Sports Picks & Predictions

This is a play on the SAN ANTONIO SPURS for our NBA Thursday Star Attraction. Recent results are proving to be an overreaction with this line as the Clippers have not been favorites of this many points against the Spurs in years. San Antonio opened this three-game road trip with a pair of ugly losses against Sacramento and Phoenix, the latter taking place last night. The Spurs lost by 20 points to the Suns in a game they never led and the defense allowed Phoenix to shoot 56 percent from the floor and that is not a typical display. Going back, San Antonio is 41-21 ATS in its last 62 games coming off an upset loss of 10 points or more as a road favorite. Meanwhile, the Clippers improved to 8-5 with a pair of overtime wins over Milwaukee and Golden St. two teams with a combined record of 22-7. Those two victories over the last four days can provide a letdown here and much as a confidence builder and on top of that, Los Angeles is catching the Spurs at the wrong time. San Antonio falls into a great situation where we play on road underdogs after a blowout loss by 20 points or more going up against an opponent after a combined score of 215 points or more in two straight games. This situation is 70-33 ATS (68 percent) since 1996. 10* (505) San Antonio Spurs

This is a play on the ILLINOIS-CHICAGO FLAMES for our CBB Thursday Supreme Annihilator. Illinois-Chicago is off to a 0-3 start but all three of those games were on the road and the Flames are back in Chicago for their home opener. We played on them in their first game this season and while they lost by 17 points and failed to cover, the game was decided at the free throw line with Notre Dame going 36-38and Illinois Chicago going just 13-20. Illinois-Chicago lost two starters from last season but brings back four players with starting experience from its 20-16 team that was a win away from taking home the CIT Championship. The Flames have a deep and talented backcourt and while the loss of Dikembe Dixon looks big, he left the program to turn pro before the CIT run so they will be just fine. William & Mary is off to a 1-1 start with a home win over High Point and a road loss at Duquesne. The Tribe allowed the Dukes to shoot 52.5 percent from the floor and that has been an on going issue. The defense last season finished No. 335 in adjusted defensive efficiency. William & Mary has struggled on the road in recent years and with a big game at Notre Dame on deck, a lookahead is very possible. This is the first of three straight home games for the Flames and they get back on track tonight. 10* (514) Illinois-Chicago Flames

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS as part of our NBA Wednesday Trifecta. Boston is coming off a dreadful roadtrip where it went 1-4 and it easily could have been 0-5 if not for a miraculous comeback against Phoenix where it trailed by 22 points and eventually won the game in overtime. A return home and a sense of urgency should get the Celtics back to what they were expected to do and that is dominate the Eastern Conference bottom feeders. After leading the NBA by allowing 96.2 ppg in October, Boston has yielded an average of 110.3 ppg and allowed at least 100 points in all six November games. They have trailed by at least 20 points in the last three games. To their credit, the schedule has been tough as they have played the No. 6 ranked slate and have gone 2-5 against the top ten teams while winning five of six against the rest of the league. After a 2-8 start, Chicago has split its last four games but the two wins came against 2-11 Cleveland and 4-10 New York and both of those came by just one points each. The Bulls are catching Boston at the wrong time coming off that poor roadtrip. Boston is 8-0 ATS in its last eight games after having lost four or five of its last six games while the Bulls are 3-10 ATS in their last 13 road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (706) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the MICHIGAN WOLVERINES for our CBB Wednesday Star Attraction. Despite losing four players to the NBA from last season's team, guards Donte DiVincenzo and Jalen Brunson along with forwards Mikal Bridges and Omari Spellman, the Wildcats are off to a strong start once again but it has come against a pair of cupcakes. Villanova is highly ranked yet again with a lot that due to the fact that it has won National Championships in two of the last three years. Like Villanova, the Wolverines feature a new-look team, though seven players are back from last season including three starters. They have also played an easy schedule and this matchup pits offense versus defense. Villanova is averaging 93 ppg and defensively, the Wolverines picked up right where they left off from last season and that is a good thing. Michigan is allowing just 40.5 ppg, which is third in the country. Teams are also shooting just 30 percent from the field. This early in the season in high profile games with elite players, the defense tends to trump the offense and it will up to Michigan to stifle the Wildcats offense as it does not want to get involved in a shootout. Obviously, Michigan wants payback from the National Championship last season and it will be playing with a ship on its shoulder. Going back, Michigan is 13-4 ATS in its last 17 games after allowing 30 points or less in the first half in two straight games. 10* (723) Michigan Wolverines

This is a play on the CLEVELAND CAVALIERS for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. Last week, Charlotte snapped a nine-game losing streak in this series as it defeated the Cavaliers by 32 points, its biggest margin of victory this season. The Hornets have now won three of their last four games to move back over .500 and are now a game and a half in front of Orlando in the Southeast Division. They are just 3-4 on the road and going back, Charlotte is 6-23 ATS in its last 29 games after covering three of its last four games against the spread. It has been a rough start to the season for the Cavaliers as they are now 1-11 following their fifth consecutive defeat. The loss to Charlotte is part of their seven double-digit losses but they have been playing better as since the loss to the Hornets, the Cavaliers have lost to Orlando, Oklahoma City and Chicago by a combined 12 points. Charlotte is the biggest consensus on the short NBA slate despite the line going up two points from the opening number. Cleveland falls into a solid contrarian situation as we play against favorites after beating the spread by 30 or more points total in their last five games going up against an opponent after going under the total by 48 or more points total in their last ten games. This situation is 81-45 (64.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (502) Cleveland Cavaliers

This is a play on the UTAH JAZZ for our NBA Monday Enforcer. Utah got off to a 4-2 start but then lost its next four games but ha since bounced back with two straight wins to get some momentum back. The Jazz are 4-2 on the road after four straight wins to open the season and there will be some added motivation tonight as they have already lost twice to Memphis, both at home by an average of nine points. "It doesn't take anyone to see that the Memphis one is circled on our calendars." Jazz guard Dante Exum told the Deseret News. "They beat us twice in our home, which shouldn't happen, so we've got to return the favor." Utah is 23-11 ATS in its last 34 games after two or more consecutive wins. Memphis has also won two straight games to move to 7-4 on the season after going 22-60 last year as it battled injuries all season long. The Grizzlies are a perfect 5-0 at home and while two wins against Denver and Philadelphia were impressive, the other three came against Washington, Phoenix and Atlanta which are a combined 8-29. Memphis is 5-15 ATS in its last 20 home games after playing two consecutive home games and Utah falls into a solid situation where we play on favorites that are revenging two consecutive straight up losses to opponent as a favorite, off two or more consecutive home wins. This situation is 62-27 ATS (69.7 percent) since 1996. 10* (709) Utah Jazz

This is a play on the SOUTHERN ILLINOIS SALUKIS for our CBB Monday Supreme Annihilator. Southern Illinois let a big upset slip away as it was leading Kentucky for a majority of the game but got hurt by late foul trouble. First Team All-MVC guard Armon Fletcher hit the bench with about seven minutes to go in the first half. He came back in briefly but fouled out in the second half with 9:20 to play. Fletcher, who missed the Salukis' exhibition game while in the concussion protocol, scored eight points and grabbed three rebounds in 15 minutes. which was well under his normal production. We can expect a big bounce back tonight. Buffalo pulled off an upset in its last game as it won at West Virginia in overtime as an 11-point underdog. The Bulls were the Cinderella of the NCAA Tournament last season with the upset over Arizona and hanging with Kentucky for 32 minutes before the Wildcats pulled away. With a lot of talent back from last season, the win over the Mountaineers cannot be all that surprising but because of it, the line has been overinflated. The Salukis are going to challenge for the MVC title so they should not be getting points at home against another mid-Major team. 10* (734) Southern Illinois Salukis

This is a play on the HOUSTON ROCKETS for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. Houston is back home following a pair of road losses at Oklahoma City and San Antonio which put a bad ending to the five-game roadtrip after starting it a perfect 3-0. Not only do the Rockets want to make up for that finish but they are also looking for their first win at home as they are off to a 0-4 start. None of those losses were pretty either as all have come by at least 11 points and by an average of 17.2 ppg so to say they are playing bad here would be an understatement. Houston has covered five of its last six games against the Eastern Conference. Indiana won and covered Friday night in Miami as the Pacers snapped a two-game slide. The Pacers have now won five straight road games after started off 0-2 on the highway and that, along with the Rockets winless record at home, is keeping this number way down. The Pacers are 1-5 ATS in their last six games following a ATS win. Here, we play on teams in non-conference games, coming off two or more consecutive road losses. This situation is 230-164 ATS (58.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (504) Houston Rockets

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS for our NBA Saturday Enforcer. Milwaukee is coming off the big win over Golden St. on Thursday and now it looks to build off of that but we think this is the ripe spot for a letdown. It was a 7-0 start for Milwaukee but it has split its last four games including a 1-2 record on the road. Going back, the Bucks are 3-13 ATS in their last 16 games after scoring more than 125 points in their previous game. The Clippers are coming off a loss at Portland on Thursday which was their third road loss in their last four games on the highway, the lone win coming at Orlando. Home has ben a different story as Los Angeles is 4-1 including four straight wins and covers after losing to Denver in its season opener. Overall, the Clippers are +10.6 ppg in scoring differential. Here, we play against favorites in non-conference games, off an upset win as a road underdog. This situation is 104-59 ATS (63.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (704) Los Angeles Clippers

This is a play on the INDIANA PACERS for our NBA Friday Enforcer. Indiana opened the season 2-2 with the home team winning all four of those games before going on a 5-1 run but the Pacers have since dropped their last two games. They just closed out a 1-2 homestand against three teams that will be eying conference championships as after defeating Boston by a point, they lost to Houston by four points and Philadelphia by six points. Indiana hits the road for a two-game weekend trip and it is currently riding a four-game road winning streak. Granted, three of those were against trash teams but Miami is no daunting opponent. The Heat have won their last two games despite a rash of injuries and absences which put an end to a three-game losing streak. It has been a perplexing season as the Heat own solid wins over Portland and San Antonio yet have head scratching losses against Orlando and Atlanta. While the venue has played a part in that, Miami is actually getting outshot at home 46.9 percent to 43.8 percent. The Pacers are 16-5 ATS in their last 21 games following an ATS loss while the Heat are 2-7-1 ATS in their last 10 games following an ATS win. 10* (507) Indiana Pacers

This is a play on the TOLEDO ROCKETS for our CBB Friday Supreme Annihilator. Oakland opened its season with a 54-point win over Kalamazoo College, a Division III team and a bad one at that which went 8-17 last season. That victory gives no indication of how the Golden Grizzlies are going to be and the likely answer to that question is going to be not good. They have only one starter back as they lost four key seniors, as well as losing four more players who transferred. In total, Oakland lost its top five players in minutes, scoring and blocks while losing its top four rebounders. Going back, Oakland is 0-6 ATS in its last six home games after scoring 80 points or more. Toledo is loaded with six of its top seven players returning. The Rockets finished 23-11 and will be playing with a chip on its shoulder from the start. They knew the NCAA tournament would bypass them last year but no did the NIT which was a slap in the face and Toledo declined to play in the lesser tournaments thus ending their season. With this being their first game, look for the Rockets to play with a ton of fire. Here, we play against underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points in a game involving two teams that had winning records last season, with just one or fewer starters returning from last year in the first 10 games of the season. This situation is 35-10 ATS (77.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (535) Toledo Rockets

This is a play on the MILWAUKEE BUCKS for our NBA Thursday Star Attraction. We played against Milwaukee on Tuesday as it lost for just the second time this season, falling by 15 points to Portland. The challenge gets tougher tonight but we are seeing an eight-point line swing as the Bucks go from road favorites to road underdogs. They have dropped two straight games on the road, the first coming at Boston where the Celtics hoisted up 55 three-pointers, making 24 of those. Milwaukee is 45-25 ATS in its last 70 road games against teams averaging 106 or more ppg. The Warriors own the best record in the Western Conference at 10-1 and they have won eight straight games. Seven of those have come by double-digits but the schedule has been tame as Memphis was the only team possessing a winning record in that stretch. Golden St. will be without Draymond Green tonight who is out with a toe injury and the Warriors are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. Additionally, we play on road underdogs after three straight games where both teams scored 100 points or more going up against an opponent after scoring 110 points or more in three straight games. This situation is 37-16 ATS (69.8 percent) since 1996. 10* (707) Milwaukee Bucks

This is a play on the MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES as part of our NBA Wednesday Trifecta. Toronto and Golden St. are tied with the best records in the NBA at 10-1 but not far behind is Denver which has gotten off to a 9-1 start. The Nuggets opened with four straight covers before dropping their next three games against the number but have a three-game winning ATS streak coming into tonight and they of course come into Memphis as the road chalk. The Grizzlies are coming off a three-game road trip where they went 1-2 including a 16-point loss at Golden St. on Monday. Six of their first nine games have taken place on the road and they have opened 3-0 at home this season, winning by 14, 21 and 12 points. Denver is 4-13 ATS in its last 17 road games coming off a home win including 0-2 ATS this season where they lost to the Lakers by seven points and needed overtime in a one-point win at 3-8 Chicago. The Grizzlies are 6-0 ATS in their last six home games. Here, we play against road favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points in the first half of the season after going under the total by 54 or more points total in their last ten games. This situation is 33-10 ATS (76.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (510) Memphis Grizzlies

This is a play on the PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. Milwaukee opened the season 7-0 before suffering its first loss at Boston but bounced back in a big way as it rolled over Sacramento by 35 points on Sunday. The Bucks have had a favorable schedule to open the season as they have played just three road games and have had to travel no further than Minnesota. Milwaukee faces the Warriors on Thursday so the possibility of a lookahead is there as well. Going back, the Bucks are 1-7 ATS in their last eight road games. The Blazers are coming off of a blowout of their own, having crushed the Timberwolves 111-81 on Sunday. That was a good bounce back win after having lost to the Lakers the previous night which as surprisingly their second home loss of the season. Although they trail the Bucks in both departments, the Blazers numbers are impressive as they rank fifth in offensive rating (113.5) and fourth in defensive rating (104.6) so they are right there. The Blazers are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games against teams with a winning percentage above .600 while going 18-7 ATS in their last 25 games when the line is +3 to -3 over the last two seasons. Additionally, we play on home teams where the line is +3 to -3 in a game involving two teams that average 82 or more shots per game after allowing a shooting percentage of 35 percent or less. This situation is 26-6 ATS (81.2 percent) since 1996. 10* (708) Portland Trail Blazers

