Sports Picks & Predictions

We played against Washington in its last game as it lost on the road at Miami. It was catching the Heat on a three-game losing streak and that was one of the toughest situations it could be in. The Wizards are now back home looking to gain ground on Chicago as they trail the Bulls by just a game and a half for that coveted fourth spot in the Eastern Conference which comes with home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Admittedly, Washington has not been a great home team as it is just 16-15 on the season but since beating Miami back on January 15th, it has gone 9-6 over its last 15 home games with two of those losses coming against two Western Conference playoff teams. This is a good number for the Wizards and they have prospered all season with a 7-3 ATS record when favored by less than five points. Charlotte trails Washington by just three and a half games so this is a big game for the Bobcats as well but they are still in very good position for a playoff spot as they are ahead of ninth place Detroit by five games. They have been outstanding at home with seven straight wins but the road has not been as kind as they are 1-5 over their last six games on the highway. On top of that, the Bobcats are 0-5 ATS in their last five road games against teams with a winning home record. Here, we play against underdogs that are revenging a home loss of 10 points or more going up against an opponent coming off a road loss. This situation is 92-51 ATS (64.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (610) Washington Wizards

After snapping its three-game losing streak with three wins at home, the Thunder have now reverted back and have dropped their last two games including an embarrassing loss against the Lakers on the road as 12-point favorites. The last two games were both on the road and I am expecting a big rebound on Tuesday at home before a rematch with the Lakers on Thursday but despite the recent loss to Los Angeles, there is no way Oklahoma City is looking ahead to that game. Wins are of the utmost importance right now as the Thunder trail the Spurs by a half-game in the Western Conference and the upcoming schedule is not easy with 10 of their last 16 games taking place on the road. At 26-6, Oklahoma City needs to continue to take care of business at home. Houston is one of the hotter teams in the NBA as it has won five straight games with three of the last four coming against Miami, Indiana and Portland. Those were at home however and while the Rockets have been solid on the road, they have struggled against the better teams on the highway and are catching the Thunder at the worst time. While they are 8-3 at home against the NBA's top ten, they are just 5-7 on the road and they have played only three such teams on the road in 2014, losing two, so the recent schedule has been soft. Here, we play on teams that are coming off an upset 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 32-10 ATS (76.2 percent) since 1996. Also, Oklahoma City is 8-2 ATS as a favorite of fewer than five points this season while going 19-8 ATS in its last 27 games coming off an upset loss as a road favorite. 10* (562) Oklahoma City Thunder

The Pacers are on their worst run of the season as they have lost four straight games which is their longest losing streak since dropping four straight games in March of 2012. they avoided a fifth straight loss then with a blowout win at home and I am expecting the same to happen here. Indiana has been even worse at the betting window as it is on runs of 0-7 ATS, 1-10-1 ATS and 5-17-1 ATS but in the midst of these putrid runs, it is a good time to buy the Pacers low. Indiana remains a game ahead of Miami in the Eastern Conference as it is even in the loss column while two up in the win column. Boston has won two straight games and went 3-2 on its recent five-game homestand while cashing four of those five tickets. The road has been a real issue however as the Celtics are 8-22 on the season including a 3-15 run with two of those wins coming against Milwaukee and Philadelphia which we can barely even count as wins. One of those defeats was a 25-point thumping at Indiana and while Boston played well in the follow up meeting, that was at home. The Celtics are 2-18 against teams ranked in the top ten in the NBA power rankings. The Pacers falls into a solid contrarian situation as we play on teams that has failed to cover the spread in 12 or more of the last 15 games going up against an opponent after having covered five or six of their last seven games. This situation is 68-30 ATS (69.4 percent) since 1996. Additionally, Indiana is 20-9 ATS in its last 29 games after a loss by 10 points or more while the Celtics are 5-11 ATS in their last 16 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. 10* (552) Indiana Pacers

Miami is coming off another loss on Sunday, its third straight, as it fell at Chicago in overtime. The Heat blew a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter against the Bulls as the offense managed only 19 points in that final period and then followed that up with just two points in overtime. Now Miami will be out to avoid its first four-game losing streak since March of 2011 so expect to see a full out effort tonight. Back in 2012, Miami lost three straight road games and then came back home to post a 22-point win over San Antonio. The Heat then lost three straight Boston in the playoffs but followed that up with a 19-point win. They avoided a three-game losing streak last season and this season, they have lost three straight once and followed that up with a 15-point win. Adding even more incentive is that Miami will be out for payback following a 17-point loss in Washington in January. The Wizards have won two straight games and eight of their last nine games so they clearly are playing exceptional right now but they are catching Miami at the worst time possible. Even though they have won five straight road games, only one of those came against a decent opponent which was in Toronto and overall, Washington is just 5-16 against teams ranked in the top ten in the NBA power rankings. This line came out late as Miami will be without Dwyane Wade tonight who is taking the night off to rest but the Heats have won three straight without him in the lineup and with LeBron James coming off his two worst back-to-back games of the season, we should see him take this one over himself. 10* (504) Miami Heat

We won with Dallas and lost with Indiana on Friday so we are backing the Pacers once again as they look to snap their three-game losing streak. The Pacers have also dropped six straight against the number and I feel that is adding to the value coupled with its losing skid. The Pacers were favored by nine points in the first meeting at home and lost by eight points so it sets up a revenge situation as well even though they are not in need of any more motivation. Indiana has a game and a half lead on Miami for first place in the Eastern Conference but that is three games in the win column which makes a big difference as opposed to games in the loss column. Indiana is still a solid 12-3 following a loss this season despite the recent skid. Dallas is coming off a closer than expected win over Portland as it needed a late run to hold off the Blazers after squandering a 30-point lead and that type of victory is hard to recover from. The Mavericks have not had any success in this role as they are 0-5 straight up and against the number as home underdogs and overall they are 7-16 against the NBA top ten. Indiana is 20-8 ATS in its last 28 games coming off a double-digit loss while the Mavericks are 0-5 ATS in their last five games following an ATS win. 10* (815) Indiana Pacers

The streaky Cavaliers lost again last night at Charlotte making it three straight losses, two of which have come on the road and the one at home coming against San Antonio. Cleveland is back home as it looks to get back to .500 on its home floor and it has been put in a good position to do so. How bad is the Eastern Conference? Despite being 15 games under .500, the Cavaliers are only three and a half games out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference currently held by Atlanta. So despite the poor record, motivation is still there and if there is more needed, Cleveland can look back to five weeks ago when it went to New York and was hammered by 31 points. The Knicks meanwhile has won two straight games and neither were close as they trounced Minnesota and Utah by double-digits. This came after a seven-game skid which should quell any talk about the Knicks finally turning the corner as this is a team that still has its share of problems. While it won against the Timberwolves as an underdog, New York has struggled in this range, going 3-14 ATS this season as underdogs of less than five points. New York is 0-3 this season and 1-2 ATS when playing with no rest on the road following a home game while on the other side, the Cavaliers are 5-1 ATS when playing with no rest at home following a road game. Cleveland meanwhile is 4-0 ATS in its last four games against teams with a winning percentage below .400 while the Knicks are 0-4 ATS in their last four road games against teams with a losing home record. 10* (504) Cleveland Cavaliers

Indiana has lost consecutive games for just the second time this season and I expect the Pacers to put another quick end to that here. Going back to December, they lost to Detroit and Miami and then won their next game by 33 points which coincidentally, also came against Houston. After being one of the top covers teams in the NBA through half of January, the Pacers have struggled to cash tickets as they are just 5-15-1 ATS in their last 21 games including a 2-8 ATS record on the road. There is a big difference though compared to tonight as Indiana was favored in all of those road games and was actually favored in all 21 of those games overall. Now we are catching a hungry team as an underdog where it is 5-2 ATS on the season. Houston meanwhile has won three straight games and going back, it is 16-4 over its last 20 games so it has been playing outstanding. A lot of the wins have been suspect though and going back, the Rockets are 0-4 ATS in their last four games following a win of more than 10 points. They are solid at home with a 24-7 record but they are an average 14-13-3 ATS as a home favorite. The Pacers are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games following a loss of more than 10 points and fall into a great situation where we play on underdogs with a winning percentage of .750 or better after having won five or six of their last seven games, playing a team with a winning percentage between .600 and .750. This situation is 105-58 ATS (64.4 percent) since 1996. 10* (819) Indiana Pacers

Dallas lost at Denver in its last game on Wednesday which snapped the Nuggets six-game losing streak and handed the Mavericks their third straight loss. These games are becoming more and more critical for Dallas which is sitting in the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference but not by much as it is ahead of Memphis by just one game. This is the largest losing streak of the season for the Mavericks which is pretty impressive as they have been able to avoid the big skids and remain with a double-digit win margin. This is the first game of a tough three-game stretch and heading home after two straight road losses, the Mavericks have to take care of home court. Portland meanwhile has won six of its last seven games following a 24-point home win over Atlanta on Wednesday. That was the Blazers fourth straight home game and this is just their second road game since February 12th. The Blazers are 2-6 ATS in their last eight games following a win of more than 10 points and going back are 8-19 in their last 27 road games following a double-digit win. Dallas meanwhile is 9-2 ATS when favored by fewer than four points this season and 18-9 straight up and ATS following a loss against the number. The Mavericks also fall into a great situation where we play on teams that are averaging 103 or more ppg, after trailing in their previous game by 15 or more points at the half. This situation is 140-76 ATS (64.8 percent) since 1996. Dallas is 10-1 ATS in its last 11 games after trailing at the half by 15 or more points. 10* (816) Dallas Mavericks

Motivation plays a big role in the NBA as in an 82-game season, it is impossible to be highly motivated in every one of those games while on the other side, teams get up for some games more than others and that is where we extract some great situational plays. The Lakers are getting a big number at home against their city rival and while it is also the Clippers home floor, the fan support makes a difference. We played against the Lakers last time out and they were handed a home loss against New Orleans which snapped a two-game winning streak. Part of the reason in going against them was going against that streak and part of the reason was a lookahead to this game. These teams last met in January and the Clippers rolled to a 36-point win which was the largest win by them in this series ever. Don't think the Lakers have forgotten that. While top to bottom, the Clippers are far and away better than the Lakers, this is where the motivation factor comes into play. The Clippers have won and covered five straight games and that is also playing into this very high number. The Lakers are 5-2 ATS as a home underdog of six points or more and we played on them in a similar role three weeks ago on a Thursday night when they were getting the same amount of points against Oklahoma City and covered easily. The Lakers are 12-2 ATS in their last 14 games after allowing 120 points or more including going 8-1 ATS this season. We have a great contrarian situation on our side as we play against favorites of 10 or more points after three or more consecutive wins, with a winning record on the season playing a losing team. This situation is 123-76 ATS (61.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (506) Los Angeles Lakers

This is the second meeting this season following last year's epic NBA Finals and this also marks the second opportunity for the Spurs to extract some revenge as they were unable to get it done in Miami as they lost by 12 points. Many will be on San Antonio because of the revenge angle but I am not one of them. The Spurs have not played much at home over the last month but they have won their last four games here and while the 21-8 home record looks solid, it is littered with cupcake wins as 13 of those have come against teams likely not making the playoffs this season and overall they have struggled against the top teams. San Antonio has gone 9-11 against teams ranked within the top ten in power rankings and it is 0-9 ATS this season playing against teams with a winning percentage of .700 or better. And we mentioned revenge but the Spurs are just 2-14 ATS this season when trying to revenge a loss. Miami meanwhile is coming off a loss at Houston on Tuesday and while it may have been looking ahead to this game, that loss is our gain here. The Heat never led in that game and that will only make them hungrier here. Miami has been the best team in the NBA following a loss over the last two seasons as it is 30-7 in its 37 games following a defeat. While the ATS record is not as good, it does not matter here since the Heat are getting points and over those 37 follow up games, Miami was an underdog twice and won both of those games outright. Additionally, the Spurs are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games following a double-digit win and 0-5 ATS in their last five home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (501) Miami Heat

Typically we shy away from road favorites in the NBA but that is not the case here as Sacramento has a great opportunity to open this roadtrip with a resounding victory. The Kings are coming off a win against New Orleans on Monday and while the road has been a problem all season, we should not see any issues here. Sacramento has had its fair share of tough games as it has played the third toughest schedule in the NBA and while this one could bring that ranking down some, the Kings will take it. Milwaukee is coming off a 26-point win over Utah on Monday which was its most lopsided win of the season. The problem has been backing it up as the Bucks have not won consecutive games this season, going 0-11 in their first 11 games following a win and going back, they are 0-16 in their last 16 games following a win while against the number, they are 3-13 ATS in those contests. Milwaukee has the worst home record in the NBA and the Bucks are 5-11 ATS in their last 16 home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. Sacramento falls into a terrific situation as we play on road teams with a winning percentage between .250 and .400 where the line is +3 to -3 after failing to cover four or five of their last six games playing against a team with a winning percentage of .250 or worse. This situation is 52-23 ATS (69.3 percent) since 1996. 10* (713) Sacramento Kings

After winning six straight games wrapping around the All Star Break. Cleveland lost three in a row before coming back to win two straight but it is coming off a blowout loss at Memphis in its last game on Saturday. The Cavaliers have gone 4-2 in their last six home games and while some of those wins were against bad teams, they have held their own against top rated opposition and that is proven by their 10-3 ATS record as home underdogs. Cleveland is 8-4 ATS in its 12 games this season when playing with more than one day of rest and adding some incentive here is the fact that Cleveland lost by 30 points in San Antonio in the first meeting and while it was a while ago, the Cavaliers have not forgotten. The Spurs are back on the road following a quick three-game homestand following their annual rodeo roadtrip. They went 3-0 in those games and the ATS record has mixed results as two of those games came within a half-point of the pointspread so they could have gone either way. Nonetheless, it is just a one game jaunt and with Miami coming to town on Thursday, this is a roadtrip that San Antonio would rather not be on especially knowing it has won eight straight meetings in this series. Expect a closer than expected game with a Cleveland outright win certainly not out of the realm of possibility. 10* (504) Cleveland Cavaliers

