Sports Picks & Predictions

The Kicks are back home for an extended period for the first time since early December as they are playing the first of two home games. The last time New York has enjoyed back-to-back home games was December 10th and 12th as the recent schedule has been brutal. 19 of the last 26 games have been on the road including nine of the last 10 games. The Knicks lost in Milwaukee on Friday to fall to 7-21 on the road but they are 16-9 at home and have taken care of business when they had to as they are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. Additionally, they have covered five of their last six games following a loss. Atlanta has lost two straight and five of its last six games including a nine-point loss in Boston Friday night. The road has been a real problem as the Hawks are just 4-21 away from home which is the worst road record in the NBA. Only two of their last 11 games have been away from home so they have had the opposite type of schedule as New York. Atlanta has done surprisingly well against the Western Conference but has failed to cover its last eight games against teams from the Eastern Conference. 10* (802) New York Knicks

Utah has won and covered four straight games, three of which have come on the road and the other coming in a home blowout victory over Golden St. The Jazz took care of business last night in Phoenix as they have scored 129 points in two straight games, but the offense will face more of a challenge tonight. Utah is still just 8-19 on the road despite the three straight wins and it has won just once in five tries when playing with no rest on the highway. That lone win came against Orlando while the losses were against Phoenix, Oklahoma City, Cleveland and Golden St., those last three being the caliber of competition they will face tonight. San Antonio fell to 22-5 at home with a loss against Houston on Thursday and they have yet to lose consecutive home games this season, winning the four follow up games by an average of 18.3 ppg. The Spurs managed just 91 points against the Rockets and since early December, they gone over 100 points in nine of 11 games after being held to fewer than 100 points in their previous game. They have averaged 109.1 ppg in those nine games while winning and covering eight of those. Additionally, the Spurs are 8-1 ATS in their last nine games following a straight up loss and have covered four straight games following a double-digit loss. 10* (514) San Antonio Spurs

Toronto returns home following a loss in Washington last night against the short-handed Wizards. The Raptors are in a good bounce back spot as this is the third time this season they have returned home following a road loss in their previous game and they took care of business the first two times. They are 19-4 at home including a 4-1 record over their last five home games and while the record is 1-4 in those games against the number, they were favored by at least six points in all those games. This is the start of an important four-game homestand as they try to close the two-game gap between them and Boston. Portland has won four straight and seven of its last eight games, but the schedule has been in its favor. Five of those games were at home and the only road game against a winning team resulted in a loss. The Blazers are 9-18 against teams ranked within the top 16 and that record is significant. The nine wins are tied for the seventh fewest wins against such teams and they are one of only three teams ranked No. 23 or better than have single-digit wins against the top 16. And those 18 losses are tied for 10th most in the league. The Blazers are just 1-4-1 ATS in their last six games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. 10* (806) Toronto Raptors

This was a late line release due to the uncertainty of Bucks point guard Eric Bledsoe who was injured last game and is likely out for tonight with an ankle injury. The Bucks are now 4-0 since Jason Kidd was fired and Joe Prunty took over the coaching duties but they very well could have gone 4-0 with Kidd as those victories came against the Suns, Nets, Bulls and Sixers and three of those games were at home on top of it. They are just 2.5 games behind Cleveland in the Central Division which is also good for third place in the Eastern Conference, but Milwaukee is three games under .500 on the road and while it has thrived as a road favorite, it has won just six of 17 games as a road underdog. Minnesota has been up and down of late but a lot of this is because of venue. During the month of January, the Timberwolves went 9-8 with the home team going 16-1 in those games, the lone road victory coming by Minnesota in a win at the Clippers. Going back, the Timberwolves have won 10 straight home games to improve to 20-6 and they are currently on an eight-game cover streak as well. Minnesota has 18 wins against teams ranked within the top 16 of the league which is second most in the NBA behind 22 wins for Golden St. 10* (508) Minnesota Timberwolves

The Knicks closed their seven-game roadtrip with a win at Phoenix and then backed it up with a victory over Brooklyn in their short return home. Those of course are two of the worst teams in the NBA and that has been the story this season for New York as it 14-13 against teams ranked outside the top 16 while going just 3-12 against the top 10. This does include a home upset over the Celtics back in December, so Boston will not be taking this team lightly, but things have been different for New York away from home. The Knicks have struggled on the road as they are 7-19 and only two of those wins have come against teams that are currently sitting in a playoff spot. Overall, they are 2-11 on the highway against playoff teams and of those 11 losses, 10 have come by double-digits and the 11 defeats have been by an average of 15 ppg. Boston is coming off a 2-2 roadtrip as it won the finale in Denver in the final seconds and that could be the spark the Celtics need as it has been a rough couple of weeks. Prior to the roadtrip, Boston had dropped three straight home games to fall to 18-8 at home and there will be plenty of motivation to put a halt to that skid, especially with revenge in play. The Celtics are 15-7-1 ATS in their last 23 games after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game. 10* (712) Boston Celtics

Boston put together a seven-game winning streak, but it has gone through a lull since the middle of the month as it has lost five of its last six games including a couple questionable defeats against the Magic and Lakers. This is the final game of a four-game roadtrip and the Celtics can salvage a split with a win tonight before heading home for a three-game homestand. Boston is 16-7 on the road and has covered six of seven games as a road underdog while going 9-1 ATS overall when getting points. Additionally, the Celtics are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. Denver is on a three-game winning streak and it has had a very easy schedule this month as only three of 13 games have come against teams currently in a playoff position and the Nuggets went 1-2 in those games, losing to San Antonio and Golden St. Denver is just 5-10 against the NBA top ten and those five wins are tied for second fewest of all teams ranked within the top 16. The Nuggets are 1-4 ATS in their last five games following a straight up win. 10* (711) Boston Celtics

Charlotte is coming off a win last night to conclude its five-game homestand where it went 3-2 with the last two wins coming against Sacramento and Atlanta, the last place teams in their respective conferences. The Hornets have won three straight road games but all of those came against teams with a losing record and they have struggled against better competition, going just 5-16 as underdogs and this number is right in the wheelhouse as Charlotte is 2-10 ATS when getting fewer than five points. Miami is coming off a loss on Thursday against the hapless Kings as the offense managed a mere 88 points against the third worst defense in the NBA. The Heat remain a game ahead of Washington in the Southeast Division and they are in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, so they can ill afford to lose games against teams they should not be losing to. Going back, the Hornets are 4-10-1 ATS in their last 15 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points while the Heat are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games following a straight up loss. 10* (508) Miami Heat

The Lakers are tied for the second hottest team in the Western Conference over their last 10 games as they have won seven of their last 10 with the last five coming as underdogs. Six of those wins were at home however and the only road victory was in overtime against Dallas, the third worst team in the NBA. Overall. Los Angeles is 6-15 on the road and two of the other wins came at Phoenix which owns the worst home record in the league. Additionally, the Lakers are 5-14 ATS in their last 19 road games against teams with a losing home record. Chicago returns home following a 1-2 roadtrip and it has been playing very well here for over six weeks as the Bulls are 9-4 over their last 13 home games since December 9 with three of those losses coming against Golden St., Houston and Toronto and the other coming against Portland in overtime. Going back further, their last 12 losses overall have all been against teams currently residing in a playoff position. Their two wins against top ten teams are the fewest in the NBA and against every other game against teams outside the top ten, the Bulls are 16-14. It makes sense that they are 8-0-1 ATS in their last nine games against teams with a losing straight up record. 10* (814) Chicago Bulls

If the season ended today, the Pistons would be heading home for the postseason as they are a game behind the Sixers for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Luckily for Detroit, the season is just over half done so there is plenty of time to get things back on track as the recent 0-5 run is not a true indication of this team. We played on the Pistons in their last game on Sunday and it was another frustrating result as they shot just 31 percent from long range and went to the free throw line only 17 times as they ruined a super 21:6 A/TO ratio. That was the third straight loss for Detroit as home, but it had won 11 of its previous 13 games as a home favorite and with this short price, a win likely means a cover as well. The Pistons are 11-3 ATS this season against teams from the Western Conference. Utah is coming off a loss at Atlanta on Monday to fall to 5-19 on the highway, winning just three of 15 games as an underdog. Going back, the Jazz are 5-11 ATS in their last 16 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points. One player who will be out to prove a point is Pistons center Andre Drummond who made it publicly known that he was not happy about the All-Star Game snub so Rudy Gobert could be in for a long night. 10* (706) Detroit Pistons

Boston starts a four-game roadtrip tonight in Los Angeles to face the Lakers before taking on the Clippers tomorrow but there will be no lookahead for the Celtics as this is the easiest game of the four where they will be out to snap a three-game losing streak. All three of those losses came at home and they were not good losses with a defeat against New Orleans in overtime being the toughest game with the other two coming against Orlando and Philadelphia which are a combined 17-31 on the road. Boston has been solid on the road this season with a 15-5 record including a 12-3 record as a road favorite. The Celtics are 7-3-1 ATS in their last 11 games following a straight up loss. The Lakers are playing some good basketball right now even with Lonzo Ball on the bench as he remains out with a sprained knee. Los Angeles has won two straight games and six of its last eight but only one of those came against a quality team and that was against a short-handed Spurs team. The Lakers have been decent against the bottom part of the league as they are 11-7 against teams outside the top 16 but just 6-22 against the top 16 including a 4-14 record against the top ten. 10* (509) Boston Celtics

Detroit is now on the outside looking in as it has fallen into ninth place in the Eastern Conference following its fourth consecutive loss on Friday at home against Washington. The Pistons have lost two straight games at home after a 13-5 start that included wins over Houston and San Antonio in their previous two home games. This is an important stretch for Detroit as this is part of a stretch where 10 of 11 games are at home so this is where the Pistons need to make a significant move. Going back, the Pistons are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following a double-digit loss at home. Brooklyn welcomed back the return of D'Angelo Russell who missed over two months of games because of a knee injury although his contributions in its win over Miami was insignificant. He played only 14 minutes, and had just one point and his minutes will be restricted again today as he is projected for 17 minutes. The Nets snapped a three-game slide with that victory and while they have been better, they are just 2-6 in their last eight games. The last road win came in Atlanta where it was getting three points and now it is getting only three points more against a substantially better team than the Hawks. 10* (806) Detroit Pistons

Minnesota went 0-2 on its recent roadtrip as it heads back home to get back into the win column. This is a big game for the Timberwolves, which are 18-6 at home, as they remain a game behind San Antonio for third place in the Western Conference. They are a game under .500 on the road and making this one bigger is the fact that five of their next six game are on the road. The home/road splits for Minnesota have been pretty clear as the home team is 10-0 in the Timberwolves last 10 games. Toronto won but did not cover for us last night as these teams continue to blow double-digit leads. The Raptors improved to 17-3 at home and while they have been solid on the road, they are in a bad spot tonight. they are 3-3 playing with no rest and this is the first instance of the season where they go from home to away in back-to-back nights. Of their 14 road wins, nine have come against teams with losing records and of the five road wins against winning teams, four of those were against teams three games over .500 or worse. Going back, the Raptors are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games against teams with a winning record while Minnesota has covered six straight home games. 10* (516) Minnesota Timberwolves