This is a play on the ILLINOIS-CHICAGO FLAMES for our CBB Tuesday Season Opener. Notre Dame was supposed to make a huge run at the ACC title and go deep into the NCAA Tournament last season but injuries kept that from happening and the Irish ended a disappointing season with a second round exit at the NIT. This has been a team that usually reloads every year but that is not the case this season as Notre Dame has just one senior and this is the most inexperienced roster head coach Mike Brey has had in his 19 years at the school. Only seven players with experience are back so things are going to be touch and go early on. Illinois-Chicago lost two starters from last season but brings back four players with starting experience from its 20-16 team that was a win away from taking home the CIT Championship. The Flames have a deep and talented backcourt and while the loss of Dikembe Dixon looks big, he left the program to turn pro before the CIT run so they will be just fine. Before losing to Northern Colorado in the CIT Championship game, the Flames had won nine consecutive road games so the experience and that confidence is a great combination to start the season. This line is based on name and conference affiliations and not what the current rosters are made of making this inflated line an east take. 10* (715) Illinois-Chicago Flames

This is a play on the NEW ORLEANS PELICANS for our NBA Monday Enforcer. Opposite starts to the season and opposite recent results have Oklahoma City and New Orleans sitting in eight and ninth place in the Western Conference respectively. The Thunder opened the season 0-4, with Russell Westbrook missing the first two games, but they have since won their last four games to get back to .500. The start for the Pelicans was the opposite as they got off to a 4-0 start but have since dropped their last five games, four of which were by double-digits including each of the last three. New Orleans looks to avoid a 0-5 roadtrip tonight and look to get some momentum going before heading home for a pair of winnable games against Chicago and Phoenix. Part of the problem has been the absence of Anthony Davis for three of those but he did return Saturday although he was largely ineffective. Oklahoma City is 5-15 ATS in its last 20 games after playing two consecutive road games while going 0-5 ATS in its last five home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. Meanwhile the Pelicans are 4-1 ATS in their last five games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points and they fall into a positive situation where we play on teams in a game involving two teams averaging 102 or more ppg, after three straight losses by 10 points or more. This situation is 47-17 ATS (73.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (509) New Orleans Pelicans

This is a play on the WASHINGTON WIZARDS for our NBA Sunday Supreme Annihilator. The Wizards are coming off another disappointing loss on Friday as they were outscored 44-20 in the second quarter against Oklahoma City in their 23-point loss which dropped them to 1-7 on the season. They are the biggest disappointment in the NBA, at least in the Eastern Conference, and today Washington desperately needs this win before it hits the road for a three-game roadtrip. After missing training camp, preseason and the first seven games with a sore piriformis muscle, Dwight Howard fought through the continuing pain to make his Wizards debut where he finished with 20 points in 23 minutes and he should only get stronger game-by-game. The Knicks picked up a rare win as they won in Dallas on Friday, which was their first road victory after three losses to open the season. The road defense has been poor as New York is allowing opponents to shoot 48.2 percent from the floor and this has been a favorable matchup for the Wizards of late. They have won eight of the last nine meetings with the lone defeat coming when John Wall was not playing and adding Howard to the mix only strengthens it. The Knicks are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points while the Wizards are 4-0 ATS in their last four games following a double-digit loss at home. Additionally, we play on teams averaging 99 or more ppg, after three straight losses by 10 points or more. This situation is 77-36 ATS (68.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (706) Washington Wizards

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Saturday Supreme Annihilator. Through the first four games, the home team was a perfect 4-0 in Pacers games but that has suddenly switched as the road team has now won the last five Indiana games. The Pacers are responsible for four of those as the win over Chicago last night made it four straight road victories and while one of those was an impressive win over San Antonio, the last three have come against three of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference. It has been a tough grind this week as the Pacers are playing their fourth game in six nights and all of which have involved travel. Boston is coming off a win over Milwaukee in its last game, handing the Bucks their first loss of the season and the week has not been nearly as busy as this is just the third game over the same six-day stretch with no back-to-backs. The Celtics got off to a slow 2-2 start but they have won their last four games, covering all but one of those. The road team has won four straight and six of the last seven meetings in this series and going back, the Celtics are 20-7 ATS in their last 27 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. Additionally, we play against home underdogs that are averaging 103 or more ppg going up against an opponent after scoring 105 points or more three straight games. This situation is 111-67 ATS (62.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (503) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the WASHINGTON WIZARDS for our NBA Friday supreme Annihilator. It has been a rough start to the season for Washington as it is 1-6 both straight up and against the number. To their credit, the Wizards were dealt with a very tough schedule to open the season as the first two games were at home against Miami and Toronto and those resulted in losses by just five points total. They then went on a five-game west coast roadtrip and overall, the Washington schedule is ranked as the toughest in the NBA at this point. Additionally, the Wizards have not been at full strength as Markieff Morris missed the last game and a half with a concussion but he will be back tonight and they have been without Dwight Howard for the first seven games because of an injury but he will be making his season debut tonight. Oklahoma City started the season 0-4 but it has won its last three games including a come-from-behind win over Charlotte last night as it trailed by as many as 19 points in the second half and eventually won by four points. This is the first back-to-back of the season for the Thunder and coming off that emotional win, they are in a tough spot to get up for tonight, especially against a team desperate for a victory. The Thunder are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of less than .400 and Washington falls into a solid situation where we play on teams in non-conference games, off three or more consecutive road losses. This situation is 70-29 ATS (70.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (706) Washington Wizards

This is a play on the ATLANTA HAWKS for our NBA Thursday Enforcer. We bet against both of these teams on Wednesday, winning with Cleveland and losing with Orlando. The Orlando defeat was the fourth straight win for Sacramento after dropping its three of its first four games and while the new fast-paced offense has succeeded for the most part, putting the Kings as road favorites is a tad aggressive. They went 0-3-1 as road favorites last season and this is just the eighth time in the last three seasons they are laying points on the road. The Hawks have now lost three straight games following a two-game winning streak but they are back home following two straight contests on the road. This is just their third home game of the season and in the last one against Chicago, Atlanta was favored by six points so this line is telling us that the Kings are eight points better than the Bulls and that is certainly not the case. The Kings are 1-4 ATS in their last five games against teams with a winning percentage below .400 while the Hawks are 6-1 ATS in their last seven home games against teams with a winning road record. Additionally, we play on teams in a game involving two teams averaging 102 or more ppg, after three straight losses by 10 points or more. This situation is 44-16 ATS (73.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (508) Atlanta Hawks

This is a play on the MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES for our NBA Wednesday Executioner. It has been an uneven start to the season for Minnesota which is 3-4 but that record is definitely shewed as three of those losses were by 4, 4 and 7 points, all of which were on the road. On Monday, the Timberwolves rebounded from a 30-point home loss to the Bucks by recording a 124-120 win over the Lakers as both Jimmy Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns finally played well in the same game and that is the key for this team. It was the first time this season both scored 20 points when playing together. Butler leads the team in scoring at 22.5 ppg and he is converting at insane rates of 50.5 percent from the floor and 48 percent from three-point range. Utah has been the aberration of the NBA so far this season as it is 0-2 at home and 4-0 on the road, one of only two teams without a blemish on the highway. This certainly is not going to last as the Jazz finished a game under .500 last season on the road but the undefeated record is helping us here as they come in as favorites and the public is all over them. Utah is getting the most public action on the board for Wednesday as 84 percent of tickets from offshore books as backing the Jazz. This is a good matchup for Minnesota and its defense as it is 43-22 ATS in its last 65 games against teams 46 percent or better from the floor. Here, we play against road teams where the line is +3 to -3 after scoring 110 points or more going up against an opponent after a combined score of 235 points or more. This situation is 48-20 ATS (70.6 percent) since 1996. 10* (708) Minnesota Timberwolves

This is a play on the OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER as part of our NBA Tuesday Trifecta. After a 0-4 start, Oklahoma City is coming off its first win of the season Sunday over the Suns, though they nearly let a big lead slip away late in that one as the Thunder led by as many as 26 points but held on for a seven-point win. They have failed to cover their last four games and will be looking to even up this four-game homestand before hitting the road for its next two games. Oklahoma City lost its season opener at Golden St. and followed that up with a 16-point loss at Los Angeles against the Clippers so revenge is in play tonight. The Clippers have won four of their last five games including the last two by 20 and 32 points while the offense has averaged 134.5 ppg. The Los Angeles defense has been the bigger story as it is allowing opponents to shoot 40.4 percent from the floor which is second best in the NBA while it is ranked No. 6 in defensive efficiency and No. 3 in Opponent Average Scoring Margin. Here, we play on favorites after a home game where both teams score 100 or more points going up against an opponent off a home win by 20 points or more. This situation is 24-6 (80 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (514) Oklahoma City Thunder

This is a play on the NEW YORK KNICKS for our NBA Monday Supreme Annihilator. Both the Knicks and Nets are riding losing streaks and on paper, it is the former that has been playing much worse. But New York is still favored as it is at home in what is a great contrarian situation. The Knicks opened the season with a win over Atlanta but has since dropped five straight games including the last three by double-digits. We were on them Friday against Golden St. and they were covering the whole game into the fourth quarter then the Warriors went off by closing the game with a 42-9 run while making 17 of their last 21 shots. It was the first bad run at home as three of those five losses have come on the road while the other home defeat was against the Celtics by just a bucket. We won the Nets last night as they stayed within the big number against Golden St. thanks to a big fourth quarter but fell six points short. This could be a letdown spot coming off a game against the Warriors and prior to that, coming off a two-point loss at New Orleans. This is the second time this season that Brooklyn is playing with no rest on the road coming off a home game and the first time it resulted in a 20-point loss at Indiana. Coincidentally, that win at home prior to that was against the Knicks so there is revenge in play tonight as well. Brooklyn is 11-25 ATS in its last 36 road games after successfully covering the spread in three or more consecutive games and the Knicks fall into a successful situation where we play on teams in a game involving two teams averaging 102 or more ppg, after three straight losses by 10 points or more. This situation is 43-16 ATS (72.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (708) New York Knicks

This is a play on the BROOKLYN NETS for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. We played against Golden St. on Friday and it was looking really good for a little over three quarters and then the Warriors went off by closing the game with an absurd 42-9 run while making 17 of their last 21 shots. Kevin Durant led the charge as he scored 25 of his 41 points in the fourth quarter, turning what was a three-point deficit through three quarters into a 128-100 win over the Knicks. This is what this team is capable of but at the same time, Golden St. can be complacent and goes through the motions at times and it lets teams hang around, especially on the road where it came into Friday with a 1-1 record. The Nets have been decent this season as they are 2-3 with two of those losses coming by a combined five points and both taking place on the road. This is just their second home game of the season and they have been able to step it up against the better teams as they finished last season by going 7-1 ATS in their last eight home games against teams with a winning road record. Brooklyn falls into a spectacular situation where we play against favorites after three consecutive covers as a favorite, with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 from last season. This situation is 22-3 ATS (88 percent) since 1996. 10* (502) Brooklyn Nets

This is a play on the ORLANDO MAGIC for our NBA Saturday Enforcer. Milwaukee improved to 5-0 on the season following a 30-point win at Minnesota last night as the game was over early on as the Timberwolves never led and the Bucks were able to sit their starters early. That is the good news with playing the second of a back-to-back set and because of four straight double-digit wins, they are overpriced tonight. Milwaukee is 4-17 ATS in its last 21 home games against teams getting outscored by three or more ppg including going 0-9 ATS against teams getting outscored by six or more ppg. Orlando has been hit or miss this season as it is coming off a 14-point loss at home against Portland which was its second loss of the season by double-digits. On the flip side, the Magic have a pair of solid wins over Miami and Boston, the latter coming on the road, while the other loss was just a one-point setback at Philadelphia. The talent on this team is there, they just need to be more consistent and we can expect a big effort tonight after the big loss last time out. The Magic are 9-3-1 ATS in their last 13 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600 and they fall into a great situation where we play on road teams allowing 99 or more ppg on the season going up against an opponent after scoring 110 points or more three straight games. This situation is 134-81 ATS (62.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (717) Orlando Magic

This is a play on the NEW YORK KNICKS for our NBA Friday Enforcer. We are going ultra-contrarian here as the public is not being shy about backing the double-digit road favorites in what looks like a mismatch on paper. The Warriors embark on a three-game east coast roadtrip against arguably three of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference but they are playing the price. After suffering its first loss of the season, Golden St. rebounded with a pair of wins over Phoenix and Washington by 20 and 22 points respectively as the offense shot a combined 54.4 percent from the floor. The Warriors now hit the road where they are 1-1 with those games being decided by a combined three points. The Knicks opened the season with a win over Atlanta but has since dropped their last four games, the final two coming by double digits. The last game was a disaster as the Knicks shot 36 percent from the field against Miami, while allowing the Heat to shoot 48 percent and 45 percent from three-point range, their third time in four games allowing the opponent to shoot better than 47 percent from the field. Three of those four losses have come on the road while the one home defeat was against the Celtics by just a bucket. Going back to last season, the Warriors are 5-12 ATS in their last 17 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points. The Knicks fall into a great contrarian situation as we play against road favorites of 10 or more points that are outscoring their opponents by nine or more ppg going up against an opponent after scoring 90 points or less. This situation is 34-10 ATS (77.3 percent) since 1996. 10* (506) New York Knicks

