Bettors had eight NBA Sunday games to bet on and it was the road teams that came away happy. They went 6-2, which started with the Philadelphia 76ers dominating the New York Knicks.
The Philadelphia 76ers were far too good for the New York Knicks, winning 125-109 on the road. They were the -7½ favorites to score the victory and it was never in doubt. James Harden scored 29 points with 10 rebounds and 16 assists, so his triple-double came in handy.
There was solid money with the sportsbook for the Utah Jazz, who narrowly defeated the Phoenix Suns. The 118-114 win got the job done for favorite bettors, especially with a 38-29 third-quarter effort. It was just the 12th loss for the Suns, who were short-handed, but it evens up the race for the Western Conference title.
The Boston Celtics had been a great bet before the All Star break, but losing to the Indiana Pacers isn’t a good look. They were manhandled from the outset in the 128-107 defeat as a 9½-point favorite. It showed how fragile the Celtics can be on the road. They were only one of two road teams to lose on Sunday.
There was no betting online support for the Detroit Pistons, but they’re always dangerous on any given day. That was the case when beating the Charlotte Hornets 127-126 in overtime thanks to a late Kelly Olynyk bucket. It was just their 15th win and it showed the potential the Pistons have to upset teams in the second half of the season.
It wasn’t a high-scoring affair, but the Los Angeles Clippers scored a narrow 99-98 win over the Houston Rockets. Hardly the marquee game of the day, the Clippers did enough to secure the win and keep their heads above water. The Rockets are finding it tough to win consistently, but they covered the spread by 5½ points, so bettors of the home team were happy.
In a big fourth-quarter turnaround, the Dallas Mavericks prevailed over the Golden State Warriors. Strong money pregame came for the Mavericks at +4, and it looked dead in the water until a 33-13 fourth quarter. It was a massive comeback and most of it happened when Steph Curry was sitting on the bench. It was a statement win for the Mavericks, who were led by 34 points from Luka Doncic.
The success by the road teams continued when the Denver Nuggets accounted for the Portland Trail Blazers 124-92. Denver built a 17-point lead at the halftime break and it was never in doubt as the Trail Blazers couldn’t find any offense. The under cashed by 13 points despite Denver scoring 124.
NBA betting odds had the Los Angeles Lakers at -2½, but we don’t think they’ll be favored too often from now. They struggled in a 123-95 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans and it highlighted the struggles they’re going through. LeBron James had 30 points in a losing effort, but Russell Westbrook had only 16.
“Teams are coming in and playing harder. I believe that’s their scouting report — just play harder than them and see what happens. And it’s working,” Westbrook told ESPN. “We have to have the determination that’s not going to happen on our home floor or it is going to continue to happen to us.”
