Sports Picks & Predictions

The new-look Timberwolves did not get off to a good start but facing the Spurs in their season opener can do that to a lot of teams. Minnesota lost by eight points in a very slow-paced game and Jimmy Butler had a poor debut as he scored only 12 points in 35 minutes but playing his first game at home in Minnesota will add to his bounce back effort. He scored 15 or fewer points 11 times last season and averaged 26.5 ppg in the 11 follow up games. The Timberwolves are projected to have a top-level offense and they will show that off here. The Jazz held the Nuggets to 96 points but Denver still shot 46.8 percent from the floor as Utah played at a snail's pace which is a lot easier to do at home than it is on the road. Utah had a strong defense last season but the loss of Gordon Hayward and George Hill severely hurts the defense which is projected to be a below average No. 22 in defense. Ricky Rubio had an average debut and while he will be pretty fired up in his return to Minnesota, that will not be enough. After 51 wins last season, Utah is projected for just 40.5 wins this season which shows how much of a drop is expected. 10* (714) Minnesota Timberwolves

Orlando is coming off a home win over Miami in its season opener as it won by seven points as a 3.5-point underdog. The Magic played solid defense as it held Miami to 39.3 percent shooting when taking away the 11-18 performance from Hassan Whiteside and the defense will be the cornerstone of the team this season but that does not necessarily mean it is a very good defense. The Magic have turned the front office and roster over once again and the matchup tonight will test them and the defense. Brooklyn lost at Indiana in its opener as the 131 points scored was not enough as the Nets will once again be at the top of the league in pace. That means plenty of points but also means plenty of points allowed and part of their problem on Wednesday was turnovers as they gave it away 20 times which they could not recover from. D’Angelo Russell had a strong debut and is a great addition to build around. The loss of Jeremy Lin is going to hurt the depth but we like the matchup here as Brooklyn succeeded last season in this scenario as it went 12-4 ATS in its last 16 games after allowing 100 points or more in its previous game. Look for a big rebound tonight. 10* (712) Brooklyn Nets

The Hawks are expected to have a rough season as they came in dead last in some preseason power rankings. It is a total rebuild in Atlanta as its 10-year playoff run will likely come to an end this season as it no longer has the services of Paul Millsap, Dwight Howard, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Thabo Sefolosha. The Hawks are going in a different direction, attempting to rebuild with a young team while keeping their cap manageable and holding onto their No. 1 picks. So, what did they do Wednesday? They went on the road and defeated the Mavericks, another team that is close to doing a full rebuild but the challenge will be tougher tonight. Charlotte hit the road as well for its season opener but the results were not as good as it lost in Detroit by 12 points. The Hornets shot horrible, grabbed just three offensive rebounds and committed 17 turnovers which all led to getting outshot 96-73 and no team is going to win many games when getting outshot by 23. They head home where they look to regroup and the revenge narrative is in play tonight with Howard who had issues with Atlanta head coach Mike Budenholzer and he has a chance to go off. The home team has covered 10 of the last 13 meetings. 10* (704) Charlotte Hornets

The Lakers were a pleasant surprise last season, going 26-56 and while that may look horrendous, after winning 17 and 21 games the previous two seasons, last year was a big move forward. One of the youngest rosters in the NBA and plenty of cap space after this season, the future is bright in Los Angeles and there could very well be another positive move this season if the youngsters can gel. We did not get to see much of rookie Lonzo Ball in the preseason because of a bum ankle but he is the playmaker that will be comfortable right away. The Lakers upgraded at center with Brook Lopez while Julius Randle, third full season, and Brandon Ingram, second full season, will both continue to improve. The Clippers almost mailed it in this season as the loss of Chris Paul to Houston was thought to start a domino effect of stars leaving but Blake Griffin resigned and they signed Danilo Gallinari and along with DeAndre Jordan, they have one of the top frontcourts in the league. The backcourt is now an issue with the Paul departure and Los Angeles has taken a small step back overall as opposed to many other teams taking a step forward. The Clippers have dominated this series over the last few years but a new season brings new optimism for the Lakers and this line tells us a lot as the last three meetings, the Lakers were double-digit underdogs so the gap is closing. 10* (506) Los Angeles Lakers

Houston came through for us last night as the Rockets rallied from a 17-point deficit to defeat the Warriors outright with a 122-121 victory. The hype for that game was huge obviously and Houston is now set to play its first back-to-back of the season. This is always a positive situation to go against and even more so when a team is coming off a big win which is the case for the Rockets who could show up in letdown mode. Sacramento enters another season of more questions than answers after it cleared house toward the end of last season. The Kings finished 8-17 after trading DeMarcus Cousins and they also got rid of Rudy Gay and Darren Collison which were their three top scorers accounting for nearly 50 ppg. While it may seem grim, Sacramento had an outstanding draft as it got De'Aaron Fox, Justin Jackson and Harry Giles in the first round and Frank Mason III in the second round so the future looks extremely bright. Of course, we are concerned about tonight and with so many new faces, chemistry heads to the forefront but all indications are that the teams is gelling well together. The Kings will rely on the knowledge of their veterans and hope the youngsters learn quickly, especially when it comes to facing James Harden and Chris Paul although Paul tweaked an ankle last night so he could be limited. Houston swept this series last year as it won all four games but those were much different scenarios. Three of the victories over the Kings came after losses in the Rockets previous game while the fourth came after a game against Brooklyn. 10* (720) Sacramento Kings

Prior to opening tip last night, the Celtics were 7.5-point favorites when this line opened and because of everything that went down Tuesday night, the line dropped to -5.5 and is down even more as of this morning. Boston suffered a serious blow with the devastating injury to Gordon Hayward and while it tried to make a run behind its fallen teammate, the Celtics fell just short against the Cavaliers in a highly anticipated game to open the season. Boston has lost five of its last six games against the Cavaliers dating back to the NBA playoffs last season and it nearly fought back from an 18-point deficit and an emotional rollercoaster but we can expect a full effort tonight. This is the home opener for the Celtics and this is a game they will be out to win for Hayward, especially after falling just short last night. The Bucks enter the new season with high expectations after making the playoffs last year after a 42-40 campaign. It was an impressive season considering the injuries Milwaukee sustained as the Bucks were without Khris Middleton for 53 games to start the season and Jabari Parker for 31 games to end the season with neither being on the floor together. Parker remains out for another few months and while they are a sleeper in the Eastern Conference with their talent to make a run, they are in a difficult spot tonight with everything that happened on Tuesday. Boston could shut down for this game but we are expecting the exact opposite and we have the value in the line to go with it. 10* (710) Boston Celtics

This is one of the best scenarios to go against on opening day. It is banner day in Golden St. and we know what that means. The Warriors will be lowering their 2016-17 NBA Championship banner on Tuesday night and playing a basketball game is not at the forefront for the players right now. This is a huge event and with that comes a lot of distractions. Players have been saying that once the banner is lowered and the game starts, they will be focused but that is easier said than done. Now let's go back to the NBA Champion angle. Prior NBA Champions are usually slow starting out of the gate the following season since their lines are over-adjusted to start the season. The last 16 NBA Champions (Cleveland, Golden St., San Antonio, Dallas, Boston, San Antonio four times, Miami three times, Detroit and LA Lakers three times) have combined for a 51-81 ATS mark (38.6 percent) through their first two weeks of the following year. Distractions and overvaluation are definitely keys to this. We have seen it in the season opening game for the reigning NBA Champions for seven of the last 11 seasons. Golden St. became the first "Super Team" in the NBA and now there are others that will try and catch up including the Rockets who added Chris Paul to form arguably the best backcourt in the league. But it was the addition of PJ Tucker and Luc Mbah a Moute that could pay the biggest dividends as they upgrade the perimeter defense. The Rockets also matchup particularly well with Golden St. with the revamped roster so an upset if not out of the question. 10* (503) Houston Rockets

The vast majority of NBA followers will be on Golden St. to win tonight and wrap up this series against Cleveland after being unable to produce the sweep on Friday in Game Four. While the Warriors are in good shape to win at home and capture their second championship in three years, we will be sticking with Cleveland and the points once again as the venue shift has once again provided and overadjusted number. While Golden St. is +25 in point differential in this series, the Cavaliers have arguably been better in this series for two and a half of the four games. In Game Two, the Warriors used a 13-2 run to help build a 102-88 lead by the end of the third quarter to break open a close game, in Game Three, they used an 11-0 run to end the game and win by five points and in Game Four, Golden St. never led. The Cavaliers at +3 with LeBron James on the court and -22 with him on the sidelines so it is pretty clear he is the difference maker and he will again have to step up and carry the Cavaliers but it is also important to get help from others. Winning three more games may seem unlikely for Cleveland but the pressure has shifted to Golden St. as it wants no part of going back to Cleveland for Game Six as they have not forgotten what happened last season. The Cavaliers are 8-2-1 ATS in their last 11 games following a straight up win while the Warriors are 1-7 ATS in their last eight games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points. 10* (709) Cleveland Cavaliers

We were on Cleveland in Game Three and the Cavaliers were ready to get back into the series until getting outscored 11-0 to end the game and are now on the brink of elimination. Winning four straight games will take a major miracle but it is unlikely the Cavaliers will go down without a fight. Pride is on the line right now and LeBron James does not want to get swept for a second time in his career in the NBA Finals, the first coming in 2007 against the Spurs. While winning this game outright may not happen, we are more concerned about the number as Cleveland is getting three points more than it was two nights ago and that is a massive adjustment from one game to the next, especially in a game that could have gone either way on Wednesday. Over the last 32 years, teams up 3-0 in a playoff series have gone 60-24 in Game Four to close out the series and Golden St. looks to be in good shape to add to that. However, the Cavaliers are getting one of the biggest home spreads with James on the roster and that value has to be taken. The Warriors will be out to make history by going 16-0 in the postseason and that alone should provide Cleveland with the motivation needed to try and extend this series even though the Warriors are at -10,000 to win the NBA Championship. As we further look at value, Cleveland is getting just one point fewer than it was getting in Game One on the road. 10* (708) Cleveland Cavaliers

Golden St. has rolled through the first two games of this series, winning Game One and Game Two by 22 and 19 points respectively. Going back to the regular season, the Warriors have won three straight with the other victory coming by 35 points. However, all of these game took place at Golden St. and going back to last postseason, Cleveland has won three of the last four meetings at home. The Cavaliers are now in do-or-die mode as a loss here essentially ends the series while a victory gets them back in it at least for one more game. This Golden St. team is on a roll as it has gone 14-0 in the postseason and going back to March 14, the Warriors are an incredible 29-1 over their last 30 games and could feasibly undefeated if not for one bad fourth quarter against Utah in the second to last game of the regular season. The Cavaliers are in a very familiar situation as they will try and recreate their Game Three performance from last year's Finals, when they rebounded at home with a resounding 30-point win to kickstart their comeback. The Cavaliers are playing at a quicker pace than LeBron James has ever played before. James has played with an average pace of 90.6 possessions per game but in the Finals, they are averaging 105.5 possessions per game so there has been talk of slowing things down and that is one way the offense can get into synch to solve the Warriors tough defense. Going against Golden St. is not easy but Cleveland will have the energy edge tonight and that can be enough to get them back into the series. 10* (706) Cleveland Cavaliers

Game One of the NBA Finals played out just as expected as the Warriors seized control of the game and went on to roll by 22 points. Golden St. was not particularly good in any area on offense as it shot just 42.5 percent from the floor including 36.4 percent from long range while going just 11-16 from the free throw line. However, the Warriors committed only four turnovers while putting up 31 assists which is an unheard of ratio while on the other side, Cleveland has only 15 assists compared to 20 turnovers as the offense clearly struggled. While we not see a reversal of this from both sides on Sunday, we will see things come back to normal which mean a much more competitive game and as stated in the Game One analysis, this is the game the Warriors can steal. The Cavaliers bench was 6-25 from the field so the fact that LeBron James and Kyrie Irving shot a combined 19-44 from the floor was negated by that along with a bad night from Kevin Love. We are also seeing a drastic line shift from Game One as the line has risen by a point and a half in a lot of places and could possibly go up more by game time. This is where we play the bounce angle and take advantage of the line swing in a game that Cleveland will not only be more competitive in but also be in the mix for an outright win. 10* (703) Cleveland Cavaliers