Brooklyn is back home following a lengthy roadtrip and it was a fairly successful one where it went 4-3 including wins in Denver and Milwaukee to close it out. The trek started before the All Star break so the Nets have not been at home since February 12th and after a slow start, they have been playing very well going 4-0 in their last four and 11-2 in their last 13 home games. That record includes some impressive wins over Golden St., Miami, Dallas and San Antonio. The recent roadtrip started out with a 16-point loss at Chicago so there is some extra incentive in play tonight. The Bulls are playing exceptional as they have won and covered four straight games but this is a good time to go against that run as we can buy low. Chicago has won two straight and four of its last five road games but it is still a game under .500 on the highway. It is coming off a nationally televised rout of the Knicks yesterday at home and while the Bulls have been decent playing with no rest, the majority of the success has come with that first game being on the road as they are 0-1-1 ATS when going from home to the road. This is a bad time to be facing the Nets as they are coming off that extended trip with payback in mind and they are also 9-1 ATS in their last 10 games playing on one day of rest. Look for the home team to get the comfortable win tonight. 10* (704) Brooklyn Nets

Dallas had its four-game winning streak snapped on Friday as it lost at home against Chicago after blowing a 16-point lead and I expect a big bounceback performance tonight. The Mavericks were red hot heading into the All Star break as they were on a 6-1 run but the time off did not kill any momentum as they are 4-2 since then and overall, they are 6-1 over their last seven road games. While that includes wins over some poor teams, Dallas defeated Memphis and Indiana and on the season, they are 12-6 ATS against winning teams on the highway. There is also the additional motivation of trying to defeat San Antonio as the Mavericks have dropped seven straight meetings against the Spurs. San Antonio has won two straight and four of five games since the all Star break as it is coming off consecutive 10-point home wins against Detroit and Charlotte. This is the first home game against a legitimate team since playing Chicago back on January 29th which resulted in a 10-point loss. San Antonio is just 5-10 ATS at home against teams with a winning record and while it is 20-8 at home, the ATS record is a much worse 11-17. The Mavericks are 11-2 ATS in their last 13 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600 and they have won 16 of 23 games following a loss this season. San Antonio is 7-18 ATS in its last 25 games after allowing 85 points or less including non-covers in its last six games this season. 10* (809) Dallas Mavericks

We won with Washington on Thursday as the Wizards won in triple overtime at Toronto to make it five straight wins overall and on the season, they are now two games over .500. Call me a gluten for punishment but this line is laughable. Being a road favorite is one thing but being a double-digit road favorite is another, especially for a pretty average team. Washington is 4-0 straight up and ATS this season as a road favorite but the biggest number it has had to lay is 2.5 points so this is clearly unchartered territory. The Wizards have been a double-digit favorite only once this season, at home against the Sixers last month, and failed to cover and they are 0-6 ATS as favorites of seven or more points this season. We lost will Philadelphia in its last game as it got handed its 12th straight loss by Orlando. It was an unfortunate loss as the game was tied heading into the fourth quarter but tonight they catch a Wizards team that is overvalued and overtired for that matter. While Allen Iverson will not be playing, the fact that he is getting his jersey retiring should give the Sixers a little added mojo tonight as they look to avoid their longest home losing streak since 1997. The Sixers fall into two fantastic situations. First, we play against favorites of 10 or more points that are averaging between 98 and 102 ppg going up against teams allowing 102 or more ppg, after scoring 100 points or more two straight games. This situation is 60-30 ATS (656.7 percent) since 1996. Second, we play on underdogs of 10 or more points after a loss by 10 points or more going up against an opponent after two straight games where both teams scored 100 points or more. This situation is 56-29 ATS (65.9 percent) since 1996. Additionally, Washington is 4-17 ATS in its last 21 road games after scoring 120 points or more. 10* (502) Philadelphia 76ers

After losing back-to-back games against Miami and Los Angeles, Oklahoma City was surely thought to break out of its slump against Cleveland on Wednesday. After all, the Thunder were 15-point favorites but instead, they dropped their third straight game, losing to the Cavaliers by 10 points. The three losses are the most in a row at home since April of 2009, the first year that Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were in Oklahoma City together. To say the Thunder will be out for blood is an understatement. They are 9-5 both straight up and ATS following a loss this season while going 12-3 ATS in their last 15 games following a double-digit home loss. This situation is even better as Oklahoma City is 8-0 ATS in its last eight games coming off an upset loss as a favorite of 10 points or more. Memphis meanwhile had a tougher than expected time against the Lakers last time out as it won but only five points as a double-digit favorite. The Grizzlies have been playing excellent since early January as they are 17-5 over their last 22 games but three of those losses were on the road and some of the road wins were against weak Eastern Conference teams. One of the losses came here by nine points as an eight-point underdog and it happened that the Thunder were coming off a road loss at Washington. Now however they are catching them at an even worse time and they are just 2-5 ATS in their last seven games coming off a win while going just 11-17-1 ATS this season playing on one day of rest. 10* (804) Oklahoma City Thunder

Washington is over .500 for just the second time this season and just the second time in four years for that matter. The Wizards eclipsed the .500 mark back on February 3rd after a home win against Portland but they suffered a double-overtime loss against San Antonio next time out which sent them into a 1-5 tailspin. Since then however, Washington has won its last four games with the last loss coming at home against Toronto which puts them in a revenge spot tonight. I am not one to advocate road revenge but this one is a little different as Washington want to avoid going to .500 but more importantly, it wants to avoid the season sweep as the Raptors have won all three meetings so far this season. The Wizards are 16-4 ATS revenging a loss where the opponent scored 100 or more points this season. Toronto continues its stellar play as it has won three straight and six of its last seven games going back prior to the All-Star Break. The Raptors hold a five-game lead over the Nets in the Atlantic Division and while their 16-11 record at home is good, it isn't overly dominated as proven by their average 13-13-1 ATS record. Washington is one of only four teams in the Eastern Conference with a .500 or better record on the road and it has translated that into a lot of winning tickets. It is 11-3 ATS in 14 road games against teams averaging 99 or more ppg but more impressive is that the Wizards are a perfect 13-0 ATS in their 13 road games after playing a home game this season. 10* (503) Washington Wizards

The Sixers are reeling with 11 straight losses but do they really deserve to be home underdogs here? While they are certainly struggling, I think the wrong team is favored in this game and the home/road split give that some justification. Philadelphia has eight home wins and it possesses the second worst home record in the NBA but Orlando has only three road wins and its 3-27 road record is in fact the worst road record in the league. The Magic have gone 16 straight road games without a win and on the season, they have been favored on the road only once and that resulted in a loss at Milwaukee, the team that has the worst home record in the NBA at 6-23. Additionally, Orlando has been horrendous against the bad teams away from home as it is 3-14 ATS this season against teams with a losing record. This is the third game in four nights for Orlando which is never a good spot for any team but it is even worse for the Magic which are 2-10 when playing with no rest including 1-7 in the second of back-to-back road games. The Magic have been without leading scorer Arron Afflalo for the last two games and he will be out once again tonight with an ankle injury. The Sixers fall into a great situation as we play against teams where the line is +3 to -3 that are allowing between 43.5 percent and 45.5 percent shooting going up against teams allowing between 45.5 percent and 47.5 percent shooting, after three straight games of allowing 47 percent shooting or higher. This situation is 37-12 ATS (75.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (702) Philadelphia 76ers

We played on Cleveland on Sunday and it was a poor call as the Cavaliers lost at home against Washington, their second straight loss following a six-game winning streak. That dropped them to 14-14 at home and they are again getting points on their home floor which has been a very lucrative situation all season long. The first loss that Cleveland suffered after that extended winning streak was at Toronto on Friday as they lost by seven points as an eight-point underdog and as you can see, there is only a five-point swing with the line in the change of venue going back to Cleveland for this one. Toronto is 3-1 since the All-Star Break with wins against Cleveland, Washington and Orlando but this is just its second road game since February 7th and the highway has been a test as the Raptors are just 5-7 over their last 12 road games. They are a decent 5-3 ATS as road favorites but four of those wins came against teams that possess a worst record than Cleveland with three of those teams holding onto the last place in their respective divisions. Cleveland is 10-5 ATS as an underdog of fewer than six points this season and even after the loss to Washington on Sunday, it is 10-2 ATS as a home underdog. Meanwhile the Cavaliers are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games overall and 4-1 ATS in their last five home games teams with a winning road record. The underdog is 10-1 ATS in the last 11 meetings. 10* (504) Cleveland Cavaliers

The Mavericks is playing very well right now with wins in eight of their last 10 games but I'm not overly impressed. The best win of the bunch was a victory at Indiana but six of the other wins came against teams that have won 20, 22, 19, 19, 23 and 15 games and own six of the 10 worst record in the league. To its credit, Dallas is 5-2 against the number in its last seven games as a road favorite but this is not a good spot. This is the third game in four nights, all being road games and now they face a team once again in desperate need of a victory. The Knicks are coming off their second straight loss on Saturday as they were defeated by the Hawks by nine points after blowing a 17-point lead. They return home for the first time since before the All Star Break and while the home floor hasn't been very good this season, New York is 5-3 in its last eight games at MSG with two of those losses coming by four and five points including one in overtime. The Knicks have been horrible as home underdogs as they are just 1-9 straight up and against the number but the value is definitely on their side because of it. The best example is that they were getting 4.5 points in a recent home game against Miami and now they are getting close to the same line here which does not add up. New York has already taken out Dallas once this season by 12 points on the road last month and it is 21-9 ATS in its last 30 home games after playing a game as a road underdog and with a game at Miami on deck for Thursday, this is a must win. 10* (704) New York Knicks

The road team has won the first three meetings this season and Washington looks to make it a clean sweep on Sunday but the Cavaliers will have something to say about that. Cleveland had been on a six-game winning streak going back to before the All-Star Break but it lost its most recent game in Toronto by seven points. The Cavaliers have now covered seven straight games and while that is a streak that I typically like to fade, we won't do that here as they are the team getting the value. Cleveland has been a home underdog on 11 previous occasions and it has gone 10-1 ATS in those games and it has gone 5-0 ATS in its last five games against teams with a losing record. Washington is coming off a win last night at home against New Orleans, its second straight win following a three-game losing streak. The Wizards have a chance to get back over .500 on the season but they are in a tough spot coming off last night's win, as it was a close, hard fought game throughout and they were able to escape thanks to a Nene dunk with less than a second remaining. Washington has covered five straight games on the road but it was an underdog in all of those. Here, we play against teams with a winning percentage between .400 and .499 that are coming off a home no-cover where the team won straight up as a favorite, playing a losing team. This situation is 99-57 ATS (63.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (808) Cleveland Cavaliers

Oklahoma City will be fired up today to make up for it loss in its last game on Thursday against Miami. It was one of the Thunder's poorest efforts of the season on both ends of the floor but that presents us with a great motivating opportunity today. Oklahoma City has scored fewer than 90 points seven times this season and after the first six instances, it has gone 6-0 in its next game, averaging 102.8 ppg in the process. The Thunder are 93 straight up and against the spread following a loss this season. The Clippers meanwhile have dropped two straight games and while they have yet to lose three in a row this season, they are in the wrong place at the wrong time. They have dropped consecutive games on four other occasions only to follow that up with a win next time out but twice that third game was at home and twice, it followed a loss against Miami so the circumstances are different here. Los Angeles is just 4-9 as an underdog this season and its 14-15 road record is hardly anything to get excited about. The Thunder are 1-3 ATS as favorites of fewer than six points this season while going back, they are 20-8 ATS in their last 28 games coming off a loss as a favorite. While the Clippers have been solid as underdogs, they are 0-6 ATS in their last six games against teams with a winning percentage above .600 and 5-17 ATS in their last 22 games against teams in the second half of the season that are outscoring their opponents by three or more ppg. 10* (802) Oklahoma City Thunder

Golden St. looks to make it three straight wins since the All-Star Break as it takes on Brooklyn which is playing just its second game since the break. The Warriors came back to defeat Houston in overtime on Thursday having a day off after that only helps our cause here. Adding to that is the fact the Golden St. will take to the road after this game for a six-game roadtrip against the Eastern Conference. After losing four of five games at home, the Warriors have won four of their last six home games with one of those setbacks coming against Miami by just one point. They have been fairly inconsistent since putting together a 10-game winning streak in December and January but I think this is a good spot to keep the momentum rolling. Brooklyn is coming off a lackluster six-point win over Utah, the third worst team in the Western Conference, which snapped a three-game road losing streak. After a 10-1 run in January, the Nets are just 5-5 over their last 10 games, both straight up and against the number and against the top ten in the NBA, they are just 8-9 on the season. Golden St. meanwhile is 19-5 against teams ranked outside the top 16, where Brooklyn sits, and it falls into a great situation where we play on favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points that are revenging a straight up loss as a road favorite and coming off an upset win as a home underdog. This situation is 29-8 ATS (78.4 percent) since 1996. 10* (516) Golden St. Warriors

