NBA Friday Basketball Betting - Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Lakers
by Charles Jay
Two teams who are on a hot streak will get together in Friday night when the sports betting action that is slated to get underway at 10:30 PM ET at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Basketball Betting Odds: LAKERS -11, Total 204.5
Here are some of the NBA pro basketball betting trends as they relate to this matchup:
* DALL has won its last five games SU
* DALL has covered four of its last five games
* DALL has played three of its last four games UNDER the total
* DALL has won and covered five of its last eight road games
* LA has won its last five games SU
* LA has covered seven of its last 10 games
* LA has played four of its last six games OVER the total
* LA has won seven of its last eight home games SU
* LA has played four of its last five home games OVER the total
Also...
* LA has won the last four meetings SU
* Four of the last five meetings have gone OVER the total
* DALL has covered the last three meetings as the road team
* LA has had the shooting edge in four of the last five meetings
* DALL has had the rebounding edge in eight of the last ten meetings
Dallas has won five games in a row, and three of those games were on the road, with the highlight last Wednesday, a 96-86 victory at the Toyota Center in Houston over the Rockets. The Mavericks lead the NBA in rebounding on the road (48.1 per game) and has averaged 100 points a game away from home. Jason Kidd has shot 50% in his last three games, and has his highest overall shooting percentage in his 15-year career. One player who has gotten very hot for Dallas is Jason Terry, the 6'2" guard who has scored 80 points in the last three games and is averaging 22.5 over his last six.
If numbers are any indication, it would appear that Kidd is bringing more of a defensive mentality to the Mavs, who have allowed opponents to shoot only 42% from the field. They will have their work cut out for them against the Lakers, who lead the league in scoring with 107 points a game (108.3 ppg at home).
Los Angeles has lost just once, a home game to Detroit, and though Kobe Bryant is averaging about four and a half points less than last season, there is more offensive balance. Pau Gasol's scoring numbers are down as well, but people like Trevor Ariza and Jordan Farmar have stepped up some more. Andrew Bynum has shot 68% in the last four games, but he is listed as day-to-day as he chipped a bone spur in his foot.
The previous meeting was not pleasant for Rick Carlisle's club, as the Lakers won a 106-99 decision at the American Airlines Arena. In that contest, Dallas had a ten-point lead late in the third quarter, then kind of collapsed.
basketball sports betting odds.
JAY'S PLAY: DALLAS +11 **
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)
(Charles Jay of http://www.ebookies.com makes his share of shots from downtown as a contributor to the BetUS Locker Room)