After losing in the NBA Finals last season after a 3-1 lead and then blowing a 14-point fourth quarter lead on Christmas Day, the Warriors got their revenge against Cleveland on January 26 as they rolled by 35 points. Tonight is a different kind of revenge however as Golden St. wants to avenge those Finals losses as they have dropped three straight going into tonight and they know how important Game One of a series is. While going on a perfect 12-0 record in this postseason, the Warriors racked up the postseasons highest average in points (118.3), assists (27.8) and steals (9.2) per game. Defensively, Cleveland played much better in the postseason than in the regular season but this is a much different test. In 2016, the Cavaliers focused on denying Stephen Curry as much as possible, opting instead to give Harrison Barnes open looks. While that strategy largely worked, the addition of Kevin Durant will complicate the Cavaliers ability to influence the game defensively. Golden St. was overpriced the majority of the season and overall, it is 24-35 ATS as a double-digit favorite but a much more dominating 22-9 ATS as a single-digit favorite. Cleveland no doubt has the ability to steal a game in Golden St. but the chances will be greater on Sunday in Game Two as the Warriors will have too much on their side in this opener as they pull away to take an early series lead. 10* (702) Golden St. Warriors

Boston suffered a tough loss in Game Four as it blew a 16-point lead to fall down 3-1 in this series and at this point, many are saying it is over. While that is likely the case, we are backing the Celtics for a third straight game as they have not thrown in the towel. More than 200 teams have faced the 3-1 deficit in a seven-game series and only 11 of those teams beat the odds and won the series in seven games but we are again more concerned about the pointspread involved. The Cavaliers were overvalued at home as they failed to cover both games and now they are even more overvalued. Based on the venue switch, they should go from a 15-point favorite to a 7-point or 8-point favorite but are laying doubles on the road for the first time ever in the postseason and this is all because of the absence of Isaiah Thomas. So as far as the spread goes, it is clearly on our side so the big factor is that we have to have Boston show up. Had it not been for Kyrie Irving's heroics in Game Four, a career playoff-high 42 points and 19 of the Cavaliers' final 21 points of the third quarter, the Celtics may indeed have evened the series. Nonetheless, they returned home with confidence knowing they can play with the Cavaliers even without their best player. The Celtics are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points. 10* (508) Boston Celtics

The Celtics came through two nights ago as they rallied from a 21-point second half deficit to pull off the improbable win and make this a series, for at least just a little bit. While Boston was probably fortunate to win Game Three, the fact they came back was impressive and showed the fight that they have. As stated in the Game Three analysis, the Celtics are arguably a better team right now without Isaiah Thomas since he was not healthy to begin with and now there is better flow on offense but the big advantage is on the other side as defensively, the absence of Thomas is huge for Boston as he is one of the worst defenders in basketball so now the Celtics will also have healthy bodies to try and slow down the Cavaliers potent offense. Which they did to some extent on Sunday as LeBron James had one of his worst playoff games ever but he will no doubt bounce back. That will take away from Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love but shifting points around does nothing for the Cavaliers. Basically, this line is too big once again as Boston is now 2-0 ATS this season as a double-digit underdog, both covers coming against the Cavaliers. Cleveland is just 2-5 ATS in its last seven home games while the Celtics are 13-6-2 ATS in their last 21 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (505) Boston Celtics

With the series on the line, we saw the Celtics play with some pride in the second half and came back to win and for the Spurs, it is win or go home tonight. While the Celtics victory can give the Spurs some hope, that win should give the Warriors the extra incentive knowing that upsets are possible and even though they would head home for Game Five, they do not want a Game Five. Cleveland has to play at least two more games which means their maximum time off before the Finals would be six days off but a Golden St. win tonight would mean 10 days off and that is definitely a goal at this point. The Warriors are the superior team here by mile with Kawhi Leonard out as they have outscored San Antonio 314-241 after he went down in Game One. Golden St. had a rough stretch in early March but since a 2-4 skid, it has gone 26-1 over its last 27 games so it is clearly peaking at the right time. The Spurs look deflated right now and after starting strong in Game three, they gave it back in the second quarter and were not able to come back. A slow start tonight is more than likely and the Warriors will be able to pull away and end this series after four games. Laying doubles on the road is never easy but this situation justifies it. Golden St. has covered 10 of its last 11 road games against teams with a winning home record while the Spurs are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points. 10* (725) Golden St. Warriors

Since the start of the second round of the NBA playoffs when the elite teams typically advance, there have been 26 games played. 22 of those have been decided by double-digits including all five games in the Conference Finals. It has been the most disappointing postseason possibly ever and everyone is just waiting for the Cleveland Golden St. rematch to take place which is inevitable at this point. While Boston has been blown out in both games in this series and now have to deal with no Isaiah Thomas, do not count this team out. Whether or not the Celtics can win is not of importance here but the 16-17 points we are getting as of Sunday morning is of the utmost importance. The loss of Thomas is big obviously but this can be turned into a positive. He has not been completely healthy and because the offense is built around him, it has hurt the team as a whole. Now with healthy players running the offense, there is more flow upcoming and Cleveland will have a difficult time in preparation. Defensively, the absence of Thomas is a huge advatnage for Boston as he is one of the worst defenders in basketball so now the Celtics will also have healthy bodies to try and slow down the Cavaliers potent offense. Cleveland is rolling but this is a perfect opportunity for the Celtics to show up and make this one much more competitive than the first two games. 10* (503) Boston Celtics

The Warriors have steamrolled through the postseason winning all 10 games and all but three have gone over the total including both games in this series. We will take the bounce angle route here and take the under as the total has risen by 3-4 points depending on the outlet so we are getting some excellent value based on the recent results. The Spurs have gone over the total in all but three of their 14 playoff games so the over will be another popular play based on these results as well. The only way San Antonio can get back into this series is playing better defense and we have seen that defense play strong on numerous occasions in the postseason. San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich accused his team of basically quitting in Game Two with the blame going on the defense as they allowed the Warriors to shoot 56.2 percent from the floor including Golden St. to shoot 18-37 from long range. The Warriors are not as strong offensively on the road and if Kawhi Leonard can get back into the lineup, it will certainly be a big boost to the defense. The Under is 13-6 in the Warriors last 19 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* Under (723) Golden St. Warriors/(724) San Antonio Spurs

Cleveland steamrolled trough Boston on Wednesday as the long layoff was no issue. The Cavaliers never trailed, led by as many as 28 points and have seemed to prove they are the true top seed in the Eastern Conference. That Game One win gave them home court advantage in this series and Boston knows this is a must win game as heading to Cleveland down 2-0 is a deficit that will be impossible to overcome. This was the second straight time the Cavaliers have come to Boston and not let the Celtics even compete but we should see a different scenario tonight. Effort will be the big part in turning things around for Boston so while we are banking on that, we are also on the right side of the value as the Celtics have gone from -4 to +4 to +5.5 in the last three games played here against Cleveland. Obviously, Cleveland is in the zone right now as it has won all nine playoff games but it is up to the Celtics to get off to a better start. They missed 11 of their first 14 shots and trailed 22-9 with four minutes left in the first quarter and they shot just 35 percent overall in the first half. Playing with just a day of rest after beating Washington may have been an issue after all and while the same amount of rest is in play tonight, it is also the same for the other side. The Celtics may be a work in progress, but as they proved in the regular season, that does not mean they cannot be in win-now mode as well. The Celtics are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points. 10* (502) Boston Celtics

Cleveland had seven days off after taking care of Indiana and it has no issues with rust as the Cavaliers jumped out to a 30-18 lead after the first quarter. Now they are playing with 10 days of rest but the situation is obviously different as they have to open this series on the road. The Celtics are coming off a seven-game series which could affect their legs but the series was not a grueling one with six of the game decided by double-digits. Boston is 35-13 at home this season and this is just the fourth time all season it has been a home underdog and they are 15-9 ATS at home against winning teams. This line is tricky in that it is stating that the Cavaliers are nine points better than Washington based on the last two Boston lines and simply is not the case. Cleveland is severely overpriced here and while it is the best team in the Eastern Conference despite not having the No. 1 seed, this is too much of an adjustment. In the final regular season meeting in April, Boston was favored by four points so we are seeing an eight-point swing which only adds to the overadjustment argument. Game One is almost a must-win game for the Celtics. Boston is in a rhythm of playing games, and the Cavaliers have not played since May 7 and could be very vulnerable here in the opener. 10* (722) Boston Celtics

The home team continues to hold serve in this matchup as the host is a perfect 10-0 this season but Boston did put an end to the 9-0 ATS run by the home team. The Celtics were in good position to end the series in Game Six but blew a late lead and the Wizards were able to force a Game Seven. Washington did outplay the Celtics on Friday but shooting was the issue as it went just 5-24 from long range while the Celtics made 11 long balls. The best player on the floor belongs to Washington as John Wall is averaging 26.3 ppg in this round while leading both teams with 10.2 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.8 blocks. He has been the best player of the series and the Wizards will need him at his best tonight. Washington will also have the edge on the glass. If both teams are shooting poorly under the typical Game Seven pressure, then second-chance opportunities could be the difference-maker. The Wizards have outrebounded Boston by almost 6 rebounds per game (and on the offensive glass by 3.3 per game). For Washington to advance to its first Conference Finals since 1979, it will have to break the road team trend of not winning but it is more than capable. The Wizards are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games playing on two days of rest while the Celtics are 8-19 ATS in their last 27 games playing on two days of rest. 10* (715) Washington Wizards

Golden St. has yet to be tested in the postseason as all eight wins have come by double-digits, half of which have come by 19 or more points. The Warriors were blown out by 29 points in the season opener in the only home matchup in this series so there may be a little extra incentive today but with this being the Western Conference Finals, there is plenty of incentive on the other side as well. San Antonio took care of Houston in six games with three of those wins coming by 25, 11 and 39 points so it has been pretty dominant as well. While the Spurs of old were more sluggish, grind it out teams, this version this season is a little different and actually matches up well with the Warriors. San Antonio was able to slow down the fast-paced Rockets and the Spurs defended the arc well as they contested 34 of 40 Rockets three-point attempts in Game Six and that is something they need to do here. The return of Kawhi Leonard is huge and the fact he is well rested is even bigger as he is the one player who can slow down Kevin Durant. He also gives San Antonio its best chances on offense where each possession counts. The Spurs have finished 24.6 percent of their playoff possessions in the final seven seconds of the shot clock, over twice as many as the Warriors (11.1 percent) and that is the one key factor in being able to hang around with Golden St. The Warriors are just 2-7 ATS in their last nine games playing on three or more days of rest and we may see more of that rust today. 10* (501) San Antonio Spurs

Boston gained control of this series with a win in Game Five and this was the first game that the Celtics actually outplayed Washington from start to finish. The Wizards led by four points early but Boston blew the game wide open with a 16-0 run and never looked back. Washington has been the better team in this series despite being down. The Wizards jumped out to a 17-point lead in Game One but could not keep it going and in Game Two, they were leading almost the whole game and covering the entire game up until the last minute of overtime. The two games after that were all Washington as it held leads of 30 and 26 points in Game Three and Game Four respectively before finally being outplayed in Game Five. The home team has won all nine games this season with the host going a perfect 9-0 ATS in the series and it is safe to say that we are finally ready to see a close game as all nine games have been decided by at least eight points with the five games in this series all being decided by double-digits. While the obvious play is to take Washington, we are going against the trends and bounce angle similar to what we saw last night with the Spurs which kept the run going of Game Five winners taking the series 83 percent of the time. The Wizards are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games following a straight up loss while the Celtics are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game. 10* (711) Boston Celtics