The rodeo roadtrip finally comes to an end for the Spurs and they once again are having a successful trek. They are 6-2 through the first eight games after coming out of the All Star Break with two upset wins over the Clippers and the Blazers. Going back, San Antonio is 27-8 since 2010-11 on this extended roadtrip and it has won the finale each of the last two years. The difference in those years however is that the Spurs were coming off a loss going into that last game and that makes it a huge difference. San Antonio is 22-7 on the road this season which is the best road record in the NBA and while that is tough to go against at a short price, I feel the spot is ideal for Phoenix. The Suns are coming off wins over Denver and Boston to open the second half to move 11 games over .500 and continue to hold down the sixth spot in the Western Conference but not by much as every game is huge at this point. The Suns are 15-8 ATS against winning teams this season while going 20-9 ATS as underdogs. They will be out to avenge two earlier losses against San Antonio and are in great shape to do so with the Spurs pretty banged up still. Phoenix has two awesome situation of their side as well. First, we play against teams that are coming off two or more consecutive upset wins as an underdog going up against an opponent after two consecutive covers as a favorite. This situation is 41-17 ATS (70.7 percent) since 1996. Second, we play on teams where the line is +3 to -3 that are revenging a home loss and playing their third or less games in 10 days. This situation is 47-19 ATS (71.2 percent) since 1996. Expect the minor upset on Friday. 10* (816) Phoenix Suns

Is the wrong team favored here? It may seem that way looking at the home/road splits but the Knicks are the right team to be laying points and it certainly isn't much. They clearly have a lot more at stake and with a game at Atlanta tomorrow, making it four games in five nights, this one is a very important game. It has been a rough season for New York no doubt as it is arguably the biggest disappointment in the NBA but the one thing the Knicks have been able to succeed at is taking care of business in these spots as they are 5-1 straight up and against the number as road favorites. The Magic are two games under .500 at home which is pretty good considering their 3-25 record on the road which includes losses in their first two road games after the All Star Break. They have won five of their last six home games and that will get the attention of New York and going back, the Magic are 8-23-1 ATS in their last 32 games against teams with a winning percentage below .400. New York is 14-4 ATS in its last 18 games in the second half of the season against teams with a winning percentage between .250 and .400 and falls into a great situation where we play on road teams where the line is +3 to -3 that are playing their sixth or less game in 14 days, with a winning percentage between .250 and .400. This situation is 91-48 ATS (65.5 percent) since 1996. New York is 3.5 games behind Charlotte for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and while these are the games the Knicks have been winning as mentioned, they cannot afford to let these go especially with a very tough upcoming slate over the next nine days. 10* (807) New York Knicks

We played on Denver in the first meeting between these two teams and despite a dominating effort, the Nuggets failed to cover by a bucket. They are in desperate need for a win and this is a great spot for that to happen. Denver lost its last four games prior to the All Star Break and then opened the second half with an overtime loss against Phoenix. The Nuggets overcame a 14-point deficit in that one but fell short and now sitting four games under .500, these are the games they need to win. They are 4-11 ATS as a home favorite but 5-3-1 as a road favorite, winning six of those nine games. Milwaukee is coming off a rare victory as it defeated Orlando in its first game after the break. The problem for the Bucks is that they cannot put any runs together as they have yet to win consecutive games the entire season, going 0-9 following a win while covering just two of those games. They have struggled against the better and deeper Western Conference, going 1-19 overall and while they have a few covers as a home underdog, they are just 3-8 as home underdogs against the West. Milwaukee also falls into a negative situation where we play against home teams that are getting outscored by their opponents by nine or more ppg going up against an opponent after allowing 100 points or more three straight games. This situation is 47-19 ATS (71.2 percent) since 1996. Also, Denver is 10-1 ATS in it last 11 road games after allowing 100 or more points in five or more straight games while Milwaukee is 4-17 ATS in its last 21 home games where the total is between 200 and 204.5 points. 10* (503) Denver Nuggets

Phoenix is coming off a big win last night against the struggling Nuggets. The Suns were able to overcome a five-point deficit with 35 seconds remaining to force overtime and they eventually won by five points. It was a taxing win and despite having a lot of time off prior to the game because of the All Star break, they are in a tough spot tonight in trying to get re-energized. A road win is big enough but with games against San Antonio and Houston on deck, this is a game that Phoenix could very be far from focused on and that gives us an ever better chance with the big underdog. Boston went through a horrendous run from mid-December through January but is has turned things around in February with a 4-2 record and while those wins were against some bad teams, we are not even asking the Celtics to win here. The Celtics have been very competitive on the road, going 7-2 ATS over their last nine games including covers against Miami, Portland, Golden St. and the Clippers. After destroying the books with a 22-7-1 ATS record through their first 30 games, the Suns have come back to earth with a 12-10 ATS mark over their last 22 games. The Celtics are 4-0 ATS in their last four road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600 while the Suns are 0-4 ATS in their last four games when their starting five combine for more than 160 minutes of the previous day. 10* (713) Boston Celtics

Detroit never led last night, fell down by 19 points and could not recover as they started the second half off hardly the way they wanted. The Pistons now have a chance for some immediate revenge as they hit the road for the second game of this home-and-home set. Detroit had won three straight games before losing its final game before the All Star Break against a resurgent Cleveland team and now it will be out to snap a two-game skid as well as a four-game road losing streak. I feel they are in great position to do so. Winning consecutive games has been a challenge for Charlotte all season long and since late December, it is 2-9 in its last 11 games following a victory. This includes a 0-4 record when winning on the road and coming back home for its next game and this is a very similar situation that we have seen before. The Bobcats defeated Detroit on the road back in December and came home the next night only to lose to Utah. Charlotte is 3-12 straight up and 4-10-1 ATS when playing with no rest including going 1-5 straight up and 1-4-1 ATS when going from the road to home. While Charlotte has won both meetings in Detroit this year, the Pistons are 7-0 ATS in the last seven meetings in Charlotte and falls into a great situation where we play on road teams where the line is +3 to -3 that are revenging a home loss, playing three or less games in 10 days. This situation is 37-12 ATS (75.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (703) Detroit Pistons

After losing consecutive games against Denver and Miami, the Clippers won their final three games prior to the All-Star break and they look to keep that rolling at home. The schedule has been on their side as they have been home since February 5th and this is the last home game before going out on a three-game roadtrip with Memphis and Oklahoma City being the first two stops. The good news is that it does start until Friday so there will no doubt be full attention here. The Clippers won the first meeting against San Antonio this season by 23 points at home but the Spurs returned the favor by winning the rematch at home by 24 points. Los Angeles has a comfortable five-game lead over Phoenix in the Pacific Division but it needs to continue to keep moving up. The Spurs are 4-2 through their first six games of this rodeo roadtrip and the break came at good time to rest some nagging injuries, namely Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. While San Antonio has the best road record in the NBA, it has come mostly from beating the bad teams as it is 19-4 as a road favorite but just 1-3 as a road underdog. The Spurs are 0-3 ATS as underdogs of fewer than seven points and its seven wins against the top ten teams in the NBA is tied for the fewest among the Western Conference teams that are in the top ten. The Clippers are 12-3 ATS in their last 15 games following an ATS loss while the Spurs are 3-13 ATS in their last 16 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. 10* (518) Los Angeles Clippers

Miami closed the first half strong with wins in five of its last six games including three of four on this current roadtrip. The Heat are two and a half games behind Indiana for the top seed in the Eastern Conference and that is a huge spot to attain as the team with the home court edge in the Eastern Conference finals will have a big edge. Miami has a game at Oklahoma City on Thursday so it knows it has to take care of business here. Ever since losing in the NBA Finals in 2011 against Dallas, Miami has won the last five meetings with the Mavericks. Dallas went into the break with some positive momentum as well as it is 6-1 over its last seven games including a big win at Indiana right before the break. While they have three straight home games, those wins for the Mavericks were against Utah, Cleveland and Sacramento, not exactly the toughest of competition. They have struggled against the top teams, going 1-7 ATS at home against teams with a winning record and as a home underdog this season, they are 0-4 both straight up and against the number, losing all of those games by at least six points and by an average of 9.5 ppg. Miami meanwhile is 17-5 this season against the top half of the NBA while going 7-3 ATS on the road against teams with a winning record. Additionally, the Heat are 15-4 against the west and they once again take care of business. 10* (513) Miami Heat

Obviously, Oklahoma City is the better team here but that is being taken into consideration in this line, one I feel that is overinflated in this spot. The Thunder are coming off a big win at Portland on Tuesday that wasn't decided until the final seconds and while there has been a day off in-between, getting up for this game, especially with the way the Lakers are struggling, will be a challenge. Oklahoma City has won two straight and four of five and while it owns one of the best ATS records in the league, this is the most it has been favored by on the road this season and overall, the Thunder are just 5-7 ATS as a double-digit favorite. The Lakers lost again on Tuesday, making it two straight losses and going back, they are 2-9 in their last 11 games. The Lakers have lost six straight games at home which is tied for the longest home skid in franchise history and for nothing else, we will see a full out effort by Los Angeles to avoid be saddled with the all time record. The injuries remain the big issue and while this team is far from full strength, this is still a team with NBA players in backup roles. Los Angeles is 8-5-1 ATS as a home underdog this season and it is 18-6 ATS in its last 24 games after a loss by 15 or more points. Meanwhile, the Thunder are 6-19 ATS in their last 25 games coming off a road win by three points or less. Additionally, the Lakers fall into a great situation where we play on teams that are revenging a road loss of 20 points or more and coming off a loss by 15 points or more as a favorite. This situation is 37-13 ATS (74 percent) since 1996. 10* (504) Los Angeles Lakers

This is a great spot for the Clippers. After losses against Denver and Miami, they responded with wins over Toronto and Philadelphia and neither of those were close. While they do take a step up in competition here, the goal is to close out the first half with a winning streak and they have had a couple days off to do so. Los Angeles is now 22-4 at home which is the third best home record in the entire league. The Clippers have been outstanding as home favorites, winning 21 of 23 games and they are 15-10 ATSD as a favorite of less than eight points. They will be playing with some added motivation as they lost the first meeting this season in Portland and while it was a while back, they haven

Charlotte picked up an easy win for us last night as it destroyed Dallas at home. While it was a play on the Bobcats, it was just as much of a play against the Mavericks who were likely caught looking ahead to their game at Indiana tonight to close out the schedule before the All-Star break. As mentioned in yesterday's analysis, Charlotte is playing very well right now as since going through a 1-8 stretch, Charlotte is 8-6 over its last 14 games with four of those losses coming by four points or less or in overtime. With all of this being said, I do not like their chances tonight as the Bobcats hit the road where they have won just 11 times this season and are 7-15 in their 22 games following a victory. Additionally, Charlotte is just 3-11 straight up and 4-9-1 ATS in the second of back-to-back games this season. The Nets are coming off a win over New Orleans in their last game on Sunday making it three wins in their last four games. Going back, Brooklyn is 10-2 straight up and 8-4 ATS in its last 12 home games which includes impressive wins against Golden St., Miami, Dallas and San Antonio although the Spurs were shorthanded. Still, the Nets are getting the job done at home after a slow start and they are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games against teams with a losing record. The fact that Brooklyn plays tomorrow is good for us here as it heads to Chicago which is not considered a lookahead game but it places some urgency on the final home game before the break. The Nets lost at Charlotte in the first meeting this season so revenge is on the plate as well. 10* (710) Brooklyn Nets

The Mavericks are the second hottest team in the NBA behind the Rockets as they have won five straight games but I'm not overly impressed. The best win of the bunch was a victory at Memphis as the other four wins came against teams that have won 17, 18, 17 and 19 games and own four of the eight worst record in the league. To its credit, Dallas has won and covered its last four games as a road favorite but this is not a good spot. The Mavericks have played every other day since February 3rd so they have had to travel every day and tomorrow night they are in Indiana so there will be a lookahead there against a Pacers teams that pounded them by 45 combined points in the two meetings a season ago. Charlotte is certainly not a powerful team but it is better than the four teams mentioned above that Dallas has defeated. The Bobcats are coming off a three-point home loss against San Antonio on Saturday which followed a solid 3-1 west coast roadtrip so they have been playing very well. Since going through a 1-8 stretch, Charlotte is 7-6 over its last 13 games with four of those losses coming by four points or less or in overtime. The Bobcats are 18-9-1 ATS following a loss this season including 5-1 ATS in their last six and they fall into a terrific situation where we play on teams where the line is +3 to -3 that are coming off a home loss, and now playing their third or less game in 10 days. This situation is 64-29 ATS (68.8 percent) since 1996. 10* (504) Charlotte Bobcats

We won with Cleveland two games ago on Friday as it was playing its first game after the firing of general manager Chris Grant. When coaches get fired, it can get the attention of the players even more and playing on teams that are playing their first game with a new coach has always been a great angle as these players simply come out with a rejuvenated effort. Detroit first head coach Mo Cheeks on Sunday despite two straight blowout wins as owner Tom Gores made the ultimate decision as he felt a chance was needed. Assistant coach John Loyer will likely replace Cheeks in the interim and you can bet the players will play this one for Cheeks, a coach that was very well respected. Detroit has struggled at home, especially as a home underdog, but the situation is different tonight. The Spurs are 3-1 on their rodeo roadtrip to improve to 19-6 on the road and to no surprise, the public is backing them huge already here as the perceived short price is too much to pass up on. San Antonio is just 14-22 ATS following a win and it continues to be plagued by injuries. The Spurs are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game while the Pistons are 11-4 ATS in their last 15 games following a win of more than 10 points. Look for that momentum to continue tonight. 10* (706) Detroit Pistons

Indiana is coming off a loss last night at Orlando as an eight-point favorite so it will be ready to bounce back tonight off that embarrassing loss. The Pacers have been a great bounceback team and I expect that to continue on Monday as they are 9-1 straight up and 8-2 against the number following a loss this season. Returning home will only bolster things as the Pacers own an NBA best 24-2 record at home and they are 16-5 ATS in their last 21 home games against teams with a losing road record. When you think of Denver, we typically think of a strong team from the Western Conference but that has not been the case this season as the Nuggets are a game under .500 on the season following a second straight loss on Saturday during this roadtrip at Detroit. The homecourt advantage has not been there like in year's past and the Nuggets have been worse on the road, going 10-14 including a 4-11 record as an underdog. Additionally, the Nuggets are 0-5 ATS in their last five games against the Eastern Conference. Adding to the incentive for Indiana is that it is playing with revenge following a 13-point loss in Denver at the end of last month. That game was the second of back-to-back road games, the first being an overtime win in Sacramento the previous night so a letdown was imminent. 10* (702) Indiana Pacers

