In Pro Basketball, winning and losing are often not the final criteria in judging a team. When one team plays better in defeat, than another does in winning, you can gain real value by seeing through the misleading results. When handicapping Pro Basketball, some fundamentals and considerations are not just the venue. Remember the worst team can beat the best team on any given day. There is more pure skill and athleticism involved in basketball, than football. Scoring requires more skill than football. In a typical NFL game, there are only about 6-8 scoring situations, compared to about 100-120 in an NBA game. In basketball there are many more possessions and scoring opportunities for both teams. This better represents team skill and is less of a determinant in a game’s final outcome.

A handicapper has to constantly research his own and other records to be able to predict more accurately, point spread and values to any number of situations; travel situations, both teams style of play, match ups, injuries and much more. The upside is basketball has more potential for profit. In basketball there are fewer men on the rosters, making it easier to keep track of the players. The ball is round and the playing surface is smooth, making luck and happenstance less of a factor in handicapping the contest.

The rules in basketball are the simplest of all major team sports. This changes the flow of the game and the quality of the talent prevails over the luck in other sports. The length of the NBA schedule gives the bettor much more opportunity for profit.

In the NBA, there are fewer men involved in a basketball game, compared to the injury-prone football. For this reason, it is easier to assess values to injuries in relation to a game. The point spread can be adjusted with more accuracy than football except when a quarterback or star players are out. Basketball lines are posted the same day and the injury information is not always up-to-the-minute and may not be reflected in the line. Getting the information before the lines move, can be a big advantage for the handicapper.

NBA Basketball has about 4 times as many betting opportunities as in the NFL. It’s Sunday everyday during the NBA season. It is difficult to keep up with all the statistics, injuries and factors that influence every game. We will not make predictions until the third week of the season, because the statistics have not started forming yet. There are opportunities though. Young teams tend to be better prepared earlier than older teams. Aging veterans will not keep up their training programs as much during the off-season. Rookies and second-year men will be more durable. Early in the season, games figure to be lower scoring than later in the year. With all the extra pounds on the floor, bench players will get more playing time and the games tend to slow down late. Teams with the most new starters tend to make the most mistakes. Teams with the most players returning from last year will tend to do better than the ones with a lot of new faces, especially early in the season. The teams with a lot of new starters figure to take longer to get in sync.

There have been some obvious trends in the NBA in recent years. The best way to keep a coaching job is to average 50 wins, but there are many reasons for the turnover. Compared with the number of teams in the early 1970s, the NBA has expanded greatly, making it all the more difficult to win a championship. The media scrutinizes the coaches and constantly puts them under pressure. Today, high-priced players are more likely to complain to the management about their coaches or threaten to become free agents if they don’t get what they want. The bottom line is money. Teams pay a lot more for players than they do for coaches. It is easier to change coaches than players. Old owners paid very little for teams while new owners pay very big amounts. They want results much quicker.

Another trend is the proliferation of the 3-point shot. With its rise, the fast break and mid range jump shot, have become lost arts. The big men who dominated the game, back in the1970s, are almost nonexistent today. The average number of points per game has dropped dramatically, as the majority of threes still clang off the rim. The NBA originally adopted a 3-point shot before the 1979-80 season, to give the league a boost.

Handicapping Pro Basketball is very challenging because the schedules are so grueling that you can only guess at a team’s motivation until the playoffs. Most pro games are decided point-wise in the final few minutes. There is no compulsion for the favorite to win big, yet it usually has the talent to do so.

Due to their style of play, some basketball teams have a tendency to hang in against a better opponent. They may be losing teams, but discipline at both ends keeps them in the game. They can be spotted by looking at their point spread trend. There defense offers a good clue.

Control teams occasionally get blown out when unable to dictate the tempo. Don’t be misled because they are disciplined.  They are not inclined to lose big twice in a row. Pro Basketball teams are able to control the tempo better at home. Disciplined quintets that are able to do this are a lot less of a risk when playing over/unders.

Be leery of high point favorites that lack bench strength or killer instinct, check previous records.