We have stated since the start of this series that Washington is the better of the two teams and we have actually seen that in all four games despite this series being tied at two games apiece. The Wizards jumped out to a 17-point lead in Game One but could not keep it going and in Game Two, they were leading almost the whole game and covering the entire game up until the last minute of overtime. The final two games have been all Washington as it has held leads of 30 and 26 points in Game Three and Game Four respectively and they come in with a ton of momentum. This is being dubbed the most important game in franchise history in nearly 40 years for the Wizards and a big reason for that is they do not want to come back here for a Game Seven. The NBA has had 125 Game Sevens in playoff history and the home team is 101-25 (80 percent) in those games. While this Celtics team is different than the ones in years past, it is interesting to note Boston is 18-4 in Game Sevens at home. When a series is knotted at two, the next game takes on elevated significance. In NBA playoff history, the winner of Game Five has gone on to win the series 83 percent of the time, according to ESPN Stats and Info. We could go over important matchups but those have been covered and no need to again with the exception of noting Washington has outplayed Boston by a significant amount in the four games. 10* (519) Washington Wizards

These have been some of the worst NBA Playoffs in recent memory and while you expect blowouts to take place in the first round because of the disparity of the teams, the second round has been even worse. In Round One, 20 of the 48 games were decided by double-digits which is bad basketball in itself but in Round Two, 15 of the 16 games have been decided by at least 10 points. That seems to put San Antonio in the spot tonight but this blowout trend has to eventually start slowing down and our contrarian nature is siding with the Rockets. The first four games of this series have all been decided by double-digits with three of those coming by 20 or more points which is surprising after the four regular season meetings were decided by 12 points combined. Houston knows what it has to do to win this series and it showed in Game Four as the Rockets emphasized the importance of having a pedal-to-the-medal mentality from here on out. That is the lesson they had to re-learn in the first quarter, when that approach led to a 15-point lead just eight minutes in. They made 19 three-pointers and when uncontested shots are falling because of crisp passing, they are nearly impossible to beat and the Spurs still look to be a step behind. Houston is at a big advantage when it controls tempo and it does that by pushing the ball and not allowing the Spurs to set up their defense. While the blowout factor may still be in play, Houston is capable of being on the right end of that while a close game finally also favors the underdog points. 10* (707) Houston Rockets

The Wizards won in a blowout on Thursday and are in need of another win today to even up this series before heading back to Boston. Washington is catching a better line today as the number has come down a point from Game Three which goes against the bounce factor. The Wizards contained Isaiah Thomas on offense by making him play defense, as he finished with 13 points on 3-for-8 shooting, missing both of his three-point attempts, for his lowest scoring performance of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Making him play defense is a huge advantage because he just that bad. Out of the 86 results for DRPM (Defensive Real Plus Minus) among point guards on ESPN, Thomas is ranked 86th. As dynamic as he was in Game Two in the fourth quarter and in overtime, he can give it back just as easy as we saw in Game Three. The home floor has been great for Washington recently and all season as the Wizards have won nine of their last 11 games at the Verizon Center and are 34-11 at home on the season. Washington is now 21-9 ATS this season when favored by fewer than six points and the extra rest helps the Wizards as well as they are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games playing on two days of rest while the Celtics are 7-18 ATS in their last 25 games playing on two days of rest. 10* (514) Washington Wizards

A switch in venue is just what the Jazz need after losing the first two games of this series by double-digits in Golden St. for the Warriors, the lone disappointment during a pair of double-digit wins has been allowing the Jazz to creep back into games after jumping out to big leads. Obviously, the home floor helped in those early stages of the game where Golden St. has outscored Utah 60-36 in the first quarter. Through the first two games of the series, Golden St. holds a 65-44 assist advantage over Utah which is vintage Warriors basketball and that is something Utah will have to catch up on. The Jazz are 30-14 on their home floor despite going just 1-2 against the Clippers in the first round series but now they are catching a healthy number in could possibly be the only game they may have a chance of stealing against the Warriors. Gordon Hayward shined with 33 points in the Game Two loss, but he needs more help from Joe Johnson, who has cooled off from his phenomenal Round One, Joe Ingles, Rodney Hood and Derrick Favors. Hood continues to play through a knee injury, but he has elite scoring ability and the Jazz need that now. The Jazz are 5-0 ATS in their last five games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points while going 10-1-1 ATS in their last 12 games playing with one day of rest. 10* (510) Utah Jazz

After getting blown out in its first two games, Washington came back last night to win handily against Boston and we have a similar situation tonight with Toronto. The Raptors have dropped the first two games by 11 and 22 points, trailing both games by at least 25 points so their backs are against the wall but a return home will get them back into the series. The line differential heading into tonight favors the Raptors as we are seeing a 10-point shift and part of that is because of the questionable status of point guard Kyle Lowry but all indications are that he will be able to go. One player who will have a better game is DeMar DeRozan who is off one of the worst games of his career, a five-point, 2-for-11 outing in which he did not make his first field goal until the opening minute of the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers looked to have flipped the switch after having a horrible ending to the regular season as they have won their first six playoff games and have now won an incredible 16 straight round one and two playoff games. They encountered their first loss after 10 straight wins to open the postseason last year right in this building and we will see a similar outcome tonight. Despite the first two wins in this series, the Cavaliers are 3-8-1 ATS in their last 12 games against teams with a winning straight up record while the Raptors are 15-6-1 ATS in their last 22 home games against teams with a winning road record. 10* (736) Toronto Raptors

The Wizards let us down on Tuesday as the underdog was covering the entire game until losing it in the last minute of overtime to fall down 2-0 in this series. Obviously this is a must win for Washington and being back home on its home floor will get it back in the series. The Wizards have won eight of their last 10 games here and are 33-11 at home on the season. Losing the way they did on Tuesday was a tough pill to swallow for Washington players but they know what is at stake tonight. Isaiah Thomas put up a game for the ages, or at least 17 minutes for the ages, as he scored 29 points in the fourth quarter and overtime which was just one-point shy of the entire Wizards point total. Being lost in that however is that John Wall arguably had just as good of a game with 40 points and 13 assists. The Celtics won all three road games against Chicago in the first round but that was a situation where the Bulls completely unraveled after the loss of Rajon Rondo as the last four games overall were never close. Overall Boston has won and covered six straight games and that is a streak we like to fade, especially with the importance of the game on the other side. Going back, the Celtics are 1-4 ATS in their last five games after scoring more than 125 points in their previous game. Meanwhile, the Wizards are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games after allowing more than 125 points in their previous game. Additionally, Washington is 20-9 ATS in its 29 games as a favorite this season of fewer than six points. 10* (506) Washington Wizards

We played the bounce angle last night with Washington and while it was the right call, it was a frustrating result as the Wizards covered for 52 of 53 minutes as they lost the cover with a minute left in overtime. We are going with the same angle tonight with Toronto as the Raptors fell behind big early against Cleveland and while they made the final score somewhat respectable, the game was not that close. Cleveland is the top team in the Eastern Conference but Toronto is no slouch and is better than what was on display on Monday and we will see a better effort. The Cavaliers benefitted from seven more made free throws in Game One so it will be up to Toronto to be more aggressive and the Raptors have actually averaged more free throw attempts and makes than Cleveland has this season. The Toronto backcourt of DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry did not play well in Game One as the duo combined for 39 points, but only got to the free throw line nine times. Getting to the line more is a twofold advantage as it not only presents easy scoring opportunities but also gets the Cavaliers in foul trouble. Four of five starters played 32 or more minutes and the weakness of Cleveland is its bench. The Raptors are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following a straight up loss while the Cavaliers are still just 1-5 ATS in their last six games against teams with a winning straight up record. 10* (731) Toronto Raptors

We catch Washington on Tuesday in a good situation in playing the bounce angle. We have flourished playing the bounce angle in the NBA playoffs in certain situations as overreaction from the last game is sometimes too much. Typically, the linesmakers do not make much of an adjustment anymore like they used to because zig zag players were cleaning up playing this angle. However, we are seeing a big jump here as the Wizards are getting four points at the Game Four close and now that number has gone up a point and a half for Game Two. Washington held a 17-point lead midway through the first quarter but were outscored by 32 points the rest of the way so that will be taken into consideration by bettors. The Wizards were clearly outplayed over the majority of the game but they are a much better team than what we saw on the court Sunday and we feel that they are still the better team in this series. Coming away with a win in Game Two enhances their chances greatly in this series but we are getting a very good line on top of that so an outright win is not our big concern here. One big issue for the Wizards in Game One was that Markieff Morris badly turned his ankle and was forced to the locker room and did not return so the rotations were messed up and it was all downhill from there. Now, Washington can adjust without Morris before the game. Going back, the Wizards are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points. 10* (501) Washington Wizards

Both Houston and San Antonio won their first round series rather easily with the Rockets having a less stressful time of it against the Thunder. They head to San Antonio with an 11-4-1 ATS record as underdogs with two of those victories coming against the Spurs. That is a big reason for this play as the matchup is not unfavorable for Houston as the four meetings this season were decided by 12 points combined, three of which came by only two points. Houston has had an extra couple days of rest on top of it which is an additional advantage. San Antonio won its first series in six games but there was a slight scare when the series was tied at two games apiece and it easily could have gone seven games but Memphis was unable to sustain its second half lead. The Spurs had no issues at home against the Grizzlies but that was a slow paced matchup and now they will have to deal will a much faster team. The big matchup is Kawhi Leonard guarding James Harden and while many feel the former has the edge, that is not the case. With Leonard on the court this season, Harden averaged 27.4 points per 36 minutes, shooting 49 percent from the floor and the Rockets outscored the Spurs by seven points in the 141 minutes they shared the floor. The Spurs are 6-14 ATS in their last 20 games following a straight up win while the Rockets are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (725) Houston Rockets

The home team dominated the regular season series between Washington and Boston as the host was a perfect 4-0 straight up and against the number but we expect that to change in the opener of this Round Two series. The Celtics are overvalued and overpriced. Statistically, Boston was the worst No. 1 seed in the last 38 years and then they lost their first two playoff games at home but came back to win four straight games against the Bulls to advance. The Celtics caught a huge break however as the loss of Rajon Rondo affected the Bulls more than expected as the offense had no flow, managing just 90.5 ppg in his four-game absence. Boston will not be as fortunate here however. Washington let Atlanta hang around for longer than expected but it did the job it needed to and now hits the road again where it is a solid 15-10 over its last 25 games. The Wizards outscored the Hawks 124-66 on fast break points. Their average of 20.7 fast break points per game was the highest in the first round. 20 percent of their possessions were in transition (also the highest rate) and their 1.15 points per possession in transition were third best. That spells trouble for Boston. The backcourt of John Wall and Bradley Beal dominated with 29.5 and 25.8 ppg, respectively, and based on the overall numbers, Washington has one of the most dominant starting fives in these playoffs. The Wizards are 23-11-1 ATS in their last 35 games following an ATS win while the Celtics are 2-7 ATS in their last nine home games against teams with a losing road record. 10* (735) Washington Wizards

Chicago is on the brink of elimination as it is down three games to two following three straight losses after taking a 2-0 lead in this series. The offense has been horrible over the three losses, averaging only 93 ppg on 43.6 percent shooting and there seems to be no answer in sight. The Celtics were dominant once again in Game Five and played exceptional to the supposed strength of the Bulls. They forced 16 turnovers for 23 points, limited Chicago's rebounding advantage to 42-38 despite going small all night, and outscored the Bulls in the paint (56-42), on second chances (15-4) and in transition (12-4). This is a different scenario for Boston as unlike each of the previous win-or-go-home games, the Celtics are not looking to stave off elimination. Because of that, the Game Six matchup against Chicago presents a different kind of challenge unlike anything this team has seen before but the way they have turned things around shows it will be a non-issue. The loss of point guard Rajon Rondo cannot be overstated for the Bulls. There was a time earlier in the season when Rondo was benched as a healthy scratch and Chicago was able to work around that. However, when he has missed due to being injured when he is a big part of the lineup, the Bulls are 2-7. The Celtics are 17-8-2 ATS in their last 27 road games against teams with a winning home record while the Bulls are 2-6 ATS in their last eight home games against teams with a winning road record. 10* (509) Boston Celtics

