Mak's Saturday Night Live

What's up fellas.  Short on time this weekend, didn't get a chance to drop by yesterday.  Finished Thursday with a flawless victory hitting the Tims and Nugs.  On Friday I ended up with small action on San An (3), Golden State (2) and Houston (2).  A nice 2-1 night on straight spreads but all my profits were minimized due to an idiotic teaser I played with the Lakers and Knicks.  The teaser worked for the Lakers game but was meaningless for NYC who lost straight up last night. 

Tonight's slate looks very interested.  Glad my game of the night on the slate is my P.O.D.  I love it when the best game on the board is the game that has my highest investment overall , just makes the night automatically sweeter for me.  Should be a great night of hoops in the association, as always gents. I wish you nothing but the best of luck with all your wagers.  Peace out - - - MAK

MIAMI HEAT MONEYLINE (-140) - - - 100% contingent upon his highness.  If he suits up this is a go.  I suspect he will.  Ringo Star, John Lennon and George Harrison will take the United Center floor.  Historically Scottie and Jor......I mean Lebron and Wade have been astonishingly good in Chicago.  Dwayne being from Illinois loves coming back home and should really be pumped tonight, I suspect 30+ from Dwayne as well as a high assist total tonight.  Look for Dwayne to take it to the rim with ruthless aggression.  Wade is the best two-guard we have in the NBA, statistically he is doing much better than Kobe and amongst guards, he leads the league in free throw attempts at almost 9 a game.  He will attack the basket tonight.  Chris Bosh has one goal and one goal early.  Get Boozer off the court, he and Wade will constantly take it to Carlos Boozer hoping to get him into quick foul trouble.  Without Boozer on the floor the Bulls become a very weak post presence, both on the defensive side of the ball as well as offensive.  The game plan will be to minimize Boozer's production from the start.  Tonight you may see Carlos start on Rose but he will not finish on Rose.  Look for Mario, Wade and Lebron to all take turns guarding the phenom that is Derrick Rose.  Chicago right now is a very predictable team on offense.  Thib likes to run the same set plays, inside out post up sets for Boozer, mostly one-four high-pick and rolls.  When Ronnie, Korver and Taj are on the floor a lot of simple back-door screens and cuts....very viable offense and tonight the best defensive team in the NBA should have little problem minimizing the offensive output of the Bulls.  Heat have swagger and pride and won't let that atrocious loss to Denver affect them tonight.  The Miami Heat have won 13 consecutive games against Eastern Conference foes.  They seem to get out in transition vs the East and their lack of domination in the front-court doesn't really matter against the East.  The role players on Miami have a chance to do a little more tonight.  Z is shoothing the best percentage of his career, Carlos is the leader in 3 point shooting on the team.  Mario is getting time due to his defense and long-range ability and even Mike Miller should slowly be implemented into the rotation over the next coming weeks.  We all know this is a 3 man team and production wise I don't see that changing tonight.  Lebron has 10+ games with double digit assists this season and has done it over 100 time in his career, his consistent unselfishness is surprising considering his massive ego, in my mind he could be the best passing forward I have seen since Oscar and Larry.  CB4 has 18 games with 20 or more points and tonight will be no different, in fact he may produce over his average due to his ability to get to the stripe.  The defensive mentality of the Heat cannot be underestimated in these situations.  Facing a team on 0 days rest, I look for their defense to be poised to perfection tonight.  They sit on top of the association in many defensive categories including opposing 3 point percentage, field goal percentage and points allowed.  They are also taking care of the ball committing minimal turnovers.  They are #1 in the NBA in terms of not getting blocked, the strength and size of their team combined with the fact that Lebron, Bosh and Wade do most of the work means they hardly ever get blocked.  They also rank 5th in terms of getting their pocket picked, apart from mental lapses they hardly ever get the ball stripped and lose possession in that manner.  Match up wise the Bulls just don't have it.  Their big three of Rose, Boozer and Deng will struggle tonight especially Deng.  He is amongst the league leaders in minutes played.  Coming off a 40+ minute game and having to guard Lebron...not a good combination.  Look for Deng to really struggle tonight.  If Bosh and Wade can attack the paint and get Boozer into foul trouble, this one should be an easy win for Miami on the road as they begin another streak this season.  In NBA basketball, your memory must be short.  Momentum, confidence, situational aspects can change from game to game.  Because of their embarrassing loss, many people are quick to judge and have completely forgotten about the Heatles sheer dominance over the month of December and beginning of January.  Mak has not.  Win or lose, I plan to back this Miami team all season.  They will come out on top in East, they are just that....damn...good.
5.5 UNITS LEBRON "TONY THE TIGER" JAMES - - - 

