Tuesday 30th April

Points double

Over 179.5 points (Grizzlies @ Clippers) and Over 211.5 points (Warriors @ Nuggets) = 3.80 (Totesport) LOST

Warriors @ Nuggets, Warriors +8 points, 1.95 WON

Player performance

Chris Paul Over 19.5 points, 1.83 (1/2 unit bet) WON

Monday 29th April

Can the Bulls finish off the series?

Bulls @ Nets, Nets -3 points, 2.1 (Paddypower)

Thunder @ Rockets, Rockets money line 2.03 (Betaway)

Kevin Durant, Under 35.5 points, 1.83 (Skybet) 1/2 unit bet

Sunday 28th April

Not too much out there tonight but we think we have come up with some solid picks for our followers

The Nuggets series is proving to be close!

Heat @ Bucks. Heat -6 points 1.55 (Alternate line with bet365) WON 

Spurs @ Lakers, Lakers + 15.5 points 1.47 (Alternate line with bet365) LOST

Nuggets @ Warriors, Over 206 points, 1.50 (Alternate line with bet365) WON

Saturday 27th April

Nets @ Bulls: Selection: Bulls -3 points 1.95 WON

Game 4 in the series is a huge game for both sides. The Nets could go 3-1 down which would look bleak for their chances of progressing to the 2nd round. The Bulls know Nets have home court for game 7 so a win today is really important especially as they are at home.
  After a dreadful game 1 where the Bulls were completely blown out, they have responded perfectly, taking games 2 and  3. The key to the turn around is that the Bulls have managed to stifle both Deron Williams and Joe Johnson, both of who were key elements of the game 1 win for Brooklyn. Lopez has not had the same success either. The Bulls coach has managed to stop the Nets pick n roll being so effective, as well as Butler, Kirk and Taj Gibson defending the Nets 3 superstars really well. I feel that the Bulls have got their game locked down right now, whilst the offense is still a slight cause for concern.  However when you are playing elite level defense is does not matter as much and I see the same result as the other night in today's game. It will be another tough close fought game but the Bulls will emerge as Victors in my opinion and move one step closer to meeting Miami Heat in the 2nd round.



Clippers @ Grizzlies: Selection: Over 177 points 1.90 Bet365 WON

Now I know we picked over 179.5 last game and the total fell just short. However I felt we were really unfortunate, as both sides missed a lot of easy buckets. I see the total being too low in this game, with Clippers really needing a win so that the series is not tied at 2-2.  The Clippers were extremely poor last game, with a complete lack of creativity on offense, forcing up poor shots late in the shot clock. Their defense was fairly solid, with the \Grizzlies playing excellent defense, with mediocre offense.  I can't see too much improvement on the Grizzlies offense this game, however, I expect a vast improvement from the Clippers, who will probably look to try and run a bit more than last game for some easier buckets.  I can't see the total points being huge, however I expect it to go over 177 points.

Pacers @ Hawks: Selection: Pacers to win money line 2.20 bet 365 LOST

This took a lot of time to select, as, I don't expect the Pacers to sweep the Hawks. However, from the 1st two games of the series which were both blow out wins for the Pacers I have been really impressed with them.  They have played excellent defense, especially in keeping Korver from getting good looks from the 3 point line, which usually provides a good scoring boost for the Hawks.  The Pacers are firing on both sides of the floor, with their big players stepping up when it really matters.  I expected the Pacers to be a little shorter in odds today, so was pleasantly surprised to see 2.2 on Bet365. This provides enough value for me, although the Hawks won't roll over so it should be a fairly tight game, with Pacers getting the stops late in the 4th quarter to go on and take tonight's match.

Player performance bets may follow. good luck today. Dave L.

Remember to follow us on twitter @NBATIPS1 where we provide other information as well as up to date injury issues and answer any questions that are put to us.

Friday 26th April

Can the Celtics get back in the series?

Double

San Antonio Spurs (Moneyline) and NY Knicks +6 = 2.32 (Youwin) WON

Single

Nuggets @ Warriors, Nuggets money line (Paddy/Betaway/Youwin) = 1.95. If Curry (game-time) can't play we recommend this bet (1 unit) if he does play and you can wait until tip-off then do that and we recommend NO BET. At the moment we are going for a 1/2 unit tip. 

Good luck!

Player performance bets may be added in due course - will be updated on @NBATIPS1

Thursday 25th April

Heat @ Bucks:    Heat -7.5 1.90 Bet365 WON

Clippers @ Grizzlies: Over 179.5 points 1.90 bet365 LOST

More tips may follow on the Chicago Brooklyn game as well as a player performance bet. Check our twitter for updates @NBATIPS1

Good luck tonight everyone

Wednesday 24th April

Can the Lakers take a road win?

