Sports Picks & Predictions

After sweeping Atlanta in the 2014-15 Eastern Conference Finals, Cleveland won all three regular season meeting last season as well as sweeping the Hawks in the playoffs once again but Atlanta was finally able to snap the slide, winning in November to halt the 11-game losing streak. Even though it was long ago, the Cavaliers certainly have not forgotten that loss and coupled with the loss in Boston on Wednesday, they will be giving a full out effort tonight. Cleveland has won its last four games following a loss and after its lead in the Eastern Conference has been cut to just three games, this is now a big game especially with a home-and-home on deck against red hot Miami. Atlanta dropped its first two games out of the break but has won two straight since then to keep pace with Washington in the Southeast Division. The Hawks are 2.5 games behind the Wizards but despite the recent wins, they are just 8-8 over their last 16 games including a meager 4-4 record at home. Cleveland has won 12 of 17 games this season following a loss while winning 13 of 18 games when favored on the road and on the other side, the Hawks are 0-4 ATS in their last four games following a straight up win. 10* (827) Cleveland Cavaliers

Here we have two teams coming off opposite schedules since before the All Star Break and this is one where Portland can take advantage of heading home. The Blazers are coming off a three-game roadtrip including three games since the break and they put up a 1-3 record to fall to 10-22 on the highway. They are just a game over .500 at home and will be looking to snap a three-game slide at the Moda Center and their recent record of 3-4 includes three close losses while going back, the Blazers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games following a road trip of seven or more days. Oklahoma City meanwhile is coming off a four-game homestand where it went a perfect 4-0 to improve to 23-8 on its home floor which is the second best home record in the Western Conference. The Thunder are just 12-17 on the road however and playing on the road has been a rarity of late as only four of their last 14 games have been away from home an all four of those have resulted in losses. It has been 17 days since the Thunder have had to travel and going back, they are 2-5 ATS in their last seven road games against teams with a winning home record. The home team has won the last eight meetings and we see that continuing here. 10* (706) Portland Trailblazers

Sacramento opened the second half without DeMarcus Cousins with a win over Denver but has since dropped its last two games against Charlotte and Minnesota but it has a great chance tonight to even the homestand at 2-2. Going back, the Kings are 5-3 over their last eight home games and while the roster is different now, they are catching a very solid number. On the season, Sacramento is 3-1 straight up and ATS at home as a favorite of three points or less with the lone loss coming against Indiana. Additionally, the Kings are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points. Brooklyn was able to cover its last game against Golden St. but the Warriors were not playing at full throttle with the whole roster getting court time. The Nets have lost 16 straight games including seven straight on the road where they have won just twice all season. They seem to be getting too much credit here against a Sacramento team that despite the roster moves, is just two games out of the eighth spot in the Western Conference so there is plenty to be playing for. 10* (522) Sacramento Kings

Milwaukee remains in the playoff hunt in the Eastern Conference as it sits two games behind Detroit for the eighth and final spot. The Bucks are coming off a loss to Cleveland which came in the second game of a back-to-back where they decided to rest Khris Middleton who is slowly but surely coming back to full health. The Bucks have been pretty solid at home this season despite just a .500 record as they have lost some close games along the way, dropping 10 of those by six points or less, seven of those coming against winning teams. Denver is coming off a win in Chicago last night as it shot 56.2 percent from the floor and had a 22-9 advantage from the free throw line. That was just the 11th road win on the season for the Nuggets and they have not won consecutive road games all season. Additionally, Denver has not won any back-to-back games in a month as it has gone 0-6 in its last six games following a victory, failing to cover any of those games on top of it. Also, the Nuggets are 3-10 this season when playing with no rest. 10* (512) Milwaukee Bucks

The Knicks are coming off a tough loss on Monday as they lost to Toronto by a point on a last second shot, sending the Raptors to their fourth straight victory. The loss was not a surprise as New York was coming off a win and it has not won consecutive games in over two months, going 0-9 in its last nine games following a victory. We should see a motivated bunch tonight as the Knicks will get Kristaps Porzingis back in the lineup. Orlando is off a rare win as it took out Atlanta on Saturday and the Magic have not won consecutive games many times this season as they are 6-15 following a victory including seven straight losses. Orlando has not been favored much this season and when it is, the results are not good as the Magic are 2-9-1 ATS in 12 games when laying points. The Knicks are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of less than .400 while the Magic are 3-13-1 ATS in their last 17 home games against teams with a losing road record. 10* (501) New York Knicks

With the Miami loss last night, Detroit moved a game and a half ahead of the Heat for the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference and it looks to increase that to a full two games tonight. The Pistons lost here to Boston on Sunday but have been playing well at home for the most part as they are 9-3 over their last 12 games. They have been very solid as mid-range favorites, going 12-6 ATS when favored between four and seven points and are 6-0 ATS in their last six home games against teams with a losing road record. The Blazers are in the playoff hunt in the Western Conference despite being 10 games under .500 as they trail Denver by a game and a half for the final spot. They have been average at home but dreadful on the road as their 21 road losses are tied for fourth most in the NBA. Portland has lost 15 of its last 18 road games as an underdog and it has not been covering very often as well in this range as it is 3-12 ATS in its 15 games this season when getting fewer than six points. This is a big one for both sides but we give the significant edge to the home team based on the big home/road split variances. 10* (704) Detroit Pistons

Miami has caught fire yet again as after a 13-game winning streak, the Heat dropped a pair of games before winning their final game before the break and since then, they have added another pair of blowout wins. Wins over Atlanta and Indiana were both double-digit victories and with the incredible 16-2 stretch, Miami is now just a game behind Detroit for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. While the Heat have been better on the road, they have been road favorites only four times, twice each against Brooklyn and Philadelphia. Dallas may not be a whole lot better than those two teams record-wise, the Mavericks are significantly better rating-wise. After a loss at Minnesota to open the second half, Dallas came back with a win over New Orleans on Saturday to make it seven wins over its last nine home games. The Mavericks are a game over .500 at home for the season and they are 10-2 ATS at home against teams with a losing record while going 7-0 ATS in their last seven home games against teams with a losing road record. 10* (512) Dallas Mavericks

Washington closed out with three straight wins prior to the break but lost momentum with the time off as it opened the second half with a loss at Philadelphia. The road has been the real issue for the Wizards which are now just 10-15 on the highway but they have been exceptional at home, especially of late. Washington is 24-7 at home on the season including a 19-1 record over its last 20 games here with the lone loss coming against Cleveland in overtime nearly three weeks ago. They are catching a favorable price here as they look to add to their stellar 16-5 ATS record as favorites of fewer than six points. Utah opened the second half with a win over Milwaukee on Friday to improve to 16-11 on the road. Most of those victories have come against inferior teams however as only three of those 16 wins have come against teams with a winning record. Utah has defeated the teams is should as it is 32-9 as a favorite but it has struggled against the better opposition as it is 2-12 as an underdog, covering just three of those games. Going back, the Jazz are 5-16 ATS in their last 21 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600 while the Wizards are 12-4 ATS in their last 16 games against teams with a winning straight up record. 10* (806) Washington Wizards

The Hawks let us down last night but we will back them tonight in a very favorable situation. Prior to Friday, you have to go all the way back to early December to find the last time Atlanta has suffered consecutive losses. The Hawks fell behind early and big last night so no player registered more than 28 minutes which is a big factor heading into a game with no rest. Going back, the Hawks are 12-3 ATS in their last 15 games playing with no rest while going 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games following a straight up loss. Orlando played Thursday and lost for the sixth time in seven games as Portland beat the Magic by nine points. The home floor has provided no advantage all season as Orlando is 9-19 here including losses in nine of its last 11 games. The Magic have been home underdogs numerous times this season and it has not been a good role as they are 3-14 straight up and 4-13 ATS. Atlanta is 20-9 this season against teams ranked outside the top 16 in the league and it gets back into the win column in a big way tonight. 10* (503) Atlanta Hawks

We are getting our first back-to-back opportunity of the second half and this is a big edge for Denver following a lengthy layoff. The Nuggets lost at Sacramento last night by 16 points but that helps going into Friday as it was able to shake any rust off from the time off while heading home on top of it. The Nuggets are just 14-13 at home but they are 12-7 when favored and have won eight of their last 10 here while going back, they are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games against teams with a losing road record. The Nets possess the worst record in the NBA by a wide margin and they are currently riding a 14-game losing streak. While the All Star break typically helps teams that are in a funk, this is a completely different situation and no lengthy time off can help this mess. Brooklyn has lost 20 of its last 21 road games and on the season, it is 2-23 on the highway with those losses coming by an average of 12.4 ppg and nearly half of those coming by at least 12 points and by an average of 20.1 ppg. While it may not seem like a game Denver will be getting up for, the fact it has lost six straight meetings to the Nets, including the first meeting this season, will give it plenty of motivation. 10* (858) Denver Nuggets

Miami pulled off one of the most surprising first half runs as after opening the season 11-30, it ran off 13 consecutive victories before coming back to earth and dropping a pair of games over the Magic and Sixers. The Heat did rebound with a win at Houston prior to the break so any positive momentum has been lost from this solid five-week run. Prior to this, the Heat were 1-12 in their previous 13 road games and they heat to Atlanta to face a Hawks team that is in a prime spot tonight. Atlanta is 3.5 games behind Washington in the Southeast Division as it closed the first half with a loss at the Clippers. After suffering through a seven-game losing streak in November and December, the Hawks have been unbeatable after suffering a loss as they are a perfect 12-0 in their last 12 games following a defeat. They have won nine of their last 14 home games with all four losses coming against winning teams. Atlanta will be out for revenge following a 23-point loss in Miami to start February but that game came right after its epic four-overtime game against the Knicks. The Hawks are 11-5 ATS in their last 16 games against teams with a losing straight up record. 10* (848) Atlanta Hawks

The All-Star break could not have come at a better time for Indiana as the Pacers limped into the extended time off with six consecutive losses. To their credit, the schedule was not easy as two of those losses came against Washington which is one of the hottest teams in the NBA while two others came against Cleveland and a fifth against San Antonio. A home loss to Milwaukee was inexcusable but the Bucks were an unconscious 17-31 from long range. Now Indiana has a chance to get things going right and something says Paul George will have a say in that following all of the trade rumors yesterday. Memphis started the season 18-9 but is just 16-15 since then as the Grizzlies have been a pretty average team over the last two months. They have won two straight on the road but looking at their recent road wins shows victories over teams a combined 74-153. The Grizzlies are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games against teams with a winning straight up record while the Pacers are 16-5 ATS in their last 21 games following a double-digit loss at home. It is time for the losing streak to finally come to an end. 10* (842) Indiana Pacers

After a successful All-Star weekend for the city of New Orleans, the home team can now welcome DeMarcus Cousins to town for his first game with the Pelicans. New Orleans is striving for a playoff spot in the Western Conference as it is currently in the No. 11 spot, 2.5 games behind Denver for the final slot. The Pelicans closed out strong before the break, winning three of their final four games and they are now hoping that the new addition helps lead to a big playoff push. While there is always concern about how a new player gels with the new team, the NBA is one sport that it does not really have a big effect. The Rockets had their four-game winning streak snapped in the final game before the break as they fell at home to Miami. They have been solid on the road this season but have covered just once in their last five games on the highway. Houston has been solid coming off a loss this season but this is not the typical situation of coming off a loss a day or two ago because of the All-Star break as the Rockets have been off for over a week. They are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games playing on three or more days of rest. Meanwhile, the Pelicans are 24-8 ATS in their last 32 home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (506) New Orleans Pelicans

