Sports Picks & Predictions

Detroit remains one of two winless teams in the NBA but let's face it, the schedule makers did it no favors to try and get off to a fast start. The Pistons opened the season with a home game against the Rockets and immediately went on a six-game west coast roadtrip right after that. Obviously they dropped all six games and some of the situations were impossible as they faced Denver and the Lakers, both of which came in at 0-3 as well as other tough spots. This is one team that is happy to be home.

The Thunder have won four straight games with the victory over the Pistons being their last game. We won on Detroit in that game based on the situation of Oklahoma City coming off a big road win the previous night in Chicago and we will be going against the Thunder this time based on the situation again but more so for line value. They were favored by 11.5 points so a change in venue should knock that down to roughly 3.5 points but we are seeing an inflated number in its place.

Oklahoma City has played five of its last six games at home including a victory last night over Cleveland that was not as easy as the final score showed. The Thunder needed a big fourth quarter to pull away so it wasn't a game where they coasted and were able to rest their starters for tonight. Obviously this is still one of the best teams in the Western Conference even without James Harden but with that comes public attention and public money and we take advantage of the poor line here.

The Pistons will be trying to avoid the worst start in franchise history as Detroit has opened with seven straight losses for the third time, the first since 1981. This team, if nothing else, should be playing for pride and looking to avoid being part of futile history. "The way we are playing right now is unacceptable," said veteran Tayshaun Prince, who had 13 points and six rebounds against the Rockets. "Guys should be upset right now." This is the time to turn things around as Detroit has to hit the road again on Tuesday.

The Pistons are 2-0 ATS this season as underdogs of fewer than seven points and the underdog has covered seven of the last 10 meetings in this series. Expect more of the same here as we see a highly focused and energetic Pistons effort tonight on their home floor. 10* (706) Detroit Pistons

We played this over on Friday and it was Orlando that let us down as the Magic scored a mere 68 points on 42.9 percent shooting. The problem was they took only 70 shots and they went to the free throw line only eight times which is unheard of in the NBA. Now they get a rematch with Brooklyn and we can expect Orlando to be a little more aggressive this time around in hopes of getting to the rim. The Magic scored 30 points in the paint and that obviously has to increase. The Nets did their part as expected as they were coming off a disastrous offensive effort at Miami as they scored just 73 points on 30-80 (37.5 percent) shooting. This included a putrid 3-21 (14.3 percent) from long range. They got worse as the game went along as Brooklyn scored a mere 32 second half points. Brooklyn bounced back with 107 points on 50 percent shooting and it matched the second half output against Miami with a 32-point fourth quarter against the Magic. The Nets offense has been better at home in the young season as they are shooting 46.8 percent including 50 percent from long range. They will be facing an Orlando defense that is allowing opponents to shoot 46.3 percent from the floor so Brooklyn should have no problem keeping the offense rolling. The Magic have had their struggles shooting on the road so far but the Nets are allowing opponents to shoot 47.6 percent in their home games so expect a big bounceback as Orlando has no where to go but up. Because of the low scoring game on Friday, the total has dropped from 195 then to 191 in this matchup so we are catching a good amount of value. Orlando has gone under in two straight games and the same goes for the Nets and today's total is well below any over/under each has seem over this stretch. Going back to last season, the over is 18-3-1 in Orlando's last 22 games after scoring less than 75 points in its previous game while the Nets are 5-0 to the over in their last five home games. There is a solid situation in pay as well as we play the over involving a team coming off a blowout win by 15 points or more going up against an opponent after scoring 80 points or less in two straight games. This situation is 45-19 (70.3 percent) to the over since 1996. 10* Over (501) Orlando Magic/(502) Brooklyn Nets

Phoenix trailed by as many as 26 points against Cleveland last night but came all the way back by closing the game on a 16-7 run and winning the game by two points. It was the second straight win for the Suns as they evened their record at 3-3 and now hit the road for the fourth time. They are 1-2 on the highway, losing badly to Orlando and Miami and their only win came against Charlotte which certainly isn't saying much. Coming off that big win on Friday, we should see a major letdown tonight. While the Suns were coming off an enormous come-from-behind victory, the Jazz were getting pummeled at Denver, losing by 20 points. Utah fell to 0-4 on the road thus year and only one of those losses was close and that was a game it was favored in so the Jazz have yet to cover on the road either. The issue last night was terrible shooting, namely from long range as the Jazz were 4-23 (17.4 percent) from behind the arc while shooting just 36.8 percent overall. Expect a big rebound tonight. Utah is 2-0 at home as it owns big wins over Dallas and Los Angeles and it is pretty well known that it has one of the best home court advantages in the NBA. The Jazz went 25-8 last season after a disappointing 2010-11 season and they again look to establish a big edge there. One of the big factors this season is defense as Utah is allowing opponents to shoot 46.4 percent on the road compared to 35.8 percent at home and that latter percentage is the best in the league. Phoenix is shooting just 43 percent on the road and like Utah, the Suns cannot play defense on the highway as they are allowing a whopping 49.1 percent shooting in their three road games which is the fifth highest percentage in the NBA. This includes a dismal 57.6 percent allowed from long range as opponents are averaging 11.3 made three-pointers per game. The Utah offense should thrive once again as it has averaged 104 ppg in the two home games. Going back to last season, the Suns are 0-7 ATS in their last seven games following a win while the Jazz are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. 10* (714) Utah Jazz

After a rough season a year ago, things were supposed to be better in Detroit this season but so far that has not been the case. The Pistons are 0-5 and the schedule has been totally against them. They opened the season against Houston and after building an 11-point lead to the rebuilding Rockets, they melted down in the fourth quarter to lose by nine points. Then started a six-game west coast roadtrip and that is a tough situation for any team in the beginning of the season. The Pistons kept it tight against the Suns, losing by just three points and then the situations completely went against them. Detroit faced the Lakers which came in at 0-3 and was pounded and then faced the Nuggets which also came in at 0-3 and was pounded again. The Pistons again played well last time out against Sacramento but just fell short once again. While facing another elite opponent tonight, the situation is on their side. Oklahoma City is coming off a game last night in Chicago and while it is 1-0 this season in the second of a back-to-back set, the first situation had the Thunder coming off a loss. Thursday, the Thunder overcame a six-point deficit and outscored the Bulls 31-19 in the fourth quarter to pull out the big road win. The no rest coupled with that huge victory puts Oklahoma City in a very vulnerable spot tonight against a hungry Pistons team searching for their first win. Detroit has a rematch with Houston tomorrow which finally ends this trip and it would like to go into that finale with some much needed momentum and confidence. Detroit falls into a great contrarian situation as we play on road underdogs of 10 or more points in the first half of the season that are getting outscored by their opponents by six or more ppg. This situation is 48-21 ATS (69.6 percent) over the last five seasons. The Thunder have owned this series but they encounter a letdown spot here while laying their biggest point spread of the season. Admittedly, Detroit has not been very good as a double-digit underdog of late but this is a good spot for it to keep this one close. 10* (515) Detroit Pistons

The Clippers cashed very easily last night as they routed the Spurs and got at least a little bit of redemption from the sweep that San Antonio put on them in last season's playoffs. Los Angeles moved to 3-2 on the season and while last night can be considered a momentum boost, I consider it the perfect setup for a letdown. The Clippers now go from home underdogs to road favorites in a span of just one day and while the level of the opposition has gone down, this is certainly no easy task in one of the tougher environments to play for road teams. Also, playing with no rest could cause a problem as last week, after beating the Lakers on Friday, the Clippers lost to Golden State on Saturday and that was with no travel. Portland is expected to miss out on the playoffs this season as it is considered to be a rebuilding time for the Blazers after a horrible finish to last season which prompted some changes. The Blazers opened the season with a home rout of the Lakers, which isn't looking as impressive as it once was, and then hit the road where they went just 1-2 including a loss at Dallas on Monday. After shooting 50.6 percent from the field against the Lakers, they shot 35.9, 41 and 38.7 percent from the floor during the roadtrip so a return home is a big help. The Clippers won three of the four meetings last season but those three victories came by a combined nine points and two of those were in Los Angeles. Portland does have some matchup headaches for the Clippers as LaMarcus Aldridge has had some good games against Blake Griffin and tends to bother Griffin with his length while J.J. Hickson has had some monster games against Los Angeles, scoring 27, 28 and 29 in three of his last four meetings. Keep an eye on Griffin who had a huge game last night but it dealing with that burst bursa sac in his right elbow and that could affect him in the second of a back-to-back set. Speaking of back-to-back sets, the flight from Los Angeles to Portland may seem innocent enough but it is among the tougher travel days the NBA allows. 10* (704) Portland Trailblazers