Hawks @ Pacers, Pacers -7 points 1.91 (various) WON

Rockets @ Thunder, Over 212 points 1.93 (188bet) LOST

Lakers @ Spurs, Spurs -6 points, (1.55 - bet365 alternate point spread) WON

Chandler Parsons: Over 14.5 points, 1.83 (bet365) WON

Good luck

Tuesday 23rd April

Brandon Jennings to score over 19.5 points 1.83 on bet365 LOST

GSW @ Denver: Denver -8 points 1.95 on betaway LOST

Celtics @ Knicks: Celtics plus 10.5 points 1.52 on bet365 alternative points line LOST

Good luck, hope we continue the decent start we have made to the play offs

Monday 22nd April

Bulls @ Nets, Brooklyn -4.5 points, 1.91 (Paddypower) LOST

Can the Clippers go 2-0 up?

Brook Lopez: Over 19 points 1.85 (Bwin) WON

Grizzlies @ Clippers, Over 180 points, 2.2 (Betfair) WON

Chris Paul: Over 19 points 1.85 (Bwin) WON

Good luck!

Sunday 21st April

Can the Pacers get off to a good  start?

Hawks @ Pacers, Pacers -6.5 points, 1.92 (188bet) 1 unit WON

Hawks @ Pacers, Under 185.5 points, 1.93 (188bet) 1/2 unit LOST

Spurs @ Lakers, Under 189.5 points, 2.05 (188bet) 1 unit WON

Bucks @ Heat, Bucks +16 points (Alternate points line - bet365) 1.55  and Under 199 points, 1.94 (188bet) 1 unit each LOST AND WON


Rockets @ Thunder, Thunder -10 points, 1.91 (Coral/Will Hill) WON

Best of luck

Saturday 20th April

Celtics @ Knicks: Selection: Celtics plus 10 points 1.61 additional points line on bet365 WON

Warriors @ Nuggets, Nuggets -6 (Bet365 additional points line), 1.71 1/2 unit bet LOST

Bulls @ Nets, Bulls money-line 2.75 (Boylesports or Betaway) 1/2 unit bet LOST

Grizzlies @ Clippers, Grizzlies +8.5 points (Bet365 additional points line), 1.55 LOST

NBA Eastern Conference Play-Offs Preview

So I hope you have all read Adam's excellent preview of the Western Play-offs picture, I am now going to go through the East, who I think is going to win each series and ultimately who is going to go through and face the best that the West has to offer.

#1 Miami Heat vs. #8 Milwaukee Bucks

Injury Concerns:  Larry Sanders, Brandon Jennings

In a series in which most believe will be a pretty one sided affair, I actually think we will see a fair amount of competitiveness from the Bucks but they have to have a few things working for them for this to happen. The series rests on the back court of the Bucks, with Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings (who has recently been injured)  needing to get and stay hot for as long as they possibly can. Over the four meetings this season the heat have won 3, with Lebron averaging 27.5 points per game leading the heat scoring, and Jennings leading the Bucks with 23.8 points per game. Heat won each game with an average of 10.3 points so the stats all point to an easy Heat win in this 1st round series. 
 The X factor for the Bucks may be JJ Reddick coming off the bench and providing some much needed fire power from beyond the arc to try and match the same deadly accuracy and arsenal that the Heat also bring from the 3 point line with Battier, Allen, Miller, and Chalmers all providing a big threat to put points up quickly.  
All in all, as much as I am trying to make a case that this is going to be a decent series, I only see one winner which is Miami, however My official prediction is going to be Miami to win the series 4-1, with the Bucks taking their 1st home game. I do expect a thoroughly entertaining series however, especially if the back court of the Bucks can deliver on what we know they can bring to the the court on some nights.

#4 Brooklyn Nets vs #5 Chicago Bulls


Injury Concerns: Bulls: Noah Rose Gibson  Nets: none

Joakim Noah is Chicago’s best player this season, as well as being their most important and influential player to.        Noah’s importance to the Chicago Bulls' attack on both ends of the court is pinnacle to their success in the playoffs. Noah’s ability to hedge on pick-and-roll plays and initiate the offense on the other end drives Chicago at its best.
 Chicago are under dogs in the betting at around 2.3 on betfair to triumph over the Nets this series, a bet which I do really like. The Bulls have played well against the Nets this year, even though the majority of the games they've played they have had at least 3 players out plus Rose.  
The Nets had a hit and miss start of the season, got a new coach, were a bit more hit and miss, but the last few months they have actually been playing great hoops. The main reason for this is Deron Williams rediscovering his all star form of old and steering the team to some impressive victories.  
The key to this series is going to the health of the Chicago Bulls. If the Bulls are healthy I expect a Bulls victory, although many of the games will come down to the final minute, which has been the case this season in a lot of Bulls games. 
The X factor for Chicago will be Nate Robinson, a player who was signed for the vet min but has been one of the best players this season providing much needed offense to an otherwise struggling Bulls attack.  If we get 'good Nate' for most of the series then I expect us to get enough points to win, as we should be able to lock down on defense and keep the Nets under 90 points most games.  Jimmy Butler has been told he will be the starting SG in the playoffs, in which I think is a great move by Thibs, and a starting line up of Kirk Butler Deng Boozer and Nazr/Noah is good enough to beat the Nets. I see Jimmy limiting Joe Johnson and Kirk can frustrate Deron enough to keep him out of his flow, the question will be if Noah and Taj can only play limited minutes will Nazr be able to restrict the scoring of Brook Lopez. 
The keys to the game are going to be rebounds, and as long as the Bulls rebound as good as they normally do, I see a Bulls 4 Nets 2 win for Chicago.  