This is a play on the Cleveland CAVALIERS for our NBA Thursday Enforcer. The loss of LeBron James has clearly affected the Cavaliers as they are off to a 0-4 start. They are coming off an awful game against Brooklyn as they lost by 16 points while managing only 86 points on offense. Kevin Love was held to 14 points in 29 minutes, George Hill had seven points and no assists in 25 minutes, while Tristan Thompson shot 1-for-10 from the field. As a team, Cleveland shot just 38.2 percent while going 3-18 from long range and the lone bright spot was rookie Colin Sexton who scored 14 points off the bench and he will be more integrated into the offense. Prior to that, it was a 22-point loss to the Hawks and now we are seeing a significant line inflation after losing the last two games against the number by a combined 49 points. Detroit is off to a 3-0 start including a one-point win over Philadelphia in overtime on Tuesday. While the record is perfect, it has not been a dominating run as the Pistons have won their three games by a combined six points, so as bad as Cleveland has looked, Detroit cannot be trusted laying this big of a number. The Pistons are shooting just 0.1 percent better from the floor than Cleveland while the defense is allowing opponents to shoot 1.7 percent more than the Cavaliers so clearly these teams are more even than the line is telling us. Here, we play on road underdogs after allowing 100 points or more in two straight games going up against an opponent after three straight wins by six points or less. This situation is 31-9 ATS (77.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (701) Cleveland Cavaliers

This is a play on the ATLANTA HAWKS as part of our NBA Wednesday Trifecta. Dallas opened the season with a 21-point loss in Phoenix but recovered with a pair of wins against Minnesota and Chicago. Both of those victories however were at home and now the Mavericks come in as road favorites, at least as of Wednesday morning, and this is not ideal as they are 9-33 since the start of last season on the highway. Dallas is far from being at full strength as Harrison Barnes, Dirk Nowitzki and Devin Harris are all out for tonight. the Mavericks are 2-12 ATS in their last 14 games against teams allowing 110 or more ppg while also going 2-12 ATS in their last 14 road games when the line is between +3 and -3. Atlanta is coming off a convincing road win over Cleveland on Sunday and tonight will be the first home game of the season for the Hawks as they are the last team in the NBA yet to play a home game. The good news for Atlanta from an injury standpoint is that it welcomes back center Dewayne Dedmon who missed the first three games due to a fractured left ankle and his return comes at a key time facing DeAndre Jordan, who became the first player in Mavericks team history to record three straight double-doubles to open a season. Here, we play against road teams where the line is +3 to -3 after scoring 110 points or more going up against an opponent after a combined score of 235 points or more. This situation is 46-19 ATS (70.8 percent) since 1996. 10* (504) Atlanta Hawks

This is a play on the SACRAMENTO KINGS for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. Denver is coming off an upset over Golden St. on Sunday to move to 3-0 on season and has been one of the early surprises through the first week. The Nuggets just missed out on the playoffs last season as they finished a game behind Minnesota for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Known for the potent offense, Denver is doing it with defense as it is allowing a league-low 95.7 ppg. With the new rules in place, we do not see this continuing and the Nuggets are in for a tough matchup tonight. on top of the upset win over the Warriors, the Nuggets next game is at the Lakers so a lookahead is more than possible. Sacramento is second in the NBA in scoring at 125.7 ppg, a staggering development for a team that finished last with an average of 98.8 ppg last season. The Kings have piled up the points despite starting the season against three of the top teams in the Western Conference as they scored 117 against Utah, 129 against New Orleans and 131 against Oklahoma City. This is no fluke as they have unleashed an up-tempo style designed to suit a young, athletic roster. This of course has hurt the defense but with points spreads big like this, the backdoor is always wide open. Sacramento falls into a great contrarian situation where we play against favorites that had a winning record last season playing a team that had a losing season last season, after three or more consecutive wins. This situation is 26-7 ATS (78.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (705) Sacramento Kings

This is a play on the MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES for our NBA Monday Enforcer. Indiana is off to a 2-1 start, winning the two games by 28 and 20 points against Memphis and Brooklyn respectively while losing to Milwaukee by 17 points. The victory over Brooklyn on Saturday was impressive as Indiana shot 55 percent, had eight players in double figures and led by as many as 29 while scoring 30 points off 20 turnovers. The Pacers also registered 58 points in the paint and were 16 of 24 from three-point range. That loss against the Bucks was the Pacers only road game thus far and this is usually the trend early in the season for NBA teams as they still are not accustomed to playing well on the highway. So far this season, road teams are 14-25. Minnesota is 1-2 to start the season, with both losses coming on the road one the one victory taking place at home against Cleveland by eight points. Jimmy Butler sat in the last game at Dallas on Saturday but will be back in the lineup tonight as his defense needs to come out along with everyone else. Through three games, Minnesota is allowing 125 ppg, owns one of the worst defensive ratings in the NBA with a 121.7 and is allowing opponents to shoot 47.2 percent from the floor. The offense has been just as good however as the Timberwolves are averaging 125 ppg on 48.5 percent shooting and their 1.161 offensive efficiency ranking is third best in the NBA. Here, we play against road teams where the line is +3 to -3 after scoring 110 points or more going up against an opponent after a combined score of 235 points or more. This situation is 45-19 ATS (70.3 percent) since 1996. 10* (506) Minnesota Timberwolves

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. This line came out late due to the possible suspension of Chris Paul following the altercation last night with Rajon Rondo and Brandon Ingram although he was not the instigator for the latter. This is the second game of a back-to-back for Houston but the good news is that there is no travel involved but this is a tough spot coming off that emotional win last night against the Lakers. It has not been a great start for the Rockets as despite averaging 118 ppg through the first two games, they are shooting just 44.1 percent from the floor. The real issue is on the other side as Houston is allowing opponents to shoot 50.5 percent and while the season may be young, it is ranked No. 22 in defensive efficiency after finishing last season No. 5 in that category. The Clippers are also 1-1 to start the season following a 16-point win over Oklahoma City on Friday. They lost their season opener against Denver despite outshooting the Nuggets from the floor as free throws were the difference with Denver holding a 33-20 edge from the stripe. The defense has been solid both games against two very strong offense as Los Angeles is allowing just 36.8 percent shooting while its 0.958 defensive efficiency rating is second in the league. 10* (708) Los Angeles Clippers

This is a play on the WASHINGTON WIZARDS for our NBA Saturday Supreme Annihilator. Toronto is off to a 2-0 start and it produced a statement win last night as it rallied from an early deficit to defeat the Celtics by 12 points in a matchup of the likely top two teams in the Eastern Conference. Both wins have come by 12 points, the first coming against Cleveland, and both came at home so this will be the first road game of the season for the Raptors. The chemistry with Kawhi Leonard is already in place as Toronto has a ridiculous 2.05 assist/turnover ratio but that is not going to hold up. Washington is a team that is a mystery despite plenty of talent as it has not met expectations over the last few years. The Wizards opened the season with a disappointing loss at home against Miami by a point despite outshooting the Heat 46.9 percent to 39.2 percent. They were crushed on the boards 55-40 including a 22-7 disadvantage on the offensive glass which led to numerous second chance points for Miami. We can expect a raucous atmosphere at Capital One Arena as it was the Raptors that ended the Wizards season a year ago as they lost in six games in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. The final loss was a Game Six defeat on this floor by 10 points as Toronto outscored Washington 29-14 in the final quarter so revenge is definitely in play tonight. 10* (502) Washington Wizards

This is a play on the BROOKLYN NETS for our NBA Friday Supreme Annihilator. The Nets dropped their season opener by three points in Detroit and it was a pretty solid effort considering they played without DeMarre Carroll, Allen Crabbe and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. Brooklyn only lost by three points despite going 5-27 (18.5 percent) from long range as it was able to attack the rim for easy baskets, namely from Spencer Dinwiddie and Caris LeVert, who helped the team shoot 64 percent from two. The Nets got crushed down low as they had no answers for Pistons starters Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin who combined for 50 points and 28 rebounds but they do not have to worry about that tonight. New York is coming off a season opening blowout win over Atlanta by 19 points but it was not overly dominating as shooting percentages were the same with the difference being 24 turnover from the Hawks. The Knicks hit the road where they were 10-31 last season which was tied for the third worst record in the Eastern Conference. Winning consecutive games was a struggle and it was even more of a struggle in the home and road spots as New York was 2-8 last season on the road following a win at home. While the Knicks did win all four meetings with the Nets last season, they did so with Kristaps Porzingis active for all four games and he scored at least 26 points in three of the four outings against Brooklyn. 10* (704) Brooklyn Nets

This is a play on the PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS for our NBA Thursday Star Attraction. The Blazers enter the 2018-19 season with virtually the same rotation and while that means likely not challenging Golden St. and Houston, it does mean they have a chance to repeat in the Northwest Division. 2017-18 was a bittersweet experience for the Blazers, who were left to wonder how far they could go with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum hauling the load since they won the division but were swept in the first round of the playoffs by New Orleans. Portland lost 20 percent of its three-point shooting to free agency but they signed Seth Curry and Nik Stauskas with the former being a real intriguing option as Curry missed most of last season and is a 43.2 percent long range shooter. The Blazers closed last season 19-6-1 ATS in their last 26 home games with this always being a solid home court edge. The public is lining up on the Lakers and why not? LeBron James is now in Los Angeles and they are getting points to what is considered a middling Western Conference team. While the Lakers have potential, it could take this team a while to come together with James trying to work with his new roster. The biggest question is how the young core will work with the signings of Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson, Michael Beasley and JaVale McGee who all have unique personalities. We will take the team that has the better chemistry at this point at a short price. 10* (506) Portland Trail Blazers

This is a play on the MILWAUKEE BUCKS for our NBA Wednesday Enforcer. Milwaukee put a scare into the Celtics in the first round of the NBA playoffs last season as it took Boston to seven games and showed the future is bright for the Bucks. They fired Jason Kidd early in the season and used an interim coach for the rest of the season but they were able to sway Mike Budenholzer away from Atlanta and he should fit in well. With Giannis Antetokounmpo along with Khris Middleton, the Bucks had a solid two-man tandem and they were aided by Eric Bledsoe who assumed the starting point guard spot. Milwaukee brought in depth down low so it should improve upon its 44-38 record from last season and that first round loss will have them fueled early on. Charlotte failed to make the playoffs once again as it finished 10 games under .500 and it did not make a big splash in free agency so this is a team with a lot of questions still. The Hornets have numerous big money contracts that are tied to little production which did not allow them to go out and find someone to compliment Kemba Walker. Charlotte was average at home last season at 21-20 and this has not ben a good role as the Hornets have gone 2-14 ATS in their last 16 games as home underdogs including a 1-8 ATS record last season. 10* (703) Milwaukee Bucks

This is a play on the PHILADELPHIA 76ERS for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. The NBA season tips off with a pair of teams with lofty goals in the Eastern Conference and a rematch from the postseason last year. The Celtics, who knocked the Sixers out of the playoffs in the second round, are looking at the upcoming season with even more hope and expectation than before. The team made a run to the Eastern Conference finals, where they fell to the Cavaliers, without two of their best players in Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. Both are back and healthy but Hayward will be on a 25-minute limit for the start of the season, according to head coach Brad Stevens. Boston struggled during the preseason and while wins and losses mean nothing, there were some continuity and rotation issues they might have issues with early in the season. Philadelphia had a good preseason led by center Joel Embiid who is starting the season on a healthy note and he averaged 22.9 ppg, 11.0 rpg and 1.8 bpg. Second-year guard Markelle Fultz will join Ben Simmons in the backcourt as a starter. Last season, Fultz missed 68 games with a right shoulder injury but he is good to go after working on his shooting all summer. That means J.J. Reddick is coming off the bench which is a dangerous threat against the Celtics bench. If the playoffs last season are any indication, we should be in for a great game tonight. Boston won in five games with three of the four victories coming by 5, 2 and 2 points. The Celtics finished with a 24-17 record at home which was not great as it was tied for the 11th best home record in the league. They were an amazing 10-0 ATS as home underdogs but just 20-18-4 ATS as home favorites. 10* (501) Philadelphia 76ers

This is a play on the GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS for our Friday NBA Star Attraction. When the buzzer sounded on Wednesday, it was a sign that this series is all but over. Golden St. took a commanding 3-0 lead in this series and if not for a replay overturn and a mammoth Kevin Durant three-pointer, the Cavaliers could actually be leading this series. Instead, they will try to go out with some dignity although that will be tougher than it sounds as the Warriors are by far the superior team. Last season, they were in this same position with a 3-0 lead and Cleveland ended up winning Game Four in what amounted to a "Gentleman's Sweep" but things are a lot different this season. Cleveland does not have Kyrie Irving, who scored 40 points, and the roster is one that is not capable of keeping up for an entire series with the Warriors. Golden St. pulled away late in Game Three to preserve the win and cover and this was with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson going a combined 7-27 from the floor and scoring just 21 points. The rest of the team shot 64.8 percent from the floor. This is one of those games that the whole team comes in clicking which spells bad news for a deflated Cleveland team. The Cavaliers are just 5-19 ATS in their last 24 games coming off a home loss and this spot could be the worst of the bunch. 10* (507) Golden St. Warriors

This is a play on the CLEVELAND CAVALIERS for our NBA Wednesday Enforcer. It can be argued that this series should be tied at 1-1 right now but the Cavaliers are in a hole as was expected coming in. A win here is a must, or this series is definitely over and despite the must win scenario, Cleveland has value on its side in Game Three. The Cavaliers have won their last eight home playoff games after suffering a loss against Indiana in their first game. This is a role they have been much more effective in as they are winning at just a 33 percent clip against the number when favored but they are 17-11-1 ATS as underdogs on the season. The pressure is off Golden St. and that can bring complacency even for a team of its caliber. When the Warriors play to their potential, they are pretty much unbeatable, but the problem is that they do not play to their potential on the road all the time. They are 4-4 on the highway during the postseason with three of those losses coming by double-digits. Additionally, the Warriors are 7-21-1 ATS in their last 29 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points. Cleveland falls into a successful situation where we play on home underdogs after a game where they failed to cover the spread playing just their third game or less in 10 days. This situation is 106-65 ATS (62 percent) since 1996. 10* (506) Cleveland Cavaliers