The Spurs conclude their three-game roadtrip where they split their first two games against the Hawks and Nets. San Antonio is just 11-14 on the road and of those 11 wins, only two have been against teams that are in current playoff positions. The Spurs are shorthanded again as three of their four leading scorers are sitting out Friday and this is not the spot for that to be the case. Currently, the Spurs play the third slowest pace in the NBA while the Raptors play the ninth fastest. Which team dictates the pace will have the clear edge and that typically goes to the home teams and with three players being out and a shorter bench than normal, the Raptors should try to consistently play with pace. Toronto defeated Detroit on Wednesday to snap a two-game slide and it will be up for a solid effort tonight. The Raptors have the second-best NBA home record this season with a 16-3 record at the Air Canada Centre and will be out to avenge four straight losses to the Spurs and this is the best tine to do so. The Raptors were without Jonas Valanciunas in the first meeting this season and it showed as they were outrebounded 55-34 in the contest. San Antonio is 1-5 ATS this season as an underdog of three or more points while the Raptors are 5-1 ATS in their last six games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. 10* (802) Toronto Raptors

Laying double-digits in the NBA is not recommended on a regular basis but there are situations where it is warranted, and this is one of those. Cleveland has lost four straight games after a home loss against Golden St. and there have been speculations about the locker room falling apart and head coach Tyrone Lue having lost his team. Neither of those are correct but one thing is for sure, the Cavaliers need to start winning again even though this midseason skid seems to take place every year. Cleveland won the last meeting in Orlando earlier this month, but it has not forgotten the 21-point loss the Magic handed them on this floor earlier in the season and the Cavaliers will be out to make up for that. 10 of their last 13 games have been on the road so the schedule has been demanding and prior to the loss to the Warriors, Cleveland was 13-0 in its last 13 home games. Orlando is coming off an upset win over Minnesota in its last game and while the spot here is typically a very good one, this one is unique in what it is heading in to. The public is on the Magic here based on the Cavaliers 0-11 ATS record at home against losing teams and 0-11 ATS record as double-digit favorites so we are bucking those in one of the top contrarian situations you will come across. 10* (502) Cleveland Cavaliers

Utah hits the road following a home loss against Indiana on Monday and it has been a struggle since starting the season 13-11 as the Jazz are 4-15 over their last 19 games. That certainly raises a question mark about them being favored in this spot despite facing one of the worst teams in the NBA. The thing about it is, Utah is part of that group as well as it is just four games better than the Kings and it is four games worse in the home/road splits. The Jazz are just 4-18 on the road including a 2-11 record in their last 13 roadies. Additionally, the Jazz are 2-11 ATS in their last 13 road games against teams with a losing home record and this season, they are 1-3 straight up and ATS as road favorites. Sacramento has dropped five straight games although it is coming off one of its best defensive efforts of the season against the Thunder. This is a young but talented roster that has shown signs of what it is capable of as it owns impressive home wins over Cleveland, Denver, Portland and Oklahoma City. These teams are very even in terms of the level of competition as their strength of schedules are nearly the same while both teams are 5-8 against teams ranked outside the top 16. 10* (718) Sacramento Kings

The Wizards concluded a disappointing 2-3 homestand with a loss against Milwaukee on Monday and remains a half-game behind Miami in the Southeast Division. It was the sixth straight non-cover for the Wizards, so we have a solid contrarian angle which opens value in the number as this is a game they would typically be favored in. Washington has played down to the competition in many instances this season so while facing a sub-.500 team brings some concerns, it is an underdog which is more important. The Wizards are 11-3 ATS as underdogs this season, winning nine of those games outright. Washington is still a top ten team in the latest power rankings and that spells trouble for Charlotte which is just 4-13 against top ten teams this season. Those four victories are tied for fourth fewest amongst all teams in the NBA. The home floor has been nothing special for the Hornets which are 11-12 both straight up and against the number. The Hornets are coming off a win at Detroit on Monday and putting together winning streaks has been a real issue as they have won consecutive games only once since November 22. They are 1-8 in their last nine games following a win while going 1-6-1 ATS in those games. 10* (701) Washington Wizards

Minnesota hits the road following a perfect 5-0 homestand to increase its lead to 4.5 games over Oklahoma City in the Northwest Division while moving into a tie with San Antonio for third place in the Western Conference. The Timberwolves have been dominant at home with an 18-6 record, but they have been average on the road as they are 11-10 and while they do own some wins over poor teams, they have typically struggled in this spot as they are 3-13 ATS in their last 16 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of less than .400. Additionally, Minnesota has a big game at Houston Thursday night so a lookahead aspect comes into play as well. Orlando is going through a poor stretch as it has dropped seven straight games but has been competitive as five of those losses have been by fewer points than what it is getting tonight. The Magic have won just three times in 22 tries as road underdogs but have won four games as home underdogs so they have clearly been better on their home floor. The Magic have had three days off since their last game which can help shake off the sting of this recent drought. 10* (502) Orlando Magic

Both New York and Brooklyn are coming off overtime losses in their last game, but the Nets have the edge of an extra day off. The Knicks are coming off a tough loss yesterday as they fell in overtime to the Pelicans to fall to 15-9 at home. The road has been a different story as New York is just 4-15 on the highway and the spot today is even worse because of the game yesterday. The Knicks are 0-6 this season playing with no rest on the road. The Nets are the second most profitable team in the NBA this season and while a lot of that is due to big underdog numbers, they are 5-1 ATS this season when favored by fewer than four points. They are coming off an overtime loss in Washington where they rallied back from a 23-point deficit in a game they never even led. Brooklyn is on a roll with eight covers over its last nine games and it will be out for double-revenge today following a pair of losses to the Knicks earlier in the season. 10* (710) Brooklyn Nets

Phoenix was supposed to be one of the worst teams in the NBA this season, but it has been far from it. The Suns will not be challenging for the division or sniffing the playoffs this season but having one of the youngest rosters in the league, they are looking good for the future. Phoenix is 7-6 since mid-December with three of those losses coming against three of the best teams in the league in Minnesota, San Antonio and Houston. Overall, the Suns have struggled against the top teams which comes as no surprise, but against teams ranked outside the top 16, they are 11-7 and that is where the Pacers reside. They overcame a 22-point deficit against the Cavaliers in their last game to pull off the miracle upset on Friday and now they are in a tough spot in a letdown situation coupled with travel and being a road favorite. While Indiana has been above average at home, it is just 8-10 on the road and of its last six road wins, only one has come against a team with a better record than Phoenix. The Suns are 5-1-1 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight up loss. 10* (806) Phoenix Suns

We played on Washington two games back and it ended up losing outright to Utah, but it was able to bounce back last night with a win against Orlando although it was a closer than expected game and the Wizards failed to cover again. They have now gone four straight games without covering as they continue to play down to the competition. Last night for example, they entered the fourth quarter tied with the Magic which should not be the deal considering they are 12.5 games better. While Washington may be considered to be in a similar spot tonight against a below average team, the situation is different. The Wizards have faced Brooklyn twice this season and they lost both games outright including the last one three days before Christmas by 35 points, so payback is in store. The Nets are coming off a win in Atlanta last night to improve to 7-13 on the road. They have not won consecutive road games this season and are 0-4 in the second of back-to-back road games playing with no rest. Washington meanwhile is 4-2 straight up and ATS when playing with no rest and having no travel here is a big advantage. 10* (508) Washington Wizards

Denver has lost three straight games including an embarrassing home loss against Atlanta on Wednesday, just the fourth road win for the Hawks this season, to fall into the No. 7 spot in the Western Conference. It was a rare home loss for the Nuggets which had won 13 of their previous 16 games at home and they have not dropped consecutive home games this season, winning their four games following a loss by an average of 18.5 ppg. With a game at San Antonio tomorrow night, the Nuggets know this is a huge game. Memphis is coming off a win over New Orleans on Wednesday which snapped a two-game slide and it has been an awful stretch for the Grizzlies which are just 6-23 over their last 29 games. Memphis has not won consecutive games since October as it has dropped eight straight games following a victory. On the season, Memphis is 0-7 on the road following a win in its previous game and those losses have been by an average of 10.6 ppg. The Nuggets are 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 games after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game while the Grizzlies are 1-7 ATS in their last eight games following a straight up win. 10* (816) Denver Nuggets

We played against Utah on Wednesday and while it was a win for the Jazz, it was more of a loss for Washington which again played down to its competition to fall to 11-10 against teams ranked outside the top 16. Despite the victory, Utah is still just 4-13 over its last 17 games while sitting at 4-17 on the road which remains the worst road record in the Western Conference. The Jazz have not won consecutive games since the start of December and they have lost their last four games following a win by an average of 9.8 ppg. The Jazz are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 road games against teams with a losing home record. It has been an even worst season for Charlotte as it is now 15-24 following a loss against Dallas on Wednesday. That loss put the Hornets a game under .500 at home and it has been a rough stretch since head coach Steve Clifford had to take a leave of absence for health reasons. He is coming back next week, and the Hornets should get a boost of motivation knowing he is back and going back, the Hornets are 4-0-1 ATS in their last five games following a straight up loss. 10* (804) Charlotte Hornets

Detroit is coming off a loss in its last game on the road at New Orleans which comes as no surprise as it has lost five straight road games and over the last 10 Pistons games, the home team is a perfect 10-0. This is not because the road games have been against powerful teams and the home games have come against scrubs as they have lost to the likes of Dallas, Orlando and Philadelphia while producing home wins over San Antonio and Houston. This has been an ongoing situation for the underachieving Pistons as they are 3-11-1 ATS in their last 15 games against teams with a winning percentage below .400. The Nets have lost their last two games, both coming at home, but they were quality losses as they fell to Boston by a bucket and to Toronto by one points in overtime. Brooklyn has gone 3-2 in its last five home games and while those losses were impressive, two of the wins were as well as they came against Washington and Minnesota which are a combined 16 games over .500. This has been a calling card this season as the Nets are 8-2 ATS at home against winning teams and overall, they are 19-7 ATS in their last 26 games against teams with a winning straight up record. 10* (708) Brooklyn Nets

Miami handed Toronto just its second home loss of the season as Wayne Ellington scored the decisive basket with 0.3 seconds remaining to give the Heat a dramatic 90-89 victory over the Raptors. That was the fifth straight win overall and third straight road win for Miami but not the third straight road win in succession as it was just their third road game since December 20. This has not been a good situation this season as Miami is 0-2 straight up and ATS in its two instances of playing the second of back-to-back road games with no rest. Those losses came by 17 and 29 points. Indiana has won its last two games following a five-game losing streak which included two home losses where it is 13-9 on the season. This has been a great price range this season for the Pacers as they are 10-3 ATS as favorites of fewer than nine points. Miami has lost 10 straight meetings in this series in Indianapolis and will likely be without Tyler Johnson once again and now James Johnson who was involved in a fight last night with Serge Ibaka. Going back, the 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games following a straight up win. 10* (702) Indiana Pacers

Washington is playing with revenge as it suffered a 47-point loss in Utah last month which was its worst loss since 1970-71 so there will be plenty of added motivation tonight. While losing that bad is never a good thing, it could have woken up the Wizards as since that defeat, they have gone 11-5 and while they are coming off a loss against Milwaukee last time out, Washington has won its last four games following a loss, the last three coming by double-digits. The Wizards did not have John Wall in that first meeting and will get Otto Porter back tonight after he missed the last game against the Bucks. It has been a struggle for Utah this season as off-season defections and injuries have sent the Jazz into last place in the Northwestern Division. Utah is 3-13 in its last 16 games while possessing the worst road record in the Western Conference at 3-17. Utah is 3-9 ATS this season as an underdog of five or more points while going 0-5 ATS in its last five road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. Meanwhile, the Wizards are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games following a straight up loss. 10* (704) Washington Wizards