Info Plays Friday, November 21st Free Play:

3* on New Jersey Nets +9

Reasons why the Nets cover the spread Friday:

1.) The Nets are 3-1 ATS in road games this season and will not lose by double-digits tonight. New Jersey is in rebuilding mode, but this team still has plenty of talent to be competitive and they’ve showed it. Vince Carter is still a scoring machine, posting 3 straight games of 26 or more points recently. Devin Harris has been steady at point guard, scoring better than 20 PPG and finding easy shots for his teammates. Toronto has lost 3 of their last 5 games overall and the trade to get Jermaine O’Neal hasn’t panned out yet.

2.) The Nets are not turning the ball over. Toronto is just 13-25 ATS versus good ball handling teams – committing <=14 turnovers/game over the last 2 seasons. The Nets are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a SU loss of more than 10 points. The Raptors are 6-21 ATS in their last 27 games playing on 1 days rest. The Nets are 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a double-digit home loss. New Jersey bounces back tonight after one of their poorest performances of the season against Cleveland last time out.

3.) System Play. We’ll Play On – Road teams (NEW JERSEY) – off a home loss, on Friday nights. This is a 131-84 ATS System hitting 60.9% over the last 5 seasons. Also adding to this trend is the fact that Toronto is just 1-11 ATS in their last 12 Friday games. The Raptors have been terrible on Friday’s for whatever reason, and they Nets will take advantage of it tonight. Bet New Jersey on the road.

Info Plays Wednesday, November 19th Free Play:

3* on Minnesota Timberwolves +3.5

Reasons why Minnesota covers the spread Wednesday:

1.) The Timberwolves’ 1-8 record does not show how well they have been playing. Minnesota has been losing by very small margins, and they are ready to break through and win this home game against the 76ers tonight. The Timberwolves have lost 6 of their last 7 games by 6 points or less. Two of those losses came in overtime. So Minnesota has been very competitive, but they just haven’t been able to finish the deal. This team has to be sick and tired of these close losses, and we feel they will respond with a win tonight.

2.) Letdown spot for the 76ers. Philadelphia has won 3 straight games and now they will be a big overconfident heading into this game with the 1-8 Timberwolves. There is no doubt they will letdown tonight. The home team has won 5 of the last 7 meetings in this series. The Timberwolves have won 4 of their last 5 home games when facing Philly.

3.) System Play. We’ll Play On – Any team (MINNESOTA) – after 6 or more consecutive losses, first half of the season. This is a 61-31 ATS System hitting 66.3% over the last 5 seasons. After a team goes on a long losing streak, the odds makers are forced to adjust their lines accordingly. This is when the team that is on the losing streak starts to show unbelievable value. That’s the case for Minnesota tonight, as they should not be a home underdog to the 76ers. Bet Minnesota at home.

The Black Widow is on another amazing run!  He’s hit on 12 of his last 13 plays and goes for even more tonight!  Today’s free pick comes in the NBA as the Atlanta Hawks host the Washington Wizards:

Black Widow NBA Free Pick:

1* on Atlanta Hawks -7.5

The Atlanta Hawks have been up and down all season. They started brilliantly with six straight wins, but they have faltered as of late, losing 4 straight since. But we fully expect Atlanta will get back on the winning track tonight in blowout fashion. Atlanta hosts the Washington Wizards, who have really been killed by injuries this season. Starting C Brendan Haywood and starting G Gilbert Arenas have missed the entire season to this point. The result has been a 1-7 record for the Wizards where Washington is losing by an average of 9.5 points per game. And on the road, the Wizards haven’t even been competitive. Washington is 0-4 on the road this season, losing by an average of 15.3 points per game. It won’t get any easier for Washington tonight considering Atlanta will be playing hungry basketball after dropping four straight heading into this contest. Washington is 23-47 ATS (-28.7 Units) after 2 consecutive division games since 1996. The Hawks are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 home games. Washington is 0-5 ATS in their last 5 vs. Eastern Conference. Take Atlanta and lay the points.

GOOD LUCK TONIGHT!

To start things off we’ll start with our hottest overall capper, Jeff Alexander.  Tonight Jeff has one of his patented Wiseguy plays going in college basketball.  He’s already 1-0 in the young college hoops season with an easy winer on Michigan Wednesday.  He’s found another potential blowout tonight as he uses a time-tested 89% system!  As always, his play tonight is guaranteed or tomorrow’s pacakage is free!