It is do-or-die time for Milwaukee as it has to win tonight or the Bucks will be sent to their seventh consecutive first round series loss. Milwaukee is certain to make adjustments after dropping two straight in a series they led 2-1 after a 27-point home rout in Game Three and it unfortunately ran into an unconscious Toronto team on Monday as the Raptors shot a franchise playoff record 57.7 percent from the floor. In the games Milwaukee has won, one thing is clear. They held the Raptors to bad outside shooting, and they took efficient shots. In Game Three, the Bucks shot 52 percent from the floor and from behind the arc. They have to hit these shots if they want to take this to a Game Seven. The one key player is Khris Middleton who is coming off his worst game of the series as he scored just eight points on 3-for-8 shooting with a three-pointer in Game Five. Milwaukee limited its turnovers early in the series but committed 20 miscues in its Game Four loss at home and had 15 turnovers leading to 28 Raptors points in Game Five. Additionally, the Bucks need to be more physical as the more aggressive team has prevailed in the first five games of this series. The Raptors are 1-4 ATS in their last five games after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game and the Bucks are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points. 10* (502) Milwaukee Bucks

We lost with the Wizards on Monday as Atlanta used a 34-24 fourth quarter to pull away and win by 10 points. The home team has held serve so far in this series and it has been the Hawks that have been more dominant as they have won by 18 and 10 points while Washington took its two games by seven and eight points. Of the three wins by Atlanta over the Wizards this season, Washington has leads in the fourth quarter in two of those so even though the season series is at 5-3 in favor of Washington, it could be 7-1 if they were able to close these games out. Heading back home is what the Wizards been and they are again catching a good line. They are 32-11 at home this season and are laying a number that has been great as they are 15-5 ATS as home favorites of 5.5 points or less. Atlanta has been a below average road team this season and it is on a 2-9 run on the highway going back to mid-March. Before Game Three, Washington was pleased with how the team had been sidelining Dwight Howard and the Wizards were also pleased with their adjustments when Howard is absent. Then the Hawks big man posted a +24 in 26 minutes in Game 3, with only three fouls and a +8 in 30 minutes in Game Four, with also just three fouls. The Hawks are 8-17 ATS in their last 25 games when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game while the Wizards are 5-1 ATS in their last six games when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game. Look for a big Wizards rebound on Wednesday. 10* (710) Washington Wizards

Utah tied this series at two games apiece on Sunday and now has the edge moving forward despite having to play two games on the road should the series go the distance. The Clippers are without Blake Griffin for the remainder of the season with a toe injury as their luck once again has derailed them in the playoffs. The Jazz were able to tie this series up with Rudy Gobert coming back but not nearly 100 percent and he played only 23 minutes while Gordon Hayward was limited to just nine minutes because of food poisoning. Both will be ready to go tonight and the longer this series goes on, the tougher it becomes for the Clippers because of the increased workload Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan now face, and the overall age of the rest of the rotation. Utah was able to take advantage inside as Los Angeles was outscored 58-36 in the paint, and that is the area Griffin does most of his damage. The Clippers will get Austin Rivers back which looks like a move of desperation as he was not supposed to be back in this series at all and he should be far from 100 percent. The Jazz are 4-1-1 ATS in their last six games against teams with a winning percentage above .600 while the Clippers are 1-4-1 ATS in their last six games after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game. 10* (707) Utah Jazz

With the victory on Saturday, Atlanta has won five straight home games and has gotten back into the series now by trailing two games to one. The Hawks 18-point win was more than the Wizards winning margins in the first two games combined but we have to make sure we realize which is the better team as those margins do not necessarily indicate that. Washington said it had to withstand the first five minutes of Game Three knowing the Hawks would come out with great intensity but the Wizards played the first quarter at half speed, allowing 38 points and setting the tone for the rest of the game in which they trailed and chased but never caught up. To leave Atlanta with a stranglehold on this round, up 3-1 as opposed to a 2-2 tie, Washington must heighten its sense of urgency, especially at the start of the game. Washington had won five straight against the Hawks prior to Saturday so it does have the matchup advantage. For Atlanta, one of the biggest factors in making this a series was committing only 11 turnovers after committing 18 in Game One and 19 in Game Two so it is up to Washington to play more intense and force more turnovers. The Wizards are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points while the Hawks are 1-8 ATS in their last nine games following a straight up win of more than 10 points. 10* (519) Washington Wizards

In a league where the home court is so coveted, the road team has dominated this series thus far with three straight wins heading into Game Four. Give Boston credit for stepping up on Friday and getting itself a slim chance of getting back into this series after a pair of home losses but it was fortunate that the due of Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler shot a combined 33 percent from the floor in Game Three. It was an unfortunate situation for the Bulls on Friday because of the 6:00 PM local start time in Chicago, half of the arena was still empty at tipoff as thousands of commuters could not find their way through the horrific weekend traffic to the United Center in time for the start of the game. Luckily, Sunday will not provide that same issue plus will Chicago have to deal with a last minute injury and scramble to put together a lineup and gameplan which certainly hurt after having two days off prior to Game Three. The Celtics are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games following a straight up win of more than 10 points while the Bulls are 7-0 ATS in their last seven games following a straight up loss. 10* (514) Chicago Bulls

Laying points on the road in the playoffs is tough to swallow at times but the advantages are there if the situation is right and this is one of those times. After annihilating Memphis in the first two games of this series, the Spurs were competitive for a half in Game Three before the Grizzlies pulled away and eventually won by 11 points. The home team has won all seven meetings this season but the first of the three home wins for Memphis, San Antonio was without Kawhi Leonard so there is an asterisk beside that one. The Spurs have been a great team bouncing back from defeat and are actually the best in the NBA over the last two seasons as they are 30-9 over their 39 games following a loss. And they have been at their best following bad losses. The Spurs looked nothing like the team that won 63 games during the regular season as while they remained competitive early, their offense sputtered throughout the second half. Memphis came in with more energy following the rant from head coach David Fizdale after the Game Two defeat and it is pretty safe to say we will not be seeing a flat Spurs team on Saturday. The Spurs are 5-1 ATS in their last six games after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game while the Grizzlies are 1-5 ATS in their last six games following an ATS win. 10* (505) San Antonio Spurs

Toronto never led in Game Three and put up one of their worst offensive performances in playoff history as the Raptors scored 46 points through the first three quarters. They went into halftime down 57-30 which was just four points shy of their biggest halftime deficit in playoff history but we can expect a rebound today as this series is far from over and as bad as the Raptors have looked to some, they can gain home court advantage back today with a victory. Milwaukee has covered all three games in this series thus far and clearly had the energy in Game Three but this is a game where experience should come through. Kyle Lowry (44), DeMar DeRozan (31), DeMarre Carroll (47), Jonas Valanciunas (23) and Serge Ibaka (89) came into the series with 234 games of playoff experience while Milwaukee brought in just 28 games of playoff experience. The fact that this is a day game definitely helps the road team as night games tend to be a lot more frenzied. Toronto has covered four of its last five games following a loss while the Bucks are 2-7 ATS in their last nine games after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game. 10* (501) Toronto Raptors

We won with Oklahoma City on Wednesday but unfortunately for the Thunder, they blew a 15-point lead and lost their second straight game in this series. Like Indiana last night, this is certainly a must win for the Thunder and while the Pacers choked it up, Oklahoma City gets it done here. They are 28-13 at home including a 25-8 record when favored, covering 23 of those games while going 8-4 ATS this season when favored by fewer than three points. Houston had a significant home court advantage during the first two games and the Rockets have been great there all season long and we will see a switch in that tonight and the Thunder should have learned something from the Indiana choke job last night. The Thunder got nothing in Game One from everyone outside of Russell Westbrook and Andre Roberson. In Game Two, they basically got everything from everyone except Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. For Game three, it does need to be a full team effort. Westbrook tallied a massive triple-double with 51 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists, but a poor 4-for-18 shooting performance in the fourth quarter left the Thunder just short in Game Two. The Thunder are 17-7 ATS in their last 24 home games including 7-3-1 ATS in their last 11 home games against teams with a winning road record. Meanwhile, the Rockets are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 games after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game. 10* (718) Oklahoma City Thunder

Each series has now gone two games and the Game One ATS winner is now 6-2 ATS in Game Two so players using the Zig Zag Theory have not fared well. We did go against one of those last night and won with the Thunder and we will do the same tonight with the Cavaliers which are 0-2 ATS in this series thus but very well could be 2-0 ATS. Cleveland burned us twice in the first two games of this series as it blew a 12-point lead in Game One after getting outscored by seven points in the fourth quarter and then blew a 19-point lead in Game Two after getting outscored by 12 points in the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers won both games however which makes this a must win game for the Pacers but this is not a good matchup at all. Cleveland is 5-1 in the six meetings against Indiana this season with the one loss coming here in the first meeting back in November but LeBron James was a scratch as he did not dress for that game. Going back to the 2015 postseason, the Cavs hold a 26-4 playoff record against Eastern Conference opponents, which includes an 11-3 mark on the road. Additionally, James has won at least one road playoff game in 26 consecutive playoff series, a streak that dates back to the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals. Cleveland has won 17 of 26 games as a road favorite this series and it takes a commanding lead in this series. 10* (709) Cleveland Cavaliers

Oklahoma City hung around for a while against Houston on Sunday but the Rockets pulled away in the second half by outscoring the Thunder by 26 points to take Game One of this series. The Thunder shot just 37 percent from the floor with Victor Oladipo having the worst night with a 1-12 performance but we can expect a better display tonight from him and the rest of the team for that matter. While the last two games in this season series have resulted in double-digit Houston wins, the first three meetings were decided by a total of seven points. The problem in Game One for the Thunder was the inability to win the rebounding battle despite coming in as the best rebounding team in the NBA. There is little excuse for the top rebounding team in the NBA to be outworked 14-7 on the offensive glass, and outscored 31-4 in second-chance points by any opponent. The Thunder were below average on the road this season but are still a solid 7-3 over their last 10 games on the highway and the Rockets will not have the same energy they had on Sunday as it is extremely hard to replicate a resounding victory like they had. We talk about the bounce angle often in the playoffs and we avoided it last night with the Bulls and so far in this postseason, teams that have lost Game One against the number are 0-5 ATS in the next game but we are going against the tonight. 10* (703) Oklahoma City Thunder

Tuesday features three games where the home team lost Game One making these games nearly must wins for all three teams. That includes the Celtics which lost at home on Sunday despite a very inspirational effort by Isaiah Thomas and while the situation may call for a bounce back here, the value is not there. We talked about the bounce angle yesterday with the Cavaliers and they blew an 18-point lead by letting up late once again but that bounce angle is not in favor of Boston here based on the line which has gone the opposite way unexpectedly. Boston entered the playoffs as one of the weakest No. 1 seeds in recent memory as the Celtics finished the season with just a +2.6 ppg differential which was just two points better than the Bulls and the veteran advantage that Chicago has cannot be overstated. In Game One, the Bulls dominated the boards, ending up with a 53-36 advantage. The Bulls controlled inside throughout the game and forced the Celtics into shooting from the outside, where the shots stopped falling in the fourth quarter. Boston is just 6-15 ATS this season as a favorite of seven or more while Chicago is 9-3 ATS as an underdog of seven or more and the situation also favors Chicago as the Bulls are 21-6 ATS in their last 27 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600 while the Celtics are 1-6 ATS in their last seven home games against teams with a losing road record. 10* (527) Chicago Bulls

This is a great example of taking advantage of line moves based on what happen in the previous game. We have flourished playing the bounce angle in the NBA playoffs in certain situations as overreaction from the last game is sometimes too much. The Cavaliers won Game One by just one point and nearly lost as Indiana missed a last second shot for the victory and while the Pacers will be out to gain the home court advantage with a win, the Cavaliers will be out to keep it before hitting the road and that is important in this series with the dominant home record on both sides. The bounce angle as mentioned backs the team that did not cover the previous game and is showing a line move based on that and in this case, the Cavaliers are favored by close to a bucket less than they were in Game One so that is where the value aspect comes into play. Cleveland controlled the game the majority of the time on Saturday and was able to withstand a late comeback by Indiana so the goal tonight is to play the same but keep the pedal down while cleaning up the transition game and do a better job from the free throw line. 10* (518) Cleveland Cavaliers