Portland heads to Oklahoma City riding a two-game winning streak including a last second victory over San Antonio on Sunday. C.J. McCollum drove the lane and had his running shot bounce on the rim a total of seven times before going in to provide the Blazers with a 111-110 lead with 5.9 seconds to go. They have been a much better team on the road but are in a tough spot tonight with Damian Lillard rules out with a calf injury. He has missed six of the last eight games and they are 2-2 in four road games with the wins coming over the Bulls and Lakers, so the challenge will be difficult tonight. Oklahoma City is coming off a loss in Phoenix on Sunday to snap a two-game winning streak and the Thunder will be out to make up for that as well as put an end to a two-game home losing streak that came just before their three-game roadtrip. Oklahoma City is 14-6 at home after a shaky start and going back, the Thunder are 4-1 ATS in their last five home games against teams with a winning road record. Meanwhile, the Blazers are 0-3-1 ATS in their last four games against teams with a winning straight up record. 10* (504) Oklahoma City Thunder

The Lakers are having a rough time of it as a 133-96 loss to the Thunder on Wednesday marked their eighth straight loss and 11th in 12 games, a streak that has dropped the Lakers from just outside the Western Conference playoff hunt to the second-worst record in the entire NBA, only one game better than the hapless Hawks. Kyle Kuzma called his teammates out afterward and that is a thing that can help immediately as hurt egos go a long way and now is the time to back Los Angeles. To the Lakers credit, the recent has been brutal as they have played the Warriors, Rockets and Timberwolves twice apiece, as well as the Cavaliers, Blazers and Thunder over their last 12 games. They have covered four of their last five games against the Eastern Conference. Charlotte is coming off a blowout win over Sacramento to improve to 2-1 on this roadtrip with the other win coming against Golden St. and while that was impressive, the Hornets are still a dreadful 4-13 on the road. They have won only one of three games as road favorites and the Hornets are 5-11 ATS in their last 16 games against teams with a losing straight up record. 10* (820) Los Angeles Lakers

Toronto has been the best home team in the NBA this season but has not been nearly dominant on the road as it is 12-9 and while that may seem impressive still, digging deeper shows it really is not. Only three of those 12 road wins have come against winning teams and two of those were against New Orleans and Portland which are each just one game over .500. The Raptors have played a relatively easy schedule, ranked No. 24 in the NBA, and they possess just two wins over top ten team which is second fewest in the league ahead of only Chicago and its one victory over the top ten. Milwaukee is on the cusp of the top ten as it has been playing well as after a 4-6 start, it has gone 16-10 over its last 26 games. The Bucks have won three of their last four games with the lone loss coming against Toronto in overtime so there will be added motivation. Milwaukee has gone 11-3 in its last 14 home games and sits just four games behind Cleveland in the Central Division. The Bucks are 7-0-1 ATS in their last eight games against teams with a winning straight up record while the Raptors are 0-4 ATS in their last four games against teams with a winning straight up record. 10* (808) Milwaukee Bucks

New Orleans is coming off a pair of losses at home, to the Knicks and Mavericks no less, to drop back down to .500 on the season. The Pelicans have fallen into the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference and while it is too early to worry about playoff positioning, they cannot spiral out of the picture. New Orleans is 9-9 on the road and these are the positions it has thrived in as the Pelicans are 6-0 ATS this season on the road against teams with a losing record. In the first meeting in Salt Lake City this season, the Pelicans had a 16-point advantage over the Jazz early in the third quarter, but New Orleans managed to let a double-digit lead completely evaporate and were forced to take home the disappointing loss. Utah is coming off an upset win over Cleveland in its last game as the Cavaliers gave that game away by missing 13 of their first 14 shots in the third quarter, allowing the Jazz to open the quarter with a 23-3 run that put them ahead for good. Despite their big win over Cleveland, the Jazz have lost 10 of its last 12 after going through a brutal stretch in December that dropped them down to No. 10 in the Western Conference standings. Look for New Orleans to pace this game up which would give it a big advantage and come away with the needed victory. 10* (721) New Orleans Pelicans

The Pistons are coming off an embarrassing loss at Orlando on Thursday as they fell by 13 points against the short-handed Magic. That snapped a two-game winning streak and losing to the lesser teams has been a problem this season. Detroit is 10-4 ATS this season against teams with a winning record and it will look to improve upon its 11-5 home record. Additionally, the Pistons are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. The Spurs meanwhile have won three straight games but those came against the Kings, Nets and Knicks and of their last seven wins, only one has come against a winning team and that was a two-point victory at Portland. San Antonio is just 8-9 on the road let it is laying points against a team with a winning record. These teams met in San Antonio earlier this month and the Spurs are now laying more points on the road than they did at home. The return of Kawhi Leonard and the absence of Reggie Jackson for the Pistons has a lot to do with that, but the value is still with the home side tonight. 10* (506) Detroit Pistons

Indiana lost its second consecutive game on Wednesday as it fell at home to Dallas as it caught a hot shooting Dallas team in a no rest, back-to-back spot. The Pacers have not lost three straight games since early November as they are now 3-0 following consecutive losses since November 8 ad on the season, they are 11-5 ATS following a loss including covering seven of the last nine. Indiana has 13 losses against top 16 teams, but it is 12-3 against the rest of the league. The Bulls have been a money-making machine of late as they have covered 11 of their last 12 games and the value of their lines are starting to shift in the opposite direction. Chicago has been favored four times this entire season, Atlanta, Phoenix, Orlando and New York, all of which have losing records, so this will be the first time the Bulls have been favored against a winning team. The Bulls are just 5-14 against the top 16 of the NBA. Victor Oladipo has already been ruled out of this game after being a game-time decision on Wednesday and the early decision for this one helps the Pacers getting ready. 10* (805) Indiana Pacers

Waiting on injury information for this game, Victor Oladipo is listed as questionable with a knee injury. He has been off the court only once this season and that resulted in a home loss albeit it was against Boston. The recommendation is to wait until his status is updated and play it if he is in and optional to play if he is not although the line will reflect it so there will be value so it should be played either way. The Pacers are coming off a blowout loss in Detroit in a game that was never close as they did not lead while the Pistons led by as many as 27 points. Indiana is 8-2 ATS as a favorite of less than nine points while going 11-4 ATS following a loss. We won with Dallas last night as it defeated Toronto outright as a home dog making this a prime to against spot. The Mavericks are just 2-7 following a win and 1-5 when playing with no rest including 0-5 when the second of the back-to-back is on the road. Dallas has lost eight straight road games and is 2-14 on the season on the highway. 10* (704) Indiana Pacers

Toronto has won six straight games and 12 of its last 13 to take over the top spot in the Eastern Conference. The Raptors are coming off a pair of divisional wins over Philadelphia including the last one at home where they are now 12-1 on the season. They hit the road where they are 11-7 and they are in a tough spot here as they have a game at resurgent Oklahoma City tomorrow so the lookahead possibility is there. Dallas is one of two teams in the NBA with single-digit wins yet it is not near the bottom of the power rankings showing the season has been better than the record shows. The Mavericks have played a tough schedule and like Toronto, they have been much better at home than on the road. They are playing better after a 2-14 start and have won four of their last five home games. Going back, the Mavericks are 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 games against teams with a winning straight up record. 10* (502) Dallas Mavericks

Oklahoma City is coming off a last second victory last night as Russel Westbrook hit a three-pointer in the final seconds to avoid overtime against the hapless Hawks. That concluded a 3-0 homestand for the Thunder which hit the road tonight where they are just 5-10 on the season. They lost by 15 points against the Knicks in their last road game and this will be the second time this season playing with no rest and going from home to the road. The first instance resulted in a 16-point loss at Dallas and going back, the Thunder are 0-8 ATS in their last eight games against teams with a losing straight up record. Utah snapped a three-game losing streak with an 11-point win over San Antonio at home on Thursday to improve to 6-1 in its last seven home games. It was one of its best defensive performances this month and the Jazz have been solid at home on that side of the ball, allowing just 94.8 ppg. This is a good spot to keep it going as the Jazz are 4-0 ATS in their last four home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. 10* (518) Utah Jazz

The Knicks picked up another win last night as they defeated Boston to make it five wins over their last six games despite Kristaps Porzingis going a dreadful 0-11 from the floor after missing the previous two games. This will be the third occasion this season that New York has played a road game after a home game with no rest and it went 0-2 both straight up and against the number in both of those games, losing by 13 and 18 points. The Knicks have won just twice on the road this season while going 2-8 straight up and 3-7 ATS as road underdogs. Detroit has had an up and down season as a great start was followed up by a seven-game losing streak, but it has won three of its last four games since then. The last game resulted in a loss at Dallas on Wednesday and it heads back home looking for win No. 10 on its new floor and the situation definitely calls for it. Going back, the Pistons are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points. 10* (802) Detroit Pistons

The Spurs take a two-game winning streak into Portland with both of those wins coming at home where they have won 10 straight games. The road has been a different story for San Antonio as it has lost eight of its last 12 games on the highway. The only victories over this stretch have come against Dallas, Phoenix, Memphis and Charlotte which are a combined 45 games under .500. The Spurs have welcomed back Kawhi Leonard but have brought him back slowly as he is averaging just 16 minutes per game. He will not be in the lineup tonight and because of his lack of production, it is not a real big deal. Portland is coming off a five-game roadtrip where it went a respectable 3-2 and heads home where it looks to break a four-game home losing streak which dates back over a month. The Blazers have covered six straight games yet are laying a short price here because it is the name of the Spurs and not the way they have been on the road. 10* (720) Portland Trailblazers

The Bulls continue their torrid run as they have won six straight games after starting the season 3-20 but now the markets are catching up. Chicago has been an underdog in each game during the six-game winning streak which can make it more impressive but now we are seeing a massive line swing as the Bulls are favored for just the third time all season and the first time by more than two points. The adjustment is just too much in this spot as we go contrarian with Chicago and also go contrarian with Orlando. The Magic have lost five straight games and will again be without Aaron Gordon, but the rotation is loaded, and the offense should again produce well here. They have struggled to a 3-14 record against teams ranked within the top 16 of the league but are a much more respectable 8-6 against the rest. As good as Chicago has been playing, it has a game at Cleveland tomorrow night so a lookahead is imminent. 10* (713) Orlando Magic

This is the most Brooklyn has been favored by this season and we will be backing the Nets to snap their three-game losing skid. They have had two days off following that three-in-four situation which came after an impressive 3-1 run over their previous four games. Brooklyn has fared better against the tougher Western Conference this season as it is 10-1 ATS in its last 11 games against the west. It has been the opposition for Sacramento as the Kings are 4-10-2 ATS in their last 16 games against teams from the Eastern Conference despite the upset win last night against the Sixers. They caught a break when Joel Embiid was a late scratch so now Sacramento will have to try and refocus, but this has not been an ideal situation. The Kings have won just once in nine games following a win and they are 0-5 this season when playing with no rest. 10* (704) Brooklyn Nets

The Bucks were expected to challenge Cleveland in the NBA Central Division but that has not been the case as they trail the Cavaliers by 6.5 games following their third consecutive loss on Saturday. They held their own against Houston and return home where they look to bounce back from their ugliest home loss against the Bulls to fall to 9-5 at home. Making the gap even bigger against Cleveland is the fact Milwaukee has lost the first two meetings including a 19-point loss here back in October bringing the revenge factor into play. The Cavaliers have responded from a poor start to the season to go 18-1 over their last 19 games but it has not exactly been against supreme opposition. Overall, the Cavaliers have played the easiest schedule in the NBA and this is now a tough spot with this being the fourth game in six days for Cleveland. Going back, the Cavaliers are 1-5 ATS in their last six games following a straight up win while the Bucks are 3-0-1 ATS in their last four home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (506) Milwaukee Bucks