This is a play on the GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS for our NBA Game of the Week. The Cavaliers had their chance and blew it on Thursday as they let the possibly only opportunity to win a game in this series slip away. That could have put some doubt into the heads of the Warriors but if anything, it now gives them renewed confidence and motivation. Golden St. never covered the number throughout the game, but it is not like it played a bad game. It outshot Cleveland 51.1 percent to 44.4 percent, outshot the Cavaliers from long range and had only seven turnovers compared to the Cavaliers 11 miscues. The difference was rebounding as Cleveland won the rebounding battle 53-38 including 19-4 on the offensive glass. That prevented second chance opportunities on offense for the Warriors and also limited what they could do in transition even though they still racked up 28 fast break points. While Golden St. knows it got away with one, the Cavaliers mental state could be their demise here as the looks on some of the players after Game One was telling. Klay Thompson is questionable which takes away one of their better defenders, but it is the offense that can take this one over as Kevin Durant had a poor game and many questioned his effort. We can expect a big game from him and stop resorting to isolations. Golden St. falls into a great situation as we play against underdogs coming off a road cover where the team lost straight up as an underdog, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .750. This situation is 53-15 (77.9 percent) since 1996. 10* (504) Golden St. Warriors

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. The Celtics once again stumbled on the road as it had a chance to close out this series but was unable to despite outshooting the Cavaliers 51.4 percent to 47.1 percent and getting the fortunes of a missing Kevin Love. They head back home where they are a perfect 10-0 this postseason both straight up and against the number and that is something we would typically fade but the public money is shading the side of Cleveland which is a bit surprising based on what we have seen. Love only played five minutes of Game Six and did not score so what LeBron James did was even more spectacular but repeating that on the road with no supporting cast will be a huge challenge. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Terry Rozier may only have six years of NBA experience among them, but in a seven-game first-round win over Milwaukee, in a five-game second-round win over Philadelphia, and in these first six games against Cleveland, they have shown they can handle the pressure James has won five straight Game Sevens, but his teams have never been as depleted as they are this season. While Boston was unable to avenge its first double-digit loss in this series, it is still 12-1 ATS this season revenging a loss of 10 points or more while going 15-3 ATS revenging a road loss of any kind. 10* (712) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Friday Enforcer. The season is on the line tonight for Cleveland and while the home team has dominated this series through the first five games, we are expecting the first close game of this series to finally take place tonight. Four of the five games have been decided by double-digits, all by at least nine points and the average deficit has been 18 ppg. For the Cavaliers, it has been LeBron James carrying the load, but the workload looks like it is starting to catch up. In the playoffs, James is averaging 40.6 minutes per game and has played more total minutes than anyone in the postseason and he was clearly fatigued in Game Five. He played down concerns of fatigue after the game, but his numbers have dropped off as the games go on so far in the conference finals. No one else has shown the ability to step up for Cleveland and at this point in the series, laying a large number like this is too much as we are getting the better team that is overdue for a strong performance on the road. Despite shooting only 36 percent, the Celtics improved to 10-0 at home in the playoffs as coach Brad Stevens changed his starting lineup, shortened his rotation to seven players and released waves of defenders at James and it obviously worked and now it is up to Boston to get it done away from home. The Cavaliers are 6-18 ATS after a loss by 10 points or more this season while going 2-13 ATS in their last 15 games after scoring 85 points or less. 10* (709) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the HOUSTON ROCKETS for our NBA Thursday Star Attraction. In the first close game of this series, after falling behind by double digits in both the first and third quarters, the Rockets came back both times and eventually pulled out the close victory to regain home court advantage in the Western Conference Finals. It took 5:18 for the Rockets to score their first points of the game, but then outscored the Warriors 53-34, including 38 points from Chris Paul and James Harden and that shows how dangerous this team is and one that can neutralize Golden St. While the pressure may have now shifted to the Houston side as being down 3-2 in this series and going back to Golden St. is a death sentence, the Rockets are still playing with house money which helps to play looser. It can be argued that the pressure still resides in Golden St. as it finds itself in a situation it has never been in since acquiring Kevin Durant. Before this series, the Warriors had gone a combined 24-3 in the playoffs while never losing more than one game in any of the six series. The confidence in Houston is at an all time high as it looked as though it was over after a 41-point loss and then falling behind 12-0 in Game Four, but they refused to give up and have the edge heading back home where the Rockets are 40-9 on the season. 10* (508) Houston Rockets

This is a play on the CLEVELAND CAVALIERS for our NBA Wednesday Enforcer. The Rockets snapped the Warriors 16-game home playoff winning streak last night so can the Cavaliers do the same to the Celtics nine-game home playoff run? The short answer is yes. While the home teams have dominated this series thus far, we are in store for a closer game after the first four games being decided by 19.3 ppg which means a strong chance for a road team to break through. Much has been said about the Cavaliers defense and how it is a liability and while there is no denying that, Cleveland needs its offense to play better in Boston. According to NBA Advanced Stats, the Cavaliers offense improved by a staggering 20.5 points per 100 possessions between Games One-Two and Games Three-Four and as a team, Cleveland shot 19.3 percentage points better from beyond the arc in its two series wins than in its two losses. The defense improved as well over the last two games, but it is the offense that needs to carry this team. The momentum is clearly with Cleveland now and it has the upper hand as Boston is a team that has thrived on youth this postseason and now suddenly looks disoriented without a go-to player and opposite a more veteran squad that has found a new attitude led by LeBron James. We mentioned yesterday that the pressure was on Golden St. despite being up 2-1 in its series and the pressure is now back on the Celtics here despite being back on their home floor. Being such a young and inexperienced team, that pressure will get to them tonight. 10* (707) Cleveland Cavaliers

This is a play on the HOUSTON ROCKETS for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. The call on the Rockets on Sunday was a bad one so coming back with them tonight may not seem prudent, but it is based on the opposite of what conventional wisdom is going by. The pressure is all over the Rockets to win tonight to avoid a 3-1 series deficit right? Not exactly. The Rockets have been written off after their landslide loss Sunday, but he worst has already happened for them and they are now playing with house money. If Golden St. loses, the series is tied with Houston reclaiming home court advantage and it will be without a big piece for tonight that is being overlooked. While not many believe that Andre Iguodala being out is not a big deal, it is a huge deal. Iguodala has proven himself to be a forerunner for the Warriors this year, when he is engaged the way he was engaged in Game Three, his teammates typically follow his lead and the lack of focus that can be attributed to the Warriors at times has a lot to do with Iguodala being engaged. Additionally, no other player on the roster can defend 1-5 like Iguodala, and that could be a huge advantage for the Rockets. Houston committed 19 turnovers in Game Three which was a big part of the 23 fast break points that the Warriors put up and the Rockets are well aware that they cannot let Golden St. go into transition. Despite a huge majority of the betting tickets on the Warriors, the line has actually gone from -8.5 to -8 in some places and this reverse line movement is a telling sign. Houston is 21-9 ATS in its last 30 road games revenging a loss while going 19-6 ATS in its last 25 games revenging a loss of 30 points or more. 10* (505) Houston Rockets

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Monday Enforcer. We had Cleveland on Saturday as it rolled to a 30-point win to cut its deficit in this series in half. That victory was one of all six games in the Conference Finals that have been decided by at least 13 points, four of which have been decided by at least 22 points. These finals are due for a close game and this could be the one as the Celtics look to rebound from a horrible effort in Game Three. They shot just 39.2 percent from the floor including 27.3 percent from long range while the typically stiff defense allowing Cleveland to shoot 48.7 percent and 50 percent respectively. All five Cavaliers starters scored in double-figures for the first in forever and we likely are not going to see that again while watching the Boston defense improve as a whole. Conversely, we will see a regression of the Cavaliers defense which has been horrible most of the season. They contested 76 percent of the Celtics' shots in Game Three, according to data compiled by ESPN Stats & Information, compared to just 58 percent on the shots they contested in Games One and Two. Boston has struggled on the road this postseason but that should be no excuse for the effort put forth and this has been an ideal spot all season long. Boston is 21-4 ATS revenging a loss where opponent scored 100 or more points this season including a perfect 12-0 ATS revenging a loss of 10 points or more. 10* (705) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the HOUSTON ROCKETS for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. With the Rockets winning Game Two by 22 points, people are already giving Game Three to Golden St., but it is not going to be as easy as they think. While the Warriors responded from defeats in the first round to San Antonio and then against the Pelicans in the Western Conference semifinals, this is a much tougher opponent and you cannot ignore the fact Houston won a league-high 31 road games during the regular season and are 3-1 on the road in the postseason. Houston is just 1-4 this season as a road underdog which sounds unappealing but three of those losses came with no Chris Paul in the lineup and the other came when everyone rested in the season finale at Sacramento. The victory was here against Golden St. in the season opener for both teams. The Warriors are 21-5 following a loss but they have only covered 14 of those 26 games due to inflated prices which we again have here. This is another odd betting scenario as 65 percent of bets and 78 percent of money is on Golden St., yet this line had not moved since it came out after Game Two on Wednesday night and has moved only a half-point in some spots. Houston cannot allow Golden St. to get out in transition and that ended up being a big part of the Warriors being able to pull away in Game One as they outscored Houston 18-3 in fast break points. Game Two was a completely different story as the Warriors finished with just seven fast break points and this will again be key in Game Three. 10* (503) Houston Rockets

This is a play on the CLEVELAND CAVALIERS for our NBA Saturday Star Attraction. Cleveland finds itself in a 2-0 hole but al least those first two games were on the road and now it gets back in the series by holding serve on its own home floor. We can see a scenario where the Cavaliers play one of their best games of the postseason amid adversity and then fall flat on Monday with this clearly being the biggest. The three days off in-between Games Two and Three benefits Cleveland more than Boston and not because of any rest factor but because it should fuel a fire for the Cavaliers while the Celtics confidence and momentum take a hit with the time off. Boston is now 9-0 at home in the postseason but this is a different team on the road. The Celtics are 1-4 on the highway and the offense has been the reason for the huge discrepancy. In those nine home games, Boston has shot fewer than 42 percent only once but in the five road games, it has shot below 42 percent four times. We know the Cleveland defense has been trash but all it takes is more effort, especially on its home floor, where it can get back in this series. Cleveland has been here before as just two years ago, it trailed 2-0 and then 3-1 in the NBA Finals to Golden St. before coming back to win in seven games and end the 52-year championship drought. The Cavaliers climb back into the series as we see inspired efforts and not just from LeBron James but from the role players that have been taking so much heat the last three days. 10* (704) Cleveland Cavaliers

This is a play on the HOUSTON ROCKETS for our NBA Wednesday Enforcer. If the Rockets do not win tonight, this series is pretty assured to be over in four games, so this is a must win for Houston to keep any hope alive. They played good for half of Game One, but it was not the typical team effort that we have seen throughout the season and it will take a full team effort to even this series. Ad we think that happens tonight. James Harden takes a lot of heat for coming up small in the postseason but his effort in Game One cannot be understated. He still got grief from a select few gasbags, bashing him for ball-hogging and selfish play. The reality is, he was exceptional and most of his mistakes came from trying to do too much because he had to. One thing we mentioned in the Game One analysis was that Houston cannot allow Golden St. to get out in transition and that ended up being a big part of the Warriors being able to pull away as they outscored Houston 18-3 in fast break points. Despite the win and cover, the Warriors could be vulnerable tonight based on their inconsistent play on the road as since January 20th, they are just 11-11 in their 22 road games. We are aware that they were not at full strength and that Golden St. has only lost twice in the postseason with Kevin Durant Steph Curry on the floor together, but we cannot underestimate what Houston has done this season when healthy as well. Tying up the series is vital, and Houston does it tonight. 10* (502) Houston Rockets

This is a play on the CLEVELAND CAVALIERS for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. We made a horrible call on the Cavaliers in Game One on Sunday as they came out with little energy and were unable to find any shooting touch. They missed their first 14 three-pointers and finished 4-26 from behind the arc. Needless to say, Cleveland needs to shoot better, and we are fully expecting that as it ended up shooting just 36 percent from the floor including only 32.7 percent by the starters. The Celtics boast a strong defense, but it is not that dominant as it was just one of those nights by the Cavaliers. They were not much better on defense as they lost their men and allowed a whopping 60 points in the paint which was a big factor in Boston shooting 51.2 percent from the floor. While the big news was LeBron James having an ineffective game, Kevin Love was neutralized as well and when he is clicking, the whole team plays better. Cleveland was out of it after the first quarter and a big reason for that was because Love sat on the bench for most of it because of two early fouls. Keeping him in the game early will be important. Back on March 27th, Cleveland also went 4-26 from long range against Miami and James took over in the next game by scoring 41 points on 14-26 shooting while pulling down 11 boards and dishing out eight assists. Cleveland now an underdog and on the season, it is 11-4 ATS when getting fewer than five points and here, we play against teams in the second half of the season that are +3 to +7 in scoring differential going up against teams with a +/- 3 scoring differential, after leading in their previous game by 15 or more points at the half. This situation is 51-22 ATS (69.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (701) Cleveland Cavaliers

This is a play on the HOUSTON ROCKETS for our NBA Monday Enforcer. Despite being underdogs in Game One and not having the home court edge, the Warriors are over 2-1 favorites to win this series, so Vegas is telling us something in this opener. We like the Rockets home court edge, especially in the opening game where we typically see great energy from the home team in trying to not give up home court advantage. This is the first time all season that the Warriors are underdogs when both Steph Curry and Kevin Durant are on the floor. Additionally, it's the first time the No. 2 Warriors have been in a playoff series without home-court advantage since 2014 when they lost to the Los Angeles Clippers 4-3 in the opening round. Houston is 50-5 this season in games where James Harden, Chris Paul and Clint Capela have played, and during the regular season, the Rockets outscored their opponents in those games by an average of 11.5 ppg. Taking care of the ball will be vital throughout this series and Houston possesses a turnover rate of 9.8 per 100 possessions which is the second lowest postseason rate in the 41 years since the league started counting turnovers. While that increases productivity on offense, it also decreases fast break opportunities on defense which is important for the Rockets that ranked 22nd in transition defense this season. Golden St. is 9-21 ATS in its last 30 games when playing against a team with a winning record while Houston is 22-8 ATS in its last 30 games coming off a home no-cover where the team won straight up as a favorite. 10* (732) Houston Rockets