This is the highest total on the board for Sunday which means there should be plenty of points which gives the big underdog a solid advantage. Oklahoma City and Houston should make for a very entertaining first round series and if the regular season series is a preview, that will be the case with the exception of the final meeting. The Thunder were an average road team this season however they did close strong with a 7-2 run over their last nine road games. Houston limps into the postseason on a 4-5 run and the Rockets have struggled in this role immensely as they are just 6-14 ATS at home against teams with a winning record while going 3-14 ATS as single-digit favorites of seven or more points. Houston has not covered a game since March 26, losing nine straight against the number over this stretch, and while that would normally make for a play-on opportunity, that is not the case here with an inflated number. The first three games of this series were decided by a total of seven points so Oklahoma City could have entered this clash ahead 3-1 and we can expect another close one here in this series opener. 10* (515) Oklahoma City Thunder

Milwaukee is one of the more dangerous lower seeds in the NBA playoffs and Toronto got a tough break with this first round matchup. The Raptors locked down the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference following four straight wins to end the regular season. They are deserving of this spot and arguably should be a higher seed but even with that, they are overpriced against a team that closed the season strong after a pretty bad start. The encouraging thing from the Bucks standpoint is that they went 14-4 in March and were 21-15 overall after their most recent loss to Toronto. Toronto rolled over Milwaukee in the first three meetings this season but this is a different Bucks team now as Khris Middleton was not around for those first three games. He is the key for Milwaukee heading into the playoffs as he certainly showed his rust at times after coming back from a torn hamstring but his playoff experience is vital. The Bucks pressure defense is notorious for giving up wide open shots after multiple perimeter swings but that is not the Raptors game however, as they rank dead last in the NBA in assists per game. They have a solid home court advantage but are just 12-7 over their last 19 games here. 10* (503) Milwaukee Bucks

Must win situations can be over exaggerated and in those cases, lines are overinflated which is what we are seeing here. The situation is very simple for the Clippers, win and they claim the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference which guarantees home court advantage in their first round matchup against the Jazz. Utah hosts San Antonio and it needs to win and have Los Angeles lose to claim the No. 4 spot but that will not be easy as the Spurs are not resting key rotation players in order to maintain rhythm for the first-round. Another important aspect of that game is that the time was moved to 9:05 ET from the late time slot so should San Antonio win, the Clippers will know by halftime and likely sit starters the rest of the game. Sacramento won last night against Phoenix with a 129-point effort and it closes out another disappointing season tonight. The Kings have been shorthanded for a while now but they have gone 5-4 over their last nine games so they have actually holding their own down the stretch. Now, they are catching another inflated number based on the situation. Going back two weeks ago, Sacramento was getting a bucket less here and won that game outright against Los Angeles. The Clippers are 0-6-1 ATS in their last seven home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400 while the Kings are 4-1-1 ATS in their last six games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. 10* (727) Sacramento Kings

The Hawks are coming off an epic comeback win over the Cavaliers on Sunday and we were unfortunately on the wrong side of that Cavaliers collapse. That was the third straight victory for Atlanta which followed a dreadful 2-9 run that put the team in jeopardy of actually falling out of the playoff picture. Now, the Hawks are very secure as they have clinched a spot and are one win away from locking down the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference. That would mean facing Washington in the first round and even though they lost the season series 3-1, two losses were by three and four points so they do match up well. Atlanta has not said whether it will rest any regulars for the final two games but we will likely see the starters tonight. Charlotte is riding a four-game losing streak following a loss in Milwaukee last night. This is the final game of the season for the Hornets as they are one of two teams not playing tomorrow, Denver being the other, and it is face to say they have cashed it in. Kemba Walker and Marco Belinelli both missed last night and in all likelihood, they will miss tonight with nothing to play for. Atlanta will be out to avoid a four-game sweep at the hands of the Hornets as well and going back, the home team is 9-2-1 ATS in the last 12 meetings. 10* (502) Atlanta Hawks

Meaningless games late in the NBA season are sometimes hard to handicap because coaches handle these games differently as far as rotations and game plans. Normally, this would be a pretty meaningless regular season game. The Wizards are locked in as the fourth seed and the Pistons have been eliminated from playoff contention entirely. However, this is not your typical situation. This will be the Pistons final home game in The Palace at Auburn Hills before they move into Little Caesars Arena next season so emotions will be riding high tonight. Detroit won last night in Memphis but there is no concern about fatigue as the Pistons used a 10-man rotation with no one playing more than 27 minutes. They bring in a solid 24-16 record at home and want to close down the building with a victory. Washington lost to Miami on Saturday and Toronto won on Sunday to no longer have a shot at grabbing the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference so the Wizards should treat their last two games in a way to rest and get ready for the postseason. Washington starters have played more minutes together than any other unit in the NBA this season, and their performance in recent weeks has not been up to the standard they set earlier in the season. They have failed to cover four straight road games while the Pistons are 11-1 ATS in their last 12 home games against teams with a losing road record. 10* (708) Detroit Pistons

Indiana is still in a position where it has not locked down a playoff spot as it sits a game ahead of Chicago and Miami for seventh place in the Eastern Conference. While winning out is the way to get into the postseason, it is easier said than done for a team that struggles on the road and thankfully for the Pacers, their regular season finale is at home. Overall, this season, the home team is 56-24 in Indiana games which is by far the biggest home/road dichotomy in the NBA. The Pacers are just 4-8 as road favorites this season but this is the largest number they have to lay on the highway. The Sixers season was not a great one but they are moving in the right direction. They have struggled of late with six straight losses as injuries have played a big part in the recent struggles. It was tough because a lot of these players were gametime decisions and ended up not playing with hurts chemistry going into a game so at least now, they can prepare with who is actually going to be playing. Philadelphia has killed it as a home underdog this season, going 25-12 ATS while going 11-6 ATS at home against teams with a winning record. The Pacers are just 7-13 ATS on the road against losing teams and we should see a pretty inspired effort from the Sixers with this being their last home game of the season. 10* (702) Philadelphia 76ers

This line came out late due to status of questionable starters on both sides but it is likely both teams will be at full strength. Cleveland had a comfortable lead over Atlanta on Friday but then was dismantled in the second half against the Hawks and lost by 14 points as a 15-point favorite to a team that was without four starters. With the Celtics win yesterday, the Cavaliers are just a half-game ahead of the Celtics in the Eastern Conference with only three games left so this has turned into a monster game. Atlanta has clinched a playoff berth so there is not as much on the line but it is still jockeying for playoff positioning with the Bucks and Pacers. The road team has won all three meetings this season in this series so the Cavaliers will have no issues, especially with this short number. A game at Miami follows tomorrow night so getting the lead back up to a game is imperative with Boston hosting Brooklyn tomorrow night. The Hawks are 0-7 ATS in their last seven games following a straight up win of more than 10 points while going just 1-7 in their last eight games following consecutive victories. 10* (503) Cleveland Cavaliers

Typically, this could fall into one of those last home game scenarios with this being the final home game of the season for the Hornets. However, Boston has an eye on a bigger prize. While the chances may be slim to impossible, Boston still is alive for the top spot in the Eastern Conference following the loss last night by the Cavaliers despite Atlanta resting two key starters. Cleveland is idle tonight so the Celtics have no chance of scoreboard watching and will be out to snap a two-game slide and pull to within a half-game of the Cavaliers. Boston is 16-7 this season as a road favorite with this being a manageable price as it is 10-5 ATS when favored by fewer than three points. As mentioned, this is the final home game for the Hornets but final home games at the professional level compared to those in the collegiate lever are a lot different. The Hornets are still alive for a playoff spot but their chances of making it to that are a lot slimmer than Boston making it to the top of the conference. Charlotte has struggled in this spot all season as it is 0-5 as a home underdog while going 1-10 ATS as an underdog of fewer than five points. 10* (703) Boston Celtics

We played on Phoenix on Wednesday and it resulted in either a win, loss or push as the line fluctuated throughout the day. We will be backing the Suns once again as they are getting nearly the same number against the Thunder as they were getting against the Warriors and those two teams are nearly 20 games apart in the standings. As stated on Wednesday, the Suns are just playing out the string and are relying on some very young players to close out the season but that can be a very good thing, especially in a game against an elite team as they will no doubt be playing hard. Phoenix has lost 13 straight games but seven of the last 10 have come on the road and while it has lost eight straight home games, most have come within the number it is getting tonight. Oklahoma City is sitting in the No. 6 spot in the Western Conference and despite a very favorable remaining schedule, the chances of moving up are slim. The Thunder certainly will not be tanking with Russell Westbrook going for the MVP but they have no business laying this type of number on the road. They could be without Andrew Roberson tonight as he left the last game with a knee injury and he is their best lock down defender. The Suns are 14-5 ATS at home this season against teams with a winning record and are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games overall against teams with a winning straight up record. 10* (516) Phoenix Suns

Portland remains in the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference despite a pair of losses over its last two games. Both of those losses came on the road however where the Blazers are 16-25 and now they are back home and are in good position to lock down the final playoff spot. Their final four games are all at home which is a big advantage over Denver which has two games at home and two on the road. Portland had a six-game winning streak prior to these two losses with the first coming at Minnesota so there will be revenge on the table. Minnesota lost at Golden St. on Tuesday and it is fading down the stretch with a 3-8 record over its last 11 games. The Timberwolves have struggled on the road all season with an 11-26 record including a 1-8 stretch over their last nine games on the road. They have surprisingly not played well against the non-elite teams in the league as they have gone just 5-13 ATS in the highway against teams with a losing record. Minnesota is just 2-8-1 ATS over its last 11 games overall while the Blazers are 6-0 ATS in their last six games against teams with a losing straight up record. Portland hosts Utah and San Antonio in its next two games which makes this one a priority. 10* (712) Portland Trailblazers

Here we have another game with a delayed line and this one is based on both sides with the Suns waiting on the status of T.J. Warren who sat out the last game with an illness but is listed as probable. On the other side, it is the rest factor. Golden St. is coming off a 14-point win over Minnesota last night so playing the second of back-to-back games, with this one coming on the road, means some players may not travel. Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala have already been ruled and more could come although unlikely. The Warriors have a 3.5-game lead over San Antonio for first place in the Western Conference and with their last three games taking place at home, wrapping up the top spot seems like a formality at this point. The Suns are just playing out the string and are relying on some very young players to close out the season but that can be a very good thing, especially in a game against an elite team as they will no doubt be playing hard. Phoenix has lost 12 straight games but seven of the last nine have come on the road and while it has lost seven straight home games, most have come within the number it is getting tonight. The Warriors are just 5-15 ATS on the road this season against losing teams while the Suns are 14-4 ATS at home this season against teams with a winning record. Additionally, the Suns have covered seven straight games against winning teams overall. 10* (514) Phoenix Suns

This is one of many games on the Wednesday slate that came out late due to a marginal injury and in this case, it is the status of Celtics guard Avery Bradley who is listed as probable after missing the last game. There is a lot on the line tonight as the winner of this game takes over first place in the Eastern Conference and while both teams have been downplaying the seedings, it is a huge factor. This one means more for Boston at this point as loss here not only knocks the Celtics down a game in the standings, but it would essentially be two games since they would lose the head-to-head three games to one. Boston has won two straight games, six of its last seven and nine of its last 11 to put itself into this spot. The Celtics has been awful as big favorites, going 0-12 ATS as favorites of eight or more points but they are 14-5 ATS as favorites of fewer than five points. The Cleveland struggles have been well documented but it has won three straight games but all of those came at home. The road has been a big problem as the Cavaliers are 3-7 in their last 10 road games and the three wins coming against teams not heading to the playoffs. They are 2-10 straight up and 3-9 ATS in 12 games as underdogs and it is still unclear if any player will rest tonight based on playing last night but either way, Cleveland is 0-5 straight up and ATS playing with no rest when going from home to the road. 10* (506) Boston Celtics