One of the hottest team in the Eastern Conference is no surprise as Cleveland has won five straight games but the fact the Bulls have also won five straight games is a major surprise after a 3-20 start to the season. The Bulls won at Milwaukee on Friday for their fifth straight victory all of which have come as underdogs and while they are underdogs again tonight, they are getting the shortest number during this streak. The recent run is keeping it down as is the fact the Sixers will be shorthanded as Joel Embiid has already been ruled out tonight as he is resting due to a slightly injured back. Philadelphia is coming off a pair of overtime games which could typically be a red flag but those were on Tuesday and Friday so there is no issue with fatigue problems. The Sixers split those two games and they bring in a 7-7 record on the road and it has been a case of winning games they and losing games to the top teams. Five of the road losses have come against Washington, Toronto, Golden St., Boston and Cleveland all of which are either in first or second place in their divisions. Overall, Philadelphia has played the toughest schedule in the NBA and the Sixers are 8-1-1 ATS in their last 10 road games against teams with a losing home record. 10* (707) Philadelphia 76ers

Milwaukee came up small for us last night, but we will be backing the Bucks tonight as they fall into a great bounce back situation with an overpriced line. They have dropped two straight games after a three-game winning streak and are now sitting at 15-12 overall. Milwaukee is a respectable 6-7 on the road and it is catching double-digits for the first time this season. While it has been an underdog 10 times, it has not been an underdog of more than 4.5 points which shows the overlay in this number. No rest is a non-issue as the Bucks are 9-2-1 ATS in their last 12 games playing with no rest and have won three of four games outright this season. The reason for the big number is the play of the Rockets as they are closing the gap between them and Golden St. and proving to be a threat to the Warriors. They have won 12 straight games but are just 7-4-1 ATS in those games and they are coming off a statement win over San Antonio last night which puts Houston in a letdown spot here. This is the third time this season playing on no rest and the Rockets have gone 2-1 in those games and they are 1-4 ATS in their last five games when their starting five combine for more than 160 minutes the previous day. 10* (511) Milwaukee Bucks

Denver expects to get Nikola Jokic back tonight after missing seven games with a sprained ankle and it could not come at a better time. This line came out late because of his status and the Nuggets will be out to rebound from a poor roadtrip where they went 2-4 to fall to 5-11 on the season away from home. They have been significantly better at home as they are 10-2 which includes seven consecutive wins. They have not been here much over the last month as 10 of the last 13 games have come on the road and Denver has taken care of the teams it should at home as the two losses have come against Washington and Golden St. New Orleans won on Wednesday at home against Milwaukee and while it comes into tonight with a respectable 7-7 record on the road, the situation has had a lot to do with that. The Pelicans have won five of six road games when favored but just 2-6 as road underdogs making the chalk 11-3 in their 14 games away from home. Denver will be out for revenge as well after losing in New Orleans by nine points in the second game of the recent roadtrip. 10* (820) Denver Nuggets

Chicago has won four straight games which is one more victory than it had through its first 23 games as it started 3-20 but the last three have come at home. The Bulls are just 2-12 on the road with one of those wins coming in overtime and on the season, they are getting outscored by over 11 ppg on the highway. This winning streak has coincided with the return of Nikola Mirotic who is averaging 19.5 ppg which leads the team by a comfortable margin, but this will not last. It has been an up and down season for Milwaukee and it has been the former of late as the Bucks have won six of their last eight games although they are coming off a loss against New Orleans last time out on Wednesday. That was on the road however and they are on a four-game home winning streak where they are 9-4 on the season with the four losses coming against Cleveland, Boston, Oklahoma City and Washington. Chicago cannot be lumped into that group and the Bucks playing elite competition has been the problem as they are 3-7 against the top ten of the league while going 12-4 against every other team. 10* (816) Milwaukee Bucks

We won with Detroit last night and part of the reason for playing the Pistons was because of the schedule it has recently faced. They had lost seven straight games, all against teams currently sitting in playoff positions, so facing the Hawks was a needed break. Now they go back to the tough slate as they are again going up again a playoff contending team and doing so with no rest. Detroit has not covered back-to-back games since last month and the Pistons are 5-11-1 ATS in their last 17 games playing with no rest. Indiana lost its last game in the much-anticipated return of Paul George as it fell to the Thunder despite outshooting Oklahoma City, but the difference was from the charity stripe as the Pacers were outscored 15-4 which is kind of rare for a home team to have such a negative disparity. The loss snapped a four-game home winning streak where they are 10-5 and have won all seven games as a home favorite, covering six of those. The Pacers are 5-0 ATS in their last five games following a straight up loss while going 6-2 ATS in their last eight games against teams with a winning straight up record. 10* (802) Indiana Pacers

While the term desperate may not quite be the term to use for Detroit right now, this team needs a victory to get its season turned back around. The Pistons have lost seven straight games after a 14-6 start, but the schedule has played a role in that as all seven games came against teams that are currently sitting in a playoff spot. There are no excuses for a losing streak like this, but the toughness of the slate can make a team go in the wrong direction despite being considered a team that is trending up. Detroit has gone 8-2 against teams ranked outside the top 16 so a visit to Atlanta is just what it currently needs. The Hawks have been playing competitively as they have covered four straight games and six of their last seven which is keeping lower that it should be. Atlanta is 1-13 against top 16 teams and it is the only team in the NBA that has fewer than two wins against teams in that group. The Hawks are 3-9 at home and there have been few upsets here as the favorite is 11-1 in those 12 games including Atlanta going 0-8 as a home underdog. The Pistons last game resulted in a 19-point loss to Denver and they are 4-1 ATS in their last five games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points. 10* (501) Detroit Pistons

It has been a disappointing run of late and a disappointing season overall for the Thunder, but they are in a rare spot tonight where they can break out. Oklahoma City has dropped nine straight games against the number to fall to 7-18-1 ATS on the season and the problem has been when expectations are high. The Thunder are 6-18-1 ATS as favorites while winning just 11 of those games outright but they won and covered their lone game as underdogs, a 17-point victory against Golden St. Going back, the Thunder are 38-18-1 ATS in their last 57 games following a double-digit loss at home. The Pacers have been the beneficiaries of the offseason trade between these two teams as Victor Oladipo has been more productive than Paul George at this point but that is a comparison that is skewed based on what is around each player. The Pacers are 16-11 on the season after four straight wins highlighted by the victory over the Cavaliers that snapped their 13-game winning streak. Indiana is tied with Milwaukee for fourth place in the Eastern Conference, but the success has come within the conference as it is just 5-5 against the west. 10* (705) Oklahoma City Thunder

We lost with the Knicks on Sunday as they won but failed to cover by a bucket and we will be going back with them tonight. It has not been a very good run of late for New York which is 3-6 over its last nine games but keep in mind it has not been at full strength as Kristaps Porzingis missed three of those games which all resulted in losses. The Knicks are 12-5 at home and on the season, the home team is 20-6 in their games which makes this spot even better as they are a perfect 7-0 as home favorites and laying a short price here. Going back, they are 7-2 ATS in their last nine home games against teams with a losing road record. The Lakers have opened their current roadtrip with a pair of victories which is just the third time they have won consecutive games this season. They failed to make it three in a row in the previous two instances and with a game at Cleveland on deck, the focus may not be there tonight. The Lakers are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (506) New York Knicks

The Knicks are now 2-6 over their last eight games following a loss last night in Chicago and we are looking for a big bounce back tonight. The recent run started back on November 24 with a 12-point loss in Atlanta after blowing a 15-point lead after the first quarter and while it is just the Hawks, revenge is in play here. New York committed 20 turnovers in that game which led to 20 more shots taken for the Hawks and it was a rare instance where a team shot over 50 percent and lost by double-digits. The Knicks are 6-1 ATS in their last seven home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. Atlanta won a rare game last night as it defeated Orlando by seven points in the second game of a home-and-home with the Magic. It was only the sixth win for the Hawks and they are in duel poor spots tonight as they are 0-5 when playing with no rest and 0-5 when coming off a victory. This is the first time this season they have played this combo together on the road and we are expecting ugly results. 10* (512) New York Knicks

This is the contrarian play of the night as Houston comes in riding an eight-game winning streak with all those wins coming by double-digits and additionally, it is on a seven-game road winning streak. Conversely, the Blazers have dropped all three games of this current homestand, so it may not come as a shock that the linesmakers have put up a double-digit number here. That is an aggressive move as this is a 16-point spread swing for Portland from its last game against Washington where it got crushed by 14 points. The Blazers have had four days off to stew about that defeat as well as the three-game slide, so we will see a very motivated bunch tonight. Portland has not been an underdog of more than 4.5 points all season so this is a massive jump and the extra time off also helps knowing that the Blazers are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games playing on three or more days rest. 10* (720) Portland Trailblazers

Milwaukee is starting to put things together as it has won four of its last five games including two straight at home while going back, the Bucks are 5-1 in their last six home games. The offense is clicking as they have hit the century mark in seven straight games, averaging 107 ppg over that stretch after averaging 101.4 ppg through their first 16 games. Overall, Milwaukee is ranked No. 10 in the NBA in offensive efficiency and the Bucks are 5-2-1 ATS in their last eight games against teams with a losing straight up record. The Mavericks are coming off a loss in Boston, but it was a solid effort as they had a lead going into the fourth quarter but could not hold on. Dallas has covered three straight games and is 6-1 ATS over its last seven games so this recent history is keeping this line down. How much so? Milwaukee is favored by just one point more here than it was favored by in Dallas just 20 days ago. Milwaukee will have no issues running the score up here if given the opportunity following a 32-point loss in Dallas in that game which was its biggest loss in close to two years and it lowest offensive output of the season. 10* (512) Milwaukee Bucks

Oklahoma City and Brooklyn head to Mexico City Thursday night and it should be the Thunder that have the advantage in the high altitude. They have now won three straight games but failed to cover any of those and are now on a 0-6 ATS run but tonight gives them a solid opportunity to break that streak. Oklahoma City remains a game under .500 and have not been .500 or better since November 15. The Thunder are 16-6 ATS in their last 22 games against teams with a winning percentage below .400. Brooklyn has held its own this season, going 9-14 overall but most of those wins have come against lower level teams as it is 6-6 against teams outside the top 16 while going 3-8 against teams inside the top 16 including 2-5 against the top 10. The Nets are coming off a win over Atlanta by 20 points and have gone 8-1 ATS over their last nine games but putting together actual winning streaks has been an issue as the Nets are just 1-7 following a win this season. Going back, they are 6-14 ATS in their last 20 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points. 10* (705) Oklahoma City Thunder

The Knicks have lost two straight and five of its last six games to fall under .500 for the first time since October 29 when they were 2-3. The last two losses came with the absence of Kristaps Porzingis who was out with an ankle injury, but he will return tonight which is huge to get back to their winning ways. He has missed four games this season and the Knicks have gone 0-4 in those games. New York is 10-5 at home overall and it is a perfect 5-0 straight up and against the number as a home favorite. Memphis snapped its 11-game losing streak with an upset win at home over Minnesota on Monday. The Grizzlies have lost five straight road games, yet it is catching the lowest spread over this stretch which suggests that this one could go either way, but they are clearly struggling without point guard Mike Conley who will be out until later this month. They are 1-10 without him overall on the season. Going back, the Knicks are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points while the Grizzlies are 3-13 ATS in their last 16 games against teams with a losing straight up record. 10* (508) New York Knicks