#2 Knicks vs #7 Celtics

Now, when I first thought about this series, my mind started thinking Knicks blow out, but as I sat down an analysed it in more depth, I actually see this being a hard series to predict that could go many ways. I rfeally really want to pick the Celtics to win this series, and actually I think there is a decent chance it may happen.  Celtics always bring it in the play offs, and Pierce and KG are not going to go down without a fight, with Jeff Green playing at a high level right now as well. Bradley is a lock down defender and all in all Celtics are going to make this a scrappy series and take the Knicks into the trenches. 
There is no need for me to talk about Melo, we all know what he brings, supreme scoring, from both beyond the arc as well as posting up his opponents. He has the scoring title, will be full of confidence and will surely bring double teams leaving other Knicks free, of which they are deadly from the 3 point line.  
The X factor, and perhaps arguably the most important player for the Knicks is going to be JR Smith. If he has a great series I see a 4-1 Knicks victory, however if you get bad J.R it is really going to cause the Knicks to struggle. This is because he is prone to turnovers, as well as being a poor decision making volume scorer. He could easily have one of his nights where he goes 4-20, which could happen with defenses guarding players a lot more closely in the play off format. The Knicks sometimes live and die by the 3 ball, which I think ultimately will be their undoing at some point in the playoffs, perhaps even in this series vs the Celtcis. Teams such as the Bulls guard the perimeter so well and thus the Knicks really struggled against them int he regular season. 
Recently the Celtics have been experimenting with a big line up, whereas the Knicks have been going small, I think this may play into the Celtics hands somewhat. 
This really is a lot harder to predict than people think, there is just so many things that may or may not happen, with the form of JR Smith, as well as Jeff Green for the Celtics, and Jason Terry needing a big series to. I'm going to tentatively  predict Knicks 4 Celtics 3, although I will say it now I won't be shocked if Celtics pull off the upset in this series.  

#3 Pacers vs #6 Hawks

i'm not going to go into too much detail with this series, as I think it is easy to predict, and is probably the worst/least entertaining match up in the first round.  The Pacers have had a terrific year, surpassing a lot of people's expectations, just falling short the of the 2nd seed. However, I don't think they will mind too much as facing the Hawks in the 1st round is a much better proposition than facing the Celtics. The Pacers will need to make sure they execute well on offense with West and George needing to provide the majority of the points for the Pacers side. Pacers are a very well rounded team with elite defense, with great size and strength all over the court. I cannot see what problems the Hawks will pose to the Pacers and it's almost a certainty that the Pacers come through this 1st round with out much trouble at all. I think the Hawks best chance is to use the speed of Teauge, who has had a great year, and try and run vs the Pacers, try and penetrate the lane and find Korver as wide open as possible on the 3 point line. Josh Smith will also need to have a big series for the Hawks to stand any chance at all of winning. 
I just think that the Hawks are a solid regular season team, but with the extra intensity of the playoffs I don't see them progressing past the 1st round. Official prediction Pacers 4 Hawks 1. (although I wouldn't be surprised if it ends 4-0 to the Pacers).

NBA Western Conference Play-offs - Preview

I am going to take you through the Western play-offs and give you my predictions and opinions about each team. I hope you find this preview informative and insightful and it may give you some angles to take for series winners and series scores!

1st. Oklahoma City Thunder (60-22)

OKC have had another extremely impressive year with 60 wins and 22 loses finishing 1st in the West. There has been a lot made from Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant but their figures are consistent over the last two years and they will be offering the team the same heavy scoring throughout the play-offs. For me, the priority in my preview is focusing on the other cogs in the wheel. Serge Ibaka has been solid this year but I do believe the franchise wanted more from him. He is a blocking machine but I see defensive weaknesses in his game that rarely get shown up. Sefalosha is a renoun stout defender but his offense can be a little shaky. He shoots the corner 3 well but his other elements in offense is rather limited. Kendrick Perkins is my major concern with the Thunder. Other than offering numerous screens and gathering the odd rebound he does not really add much to the team. I do however, like Nick Collison. He is an industrious player who fights hard for every board and can hit score well in the low post. Is he a starter, no probably not, but he needs extensive minutes. Kevin Martin, for me, determines their success this year. Filling James Harden's boots is rather a momentous task and whilst he is not the powerhouse Harden is, he does score heavily and can defend. Martin needs to be hot for the big moments in the play-offs for the reason I am about to illustrate.

