Sports Picks & Predictions

Denver and Boston has opposite results last night as the Nuggets lost in Philadelphia while the Celtics were able to upend the Knicks on the road. For Denver, it was its third straight loss and they were all bad ones as the spread differential in the three games combined was 57.5 points and it wasn't competitive in any of those. The Nuggets are in a good spot to bounce back tonight however as despite the defeat last night, they have won the majority of games against teams with losing records. The victory for the Celtics snapped a three-game losing streak and they have had their share of issues at home. They have lost four straight while going 2-7 over their last nine home games following a three-game winning streak on their home floor in mid-December. Additionally, the Celtics are 5-12 ATS in their last 17 games following a win of more than 10 points. 10* (707) Denver Nuggets

Portland is back home following a three-game roadtrip and not a very good one at that. The Blazers dropped all three games although they were in reach in all three but they fell short to extend their road losing streak to six games. Facing red hot Cleveland and Atlanta to open the trip certainly didn't help matters but now they have a great chance to get back to winning and winning big as Portland is 20-5 at home with four of those losses coming against Golden St., Memphis, Los Angeles and Atlanta, which possess four of the six best records in the NBA. Utah has had quite a bit of time off at is last played on Friday, a home win over Golden St. but any momentum from that has been lost. This is the Jazz' first road game since January 22nd and while they have been better on the road of late, they are heading to Portland at a bad time. Utah has been terrible of keeping momentum going as it is 3-13 this season coming off a victory while covering just six of those 16 games. This is the first meeting this season between these two teams and after the Blazers won all four meetings last season, I expect them to start off the same way this year and reestablish their dominance. 10* (508) Portland Trailblazers

We played on Phoenix eight days ago when it was a home underdog against the Clippers and was trounced by 20 points. That was the first and only time the Suns have been home underdogs this season, until now as they are catching a similar number in a very strong situation spot. Phoenix had its modest two-game winning streak snapped against Golden St. on Saturday as it lost by 19 points but the Warriors were on a two-game skid so that was not a good spot for the Suns to be in. Phoenix is seven games over .500 overall including a 15-9 record at home and looks to get back in the win column to keep a two-game lead in the Western Conference for the eighth playoff spot. The Grizzlies have the second best record in the conference thanks to a six-game winning streak that included five games at home. The last road game was a blowout win in Dallas to add to their three-game road winning streak but the other two wins came against the Magic and Nets. Overall, Memphis has been solid on the road but of its 14 road wins, 10 have come against teams with a losing record. The Grizzlies are 1-4 ATS in their last five road games against teams with a winning home record while the Suns are 12-4-1 ATS in their last 17 games following a loss of more than 10 points. 10* (716) Phoenix Suns

This is another game where the line was delayed in coming out and that was because of Pelicans center Anthony Davis/ He missed the last game due to a groin injury but New Orleans was still able to outrebound the Clippers 51-38 and pick up its fifth win over its last six games. The Pelicans are now three games over .500 on the season and while they are far the elite in the conference, they sit just two games out of the eighth and final playoff spot. The fact they are home underdogs here isn't overly surprising based on the opposition but this has been a solid spot all season as New Orleans is 4-1 as a home underdog with wins over Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston and Oklahoma City and the lone loss coming against Golden St. in overtime but that resulted in another cover. It seems like the Hawks have been at home forever and it definitely was a good long homestand as they are coming off seven straight home games with all of those being wins obviously which has added to their franchise record 19-game winning streak. Atlanta looks to match the 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks for the league's fourth-longest run ever. Injuries are now a concern though as Thabo Sefolosha, DeMarre Carroll and Shelvin Mack are all out again tonight and the depth could finally catch up to the Hawks in its biggest road test in close to a month. 10* (710) New Orleans Pelicans

There arte three home underdogs on the Monday card and we can make a case for all three as they are in great spots while also going against the contrarian public opinion. The Clippers/Nets line was a late release due to the status of Deron Williams and Joe Johnson but the situation for the Nets is ideal. Brooklyn has been stuck in reverse since the calendar turned to 2015 as it is 3-12 including losses in 12 of the last 14 games. One of those losses took place in Los Angeles and it was the biggest of them all as the Nets lost to the Clippers by 39 points so there is definitely going to be some motivation for payback tonight. Brooklyn has dropped seven straight games at home and for this reason they are catching the biggest home underdog number they have seen all season. The Clippers easy win less than two weeks ago against the Nets coupled with the fact they have a game at the Cavaliers on deck with have them on a motivational low tonight. The Nets are 5-0 ATS in their last five games after allowing more than 125 points in their previous game while the Clippers are 1-5 ATS in their last six games against teams with a losing record. While an outright upset isn't out of the question, we will gladly grab the generous number here. 10* (708) Brooklyn Nets

The Knicks are playing their best basketball of the season, which isn't saying a lot but they are still playing within their best run since opening 2-1. New York has won four of its last six games despite getting blown out at Indiana on Thursday but that defeat is in our favor on Sunday. After losing 12 straight games at home, the Knicks have won their last three at MSG and the Lakers will not bring much resistance to the road Sunday. Los Angeles has won just once over its last 10 games as it halted a nine-game losing streak with an upset win over Chicago on Thursday which avoided a franchise record in consecutive losses. The Lakers were pumped for that game to avoid the embarrassing record so getting up here will be difficult. This has been a very home dominated series as the host has won and covered six straight meetings which spells bad news for the Lakers which have dropped six straight and 10 of 11 on the highway and have failed to cover in any of their last five. Being favored has been rare for the Knicks but they have won their last three games in that role and they are 4-1 ATS in their last five games against teams with a losing record. 10* (804) New York Knicks

The Rockets won last night in Boston which was their fourth straight win, three of which have been on the road. To their credit, they have been very strong when playing with no rest this season but this is a tougher spot than the other instances. Houston is 4-1 in the second of back-to-back road games with no rest but those four wins came against Utah, Sacramento, Miami and New York. While Detroit's record may compare to some of those teams, it has had a resurgent time following a 3-19 start as the Pistons are 14-11 over their last 25 games despite currently riding a four-game losing streak. If anything though, that should have the Pistons fired up as they are coming off an embarrassing effort against the Sixers where they scored a season low 69 points on a dismal 30.2 percent shooting including going 2-20 from long range. Additionally, they want to get the Rockets monkey off their back as they have dropped seven straight meetings in this series. We should see a big game from Pistons center Andre Drummond who was held in check in the last meeting in Detroit last season by Dwight Howard and is also coming off a poor game against the Sixers. Detroit is 4-1 ATS in its last five games following a loss while winning six of its last eight home games outright with one of those losses coming against Atlanta by just three points. 10* (508) Detroit Pistons

The questionable status of Anthony Davis delayed this total and while he is a gametime decision, whether he goes or not is not a huge factor in the over/under. If he plays, he obviously helps the Pelicans offense but if he doesn't, it hurts the defense so it can be considered a wash. New Orleans had its four-game winning streak snapped with a loss against Denver on Wednesday and in the process, stayed under the total for a second straight game and eighth in its last nine contests. From a pace standpoint, the game against the Nuggets was not any slower than normal, it is just that the Pelicans could not buy many baskets as they shot just 39 percent from the floor including going only 3-15 from long range. The Clippers meanwhile have won six straight games with the last three staying under the total. The last game against Utah stayed well below no thanks to horrible long range shooting as the teams combined for 50 three-point shots with just 14 being made (28 percent). Both teams have been involved in some very high totals this season, especially the Clippers, and we are getting some decent value with this number tonight. This has been a high scoring series including the first meeting this season with 220 points being scored and I expect both teams to bounce back from their poor offensive efforts last time out. 10* Over (811) Los Angeles Clippers/(812) New Orleans Pelicans

By now, everyone knows about the winning streak that Atlanta is on and it is certainly impressive. However, it is not without its faults and while it is none of their own, it needs to be looked at. The Hawks had a very impressive three-game run back in early January where they defeated the Blazers, Clippers and Grizzlies in a span of five days but the schedule has been pretty lax since then. A victory against Oklahoma City exactly one week ago was the best win over the last 11 games and of those games, six wins were against five of the worst seven teams in the Eastern Conference and another was against the worst team in the Western Conference. Sure the Hawks have proved they can beat some of the best teams out west with a win against the Blazers already but that will provide Portland with some solid motivation. I am not a proponent of road revenge but this line shift from the last meeting is way too much as it is a 13-point swing. The Blazers have been struggling with losses in six of their last eight games and while a home loss against Boston is inexcusable, the other five losses came against four top teams from the Western Conference as well as one against the resurgent Cavaliers. Portland has been an underdog of six or more points only once this season and that resulted in a cover at Phoenix without LaMarcus Aldridge in the lineup. 10* (803) Portland Trailblazers

This line came out late due to the uncertain status of Grizzlies guard Mike Conley who has a wrist injury and missed the last game against Dallas. It didn't faze them however as they rolled to a big victory over the Mavericks to make it four straight wins and eight of their last nine. Memphis has the second best record in the Western Conference behind Golden St. and at 19-5, it possesses the fourth best home record in the NBA. The Grizzlies have games against Oklahoma City and Phoenix on Saturday and Monday so this is actually a big game to keep the momentum rolling. Getting up for the Nuggets typically wouldn't happen but in Memphis' case, it will be sky high. The Grizzlies traveled to Denver back on January 3rd and left with a 29-point loss, easily their worst defeat of the season. Payback will be at the forefront. Denver is coming off a win last night in New Orleans which snapped a seven-game losing streak but don't expect a winning streak to start as the Nuggets are not only in a bad revenge situation but this is their fourth game in five nights with travel taking place the last four days. Last night marked just the seventh road win of the season for the Nuggets and they come in just 4-14 against teams ranked in the top 10 while Memphis is 19-2 in 21 games against teams ranked outside the top 16. Blowout time in Memphis tonight. 10* (506) Memphis Grizzlies

The Clippers have won five straight games and are now six games behind Golden St. in the Pacific Division. While they look to have an easy matchup tonight, we are more concerned about the total as this is the lowest number that Los Angeles has seen in a while. Since November 28th, only two games have had a total of 200 or less and those were against Miami and Indiana and while both did stay under the total, they stayed under by a combined 5.5 points so even those were close to hitting the number. The Clippers are 11-6-1 to the over in their 18 road games which is a much higher percentage than their 16-11 to the under record at home. Additionally, the over is 5-1 in the Clippers last six road games against teams with a home winning percentage of less than .400. Utah is the reason this number is so low. The Jazz are also on a two-game under streak and going back, 14 of their last 18 games have stayed below the total. This is where the value comes into play as the majority of those games during the low scoring streak have come against poor offensive teams and the last time Utah had a total of at least 200, it was seven games back against Golden St. and that number easily went over. The over is 4-1 in Utah's last five home games against teams with a winning road record. This is the fourth and final meeting this season and we have seen the total drop each time with this being the lowest of the four games. 10* Over (719) Los Angeles Clippers/(720) Utah Jazz

We played on Brooklyn Monday but the game was postponed due to the winter storm in the northeast but we are coming back with the Nets Wednesday for very similar reasons. After winning its first game of a three-game roadtrip out west, Brooklyn went on the get embarrassed in its last two games. The Nets lost at the Clippers by 39 points on Thursday and followed that up with a 35-point loss at Utah on Saturday. Being an ego-driven league, getting annihilated once usually gets a team fired up for its next game but two such losses should really have the blood boiling. Additionally, they will be out to make up for a 23-point home loss earlier this season. The Nets have held 28 teams below 100 points this season, tied with the Blazers and Hawks for the most in the league this season and 95 is the key number for the Nets as they are 16-5 this season when they score 95 or more points and 10-3 when they hold their opponent under 95 points. We all know the Hawks are playing exceptional basketball right now but the linesmakers aren't stupid as the numbers are getting the point of borderline ridiculous. The Hawks failed to cash against Minnesota laying 17 points, snapping their 15-game cover streak, and now they are laying just three points less to a team that is 11 games better than the Timberwolves. Atlanta is 16-3 ATS against winning teams but 16-8 ATS against losing teams including just 8-6 ATS at home. With a game against Portland on deck, look for another complacent game from Atlanta. 10* (705) Brooklyn Nets