We played on the Pacers last night and they failed to come through as they were looking good heading into the fourth quarter but a 25-12 run for Cleveland ended the hopes for Indiana. The Pacers have now lost five straight games and desperately need a win heading into the All Star Break. They failed to grab their 10th road win and they are one of two teams in the entire NBA that have single-digit wins on the road while also possessing single-digit losses at home. They return to Indiana with a 20-9 record at home and will be looking to snap a three-game skid at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Coincidentally, the Wizards are the other team with single-digit losses at home and single-digits wins on the road. Washington has won three straight games and 10 of its last 11 and while this does include four straight road wins, the Wizards are in a bad spot, especially laying points on the road. The Pacers are 0-5 when playing with no rest on the road but are a much better 3-3 when playing at home on the second end of a back-to-back. Washington has been a road favorite seven times but all seven of those games have come against teams with a losing record. 10* (702) Indiana Pacers

The Knicks closed their five-game homestand with a win over the Spurs on Sunday which snapped a four-game losing streak and while getting out of MSG can only be a good thing at this point, they are not in a good spot tonight. New York is just 9-18 on the road including a 4-12 record over their last 16 road games with only two of those victories coming against teams with a winning record. Additionally, the Knicks are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games following a straight up win. Oklahoma City has been on a poor run over the last few weeks as it has gone just 3-6 over its last nine games including losses in two straight games. Five of those losses came against teams with winning records including four on the road with the one home loss coming against Golden St. this past Saturday. The Thunder were unable to bounce back from that loss as they fell hard in Washington on Monday but are now in a good spot here as they are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 games against teams with a losing straight up record. On the season, Oklahoma City is 18-7 ATS when favored by fewer than eight points. 10* (524) Oklahoma City Thunder

Indiana was rolling along with seven straight wins to move seven games over .500 but the last week has not been good as the Pacers have dropped four straight games. Three of these losses have taken place at home where they have been very solid with the one road loss taking place at Washington which snapped a three-game road winning streak. Indiana has admittedly been pretty poor on the road overall this season but it has covered four straight on the highway and it has held its own in this series as the Pacers are 7-1-1 ATS in the last nine meetings. Cleveland is coming off a win last night in Minnesota which was its sixth win over its last seven games but the Cavaliers are now playing their second back-to-back in a week. They have failed to cover their last four games playing with no rest and have dropped all four of those games outright. The starters played heavy minutes last night and even with the All-Star break coming up, some additional rest tonight may take place. 10* (501) Indiana Pacers

The Lakers are back home following a five-game roadtrip that concluded with a win at Milwaukee and despite going 2-3 overall, the play was pretty solid with the exception of just one game. It has been a pretty tough slate of late as Los Angeles has played eight of its last nine games on the road and overall, it has played the second toughest schedule in the NBA. There has been a lot of travel in the last three weeks but the Lakers have had three days off and going back, they are 6-0 ATS in their last six games playing with three or more days of rest while going 4-0 ATS in their last four home games following a road trip of seven or more days. Sacramento closed its six-game homestand by winning the final three games so it certainly has some positive momentum going. However, the Kings are just 7-14-1 ATS this season following a win. They have been a short underdog only eight times and are 2-6 ATS when getting fewer than three points including going 0-3 ATS in three road games. 10* (706) Los Angeles Lakers

New Orleans lost in Sacramento yesterday as it was unable to win consecutive games for the first time in a month but the Pelicans have been solid following losses over the latter part of the season. They had their chances last night against the Kings but blew a sizable lead and look for a quick turnaround here and improve to 15-9 against teams ranked outside the top 16 in the league. The Pelicans are 4-0 ATS in their last four road games against teams with a losing home record. Phoenix lost at Houston in its last game on Saturday by 31 points and since back-to-back wins over the Knicks and Raptors, the Suns are 2-9 in their last 11 games. They are in the rare role of favorites as this is just the ninth time this season when laying points and they are 2-6 in their first eight games as a chalk including a 0-5 ATS mark when laying fewer than five points. Phoenix has the fewest home wins in the Western Conference and going back, the Suns are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. 10* (515) New Orleans Pelicans

Miami had its 13-game winning streak snapped on Saturday at Philadelphia and looks to bounce back at home where it still owns an eight-game winning streak. While wins over Golden St. and Houston were impressive during that run, it mostly came against very poor teams. We can categorize Orlando into that group but Miami is just 4.5 games better overall yet the line is telling a different story. During the middle of this winning streak, the Heat were favored by this same number at home over Brooklyn which is 10 games worse than the Magic. Orlando has dropped four straight games which is playing into this number as well but it is in a good spot to break that here, let alone getting the overinflated points. The Magic are the only team in the NBA that has more road wins than home wins and they are just two road wins shy of the number of home wins the Heat have. Clearly, winning this game outright is more than possible but we will grab the points knowing Orlando is 9-3 ATS as underdogs of eight or more points this season. 10* (505) Orlando Magic

Since winning four straight games in mid-January, the Raptors have had a rough go of it as they are just 4-9 over their last 13 games including a loss at Minnesota in their last game on Wednesday. Toronto is 1-6 on the road over this recent stretch but it has won three of its last four home games and on the season, it is 18-9 at the Air Canada Centre. The time off is a benefit as this is the longest rest period the Raptors have had this season and going back, they are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games following three or more days off. Additionally, they are 20-11 ATS as favorites of five or more points. Detroit has not been over .500 since December 14 when it was 14-13 and it has gone 11-16 since then with the road not being friendly. The Pistons are 3-9 on the highway over this stretch while sitting 9-18 overall and this includes a 2-11 record against teams with a winning record and they have not defeated a winning team on the road since November. Covering has been rare as well as the Pistons are 2-6 ATS in their last eight road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (836) Toronto Raptors

The tough stretch continues for the Clippers as they are playing their ninth road game over their last 10 overall and have been very inconsistent over this stretch. They are coming off a win over the Knicks but are just 3-7 over their last 10 games with another win coming against 17-37 Phoenix. Los Angeles is a decent 15-13 on the road but this is not the same team right now as the Clippers are 5-12 in the 17 games that Chris Paul has not been in the lineup. Charlotte snapped a seven-game losing streak with a win over Brooklyn but it could not keep it going as the Hornets lost at home to Houston on Thursday by 12 points. They do catch the Clippers in a good spot though and despite the poor run of late, the favorite role is a good one. Charlotte is a horrid 1-14 this season when it is an underdog but a much better 23-13 as a favorite including going 16-5 as a home chalk. Going back, the Clippers are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (502) Charlotte Hornets

The Spurs continue their eight-game roadtrip as they head to Detroit after splitting their first two games to open the trek. San Antonio made history by winning its first 13 road games to open the season but has since gone 8-5 on the highway which is certainly respectable but far from dominating. Three wins over this stretch came against Phoenix, Brooklyn and Philadelphia so that record is not even as good as it looks. Going back, the Spurs are 1-4 ATS in their last five games against teams with a losing straight up record. Detroit is three games under .500 but are 20-20 over its last 40 games and remains right in the playoff picture as it currently sits at No. 8 in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons have won four straight home games while going 7-1 over their last eight games here and while the winning streak has come against some poor opposition, they do have many quality home wins as well. As a matter of fact, the Pistons are 6-0 ATS in their last six home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. Detroit is 4-1 ATS this season as a home underdog with the lone loss coming by just a half-point against the Rockets. 10* (854) Detroit Pistons

Boston is coming off a bad loss last night as it went to Sacramento, which was playing without its top player, and was defeated by 16 points. The game was tied at the half but the Celtics allowed a 16-1 run and could never come back. That snapped a seven-game winning streak and they remain two games ahead of Toronto in the Atlantic Division. Boston has failed to cover five straight games but it has won 12 of its last 19 road games and has been solid playing with no rest, winning eight of 11 games on the season. Portland is coming off a last second win over Dallas on Tuesday which snapped a mini two-game slide and it has been a tough season overall for the Blazers. They are seven games under .500 and while they do have a winning record at home, they have dropped seven of their last 13 here and four of the six wins have come against teams with a losing record. The Celtics lost at home to Portland in overtime just over two weeks ago so they will be out for some payback from that. The Celtics are 9-3-2 ATS in their last 14 road games against teams with a winning home record while the Blazers are 7-18 ATS in their last 25 games following a straight up win. 10* (709) Boston Celtics

The Miami Heat remain the hottest team in basketball as they have won 11 straight games and are suddenly in the hunt in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. While the run is a great one and certainly impressive after a horrible start to the season, it is a bit skewed as only three of those wins have come on the road and two came against Brooklyn and Minnesota by five points combined. The last time Miami lost happened to come in this building back on January 13 as it fell by eight points as a 7.5-point underdog so now we are seeing a big line shift which is a massive move based on the short time frame. The fact that Milwaukee is 2-10 over its last 12 games is also playing a factor in this number but the Bucks are coming off a much needed blowout win at Phoenix on Saturday. The schedule has not been in their favor as eight of the 12 games have been on the road and they are a game over .500 at home. Milwaukee will welcome back Khris Middleton tonight who is making his season debut and while he will not make a difference in the outcome as he is playing a max of 15 minutes, his presence alone will have the team and fans extremely fired up tonight. 10* (512) Milwaukee Bucks

We were on the wrong side with Atlanta on Monday as the Hawks never led against Utah and ended up losing by 25 points. The pace of the game was very slow but the Jazz scored 125 points thanks to 61.3 percent shooting so Atlanta is going to tighten the defense up tonight as Denver runs fast and can put up points. Despite that loss, the Hawks are still 15-6 over their last 21 games and they trail Washington by just a half-game for the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference. Denver rolled over Dallas in its last game on Monday and the Nuggets are now 9-5 over their last 14 games so they have been playing better. They are 2-4 on the road however over this stretch and are 9-16 overall on the highway. That record is skewed however as Denver is just 2-10 on the road against team with a winning record. Atlanta is a perfect 10-0 in its last 10 games following a loss while going back, the 18-5 ATS in their last 23 games following a double-digit loss at home. Meanwhile, the Nuggets are 1-6 ATS in their last seven road games against teams with a winning home record. Look for the Hawks to bounce back yet again and keep those streaks alive. 10* (506) Atlanta Hawks

