San Antonio Spurs AT New Jersey Nets
Feb 14, 2011 at 7 PM EST
Opening Line: SA -8.5
Current Line: SA -8
Opening Total: 191
Current Total: 190
Opening Moneyline: SA -385 / NJ +325
Current Moneyline: SA -400 / NJ +300
Long at last, San Antonio’s 9 game “Rodeo” trip is over tonight in New Jersey, and all things considered, the trip was a smashing success. The Spurs have won 6 of their last 7 and just blew out Washington, giving them a chance to rest the starters for tonight’s game against New Jersey. Ginobili said as much, “It’s huge for us,” Ginobili said. “We earned ourselves the possibility to rest a little bit, and it’s well-needed.”
Last game it was New Jersey who had the streak when these two teams met. The difference is that it was a 14 game losing streak. That night, Brook Lopez came up big and the Nets won 90-84. The Spurs are 26-4 though against the Eastern Conference and they are 20-7 on the road.
Some betting trends:
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of the Spurs’ last 19 games and the total has gone OVER In 4 of their last 5 games. San Antonio is 16-3 SU in their las 19 games and 5-1 SU In their last 6 road games. The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Antonio’s last 7 against New Jersey. San Antonio is 15-1 SU in their last 16 against the Nets and San Antonio is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 against New Jersey. The total has gone UNDER in 8 of San Antonio’s last 11 road games in New Jersey and San Antonio is 7-1 SU in their last 8 games on the road in New jersey.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the Nets’ last 5 games and New Jersey is 8-17 SU in their last 25. New Jersey is 2-4 ATS in their last 6 games and the total has gone UNDER in 6 of their last 7 against San Antonio. New Jersey is 1-15 SU in their last 16 games against the Spurs and they are 5-13 ATS in their last 18 against San Antonio. New Jersey is 1-9 ATS in their last 10 at home against the Spurs and the total has gone UNDER in 8 of their last 11 at home against San Antonio. New Jersey is 1-7 SU in their last 8 home games against the Spurs.
Key Matchups:
Derrick Favors & Brook Lopez vs. Tim Duncan & DeJuan Blair
I’m willing to bet Duncan matches up on Lopez. Lopez went for 22 points and 10 boards last time the teams met, and the result was a Nets’ victory. Popovich will look to apply more pressure to Lopez and force New Jersey’s outside shooters to shoot. Favors had his career high of 14 rebounds last game and is starting to come into his own. DeJuan Blair is a rebounder in his own right, though, and these four players will mix it up underneath the hoop. Both teams are going to rely heavily on their rebounders, especially New Jersey since they shoot a league worst 44.1% from the floor. Lopez hasn’t been good on the boards after averaging nearly 2 rebounds more a game in his first two seasons and if the Nets are to have any chance he’s going to have to pull down more than 5 boards.
Devin Harris vs. Tony Parker
Both players have been an on All-Star teams in the past, but failed to make the cut this year. Parker has been as good as he’s ever been, averaging 17.3 points per game and 6.7 assists per game in 32 minutes of action a night. Though Devin Harris is only listed as 1″ taller than Parker, it doesn’t really look that way on the court and he’ll have to utilize his height advantage on the smaller Parker. Harris is averaging 15.1 points per game and 7.7 assists while shooting 42.6% from the floor. He takes a lot of bad shots, but the Nets need him to – to bail them out of shot clock buzzers or to take shots when no one else is willing to.
It’s interesting that the Nets are 8.5 point underdogs in light of the fact that they won the last meeting between the teams. Moreover, they are at home tonight, and while a 13-14 home record isn’t particularly intimidating, they do have closer games at home and could cover tonight’s spread.
