After a long break without sports –during the height of the COVID-19 outbreak– it seems like we’ve had non-stop NBA basketball. Just a little over a month after the NBA Finals, the season started again anew, just before Christmas. Now that we are a full month in, where do the teams stand, and who have been the best teams to bet on?
Standings As of Sunday, January 17th
The Eastern Conference has seen a lot of back and forth already. But the Milwaukee Bucks–who is one of the favorites in the NBA lines to win the conference–are finally standing on top of the standings. At 9-4 as of Sunday night, the Milwaukee Bucks are followed by the Boston Celtics at 8-4, and the Philadelphia 76ers at 9-5.
Here Are the Complete Eastern Conference Standings:
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Boston Celtics
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Indiana Pacers
- Brooklyn Nets
- NY Knicks
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Orlando Magic
- Charlotte Hornets
- Atlanta Hawks
- Chicago Bulls
- Miami Heat
- Toronto Raptors
- Washington Wizards
- Detroit Pistons
Over on the left coast, the two teams from LA have already started to establish their dominance over a highly contested conference. The LA Lakers are 11-3 as of Monday afternoon and the LA Clippers are 10-4. It’s not surprising that the defensive-minded Jazz are in 3rd, but it is a bit of a surprise that the Phoneix suns are still hanging on to a top 4 spot. That said, the Suns haven’t played for quite a few days because they had too many players out on the new health protocols. So, can they hang on, or will they fall down the standings this week?
- LA Lakers
- LA Clippers
- Utah Jazz
- Phoenix Suns
- Portland Trail Blazers
- San Antonio Spurs
- Dallas Mavericks
- Golden State Warriors
- Memphis Grizzlies
- OKC Thunder
- Denver Nuggets
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Sacramento Kings
- Minnesota Timberwolves
NBA Power Ratings
As each week goes on, the LA Lakers’ percentage of repeating as NBA Champions increases. The season started with the Purple and Gold, with roughly a 20% chance of taking the title in 2021. Now, they are up to 47.3%. The Next closest in line is the Milwaukee Bucks at 16.4%.
The Lakers also lead the league on the NBA power rating boards. Currently, the Lakers have a rating of 7.7. This indicates that they should beat an average team by nearly 8 points on a neutral court. An average team at the moment would be the Miami Heat, who have a rating of 0.1.
<iframe width=”1237″ height=”696″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ej-eNZAtUm4″ frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen></iframe>
Top Fifteen Power Ratings for your Handicapping
- LA Lakers 7.7
- Mil Bucks 7.0
- LA Clippers 5.8
- Utah Jazz 4.3
- Brooklyn Nets 3.6
- Dallas Mavs 3.2
- Denver Nuggets 2.6
- Phoenix Suns 2.5
- Phila 76ers 2.3
- Boston Celtics 2.1
- Indiana Pacers 1.7
- Portland Trail Blazers 1.3
- Toronto Raptors 0.7
- Atlanta Hawks 0.2
- Miami Heat 0.1
Best Teams Against the Spread
As of Monday afternoon, there are a few standouts teams that have been exceptional at covering the point spread. The top three are the Chicago Bulls, who are 9-4 ATS for 69.2%; the Phoenix Suns, who are 7-4 ATS for 63.6%; and the San Antonio Spurs, who are 8.5 for 61.5%.
- Chicago Bulls 69.2%
- Phoenix Suns 63.6%
- San Antonio Spurs 61.5%
- Indiana Pacers 61.5%
- Utah Jazz 61.5%
- Boston Celtics 58.3%
- OKC Thunder 58.3%
- Memphis Grizzlies 58.3%
- Dallas Mavericks 58.3%
- Detroit Pistons 58.3%
- LA Lakers 57.1%
- LA Clippers 57.1%
- Charlotte Hornets 57.1%
- Washington Wizards 54.5%
The Worst Teams ATS
Stay clear of these teams unless you have done some serious handicapping and found a clear advantage against the betting lines:
- Toronto Raptors 25.0%
- Denver Nuggets 30.8%
- Sacramento Kings 35.7%
- Miami Heat 36.4%
- Houston Rockets 36.4%
The Raptors are just 3-9 against the spread, making them the worst team in the league to back ATS. The Nuggets are just behind the Raps. Then we have teams like the Golden State Warriors who are just 41.7% along with Atlanta and New Orleans. Then we have the Brooklyn Nets at just 42.9%.
Comments are closed.