We played on Dallas Sunday and lost but we will come back with the Mavericks on Tuesday as they look to avoid a third consecutive loss. Dallas has lost consecutive games on three prior occasions this season and it went on win all of those follow up games to avoid a three-game losing streak. The Mavericks did fail to cover any of those third games however they were against the Knicks, Lakers and Kings so they were did home favorites in the first two and a road favorite in the latter making all of those tough numbers to cover. Going back even further, the Mavericks are 13-1 in their last 14 games following consecutive losses which says a lot about coaching and the entire make up of the team. Memphis played last night and won against Orlando although it failed to cover the big number. The Grizzlies capped off a successful homestand with that victory as they went 4-1 and while they have been successful on the road with a 13-7 record, digging a little deeper will explain exactly why. 10 of those 13 wins have been against teams with a losing record with Phoenix, Portland and San Antonio being the only quality victories they have away from home. The Grizzlies are 0-4 ATS in their last four road games against teams with a winning home record while the Mavericks are 6-2-1 ATS in their last nine games after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game. 10* (508) Dallas Mavericks

We all knew once LeBron James left the Heat, things would not be the same in Miami but it has been even worse than expected. Injuries and age have taken a toll on this team and at 20-24, Miami is currently in seventh place in the Eastern Conference standings only because of the overall weakness of the conference. The Heat are coming off an impressive win over the Bulls on Sunday however, their second straight win but you have to go all the way back to the start of the season to find the last time they won three in a row. Since then, Miami is 0-4 following two straight wins and the fact it has won consecutive games that few amount of times exemplifies the struggles that are taking place this season. Miami has been favored only 16 times in 44 games and is just 6-9-1 ATS in those games while going 4-7 straight up and 3-8 ATS as a home favorite. Milwaukee meanwhile lost at San Antonio on Sunday which was its third loss in four games and despite two straight road losses, the Bucks have been pretty solid away from home. They are 12-12 in 24 road games which includes an 8-3 record against teams with a losing record. Every year there are teams that separate themselves from the others as being a great bounce back team and Milwaukee takes the prize so far as it is 17-4 ATS following a loss, winning 14 of those 21 games outright. 10* (505) Milwaukee Bucks

This line came out late due to the uncertain status of Pelicans forward Ryan Anderson who is questionable with an ankle injury as New Orleans continues to get stung by the injury bug. They already have lost Jrue Holiday who is expected to be out for another couple weeks and they just got back forward Anthony Davis who missed three games with a toe injury. New Orleans has won two straight games but those were against Minnesota and Los Angeles, the two worst teams in the Western Conference, to move back over .500 at 22-21. The Pelicans have been able to avoid big losing streaks but they have also been unable to sustain winning streaks as they are 5-16 this season following a victory which includes going 0-4 following two consecutive wins. The Mavericks look to rebound following a home loss to the Bulls on Friday and they hit the road where they are 16-7 on the season, the best road record in the Western Conference. Ironically, they lost at home to the team that possesses the second best road record in all of basketball and Dallas will also be out to win its 10th straight game in this series. Dallas is 10-3 following a loss this season so it has been a great bounce back team and it has been able to take care of business against the team it is supposed to as the Mavericks are 12-1 as road favorites this season. The only game they lost was at Houston and it was questionable they should have been favored there because Dwight Howard was out. The Mavericks are 43-18 ATS in their last 61 road games against teams with a winning home record and they have covered five straight in New Orleans. 10* (807) Dallas Mavericks

The Clippers are coming off a historic victory over the Nets on Friday as they won by 39 points in a game that could have been much worse. They led by as many as 46 points before taking the foot off the gas and that result is playing into this number on Sunday. The 70 first-half points by the Clippers and the 37 by the Nets matched the season high for Los Angeles and the season low for its opponents which shows how dominant of a game it was and how hard it is going to be to sustain that momentum especially on the road. The Clippers are a respectable 10-7 on the road but those 17 road games are the fewest of any team in the NBA and it has mostly been due to the recent stretch of playing 12 of their last 14 games at home. Los Angeles is 2-3 on the road following a home win and going back it is just 1-6 ATS in its last seven road games. Phoenix is coming off a loss against Houston on Thursday which snapped a four-game winning streak and also snapped a seven-game home winning streak so the Suns will be out to get that game back. As far as this line goes, it makes no sense. The Suns were favored by 2.5 points over the Rockets and now they are getting points against the Clippers which are a half-game worse than Houston. Additionally, this is the first time all season Phoenix has been a home underdog. The Clippers have won the first two meetings this season, both coming at home, so Phoenix will also be out for some revenge and we are seeing as much as a 10.5-point line swing which is simply too much of an overadjustment. 10* (812) Phoenix Suns

Milwaukee has lost two straight games which has not happened a lot this season and the Bucks also failed to cover the spread in both of those games, which is even more of a rarity. They have won 13 of 20 games following a loss while going 16-4 ATS in those games and getting points at home presents a great opportunity to keep this massive streak alive. Milwaukee has been average at home this season as it is a game under .500 but that record could be a lot better as six losses have come by six points or less including four by just one possession. The next three games as well as five of the next seven are on the road making this a big game to get back over .500. Detroit is playing its best basketball of the season as most are aware of as it has won 12 of its last 15 games with two of those losses coming against the hottest team in the NBA, the Hawks. Being favored on the road however is a little too aggressive against a .500 team. The Pistons have been road favorites twice this season and while they have won and covered, those were against the Magic and Knicks, two teams that are 16 and 28 games under .500 respectively so you can see the difference in class here. The Pistons are 0-4 ATS in their last four games after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game while the Bucks are 18-7-1 ATS in their last 26 games when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game. 10* (504) Milwaukee Bucks

After a mediocre 5-5 start, Atlanta has taken the NBA by storm, going a remarkable 30-3 over its last 33 games to take control of the Eastern Conference. This includes 14 consecutive wins in which the Hawks have covered every single one of those games. They never trailed against Indiana and that has become a habit of late. Since winning a close game against Detroit back on January ninth, their biggest deficit over the last seven games has been three points and in the seven games total, they have been behind by a total of just seven points combined which is pretty incredible. Taking nothing away from what it has done but Atlanta has played the 28th ranked schedule in the NBA with five of the eight losses coming against top 16 teams. Oklahoma St. barely is in that group because of a poor start to the season with the absences of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook for lengthy periods of time. The Thunder are currently ninth in the Western Conference standings but they are playing like a contender once again as after a 3-12, they have gone 19-8 over their last 27 games including wins in four straight games. They are 11-5 against the Eastern Conference and while Atlanta is the class of that side right now, the Thunder will not be intimidated by the Hawks or their streak. Betting against Atlanta has not been smart in some of its recent games but it has not faced a team with a winning streak this long since taking on Portland back on January 3rd. 10* (807) Oklahoma City Thunder

We lost the Toronto over in its last game as a 32-point first quarter killed any chance of surpassing the total. The Raptors lost that game which was their third loss in four games with all five of those games staying below the total. The main reason has been the offense which has cooled off considerably, averaging just 92 ppg on 40.6 percent shooting. Those averages are way down from their season numbers and if there is an opponent that can jump start that offense, it is the Sixers. Philadelphia is allowing close to 103 ppg on the season so it should show very little resistance against the Raptors and Toronto is going to be gunning to get out of its offense struggles. The Sixers offense has been pretty bad of late as well as they have gone 19 straight games without scoring 100 points. Don't be surprised to see that streak get broken here as Toronto is allowing the fifth most points on the road in the NBA at 106.2 ppg. The Raptors have allowed at least 100 points in 13 of their 19 road games this season and while the defense has been better the last two games, it has been a pace issue as Memphis and Milwaukee has taken just 74 and 76 shots respectively. The Sixers average 81 shots per game and they are the sixth fasted team in the NBA with 99.9 possessions per game. These teams played just over a week ago with a closing total of 202.5 which shows how much value we are getting in this total on Friday. 10* Over (801) Toronto Raptors/(802) Philadelphia 76ers

We held off on this game hoping for a line move and we got just that. This line opened at +2 early afternoon on Wednesday and now we are seeing pretty much -5 across the board. The Spurs are healthy and riding a four-game winning streak, both straight up and against the number and this is the time the public starts backing them heavily. San Antonio is 12-10 on the road following its win in Denver on Tuesday but this is an interesting line in the fact that it was favored by only 3.5 more points there and in their previous road game at Charlotte, the Spurs are actually favored by more tonight despite playing a team nine games better than the Hornets. Things are not good in Chicago right now as it is coming off its second straight loss, a 14-point setback against the Cavaliers. That effort forced Derrick Rose to call his team out, himself included, stating they are playing with no passion, no energy and no hustle. It comes at a perfect time with the upcoming schedule being pretty brutal and Rose's comments should have his team ready to go tonight as we like backing teams facing adversity that need to step up with the public all over the other side. So far this season, the Bulls have responded well for the most part as they are 11-4 following a loss and while they have failed in both attempts as a home underdog, those games were against Golden St. and Atlanta, the two top teams in their respective conferences. If we are going to see a full on effort from Chicago, this is the night it happens. 10* (504) Chicago Bulls

We lost with the Toronto over on Monday as a 33-point third quarter did us in. Guard DeMar DeRozan went over 20 points in each of his first three games back from a groin injury but was held scoreless on 0-of-9 shooting in 26 minutes by the Bucks so don't expect to see that again We are playing the over for much of the same reasons as Toronto has lost seven of its last 10 and the reason has been defense. The Raptors have allowed an average of 110.7 ppg in those seven losses and while they allowed just 84, 96 and 89 points in the wins, those were against the Sixers, Celtics and Bucks. The defense has been bad all season as they have allowed 46.3 percent shooting, sixth worst in the league and they are allowing 106.9 ppg on the road, which is third highest trailing only Lakers and Timberwolves. While Toronto has gone under in four straight games, Memphis went under in its last game against Dallas after a run of five straight games going over the total. The Grizzlies play a pretty solid defense but they are actually better on the road than at home while the offense is really the catalyst. They average 105.1 ppg at home which is seventh highest in the NBA which plays right into the hands of the porous Toronto defense The over is 19-8 in the Grizzlies last 27 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600 while the over is 13-5 in the Raptors road games this season. 10* Over (711) Toronto Raptors/(712) Memphis Grizzlies

We bypassed betting against Atlanta on Monday which was a good thing as it won and covered yet again but we will be going against the Hawks Wednesday. One big reason for not playing against them last timer out was the opposition as while Detroit may not scare many people, the Pistons are playing very solid and they gave Atlanta all it could handle 10 days prior as the Hawks won that meeting by just three points on the road. The streak has now reached 13 straight wins and covers but this is a great opportunity for that to come to an end, at least the cover part as the Hawks are laying a bug number once again and they are just 2-4 ATS when laying eight or more points. While Atlanta has been winning, the Pacers have been on an opposite streak as they have dropped five straight and six of their last seven while going seven straight games without a cover and it is extremely to see a dynamic this big where we have a contrarian bounce angle of 20 (13 straight ATS wins for Atlanta and seven straight ATS losses for Indiana). Atlanta won both earlier meetings this season by double-digits thus taking out their revenge from last season's Conference Quarterfinals series loss in seven games so the sense of urgency may not be there especially with a game at home against Oklahoma City on deck. Indiana meanwhile is in desperation mode right now and will play a hard fought game. 10* (709) Indiana Pacers

Denver got absolutely annihilated at Golden St. yesterday as it fell by 43 points for its third straight loss and things don’t get any easier tonight. Facing Dallas twice, Golden St. and now San Antonio in a four-game, five-day stretch is a nightmare schedule for a team trying to find its identity and simply trying to turn the corner. Most of the damage this season has been on the road however as the Nuggets are 6-14 away from home but a much more respectable 12-9 in their building even though that does include an embarrassing loss against Minnesota last time they were here. That along with the defeat yesterday will have Denver plenty motivated here., The Spurs meanwhile are coming off a win over Utah, its second straight since Kawhi Leonard returned to the lineup after missing 15 straight games with a hand injury. The Spurs went just 7-8 over that stretch so now fully healthy, they are a dangerous team going into the second half of the season where they are currently sitting in fourth place in the Southwest Division, three and a half games behind Memphis. But this is a big number to be laying on the road against a team that has a better record at home than San Antonio does on the road. The Spurs are 4-13 ATS in their last 17 games after allowing less than 75 points in their previous game while the Nuggets are 31-11 ATS in their last 42 home games against teams with a winning road record. 10* (504) Denver Nuggets

