Arriving from of a formidable – but losing – playoff effort last year versus the Chicago Bulls, the Pacers came roaring back to start out the 2011-2012 year. The team is going through its greatest early record in the previous 8 years, but are still struggling versus the more adept teams in the league. Whereas they’re 11-4 to date, simply four of those victories are versus teams with records above .500.
Number 1 rated Kentucky vs the NCAA tournament hopefuls Georgia? Looks like a recipe for a blowout, especially as Kentucky just regained that desired No. 1 berth on the standings for the 1st time in the earlier two months. Whilst the Kentucky Wildcats are on top of the standings and experiencing an eleven game win streak, the Georgia Bulldogs can best be termed inconsistent thus far in the year.
The AT&T Center might get some long-distance competition on Jan 13th as the Trailblazers visit San Antonio to battle against the Spurs. Portland is a youthful squad seeking to reconstruct as the brief but electric Brandon Roy era formally ended with his retirement in December. Previous #1 pick Greg Oden has furthermore had frequent concerns with his knees as Portland seemingly cannot shake the ghost of Sam Bowie. The Spurs expect to defend their court with impressive plays from their usual constant roster. The Spurs are liked by 8 points and this seeks to be an amazing wager.
On January 12th, things get hot when the Cleveland Cavaliers come into Phoenix to face the Phoenix Suns. A few seasons ago, this would have been an amazing matchup with LeBron James and Amare Stoudemire going head up in a collision course. In the age of free agency nonetheless, times certainly have evolved as this matchup looks considerably different. Phoenix is preferred by 6 points over the Cleveland Cavaliers and this is apparently a safe bet.
The United Center in Chicago will be in the spotlight as the Washington Wizards arrive in town to battle against the Chicago Bulls. In past years, this contest would’ve been the most challenging ticket to get as the second comeback by Nike Jordan turned the Wizards into press darlings throughout the league. Jordan is currently long retired nevertheless and the Wizards have turned into an awesome youthful team with vast volumes of prospective waiting to be drawn on. The sportsbook has the Chicago Bulls preferred by 8 points which looks correct and looks like a quality wager with Chicago being cheered on at home.
The Kings have their work cut out for them when they face the Rockets in Houston on January 13th. This is a situation of both squads reconstructing for the long run as both squads look nothing like their early 2000′s heydays. The Sacramento Kings look to return to their former prominence in the west with stellar play from their young stalwarts. The Houston Rockets are still managing the fallout from the retirement of Yao Ming. The Houston Rockets are liked by 3 points by the sports book and this looks to be a difficult game to call.
Saturday evening on January 14th, the Knicks come into Oklahoma City to battle against the Thunder in this major match between these two teams. It is a tale of two teams as the Thunder come up with a constant team of young guns versus the NY Knicks who it appears from year upon year usually comes into play with lots of modifications going on. The NY Knicks are favored by 4 points and this may hold unless Durant has one of his usual killer games.
The Staples Center will come alive on January 11th when the Heat takes on the Clippers. The Heat comes in with one of the better records in the NBA boosted by a great lineup of stars. The Heat lead the NBA as a squad in points obtained and assists. The sports book has the Heat preferred by 8 points and with the backcourt they own, it is apparently a sure bet. Let’s take a closer look at the Heat this year and what they offer.
Both these teams have been doing comparatively well this year. This shouldn’t be a shocking to any person as both of these colleges are well known for their share of wins in basketball for several years. Both these teams will be at it out on the hardwood on January 9, when Western Virginia visits Connecticut.
The unpleasant specter of the Lockout had loomed large over the NBA world until recently. The NBA has effectively tipped off in earnest over Christmas weekend with both the competitors and the owners ultimately coming to an agreement. The NBA welcoming committee goes to the Verizon Center in Washington D.C. when the Celts (1-3) take on the Washington Wizards (0-3). Both squads enter the competition with shaky records and a slow start to the year. The sports book appears to have the nod on the better squad as the line presently stands – Boston (-7) 184 ½ .