ALMANAC NBA 2/16/10 PICKS!!!

An important part of the oddsmakers' job is not only to prevent bettors from taking advantage of bad teams, but to make sure those bettors lose money while trying to do it.  The Nets are 7-2 ATS (and 4-0 ATS on the road) since they hit rock bottom at the end of that horrendous West coast road trip.  Sounds like the oddsmakers are now doing their job.

That's a silly thing to say.  It's not like the Nets have any competition in the "race" for the league's worst record.  The team with the second worst record in the NBA has more than three times as many wins as New Jersey. 

And I want to start dating Megan Fox, but that's not going to happen, either.  As a title contender, this Celtics team blows.  I'm still smarting from that second half stinkbomb on Super Bowl Sunday against the Magic.  Man, that was just sad.  Hard for me not to be all over the Kings plus the points tonight.

Almost invincible at home?  They were outclassed in each of their last two home games against the Lakers and Thunder.  The Blazers are a mediocre 7-7 at the Rose Garden since Christmas. 

 on MAVS and MIA!!!

What a difference one month makes in this shit league.  Back on Martin Luther King Day, the Suns were the struggling team while the Grizzlies were rapidly improving (going from 6-12 at the end of November to 21-18 going into that January 18th game against the Suns).  Now, though, it's the Suns who've won 6 of their last 7 games ever since they snapped that embarrasing TNT losing streak against Dallas while the Grizzlies have faded of late, going from a peak of 25-19 to just 26-25 at the All-Star break. 

Last month, when the Grizzlies hosted the Suns on MLK Day in a game televised on TNT, Phoenix gave it their all but the up and coming Grizz were jacked up for the game and prevailed, 125-118.  Afterwards, Zach Randolph said that the team had looked forward to the national television appearance as an opportuntiy to show everyone how much they'd improved.  No such TV exposure tonight, and therefore it's the Suns who should easily be the more motivated team in this matchup.  In addition to the MLK Day loss, the Suns were also embarrased on their home floor by Memphis back on January 2nd by a score of 128-103.

The oddsmakers had several good reasons for making the Grizzlies smaller home favorites over the Suns than they were one month ago, and the betting action has since made Phoenix a 1-point favorite.