ASA free NBA Playoffs bet UNDER 112 1ST HALF POINTS – Mavericks at Thunder, 9:30PM ET
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Both teams have favored the Under in the 1st halves of games in the Playoffs with Dallas staying Under in 4 of six games against the Clippers, the Thunder played Under in 3 of four vs. the Pelicans.
We can throw out the regular season 1st half totals between these two teams based on injuries and situations. The Mavericks defense has been significantly better down the stretch of the regular season and were much better against the Clippers.
Dallas has a defensive Net rating of 109.5 in the post season which is the 6th best number in the league. The team that has the best defensive Net rating in the Playoffs is OKC at 93.5. The Thunder held the Pelicans to 92, 92, 85 and 89 points in the opening round series.
Dallas is also the 4th slowest paced team in the playoffs at 92 possessions per game. Granted, the Thunder are the 2nd fastest at 95.88 but that number is considerably lower than their regular season possessions per game of 100.5. The value lies with an Under bet in the 1st half of this Game 1.
ASA’s NBA play on Portland Trailblazers +3.5 vs. Miami Heat, 10PM ET I may regret backing the Blazers here as I typically don’t like betting teams in their first home game off an extended road trip but there are enough other positives to back Portland here. Let’s face it, not all NBA players are 100%… Read more: NBA free bet Heat vs Trailblazers | Jan 11th 2025
ASA NBA free bet on OVER 238.5 Atlanta Hawks at Utah Jazz, 9PM ET The Jazz are coming off a 3-game road trip on the East coast with a pair of wins over the Heat and Magic in the most recent games. Atlanta is on a 3-game slide on a West coast trip with the… Read more: NBA free bet | Atlanta Hawks vs Utah Jazz Prediction | 1-7-2025
ASA NBA FREE play or NBA prediction on Indiana Pacers vs. Milwaukee Bucks, 3:10PM ET *Note the early start of this game.* There is some bad blood between these two teams that genuinely don’t like each other. Milwaukee won the first meeting of the season at home 129-117, but it took 53% shooting overall… Read more: NBA Free pick | Bucks at Pacers | December 31st 2024
ASA’s NBA free bet on UNDER 219.5 Phoenix Suns at Golden State Warriors, 8:30PM ET Both teams are coming off a game last night and playing their 4th game in 6 days so fatigue is going to be a factor. Golden State has turned into a solid Under team with 14 of their last eighteen… Read more: NBA free bet | Suns vs Warriors Prediction | December 28th 2024
NFL FREE BET – #109 ASA FREE PLAY ON Arizona Cardinals -4 over Carolina Panthers, Sunday at 1 PM ET Carolina had played a few decent games in a row and had a chance to prove themselves last week as a small favorite vs a bad Dallas team playing their back up QB. That didn’t… Read more: NFL free bet Sunday | Cardinals vs Panthers Prediction | 12-22-24
ASA’s NBA FREE PLAYER PROP BET – OVER 23.5 POINTS CJ MCCOLLUM – Pelicans
CJ McCollum is coming off a horrendous shooting game versus the Lakers going 4 of 15 from the field. It wasn’t an issue throughout the game as his teammate Zion Williamson was scoring at will with 40-points prior to getting hurt. CJ will have to step up here against a Kings defense that ranks 21st in opponents FG% and 28th in opponents 3PT%. McCollum has scored more than his prop total in 7 of his last eight games and is inline for a big bounce back game here with Williamson on the shelf.
