NBA Betting With The Latest ATS Power Rankings - 02-23-08
February 23 - The most popular form of NBA betting is on which basketball team covers against the spread. Only eleven teams have managed a profitable ATS record this year and we therefore feel that these teams should head our latest Power Rankings.
Without further ado here is the list of teams that have given the gambling edge so far. The stats line reflects their ATS record and not their "straight up" records, which are not as relevant in sports betting:
1 L.A. Lakers: 34-18-1
2 Orlando: 35-21-1
3 New Orleans: 32-20-1
4 Boston: 31-20-2
5 Washington: 31-23-0
6 Detroit: 31-23-1
7 Sacramento 30-24-0
8 Houston 30-24-1
9 Toronto 29-23-1
10 Utah 29-26-0
11 Philadelphia 28-25-3
It is interesting to note that the Lakers have consistently outperformed the oddsmakers' expectations. The Magic got off to an exceptionally fast start and earned a lot of their covers in the first two months of the season when they began 16-4 SU. They have cooled off a bit since then, but offer betting value on the road.
New Orleans and Boston both have fantastic records this season SU and ATS, but to find the Wizards in the top 5 is a big surprise. They are a mediocre team in terms of their straight up record but have shown a big profit of +5.21 units this season.
Even more surprising are the teams that did not make this list. The Suns, Spurs, and Mavericks - all bound for the playoffs and legitimate championship contenders are not value for money when it comes to NBA betting. So, although 9 of the 10 teams on this list will probably make the playoffs (Sacramento are the only definite non-playoff team on the list) a good team is not necessarily the team on who to bet.
