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The absolute hottest team in the NBA is the Cleveland Cavaliers and oddsmakers setting numbers are going to have to take a New England Patriots stance from 2007


2008-12-10

The absolute hottest team in the NBA is the Cleveland Cavaliers and oddsmakers setting numbers are going to have to take a New England Patriots stance from 2007, if they don’t cool down quickly. Tonight, the kindred Cavaliers play in the City of Brotherly Love, trying to extended their wins and cover streak to 10 games. Later, in L.A., the Lakers will try to rebound from their poorest performance of the season, hosting division rival Phoenix, who will be without the Big Cactus. Be sure to get the latest odds, betting trends, and other key game information on Sportsbook.com before confirming your wagers.

Cleveland at Philadelphia 8:00 E

While Cleveland Cavaliers players LeBron James and Zydrunas Ilgauskas are establishing new franchise records, their team is breaking league-wide marks for dominance. After winning their NBA-record ninth straight game by 12 or more points, the Cavaliers look to continue their remarkable run as they visit the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.

James became Cleveland’s career leader in steals by swiping a pass in the opening minute of Tuesday night’s game. Mark Price set the previous record of 734 steals in 582 games with Cleveland from 1986-95. James, already the Cavaliers’ all-time leading scorer, has played in 412 games since turning pro in 2003.

Ilgauskas joined James in the franchise record book in the second quarter, when he became the Cavs’ rebounding leader. Ilgauskas, who’s played his entire 11-season career with Cleveland, passed Brad Daugherty with his 5,228th rebound.
Though impressive, those records took a backseat after the Cavaliers (18-3, 17-4 ATS) routed Toronto 114-94 to set an NBA record with nine straight wins by at least 12 points. They had shared the previous record of eight straight with four other teams - Portland (1990-91), Chicago (1996-97), Detroit (2003-04) and Houston (2007-08).

“That’s unbelievable,” James said. “Knowing the history of some of the great teams, the Chicago Bulls team that went 72-10, the Celtics teams, the Lakers teams and the Pistons teams, it’s unbelievable for our franchise to accomplish something like that.”

The Cavaliers don’t look like they intend to slow down anytime soon. They’ve won 16 of their last 17 games, including their last nine by an average margin of 21.6. To place this into wagering perspective, Cleveland has covered the spread by astounding 9.3 points per game, not just win and cover the oddsmakers number, burying it.

“We treat everybody the same,” Ilgauskas said. “We respect everybody, but we fear nobody.” Linemakers have plenty to fear of the Cavs at present. Cleveland is up to 14-3 ATS off a straight up win of 10 or more points.

There seems to be little reason to fear the 76ers (9-12, 8-13 ATS), who haven’t lived up to the heightened expectations that came with their offseason signing of Elton Brand. Brand, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder with 16.7 points and 10.0 boards per game, has missed the team’s last two games with a strained right hamstring, but is expected to return Wednesday. Without him, Philadelphia shot 36.4 percent from the field in a 95-84 loss to New Jersey on Saturday night. It was the team’s worst shooting performance since its season-opening loss to Toronto. The Sixers are 23-9 ATS following a double-digit loss at home.

Philadelphia ranks near the top of the league with 16.4 fast-break points per game, had none in the second half after scoring 11 before intermission. “We are continuing to try to play fast basketball and we had no fast break points in the second half,” coach Maurice Cheeks said. “It was disappointing because that is how we really want to play. … (It’s) a very telling thing.”

Sportsbook.com has Cleveland as a 6.5-point favorite with Philly 0-5 ATS against teams with winning road records. Philadelphia has dropped four of last five at home to the Cavaliers (2-3 ATS), including three in a row.

The underdog is perfect 6-0 ATS, giving Philadelphia potential value, but they are just 1-7 ATS on Wednesday’s. Though both teams would be thought as Under plays, these squads have played Over in nine of last 12 meetings.
StatFox Power Line – Cleveland by 12

Phoenix at L.A. Lakers 10:30E

Shaquille O’Neal owned the paint at Staples Center for years, winning three NBA championships during his eight-season tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers. Though his most recent outing offered a reminder that he’s still capable of dominating inside, he’ll have to wait a few months to prove it in Los Angeles.

After delivering a vintage performance in his last game, O’Neal won’t play Wednesday night when his Phoenix Suns visit the Pacific Division rival Lakers for the first time since acquiring the veteran center last February. O’Neal won’t be with the Suns (13-9, 9-13 ATS) while he attends the funeral of his 92-year-old great-grandmother. He’ll have to wait for a chance to build on his best game since Phoenix acquired him from Miami before last season’s trade deadline.

O’Neal, who has at times struggled to fit in with the Suns’ fast-paced offense, scored 35 points while making 14 of 19 shots from the field to lead Phoenix to a 125-110 win over Milwaukee on Tuesday night. It was his highest point total since he had 35 in a win over Charlotte while with Miami on March 6, 2006. O’Neal has a long history of playing well against the Bucks.

“They keep feeding me like that, those are the type of numbers that they can expect out of me,” said O’Neal, who added eight rebounds and three blocked shots. “But sometimes I get those shots and sometimes I don’t.” One aspect Suns backers would appreciate is better efforts against the Western Conference, being just 2-9 ATS.

After Phoenix shot 58.7 percent as a team in its second consecutive win following a four-game losing streak, O’Neal sounded optimistic that the inconsistent Suns were on the verge of figuring things out. “That’s what everybody envisioned for us to go far,” O’Neal said. “That’s the type of game we can play.” Phoenix is 1-5 ATS in last six games and has not covered the spread in consecutive games since the first three of the season.

The team will look a little different Wednesday, however, when O’Neal will likely be replaced in the starting lineup by rookie Robin Lopez. Phoenix, which is 1-2 in the games O’Neal has sat out this season, next visits Los Angeles on Feb. 26. O’Neal will miss what would have been his third game against the Lakers at Staples Center - and his first with Phoenix - since his 2004 departure from the Lakers, the team he helped win three straight NBA titles from 2000-2002.

Los Angeles (17-3, 11-9 ATS) is among the early favorites to win this season’s championship, but didn’t look like a contender in a surprising 113-101 loss to Sacramento on Tuesday night.

Reigning league MVP Kobe Bryant missed 11 of his first 13 shots and finished 9-for-25 from the field as the Lakers shot 40.2 percent as a team. “I just couldn’t get in a rhythm,” said Bryant, who had 28 points.

Lakers sixth man Lamar Odom admitted the team may have looked past Sacramento in anticipation for the meeting with Phoenix. “We came in here thinking we were going to win, and we didn’t respect our opponent,” said Odom, who had 11 points for his first double-digit effort in seven games. “You’ve got to play with a certain energy. If you don’t, you could lose to Westchester High School.” Los Angeles is just 1-8 ATS when their opponent has a road winning percentage of 60 percent or higher.

The Lakers are 12.5-point favorites at the Staples Center and have covered their last four contests with no rest. Besides not having Shaq, Phoenix has failed to cover seven of last eight when the opposing team allowing 100 or more points.
The Lakers and Suns have split last six meetings in L.A., with the road team on 6-1 ATS run.

StatFox Power Line- Lakers by 11

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