NBA Basketball

NBA: The Most Physical Sport
To the average fan, basketball seems like such an "easy going" game. You have 10 players on the court at a time and the team with the ball is trying to get it in the net. Simple, right? WRONG! If you ever saw an NBA game live and were close to the court, you'll know what I'm talking about. There's contact, alot of it, and it's very hard at times, and unlike football, these guys don't wear pads. Of course we're not comparing the hits and tackels in football the contact in basketball but in basketball, it's a game of constant bumping and grinding while battling for position which takes it's toll on the body.

Recuperation Time in the NBA
Unlike football, you don't get a week in between games to recover, heal, and rest your body. Sometimes you're back on the court the very next night still feeling the ailments of the last game. In fact, NBA teams often play 4 games in 6 nights.

Travelling
The road in the NBA can be a cruel place for these players. Teams go on road trips of several weeks at times. That's a long time to be away from home especially after making such demands on their bodies night after night. At least when they're home, they can recoup in the comfort of their own home, go in the jacuzzi, eat a good meal, and get ready physically and mentally for their next game. Also, the road isn't always accomodating to "Giants". These guys are over a foot taller than the average man!

Why the NBA is VERY BEATABLE
When setting the line on games in general, the main "barometer" is always teams' past performance. Of course the way a team has been playing and their average scores and margins of victory/defeat are good guidelines on which to base a number, but the NBA has the most intangibles out of any other sport. These are things that are NOT factored into the line such as teams that historically travel well and vice versa. Then there are always very big value positions being created by the inevitable leveling off of average teams. This is when average to above average teams play above their normal level. What happens is the public seems to fall in love with these teams leaving the linemaker no choice but to raise the line. So we wind up getting more points than we should when going against teams AFTER they peaked. Of course you have to be good at knowing the precise time to take your stand! That's the tricky part but we've mastered it over the years and are very successful in the NBA because of it.