Dallas had a four-game winning streak snapped last night with a loss in Denver as it fell behind by as many as 27 points before going down by 23 points. The Mavericks are now 9-4 over their last 13 games including a 5-1 record at home which has brought them to .500 on the season at American Airlines Center. They are in a good bounce back spot tonight despite playing with no rest as they have covered five of their last six games following a double-digit loss. Portland has dropped two straight games following a loss at Oklahoma City on Sunday which followed a respectable 3-2 homestand. The Blazers are three games over .500 at home but they have struggled on the road with an 8-19 record including a 5-18 road record since early November. They are playing with revenge from a four-point home loss against Dallas last Friday but Portland is 1-7 ATS this season when getting fewer than four points while the Mavericks are a perfect 6-0 ATS this season when favored by fewer than four points. Additionally, they are 4-0 ATS in their last four home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400 while the Blazers are 0-4 ATS in their last four games against teams with a winning percentage below .400. 10* (706) Dallas Mavericks

Atlanta remains home following a win over Orlando on Saturday to move to 15-5 over its last 20 games to keep pace with the Wizards in the Southeast Division. The Hawks are just a half-game behind the Raptors for the coveted fourth spot in the Eastern Conference and they have had this game circled for some time. Atlanta lost in Utah back in November by 27 points as it was held to 68 points which is by far its lowest point total of the season. Utah is coming off a 3-1 homestand following a win over Charlotte on Saturday and the schedule has been in its favor with nine of its last 12 games taking place at home. Those three road games came against teams that are all at least six games under .500 and the road has been a challenge with seven straight losses against the number. They have played a very easy schedule overall as they have been favored in 35 of 51 games and the line has played a big role on the highway as Utah is a perfect 12-0 as a road favorite but just 1-10 as a road underdog. Going back, the Jazz are 7-20 ATS in their last 27 road games against teams with a winning home record while the Hawks are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. 10* (510) Atlanta Hawks

We won with the Thunder on Friday as they snapped a three-game losing skid thanks to a 15-0 run to end the game and they carry that momentum into Sunday. Oklahoma City improved to 17-7 at home including wins in six of its last seven in what has been part of a brutal stretch of its schedule. This is the first time since late November the Thunder have played three straight home games and going back to December 21, 16 of their last 23 games have been on the road. Portland is coming off a 3-2 homestand to move to 14-11 at home but the Blazers have struggled on the road with an 8-18 record. They have won just four of 16 games when getting points and are 3-10 ATS when getting fewer than six points. Oklahoma City is 14-5 ATS this season when favored by more than four points while going 10-3 ATS at home against teams with a losing record. Additionally, the Thunder are 7-1 ATS in their last eight home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400 while the Blazers are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (856) Oklahoma City Thunder

Sacramento is coming off a loss last night against Phoenix, ruining a monster night from DeMarcus Cousins where he posted a triple double but the Kings were outscored 29-17 from the free throw line and that was the ultimate difference. If there has been one consistency for the Kings, it is that they have been competitive at home as they have only lost twice by more points than what they are getting tonight. This includes losses against San Antonio (twice), Golden St., Cleveland, Oklahoma City and the Clippers, all of which were by 12 points or less. Overall, Sacramento has been a solid team in this range as it is 8-4 ATS as an underdog of seven points or more. Golden St. has won five straight games as the offense has been rolling, averaging 125.8 ppg over this stretch. Because of the pace, the defense has not been great as the Warriors are allowing 45.7 percent shooting which is well above their season average. Nobody likes betting against Golden St. but it is a pedestrian 24-24-2 ATS including 11-13-1 ATS on the road so they are far from the covering clip from last season. The Warriors are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of less than .400 while the Kings are 4-0-1 ATS in their last five home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (520) Sacramento Kings

Oklahoma City caught the Bulls at the wrong time on Wednesday as Chicago shot an amazing 60.5 percent from the floor while the Thunder shot just 38 percent while hoisting up 100 shot attempts. That was the third straight loss for the Thunder after going 7-3 over their last 10 games and it also snapped a five-game home winning streak. Oklahoma City is 16-7 at home while going 16-5 as a home favorite and on the season, the chalk is 37-13 in its 50 games overall. Memphis meanwhile has won three straight games on this current six-game roadtrip and the Grizzlies are now two games over .500 on the road. It has been an up and down run as the Grizzlies are 12-12 over their last 24 games which includes a loss here last month by eight points. The Thunder were favored by 4.5 points in that game so the value is on their side in this rematch and the only difference this time around is they are without Enos Kanter. Going back, the Thunder are 11-5 ATS in their last 16 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points. 10* (858) Oklahoma City Thunder

We have backed Houston on a few occasions this season when in this similar spot and we will be on the Rockets again tonight. The Rockets led by as many as 20 points against the Hawks last night including taking a 13-point lead into the fourth quarter but they were outscored 40-22 in the final period and lost for just the sixth time at home. They have been extremely solid in two ways heading into this game as they are 14-2 this season following a loss while going 11-1 when playing with no rest. Put those two situations together where Houston is coming off a loss and playing with no rest and it is a perfect 4-0, winning those games by 19, 17, 14 and 19 points. Chicago defeated the Thunder on Wednesday and it was a game where everything went its way as it shot 60.5 percent from the floor and outscored the Thunder 24-14 from the free throw line. The Bulls are still just 10-14 on the road and while they have won two straight games, they are 1-6 over their last seven games following consecutive wins. 10* (860) Houston Rockets

Give credit to the Clippers last night for keeping their focus on a bad Suns team in Phoenix knowing this game was upcoming in 24 hours. Los Angeles never trailed and while it never really pulled away for a no doubt win, it snapped a two-game slide heading into this showdown with the Warriors. The question has been for a few years about which team can give Golden St. a run in the Western Conference and the Clippers name seems to always come up despite the fact they have lost eight straight games in this series. The last one was the worst of all as they lost in Golden St. by 46 points on Saturday so payback will be at the forefront, especially after head coach Doc Rivers made the team watch a replay of the entire game on Monday. Golden St. also won last night as it defeated Charlotte at home for its fourth straight win to move to an NBA best 42-7. The Warriors have the best road record in the NBA which is a half-game better than the Spurs but this is not the ideal spot as Golden St. is 1-7 ATS this season with no rest when playing the second game on the road. This includes losses against the number in six straight games and the average margin of victory is just 3.8 ppg. 10* (708) Los Angeles Clippers

Oklahoma City is coming off a loss at San Antonio last night which was its second straight loss with a defeat at Cleveland taking place two days earlier. The Thunder led early against the Spurs but eventually trailed by as many as 20 points but a return home after playing two of the best teams in the NBA is just what they need now. They have been involved in a brutal stretch since before Christmas as 16 of their last 21 games have taken place on the road and they have held their own by going 12-9 in those 21 games and with a game at home on Friday against Memphis marks the first time over this stretch they have had consecutive games at home. Oklahoma City has won five straight at home. Chicago picked up a victory over Philadelphia on Sunday which capped a 1-2 homestand. The Bulls have gone 3-9 over their last 12 road games and are just 5-11 on the season as a road underdog. The Thunder are 2-0 ATS when playing with no rest going from the road to back home and are 16-6 ATS as favorites of fewer than eight points while going 12-2 ATS in their last 14 games against teams with a losing record. 10* (522) Oklahoma City Thunder

It is no secret that Cleveland is struggling as the Cavaliers are coming off a loss at Dallas which was their seventh loss in their last 11 games. They certainly had some questionable losses over this stretch but they have lost to some solid teams as well as well as a three-game stretch where they lost three straight by nine points combined with two of those coming in overtime. Cleveland was awful in January against the number as it went 3-12 ATS in 15 games but that is now helping us out here with value. The fact Cleveland is favored by the same amount here as it was in its last home game against Oklahoma City shows that. The recent play from Minnesota is also playing a role as it has gone 5-1 over its last six games and 8-3 over its last 11 games. Five of those wins came at home however while the road wins came against 15-33 Phoenix and the shorthanded Clippers so while the run has been nice, it has not been overly impressive. Minnesota is 0-5 ATS in its last five games following a win and the Cavaliers should be putting up an over the top effort tonight. 10* (502) Cleveland Cavaliers

The Lakers are coming off a winless roadtrip where they went 0-3 to make it 10 straight losses on the highway and are now 2-18 over their last 20 road games following a decent 3-3 start. They have been much better at home as they have won four of their last seven games in Los Angeles where they are just two games under .500 for the season. One of the recent losses at home came against Denver exactly two weeks ago and the line has risen from one-point then to well over a bucket now. The Nuggets have won three straight games and are 7-2 over their last nine games since their trip to London and that is certainly a big reason for the inflated line. Only two of those victories were on the road and while one came against the Lakers, it was a game that Denver shot an incredible 56.8 percent from the floor so that was an anomaly. Denver is 9-14 on the road and will once again be without Nikola Jokic who has been the Nuggets best player over the last month. The Lakers are 5-0 ATS in their last five games playing on three or more days of rest which is very big as D'Angelo Russell should be back in the lineup after suffering a mild MCL sprain against Denver. 10* (712) Los Angeles Lakers

This is just the ninth home game for Phoenix since December 23 and while it is coming off a bad loss against Denver on Saturday, the Suns have done pretty well here even in the other losses. The other three defeats came against Utah, Dallas and Minnesota by a combined 11 points and prior to the Denver game, they were on a 7-1 ATS run over this home stretch. Phoenix has played the toughest schedule in the NBA and have been great in this role, going 9-4 ATS as a home underdog while going 12-3 ATS in their last 15 games following a double-digit loss at home. Memphis has been pretty up and down of late but is coming off an upset win at Utah on Saturday by seven points as a 7.5-point underdog. Ever since a 7-1 run in the middle of December, they are just 10-12 over their last 22 games including a 5-7 record on the road. The Grizzlies are 0-4 ATS in their last four games following a straight up win while Phoenix is 9-2 ATS this season at home against teams with a winning record. 10* (510) Phoenix Suns

The Hawks got throttled in their most recent game against the red hot Wizards as they lost by 26 points for their 10th home loss of the season. That was their second straight home loss following a 6-1 run at Philips Arena and we can expect a bounce back on Sunday. Going back, the Hawks are 19-7 ATS in their last 26 games following a double-digit loss at home and this is the perfect team to play against to extend that as they are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games against teams with a losing straight up record. The Knicks meanwhile won a rare game on Friday as they defeated the Hornets at home by three points. It was a balanced effort with six players scoring in double-digits but Carmelo Anthony struggled amid all of the trade rumors while Derrick Rose got injured and is not expected to play today. New York has not won consecutive games in a month and is now 5-14 over its last 19 games while going 0-5 straight up and ATS following a victory. 10* (832) Atlanta Hawks

We played against Sacramento last night which resulted in a push and we will be going against the Kings again tonight as they are in an awful spot. The loss last night was in overtime which was their second straight overtime game and with this being the third game in four nights, this is a fatigued team. Additionally, this is their sixth game in nine nights, all of which have taken place on the road so there has been travel involved every day. Charlotte has dropped its last three games and is now a game under .500 on the season. The latest defeat came last night in New York and while this is also the sixth game in nine nights for the Hornets, the first four were all at home so there has been minimal travel. As mentioned yesterday, the Pacers are the only team in the NBA that has at least 15 wins at home and at least 15 losses on the road so the venue matters. Well, Charlotte has joined that group as it brings in a 159 record at home. The Kings are 3-12-1 ATS in their last 16 games after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game. 10* (502) Charlotte Hornets

