NBA Betting Odds – Pistons’ road woes should continue in Atlanta

You won’t get good NBA betting odds for Detroit heads to Atlanta on Saturday night, as the Pistons are terrible on the road, while the Hawks are excellent at home. The Pistons also have the added burden of a Friday night game, while the Hawks will be at home and waiting after a win against the team Detroit will face on Friday.

Pistons vs Hawks odds – Saturday, March 13, 7:00 PM ET

The Pistons (22-42 as of Friday) will host Washington on Friday, and on Wednesday, they were beaten 115-104 at home by Utah, which was the 10th straight time that the Pistons had lost to the Jazz. Six Detroit players reached double figures, paced by 19 points off the bench form Charlie Villeneuva, but the Pistons were outrebounded 44-33, and they shot 43.5% from the field, as opposed to 56.3% by the Jazz. The Pistons were only 5-of-26 from the three-point line, but they did go 25-of-27 at the foul line.

The Hawks (41-23) made their own trip to Washington on Thursday night, coming away with a 105-99 victory on the road over the Wizards. Jamal Crawford came off the bench to hit 29 points for the Hawks, who were only 15-of-25 at the charity stripe. Joe Johnson and Al Horford dropped 18 points each as the Hawks shot 51.9% from the field, and forced 20 turnovers to overcome a 42-29 deficit on the boards.

The Hawks will be favored at home in this contest, and we’re betting management in Atlanta aren’t sweating this game too much. The Hawks are 25-7 at home, while the Pistons are 9-20 on the road and have lost two straight in Atlanta. These two have met just once this year, with the Pistons pulling out a 94-88 win at home on November 29th, led by 23 points from Rodney Stuckey. The young point guard hasn’t been in the lineup since he collapsed against Cleveland on March 5th, which means more minutes for Will Bynum. Josh Smith led the Hawks with 23 points while super sub Crawford added 20 points off the pine, but Atlanta will need to be more aggressive against the Pistons. The Hawks went to the free-throw line just eight times, making seven of them, and they were outrebounded 53-29. Look for that to change in Atlanta on Saturday, where the Hawks are a much better team and they’ll look to go to the foul line. The Pistons will also have to travel on Friday night from Detroit to Atlanta, where the Hawks have been waiting since beating the Wizards on Thursday, so look for a fast start from them. Take the Hawks on Saturday night before checking out the odds on college basketball on Selection Sunday.

NCAA Basketball Betting – Jayhawks look to wrap up overall top seed in big dance

March Madness betting players have had their eye on Kansas all season, and the Jayhawks have rarely disappointed, ended the season as the No.1 team in the country. The Jayhawks could probably clinch the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament by winning the Big 12 tourney, which they had won four years in a row before Missouri took the crown in 2009. They should start a new streak this weekend.

Kansas is the favorite at -300, and they recovered from their lone Big 12 loss at Oklahoma State to stomp Kansas State and Missouri in the final week of the season, and you may not find a team that is more well-rounded and suited to the rigors of the postseason than the Jayhawks. They have leadership with Sherron Collins, and a dependable big man in Cole Aldrich, and these two were on the 2008 team that beat Memphis in overtime to win the NCAA Tournament. However, the x-factor is freshman Xavier Henry, who picked up his game in the last month of the season.

Their biggest threat is Kansas State at +350, and Frank Martin may win the Big 12 Coach of the Year award for the job he’s done. The Wildcats have wildly overachieved this year, but losses at Kansas State and at home to lowly Iowa State isn’t a good look heading into the playoffs. A better bet would be Baylor at +500, as the Bears won seven of their last eight. They have a free-scoring pair of guards in LaceDarius Dunn and Tweety Carter, and they have Ekpe Udoh in the middle. Udoh is fourth in the country in blocks, and he can score when he gets touches.

Stay away from Texas at +650 according to sportsbook odds, and the Longhorns were No.1 before a loss at Kansas State, and it was all downhill from there. The Longhorns have been bitten by inconsistent guard play, but they’re all freshmen. Avery Bradley, J’Covan Brown and Jordan Hamilton have been all over the map over the second half of the season, which is a shame when Texas has Damion James, one of the premier post players in the country.

You’re looking for a matchup between Baylor and Kansas in the final, and the Jayhawks defeated the Bears 81-75 at home on January 20th. The Bears have the depth to rotate players on Dunn and Carter, while Udoh and Aldrich should battle to a stalemate in the post. However, the Bears don’t have an answer for Henry, who didn’t play well in the first meeting, and with his recent form he should be near the top of the list for the MVP award in this tournament. Take the Kansas Jayhawks’ odds on college basketball this weekend.

NBA Odds – Lakers out for revenge against Raptors

Sportsbook players know how dangerous the Los Angeles Lakers can be, but they could be more dangerous when they’re wounded. The Lakers have lost three in a row, and they’ll be out to avenge an earlier loss in Toronto when the Raptors head to Los Angeles on Tuesday to begin a four-game Western road trip.

Raptors vs Lakers odds – Tuesday, March 9, 10:30 PM ET

The Raptors (32-29) couldn’t give Chris Bosh a victorious return to the court on Sunday, as they fell 114-101 to Philadelphia at home. Bosh played 33 minutes, racking up 12 points and 12 boards, but he wasn’t as aggressive as usual as he was coming back from a sprained ankle and a stomach virus. Jarrett Jack had 20 points and nine assists to lead the Raptors, who were just 8-of-12 at the free-throw line, and none of those attempts came from Bosh, who is second in the league in that category. Once he gets his legs back underneath him, the Raptors should be in good shape.

The Lakers (46-18) weren’t in a good mood during or after their 96-94 loss in Orlando on Sunday, as Kobe Bryant was involved all day with Matt Barnes. Bryant scored a game-high 34 points for the Lakers, but he needed 30 shots to do it as Los Angeles shot a miserable 37.5% from the field. It’s definitely a stretch to say that the Lakers’ sportsbook odds would be better without Bryant, but the Lakers were 4-1 when Bryant sat out five games with an ankle injury, and they move the ball around. With Bryant in the lineup, he dominates the Lakers’ triangle offense, and the rest of the team are sometimes left standing around, watching him go one-on-five.

The Lakers will be the sportsbook favorites in this contest, and they’ve won seven straight at home over the Raptors. This is the second meeting of the season for these two, and the Raptors came away with a 106-105 win over the Lakers in Toronto on January 24th. Andrea Bargnani led six Raptors in double figures with 22 points, while Bosh added 18 points and 13 boards. Bryant just missed a triple-double with 27 points, 16 boards and nine assists, but he missed what would have been the game-winning shot, just as he did against the Magic on Sunday. The Lakers will be hungry to end their losing skid, and they’ll be hungrier to avenge that loss to the Raptors, who allowed the 76ers to shoot 55.6% from the field and are one of the worst defensive teams in the league. They have a 10-19 mark away from home, and unless they can come up with their effort of the season, they’re not getting past an angry Lakers squad.

NBA betting pick: Lakers