Western Conference:
15. Minnesota Timberwolves
I've placed the Wolves in the last position in my Power Ranking, but
don't get me wrong, as this team had a good month of January and February, way
better than a good number of teams. Actually their record of 10-41 hides the
fact that they have covered the spread in 9 of their last 13 games. The team
has been underrated by the bookies, thanks to the bettors, but when they were
an away dog, they had a nice record of 13-12 ATS. This team just like Memphis
and Boston last season will be a team which will cover the spread a good number
of times, thanks to some large spreads, as they have already shown that they
can be competitive against any team in the league (as they were against Boston
twice).
14. Seattle Supersonics
It may seem weird, but Seattle has given up of being competitive in
order to Kevin Durant could develop without any kind of pressure, as in terms
of potential this team is way better than the record of 13-38 shows, so how
would you explain the fact that the Sonics are the team in the league with most
bench points? With 38.7 ppg, the Sonics lead the league in front of the Spurs,
showing that the team possesses a deep roster. Simply with Durant gaining
experience, the Spurs lose a lot of ball games. It's funny to see that in the
four games the team was favored this season, they have won three, as this is
one of the teams with most unders this season (31 against just 20 overs!), The
typical bettor loves points and associates that with Durant, making the Sonics
a great team for the under.
13. Memphis Grizzlies
This team of Memphis without Gasol is weak and we can't expect nothing
from them. The bookies have already realized them, putting the team as a double
digits dog in 3 of their last 4 games. Their record of 14-38 shows how weak
they are and this team will have huge spreads against them. But be careful, as
they will be dangerous for the teams which will face team playing with a fast
tempo, as Miller, Gay and Navarro inspired in the attack can raise the team to
some good performances. But against teams with strong frontcourts, it will be
very hard for them, as without Gasol the team hasn't any reference in the
attack. The team as an away dog has a strong 8-15 O/U, a sign that they can't
cause problems to their opponents' defenses and without Gasol, I don't see how
they will be able to turn things around.
12. Los Angeles Clippers
One of the teams most destroyed by injuries, the Clippers have a record
of 17-33 and without any real chance to make the playoffs, will they find any
kind of motivation to be competitive until the end of the regular season? Elton
Brand will be back in mid March, so the Clippers will still have to play a lot
of matches without him. The under has a strong edge in the games of the
Clippers (20-29 O/U) until now. But sooner or later, we will see the Clippers'
opponents being favored with double digits spreads, something that will make
the Clippers become a good team to back.
11. Sacramento Kings
Even
though they have a record of 23-28, the Kings with the return of Bibby, Artest
and Martin showed that they can be competitive, defeating some of the elite
teams like Utah and New Orleans, but before the All-Star break, they have lost
3 games in a row and saw Mike Bibby leaving the team to Atlanta. This trade is
clearly an huge opportunity for Beno Udrih, which was playing well during the
absence of Bibby. The Kings won't have chances to qualify for the playoffs, but
they have been good when they are the underdogs, going 23-12 ATS in this
situation. But curiously when they are favorites, the team is just 5-11 ATS. It
will be necessary to know if the team will be motivated even though they know
they won't make it to the playoffs. If they maintain