This is a play on the CLEVELAND CAVALIERS for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. Boston has gone 7-0 at home during the postseason yet comes in as a home underdog in Game One. That can be considered a value play on the Celtics, but the Cavaliers have found their rhythm as they took care of the Raptors in four games which set up five days of rest in-between games. That is a big deal for Cleveland which played 11 games in 22 days in the first two series, so this unexpected time off came at a great time. LeBron James is obviously the key for Cleveland as he has carried his team on his back in the playoffs as he has averaged 34.3 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 9.0 apg, 1.5 spg and 1.0 bpg. Boston has been his favorite target in the postseason as he has scored 979 points against the Celtics in the postseason, which is the most by any player in NBA history. The Cavaliers took out Boston in five games last season and James averaged 29.6 ppg, 6.8 apg, 6.4 rpg, 2.2 spg, and 1.2 bpg and he put up at least 30 points in all four of their wins. Although lost in the LeBron hype has been the improved play of Kevin Love who has regained his touch as he averaged 25 ppg and 11 rpg in the last three games against Toronto. The Celtics defense was tremendous during the regular season, but they have taken a big step back as they are allowing 105.8 points per 100 possessions after giving up just 101.5 ppg during the regular season. Cleveland won here in the last meeting in February by 22 points and Boston had Kyrie Irving at the time while this puts the Cavaliers in a great situation. We play against home underdogs that are revenging a loss of 20 points or more, off a home win by three points or less. This situation is 34-8 ATS (81 percent) since 1996. 10* (733) Cleveland Cavaliers

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Wednesday Enforcer. The Sixers kept the series alive with a win on Monday to send it back to Boston for Game Five and while momentum could be on their side, the Celtics have the overall edges to close out this series at home. It comes down to one thing for Boston and it is really simple, shoot the ball better. Turnovers were an issue Monday, but the decline has been mostly about the Celtics' shooting, and mostly about their shooting from beyond the arc. After shooting 32-for-71 (45 percent) from three-point range in Games One and Two, the Celtics shot 21-for-70 (30 percent) from long range in Games Three and Four. A return home definitely helps. Thus far in the postseason, the Celtics have been 11.5 points per 100 possessions better offensively at home (where they've averaged 111.4 ppg) than they've been on the road (99.9 ppg). Five of their six best offensive games of the playoffs have come at TD Garden, where they're 6-0. A win would close this series out at the opportune time with Cleveland already heading to the Eastern Conference Finals so close to equal rest is ideal. The Sixers are just three games over .500 on the road while the Celtics remain extremely tough at home with a 33-14 record. Boston is 10-0 ATS revenging a double-digit loss more this season and it falls into a solid situation where we play on home teams where the line is +3 to -3 after a game where they failed to cover the spread, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .750. This situation is 165-104 ATS (61.3 percent) since 1996. 10* (712) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the HOUSTON ROCKETS for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. After Utah tied this series with a win in Houston in Game Two, the Rockets went full steam ahead on the road and swept both games in Utah by double-digits. That pretty much put an end to this series and the Rockets know that ending this series tonight is imperative with Golden St. likely doing the same against New Orleans. Houston was not great in Game Four on offense as it shot just 42 percent including 26.3 percent from long range, but it was the defense that did the job and that underrated unit does not get enough recognition. When the Rockets put the clamps on teams like they did in Games Three and Four, they are difficult to beat even when they have one of their worst shooting performances of the year. Houston limited Utah to 40.1 percent shooting in Games Three and Four, including 31 percent from behind the arc. Utah put together a special season after a slow start, but it does not have the horses to compete in a full series against a team like the Rockets, especially with Ricky Rubio sitting and he has already been downgraded to out for tonight. Houston is 20-9 ATS in its last 29 games when playing against a team with a winning percentage between .501 and .600 while the Jazz are 2-6 ATS in their last eight games following a double-digit loss at home. Additionally, we play against road underdogs that are outscoring their opponents by three or more ppg going up against an opponent after leading their last two games by 10 or more points at the half. This situation is 34-12 ATS (73.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (506) Houston Rockets

This is a play on the PHILADELPHIA 76ERS for our NBA Monday Enforcer. While this series is likely over, the Sixers are not going down without a fight and a win could spark something. This series could easily be 2-1 Philadelphia as it blew a 22-point lead in Game Two and then lost in overtime in Game Three so while it is in a hole, it knows it can compete and remain alive for at least two more days. Given the way Game Three ended, with a couple of crucial turnovers in the closing moments, it might seem difficult look at the good things, but the reality is that the Sixers did enough things right in the first 46 minutes of the game that it never should have come down to the final seven. The turnovers were key, but Philadelphia has to close better down low as it missed 14 shots within four feet, so the game should not have even come down to the final seconds and when these shots fall tonight, Game Five will be necessary. What really makes this play stand out is the fact that the line is 2.5 points less than what it closed at in Game Three, so the value is on the home side. The revenge angle is in play as we back home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points that are playing with double revenge against opponent off an upset win over a division rival as an underdog. This situation is 52-22 ATS (70.3 percent) since 1996. 10* (502) Philadelphia 76ers

This is a play on the GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. New Orleans stole Game Three of this series as it played a solid game offensively, shooting 50 percent from the floor and it held the Golden St. offense in check. The Warriors shot just 38 percent including only 29 percent from long range and we do not see them having a second straight poor game on offense. We expected the Pelicans to be more in line from the charity stripe, but they were once again outshot considerably and in the three games, Golden St. is 67-85 while New Orleans is just 25-32 and another significant advantage for the Warriors will be detrimental, especially if the Warriors shoot the ball better from the floor. One player we can expect to be better is Steph Curry as he scored only 19 points while shooting only 6-of-19 from the field and 3-of-9 from three-point range in 27 minutes. It was acknowledged that Game Two is always the worst coming back from injury for whatever reason and that was on full display after he came off the bench in his first game back. While New Orleans did not play a perfect game, it was a near perfect gameplan against the Warriors and duplicating that will be tough. going back, New Orleans is 2-14 ATS in its last 16 games off an upset win by 15 points or more as a home underdog and Golden St. falls into a fantastic situation where we play on favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points in the second half of the season with a scoring differential of +3 to +7 ppg going up against a team with a scoring differential of +/- 3 ppg, after allowing 110 points or more two straight games. This situation is 29-8 ATS (78.4 percent) since 1996. 10* (705) Golden St. Warriors

This is a play on the CLEVELAND CAVALIERS for our NBA Saturday Enforcer. Toronto had chances to win each of the first two games of this series, but it blew big leads in both and now finds itself in a hole that will be near impossible to get out of. Cleveland has the Raptors number and even though this is far from the strong Cavaliers teams of the past, they should continue to dominate this series, especially heading back home. The Cavaliers are 9-1 at home against the Raptors over the last three years in the regular season and postseason while riding an eight-game playoff winning streak against Toronto and are 21-3 at The Q against Eastern Conference playoff opponents. For the second straight game, the Cavaliers have had a significant advantage in points scored off turnovers and through the first two games, Cleveland is outscoring the Raptors 34-8 on points scored off turnovers. That is significant since those games were on the road and the home/road splits favor Cleveland even more. History is not on the side of Toronto as twenty-six teams have lost the first two games at home in a best-of-seven series and just five have come back to win the series with Game Three losses coming 17 times. The Cavaliers are 5-0 ATS in their last five games against teams with a winning percentage above .600 while the Raptors are 2-11 ATS in their last 13 games revenging a straight up loss as a favorite of seven or more points. Additionally, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points off a double-digit loss as a home favorite of 6 or more, with a winning record playing another winning team. This situation is 24-6 ATS (80 percent) since 1996. 10* (704) Cleveland Cavaliers

This is a play on the NEW ORLEANS PELICANS for our NBA Friday Enforcer. The Pelicans are in a 2-0 hole in this series which was expected as the Warriors have now won 14 straight home playoff games. After sweeping the Blazers, many are expecting the Pelicans to get ousted in four games, but we expect them to steal at least one game and this is the one to get. New Orleans played good in Game Two as it was in it the whole game but a late 9-0 run from Golden St. put the game away. The Pelicans have a very underrated offense as they finished No. 8 in the NBA in offensive efficiency and they are shooting close to 50 percent from the floor in the postseason. The difference in this series has not been Golden St. taking control on offense or defense, but it has been from the free throw line. The Warriors are 46-59 from the charity stripe while the Pelicans are just 16-20 so the disparity is enormous, and we can expect a regression toward the mean with New Orleans heading back home. Golden St. is as healthy as it has been all season which is bad news for the rest of the NBA but it has not been good all season when playing against winning teams as it is 17-32 ATS against above .500 teams while going just 2-10 ATS in their last 12 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. Meanwhile, the Pelicans are 24-8 ATS in their last 32 home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. Additionally, we play against road favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points after a win by six points or less going up against an opponent after scoring 100 points or more in four straight games. This situation is 34-14 ATS (70.8 percent) since 1996. 10* (514) New Orleans Pelicans

This is a play on the PHILADELPHIA 76ERS for our NBA Thursday Enforcer. The Sixers came up small in Game One of this series as they looked lethargic and had no sense of urgency to take an early lead in this series. Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons both played well but no one else showed up as take away their 18-32 shooting, the rest of the team went 17-51 (33.3 percent) including a horrid 3-21 (14.3 percent) from long range. Defensively, the Sixers were just as bad as they allowed 17 three-pointers while Terry Rozier, Al Horford and Jason Tatum all posted postseason career highs in scoring. Amazingly, it was the first time that three Celtics players scored 25 or more points in a non-overtime postseason game since Boston's original Big Three of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish did so in 1987. The Sixers appeared to come in overconfident after their easy series win over Miami while Boston had to go the distance against Milwaukee, so it was human nature to come in and not take a team as serious as they should. We expect the effort to be much different tonight and it is going to be a tough task for Boston to play as good as it did in the opener. Philadelphia has responded well in the past as it is 19-6 in its last 25 games coming off a double-digit road loss and is has a solid situation in its favor as we play against home underdogs after successfully covering the spread in two or more consecutive games, with a winning record on the season playing another winning team. This situation is 69-35 (66.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (509) Philadelphia 76ers

This is a play on the UTAH JAZZ for our NBA Wednesday Star Attraction. Houston took Game One of this series on Sunday, but we felt good with the Utah pick even though it did not cover, and it is good enough to back the Jazz again. Utah shot 50 percent from the floor which was close to five percent higher than the Rockets, but the difference was long range shooting as Houston hit 53.1 percent of its shots from beyond the arc compared to just 31.8 percent for the Jazz. We do not expect that to happen again while we expect the two-point shooting to hold form although maybe not as extreme as Utah held the edge there on Sunday 57.4 percent to 40 percent and that is a huge variance for a much higher percentage shot. The Jazz played better than what the final score indicated as a lot that could be attributed to first game jitters as they got behind big early and could not recover. We saw a similar situation last night as New Orleans trailed by 21 points at halftime in Game One but responded with a solid effort in Game Two. A similar outcome should be expected tonight. Houston is 1-10 ATS in its last 11 games after covering three straight games as a favorite and Utah falls into a solid contrarian situation as we play on road underdogs of 10 or more points after failing to cover the spread in two or more consecutive games going up against an opponent after successfully covering the spread in two or more consecutive games. This situation is 53-32 (62.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (507) Utah Jazz

This is a play on the TORONTO RAPTORS for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. Many are calling this the biggest playoff game in Toronto history and it is hard to argue that fact. The Cavaliers have dispatched the Raptors each of the last two years, winning in six games in the 2016 Eastern Conference Finals and sweeping them in the second-round last season. Setting the tone in the opening game is huge for Toronto in trying to solve the postseason problems with Cleveland. One huge edge going into tonight is the fact the Raptors will be the more rested team, having wrapped up their first-round series against the Wizards in six games on Friday while Cleveland needed seven games to defeat Indiana which ended on Sunday. The Cavaliers are not a very good team right now as it is LeBron James and that is about it and while he can take over a game by himself, the challenge will be more difficult here. They struggled in all three games in Indiana and now they face the team with the best record in the Eastern Conference as Toronto is now 37-7 at Air Canada Centre including three wins over Washington in the first round. The Cavaliers are 6-15 ATS in their last 21 road games against teams with a winning home record and while Cleveland has been very good as an undog this season, it has been an underdog of six points or more only once and that resulted in a loss and non-cover in Portland. The Raptors fall into an excellent playoff situation as we play against underdogs as a No. 4 seed in the playoffs, in the 1st game of a playoff series. This situation is 22-4 ATS (84.6 percent) since 1996. 10* (558) Toronto Raptors

This is a play on the PHILADELPHIA 76ERS for our NBA Monday Star Attraction. Philadelphia is coming off a 4-1 series win over Miami and it dominated with three of those wins coming by 13, 20 and 27 points and this team is peaking at the right time. The Sixers have now won 20 of their last 21 games while going back, they are 31-6 over their last 37 games so this is a very dangerous team for the teams ahead of them in the standings. Philadelphia had the most efficient starting five in the NBA this season and while Boston got the best of Philadelphia during the regular season as it won three of four meetings, the last one came in mid-January and both teams are much different since then. The Celtics survived a hard-fought series against Milwaukee with the home team winning all seven games. Boston is an elite defensive team however Philadelphia will be a much harder team to defend than Milwaukee. Philadelphia uses constant movement offensively, has an inside game to complement their outside shooters and it hits the offensive boards hard, something Milwaukee did not do. The Jaylen Brown injury for Boston is significant as it was able to produce without him against the Bucks, but it will be a much bigger challenge in this matchup as he is listed as doubtful for tonight. coming off a big win is no issue for the Sixers as they are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 games following a double-digit win and they have a great situation on their side where we play against teams where the line is +3 to -3 that are revenging a straight up loss as a favorite going up against an opponent after a cover as a double-digit favorite. This situation is 33-8 ATS (80.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (555) Philadelphia 76ers