Two teams trending in opposite directions square off on Friday as Houston looks to get back on track following a pair of losses while the Sixers look to keep their four-week run going strong. The Rockets have lost consecutive games for just the second time this season but they are still 12-2 straight up and ATS following a loss. Despite the last two losses, Houston is 17-10 on the road which is the third best road record in the NBA. Philadelphia has gone 10-3 in its last 13 games since December 30 and will be out to win its third straight game for the third time during this recent winning stretch. Seven of these wins have come against teams with a losing record and facing a dynamic offense of the Rockets will be an issue. The Sixers are one of the best defensive teams in the NBA with Joel Embiid on the floor but he is likely to miss his fourth straight game. The Rockets are 14-5 ATS in their last 19 games against teams with a losing straight up record while going back, they are 20-8 ATS in their last 28 games following a straight up loss. 10* (851) Houston Rockets

While Cleveland is the big talk with its recent slump, the Raptors have gone under the radar with their issues. They have lost five straight games and this is the longest losing streak since February of 2015 so this is a rare thing going on right now. Toronto has been without DeMar DeRozan for the last two games and he will be out again tonight and while he is a dynamic player whose absence is hard to replace, the Raptors will be ready to get out of this funk against a team it has dominated the last two seasons. The Bucks are struggling also as they have dropped six of their last seven games to fall three games under .500. The potential for Milwaukee is there with a cast of great young players but it is still missing a key cog in Khris Middleton who will hopefully be back in a few weeks. The Bucks have just eight road wins this season and are 6-11 both straight up and ATS as road underdogs. Additionally, the Bucks are 4-11 ATS in their last 15 road games against teams with a winning home record while the Raptors are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 home games against teams with a losing road record. 10* (856) Toronto Raptors

This is a great spot to go against the Kings which are coming off a big upset win over the Cavaliers for their second straight road win as underdogs. They have not won three straight road games in over a calendar year and this recent two-game stretch came after a horrid 1-8 run. Sacramento has allowed over 100 points in 15 of its last 16 games as the defense remains one of the worst in the NBA and it is third to last in effective defensive field goal percentage. The Pacers are coming off a rare road win last night at Minnesota which snapped a three game losing streak and put them back over .500 for the season. They are 16-6 at home and they are the only team in the NBA that has at least 15 wins at home and at least 15 losses on the road so the venue matters most for Indiana more than any other team in the league. The Kings are 3-12 ATS in their last 15 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game while the Pacers are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games following a straight up win. 10* (854) Indiana Pacers

Brooklyn is coming off one of its worst losses of the season as it not only lost by 26 points against San Antonio but it came against a Spurs team missing Kawai Leonard, Tony Parker and Pau Gasol so it was clearly not motivated to be playing a short-handed team. Those are type of losses that we can take advantage of next time out. Brooklyn has dropped 13 of its last 14 games but one look at the schedule will show a reason why as the Nets have played 11 of those games against teams currently in playoff positions with the other three coming against Philadelphia and New Orleans which are both playing their best basketball of the season. The Heat enter on a four-game overall winning streak but also on a four-game road losing streak and on the season, they are 2-9 on the road against the Eastern Conference. They are coming off a last second victory against Golden St. which presents a letdown especially facing the Nets in this next game. Miami has dominated this series with wins in nine of the last 10 meetings but those were dominant Miami teams and this is the first meeting this season. The Nets are 6-2-1 ATS in their last nine games against teams with a losing straight up record while Miami lost and failed to cover its only game as a road favorite. 10* (506) Brooklyn Nets

Instead of this game being a matchup of potential NBA Finals candidates at full strength, it is more about the injuries that are bringing down the status of this game. The good news is that we know the situations so there will be no late surprises. San Antonio is coming off a 26-point win last night in Brooklyn despite missing three starters and a key reserve but it should get Kawhi Leonard back after sitting Monday with a sore hand but it was more about rest in the first game of a back-to-back. The Spurs have won four straight games including a win at Cleveland on Saturday but now are playing their third game in four nights and while they have been perfect in back-to-back road games, the other three games were against Washington, Minnesota and Portland. Toronto will be without DeMar DeRozan who is sitting with an ankle injury and while he is tough to replace, it will be up to Kyle Lowry and Jonas Valanciunas to take this one over and their usage and production increase significantly when DeRozan is off court in past seasons. The Raptors will be out for revenge from a 28-point loss in San Antonio earlier this month and going back, they are 8-3-1 ATS in their last 12 home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (706) Toronto Raptors

The Bucks are in the midst of their worst stretch of the season as they have dropped five straight games after falling in Miami on Saturday by 12 points to make it a 0-3 roadtrip. One of these five losses came at home where Milwaukee is above .500 on the season and will be out for some quick revenge following a loss in Houston last Wednesday by 19 points. The Bucks are 5-2 ATS in their last seven home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. Houston bounced back from a loss against Golden St. with a win at Memphis the following night to improve to 12-1 straight up and ATS following a loss this season. The Rockets have beaten up on the poor teams this season, going 20-3 against teams ranked outside the top 16 but just 14-10 against teams within the top 16. Obviously one of those wins was against Milwaukee last week but we are getting incredible line value here as Houston closed at -6.5 at home and now it is favored by only a bucket less on the road so the typical six to eight-point swing on venue change is not happening here. The Rockets are 0-4 ATS in their last four games following a straight up win. 10* (512) Milwaukee Bucks

It has been a busy week for Denver since returning home from its London game against Indiana as the Nuggets re now playing their fifth game in seven days including their second back-to-back over this stretch. They took care of the short-handed Clippers last night as they never trailed and led by as many as 35 points for their fourth win in five games. Denver is 5-11 in its last 16 road games while going 1-5 ATS in its last six games playing with no rest. Minnesota is also coming off a win over the Clippers as it took care of them on Thursday and while it has struggled following a win this season, the ample time off negates that. The Timberwolves have won three straight home games and are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games here and two outright losses were by just two points against the Rockets and Jazz who are a combined 34 games over .500. Minnesota will be playing with double-revenge as well following a pair of losses against Denver, both coming by just one possession each. 10* (838) Minnesota Timberwolves

The marquee game from last night turned out to be a dud as Houston fell apart in the second half and lost to Golden St. by 17 points. The Rockets are in a good position to bounce back though as they have had no issues playing with no rest, going 10-1 this season in the second of a back-to-back set. Additionally, Houston has responded when coming off a loss, winning 11 of 12 games this season coming off a defeat. The Grizzlies had no issues last night against the short-handed Kings as they won by 16 points against Sacramento which was playing its first game without Rudy Gay and it showed. Memphis snapped a two-game skid with the victory and the Grizzlies have been pretty average over the last month, going just 8-10 over their last 18 games. While Houston was not looking ahead to this game by playing the Warriors on Friday, there will be motivation tonight as the Rockets lost the first two meetings this season and will be out to extend their 16-8 road record as those 16 road wins are third most in the NBA. 10* (513) Houston Rockets

We lost a tough one with the Kings on Wednesday as they blew a 22-point lead and they checked out mentally when they lost Rudy Gay to a ruptured Achilles in the third quarter. "Obviously, it was on our minds," forward Arron Afflalo said. "But that's still no excuse to blow that game." It certainly should not be an excuse but it is human nature and the Pacers escaped with a fortunate come-from-behind win. Indiana has now won seven of its last eight games but five of those wins came at home where it is 16-5 but the Pacers are still just 6-13 on the road while going 3-8 ATS on the highway against losing teams. Going into that 3-8 record is the fact the Pacers are just 1-5 straight up and ATS as road favorites. The Lakers are in the midst of a five-game slide, both straight up and against the number, and this is now a big game for them because the upcoming stretch is not good. Eight of their next nine games are on the road and leading up to the All-Star break, they play nine of their last 11 con the highway. Los Angeles is a respectable 6-8 straight up and 7-7 ATS as a home underdog and overall, it has played the No. 5 ranked schedule in the league while the Pacers have played the easiest schedule in the NBA. 10* (868) Los Angeles Lakers

The Sixers are playing their best basketball of the season as they are coming off another win to put them 7-2 over their last nine games. Going back further, they are 10-8 over their last 18 games and are a surprising 5.5 games out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia has been able to get the job done in the weak Eastern Conference, going 10-14 while covering over 65 percent of those games, However, Philadelphia is just 4-12 against the Western Conference this season and while Portland is not part of the elite group of the conference, it is still a talented team that has dealt with injuries which as hurt continuity. The Blazers have lost three straight games including the first two games on this four-game roadtrip and with Boston on deck tomorrow night, this is a must win for Portland. The Blazers have struggled on the road with a 7-17 record including a 2-4 record over the last month. The four losses came against teams that will be going to the playoffs while the two wins came against the Lakers and Timberwolves which are both a game better than the Sixers. The favorite is 31-11 in Portland games this season and the Blazers are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games following a straight up loss. 10* (851) Portland Trailblazers

This is what we call an overreaction line. The Clippers bad luck continued on Tuesday as point guard Chris Paul went down with a thumb injury and after surgery, he will now be sidelined for six to eight weeks. This is the fifth and final game of this five-game homestand and taking a look at three other comparable teams, the Heat, Magic and Lakers, we see a massive overadjustment. Those three teams have 12, 17 and 15 wins respectively and Minnesota comes in close to all of those with 14 wins yet the line differential between those three games to this one is seven, eight and nine points respectively. No player in the NBA is worth that many points and this is a situation where the rest of the Clippers step up in the wake of adversity. Additionally, this is a huge game for Los Angeles with 11 of its next 13 games on the road which includes three matchups with the Warriors, two with the Hawks and away dates against the Raptors, Celtics and Jazz. Minnesota continues its struggles as it has lost two straight games and going back, has dropped its last six road games. The Timberwolves may feel confident to pick up a win here but the Clippers have a roster that is still very solid without Paul and Blake Griffin and we can take advantage of this generous home number. 10* (710) Los Angeles Clippers

Sacramento concludes a seven-game homestand tonight and desperately needs a victory before hitting the highway for an eight-game roadtrip. The Kings have not done well during this home stretch as they have gone 1-5 but the schedule has played a big role in that as they have faced the Clippers, Warriors, Cavalier and Thunder, all resulting in losses. They defeated Detroit and lost a close one against Miami and are now laying their shortest price during this stretch. Sacramento is 15-8 ATS this season following a loss. Indiana defeated New Orleans on Monday following a blowout loss against Denver in London four days before that and the Pacers have the biggest home/road disparity in the league as the home team is 30-10 in their 40 games this season. They are just 5-14 on the road and while this is a manageable game to win, they have struggled in these spots, going just 2-8 ATS on the road against teams with a losing record including four straight losses. Sacramento is 4-1 ATS as a favorite of fewer than five points while Indiana is 3-9 ATS as an underdog of fewer than five points. 10* (516) Sacramento Kings