In the 'clutch' moments in a game which is defined on the NBA website as games within 5 points with 3 minutes or less to go, OKC are 10-16, which for the 1st seed is rather shocking! In these moments, Durant will be double teamed without doubt and Westbrook's performance in the tight situations is questionable. Thunder do not have what the Heat have in these moments and this is to be rightly flagged. The Thunder are justifiably one of the main contenders for the NBA title, but, more than last year I feel they are susceptible in the early rounds.

2. San Antonio Spurs (58-24)

The Spurs are the most consistent regular season performers in recent years and this year continued in the same vain. Tim Duncan seems to be playing some of the best Basketball of his career and Tony Parker continues to be around the top 3 Point Guards in the league. Manu Ginobli, who usually is a sixth man of the year contender, has had a quiet year due to injury. The Spurs certainly will need him firing on all cylinders leading into the playoffs. The Spurs are extremely strong at home (35-6) and significantly weaker on the road (23-18). This could be a concern for them, even though they have home court to the final. Thiago Splitter has been ever improving this year and has given the Spurs some good minutes on the back of Duncan. Leonard and Green need to be hot in offense in the post-season as they can shoot the 3 well as well as drive to the rim, albeit rather erratically.  The Spurs are ranked 4th in offense and 11th in defence, which speaks volumes to me. They need to be  notching 100+ points to be winning games, otherwise I can see them falling short quite comfortably. Their ball movement (1st in assits) is not to be ignored however this is counter-acted by their grabbing of boards (21st in rebounds). An aged Duncan does not dominate the rebounds against younger and more agile Centres and his forward department do not aid him that well. Pop will have the Spurs fired up and well drilled as we know but will this be enough? I am afraid to say that I really don't think it will be..

3. Denver Nuggets (57-25)

Possibly the biggest surprise of the year has come from the Nuggets and rightly so, Coach Brown is in the mix for Coach of the year. What I really like about Denver is that they know what works for them, and they stick to this. They play fast break ball and use this to their advantage whenever possible. Their location and altitude is clearly known and this does have an effect on opposition (38-3 home record). Their achilles heel is their performances on the road (19-22) and this must be altered to have any chance in this ludicrously competitive Western side. The Nuggets' individual stats look very promising, excluding their points conceded. PPG = 1st, APG = 3rd and RPG = 2nd. They do rank 21st in points conceded but this is just simply the way they play. Iguodala who has had a solid season on the trade across will need to defend his socks off in the play-offs. Ty Lawson has been running the point well this year sinking 20 points a game but the Nuggets will need him to help him run more half-court plays as teams will give up rebounds against Denver to avoid fast breaks. One thing that must be considered is that teams will have more preparation and adjustment time in Denver before the games which is rather unique to the post-season, thus minimising the home court affect Denver have over teams. Having said that, I really like Denver in the West and think they could go very far. The whole way I doubt, but the Spurs should be ready to do some running.

4. LA Clippers (56-26)

Many people had high expectations of the Clippers this year and they have not disappointed in what has been a breakout year for the franchise. It has been no secret that since the trade of CP3 from the Hornets the Clippers have been trying to become the most realistic shot at the title coming out of LA. The Clippers as a Basketball tipster are a hard team to make sense of. On paper their first 10 are extremely strong, yet at times, it does not work this way. My co-writer would not like to hear this, but for me, CP3 is the best point guard in the league. He controls their offense extremely well and is the best PG defender the NBA has to offer. I do however, have an issue with him; that being he does not shoot the ball enough! He has an extremely nice stroke and can layup in traffic yet does not take this on enough. He needs to get active on this front in the post-season to help their chances. Blake Griffin is quite the highlight man and this can often get people carried away with his achievements. His post-game, whilst improving, has issues and his jump shot from anything beyond 12ft is erratic and unpredictable. Deandre Jordan needs to hit the boards hard in this post-season as from my own experience he gets dominated far too often in this area. I do love their bench strength though (Crawford, Barnes, Hill etc) and this often gets the Clippers away from teams in the 2nd quarter and the end of the 3rd quarter. Their squad depth and rotation is going to keep in with a shout of every series but their star players need to step up in order to make them serious contenders. All I will say is that their series against the Grizzlies is going to be a humdinger. If they progress, then who knows?