ASA’s NBA play on Portland Trailblazers +3.5 vs. Miami Heat, 10PM ET I may regret backing the Blazers here as I typically don’t like betting teams in their first home game off an extended road trip but there are enough other positives to back Portland here. Let’s face it, not all NBA players are 100%… Read more: NBA free bet Heat vs Trailblazers | Jan 11th 2025
ASA NBA free bet on OVER 238.5 Atlanta Hawks at Utah Jazz, 9PM ET The Jazz are coming off a 3-game road trip on the East coast with a pair of wins over the Heat and Magic in the most recent games. Atlanta is on a 3-game slide on a West coast trip with the… Read more: NBA free bet | Atlanta Hawks vs Utah Jazz Prediction | 1-7-2025
ASA NBA FREE play or NBA prediction on Indiana Pacers vs. Milwaukee Bucks, 3:10PM ET *Note the early start of this game.* There is some bad blood between these two teams that genuinely don’t like each other. Milwaukee won the first meeting of the season at home 129-117, but it took 53% shooting overall… Read more: NBA Free pick | Bucks at Pacers | December 31st 2024
ASA’s NBA free bet on UNDER 219.5 Phoenix Suns at Golden State Warriors, 8:30PM ET Both teams are coming off a game last night and playing their 4th game in 6 days so fatigue is going to be a factor. Golden State has turned into a solid Under team with 14 of their last eighteen… Read more: NBA free bet | Suns vs Warriors Prediction | December 28th 2024
NFL FREE BET – #109 ASA FREE PLAY ON Arizona Cardinals -4 over Carolina Panthers, Sunday at 1 PM ET Carolina had played a few decent games in a row and had a chance to prove themselves last week as a small favorite vs a bad Dallas team playing their back up QB. That didn’t… Read more: NFL free bet Sunday | Cardinals vs Panthers Prediction | 12-22-24
So, you’re thinking about a future wager on the NBA Championship and you’re not sure who to take? We can help you with some proven statistics that may accurately predict who this year’s Champion may be and rule out the most obvious media darling pretenders.
The backbone of this research is centered around efficiency ratings/rankings compiled through the regular season and is a tool I first discovered in the early 2000’s. Since then, I have seen several variations of my original work from other experts in the field, but here is the authentic version.
The average overall efficiency rating this season in the NBA was 1.153 points scored/allowed per possession. The Boston Celtics were the most efficient offense in the NBA at 1.232 points per possessions while the Minnesota Timberwolves held the best defensive efficiency rating in the league of 1.090 points allowed per/possession. If past history tells us anything, these numbers can be extremely useful in predicting this year’s eventual NBA Champion.
This trend started in 2008-09 when the Finals featured the LA Lakers with head coach Phil Jackson and HOF’er Kobe Bryant, facing the Orlando Magic and a young Dwight Howard. The Lakers won that Finals series in dominating fashion 4 games to 1. The Lakers finished the regular season ranked 3rd in offensive efficiency ratings (OEFF) and 6th in defensive efficiency (DEFF). Orlando had efficiency numbers that ranked them 12th in OEFF and 1st in DEFF. This was the beginning of the “efficiency” NBA Champions.
Below are the NBA Finals Champions and their overall efficiency rankings for the past 15 Championships.
NBA CHAMPIONS FROM 2008 on and OEFF/DEFF regular season efficiency rankings:
2008-09 LA Lakers (OEFF = 3rd, DEFF = 6th)
2009-10 LA Lakers (OEFF = 11th, DEFF = 4th)
2010-11 Dallas Mavericks (OEFF = 8th, DEFF = 7th)
2011-12 Miami Heat (OEFF = 8th, DEFF = 4th)
2012-13 Miami Heat (OEFF = 1st, DEFF = 9th)
2013-14 San Antonio Spurs (OEFF = 7th, DEFF = 3rd)
2014-15 Golden State Warriors (OEFF = 2nd, DEFF = 1st)
2016-17 Golden State Warriors (OEFF = 1st, DEFF = 2nd)
2017-18 Golden State Warriors (OEFF = 3rd, DEFF = 11th)
2018-19 Toronto Raptors (OEFF = 5th, DEFF = 5th)
2019-20 LA Lakers Covid (OEFF = 11th, DEFF = 3rd)
2020-21 Milwaukee Bucks (OEFF = 6th, DEFF = 10th)
2021-22 Golden State Warriors (OEFF = 16th, DEFF = 2nd)
2022-23 Denver Nuggets (OEFF 5th, DEFF = 13th)
EFFICIENCY RATINGS MATTER
You can see for yourself that there have only been two teams that have won a Championship in the last fifteen years that had an (offensive efficiency) OEFF or (defensive efficiency) DEFF NOT in the top 11 for that season. It has been the last two Champs in the Warriors in 21-22 and Nuggets last season. Every team that has won a Championship in the past 15 Finals has specifically had a Defensive Efficiency ranking in the top 13 at the end of the regular season.
Using this model (top 11 OEFF and top 13 in DEFF) to predict this year’s Champion we can eliminate everyone but the following teams: Celtics, Thunder, Nuggets, Knicks, Suns and Pelicans. On the outside looking in is Philadelphia who we know played a portion of the season without an MVP type player in Joel Embiid. The Sixers were 13th in OEFF and 11th in DEFF this season. Another team who we pegged prior to the start of the season at +2500 to win it all, who falls outside of this parameter, is the Mavericks. The Mavs rank 10th in OEFF on the season but don’t qualify defensively, ranking 18th in DEFF for the year. But, since the All-Star break the Mavs defense has been infinitely better, ranking 12th in defensive efficiency allowing 1.134PPP.