Milwaukee returns home from its game in London against the Knicks which was an easy winner and it also resulted in an easy under, the 11th straight game that has stayed under the total for the Bucks. Bad offense, strong defense or a combination of both? It has been a mix as Milwaukee has gone over 100 points only twice but has scored 95 or more points eight times so it hasn't been no where near shutdown. You will see that the Bucks have allowed 79, 95, 84 and 77 points their last four games but those three lowest point totals given up were against the three worst teams in the NBA and three pretty putrid offenses. Toronto has lost two straight games and seven of its last nine and the reason has been defense. The Raptors have allowed an average of 110.7 ppg in those seven losses and while they allowed just 84 and 96 points in the wins, those were against the lowly Sixers and Celtics. The defense has been bad all season as they have allowed 46.3 percent shooting, fifth worst in the league and they are allowing 108 ppg on the road, which is third highest trailing only Lakers and Timberwolves. Yet, Toronto has gone under in its last three games so we are getting exceptional contrarian value with a team that is 13-4 to the over in its 17 road games and is 17-5 to the over its last 22 games playing with no rest. 10* Over (719) Toronto Raptors/(720) Milwaukee Bucks

Following their loss in London, the Knicks have now dropped 16 consecutive games while going back further, they have lost 26 of their last 27 games and a lot of those have not been close. During the recent losing streak, they are 4-11-1 ATS and during the 27 games, they are 10-16-1 ATS which to be honest is not that bad of a record considering the magnitude of the straight up losing skid. They are back home where they have lost 12 in a row but you have to give credit to the New York faithful as they still come out and watch so there is no lack of energy in this building. I think the Knicks actually have a good shot here of breaking the skid as the schedule during this stretch has been absolutely brutal. Only a majority of games have come against losing teams and overall, they have played the fourth toughest schedule in the NBA so while you can't make excuses for losing, they have had little opportunities. New Orleans is sitting at .500 so this would seem like another bad spot but the Pelicans are likely to be without forward Anthony Davis and point guard Jrue Holiday once again. To their credit, they went into Toronto last night and won without the duo but getting up for a top team in the Eastern Conference compared to one of the worst are two different things. They are just 4-15 this season following a win while going 2-8 ATS as a favorite following a victory. 10* (714) New York Knicks

Oklahoma City is coming off one of its highest scoring games of the season as it took care of Golden St. 127-115 in a game that featured two very potent offenses. At least for the Thunder, that is the case since the return of Westbrook and Durant. Now they will be facing the fourth lowest scoring team in the NBA and the seventh slowest team as far as pace as Orlando is averaging just 94.9 ppg while their games are averaging only 96.5 possessions per game. While the Orlando defense has struggled the three games, overall it is not a bad unit that allows 100.1 ppg which is right in the middle of the pack. The Magic have gone over the total in four straight games which has been a mix of offense and defense but now they are getting some great value. They have gone under in six of their last nine games with a total of 200 or higher and tonight presents the biggest over/under they have seen all season. A lot of that has to do with Oklahoma City, which has gone over in two straight against two of the fastest teams in the league. The Thunder have had six games with a total of 210 or higher, three of those against Golden St. and the other three against teams ranked 3rd, 5th and 8th in pace. The under is 11-1 in the Thunder's last 12 games after scoring more than 125 points in their previous game while the under is 10-3 in the Magic's last 13 games following a double-digit loss at home. 10* Under (803) Oklahoma City Thunder/(804) Orlando Magic

Winning streaks play a big factor with lines as they need to be constantly adjusted and they get to a point where they become overadjusted. Last night, the Hawks opened as three-point underdogs against Toronto and the line eventually shifted five points as Atlanta closed as a two-point favorite. The Hawks opened here as a two-point underdog but it quickly shifted to a two-point favorite in a matter of just 12 hours. Atlanta won its 11th straight game and is 16-1 in its last 17 games while going 11-0 ATS and 16-1 ATS respectively over that stretch as well. This includes 11 consecutive wins and covers on the road which is the most impressive part as this is rarely seen in this league. The first win of this recent 17-game stretch came at home against Chicago where Atlanta was favored by 2.5 points, the dame number it is now favored by on the road. The Bulls also won last night in Boston as they bounced back from consecutive losses but there is still work to be done. Those two losses came at home as Chicago wants to snap that skid as well as getting some payback against the best team in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls are 4-1 ATS in their last five home games against teams with a winning road record and I expect them to break the streak tonight. 10* (506) Chicago Bulls

We had the Sixers over last night and while their offense improved from previous games as expected, it was the New Orleans offense that let us down as the Pelicans managed to shoot just 38.7 percent from the floor including 23.5 percent from long range. And it isn't because the Sixers defense is any good because it isn't and we will see that tonight. Playing with no rest will hurt the defense as the Sixers have allowed 102.3 ppg in their previous nine games playing with no rest, six of those going over the total. Additionally, Philadelphia has allowed fewer than 90 points seven other times and has allowed an average of 106 ppg in the next game. Detroit is coming off a dramatic win last night against the Pacers as it bounced back from a loss against New Orleans on Wednesday. It was the second straight under for the Pistons but the offense still managed a good game and I expect it to be even better tonight. Since the resurgence of this team, the offense has been outstanding by averaging 103.6 ppg in 18 games compared to 92.8 ppg in its first 22 games. The over is 6-1 in the Sixers last seven games against teams with a losing record while the over is 5-1 in the Pistons last six games against teams with a losing record. 10* Over (503) Philadelphia 76ers/(504) Detroit Pistons

Atlanta has lost only eight games all season long and 25 percent of those have come against Toronto. Surely the Hawks will be out for revenge but we are hardly a proponent of road revenge and the Raptors are in an excellent spot to keep their season domination going against Atlanta. Toronto has been on a bit of a slide as it lost just six times during its first 28 games but has dropped six games over its last 10 contests, going 3-7 ATS over that stretch. This will be the second game back for DeMar DeRozan who missed 21 games before returning against Philadelphia where he put up 20 points in just under 29 minutes. The Raptors are 13-3 in the 16 games he has finished and just 13-9 in the games he has not. The Hawks remain the hottest team in the NBA with 10 straight victories and on top of that, 10 straight covers. This run has definitely added value to the Raptors which were favored in Atlanta by 3.5 points the last meeting and are now favored by less at home now. All trends point to Atlanta in this one but are going opposite all of those and proclaim that the Hawks run ends here. 10* (810) Toronto Raptors

Here we have two teams that have stayed under the total in the majority of their games on the season but that has not been the case recently. I think we come back to the norm on Friday. Orlando has won two straight games thanks to an offense that has put up 121 and 120 points but that is more of an anomaly than the norm. the Magic eclipsed 100 points in two straight games only one other time the entire season and they followed that up with an 86-point effort next time out. Memphis has also picked the offense during its two-game winning streak, scoring 122 and 103 points the last two games but 21 points came in overtime in the former, which would have stayed under had overtime not taken place. Both teams shoot the ball above average but these are two of the slower teams in the NBA as Memphis averages 97.2 possessions in its games while Orlando averages 96.4 possessions in its games, good for 21st and 24th in the NBA respectively. The under is 4-1-1 in the Grizzlies last six games against teams with a losing record while the under is 8-2 in the Magic's last 10 games against teams with a winning record. 10* Under (807) Memphis Grizzlies/(808) Orlando Magic

This isn't the most exciting matchup to watch with Cleveland on a six-game losing streak and the Lakers having dropped two straight, four of five and sitting 15 games under .500 for the season. But what it does do is give us a fantastic spot to cash a total as both teams have been riding significant under streaks in which case we should see a high scoring game going tonight. The Cavaliers had posted seven straight unders with LeBron James out of the lineup as the offense could do nothing, averaging just 89.1 ppg over those seven games. James returned against Phoenix and while the offense put up 100 points, the game still went under because the total was inflated at 212.5 but now it has come down for tonight. As for the Lakers, they have stayed under the total in their last six games including putting up a mere 153 points in their last game against Miami but that was just a horrible shooting night as they shot 31.5 percent including 17.4 percent from long range with the Heat not doing much better. Cleveland is 11-2 to the over in its last 13 road games after three or more consecutive unders while Los Angeles is 23-5 to the over in its last 28 home games after scoring 80 points or less. 10* Over (505) Cleveland Cavaliers/(506) Los Angeles Lakers

Washington won and covered for us last night but we will be going against the Wizards tonight in what I see as a big letdown spot after they snapped their 17-game losing streak against San Antonio. The Wizards also bounced back from their 31-point loss against Atlanta in their previous game to improve to 17-4 at home but they hit the road with a modest 9-8 record which includes losses in four of their last five on the highway. Chicago has not been playing its best basketball as it has 1-3 in its last four games with two of those losses coming against Orlando and Utah with the loss against the Magic coming at home on Monday by seven points as an 11.5-point favorite. The third defeats over this stretch came at Washington on Friday by 16 points so the Bulls have an opportunity for a quick revenge turnaround, similar to what Washington had last night. Additionally, this is Chicago's first home game against the Wizards since they were eliminated by them in five games in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals last season. Here, we play on teams that are coming off a loss as a favorite of 10 points or more, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .750. This situation is 34-11 ATS (75.6 percent) since 1996. Meanwhile, Chicago is 13-4 ATS in its last 17 games revenging a road loss of 10 points or more. 10* (714) Chicago Bulls

The Hawks won against last night as they defeated the Sixers by 18 points to increase their winning streak to nine games and maintain their lead in the Eastern Conference at four games. The nine straight wins are currently the most active in the league and even more impressive, they have covered all nine of those games as well. Atlanta also extended its single-season franchise record for consecutive road wins to nine and it looks to keep that going tonight but as the wins pile up, the lines continue to inflate as it is now a seven-point favorite, just three points less than what it was favored by last night. While defeating the Sixers does not invoke a letdown, a game with Toronto up next can be a cause for concern for a lookahead. The Celtic won their last game, an eight-point win over New Orleans on Monday, which halted a mini two-game slide. It is rebuilding time in Boston but at 9-11 at home, the Celtics have played admirably on their home floor and tonight represents the second biggest number they have seen at home all season. The momentum from the win over the Pelicans will certainly help as the Celtics are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games following a win. Look for a closer than expected game tonight than what the line may be telling us. 10* (712) Boston Celtics

Washington was riding a three-game winning week before going to Atlanta on Sunday and it got pounded by 31 points against the Hawks which have now won eight straight games. Heading back some in a quick revenge situation, I expect the Wizards to bounce back tonight. Washington is 16-4 at home this season and overall it has won 21 of 25 games when favored ad that is a key stat here considering this line is so short as the probability of a win and cover are substantial. The Spurs meanwhile have won two in a row including a victory at Minnesota in their last game on Saturday. San Antonio is just one game over .500 on the road however and it only has one quality road win since late November which came against Memphis on December 5th. Washington lost in San Antonio 10 days which sets up the revenge situation as mentioned and going back, Washington has failed to cover seven straight home meetings in this series., However, this is the best Washington team over that stretch and going back, it is 25-11 ATS in its last 36 games revenging a loss where opponent scored 100 or more points. Meanwhile, the Spurs are 0-4 ATS in their last four games following a win of more than 10 points. 10* (506) Washington Wizards

Milwaukee is coming off a win last night against Minnesota which was its second straight victory but more importantly, it was the Bucks ninth straight game that stayed under the total. That sets up a great opportunity tonight for a high scoring game as we are getting value with the total based on the recent under run as well as the fact this is Milwaukee's fourth game in five nights with there being travel between every game. A busy schedule like that tends to affect the defense more than anything else and while the Bucks have allowed point totals of 82, 77 and 84 points, those games were against New York, Philadelphia and Minnesota, the three worst teams in the NBA and three of the 10 lowest scoring teams in the league. Chicago is also coming off an under last night in Washington which was its second straight game to stay below the total. The offense has been the reason as the Bulls managed only 77 and 86 points in those games but they catch Milwaukee at the perfect time. The Bucks are 22-8 to the over in their last 30 road games as an underdog of 6.5 to 12 points while Chicago is 13-5 to the over in home games this season. 10* Over (511) Milwaukee Bucks/(512) Chicago Bulls