The Clippers opened the season a perfect 2-0 but they have dropped their last two games, both coming at home and both coming against teams not expected to be in the playoffs come postseason time. Whether it was a simple lack of focus or part of the letdown/lookahead cycle, I expect Los Angeles to rebound tonight as it will be hungry for a victory. The Clippers lost to Cleveland in their last game as they committed 25 turnovers and that is never going to provide a chance to win. Taking care of the ball is a must against the Spurs who are 4-0 for the first time in franchise history which is definitely a surprise considering all of the powerful teams they have put on the floor in the past. The last three wins have taken place at home as the only road game came at New Orleans to open the season and San Antonio was fortunate to come out of there with a victory. This is the start of a four-game roadtrip for the Spurs which are very unlikely to keep the winning streak going and this is the spot for it to end. Many have expected the Spurs to take a step back this year but the season is a long one and that can very well happen still even though they are showing signs of simply getting better. However Los Angeles will be playing with a chip on its shoulder. This is one of the biggest one-way series in recent NBA history as the Spurs have won 48 of the last 54 meetings including 24 of the 28 meetings played in Los Angeles. The Clippers have broken through with some wins in recent years as they have gotten better but the history includes a four-game sweep in the playoffs last season and the Clippers have not forgotten. At that time, the Spurs were riding a 14-game winning streak coming into that series as they were red hot and while they may be hot again, it doesn't compare to that. The unblemished start has the betting public's attention and while making the Spurs the favorite here is the right call because of that, the value clearly lies on the home team. 10* (526) Los Angeles Clippers

We won with Orlando in their season opener against Denver as the Magic opened fast and never looked back to cruise to an easy victory. They did not let down as they came back even stronger and defeated Phoenix by 21 points on Sunday to move to a very surprising 2-0. Now Orlando hits the road for the first time and it will not be an easy task heading to Chicago. The Magic closed last season by going 1-6 in their final seven road games and those were all without Dwight Howard in the lineup. There are some issues going on as Al Harrington has not played and will be out for a while and starter Hedo Turkoglu is out at least four weeks after breaking his hand in the season opener. Guard Jameer Nelson is listed as questionable as well. The Bulls opened the season 2-0 but they are coming off a loss in their last game against New Orleans at home. It was a rare home loss considering Chicago had lost just 12 regular season home games over the previous two seasons and started last year 8-0 at home before losing their first game. Even more impressive is the fact that Chicago has not lost consecutive home games since March of 2010. Yes, there is no Derrick Rose in the lineup but this is still a very solid Chicago team that continues to play solid defense. The Bulls are among the NBA's best in scoring defense at 87.3 ppg and field-goal defense at 41.2 percent and it will take a good effort as Orlando has been very solid on offense, averaging 108.5 ppg and shooting 48.9 percent from the floor. The road team won all three meetings last season with Chicago winning twice and Orlando shocking the Bulls by five points as six-point underdogs so Chicago will be more than ready here. The Bulls are 39-16-2 ATS in their last 57 games following a loss while going 23-9 ATS in their last 32 games coming off a loss as a favorite. Chicago wins this one going away. 10* (702) Chicago Bulls

Golden St. is coming off a win at Los Angeles on Saturday as it upset the Clippers but the Warriors were in a terrific spot there as they were catching Los Angeles coming off its big win over the Lakers the previous night. They will not be facing a team with a letdown situation tonight though so even though Golden St. takes a big step down in competition, the situation is extremely more difficult. The Warriors are 2-1 on the season with both wins surprisingly coming on the road, the first come against the Suns in their season opener. I consider this a pretty big aberration as the Warriors went only 11-22 on the road last season. Sacramento meanwhile has started the season 0-3 as it is one of four winless teams remaining in the league. The Kings have a legitimate excuse though as they are one of just three teams remaining in the NBA that has yet to play a game at home and to no surprise, those teams are a combined 1-7 (Denver and Memphis being the other two). Sacramento finally returns home tonight and it is the start of a big stretch where 10 of its next 12 games are at home so this is where things are going to start and take shape overall, either for the good or the bad. Last season Sacramento had the second worst road record in the NBA but it was a game under .500 at home and with another year of maturity, this team will only start to get better. Defensively, they have done that already and even though it is early, the Kings have allowed 7.4 ppg less and allowed 8.2 percent less shooting that last season and that was a big emphasis coming into the season. The Warriors have not started 3-0 on the road in 18 years while the Kings have not started a season 0-4 in four years and both of those records will be safe after tonight. Golden St. is 53-80 ATS in its last 133 road games after scoring 110 points or more in its previous game. 10* (514) Sacramento Kings

Toronto finds itself in a good spot on Sunday in search of its first win of the season. The Raptors lost their season opener against Indiana at home by just a bucket and are coming off their second loss of the season last night against the Nets. It was Brooklyn's first game of the season and obviously first game in its new city and on top of that, the Nets were playing right after the hurricane disaster which added to the emotion of the night. The difference in the game ended up being free throws as Brooklyn went to the line 37 times compared to just 25 times for Toronto. Now the Raptors head back home and the no rest factor will not come into play this early in the season. Minnesota has played just once so far and it came away with a relatively easy win against Sacrament. Considering the Kings went 6-27 on the road last season, which was the second worst road record in the NBA, that victory is not overly impressive. The Timberwolves take to the road for the first time this season and they will do so as a banged up unit. Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love are both out until December at the very earliest so Minnesota is putting together a team that is pretty unfamiliar with each other as newcomers Brandon Roy and Andrei Kirilenko have been inserted into the starting lineup. While the Timberwolves are dealing with injuries, the Raptors are healthy and that was not the case a season ago as injuries held them back all year. The big one was Andrea Bargnani who missed 31 games last season and the Raptors went 10-21 in his absence. One game that he did not miss was the lone meeting against Minnesota and he outdueled Love by scoring 31 points. He is coming a pretty average game last night but expect a rebound tonight. The Timberwolves are 1-8 ATS in their last nine games against teams with a winning percentage below .400 and the favorite has owned this series, covering 11 of the last 12 meetings. 10* (704) Toronto Raptors

This line is a complete overreaction to early season predictions and what the media has fed people. Orlando lost Dwight Howard which is certainly no secret and because of that, the Magic are already done for the season. Let's not forget the Magic were without Howard for their final 10 regular season games last year and they went 5-5 ATS so they know they can compete. They rallied around each other and arguably played with more heart than they had before. The rebuilding process is on but with veterans like Jameer Nelson, Hedo Turkoglu and Aaron Afflalo, there is plenty of talent and fight on this team. Add in a new coach in Jacque Vaughn and watch this team fight strong in its season opener. Denver lost its season opener against the Sixers so it will definitely be out to get its first win of the season here. Winning and covering a large spread on the road are two different things however. The Nuggets are expected to be contenders in the Western Conference and one publication actually predicted them to win the conference. The addition of Andre Iguodala was one of the best pickups in the offseason that got no attention and that is the way he and the Nuggets like it. This is a very strong team but there may be some peaking ahead to tomorrow as Denver goes to Miami to take on the World Champion Heat. As the season goes on, Orlando will struggle as there probably isn't enough there to contend this year but the start of it all brings in high hopes and ambitions. "That lack of expectations is a great incentive for us to get out there and compete and be at our best and do it with a chip on our shoulder," Afflalo said. "There's nothing wrong with that, using any and everything to kind of fuel our motivation in terms how hard we compete." Expect a great effort to open the season. Also, the Magic fall into a great situation where we play on home underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points coming off a season with a winning percentage between .450 and .550. This situation is 34-11 ATS (75.6 percent) since 1996. 10* (704) Orlando Magic

