Bet Pro Sports

BET PRO SPORTS - BASKETBALL — February 19

MILWAUKEE at NEW JERSEY
(Bet Pro Sports - Line: Bucks -2, Total 195.5) — Milwaukee has really hit the skids lately, as the Bucks have not only lost four games in a row, but they have also gone just 1-7-1 ATS in their last nine games. In only two of those nine games have they shot better than 42%. So why are they a favorite here AT New Jersey? Well, because the Nets have lost eight of their last nine games, emerging victorious yesterday only because Chicago was caught sleeping. The interesting thing here is that the Nets have not had an advantage on the boards over an opponent in any of the last nine contests. That would seem to indicate that the Jersey Boys aren’t as equipped as some teams to exploit Milwaukee’s loss of Andrew Bogut, which they had apparently been able to cover for, until lately. Can we point to any technical trends here? Well, oddly, the Bucks have been incredibly efficient against opponents from the Atlantic Division, covering 30 of the last 37.

BET PRO SPORTS PLAY: MILWAUKEE -2 *

(All information is for news matter only; All games are graded on a scale of 1-4 stars. Lines are subject to change)

BET PRO SPORTS - BASKETBALL — February 18

NEW JERSEY at CHICAGO
(Bet Pro Sports - Line: Bulls -12, Total 189.5) — The Nets have not been a tough “out” for the Bulls, who have beaten them by margins of 15 and 21 points. Derrick Rose, as you know, has been missing from the lineup, but the interesting thing is that the Bulls have done pretty well without him; the latest was a win over a Boston crew that came back from a big deficit, only to be turned back in the end. None of this should be a huge mystery; Rose is someone who dominates the ball, and without him the Bulls become, in a way, more difficult to defend, because there is more balance and ball movement. The Net shave been burning holes in their backers’ pockets, dropping the last six against the spread. At this point, because of injuries (namely to star center Brook Lopez) and poor play, things don’t seem to be working out in new Jersey the way it was supposed to.

JAY’S PLAY: CHICAGO -12 *

(All information is for news matter only; All games are graded on a scale of 1-4 stars. Lines are subject to change)

BET PRO SPORTS - BASKETBALL — February 12

MIAMI at ATLANTA
(Line - Bet Pro Sports: Heat -4, Total 189.5) — There’s no Al Horford around for the Hawks, and that kind of evens things up as far as play in the paint is concerned. The Hawks and Heat have split two meetings this season, each winning on the other’s home floor. The Hawks are desperate enough in the middle to reach out and sign aging Erick Dampier, who played with the Heat last year. After really picking the pace up from last year, the Heat has gotten back to a slightly slower style of play in recent games, and that, coupled with some improved defense, has accounted for eight unders in the last twelve. The Hawks have played ten unders in the last 15 as they have not had the opportunity at as many easy baskets.

BET PRO SPORTS PLAY: UNDER 189.5 **

(All information is for news matter only; All games are graded on a scale of 1-4 stars. Lines are subject to change)

BET PRO SPORTS - BASKETBALL — February 10

PORTLAND at NEW ORLEANS
(Bet Pro Sports Line: Blazers -7.5, Total 180) — We don’t really know what to tell you at this time about the New Orleans Hornets, who so non-offensive that it literally IS offensive. This is a team that can’t even crack 30% from three-point range, and have not been able to recover from guys being banged up, whether it has been Eric Gordon, who came over from the Clipper sin the Chris Paul deal, Jason Smith or Carl Landry. Now we get word that Jarrett Jack is going to miss this game with his sore left knee. The streak now is seven straight defeats, both straight-up and against the number, coming off a 67-point performance against Chicago. We would not argue that Portland is not nearly as proficient on the road (3-9 ATS) as it is at home, but the Blazers will unquestionably have their antennae up after two straight very unsatisfying results at the Rose garden - the loss to Oklahoma City where they got victimized by a bad call (which the NBA admitted to) and the loss on Wednesday to the Houston Rockets, where they were probably still thinking about it.

BET PRO SPORTS PLAY: PORTLAND -7.5 **

(All information is for news matter only; All games are graded on a scale of 1-4 stars. Lines are subject to change)

BET PRO SPORTS - BASKETBALL — February 8

CHICAGO at NEW ORLEANS
(Bet Pro Sports Line: Bulls -10, Total 181) — Wow - this is along and grueling road trip for the Bulls. They have lost to a couple of the East’s leading contenders (Miami and Philadelphia) but beaten everyone else, and the last two have been laughers (against Milwaukee and New Jersey). Now, with a day off, and with three straight shooting performances above 50% behind them, they pull into the Crescent City against the Hornets, who have now lost 15 of 16, with six straight pointspread defeats, five of which have come by eight points or more, and plenty of injury problems. With Eric Gordon, Jason Smith and Carl Landry out of action, and Jarrett Jack listed questionable, these guys are really short on warm bodies. It’s hard to work up any enthusiasm for them in this situation.

JAY’S BET PRO SPORTS PLAY: CHICAGO -10 **

(All information is for news matter only; All games are graded on a scale of 1-4 stars. Lines are subject to change)