Boston gave it all it had last night in Indiana but it fell to the Pacers in overtime as it could not back up a win in Brooklyn from Wednesday. The Celtics now hit the road again and they will be hard pressed to duplicate the effort from last night in a back-to-back situation as they take their 4-11 road record into Toronto to face the Raptors tonight. While this is the biggest spread Boston has seen all season, it is justified in my opinion as the Raptors will be fully focused on a rout. They have lost four straight games including a defeat against Charlotte at home on Wednesday which followed up a three-game west coast sweep prior to that. That loss to the Hornets was only their fourth home loss of the season and they had won five straight games at home prior to that. Celtics Jeff Green was pulled from the starting lineup last night amid trade rumors and while his teammates rallied around that last night, it will be more difficult tonight. Green is averaging a team-best 17.6 ppg and head coach Brad Stevens said that Green won't be with the team this weekend. The Raptors are 23-11-2 ATS in their last 36 games following a loss while the Celtics are 1-4 ATS in their last five games after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game. 10* (508) Toronto Raptors

Not many would have expected Phoenix and San Antonio to have the same records at this point of the season but that is the case. The Suns have won four games in a row to move to six games over .500 and are currently tied with the Spurs for seventh place in the Western Conference, just percentage points behind. They are coming off a closer than expected win against Minnesota on Wednesday as they beat the lowly Timberwolves by just a bucket and while they are on a roll, they head to San Antonio at the wrong time. The Spurs lost to Detroit at home on Tuesday by a point on a last second winning shot by the Pistons. That snapped a modest two-game winning streak while also snapping a three-game home winning streak but they should bounce back here. Tony Parker returned last game but went easy as he played just 12 minutes and rested the second half while not even scoring so we will see more production from him. While San Antonio has six home losses, two have been by a single point and the other four came in overtime. They will be out for revenge following a loss in Phoenix earlier in the season and going back, the Spurs are 12-4 ATS in their last 16 home games against teams with a winning road record. 10* (816) San Antonio Spurs

The Thunder are in a very favorable spot on Friday as they look to bounce back from a two-game losing streak with losses against Golden St. and Sacramento by 26 and 21 points. Oklahoma City is riding a three-game winning streak at home and in home games that Kevin Durant has played in, it is a perfect 4-0 while going just 4-4 in his eight road games. Even though he and Russell Westbrook were not around for most of the season, the Thunder are still very much in the playoff picture and losing these types of game is not acceptable. Oklahoma City is off until next Thursday so there will be full focus here. Utah meanwhile is coming off a win at Chicago by 20 points as an 11-point underdog but it has not been good with the momentum as it is just 4-8 ATS following a win this season. To their credit, the Jazz have been solid on the road against winning teams as they are 7-2 ATS but it needs to be noted that none of those came right after a road victory. While Oklahoma City has not covered in any of its last five games, it is 4-1 ATS in its last five home games against teams with a losing road record and the home team is 11-1 ATS over the last 12 meetings in this series. 10* (810) Oklahoma City Thunder

Charlotte won its third consecutive game last night and while doing so, also went over for the third straight game. Those totals were all less than what the Hornets are seeing tonight and all of that is due to the opposition but we are still presented with some awesome value. While the over is 16-5 in Charlotte's 21 games where the total is less than 195, the under is 11-5 when the total is 195 or greater including 5-2 at 200 or higher. Additionally, Charlotte is 21-10 to the under after successfully covering the spread in two or more consecutive games while the under is 5-2 in the Hornets last seven road games against teams with a winning home record. Toronto has gone over the total in two straight games and on the season, the over is 21-13 however 13 of those overs came on the road as the Raptors defense stiffens up considerable at home where they allow 95.4 ppg compared to 108 ppg on the road. Toronto is 19-7 to the under in its last 26 home games after allowing 110 points or more two straight games while the under is 5-2 in the Raptors last seven home games following a road trip of seven or more days. As far as pace goes, both are slower than average as Toronto is 16th with 97.9 possessions per game while Charlotte is 20th with 97.3 possessions per game. 10* Under (501) Charlotte Hornets/(502) Toronto Raptors

We played against New Orleans on Monday as it hosted Washington and the Pelicans were in a very bad spot there, resulting in a loss. That now puts them in a good spot on Wednesday as they head to Charlotte to once again try and get back over .500. New Orleans is two games out in the Western Conference playoff race and while the season is still young, these are the types of games that really count. New Orleans is 12-4 straight up and 11-5 ATS following a loss this season. Charlotte meanwhile has won two straight games, both on the road no less, but those came against Orlando and Boston which are 11 and 10 games under .500 respectively. The Hornets are an even worse 12 games under .500 and while their home record is slightly better than New Orleans' road record, Charlotte has won just three of 16 gamers against the Western Conference this season. Additionally, the Hornets have won only five of 20 games when playing with one day of rest and they are 4-11 ATS in their last 15 home games. The Pelicans meanwhile have covered six of their last seven road games and have owned this series by going 16-4-1 ATS over the last 21 meetings. I will gladly take the better team in the better situation against a team that is 4-17 against the league's top 16 teams and 0-7 as a home underdog. 10* (703) New Orleans Hornets

Milwaukee is coming off another low scoring game last night as it has now gone under the total in seven straight games. Tonight presents a great opportunity to break that streak as this one sets up good for a high scoring affair. The Bucks offense has been stuck in neutral the last four games, scoring no more than 96 points but now they face a Sixers defense that is allowing 104 ppg and has given up at least 112 points in four of their last six games. They are coming off a solid defensive effort last time out against the Cavaliers as they allowed just 92 points but putting together back-to-back strong efforts on defense has been a rarity. Philadelphia is coming off an under in that game against Cleveland but it has gone 9-3 to the over in its last 12 games following a game that went under the total. The Sixers offense has not reached 100 points since December 13th but that could change here as Milwaukee is allowing 99.5 ppg on the road and the over is 10-4 in the Bucks last 14 road games against teams with a losing home record. Meanwhile, the over is 5-1 in the Sixers last six home games against teams with a winning road record. As far as pace goes, the Sixers and Bucks are averaging 100.7 and 98.8 possessions per game respectively, 4th and 11th most in the league. 10* Over (705) Milwaukee Bucks/(706) Philadelphia 76ers

Detroit has won five straight games, all being covers as well as the offense has hit its stride, averaging 108.4 ppg and the defense is not far behind as it has improved as well, allowing just 90.2 ppg. Facing a majority of bad teams will do that however and while I expect the offense to keep going, the defense will be in for a tough time on Tuesday. Because of the stifling defense of late, the Pistons have stayed under the total in their last four games. The Spurs meanwhile have stayed under the total in three straight games as the defense has been playing well while the offense has been below its season averages leading up to it. This line came out late due to the uncertainty of Tony Parker and while he likely will not go, the possibility is only a added benefit. As mentioned, Detroit has not played many good teams during its run and it is 8-1 to the over in its last nine games against teams with a winning record. Meanwhile the Spurs have played three solid teams during their under run and going back, they are 10-1 to the over in their last 11 games against teams with a losing record while the over is 10-2 in the Spurs last 12 home games. 10* Over (503) Detroit Pistons/(504) San Antonio Spurs

We are definitely going against the grain in this one as everyone sees a trackmeet between Oklahoma City and Golden St. but the value here is too hard to pass up going the other way. These teams met just over two weeks ago and while that game in Golden St. surpassed the total, it would not have if tonight's number was in place as the over/under has gone from 211.5 to 218 in a span of 17 days, which is too big of an adjustment. A lot of that is due to recent games as Oklahoma Coty has gone over in three straight and five of six while Golden St. has gone over in two straight and five of seven. The Warriors falls into a great totals spot as we play the under where the total is greater than or equal to 210 involving a team that is averaging 102 or more ppg going up against teams allowing between 92 and 98 ppg, after a combined score of 205 points or more two straight games. This situation is 31-9 (77.5 percent) to the under the last five seasons. Additionally, Golden St. is 20-9 to the under in its last 29 games after scoring 100 points or more three straight games while the under is 21-7 in Oklahoma City's last 28 games playing on two days rest. 10* Under (721) Oklahoma City Thunder/(722) Golden St. Warriors

Washington opened this Western Conference swing roadtrip with a win over Houston but it has dropped its last three games but those games came against Dallas, San Antonio and a fully healthy Oklahoma City. This is the final game of this trip and I expect the Wizards to close with a win but will gladly grab the generous points. New Orleans is over .500 once again following a 28-point rout over Houston on Friday which was its fifth straight cover. That is a streak I like going against and because they are favored, the Pelicans are obviously being asked to win but they are 0-4 in their last four games following a victory. Two situations are on our side. First, we play against home favorites revenging a loss where team scored less than 85 points going up against an opponent off two or more consecutive road losses. This situation is 94-49 ATS (65.7 percent) since 1996. Second, we play on road teams where the line is +3 to -3 that are averaging between 98 and 102 ppg going up against teams allowing between 98 102 ppg, after allowing 100 points or more two straight games. This situation is 25-3 ATS (89.3 percent) over the last five seasons. Additionally, Washington is 10-0 ATS in its last 10 road games after scoring 55 points or more in the first half in two straight games. 10* (711) Washington Wizards

Brooklyn and Miami are going in opposite directions which is providing a solid line for the home team in a great bounce back situation. The Heat are coming off a 36-point loss at Houston last night, easily their worst loss of the season and their worst loss since 2010. losing like that is certainly no good but it is a great motivator moving forward and the lone good news from last night is the fact that the starters so plenty of rest as the game was done early in the third quarter. Brooklyn meanwhile has won three straight games and six of its last seven to get back to .500 as the offense has picked things up. But the Miami defense has been pretty solid all season and as far as pace, the Heat allow the fewest amount of shot attempts in the NBA. The Nets last win came in Orlando by a bucket as they nearly blew a 26-point lead and I don't think that bodes well going forward. Miami falls into a solid situation as we play against teams where the line is +3 to -3 that are revenging a home loss against opponent with that opponent coming off a road loss by 10 points or more. This situation is 42-15 ATS (73.7 percent) over the last five seasons. Additionally, the Heat are 4-1 ATS in their last five games following a loss of more than 10 points. 10* (804) Miami Heat

After winning the first two games of this current roadtrip against Orlando and Miami, the Sixers have lost the last four games all by at least 16 points. The defense has been to blame as they have allowed 112, 114 and 126 points in three of those losses and I expect another high scoring affair tonight. The Clippers have won three of their last four games including two straight on this current homestand and all four of these games have stayed under the total. The defense has played well the last two games but this is the type of game the Clippers may not put a full effort into and while they are an average pace team, the Sixers are the third fastest by averaging 101 possessions per game. So it would not be surprising to see Los Angeles go along with that. The last meeting here a season ago had a total of 219.5 so we are seeing a big difference this time around. The Clippers are 8-0 to the over in their last eight games after a game forcing opponent to commit eight or less turnovers while the over is 7-1 in the Sixers last eight games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. 10* Over (515) Philadelphia 76ers/(516) Los Angeles Clippers

This line came out late due to the uncertainty of Bradley Beal as he injured a toe in the Wizards last game at Dallas. They lost by 27 points in that one as the Mavericks built an 18-point halftime lead and never looked back so we can expect a bounce back tonight. Washington is off to a 22-9 start and while it has played a relatively easy schedule, the fact it is 7-3 against the Western Conference including wins over the Rockets, Clippers and Pelicans so they can hang with some solid opposition. The Thunder are looking to make a playoff push after a poor start to the season because of injuries and they have won three of their last four games including a win over Phoenix in overtime New Year's Eve. I feel Oklahoma City is overvalued however as it is a public team to begin with but should not be favored this much over a quality team. Case in point, the Thunder were favored by 6.5 points at home against Charlotte the day after Christmas and now they are favored by a bigger number against a team that is 13 games better than the Hornets. In the game here last season, Washington was getting only one point more than it is getting tonight and this year's version is much better than last year's version that took the floor here in November. Here, we play on road underdogs after a loss by 20 points or more going up against an opponent after a combined score of 215 points or more two straight games. This situation is 45-15 ATS (75 percent) since 1996. 10* (811) Washington Wizards