We won with the Clippers in their last game as they defeated Toronto which snapped a two-game losing streak, the fourth time this season that Los Angeles was able to avoid a three-game losing skid. Now the Clippers come in favored by 10 more points than they were favored by on Friday and it is simply too big of a number. Actually, this is the most they have been favored by this season and it will prove to be too much. The Sixers are obviously having their struggles this season and they are in the midst of a five-game winless streak. Going back, they have won only three times in their last 18 games but two of those wins were on the road and over that stretch, Philadelphia is 4-3 ATS on the road. This is the area where the Sixers have flourished the most, going 13-12 ATS as a road underdog and they are 6-4 ATS as a double-digit underdog this season. They have seen a number this high only once and that resulted in a cover at Indiana which is a better team than the Clippers so those spread should not even be comparable. While the clippers are 14-4 ATS following a loss, they are just 16-18 ATS following a win. Additionally, Philadelphia has a solid situation on its side as we play on road teams that are averaging between 98 and 102 ppg going up against teams allowing between 98 and 102 ppg, after allowing 100 points or more three straight games. This situation is 46-14 ATS (76.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (815) Philadelphia 76ers

We won with Golden St. on Thursday and similar to playing against Chicago in that game after winning with the Bulls in their previous game, we will go against the Warriors in a comparable situation. Golden St. was coming off an embarrassing loss at home against Charlotte in its previous game to Thursday so we knew the effort was going to be a big one. The Warriors improved to 15-9 at home and while they are a decent 15-11 on the road, seven of those wins have come against the Eastern Conference while five others have come against Utah, New Orleans and Sacramento all of which are in last place in their respective divisions. Overall, Golden St. is just 7-11 against teams ranked in the NBA power rankings and Phoenix is part of that group. At 29-20, the Suns are the surprise story of the league as many had them tabbed for near the bottom of the Western Conference. They won seven of eight games starting in mid-January before losing their last two on Tuesday and Wednesday. Phoenix has won 10 of its last 14 games coming off a loss and has lost more than two games only once since late November and the other time was when all three games were on the road. Speaking of on the road, the Suns lost by 29 points on the road at Golden St. in the last meeting so it is payback time tonight. Golden St. is 0-6 ATS in its last six games following a win while Phoenix is 6-0 ATS in its last 12 games following a double-digit loss. 10* (512) Phoenix Suns

The Clippers did their best to try and come back from a 19-point deficit against Miami but fell short and suffered their second straight loss and just their fourth at home this season. Typically, Los Angeles has been a solid team coming off a loss this season and this is just their fourth two-game losing streak of the season and it has been able to keep the losses in check as they have followed up the previous three back-to-back losses with wins next time out, taking those games by 13, 20 and 8 points. Overall, the Clippers are 13-4 both straight up and against the number following a loss. Toronto is also coming off a loss as it fell to Sacramento on Wednesday in a game it never led and was not as close as the final score indicated. The Raptors have also been a solid team coming off a loss this season but the situations have been a lot more in their favor than it is here. Some of the follow up victories have come against Utah (twice), the Lakers, Milwaukee, Philadelphia (twice), New York, Detroit and Brooklyn. Of its 26 wins, only nine have come against the Western Conference and only one of those have been against a team that is higher than eighth place and while it was at Oklahoma City, it came right after the Thunder were coming off a win at San Antonio. Overall, the Raptors are just 3-13 against teams ranked within the top ten of the NBA power rankings. We also have a great situation on our side as we play on home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points in the second half of the season that are outscoring opponents between 3 and 7 ppg going up against teams with a scoring differential between +3 and -3, after scoring 110 points or more two straight games. This situation is 28-8 ATS (77.8 percent) since 1996. 10* (820) Los Angeles Clippers

Sometimes shakeups are good and in the case of Cleveland, this could be a beneficial turn. The Cavaliers fired general manager Chris Grant on Thursday as the season has been one of the most disappointing ones in the entire league. Cleveland is coming off a loss to the Lakers, who finished the game with four eligible players, to make it six straight losses as well as six straight non-covers. The firing sends a message and players tend to respond in these situations and that is what we are expecting from the Cavaliers tonight. We played on Washington on Wednesday against San Antonio and it had the game in control early, leading by as many as 17 points but it was outscored 14 points in the second half and eventually lost in double overtime. It was the Wizards first game being over .500 in more than four years and they could not respond and while a bounceback will be the goal, I can't see a huge effort here. This is rare territory for Washington as it is not typically favored by this many points and when it has been this season, it has not gone well as the Wizards are 0-5 ATS when favored by seven or more points. The Wizards are 0-7 ATS in their last seven home games against teams with a losing road record and they fall into a negative situation where we play against home teams in the second half of the season that are averaging between 98 and 102 ppg going up against teams allowing 102 or more ppg, after scoring 55 points or more in the first half in two straight games. This situation is 39-12 ATS (76.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (805) Cleveland Cavaliers

We won with Chicago on Tuesday as the Bulls never trailed and defeated the Suns in a wire-to-wire victory which came after one of their worst games of the season, a 29-point thrashing at Sacramento. So which Bulls team shows up tonight? A lot of that will be dictated by the opposition but this is the Bulls fifth game of this roadtrip and there has been very little rest in-between games with this being the third game in four nights and the fourth game in six nights. The Bulls are six games over .500 against the Eastern Conference but six games below .500 against the Western Conference. Golden St. meanwhile is coming off one of second worst games of the season offensively and its worst showing on offense at home. The Warriors lost by 16 points which was their worst loss of the season and their 75 points scored were the fewest of any home game this season. I expect a big bounce back game even though they are facing one of the best defenses in the NBA. The Bulls are 0-4 ATS in their last four games following an ATS win while going 8-18 ATS in their last 26 games coming off an outright win as an underdog. Golden St. is 8-1-2 in its last 11 games following a loss of more than 10 points while going 8-0-1 ATS in its last nine games following a double-digit loss at home. 10* (504) Golden St. Warriors

Toronto is 2-1 on its current roadtrip following a win at Utah on Monday. The Raptors have covered five straight games and seven of their last eight as they are competing with Phoenix for the best ATS record in the NBA, and also two of the biggest surprises. Toronto is now four games over .500 and it leads Brooklyn by four games in the Atlantic Division, easily the worst division in the NBA. The Raptors are 14-5 against the Atlantic and Central but just 12-17 against the rest of the league. Sacramento is coming off a win on Monday against Chicago as it snapped a seven-game losing streak and the big thing is that it is once again healthy. DeMarcus Cousins returned on Monday while Rudy Gay is back after missing four games. The Kings have covered three straight games and five of their last seven at home despite a brutal slate as they have played the second toughest schedule in the NBA. Sacramento is 14-2 ATS in its last 16 games after having lost eight or more of its last 10 games while going 9-1 ATS in its last 10 home games against teams with a winning road record. The wrong team is favored here. 10* (722) Sacramento Kings

Wins have been few and far between for Milwaukee this season but the Bucks are coming off a dramatic home win against the Knicks on Monday, snapping a six-game losing streak. Putting a winning streak together has been a problem for Milwaukee however as it has yet to win consecutive games this season, going 0-8 straight up following a victory while covering just one of those follow up games. The Bucks have only one win this season against the Western Conference while going 4-13 ATS in those games. Additionally, the Bucks are 2-10 ATS as a double-digit underdog. Denver is coming off a big win against the Clippers as it rallied from 13 points down to snap a two-game home skid. Ty Lawson was out for both of those losses but he returned Monday and his presence was felt with 27 points. The Nuggets have been surprisingly average at home this season and while coming off a big win can be a letdown for some teams, the feeling here is Denver uses it to close the first half strong. This is their last home game prior to the All Star break as they head out for four road games after this so they take care of business here. 9* (720) Denver Nuggets

Many will be surprised that Washington is the favorite here. After all, the Wizards have lost 15 straight meetings including the last eight at home against San Antonio but I think they are in a good spot here. This is arguably the best Washington team we have witnessed in sometime and that is backed up by the fact that it has been a huge underdog in this series during the losing streak. On top of that, the Wizards are over .500 for the first time in over four years and because it is well documented, they want to keep things rolling. San Antonio is coming off a big win over New Orleans as it trailed by as many as 14 points and outscored the Pelicans by 19 points in the fourth quarter. That presents a letdown opportunity here. The Spurs have been great on the road overall but have just 2-4 ATS in their last six road games. Washington is 6-2 ATS as a favorite of lass than five points while the Spurs are 0-2 ATS as underdogs in the same price range. Additionally, the Spurs are 0-5 ATS in their last five games against teams with a winning record while the Wizards are 15-4 ATS in their last 19 home games against teams with a winning road record. 10* (706) Washington Wizards

The Bulls never got it going last night as they got down early in Sacramento and could never recover. It was one of their worst losses of the season as they lost by 29 points and the offense managed to shoot a mere 28.2 percent from the floor. The good news is that because of the horrendous loss, playing a back-to-back isn't as bad considering that the starters played limited minutes and even still, Chicago is 2-1 ATS in the second of back-to-back road games. Phoenix hit a bit of a lull in early January but it has picked things back up and in a big way. The Suns have won five straight games including sweeping a four-game roadtrip and defeating Charlotte at home last time out. The win at Indiana was very impressive but the other victories over this stretch came against teams that are at least seven games under .500. Phoenix has been one of the biggest surprises in the entire league this season and because of that, the ATS record is best in the NBA, hence the once again overwhelming support by the public. The Suns have a game in Houston tomorrow which could put them in a tricky spot here. Chicago is 7-2 ATS in its last nine games following a loss as well as going 4-1 ATS in its last five games following a double-digit loss. The underdog has covered seven of the last 10 meetings in this series and I expect that to continue tonight with a big rebound from the Bulls after last night. 10* (505) Chicago Bulls

I tend to stay away from Miami when it is listed as a road favorite since it is usually extremely overvalued. I do not feel that is the case tonight however plus the Heat have a lot of variables on their side. After jumping ahead of Oklahoma City by 18 points early, Miami fell apart and was outscored by 35 points the rest of the game and that can be chalked up as one of the most embarrassing losses in a while and was actually the largest home loss since LeBron James came to Miami. Not only do the Heat want to recover from that defeat, they will also be out for payback after suffering a 10-point loss here on January 9th, the second straight to the Knicks and the fourth in the last fifth meetings. The streaky Knicks are once again riding high. After winning five straight games, they lost their next five games only to rebound to win their last four games, three of which have come by 29, 26 and 31 points. The are catching Miami at the wrong time however. The Heat are 18-8 ATS in their last 26 games revenging a same season loss while going 9-1 ATS in their last 10 games following a home loss. They also fall into a great situation where we play on teams that are revenging a straight up loss as a road favorite of seven or more points and coming off a home loss. This situation is 23-5 ATS (82.1 percent) since 1996 with the average point differential being +14.4 ppg. 10* (515) Miami Heat

Memphis is rolling right now as it has won seven of its last nine games including four in a row to get back into the Western Conference playoff hunt. The Grizzlies trail Dallas by just a half game for the eighth and final playoff spot. They have surprisingly been a better road team than a home team this season but that does not give them reason to be favored here as in my opinion, the wrong team is laying the points. While Memphis is hot, Minnesota has quietly gone 5-1 over its last six games to move over .500 for the first time since November 23rd when it was 8-7. The Timberwolves have been getting it done at home with wins and covers in three of their last four games at the Target Center and this marks just the second time all season they have been a home underdog. The first was against Miami which is legitimate and considering Minnesota was favored at home over Oklahoma City earlier this month, being and underdog to Memphis does not add up. We are looking for an easy Minnesota win nonetheless. The Timberwolves fall into a great situation as we play on home teams where the line is +3 to -3 after allowing 80 points or less going up against an opponent after allowing 90 points or less in two straight games. This situation is 56-26 ATS (68.3 percent) since 1996. 10* (806) Minnesota Timberwolves

Toronto is coming off a dramatic win at Brooklyn on Monday and while it has had a day to recover from that, this is not a good spot for the Raptors. This is the sixth game in 10 days and there has been travel every day as there has not been any back-to-back games at home. Following this, Toronto hits the road for a five-game west coast trip so facing a bad Orlando team is something they are not going to be stoked for. The Magic should come in with more motivation as they have lost nine straight road games and have not covered any of those on top of it. This one sets up as one of the best opportunities over these games to get a cover as this line has been placed too high. Toronto will likely be without leading scorer DeMar DeRozan again tonight as he is nursing an ankle injury. Orlando falls into a great situation as we play against home teams in the second half of the season that are averaging between 98 and 102 ppg going up against teams allowing 102 or more ppg, after scoring 55 points or more in the first half in two straight games. This situation is 39-11 ATS (78 percent) since 1996. 10* (701) Orlando Magic

The Spurs are coming off a humbling loss in Miami on Sunday as they lost by 12 points in a game that was not as close as the score indicates. San Antonio never led and trailed by as many as 29 points despite shooting 50 percent from the floor. I expect a big rebound tonight and the Spurs have been the best bounce back team in the NBA this season as thy are 10-0 straight up and 9-1 against the number coming off a loss. San Antonio has been a road underdog three times this season and while it is 1-2 in those games, each time the Spurs were coming off wins in their previous game so the situation is a lot different at hand tonight. San Antonio has some added incentive as well as it has lost both meetings to Houston this season with both of those taking place at home. Houston has dropped two straight games, both to Memphis, and is 2-5 ATS in its last seven games. It has been a money burning machine since the start of December, going 10-13-1 ATS in its last 24 games. While the Rockets are 13-3 against the East, they are just 16-14 against the West. San Antonio is 42-24 in its last 66 games revenging a loss as a home favorite of seven or more points. 10* (507) San Antonio Spurs