This line came out late due to the questionable status of Utah guard Rodney Hood who has missed four straight games due to an ankle injury. It has not affected the Jazz as they have won six straight games following a 2-8 stretch so it has been an up and down season to say the least. Last night, Utah defeated Washington by 47 points and Monday marked the fourth time in franchise history the Jazz have beaten a team by at least 45 points. Five of the six wins have come at home where Utah is 11-4 compared to just 2-7 on the road. Oklahoma City looks to be slowly turning the corner as it has won two straight games following a 1-5 run, but it has not dominated and going back, the Thunder have dropped five straight games against the number. That along with Utah covering six straight games has kept this line within reason and an opportunity for both ATS streaks to come to an end. The Jazz are 2-6 ATS in their last eight road games while the Thunder are 20-6 ATS in their last 26 home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. 10* (704) Oklahoma City Thunder

Orlando is coming off a win yesterday against the Knicks and will be playing its fifth back-to-back of the season. It has been a struggle of late for the Magic which are 2-10 over their last 12 games and it was a rare road win on Sunday after having dropped seven straight on the highway but they were fortunate that New York was without Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr., the top two scorers for the Knicks. Going back, the Magic are 7-19 ATS in their last 26 games following a straight up win. Charlotte is struggling with a four-game losing streak which came after three straight wins, but the Hornets will be getting a weapon back tonight as Kemba Walker is returning after missing the last two games with a shoulder injury. The Charlotte offense has dominated the Orlando defense in recent meetings as the Hornets have averaged 115.4 ppg while beating the Magic eight times in a row including a win earlier this season. The Hornets are 4-1 ATS in their last five games after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game. 10* (504) Charlotte Hornets

Minnesota will be the trendy pick here based on the struggles for Oklahoma City and those struggles are well documented. The Thunder are 8-12 following three straight losses with the last two coming against Dallas and Orlando being horrible but those were both on the road where they are 2-9. Oklahoma City is 6-3 at home with two of those losses coming by a combined three points and the other defeat coming against 19-4 Boston. One of those close losses came against Minnesota which has defeated the Thunder twice this season by five total points, so revenge will be in play here. The Timberwolves won in New Orleans two nights ago, but they have not exactly been lighting it up either. They do have a winning record but have lost four of their last seven games with those losses coming against Washington, Miami, Charlotte and Detroit so none have come against truly elite teams. While the season is young, Oklahoma City has heard the rumblings this week, so this is a statement game to show what this team is capable of. The Thunder are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games while the Timberwolves are 1-5-1 ATS in their last seven games overall. 10* (708) Oklahoma City Thunder

The Blazers return home following a very successful roadtrip where they went 4-1 and overall, they have won seven of their last nine games. Portland is 7-4 at home where it has won three straight and currently has a half-game lead over Minnesota in the Northwest Division. The Blazers are third in the Western Conference in scoring differential behind Golden St. and Houston and it will be focused on revenge tonight following a season sweep last year and a loss in Milwaukee last month. The Bucks are coming off a 23-point win in Sacramento on Tuesday to improve to 2-1 on this current roadtrip and get back to .500 on the road. Winning consecutive games on the road has been a problem as it has lost three straight road games following a win in its last road game. The defense has been inconsistent all season especially on the road where they are allowing 107.4 ppg. The Bucks are 3-8-1 ATS in their last 12 games against teams with a winning straight up record while the Blazers are 9-1-2 ATS in their last 12 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points. 10* (508) Portland Trailblazers

Washington is coming off an upset win last night in Minnesota and won its first game without john Wall after the news came out that he will be out two weeks. The Wizards benefitted from a slow-paced game against the Timberwolves but that will not be the case tonight as Philadelphia likes to push the ball as it is ranked No. 4 in the NBA in possessions per game. Washington is ranked No. 12 in the same category but with no Wall, the slower the better as is was shown that Tim Frazier has trouble running the offense. The Wizards are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games following a straight up win. The Sixers had a three-game winning streak snapped against the Cavaliers on Monday as they lost by 22 points and they conclude their six-game homestand tonight before heading to Boston. Philadelphia is 5-1 ATS as a favorite of four or more points including a perfect 3-0 ATS during this homestand. The home team has won four straight in this series including a Washington victory last month setting up and going back, the Sixers are 16-5 ATS in their last 21 home games against teams with a winning road record. 10* (702) Philadelphia 76ers

Chicago will be out for some quick turnaround revenge after losing in Phoenix nine days ago which was the first loss in its current five-game slide. Four of those losses were on the road and going back, the Bulls have played six of their last eight games on the road. All against Western Conference teams. Chicago is coming off a home loss against Miami in its last game, but it was a competitive game and the Bulls have covered two straight home games. Coming in, we knew the Bulls would be in for a long season, but the schedule has not helped as they have played the No. 2 ranked schedule in the league. Chicago is the only team in the league to not win a game against the top 16, going 0-12 in those games but going 3-3 against the rest of the NBA. Phoenix has lost three straight games with nine of its last 11 games have come at home, so it has been a favorable run. While Chicago has played the second toughest schedule, Phoenix has played the second easiest. This line came out late due to the questionable status of leading scorer Devin Booker who is battling a toe injury. 10* (506) Chicago Bulls

This line came out late due to the uncertain status of Indiana guard Victor Oladipo who missed the last game with a knee injury and is questionable for tonight. He would like to go against his former team, but his status will be determined close to tipoff tonight, Nate McMillan and Oladipo said. If he goes, he will not be 100 percent which will keep the Pacers leading scorer in check. Indiana is just 5-4 at home including losses in three of its last five games. Orlando has been on a miserable run following a good start to the season as it has lost eight straight games including the first three on this current four-game roadtrip. The defense has been a real problem over this stretch as they have allowed at least 110 points six times while allowing an average of 117 ppg. The Indiana defense is not much better as it is allowing just three fewer ppg on the season and while Orlando is getting outscored by 2.5 ppg on the road, the Pacers are getting outscored by 1.8 ppg at home. The Magic are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game while going 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games following an ATS loss. 10* (701) Orlando Magic

The Sixers are one of the pleasant surprised in the NBA this season as they are off to a 10-7 starts and currently sit in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. They have won four of their last five games while covering all five of those which is affecting the line for tonight and there is a very good possibility that Philadelphia is looking ahead to its game with Cleveland. Orlando opened the season red hot with a 6-2 record, but things have gone downhill since then as the Magic are 2-9 over their last 11 games including seven straight losses. They lost in Boston last night but that was a horrible spot against the Celtics which were coming off their first loss after a 16-game winning streak. This is a good matchup for Orlando which is 5-2 ATS when getting five or more points and the Sixers have done most of their damage as underdogs, going 6-0 ATS when getting fewer than eight points. Philadelphia will be without Ben Simmons tonight which is a huge loss as he has been outstanding in his rookie season. 10* (701) Orlando Magic

Phoenix is coming off a loss against Milwaukee in overtime on Wednesday which snapped a two-game winning streak. The Suns are now 7-12 on the season overall but have gone a more respectable 7-9 since the coaching change was made. The Suns scoring differential at home is skewed because of blowout losses against Portland and Houston by 48 and 26 points respectively and they do own impressive home wins over Utah and Minnesota and nearly pulled off another one against the Bucks. This is a horrible spot for New Orleans which improved to 10-8 overall following a couple signature wins over Oklahoma City and San Antonio. Five of their last six games have come at home where the Pelicans are 4-1 in those games and is currently on a two-game road losing streak. If the two big recent home wins are not bad enough, New Orleans travels to Golden St. tomorrow night so the letdown/lookahead angle is in full effect tonight. The Pelicans are 0-4 ATS in their last four games following a straight up win of more than 10 points while the Suns are 13-5 ATS in their last 18 games against teams with a winning straight up record. 10* (518) Phoenix Suns

San Antonio improved to 8-2 at home following a pair of wins over Oklahoma City and Atlanta and it has enjoyed a favorable schedule as eight of its last 10 games have been at home. The Spurs are 3-4 on the road and two of those wins came against Chicago and Dallas, two of the worst teams in the NBA. They have been a road underdog twice this season and lost both games, a 12-point defeat at Minnesota and a 14-point loss at Boston. San Antonio is 0-5 ATS in its last five road games. The Pelicans have won six of their last nine games while going 3-1 at home over that stretch. New Orleans is ranked fourth in the NBA in effective field goal percentage and while the Spurs present a strong defense, they are 1-4 against teams ranked in the top ten in effective field goal percentage. San Antonio has won six of the last seven meetings but was favored by at least 6.5 points in all those games, so this line shows the difference in these teams right now. 10* (522) New Orleans Pelicans

The Clippers have lost nine straight games, but they have not lost to any teams that are in the category of Atlanta. Five of those losses came against winning teams while the other four came against teams that are all 7-9 so the recent schedule has been a tough one. There are no excuses for big losing streaks like this with what is supposed to be a quality team, but this is the opponent Los Angeles needs to face to break this skid. Atlanta has lost two straight games as it is now just 3-14 overall. The offense has sputtered most of the season and it is coming off a season low 85 points against San Antonio. The Clippers defense is not on that same level, but this is one of the worst offenses it has seen over the recent losing stretch. The Hawks are 0-5 this season as a home underdog and the Clippers are 4-1 ATS in their last five games against teams with a winning percentage below .400. 10* (507) Los Angeles Clippers

Boston is rolling right now and anyone that had Dallas in the Celtics last game endured a horrible beat as the Mavericks blew a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter and lost the cover in overtime. The Celtics have won 16-straight games, so it is no surprise they are the biggest public consensus on the board tonight as they have gone 14-1-1 over that stretch so not many people will step in front of them, but they are vulnerable as they have had to come back from double-digits down in their last three games. Miami will be fired up to snap the Boston winning streak as it is coming off a 25-point home loss against Indiana on Sunday and it has now lost two straight home games. While the Heats have been outscored at home, they are outshooting opponents 45.7 percent to 41.9 percent here so the play has been better than the 3-5 record shows Miami lost the first meeting here by six points, but the difference was from the free throw line while committing 19 turnovers. 10* (512) Miami Heat

Two teams that will be outside the playoffs this season square off in Los Angeles in the lone game on the NBA slate for Tuesday. Chicago continues its four-game west coast roadtrip following a loss in Phoenix on Sunday where it was outscored by seven points in the fourth quarter and lost by eight points. The Bulls are just 1-7 on the road but one look at the schedule shows they have played some strong teams and while the Lakers are an improving team, they do not fit into that group. Chicago is 0-7 against top ten teams but a much more respectable 3-4 against teams outside the top ten. The Lakers are coming off a win over Denver on Sunday which snapped a two-game slide and they are favored by more than four points for just the second time this season, the first resulting in an outright loss against Phoenix this past Friday. Los Angeles is 5-6 against teams outside the top ten so these teams matchup well with each other giving an edge to the undervalued underdog. Going back, the Bulls are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games following a straight up loss while the Lakers are 2-6 ATS in their last eight games following a straight up win. 10* (701) Chicago Bulls