The possibility of a DeMarcus Cousins suspension caused this line to come out late but whether or not he plays, this game should turn into a trackmeet. Sacramento has lost two straight games and has allowed at least 101 points in eight straight games but is coming off a poor offensive effort yesterday against Boston which will reverse out here. Sacramento managed just 36.8 percent shooting including going 2-15 from long range against a bad Celtics defense but now it faces an even worse stop unit. Minnesota has allowed at least 100 points in nine straight games, all of which have been losses but the last three have stayed under the total which helps add value today. Both offenses should rise to the occasion today against these poor defenses that allow 108.7 ppg and 104.1 ppg. From a pace standpoint, both teams are fast as they are two of just nine teams in the NBA that average 99 or more possessions per game. The over is 14-6 in the Kings last 20 games against teams with a winning percentage below .400 while the over is 13-6 in the Timberwolves last 19 games playing on one day rest. 10* Over (503) Sacramento Kings/(504) Minnesota Timberwolves

This line came out late due to status of Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard, neither of which will be playing tonight. It has been a struggle for San Antonio of late as injuries have taken their toll and they are coming off another loss last night in Memphis to drop them to 4-9 over their last 13 games. They have been inconsistent on both ends of the floor and speaking of inconsistent, the main offensive production of three players has been just as bad. After combining for 55 points in the win over Houston on Sunday, the trio of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Danny Green combined for just 21 points in the loss against Memphis last night. They obviously need those three to step up in the absence of Parker and Leonard. New Orleans won for us last night over Phoenix and it was a grind as the Pelicans won by four points. They are now a game over .500 on the season but while they are 10-4 at home they are just 6-11 on the road and they are in a difficult spot coming off a win and San Antonio coming off a loss. While New Orleans has covered every game in the second of a back-to-back set, the motivational edge for the Spurs is too big as they need to right the ship as well as get some payback from a loss against the Pelicans the day after Christmas. 10* (710) San Antonio Spurs

The Suns have won their last six games, which is a season high and five of those have come on the highway but I expect that streak to come to an end tonight. Winning five straight road games is certainly impressive but the level of competition has been a step below average with the exception of a win at Washington last week. Phoenix is coming off a win over the Lakers Sunday which made it six straight covers as well but it has a revenge game on deck tomorrow night at Oklahoma City where it lost by 24 points 16 days ago. New Orleans is playing some decent basketball and can get back over .500 with a victory tonight. One of the issues with the Pelicans this season has been their consistency as their longest winning streak is just two games but on the other hand, their longest losing streak is just three games which has happened only once. They are coming off a loss at Chicago and on the season, they are 10-4 following a loss while covering nine of those games. The Suns swept the Pelicans 4-0 last season so there will be some payback in mind as well and while New Orleans has San Antonio on deck for tomorrow, that is actually a revenge game for the Spurs. Additionally, we play against road teams where the line is +3 to -3 after two or more consecutive overs and averaging 102 or more ppg going up against teams allowing between 98 and 102 ppg. This situation is 33-12 ATS (73.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (510) New Orleans Pelicans

We are catching another great totals situation tonight as we have two teams on recent runs that we will go against based on the contrarian factor along with over/under value. Sacramento hits the road to open a four-game east coast roadtrip starting in Brooklyn tonight and the Kings are riding a five-game over streak. However, the last game went into overtime while the majority of those games came against some of the faster paced teams in the NBA. Now they will face one of the slower teams in the league as the Nets are averaging 96.8 possessions per game, the eighth fewest. Brooklyn meanwhile has gone over in two straight games, one of those against the Celtics which are tied for the most possessions in the league and the other against Indiana which was able to shoot over 51 percent from the floor. The under is 9-1 in the Nets last 10 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game and I certainly expect a better defensive effort after allowing 86 and 87 shots the last two games. We also have a great league wide totals situation in play as we play the under involving one team after two or more consecutive overs going up against an opponent after five or more consecutive overs. This situation is 60-25 (70.6 percent) to the under the last five seasons. 10* Under (707) Sacramento Kings/(708) Brooklyn Nets

While injuries are marring to majority of the Sunday NBA card, there are no recent injury issues in this game and we are making a play similar to the one last night in Chicago. Toronto is coming off a win last night in Los Angeles against the Clippers in a game that stayed under the total albeit by not much. Prior to that, the Raptors had gone over the total in three straight games and while we are dealing with a high number tonight, it is lower than last night against a team that is much faster paces. The Clippers average 161.9 shot attempts per game while the Nuggets are averaging 171.3 shot attempts per game and those 10 extra shots are huge especially with a lower total. Denver has gone under in five straight games because the offense has sputtered the majority of the time but we could very well see a big effort tonight against a Raptors team that is playing with no rest and has gone 5-2 to the over in previous seven games playing with no rest. Additionally, Toronto is 10-3 to the over on the road this season and 15-4 to the over in its last 19 games against teams allowing 103 or more ppg. 10* Over (807) Toronto Raptors/(808) Denver Nuggets

New Orleans is coming off a big win over San Antonio last night as the defense really stepped up by allowing just 90 points but still allowed the Spurs to shoot over 49 percent from the floor. After going over the total in five straight games, New Orleans has gone under in its last five games and I expect that to reverse out tonight. In their previous seven games playing with no rest, the Pelicans have gone under the total only two times. New Orleans is one of the faster tempo teams in the league as it averages 85.4 shots per game which is eighth highest and the Bulls allow 87 shots per game which is second moist in the league and it is 10-2 to the over against up-tempo teams averaging 83 or more spg this season. Chicago has gone under the total in its last two games but the last game was set at 208 and on the season, the Bulls are 5-0 to the over when the total is set between 200 and 205. New Orleans is 15-10 to the over this season when the total is 195 or higher and we should see the scoreboard lighting up tonight. 10* Over (509) New Orleans Pelicans/(510) Chicago Bulls

This line came out late due to the uncertainty of forward Zach Randolph as he has missed the last two games with a knee injury. Whether he goes or not, this is a huger game for Memphis which has lost three straight games, including two at home, to fall into third place in the Western Conference. The Grizzlies opened 12-1 on their home floor prior to the two losses, the last one coming against Utah as eight-point favorites on Monday. The Rockets meanwhile snapped a two-game losing streak with a home win over Portland on Monday. We were on Houston in that game which was a big revenge play after last season's playoff outing by the Blazers and while the time off between Monday and now will prevent a letdown, the Rockets head to San Antonio for their next game. The Rockets are just 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games following a cover and in Memphis, they have cashed only once in their last eight trips. The Grizzlies are 44-20-1 ATS in their last 65 home games against teams with a winning road record and fall into a great situation where we play on home teams where the line is +3 to -3 that are coming off a loss as a favorite, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .750. This situation is 56-22 ATS (71.8 percent) since 1996. 10* (810) Memphis Grizzlies

While this game looks like another shootout possibility, the under is the play here as we are getting an extremely favorable number. Golden St. got its revenge from last season's playoff loss by winning 121-104 last month and while that game went over, the closing total was 211 which is seven points less than what we have here, The Warriors have gone over in each of their last three games but this number is higher than any of those while the Clippers have gone over in two straight games and again, the number is higher here. All of this presents great contrarian value and it needs to be noted that this is the highest total either team has seen all season. We play the under where the total is greater than or equal to 210 involving teams after scoring 100 points or more two straight games going up against an opponent after a combined score of 215 points or more two straight games. This situation is 69-35 (66.3 percent) over the last five seasons. Additionally, Golden St. is 19-7 to the under after allowing 110 points or more while going 19-9 to the under after scoring 100 points or more three straight games while the under is 5-1 in the Clippers last six home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* Under (509) Golden St. Warriors/(510) Los Angeles Clippers

Charlotte could not be in a tougher situation tonight as it has not only won three straight games, all against losing teams, but this is the second of a back-to-back and the fourth game in five nights for the Hornets. Despite the recent surge, Charlotte is still 10 games under .500 and hits the road with a 2-10 record on the highway, one of those wins coming against the lowly Sixers. Milwaukee is coming off a great roadtrip for bettors as it covered all four games while splitting those games straight up to remain at .500 on the season. It has been a tough schedule for the Bucks which have played 17 road games compared to just 11 home games but they have taken care of the poor teams, going 4-0 ATS at home against losing teams. Additionally, the Bucks are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game and have a fantastic situation on their side as we play against underdogs with a winning percentage between .250 and .400 after beating the spread by more than 24 points in their previous game. This situation is 26-4 ATS (86.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (718) Milwaukee Bucks

After winning seven of its previous eight games, Houston has dropped two straight, both coming at home. The Rockets will be out to stop that skid as well as trying to get revenge against the Blazers. This is the first meeting since Houston lost to Portland in six games in the Western Conference quarterfinals with the ending coming on a Damian Lillard three-pointer as time expired as that is one they certainly not have forgotten about. While the Rockets have been losing, the Blazers have won five straight games including two straight on the highway during this four-game roadtrip that concludes in Oklahoma City tomorrow night. They are coming off a 26-point win last time out and they have tallied 129 and 114 points in their last two games but now they will be facing one of the top defenses in the NBA as the Rockets are allowing just 96.3 ppg on 43.1 percent shooting and Portland is 5-15 ATS in its last 20 games after scoring 110 points or more two straight games. Additionally, the Blazers are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600 while the Rockets are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (504) Houston Rockets

The new look Celtics head to Miami in their second game since trading Rajon Rondo to Dallas. They won their first game without him which was not a big surprise as players tend to rise up when playing without one of their stars but it is usually the second game that they come back down to a normal level. Boston has won three straight games which is tied for a season high but facing Minnesota and Orlando at home and Philadelphia on the road will allow most teams to win three straight. The Heat are struggling with two straight losses, both at home which has extended their home losing skid to five games. They are the only team in the Eastern Conference that has a losing record at home and a winning record on the road and because of the skid, we are getting a very solid line. Miami falls into a fantastic situation as we play against teams that are coming off a home win scoring 110 or more points, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .400 and .499. This situation is 65-32 ATS (67 percent) since 1996. The Celtics are 2-11 ATS in their last 13 road games following a double-digit win. 10* (708) Miami Heat

Orlando is back home and will be playing its first homestand since early November as the schedule for the last five weeks has been brutal. This is the first of four straight games for the Magic which have played nine of their last 11 games on the road and on the season, just nine of 28 games have been at home. That has certainly been a big cause to them being eight games under .500 but it provides an opportunity to buy them low thanks to them playing the toughest schedule in the Eastern Conference. Orlando is 3-14 against the NBA's top 16 but 7-4 against the bottom 14. Utah is coming off a win at Miami on Wednesday, a rare victory of late and a rare victory on the road. It was just the third road win of the season for the Jazz and only the seventh overall, none of which have been won in succession. They are 0-6 straight up and 1-5 ATS following a victory with four of those losses coming by double-digits. The Magic are 11-3 ATS in their last 14 home games against teams with a losing road record while Utah is 1-10 ATS in its last 11 road games coming off a road win. 10* (802) Orlando Magic

This line came out late due to injury scenarios but they are all pretty clear. Jabari Parker went down with a season-ending torn left ACL on Monday and the Bucks suffered another loss when starting guard Giannis Antetokounmpo sprained his left ankle last night and did not return. He likely will not be around tonight. For Sacramento, Rudy Gay has an Achilles injury but should be in the lineup and most importantly, the Kings will see the return of DeMarcus Cousins who has missed 10 straight games because of viral meningitis. Milwaukee is coming off a hard fought battle in Portland last night as the Bucks were in the game throughout until a late Blazers run sealed the game. The Bucks have covered three straight games so we are getting some value based on that along with the fact Sacramento has lost four straight games while failing to cover its last three games. The Kings are 2-8 in the 10 games without Cousins so his return will be a big one as they went from three games over .500 to three games under .500. His minutes will be limited but any Cousins is better than no Cousins. The Kings are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games following a loss of more than 10 points. 10* (506) Sacramento Kings

These teams just met on Saturday with Houston prevailing at home 108-96, staying under the total by just a bucket. With the change in venue, I expect this one to fly over tonight. That was the third under in the last four games for the Rockets with the lone over coming on the road at Sacramento and the location of the game makes a difference for this team. Houston averages 188.7 ppg in its home games but that climbs to 201.6 ppg in road games and while that is still lower than this total, the difference of 12.9 ppg is huge and even more so when taking into account the opponent. Denver averages about the same both home and away as it is right at 207 ppg. The Nuggets have gone under the total in three straight games as well as three straight at home but a lot of that has to do with the pace of the game. As far as possessions per game, Denver has 100.3 and Houston has 99, good for sixth and eight most in the league respectively. Both teams fall into a solid contrarian over situation as we play the over involving teams shooting between 41.5 and 43.5 percent and that are between +/-3 rpg in margin. This situation is 72-34 (67.9 percent) to the over the last five seasons. 10* Over (717) Houston Rockets/(718) Denver Nuggets

