Charlotte Bobcats vs. Washington Wizards
Free Pick: Washington Wizards +8.5 (-110 odds)
Tue February 9th 2010 7:05p
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Aside from losing Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton for the season because of their suspension (gun possession), the Washington Wizards finally have all of their pieces back on the court. Mike Miller, Caron Butler, and Antawn Jamison all have missed some significant time this season, but with all three back on the court at the same time, the Wizards have been playing better basketball. Washington has won three of their last five games which is just the second time they’ve done it this season. They enter tonight off a nice upset win at Orlando as double digit underdogs so there’s some good morale on this team right now.

‘Overall, it’s probably been good. We’ve had some spirited practices,’ said Washington head coach Flip Saunders. ‘No doubt, winning that last game helps. Guys have a sense of feeling good about themselves and we can be more demanding of what we expect in practice from a perfection standpoint.’

Charlotte doesn’t come into this game the same way. The Bobcats have lost three straight games and six of their last nine. They are not in good form at all, and with point guard Raymond Felton a game-time decision, things do not look promising for the Bobcats tonight. Felton sprained his right ankle in practice on Monday, and he left the facility in a walking boot. If he does not play tonight, Charlotte will have trouble on the offensive end as he is the facilitator who gets scorers Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace the ball in perfect position to score.

What keeps this play from being a Best Bet selection is the fact that Washington was caught in Orlando for a couple of days because they couldn’t get back home due to the snow in the D.C. area. So their routine was thrown off as they had to stay and practice in Orlando. Wizards’ coach Flip Saunders called it ‘a mini-all-star break before the all-star break’ (they’ve been off for 3 days) and that may have the players already off mentally for tonight’s game.

Below are free NBA Picks and basketball predictions for February 9th 2010 from Touthouse.com handicappers. If you are looking for free NBA basketball picks on a daily basis or premium picks from our NBA basketball betting experts visit Touthouse.com each day.

Free Pick: Kings vs. Knicks Over 212 (Jim Feist)
There will be a lot of things on display this game, but defense won’t be one of them. Sacramento is a long way from home, playing its 10th road game over the last 14 games. They don’t play any defense to begin with, allowing 105.8 ppg, fourth worst in the NBA. They appear to have tired legs of late with all that road travel, on a 4-1 run over the total. NY allows the 7th most points in the league (103.4 ppg). Sacramento is particulary inept, allowing .472% shooting by opponents, 6th worst in the league. Look for the Knicks to run right at the road weary visitors and for more offense than defense, play the Kings/Knicks Over the total.

Free Pick: Indiana Pacers -1 (Jeff Alexander)
The Bulls have really felt the absence of Joakim Noah in terms of what he does on the board, on the defensive end, and the energy he brings to this team. Without him, I expect the Bulls to have a tough go of it tonight in a city where they are just 6-23 since 1996. Indiana is coming off a road defeat, and that bodes well for us here as the Pacers are 18-8 ATS in home games off a road loss the last 2 seasons. Plus, the Pacers are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games following a loss so this is certainly a team that comes out harder the next time it plays after enduring a defeat. Lastly, the Bulls are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a losing home record. We’ll take the Pacers.

New Orleans Hornets vs. Orlando Magic
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Amway Arena will be the site of the first of three Monday night NBA betting battles where the New Orleans Hornets (27-24, 24-27 ATS) will look to play the role of spoiler against the Southeast Division leading Orlando Magic (34-17, 26-24-1 ATS). The Hornets enter this game on the outside of the Western Conference playoff picture, but certainly within striking distance at just two games behind the Blazers for the final slot. Orlando can’t afford a slip in a very winnable game with the Hawks sitting right on its tail. Both teams proved victories SU as underdogs in their latest basketball wagering wars, as New Orleans took out Charlotte 104-99, while the Magic beat Boston 96-89 in the Garden.

With the franchise losing money hand over fist, there’s a big question about how much longer the Hornets will be together. There are rumors about basically everyone on the team being dealt before the NBA’s trading deadline, and it has arguably really had a negative effect on team chemistry. The Hornets have surrendered 105.0 points per game in their L/9 games, which is up almost four points from their season average. It also doesn’t help that G Chris Paul has been out of the lineup with a knee injury and won’t return for at least another month. F David West scored 21 points in New Orleans’ win over the Bobcats, and he’ll need to pick up the pace from his 17.9 points per game on the season for the Hornets to stay in the playoff picture.

