NBA Western Conference rolling on Thursday
Offshore sportsbook odds: Western Conference is the focus
- Mavericks above .500 for first time this season
- Locker room problems looming in Phoenix
- New-look Nuggets set to measure themselves vs Spurs
Thursday’s NBA odds put the spotlight on four of the top teams in the Western Conference. The Phoenix Suns match up with the Dallas Mavericks in the early game while the Denver Nuggets host the San Antonio Spurs in the late game.
Sportsbook odds have the Mavericks favored at home even though their record is slightly worse than the Suns. The Suns are enduring some in-house struggles and might be a team ready to combust.
By letting go of head coach Mike D’Antoni and replacing him with Terry Porter, the Suns not only changed their head coach but their team philosophy. So far, the results have been mixed.
Online betting handicappers have noticed the Suns are still trying to run at times but, with Shaquille O’Neal, that has proven to be difficult. Although they’ve pounded the ball into him regularly when possible, it’s left Amare Stoudemire out of the mix, which is something the forward is beginning to complain about.
More importantly, the Suns have struggled on the defensive end and those who bet online know they can’t just outscore everyone to make up for defensive lapses.
The Suns should have some problems with Dallas, particularly since the game will be on the latter half of back-to-back road games (they play in New Orleans the previous night). Often times, O’Neal is rested in those situations, which could leave the Suns somewhat short-handed.
In the late game of the Thursday night NBA betting, the Nuggets will host the Spurs in a crucial game for the Nuggets. The Nuggets have been vastly improved with Chauncey Billups guiding the team, but they’ve still fallen short against the league’s best teams.
The Nuggets are 11-3 since acquiring Billups but their three losses have come against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Hornets. Online sports betting sharps might recall the Nuggets lost to the Hornets at home last Thursday night.
The Nuggets need a win against a credible Western Conference powerhouse and the Spurs are the perfect candidate. The Spurs have eliminated the Nuggets in the playoffs in two of the last four seasons.
CRAIG’S PICK: The Spurs have lost two straight after a 6-1 stretch got them above .500. Those who bet online should be weary that the Spurs are getting healthier and have more depth than in previous seasons. Look for the Mavericks and Nuggets to earn signature wins in front of a national audience.
For more odds, picks and tips to bet on sports, visit the betonline.com sportsbook.
Craig Parsons is an avid sports fan, but his true love has always been basketball. Too short to realize his dream of playing in the NBA, he did the next best thing? Sports betting and covering basketball for a living. Thoughts or questions?