Coming up just behind Jeff is an up-and-coming handicapper in Jay Todd.  Jay has gotten off to an incredible start to the NBA season and is quickly climbing up the leaderboards in all major sports.  Tonight he’s selling all of his picks for the night in one monster winning package.

Rocky Atkinson is known in the industry as “The Rocketman”.  Last year he hit an incredible 67% in college basketball and is ready to start his season off right with a 3* selection for his premium members.

Ben Burns DOMINATED the Big East last year & he’s continued to fare EXTREMELY WELL in that conference again in ’08. You’ll recall his DOUBLE-DIGIT WIN from the Cincy/USF clash. Did you know he’s also CASHED 75% of his plays on/against Louisville? Ben won when these teams met last year and he plans on doing so again tonight!  Ben’s premium play on the game is just $20.00.  Get it now!

Doc’s Sports is one of the most well-known and respected handicappers online today.  Tonight the doctor is in with his ESPN2 winner on Louisville/Cincinnati!

If you are looking for action in the NBA tonight, look no further than Vernon Croy!  Vernon has his 20 Unit NBA SLAM DUNK OF THE MONTH tonight on the Pistons/Lakers game!!!

Maybe the best bet of the night comes from Jack Jones.  Jack has a 25* Best bet going on tonight’ college football game as his one and only Big East game of the year!   Jack is locked and loaded on this Cincinnati/Louisville matchup for Friday night. This 25* BEST BET is his Friday Night Big East Game of the Year and you are not going to want to miss out on this bankroll builder before the weekend hits. This game comes GUARANTEED TO WIN or else tomorrow’s card is on the house!

That’s all for today.  Good luck!

Our first free pick is from Bob Harvey on the New England/New York Jets game tonight.  Bob is hitting at a 60% clip in the NBA already and has won 3 of his last 4 NFL selections.  Bob’s free play tonight is on the total for the game, here’s what he has to say:

Before you start calling this the AFC East “Game of the Year” ,please step away from your remote control and remain calm at all times. Keep in mind that while these two teams are tied atop their division, they’ve also played some pretty week competition to get there. The Jets are currently the only team in the league, in a playoff posistion, that the Patriots. NY has played just two playoff worthy teams, the Pats and the Arizona Cardinals. The Pats haven’t played Oakland or Cincinnati, but they did get to feast on San Francisco. The Jets are the bigger mirage. They have looked good going 4-1 over their last five, but the teams they have played over that stretch are 11-34, and five of those 11 wins belong to Buffalo.  Injuries could well determine the outcome of this game. The Patriots injury list keeps growing with linebacker Adalius Thomas for joining back Laurence Maroney, Rodney Harrison,Vince Wilfork, Ty Warren, and Stephen Neal. New England is especially thin at running back. After Maroney went down, the responsibility fell to LaMont Jordan. A calf injury to Jordan landed Sammy Morris the gig, but after Morris hurt his knee. Now the Pats are relying on BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Who? My take is the Patrots will try to get it done on defense while Eric Mangini and is conservative playing will help keep the score down. The UNDER is the play in this one.

Next up we’ve got Dave Price, who is +473 units over the past 7 days.  Here is his NBA free pick of the day for Thursday:

1 Unit FREE PLAY on Dallas Mavericks pk
Both the Bulls and the Mavs are struggling in the early going but I like the veteran Mavs to continue their dominance of the young Bulls tonight. Dallas is 8-3 SU and 9-2 ATS over the last 11 meetings at Chicago and 18-5 SU over the last 23 meetings with the Bulls. Now that’s owning a team! The Road team is also 5-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings. The Bulls are just 3-9 ATS in their last 12 vs. the NBA Southwest and 1-7 ATS in their last 8 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game. Take the Mavs tonight.

That’s it for today!  Good luck!

We’ll start off with tonight’s featured college football picks.

Doc’s Sports has 37 years in the handicapping industry and tonight the doctor has you covered on with an ESPN game winner. Sign-up for this easy college football winner and let Doc build your bankroll before the weekend starts.

