As we approach the end of February teams begin the final playoff run. Some times are looking to solidify their seeding, while others are battling for the final playoff spots. The Houston Rockets at the Boston Celtics is the featured game for February 29.
Houston Rockets versus Boston Celtics
Houston enters play with the fourth-best record in the Western Conference. They take a 17-12 road record to Boston to face the Celtics, ranked third in the east and have a 23-5 home record. The Rockets have a narrow +27 to +25 edge on the Power Ranking Indicator and are “burning hot” versus “average” on the Team Strength Oscillator. The Totals Predictor shows the teams trending on opposite sides of the “over/under” line, so best to avoid betting on that in this one. Both teams are displaying consistent play with respect to their favorite/underdog status, as indicated by the Team Volatility Oscillator. Houston won the first meeting between the teams this season. Boston is excellent at home and should even the score.
Brooklyn Nets versus Miami Heat
In this Eastern Conference showdown, the 7th seeded Brooklyn Nets head to Miami to face the 4th seeded Heat. Brooklyn is 10-17 on the road, are “average down” on the Team Strength Oscillator and +21 on the Power Ranking Indicator. Despite the better record, the Heat are “ice cold down” and +18, respectively. Best to avoid the “over/under” in this one according to the Totals Predictor. Miami has been the more stable of the two teams, at +25 to +12 on the Team Volatility Oscillator. The season series is split at one game each with both games being tight. Expect another close one, but the Heat are 23-5 at home and will come away with the win.
Los Angeles Lakers versus Memphis Grizzlies
The Lakers take a 25-5 road mark and the best record in the Western Conference to Memphis to face the number eight seed Grizzlies, who are 16-13 at home. Los Angeles is “burning hot” and +14 on the Power Ranking Indicator, while Memphis is “ice cold down” and +12. Expect a high scoring game since both teams are trending “over” on the Totals Predictor. The Lakers have been considerably more stable at +28 versus +12 on the Team Volatility Oscillator. Los Angeles has dominated, winning all three games between the teams this season. I see that trend continuing. Pick the Lakers in a relatively easy win.
Orlando Magic versus San Antonio Spurs
Orlando holds the final playoff spot at the moment in the Eastern Conference and are 10-18 on the road. They face the Spurs with a record of 24-32 and 14-12 at home. San Antonio has a +16 to +8 advantage on the Power Ranking Indicator. Neither team is trending well at the moment, with the Magic at “average” and the Spurs at “ice cold down”. This should be another high scoring contest, so bet the “over” on this one. The Magic are +30 on the Team Volatility Oscillator, meaning they are consistently performing according to their favorite/underdog status. They won the first game between the teams this season, but as road underdogs I expect the Spurs to come away with a win, pulling away late.
Indiana Pacers versus Cleveland Cavaliers
Indiana is looking to climb into the top four seeds in the Eastern Conference for a home playoff edge in the first round. Currently, they are sixth in the conference and have a 14-14 road mark heading into Cleveland, who is just 8-22 at home and 16-41 overall. The Pacers hold a +10 to +1 advantage on the Power Ranking Indicator. It must be noted that neither team is playing great at the moment, as their “ice cold down” and “ice cold up” statuses on the Team Strength Oscillator indicates. Both teams are showing stability, performing as their favorite/underdog status indicates. This should be another game where betting the over is a smart choice. The teams are 1-1 so far this season in head-to-head play. The Pacers will have little difficulty in this one, winning comfortably.
Ready to follow winners?
Upgrade now and follow all the picks! Click here
P.S. Upgrade to Zcode VIP Club and Unlock All Winning Picks. Instant Access.
