Hoop Hopes – Ricky Rothstein makes his picks for tonight’s NBA action!
Miami at Indiana The Pacers didn’t beat the Heat when they met in the Eastern Conference Finals last season, but they sure scared them. Indiana put more pressure on the two-time Champions than anybody else could manage last year and this year Indiana has been the team to beat in the League. No wonder, then, that mouths are watering at the prospect of their first meeting of the season, tonight at the Bankers’ Life Fieldhouse.
The Pacers are back home after a five game Western road trip where they beat the Clippers and San Antonio but lost to Oklahoma City. The game against the Thunder came day immediately after the win at San Antonio though, so that’s excusable. As for the Heat, they’re cruising along like Champions do, with nothing to prove and biding their time to the playoffs. For that reason, and because it’ll mean more to them, the Pacers are a good bet to cover the number tonight. Hoop Hope 1 |Indiana -3
San Antonio at Toronto San Antonio isn’t always a great bet to cover. The Spurs are one of the pre-eminent teams in the League but because of that they are inclined to play within themselves and that sees their ATS record a mediocre 9-10. However, San Antonio is a good bet to cover as a road favorite tonight because San Antonio is at Toronto.
Toronto is a struggling team in the League’s poorest division, which gives San Antonio an automatic edge. But Toronto has just traded Rudy Gay to Sacramento and, while Gay’s shooting percentage is nothing to write home about, he was still the Raptors’ second leading scorer. The trade will pay off for the Raptors down the line in terms of salary-cap space alone, but it won’t pay off tonight. Hoop Hope 2 |San Antonio -8
Boston at Brooklyn Boston’s rebuilding has taken less time than expected, while Brooklyn’s house is falling down. Brooklyn rolled the dice by investing in experience over youth in the hope of a quick title and that strategy now looks misguided. Boston went the other way and has won its last three straight to, astonishingly, lead the Atlantic with a 10-12 record.
For all that though, things may be coming together at Brooklyn. Deron Williams is expected to finally return from injury tonight, while Brook Lopez has been a rock for the team all year. The Nets can snatch a win against the green.
Follow Ricky Rothstein’s Hoop Hopes every night – he’s 23-17-0 for the season so far!