This is a play on the UTAH JAZZ for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. Houston cruised in its first-round series against Minnesota as it lost just the one game on the road and while the opponent now may not seem like a big roadblock heading toward the faceoff against Golden St., it is not going to be easy. Everyone expected Houston to be here but not the same group expected Utah to be here, but this is a sneaky Jazz team that plays the patented playoff basketball. The Jazz won 29 of their last 35 games in the regular season, with the league's best defense (by a wide margin) and the 11th ranked offense over that time. The loss of Ricky Rubio is not ideal for sure but that only gives Donovan Mitchell the opportunity to step up even more. Rubio played only seven minutes on Friday before leaving with a hamstring injury, so Mitchell took over with 38 points and these opportunities look to be right in his wheelhouse. The Houston offense has been the focal point for most of the season, but it is the only team in the playoffs that is getting outshot on the season and no one is paying attention to that. The Jazz took 75 percent of their shots from the restricted area or three-point range and only the Rockets (81 percent) had a higher rate in the first round. Houston took all four meetings this season against Utah by double-digits but three of those took place in 2017 when Utah was a different team while the final game in February was closer than the final score indicated. Here, we play on double-digit road underdogs that are revenging a home loss after a cover as a double-digit favorite. This situation is 40-18 (69 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (553) Utah Jazz

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Saturday Enforcer. The home team has held serve in all six games of this series thus far and we expect that to continue through the final game. Typically, this could be a good contrarian play to back the Bucks but there is too much going on the Celtics side especially with Milwaukee coming off a hot shooting night. The last game played here on Sunday was a very similar setup with the Bucks coming off a game where they shot 52.1 percent from the floor which was over 10 percent better than the Celtics. Boston locked down on defense which we anticipate happening again tonight as Boston looks to improve upon its 30-14 home record. Three-point shooting has been a main ingredient to the success of the home team in this series as Milwaukee shoots 7.6 percent better at home than on the road while the Celtics are almost identical with a 7.3 percent differential favoring the home floor. During the regular season, the Celtics were No. 1 in the league allowing teams to shoot just 33.9 percent from long range and after allowing the Bucks to hit just 27.3 percent at home in Game Five, we will another strong defensive effort. While history cannot dictate future outcomes, it is important to note how big home court is in series elimination games as there have been just 26 Game Seven road winners in 128 games in NBA playoff history with the home team winning close to 80 percent of the time. Boston has lost 10 games this season by double-digits where it has had a chance for payback. It has gone 9-0 ATS in the previous nine opportunities with the tenth being tonight. 10* (702) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the INDIANA PACERS for our NBA Friday Enforcer. The Pacers came through on Wednesday as they rallied from a 12-point deficit and had a chance to pull off the upset but a no call on a goaltend by LeBron James set up the game winning possession for the Cavaliers. James finished with a 44-10-8 line and was 15-15 from the free throw line and yet it still took a last second shot to win which shows how dependent Cleveland is on just one player and that is not a good sign in the postseason. As mentioned on Wednesday, this has been an Indiana dominated series based on the fact the Cavaliers have not run away with any game. Cleveland and Indiana have played nine times this season with five of those games resulting in wins by the Pacers, three of those games resulting in wins by the Cavaliers by three, three and four points and the final game resulting in a Cleveland win by seven points. Indiana has covered four of the five games in this series and it could be five-for-five, but it blew a golden opportunity in Game Four at home to take a 3-1 series lead so now it needs to take care of business at home to extend. The Cavaliers are 11-22 ATS this season against teams shooting 46 percent or better from the floor and we play against teams where the line is +3 to -3 (that are allowing 103 or more ppg, after a win by three points or less. This situation is 94-49 ATS (65.7 percent) since 1996. 10* (512) Indiana Pacers

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Thursday Enforcer. We won with Boston on Tuesday in the pivotal Game Five as the Celtics grabbed a 3-2 series lead heading back to Milwaukee. The key to the victory was defense. The Bucks shot 54.2 percent from the floor heading into Game Five and over the last three decades, only three other teams shot better through the first four games of a playoff series. On Tuesday, they hit only 36.7 percent of their shots and it was no coincidence. The return of Marcus Smart was the main cause as his offensive line was average but there was the defense on Khris Middleton, who had shot the lights out in the four previous games but was held to 23 points on 21 shots. Semi Ojeleye was inserted into the starting lineup not for his offense as his strength and positioning kept Giannis Antetokounmpo off balance as he was unable to drive and was held to just 16 points on 10 shots. That defense will be important again tonight. Boston went 17-13 while Smart was sidelined with his hand and thumb injury and it is 41-16 with him in the lineup. The Celtics have covered four of the five games in this series which has extended the recent situations as Boston is now 28-14 ATS against winning teams while Milwaukee is 8-18 ATS in its last 26 games against teams with a winning record. Additionally, the Bucks are 4-15 ATS as home favorites of six points or less this season. 10* (501) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER for our NBA Wednesday Supreme Annihilator. Oklahoma City closed the regular season strong by going 11-5 over their final 16 games with all five losses all coming by four points or less and it then took Game One of this series against Utah. It has been all downhill since then as the Thunder have dropped the last three games to fall behind 3-1 and now must reel off their own three-game winning streak to win this series and they are more than capable of doing that. Russell Westbrook is unfairly taking the blame for this meltdown and while his shots have not been falling, he is doing the other things which he has done all season. Carmelo Anthony is doing nothing for Oklahoma City yet is not taking nearly as much flack despite going 17-46 (37 percent) from the floor including 4-19 (21 percent) from long range and grabbing a total of just 19 rebounds and handing out zero assists during this three-game slide. The due factor is never part of backing a team since there is no substance behind it but Anthony is due more than anybody which would be an added bonus. Westbrook and Paul George can take over a game and we expect that here as the Thunder are not prepared to go home yet. We are seeing a reverse line move in this one as this game opened at -3 and has gone to -3.5 despite a huge percentage of the money coming in on the Jazz. 10* (716) Oklahoma City Thunder

This is a play on the INDIANA PACERS for our NBA Wednesday Star Attraction. The Pacers let one get away on Sunday and according to some of the media gasbags, they lost their chance to win this series which is the furthest from the truth. Cleveland and Indiana have played eight times this season with five of those games resulting in wins by the Pacers, two of those games resulting in wins by the Cavaliers by three and four points and the final game resulting in a Cleveland win by seven points. Clearly, the Cavaliers are again overpriced as Indiana has shown all season that it can play with and beat Cleveland, but this number is priced on home team public action. This is a situation where most of the betting tickets are on the Pacers by a 2-1 margin but the money on the Indiana side is 90 percent, indicating the smart money is on the Pacers side. While Cleveland has struggled with Indiana this season except for one win by seven points, it has struggled in this situation all season against most teams. The Cavaliers are 11-21 ATS this season against teams shooting 46 percent or better from the floor while going 3-16 ATS as home favorites between 6.5 and 12 points. Indiana meanwhile is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games against winning teams and it has covered six straight games following a loss. Additionally, we play on road teams allowing 103 or more ppg, after trailing their last two games by double-digits at halftime. This situation is 150-89 ATS (62.8 percent) since 1996. 10* (711) Indiana Pacers

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Tuesday Supreme Annihilator. The home team has held serve through the first four games of this series and we expect that to continue Tuesday. The Celtics are 29-14 at home while the Bucks are five games under .500 and on the season, Boston is 14-7 ATS at home against winning teams. One key factor Boston has dominated in this series is the offensive glass. The Celtics have won the offensive rebounding battle against the Bucks in all four games and by a combined 53-21. This sets up a lot more second chance opportunities where they need to continue to take advantage of. During the regular season, the Celtics were No. 1 in the league allowing teams to shoot just 33.9 percent from long range. In the playoffs, they are dead last, allowing the Bucks to shoot 43.6 percent. Milwaukee was no where near that percentage during the regular season, so we can expect some regression. On the flip side, Boston is shooting below its average from beyond the arc and the last two games have been especially bad, so the return home will help. Boston is 18-4 ATS this season revenging a loss where the opponent scored 100 or more points while Milwaukee is just 18-30 ATS in its last 48 games coming off a home win. Additionally, we play on teams where the line is +3 to -3 after allowing 100 points or more two straight games going up against an opponent after a win by three points or less. This situation is 61-27 ATS (69.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (702) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the HOUSTON ROCKETS for our NBA Monday Enforcer. We were on the Timberwolves on Saturday as they cut the Houston deficit in this series in half, but we are expecting the Rockets to respond and retake control. Part of the reason for backing the Timberwolves in Game Three was the fact it was the first home playoff game in Minnesota is 13 years and while letdown may be the wrong term here, there is little chance there is as much energy as there was on Saturday night. As mentioned, the Rockets were unconscious in the first two games of this series from long range, going a combined 38-82 (46.3 percent) but they were just 5-41 (36.6 percent) in Game Three and we expect a reversal of that especially from James Harden who is 4-18 over the last two games from behind the arc. A turnaround on defense can also be expected as Minnesota shot 50 percent from the floor and put up 121 points in Game Three, but the Timberwolves averaged 91.5 ppg in the first two games and shot just 38.8 percent from the field in Game Two. Houston dominated this series during the regular season as well and the loss on Saturday was just the third over the last 23 meetings. The Rockets have been excellent at payback as they are 19-9 ATS in their last 28 games revenging a loss while going 18-7 ATS in their last 25 road games after allowing 115 points or more. Meanwhile, Minnesota is 13-26 ATS in its last 39 games after scoring 115 or more points in its previous game. 10* (509) Houston Rockets

This is a play on the Cleveland CAVALIERS for our NBA Sunday Supreme Annihilator. The Cavaliers are once again in a hole as they lost Game Three and as the series goes on, the games following a loss become that much more important. This series has been made up of runs by both sides as the Pacers had it in Game One, the Cavaliers had it in Game Two, and they shared it in Game Three, with Indiana having it last to take the series lead. Cleveland has been down 3-1 before and came back to win but that is not an ideal situation but the pressure here is on Indiana as a 2-2 series going back to Cleveland puts the Pacers in a bad spot. The Cleveland defense has stepped it up in this series and it is the offense that has looked uneven as LeBron James has been the only consistent threat thus far. There is concern that point guard George Hill could mis this game but that would not be a bad thing as he brings nothing to the table. He is averaging 8.7ppg and 1.7 apg in this series which are horrible for a point guard and when he was out earlier in the season, Cleveland went 4-1 with the lone loss coming by two points at Philadelphia. Here, we play against teams where the line is +3 to -3 that are allowing 103 or more ppg, after a win by three points or less. This situation is 93-49 ATS (65.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (507) Cleveland Cavaliers

This is a play on the WASHINGTON WIZARDS for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. We saw how good Washington can be when both John Wall and Bradley Beal are playing well together, and more importantly, on the floor together. They scored a combined 56 points on 52.4 percent shooting on Friday after both sat out for long stretches in Game Two because of foul trouble. The home floor energized the entire team in Game Three and we expect that to carry over where the Wizards are now 4-1 ATS in their last five games at home. Toronto can take over this series with a win and while its 24-17 road record looks good, it is skewed. Going back to December 26, the Raptors are 14-10 in their last 24 road games which is respectable, but they are 11-1 in that stretch against non-playoff teams while going 3-9 against teams that are still playing. Following the Friday loss, the Raptors are 6-11 ATS on the road against teams with a winning record including 1-5 ATS in their last six games. Meanwhile, the Wizards are 4-1 ATS in their last five home games against teams with a winning road record and they have a situation on their side as we play against road teams where the line is +3 to -3 that have covered six or seven of their last eight games, with a winning record on the season. This situation is 76-39 ATS (66.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (506) Washington Wizards

This is a play on the MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES for our NBA Saturday Enforcer. Like the Wizards in their series against a No. 1 seed, the Timberwolves have their backs against the wall, but a return home should energize them and get them back into the series. Houston showed its depth in Game One as James Harden scored only 12 points on 2-18 shooting, but the Rockets were still able to win by 20 points. Second chance points were a big part of that game for Houston and that has to change and the one player than can turn that around is Karl Anthony-Towns. He has been held in check as he has scored just 13 points combined but has decent on the boards but can still improve there as well. The Timberwolves are 30-11 at home and while two of those losses came against Houston, the rockets were unconscious in both of those games from long range, going a combined 38-82 (46.3 percent) and we do not see that continuing here. This is the first home playoff game in 13 years for Minnesota so to say it will be a crazy atmosphere is an understatement. The Timberwolves are 15-7-1 ATS in their last 23 home games while the Rockets have failed to cover their last four road games and are 1-7 ATS in their last eight game against the Western Conference. Here, we play on home underdogs after a game where they failed to cover the spread, playing their third game or less games in 10 days. This situation is 105-65 ATS (61.8 percent) since 1996. 10* (722) Minnesota Timberwolves

This is a play on the PHILADELPHIA 76ERS for our NBA Saturday Afternoon Dominator. The Sixers had their 17-game winning streak snapped at home in Game Two of this series because of a memorable performance from Dwyane Wade off the bench as he poured in 28 points, the first time he has scored more than 13 points since early March. He did not come close to backing that up in Game Three and no one on this team has the ability to step up right now. With Joel Embiid back on the floor, Philadelphia showed what a dominant team it has become as it shot 50.6 percent from the floor in its 20-point win on Thursday in Game Three. Miami did defeat the Sixers at home twice during the regular season and a main reason for that was the play of Hassan Whiteside, but he has been nonexistent in this series as he has scored a combined 11 points in the three games as he continues to deal with foul troubles and a place in the doghouse with head coach Eric Spoelstra. The Sixers are 22-11 ATS in their last 33 games coming off a road win and 21-11 ATS in their 32 games this season coming off a double-digit win. Additionally, we play against home teams in April games coming off a home loss by 20 or more points. This situation is 41-15 ATS (73.2 percent) since 1996. 10* (717) Philadelphia 76ers