The Suns are coming off a win last night in Cleveland which puts them in a bad spot tonight. They are certainly the big surprise of the Western Conference at six games over .500 but they have been average of late, going 8-8 over their last 16 games including 3-5 on the road. They are also 1-4 on the road in their last five games against the Eastern Conference. Phoenix is 1-5 ATS in its last six games following a win and it lost at Detroit in its first time this season in the second of back-to-back road games. The Sixers are living up to their preseason expectations as they are 14-30 which is the third worst record in the league. They are 2-9 in their last 11 games following a four-game winning streak and while the home floor has not been very kind, they are 9-7 ATS against teams coming off a win showing that teams are coming in with a little too much confidence. We are catching a good line as well as Phoenix was favored by 10.5 points in the first meeting this year which should make it about a 2.5-point favorite here based on the venue change. Additionally, Phoenix is 0-10 ATS in its last 10 games in the second half of the season when playing against teams with a winning percentage between .250 and .400. 10* (702) Philadelphia 76ers

We won with Orlando on Friday as it overcame a double-digit deficit and while it was partly a play on the Magic, a lot of it was going against the Lakers which were coming off a hard fought effort the night before at Miami. Now Orlando hits the road where is has been horrific all season long with a 3-18 record including losses in seven straight games while covering none of those. Despite the win against Los Angeles, Orlando is 3-15 against the Western Conference this season. New Orleans is also coming off a win as it won in Detroit on Friday which made it two straight wins on the road. The problem has been at home though as the Pelicans have dropped six straight. While the streak started against Washington, the last five have come against Western Conference opponents and on the season, New Orleans has won nine of 14 games against the East. Additionally, this is a revenge game for the Pelicans as they lost in Orlando by 20 points earlier in the season, their second worst road loss this season. New Orleans is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games against losing teams while Orlando is 5-15 ATS in its last 20 games after playing its last game as a favorite. 10* (806) New Orleans Pelicans

This is a great spot to go against Minnesota as it is coming off a big win last night at Golden St. to improve to 3-0 both straight up and against the number in its last three games. Prior to the Friday victory, the Timberwolves had defeated no one of significance as their previous seven wins were against Utah (twice), Charlotte, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Milwaukee and Washington. The last big win came at home against Portland which sets the Blazers up nicely in a revenge spot tonight. While Minnesota has been on a perfect run, Portland has not as it is 0-3 ATS in its last three games and after being very dominating at home, it is just 3-6 ATS in its last nine home games. Still, the Blazers are 17-4 at home and they have rolled in this series recently at home with three straight wins and covers. They key number here is 110 points as Portland has scored that many points in 8 of its last 11 home games and it is 19-9 ATS in its last 28 games when scoring that amount while Minnesota is 10-23 ATS in its last 33 games when allowing 110 or more points. Additionally, the Timberwolves are just 4-11 ATS in their last 15 games coming off a win. 10* (516) Portland Trailblazers

Brooklyn has started to finally play to its potential as it has won eight of its last nine games including five straight at home and going back has won six straight here. The Nets have covered eight of those nine games as well as the last six games played at the Barclays Center so they have started to gain a home court edge after starting off 5-9 in their first 14 games at home. The issue however is that most of the opposition has been from the Eastern Conference during this run and while a win over Golden St. was nice, the Warriors were riding a 10-game winning streak and were ripe for a letdown. Dallas meanwhile is coming off a loss in Toronto on Wednesday and it has been a great bounceback team of late, going 6-1 straight up and ATS coming off a loss. Dallas is 14-2 against teams ranked outside the top 16 in the league. 10* (809) Dallas Mavericks

The Knicks were showing positive signs at the beginning of the month as they won five straight games including solid wins over Dallas, Miami and Phoenix. Since then however, they have dropped their last five games and are 0-6 ATS in their last six games overall. The first loss during this recent skid came in Charlotte as they went down by 10 points as a one-point underdog. That is significant as now they are favored by just three points which makes the line change off by four points based on the venue switch. That is some significant value. Charlotte meanwhile has won two straight and three of its last four games with the lone defeat coming against Miami in overtime. This mini run is also helping to add to the value here. While the Knicks lost to the Bobcats last week, they also lost the first meeting in New York so they will be out for double the payback. 10* (814) New York Knicks

The Lakers are coming off a strong effort last night in Miami as they fell behind early by 11 points at halftime but kept things within reach the rest of the way. Los Angeles has now covered six straight games including all five on this current roadtrip. The Lakers have been very solid in the role of underdog, but after last night, they are in a very bad spot as getting up for Orlando is much different than getting up for Miami. They are 3-7 when playing with no rest. Orlando is coming off another loss on Wednesday as it was defeated at home by Atlanta but it was able to stay within the number. The Magic are 1-12 straight up and 3-10 ATS in their last 13 games but all three of those covers have been in the last five games and all at home where they are 3-1 ATS their last four. 10* (802) Orlando Magic

We played on the Spurs two games back as they were hosting Portland in a triple revenge game but the Blazers used an 18-6 late run to pull away after Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich was ejected with 7:18 left in the third quarter. Now San Antonio is in another triple revenge spot and this is the one that it gets the job done. The Spurs are a half-game ahead of the Thunder for the best record in the Western Conference and while it is too soon to think about playoff seedings, these head-to-head matchups are big and the Spurs can ill afford to lost the first three meetings this year. Oklahoma City played last night and defeated Portland and that was a double revenge game for the Thunder after losing the first two meetings this season against the Blazers. They have been on a roll, going 4-0 in their last four games straight up and against the number but they are ripe for the pickings tonight. The last three games have been at home and Oklahoma City is just 1-3 straight up and ATS in its last four road games and while it has been decent playing with no rest, this is the first time this year going from home to the road in a back-to-back spot. Revenge will be sweet tonight. 10* (720) San Antonio Spurs

At 14-28, Utah possesses the worst record in the Western Conference but it has actually been playing very well after a horrid start. The Jazz opened the season 1-14 but it is a much more respectable 13-14 over its last 27 games. They are coming off a 1-2 roadtrip but have won five of their last seven games at home including winning the last two outright as underdogs. The most recent loss was on Saturday at Minnesota by 26 points which makes this an immediate revenge situation. Minnesota meanwhile has been stuck in neutral for pretty much the entire season following a 3-0 start. The Timberwolves are coming off the blowout win over the Jazz but putting together a winning streak has been an issue. They are 2-12 in their last 14 games following a victory and winning on the road has been a big issue as well as they are just 7-13 away from home. The Jazz are 4-0 ATS in their last four games following a loss of more than 10 points while the Timberwolves are 9-25-1 ATS in their last 35 games following a win. Utah will also be getting Gordon Hayward back after missing the last five games with a hip injury. He leads the team with 17.1 ppg and is second with 4.9 apg. 10* (510) Utah Jazz

Several afternoon games are on the NBA card today including this one from New York with the Nets and Knicks squaring off. Both teams have been major disappointments this season but Brooklyn has been playing better of late and is actually back in the playoff mix as it is sitting in a tie for sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings. That certainly shows how weak the Eastern Conference is and despite the recent surge, I don't think Brooklyn deserves to be the favorite here. The Nets are 6-13 ATS in their last 19 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of less than .400. The Knicks meanwhile have been going backwards as they have dropped three in a row following a five-game winning streak. The last two losses have come against the Clippers and Pacers so they take a big step down in class on Monday. While the Knicks are just 1-6 straight up and ATS as home underdogs, that is offset by the fact that the Nets are 1-6 straight up and ATS as road favorites. Here, we play on home underdogs after failing to cover four of their last five games against the spread going up against an opponent that has covered six or seven of its last eight games against the spread. This situation is 102-60 ATS (63 percent) since 1996. 10* (710) New York Knicks

Washington has won three straight games to get to the .500 mark for the season and a win tonight would give the Wizards a winning record for the first time in four years and even then, they were just 2-1 so this is a big deal. The problem is they are laying a bigger than expected number and are coming off three big wins. First, Washington won in Chicago in a blowout and never allowed the Bulls to have the lead. Then on Wednesday, it defeated Miami and the game was not as close as the final score showed as the Wizards led by as many as 34 points. Last night, they again defeated the Bulls but it was a close game throughout as neither team had a lead of more than eight points. That style of game just adds to the challenge tonight. Detroit meanwhile is coming off a home loss against Utah as it trailed by as many as 29 points and that defeat snapped a modest two-game winning streak. The Pistons are definitely going in the wrong direction but the loss last night coupled with the Washington stretch has them in a solid situation here. Here, we play on road teams that are averaging between 98 and 102 ppg going up against teams allowing between 98 and 102 ppg, after allowing 100 points or more two straight games. This situation is 75-25 ATS (75 percent) over the last five seasons. Additionally, Washington is 1-5 ATS this season as a favorite of five points or more. 10* (501) Detroit Pistons

After an incredible start to the season, Portland has cooled off recently. The Blazers have won three straight games but defeating Orlando, Boston and Cleveland at home is nothing to brag about. Going back, they are 5-4 over their last nine games and more important, they are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games looking back even further. Portland has gotten the job done this season as a road underdog as it is 6-1 SU and ATS in that situation but most of that success came early on when it was flying under the radar and was actually an underdog against teams like Sacramento, Toronto and Brooklyn. The most recent win was at Oklahoma City but the Thunder have not been the same without Russell Westbrook. San Antonio has won six straight games including four straight at home to improve to 16-5 on the season. The Spurs haven't exactly been covering at a feverous pace but tonight's game will certainly have their attention. San Antonio has lost three straight meetings against the Blazers including the first meeting this year in Portland by 10 points and more importantly, the last meeting last season which was at home and resulted in a 30-point blowout. The 136 points allowed were the most San Antonio had allowed at home since 1990. Revenge is certainly on their minds tonight. Additionally, we play on home teams that are coming off a home no-cover where the team won straight up as a favorite, in January games. This situation is 55-24 ATS (69.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (818) San Antonio Spurs

The Rockets are coming off a closer than expected win last night at New Orleans as they were likely peeking ahead to this game tonight and for good reason. After losing in the playoffs last season to Oklahoma City four games to two, Houston hit the road to face the Thunder for the first time this season just over two weeks ago and it got pummeled by 31 points. The Rockets never led, shot just 36.5 percent from the floor and allowed the Thunder to shoot 57.3 percent from the field. It is safe to say Houston has had this game circled since them. The Rockets are on a three-game winning streak and have won eight of their last 11 overall including four of five at home. Oklahoma City is coming off a loss which have been more prevalent of late as it has lost five of its last eight games including three straight on the road. It is no coincidence as the Thunder are just 5-5 since Russell Westbrook went down with an injury and 6-6 in all games he has missed this season. This includes a 4-8 ATS record. The Rockets are playing on no rest but that is a nonissue as they are 8-2 straight up and against the number this season in the second of a back-to-back set. This includes a win and cover in the lone spot of playing on the road and coming back home. Additionally, Houston is 29-12 ATS in its last 41 home games coming off a divisional road win. Revenge will be sweet tonight. 10* (506) Houston Rockets

We played against Toronto on Monday and lost as the Bucks continued their woeful season and could only compete for a half. We are playing against the Raptors tonight once again as now it catches a better opponent and is playing on the road. They have been very solid on the road season, going 10-9 but the odds are against them now. Toronto has covered 10 straight games which you do not see very often and thus, we have an inflated line because of it. Boston's recent run is helping as well. The Celtics have lost nine straight games which is certainly a rough run however, looking into it shows some reason why. Six of those games were on the road with the last five coming against playoff bound teams from the Western Conference. The most recent home game came against Houston, another Western Conference playoff team. The other two home games came against Atlanta and New Orleans and those losses were by a combined four points. Boston takes a step down in competition here after a run against the West and I expect them to rebound huge with the outright upset more than a possibility. 10* (708) Boston Celtics

We waited to put this one out based on conflicting reports about Kemba Walker and his availability. There was a question about how his hand has responded the last couple days but it seems to be fine after he hurt it last game against the Bulls and while it was reported at one point he may sit, all signs point to him going tonight. In two games against the Knicks this year, he is averaging 25 ppg, 4.0 rpg and 5.5 apg so his presence is pretty big. The Bobcats have been off since Saturday and the time off certainly helped him and the team as a while as Charlotte is 3-0 both straight up and against the number in its last three games. The Knicks meanwhile have won five straight games but has their six-game cover streak come to an end last night at home against Phoenix in overtime. This is a run everyone has been waiting for but this is not a great spot as this is the first back-to-back situation for New York and it is 0-2 this season when playing at home and going on the road the next night. This is just the second home game in 18 days for the Bobcats and while they have been average, the Knicks are no better on the road. The Bobcats also fall into a positive situation where we play against teams with a winning percentage between .400 and .499 that are coming off a home no-cover where the team won straight up as a favorite, playing a losing team. This situation is 98-56 ATS (63.6 percent) since 1996. 10* (502) Charlotte Bobcats

Milwaukee is no doubt struggling this season as it is 7-29 which is the worst record in the NBA but don't think the linesmakers aren't aware of that. The Bucks are on a 0-5 straight up and ATS run as they head to Toronto to wrap up a short two-game roadtrip. Despite the worst overall record, they have not had the worst road record as they are at least a respectable 8-11 ATS on the highway. Here is the clincher. Milwaukee is 0-7 ATS as a double-digit underdog this season but five of those have been against top teams from the Western Conference and the other two came against Miami and Indiana, clearly the two best teams in the Eastern Conference. Now the Bucks are getting double-digits from Toronto? The Raptors have been covering machines which is a big reason why they are laying such a big number here as they are 9-0 ATS over their last nine games. That is a streak many will ride and I will gladly go against. The Bucks have two awesome situations on their side. First, we play on underdogs of 10 or more points that have gone three straight games making 42 percent or less of their shots going up against an opponent after five straight games of allowing 42 percent or less from the floor. This situation is 30-8 ATS (78.9 percent) since 1996. Second, we play against favorites of 10 or more points that are averaging between 98 and 102 ppg going up against teams averaging between 88 and 92 ppg, after allowing 85 points or less. This situation is 35-11 ATS (76.1 percent) since 1996. 10* (701) Milwaukee Bucks

