It’s one of the older adages in sports betting: ride the streaks.
In other words, when teams go on an extended winning streak, keep betting on them until they lose. And if teams go into a long losing streak, keep betting against them until they win.
The reason this strategy is so popular — and generally effective — is because confidence is such a major issue in sports.
Pretty much every team in professional sports, except maybe the Blue Jackets or the Bobcats, has enough talent to beat any other team on a given day. The thing that most often separates teams is the good ones truly believe they’ll win the close games, while the bad teams are just waiting for the other shoe to drop.
That brings us to the Los Angeles Lakers.
For the majority of their history, the Lakers have been the golden child of the NBA. Always a strong and confident squad, whether they were led by Jerry West or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Magic Johnson or Kobe Bryant.
That bloom is off the rose this season. Big time.
I was foolish enough to bet on the Lakers Monday in Chicago, thinking they’d bounce back from their loss in Toronto the previous day. Luol Deng, one of the better defenders in the NBA, was out for the Bulls, which should have allowed Bryant to go off offensively.
But L.A. showed why it has already lost nine games in January, a slump that has spiraled the team down into 12th place in the Western Conference.
First, the Lakers started slowly, failing to show any signs of urgency. Then they began to make their way back, even taking the lead early in the fourth quarter.
But no sooner had the Lakers clawed in front then they started to fall apart. They lacked confidence offensively, failed to communicate defensively, just seemed to expect to lose. And they did, falling 95-83.
There are major problems in L.A. beyond the obvious confidence issues. Mike D’Antoni is not the right coach for this team, a run-and-gun enthusiast who is stuck with an aging point guard in Steve Nash, a shot-happy Kobe Bryant, two big statues in Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol, and a few role players.
Howard is unhappy with how he’s not a focal point of the offence. Gasol is unhappy about having to come off the bench. Bryant is no doubt frustrated with both of them.
This is not a situation that appears to have any resolution in sight. Things will only get worse as the pressure mounts and Kobe starts jacking 50 shots a game.
In any games involving the Lakers these days, you should either bet against them or not bet the game at all. You don’t want your money on this team in a close contest until they get all these issues figured out.