We are getting a good number here based on recent games and this should turn into a high scoring affair. Minnesota has gone under the total in four straight games but all of those were at home where the offense was unable to generate much and the defense actually played rather well. The road defense is a different story as the Timberwolves are allowing a whopping 115.6 ppg including an incredible 124.3 ppg over their last six games. This is exactly what the Washington offense needs as it has been hit or miss and is coming off a 93-point effort against Utah last time out. Going back to early November, the Wizards have scored fewer than 100 points seven previous times and have followed that up with 100 or more points six times. Washington is averaging 112.6 ppg over its last five home games and its 48.2 percent overall shooting percentage at home is seventh best in the NBA. The Wizards are one of the better defensive teams in the NBA but the Timberwolves will push the ball as they are averaging 85.2 shots per game which is eighth most in the NBA and that number drops just slightly on the road. Minnesota is 14-3 to the over in its last 17 road games after two or more consecutive unders and 15-2 to the over in its last 17 road games against teams shooting 46 percent on the season or better. Washington is 14-6 to the over in its last 20 games against teams with a winning percentage below .400. 10* Over (501) Minnesota Timberwolves/(502) Washington Wizards

This is a big game for Phoenix as it has dropped five straight games and needs a win before it hits the road for seven of its next eight games. The Suns have played a tough schedule of late with the exception being a loss against Detroit in their last home game where they have now dropped two in a row. They are coming off a 24-point loss last night in Oklahoma City against the 100% healthy Thunder and while they have struggled in the second of back-to-back games, they all but one of the first six instances have come on the road. Milwaukee meanwhile is coming off an upset win at home against the Clippers which snapped a two-game slide. The Bucks are now back to .500 but are still just 5-8 on the road and on the season, they are just 2-8 against teams ranked within the top 16 of the league and that is where Phoenix resides. The Suns are 10-3-1 ATS in their last 14 games following a loss of more than 10 points while the Bucks are 4-14 ATS in their last 18 games coming off an upset win as an underdog. Suns guard Goran Dragic did not play in Sunday game at Oklahoma City and he was held out in hopes of being able to return tonight which would be an added benefit. Phoenix stops the bleeding tonight. 10* (712) Phoenix Suns

There isn't much separating Minnesota and Los Angeles yet the Lakers come in as road favorites which should not be the case. The Lakers have won two straight games including a big overtime win over San Antonio last time out on Friday which makes it just seven wins on the season and they have yet to win three in a row, losing two games by 34 and 16 points following the other two times this season they had consecutive wins. Minnesota meanwhile lost its last game and it is 1-2 on its current homestand but playing the Warriors, Blazers and Thunder is no easy feat. Going back further, the schedule has been incredibly challenging as this is just the Timberwolves second game this season against a team with a losing record. Minnesota is 14-2 ATS in its last 16 games coming off a double-digit home loss and it falls into a great situation where we play against teams where the line is +3 to -3 that are allowing 103 or more ppg on the season, after a win by three points or less. This situation is 40-13 ATS (75.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (808) Minnesota Timberwolves

You can't fault Detroit if it is still celebrating following last night's 105-103 victory over Phoenix which was just its second road win of the season and it happened to snap a 13-game losing streak in the process. Winning has been difficult for the Pistons obviously and the close call last night will make it especially tough tonight as Detroit is 0-10 ATS in its last 10 games following a win by three points or less. The Kings were on the verge of a breakout season but they have stumbled over the last few weeks and are currently riding a two-game losing streak following an overtime loss against Houston on Thursday. The absence of DeMarcus Cousins has been big as he has missed the last eight games but Sacramento is in a good position without him tonight. The schedule has been a difficult one for the Kings as they have played the second toughest schedule in the NBA and they have gone 3-8 against the NBA's top ten and 8-4 against everyone else. Additionally, they are 7-3 ATS this season against teams with a losing record while going back, the Pistons are 4-13 ATS in their last 17 games against teams with a losing record. 10* (516) Sacramento Kings

This is one of those games where we have the Western Conference favored over the Eastern Conference but not so sure that should be the case. The Clippers are on a roll with nine straight wins including five straight on the road to improve to 8-2 on the highway but looking at those victories raises some questions. The best team Los Angeles has defeated on the road is Houston which was without Dwight Howard and that is the line victory away from home against a team with a winning record. Washington is tied with Atlanta at 15-6 for the lead in the Southeast Division as it has won two straight games coming into Friday but is riding a three-game losing streak against the number which is helping us here. The Wizards are 10-2 at home and they are 4-1 ATS in their last five home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600 while the Clippers are 1-4 ATS in their last five games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. Additionally, we play against road favorites with a winning percentage of .750 or better after having covered four of their last five against the spread, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 63-27 ATS (70 percent) since 1996. 10* (804) Washington Wizards

Because of early season injuries, the Thunder got off to a poor start and have a lot of ground to make up in the Western Conference. They are 8-13 which is good for 12th place and while making the playoffs will likely happen, every game counts. Oklahoma City is 4-1 since the return of Russell Westbrook and 3-1 since the return of Kevin Durant and now they are after their first signature wins since their returns. Cleveland has responded to its poor start by winning its last eight games to take over first place in the Central Division. The Cavaliers finally seem to be coming together as a team and the chemistry is improving. While two wins over Toronto during the winning streak are nice, there are no other big wins and the Cavaliers are just 2-4 against the Western Conference as compared to 11-3 against the Eastern Conference. Oklahoma City is 22-7 ATS in its last 29 games after failing to cover the spread in three out of its last four games and despite the early injury bug, the Thunder are 4-0 ATS at home this season against winning teams. 10* (702) Oklahoma City Thunder

This is the first meeting this season between two of the top teams in the Western Conference and while everything points to the over, the value is clearly the other way. Dallas has gone over the total in five straight games and seven of its last eight while Memphis has gone over in two of its last three with the last missing by just a bucket. This is a rarity however for the Grizzlies to see a total this high and the only time they had one above 200, it stayed under rather easily. Obviously this number is lower than what Dallas has seen a lot of the time but it is still very high against a slower team. Both teams have excellent situations on their side as we play the under involving road teams where the total is greater than or equal to 200 after five or more consecutive overs and averaging 102 or more ppg going up against teams allowing between 92 and 98 ppg. This situation is 30-8 (78.9 percent) to the under since 1996. Second, we play the under involving home teams where the total is greater than or equal to 200 that are outscoring their opponents by six or more ppg going up against an opponent after allowing 100 points or more four straight games. This situation is 79-42 (65.3 percent) to the under since 1996. 10* Under (705) Dallas Mavericks/(706) Memphis Grizzlies

We lost with Denver yesterday as the Hawks won their sixth straight game while covering their third game in a row. Atlanta moved to 9-2 at home and it hits the road where it is 4-4 on the season which isn't horrible but we are now getting value in going against them. The Hawks are tied with Washington in the NBA Southeast Division but they are in a tougher than expected spot tonight. The Pacers are favored in this one which is a surprise to some as they are riding a four-game losing streak but all of those losses came on the road and they have been a good bounceback team when it comes to covering as they are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games following a loss. The Pacers will also be out for some revenge as they lost the first meeting against Atlanta by 10 points which was their first road game of the season. Indiana is 8-0 ATS this season following a non-conference game and while Atlanta is 9-1 in the role of favorite, it is just 2-5 straight up as an underdog and I expect the winning streak to come to an end along with the losing streak that the Pacers currently possess. 10* (504) Indiana Pacers

Atlanta is playing its best basketball of the season as it has won five straight games including the last two on the road against the Heat and Nets. Because of the recent run, I feel this line is inflated and we can base that on the fact they were favored by just a point more in their last home game against the Celtics. Denver is better than the Celtics by more than a point and we can base that simply on the conference affiliations. The Nuggets have dropped two straight games including a blowout in Washington on Friday by 30 points. It was easily their worst loss of the season but they are still 7-3 over their last 10 games and they are 4-0 ATS in their last four games following an ATS loss while going 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games against the Eastern Conference. Conversely, the Hawks are 3-13 ATS in their last 16 games against the Western Conference while going 8-20 ATS in their last 28 home games following two or more consecutive wins. The Nuggets also fall into a great league angle as we play on road teams averaging 103 or more ppg, after trailing in their previous game by 15 or more points at the half. This situation is 81-35 ATS (69.8 percent) since 1996. 10* (803) Denver Nuggets

Golden St. has won 11 straight games and is off to a franchise best 16-2 while that record is tops in the NBA. The Warriors have benefitted from a relatively easy schedule however as they have played the 23rd ranked slate in the league but because of the winning run they are on, they are hitting a place they have not been before. They have won all eight games as a road favorite this season but seven of those were against losing teams while the other came against a Houston team that was not at full strength. Chicago meanwhile is back to full strength or at least close to it with Taj Gibson being the lone player that has not been playing on a consistent basis. The Bulls rolled at Charlotte on Wednesday which means they have had ample time to rest and get ready for this one. They have yet to be a home underdog this season which is not a surprise but their 2-4 home record is a surprise compared to their 10-3 record on the road. Chicago has lost its last two games at home but those came in a span of three weeks as they have not been able to get into a rhythm at home due to having to vacate the United Center because of the circus. This is the start of their first three-game homestand of the season and we will see a great effort because of it. 10* (506) Chicago Bulls

Miami and Milwaukee have been involved in some high scoring games of late and the defense can be to blame but I think we see better efforts from both teams on that side of the ball Friday night. Milwaukee has gone over the total in four straight games namely because of the defense that has allowed 107, 111 and 117 points over their last three games. It was a pace issue for the most part as Milwaukee, which allows an average of just 82 attempts per game, allowed 87 and 92 in two of those games. Don't expect that tonight as Miami is the slowest paced team in the NBA as it shoots a league low 73.2 shots per games and allows a league low 76.8 attempts per game. The Heat have gone over in two straight, catching two very hot shooting teams while allowing just 72 and 74 shots. All of this leads to a great situation as well as we play the under involving one team after two or more consecutive overs going up against an opponent after four or more consecutive overs. This situation is 107-57 (65.2 percent) to the under the last five seasons. Additionally, the under is 9-1 in the Heats last 10 games after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game while the under is 6-2-1 in the Bucks last nine home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* Under (819) Miami Heat/(820) Milwaukee Bucks

The Cavaliers seemed to have finally turned the corner as they have won four straight to go from two games under .500 to two games over .500. all four of those wins came at home however and this is the first road game for Cleveland since November 21st. They are 3-3 on the road this season and their six road games are tied for the fewest in the NBA so the schedule has been in their favor which comes as no surprise. The Knicks are trending the other way as they have dropped five straight games and seven of their last eight to fall to 4-15 on the season. While it has been a rough first quarter of the season for New York, this is a spot that we can base on play on them as the national television spotlight tends to pick up the play of even the worst teams in the league. This is a revenge game for Cleveland as it lost its season opener to the Knicks but this line seems to be taking that into consideration as this is by far the biggest spread the Knicks have gotten at home and this is the most Cleveland has been favored by on the road so we are presents with some great value. The Cavaliers are 1-4 ATS in their last five road games while the Knicks are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games against teams with a winning record. 10* (502) New York Knicks

This line came out late due to the uncertainty of Rockets center Dwight Howard who was listed as doubtful so there is no reason the line could not have been posted during all openers. We played on the Rockets in their last game in Milwaukee and that winner came right after a home loss against the Clippers so they will be out to rectify that home defeat. In addition, Houston will be motivated to take out one of the best teams in the NBA to move within a game of the division lead and also to get some payback following a 26-point loss in Memphis last month. That game was even worse than the final indicated as the Rockets trailed by as many as 36 points. The Grizzlies have won five straight games and their only two losses on the season have come by a total of five points so they are clearly playing at a high level. This is their fourth straight road game and they have a home date with San Antonio on deck for Friday so there could definitely be a lack of focus for this win ending their roadtrip. Here, we play against road favorites with a winning percentage of .750 or better after having covered four of their last five against the spread, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 62-27 ATS (69.7 percent) since 1996. 10* (714) Houston Rockets