Oklahoma City makes its season debut tonight as a bit of a different team that made it to the NBA Finals last season. Contract negotiations between the Thunder and James Harden forced them to trade him to the Rockets in exchange for Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb. The move proved to be great for the Rockets last night as they forged a furious fourth quarter comeback and the Thunder hope to get off to a big start this season as well. They are coming off a great season but fell short in the NBA Finals against Miami so there is plenty of motivation heading into the new season. The loss of Harden hurts but the addition of Martin is a good one as long as Oklahoma City adjusts its way of playing. Martin offers an opportunity for the Thunder to greatly benefit by utilizing an offensive threat that has not been in place before as his skills as a shooter and mover without the ball makes him a constant threat that defenses must be aware of whenever he's on the court. Motivation is in place for San Antonio as well as its season was ended last year by the Thunder as the Spurs lost in the Western Conference Finals after posting a 2-0 series lead, which included adding to their 20-game winning streak, before folding and losing the last four games. If this was their season opener as well, this would not be the situation to play the Thunder but San Antonio played and won last night over New Orleans in a game that was much closer than anticipated. The Spurs finished with the best record in the Western Conference last season but they are not expected to duplicate that again this year as they have been picked by many to take a pretty big fall. This team is not getting any younger and a shortened season last year was probably the best thing that could have happened. Manu Ginobili missed Wednesday's season opener in New Orleans because of back spasms and he is questionable again tonight so the Spurs could be shorthanded once again. San Antonio is always a touch place to play but I expect the Thunder to be the much better team tonight. They have thrived in these high-profile television spots as they are 16-5 ATS in their last 21 Thursday games. 10* (503) Oklahoma City Thunder

It is rebuilding time in Houston as it was evidenced even more on Saturday when the Rocket acquired James Harden from Oklahoma City and got rid of Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb which frees up future salary cap room. Not much was expected this season anyway as many have picked the Rockets to finish last in the Western Conference and while Harden is a great player, trying to bond with his new team will be tough early in the season. We will see that on Wednesday.

Last year was a disaster for Detroit as it finished 25-41 but after a very slow start where they went 4-20, the Pistons played well down the stretch of the season by going 21-21 over its final 42 games. It's no secret the Piston players and coaches felt like strangers before the start of last season but there's a different energy around the facility this year and even though they are not predicted to make the playoffs, we should see a much better start to the season this time around.

Obviously the Pistons want to get off to a good start and doing so at home is a must as the schedule takes a turn for the worst. After Wednesday's opener at The Palace, the Pistons play six games in nine days during a Western road trip which includes games against three 2012 playoff teams, the Lakers, Denver and Oklahoma City. Last season Detroit went 7-26 on the road which was the third worst road record in the NBA. Conversely, the Pistons were 18-15 at home last year.

While the exhibition season means little, it could be important to know that Detroit went 4-4 with the home team winning all eight of those games. The Pistons only injury concern heading into this game is Corey Maggette being sidelined with a calf injury and that isn't necessarily a bad thing. They come into the season as healthy as they have been in a long time. Detroit is a perfect 11-0 ATS in its last 11 games when the line is between +3 and -3. 10* (706) Detroit Pistons

This is one of the best scenarios to go against on opening day. It is banner day in Miami and we know what that means. The Heat will be lowering their 2011-12 NBA Championship banner on Tuesday night and playing a basketball game is not at the forefront for the players right now. This is a huge event and with that comes a lot of distractions. Players have been saying that once the banner is lowered and the game starts, they will be focused but that is easier said than done.

Now let

Oklahoma City was once again unable to hold onto a double-digit lead as it lost Game Four on Sunday in the second straight game that could have gone either way down the stretch. While the their backs were up against the wall then, they are really up against the wall now. We lost both of those game with the Thunder and while this is far from a chase play, it may seem that way even though this is based on a desperate team with their season on the line and one that has actually been the better team in the series.

When I say better team, I mean better all around team and it starts with shooting as Oklahoma City has outshot Miami 46.7 percent to 44.6 percent through the first four games yet finds itself in a 3-1 hole. While it was the free throw line that beat them in Game Three (outscored 31-15), it was the three-point line that beat them in Game Four as the Thunder were outscored from long range 30-9. That is a significant difference and if both of those areas were closer to even, the Thunder would be up 3-1 right now.

The Heat are a very good team, everyone knows that and for the Thunder to come back from this deficit will take a tall order. However, it is possible with this series setup as a win here means the final two games are back home for Oklahoma City and its home court edge is a big one. The pressure is squarely on Miami tonight as it came into the season as the favorites to win the championship and seeing them press tonight is a strong possibility. We also has the underdog edge as we can cover without the outright win.

The bad three-point shooting effort from the Thunder in Game Four could help here as we should see a big bounceback and they are 23-9 ATS in their last 32 games when they shoot between 32 percent and 38 percent from long range. The Thunder have not responded from their first two losses in this series as they failed to cover in the next game but they are still 40-18 ATS in their last 58 games following two or more losses including 20-8 ATS in their 28 games following three or more consecutive losses. 10* (509) Oklahoma City Thunder

Miami will be out for blood on Tuesday as a win means it will have a commanding 3-1 lead in the series with still one more game at home upcoming. You would think that the Heat have the clear edge heading into this game as they have been awesome at home all year but they were fortunate to win Game Three on Sunday. The Oklahoma City defense was outstanding as Miami shot just 37.8 percent from the floor but won the game at the free throw line as they outscored the Thunder 31-154 from the stripe.

The Thunder, which led the league in free-throw percentage, missed 9 of 24 from the line but don't expect to see that again. Oklahoma City has been one of the best fourth quarter teams throughout the playoffs but the tides were turned on Sunday as the Thunder played poorly the entire second half as they were 14-39 from the floor (35.9 percent) with nine turnovers, including six in the pivotal fourth quarter. Efficiency will be key for Oklahoma City to tie up this series.

The Heat also caught a break when Kevin Durant was forced to sit in the second half with foul trouble more than Oklahoma City would have liked. When he was sitting, Russell Westbrook also went to the bench for no apparent reason and Miami went on a 15-3 run to end the third quarter after trailing by 10 points. It was a bad move by head coach Scott Brooks but if any good did come out of that loss, the Thunder starters played a total of 39 minutes less and that is a huge disparity and a big edge for them in Game Four.

The Thunder were not able to get it done following their Game Two loss which was an aberration as they are 18-5 following a loss this season. They don't lose more than two times very often either as Oklahoma City is 18-6 ATS in its last 24 games following two or more consecutive losses, winning those games outright by an average of 7.3 ppg. Also, the Thunder are 32-17 ATS in their last 49 games playing with double-revenge. This game means a lot more to the Thunder and that will show on Tuesday. 10* (507) Oklahoma City Thunder

Miami was able to steal a game in Oklahoma City which was huge for the series as it seized home court advantage and now has the luxury of playing three straight games at home. That is obviously a big edge for Miami, which came into Game Two in desperation mode but now that role has switched over to the Thunder. Oklahoma City has to win at least one game in Miami to make sure it goes back home but playing three straight in South Beach means it will need to take two games for comfort.

The Thunder have been slow out of the gates for the first two games of this series and while they were able to overcome a bad first quarter in Game One, they could not do the same on Thursday. They were 5-20 from the floor and Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were outscored by LeBron James and Dwyane Wade 15-5. Oklahoma City fought nearly all the way back though and had a chance to tie the game but Durant missed a short jumper where surprisingly no foul was called for the home team.

The slow starts cannot continue but what it shows is that the Thunder have been the more complete team. They have been outscored 56-37 in the first quarter combined but have not been outscored in any of the other six quarters and have outscored the Heat by 26 points in those periods. Granted, those games were on their home floor but the feeling is that Oklahoma City has the overall edge and now with its back against the wall, we can expect a quicker start and a bounceback effort come Sunday.

The Thunder have been one of the best bounceback teams in the NBA this season as it is 15-7 ATS following a loss and an even more impressive 18-4 straight up so they have not taken kindly to losing. They have played well on the road all season and in the playoffs they are 5-1-1 ATS in their seven road games so there has been no intimidation factor. The two days off between games is being said to be a huge edge for Miami but in fact, the Thunder are 11-3 straight up and ATS when playing with two or more days rest. 10* (505) Oklahoma City Thunder

We won with the Thunder in Game One of the NBA Finals and we will again be riding them in Game Two. It would be easy to take Miami simply based on the zig zag theory but this game is arguably more important for Oklahoma City and we are getting early value on top of it. The Thunder cannot afford a split in thee first two games because the NBA Finals have a different format with the next three games taking place in Miami. Winning two of three in Miami to regain home court will be difficult.

Miami had control of Game One through nearly three quarters before the Thunder came back and took over. The Heat led by seven points after the first period but were outscored by 16 points the rest of the way so despite being behind for most of the game, Oklahoma City dominated for most of it. The Thunder shot 51.9 percent from the floor and after scoring 47 first half points, the poured in 58 points in the second half. Should the Thunder put together a complete game, it won't even be close.

