NBA Betting Affected by Injury, Trades
The great doubleheader tonight of Dallas at Houston and New Orleans at the L.A. Lakers betting is being affected by trades and injuries.
Dallas (+3) at Houston - 8 pm ET
The Houston Rockets understand what it means to play without its star players. Over the last several years, Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady have missed a number of games and the team has plodded on.
‘T-Mac' has announced he is done for the season with persistent pain in his chronically sore left knee and though Houston management wants him to seek another opinion, it would appear McGrady won't be a part of the Rockets the rest of this season.
T-Mac has been laboring, averaging 15.6 PPG, his lowest in nine seasons, and the Rockets have been soaring, scoring 107.2 PPG in the last six outings without him, nearly nine points better than the season average. Note that Houston is 13-6 this season without McGrady.
Houston (33-21, 24-29 ATS) will be going for their third straight win after beating New Jersey, 114-88 on Tuesday. The Rockets are 3-12 ATS after scoring 105 points or more this season and will have new faces in the lineup.
They traded point guard Rafer Alston, which brought them another point guard in return, Kyle Lowry. Houston GM Daryl Morey got the player he wanted and believes is a tremendous upgrade. This could help Houston, who is in the mix of a number of teams in the Western Conference, all jockeying for playoff position.
Dallas (32-21, 25-28 ATS) is a half a game behind Houston in the standings, having won seven of their last nine. Word out of ‘Big D' is Coach Rick Carlisle has loosened the reins on Jason Kidd and he and the team have responded.
The Mavericks beat New Jersey on Wednesday, 113-98 as eight-point favorites and are 14-4 ATS road games after playing a game as a favorite this season.
The Total is 198 points, and Houston is just 7-17 ATS when the total is between 190 and 199.5 points this season. Dallas is 16-11 ATS on the road this year.
StatFox Power Line - Houston by 1
New Orleans (+8.5) at L.A. Lakers - 10:30 pm ET Bet it at Sportsbook.com
New Orleans thought they traded Tyson Chandler to Oklahoma City, trying to reduce salary for next season. However Chandler, who hasn't played since January 19th, failed to pass the Thunder's physical with a chronic toe problem and the deal was voided.
The Hornets players were outspoken about losing Chandler, who has not been as much of a force this campaign and were ecstatic about his return. "I'm excited to have T.C. back," Chris Paul said. "I think it will give us a huge lift."
After losing six of eight before the break, the Hornets (32-20, 23-28-1 ATS) have put together two wins at home and embark on a three-game West swing starting with the Lakers.
They will need to be aggressive against the Lakers (44-10, 28-25-1 ATS) who are 25-4 (14-15 ATS) at the Staples Center. Playing in a faster paced contest shouldn't bother the Hornets, since they are 12-2 ATS in road games versus teams averaging 83 or more shots a game.
This doesn't mean New Orleans is a virtual lock to cover the spread, quite the contrary, as L.A. is 9-1 ATS when playing against a good team, win percentage 60-70% this season.
Note the Hornets have stung the Lakers three of their last four trips into Los Angeles, with four consecutive covers.
StatFox Power Line - Lakers by 9 Bet it at Sportsbook.com
Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
