BASKETBALL NBA ARTICLES

Any time that the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers get together memories of the 1980’s and their intense rivalry come to life. Magic Johnson of the Lakers and Larry Bird of the Celtics remain two of the most iconic players in NBA history.   More

Kobe Bryant’s tragic death is still on the minds of a mourning NBA. Players continue to discuss Bryant’s impact on the Association and their own personal lives and careers. The 18-time NBA All-Star will get plenty of well-deserved recognition this weekend at the 2020 NBA All-Star Weekend from Chicago.   More

Certainly, this has been one of the worst periods of time in the gloried history of the Los Angeles Lakers. The horrific death of Kobe Bryant and his daughter have shattered the hearts of the franchise. Yet the grind of the NBA schedule goes on. And while the Lakers lead the Western Conference their betting value has recently dropped.   More

Following three consecutive losing seasons and the transition from the Dirk Nowitzki era, Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle, along with general manager Donnie Nelson, and owner Mark Cuban. realized that they had to remake the team into one capable of taking on the rival Houston Rockets. Dallas, like Houston, has put a new emphasis on offense for their success with the NBA odds. The results have been impressive as 20-year old Luca Doncic has led a franchise renaissance. The 2019 NBA Rookie of the Year is now an All Star!   More

We will see a potential NBA Finals preview on Saturday night when the Philadelphia 76ers host the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers have been the best team in the Western Conference this season. They are 34-9 and hold a four-game lead over Denver, Utah, and the city rival Clippers for the top spot in the conference. However, this team is reeling after a 32-point beatdown at the hands of the Boston Celtics on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, so the Lakers are hoping to rebound when they travel to the City of Brotherly Love to take on the Philadelphia 76ers.   More

Bringing ‘The Brow’ to Hollywood was just what the Los Angeles Lakers needed to return to prominence. After missing the playoffs and finishing with a losing record for six straight seasons, the front office decided enough was enough and acquired Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans over the summer. That move has paid off more than any other this offseason as the Lakers are the best team in the Western Conference at 33-7, and they are set to blow by last year’s win total of 37 before the All-Star Break. Los Angeles is currently five games up on Utah for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, and the Lakers are out to extend that lead on Saturday night in Texas when they face James Harden and the Houston Rockets.   More

The Dallas Mavericks’ playoff drought looks set to come to an end this season. Dallas was one of the worst teams in the Western Conference the last three seasons, but Luka Doncic has the Mavericks looking like a potential contender this year. Doncic is one of the early frontrunners to be named the NBA MVP, and his play is the main reason why Dallas is 22-13 coming into Monday night’s game with Chicago. The Mavericks will have a day off after that game before facing one of the Western Conference’s best teams in the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night in a game that will be nationally televised.   More

Two teams that have not yet lived up to expectations meet on Friday night, as the Philadelphia 76ers visit the Houston Rockets in a game that can be seen on ESPN. The 76ers were thought to be a team that could compete with Milwaukee in the East, but so far Philadelphia has not shown the ability to win consistently. On the other side, the Rockets were hoping that the addition of Russell Westbrook would help them take the next step to become a title contender, but Houston is a level below the Lakers. Let’s look at the game between the 76ers and Rockets NBA picks.   More

The top two teams in the Western Conference meet on Wednesday night on ABC, as the Los Angeles Clippers visit the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers have been leading the Western Conference this season led by their duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but the Clippers are not far behind and they have a marquee duo of their own in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Let’s look at the game between the Clippers and Lakers and NBA picks.   More

It is a potential NBA Finals preview on Thursday night, as the Los Angeles Lakers visit the Milwaukee Bucks. The Lakers started this week with the best record in the Western Conference at 23-4, while the Bucks began the week with the top record in the Eastern Conference at 23-4. This is the most anticipated game of the season so far, with the winner getting early bragging rights. The Lakers feature LeBron James and Anthony Davis, while the Bucks have last year’s MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Let’s look at the game between the Lakers and Bucks and NBA picks.   More

Kawhi Leonard makes his return to Toronto for the first time as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night on ESPN. Leonard played his former team last month, but that game was in Los Angeles. Wednesday’s game will be in Toronto and Leonard should get a warm reception by the fans in Toronto Raptors because he led the team to an NBA title last season. Let’s look at the game between the Clippers and Raptors and NBA picks.   More

The top team in the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night on ESPN. The Lakers have been rolling this season with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, while the Blazers have played better since signing Carmelo Anthony. The Blazers have actually won 8 of the last 10 meetings, but Los Angeles has taken two of the last three. Let’s look at the game between the Lakers and Trail Blazers and NBA picks.   More

Anthony Davis makes his return to New Orleans as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night and there is no question he will face a hostile reception. Davis basically quit on his team last season and forced a trade, so the Pelicans traded the star player to the Lakers. The fans in New Orleans will be booing Davis vehemently on Wednesday night in what should be an interesting contest. Let’s look at the game between the Lakers and Pelicans and NBA Free picks.   More

