NBA Tonight December 26, 2006
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Houston Rockets (16-11) at Indiana Pacers (15-11)
7:00 pm Eastern
NBA TV
Opening Line: Pacers - 8
The Houston Rockets are in a position they are familiar with, but one in which they don’t like, with two of their best players being out of the lineup tonight as they face the Pacers in Indiana. SBG Global reports that with stars like Ming and McGrady on the bench, smart money is hitting the Under.
Yao Ming had been carrying the Rockets on his back in recent weeks and was averaging 26.8 points and 9.7 rebounds per game but he fractured the bone under his right knee in Saturday’s loss to the Clippers and will be out for at least six weeks. Yao had surgery last December for a toe infection so this is two straight years he has gotten hurt. "If there's ever been an athlete who doesn't deserve the bad breaks he's gotten the last two years, it's him," Houston coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "He works hard, he's in great shape, so I feel badly for him."
The Rockets have been without Tracy McGrady, who has missed the past seven games due to back spasms. McGrady is expected to miss at least the next two games, if not more. Yao and McGrady missed a combined 60 games due to injury last season. The Rockets were 1-8 mark when both Yao and McGrady didn't play. The Rockets have gone 2-5 since McGrady got hurt after opening the season 14-6.
The Pacers are coming off their most pathetic outing of the season in a 78-71 home loss to Minnesota on Monday. Indiana had only 21 second-half points - third-fewest in the NBA during the shot-clock era.
Indiana is an 8 point favorite with a total of 178 at SBG Global.
The Rockets are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. the Eastern Conference and they are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 vs. the Central. The Rockets are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 road games but they are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 Tuesday games.
The Pacers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 Tuesday games. The Pacers are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 home games. They are 11-4 ATS in their last 15 games following an ATS loss. The Pacers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 vs. the Western Conference.
The Over is 5-1 in the Rockets last 6 vs. the Central. The Over is 6-2 in the Rockets last 8 overall. The Under is 5-2 in the Rockets last 7 Tuesday games. The Over is 4-1 in the Pacers last 5 home games but the Under is 4-1 in their last 5 Tuesday games. The Over is 6-2 in the Pacers last 8 vs. the Western Conference. The Under is 13-5 in their last 18 vs. the Southwest. The Under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings in Indiana and the Under is 8-1 in the last 9 meetings overall.
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New Jersey Nets (11-16) at Detroit Pistons (17-8)
7:30 pm Eastern
Opening Line: Pistons – 6.5
The Detroit Pistons go for their fifth consecutive win tonight as they host the New Jersey Nets. Detroit has been playing superb defense of late and they are allowing only 92.5 points per game, second in the Eastern Conference. With the Pistons firing on all cylinders, SBG Global reports that the betting public is all over the home team.
The Pistons had five players score in double figures on Saturday in a 108-81 rout of Atlanta. The victory was the Pistons' fourth in a row and sixth in seven games, as they have held opponents to an average of 84.7 points during the run. "For the first time this season, we were able to just come out and do what we needed to do," point guard Chauncey Billups said. "We just took control and never looked back. We should have a lot more games like that."
The Nets are coming off a loss at Milwaukee on Saturday, their sixth road loss in seven tries. "If we give up a lot of easy buckets and we don't get to the paint, it's going to be hard to win," New Jersey coach Lawrence Frank said. The Nets will have to win without center Nenad Krstic, the team's second-leading scorer and rebounder with 16.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. He was lost to a season ending knee injury.
The Nets won 79-74 in their most recent visit to Detroit on March 26.
Detroit is an 8 point favorite with a total of 187 at SBG Global.
The Nets are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 vs. the Central. The Nets are 5-13-1 ATS in their last 19 games overall and they are 1-5-1 ATS in their last 7 games as an underdog. The Nets are 3-7 ATS in the last 10 meetings and they are 2-5 ATS in the last 7 meetings in Detroit.
The Pistons are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 vs. the Atlantic. The Pistons are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. the Eastern Conference. The Pistons are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 Tuesday games and 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games as a favorite.
The Under is 5-0 in the Nets last 5 vs. a team with a winning record. The Over is 4-1 in the Nets last 5 games as an underdog. The Under is 5-2 in the Nets last 7 overall. The Under is 18-8 in the Nets last 26 games as a road underdog. The Over is 5-1-1 in the Pistons last 7 games as a home favorite. The Under is 19-7 in Pistons last 26 games vs. the Eastern Conference. The Under is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings between the two teams.
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