Matt Fargo is coming off a wire-to-wire win with Miami last night! He is having an NCAA season many can only dream about as his FULL SEASON record is 61-35-8 ATS (63.5%)! He keeps it going on Wednesday as he has a MAC BEST BET that only adds to the profits! His Tuesday-Friday plays are 19-8-3 ATS (70.4%) and extended here with an easy win! Do not be on the sidelines again!

Ben Burns had one of his best NCAA football seasons ever in ’07 & he’s enjoying another FANTASTIC college football campaign in ’08. Ben has already begun the week by going 2-0 on the gridiron, delivering winners with San Fran on Monday and Miami on Tuesday. BANK on “more of the same” with Wednesday’s BEST BET. Its an ABSOLUTE BLOCKBUSTER!

Now for a look at what’s going on tonight from our cappers in the NBA:

Jay Todd is atop the NBA handicapping world and will continue to pull away from competitors tonight! This package includes nine games and is GUARANTEED-TO-PROFIT!

Mr. East is burning up the NBA hardwood, and has his play of the day going in NBA action tonight.

Today’s featured free pick comes in the NBA from Dave Price, here’s what Dave had to say about the Pacers/Nets game tonight:

1 Unit FREE PLAY on Indiana Pacers -1.5
Indiana put an 18-point pounding on the Nets when they visited the Pacers on November 8th and I like the Pacers to prevail with another comfortable win because of its deadly three-point shooting. New Jersye is 11-23 ATS versus teams who attempt 18 or more 3 point shots/game on the season over the last 2 seasons and 14-28 ATS versus teams who make 6 or more 3 point shots/game on the season over the last 2 seasons. The Nets are also just 5-15 ATS in home games first half of the season over the last 2 seasons. The Nets have lost 4 of their last 5 and will have to take another setback tonight.

That’s it for today, good luck!!!

For starters, Jimmy has tonight’s Ball State/Miami Ohio game on ESPN2.  Jimmy Boyd kicked off Week 11 NCAAF action by cashing in his MAC Game of the Year on Buffalo and he’s ready to get off to a fast start in Week 12 action by cashing in another Big MAC side! Is Ball State deserving of this much chalk on the road or are odds makers planting a trap? Jimmy Boyd sorts out the details for you in his game analysis where he cites the 13-0 ATS Trend that has his BETTING WITH CONFIDENCE! 100% Guaranteed to hit or Wednesday’s action is free!

Mr. Boyd’s free pick today is on the Chicago Bulls -3 at home against the Atlanta Hawks.  Here’s what he has to say about the game:

1 Unit FREE PLAY on Chicago Bulls -3
I like the Hawks to go down for the first time this season tonight in a building where they have lost 7 straight. The Bulls are a solid 3-1 at home this season. They will be without experienced guard Kirk Hinrich tonight, but Chicago has much better backcourt depth than in year’s past with the drafting of point guard Derrick Rose and won’t miss a beat at home. The road could be another story however without Hinrich. The Hawks are 1-6 ATS in the last 7 meetings in Chicago and 1-5 ATS in the last 6 meetings overall. The Favorite is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings. The Bulls are 21-6 ATS in their last 27 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game. Lay the number tonight.

You didn’t miss out on Jimmy’s NBA play last night did you?  It was an easy winner on the Portland Trailblazers over the Orlando Magic.  Here is what you missed out on!

3* SMASH on Trail Blazers +7
Off back-to-back wins, I like the Blazers to take their momentum on the road tonight. Portland is 16-6 ATS after 2 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons, winning these games by an average score of 99.3 to 95.4. Portland is yet to get its first road win of the season in 3 tries so I expect the Blazers to really buckle down on the hardwood tonight. The Trail Blazers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning SU record while the Magic are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game. Take the points tonight.

That’s all we’ve got for today, good luck and be sure to check out Jimmy Boyd this week for his free picks and premium packages.

Steve Janus has been at or near the top of the NFL leaderboard all season long and is 7 out of his last 10 in overall football picks.  For Monday night Steve has the easiest Monday night football winner of the year as he gives you his side on the 49ers/Cardinals tonight!