I give Sacramento credit for some of it most recent wins as it has defeated Miami, Houston and Portland over the last two weeks but it also has losses against Charlotte and Philadelphia. This can be considered a case of the Kings stepping up against top teams and playing down against the bad ones or the opposition not taking them for real. Maybe it is a combination of both but either way, it is not good. The wins are great but the King's problem has been consistency as they are just 2-8 following a win including 1-5 when that win was at home. This is a role that has killed Sacramento backers as it is 0-9 ATS as favorites this season which directly correlates with its 0-7 ATS record at home against teams with a losing record. Orlando is on a bad run right now as it is 0-5 straight up and against the number in its last five games but it has been a tough stretch as four of those losses came against the Blazers, Clippers, Heat and Warriors. The other loss was in overtime on the road at Cleveland. Obviously the road has not been kind to the Magic as they are just 3-14 but they are a much more respectable 9-8 ATS in those games. Here, we play against home teams that are averaging between 98 and 102 ppg going up against teams allowing between 98 and 102 ppg, after scoring 100 points or more five straight games. This situation is 38-14 ATS (73.1 percent) since 1996. 10* (819) Orlando Magic

Miami has won three straight games and is clearly the better team in this matchup but the Heat are one of the most publicly bet teams in the NBA and the public loves to back them in these high profile games but it doesn't always pan out. The Heat has long been known for playing down to the opposition and that is the case again this season as they are 13-2 against the league's top ten but just 14-6 against teams below that. A 14-6 record isn't horrible but when playing those teams, they come with a big price pertaining to the spread and Miami is just 15-18 ATS this season. New York's spread record is even worse but the damage came early on when it was overpriced and couldn't win let alone cover. Since starting 3-11 ATS, the Knicks are a much more respectable 9-11 ATS in their last 20 games including covering four straight games. The last time we saw them in a national television spot like this was Christmas and they were blasted at home against the Thunder so we will see a lot more fire tonight to avoid a repeat of that. New York has won three of its last four games since Carmelo Anthony returned from a three-game absence because of a sprained left ankle and he has stepped it up of late against the Heat, averaging 38.5 ppg in his last four regular-season meetings. New York is 11-1 ATS in its last 12 home games after successfully covering the spread in three or more consecutive games while going 18-4 ATS in its last 22 home games after covering four or five of its last six games. Additionally, the Knicks are 5-0 ATS in their last five games when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game while the Heat are 0-4 ATS in their last four games following a win of more than 10 points. 10* (502) New York Knicks

Golden St. rolled over Milwaukee last night giving the Warriors 10 straight wins including all six on this current seven-game roadtrip. This is the Warriors seventh game in 11 days and fifth game in seven days and no matter how good teams may be playing, this type of packed schedule on the road is tough to overcome. They will be out to break the franchise winning streak so motivation will be there but even motivation cannot overcome fatigue. Golden St. is just 2-4 this season when playing with no rest and needed a three-pointer at the buzzer to win at Atlanta in its last game with no rest. I do not except the Warriors to get as lucky this time around. It has no doubt been a tough start this season for the Nets which came into the season as possible Eastern Conference contenders. They have been playing well of late though as they have won three straight games and will be looking for their longest winning streak of the season. They will once again be without Deron Williams whose troublesome ankle continues to keep him on the bench. While his production is missed, Brooklyn is 3-2 in the last five games he has been out of the lineup and defense has been the name of the game of late. The Nets have allowed 87.0 ppg on 41.5 percent shooting during their unbeaten start to 2014, far lower than their season marks of 101.1 ppg and 45.5 percent shooting allowed. Golden St. is just 4-12 ATS this season when favored between 3.0 and 7.5 points while Brooklyn is 4-2 ATS as an underdog in that parameter. Additionally, the Warriors are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games following an ATS win while the Nets are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games following an ATS win. 10* (706) Brooklyn Nets

The Raptors are coming off a solid effort two days ago as they led Miami going into the final quarter but were outscored 23-13 and ended up losing by five. Toronto has covered six straight and eight of its last nine games but that comes to an end tonight. They have taken control of the Atlantic Division as they are four games up on Brooklyn and Boston but sitting at .500, it shows how bad the division is. Toronto has been able to take care of the lower level teams without much issue as it is 12-4 against teams ranked in the bottom half of the NBA but it is just 2-10 against teams ranked in the top ten. One of those victories came against Indiana to open 2014 so the Pacers have that loss fresh in their heads. The Pacers have won seven of their last eight games with the Raptors loss being the only setback over that stretch. The Raptors caused the Pacers to commit a season-high 23 turnovers and record their lowest point total of the season so Indiana will be fully focused tonight and a game at Atlanta tomorrow will not provide any distractions. Playing with no rest has been the Pacers undoing this season as it is 6-4 straight up and 4-6 ATS but when playing with at least one day of rest to prepare, Indiana is 21-2 straight up and 19-4 against the number. Additionally, the Pacers are 14-2 ATS in their last 16 games following an ATS loss. They also fall into a super situation as we play on Favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points that are outscoring opponent by seven or more ppg going up teams with a +/- 3 ppg differential, after allowing 35 points or less in the first half last game. This situation is 50-20 ATS (71.4 percent) since 1996. 10* (506) Indiana Pacers

After going over the total is 13 of 14 games, the Hawks have stayed under the number in each of their last three games and I feel that streak comes to an end tonight. Atlanta has faced three very good defensive teams in each of the previous three games as Chicago and Golden St. are third and fourth respectively in defensive shooting percentage while Boston is allowing just 97.3 ppg which is sixth fewest in the NBA. Brooklyn is no where near those rankings as it is in the bottom half of both categories. The Nets are coming off two straight unders, the first coming against Oklahoma City which is ranked second in the league in defensive shooting percentage. The second came against Cleveland which is in the top half of the NBA in defensive shooting percentage. Atlanta is allowing 101.1 ppg and its 45.8 percent shooting allowed is 11th highest in the league. Both of these offenses should be able to take advantage of the weak stop units and because of the recent results, we are catching a solid total tonight. When the total is between 190 and 199.5, the teams have combined to go 24-11 to the over. Additionally, Atlanta is 21-7 to the over in its last 28 road games while Brooklyn is 10-3 to the over in its last 13 home games against teams with a losing road record. Look for a high scoring game in Brooklyn tonight. 10* Over (703) Atlanta Hawks/(704) Brooklyn Nets

Minnesota is having a decent season as it is sitting at .500 but that is not good enough in the Western Conference as Minnesota is sitting in ninth place and trails eighth place Dallas by 2.5 games. There is a ton of hoops left so the playoffs should not be discussed yet but this shows the disparity between the good teams and the elite teams and the Timberwolves are still one of the former. Playing at home will be big here as Minnesota is 10-5 at home on the season but this could be one of the most non-ideal spots for a team. The Timberwolves are coming off a win in their last game against New Orleans on Wednesday and while they have won three straight games at home in this series, it is the factors on the other side that make them in a tough spot. Oklahoma City is coming off a loss in its last game which was at home against Brooklyn on Thursday and that was actually its second straight loss at home. The Thunder had lost only once in their first 15 home games and a trip on the road may be the best cure at this point. They are 11-4 on the highway so playing on the road is a non-issue and they will be out to avoid a three-game losing streak prior to Boston coming to town on Sunday. Coming off a bad loss has been a great play as under head coach Scott Brooks, Oklahoma City is 8-0 ATS coming off an upset loss as a favorite of 10 points or more. Minnesota meanwhile is just 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games following a win and 1-6 ATS in its last seven games following a double-digit win. 10* (509) Oklahoma City Thunder

Golden St. is coming off a huge win last night as the Warriors defeated Miami by nine points as a 5.5-point underdog. It was the seventh straight win for the Warriors but now they have the tough task of playing with on rest following that victory and getting up again will be a challenge. Golden St. is 10-9 on the road and this includes a 1-3 record when the second of the back-to-back set is on the highway. Atlanta meanwhile has had two days off following a road win at Boston on New Year's Eve. It was the Hawks third win in four games with all three of those victories coming by two points or less. Going back further, Atlanta has won six of its last eight games and going back even further. It has won five straight and eight of nine at home, the lone loss coming against Oklahoma City. The Hawks have won two of three games as a home underdog and this is possibly the best spot of any of them. Additionally, Atlanta certainly has not forgotten the 22-point loss suffered here last season against Golden St. which was by far its worst home loss of the season. Here we play against road teams with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 where the line is +3 to -3 after going over the total by more than 18 points in their previous game, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 31-6 ATS (83.8 percent) over the last five seasons. Atlanta has covered six of its last seven games against the Western Conference while the Warriors are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games when their starters combine for more than 160 minutes in the previous game. 10* (806) Atlanta Hawks

Houston is coming off a horrible game last time out as it was throttled by Oklahoma City by 31 points but I expect a big bounce back tonight. The Rockets are one of the best teams in the NBA but they have gone through too many lapses as of their 12 losses, nearly half have been by double-digits but the good news is that they have rebounded well from those, going 4-0 straight up and 3-1 ATS following a loss by 10 or more points. Additionally, they are 5-0 ATS in their last five games following any loss. Getting up for Sacramento may seem like a challenge but one of those double-digit losses suffered this season came against the Kings, a 106-91 drubbing earlier this month so it will be payback time. Sacramento has been up and down this season, mostly the latter, but it is coming off two fine efforts. They defeated the Heat in overtime Friday, albeit Miami was without Wade and Allen, and then played tough at San Antonio on Sunday, losing by eight after getting outscored by 14 points in the fourth quarter. Putting forth another effort like those will be difficult especially for a team that is 3-9 on the highway. The Rockets fall into a solid situation a well as we play against teams averaging between 98 and 102 ppg going up against teams allowing 102 or more ppg, after two straight games where both teams scored 100 points or more. This situation is 121-73 ATS (62.4 percent) since 1996. 10* (508) Houston Rockets

This is the second game of a home and home between Washington and Detroit and th Pistons are in immediate revenge mode tonight following the 24-point shellacking they took on Saturday. Detroit has lost two straight, both on the road and are also riding a three-game losing streak at home but the situation is ideal tonight to snap both skids. The Pistons had won seven straight meetings against the Wizards prior to the last game including four straight victories at home. Washington lost its last game on the highway to fall to 6-9 on the road and while Detroit's home record is a half-game worse, the Wizards have lost nine of 13 road games as an underdog. The Wizards are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games following a double-digit win while Randy Wittman is just 9-24 ATS in road games after a win by 10 points or more. The Pistons fall into a great situation as we play on teams with a winning percentage between .400 and .499 where the line is +3 to -3 after going over the total by 54 or more points total in their last ten games, playing a losing team. This situation is 26-6 ATS (81.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (702) Detroit Pistons

Cleveland is coming off a loss last night in Boston by three points and it heads home in what is another great spot. We won with the Cavaliers in their last home game as they lost to the Hawks by a bucket in double overtime but cashed a ticket as they were getting three points. That improved them to 6-1 ATS as a home underdog this season and playing with no rest is not an issue as Cleveland has won all three of their games this year when going from the road back home. Even since losing to the Spurs which were resting their starters, Golden St. has reeled off four straight wins including a 29-point win against Phoenix last time out. The Warriors are a solid 11-4 at home but just 7-9 on the highway and laying a short price has not been kind to bettors as the Warriors are 4-10 ATS this season when laying fewer than seven points. Golden St. has dominated this series with five straight victories outright while cashing a ticket in the last eight meetings and that is adding to the public backing of the Warriors tonight. The Warriors are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games following a win while Cleveland is 5-1 ATS in their last six games against teams with a winning record. 10* (804) Cleveland Cavaliers

The Suns are coming off a blowout loss last night in Golden St., not exactly the start they were hoping for coming off the extended holiday break. Phoenix had won three straight and eight of its previous nine games before Friday and now it heads home in search of a bounceback. The Suns have been obviously much better at home but they are just 2-4 this season when playing with no rest and this is the first time they have been favored by double-digits which is very overaggressive in my opinion. The Sixers are playing their first game since the break and I feel this is a very good spot for them as they look to get something established on the road. The good news for Philadelphia is that Michael Carter-Williams is back in the lineup and the Christmas break actually gave him even more rest which is big. He has been a vital part to this team despite being just a rookie as the Sixers are 1-11 without him in the lineup but a much more respectable 7-9 when he plays including going 1-1 since his return. The Sixers are 4-1 ATS this season when getting double-digits while going 6-1 ATS in their last seven road games against teams with a winning home record. Meanwhile, the Suns are 3-9-1 ATS in their last 13 games against teams with a winning percentage below .400. The Sixers also fall into a solid contrarian situation as we play on road underdogs of 10 or more points that have lost eight or more of their last 10 games going up against an opponent that has won eight or more of their last 10 games. This situation is 46-17 ATS (73 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (519) Philadelphia 76ers

