NBA Atlantic Update: Teams Suddenly Hot in the NBA’s Worst Division
As the regular season draws to a close, Rudy Gay and the Toronto Raptors are left with an empty feeling.
The NBA Atlantic Division has been a joke for much of the first half of this season. People might want to stop laughing now. We finally have a team in the division over .500 in the Toronto Raptors at 19-18. The Raptors are 7-3 in the last 10 games. In second place we have the Brooklyn Nets who are 16-22 but also 7-3 in their last ten games. Yesterday they smoked the Atlanta Hawks over in London 127-110. Then we have the New York Knicks who are third at 15-24 and are 6-4 in their last ten. Even the last place Philadelphia 76ers are 5-5 in their last ten. The only struggling team is the Boston Celtics who have lost nine of ten but are getting Rajon Rondo back tonight, so look out for them too.
The Knicks will host Pacific leading the Los Angeles Clippers tonight as the first game of the ESPN Friday Night Double-header. On paper this looks like a Clippers win, but they are without their superstar point guard Chris Paul. Suddenly the game is not such a lopsided affair now. The Sixers will host the suddenly slumping Miami Heat who have lost three straight. That could be bad news for the Sixers as one would expect the Heat to take out their frustrations on someone soon.
The Raptors will host the Minnesota Timberwolves. The T-Wolves have yet to figure out how to win a close one, so if Toronto can stay in the game, look for them to pull it out. And in one of the league’s most storied rivalries, two of its coldest teams get together as the Los Angeles Lakers meet the Celtics in Boston. The Lakers have lost six in a row and the Celts nine of ten. Somebody has to win tonight.
Top Bet has odds on tonight’s Atlantic Division games:
Heat at 76ers– Heat is -10.5 -110 and Philly is +10.5 -110 ATS. Moneyline is Miami -680 and the Sixers are +490. We like the Heat to break out tonight. Take Miami -10.5 -110.
Timberwolves at Raptors– Timberwolves are -105 and Raptors are -115. Since this is a tossup, and knowing the Wolves bad record in close games, we like the Raptors -115.
Lakers at Celtics– Lakers are +7 -110 and Celtics are -7 -110 ATS. Moneyline is Lakers +250 and Boston -300. Rondo must make a huge difference with the bookmakers. We’ll take the Lakers +7 -110.
Clippers at Knicks– Clippers are -4 -110 and Knicks are +4 -110 ATS. Moneyline is Clippers -190 and Knicks +160. L. A. pulled off a miracle in their last game. It will be tough to do that twice in a row. We like the Knicks +160.