SACRAMENTO KINGS + 6.0 (-110) - - - I cannot believe I am backing the Kings....first time all season.  I despise betting in a game involving two atrocious teams.  These basketball clubs are horrific, two lottery teams for sure.  Sad thing is there is an abundant amount of talent on both squads.  Just not the right mix.  The Kings got lucky as they faced a disjointed, tired New York team on no sleep.  Still, they were resilient and deserved the win to a certain extend.  Cousins continues to make me sad, it is rough seeing such an immense talent with no brain whatsoever.  If he had even a lick of intelligence he would be something very special.  I doubt he is going to grow up anytime soon but you just cannot deny his ability.  This kid could go for 20 and 10 any given night.  Beno Udrih coming off a sensational game, he always seems to play better with Reke in the lineup.  Garcia is working well in the starting 5, a very good shooter and an underrated defender.  Jason Thompson will cause problems tonight for Chris Wilcox.  Jason is bigger and can match the strength of Wilcox.  My key matchup is Evans vs T-Mac.  This is the games Evans may break out for 20+ points, it has taken him a few games and possessions to get a feel for his shot and offensive game, this 3rd game off a back-to-back is usually when injured players find that level of play they are accustomed to.  T-Mac had an outstanding game vs Toronto...always seems to step it up vs my boys.  His size always caused problems.  He still shows signs of brilliance and sometimes looks like young Mac...here's the thing though....he is not.  His knees, legs & back are not young, they are old.  He came into this league when he was 17.  Off back to backs this season, T Mac has been horrendous.  Tonight I suspect an atrocious performance, I went to the game last night, had great seats and saw first hand that in the 4th quarter T-Mac could barely walk.  He was struggling to say the least, played the most minutes he has in 4 years, now you expect him to perform on a back to back?  Bench play will be a major part of tonight's game.  If Detroit's 2nd unit can manage to produce, I may lose this cover easily.  Gordon and V may struggle vs Reke's length and Sammy's size.  Sammy coming off an 8 rebound, 6 block game at MSG, he is once again relevant on this Kings roster and should be.  Pooh is not shit...pun intended.  Pooh Jeter....pronounce (jet-err) not to be mistaken with the New York Yankees millionaire married to the sexy Fright Night Lights girl.  He is a break-buster, a fast PG who has worked on his game.  He was the 6th man of the year in Israel last year and a D-League all star.  Nothing special, but I can honestly say from what I have seen, he belongs in the NBA.  Carl Landry has been getting some consistent minutes and working well off the bench.  Ditto for Omri Caspi, a long range gunner who spreads the floor well.  A sophomore stud with a lot of potential, would love to see him in New York in the Dantoni offense and trade rumors suggest.  He has semi-star potential in my opinion.  All-in-all, unless Paul Westphal somehow manages to fuck up the rotation again which is very possible (14 different starting lineups on the year), Sac has a chance to win a few games now and again.  The talent on this team far exceeds that of many other bottom-dwellers in the league.  Don't get me wrong, Sac is still pound-for-pound one of the worst teams in the league.  However, if a steady 9 man rotation is implemented and guys continue to see consistent minutes and carve out roles for each other, than Sac has a chance to surprise some unsuspecting teams.  I cringe as I say this....Kings cover the points....maybe even win 2 in a row for the first time since 1973 :)
2.5 POOH "DON'T CALL ME EUGENE" JETER - - -   

Nice write-ups. I'm on Det, but you did present a formula for a Sac cover here.

what do you think about atl game?

Grandes Huevos en Sac

 Mak 

Son of a bitch.  Tony the Tiger is doubtful now, I still think he is going to play but if he does not I just cannot go with the Miami Heat.  Will wait until 30 mins before tip-off to make a final play.  May not have time to make it back to Covers so it is as simple as Tony in, Mak plays, Tony out.....than profit on the night relies on the Queens :(

If Lebron is out for the night, take a look at a few props including Dwayne Wade Over Points as well as Mike Miller over assists.  Good luck gents, make some cash.

Thanks Mak,  Your assesment sounds good.  Queens playing well lately.

Good Luck Mak.

I'm backing the Kings tonight too.  I watched the entire Pistons game last night, and it was obvious that the Pistons won because they had the edge on the boards against a very under-sized Raptors squad.  There was actually a period in the 2nd half where they controlled the ball for over a minute, getting 4 offensive rebounds in a row.

The Kings are deeper and bigger with Dalembert, Thompson, Cousins, and Landry, so that shouldn't be the case.  For the Pistons, Monroe and Wilcox played big minutes, and without Maxiell or Wallace playing, they will get worn out and beat up.

does the fact that kings are 4 games in 5 nights bother you?  

Kings are a tough call tonight especially after a win in NY. The line movement implies a Sac cover though. I think SAC wins SU. BOL

 

 

I thought Wade used to have his worst games in the United Center in front of family and friends?  Maybe that was earlier in his career.

love the Kings play bol Mak

GL.

Let's hope for a repeat of last year.The Kings beat the Knicks 118-114 on Feb.9.Came back and beat Detroit the next night 103-97.

GL

You make me sound like a mathematician.  I like it considering I am awful at math.  Presenting a formula for a win is fine and dandy, but talent is widespread in the NBA and one anomaly in game changes everything.  When you bet two bad, inconsistent inter-conference teams, things don't tend to go as you projected. 