While it was Kevin Durant who was credited with the big game, the stat line for Russell Westbrook was very impressive as he finished with 27 points, 11 assists and eight boards. Most impressive though was that Durant and Westbrook outscored the Heat 41-40 over the final two periods. The Heat definitely are considered to be in desperation mode after losing the first game so they will be coming out with a sense of urgency but this Oklahoma City team right now is the more complete team.

Miami is now 0-7-1 in its last eight games as an underdog including going 0-2 ATS in the playoffs. Oklahoma City has covered six straight games as a favorite and it is 7-0 ATS in its last seven games after scoring 100 points or more in its previous game. The Thunder have been especially good against the top teams in the league as they are 11-3 ATS in the 14 games played this season against teams outscoring their opponents by six or more ppg. They add to that with an easy win on Thursday. 10* (504) Oklahoma City Thunder

Both Miami and Oklahoma City are coming off significant comebacks in their conference finals series so both come in with some added momentum and confidence but it's not like it was needed for either side. The Thunder have the edge because of the home court advantage so it will be up to Miami to steal a game here and what better time that doing it in the opening game. That would give a big edge to Miami since the NBA Finals are different in that the non-home court advantage team gets three straight games at home.

The problem is that the pressure is squarely on Miami as even though the Thunder are favored to win, the burden of expectations is on the Heat. Miami struggled toward the end of the season against the better teams away from home as it went just 2-9 in its 11 road games against playoff bound teams and in the playoffs, it is just 4-4 and those games came against seventh, third and fourth seeds. The Heat went just 11-7 against the Western Conference during the regular season including 1-1 against the Thunder.

Oklahoma City meanwhile is 8-0 on its home floor in the playoffs and is 34-7 at Chesapeake Energy Arena overall this season which is a very impressive number. The Thunder have covered four straight games there with three of those being blowouts and this number is in a good range where we don't even need a runaway to get the cover. The Thunder forced 21 turnovers and rolled to a 103-87 victory at home on March 25th against Miami so they are more than capable to turning it into a blowout nonetheless.

The one big liability for the Thunder is their inexperience as they have never been here before but that is not as big as it is being played out as. Look what they did to the Mavericks, Lakers and Spurs, three teams with legitimate championship hopes. They are not feeling the pressure and we will see that in the opening game as they know a loss here could be detrimental. Miami is 0-6-1 ATS in its last seven games as a road underdog while the Thunder are 5-0 ATS in their last five games as favorites. 10* (502) Oklahoma City Thunder

We won with Miami Thursday and we back the Heat again in Game Seven. The rationale behind playing Miami in Game Six was pretty simple as we went with the better team overall that had its back up against the wall and it came through. Now the Heat are home where they have been solid all season and have not lost consecutive games all season. Miami has dropped six previous home games prior to Game Five and has gone a perfect 6-0 in its next home game, going 5-1 ATS with the margin of victory being 20.7 ppg.

Boston had a golden opportunity to take advantage of a closeout game at home but it clearly showed it is not the better team here. The Celtics have gotten the best of Miami in recent meetings at home so they were going in with a lot of confidence but the problem is that when the Heat actually play to their potential, they are pretty much unbeatable. The schedule again is not in the favor of Boston which is now playing its seventh straight game with just one day of rest, a big advantage for the Heat.

LeBron James quieted the critics, for one game at least. He was unstoppable with 45 points on 19-26 shooting while grabbing 15 rebounds but all of that will be for naught if Miami doesn't come out strong once again in this decisive game. "We're not going to celebrate this win," James said. "It's a one-game series now, and it's in our building." Chris Bosh played 28 minutes and was effective while Dwyane Wade did not come close to a good game meaning if he is on, Miami will be in even better shape.

I expect another big effort from James who is the best player in the game when focused and his teammates buy into it. The Celtics have been solid of late following a loss but they are heading into the toughest environment they have seen all season and their 3-6 playoff record on the road is nothing to get excited about. Miami is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games as a home favorite and this again is bolstered by the loss from Game Five as the Heat dominate once again and take the Eastern Conference. 10* (728) Miami Heat

We are playing on Miami for a lot of the same reasons we played San Antonio on Wednesday with the main one being we have the better team with their backs against the wall in need of a win to keep the series alive. Obviously the big difference here is that the Heat are slight favorites so we do not have the underdog line to play with but they are favored small enough to where a win should be a cover. The is a gut check test for Miami and if it wants to be considered elite, it needs to pass it.

The biggest disappointment from Game five was the fact Miami shot just 39 percent from the floor after coming in shooting 46.5 percent through the first four games. Had the Heat shot their series average coming in, they would be leading this series instead of needing to win the final two games but that makes this a big bounce back opportunity. LeBron James is feeling the heat once again just like he did against Indiana before he took control of that series and this will be the spot he steps up again.

You certainly have to give credit to Boston for what it has done over the last three games but playing every other day for five straight games is bound to take its toll. The Celtics used a lot of energy in Game Five in Miami and have done so for the last few games. On the other side, Chris Bosh finally returned for Miami and he didn't show any signs of rust, scoring nine points with seven rebounds in 14 minutes. The good news is that he will be more involved in Game Six and the Heat will benefit from that.

The only other time Miami lost three straight games this season, they came back and pummeled San Antonio by 22 points to avoid a fourth straight loss. That is the type of effort we are looking for. Boston is 39-65 ATS in its last 104 home games off an upset win as an underdog and Miami falls into a solid situation where we play on road favorites that are revenging a loss as a favorite, off an upset loss as a home favorite. This situation is 86-49 ATS (63.7 percent) since 1996. 10* (723) Miami Heat

After winning 20 consecutive games including the first two games in this series, San Antonio looked like it would not be stopped in making it to the NBA Finals. Three games later, the Spurs are a loss away from being eliminated so while it had the upper hand for most of this series, their backs are now against the wall. If the Spurs really are as good as once advertised just a few days ago, they will step up to the challenge and send the series back home. In our case, a close game is all we need, win or lose.

We won with the Thunder in Game Five and have been on them for all five games, winning four of those against the number. They are extremely tough at home as we saw in the first two games where they shot 50.6 percent combined and they have stepped up their defense the last three games, allowing the Spurs to shoot only 45.3 percent in the three victories. Taking nothing away from how they have rebounded, but the Spurs offense is ready to rebound from those poor offensive games.

San Antonio committed 21 turnovers for the second time in three games and that is not a typical scene as it averaged only 13.2 tpg during the regular season. Expect a better performance Wednesday especially after Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich challenged his team right after the game. "Championship teams win on the road, and Oklahoma City just did that," Popovich said. "If we can't do that Wednesday, then we're not championship caliber." That is some good motivation right there.

The Spurs have been perfect in this situation with the ability to bounce back as they are 8-0 ATS in their last road games revenging a loss as a home favorite over the last two seasons. San Antonio also falls into a great situation where we play on road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points that are outscoring their opponents by six or more ppg, after two straight games where both teams scored 100 points or more. This situation is 25-6 ATS (80.6 percent) since 1996. We get the cover and an outright win is not out of the question. 10* (721) San Antonio Spurs

The Heat had an opportunity to basically put this series away but after a big comeback on Sunday, they fell short in overtime and now head back home with the series tied at two games apiece. Miami looked as though after Game One it could be a runaway series win but it has not looked like the same team. The Celtics have led by at least 15 points in each of the last three games, never trailing by more than eight, but still managed to win only two of those games and that is a huge edge for the Heat.

Another big edge could come in the form of Chris Bosh who is now listed as day-to-day and could return for Game Five. He will give Miami a big boost in the interior but can also help spread out the defense of the Celtics in that double teams against LeBron James or Dwyane Wade will no longer be feasible. With Bosh in the lineup, Miami has won 72 percent of its games over the last two years but it is 12-11 without him so his presence is obviously a big factor. We are not 100 banking on it but if he plays, it will be a bonus.

Miami has not had many prolonged losing streaks this season as it has lost three straight games only once all season and it is 7-1 straight up and against the number following two straight losses including wins and covers in seven straight games. Perhaps most impressive is that the average margin of victory in those seven wins is 20.4 ppg with five of those seven wins coming by 21 or more points. Plain and simple, Miami puts it together when it needs to and this is certainly one of those spots again.