This is a play on the WASHINGTON WIZARDS for our NBA Friday Enforcer. Washington has dug itself into a 0-2 hole in this series with tonight being a must win situation. We saw the Spurs and Blazers unable to get back into their respective series, but Washington is in a very doable situation as it heads back home. The Toronto offense has been the story of this series as it has averaged 122 ppg on 52.4 percent shooting which has covered up the fact that Washington has been pretty solid on that side of the ball (109.6 points per 100 possessions, fifth-best out of the 16 playoff teams through two games). This is excellent considering Bradley Beal has been absent through the two games and we should see him get his game going tonight. Letting Toronto win the first two games comfortably was surprising as while the Wizards struggled all season with teams with records under .500, they knocked off nine playoff-bound opponents after the All Star Break. Toronto has been a strong road team this season, but the Wizards are 5-2 ATS in their last seven home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. Additionally, we play on home teams with a winning percentage between .501 and .600 where the line is +3 to -3 that are coming off two or more consecutive road losses, playing a winning team. This situation is 80-43 ATS (65 percent) since 1996. 10* (714) Washington Wizards

This is a play on the SAN ANTONIO SPURS for our NBA Thursday Enforcer. Golden St. has dominated the first two games of this series, winning by 21 and 15 points and it is a big public consensus again tonight as not many are giving the Spurs any chance in this series to win a game. This is the game to win as San Antonio heads home where it is 33-8 on the season including 11 straight wins. This recent winning streak includes victories against eight current playoff teams although the win over Golden St. does come with an asterisk as none of the big four played, but all the others were legit. The Spurs offense will have to get better and it has been much more efficient at home this season and they have been a great bounce back team as they are 18-5 ATS in their last 23 home games after three straight games where they shot 42 percent or worse from the floor. Despite the two recent covers, Golden St. is 4-14 ATS in its last 18 games against teams with a winning percentage between .501 and .600 while going 3-11 ATS in its 14 games this season coming off two or more consecutive home wins. Additionally, we play on home teams with a winning percentage between .501 and .600 where the line is +3 to -3, coming off two or more consecutive road losses, playing a winning team. This situation is 80-42 ATS (65.6 percent) since 1996. 10* (528) San Antonio Spurs

This is a play on the Cleveland CAVALIERS for our NBA Wednesday Supreme Annihilator. We won with Indiana on Sunday in a wire-to-wire victory, but we will be backing the Cavaliers tonight in a bounce back situation. This goes along with the bounce angle, or zig-zag theory, in the NBA playoffs which has been an up and down philosophy over the years. The theory is to back the team that lost the previous game and while it was highly successful years ago, linesmakers have adjusted more recently so these zig-zag spots have to be chosen more carefully. One of those is tonight. The loser of Game One is just 1-4 ATS in Game Two thus far but tonight we have a situation that involves reverse line movement. As of Wednesday morning, over 60 percent of tickets and money are on the Pacers, yet the line is moving the other way and backing the lesser bet team has paid off in the postseason despite what may seem like a bad line. Since 2005, playoff favorites receiving 40 percent or fewer of spread tickets have gone 31-17-2 ATS (64.6%) when there is reverse line movement, which is the case for Cleveland. The Cavaliers cannot shoot any worse than they did in Game One as they shot 38.5 percent from the floor including a ridiculous 25 percent from outside of five feet. You will hear some media talking about how Indiana shot lights out but that was not the case it shot below its season average and that was against what is considered a bad defense. It comes down to Cleveland shooting tonight. Additionally, we play on favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points off two or more consecutive home losses, in April games. This situation is 37-11 ATS (77.1 percent) since 1996. 10* (518) Cleveland Cavaliers

This is a play on the WASHINGTON WIZARDS for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. Washington played Toronto tough for three quarters but a flagrant foul by Mike Scott early in the fourth quarter gave the Raptors a spark which led to a 7-0 run that eventually put the game away. The win snapped a 10-game losing streak of series opening losses so while that gives Toronto some positive momentum, the Wizards are in a good spot to keep another game close and this time throughout the entire contest. A big key for Washington is John Wall as he put up decent numbers in Game One, but he needs to be more efficient. He needed 20 field-goal attempts to get his 23 points, and his 15 assists came attached to five turnovers. One of the biggest differences in Game One was the shooting from the perimeter, as the Raptors doubled the Wizards with a franchise playoff best 16 made three-pointers on 30 attempts. We expect that percentage to come down in Game Two. Despite the win and cover, the Raptors are 1-5-1 ATS in their last seven home games against teams with a losing road record. Additionally, we play on road underdogs after failing to cover five or six of their last seven games against the spread going up against an opponent after having covered two of their last three games against the spread. This situation is 178-114 (61 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (705) Washington Wizards

This is a play on the INDIANA PACERS for our NBA Sunday Star Attraction. Many are predicting the Cavaliers to once again make it our of the east and while that is not a bold statement, the gap between the Cavaliers and every other team has shrunk. They are laying a number they do not deserve to be laying as the power rankings do not call for it and neither does the Cleveland history from this season as it is 3-14 ATS as a home favorite between 6.5 and 12 points. The Cavaliers have 19 wins over top 16 teams in the league and that is tied for third fewest among all playoff teams (Indiana has 21). The Pacers bring some momentum into the postseason as they have won seven of their last 10 which includes the season ending loss where the starter sat and going back, they are 14-7 since the start of March and 18-9 since mid-February. Indiana held its own against the Cavaliers this season, winning three of the four meetings which could make this a very interesting series and one that will not be as easy as some may think and a lot of that will come down to the poor Cleveland defense. Here, we play against home favorites after allowing 100 points or more in five straight games going up against an opponent after scoring 55 points or more in the first half in two straight games. This situation is 59-26 (69.4 percent) since 1996. 10* (511) Indiana Pacers

This is a play on the PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS for our NBA Saturday Enforcer. We won with the Blazers in their final regular season game as they were able to lock down the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference but more importantly, they put an end to their four-game losing streak. It was a difficult stretch leading up to Wednesday as seven of their previous nine games were on the road where they finished 21-20 on the season. Portland has to take advantage of its home floor and it has been hot, covering 20 of their last 27 home games. Additionally, they are 15-3 ATS in their last 18 games against teams allowing 106 or more ppg with the average scoring margin being more than 10 ppg. New Orleans won its final five games of the regular season to nail down a playoff spot. Three of those games were on the road and while a win over Golden St. was good, the Warriors have not been the same team. The Pelicans lost their previous three road games against playoff teams and while the road has been good overall, they are just 7-22 ATS in their last 29 road games coming off a double-digit win. They fall into a negative situation where we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points off a divisional win by 20 points or more going up against an opponent off a home win. This situation is 33-12 ATS (73.3 percent) since 1996. 10* (508) Portland Trailblazers

This is a play on the PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS for our NBA Wednesday Enforcer. Several games tonight have playoff implications but only four of those involve both teams playing for something. This is one of those as Portland and Utah are playing for seeding and while it is more important for Utah since a loss and a win by Oklahoma City drops it into fifth place, we feel it is bigger for the Blazers just from a mental standpoint. They have lost their last four games although all of those were on the road including the final three against playoff teams. It was not that long ago that the Blazers won 13 consecutive games so ending the regular season on a 4-8 run is the last thing they want. They are 27-13 at home and the Blazers are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 games against teams with a winning straight up record. This is a huge game for the Jazz as mentioned but they could not be in a worse spot due to who they are playing and coming off a 40-point win over the Warriors last night. Utah has won six straight games to get into this position, but this is the first back-to-back over this stretch. While the Jazz are 7-0 in the second of a back-to-back at home, they are just 3-5 on the road and they have failed to cover their last four games playing with no rest. Additionally, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points that are revenging a home loss of 10 points or more, off a home win by 10 points or more. This situation is 114-62 ATS (64.8 percent) since 1996. 10* (720) Portland Trailblazers

This is a play on the WASHINGTON WIZARDS for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. There are two teams in action tonight that are playing for something as Philadelphia needs to win to move back a game in front of Cleveland for the No. 3 seed while Washington is looking to get out of the No. 8 spot. The Wizards are a half-game behind Miami and a win here and tomorrow against Atlanta could vault them up as the Heat face Toronto in their final game. The No. 7 spot is big as that teams would face Boston in the first round with the Celtics being the weakest of the top four teams with home court advantage. Washington could use some momentum as well as it has lost four straight games, all of which took place since John Wall returned but that is a bit skewed as he rested in two of those and the other two were on the road in Cleveland and Houston. Boston is playing out the string of the regular season as it remains without Kyrie Irving and Marcus Smart and it comes into tonight losers of three of its last four games. This is an instance where we are seeing reverse line movement as the public is on Boston and it is the biggest road consensus of the night, yet we are seeing the number move the other way. Going back, Washington is 83-53 ATS in its last 136 games coming off an upset loss as a favorite. 10* (506) Washington Wizards

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS for our NBA Monday Star Attraction. The Western Conference playoff race is going to come down to the final day of the regular season as five teams are fighting for four spots while only the top two seeds know their positioning. This is obviously a must win game for New Orleans which is currently tied for fifth place with San Antonio and Oklahoma City, but a must win is hardly a guarantee let alone a cover. These must win teams have their prices severely inflated due to the situation as four other teams that need to win are favored by double-digits while the Pelicans are heavy road favorites. To their credit, they have been solid as road favorites this season but 10 of 12 wins have come against teams with losing records. The Clippers are missing the playoffs for the first time in seven years following their loss to Denver on Saturday. While they may be feeling the letdown from that, what makes this play a special one is the fact that it is a nationally televised game so there is no way they will lie down. They fall into a successful situation as well as we play against road favorites after a win by six points or less going up against an opponent after a combined score of 205 points or more in four straight games. This situation is 48-24 ATS (66.7 percent) since 1996. 10* (718) Los Angeles Clippers

This is a play on the INDIANA PACERS for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. The Pacers are in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with no chance to move down but they still have a shot at the No. 4 spot which would be huge. Right now, they would face the Cavaliers in the first round without home court advantage, but flipping is ideal and while the chances are slim, they are still there. Indiana is coming off one of its worst games offensively as it scored just 73 points against the Raptors on Friday, so of for nothing else, it wants to get back in the groove as this is one of the best offenses in the NBA. The Pacers are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 road games following a loss by 15 or more points. Charlotte meanwhile is coming off one its best games offensively as it put up 137 points against Orlando on Friday. That snapped a four-game slide, but this is a team playing for nothing at this point. Charlotte is 5-14 ATS in its last 19 games when playing against a team with a winning record and it falls into a negative situation where we play against home underdogs after leading in their previous game by 20 or more points at the half. This situation is 85-38 ATS (69.1 percent) since 1996. 10* (503) Indiana Pacers

This is a play on the PHILADELPHIA 76ERS for our NBA Friday Enforcer. The Cavaliers won a huge game last night as they came back from 16 points down in the final quarter to move into sole possession of third place in the Eastern Conference. While that is the main story, Cleveland was down by 17 points at one point which no one will talk about, but it needs to be brought up, especially in the second game of a back-to-back. The Sixers have won 12 straight games which put them into a tie for third place at the time before last night and now they host their biggest game of the season. A win here leapfrogs them over Cleveland into the No. 3 spot with a very favorable schedule in their remaining three games so that means hosting a first round series. The Sixers have beaten a lot of bad teams during this winning streak, but they also have their share of quality wins and Cleveland has played the third easiest schedule in the league. The Sixers are 16-4 ATS in their last 20 games against teams allowing 106 or more ppg and they fall into a situation where we play against teams with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 where the line is +3 to -3 after successfully covering the spread in three or more consecutive games, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 41-18 ATS (69.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (508) Philadelphia 76ers

This is a play on the INDIANA PACERS for our NBA Thursday Enforcer. Golden St. has won three straight games as it is getting healthier heading into the playoffs starting next week. Staying healthy is the concern now with four regular season games remaining as the Warriors are locked into the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, so the effort could be lacking while the starting players minutes could be knocked down some. Indiana is still playing for something as it is currently in the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference, two games behind Philadelphia for the fourth spot. If the Pacers stay here and the Sixers move ahead of the Cavaliers, a first round series against Cleveland looms so Indiana wants to get out of this spot and it will likely mean winning out. The Pacers are 26-13 at home and going back, they are 4-0 ATS in their last four home games following a road trip of seven or more days. Meanwhile, the Warriors are 3-13 ATS in their last 16 games against teams with a winning straight up record and they fall into a negative situation where we play against road teams where the line is +3 to -3 after a win by six points or less going up against an opponent after a loss by six points or less. This situation is 54-23 ATS (70.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (702) Indiana Pacers

This is a play on the MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES for our NBA Wednesday Enforcer. It has been a rough stretch for the Pelicans which have dropped four straight games to remain in eighth place in the Western Conference and while they have been unable to move up, more importantly they have allowed the Nuggets and Clippers to cut the gap to a half-game and a game and a half respectively. This has turned into a must win game for New Orleans, but it has not turned into a must win game that needs to be won by double-digits. It has been a brutal season for Memphis and based on the overall record and what has been at stake, the pointspreads have been overinflated which is the case here as well. The Grizzlies are 7-3 ATS this season as double-digit underdogs and have covered four straight games against winning teams. Additionally, two situations are in play. First, we play against home favorites after three straight losses by six points or less. This situation is 47-20 (70.1 percent) since 1996. Second, we play on underdogs of 10 or more points that average between 98 and 102 going up against teams allowing 102 ppg, after allowing 105 points or more. This situation is 41-14 (74.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (509) Memphis Grizzlies