We lost with the Pistons last night as they put up a dud at home against the Lakers but we will go with them again tonight in a very favorable spot. Getting out of Detroit could be the best thing for this team right now as it has lost seven straight games at home including all four during the recent homestand. The Pistons obviously have not been much better on the road but facing a Boston team that is 2-7 at home and favored by this many points is the right take. The Celtics head home playing nearly as bad as the Pistons but they are not in a good place tonight after losing in Atlanta last night. Boston blew a 23-point lead to the Hawks and coming back from that is a challenge especially for a young team like this. The Celtics have dropped five straight games while going 1-8 over their last nine games with the lone victory coming against the winless Sixers. Additionally, they have lost six straight home games and fall into a negative contrarian situation where we play against favorites off a cover where the team lost the game straight up as an underdog going up against an opponent off an upset loss by 10 points or more as a favorite. This situation is 32-8 ATS (80 percent) since 1996. 10* (705) Detroit Pistons

The Lakers ended their homestand with a win over Toronto in overtime, snapping their four-game losing streak and handing the Raptors just their fourth loss of the season. It has obviously been a tough year for Los Angeles thus far but to its credit, it has played the second toughest schedule in the league as 15 of 17 gamers have come against the top half and this is their first road game against a team below .500 so it could be questioned how they will perform but I expect a letdown. The Pistons have been just as bad and are mired in an eight-game losing streak but the opposition has been pretty difficult and tonight presents a great opportunity to snap the skid. Detroit is one of just four teams in the NBA that is winless against the top 16 of the league but it has fared better against the lower portion of the power rankings and that is certainly where the Lakers fall. Here, we play against road teams where the line is +3 to -3 after two or more consecutive overs, an excellent offensive team averaging 102 or more ppg going up against a poor defensive team, allowing between 98 and 102 ppg. This situation is 32-10 ATS (76.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (506) Detroit Pistons

The Knicks are on a four-game losing streak as the early season has been a disaster as the offense has had a tough time scoring points. New York is near the bottom of the league in scoring at 93.4 ppg but the shooting itself has not been that bad as the Knicks are middle of the pack in shooting percentage and are near the top in three-point shooting. They are coming off games of scoring 78 and 79 points which are their two lowest outputs of the season but I expect New York's offense to come to life tonight. Brooklyn has gone under the total in four straight games and seven of its last eight but looking at the closing numbers shows that we are getting great value here with a total that is lower than it normally would be. These teams played last month and the total was three points higher and that one went over. The Nets have a similar offense as the Knicks and their defense has not been up to par this season as they are allowing over 100 ppg on season and over 101 ppg on the road. The over is 4-0 in the Nets last four games following a double-digit loss at home while the over is 20-7-1 in the Knicks last 28 games when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game. 10* Over (507) Brooklyn Nets/(508) New York Knicks

The Nuggets head to Utah to try and get over the .500 mark and this is the third time this season they have been road favorites. The first time resulted in a loss at Oklahoma City and the second time resulted in a win over the Lakers but it took overtime to get it done. Denver is in a very difficult spot tonight as it is coming off a revenge win over Phoenix at home and has a revenge game on deck tomorrow night at home against Portland, where it lost by 17 points in the last meeting. Utah will be looking to snap its five-game losing skid which includes losses in three straight games at home. The Jazz are 3-5 at home which is the same record as the Denver record on the road which makes this line overadjusted based on the overall results. Utah is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games following a loss while going 4-1 ATS in its last five games following a double-digit loss at home. Additionally, Utah is 22-8 ATS in its last 30 games after allowing 105 or more points including a perfect 5-0 ATS this season while Denver is just 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games when its opponent allows 100 points or more in its previous game. 10* (706) Utah Jazz

Portland is coming off a loss at home against Memphis on Friday as the defense allowed 112 points and after that defeat, I expect the defense to lock down on Sunday. It was the second straight game that the Blazers have gone over and the last time they allowed this many points, 113 against Denver, they followed it up by allowing just 87 points in their next game. Minnesota is coming off a high scoring game last time out and it has gone over in seven of its last eight games and now we are presented with some good value on the total against one of the better defense in the league. Portland is 26-12 to the under in its last 38 home games off an upset loss by 10 points or more as a favorite and it falls into a situation where we play the under involving home teams where the total is greater than or equal to 200 outscoring their opponents by six or more ppg going up against an opponent after allowing 100 points or more 4 straight games. This situation is 78-42 (65 percent) to the under since 1996. 10* Under (813) Minnesota Timberwolves/(814) Portland Trailblazers

This line came out late due to the uncertain status of Dwight Howard who has missed five straight games with a knee injury and he is questionable again tonight. The Rockets got pounded at home last night against the Clippers which was just their fourth loss of the season but I expect a rebound tonight, with or without Howard. Houston is 5-1 on the road with the five-game winning streak snapped at Memphis in its last game on the highway. The Rockets are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 games against teams with a winning record. The Bucks continue to be a pleasant surprise in the league as they are 10-7 and are just a half-game behind the Bulls in the Central Division. Milwaukee has won three straight games including a 16-point win at Detroit last night and while the run has been solid, playing the easiest schedule in the NBA has helped. The Bucks are 1-10 ATS in their last 11 home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600 and fall into a negative angle as we play against home underdogs coming off two or more consecutive road wins. This situation is 23-5 ATS (82.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (509) Houston Rockets

We played on Charlotte on Wednesday and lost as it fell to Portland but we will back the Hornets again tonight in a very similar spot. They were in that game against the Blazers throughout and had a 14-point lead at one point but the difference ended up being three-pointers as Portland scored seven more than Charlotte. The Hornets have now dropped seven straight games while going 0-5-2 ATS in those games and now they are getting an even bigger number. It is due to their streak as well as the fact that Golden St. has won seven straight games while covering five of its last six. This is the best start in franchise history and now the Warriors are paying for it. The first meeting did not go well for Charlotte as it lost at Golden St. by 25 points and being less than two weeks ago, they haven't forgotten so they will be out for payback in addition to stopping their losing skid. The Hornets are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. Also, we play against road teams allowing 41 percent shooting or better, after three straight games of allowing 42 percent or better. This situation is 74-34 ATS (68.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (704) Charlotte Hornets

This line came out late due to injuries and Minnesota is on a great spot here. Milwaukee is coming off a victory at home last night against Detroit to snap a two-game skid and get back over .500 overall on the season. It has been a busy run for the Bucks as this game tonight is their sixth game in nine nights and after Thanksgiving, they have a three-in-four situation coming up. This is already their sixth back-to-back set of the season and they have dropped three of the first five games playing with no rest. Last season, it took Milwaukee until January 22nd to notch its eighth win so clearly things are going right for the Bucks this season. The Bucks are 5-2 at home but just 3-5 on the road. Minnesota is struggling with a 1-7 run while covering just that one game as well. The Timberwolves have been plagued with injuries but younger players continue to progress, namely Andrew Wiggins who is coming off his best game as a pro. Also, the schedule hasn't helped much as they have played the seventh toughest schedule in the NBA, going 0-8 against the top 16 and 3-1 against every other team and the latter is where the Bucks fall. 10* (716) Minnesota Timberwolves

There are some different names at the top of the NBA divisions with Toronto, Memphis and Golden St. all leading and possessing double-digit wins. We can also add Portland to that list as the Blazers already have a four-game lead in the Northwest Division thanks to an eight-game winning streak but we will be going against that tonight. Portland returns home after this mini three-game roadtrip so it will be looking ahead to spending the holiday at home and then face off against Memphis on Friday. Charlotte meanwhile has been going the opposite way as it has lost six straight games while failing to cover any of those. The Hornets were off to a respectable 4-5 start prior to this but they are in a great spot tonight to bust out of the slump. They are 2-0 ATS this season as a single-digit underdog of more than six points while going 6-2-1 ATS in their last nine games following a loss of more than 10 points. Additionally, we play on home underdogs after failing to cover four of their last five games against the spread going up against an opponent having covered six or seven of their last eight games against the spread. This situation is 105-61 ATS (63.3 percent) since 1996. 10* (708) Charlotte Hornets

This game was off the board due to injuries on both sides and Golden St. opened as the expected road favorite late Tuesday morning. Golden St. is off to its best start in franchise history and it is currently riding a five-game winning streak to move to 10-2 on the season. The Warriors have been solid both at home and on the road with identical 5-1 records and they have played a decent schedule, ranking 14th hardest in the NBA. While they are hit with injuries, the depth of this team keeps it going. Miami has won two straight and will be without Dwyane Wade again for the seventh straight game and that is significant in this matchup. The Heat have been getting it done with defense but when you look at those solid defensive efforts, they have come against some very poor offenses and not one with the firepower of Golden St. The Warriors have one of the best early season angles on its side as we play against home underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points that are coming off a home win by three points or less, in November games. This situation is 24-1 ATS (96 percent) since 1996. 10* (503) Golden St. Warriors

Portland has won seven straight games and while the offense was good and the defense was bad during the first three games of the streak, it has been a complete flip-flop over the last four games which has seen the under come in all four times. That is giving us some value tonight in a lower that average total. This is the third time Portland has played with no rest and the first two times, the games soared over the total with scores of 226 and 243. Additionally, Portland is 11-2 to the over in its last 13 road games after four or more consecutive wins. The winless Sixers will have their hands full here no doubt but catching the Blazers with no rest is a big edge for the offense that has been horrendous and they should be able to break through. Philadelphia averages over 14 more ppg at home than it does n the road and going back, the Sixers are 24-10 to the over in their last 34 home games coming off a road loss. 10* Over (703) Portland Trailblazers/(704) Philadelphia 76ers

The Wizards are coming off a big winner last night against Cleveland as they got away with scoring just 11 points in the final quarter as their lead was big enough and the Cavaliers could not get anything going on offense. They now head out on the road where they are just 3-2 with all three of those wins coming against teams with a losing record and the two losses coming against teams with a .500 or better record. While it may seem shocking, the Bucks fall into that latter category as it is off to a 7-6 start which is pretty impressive considering the Bucks did not win their seventh game last season until December 31st, a span of 31 games. What isn't impressive was the loss last night as they were blown out by Toronto by 41 points but that was on the road and Milwaukee is 4-1 at home with the lone loss coming against Chicago. The Bucks will also be out for some revenge after opening the month with an 11-point loss in Washington in a game they never led. This season, the Bucks are a perfect 5-0 ATS coming off a loss and going back to last season, they are 14-3-1 ATS in their last 18 games following an ATS loss. Washington meanwhile is 0-5 ATS in its last five games following a win. 10* (716) Milwaukee Bucks

Cleveland is off to a very pedestrian 5-6 start which isn't a total surprise considering the overhauled roster but I expect good things tonight. The talent of the team is too strong and because of the rough start, we are starting to see some value which was not the case early in the season. The Cavaliers are coming off a loss in Washington last night by 13 points, their third straight loss, as they shot just 36 percent from the floor and the 78 points was a season low. The fans must be getting restless as Cleveland has won only two of its five home games and now it faces the best team in the Eastern Conference. Toronto is off to a 10-2 start and has won three straight games including a 41-point beatdown of Milwaukee last night. Now the Raptors hit the road, which is hard in itself in this league, but this road game is the first since November 5th as Toronto has played seven straight home games and its nine home games overall are tied for the most in the NBA. Because of this, it comes as no surprise that the Raptors have played the easiest schedule in the NBA and they have gone 8-0 against the bottom half of the league while going just 2-2 against the top half. 10* (706) Cleveland Cavaliers

This is an ugly play for sure but the fact of the matter is that this line is extremely overadjusted. The Sixers are off to an 0-11 start to the season and the schedule has done it no favors as they have played the fourth toughest schedule in the league with over half of their games coming against the top ten teams in the NBA. While that isn't an excuse for continually losing, that fact that the losses mount up gives us advantage to take a horrible team when the situation is right, similar to the Raiders last night. Phoenix is playing its fourth road game of this six-game roadtrip and following two wins in Boston and Detroit, the urgency won't be very much tonight. Last season, the Suns came in here and won by 11 points as a five-point favorite and now they are favored by double that and not because they have gotten that much better but because the Sixers winless streak is at the forefront and the public continues to go against it. And that is the case again tonight. You will be hard-pressed to find a team that will be trying harder to win than Philadelphia because of everything that is circulating in the media attached to this losing skid. The Sixers are 6-0 ATS in their last six games following a double-digit loss at home while the Suns are 0-3-1 ATS in their last four games against teams with a losing record. Additionally, we play on teams after two straight losses by 10 points or more going up against an opponent after a game where both teams scored 90 points or less. This situation is 46-17 ATS (73 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (502) Philadelphia 76ers *ENFORCER*