We have seen it numerous times in sports. A coach calls out his team for a lack of effort and the players respond with a big effort as these players do not like their egos getting bruised. Head coach Jason Kidd blasted his team following another lackluster effort on Christmas as they fell to the Bulls by 17 points, their second straight loss by that amount and fourth straight loss overall. Now is the time we see some effort and even though it is lowly Milwaukee coming to town, this game is huge. Following the game tonight, the Nets embark on a three-game road trip to Indiana, San Antonio and Oklahoma City and as of right now, that is a 0-3 roadtrip. Milwaukee lost in overtime in its last game at Charlotte, its third overtime loss over its last four games. The Bucks are just 3-11 on the road this season and while they have covered three straight, that only helps us here with the number not to mention the Bucks are just 3-7 ATS following an ATS win this season. There is no continuity or chemistry with this team as Milwaukee has used 16 different starting lineups through 28 games and that is not going to get the job done. Brooklyn falls into a fantastic league-wide situation as we play on teams that are coming off a loss by 15 points or more as a favorite going up against an opponent coming off a road cover where the team lost straight up as an underdog. This situation is 50-19 ATS (72.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (806) Brooklyn Nets

The Cavaliers enter this game with some pretty big motivation. They are riding a two-game losing streak, losing by a combined 39 points following a 16-point loss at Chicago and then a 23-point loss against Detroit at home, easily their worst home loss of the season. Cleveland had won five of its previous six home games prior to Monday's shellacking and it also comes in with some revenge on its mind following a 19-point loss in Atlanta earlier this month. The Hawks meanwhile are coming off a tough loss against Miami in overtime on Monday which snapped a three-game winning streak. The problem with the Hawks is that all three of those wins came at home and they have dropped five straight games on the road to fall to 4-9 on the highway for the season. Making them the road favorite here is overaggressive in my opinion despite the overall records as they have been in this role only once and that was way in the beginning of the season. The Cavaliers fall into an incredible situation as well as we play against favorites that are coming 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 30-8 ATS (78.9 percent) since 1996. Atlanta is 4-15 ATS in its last 19 road games after allowing 120 points or more while the Cavaliers are 5-1 ATS in their last six games against teams with a winning record. 10* (502) Cleveland Cavaliers

After taking three of four from the Clippers last season, the Warriors dropped the first meeting this season, an 11-point loss on Halloween. I expect Golden St. to avenge that loss as we are catching a very solid number for the home side in this one. The Warriors are 9-4 at home this season and while their 16-13 overall record is pretty average, playing the seventh toughest schedule in the NBA is part of the reason. After dropping nine of 14 games, Golden St. has won three of its last four including two in a row and I like the momentum to continue. The Clippers have their own momentum going as well as they have won five straight games but the last four have all come at home. They are an average 8-7 on the road and seven of those victories have come against teams that currently possess losing records including their last six. Golden St. falls into a solid situation where we play against road teams with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 where the line is +3 to -3 after going over the total by more than 18 points in their previous game, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 31-6 ATS (83.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (810) Golden St. Warriors

We won with the Lakers in their last home game, a victory over the Timberwolves. Since then, they have dropped two straight games on the road, a 19-point loss to Golden St. and a 27-point loss most recently at Phoenix. I feel this is a great spot for a bounceback and while winning the game will be a challenge, getting close to double-digits at home is extraordinary value. Miami is riding a five-game winning streak following an overtime win over Atlanta on Monday. All five of those games were at home though where the Heat are 14-2 overall but they are a much more pedestrian 7-4 on the highway and that is not much better than the Lakers 7-6 record at home. The Heat are once again overvalued and I say once again because of their 21-6 straight up record compared to their 13-14 ATS mark. The Lakers are 15-5 ATS in their last 20 games following a loss of 15 or more points and they fall into a great situation where we play against teams that are allowing between 92 and 98 ppg going up against teams allowing 102 or more ppg, after a combined score of 215 points or more two straight games. This situation is 36-13 ATS (73.5 percent) since 1996. Look for a much closer than anticipated game in Los Angeles today. 10* (806) Los Angeles Lakers

***Note 1:00 PM ET start*** Boston looks to bounce back from its last game as it lost to Detroit by blowing a 21-point lead and suffered a one-point setback. The loss snapped a two-game winning streak but I expect the Celtics to get it back tonight. They had won five of their previous six home games and overall, Boston is a game over .500 following a 0-4 start to the season so head coach Brad Stevens is getting the best out of a team that has not standout go to guys. The Celtics are 4-0 ATS in their last four home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. Washington meanwhile has won its last two games, both coming on the road which snapped a four-game losing streak. The road wins have been few and far between as the Wizards had dropped eight of their first 11 games on the highway and they have not won three straight road games since the end of the 2012 season. Going back further, Washington is 9-22 in its last 31 games coming off two or more consecutive road wins. Meanwhile, Boston is 16-5 ATS in its last 21 home games against teams allowing 99 or more ppg. The ?Celtics have been great as home favorites this season, going 5-2 both straight up and against the number and with Washington going just 3-8 straight up as a road underdog, the short price on Saturday favors the Celtics enormously. 10* (504) Boston Celtics

This is what we call line overadjustment. By now everyone knows that Kobe Bryant will be out another six weeks following a leg injury suffered at Memphis in the Lakers last game. It was unfortunate for him and the team but now Los Angeles has to move on just like it did before he came back six games ago. This was not a bad team without him as the Lakers actually went 10-9 without Bryant as opposed to 2-4 with him. This is where the overadjustment takes place as the most recent injury has prompted the linesmakers to make this line much bigger than it should be. How much so? In their last game at home without Bryant, the Lakers were 3.5-point underdogs to Portland and now they 6-point underdogs to the Timberwolves which is saying that Minnesota is 2.5 points better than Portland. I don't think so. Granted, Minnesota just blasted Portland at home and we were on the Timberwolves in that game but the spot was exceptional as the Blazers were playing their fourth game in five nights while coming off two last second victories. The Timberwolves are just 5-9 on the road and while that includes a 23-point win here back in November, that benefits us now as the Lakers not only will be rallying around the Bryant absence but also playing with revenge after the Timberwolves hung up 47 points in the first quarter. The Timberwolves are 8-20-1 ATS in their last 29 games following a win including going 0-4 ATS in their last four games following a double-digit win. The Lakers meanwhile are 4-1-1 ATS in their last six home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. 10* (818) Los Angeles Lakers

Golden St. snapped a two-game losing streak with a resounding win over New Orleans on Tuesday that was not as close as the final score indicated. The Warriors led by as many as 26 points and never allowed the Pelicans the lead and they look to carry that into Thursday as they will be out to settle a couple scores against the Spurs. Golden St. lost to San Antonio in six games in the Western Conference Semifinals last season and in the first meeting this year, it lost at San Antonio by a bucket while scoring a season low 74 points. The series clincher last season was in Golden St. as San Antonio won by 12 points so the Warriors want some redemption there as well. San Antonio is coming off a win last night against the Suns as it bounced back from an ugly loss against the Clippers on Monday. Playing against the Spurs in the second of back-to-back games used to be an automatic play but that hasn't been the case the last few years as head coach Gregg Popovich has seemed to have done a better job of working around these no rest situations. Still, the spot tonight is not a good one especially with Tim Duncan playing over 30 minutes last night. This will be the fourth time that the Spurs have had back-to-back road games and Duncan has played both games only once in the first three instances so I would not be surprised if he is a late scratch in this one. The Spurs will be without Tony Parker again tonight as he is resting his injured shin and will be reevaluated prior to Saturday's game against the Thunder, which is a revenge situation for San Antonio after getting thumped by Oklahoma City last month. The Spurs are 1-4 ATS in their last five road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600 while the Warriors are 5-2-1 ATS in their last eight home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (504) Golden St. Warriors

We bet against Portland last night and we will go against them once again here. Cleveland used a late run to stay within the number and while it looked like the game would actually go into overtime, the Blazers nailed a three-pointer with 0.4 seconds left to pull off another late victory. Portland continues to find ways to win and now at 22-4, it remains the best team in the NBA. Coming off two straight last second wins, the task tonight will be more difficult as it heads back into Western Conference play while playing their fourth game in five nights. There were high expectations in Minnesota this season, but at 12-13, the Timberwolves have been pretty disappointing. They are coming off a 1-2 roadtrip including a loss at Boston last time out and they will look to regain their footing at home where they have dropped three of their last five following a 5-1 start. This is actually a good matchup for the Timberwolves as they like to score, get out on the break, attack the middle and pass the ball well. They also draw a lot of fouls and they're accurate at shooting free-throws. Minnesota could very well catch a tired Portland team as fatigue could very settle in for the Blazers with their recent schedule. Portland won and covered all four meetings last season but only one of those games was decided by double-digits so they were close and puts Minnesota into a big revenge situation as well. The Timberwolves are 18-7-1 ATS in their last 26 games following a loss while going 19-7 ATS in their last 26 games after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game. The absence of Kevin Martin is important for sure but Minnesota has the depth capable to make up for it. 10* (716) Minnesota Timberwolves

While Detroit and Boston come in with identical records, one might deduce that there is value on the home team based on the very short number here but I do not think that is the case at all. The Pistons are inching closer and closer to getting over that hump from being a mediocre team into a very solid team. They are coming off a big road win at Indiana and that could be a season changing victory. Detroit was coming off a devastating loss against Portland the previous night at home as it blew a 19-point lead but bounced back with that huge win against the Pacers the nest night. That can no doubt be a season changer. The Pistons have won five of their last six road games with the lone defeat coming in overtime. The Celtics have won two straight games and five of their last seven following a win over Minnesota last time out on Monday. Brad Stevens has done a terrific job this season in turning a group of hodgepodge players into a competitive team but I am not sold, especially in this matchup. The Pistons are 10-2 against teams ranked outside the top 16 of the NBA while Boston is just 8-7 against teams in that same range. Detroit also falls into a phenomenal situation as we play on road teams with a winning percentage between .450 and .550 where the line is +3 to -3 that are coming off a win over a division rival as an underdog. This situation is 31-9 ATS (77.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (709) Detroit Pistons

Cleveland continues to have the biggest home/road dichotomy in the NBA as the host is 18-5 in its 23 games this season. The Cavaliers 11 losses are tied for most in the NBA but they are 7-3 at home including wins in four straight. Overall, they are 5-2 in their last seven games and catching points at home has been a solid proposition this year as Cleveland is 4-1 both straight up and against the spread as a home underdog, the lone defeat in both coming against Miami. Additionally, Cleveland is on a 6-1 ATS run. We played against Portland on Sunday and came away with the cover on the Pistons despite them blowing a 19-point lead and losing in overtime. The Blazers improved to 21-4 which is still the best record in the NBA while their 11-2 road record is also the best in the league. They have yet to lose to an Eastern Conference team which is certainly impressive but they have a game at Minnesota tomorrow night which could put them in a slight lookahead spot. Portland has dominated as a big favorite this year but is just 3-5 as a favorite between three and six points while Cleveland is 4-1 ATS when getting points in the same range. The Cavaliers have an underrated home court edge and that will pay dividends on Tuesday. 10* (502) Cleveland Cavaliers

The Clippers return home following a seven-game roadtrip that took over two weeks and they were able to capture the finale at Washington to go 4-3 in those games. Los Angeles is 8-2 at home and it will look to get back to the winning following a loss against Indiana in its most recent game at the Staples Center. Surprisingly, the Clippers are just 6-6 against the Eastern Conference but 10-3 against the Western Conference while going 6-3 against the top ten teams in the NBA and those six wins are tied for most in the league. The Spurs have won four straight but none of those wins have come against teams over .500 and you have to go all the way back to November 8th to find the last time they beat a team with a winning record currently, a span of 17 games. Over that stretch, San Antonio went 0-3 against winning teams and on the season it is just 3-4 against the league's top 10. Obviously, the Spurs are a very solid team at 19-4 but I do not think they should be a road favorite here and the line has actually gone up. The Spurs are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games against teams with a winning percentage above .600 while the Clippers are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. Additionally, we have a great situation going for us as we play against road favorites with a winning percentage of .750 or better after having covered three of their last four games against the spread, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 78-43 ATS (64.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (716) Los Angeles Clippers

Despite heavy action on Portland, this line has actually come down which shows a reverse line movement and that is favorable for us here. The Blazers are coming off a blowout win last night over the Sixers as they put up a season high 139 points. The last time Portland scored 130 points, it did so against Utah and came back the next night to lose. The Blazers have the best ATS record in the NBA and that is a big reason for the heavy action but this is a very tough spot with them playing their third game in four nights as well as their sixth game in 10 days. Detroit is coming off a win on Friday and while we missed the cover by a bucket, we will ride the Pistons again in this situation. Detroit was rolling along with a 6-2 run including four straight wins before losing its last three games prior to Friday so it got some of its momentum back. The Pistons are playing with revenge after losing in Portland a month ago by six points as a 4.5-point underdog so you can see the line movement from then to now has not changed much despite the venue change. The Blazers are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games after scoring more than 125 points in their previous game while the Pistons are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game. Additionally, the Pistons fall into a great situation where we play on home underdogs after failing to cover four of their last five against the spread going up against an opponent having covered six or seven of their last eight against the spread. This situation is 101-58 ATS (63.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (806) Detroit Pistons

We are playing a rare NBA total here but these will become more regular going forward as we have some solid history to work with plus we have a very good idea of where the linesmakers are starting to shade the totals towards. Sacramento comes in with a 6-14 record as its losing ways continue but at least the offense has shown a pulse as the Kings have gone over 100 points in four straight games. To no surprise, all four of those games have gone over the total and overall, Sacramento is 9-2 to the over when surpassing the century mark. Now however, the Kings are seeing their highest over/under of the season and we are banking on the over run to come to a halt. Phoenix is also on an over run, surpassing the total in two straight games as well as six of its last seven contests. The majority of the Suns games have gone over this season but like the Kings, this is the highest total they have seen all season. The recent over runs on both sides are definitely playing into that but this is the time to hit the other way because of the significant value. Sacramento games are averaging 200.6 ppg while Phoenix games are averaging 201.7 ppg so there is plenty of leverage in this total tonight. Here we play the under where the total is greater than or equal to 200 involving home teams after two or more consecutive overs going up against a road opponent after four or more consecutive overs. This situation is 54-21 (72 percent) to the under the last five seasons. Additionally, Sacramento is 9-0 to the under in its last nine road games after a loss by 20 points or more while Phoenix is 15-5 to the under in its last 20 games coking off a win as a road underdog. 10* Under (823) Sacramento Kings/(824) Phoenix Suns

