We’re officially in the second half of the NBA season, meaning the postseason is fast approaching.
But before the season’s better half tips off, we thought we’d provide a quick look at one of the best wagers for serious NBA bettors: betting against the spread (ATS).
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The Celtics have the best straight-up (SU) record in the Association at 43-12, but are they good for bettors against the spread (ATS)?
The Pistons, on the other hand, have only notched eight wins this year. But has Detroit yielded a return on investment when it comes to the spread?
Here’s a look at the top-five (and the worst-five) NBA teams ATS this season.
Five Best Teams Against the Spread
So, which team is the top dog in the NBA?
You wouldn’t be faulted for choosing the Celtics, given that they currently sit in first place SU. However, at 25-27-3, Boston is not even in the top half of the league’s best cover teams, let alone the best.
This would be a good time to remind you that having a winning record does not necessarily mean you are covering the spread at a decent clip.
The NBA’s best cover team is the Orlando Magic, who sit at 36-19 ATS and are currently in eighth place in the Eastern Conference with a 30-25 SU record.
Rounding out the top five teams are Oklahoma City (33-20-1), Philadelphia (31-23), New Orleans (30-24-1) and Cleveland (28-23-2).
All four squads have winning records, so wagering on each of them has been beneficial, both SU and ATS.
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Five Worst Teams Against the Spread
Now that we have looked at the best, it’s only right that we look at which teams have been unkind to their backers so far this season.
And when it comes to the bottom feeders, the team that stands out over all the rest is the Atlanta Hawks.
They are 17-38 ATS for a 30% cover rate. To make matters worse, they are 24-31 SU and fighting for a spot in the play-in tournament, somewhat shocking for a team that was in the Eastern Conference finals three seasons ago.
Rounding out the bottom five are Milwaukee (21-34-1), Charlotte (21-33), Denver (22-31-2) and Phoenix (23-30-2).
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