Washington has turned its season around and looks to continue that tonight before hitting the road for a three-game trip. The Wizards opened the season 7-13 while winning consecutive games only once but since then, they have gone 14-6 over their last 20 games to move two games over .500. they have been unable to gain ground on the red hot Hawks but have gained on the rest of the Eastern Conference and has moved into a tie for fifth place. During this recent solid stretch, the Wizards have gone just 2-6 on the road but have quietly put together a 12-game home winning streak, covering 11 of those games, missing the one by just a half-point. Memphis lost at home against Chicago on Sunday and it has been pretty average of late, going just 7-9 over its last 16 games. There have been some impressive wins over this stretch including two wins over Houston, and single wins over Golden St. and Oklahoma City. The Grizzlies have struggled against the Eastern Conference however, going 8-10 straight up and 6-12 ATS. 10* (504) Washington Wizards

The Lakers won a pair of games last weekend over Miami and Orlando but they have sense dropped four straight games and are now 5-20 over their last 25 games since the start of December. Four of those wins came at home where they are a respectable 10-12 on the season compared to just 5-18 on the road. In the recent four-game slide, Los Angeles was an underdog in all of those games and it has been much better as a favorite and it is laying a small number tonight. Denver has caught fire on offense the last two games, putting up 140 points against Indiana in London and then 125 points yesterday in a win over Orlando. The Nuggets are 7-7 over their last 14 games but only one of those wins has come in a true road game and on the season, they are 4-10 following a victory. Additionally, the Nuggets are 1-6 playing with no rest including a 0-4 record when going from a home game to a road game. Denver could also be caught looking ahead to a game against the Spurs as it looks to avenge a 28-point loss at home 12 days ago. 10* (710) Los Angeles Lakers

It has been a weird season for the Clippers as they started out 14-2 and then went on an 8-12 run from late November through the end of December but they have now won all six games in 2017. The competition has not been great during the winning streak but this is an important run as they try to get to get some separation from teams below them and remain in the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference which comes with a first round home court advantage. Additionally, they are just four games behind the Spurs for second place. Los Angeles will have the full attention of the Thunder as its last loss came in Oklahoma City on December 31 where it fell behind by as many as 35 points so revenge comes into play here. The Thunder had won three straight games prior to a loss at Minnesota on Friday but they bounced back with a win at Sacramento last night behind another triple-double from Russell Westbrook, his 20th of the season. They moved a season-high eight games above .500 for the second time this season but have been horrible in these spots, going 0-4 on the season when playing the second of back-to-back road games with no rest. Those losses have come by an average of 15.8 ppg. 10* (518) Los Angeles Clippers

This line came out late due to the questionable status of Celtics shooting guard Avery Bradley and all indications are that he will be back after missing four straight games. Boston is coming off a win on Friday over Atlanta thanks to a last second three-pointer by Isaiah Thomas which was its second straight victory. The Celtics return home as they remain two games behind Toronto in the Atlantic Division and they will look to continue being fueled offensively by good ball movement and attacking the rim which in turn should result in lots of good looks from three-point range which is clearly a strength of this team. That being said, this is a huge game for Charlotte which will look to salvage the final game of this five-game roadtrip after dropping the first four. Losses against Houston and San Antonio were predictable and we expected them to bounce back against the Sixers on Friday but that resulted in another loss. Because of the opposite runs from both sides, we are catching value on the Hornets. The Celtics are 3-13 ATS in their last 16 games playing on two days of rest while the Hornets are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following an ATS loss. 10* (511) Charlotte Hornets

Atlanta had its seven-game winning streak snapped with a loss against Boston on Friday on a last second shot from Isaiah Thomas as the rally from 20 points down was for naught. The Hawks have a good opportunity to bounce back on Sunday afternoon before hitting the road for a two-game set starting tomorrow. This is a big game for Atlanta to not only bounce back from its loss but the Hawks have a 1.5-game lead over the Bucks and a victory here gives them the season series no matter what happens in the final meeting in March. Milwaukee has won two straight games following its Friday home victory over Miami. That came after a big upset in San Antonio prior to that which extended their road winning streak to three games. The favorite is 25-11 in Milwaukee games this season and with a manageable number, Atlanta has plenty of room to work with. The Bucks are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 road games against teams with a winning home record while the Hawks are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following an ATS loss. 10* (854) Atlanta Hawks

It is a short Saturday slate and this was one of three games that did not have an opening line based on some questionable players. The Pelicans have Anthony Davis on the injury report while the Bulls have Jimmy Butler on theirs but both are expected to return on Saturday. New Orleans was still able to defeat the hapless Nets on Thursday without David for its second straight win outright as an underdog. Things will get a little tougher today though. The Pelicans are still just 6-13 on the road while going 2-6 ATS in their last eight road games against teams with a winning home record. The Bulls are coming off a miserable game against the Knicks and they have now lost three straight games including defeats against the Thunder and Wizards. Butler has missed the last two games and was non-existent against Oklahoma City as he scored just one point so his presence is essential. Despite a losing record, the Bulls are still ranked in the top 16 in the updated power rankings and New Orleans is just 5-16 against top 16 teams. The Bulls are 4-1 ATS in their last five games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points. 10* (504) Chicago Bulls

This six-game roadtrip started well for Cleveland as it won its first two games against Brooklyn and Phoenix although those are the two worst teams in their respective conferences and the victories were far from convincing. The Cavaliers have since dropped back-to-back games against Utah and Portland and they are now on a 0-6 ATS run. Based on the losses and the comments made after, we will see an all-out effort from Cleveland even though it is just the Kings and with the Warriors on deck for Monday, this is now a big game. Cleveland was in a similar spot last season as it was coming off a loss and then traveled to Sacramento where it defeated the Kings by nine points. The Kings are coming off a win over the Pistons in their last game which snapped a three-game losing streak but winning streaks have been few and far between. Sacramento is just 5-10 following a victory while going 4-11 ATS in those games. While the Cavaliers have struggled to take care of the lesser teams convincingly, this is a situation completely different and we will see a great effort tonight. 10* (717) Cleveland Cavaliers

Philadelphia is playing some of its better basketball of the season as it has won two straight games as well as four of its last five. The Sixers 11 wins have already surpassed their win total from last season so they are on the right path to possibly turning this disastrous multi-year run around. Taking a look at those wins however show that they were far from impressive as three of those came against three of the five worst teams in the NBA while the other came against the struggling Knicks. Philadelphia has covered all five of these games following a 1-6 ATS stretch and its 7-14 record at home, as bad as it is, is even deceiving as only one win has come against a team currently with a winning record. Charlotte has lost some momentum after a great start to the season and it is currently riding a three-game losing streak. The last two losses came against San Antonio and Houston though so the Hornets step into a good spot tonight to get back in the win column. Going back, the Hornets are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 road games against teams with a losing home record. 10* (701) Charlotte Hornets

This is a big number to be laying down in the NBA but it is for good reason and we fully expect the Spurs to win this one going away. They are coming off a home loss to the Bucks on Tuesday which snapped a three-game winning streak as well as a nine-game home winning streak. Over this stretch, they have gone 5-1 ATS when laying double-digits, winning those games by an average of 19.2 ppg. San Antonio has covered five of seven games this season coming off a loss while going 9-0 ATS in their last nine games against teams with a losing straight up record. The Lakers are also coming off a loss as they fell to Portland at home. They are now 5-17 over their last 22 games after a solid 10-10 start through November. They will certainly be up for this game but they are catching San Antonio at the wrong place at the wrong time. The Lakers are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games following a double-digit loss at home while going 4-11 ATS in their last 15 road games. 10* (508) San Antonio Spurs

This line came out late due to the uncertain status of Celtics guard Avery Bradley who has missed two straight games with a strained Achilles. He was initially supposed to be out much longer so if he can make a return, great but we are not banking on it. We played against the Celtics last night and after entering the fourth quarter with a four-point lead, they were outscored 34-22 in the final period and had their four-game winning streak snapped. Boston heads home where it is 11-6 including wins in five straight games and it is in a big revenge spot here. Even though it took place two months ago, Boston certainly has not forgotten the 25-point loss at Washington in the first meeting, easily its worst defeat this season. Washington won at home against Chicago last night on a last second jumper from John Wall which was the Wizards third straight victory. They are over .500 for the first time this season and are tied for sixth place in the Eastern Conference but are now in a tough spot playing in back-to-back nights. Washington is 0-4 this season in the second game of a back-to-back set when on the road while going 1-6 when playing with no rest overall. Boston is 17-6 ATS this season as a favorite of fewer than nine points while going 7-3-1 ATS in its last 11 games following a straight up loss. 10* (704) Boston Celtics

Toronto has lost five of its last seven games following a 14-2 run toward the end of December and the Raptors have gone from having a decent lead in the Atlantic Division to leading Boston by just one game. This could be a very defining game for the Raptors even though it is very early in the season as they need to overcome adversity in order to actually being able to compete in the Eastern Conference with the Cavaliers. Toronto has won eight of 12 games following a loss this season and going back, the Raptors are 12-5-1 ATS in their last 18 home games against teams with a winning road record. The Celtics have made their move on Toronto thanks to four straight wins as well as a 10-2 run since mid-December. The streak is nice but the schedule has been on their side as seven of the 12 games have been at home while the overall strength of the opposition has been average at best. Overall on the season, Boston is 20-5 against teams ranked outside the top ten in the power rankings while going just 3-9 against teams ranked within and those three wins are the fewest of any top ten team. Additionally, the Celtics are 3-12 ATS in their last 15 games playing on two days of rest. 10* (504) Toronto Raptors

The Knicks snapped a six-game losing streak with a win over Milwaukee on Friday but were unable to use that as a springboard as they lost at Indiana the next night by 14 points. They head home looking to snap a three-game losing streak at MSG where they are 11-7 overall and this is a good spot to extend that. New York is just 6-15 against teams ranked within the top 16 in the league but a solid 11-5 against teams outside that spot. Additionally, the Knicks are 6-0 ATS in their last six home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400 while going 9-3 both straight up and against the number as favorites. New Orleans has dropped three straight games following a four-game winning streak and the road has not been kind this season as the Pelicans are just 4-13 on the highway. They are 2-8 in their last 10 road games with the only wins coming against 10-25 Philadelphia and 12-26 Phoenix. The last New Orleans win came at home against New York in its last game in 2016 so the Knicks will be out for some revenge here. The Pelicans are 1-6 ATS in their last seven road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (702) New York Knicks

Milwaukee had its three-game winning streak snapped on Friday against the Knicks in the second game of its home and home set. The Bucks are still a game over .500 on the season while going 11-8 on their home floor. This is the fourth and final meeting between Milwaukee and Washington and the home team has prevailed in the first three games so this is a big game for the Bucks to split the season series in case this tiebreaker comes into place come playoff time. Milwaukee is 10-6 this season following a loss and has covered four of its last five after a defeat. Washington snapped a two-game skid with a win over Minnesota on Friday making the host now 26-9 in Wizards games this season. While have been solid at home, they have been especially bad on the road as they are just 3-12. One of those wins came against Chicago but the other two came against Brooklyn and Orlando, which are a combined 24-49. Washington is just 1-9 on the season as an underdog, mainly because of the road struggles, and going back, the Wizards are 2-6 ATS in their last eight road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (506) Milwaukee Bucks