Boston has won all eight of its Game Fives with this core group of players but seven of those came at home and James knows what happened the last time Boston won a Game Five on the road as it came in Cleveland and that signaled his final ever home game there. A loss here and the season could end in Boston. Miami is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 playoff games as a home favorite between 5.0 and 10.5 points while going 12-4 ATS in its last 16 games after losing two of its last three games. Miami takes control of the series. 10* (720) Miami Heat

So far in the conference finals, the home team has yet to lose, going 8-0 while covering six of those eight games. This home team trend is ideal for the public and in some cases, the home line is being affected by the linesmakers which we are seeing again here. The Spurs failed to cover Game One at home but easily covered Game Two and we are seeing a similar number to those two games right here. Playing the home team is the safe call but I feel we could see our first road upset in the conference finals.

The Thunder have all of the momentum on their side after two big wins at home which tied the series up and provided a big momentum shift. Snapping the Spurs 20-game winning streak was momentum enough but winning two straight games gives them an edge heading into Monday. Oklahoma City needs at least one road win to advance, and Thunder coach Scott Brooks said Sunday there's no time like the present. "We have a great opportunity in Game 5," Brooks said. That is the confidence talking.

The big story from Game Four was the play of Kevin Durant as he took over the game in the final quarter and it will be up to him to carry his team again. Defensively, the Thunder are one of the most underrated team in the league but that didn't show in San Antonio but Game Three brought defensive changes, with Thabo Sefolosha guarding Parker. That move paid off in Game Four, as well as after scoring 52 combined points in the Spurs' wins, Parker had 28 total in the following two losses.

The Spurs have been solid following a loss this season, although we have not seen a recovery from that since early April. They are just 3-7-1 ATS in their last 11 playoff games as favorites between 5.0 and 10.5 points while the Thunder are 4-1 ATS in their last five playoff games as underdogs between 5.0 and 10.5 points. Also, they are 20-6 ATS in their last 26 games overall as underdogs of those parameters while going a perfect 4-0 ATS in their last four games after scoring 100 or more points. 10* (717) Oklahoma City Thunder

This series has been very similar to the San Antonio/Oklahoma City series in that the homer team has won all games up to this point. After Boston won on Friday, it has a chance to even the series and while the Thunder did just that last night, I do not see it happening for the Celtics tonight. The score showed a lopsided victory in Game Three but the game seemed a lot closer than it was especially after Boston blew a 24-point lead and held off a late Miami charge.

Boston shot 50 percent from the floor while shooting 29.4 percent from long range. Miami meanwhile shot 49.4 percent from the floor including an identical 29.4 percent from behind the arc so the numbers were extremely similar. The difference came at the free throw line where Boston made 10 more free throws than Miami which shot a horrible 50 percent from the stripe. Dwyane Wade was non-existent as he scored just 18 points, only two coming inside, and didn't even go to the free throw line once.

The zig zag theorists will be on Miami here and the linesmakers have certainly adjusted the line because of that. After getting 2.5 points last game, the Heat are now favored by a point and a half but this move will not make a difference as Miami is clearly the better team. Defensively is where the Heat plan on turning it around as it was simply a bad game. The Celtics had 58 points in the paint, which was the most the Heat has allowed all playoffs and the second most the Heat has allowed all season.

Miami has been solid following a loss this season, going 15-8 and while it fell to 1-5 both straight up and against the number as a road underdog, it is 20-13 as a road favorite and 7-2 ATS in its last nine playoff games as a road favorite of fewer than five points. The Heat also fall into a solid league-wide situation where we play on favorites with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 coming off a road loss by 10 points or more, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 71-35 ATS (67 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (715) Miami Heat

The Thunder led by as many as 27 points in Game Three as they came back to cut the series in half 2-1. It was obviously a must win game for Oklahoma City and while it was a great victory, a loss tonight makes it meaningless. The Thunder will be out to even up the series as they showed in Game Three that they can hang with arguably the best team in basketball and they showed they may be that much better. Through 12 quarter sin this series, the Thunder have been the better tem in seven of those.

The Spurs had their 20-game winning streak snapped on Thursday which was the third longest streak in NBA history. A bounceback seems imminent but it will not be easy trying to win in a place where the home team is 32-7 on the season. After scoring 120 points in Game Two, the Spurs managed only 82 points in Game Three as the Thunder defense rose to the occasion. San Antonio managed only 24 points in the paint after averaging 46 through the first two games of the series and 47.8 through the playoffs.

Oklahoma City is getting some value here as tonight's line is less than it was in Game Three and while not much, it is still a drop which is due to the zig-zag scenario. The Thunder have been strong in this situation all season as they are 18-8 ATS in their 26 games this season as favorites of fewer than five points. The Spurs have been awesome coming off a loss as well as coming off big losses but momentum and confidence are definitely not on their side for Saturday.

These teams seemed to look equal heading into this series but after the Spurs jumped out 2-0, people were not thinking that anymore. The Thunder proved them wrong by sending a message from looking overmatched to looking like the Spurs

We played and won on Oklahoma City last night which was down 2-0 in the series and in desperation mode. The Celtics are in the same situation tonight but we are not going in the same direction as they are again overmatched. Boston got one of the best stat lines in playoff history from Rajon Rondo but could not get it done in overtime and the emotions spilled over after the game blaming bad officiating. That is not something elite teams go after and they will pay for it tonight.

Miami simply needs to go about its business and pretty much end the series with a win tonight. While Oklahoma City was able to fight back and get back into the series on Thursday against a team that had the sixth longest winning streak in NBA history, the Celtics look wounded and Miami needs to pounce and not let Boston back into it. This is the fourth game in seven days for Boston and the rest factor, or lack thereof, is killing the Celtics as they are now 2-6 ATS in their last eight games playing with one day of rest.

My feeling is that Boston gave its absolute best against Miami and still fell short so there is no chance it can muster a similar effort playing on a days rest once again. Rondo played lights out and the Celtics need him to step up again but after shooting 39 percent from 16 to 23 feet and 35.7 percent from long range during the regular season, he was 10-12 from 15 feet or beyond in Game Two so matching that will be nearly impossible. So far, the 'Big Three' has not been there for Boston.

Only 14 teams in NBA history have come back from a 0-2 deficit to win a seven-game series and the Celtics have not done so since 1969. Momentum is on the side of the Heat and while the same could have been argued for San Antonio, the situation is totally different. Miami eclipsed the 100-point plateau for the fourth time in five games and it has been outstanding coming off a big offensive performance, going 17-4 ATS in its last 21 games after scoring 100 or more points in its previous game. 10* (711) Miami Heat

We rode the Thunder to a 1-1 split through the first two games in this series and we will be backing them again here as it is now must win time for Oklahoma City or this series is over. The Thunder were once again hurt by a poor quarter in the second half as after allowing 39 points in the fourth quarter in Game One, they gave up 37 points in the third quarter in Game Two and there was no chance for a recovery after that. Now heading back home, we will see Oklahoma City put together a complete game.

San Antonio scored 120 points, which was the first time the Thunder have allowed that amount since giving up 121 points against Dallas in Game One of the Western Conference Finals last year. The Spurs are playing out of their minds right now with 20 straight wins, the sixth longest winning streak in the history of the NBA. That is certainly hard to fade but being a contrarian, I have no problem with it. They have been favored in 19 of those 20 games so the fact they are underdogs here is telling us something.

Obviously the first task at hand for the Thunder is to slow down the San Antonio offense. The Spurs shot 55.1 percent from the floor in Game Two and scored a gaudy 65 second-half points against a Thunder squad that wants to pride itself on being a defensive-minded team. Even offensively, Oklahoma City needs to get more production out of players other than Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden who combined for 88 points on 30-of-54 shooting in Game Two. Balance on that side is important.

The poor defensive effort sets Oklahoma City up for a solid situation in Game Three as we play on favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points that are allowing 43 percent shooting or better on the season going up against an opponent after a game where it made 55 percent of their shots or better. This situation is 60-31 ATS (65.9 percent) since 1996. The Thunder are 16-6 ATS in their last 22 games as favorites of fewer than five points while the Spurs are 0-4 ATS in their last four playoff games as underdogs of fewer than five points. 10* (710) Oklahoma City Thunder

We played Miami in Game One as it was playing with revenge and wanted to make a statement. We will be playing the Heat again in Game Two for some of the same reasons but the biggest one is that a loss here makes the Game One win pretty meaningless. There is the chance of Miami winning and not covering but based on what we saw in that first game, the Heat should dominate once again which means an easy cover. The Heat are now 6-1 ATS at home in the playoffs.

The rest factor has played a big part for Boston of late. Their last two wins in the Philadelphia series both came with two days rest while their last two losses came with just a day off, as did the first loss to the Heat. The Celtics started the playoffs pretty well with only one day off but the age of this team along with the vigorous schedule looks to be finally catching up. Boston is 1-6 ATS in its last seven games playing with just one day of rest so it has definitely been going the wrong way.