We played against Toronto last night and will do so again tonight. The Raptors are now in a tie for third place in the Eastern Conference with Washington but there is also a tie for the top spot between Cleveland and Boston so jockeying for any sort of playoff position based on upcoming matchups is impossible. This is the third game in four nights as well as the fifth game in eight nights for the Raptors so fatigue is a possible issue. DeMar DeRozan played over 40 minutes last night so he could be reduced tonight similar to Sunday when he sat out the fourth quarter. After blowing a 19-point lead last night, Toronto might be struggling from a mental standpoint as well. The Pistons have lost nine of 11 games to fall mostly out of the playoff picture. They have lost to the Nets and Heat on shots at the buzzer. They lost at the Milwaukee Bucks in overtime on Friday, so it has been a tough stretch in loss column and mentally. The good news is that Detroit is still mathematically alive as it is 2.5 games behind Indiana for the eighth and final playoff spot with five games left. From the mental side, the last loss was Friday so having four days off is very big. The Pistons lost to Toronto here just over a couple weeks ago, being held to only 75 points so revenge is in play. Toronto is 0-5 this season in the second of back-to-back road games with no rest while the Pistons are 12-5 ATS in their last 17 home games. 10* (504) Detroit Pistons

Memphis has clinched a playoff spot but now it is about positioning as the Grizzlies can still move up to the No. 6 spot which would avoid San Antonio and Golden St. in the first round. They have dropped five straight games on the road but this is their last road game of the season as they finish with four straight home games so they will be pretty fired up here. This is especially true after coming off a horrible loss against the Lakers while a win here also officially would keep them from sliding into the No. 8 position in the Western Conference. San Antonio is still alive for the top spot in the conference as it trails Golden St. by 3.5 games but catching them will not happen with four of the Warriors last five games taking place at home. The Spurs will likely be more concerned about minutes as they close out the regular season as heading into the playoffs fresh instead of worrying about playoff positioning has been most important for this team for years. While it is 30-8 at home, San Antonio is 1-5 ATS in its last six home games against teams with a losing road record while failing to cover seven straight divisional games. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games playing on one day of rest. 10* (715) Memphis Grizzlies

Following four consecutive losses, Indiana now finds itself on the outside looking in of the playoff picture as it sits in ninth place with just five games remaining. The Pacers continue to struggle on the road where they have dropped eight straight games but they have been much better at home with a 6-2 run to move to 26-12 on the season. They are the only team in the NBA to have more than 25 home wins and more than 25 road losses so the venue has dictated their season quite a bit. Toronto is three games behind Boston for first place in the Eastern Conference but catching the Celtics will be tough with four of their final five games taking place on the road. The Raptors have been a decent road team as they are 20-17 but the schedule has helped as 24 of those 37 games have come against losing teams. Indiana does fit into that category but they just fell into it during this current losing streak. The Pacers should be extra motivated as they will be out to avenge two losses this season which came after a seven-game loss to Toronto in the Conference Quarterfinals from last season. This is the first time Indiana has hosted Toronto since the sixth game of that series. 10* (706) Indiana Pacers

Washington opened its five-game roadtrip with a pair of wins but closed it with three straight losses culminated by a loss on Golden St. on Sunday by 24 points. That is a big game heading into this one as the Wizards were not happy about the Warriors running the score up late in the game so there will be some extra juice going into tonight. Washington can still catch Toronto for the No. 3 spot in the Eastern Conference and the schedule is there to get it done as its final five games are all against losing teams. Charlotte remains in the playoff hunt as it has won three straight games to move to a game out of the final spot in the Eastern Conference. Two of those wins came on the road which is a bit of a surprise considering the Hornets have struggled on the highway this season with a 14-24 record. That is a problem against Washington which has motivation and the second best home record in the conference at 29-10. Additionally, Washington is 14-6 ATS when favored by fewer than five points while the Hornets are 1-9 ATS when getting fewer than five points. The Wizards have covered four of their last five games after a double-digit loss. 10* (708) Washington Wizards

Portland holds a two-game lead over Denver for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference thanks to a season long six-game winning streak. The schedule has played a role in that however as the Blazers won five of those games at home while the other came on the road at the 22-55 Lakers. The Blazers are back on the road where they are just 16-23 while winning just eight of 25 games as underdogs. Portland took a big loss however when it was learned that Jusuf Nurkic will miss the rest of the regular season with a non-displaced fibular fracture in his right leg. In 20 games with Portland, Nurkic has averaged 15.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.9 blocks, and the Blazers have compiled a 14-6 record. Minnesota lost to Sacramento on Saturday which snapped a two-game winning streak and put it a game below .500 at home. Still, the Timberwolves are 5-2 ATS over their last seven home games and are definitely in a favorable spot. Meanwhile, Portland is 4-14 ATS this season as an underdog of fewer than six points. 10* (802) Minnesota Timberwolves

We played on Washington on Friday and a close game late turned into a big win for Utah. That was the second straight loss for the Wizards and you have to go all the way back to November to find the last time they dropped three in a row. They are 6-0 following consecutive losses and while winning this game may not seem likely, getting the huge point total is more of the concern. Golden St. has won 10 straight games following its loss at San Antonio and has increased its lead to 3.5 games in the Western Conference with just six games left, five of which are at home. The Warriors are pretty much guaranteed a lock for the top spot because of this and with that comes the opportunity of going against a team that is taking the foot off the gas late in games. They have been overpriced all season with 28 ATS losses when favored by double-digits where this line was and remains close to. As stated Friday, the road was an issue early in the season as the Wizards started 3-12 but have gone 14-8 over their last 22 games on the highway. They are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (521) Washington Wizards

This line came out late due to the status of Utah point guard George Hill who was listed as doubtful but was actually ruled out last night. The Jazz won the last game without Hill but that came against Sacramento, their second straight win. They have had their struggles against the better teams in the league as they have only 15 wins against the top 16 teams in the NBA which is the lowest win total among the top 10 teams. We played against Washington in its last game against the Clippers which came after a win over the Lakers that captured its first division title in 39 years. Now it is back to business for the Wizards which have been one of the best teams in the NBA over the last three months as they are 30-11 over their last 41 games. The road was an issue early in the season as they started 3-12 but have gone 14-7 over their last 21 games on the highway. The Wizards are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (517) Washington Wizards

We were on Detroit last night and while the Pistons won, it failed to cover against Brooklyn but did keep pace in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Pistons are two and a half games out of the final spot and tonight, we are seeing a 16.5-point line swing which is simply too much. The Bucks have won two straight, both coming on the road, and they are peaking at the right time, having won 17 of their last 23 games. But this is a very aggressive line. Milwaukee has been a double-digit favorite twice this season, against the Nets and Sixers, and failed to cover either of those games. While Detroit has been struggling, the Pistons cannot be put in the category of those two teams and while they have failed to cover both games as a double-digit underdog, those games were at Utah and Golden St. so clearly this line is extremely overinflated. The Bucks are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight up win. 10* (511) Detroit Pistons

Indiana lost in Memphis on Wednesday to make it four defeats over its last five games and now it is tied with Miami for the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference and just one game ahead of Chicago for the No. 9 slot. The Pacers have not exactly shined on the road but are getting exceptional line value here for a team that will be plenty motivated to win. The line value comes by looking at the previous meeting less than two weeks ago when the Raptors were favored by 2.5 points and now it has more than doubled. Toronto is sitting in fourth place in the Eastern Conference but with no chance to move down, the incentive to move up is minimal based on the now parity in the Eastern Conference among the top four teams. The Raptors had a six-game winning streak snapped on Wednesday and going back, they are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game. Meanwhile, the Pacers are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points. 10* (503) Indiana Pacers

We won with Detroit on Tuesday as it covered at home as an underdog but still lost the game outright on a last second tip-in against Miami in a much needed game. Now with just seven games remaining in the regular season, the Pistons are on the verge of not making the playoffs as they are three games behind Miami and Indiana for the eighth spot. This is a game the Pistons have to take with four of their last six games taking place on the road where they are 11-26. Detroit is 19-9 ATS this season as a single digit favorite of four or more points and playing with revenge from a two-point loss in Brooklyn nine days ago. Interestingly, the Pistons were favored by 5.5-points there and are now favored by just a half-point more at home which presents incredible value. After the cover against Miami, the Pistons are 11-0 ATS in their last 11 home games against teams with a losing road record. Brooklyn has been playing better of late with wins in three of its last five games but this is a tough team to trust on the road with its total of six wins on the season. Detroit has not lost at home to a team that is currently not in a playoff spot since late January and that run continues in a big way tonight. 10* (702) Detroit Pistons

These teams are coming off opposite results in their most recent games. The Clippers blew an 18-point lead with 5:16 remaining in the fourth quarter against Sacramento and lost while last night, Washington came back from a 13-point deficit to start the fourth quarter and outscored the Lakers by 24 points in the final period. The differences in those outcomes are big going forward and most important, the Clippers have had two days of rest to get over their collapse while Washington has to play the next night. Los Angeles has won four of its last six games and is still fighting for home court advantage for the first round of the playoffs as it trails fourth place Utah by just a game and a half. The Wizards are fighting for playoff positioning as well and while they have been playing well on the road, they are catching the wrong team at the wrong time. Additionally, Washington captured its first division title in 39 years with the win last night so a letdown is certainly more than possible. The Clippers are 4-1 ATS in their last five games against teams with a winning straight up record. 10* (520) Los Angeles Clippers

We played against Miami last night and while the Heat won, they failed to cover against the Pistons. Miami remains in the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference but it gained some ground on Indiana as it is now a game back while moving a full game ahead of Chicago so everything is extremely close in the playoff chase. The Heat have not been great on the road this season but have been playing much better as they are 9-5 over their last 14 road games. The Knicks defeated Detroit on Monday which was definitely a rare victory as it has been a very long season. Winning streaks have been few and far between as New York has not won back-to-back games since before Christmas, going 0-2 in its last 12 games following a victory while covering just two of those games. The Knicks are 1-5 ATS in their last six games against teams with a losing straight up record while the Heat are 14-6-1 ATS in their last 21 games against teams with a losing straight up record. Additionally, they are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 games playing with no rest. 10* (507) Miami Heat

Boston is on a roll with four straight wins and it has taken over first place in the Eastern Conference, leading the Cavaliers by a half-game. This is the latest the Celtics have owned sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference since the 2007-08 season when they won their last NBA title. The own the second best home record in the Eastern Conference but the linesmakers have taken this into consideration here and it is not a good sign for Boston backers. The Celtics are 0-11 ATS this season when favored by eight or more points. The Bucks won in Charlotte last night to keep pace with Atlanta for fifth place in the Eastern Conference. Playoff positioning is not a huge as all first round opponents will be tough but the bigger thing for Milwaukee is actually staying in the playoffs. The Bucks are only three games out of ninth place so they have to continue fighting and the remaining schedule is not very easy. They match up well with Boston as they have a nice size advantage so this is one they can keep tight. The Bucks are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games playing with no rest while the Celtics are 1-4 ATS in their last five games following a straight up win. 10* (509) Milwaukee Bucks

Detroit got manhandled by the lowly Knicks last night which was its fourth straight loss and knocked it down to tenth place in the Eastern Conference, trailing the eighth place Heat by a game and a half. While that makes this is a big game for both sides here, it is more important for the Pistons as a loss could essentially make it too far too overcome. This four-game losing streak has all been games on the road where they have now lost six straight games but have been much better at home with a 12-5 record over their last 17 games. Four of those losses came against the Spurs, Celtics, Jazz and Raptors, all of which are top four teams in their respective conferences. Miami has been fairly average following its incredible run to get into the playoff hunt as it has gone just 3-4 over its last seven games including losses in both road games. The Heats are just 21-33 when not listed as a home favorite and there is no reason they should be a road favorite here with nearly identical opposite home/road splits with Detroit. The Pistons are 9-0 ATS in their last nine home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. 10* (766) Detroit Pistons