Next up we’ve got James Carpenter who, is currently one of the hottest in the NFL.  4-1 this Sunday and 3-0 last Sunday plus a big win last Monday night.  Tonight he’s got what he is calling an easy win on Monday night football!

“The Rocketman” Rocky Atkinson has a TOP 4* NFL play for Monday! Rocketman suffered an 0-2 NFL day on Sunday but is looking to bounce back Monday. Rocketman is documented 60% in the NFL this year and 84-58 59% the past 3 years with all NFL premium picks! Now that is getting the job done!  Be sure to jump on Rocky’s back tonight and ride his sure-fire winner!

Ever since joining our winning team Mr. East has made been an immediate success.  Tonight Mr. East has his NFL PLAY of the day going which is a 4**** SPECIAL!

John Martin is currently ranked #1 overall in all sports combined!  Here is what John has to say about his big game tonght:

Get John’s NFL Top Play on ESPN’s Monday Night Football GUARANTEED: 8:30 EST on ESPN – 5 Unit NFC West TOTAL OF THE YEAR! (I have tagged my best O/U play in the NFC West conference for 2008 Monday!  The 49ers/Cardinals Clash will either be a defensive battle or a shootout!  Will this be similar to the 23-13 Cardinals’ win earlier this season?  You will have no doubts in my response once you see the PERFECT 100% Totals System in my analysis upon purchase!)

With all of the excitement around the Monday Night game, be sure you don’t miss out on all of the NBA action going tonight as well!  Jack Jones has an NBA blowout game going tonight!  Here’s Jack’s free NBA Pick:

Even though the Grizzlies lost by 10 to the Nuggets yesterday, I’m going to back them here tonight against the Suns as they close out their road trip here against Phoenix. Rookie OJ Mayo really came into his own last night with 31 points and eight rebounds. The Grizzlies have alternated wins and losses through their first seven games of the season, and while I don’t see them doing that here tonight, I do think they keep it close against the Suns. A big reason for that is that this team is playing defense, holding opponents to under 42% from the field. While Memphis hasn’t been able to score very many points of their own, with the Suns weak defense out there this shouldn’t be a problem tonight. Nice system here backs us up: play on road underdogs who are playing their second road game in two days, after compiling a losing record a year ago. 26-9 (74.3%) over the last five seasons. Predicted Score: Phoenix 102, Memphis 95

Good Luck!

We’re also looking at Jeff Alexander, who has one of his world-famous Wiseguy plays going tonight on the Northern Illinois/Ball State game on ESPN 2.  Mr. Alexander is on a 54-35 run over his last 89 football picks, and tonight he’s on an 80% ATS angles that’s sure to cash.  Be on the right side tonight’s games with Jeff Alexander’s picks.

Rocky Atkinson is currently #1 on our leaderboards, earning nearly 850.0 Units of profit over the last 7 days alone!  Rocky has two plays going on Wednesday, his winning college football side and a 3* play going in the NBA after nailing all 3 of his selections last night!

Our featured free pick today comes from John Martin and is going in the NBA, good luck today!

1 Unit on Minnesota T’wolves +5

Minnesota will keep the San Antonio Spurs winless on the season with a big home win tonight. The Spurs have looked terrible in the early going, and a big reason is the fact the Manu Ginobli is watching from the sidelines in street clothes. This team clearly misses Ginobli’s ability to break down a defense and get easy layups. It is clear that the Spurs have lost a step this season, and a 98-81 home loss to the Dallas Mavericks last time out showed it. San Antonio is now a loss away from its first 0-4 start since 1973-74. The Spurs gave up just over 90 points/game last season, but have surrendered an average of 101.5 points thus far. Minnesota will be hungry to get back on the floor tonight after blowing a 12-point lead to the Thunder in their last game. This is a team that is starting to show signs of life after making the big trade to the Boston Celtics last season that sent KG out East. San Antonio is just 18-33 ATS in road games over the last 2 seasons. The Spurs are only 8-20 ATS in road games after playing a home game over the last 2 seasons. San Antonio has been a putrid road performer since winning their last championship. Cash in with Minnesota as the home underdog.

Our only free pick on the College Football games tonight comes from Pure Lock, who is recommending Toledo +6.5, but is not offering any analysis for his selection.