5. Memphis Grizzlies (56-26)

The Memphis Grizzlies, unlike most of the Western Conference are a defensive team. They are ranked 27th in offense but 1st in defence this year and this defence is going to be well and truly tested in the next couple of weeks. The loss of Rudy Gay was well documented and with Prince as a replacement quite a common question is; Can they still do it? Marc Gasol, for me, is the best centre in the NBA right now. His passing and work in the paint is fantastic and he is having a fantastic season. Zach Randolph has complemented him well down low and they will have no surprises when going into games when trying to score. Surprising they only rank 11th on rebounds and I would have thought this would be higher. This is an area they must succeed at as their defence will be forced to work so hard if they are giving out 2nd chance points that this will take toll eventually. In my opinion, the key for the Grizzlies is the success of Mike Conley. He has been going off recently but against the best teams in the league can he do this over seven games. When Grizzlies score 100+ points they are 23-1 and Conley has a big responsibly getting them close to the 100 mark. If they can do that consistently they will be close to the mark. Would Gay have got them even closer to that 100 - probably, I hope that trade doesn't cost the Grizzlies a real shot at the Championship - I have a nagging feeling it did.

6. Golden State Warriors (47-35)

The Warriors are one of the league's most improved teams this year and they have Stephen Curry to thank for that. Obviously this Warriors team is not a one man team, but Curry this year has been extremely impressive. They are 3rd in points scored and ranked 19th in points given up so much like the rest of the west have their strength with the ball in hand. The Warriors heavily rely on the 3 pt shooting and shoot 5% higher on 3s (42%) in wins compared to losses (37%). This, over a season, is a rather noticeable difference and explains what their issues could be, if their teams close off their open looks well. David Lee made the all-star this year and whilst his rebounding statistics and his double-double names are to be noted, he does have massive isolation D issues. The regaining of Andrew Bogut helps the Warriors compete in the paint and Harrison Barnes has been a nice draft acquisiton for them. I struggle with the Warriors though, as my eyes and my fingers keep wanting to go back to Curry. The guy has an unbelievable jump shot and is striking up some big numbers in big games. In post-season games though, I just don't see him getting the open looks he needs to hit 30 points a game. The Warriors face an extremely tough first round fixture @ Denver and I think that this could be the end of the road for the coastal team. 

7. Los Angeles Lakers (45-37)

After being on a roller-coaster with this team over the last two months it seems strange to type that they are the 7th seed! In this preview I am not going to focus on what has happened to Kobe, because it's all in the past. The Lakers must move on and focus on what they can affect in the post-season. Pau Gasol has been improving ever since his return from his energy and I have been enjoying watching his resurgence. The guy has some of the best post moves in the league but he still has huge defensive frailties. The Lakers seem to be fighting a losing battle trying to keep Steve Nash's body together for the playoffs and this may have a significant impact on what they can achieve. One thing is for sure, that if he does return, he better be splashing some 3's otherwise they are in trouble. We now come onto their now leading player - Dwight Howard. 'Superman' has had his critics this year from all-sorts of pundits and fans and this is his time to silence them all. Dwight needs to be averaging 15 rebounds a game at least for the Lakers to stand a chance, whilst also scoring 20+ points every game. Hack a Dwight will play a part in the Spurs series, that I am sure, so Dwight needs to be hitting 70% of FT's for LA to progress - quite a challenge I hear you ask. Metta World-Peace (Ron Artest) is a soldier and will give 110% every time he steps onto the court and defend extremely well in iso's. However, he is killing the Lakers in his woeful offense and I don't see this changing.

There is something nagging in the back of my mind that keeps telling me the Lakers against all the odds could progress in this conference. Yes they are banged up, yes they are ageing but there is something about this franchise that doesn't lose in the 1st round of the playoffs. I personally cannot wait for the Spurs - Lakers series and see this being a cracker!

8. Houston Rockets (45-37)

It almost seems poetic that James Harden is going to be facing his old teammates in Oklahoma in the first round fixture. The Rockets have been a jigsaw team this year placing new pieces in during the off-season and after 82 games it seems they are fitting together nicely now. Omar Asik is down to possibly win most improved player of the year and you can see why they tried so hard to take him away from Chicago. He is a honest, hard working centre, who grabs a lot of boards and defends physically and smartly. Unfortunately for him, he is on his own in the defending well category as the Rockets rank 28th in points conceded. Chandler Parsons is an impressive scorer but has many things to learn on D and players like Delfino and Beverley fit into this non-defensive group well. Jeremy Lin has found it difficult to run the half-court with so much of the action going to the beard. His stats have not lit up Houston like fans hoped during the Linsanity period but this relationship is forever improving. 