Thanks for the post, best of luck.

  

I backed Houston last night.  I thought they played a good game.  A Chris Paul 3 ball, 1 offensive rebound and an un-intelligent offensive possession by Lowry was all that cost the Rockets a victory. I give a lot of credit to Emeka Okafor.  Outstanding defensive performance by the big man.  Houston is at full strength almost.  I love Chuck Hayes, THE best 5 man defender at his size in the NBA.

I need to watch the Houston rotation more carefully, I have no idea what Adleman is throwing out there on a night to night basis.  Mass minutes from starters yesterday so look to see Chase, Lee, Brooks and Patterson get more time.  The thing is....Jamal could outscore all 4 of them.  He is one of the hottest players in the league right now...he is the ATL bench.  If Josh Smith is a go, Atlanta should win this game.  No interest in the spread.  Best of luck buddy.

 

Actually com padre it is huevos grandes.  Mak has does business with Spanish speaking clients.  He must know how to say some specific things.

I do have some large eggs, thank you for noticing.  They come in handy for many many things.  Betting on the purple queens, is not the proudest moment my eggs and I have had.

Love the write up GL man

Thanks, I appreciate that Schill.  I don't really agree that the Kings have been playing well lately.  They got lucky in NY.  Knicks players only got a few hours of sleep.  Their plane was delayed, got in around 4am.  Got up very early and their entire pattern was disrupted, it showed with 21% from the field their worst performance of the Amar'e era.  Felton was disgustingly awful.  What else has Sac done?  This is just a decent situation spot for them against a team they match up well with.  Sac hasn't done anything, and won't for quite some time, they will contend for one of the worst records in the NBA.

You can say that again brother :(

Your assessment of the Raps game was spot on as well as the Pistons game...but here's a twist, what if Maxiell does get time?  What if RIP actually gets time? (Although I doubt it)  What if Daye, Gordon and Charlie have decent nights.  Stuck and Will do well.  They still have Tay and I love Monroe.  Anything can happen, but the fact of the matter is, even the most dismal Western Conference teams can easily out-duel a bottom dwelling Eastern team.  That is just the way the league is right now.  Come playoff time, I think the 8th place East team is going to be embarrassed when they see the Suns, Rockets, Blazers, Grizzlies, Nuggets records.  More than half of those teams will not make the playoffs and still crus the season win total of the 8th seeded Cats, Pacers, Sixers, Bucks, Raps team that gets in.

 

This is the first constructive positive post you have had on my thread in over a week.  Some of your idiotic comments really bothered my but I promised myself this year I would just ignore it and spend the time to post thoughts and research instead.

When I state I believe I was on the right or wrong side of a game...it is my perspective, it is an opinion.  I am not stating what side was right or wrong.  Obviously the side that cashes is the winning side, but in basketball games, thinks can change drastically due to errors that are not always shown on the boxscore.  Case in point, my Minnesota cover on Thursday was the wrong wide (in my opinion) despite the win and cover.  However, if you actually watched the Orlando/Orleans game at all and had a bit of intellgence when it comes to basketball, you would know Orlando was the correct play.

The 4 in 5 nights situation DOES scare me tonight.  However, if there is anytime that adrenaline can push a team on a 4 in 5 situation it is now.  Sac off their best win off the season, rotation has been consistent for the first time all season, guys know they are going to get minutes and prepare accordingly.  Sac has a chance to win this one.  Good luck.

 

 

 

That makes it sound like their plane got in at 4 A.M. yesterday morning.  Didn't they get home in the wee hours of Thursday morning?  Either way, that road trip was draining with four high-profile matchups and the one day to recoup was clearly insufficient.  Unfortunately my lack of respect for the Magoof family prevented a more substantial investment in their crummy team last night.

You are 100% correct sir.  It's Lebron James who has had some magnificent nights in Chicago.  Dawned in the #23, I remember some very good games against Chicago as a member of the Cavs.  Dwayne has had a couple of 30+ point games vs them in the last 2 years but you are correct, nothing "astonishing".  I do however think that he goes off tonight.  With or without Lebron, I love the way he's been playing as of late and he will step up and shine.  I am not too sure what type of reception he will have.  This may be one instance where he gets a lot of attention, especially if LBJ is out.  All that hatred towards these guys for not choosing Chicago may spew out.  Chris and Dwayne may really shine tonight, but can they even outscore Rose and Boozer?  James was the turning point in this game, he would have dominated Deng all night with 1 ankle, 8 toes, 1 eye, half an arm and no rings.  Too bad he doesn't want to be a "hero."  His ankle is probably as big as my head, I have played basketball before.  Those quick turnover ankle sprains in-game look a lot worst than they are.  Too much caution here, if he played this game I really liked the Miami Heat.  Good luck tonight on the NBA and NFL Bator, I am gambling on the Ravens for some action.

It's always good to hear from you MT.  Best of luck today.