Despite all of the trade rumors for the Hawks, they have been playing some of their best basketball of the season as they are riding a five-game winning streak following a win at New Orleans on Thursday to make it two straight wins on this current four-game roadtrip. They are now a game over .500 on the highway but are laying points for the eighth time this season, going 2-5 ATS in the first seven games as a road chalk. They tend to step down to the level of competition as the Hawks are 1-7 ATS in their last eight games against teams with a winning percentage below .400. Dallas is coming off a bad loss at home against Phoenix on Thursday but it has been playing a lot better since getting healthier. The Mavericks are 5-5 over their last 10 games as they have been able to avoid long losing streaks that plagued them early in the season. While the injuries were a big part of the early problems, the fact they have played the toughest schedule in the NBA has not helped either. The Mavericks are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games following a straight up loss. 10* (712) Dallas Mavericks

This line came out late due to the uncertain status of Heat center Hassan Whiteside but even though he is questionable, he likely will not suit up. "Hassan is making progress, saw the doctor today," coach Erik Spoelstra said before the Heat faced the Sacramento Kings at the Bank 1 Center. "He should be able to fly out at some point this weekend to meet with us. It doesn't look like he'll be able to come out and play on Friday [against the Los Angeles Lakers], but hopefully this weekend he'll be ready at some point." Miami won in Sacramento on Wednesday for a rare road win as it snapped an eight-game road losing skid. The Heat are slowly getting healthier but received bad news as Justice Winslow is out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery. The Lakers lost in Portland last night as the Blazers welcomed the return of Damian Lillard. Los Angeles heads back home where it went 2-3 in its most recent homestand with four of those five games coming against winning teams. The Lakers are just 2-6 when playing with no rest however this is the first instance where the second game of the back-to-back has been played at home. 10* (512) Los Angeles Lakers

Following a loss to the Pacers on Tuesday, the Pistons are 2-8 over their last 10 games and are now five games under .500 after a very promising start to the season. They have lost two straight and six of their last seven home games and all of this sets up a contrarian play on Thursday in what could be considered a must win spot with a five-game west coast roadtrip upcoming starting Saturday. Charlotte won last night against Oklahoma City as it trailed by one-point heading into the fourth quarter but outscored the Thunder 36-24 to claim the 11-point win. That snapped a two-game slide but the Hornets now hit the road where they are just 4-8 over their last 12 games. They are just 2-5-1 ATS as underdogs, winning just one of those games outright while Detroit is 6-3 ATS at home against winning teams. Additionally, the Hornets are 2-5 ATS this season when playing with no rest including 0-2 ATS in this particular situation coming off a home win and playing the next game on the road. 10* (706) Detroit Pistons

This looks like an excellent spot for New York to snap its longest losing streak of the season which has reached five games after its Monday loss at home against Orlando. That was the second straight home loss for the Knicks following an 11-4 start at MSG with those four losses coming against Utah, Houston, Oklahoma City and Cleveland all of which are at least seven games over .500. The other loss came against Boston which is also seven games over .500 so they have been losing to elite competition with the exception of Orlando. The Knicks are 4-1 ATS in their last five games following a double-digit loss at home. Milwaukee has won two straight games and has been playing well this season without the services of Khris Middleton. The Bucks won in Chicago in their last road game but they have won consecutive road games only once this season and overall, they are just 6-9 on the highway. Going back, the Bucks are 2-7 ATS in their last nine road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (506) New York Knicks

The Sixers concluded their four-game roadtrip with a win over Denver on Friday which was just their third road win of the season and eighth overall. They have performed better at home but not much so of late as they have gone only 1-9 over their last 10 home games. Injuries continue to be an issue which is affecting the depth as Philadelphia is now to its third point guard with Sergio Rodriguez out again tonight. The Timberwolves have been inconsistent as well but are a decent 5-5 over their last 10 games following a 1-8 stretch. This includes a 2-2 record on the road with impressive wins over Chicago and Atlanta and a narrow two-point loss at Denver in their last road game. While going just 1-10 in its 11 games following a win, Minnesota has won 10 of 21 games following a loss. Conversely, the Sixers have won just two of seven games following a win and they are 3-10 ATS in their last 13 games playing on three or more days of rest. 10* (701) Minnesota Timberwolves

Brooklyn is tied with the Sixers for the worst record in the NBA but a lot of the damage has been on the road. The Nets are just 1-16 on the highway following a pair of losses at Chicago and Washington to end 2016 but they are a much more respectable 7-8 at home. This includes a 4-3 record over their last seven games which includes an impressive win over the Clippers and a loss to the Warriors where they blew a 16-point lead. Utah meanwhile has won three straight games but all have come against teams with losing records including the last two at home. After a 5-3 start on the road, the Jazz are 4-3 over their last seven games on the road and while they have won every game as a road favorite this season, this is the biggest number they have had to cover in all of those. The Nets are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games following a straight up loss while the Jazz are 1-4 ATS in their last five games against teams with a losing straight up record. 10* (506) Brooklyn Nets

This line came out late due to the questionable status Evan Fournier and while it will be a bonus if he can go, the Magic are 2-1 in the three games he has missed and they have been off since Wednesday. We won with the Pacers in their last game as they snapped a four-game slide with a win over Chicago on Friday but they are overpriced tonight as they are just one game better than Orlando in the standings. While they have been solid at home with a 12-5 record, the Pacers are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games following a straight up win. Orlando lost that game on Wednesday against the Hornets which snapped a two-game winning streak. The Magic had a pretty solid December by going 8-8 while winning their last four games following a loss. This also included a 5-3 record on the road and Orlando sits right at .500 for the season on the highway. Orlando is 9-5 this season against teams ranked outside the top 16 in the league and spread-wise, the Magic are 4-1-1 ATS in their last six games against teams with a losing straight up record. 10* (701) Orlando Magic

The Knicks and Rockets come into Saturday with opposite streaks and we will grab the generous points given to New York. Houston put up 140 points last night in a blowout victory over the Clippers for its third straight win and victory number 14 in its last 16 games. The Rockets are priced high again tonight and for good reason but when you compare some of the other similar spreads, this one is overadjusted. The Knicks lost at New Orleans last night which was their third straight loss and fifth straight loss on the road. They have been a double-digit underdog only one other time this season and that was at Golden St. where they stayed within the number. New York has covered 10 of 15 games this season coming off a loss and going back, the Knicks are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 games following an ATS loss. The Rockets are playing at a high level right now but are definitely overpriced in this situation. 10* (507) New York Knicks

The Pacers look to break a season long four-game losing streak as well as a season long five-game ATS losing skid as they host the rival Bulls on Friday. The recent schedule has not been kind to the Pacers as they have played 11 of their last 15 games on the road and that is where they have struggled by going 4-13 on the highway. For the season, the host is 24-9 in Indiana games as its 11-5 record at home is pretty solid. The Bulls have won two straight to improve to 10-6 at home but they are just the opposite on the road with a 6-10 record. Chicago has lost five straight road games and they have only two road wins since November 19 and those came against the Sixers and Lakers, both of which have losing records at home. Indiana has won eight of nine games this season as a home favorite and surprisingly has not been a home chalk of this small of a number in six weeks. The Bulls may be looking ahead to their rematch with the Bucks tomorrow night following their worst game of the season where they put up just 69 points in a hole loss two weeks ago. 10* (702) Indiana Pacers

After a thrilling win over Golden St. on Christmas Day, the Cavaliers lost on Monday when it traveled to Detroit and fell by 16 points. LeBron James sat that game out and that situation has been one of the lone problems for Cleveland as it is 0-4 this season when playing with no rest and going from a home game to a road game. The Cavaliers are 23-3 in their other games and the added benefit here is that they have had two days off before tonight. Boston has won its last two games and has been very solid on the road with a four-game winning streak. Of course, the Celtics have not faced the caliber of competition that they will be seeing tonight and when they have, it has not gone good. Boston has just two wins this season against a top ten team and those were both against Charlotte. It has dropped its other eight games against top ten teams while on the other side, Cleveland is 8-1 against the top ten with the lone loss coming against the Clippers. Going back, the Cavaliers are 10-3-1 ATS in their last 14 home games against teams with a winning road record. 10* (504) Cleveland Cavaliers

We won with the Nets on Monday as they defeated Charlotte outright at home for just their eighth win of the season. That snapped a five-game losing streak but now Brooklyn hits the road and has two horrible situations going against them. First, the Nets are a dismal 1-14 on the road with the only win coming at Phoenix way back in November. In the 11 losses since then, seven have been by double-digits and those 11 defeats have been by an average of 14.6 ppg. Second, the Nets have not won consecutive games this season, going 0-7 in its first seven games following a win and those losses have been by an average 14.2 ppg. Chicago has been all over the place this season and it looks to gain some momentum following a win over Indiana on Monday. They have won nine of 15 home games and the Bulls are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games against teams with a winning percentage below .400 while the Nets are 4-11-1 ATS in their last 16 road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (710) Chicago Bulls

Memphis is coming off a pretty bad loss last night in Orlando as it never led against the Magic while falling behind by as many as 29 points. The good news for tonight is that no player saw more than 29 minutes so the fact the Grizzlies are playing with no rest is far from an issue. Even so, they have thrived in these spots this season as they are a perfect 8-0 on the second of a back-to-back set, covering seven of those. Half of those have been outright underdog victories and back at full health, there is no reason to think an outright win cannot happen here. Boston defeated the Knicks on Christmas Day so while it has had a day off, it is not necessarily an advantage. The Celtics are at Cleveland on Thursday so the lookahead aspect can come into play which is a significant angle in this league. Motivation will be pretty high for the Grizzlies which will be out to avenge an overtime loss at home against the Celtics a week ago in a game where they blew a 17-point lead. Boston has covered just once in its last seven home games and is just 5-12 on the season against teams ranked No 16 or better in the league. Memphis meanwhile is 9-7 against like competition. 10* (501) Memphis Grizzlies

Portland is in a massive slump and will be without its best player tonight so you know which direction to go with here. The overpriced road team is going to be a huge public play here as the Raptors have won three straight games and seven of their last eight heading into Monday night. They won in Utah on Friday to open this six-game west coast roadtrip but their biggest test is on deck as they visit the Warriors on Wednesday so a lookahead to that is more than a possibility. The Blazers have dropped five straight games including a 20-point loss to San Antonio in their last game where Damian Lillard was hurt. His absence will be felt but C.J. McCullum will move to point and Allen Crabbe will start at shooting guard so they are still in decent shape. Portland used to have a huge home court edge but that is not the case this season but it is still a respectable 8-6 here. Eight of the Blazers last 11 games have come on the road so the schedule, which is ranked third toughest in the league, has not been easy of late especially. This is a great contrarian situation to take advantage of. 10* (718) Portland Trailblazers

Dallas is starting to get healthier but this is a tough team to trust as team chemistry remains an issue. The Mavericks have won consecutive games for just the second time this season and most surprising is that both of those came on the road. They were fortunate to face the Clippers without Chris Paul last timer out while prior to that, they defeated a slumping Portland team by just a point. Overall, Dallas is just 2-6 following a victory this season. New Orleans defeated Miami on Friday and while winning consecutive games has been an issue, the two days off definitely helps. The Pelicans are 4-14 against teams ranked inside the top 16 in the league but a much better 7-7 against those ranked outside. While Dallas has won just nine games this season, one of those came against New Orleans last month so the Pelicans will be out to avenge that defeat tonight. 10* (710) New Orleans Pelicans

