorched the nets for ‘total’ players throughout the first half of the NBA season:
(RANK) (TEAM) (SU RECORD) (O/U RECORD) (O/U RECORD L/10 +$$)
1) NBA bettors did was back the ‘over’ in every game the Pacers participated in throughout the first half of the 2008-09 NBA betting season, they’d have plenty of scratch to splurge on their sweetheart for Valentine’s Day. Head Coach Jim O’Brien’s club played to the ‘over’ in 33 of their 53 games played, and that number certainly looks to increase in the second half since Indiana plays with no defensive philosophy whatsoever. Their 107.2 PPG average is better than only New York, Sacramento, and Golden State’s seasonal output, but they more than make up for it on the offensive end of the court where they currently rank 4th overall with a 104.8 PPG average. This matador defense and prolific scoring attack has combined to post some of the highest combined scores NBA bettors have season this season. 1st time All Star Danny Granger and his 25+ PPG average have just gotten started in the NBA, so look for the Pacers to continue to be a $$$-maker for ‘over’ bettors throughout the second half of the season.
2) Los Angeles Clippers (13-40) (32-21 O/U) (8-2 O/U L/10 +$580): The Clippers were hot for ‘over’ bettors heading into the break as they went a $$$-making 8-2 ATS its L/10 games, and currently sit 11-games over .500 in that department. Rookie guard Eric Gordon has made a smooth transition to the next level, and has proved to be a solid draft pick for Clippers management after averaging 14.7 PPG throughout the first half of the season. However, it hasn’t been the offense that’s made money for ‘total’ bettors; which currently ranks 26th overall scoring a shade over 94 PPG. The poor play of the defense has been the teams Achilles heel, but ‘over’ bettors won’t shed a tear since it’s the reason why this bet hit at a 60% clip in LA’s first 53 games. With this club now a bit healthier, look for the Clippers to add a few more wins to their resume and continue playing in high scoring contests. The ‘over’ cashed in 18 of their 27 road games in the first half, so look for points to come in bunches in Tuesday night’s road affair with the Phoenix Suns.
3) Los Angeles Lakers (42-10) (32-20 O/U) (7-3 O/U L/10 +$370): Head Coach Phil Jackson’s Los Angeles Lakers currently sit perched atop the Western Conference 6.5 games ahead of the 2nd place San Antonio Spurs. Though they sit just two games over .500 in the pointspread department on the year, the Lakers have been a solid ‘over’ bet with it cashing at a 62% clip through their first 52 games played. With Kobe Bryant averaging a shade under 28 PPG and Pau Gasol chiming in with 18+, the remaining Lakers roster has combined to score 63 PPG to make LA the highest scoring team in the league that posts an average of 108+ points per contest. That and the fact that they give up just over 100 PPG has made this Lakers outfit one of the most lucrative ‘over’ bets going into the break. When they’ve had at least three days of rest, the ‘over’ is 4-1 ATS this year, so be on the lookout for a high scorer whenever Kobe and company gets plenty of shut eye before having to lace them up again.
4) Milwaukee Bucks (26-29) (31-24 O/U) (5-5 O/U L/10 -$50): The Bucks boast offensive and defensive ranks amongst the middle of the pack, but that hasn’t stopped HC Scott Skiles’ crew from increasing ‘over’ bettors bankrolls throughout the first half of the season. Richard Jefferson was a solid off-season acquisition who currently averages a shade under 18 PPG, and Charlie Villanueva is in the midst of a breakout season under the tutelage of the new coaching staff. They went into the break hitting the 120-point plateau in each of their L/3 games, but the loss of Michael Redd for the season will undoubtedly start to take a toll at some point down the line. The Bucks continuously play high scorers within their division (20-9 O/U L/29 vs. Central Division), so be on the lookout for points to be scored whenever they square off against Indiana, Detroit, Cleveland, and Chicago.
And the rest….
5) Toronto Raptors (21-34) (31-24 O/U) (5-5 O/U L/10 -$50):
6) Chicago Bulls (23-30) (29-23 O/U) (7-3 O/U L/10 +$370)
7) Utah Jazz (30-23) (29-23 O/U) (6-4 O/U L/10 +$160)