And the scary part for the Celtics is Miami wasn't really humming by its recent standards. The Heat were just 5-25 from long range and managed only 10 fast break points but they were really never threatened as Boston never led and was simply overmatched. A big motivator for Miami should come from its last series as it won Game One only to lose the second game and then the third game in Indiana. Sure the Heat won the series but they do not want to play from behind once again.

Miami is 10-3 ATS in its last 13 games in the playoffs as a favorite between 5.0 and 10.5 points and it falls into a great situation as we play on home teams with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 after successfully covering the spread in three or more consecutive games, playing a team with a winning percentage between .501 and .600. This situation is 93-54 ATS (63.3 percent) since 1996. LeBron James said it best, "We didn't play our best game.". That is a scary thought. 10* (708) Miami Heat

We were fortunate to win with Oklahoma City in the first game in this series thanks to a three-pointer at the buzzer that gave us the cover but we were unfortunate to get into that situation in the first place. Oklahoma City was the better team for three quarters but it was the all-important fourth quarter that did the Thunder in. The goal was to gain a split in San Antonio in these first two games and they were almost guaranteed that at worst after Sunday so now they need to take this one outright.

The Spurs are rolling which is no secret to anyone. They have now won 19 consecutive games including all nine games in the postseason and going back further, they are an incredible 33-3 over their last 36 games. A streak this strong makes them a very heavy public team and with that comes being overvalued along the way. Even though this line is less than what is was in Game One, it is still a bucket higher than it was during the lone regular season meeting in San Antonio so the value is still on the visiting side.

San Antonio shot 12-16 from the floor in the final 12 minutes while scoring 39 points in that decisive fourth quarter and that was very uncharacteristic of a team like the Thunder to allow such staggering numbers on defense this far into the postseason. On the other side, the Oklahoma City offense was just 5-14 in the fourth quarter prior to the later three pointers that made the game close and again, that is not Thunder basketball. Look for them to come out even more focused and keep it going for the entire game.

Oklahoma City came into this series 4-1 in games decided by three points or less and 5-1 in games decided by six points or less so Sunday can be considered an aberration. The Thunder fall into a great situation where the zig-zag theory can be loosely associated as we play against home favorites with a winning percentage of .750 or better when leading in a playoff series, playing a team with a winning percentage between .600 and .750. This situation is 25-6 ATS (80.6 percent) since 1996. 10* (705) Oklahoma City Thunder

the Celtics here as we will again ride the rest factor. Their last two wins in that series both came with two days rest while their last two losses came with just a day off and that is what they are facing again on Monday in Miami. Boston was fortunate that it got to face Philadelphia as opposed to the Bulls who were upset against the Sixers but now things get a lot tougher.

After falling down two games to one against the Pacers, Miami came back strong and won the final three games of that series to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals and once again, it has a statement game to open. The first two opening games resulted in big wins by the heat and they certainly want to repeat that again here. The last three games against Indiana were three of the best games they have put together consecutively in a while so they are peaking right when they need to.

Miami has not allowed more than 94 points in a playoff game and they held the Knicks and the Pacers to 78 points or less four different times. This is not good for the Celtics as they have the 24th ranked offense as far as efficiency goes which is by far the worst of the remaining teams in the playoffs. They are currently ranked 11th out of the 16 teams that made the playoffs so the fact that they are here may not be a surprise to some but the fact is, they have not been very good in doing so.

While it is a statement game, it is also a game that the Heat will be looking for some payback. Miami won the first game in the regular season series but the Celtics got their number the rest of the way as they won the final three games and pretty convincing on top of that. This brings in a revenge situation also as we play on home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 that are revenging a loss scoring less than 85 points, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 41-15 ATS (73.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (704) Miami Heat

San Antonio is 32-3 over its last 35 games which is obviously an incredible run and that makes it the hottest team in the NBA right now. The Spurs have yet to lose in the playoffs as they are 8-0 but at this point the value has gone to the other side. San Antonio was favored by 2.5 points in the only home meeting between these two teams during the regular season and now the line has jumped up to a big number. The Spurs have been covering along the way but now comes a big test.

Oklahoma City is the best team in the Western Conference in many places and it will be out to show it here. Like the Spurs, the Thunder have not been challenged much in the postseason and the time off could be in their favor here. Both teams have had the same time off for the most part and while San Antonio rolled in the second round after a big layoff, so did the Thunder. The difference is that both teams were at home but Oklahoma City finished with the third best road record in all of basketball.

The Thunder come into this series as a very confident team and they know a win here brings the home court edge back to them, one that they had until they were overtaken by the Spurs back on April 6th. "I know they're the No. 1 seed - they're a tough group, they haven't lost in a couple months," Thunder forward Kevin Durant said. "But I think we bring another dimension to the table as well and we come out and compete." Two teams so close gives a ton of value to the big underdog.

The Spurs definitely have the run going while the Thunder are not far back and they are incredible as underdogs going 22-7 ATS in their last 29 games as underdogs between 5.0 and 10.5 points. The fact that both teams are hot in the money category can make a side for both benches but that is negated in this instance considering the size of this line. You hate to go against a hot Spurs team but in this instance, the team with the points that is just as good gets the call tonight. 10* (701) Oklahoma City Thunder

After playing eight games in 15 nights, dating back to Game Three of their first-round playoff series against Atlanta, the Celtics finally got two nights off last weekend, and anyone who watched could see that they were all the better for it as they dominated and that one extra day off had a lot to do with it. Flash forward to Game Seven on Saturday and Boston is in this scenario once again as after another poor effort, it has two days off to rejuvenate and finish off this series at home.

Philadelphia came out with a lot of fire and energy as expected and was able to hold serve at home and send this series back to Boston for the decisive Game Seven. It was a gutty performance as the Sixers used a strong defensive effort to kill off elimination but things are going to get a lot tougher here. On Wednesday, the much more youthful Sixers outran Boston in the second half, when they outscored the Celtics by 10 points and took command of the game. Now the scheduling goes against them here.

There is one player that we will be banking on in Game Seven and that is Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo. He struggled in Game Six, recording only nine points and six assists as no one else stepped up to help Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, who both went for double-doubles. Boston is known for having "The Big Three" but this team goes as far as Rondo goes and when he is on and able to take control of the game, the Celtics are tough to beat. That will be the case once again on Saturday.

The Sixers are 2-4 on the road in the playoffs with one of those victories coming in Chicago in Game Two, the next game after Derrick Rose went down. They continue to struggle against the better NBA teams as they are 18-28 ATS against teams over .500 including 8-14 ATS on the road. One of the reason we played the Sixers in Game Six was due to its 4-0 record after a loss coming in, which improved to 5-0 after Wednesday. Boston has been just as good as it comes into Game Seven a perfect 4-0 following a loss. 10* (550) Boston Celtics

Game Five will be more remembered for the chippy play at the end more than the dominance that the Heat put on Indiana. Miami suffocated the Pacers and have turned a 2-1 series deficit into a 3-2 series lead and has out itself into position to eliminate Indiana on its floor in Game Six. While many will argue that the Pacers have the edge at home and will be out for some payback after the flagrant fouls the Heat committed but in reality, Miami has found its stride over the last six quarters and will keep it going here.

LeBron James has responded to the critics as he has poured in a combined 70 points over the last two Miami wins and as long as he continues to want to take over the game, the Heat can rarely be beat. He has missed back-to-back triple-doubles by a combined three assists. "We want to continue to defend," James said. "When we defend and rebound we're a good team and it allows us to get into our break." That was proven with a 22-2 edge in fast break points.

The Pacers showed twice in this series that they can hang around and battle with a win in Miami and then a blowout win at home. Those momentum building wins did not last long however and it is clear that Indiana is overmatched. Going back to the James comments about defending, Miami has allowed the Pacers to shoot just 39.2 percent from the floor in this series and with both Danny Granger and David West hobbling, things are not going to be getting any easier.

Miami has been solid in these situations in keeping defensive momentum alive as it is 19-8 ATS in its last 27 games after allowing less than 42 percent shooting from the floor for five straight games. The Pacers continue to struggle against the elite teams, going just 5-16 ATS in their last 21 games against teams with a winning percentage between .600 and .700. Miami is 6-0 ATS in its last six games after scoring 100 or more points while Indiana is 2-6 ATS in its last eight games after a double-digit loss. 10* (545) Miami Heat

The Sixers are on the brink of elimination which obviously makes this a must win situation on Wednesday. Philadelphia should return home ready to tie this series and it has been very solid in these situations so far in the playoffs as it has followed up its four previous losses with wins next time out. The Sixers are 4-1 at home in the playoffs with the one loss right after a win in Boston. Now the desperation is on the side of Philadelphia and judging by the bouncebacks so far, it will come out strong again.