It has been a tough season for Brooklyn as expected but the schedulemakers have done the Nets no favors of late. Their last three games have come against Toronto, Golden St. and Cleveland, three of the top four teams in the NBA as far as records go. Brooklyn never led in its last game against Cleveland and trailed by as many as 46 points but it was a very tough spot after blowing a 16-point lead the previous night against the Warriors. Now the Nets are catching another big number at home against Charlotte. The Hornets have won three straight games following a win over Chicago on Friday which came after a four-game losing streak. They are 7-7 on the road which is not horrible but it is just one game better than the Nets record at home. Charlotte won the first meeting here this season with the same line but by just four points. The Hornets are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games against teams with a losing straight up record while the Nets are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games following a straight up loss. 10* (708) Brooklyn Nets

The Spurs are also playing with revenge today and we fully expect them to run away with this one. San Antonio opened the season with 13 consecutive road wins before heading to Chicago and losing to the Bulls by four points less than three weeks ago. The Spurs have some momentum going here as they won in Portland after suffering a loss to the Clippers the night before. They are 6-1 over their last seven games and after starting the season 4-4 at home, they have won four straight here. Chicago meanwhile comes in with no momentum as it has lost two in a row as well as five of its last six with four of those defeats coming by double digits. The team chemistry which was expected to be a problem early in the season is really starting to show now and not at a very good time. The Bulls are 0-4 ATS in their last four road games while the Spurs have covered five straight games against teams with a losing record. 10* (506) San Antonio Spurs

While we typically do not look at road revenge in the NBA, this is a special case. The Warriors will be out to avenge their NBA Finals collapse from last season and the line is dictating that. Golden St. has been favored in every road game this season but today is the lowest it has been favored by and on the year, the Warriors are 3-0 ATS when favored by fewer than seven points. This is the first time Cleveland has been a home underdog this season and while that normally would make us look at the Cavaliers, there is not enough to back them here. The Cavaliers have yet to face the Warriors with the new lineup and the motivation level will be sky high for the visitors. In what should be a classic, Golden St. will have enough to get it done here. Going back, the Cavaliers are 2-6 ATS in their last eight games against teams with a winning percentage above .600 while the Warriors are 20-7 ATS in their last 27 games playing on one day of rest. 10* (503) Golden St. Warriors

Milwaukee has had an up and down season and it looks to bounce back following a home-and-home sweep at the hands of Cleveland. This came after sweeping a two-game set against the Bulls and Friday is the start of its third straight home-and-home as the Bucks will again face Washington on Monday which is the start of a four-game roadtrip. Milwaukee is one of nine teams in the NBA that has one of fewer wins against the top ten in the league so it is a respectable 12-7 against everyone else. The Bucks have lost only two home games against teams with a losing record. Washington won its last game in Chicago on Wednesday which made it four wins in its last five games to move to two games under .500. The Wizards have struggled on the road despite the win against the Bulls as they are 3-9 on the highway and the other two wins came against the 7-21 Nets and 13-18 Magic. Washington has covered five straight games which is giving some decent value on Milwaukee which is out to revenge a five-point loss in Washington earlier this month. The favorite has covered eight of the last nine meetings in this series and we can expect that run to continue tonight. 10* (712) Milwaukee Bucks

Two of the biggest disappointments in the NBA square off tonight in New Orleans. Miami is coming off a rare win last night at home against the Lakers which snapped a three-game losing skid and the Heat are now just 3-8 over their last 11 games. This includes four straight losses on the road and this marks their first road games since December 10 as they are coming off a six-game homestand. New Orleans has played a brutal stretch of games recently which has not helped its cause to try and break out of a slump that has been ongoing all season long. The Pelicans have played the Clippers, Warriors, Rockets, Spurs and Thunder over their last eight games and to no surprise, all resulted in losses. The other three games against Phoenix, Indiana and Philadelphia, all teams with a losing record, and those resulted in wins. Going back, the Pelicans have won seven of their last 10 against losing teams and while New Orleans has really struggled within the conference as it is 4-18 against teams from the west, it is a much better 6-3 against teams from the Eastern Conference. 10* (714) New Orleans Pelicans

Golden St. is coming off a win last night in Brooklyn which was certainly expected to make it six straight victories. The Warriors are 14-2 on the road and while the majority of those have been blowouts, the majority have come against less than stellar opposition. 11 of the 16 games have been against teams with a losing record and while Detroit fits into that category, the Pistons are better than their 14-17 record shows. They are the highest ranked team with a losing record according to Sagarin and are in desperate need of a victory following their fourth straight loss on Wednesday. They lost by 12 points and all four of these recent losses have come by double-digits so they are getting more points than they normally would. Golden St. has a game in Cleveland on Christmas Day and there will be a lookahead to that revenge spot for sure. The Warriors have failed to cover their last four games playing with no rest with all four of those ATS losses coming when the second game is on the road. Meanwhile, the Pistons are 4-0 ATS in their last four home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (706) Detroit Pistons

The Celtics have not played a back-to-back set since the start of the month but the past few days has been extremely busy. They have played three straight overtime games and won them all and based on the schedule, there has been travel in-between all of those games. The latest came in Memphis on Tuesday as they overcame a 14-point halftime lead thanks to Isaiah Thomas scoring 36 points after halftime. Speaking of back-to-back games, Boston returns home tomorrow to face Oklahoma City in a revenge spot following a three-point loss to the Thunder earlier this month. We played against Indiana on Tuesday as the Knicks overcame a 15-point deficit thanks to a 34-24 fourth quarter to get the win and cover. The Paces now head home where they have not played much as nine of their last 12 games have come on the road and all three of those home games resulted in wins. Going back further, Indiana has won five straight games at home and is 11-4 at home on the season. Only three teams have more win than the Pacers do against top ten teams and in addition, they will be out to avenge a six-point loss here against the Celtics last month. 10* (508) Indiana Pacers

Portland ended its roadtrip with another loss last night as it blew an 11-point halftime lead and was defeated by the Kings by five points. The Blazers went 0-3 on the roadtrip and has now lost seven of their last eight games as well as 13 of their last 19 games but the schedule has done them no favors. 13 of their last 18 games have been on the road including eight of their last nine where they dropped the last seven but a return home will get things going back in the right direction. Portland has won six of its last eight games at the Moda Center and catch a perfect opponent to get back into the win column. Dallas is having a horrible season as injuries right from the start have put the Mavericks in last place in the Western Conference. They lost in Denver on Monday and have not won a game on the road since November 8, a stretch of 10 straight losses on the highway since then. To their credit, they have played the toughest schedule in the NBA but while going 4-4 against the bottom part of the league, they are 3-17 against the top 16 which is where Portland resides. The Blazers have played the second toughest schedule in the NBA and the favorite has gone 23-7 in their first 30 games this season. While Portland is just 1-5 ATS this season when playing with no rest, the lone win came in the only spot where it went from the road to a home game, a 19-point win over the Thunder. 10* (716) Portland Trailblazers

The Knicks are back home following a disappointing 2-3 roadtrip which started fine with two straight wins but concluded with a trio of losses including two 13-point losses against Golden St. and Denver to end it. That put New York at 5-9 on the road but MSG has been a lot better as it is 9-4 with three losses coming against Utah, Oklahoma City and Houston, three of the top seven teams in the Western Conference, and the other coming against Cleveland. Indiana is over .500 for the season thanks to a two-game winning streak including a win over Washington last night. This is a tough stretch for the Pacers however as this is their fifth game in seven nights which has included no consecutive home games so there has been travel involved every day for the last week. While Indiana has won two straight games, it has struggled all season by going 3-11 ATS following a victory which includes a 0-6 record on the road following a home win. Those losses have come by an average of 13.5 ppg and includes defeats against the lowly Nets and Sixers. The Knicks are 7-2 ATS as favorites this season while going 5-0 ATS in their last five home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. 10* (510) New York Knicks

Two of the three worst teams in the NBA square off tonight and while the records are bad, the young talent on these teams is some of the best in the league. The Suns hit the road on a two-game losing streak with losses against the Spurs and Thunder and while those were a given, they have struggled on the road, even against the bad teams. They tend to step down to the level of competition as they are just 4-9 ATS against losing teams. Minnesota has lost seven straight games at home but the teams it has faced has a lot to do with that. Six of those seven teams possess winning records while the lone losing team was Detroit which is just one game under .500. The last loss came on Saturday and it was a tough one. The Timberwolves led the Rockets by 12 points with just over two minutes to play. That lead was quickly squandered and Minnesota eventually lost in overtime. Luckily, there has been a day in-between to forget that meltdown and try to get some momentum back. Going back, the Suns are 5-11 ATS in their last 16 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of less than .400 while the Timberwolves are 4-1 ATS in their last five games against teams with a losing straight up record. 10* (708) Minnesota Timberwolves

Utah brings in a three-game winning streak on Sunday to visit Memphis and it remains a game ahead of Oklahoma City in the Northwest Division. Going back further, the Jazz are 10-2 over their last 12 games following a 7-8 start to the season. While the recent stretch is very solid, the schedule has played a big role in that as 10 of the 12 games have come at home and the two road games have been against the Lakers and Timberwolves. Overall, eight of those 10 games came against teams with losing records. Utah has won just three games against teams ranked in the top 16 and that is tied for second lowest in the NBA, ahead of only Philadelphia which has two. The Grizzlies lost their last game which was the first game back for Mike Conley after he missed nine games with a back injury. He struggled from the floor as did the whole team which shot 37.7 percent including going just 5-25 from long range but we should see a much better effort tonight. Memphis has lost consecutive games only twice all season as it is 7-2 in its first nine games following a loss. On the season, the Grizzlies are 6-2 straight up and against the number as home underdogs while the Jazz are 3-13 ATS in their last 16 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (510) Memphis Grizzlies

This line was not released with the rest of the openers due to the status of Kemba Walker who missed the Hornets game on Friday due to a personal matter but it was announced yesterday that he will be back for this one. We are going contrarian with this game as many factors point toward Atlanta but the line has taken that into consideration. The Hornets fell to 0-4 on this current five-game roadtrip and they will look to avoid the shutout tonight and remain ahead of the Hawks in the Southeast Division, a lead that has shrunk to a half-game. Atlanta pulled off the upset win in Toronto last night to make it three wins in four games following a dreadful 1-10 run. That was a tough stretch with a lot of travel and not a lot of rest so the Hawks seem to be getting back to their normal selves. Atlanta is just 7-5 at home and one real contrarian factor is the no rest attribute as Charlotte has failed to cover all five games in the second of a back-to-back while Atlanta is 3-0 ATS playing with no rest in an away to home situation. As for the Hornets, they won four of the five games played the night before and the lone loss was an overtime one so this is a completely different situation showing that 0-5 record is pretty skewed. We should see a lot of effort from the Hornets to break this skid and a rested Walker can only help. 10* (707) Charlotte Hornets