The Houston Rockets visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night on ESPN in a rematch of last week’s game that the Rockets won at home. This is the second game of a quick two-game road trip for Houston as they were in Denver on Wednesday night, while the Clippers will be playing the fourth game of a five-game homestand. Let’s look at the game between the Rockets and Clippers and NBA Free picks.   More

The Los Angeles Clippers visit the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night on ESPN in a high profile matchup between Kawhi Leonard and James Harden. This will be just the fourth road game of the season for the Clippers and they are 1-2 SU and ATS, while the Rockets will be playing their fifth home game of the season. Houston is 3-1 SU at home, but just 1-3 ATS. Let’s look at the game between the Clippers and Rockets and NBA picks.   More

The Golden State Warriors visit the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night on ESPN and there isn’t much doubt about which team will win the game, as the Warriors are a mess. Golden State lost Kevin Durant in the offseason and they won’t have Klay Thompson this season due to injury and they have lost Stephen Curry for at least the next few months. They are also without Draymond Green for a few games. The only question on Wednesday night is how many points Houston will win by.   More

Both the New Orleans Pelicans and Toronto Raptors saw their biggest names bolt for the bright lights of Los Angeles, but neither of these teams are giving up on the 2019-2020 season just year. The Raptors are coming off a championships season and still have a solid group while the Pelicans are a much deeper team now than at any point in Anthony Davis’ tenure. Both teams could still be playing in May, but for now, they’ll try to get off to a good start against each other here in October.   More

There was plenty of player movement and big moves this offseason in the NBA and the two Los Angeles teams were at the center of it. The Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers go head-to-head to kick off the NBA regular season on Tuesday night at the Staples Center.   More

Many different teams in the Western Conference went for broke this offseason, adding superstars in a quest for the NBA championship in 2019-20. The Houston Rockets were right in the middle of that action, pulling off a blockbuster trade for Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook. Houston dealt Chris Paul and a bunch of draft picks for Westbrook, who will be paired up with James Harden in an attempt to bring the title to Houston. First things first for the Rockets will be winning the Southwest Division, and that seems very likely to happen. The oddsmakers have pegged Houston as the heavy favorite to capture the division in the 2019-20 regular season.   More

The Golden State Warriors have long been the overwhelming favorites in the Pacific Division, but that is no longer the case. The Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers both beefed up their rosters this offseason while Golden State lost some talent, shaking up the order of favorites heading into the 2019-20 NBA regular season. The Clippers have been pegged as the odds-on favorites to capture the division, but all three have goals even bigger than the Pacific. These are three of the top contenders to win the NBA title and it should be fascinating to watch them square off regularly throughout the season.   More

The Northwest Division may not have any of the top-tier championship contenders, but it certainly has nice depth and a host of teams expected to be in the thick of the playoff race in the Western Conference. Three teams all have a legitimate reason to believe that by the end of the season they will emerge with the Northwest Division crown. The Utah Jazz are the slight favorites heading into the season, but the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers are right there as well.   More

It is looking like a two-team race in the Central Division as the NBA regular season draws closer, and that’s only if you squint really hard. The Milwaukee Bucks finished with the best record in the league a season ago and have eyes on winning the championship in 2019-20. A division title seems a mere formality, and the oddsmakers see it the same way was Milwaukee has been pegged as the big-time favorite. The Indiana Pacers seem like the only team truly capable of giving the Bucks a scare in the Central this season.   More

The Atlantic Division was easily the best the Eastern Conference had to offer a year ago. It boasted the eventual NBA champion Toronto Raptors as well as serious contenders the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics. There has been some serious player movement this offseason, shaking up the division. It is still lining up to be a good one, but even though the Raptors are trying to repeat as NBA champions they are not even the favorites in the Atlantic due to the offseason departure of Kawhi Leonard. It is not a surprise to see the Philadelphia 76ers as the team to beat in the current NBA odds, as they have two premier players and a talented squad capable of competing for the 2019-20 title.   More

For what the NBA’s Southeast Division lacks in high-end teams, it could make up for in competitiveness in 2019-20. It is hard to imagine anyone from this division making a true run at a championship this season, as there is a distinct lack of superstars. However, the oddsmakers believe three different teams have a legitimate shot at clinching the division crown at the end of the year. The Miami Heat has been labeled as the favorite, with the Orlando Magic the main contender and the Atlanta Hawks lurking. This could be a lucrative NBA futures wager for bettors who can correctly diagnose which team will rise to the top.   More

The favorite to win the 2019-2020 MVP award is the reigning winner, Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, at odds of +280. Antetokounmpo averaged 27.7 points, 12.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game last season. Golden State’s Stephen Curry is the second choice in the betting odds at +547, while 2017-2018 MVP, James Harden is the third choice at odds of +759. Let’s look at the latest numbers, top contenders and some things to consider.   More