Since COVID-19, the NBA has been scheduling a lot of games where two teams play each other back-to-back. Some of those 2-game series are home-and-home, while others are played at the same venue for both games. Last season, there were 55 such series, and we've had 37 already this season.
As a handicapper, the schedule is one of the more important tools to put in the toolbox. And back-to-back regular season meetings offer many good situations for a handicapper to mine.
One of my favorite situations applies in a game being played tonight, on Thursday.
What we want to do is play on any double-digit road underdog in the regular season which lost SU/ATS to its opponent in the two teams' previous game.
This system has cashed 60% (39-26-2 ATS) since 1990.
And although there's nothing wrong with 60%, we can improve our numbers by focusing on the teams that were blown out in the previous game. If our road underdog lost by 25 (or more) points, then our 39-26-2 ATS system zooms to 9-2 ATS, 82%.
Tonight, this system fits the Brooklyn Nets, who are 12.5-point road underdogs at Miami. On Tuesday, the Heat wiped out the Nets, 124-98, in a game also played in Miami.
Look for Brooklyn to keep the margin in this re-match much closer.
Good luck, as always,
Al McMordie