Indiana has played very consistent at home which has kept it in the playoff hunt as it is tied with the Bucks for sixth place in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers are coming off a win over Philadelphia on Sunday but the one thing they have not been able to do is win consistently on a back-to-back basis as they are 0-8 in their last eight games following a victory. This dates back to prior to the All Star Break so it has been an ongoing issue for a while now. Minnesota is well out of the playoff race in the Western Conference following its sixth straight loss on Saturday in Portland. It has been a tough stretch with four of those losses coming on the road against playoff contenders, another road loss in overtime and a home loss against the Spurs. The task will not be easy here but the contrarian angle is a strong one here in a matchup that the Timberwolves have the edge at in significant positions. The Timberwolves are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games against teams with a winning straight up record while the Pacers are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games against teams with a losing straight up record. 10* (761) Minnesota Timberwolves

It has been a great run for Milwaukee since early February and it has coincided with the return of Khris Middleton from his torn hamstring. After missing over 50 games to begin the season, the Bucks have gone 15-5 over their last 20 games and while his numbers are down slightly, his minutes are still down and come playoff time, Milwaukee could be in great shape being pretty fresh. That being said, the Bucks have had a favorable schedule as while they are 7-3 on the road, five of those wins have come against teams completely out of the playoff picture. Charlotte is not one of those teams as it is two games out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the conference and while the chances are slim because the Hornets will have to pass four teams, being mathematically alive is huge for motivation. The Hornets are a horrible 2-20 this season as underdogs but a much better 21-9 at home as favorites. They are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games against teams with a winning straight up record while the Bucks are 1-4 ATS in their last five games following a double-digit loss at home. 10* (764) Charlotte Hornets

Oklahoma City lost in Houston yesterday to fall to 14-21 on the road which is the worst road record in the Western Conference of the teams currently sitting in a playoff spot. The loss snapped a two-game road winning streak which came after seven straight setbacks on the highway. The real issue is now trying to win a day later as Oklahoma City is just 3-9 playing with no rest and this includes a 0-6 record when playing back-to-back road games with no rest. Dallas is also coming off a loss as it fell to Toronto on Saturday but it has still been a solid run as the Mavericks are 9-6 over their last 15 games including a 5-1 record when coming off a loss. Making the playoffs is becoming less likely at this point as Dallas trails Portland and Denver by 3.5 games but as long as they are still in it, they will be fighting to win. This is the final home game before five straight on the road so this is as much of a must win as you can get. The Mavericks are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 home games against teams with a losing road record while going 21-7 ATS in their last 28 games following a straight up loss. Meanwhile the Thunder are 1-4 ATS in their last five road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (738) Dallas Mavericks

Going into Wednesday, the Clippers trailed Utah by a half-game for the fourth spot in the Western Conference which comes with the coveted home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Jazz defeated New York and the next night, the Clippers lost at Dallas so the deficit went to a game and a half but Los Angeles can get a whole game back with a win this afternoon. The Clippers have won four of their last five games at home and are in excellent position to end the season with just two road games remaining in their last nine contests overall. Utah snapped a three-game slide with that win over the Knicks and while it has a winning road record, most of the wins have come against lesser competition. The Jazz are just 6-11 ATS on the road against winning teams and on the season, they are just 4-14 as underdogs while going 0-8 ATS when getting between three and eight points. The Clippers have won 21 of 27 home games as favorites and with this manageable number, they take care of business again and get closer to the fourth spot in the standings. 10* (502) Los Angeles Clippers

Charlotte has won three straight games to remain in the playoff hunt in the Eastern Conference as it is now 2.5 games behind Miami for the eighth spot. The Hornets will have to overtake three teams though so the chances are not good and it will be a difficult stretch. That starts tonight as the Hornets were favored in all three games during this recent winning streak and they have not done well when getting points as they are 2-19 as underdogs including going 0-4 as home underdogs. This has translated to the betting aspect as well as Charlotte is 1-8 ATS as an underdog of fewer than five points. Cleveland lost on Wednesday in Denver to fall to 4-6 in its last 10 games and is now just a game up on Boston in the Eastern Conference. Following the game against the Nuggets, LeBron James called the team soft and that was proven in the boxscore as the Cleveland defense was so ineffective that it forced six turnovers and allowed 35 assists. This is a huge game for the Cavaliers to end their roadtrip on a positive note and go into its game art home tomorrow against Washington with some momentum. 10* (855) Cleveland Cavaliers

The Mavericks lost to the Warriors last time out as they hung around for a while until Golden St. pulled away in the second quarter. With the Denver win last night, Dallas is now 3.5 games behind the Nuggets for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference so time is starting to run out with just a dozen games remaining in the regular season. Dallas has lost consecutive home games for the fifth time this season and in the previous four instances, the Mavericks avoided a three-game home losing streak. Going back further, the Mavericks are 20-7 ATS in their last 27 games following a straight up loss. This is a big game for the Clippers as well as they trail Utah by a game for the fourth spot in the Western Conference following three straight wins. Those wins came against the lowly Lakers and Knicks and the resting Cavaliers so it is not very impressive. They have been a decent road team with a 20-18 record but they are just 7-14 ATS this season on the highway against teams with a losing record. Additionally, Los Angeles is 0-4 ATS in its last four games following a double-digit win. 10* (806) Dallas Mavericks

The Bucks won in Portland last night to move to 3-2 on this current roadtrip and they conclude the six-game trek tonight. The two losses came at Golden St. and Memphis, both playoff teams, and they have done very well against the teams below them. Milwaukee is just 12-23 against teams ranked in the top 16 but the complete opposite 23-12 against teams ranked below that mark. Milwaukee is 13-5 over its last 18 games which has gotten the Bucks back to .500 mark overall and they currently sit in seventh place in the Eastern Conference. This is big considering the Bucks are just two games out of fifth place and just a game and a half out of ninth place so there is little room for error. Sacramento is just playing out the season at this point as it has struggled since the All Star Break with a 3-10 record. The Kings have been hit hard of late with injuries which has hurt the depth overall. While the home record is pretty similar to the Bucks road record, most of that home success came with DeMarcus Cousins in town as they are 2-6 at home without him. The Kings are 1-4-1 ATS in their last six home games against teams with a losing road record. 10* (763) Milwaukee Bucks

The Celtics have won four of their last five games after a big win over Washington on Monday which increased their lead to 2.5 games over the Wizards for the second spot in the Eastern Conference. That was the fourth straight home win and Boston is 11-1 in its last 12 home games but the spot it is in tonight has been a disaster for bettors. The Celtics are 0-10 ATS this season when favored by eight or more points including a 0-7 ATS record at home, two resulting in outright losses. The Pacers are coming off a win over the Jazz at home as underdogs and while consecutive wins have been few and far between of late, we do not need the outright win here as this line is generous enough. It is no secret Indiana has struggled on the road this season but they are a respectable 7-6 ATS in their last 13 road games. The Pacers are 5-1 ATS in their last six games against teams with a winning straight up record while the Celtics are 2-5 ATS in their last seven home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. 10* (753) Indiana Pacers

The Warriors won their game over Oklahoma City last night and swept the season series with the Thunder 4-0 by an average of more than 20 ppg. That was a big game and one that Golden St. got up for bigger than others and that will provide a slight letdown going into Dallas tonight. The Warriors are now two and a half games ahead of San Antonio in the Western Conference but they are in a horrible spot, not even taking Oklahoma City into account. They are 4-15 ATS this season on the road against teams with a losing record while going 2-7 ATS in the second of back-to-back road games. Dallas won its last game in Brooklyn to cap a 2-2 roadtrip where it has struggled mightily with just nine wins all season long. The Mavericks are 13-4 in their last 17 home games with some quality wins along the way and over that stretch, they have gone 14-3 ATS. Dallas is just two and a half games out of the final playoff spot in the conference and covering against an elite team is no issue as the Mavericks are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. 10* (660) Dallas Mavericks

The Pacers lost in Toronto last night to fall to 11-23 on the road but they have been a much better team at home where they are 24-10. Since suffering through a six-game losing streak leading up to the All Star break, the Pacers have yet to lose consecutive games as they are now 6-0 in their last six games following a loss. It has been well documented that they have struggled playing with no rest but all of the damage has come when the second game was on the road. Additionally, the Pacers are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points. Utah has lost its last two games following a win to open this four-game roadtrip and is now two games ahead of the Clippers for the fourth spot in the Western Conference. The Jazz are not in a good spot here as they have struggled against teams that have a significant home floor edge as going back, they are 7-18-1 ATS in their last 26 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. Indiana will be out to avoid a second straight series sweep to Utah in a game we feel the wrong team is favored. 10* (606) Indiana Pacers

San Antonio jumped over Golden St. for the top spot in the Western Conference but it lasted for just one day as the Spurs lost at home against Portland while the Warriors defeated Orlando on Thursday. They look to at least keep pace tonight as they head to Memphis and look to add to their 11-1 run following a loss and there is payback in play as well. San Antonio came here on February 6 and lost 89-74 which is by far its lowest offensive output of the season and snapped a nine-game winning streak in this series. Memphis had lost five straight games but has since put together a three-game winning streak and remains a half-game behind the Thunder for the sixth spot in the conference. The Grizzlies have been a pretty average team at home with a 20-14 record, the worst of all playoff contending teams ahead of them. They do own some big wins against solid teams this season but are just 1-5 ATS in their last six home games against teams with a winning road record. Meanwhile the Spurs are 14-6 ATS in their last 20 games after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game. 10* (511) San Antonio Spurs

The Sixers are back home following a four-game roadtrip where they went 1-3. They have definitely cooled off after a big January but they continue to cover because the public still does not want to back them thus overadjusted lines. Philadelphia covered all four of those most recent road games and it is 13-3 ATS over its last 16 games and is once again falling into a good spot. Additionally, the Sixers are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 home games against teams with a losing road record. The Mavericks are coming off an upset win at Washington on Wednesday as they put up 39 points in the fourth quarter to notch just their eighth road win of the season against 23 losses. This includes losses in five of their last six road games with three of those losses coming against losing teams and while it has been solid as a favorite, tonight marks the first time all season that Dallas is listed as a road favorite. The Mavericks are 2-5 ATS in their last seven road games against teams with a losing home record. 10* (802) Philadelphia 76ers

The Clippers are coming off a disappointing home loss last night against Milwaukee which was their second straight setback and they now trail Utah by three games for the fourth spot in the Western Conference. It has been a very up and down stretch for Los Angeles as after going 4-0 in its final four games prior to the All Star Break, it is just 5-7 in 12 games since then. The good news is that the Clippers catch a Denver team that is banged up right now. The Nuggets have won three straight games but the last two came against the Kings and Lakers. They paid a price as Wilson Chandler was hurt against the Kings and missed the Lakers game while Danilo Gallinari got hurt last game and both will be out tonight. These are two of the top three scorers which will make the frontcourt very thin. Denver won here by 25 points in the last meeting in January but the Clippers were without both Blake Griffin and Chris Paul. Going back, the Nuggets are 2-6 ATS in their last eight games against teams with a winning straight up record while the Clippers are 5-1 ATS in their last six road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (709) Los Angeles Clippers

The Raptors defeated Dallas on Monday and they trail Washington by two games for the third spot in the Eastern Conference which is a coveted spot considering it would mean avoiding Cleveland until the finals. They are also just two games out of fifth place so with just 15 games left, everyone is important now. Toronto has been pretty average since Kyle Lowry was shut down for surgery as it is 5-5 but that is not considered too bad when seeing that the Raptors were 5-11 in the previous 16 games with him in the lineup. The Thunder snapped a seven-game road losing streak with a win over Brooklyn on Tuesday which is not saying much. Overall, they are 13-20 on the road and of those 13 wins, only four have come against teams with a winning record. Oklahoma City has struggled all season by winning just eight of 26 games as an underdog while going just 3-8 ATS when getting fewer than four points. Toronto is 16-8 ATS this season against teams with a winning record while winning 12 of 14 games when playing with two or more days of rest, covering 11 of those. 10* (704) Toronto Raptors