Many pundits and experts debate who the best scorer in the NBA is between Melo and KD but I believe James Harden is well and truly making this a 3man debate. He can shoot the 3 and drive on both sides of the basket and is very skilful at drawing fouls and going to the line. He has, by any means, had a wondrous season in Houston and you have to wonder whether or not the Thunder are kicking themselves. I have a fear that he will try and take too much on during the series against OKC and not share the ball enough to truly worry them. If they can swing the ball around in offense and not become a one man team they will score 100+ on a regular basis. The issue is, can they keep teams below this total? The regular season suggests no, and I have to go with the stats. I see the Rockets offering up some great entertainment but they lack the defensive rotations and hustle to really threaten the strongest team in the West.

Some thoughts and reflections as the regular season draws to a close

WOW, what a great regular season of NBA, plenty of highs and lows throughout the year, and not just with our team the Chicago Bulls.

So it is the end of the 1st season of our blog, which all in all Adam and I consider to be a huge success. The aim was 50 units profit, with the final total around 49 units which is disappointing as we peaked at 54 units only a few days ago.

We started off really hot which gave us confidence and much needed momentum in the 1st month hitting the occasional purple patch to bring us back to reality and keep our mind focused each night. We didn't decide to start a twitter until a little while into the season, but I think it was a great addition to the blog, enabling us to get people to view our page, as well as interact with some of our followers of which we are extremely grateful for their comments and questions on selections and NBA in general. Shout outs in particular go to @kstylekaladzee @jaysonhalstead @freddy_paxton @gghofman @azriskallday @calebdad and many more ( apologies to anyone I have forgotten I know there are many others who make valuable contributions on twitter ). For those who aren't following us yet our twitter is @NBATIPS1 I advise anyone who isn't following us to give it a go as we say when our blog is written as well as give up to date breaking news on injuries and other team news etc. It is also a great way to interact and answer any questions about our selections or give our opinions on games that might not have been tipped/blogged.

I feel as the season has gone on we have refined our betting techniques and become more proficient at spotting great angles to exploit which the bookies seem to miss, especially later on in the season when it comes to rested/injured playoffs and teams jockeying for their perfect position in the play offs.  I also feel our research has become a lot better and we use our time more efficiently in order to make the best decisions and gain the most value in our picks without it impacting in other aspects of our lives.

This blog as you may remember was started as both Adam and I had a really successful year basketball betting last year, so we thought we would share our thoughts and selections for free with anyone who wanted to bet on basketball but looked for a second opinion in order to form their selections.  Furthermore as huge NBA fans we thought it would be a great way to speak to like minded people, help further aid our basketball betting by speaking to traders and other NBA experts as well as just talking basketball by people who also love the game.

Anyways back to a review of the profits/losses on the year, so as expected we did have a few weeks spell where nothing would really go our way, 1 point losses here, losses in overtime there and in general just misfortune all over the place.  I think this actually helped us, as we stepped back, delved further into different avenues/sources to make our selections as well constant reminders of the risks in sports betting. As decent level poker players for some years now we know the importance of bankroll management, and never chasing losses on a losing night and keeping a level head, with logical, well thought out selections at all times.

Obviously we also had some amazing weeks, particular towards the end of the season, with the only disappointing thing being since Sky Tv started showing live games in England on Sundays we really seemed cursed on those days, days which were big exposure for our blog.   All in all though it really has been a great season, a lot of effort has been made both for our own personal NBA betting as well as making sure the blog was written every single night without fail. I really do not think there is another blog out there in as much profit as us which posted multiple selections every single night as we did.

I have really enjoyed doing the blog this year with Adam, especially the interaction with our twitter followers and I hope for a successful play off as well as continued success in the future for both our personal betting and for everyone who follows this blog.

One thing I feel I should say with regards to our blog is as follows. Always keep in mind that our blog should be a second opinion  for those who are betting on NBA, and that the best person to follow should always be yourself. Do your own research, weigh up the options and I cannot stress enough always only stake amounts which will not affect other aspects of your life if a particular pick loses. In the long term we are extremely confident in our ability to make money basketball betting as has shown by the our blog over the course of this whole season as well as our own personal profits in seasons passed. As always we welcome any feedback and look forward to a great post season.

Thank you to anyone who follows our blog/twitter, and I wish you all luck and success heading into the future.

Dave.

Your turn to predict!

I have recently been putting some work into creating a play-off tournament template and now the final seedings have been confirmed it's time to let it come into use. We at NBATips1 would like you to predict the play-off scores throughout all the Western and Eastern conference play-off games all the way to the final. All you need is fill out your tournament tree including all series scores and send it back to us. Here are the steps you need to follow:

1. Email adamrules23@hotmail.com with your Name and where you are from!
2. You will be sent a template of the NBA play-offs
3. Fill out your template and return back to adamrules23@hotmail.com - it's that simple!

