Nearly a third of the NBA season is in the books and several surprises exist. In the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers sit on top with the Philadelphia 76ers seated near the bottom after suffering several key injuries. The Western Conference is extremely competitive with 11 teams at .500 or better. There is a light three-game schedule for Sunday, December 22 with the New Orleans Pelicans hosting the Denver Nuggets in the headlined matchup.
Houston Rockets versus Toronto Raptors
Houston has a record of 17-9, third in the Western Conference. They are 3-3 over the last six, “average down” on the Team Strength Oscillator and +21 on the Power Ranks Indicator. Toronto has the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference at 7-20, “dead” on the Team Strength Oscillator and +4 on the Power Ranks Indicator. The Raptors are 6-8 at home versus the Rockets’ 7-6 on the road. The teams are trending in games “under” the line with a score prediction of 122-114 in favor of Houston with 86 percent confidence. Houston has a scoring differential edge of +6.0 to -5.0 and both teams have been consistent regarding their favorite/underdog status. I like the Rockets in a road win in a game under the line.
Indiana Pacers versus Sacramento Kings
Both teams have records below .500. Indiana is 12-15 and 8th in the Eastern Conference with Sacramento 13-14 and 12th in the Western Conference. Indiana is “burning hot” versus “average” on the Team Strength Oscillator and +11 to +10 on the Power Ranks Indicator. The teams have been involved in games over the line in seven of the last 12 with a score predicted total of 239 likely to be over, but with only 36 percent confidence. Neither team has been particularly stable as seen on the Team Volatility Oscillator. The Kings have a +3 to -2.9 scoring differential edge. Although the Kings are only 6-8 at home, the Pacers have been bad on the road with a 4-11 record. The teams split last season, both winning on the road. I like the Kings to break that trend in this one but I pass on the over/under bet.
Denver Nuggets versus New Orleans Pelicans
Here’s a game with two teams heading in opposite directions. Denver is 4th in the Western Conference, is on a three-game winning streak and is “burning hot” on the Team Strength Oscillator. On the flip side, New Orleans is last in the conference, “dead” status, and has lost four straight. The teams have been involved in games over the line in eight of the last 12 with a score prediction of 116-111 in favor of Denver with 70 percent confidence. Denver has been on a steady climb in the Power Ranks Indicator and now at +24 compared to +1 for New Orleans. The Pelicans are 4-9 at home this season, one of them against Denver by seven points. The Nuggets are 7-6 on the road and have a huge scoring differential edge of +2.7 to -11.5. This one should be all Denver in a game “over” the line.
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