2023-24 Regular Season Efficiency Rankings for the Math Model “Contenders”
Boston Celtics: OEFF 1st, DEFF 3rd
Oklahoma City Thunder: OEFF 3rd, DEFF 4th
Denver Nuggets: OEFF 5th, DEFF 8th
NY Knicks: OEFF 7th, DEFF 9th
New Orleans Pelicans: OEFF 11th, DEFF 7th
Phoenix Suns: OEFF 9th, DEFF 13th
Let’s also take into consideration how these teams fared this season against the other top 16 teams in the league.
Celtics 27-14 SU
Thunder 27-18 SU
T’Wolves 26-19 SU
Nuggets 28-18 SU
Knicks 17-23
Suns 23-22
Intriguing options not on the list! – Dallas Mavericks (+1600) or Los Angeles Clippers (+1600)
As we mentioned above the Mavericks would make this list if we tabulated stats from the All-Star break on. Dallas made some moves prior to the trade deadline and brought in PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford which improved their defense dramatically. Offensively this team has two of the best players on the planet, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving who can each single-handedly take over a game on the offensive end of the court. The Clippers go as far as a healthy Kawhi Leonard can take them. Unfortunately, we don’t know Leonard’s status but “Playoff Kawhi” is as good as any player historically in the NBA in the postseason. L.A. is loaded with All-Star level talent with Paul George, James Harden, Russell Westbrook along with Leonard and it wouldn’t surprise us to see them in the Finals. The Clippers ranked 4th in Offensive Efficiency this season but were 16th defensively.
Our Money is on the favorite…BOSTON CELTICS *We had Boston prior to the start of the season at +380*
Everyone talks about a “Big 3” when it comes to NBA Super Teams, but you could argue that the Celtics have a “Big 5” with a starting lineup that includes: Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White. Let’s not forget to mention the Celtics bench with Sam Hauser, Al Horford, Luke Kornet and Payton Pritchard, just to name a few, who helped Boston have the best bench Net Rating in the NBA at +6.2.
As we previously mentioned, the Celtics had the best record in the NBA against the top 16 teams in the league this season at 27-14. They ranked 1st in OEFF and 3rd defensively. The Celtics had the best average Margin of Victory per game at +11.3 overall. Boston won at home by an average of +15.2PPG and had a road average differential of +7.5PPG, all best MOV’s in the league. The Celtics have the advantage of home court throughout the Playoffs where they were near unbeatable. They were 20-4 SU versus other playoff teams on their floor this season. Boston may not have to face either Joel Embiid or Giannis Antetokounmpo in the Eastern Conference Finals, and even though the Knicks qualify for an Efficiency Championship, we don’t think they are deep enough to beat the Celtics in a 7-game series.
Overall, this shapes up to be one of the best NBA playoffs in a long time and we can’t wait! Best of luck with all your wagers.
ASA’s NBA play on Portland Trailblazers +3.5 vs. Miami Heat, 10PM ET I may regret backing the Blazers here as I typically don’t like betting teams in their first home game off an extended road trip but there are enough other positives to back Portland here. Let’s face it, not all NBA players are 100%… Read more: NBA free bet Heat vs Trailblazers | Jan 11th 2025
ASA NBA free bet on OVER 238.5 Atlanta Hawks at Utah Jazz, 9PM ET The Jazz are coming off a 3-game road trip on the East coast with a pair of wins over the Heat and Magic in the most recent games. Atlanta is on a 3-game slide on a West coast trip with the… Read more: NBA free bet | Atlanta Hawks vs Utah Jazz Prediction | 1-7-2025
ASA NBA FREE play or NBA prediction on Indiana Pacers vs. Milwaukee Bucks, 3:10PM ET *Note the early start of this game.* There is some bad blood between these two teams that genuinely don’t like each other. Milwaukee won the first meeting of the season at home 129-117, but it took 53% shooting overall… Read more: NBA Free pick | Bucks at Pacers | December 31st 2024
ASA’s NBA free bet on UNDER 219.5 Phoenix Suns at Golden State Warriors, 8:30PM ET Both teams are coming off a game last night and playing their 4th game in 6 days so fatigue is going to be a factor. Golden State has turned into a solid Under team with 14 of their last eighteen… Read more: NBA free bet | Suns vs Warriors Prediction | December 28th 2024
NFL FREE BET – #109 ASA FREE PLAY ON Arizona Cardinals -4 over Carolina Panthers, Sunday at 1 PM ET Carolina had played a few decent games in a row and had a chance to prove themselves last week as a small favorite vs a bad Dallas team playing their back up QB. That didn’t… Read more: NFL free bet Sunday | Cardinals vs Panthers Prediction | 12-22-24
ASA NBA free bet on Phoenix Suns (-) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, 10PM ET
Scheduling has a lot to do with this NBA free prediction as the Cavs are in a tough spot here having played in Utah last night. Not only that, but the Cavaliers are playing their 3rd game in four days and 4th game in six days. The Suns are rested as their last game came on April 1st, a win in New Orleans.