All predictions will be uploaded onto the blog and at the end of the play-offs the best prediction will be awarded some free bets from a major UK bookmaker - quite a prize!

1pt will be awarded for predicting the correct winner of a series
3pts will be awarded for predicting the series score

We will be updating a league table on the site throughout the play-offs

Get emailing and we wish you the best of luck!

Adam (below is my prediction as an example.... no copying!)

Wednesday 17th April

So here it is followers, the last day of the regular season! A little a bit sad I must admit that it has come to an end however we are looking forward to the post season!

Can the Jazz make the play-offs?

Here are final tips for the regular season:

Celtics @ Raptors, Raptors -5.5 points, 1.95 WON

Pistons @ Nets, Pistons money line 2.9 (betaway) LOST

Deadly double

Under 184.5 (Jazz @ Grizzlies) and Bulls -4 points. Both are on the alternate market on bet365 - 2.09 LOST

THERE MAYBE MORE TIPS LATER ON AS TEAMS GET ANNOUNCED ON TWITTER

As advised on our twitter a late tip was 76ers @ Pacers: 76ers plus 3 points 1.95. This was made as the team news dropped that Pacers were resting 4 of their starting 5 for the game tonight. WON

Tuesday 16th April

Portland @ LA Clippers: Portland plus 15 points 1.90 bet365 LOST

only two games tonight, and just the one selection from us. Good luck guys

Monday 15h April

Jazz @ Twolves: Jazz to win money line 1.54 (bet365) WON

Spurs @ GSW: GSW -3.5 1.75 (betfair) (price may be coming in after this has been written) WON

Nuggets@Bucks: Bucks to win moneyline 3.10 bet365. we recommend a 1/2 unit bet on this game, LOST 

Bulls @ Magic: Bulls -3.5 points 1.72 betfair WON

Sunday 14th April

Bulls @ Heat, Heat -8.5 points, 1.95 WON

Can the Spurs take advantage of no Kobe?

Pacers @ Knicks, Over 193.5 points and Knicks -3 points both 1.95 LOST AND WON

Trail Blazers @ Nuggets, Over 208.5 points, 1.95 WON

Kings @ Rockets, Under 218 points, 1.95 LOST

Spurs @ Lakers, Spurs -4.0 points, 1.95 LOST

Late tips to follow

Saturday 13th April

Bucks @ Bobcats, Over 202 points, 1.95 (Skybet)

Clippers @ Grizzlies, Grizzlies money line, 1.69 (Coral)

Best of luck tonight!

Friday 12th April

Bulls @ Raptors. Bulls +3 points, 1.91 (Skybet) LOST

Who will make 8th in the West? 

76ers @ Wizards, Over 192 points, 1.95 (Skybet) LOST

Bucks @ Hawks, Hawks -7 points, 1.95 (Betaway) LOST

Nuggets @ Mavericks, Nuggets -3 points, 1.95 (Betaway) LOST

Warriors @ Lakers, Over 206.5 points, 1.91 (various) WON

4-fold (all money-line)

Thunder, Jazz, Clippers and Pacers = 2.61 (Youwin) LOST

Poll

On the right hand side of the page is our first poll coming up to the post-season. Please vote who you think will make 8th in the West!! 

The injury list has also been updated as there are many on there in the last few days of the regular season!

Thursday 11th April

Knicks @ Bulls: Knicks to win on the money line 1.54 (bet365) LOST

Thunder @ Gsw: Thunder to win on the money line 1.55 Bet365) WON

Thought about taking the the -4.5 and -4 on each favourite, which I think will come in, but playing it safe, and both fav's will win tonight. That I am very confident of. Good luck guys.

Wednesday 10th April

John Wall to score over 20.5 points, (Heat @ Wizards), 1.85 Bwin LOST

Can Kobe lead the Lakers to the play-offs?

Lakers @ Trail Blazers, Trail Blazers +5.5 points, 2.03 (188 bet) LOST

T'Wolves @ Clippers, T'Wolves +12.5 points, 1.91 (Youwin) LOST

Spurs @ Nuggets, Nuggets -3.0 points, 2.01 (188 bet) WON

Kobe Bryant to score over 27.5 points (T'Blazers @ Lakers), 1.85 Bwin WON

MORE TIPS MAY FOLLOW DEPENDING ON TEAM NEWS - CHECK OUR TWITTER FEED @nbatips1

LATE TIP = Hawks -3.5 points @ 76ers 1.98 with Pinnacle WON

Updated P+L

• Go over to our P+L tab to check out our new P+L total!!

• We will now be updating the P+L daily as we head into the post-season!

• Detailed end of season stats will be run next weekend 20-21st April and posted on the blog featuring P+L and % winning bets on;

1. Each NBA team
2. Spreads
3. Money-line bets
4. Total points bets
5. Accumulators
6. Player performance bets

Tuesday 9th April

Carlos Boozer to score over 18.5 points (Raptors @ Bulls) = 1.72 Bwin WON

Can a banged up Bulls avoid defeat?

