Previews and Picks - Friday, November 20, 2009
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Houston (+7) at ATLANTA By Jeff Benton, Featured Handicapper

For Friday’s free play in the NBA, I’ll take the points with the Rockets at Atlanta.

 

I know the Hawks are on fire, winning and covering six in a row, going 8-1 SU in their last nine and 9-1 ATS in their last 10. I also know Atlanta is a perfect 6-0 SU and ATS at home, with five of those six home wins being double-digit routs. But I can counter those impressive numbers with these: The Rockets are 4-3 SU on the road this year, cashing in four of the last six as a visitor. That includes outright wins over Minnesota (97-84 as a six-point favorite) and the Lakers (101-91 as a nine-point underdog) in their two most recent road games.

 

Also, while Houston’s 7-5 SU record looks mediocre at best, that record doesn’t reflect that the fact that the Rockets have lost by more than nine points just once this season. Also, Houston comes into tonight on an 8-3 ATS roll, including 5-1 ATS as an underdog. On top of that, the Rockets have cashed in 22 of their last 26 games against teams from the Southeast Division, and they’ve have covered in four straight games against the Hawks (and seven of the last nine).

 

Bottom line: Because of the Hawks early-season success, and especially their 6-0 SU and ATS start at home, the oddsmakers have been forced to adjust the pointspread. In this game, they’ve adjusted too much. Throw in the fact Atlanta has a road game tomorrow in New Orleans, and this is a great spot to grab the inflated points with the visiting Rockets, who have been competitive in all but one of their 12 games this year and will at least stay in this one till the final buzzer, if not pull off the outright upset.

3♦ HOUSTON (based on a 1♦ to 10♦ scale)

Orlando (+7) at BOSTON By Bobby Maxwell, Featured Handicapper

I'm 10-5 with my last 15 FREE selections and I've got another winner here for you as I grab the points with the Magic as they visit Boston to take on the Celtics.

 

We all remember these two teams playing a very entertaining Eastern Conference semifinal series back in May and it was Orlando who actually went into Boston and took Game1 and the decisive Game 7. So there’s no intimidation when the Magic walk into TD Banknorth Garden. They know they can win in there.

 

Tonight, definitely grab the points with Orlando as the Magic have won three straight games, including a 108-94 win over Oklahoma City on Wednesday, cashing as 12-point favorites.

 

The reason the line is so high is that Orlando is without PG Jameer Nelson, but they have Rashard Lewis back in the lineup and with him, Vince Carter and Dwight Howard, that is enough scoring to take care of business.

 

Boston is just 3-3 in its last six games and 1-6 ATS in its last seven overall. The Celtics are on slides of 1-4 at home, 1-4 after a non-cover and 2-6 at home against teams with winning road records. This team is not completely clicking yet and look for Orlando to come in there and give them fits.

 

Orlando is on ATS runs of 38-17-1 as an underdog, 6-0 against the Atlantic Division and 12-5 against the Eastern Conference.

 

Grab the points and play Orlando!

2♦ ORLANDO
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Bowling Grn. (-10')82%
Bucks (-5')77%
Boise St. (-23')73%
Alabama (-5')72%
AKR-B.G. (Over 52)71%
Florida St. (-16)71%
N.C. State (PK)71%
Warriors (+8')70%
 
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