After starting the season 6-2, the Magic have gone through a 2-6 run including four straight losses, all against Western Conference teams. The last one came on Saturday against Utah by 40 points which is easily their worst loss of the season and the fact it came in front of the home crowd will provide plenty of motivation tonight for that not to happen again. Orlando has been solid at home for the most part as it was 4-2 heading into Saturday with one of those losses coming against Boston and a solid victory over San Antonio. While the Magic were getting blown out last game, Indiana was doing the blowing out yesterday as the Pacers rolled over the Heat in Miami by 25 points. That was their third straight win to move over .500 for the first time since November 3 and going back, they have also won three straight road games. This is a tough back-to-back situation and the Pacers are 1-3 this season in the second game of a back-to-back while going 6-14-1 ATS in their last 21 games playing with no rest. Orlando head coach Frank Vogel said to his team after that Utah loss, everyone in the locker room, including himself, will be judged by how they respond to their 40-point defeat. Going back, the Magic are 6-2-1 ATS in their last nine games following a straight up loss. 10* (508) Orlando Magic

Chicago is coming off a win over Charlotte on Friday which was just its third of the season and it has yet to pull off back-to-back wins this season. The Bulls have struggled with their offense considerably although they are coming off a 123-point performance against the Hornets which can be considered an aberration as they had topped 100 points only four other times in their previous 12 games. Chicago is 1-6 on the road with a scoring differential of -9.6 ppg. Phoenix has not fared much better this season as it is 6-11 overall but has gone a more respectable 6-8 since the coaching change was made. The Suns scoring differential at home is skewed because of blowout losses against Portland and Houston by 48 and 26 points respectively and they do own impressive home wins over Utah and Minnesota. Winning the winnable games is a necessity and this is one of those games as it opens a three-game homestand before hitting the road for a six-game, east coast trip. 10* (710) Phoenix Suns

This is a move you see now and again but not to this extent. The Celtics are going from home underdogs to road favorites and it is almost a complete flip where they are going from +7 to -7 in a reverse venue change. Boston is the hottest team in the NBA with 14 straight wins and after coming back twice from 17 points down against Golden St. to pull off the win on Thursday, this is the prime letdown spot. Boston has won seven straight road games but only two of those have come by more than what they are favored by tonight. This includes a three-point win over the Hawks less than two weeks ago. Atlanta is the worst team in the Eastern Conference with a 3-12 record, but the value cannot be overlooked here as the Hawks are in prime upset mode here. They are coming off a win over Sacramento in their last game on Wednesday but there will be no letdown scenario based on who they are playing. Going back, the Celtics are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of less than .400 while the Hawks are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. 10* (508) Atlanta Hawks

Portland is riding a two-game winning streak to move to 8-6 on the season but that can be considered a poor record based on the schedule it has played. The Blazers have played the easiest schedule in the NBA and the recent stretch has played a big part in that as 10 of their last 11 games have been at home where they have gone an average 6-4. They are 2-2 on the road while this is just the second game on the highway in November and going back, the Blazers are 1-3-1 ATS in their last five games against teams with a losing straight up record. The schedule has been drastically different for Sacramento which has played the eighth toughest schedule in the league as nine of its first 14 games have come on the road. The Kings are coming off a three-game roadtrip on the east coast where they went 0-3 but they head home riding a two-game home winning streak which came against Oklahoma City and Philadelphia. There will be motivation tonight as the 126-80 drubbing to the Hawks marked the sixth-worst loss in franchise history, and their biggest since February 2, 2008. The Kings are 6-2 ATS in their last eight home games and that streak continues with a big effort tonight. 10* (718) Sacramento Kings

When Gordon Hayward went down in their season opener and they opened the season 0-2, the Celtics odds to win the Eastern Conference went up considerably. 13 consecutive wins later and the struggles for the Cavaliers have shot Boston back into the mix and it will be out to prove tonight that it belongs in elite company. The schedule has not been overly difficult which has helped but the Celtics are the only team in the NBA to not lose a game against the top 10, going 3-0 against such teams. They are 4-0 ATS this season against teams with a winning record and they have covered all five games this season as underdogs. Golden St. brings in a seven-game winning streak, so it is again playing at a high level after an average start of 4-3. The Warriors are a bucket away of covering all seven of those games as well but are overvalued here. In their last road game, they were favored by nine points over Denver and are laying less than a bucket less against the second-best team in the NBA which is not a proper adjustment. The Warriors are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. 10* (502) Boston Celtics

We played against the Spurs last night and got the cover by a half-point and we will fade them again tonight in a much tougher matchup playing with no rest. They improved to 2-3 on the road with the victory and overall, they have won five of their last six games but all five of those wins came against teams with losing records. This is already the fourth back-to-back of the season for San Antonio and while it has gone 2-1 in the second game, in all three instances the Spurs were coming off a loss. Minnesota has gone 4-1 at home compared to 4-4 on the road and it is coming of a three-game roadtrip where it went 1-2. Minnesota is off to the second-best start in team history and has scored more than 100 points for a team-record 12 straight games. The Timberwolves are ranked No. 8 in the NBA in offensive efficiency. San Antonio has won 12 straight meetings in this series including a home victory earlier this season, but the tide turns here as this is the best Minnesota team during this time and it is back home. Going back, the Timberwolves are 23-11-1 ATS in their last 35 games against teams with a winning straight up record. 10* (708) Minnesota Timberwolves

New Orleans has won its first two games of this three-game homestand and going back, it has won five of its last six games and seven of its last 10 to improve to 8-6 on the season. The Pelicans look to finally be gelling as the offense is coming together, currently ranked No. 11 in scoring offense and tied for No. 7 in shooting as they are hitting 47.3 percent from the floor. It needs to be noted that the only loss during this recent six-game stretch came in Toronto so there is the revenge factor going into tonight as well. The Raptors are coming off a win last night in Houston as they put up 129 points on 51.9 percent shooting from the floor including 46.7 percent from long range. Toronto had lost its last game in Boston on Sunday and it has had a tough time playing consistently as the Raptors are 0-4 ATS in their last four games following a straight up win. They too have a solid offense as witnessed last night but the defense has held them back from putting together a better start to the season. Meanwhile, the Pelicans are 4-0 ATS in their last four games when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game. 10* (712) New Orleans Pelicans

The Mavericks have gotten off to a tough start to the season as expected since we knew it was a rebuild that was going to take place and the Mavericks have just two wins through their first 12 games. They are coming off a pair of losses against Cleveland at home and Oklahoma St. on the road and as is the case with most of the NBA, the home play of the Mavericks has been a lot better. Four of their last 10 games have been at home and that includes a win over Memphis and the three losses were close as Dallas missed the covers by a combined 2.5 points, so it has been very competitive. It has not exactly been a great start for San Antonio per its standards and while it looks like the Spurs have turned the corner with wins in four of their last five games, we are not buying that. This is coming from a six-game homestand and this is their first road game in November. The Spurs are 6-2 at home but just 2-3 on the road including three straight losses. San Antonio has struggled to finds a rhythm without Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker and while this looks like a blowout on paper, it is never that easy. 10* (506) Dallas Mavericks

Denver closed a six-game homestand with a three-game winning streak and overall, the Nuggets went 5-1 and now they hit the road for the first time in November. The only loss came against Golden St., so they have taken care of business everywhere else, but the road has been an issue. They are 2-3 on the highway with the wins coming against Atlanta and Brooklyn, two of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference, while the three losses came against Utah, Charlotte and New York and Portland is ranked higher than all three of those teams. The Blazers have dropped two straight games and it has been a very average start as they are 6-6 despite the fact eight of their last nine games have come at home. In total, after this game and the Wednesday game against Orlando, Portland will have played 10 of 11 games at home and while the results so far have been average, it does have the rest edge where there has been no travel. The Nuggets are 1-4 ATS in their last five games following a straight up win of more than 10 points while the Blazers are 13-6-1 ATS in their last 20 games when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game. 10* (714) Portland Trailblazers

After a 2-0 start to the season, things have gone sour for the Cavaliers as they have dropped seven of their last 10 games including horrible losses to Brooklyn, New York and Atlanta. They are coming off a loss to Houston on Thursday and look to right the ship against an opponent they should have no trouble with. The defense has been a real issue, but Dallas is a horrible offensive team as it is shooting just 42.4 percent from the floor which is second worst in the NBA. Dallas is coming off just its second win of the season as it pulled a big upset in Washington on Tuesday. Any positive momentum is lost because of the extended time off and prior to that, the Mavericks had dropped six straight games. They put up 113 points against the Wizards and the other two times they scored 110 or more points, they followed those up by scoring 88 and 89 points next time out. Going back, the Mavericks are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 games after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game while going 0-8 ATS in their last eight games against teams with a losing straight up record. 10* (709) Cleveland Cavaliers

We lost with Utah on Tuesday as it fell at home against the Sixers but now it has a better matchup with a worst team and a line that is nearly half of what it was against Philadelphia. The Jazz are now 5-2 at home and had their four-game streak of scoring 100 or more points snapped and will be out to halt their three-game losing streak. They are coming off a dreadful shooting performance as they shot just 30.3 percent from the floor including going 9-39 from long range as they were forcing unneeded shots since they trailed pretty much the entire game. Miami is coming off a win over Phoenix, which is struggling bad right now, to move to 2-2 on this current roadtrip and 2-3 on the highway overall. The Heats have lost three straight games following a win and has won back-to-back games only once all season and both of those were at home against a pair of below-average Eastern Conference teams. Miami is just 1-5 on the season against top 16 teams and going back, the Heat are 0-7-1 ATS in their last eight games after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game. Look for the Jazz to snap their skid tonight. 10* (512) Utah Jazz

Even though it is early in the season, this is a huge game for Oklahoma City which has lost six of its first 10 games with its revamped roster that is supposed to challenge Golden St. in the Western Conference. The Thunder have lost their last three games including a loss at Sacramento in their last game which gave the Kings just their second win of the season. The offense has stalled as they have averaged only 93 ppg during the three-game skid while shooting just 39.7 percent and while the poor play is no excuse, they have faced some tough defenses and slow paces but that changes tonight. Denver is off to a 3-1 start on this current homestand and while a win over Toronto was a good one, that is the only good one on the entire season. The Nuggets have played a schedule that is ranked No. 28 in the NBA and the other five wins have come against Brooklyn twice, Miami, Atlanta and Sacramento, all of which have losing record. Granted, so do the Thunder but we all know the talent is there and a turnaround will happen, and this is the starting point. The Nuggets have failed to cover their last four games against teams with a losing record and are just 1-4 ATS this season following a win. 10* (709) Oklahoma City Thunder

We played against the Knicks last night and unfortunately, ran into a team that would end up shooting 60 percent from the floor which enabled them to come back from a 15-point deficit. It was the second straight game that the Knicks rallied from a late double-digit deficit as they were down by 19 points against the Pacers on Sunday and this magic is unlikely to continue. New York played five straight home games and has not gone on the road since October 29 and now it must do so playing on no rest. This is the first time the Knicks are playing a back-to-back going from home to the road and going back, the Knicks have lost 12 of their last 16 games when playing with no rest. Orlando has been off since Saturday where it was blown out at home against Boston which was its second straight blowout loss at Amway Center. The Magic opened the season 6-2 including a 3-0 record at home so we feel the last two games have been an aberration more than the norm. the offense was rolling with eight straight 100-point games before putting up just 83 and 88 points the last two games but now faces a below average defense. Orlando players have been stating how big of a game this is as after this, the Magic head out west for a four-game roadtrip while eight of their next 10 games are on the road. The Knicks have failed to cover both road games against winning teams this season while the Magic are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up loss. 10* (502) Orlando Magic