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. The Western Conference playoff race is wide open as four games separate fourth place and tenth place with this game featuring both teams on each end of that group. San Antonio has won eight of its last 10 games to take over fourth place, but it has to be noted that those eight wins came at home and the two losses came on the road. The Spurs are 14-24 on the road but they come in as road favorites despite that. The Clippers are two games out of eighth place with five games remaining with two of those games coming against teams they will have to pass, Denver and New Orleans. That gives them a great opportunity to make a move but cannot afford to lose more ground before then. Four of the last five games are at home where they are 21-16 and they fall into the same situation as the other game where we play against road teams where the line is +3 to -3 having covered six or seven of their last eight games against the spread, with a winning record on the season. This situation is 74-38 ATS (66.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (726) Los Angeles Clippers

This is a play on the MILWAUKEE BUCKS for our NBA Tuesday Supreme Annihilator. Boston heads back on the road following a six-game winning streak and two-day layoff as it looks to close the gap with the Raptors which play in Cleveland tonight. The winning streak has been impressive with four victories coming against current playoff teams and all of this has been done without their best player Kyrie Irving. While going after first place is important, this game is much more important for the Bucks. Milwaukee is currently sitting in eighth place in the Eastern Conference and it can all but lock up a playoff spot with a victory as it leads ninth place Detroit by four games with five games left for each team. The Bucks are 23-15 at home and going back, they are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. Milwaukee falls into a great situation where we play against road teams where the line is +3 to -3 having covered six or seven of their last eight games against the spread, with a winning record on the season. This situation is 74-38 ATS (66.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (712) Milwaukee Bucks

This is a play on the MICHIGAN WOLVERINES for our National Championship Enforcer. Both Michigan and Villanova covered their numbers on Saturday as favorites and with the public flocking to the Wildcats after their dominating performance over Kansas, we are on the underdog tonight as the Wolverines are seeing a 12-point swing on the number. If Villanova goes 18-40 from long range again tonight, it will not lose but we do not anticipate another effort like that. Michigan has the defense to not let that happen and not necessarily for the actual three-point shooting defense but for the way it can attack the offense in allowing fewer attempts. During the Michigan 14-game winning streak, only twice has an opponent attempted more than its average from three-point range and the Wolverines have allowed only 27.8 percent shooting. They had it on display on Saturday as Loyola-Chicago came in averaging 18.4 three-point attempts per game and put up only 10 while making just one of those. Michigan has no issues with playing against teams that are elite as they have covered their last six games against teams with a winning percentage of .800 or better while going 14-3 ATS in their last 17 games against teams that shooting 45 percent or better from the floor. Additionally, they are 6-1 ATS this season as dogs of three or more points. 10* (601) Michigan Wolverines

This is a play on the DETROIT PISTONS for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. The Pistons are hanging on by a thread for their playoff lives as they have won four straight games and with the Miami loss last night, they are four and a half games out of the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference. Detroit won against the Knicks last night and while this is a back-to-back, there is no travel involved which makes it a lot easier. The Pistons have struggled on the road for the most part this season but that has mostly been against the top teams which is not the case tonight. We played against Brooklyn last night and it defeated the Heat in overtime for its third straight win over Miami. It also accomplished the Florida sweep as it defeated Orlando three nights earlier. The Nets are tied for the third worst record in the Eastern Conference and seventh overall and they have not won three straight games all season, going 0-5 the five previous times they won consecutive games. They are 4-14 ATS in their last 18 home games against teams with a losing road record while the Pistons are 6-0 ATS in their last six games against teams with a losing straight up record. Additionally, we play against teams where the line is +3 to -3 off a road win by three points or less, playing on back-to-back days. This situation is 27-6 ATS (81.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (515) Detroit Pistons

This is a play on the VILLANOVA WILDCATS for our CBB Final Four Enforcer. The only two No. 1 seeds to make it to the Sweet 16 square off in the Final Four and Kansas is the public consensus based on what is considered an inflated line. Typically, a battle between top seeds would have a shorter line but this is a game where Villanova has distinct advantages as we have seen thus far as it has cruised in all four games. Both teams rely on the three-point shot as a big part of their offense as they both shoot over 40 percent from long range. Villanova has a much more diverse offense, so it is the team that can survive a cold spell from outside should it occur. The Wildcats free throw shooting can be a difference as well if it is a close game late as they are hitting 83 percent over their last five games and they are No. 8 in the nation overall. They also have an extra advantage over the Jayhawks from an experience perspective since they already know what kind of pressure comes playing on a big stage like the one they are about to see in San Antonio. Kansas has had a tougher time as it had to deal with a pesky Penn team to open the tournament and it has escaped the last three games with four-point wins in each. Here, we play against underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points in a game involving two teams that are outscoring opponents by eight or more ppg, after allowing 75 points or more three straight games. This situation is 56-21 ATS (72.7 percent) since 1997. 10* (814) Villanova Wildcats

This is a play on the MIAMI HEAT for our NBA Saturday Enforcer. Miami has won two straight games to remain in a tie for seventh place in the Eastern Conference and this is the spot it wants to head into the postseason. Avoiding eighth place would mean missing Toronto and playing Boston which is a preferred matchup against the banged-up Celtics. This is the second of five straight games against four of the five worst teams in the conference before closing the season against Oklahoma City and Toronto. The Heat have covered seven of their last eight home games. Brooklyn is coming off a win as it defeated Orlando on Wednesday and you have to go all the way back to January 31st to find the last time the Nets defeated a playoff bound team. The last time they defeated a playoff bound team on the road was back on December 29th and it happened to come in this building which is the first of two straight wins over the Heat and bring into play a huge situation. We play on home teams that are revenging two consecutive losses as a favorite, off two or more consecutive home wins. This situation is 39-14 ATS (73.6 percent) since 1996. 10* (808) Miami Heat

This is a play on the MICHIGAN WOLVERINES for our CBB Final Four Supreme Annihilator. We have been on the wrong side of Loyola-Chicago is each of the last two games, but the Cinderella season comes to an end this Saturday as the Ramblers have their worst matchup of the tournament thus far. They have not had to defend a stretch-five player like Michigan 6-foot-11 forward Moe Wagner, a likely NBA future player. Both teams shoot the ball well with excellent ball movement and both play tough defense, but this game comes down to taking care of the ball. Michigan does an excellent job protecting the ball, with the third-lowest turnover rate in the country. Loyola-Chicago can get sloppy at times, as it did in the first half of its Sweet 16 win over Nevada and it ranks 219th in turnover rate. Michigan loves to push the ball off turnovers and this is where it can have a big edge. Overall, the Wolverines have the better numbers in assist/turnover ratio on both ends of the floor. This is also a game where experience can come into play and while the Wolverine players do not have it, it is there on the sidelines. Michigan has arguably the best coach in the country in John Beilein and this is his second Final Four in six years as his team lost to Louisville in the National Championship in 2012-13. Michigan is 10-2 ATS this season against teams shooting 48 percent or better while going 13-5 ATS this season against teams allowing 42 percent shooting or better. 10* (812) Michigan Wolverines

This is a play on the NORTH TEXAS MEAN GREEN for our CBB Friday Enforcer. We had North Texas in Game Two of the CBI Championship and we are going to back the Mean Green for the same reasons so pardon the regurgitation of the analysis. In Game One, San Francisco was 12-18 from beyond the arc in the first half and to put that number in perspective, it had 16 made field goals in total through the first half. The Dons are typically not a good three-point shooting team to begin with and overall, they are ranked No. 247 in the country in effective field goal percentage while North Texas is ranked No. 80 in effective field goal defense so we can toss the Monday performances out. In the second game, San Francisco came back to earth as expected as it shot just 42 percent, but a shocker was that North Texas hit just 39.7 percent of its shots including going 2-18 from long range. They dominated the boards however and should again tonight which mean that just an average shooting night means a runaway win. San Francisco is just 4-8 on the road with those four wins coming against four of the bottom five teams from the WCC, none of which had winning records. The Mean Green are 13-6 at home with the four of the losses since December coming by 2, 2, 2 and 3 points and a fifth coming in overtime. 10* (520) North Texas Mean Green

This is a play on the PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS for our NIT Championship Enforcer. We won with Penn St. on Tuesday and we will back the Nittany Lions again here what looks like another very favorable matchup. They rolled over Mississippi St. as the game was never in jeopardy as the Nittany Lions trailed for all of 16 seconds, and then used a 24-0 run to make the game unreachable for the Bulldogs. They are comfortable at MSG as they also played the Big Ten Tournament here and the real edge is in fan support as a Penn St. contingent was present on Tuesday and will definitely be there again tonight. The Utes needed every second of the 40 minutes in order to beat Western Kentucky, who started the game up 18-5. Utah methodically erased the deficit to go onto the half tied, and used the final seconds, and back-to-back turnovers by the Hilltoppers, to finally win the game. A deficit like that here will be deadly as Penn St. will not let them back in the game. Utah is ranked No. 85 in defensive efficiency which is solid, but the Nittany Lions are ranked No. 24 so the clear edge goes to the latter and the 24-0 run that Penn St. had against Mississippi St. showed what that defense is capable of. The Nittany Lions are 10-2 ATS this season after two or more consecutive wins. 10* (711) Penn St. Nittany Lions

This is a play on the NORTH TEXAS MEAN GREEN for our CBB Wednesday Enforcer. San Francisco took Game One of this best-of-three series for the CBI Tournament Championship and now the series heads to Denton for the final two games should the game on Friday be necessary. We expect it to be as North Texas will rebound from the opener on Monday as it did not play great, but the difference was an absolute fluke. San Francisco was 12-18 from beyond the arc in the first half and to put that number in perspective, it had 16 made field goals in total through the first half. The Dons are typically not a good three-point shooting team to begin with and overall, they are ranked No. 247 in the country in effective field goal percentage while North Texas is ranked No. 80 in effective field goal defense so we can toss the Monday performances out. San Francisco is just 4-7 on the road with those four wins coming against four of the bottom five teams from the WCC, none of which had winning records. The Mean Green are 12-6 at home with the four of the losses since December coming by 2, 2, 2 and 3 points and a fifth coming in overtime. San Francisco is 1-8 ATS this season coming off a double-digit win while the Mean Green are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games following an ATS loss. 10* (518) North Texas Mean Green

This is a play on the CLEVELAND CAVALIERS for our NBA Wednesday Enforcer. Cleveland had its five-game winning streak snapped in Miami last night and it was not pretty as the Cavaliers managed a mere 79 points on 36.5 percent shooting. It was their lowest scoring output on the season with their previous low being 88 points and after Tuesday, we can expect a full effort tonight. Cleveland will likely be without Kevin Love who left last night with concussion-like symptoms but if he is able to come back and play, that will be an added bonus, and all other starters were held below their normal minute-load so the back-to-back will not be as bad. Charlotte is 5.5 games out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, so it is holding out hope of a miracle run to end the season. The Hornets have won four straight games, but those games were against the Nets, Grizzlies, Mavericks and Knicks which are four of the eight worst teams in the league. Since January 20, Charlotte owns just two wins over teams with winning records, going 2-14 over that stretch. While Cleveland has struggled in this price range, the Hornets have been horrible by going 3-16 ATS as underdogs of fewer than five points. This includes a 1-7 straight up and ATS record as home underdogs where they have gone 2-13 ATS the last two years. 10* (505) Cleveland Cavaliers

This is a play on the PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS for our NIT Tuesday Enforcer. Both Mississippi St. and Penn St. pulled off a pair of road upsets to make it to the NIT Semifinals. After playing a somewhat uninspired game against the Temple Owls, going on the road to beat Notre Dame and withstanding an assault from one of the best offensive teams in the country in Marquette, the Nittany Lions head back to MSG for a chance at an NIT championship. They had a good run here in the Big Ten Tournament with wins over Northwestern and Ohio St. and putting up a good fight against Purdue. Penn St. has shot at least 20 free throw attempts in each of their last five games and is averaging just under 25 attempts per game. while making just over 77 percent of those shots. Mississippi St. has peaked at the right time as well and a win at Louisville by 23 points it its last game was very impressive. The Bulldogs will have a tough time matching up against the Penn St. offense, a team that takes very good care of the ball as it commits just 11.5 tpg. Going back, Mississippi St. is 1-8 ATS in its last nine games after a win by 20 points or more while Penn St. is 11-3 ATS after three straight games committing 14 or less turnovers this season. 10* (780) Penn St. Nittany Lions

This is a play on the NEW ORLEANS PELICANS for our NBA Tuesday Supreme Annihilator. New Orleans got a much-needed break as it has had two days off following a stretch of six games in eight days and it is the only team in the league that will have to play three straight games. This was due to a makeup game against Indiana that got sandwiched in on Wednesday. The Pelicans did go 4-2 over this stretch with the two losses coming against the Rockets and they are now tied for fifth place in the Western Conference. This is a big matchup as they can close the gap to a game and a half behind Portland for third place. The Blazers ran off 13 straight wins before losing consecutive games at home against Houston and Boston but did bounce back on Sunday with a win at Oklahoma City. They have been solid on the road with a 20-15 record but have won only nine of 22 games as road underdogs. New Orleans has covered five straight home games and it falls into a positive situation where we play on teams where the line is +3 to -3 after allowing 100 points or more two straight games going up against an opponent after a win by three points or less. This situation is 59-26 ATS (69.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (766) New Orleans Pelicans

This is a play on the MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES for our NBA Saturday Enforcer. The Sixers have moved into the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference thanks to five straight wins. However, those five wins came against four of the six worst teams in the Eastern Conference and the second worst team in the Western Conference. Going back further, Philadelphia 10-0 in its last 10 games against non-playoff teams while going 1-5 against teams currently in a playoff position since February 23. The Sixers are 1-5-1 ATS in their last seven games against teams with a winning straight up record. The Timberwolves have won two in a row to move ahead of Utah for seventh place in the Western Conference and they are just a game and a half out of fourth place. Minnesota has played the fourth toughest schedule in the NBA and it has played exceptional against the top half of the league as its 23 wins are third most in the league behind Houston and Golden St. Going back, the Timberwolves are 21-9 in their last 30 games as road underdogs between 6.5 and 12 points while going 10-2 ATS this season revenging a loss as a favorite. Additionally, we play on underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points that are revenging a home loss, off a road win. This situation is 90-49 ATS (64.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (501) Minnesota Timberwolves