We are over 1/4 of the way through this 72-game season and there are a few trends throughout the league that have stuck out so far.
Lakers and Knicks Road Unders
Combined on the season, Los Angeles and New York are 24-6 in favor of the UNDER on the road. There's no real rhyme or reason for this other than both having top defenses in the league. The Knicks might take a hit with Mitchell Robinson (their primary rim protector) being out for a period of time with an injury. Most of their success stems from effort. Coach Thibs is known for his defensive schemes, but it is rare to see such a young roster have so much success on that end of the floor. They rank third in the NBA in defensive rating, behind the Lakers and the Jazz.
2. Blazers, Bulls, and Suns Covering After a Loss
Combined on the season, these 3 teams are 22-7 against the spread following a loss. The "bounce back" teams of the season so far. For Portland and Chicago, it is their need to stay afloat and contend for a playoff spot in their respective conferences. For Phoenix, their young roster (along with Chris Paul) is figuring out how to win games while they climb the Western Conference standings. Each of these teams have go-to scoring point guards that don't let their teams have 2 bad games in a row. Damian Lillard, Zach Lavine, and Chris Paul/Devin Booker have too much talent and too much pride to not let their team down.
3. Home 'Dogs
Only 4 teams have over a .500 record straight up as home underdogs this season. New Orleans is 4-0, Utah is 1-0, Brooklyn is 5-1, and Charlotte is 6-4. Every other team is at .500 or below. It can be very tempting to bet the home underdog money line, but this year it isn't practical. Without the fans to cheer them on, it is hard to conjure those big upsets. Somehow these teams have figured it out. New Orleans has limited fans allowed in the Smoothie King Center, could this be a factor into how they are 4-0 as a home underdog? Definitely. As more teams let a limited number of fans into their arenas, keep an eye on those upset numbers going up.
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