NBA Trends: Four Teams Start 6-1 Against The Spread

 

The Toronto Raptors are 5-3 overall but are 6-2 ATS. The Sacramento Kings and Suns also have a winning record with a 5-2 ATS clip. The Utah Jazz have the third-best record in the Western Conference at 6-3, their identical ATS record.

Bucks Now 7-0 Without Khris Middleton

The Bucks are on a mission to win a second NBA crown since they prevailed in the 2021 NBA Finals. They were knocked out of the playoffs in the 2022 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Celtics because swingman Khris Middleton suffered an MCL knee injury.

Although Middleton s knee has healed, he missed the start of the regular season while recovering from wrist surgery. Even without a starter and their second-best scorer, the Bucks have yet to lose a game this season, thanks to All-Star big man Giannis Greek Freak Antetokounmpo.

The Greek Freak is ranked second in the NBA in scoring and rebounding, averaging 33.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game. He s also ranked #3 overall with a 35.22 Player Efficiency Rating (PER). He scored at least 30 points per game in six-straight games while posting a double-double six times.

The Bucks are dominating teams with their defense. They only allow a league-low 102 points per game and kept three opponents below the century mark of 100 points. Overall, the Bucks held the opposition to a 42.3 shooting percentage from the floor, which is ranked #1 in the NBA. Opponents are only knocking down 34% of their attempts from the 3-point range.

The Bucks are still one of the weaker 3-point shooting teams in the NBA. They re the fifth-worst team from deep with a 32.5% success rate, so they cannot wait for Middleton to return to the action. Even though the Bucks are not lighting it up from beyond the arc, they re still the only unbeaten squad in the NBA, covering opponents with a 6-1 ATS clip.

Spida Time in Cleveland

It did not take long before newly-added Donovan Spida Mitchell made an impact with the Cleveland Cavs, who lost just once in seven games. Since dropping the season opener by three points against the Toronto Raptors, the Cavs unleashed a six-game winning streak, including three overtime victories, including the Boston Celtics twice.

With Mitchell in the lineup at shooting guard, the Cavs average 117.1 points per game for the sixth-highest scoring offense in the NBA. The Cavs are the second-best 3-point shooting team in the league, with a 40.2% success rate. Mitchell leads the Cavs in scoring, averaging 31.1 points per game, and he s sixth overall in the NBA.

The Cavs are the second-best 3-point shooting team in the NBA at 40.4%. Mitchell averages four made 3-pointers per game and is tied for fourth in the league while drilling 44% of his long-range attempts.

Head coach JB Bickerstaff has the Cavs working their tails off on defense. The Cavs allow 106.7 points per game for the fifth-best defense in the league.

The Cavs finally have guard after he sat out five games with a nasty eye injury that happened in the season opener. Even without Garland, Mitchell guided the Cavs to an impressive 6-1 ATS record.