We won with the Celtics on Monday and a lot of that had to do with the rest factor. They had two days off and for an aging team like them, it was huge as they had gone over two weeks with playing games on just one day of rest. Boston is back to that schedule here and after a fairly dominating performance in Game Five, it will be tough to back that up in Game Six. The Celtics shot 52.2 percent from the floor and most importantly, outscored the Sixers 26-10 from the stripe.

Game Four is a good indication of how the Sixers have not given up. The Celtics opened up an 18-point lead early in the third quarter on Friday, but the Sixers mounted a furious comeback to pull out a 92-83 win. The second half has proved costly though for the Sixers as the one on Monday was the only good one they have really had. It will be up to the players to play a full game which has not been the case yet. With the season on the line, I expect that to take place.

Boston is just 2-5 ATS in its last seven games following a win while going 8-20 ATS in its last 28 games going back to last season following a win by 15 or more points. Philadelphia is 30-18 ATS in its last 48 games revenging a road loss and it falls into a great situation as well as we play on favorites that are outscoring their opponents by three or more ppg, after a loss by 15 points or more. This situation is 104-58 ATS (64.2 percent) over the last five seasons with the average point differential being +9 ppg. 10* (542) Philadelphia 76ers

We saw something very similar last night with Boston as the home team took advantage of having a Game Five at home and thus took control of the series with a win. Miami is in the same spot tonight and after a very inspired effort on Sunday, I expect the Heat to ride that into Tuesday. They lost the last home game in this series by three points to the Pacers and being 32-6 overall at home, another loss isn't likely. The Heat have not lost two straight home games all season as they won those other five follow up losses by 19.4 ppg.

The Pacers lost a golden opportunity on Sunday as they had a chance to take complete control of the series with a victory and it was at home no less. Obviously they did not get it done and now are in a tough situation that could them in a real bad spot heading into Game Six should they lose. In the history of the NBA Playoffs, teams that are up 3-2 are 206-35 (.855 winning percentage) in those series so a Game Five win is obviously a big advantage.

The difference in Game Four was the play of the two stars, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. Wade and James accounted for 38 straight points during the critical second-half run where they took control of the game and overall they finished with 70 points, 27 rebounds and 15 assists. Another effort like that and Miami cannot be stopped and with all of the criticism hitting Miami and its two big names, look for another huge effort from James and Wade on their home floor on Tuesday.

The Heat are 5-0 ATS in their last five games after scoring 100 or more points while going 5-1 ATS in their last six games as a home favorite. The Pacers meanwhile are just 8-18 ATS in their last 26 games revenging a home loss while going 9-22 ATS in their last 31 games after playing two consecutive games at home. Also, Indiana is just 1-9 ATS following a game played as a home underdog. Big teams step up in big spots and we saw the Heat do it two days ago and we will see it again here. 10* (538) Miami Heat

This is a pivotal game for both sides as the winner of this game will have a big edge in the series with just one more win needed to advance. We had Philadelphia is Game Four and it was able to tie things up but now we will go the other way and take the Celtics which are in the best shape they have been in so far this series. The two days in-between Game Four and Game Five is the first time Boston has had more than a day off since Game Two and Game Three against the Hawks, which was over two weeks ago.

The Sixers played very well in the first two games in Boston as they came away with the split with the loss coming by just a point. Because those games were both decided by a single point, I expect the home team to step things up and take care of business instead of heading out on the road with a 3-2 series deficit. The Celtics have responded very well coming off a loss, especially in this series as they leveled the Sixers by 16 points following their first defeat after Game Two.

Going back further, Boston is 7-0 in its last seven games following a loss while going 7-2-1 ATS in its last 10 games following a defeat. The Sixers are now 10-22 ATS in their last 32 games against teams with a winning record and fall into a tough spot as mentioned with a lot on the line for the home team. Boston also falls into a situation where we play on divisional favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points, after two consecutive division games. This situation is 52-20 ATS (72.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (534) Boston Celtics

We lost with the Heat in Game Three which was pretty much a must win spot for them and now this one turns into a definite one. A loss here and the series isn't over for Miami but it is pretty close so its needs to tie this one up before heading back home for Game Five. The Heat have been here before but on the other side as they were close to a 3-1 series lead against Dallas in the NBA Finals last year, but they faltered and he rest was history. They know what needs to be done here.

The Pacers took control of Game Three in the second half as they outscored Miami 26-12 after being knotted at the half. The chances of a similar pull away are slim as they will be facing the best team left in the Eastern Conference that knows what is at stake. The Pacers display in the second half on Thursday was indeed outstanding and they now know the pressure is off which could be a detriment at this point.

After shooting 34.6 percent from the floor in Game Three, the Heat followed that up by shooting 37.2 percent on Thursday which makes it three straight games of under 41 percent for Miami in this series. That is certainly not the formula for a team that has shot well over 46 percent on the season so while playing the due factor is rarely ever a plan, it is part of the situation here.

The Heat continue to shoot poorly from long range in this series so that needs to pick up as does the play of Dwyane Wade. He scored only five points on Thursday on a miserable 2-13 shooting night and he registered no points in the first half for the first time in 95 career playoff games. Coming off a big loss has been very profitable for the Heat as they are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games following a double-digit loss.

Miami also falls into one of the best situations we will find as we play against teams that are outscoring their opponents by three or more ppg going up against an opponent after scoring 75 points or less in two straight games. This situation is 24-5 ATS (82.8 percent) since 1996. 10* (529) Miami Heat

The Lakers were able to climb back into the series last night with a win over Oklahoma City to pull to within a game. It will be short-lived though as these teams play again Saturday in the second of a back-to-back playoff set at Staples Center. It was obviously a must win for Los Angeles after getting blown out in Game One and then collapsing late in Game Two and while this could be considered another must win, this one is just as important for the Thunder.

Oklahoma City wants to head back home with the series in hand instead of being tied at two games apiece. The loss on Friday was the first of the playoffs for the Thunder and they went 5-0 in their first five games following a loss in the postseason a year ago so responding is not an issue for this young team is they have been here before. Oklahoma City has been one of the best bounceback teams in the NBA this season as it is 16-3 following a loss while going a perfect 4-0 following a loss of four points or fewer.

The difference last night was that the Lakers were able to get the calls at home as incredibly, the Lakers were 41-42 from the free throw line. That is not going to happen again and considering they won by just three points despite a 15-points edge at the stripe shows they were outplayed in the process. Neither team has short well the last two games and I expect the Thunder to be the team that gets it back first as they have not been intimidated on the road this year, going 23-13 on the highway, second best in the NBA.

Playing with no rest has been the norm this entire season but doing it in the playoffs is a totally different scenario. During the regular season, the Lakers were just 8-11 ATS when playing with no rest while going just 16-29 ATS following a win. The Thunder meanwhile have been average as well with no rest but they are a perfect 4-0 ATS in the second of back-to-back road games. Overall they have won 14 of 20 games with no rest and being the underdog, a win means a cover as well. 10* (527) Oklahoma City Thunder

We played on the Sixers Wednesday and they certainly came up small as Boston was able to grab back the home court edge after a home split in the first two games. This makes Philadelphia in a prime situation on Friday in a chance to even up this series at home. The Sixers were embarrassed at home in Game Three and it is safe to assume they will be out for a more focused effort tonight. Give credit to the Celtics as they stepped up huge but will not be duplicating their 52 percent shooting effort here.

The Celtics could not miss on Wednesday when it counted and especially Kevin Garnett who was 8-8 from 16 feet or closer through the first three quarters. Overall, they scored nearly 16 more point than their season average after the Sixers held them to 91 and 82 points in the first two games. As noted in Game Three, this scheduling is a big disadvantage for the Celtics as this is the fourth straight game that is being played with just a day of rest and that is a big edge to the Sixers. 10* (522) Philadelphia 76ers

Miami let one get away in Game Two as the Heat lost at home to the Pacers and thus, lost home court advantage in this series. They need to get it back and it needs to be done here in the first game in Indiana because being down 2-1 with the possibility of being down 3-1 is not the ideal situation. Miami has been very solid following a loss this season, going 14-7 and a win here likely means a cover with the short price we are laying. The Heat are a perfect 3-0 ATS this season when favored by fewer than three points.