After a sluggish start, the Nets responded in a big way as they outscored the Clippers by 36 points after trailing by 13 points in the first quarter. It was the third straight victory for Brooklyn which is finally starting to look like the NBA title contender it was pegged as early in the season. Or is it? A win over Milwaukee was unimpressive. A win over Boston was decent but the Nets were catching the Celtics coming off a 41-point win over the Knicks. Beating the Clippers was impressive but Los Angeles was coming off a victory over Boston the prior night so the spot for Brooklyn was pretty favorable. Tonight it is the opposite as the Nets hit the road with no rest for the first time following a home game. They have not been very good following a victory, going just 1-5 in their next game. Detroit was rolling along with a 6-2 run including four straight wins before losing its last three games. The Pistons lost a revenge game against the Heat, were not ready for Minnesota and in their last game, lost a tough one to New Orleans in overtime. We are going contrarian here as the Nets are on a 3-0 ATS run while the Pistons are on a 0-3 ATS run which adds to the value. The Pistons are 18-7 ATS in their last 25 games after failing to cover the spread in two or more consecutive games while the Nets are 2-10 ATS this season against teams allowing 99 or more ppg. Additionally, Detroit is 5-1 ATS this season as a favorite of four or more points while going 5-1 ATS at home against losing teams. Look for a big win from the Pistons tonight in the great spot they are in. 10* (810) Detroit Pistons

Houston hits the road for the start of a three-game weekend roadtrip as it looks to extend its modest two-game winning streak in Portland tonight. The Rockets were pegged NBA title contenders before the season started and they seem to be rounding into form after a rough stretch in the early part of November. Surprisingly though, they have played a relatively easy schedule, ranked 23rd in the NBA, even though the Western Conference has been extremely tough. it shows in the records as Houston is 7-1 against the Eastern Conference while going just 8-6 against the Western Conference. Portland is 9-2 at home this season with one of those losses coming against Houston by 16 points just over a month ago. That defeat, coupled with this game being on national television, will give Portland a ton of energy to get its redemption on its home floor. The Blazers are the surprise of the NBA as they currently possess the best record in the Western Conference and not many saw this coming after last season's 33-49 record which saw them lose their final 13 regular season games. They are 10-4 against the Western Conference this season and the offense is leading the charge as the Blazers have scored 100 or more points in nine consecutive games, their longest such streak since they scored 100 or more in the final 13 games of the 1993-94 season. This is the first game in the Rose Garden since a loss against Dallas on Saturday so this place will be pumped. Look for the Blazers to get their redemption tonight. 10* (504) Portland Trailblazers

The Celtics are coming off a loss last night in Brooklyn as they were not in a very good spot, having just come off a 41-point win in New York in their previous game against the Knicks. Now they return home to face their former coach Doc Rivers for the fist time since he left for the Clippers where Boston is 5-5 on the season including wins in its last three games at TD Garden. The Celtics still cling on to a two-game lead in the incredibly weak Atlantic Division and this is the start of a five-game homestand through the next 11 days. This is the fifth game of a season high seven-game roadtrip for the Clippers and the early results have been average at best. They are 2-2 through their first four games and overall, they are 6-6 on the highway compared to 8-2 at home. This is not the best time for a big roadtrip as depth is now a huge concern for Los Angeles as it is dealing with injuries to J.J. Redick, Matt Barnes and Reggie Bullock. The Clippers are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games following an ATS win while the Celtics are 4-0 ATS in their last four games following an ATS loss. Boston is 15-3 ATS in its last 18 home games against teams allowing 99 or more ppg and even though Rivers is still extremely appreciated in Boston still, sending him out of town with a loss is a huge goal for the Celtics. And that is certainly not out of the question. 10* (704) Boston Celtics

The return of Kobe Bryant did not go as planned as the Lakers lost to Toronto in his season debut as he struggled considerably. I expect him to perform better and for the Lakers to grab a big win in his second game back. To their credit, they played pretty good without Bryant as they went 10-9 in the 19 games he missed and with the Western Conference as tough as it is, they cannot afford to stay at this level. After the Phoenix game, Los Angeles goes on the road for four games in five nights, starting things off in Oklahoma City on Friday which makes this game pretty important. Phoenix has been one of the bigger surprises in the NBA as it was picked by many to finish last in the Western Conference but currently it is sitting in eighth place with an 11-9 record. The Suns own quality victories over Portland (twice) and Houston, but also lost to Sacramento (twice), Utah and Brooklyn so they have been very inconsistent. They have won two straight games which is their fifth two-game winning streak but have yet to win three straight games. The Lakers are 4-0-1 ATS in their last five games following a loss and 5-1-1 ATS in their last seven home games against teams with a losing road record. The home team has owned this series with nine straight wins and I expect that to continue tonight. 10* (516) Los Angeles Lakers

This line came out late due to the injury situation for Denver as Ty Lawson is listed as doubtful for this game. The Nuggets conclude their six-game roadtrip tonight after going 3-2 through the first five games. They are coming off a win at Philadelphia on Saturday after losing two straight games and this has been a very favorable roadtrip as not one game have come against a team with a winning record but this is as close as it gets as Washington is the best of the bunch at a game under .500. The Nuggets have won five of their last seven road games but with the return home upcoming, I do not see a fully focused effort here. Washington got off to a horrible start, losing seven of its first nine games but it has been playing much better, going 7-3 over its last 10 games. The Wizards are coming off a loss against Milwaukee in its last game on Friday in overtime and they will certainly want to make up for that poor effort. Washington had won five straight games at home prior to that and at 6-3, it does have a solid home edge considering two of those losses came in overtime. The Wizards are 4-0 ATS in their last four games following an ATS loss while the Nuggets are 5-12 ATS in their last 17 games against teams with a losing record. Look for Washington to send the Nuggets home with a roadtrip split. 10* (706) Washington Wizards

The Kings have played a brutal schedule this season as it is currently ranked second hardest in the NBA. Of their 12 losses, three are against the Clippers, two are against the Warriors, two are against the Blazers and one is against the Thunder. That is a tough way to start the season and they are currently riding a five-game losing streak with four of those losses coming against the aforementioned teams. The other loss over this stretch came in Los Angeles against the Lakers by 14 points so Sacramento will be out for some payback as well as trying to halt its losing skid. The Lakers have been playing pretty well of late as they have won five of their last seven games while covering six of those. The good play however can be lost momentum wise as they have not played since Sunday so while rest is good, killing a good thing could be even worse. While many thought Kobe Bryant would be returning for this game, it has been pushed back to Sunday against Toronto for his season debut. I don't think it makes a difference either way as his presence would be huge but he could also affect chemistry and come in with a bit of rust. Nonetheless, the Kings do not have to worry about that and they will be out to grab their first win of the season when favored as they are 5-0 straight up and against the number when laying points. However, the Lakers are 1-13 ATS in their last 14 road games coming off a home loss and they are just 9-21 ATS in their last 30 games as a road underdog. I expect the Kings to get their revenge tonight and snap their losing streak in the process. 10* (818) Sacramento Kings

Not only does Portland have the best record in the Western Conference, but it has been a covering machine as the Blazers are 14-5 against the number, which is tied for best in the NBA. Now they are doing something they have not done all season and that is laying double-digits. Portland is a perfect 7-0 ATS as an underdog this season but a much less impressive 7-5 ATS as a favorite including going just 4-4 ATS when laying four or more points. This is as breather alert for the Blazers as well as they are coming off games against Indiana and Oklahoma City while having a game on deck for Saturday against Dallas. Getting 100 percent out of Portland will be difficult. At 4-16, the Jazz have the worst record in the Western Conference but they have been playing their best of the season of late, going 3-2 in their last five games. Utah has been more competitive as well as after starting the season 1-6-1 ATS, it is 8-4 against the number over its last 12 games and a lot of that is due to the poor straight up record, forcing linesmakers to inflate the lines. This is proven by the Jazz going 4-1 ATS in their last five games as double-digit underdogs. The Blazers are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 home games against teams with a losing road record while the Jazz are 4-1 ATS in their last five road games against teams with a winning home record. Additionally, we play against home favorites of 10 or more points after three or more consecutive wins, with a winning record on the season playing a losing team. This situation is 101-57 ATS (63.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (819) Utah Jazz

Miami had its 10-game winning snapped in its last game, a 10-point setback at home against the Pistons and I am expecting a big Heat rebound here. This will be the side of many for sure but it is the perfect situation to be playing Miami as a road favorite and it has thrived in the role so far this season, going 5-2 straight up and against the number. The Heat have been one of the best teams in the NBA coming off a loss as they are 2-1 this season after going 20-3 last season so consecutive losses have been few and far between. Additionally, they are 14-3 ATS in their last 17 games following a loss as well as going a perfect 5-0 ATS following a double-digit loss at home with all of those wins coming by double-digits and by an average of 17.5 ppg. Chicago lost its last game against New Orleans in triple overtime at home. It was the first home loss of the season for the Bulls which opened at 5-0 at the United Center but it was also the first home game with a depleted roster as they were missing guard Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler. The Bulls are 1-4 without Rose and they are 1-6 without Butler as well so while the Rose absence is obviously huge, this whole backcourt is depleted. The home crowd energy will be big no doubt but that is the case with every team when Miami comes to town so it is something the Heat are used to. They like the spotlight as they are 20-8 ATS in their last 28 Thursday night games while the Bulls are 0-7 ATS in their last seven games after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game including a 0-3 ATS record this season. 10* (505) Miami Heat

The NBA's biggest positive surprise is back in action following an upset win over Indiana on Monday. The Blazers improved to 15-3 to keep pace with the Spurs for the best record in the Western Conference. The most surprising thing about Portland's 15-3 record is the fact that two of those losses were blowout defeats in Phoenix so it has lost to just one other team the entire season. Make that two after tonight. Overall, the Blazers schedule is ranked relatively high in strength but it is hard to ignore the fact that of their 18 games, 10 have come against teams with a losing record and three others against teams just two games over .500 or worse. The win over the Pacers was solid no doubt but I do not see another quality win again. Oklahoma City is coming off a lethargic effort last night and that is just fine with us as it shows a likely lookahead to this game. The Thunder won by just two points at Sacramento but it was their eighth straight victory and they should come into this game with a chip on their shoulder showing that the Western Conference championship still has to come through them. Playing with no rest is not an issue as they have covered the lone game this season and are 5-0 ATS in their last five games in the second of a back-to-back set. Meanwhile, the Blazers are 1-5 ATS in their last six games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. 10* (715) Oklahoma City Thunder

It has been a horrible start to the season for the Nets as they are 5-12 but if there is any good news, it is the fact they are just a game and a half out of first place in the dreadful Atlantic Division. Brooklyn did pick up a much needed win at Memphis last time out and it hopes to carry that momentum back home where it has lost four in a row after opening 0-2. Their six home games are tied for the fewest in the NBA and to their credit, the Nets have played the fifth toughest schedule in the NBA. Denver meanwhile is playing some good basketball as it has won six straight games including three straight on the road. While the Nuggets are hot, putting them in the role of a big favorite on the road is a little overaggressive. This is a 6.5-point swing from their game at Toronto on Sunday and that is simply too much, even if he Nets are a banged up team right now. The starters may have gotten the wakeup call of the benching from the weekend, thus playing with more energy and passion. The Nuggets are 3-10 ATS in their last 13 games against teams with a losing record while the Nets have covered six of their last seven games playing with two days rest. 10* (508) Brooklyn Nets

San Antonio owns the best record in the Western Conference at 13-1 and that is tied with Indiana for the best record in the entire NBA. The Spurs have won 11 straight games and they have covered six of their last eight games heading into this one and those runs are keeping this number rather short. This is actually the first time in seven road games they have actually been underdog and for good reason as they have played the 25th ranked schedule in the NBA. Oklahoma City comes in 9-3 including wins in its last four games. All three losses have come on the road as the Thunder are a perfect 6-0 at home and speaking of perfect, they have won and covered five straight meetings at home against the Spurs with those victories coming by an average of 12 ppg. Oklahoma City has had one more day off than San Antonio has which could make a difference but even more important is the fact that Russell Westbrook rested in their last game so he will be more than ready to go. Here, we play against underdogs that are coming off a home win by 10 points or more against opponent off a home win by 20 points or more. This situation is 102-60 ATS (63 percent) since 1996. Oklahoma City is 14-4 ATS in its last 18 games against teams allowing 43 percent or less shooting while going 4-0 ATS in its last four home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (720) Oklahoma City Thunder

We are going against the grain by taking a road favorite here but the situation sets up well for Golden St. The Warriors have lost three straight games after winning four in a row and most surprising is the fact that two of those losses have come at home. A trip to New Orleans could do them good however as they swept the four-game season series a year ago with Stephen Curry and Davis Lee having some really big games. Golden St. is 3-4 on the road but two of those losses came against the Clippers and Spurs. It is 3-6 against the top 16 teams in the NBA but a perfect 5-0 against the bottom 16 and that is where New Orleans falls into. The Pelicans are coming off a loss in San Antonio last night which snapped their three-game winning streak. They are 6-7 which is decent but they have played the second easiest schedule in the NBA and have faced only three teams ranked in the top 10, going 1-2. New Orleans is 5-2 at home but has not defeated a team with a winning record on its home floor. The Warriors are 8-0 ATS in their last eight games following a double-digit loss at home while the Pelicans are 2-7 ATS in their last nine games against teams with a winning record. Additionally, Golden St. falls into an incredible situation where 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 and 102 ppg, after allowing 100 points or more two straight games. This situation is 26-2 ATS (92.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (507) Golden St. Warriors