Phoenix is facing a brutal 3-game stretch coming up against Western Conference contenders which makes this game extremely important.
The Suns are also 14-6 SU with an average +/- of +6.4PPG when they hold a rest advantage over their opponents. Cleveland is 5-7 ATS when playing without rest and has a negative point differential in those games of minus -3.2PPG.
When we evaluate each teams last ten games we find the Suns have a +3.0 Net differential, the Cavs are minus -5.2 AND the Suns have faced a much tougher schedule over that 10-game span. In this must-win situation we like the Suns by double-digits as this NBA free pick.
ASA’s NBA play on Portland Trailblazers +3.5 vs. Miami Heat, 10PM ET I may regret backing the Blazers here as I typically don’t like betting teams in their first home game off an extended road trip but there are enough other positives to back Portland here. Let’s face it, not all NBA players are 100% motivated on a nightly basis, which can make games difficult… Read more: NBA free bet Heat vs Trailblazers | Jan 11th 2025
ASA NBA free bet on OVER 238.5 Atlanta Hawks at Utah Jazz, 9PM ET The Jazz are coming off a 3-game road trip on the East coast with a pair of wins over the Heat and Magic in the most recent games. Atlanta is on a 3-game slide on a West coast trip with the losses coming at Denver, Lakers and Clippers. In two of… Read more: NBA free bet | Atlanta Hawks vs Utah Jazz Prediction | 1-7-2025
ASA NBA FREE play or NBA prediction on Indiana Pacers vs. Milwaukee Bucks, 3:10PM ET *Note the early start of this game.* There is some bad blood between these two teams that genuinely don’t like each other. Milwaukee won the first meeting of the season at home 129-117, but it took 53% shooting overall and 47% from Deep to notch that win. Both teams… Read more: NBA Free pick | Bucks at Pacers | December 31st 2024
ASA’s NBA free bet on UNDER 219.5 Phoenix Suns at Golden State Warriors, 8:30PM ET Both teams are coming off a game last night and playing their 4th game in 6 days so fatigue is going to be a factor. Golden State has turned into a solid Under team with 14 of their last eighteen games staying below the number. Looking at their most recent… Read more: NBA free bet | Suns vs Warriors Prediction | December 28th 2024
NFL FREE BET – #109 ASA FREE PLAY ON Arizona Cardinals -4 over Carolina Panthers, Sunday at 1 PM ET Carolina had played a few decent games in a row and had a chance to prove themselves last week as a small favorite vs a bad Dallas team playing their back up QB. That didn’t go as planned as the Cowboys dominated on the road… Read more: NFL free bet Sunday | Cardinals vs Panthers Prediction | 12-22-24
ASA NBA play on Brooklyn Nets -2.5 vs. Utah Jazz, 7 :40PM ET We are going to try and beat the Jazz again tonight when they travel to Brooklyn to face the Nets. Utah is clearly one of the worst teams in the NBA this season and we are betting they don’t win two games in a row. The Jazz have lost 14 of their last… Read more: NBA Free Bet | Jazz vs Nets Prediction | December 21st 2024
ASA NBA PLAYER PROP UNDER 11.5 REBOUND GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO – MILWAUKEE BUCKS Giannis just went over his rebounding prop against the Hawks in Emirates Cup play the other nightwith 14 but Atlanta allows the most rebounds to Power Forwards in the NBA 15.4 per game. Giannis has only been over this total 2 times in his last 10 games and OKC allows the 4th fewest… Read more: NBA player prop bets | December 17th 2024 | Emirates Cup Final
#469/470 ASA PLAY ON Under 43 Points – Pittsburgh Steelers vs Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday at 4:25 PM ET Two high level defenses rule the day here. The Eagles lead the NFL allowing only 4.7 YPP and since their bye in week 5, they have allowed only 1.29 points per drive which is tops in the NFL during that time. They also limit explosive plays giving… Read more: NFL FREE BET | Steelers vs Eagles Prediction | Dec 15 2024