Orlando responded to its head coach’s tirade following its loss to Washington with a big win at Boston Garden on Super Bowl Sunday. All five starters scored in double digits, led by G Vince Carter’s 20. Carter hasn’t always been integral in Orlando’s efforts down the stretch in games, as he’s often been left on the bench by HC Stan Van Gundy in crucial junctures. The former North Carolina Tar Heel is second on the team in scoring at 15.8 points per game, and he’ll need to continue to have a major impact on the Magic for them to succeed.

Both teams absolutely destroyed the other when hosting this series a year ago. The Hornets won 117-85 at New Orleans Arena, while Orlando scored an 88-68 victory at Amway Arena. Both favored teams won last year, but the underdog had gone 8-0-1 ATS in their previous nine basketball wagering duels.

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San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Lakers
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The Rodeo Road Trip continues for the San Antonio Spurs (29-20, 24-24-1 ATS) as they pay a visit to the Staples Center in an NBA betting affair with the Los Angeles Lakers (39-13, 23-27-2 ATS). The Spurs are already 2-1 SU on this eight-game roadie, but they logged their first win against the basketball point spreads on Saturday against the Clippers with a 98-81 victory. Without the services of G Kobe Bryant, the Lakers bounced the Blazers 99-82 on Saturday as 3.5-point choices of the oddsmakers.

San Antonio continues to look like a mortal team, and HC Gregg Popovich has to wonder whether his team is good enough to reach the postseason when it’s all said and done. Winning games like this one against the Lakers seems to be necessary at some point. G George Hill is coming off of a 22-point performance against the Clippers, and he is averaging 17.1 points per game in his L/10. Perhaps Hill could be the long-term compliment to F Tim Duncan, who is one of just two players on this team that is scoring more than 13 points per game (Tony Parker, 16.8 PPG). Duncan is putting up a double-double on a nightly basis, scoring 19.5 points and hauling in 10.7 boards per contest.

Not only were the Lakers without Bryant on Saturday, but they also lost C Andrew Bynum in the first quarter after he scored just three points. Neither Bryant nor Bynum is a certainty for the San Antonio game, which means both Fs Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol are going to need to be dominant for the hosts to be victorious. Odom tore down 22 rebounds against the Blazers and came just four assists shy of a triple-double. Gasol went for 13 points and eight rebounds, and he is averaging 16.9 points and 10.7 rebounds per basketball wagering war.

The Lakers have a score to settle with the Spurs after losing 105-85 at the Alamodome on January 12th. That snapped a five-game ATS winning streak for the Lakers between these Western Conference rivals. The Spurs are a rock solid 18-7-2 ATS in their L/27 games against the Pacific Division.

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Below are free NBA Picks and basketball predictions for February 8th 2010 from Touthouse.com handicappers. If you are looking for free NBA basketball picks on a daily basis or premium picks from our NBA basketball betting experts visit Touthouse.com each day.

Free NBA Pick: Orlando Magic -9 (Tom Freese)
New Orleans took a big blow when Chris Paul went down with an ankle injury. David West needs to step up his game. West scores 17.9 points a game and Peja Stojakovic scores 12.1 points a game while Emeka Okafor scores 12.4 points a game and Marcus Thornton scores 10.9 points a game. Nobody else scores more than 7.7 points a game. The Hornets are 9-23 ATS as road dogs of 5.0 to 10.5 points and they are 2-6 off a straight up win. Orlando is 34-17 this year and are led by Dwight Howard and his 17.8 points a game and his 13.4 rebounds a game. Rayshard Lewis scores 14.9 points a game. Vince Carter drops in 15.8 points a game and Jameer Nelson 11.8 points a night. Five other players score between 9.8 and 7.0 points a game. The Magic are 28-12-1 ATS their last 41 games their starting five combined to play for more than 160 minutes. PLAY ON ORLANDO -

Free NBA Pick: Mavericks vs. Warriors Over 218 (Jimmy Boyd)
The Warriors are scoring 110.2 ppg at home this season while allowing 110.6 so I think there is some value in the Over here. Plus, the Warriors have played to the Under in 3 straight and they are a perfect 8-0 Over in home games off 3 or more consecutive Unders over the last 3 seasons, combining with their opponent to average 233.5 total points in these spots. Additionally, the last 3 games played at Golden State between these two teams have gone Over, as they have combined to average 227.3 total points. These two teams just combined for 211 points in Dallas last week, and I expect the pace to be a little faster at Golden State tonight. Bet the Over.