Detroit got thumped in Cleveland last night as it fell to a very motivated Cavaliers team but now heading home, the Pistons will be the motivated bunch tonight. They are in seventh place in the Eastern Conference playoff race but sit just a game out of tenth place so there is little room for error. Detroit is 22-12 at home including wins in 13 of its last 16 at the Palace while going 8-0 ATS in its last eight games following a straight up loss, winning the last seven games outright. Utah won at home against the Clippers on Monday to make it five wins in its last six games. The Jazz are guaranteed of a playoff spot and they are gunning for home court advantage but they are not in a good spot here as they have struggled against teams that have a significant home floor edge. Going back, the Jazz are 5-18 ATS in their last 23 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (610) Detroit Pistons

Since a four-game winning streak toward the end of February, it has been a tough stretch for Cleveland which is 3-6 over its last nine games including going 1-4 over its last five games. Six of the last seven games have come on the road so that has been part of the issue but there really should be no excuses for a team of this caliber. The Cavaliers lead in the Eastern Conference is down to two games over Boston and things are not going to be getting easier as after a two-game homestand, six of the next seven are back on the road. Payback should add to the motivation as Cleveland has dropped the last two meetings against Detroit, both on the road. The Pistons have won two straight, including one win over Cleveland, and four of their last five games to get back to .500 and remain in seventh place in the Eastern Conference. Detroit has struggled on the road by going just 11-21 including a 6-17 record as an underdog, covering only seven of those. Going back, the Pistons are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (532) Cleveland Cavaliers

We lost with Memphis on Saturday as it put up a dud against the Hawks which resulted in a 17-point loss, its fifth straight setback. The Grizzlies are now six games over .500 and sit in the No. 7 spot in the Western Conference, one game behind Oklahoma City which jumped over Memphis. While the losing streak is not ideal, this is the opportunity to bust it as the Grizzlies take to the road after tonight for a two-game trip and going back, they are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games against teams with a losing straight up record. Milwaukee has won six straight games to get to a game under .500 and climb over Miami for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Five of those wins came at home and the only road win came in Philadelphia and over the last two months, the Bucks have just one road win against teams with a winning record. Also, the Bucks are 6-13 ATS in their last 19 road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (508) Memphis Grizzlies

Washington has put together a great stretch at home but it has been the most recent roadtrip that has turned heads as the Wizards are undefeated, going a perfect 4-0 in a stretch of four games in dive days. While having a day off yesterday was good, the Wizards last two games took overtime to win and the travel distance from Portland to here is significant. The Wizards are 1-9-1 ATS in their last 11 road games against teams with a losing home record. Minnesota had a nice run going with wins in six of its last eight games before falling to Milwaukee on Saturday. The Timberwolves had covered all eight of those games so the fact they are coming off an ATS loss is helping with the number to go along with the Washington winning streak. Despite being 11 games under .500 overall, the Timberwolves are getting outscored by just 0.1 ppg and they have been much better at home despite being a game under .500 at the Target Center. The Timberwolves are 4-0 ATS in their last four games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. 10* (510) Minnesota Timberwolves

The inconsistency for Chicago continued yesterday as it lost in Boston on Sunday afternoon no thanks to scoring just nine first quarter points and never leading the game. That was the fifth straight loss for the Bulls which a season high but we are getting a favorable line based on the recent struggled. They were getting a half-point more yesterday against the Celtics which are 12.5-game better than the Hornets. Charlotte lost its last game against New Orleans in overtime and it has been an up and down over the last seven weeks as the Hornets are just 6-16 over their last 22 games and their home floor does not offer much of an advantage. They are four games over .500 at home but have covered just twice in their last 11 games here while going 3-10-1 ATS in their last 14 games against teams with a losing straight up record. Additionally, Charlotte is just 4-10 this season when favored by six or more points. 10* (501) Chicago Bulls

We played on Atlanta last night which snapped its five-game non-cover streak and now the Hawks hit the road to face an opponent similar to the situation it was just in. The Hawks have been a solid road team this season as they are three games over .500 but they are just 4-5 in their last nine road games following a five-game winning streak on the highway to open the month of January. Memphis has lost four straight games, failing to cover any of those and this is its longest losing skid of the season. This is a very good defensive team but that has been the issue of late including allowing an embarrassing 122 points to the Nets two games back. Memphis has won 21 games against the top 16 in the NBA which is good for the third most in the league which is a reason it is still ranked in the top ten in the power rankings. The Grizzlies were 17-8 following a loss prior to this recent run and the Hawks are 1-10 ATS in their last 11 games when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game. 10* (720) Memphis Grizzlies

Atlanta is just 2-3 on its current homestand and could use a big win prior to heading out on a two-game trip against Memphis and San Antonio. The Hawks have failed to cover any of these five games and they have dropped six straight against the number which is adding value to the number tonight. Atlanta trails Washington by 4.5 games in the Southeast Division but more importantly, it trails Toronto by three games for the ever-important fourth spot in the Eastern Conference, adding to the importance of this final game of the homestand. Toronto is 2-1 on this current roadtrip including a win last time out in New Orleans to keep pace with Boston in the Atlantic Division. The Raptors are two games over .500 on the road but they have struggled going back further as they are just 6-12 in their last 18 games on the highway. Only one of those six wins came against a winning team while the other five came against the Nets (twice), Lakers, Knicks and aforementioned Pelicans. The Raptors are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games following an ATS win. 10* (508) Atlanta Hawks

Cleveland is coming off a pair of losses against Miami but the circumstances were tough. LeBron James and Kyrie Irving sat out the first meeting while in the second meeting, Andrew Bogut broke his leg a minute into the game and James said the energy left the building at that point. The Cavaliers eventually fell behind by points and could not recover. Overall, Cleveland has now dropped four of its last six games and will be highly motivated to get back on track here after having two days off. The Pistons lost in Indiana last night and while this looks like a possible bounce back spot, they have not been good in the role of underdog, going 9-21 straight up and 11-19 ATS. Additionally, they are 0-7 ATS in their last seven games playing with no rest. They have been solid at home but the schedule has played a part. Detroit has won 20 games at home but only six have come against winning teams and while one of those came against Cleveland the day after Christmas, LeBron James sat that one out. It is well documented Cleveland has struggled on the road against losing teams but this is a different situation. 10* (701) Cleveland Cavaliers

Indiana carries a four-game home losing streak into the All Star Break but was able to snap that in the first game back with a 10-point win over the Grizzlies. The Pacers were unable to carry that momentum onto the road however as they went just 2-3 on their five-game roadtrip. They are still a very solid 21-10 at home including going 16-3 when favored. Detroit is riding a two-game winning streak and sits just a game behind Indiana in the Eastern Conference playoff race as it looks to avoid getting swept in the season series after dropping the first three meetings. The Pistons are just 11-20 on the road with eight of those wins coming against teams with a losing record. They have been unable to put together any significant winning streaks this season as they are just 3-9 following consecutive wins including a 1-4 record on the road. Detroit is just 5-11 ATS when getting fewer than five points and 6-14 ATS in their last 20 games following a straight up win. Meanwhile, the Pacers are 4-0 ATS in their last four games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points. 10* (514) Indiana Pacers

Houston is coming off a tough loss against San Antonio on Monday by a bucket but looks to get it back tonight and extend its lead over Utah to five games for the No. 3 spot in the Western Conference. The Rockets have been the best team in the NBA following a loss this season, going 17-2 straight up and 15-4 ATS and overall they have dominated the Western Conference with a 25-12 ATS record. Utah has certainly held its own and have quietly put together a three-game winning streak but it has been quiet due to the fact it has come against three teams that will not be making the playoffs. This has been a common trend all season as the Jazz have won the games they should be winning and losing the games against the better teams. While they are a solid 18-12 on the road, the favorite has won 25 of those 30 games while going 20-10 ATS. Utah has won just two games on the highway when getting points and all 10 losses have come by at least nine points and by an average of 12.6 ppg. Going back, the Jazz are 4-17 ATS in their last 21 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (516) Houston Rockets

We played against the Blazers last night but their game in Minnesota got postponed due to condensation on the floor. We will be going against them tonight in what is an even better spot. As mentioned yesterday, Portland remains part of the Western Conference playoff picture as it sits just two games behind Denver for the eighth slot thanks to a pair of wins on Thursday and Saturday. Those came at home however where the Blazers are 16-13 but the road has been a different story as they are just 10-22 including losses in three of their last four games on their most recent roadtrip. Oklahoma City is coming off a three-game roadtrip that did not go well as it lost all three games and all three came against teams sitting outside of the playoffs including the first one coming against Portland setting up a quick revenge turnaround. The Thunder have won four straight home games and going back, they are 12-2 in their last 14 games at Chesapeake Energy Arena. They are 14-3 ATS at home against teams with a losing record while the Blazers are 8-20 ATS in their last 28 road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (702) Oklahoma City Thunder

The Hornets are back in Charlotte for the first time in three weeks as they have not played a home game since February 13th. The seven game roadtrip was wrapped around the All Star Break and while it resulted in just a 3-4 record, the road has been a problem for them all season. Charlotte will be out to snap a three-game skid at home where it is three games over .500 overall and has won 16 of 23 games when favored. Indiana has gone 2-2 on its current roadtrip including a win yesterday afternoon in Atlanta but now is in a very unfavorable situation. The Pacers are just 3-10 this season when playing with no rest, covering only two of those games and they are 0-4 straight up and ATS when playing back-to-back road games. Indiana has failed to cover its last five games in Charlotte which puts the Hornets in place to gain ground in the Eastern Conference playoff race. 10* (514) Charlotte Hornets

Philadelphia is coming off a rare home blowout loss and we say rare because it has been very solid in this role all season, covering 23 of 30 games as a home underdog. The Sixers lost by 30 points against the Pistons on Saturday but are still a profitable 20-5 ATS this season when getting fewer than seven points. They have lost consecutive games against the number only once since before Christmas. Milwaukee has won two straight games against a pair of playoff-bound teams and it has been a case of playing up or down to the competition all season. The Bucks have failed to cover four of their last five games as a road favorite and going back, they are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 games against teams with a losing straight up record. Meanwhile, the Sixers are 8-1 ATS in their last nine home games against teams with a losing road record. 10* (506) Philadelphia 76ers

Boston opened its five-game roadtrip with a relatively easy win over the Lakers as it avoided a letdown following a home victory over Cleveland. With upcoming games against the Clippers and Warriors on Monday and Wednesday, the Celtics cannot let this game slip away and they have been sensational in these spots all season. While Boston is 0-9 ATS when favored by eight or more points, it is 24-11 ATS when favored by less than that which includes a 13-4 ATS mark when favored on the road. Phoenix has been playing well as it has won two straight games while going back prior to the break, it has won three straight home games but is still a disappointing 11-17 at home. The Suns are just 4-15 following a win this season and going back, they are 10-27 ATS in their last 37 games following a straight up win. Boston has a chance to move to within two games of the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference and should do so with relative ease on Sunday. 10* (827) Boston Celtics

Memphis took to the road last night in Dallas and lost by four points as a small chalk and tonight we are seeing a double-digit line switch which is very aggressive. The Grizzlies have been playing well since the end of January as they are 9-5 over their last 14 games including a 6-3 record on the road. This is the fourth and final regular season meeting with Memphis having a 2-1 edge including a win here back in January and it matches up well here as one of the slower teams in the league. The Rockets bounced back after a loss to Indiana with a 19-point win over the Clippers on Wednesday and they are now 17-2 this season following a loss. While Houston has been solid at home, it has had a tough time covering the now inflated numbers and on the season, it is 1-8 ATS when favored between 7 and 11 points. The Rockets have struggled against solid competition at home as they are 4-11 ATS against teams with a winning record and while playing great off a loss, they are just 3-10 ATS in their last 13 games following a win. Memphis is 9-4 ATS this season when playing with no rest, winning 10 of those games outright. 10* (511) Memphis Grizzlies