Milwaukee defeated the Bulls last night in the first game of this home-and-home set which snapped a three-game skid and moved the Bucks back to .500 on the season. This is the start of a rare scheduling situation where Milwaukee is playing three straight home-and-home sets with this one followed by two-game series against the Cavaliers and Wizards. The Bucks have had their struggles on the road this season as they are 3-6 and those three victories have come against teams with losing records and the nine road games are tied for the fewest in the NBA which is part of the reason Milwaukee has played the easiest schedule in the NBA. Chicago encounters a quick revenge spot after the loss last night and it will be out to avoid a third straight loss after going down here against Minnesota on Tuesday after blowing a 21-point lead so there will be no lack of motivation. The Bulls are 7-4 at home and while they are 0-3 straight up and ATS playing with no rest going from the home to the road, this is the first instance of playing with no rest at home following a road game. Milwaukee is 0-4 straight up and ATS when playing with no rest which includes a 0-3 mark when going from home to the road with the three losses coming by 10 ppg. Going back, the Bucks are 0-6 ATS in their last six road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (510) Chicago Bulls

Brooklyn is coming off a rare win on Wednesday as it defeated the Lakers by 10 points but that puts the Nets in a tough spot here. They have yet to win consecutive games this season as they are 0-6 following a victory and four of those losses have come on the road. Those four defeats have come by an average of 16.8 ppg which should not come as a huge surprise considering that Brooklyn is 1-10 on the highway for the season. Orlando lost its last game as it fell to the Clippers by five points as the struggles at home continues. The Magic are 7-7 on the road but just 4-9 at home which puts them in the rare case of having a better road record than home record, one of only six teams that can boast this. That may be concerning to back Orlando here but this is a game they need and the matchup is in their favor in the first meeting against the Nets this season following a four-game sweep last season. Orlando is 10-1 ATS in its last 11 home games after allowing 100 points or more four straight games while going 15-4 ATS in its last 19 games after playing four consecutive games as an underdog. Additionally, we play against teams allowing 103 or more ppg on the season going up against an opponent after allowing 110 points or more two straight games. This situation is 63-35 ATS (64.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (502) Orlando Magic

We played against Denver on Tuesday as it closed out a six-game roadtrip with a 20-point loss at Dallas as a road favorite to finish 2-4 on the trek. The Nuggets now return home where they have struggled this season but they are slowly but surely coming back to full health and are in good position to get back into the win column. Denver has played a very tough schedule this season as well as having 15 of its first 25 games taking place on the road while having home games against teams with winning records in eight of its 10 home games. Portland is coming off a win against Oklahoma City on Tuesday which snapped a four-game losing streak but that came at home and the road has not been a kind place. After a 3-1 start, the Blazers are 2-9 in their last 11 games on the highway and while some of those defeats have been close, most have been blowouts. Portland has won just three of 12 games this season following a victory and in all 25 Portland games this season, the favorite has won 20 of those so the short price with Denver tonight suggests that a win means a cover as well. The Nuggets fall into a solid situation as we play on teams that are averaging 103 or more ppg on the season, after trailing in their previous game by 15 or more points at the half. This situation is 182-121 ATS (60.1 percent) since 1996. 10* (708) Denver Nuggets

We won with Dallas on Monday as the Mavericks never trailed in their 20-point win over the Mavericks. It has been a tough start to the season for Dallas which is now 6-18 and while we have given them the benefit of the doubt of playing the toughest schedule in the NBA, that argument can be tossed out tonight. Reason being, the Mavericks have struggled against the better teams in the league as their best win has come against No. 11 Chicago based on current power rankings. Dallas is 1-15 on the season against teams ranked No. 16 or better and while it may not seem like it, Detroit is a top ten team going into tonight. The Pistons are just 13-13 but they are better than that record shows and there will be plenty of motivation tonight. They are coming off an embarrassing 20-point loss at home against Philadelphia on Sunday and the have been a solid bounce back team of late, going 4-0 in their last four games following a loss. Additionally, Detroit is 15-4 ATS in its last 19 games coming off a loss as a favorite and falls into a fantastic situation here. We play against home teams that are coming off an upset win as a home underdog going up against an opponent off a home loss. This situation is 34-12 ATS (73.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (515) Detroit Pistons

A win over Chicago on the last day of November got the Lakers to .500 but December has not been kind as they are 0-7 this month following a loss in Sacramento on Monday to open this seven-game roadtrip leading up to Christmas. Tonight presents a great opportunity to get out of this slump and while a losing record is not ideal, Los Angeles has played the No. 2 toughest schedule in the league. Brooklyn has lost two straight games and is just 2-12 in its last 14 games and only a handful of those losses have even been competitive. Now the Nets are being asked to lay points for the first time this season and while that can be justified based on the Lakers losing streak, there is a talent gap here. The Lakers have welcomed back D'Angelo Russell who has played the last two games after missing 11 games with a knee injury and while his minutes are limited, having him back is big. Los Angeles has a contrarian situation on its side as we play on road teams with a winning percentage between .250 and .400 where the line is +3 to -3 after six or more consecutive losses, playing a team with a losing record. This situation is 26-6 ATS (81.2 percent) since 1996. Additionally, the Nets are 5-11-1 ATS in their last 17 games against teams with a losing straight up record. 10* (509) Los Angeles Lakers

Cleveland has won four straight games following that three-game losing streak and it has been winning in dominant fashion. While this line may seem large against a quality opponent, it is this big for a reason and there is an angle to go along with it that backs it up. The Cavaliers are 11-2 at home this season with their last five wins coming by double-digits. Memphis has been even hotter as it has won six straight games despite a rash of injuries with players coming in and out of the lineup. The Grizzlies are still without Mike Conley for at least another month and they will also be without center Marc Gasol tonight who is resting tonight with another game against Cleveland tomorrow. Cleveland lost only eight regular season home games last year and one of those came against Memphis and the Cavaliers likely have not forgotten that. It was a game where they were not necessarily outplayed but it was one where they gave it away by committing 25 turnovers. The angle is that we play against road underdogs of 10 or more points after allowing 90 points or less two straight games going up against an opponent after allowing 105 points or more. This situation is 25-5 ATS (83.3 percent) since 1996 with the average point differential being +17.3 ppg. Additionally, Cleveland is 22-9 ATS in its last 31 home games after three consecutive covers as a favorite while the Grizzlies are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (702) Cleveland Cavaliers

We played against Denver on Saturday and that backfired as it won in Orlando by eight points, snapping its two-game losing streak. Putting together winning streaks in the issue however as the Nuggets are 1-7 this season following a win but those of those wins came on their home floor. This is actually the fourth time they have been favored on this roadtrip which is surprising considering 9-15 overall record. Dallas defeated Indiana on Friday then laid an egg in Houston the next night losing by 22 points. The Mavericks are 5-18 which is the worst record in the NBA and while injuries have been the main factor, playing the toughest schedule in the league has not helped much either. 16 of their 23 games have come against the top 16 in the NBA including 10 against the top 10 where they are 0-10. Now stepping down in competition, the Mavericks are 9-3-1 ATS in their last 13 games against teams with a winning percentage below .400. They have a great situation on their side as we play against teams with a winning percentage between .250 and .400 where the line is +3 to -3 that are coming off a road win. This situation is 52-20 ATS (72.2 percent) over the last five seasons. Additionally, Denver is 3-15 ATS in its last 18 games coming off a road win over the last two seasons. 10* (510) Dallas Mavericks

Both Denver and Orlando enter this game riding two-game losing streak but at this price and matchup, the Magic are in a solid spot here. After three straight ins, Orlando has lost its last two games by 30 and 21 points which is a big reason the line has risen to where it is. The Magic are just 4-7 at home including a 0-3 record both straight up and against the number as home underdogs. Two of those were against Boston and Utah and the other against Washington which resulted in just a three-point loss. Denver had the night off on Friday following consecutive losses against Brooklyn and Washington on Wednesday and Thursday. The Nuggets were favored in that game against the Nets, just the second time this season they have been favored on the road. The first time was their game before that against Philadelphia meaning their two games as a road chalk came against teams with 11 combined wins. Now they are favored again on the road against a team with 10 wins and while Orlando is far from elite, it is clearly better than both the Nets and Sixers. Here, we play against teams where the line is +3 to -3 that are allowing 103 or more ppg on the season, after scoring 85 points or less. This situation is 53-20 ATS (72.6 percent) since 1996. 10* (502) Orlando Magic

Dallas has been one of the biggest disappointments in the NBA but most of that can be attributed to injuries that have hampered the Mavericks from the start. They are 4-17 which is the worst record in the NBA and while injuries have been the main factor, playing the toughest schedule in the league has not helped much either. 15 of their 21 games have come against the top 16 in the NBA including nine against the top 10 where they are 0-9. Dallas has been better at home and it can take advantage of a good matchup tonight. Indiana has been somewhat of a disappointment as well as it has been unable to consistently put a run together. The Pacers are coming off a win at Phoenix on Wednesday to move to 2-2 on this roadtrip and they head home tomorrow to face Portland in a revenge game from a loss 10 days ago. Indiana has won consecutive games only once this season as it has gone 2-8 both straight up and ATS following a victory. Dallas is coming off its worst home loss of the season and we will see plenty of focus and effort tonight in front of the home fans. 10* (714) Dallas Mavericks

Opposing streaks square off tonight as the Spurs bring in a four-game winning streak into Chicago to take on the Bulls which have dropped their last three games. The losing skid for the Bulls started right after their home win over the Cavaliers, the only other time this season they have been a home underdog. This is the second three-game losing streak of the season and the first one was snapped with a 42-point home win over Orlando. The Spurs cannot be compared to the Magic obviously but they face a tough test tonight against a team desperate for a victory. San Antonio will be trying to tie the record set last season by Golden St. for consecutive road wins to open a season but it has not been the most taxing schedule thus far. While many feel this is a good matchup for the Spurs, it is the exact opposite. The Bulls are second in rebound differential at +5.4 and first in the league in offensive rebounds per game with 13.7 rpg. The Spurs have been fairly mediocre at crashing the boards and are No 17 in differential which could be a problem tonight giving the Bulls second chance opportunities. The Bulls are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600 while the Spurs are 4-9-1 ATS in their last 14 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points. 10* (512) Chicago Bulls

After a 14-2 start, the Clippers hit a bit of a rough patch as they have dropped four of their last six games. To their credit, three of those losses came on the road during a six-game roadtrip but they did win at Cleveland over that stretch. They are coming off their worst home loss, a nine-point setback against Indiana the night before the Pacers were throttled by the Warriors by 36 points. After getting swept by Golden St. last season, Los Angeles will be out to prove it can contend. The Warriors are coming off a five-game homestand where they went 4-1, the four wins coming against teams with a losing record and the loss coming against Houston. Overall, Golden St. has played the No. 29 schedule in the NBA as it has faced just seven teams with a winning record. According to the Sagarin power rankings, the Clippers are No. 2 behind the Warriors and based on the numbers, this game should be a pickem so we are getting significant value. The Warriors are 2-6-1 ATS in their last nine games against teams with a winning percentage above .600 while the Clippers are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. 10* (720) Los Angeles Clippers