Popovich at it again...

I liked Miami a lot today as this was a tough situational spot for the Spurs (more on that later) and the line was 5.5 all day...As I was getting ready to bet it, the game goes off the Board and I look around and find out why:

Duncan, Parker and Ginobili are not playing tonight...

Man I wish I would have bet it as I'd be laughing at -5.5 or -6 after the line just jumped to 12 and is still going up...It'll hit 13 for sure...

Now why are they sitting?...

My take:

Unless all 3 caught an overnight flu bug at the same time, I would bet my life that Popovich probably is:

1) resting the "old" guys on the back-end of a back-to-back

and

2) and MORE IMPORTANTLY --- Pop is also sending a message to the league schedule-makers that if you are going to put 2 elite teams like the Spurs and Heat on a Nationally televised game on TNT in prime-time with no other game in the league going at that time, then hey idiots, maybe you should level the playing field and make this a little bit more fair because the Spurs are playing their 4th game in 5 days and Miami has 4 days rest coming into this game...Not to mention that this is the Spurs 6th road game in 9 days while it will only be Miami's 3rd game in 12 days and Miami has been Home all this time...

Classic Popovich...

Making a statement to the league that if you aren't going to be fair with us, then screw you, we ain't going to be fair in return and we'll just give Miami this game and kill your TNT ratings as this should game be over with at halftime...Be hard for Miami to even get up for this one now themselves...

This is a big game for TNT and the league...And Popovich is basically saying tough crap, it's not a big game for us, we just won the first 5 games of this road trip and we'll wait and maybe play them at full strength when they come to San Antonio...

The thing here is this:

Look at the schedule and if the Spurs have a back-to-back coming up or a 4-in-5 coming up, watch carefully who plays what games, because Popovich will sit any combination of these 3 players on a back-ender so if you are already liking the Spurs opponent on the overnight line, go ahead and bet them and beat Popovich to the punch in case he sits any combination of these 3 guys the rest of the season...