The Sixers have turned their season around with four straight wins after a 1-4 start and this is no doubt a team on the rise. Ben Simmons is a future star in this league as he is averaging close to a triple double while Joel Embiid is a horse underneath. Embiid will be out tonight as he is resting, and this is just the second game he has missed this season, the first resulting in a 34-poinbt loss at Toronto. In addition to the four straight wins, the Sixers have covered their last six games including all three on the road that were also straight up victories. It has been an average start to the season for Utah as it is 5-5 and the venue has played an important role as the home team is 9-1 in its 10 games. The Jazz have dropped two straight games including a 27-point loss in their last game at Houston and prior to that, it was a nine-point home loss against Toronto. The offensive cohesion has been an issue as point guard Ricky Rubio is still trying to get the chemistry going but it has been progressing of late as they have scored 100 or more points in four straight games. Now Utah faces a Sixers team that is allowing opposing teams to average 108.6 ppg so the Jazz can keep the offense rolling and going back, they are 7-3-1 ATS in their last 11 games after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game. 10* (714) Utah Jazz

The Knicks have been one of the big surprises in the NBA this season as they are off to a 5-4 start with wins in five of their last six games after opening 0-3. We are not sure of this team yet as it has been a one man show during this stretch as Kristaps Porzingis has averaged 32.7 ppg during this recent six-game stretch. Enes Kanter has been a good addition at center but after that, it is a bunch of role players with the majority that are having trouble shooting the ball. This is only the third time New York has been favored this season with the first two coming against Brooklyn and Phoenix and Charlotte is much better than those two teams. The Hornets have lost two straight games after a three-game winning streak and the two recent losses came against Minnesota and San Antonio. They are just 1-4 on the road but the other two losses came at Detroit which was playing its first game in its new downtown arena and the other came at Milwaukee. Charlotte has played the No. 6 ranked schedule in the NBA with eight of 10 games coming against top 16 teams, where the Knicks are not. The Hornets are 4-1 ATS in their last five games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points while the Knicks are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game. 10* (709) Charlotte Hornets

Indiana was riding high with a three-game winning including a win at Cleveland but failed to keep the momentum going as it lost its next two games in Philadelphia and New York. Both of those teams have been playing well though but are definitely overachieving on a season level so now the Pacers need to take care of business at home before they hit the road for two more games. Indiana is 3-1 at home and it has gotten an offensive boost from Victor Oladipo and has Myles Turner back who missed seven games with a neck injury. New Orleans has won two straight games, both coming on the road at Dallas and Chicago which are two of the three worst teams in the league. The Pelicans are 5-5 overall and while they also possess a win over Cleveland, the four other wins have come against teams that will not be tasting the playoffs this season. With the recent opposite runs and the Western Conference vs. the Eastern Conference, we are catching a short number with Indiana. The Pacers are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games against teams with a winning road record while the Pelicans are 2-5 ATS in their last seven road games against teams with a winning home record. While it is too early in the season to talk about must win games, but this is a very important early season game for the Pacers. 10* (706) Indiana Pacers

After a 4-0 start to the season, the Clippers have dropped three of their last four games and are a game behind the Warriors in the Pacific Division. They are coming off a 113-104 loss against Memphis yesterday afternoon and this will be their first back-to-back of the season. This is a big game after that loss as up next for the Clippers, eight of nine on the road, starting with a couple of Western Conference heavyweights in San Antonio and Oklahoma City. Miami fell to 3-5 on the season after a loss at Denver on Friday and this is a team that lacks cohesiveness. There already have been four lineups over these first eight games, with only one used for as many as three and that grouping 0-3. Friday night, it added up to a lack of continuity, the Heat closing with 22 turnovers, now with 19 or more in four of the past six games. Miami began this season by scoring 100 or more points in three of four games, but has since been held to 97 or fewer in three of four, losing three of those games. The Clippers are a perfect 3-0 ATS this season against teams with losing records while Miami is 1-3 ATS against teams with winning records while going 0-3-1 ATS in its four games following a loss. 10* (704) Los Angeles Clippers

We lost with the Spurs last night as San Antonio had the game in control as it built a 19-point lead, but the Warriors went on one of their patented runs to win by 20 points. San Antonio has now lost four straight games, and this is the first time the Spurs have lost four games in a row since February 2015. Last year, the Spurs didn't suffer their fourth loss until the 18th game so it is clear that they are not the typical Spurs team we are accustomed to. This is being taken into consideration with the line however as they are a short favorite tonight, and this is the lowest they have been favored by during their 10-game home winning streak against Charlotte. The Hornets meanwhile have won three straight games including a win over Milwaukee in their last game as the offense kept it going by scoring a season high 126 points. This sounds like bad news for San Antonio as its typical strong defense has been anything but during this losing skid, but we figure both revert to the mean. Charlotte has just one road win on the season and has covered only one time in its last six road games going back to last season. With the Spurs being as bad as they have been defensively over the last few games, a strong showing on the glass could go a long way in quelling the ills that have cost the Spurs on the defensive end over the last four games. 10* (714) San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs opened the season 4-0 including a win at Miami to open a four-game roadtrip but it did not end well as they dropped the final three games including a pair of blowout losses against Orlando and Boston. The offense has been nowhere to be found as San Antonio has averaged just 91.7 ppg after putting up an average of 103 ppg during the four-game winning streak. The Spurs clearly miss Kawhi Leonard who has yet to play this season and since he went down in the Western Conference Finals last season, they are 4-7 without him counting the game he went down when they were outscored by 27 points. San Antonio will be very aggressive and want nothing more than to avenge that four-game sweep last May. Golden St. is coming off a win against the Clippers on Monday which was its best and most complete game of the season. Statistically, the Warriors remain the highest-scoring team in the NBA, averaging 121 ppg, six points better than the past two seasons. However, opponents are averaging 114.1 ppg which is 10 points more than last season, so the Spurs can get out of that offensive funk. LaMarcus Aldridge has stepped up after a poor start in San Antonio as he is averaging 23.6 ppg and 8.4 rpg while shooting almost 50 percent from the floor. The Warriors are 0-4 ATS this season after a win and have just one cover against a team with a winning record. 10* (502) San Antonio Spurs

The Kings fell flat last night as they lost in Indiana by 18 points in a game they never led and trailed by as many as 28. The game itself should have been closer as Sacramento and Indiana shot nearly identical from the floor but the Kings were just 2-14 from long range while the Pacers were 12-29 so that was clearly the difference. The Kings look to bounce back in a hurry as this will be their second back-to-back and while they lost the second game the first time around, that followed a win the previous night. Sacramento is on a 0-5 ATS run which is one streak to fade and the Celtics are on a perfect 5-0 ATS which gives us another significant streak to go against. Boston has won all five of those games outright after a 0-2 and this includes an impressive home win over San Antonio in its last game and there is a game at Oklahoma City on deck which puts them in a tough spot that will be difficult to get up for. This has been a problem in the past as the Celtics are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games against teams with a winning percentage below .400. the new look Celtics seem to be coming together now but are now laying their biggest number of the season, six and a half points higher than their previous high. 10* (709) Sacramento Kings

Milwaukee fell to 4-3 with a loss last night against Oklahoma City and all three of those losses have come against the top teams in the league with the other two coming against Boston and Cleveland. The Bucks have won both road games this year and while the win over Atlanta means little, a win over the Celtics was solid. Milwaukee won the first meeting at home by nine points as a seven-point favorite and now it is getting 3.5 points as of Monday morning which is a 10.5-point swing which is too much as the typical line swing based on venue switch is six points. Charlotte has won and covered two straight games to make it a similar 4-3 record overall. The Hornets have been one of the most inconsistent offensive teams as they have averaged 92.3 ppg in three losses while averaging 110.8 ppg in their four wins. The Bucks defense has not been great but has shown flashes and after a bad effort last night, the Milwaukee defense goes after it tonight. Going back, the Bucks are 7-1-1 ATS in their last nine games playing with no rest while the Hornets are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game. 10* (703) Milwaukee Bucks

Cleveland has had some head scratching losses over the years since LeBron James returned but the current run the Cavaliers are on is the worst we have witnessed. They have lost three straight games against three teams that were not even close to making the playoffs last season. A pair of road losses at Brooklyn and New Orleans was bad enough but coming home and losing to the Knicks by 19 points was inexcusable. With two days off to stew over this run, Cleveland will be out to make up for it all in one game. The Pacers won last night as we went against them as they picked up their second straight win to move over .500 for the first time since a season opening win over Brooklyn. This is already the third back-to-back for Indiana which is a significant amount as the season started just two weeks ago and the Pacers lost the second game of the first two. The schedule does them no favors here as they are catching the Cavaliers at the exact wrong time. Since a win and cover at Milwaukee, the Cavaliers have dropped five straight against the number and that is a streak we go against here as they can run this one up as much as they want. 10* (708) Cleveland Cavaliers

Indiana finds itself in a very difficult spot on Tuesday as a home win over San Antonio on Sunday pushed its record to 3-3 including 2-1 at home. That victory puts the Pacers in a prime letdown situation after beating one of the best teams in the NBA but on top of that, this is the first game of a back-to-back as they travel to Cleveland tomorrow night. Indiana is averaging over 111 ppg but that average is skewed by 130-point and 140-point games against Minnesota and Brooklyn respectively, two of the faster paced teams in the NBA. The Pacers will be slowed down tonight as Sacramento is ranked No. 26 in pace and the Kings want nothing to do with a shootout. They have lost four straight games after a 1-1 start and the losses have been ugly not to sugarcoat it. Sacramento lost badly to Denver but that was after its win, lost at Phoenix but that was the Suns first game with their new coach and lost to New Orleans where DeMarcus Cousins returned and went off. The most recent loss came at home on Sunday as the Kings never led and fell behind by as many as 37 points, so we can expect an all-out effort tonight. The Kings are 8-3-1 ATS in their last 12 games playing on one day of rest while the Pacers are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games against the Western Conference. 10* (501) Sacramento Kings

This is the second meeting of the season between Houston and Philadelphia with the Rockets taking the first meeting. They failed to cover for us however as they won by a point, but we will be backing them again as they head home in a very similar situation. Houston is coming off a loss at Memphis on Saturday which was its second loss of the season, both coming against the Grizzlies. While the Rockets were great after a loss last season, they were untouchable coming off a loss when scoring 103 or fewer points as they followed those games up with a perfect 9-0 record, so they have taken 10 straight in this scenario and are coming off an 89-point effort against Memphis. Philadelphia is coming off a win at Dallas on Saturday by a bucket which was its second win of the season. Both victories have come on the road, but both have come against teams that will likely not be in the playoffs at the end of the season, so they step up in competition here. We are getting exceptional value with this number as Houston went into Philadelphia last week as a three-point favorite and now it is favored by just three points more as it heads home. Look for another Rockets victory following a loss and one that is more lopsided than the first one. 10* (712) Houston Rockets

Orlando is off to a great start this season as it is 4-1 and one of the biggest surprises in the NBA. We had the Magic on Friday against the Spurs as they won outright by 27 points and because of the early season success, they should no longer be sneaking up on anyone. They are 1-1 on the road with an upset win at Cleveland being the lone victory but a loss against Brooklyn negates that. This is the start of a three-game roadtrip for Orlando with the opening game always a difficult one in this league. Going back, the Magic are 1-7 ATS in their last eight games following a straight up win. It has been an up and down start for Charlotte as it is 2-3 following a loss against Houston on Friday which was its first home loss of the season. The Hornets were underdogs there, so it was not a surprising defeat and they followed up their first two losses with victories in their next game which puts them in another ideal spot tonight. The Hornets will be getting Cody Zeller back tonight which does not seem like a big deal, but he is a strength on defense as without him in the lineup, they have allowed 100 or more points in three of their five games. This is big considering that Charlotte is 0-3 when giving up 100 or more points while going 2-0 when limiting the opposition to 99 or fewer. 10* (506) Charlotte Hornets