Orlando Magic vs. Boston Celtics
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On Sunday afternoon, ABC will broadcast a fantastic NBA betting battle between Eastern Conference rivals. The Orlando Magic (33-17, 25-24-1 ATS) will look to conquer their foe from the Conference Semifinals from last season, the Boston Celtics (32-16, 19-28-1 ATS). Both teams are coming off of rather surprising results from Friday night. The Celtics were hefty 12.5-point choices on the basketball point spread, but needed a 24-14 fourth quarter rally to beat the lowly Nets at home by nine. Meanwhile, the story was even worse for the Magic, who jumped out to a 32-13 first quarter lead only to blow it at home against the Washington Wizards 92-91.

The Magic may still be right there in the Southeast Division chase, but HC Stan Van Gundy and his squad are taking quite a bit of heat from the local media, and rightfully so. Friday’s SU defeat marked Orlando’s seventh outright defeat as a favorite since January 2nd. The Magic have been favored in all but two of their games since that point, but are only 9-9 SU and a lousy 7-10-1 ATS. The problem seems to be an inconsistent offense, which Van Gundy described as “a bunch of crap” to reporters after the Washington game.

The vultures aren’t exactly steers clear of Beantown either, but at least HC Doc Rivers can use the excuse that he has dealt with a ton of injury problems since the turn of the decade. Since beating Orlando on Christmas Day at Amway Arena, Boston is just 9-11 SU and 5-14-1 ATS in that stretch of NBA wagering wars. F Paul Pierce was scratched from the lineup on Friday night with a sprained foot. His status is still very much up in the air for this game.

These two teams have met three times this season. The road team had won the previous two encounters before the Magic stormed back from a huge second half deficit to triumph over the C’s 96-94 at home on January 28th. Dating back to Game 7 of last year’s Eastern Conference Semifinals, the road team has covered four straight in this rivalry.

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Below are free NBA Picks and basketball predictions for February 6th 2010 from Touthouse.com handicappers. If you are looking for free NBA basketball picks on a daily basis or premium picks from our NBA basketball betting experts visit Touthouse.com each day.

Free NBA Pick: Milwaukee -5.5 (John Martin)
The Milwaukee Bucks are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 games overall, winning six of them. Now is a great time to ride their bandwagon as they host the Indiana Pacers Saturday. The Bucks are 12-2 ATS (+9.8 Units) after having won 2 of their last 3 games this season. The Bucks 17-4 ATS (+12.6 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season. Cash in with Milwaukee as the favorite.

Free NBA Pick: Cleveland -12 (Bill Young)
Cleveland is on an absolute tear right now, playing their best ball of the season. We’ll continue backing them tonight as they host the New York Knicks, a tired team who just lost 107-114 at home to the Bucks last night. The Cavaliers will be giving better effort here after having last night off. Cleveland is 10-0 S.U. & 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games overall. The Cavs are 26-8 ATS (+17.2 Units) after 2 consecutive covers as a favorite over the last 2 seasons. Cleveland is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) after 3 straight covers as a favorite of 7 or more over the last 2 seasons. Take Cleveland and lay the points.

Chicago Bulls vs. Atlanta Hawks
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Friday night NBA betting action features a potential playoff preview in the Eastern Conference, when the Chicago Bulls (23-24, 22-23-2 ATS) hit the road to take on the Atlanta Hawks (31-17, 30-18 ATS). The Bulls clawed their way back into the postseason picture with a five-game winning streak on the West Coast, but since then, have lost back-to-back games against the Clippers and 76ers. Atlanta had significantly better success against the Clip Joint on Wednesday night, as it took a 103-97 decision at Phillips Arena. However, the Hawks are 0-3 ATS and 1-2 SU since knocking off Boston last Friday night.

C Joakim Noah is going to miss his second game of the season on Friday with a foot injury. That’s bad news for a team that is already only scoring 95.4 points per game. The Florida product was chipping in 11.2 points and 12.0 rebounds per contest. G Derrick Rose is having a fantastic sophomore season in the NBA. The Memphis superstar is scoring a team-high 19.9 points per game, and he’s dishing out a solid 5.9 assists to boot. Chicago is holding opposing teams to just 43.8% shooting from the field on the season, the third best number in the NBA.