ASA Free NBA play on Over 233.5 Phoenix Suns at Utah Jazz – Friday 9:40PM ET When these two teams have gotten together, they have scored 230+ points in 5 straight games dating back to the start of last season, including a 232 total earlier this season. The Suns just faced two top 11 defenses in the Heat and Magic and will now take advantage… Read more: NBA FREE BET | Suns vs Jazz prediction | Dec 13 2024
ASA free NBA bet on: BOSTON CELTICS -7 1ST HALF vs ATLANTA HAWKS – 7PM ET
If you have been betting the Celtics in the 1st half this this you have basically been printing money. Boston is 52-18 ATS in the first halves of games this season
The Cetlics Average Point Differential in the 1st half is best in the NBA at +8.2PPG overall & +7.4PPG on the road.
The Hawks are decimated with injuries right now with starters Trae Young (26.4PPG) and Jalen Johnson (16.1PPG) out here.
Atlanta’s average +/- in the first half ithis season s +1.4PPG.
In two meetings this season the Celtics have led by 4-points (ATL had both Young and Johnson in the lineup) and 13 points (no Johnson) versus the Hawks at the break.
You may want to consider OVER 116 in the 1st half of this game also as a NBA bet. In two meetings they scored 138 and 125 total points and both average more than this number for the season with games involving the Celtics averaging 118.4PPG in the 1st H and games involving the Hawks average 119.4PPG.
ASA’s NBA Free prediction – BOSTON CELTICS (-7) 1st Half / BOSTON/ATLANTA OVER 116 TOTAL POINTS FIRST HALF
ASA’s NBA play on Portland Trailblazers +3.5 vs. Miami Heat, 10PM ET I may regret backing the Blazers here as I typically don’t like betting teams in their first home game off an extended road trip but there are enough other positives to back Portland here. Let’s face it, not all NBA players are 100%… Read more: NBA free bet Heat vs Trailblazers | Jan 11th 2025
ASA NBA free bet on OVER 238.5 Atlanta Hawks at Utah Jazz, 9PM ET The Jazz are coming off a 3-game road trip on the East coast with a pair of wins over the Heat and Magic in the most recent games. Atlanta is on a 3-game slide on a West coast trip with the… Read more: NBA free bet | Atlanta Hawks vs Utah Jazz Prediction | 1-7-2025
ASA NBA FREE play or NBA prediction on Indiana Pacers vs. Milwaukee Bucks, 3:10PM ET *Note the early start of this game.* There is some bad blood between these two teams that genuinely don’t like each other. Milwaukee won the first meeting of the season at home 129-117, but it took 53% shooting overall… Read more: NBA Free pick | Bucks at Pacers | December 31st 2024
ASA’s NBA free bet on UNDER 219.5 Phoenix Suns at Golden State Warriors, 8:30PM ET Both teams are coming off a game last night and playing their 4th game in 6 days so fatigue is going to be a factor. Golden State has turned into a solid Under team with 14 of their last eighteen… Read more: NBA free bet | Suns vs Warriors Prediction | December 28th 2024
NFL FREE BET – #109 ASA FREE PLAY ON Arizona Cardinals -4 over Carolina Panthers, Sunday at 1 PM ET Carolina had played a few decent games in a row and had a chance to prove themselves last week as a small favorite vs a bad Dallas team playing their back up QB. That didn’t… Read more: NFL free bet Sunday | Cardinals vs Panthers Prediction | 12-22-24
Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden has emerged as a top candidate to be the #Bengals new DC, per me and @MikeGarafolo.
Coach Zac Taylor has been waiting for the National Championship to end before moving forward. Now that it has, he can speak with Golden & work thru it.
The last 6 #NationalChampionship games have all been decided by more than 2 TD's. Looks like we might be heading for another. #Buckeyes score TD's on each of their first 4 possessions vs the #Irish and lead 28-7