The first two games of the season did not go as Boston planned as a season ending injury to Gordon Hayward led to a loss in Cleveland which was followed up by a loss at home against Milwaukee the next night. The Celtics are now back to business as usual with three straight wins including an impressive victory on the road against the Bucks last time out. They have done it with defense, yes even Kyrie Irving, as they have allowed just 90 ppg over their three-game winning streak with opponents shooting just 41.7 percent over that stretch. Even with Hayward gone, this is a team that can take the Eastern Conference as we saw in their last game. Miami is 2-2 following a home loss to San Antonio in its last game and it will be without its best player once again as Hassan Whiteside, who opened the season with a 26-22 double-double, will miss his fourth straight game. The two victories have come against Indiana and Atlanta, both of which are rebuilding and as long as the focus is there, the Celtics have no business losing to a team like this. The line is short enough where a win should be a cover and going back, Boston has covered six straight road games while Miami is 0-7-1 ATS in its last eight home games. 10* (705) Boston Celtics

San Antonio is a half-point away from being a perfect 4-0 against the number which would match its straight up record that has been put together without the services of Kawhi Leonard. It shows how good this organization is which comes down to coaching but because the Spurs are not at full strength, they are vulnerable in an anti-public situation such as this. San Antonio is coming off a win over Miami on Wednesday, but the Heat were shorthanded while its other road win came against the depleted Bulls that mustered a mere 77 points. LaMarcus Aldridge has stepped up huge in the absence of Leonard but the other four starters consisting of Danny Green, Dejounte Murray, Pau Gasol and Kyle Anderson is shockingly overachieving. Orlando is off to a 3-1 start and while a split with Brooklyn does not look very good, wins over Cleveland and Miami (with Hassan Whiteside) look exceptional. The Magic are 3-1 for the first time since the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season, when they won four of their first five games. They have two guys to lean on as Aaron Gordon is averaging 27.5 ppg and 11.5 rpg on 58.1 percent shooting while Nikola Vucevic is averaging 21.5 ppg and 10.3 rpg on 59.7 percent shooting and those two can neutralize the Spurs typical dominating frontcourt. Evan Fournier is averaging 21.5 ppg which makes Orlando just one of two NBA teams with three players averaging more than 20 ppg, the Warriors being the other one, so it is in pretty good company. 10* (502) Orlando Magic

Because of the injury to the Celtics Gordon Hayward, Milwaukee has turned into the team to most likely dethrone the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference. The Bucks are off to a 3-1 start with the lone loss coming against the Cavaliers, so they might not be there yet, but this is clearly a contender. Giannis Antetokounmpo has been a beast through four games, averaging 36.8 ppg and is an early season MVP candidate which was expected. This is a good scheduling spot as this is the fourth straight home game for Milwaukee spanning seven days so the rest and no travel are big advantages. Boston is 2-2 with losses coming against Cleveland and Milwaukee and the wins coming against Philadelphia and New York so the Celtics have not been able to keep pace with the elite teams. They have alternated home and road games all season so there has been travel involved between each game so facing a team that has stayed put for a week puts Boston in a tough spot here. This is a revenge game for the Celtics but we do not worry about road revenge and there is value in this number on the home team as the pointspread swing from the first meeting to now is just 5.5 points and the typical swing is 7.5-8 points with a venue change. Speaking of venue, this game is being played at the MECCA which is the old home of the Bucks as part of their 50th season celebration and it is going to be a great environment. 10* (704) Milwaukee Bucks

The Mavericks will be our first and only double contrarian play of the season as the schedule will not see another matchup like this the remainder of the season. Memphis is a perfect 3-0 following impressive wins over Golden St. and Houston in their last two games and they head to Dallas in the first game of a home-and-home set that concludes tomorrow. Memphis is one of the bigger surprises in the early part of the season as it was projected for 38 wins but has looked like a championship contender although we are not putting them in that category just yet. The defense has carried the Grizzlies as they are allowing 39.6 percent shooting which is remarkable considering they had games against the Warriors and Rockets. They have covered all three games by double-digits. Dallas is at the other end of the contrarian record as it is off to a 0-3 start, both straight up and against the number. The Mavericks have been on the other side of games against the rockets and Warriors as they lost both, falling to Houston on the road and then losing to Golden St. two days after the Warriors lost to the Grizzlies so they were in a bad spot there. The Mavericks are in a youth movement as this is a team in transition and as is the case with a lot of teams like this, there is value to be had as people are already writing them off. Dallas has gone 12-5 ATS in its last 17 games after allowing 125 or more points. 10* (514) Dallas Mavericks

Houston was one of the best teams in the NBA coming off a loss last season as it went 24-7 after a defeat and tonight presents our first opportunity to go after that angle this season. The Rockets opened the season 3-0 including an impressive season opening win over Golden St. but it lost against Memphis on Monday and now hits the road again for the start of a three-game roadtrip. The offense was stymied against the Grizzlies as they were held to 90 points on 41.6 percent shooting including 23.7 percent from long range where they made only nine three-pointers. While the rockets were great after a loss last season, they were untouchable coming off a loss when scoring 103 or fewer points as they followed those games up with a perfect 9-0 record. As Houston was coming off its first loss of the season, the Sixers were coming off their first win of the season following a 0-3 start. They went to Detroit and defeated the Pistons by 11 points, holding the Pistons to 38.8 percent shooting. It is doubtful the defense was that good however as Philadelphia allowed 116.7 in those first two games, so we can chalk it up to a bad shooting night for the Pistons. The Sixers committed 21 turnovers, so it was far from a clean win and while the season is young, the Sixers are averaging 18.5 tpg which is third highest in the league. The Sixers have gone 2-6 ATS in their last eight games against teams with a winning record. 10* (503) Houston Rockets

Of the ten games on the Wednesday schedule, there are eight road favorites and this one is the most surprising of the bunch, so we will go against the false favorite. Charlotte opened the season with a loss at Detroit but that was not a good spot as the Pistons were opening their new downtown arena and following that up with a win at home over Atlanta in a blowout. The Hornets lost in their last game at Milwaukee on Monday as they melted down in the second half, but it was the ineptness from the free throw line that really did them in. they attempted 36 shots from the stripe, 20 more than the Bucks, and made only 21 of those for a 58.3 percent clip. Denver is also off to a 1-2 start following a split in its two-game homestand. The Nuggets lost at Utah by 10 points in their only road game in their season opener and they have been a notoriously bad road team recently. After being one of the fastest paced teams in the league last season, ranking No. 8 in possessions per game, Denver has slowed it down this season as it is ranked No. 28 through three games. Clearly, there is no identity on which way this team wants to play with the addition of Paul Millsap but once they do figure that out, they will be a force on both sides. In the meantime, we will take advantage of them being overvalued. Charlotte was a home underdog five times last season (Cleveland, Golden St., Houston, Utah and San Antonio). Denver is not in that group. 10* (506) Charlotte Hornets

This is a play on the ORLANDO MAGIC for our Tuesday NBA Supreme Annihilator. Two of the worst teams in the NBA last season are off to 2-1 starts and square off for the second time this season. Brooklyn won on Sunday to improve to 2-1 which was its second straight home win following a road loss against Indiana to open the season. The Nets may be slightly improved this season but winning on the road is going to be just as tough after winning a total of seven games on the highway last season. This is the first time the Nets have had a winning record in almost three years but one concern here is that they are back home tomorrow hosting the Cavaliers and a young team can be distracted to that. Orlando is also off to a 2-1 start following a very impressive win at Cleveland on Saturday. The Magic are 1-0 at home with the win coming against Miami so the victories have been better quality than the Nets and the schedule strength proves that with a 15-spot differential. Orlando gets Aaron Gordon back tonight after he missed the last two games with an ankle injury. The Magic will be out to avenge that loss to the Nets from last week as they played good enough to win, outshooting Brooklyn from the floor and from long range but the Nets held a 25-15 edge from the free throw line. 10* (702) Orlando Magic

The Sixers are coming off an awful game against Toronto on Saturday as they lost by 34 points to fall to 0-3 on the season. Philadelphia was a sleeper by some to make a playoff run and while it may not be looking that was now, it faced three of top teams in the Eastern Conference so now it takes a step down in competition. Philadelphia center Joel Embiid (left knee rehabilitation) did not play Saturday as he continued to rest in the second half of back-to-back games but will be in the lineup tonight to round out a very balanced offense of six players averaging between 10.0 and 15.7 ppg. Going back, the Sixers are 23-8 ATS in their last 31 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. Detroit is off to a 2-1 start with wins over Charlotte and New York and a loss at Washington. The Pistons have covered all three games thus far and that is a streak the public is backing here as they are one of two teams to start the season 3-0 against the number. They rallied from a 21-point deficit on Saturday to beat the lowly Knicks in New York but the Sixers are in a solid spot here as they catch the Pistons in a feasible letdown spot and lookahead game to Minnesota. 10* (501) Philadelphia 76ers

We won with the Nets on Friday and we will be backing them again on Sunday in another rare role of favorites. While saying this team may be on the rose is an overstatement, they have improved over the last couple seasons as the chemistry has come together and the addition of D'Angelo Russell is already proving to pay off. Excluding Jeremy Lin who is out for the season, Brooklyn has seven players averaging double0digits in scoring and while that is likely unsustainable throughout the season, the depth is a big strength for the Nets which is a big edge when playing as fast as they do. The same cannot be said for the Hawks as they have a pure scorer in Dennis Schroder and that is about it as they are rebuilding after 10 straight playoff seasons which pretty much got them nowhere. Losing Paul Millsap, Dwight Howard, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Thabo Sefolosha is hard to make up and it showed Friday as after a big start, Atlanta ran out of gas against the Hornets, scoring only 35 second half points. While playing up tempo is fun for some players, Atlanta cannot keep up as the Nets are accustomed to it and will take advantage. Going back to last season, the Nets are 13-4 ATS in their last 17 games after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game while the Hawks are 5-12 ATS in their last 17 games following a straight up loss. 10* (702) Brooklyn Nets

Portland is off to a 2-0 start with blowout wins over Phoenix and Indiana as its accumulated lead total through the two games is 91 points, but we cannot take these victories too serious. Both the Suns and Pacers are in rebuild mode and now the Blazers take on their first real opponent and one that is looking for some redemption. The Bucks opened their season with a win over the Celtics but last night, they were clobbered at home against Cleveland which gave a sign that they are not close to where they want to be. Milwaukee caught Cleveland at a bad time as the Cavaliers shot 54.3 percent from the floor while going a perfect 17-17 from the free throw line. The Bucks are a better team than what was on display last night and while they still shot a solid 46.3 percent from the floor, they could not get the pace that they wanted as they had only 82 shots, but they will be able to pick up the tempo tonight. The Rockets are the only other team that is 2-0 on the road and winning three straight road games to start the season is not easy in this league, especially for a non-elite team. Milwaukee covered seven of its last eight games last season in the second game of a back-to-back and looks to rebound tonight in the second game of a four-game homestand. 10* (516) Milwaukee Bucks