Little insight to our followers: Boozer scored 32 points in the last game against the Raptors. Boozer has scored well in recent times and there is no reason why he cannot continue to do this tonight. Boozer is also set to play extended minutes with a handicapped line-up and he is going to be a focal part of the offence in the low post. I see no reason why he won't score over 25 points let alone 18.5 points!

Bucks @ Heat, Miami Heat money line 1.41 (Betfair) WON

Raptors @ Bulls, Raptors money-line 2.7 (Betfair) WON

If you have seen from our twitter @nbatips1, this pick is fairly self explanitory in the fact that Chicago Bulls have got so many players out injured, key players as well. Taj and Noah and especially Deng really hold this team together, and without those 3, let alone the abscence of Rose Hamilton and possibly Marco they are really struggle to hold things down. The bench is depleted, with Nate having to start and his stats prove he is a lot better coming off of the bench. Kirk is still battling illness though has been playing, but apart from Nazr Bulls simply do not have a competent big to put at the 5 when Nazr either needs rest or gets into foul trouble. I really think Raptors will take advantage of this tonight, and Gay will have a better game tonight than he did on Sunday where he was 1-10 on FG.

John Wall to score over 20 points (Wizards @ Knicks) = 1.83 Bwin WON

Going on recent stats Wall has been putting up some big numbers and is playing like a number one draft pick.  Tonight's game vs the Knicks should be a fairly high scoring affair and with the Knicks slow point guards Wall really should have a huge advantage and put in a big game tonight.

Suns @ Rockets, Under 212.5 points = 1.98 (Pinnacle) WON

This pick took a lot of thinking about and in the end it has made it into tonight's last selection of the night.  It's always risky going under in a Rockets game, but they haven't been scoring as heavily of late, aside from the Denver game, and the Suns have pretty much given up on the season. I see the Suns not putting up 100 points, more in the region of 90-95 ish, and therefore under 212.5 represents good value tonight.

Deadly double

NY Knicks and Brooklyn Nets both on the moneyline = 1.56 (Boylesports) WON

Best of luck everyone!

Sunday 7th April

NY Knicks @ OKC Thunder, NY Knicks +7.5 points, 1.95 WON

Lakers @ Clippers: Kobe Bryant to score under 30 points 1.83 on bet365 WON

Mavericks @ Trail Blazers, Mavericks money line (1.61) Pinnacle/Paddy Power WON

Night tips to come. good luck

Saturday 6th April

Bobcats @ Nets: Bobcats plus 15 points 1.95 WON

Raptors @ Bucks: over 202 points 1.95 LOST

Lin to score over 14.5 points in the Rockets vs Nuggets game. 1.83 (bet 365) WON

Updated P+L

Go over to our P+L page to view our current profit levels as we approach the end of the regular season!

Friday 5th April

Can the Heat win with a weakened line-up?

Playoffs not long away now and I cannot wait! Going to be some serious tipping going on through the post-season and as we approach the end of the regular season I will approach every game with care as some teams seem to be in 'cruise-control' to the end of the season.

Bucks @ Knicks, Knicks -7 points, 1.95 WON

Thunder @ Pacers, Under 192.5 points, 1.95 WON

Mavericks @ Kings, Mavericks money line 2.15 (Will Hill) WON

Deadly double (all money-line)

Miami and Utah = 2.23 (Ladbrokes) WON

Thursday 4th April

Bulls @ Nets: Nets to win money line on betfair at 1.54 LOST

Dallas @ Denver: Denver -4.5 1.66 on youwin LOST

Wed 3rd April

Nuggets visit their local rivals 

NY Knicks @ Atlanta Hawks, Knicks money line @ 2.15 (Will Hill) WON

Brooklyn Nets @ Cleveland Cavaliers, Nets -5 points, 1.95 WON

Nuggets @ Jazz, Nuggets +3 points, 1.95 WON

Hornets @ Warriors, Warriors -7 points, 1.95 WON

Good luck everyone!!

Tuesday 2nd April

Knicks @ Miami: Knicks money line 3.6 (on Betfair but coming in rapidly due to no lebron wade chalmers again). 3 Unit bet WON

Monday 1st April

ERGHHH I cannot believe Miami beat Spurs AT spurs yesterday! Miami were 2 wins 20 losses at Spurs, and without Wade Lebron and Chalmers I can't see how they pulled it out the bag but fair play to them what a win.

But onwards and upwards, here are tonight's selections, a little later than planned.

Magic @ Rockets: over 202 points 1.95 WON

Pacers @ Clippers: Pacers to win money line 2.70 WON