The Hawks are still right at the heels of the Magic for the lead in the Southeast Division, but they’ve got a comfortable hold on the #4 seed in the conference coming into Friday night. From #1 to #6 in the lineup, Atlanta is as good as anyone in the NBA. G Joe Johnson is the team’s leading point man at 22.0 per game, but G Jamal Crawford isn’t far behind at 17.6 per game even though he has predominantly come off the bench this year. F Al Horford is nearly averaging a double-double on the season (13.4 points, 9.5 rebounds per game), but his double-double against the Clippers on Wednesday was his first since January 18th.

The home team has already gone 2-0 SU and ATS in this series this season, and the Hawks will hope that Friday night is no exception. Atlanta had won four straight games ATS and five straight SU before the Bulls took a 101-98 decision on December 19th in the Windy City. The favorite is 17-8 ATS in the L/25 games between these Eastern Conference foes.

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Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers
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Two of the highest flying teams engage in a Friday night fight at Staples Center, but both may or may not be with their superstars. The Denver Nuggets (33-16, 22-25-2 ATS) are still awaiting the return of F Carmelo Anthony, but even though the Syracuse product is questionable, they’ll still be ready to take on the defending champions, the Los Angeles Lakers (38-12, 22-26-2 ATS). The Lakers have their own injury headaches to worry about, as G Kobe Bryant is a game-time decision with an injured ankle. Both teams are struggling ATS right now, as they’ve both dropped two straight NBA betting duels. The Nuggets fell at home to Phoenix 109-97 on Wednesday night, while the Lakers failed to cover the 10.5-point spread in their 99-97 victory over Charlotte.

Without Melo in the lineup, this offense just hasn’t looked nearly the same. Denver is scoring just 99.5 points per game in the six basketball wagering wars in which Anthony didn’t suit it up with this ankle injury, which is a far cry from the 106.8 points per game that it is averaging for the season. G Chauncey Billups has stepped up his scoring efforts quite a bit, as he has poured in 20+ points in four of those six games.

The Lakers know that they have the talent to succeed against anyone in the NBA even if Kobe isn’t on his game or can’t suit it up. The focus will move to the inside though, where F Pau Gasol and C Andrew Bynum can dominate the paint against anyone in the NBA. That duo is combining to average 32.5 points and 19.0 rebounds per game, and that doesn’t even include how well F Lamar Odom has played this year in the post either (9.7 points, 9.7 rebounds per game).

The Lakers certainly have a score to settle with the Nuggets after getting crushed 105-79 at the Pepsi Center back in November. The boys in purple and gold were held to just eight points in a pitiful 3rd quarter, and HC Phil Jackson surely won’t let them forget it. In spite of that lopsided defeat, Los Angeles is still 13-6 ATS in its L/19 NBA gambling battles versus Denver.

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Below are free NBA Picks and basketball predictions for February 5th 2010 from Touthouse.com handicappers. If you are looking for free NBA basketball picks on a daily basis or premium picks from our NBA basketball betting experts visit Touthouse.com each day.

Free NBA Pick: Philadelphia 76ers +2.5 (Tom Freese)
New Orleans took a big hit when star guard Chris Paul went with a knee injury. He is out from 4 to 6 weeks. Paul was averaging 20.4 points a game. Forward David West will have to step up his game. West is scoring 18 points a game along with 7.6 rebounds a game. Peja Stojakovic and Emeka Okafor are going to have to step up big for this team continue to win. New Orleans is 9-23 ATS their last their last 32 games as favorites and they are 0-5 ATS their last 5 home games. Philadelphia is by Andre Iquodala and his 17.3 points a game. Allen Iverson scores 14.7 points a game Lou Williams and Elton Brand both score 14 points a game. Three other players score between 9.4 and 7.5 points a game. The Sixers are 13-5 ATS their last 18 games as road dogs and they are 10-2 ATS their last 12 games vs. a team with a winning record at home. PLAY ON PHILADELPHIA +

Free NBA Pick: Suns vs. Kings Over 221 (Bill Young)
Look for both the Suns and Kings to top the 110-point mark tonight. Phoenix has scored 104 or more points in 10 straight games, and have scored 109 or more points in nine of those ten contests. The Suns have allowed 101 or more points in 16 of their last 18 games. Sacramento has scored 109 and 113 points in their last two games, respectively, while allowing 112 and 115 points. The Suns are 25-11 OVER (+12.9 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons. Phoenix is 30-13 OVER (+15.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons. Take the OVER.