Dallas has won and covered four straight games to improve to 8-3 overall. The Mavericks are 3-2 on the road including wins in the last two games against Charlotte and Utah, both of which they were favored in by four and three points respectively. While Dallas is favored by less tonight than it was on those two games, the question is should it be favored at all? We get the West vs. East matchup and that the Mavericks are from a superior conference but the Wizards are one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference and were expected to be. Washington has won three straight games and four of five but it is just 1-4 ATS in those games as it has failed to cover each of those as a favorite but did cover in the lone game as an underdog. Dallas has won eight straight games in this series and the Wizards will be out to end that streak and prove the start is no fluke. While this will be the biggest home test for Washington, it has yet to lose at home and is well rested after having played just two games over the last eight days including no travel. Dallas head coach Rick Carlisle is 7-19 ATS off a road win by 20 points or more and Washington falls into a solid contrarian situation as we play on home underdogs after failing to cover two of their last three games against the spread, playing their third or less game in 10 days. This situation is 68-34 ATS (66.7 percent) since 1996. 10* (502) Washington Wizards *ENFORCER*

We are not a big proponent of laying points on the road in this league but sometimes the situation calls for it and tonight is one of those spots. The Clippers came into the season expected to be contenders in the Western Conference and while there is still a lot of regular season left, they have not gotten off to the start they hoped. They are eighth in the conference following a home loss against Chicago by 16 points which concluded a four-game homestand and a stretch of the first nine games being played in California. For a team not playing up to its standards, getting out of town could be the best remedy. Orlando meanwhile is exceeding expectations as it is 5-7 with three wins over its last four games. The Magic have been kind to backers as they have covered seven straight games including both games played at home. They were favorites in one of those however and the other one took overtime to win. That was against Minnesota where they were getting four points which is basically the same number tonight and that does not line up right. The Clippers are 15-4 ATS in their last 19 games coming off a favorite loss and 11-2 ATS in their last 13 road games following a loss. Also, we play on road teams averaging between 98 and 102 ppg against teams allowing between 98 and 102 ppg, after allowing 100 points or more two straight games. This situation is 73-34 ATS (68.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (505) Los Angeles Clippers *SUPREME ANNIHILATOR*

The Knicks snapped their seven-game losing streak with a victory over Denver on Sunday. The offense finally showed signs of life as they scored 109 points on 53.9 percent shooting, both of which were season highs and the thinking here is that they can continue to progress that offense over the next few games as the schedule will allow it to do so because of the lack of strength to it. Even though New York had its best offensive performance of the season, the game against Denver still stayed under the number because the defense allowed just 93 points but that is something we should not get used to. While the Knicks stayed under the total last time out, Milwaukee has stayed under the total over its last seven games and the numbers have been coming down to coincide with that. The Bucks are allowing the third fewest amount of points in the NBA but we need to put an asterisk by that. Milwaukee has allowed 81 points or fewer three times this season but those games were misleading as they came against Philadelphia, Oklahoma City and Indiana, three teams completely disjointed because of injuries and/or youth. The offense has struggled scoring points which has helped the under streak and it is simply a case of some poor shooting. Both New York and Milwaukee are in the middle of the pack in shots so the low scoring games would come from poor shooting and not pace. Opposite will collide on each side and I think that the offenses will be able to find success against both opposing defenses. 10* Over (703) New York Knicks/(704) Milwaukee Bucks

We played against Denver on Sunday as it went into New York following a 21-point victory against the Pacers on Friday. Since opening the season with a win over Detroit, the Nuggets have lost seven of their last eight games and we pointed to a possible lookahead to this game which came to fruition. Denver was outscored 31-8 in the second quarter and shot just 39 percent for the game while allowing the Knicks to shoot 53.9 percent. While facing a potent Cleveland offense may not seem ideal, the Nuggets should put forth a solid effort tonight as it will be out for some revenge following a nine-point loss at home against the Cavaliers earlier this month. Cleveland had some chemistry issues to open the season, starting off 1-3 but it has run off four straight victories while covering three of those. This includes a 33-point blowout over Atlanta on Saturday so there is always letdown factor from that. Additionally, the Cavaliers host the Spurs on Wednesday and we all know who wants some revenge going back to last season. Denver is 21-8 ATS in its last 29 road games after trailing in their previous game by 20 or more points at the half and it falls into a great contrarian spot here as we play on road underdogs of 10 or more points after a loss by 15 points or more going up against an opponent after a combined score of 215 points or more two straight games. This situation is 27-6 ATS (81.8 percent) since 1996. 10* (501) Denver Nuggets *Monday Enforcer*

After getting pummeled at home against Portland which extended their losing streak to six games, the won at Indiana on Friday by 21 points so they are in prime letdown mode here. Denver is just 1-3 on the road and in addition, it has a game at Cleveland tomorrow which presents the lookahead factor for today as well. Denver was getting 2.5 points at Indiana and it is actually getting less against New York which despite the slow start and poor record, is not a worse off team than the Pacers. The Knicks have dropped seven straight games following a 2-1 start and there has been bad play coupled with bad fortunes and the latter has been the case recently. Their last three losses have come by a total of 10 points with the last two defeats both coming by a bucket. This is the final game of a four-game homestand and the offense has a chance to get going. Despite the fact they have tallied 100 points only once all season, the Knicks will be facing a Denver defense that allows 108.1 ppg which is fourth highest in the NBA and they have allowed 130 or more points on two different occasions. The Knicks skid comes to an end this afternoon. 10* (702) New York Knicks

Just over two weeks into the season, the Clippers are the only team in the NBA to not have covered a game as they drop to 0-7 against the number following an outright loss to San Antonio last Monday. Obviously it has been a long time off for Los Angeles and that is a good thing for this team that sits just 4-3 on the season. The Clippers had a similar start a season as they opened 3-3 before running off a four-game winning streak. The difference last season was that the Clippers were actually covering game but all that does now is add value to the number tonight. Phoenix is off a loss as well as it went down to Charlotte last night at home which was the culmination of a five-game homestand which spanned 10 days resulting in a 2-3 stretch. The Suns have played seven home games total while traveling for only two games where they have split, defeating the Lakers and losing to the Jazz by 27 points. This is the third back-to-back set for Phoenix this season and it dropped the first two second games by double-digits. The Clippers are 14-4 ATS in their last 18 games following a loss as a favorite and they fall into a solid contrarian situation where we play on teams with a winning percentage between .501 and .600 after failing to cover the spread in five or more consecutive games, playing a winning team. This situation is 71-38 ATS (65.1 percent) since 1996. 10* (520) Los Angeles Clippers

We lost with the Knicks two nights ago but we are coming back with them again Friday as they are in good position with a good number. The Knicks have lost six straight games while failing to cover their last four including the last two coming at home. New York has still yet to reach 100 points in a game this season while averaging a league-low 91.6 ppg but Utah could be the perfect opponent to change that. The Jazz have allowed 102.2 ppg on 46.7 percent shooting, ninth and seventh highest in the NBA respectively. The problem for Utah is not only defense though as it is averaging just 97.6 ppg and its last game showed the struggles with a nine-point fourth quarter as an eight-point lead with five minutes remaining turned into a loss. New York should welcome the Jazz as should Carmelo Anthony who averaged 31.5 ppg on 55.3 percent shooting in two wins last season. Utah is 5-15 ATS in its last 20 games following two straight road game while going 2-6-2 ATS in its last 10 games against teams with a losing record. The skid ends tonight. 10* (708) New York Knicks

Here we have a battle of two first place teams in their respective divisions and I am expecting a defensive battle despite recent results. The Bulls are known for their strong defense which has been hit or miss this season but they are still in the top half of the league in points allowed and are fifth in shooting percentage allowed. Chicago has gone over the total in three straight games so as of Thursday morning, they are seeing their highest over/under of the young season. The Bulls will be facing a Toronto offense that leads the NBA in scoring but one look at the opposition will tell you why that is the case as the Raptors have played the 25th ranked schedule in the league. Granted, that has also helped their defensive numbers but the Bulls are no offensive juggernaut and as far as pace goes, their 79.5 shot attempts per game are the seventh fewest in the NBA. There is not a lot different from last year to this year with these teams yet in four meetings last season, the highest closing total was 187.5 and the points scored in the four meetings was 176, 176, 164 and 186 so we are getting a great number to work with tonight. Chicago is 8-0 to the under in its last eight games after scoring 60 points or more in the first half last game while Toronto is 5-1 to the under in its last six games after allowing 100 points or more in its previous game. 10* Under (501) Chicago Bulls/(502) Toronto Raptors

After opening the season with a victory at home over Detroit, Denver has lost its last five games and has failed to cover any of those games along the way. The Nuggets came into the season with mediocre projections and so far, they have achieved just that but this team is better than the record shows and this is a good spot for a victory. Denver is playing with some quick revenge as its last game came in Portland on Sunday which resulted in a 16-point loss. Portland meanwhile has played since then as it was at home last night hosting the Hornets and it was lucky to come away with a victory. The Blazers fell behind by as much as 23 points and trailed by 10 points heading into the fourth quarter but rallied late and needed a replay reverse to guarantee the victory as opposed to the contest going in overtime. That is the type of game that is difficult to bounce back from as it took a ton of energy for Portland to come back and now playing the next night on the road makes it more difficult. The Blazers are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game while the Nuggets are 14-6 ATS in their last 20 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. 10* (714) Denver Nuggets

Detroit is one of two teams in the NBA to still not have a cover, the Clippers being the other, so the longer this streak goes on, the better the spread gets in backing the Pistons and the better the percentages get of them actually getting a win against the number. Detroit will be also be looking for its first road win of the season and the betting public says it won't happen as the Pistons are the biggest go against road consensus of the night. Washington is 5-2 on the season which is not a big surprise as the Wizards came in with some high expectations after making the playoffs a season ago. They have played a fairly easy schedule thus far as they have faced Orlando, Milwaukee and New York once and Indiana twice but their strength of schedule is high only because of games against the Heat and Raptors. While this is a good team, I'm not sold on the fact they should be favored this much as going back, the Wizards are 1-4 ATS in their last five home games. Meanwhile, the Pistons are 12-2 ATS in their last 14 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600 so they have played up to the level of competition when needed. 10* (701) Detroit Pistons

The results have been mixed for the Mavericks as their four wins have come against three teams that will struggle to make the playoffs while the three teams they have lost to will be in the postseason. The jury is still out on tonight's opponent but after losing at home to Miami on Sunday, I expect Dallas to come back strong tonight. Dallas followed up its first two losses this season with big wins by 18 and 23 points over Utah and losing consecutive games has been a rarity as the Mavericks have won 17 of their last 20 regular season games following a defeat and they are 45-14 ATS in their last 59 games following a loss. The Kings have been one of the big surprises in the NBA and because Sacramento is off to a 5-2 start on the season, the Mavericks will not be taking the Kings lightly and with Philadelphia, Minnesota and Charlotte on deck, there is no chance for looking toward the future. The Kings suffered their second loss of the season as they lost at Oklahoma City and that can be chalked up as a bad loss with all of the issues the Thunder are going through. So which Kings team is the real Kings team? I think it is a mix of both as they are better but they are not as good as the record shows. Dallas has owned this series with 20 straight home victories but this is the lowest number it has had to lay at home in two years. 10* (508) Dallas Mavericks

This is the second game of a home-and-home between the Hawks and Knicks and New York will be out to avenge the loss in Atlanta on Saturday. That defeat made it four straight losses for the Knicks following a 1-2 start but the last three have come on the road so a return home should have them ready to break the skid. Additionally, they are on a 1-4 ATS skid and have yet to cover at home this season, going 0-3 so while getting points here isn't surprising, it is about who they are getting points from. Atlanta is 0-3 on the road this season following a dismal 16-29 record on the road a season ago. The Hawks have played well in the last two road games but have been unable to come away with a victory and going back, they are 5-15 ATS in their last 20 games after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game. New York is 14-3 ATS in its last 17 games after playing three consecutive road games and they fall into a great situation where we play against road teams where the line is +3 to -3 after two or more consecutive overs, that are averaging 102 or more ppg going up against teams allowing between 98 and 102 ppg. This situation is 31-9 ATS (77.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (706) New York Knicks