You have to give Indiana credit for walking out of Miami with a 1-1 split as they basically played even with the Heat for seven quarters as the fourth quarter in Game One was the only big difference. The Pacers have not done anything special though and once Miami gets its shooting touch back, they will be hard-pressed to keep up. The Pacers defense is not as good as it may have looked and it will be up to the Miami role players to get things going after going a combined 9-34 (26.5 percent) in Game Two.

Neither team has shot very well in this series as Indiana is shooting only 39.1 percent from the floor while the Heat are shooting just 37.8 percent. The biggest issue for Miami has been the long range shooting as it is a dreadful 1-22 from behind the arc with Shane Battier going 1-1 and the rest of the team going 0-21. The Heat do not rely on the three-pointer to win but shooting just under five percent is going to make things a lot tougher and we certainly saw in through the first two games. This will turn around though.

Indiana is just 4-14 ATS in its last 18 games against teams with a winning percentage between .600 and .700 and it is just 1-3 ATS this year as an underdog of fewer than three points. The Heat meanwhile are 5-1 ATS in their last six playoff games as a favorite of fewer than five points and fall into a great situation where we play on road favorites that are revenging a loss as a favorite, off a home loss. This situation is 108-60 ATS (64.3 percent) since 1996. Look for Miami to again seize control of home court. 10* (517) Miami Heat

The Lakers were clearly outmatched in Game One against Oklahoma City as their grueling seven-game series against Denver took its toll. Even though there is just one day in-between games here as well, at least Los Angeles doesn't have to travel as it did prior to this series opener. The Lakers trailed by as many as 35 points in Game One and if there was any positive that came from that game it was the fact that the starters didn't come close to playing their average minutes.

The Thunder were concerned about rust after having swept the Mavericks in their first round series but that clearly was not as issue they came in not missing a beat. They will surely try and duplicate the blueprint from the first game but the situation is definitely going to be different here as things will not be coming as easy. The Thunder are extremely tough at home, going 29-7 this season but they are just 13-18 when favored between 3.0 and 8.5 points.

The Lakers need to do two things better to have a chance of evening up this series and that is defending the pick-and-roll better and not turning the ball over. The former was a lack of execution and it came down to tired legs and a lack of effort. That can be fixed in Game Two with simply better intensity. The key to successfully defending the Thunder starts with limiting transition opportunities and the Lakers did not do that in Game One because of too many turnovers as Oklahoma City score 22 points off 15 turnovers.

Right now it is about pride more than anything. Los Angeles was embarrassed in Game One and egos can take over as it will be out for some payback here. Whether it can win outright remains to be seen but we can expect to see a much closer game and the outright upset is far from a stretch. The Thunder have not responded well as they are 0-7 ATS this season following a win by 20 or more points while the Lakers are a perfect 5-0 ATS in their last five games following a double-digit loss. 10* (515) Los Angeles Lakers

Boston threw away a golden opportunity as it was able to snag home court advantage thanks to the Bulls series loss against Philadelphia but now gave it back to the Sixers after splitting the first two games at home. Either of those games could have gone either way so the series is pretty much as even as it can get and that sets the stage for the Sixers to start and take control as the opportunity is now there. This young team has a big edge in heading home as the Celtics age is starting to really show.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers expressed mild frustration before Game One with how the Round Two schedule was constructed. Rivers offered dissatisfaction in the fact that Miami and Indiana were slated to open their Eastern Conference semifinal series Sunday, a day after Boston and Philadelphia, both of whom wrapped their series up a night later. There is only a one-game break between each of the first four games and Rivers said that Sixers head coach Doug Collins was probably just as frustrated, I guarantee he is not.

The fact that the first two games were each decided by a point would tell you that we should expect another close game but I expect this one to not even be that close. The Sixers won the first two meetings at home during the regular season by 32 and 13 points so while the Celtics may be out for some revenge, it will be far from easy. The Sixers have won all three home playoff games this year. How big is this game? Philadelphia hasn't hosted a second-round game since 2003 so it will be quite an atmosphere.

One of the big advantages Boston had was supposed to be its big-game experience over the young Sixers but that was hardly on display in Game Two which definitely came as a surprise. Now tired, injured and on the wrong side of the home court edge, the Sixers can make a big statement tonight and I expect them to do so. Also we play against teams where the line is +3 to -3 that are revenging a loss of three points or less, off a divisional loss by three points or less. This situation is 27-5 ATS (84.4 percent) since 1996. 10* (514) Philadelphia 76ers

We won with Miami on Sunday and we will once again go with the Heat tonight. They now have control of home court advantage through the nest two rounds thanks to the Bulls losing their series and they cannot afford to let it go. Miami went 28-5 at home during the regular season while winning all four playoff home games against the Knicks and Pacers by an average of 13.5 ppg. Not showing up tonight is just as bad as not showing up in Game One and I feel the Heat come out huge tonight.

Big factors are in the favor of that as Miami went into the fourth quarter of Game One deadlocked at 70 so it once again needed a late charge to pull out the victory. It cannot afford to let that happen again. Second, the shooting performance was abysmal as the Heat shot just 40.7 percent from the floor including going 0-6 from long range. The Pacers defense is not that great and it was a case of a bad shooting night as opposed to facing a tough stop unit.

Possibly the biggest factor involved is that the Miami players will be forced to step up with the absence of Chris Bosh who is out for this series with an abdominal injury. Miami has been lucky until now, healthy in the playoffs while the Derrick Rose and Dwight Howard injuries appeared to clear the Heat's path back to the NBA Finals. Things may be a little tougher now but Miami is still well equipped with its two best players still in the lineup with every indication of them stepping up huge tonight.

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade combined for 42 points in Game One and the Heat were without Bosh for the second half in that one. While they will be asked to again carry the load, it will be Mario Chalmers, Shane Battier and Mike Miller off the bench that will be the real difference as they need to step up. We are catching a shorter number than we had in Game One and this goes against the zig-zag theory as Indiana would have been the choice in that situation. 10* (512) Miami Heat

This is the series that most have been anticipating as the two top scorers in the league square off as well as a lot interesting story lines will be in the forefront. The Thunder made quick work of the defending champion Mavericks as they were able to sweep them out of the postseason and that can be good or bad in this series. Oklahoma City had a rhythm going but now has been off for eight days so any rhythm or momentum is likely lost. However, the rest factor may be just as important at this point.

While the Thunder have been off for over a week, the Lakers were involved in one of only two first round series that went a full seven games. Los Angeles was able to take out Denver as it nearly blew a 3-1 series lead but used a big fourth quarter on Saturday to pull out the victory. Now the Lakers must turnaround quickly and head back out on the road with little time for rest or preparation and that will be a big disadvantage in this opening game as the Lakers are not getting any younger.

Denver was able to exploit the Lakers weakness and that was trying to make them run and Oklahoma City will surely do the same thing. Los Angeles prefers a halfcourt game, especially when playing against a youthful team like the Thunder and they like to use their size down low as an advantage. Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum overwhelmed the Nuggets in Game Seven but the Thunder have two big men of their own, Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka, who can neutralize Gasol and Bynum on defense.

The Thunder won the three-game regular season series 2-1, winning by 15 at home and nine in the first meeting in Los Angeles before losing by eight points in double-overtime in the final meeting in Los Angeles. This shows that Oklahoma City did have a significant edge in the matchups and we should see that right from the start here. The Thunder did go a perfect 3-0 ATS when playing with three or more days rest while the Lakers are on a dismal 0-6 ATS run following a win. 10* (508) Oklahoma City Thunder

The Celtics dodged one bullet as they took Game One on Saturday by a single point and now they should be ready open up a lead in this series. Boston was able to overcome numerous runs by the Sixers who would not going away without a fight as they were able to build big leads throughout only to have the Celtics claw back each time. Boston looked like the team that was fighting for respect and not the other way around so if we see a much looser Boston teams tonight, the result will be an easy victory.

The difference in Game One from being a close game instead of a coast for the Celtics was its long range shooting as they were just 2-18 from behind the arc with everyone besides Ray Allen going 0-11. Despite this horrible shooting performance, Boston was able to come back from an early 13-point deficit and then again came back from another double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter as it rallied from 10 points down. These type of blown leads is deflating for a young team like the Sixers which simply could not close.

The Celtics experience in the playoff atmosphere showed in the fourth quarter when they were able take control of the game on the defensive side of the ball. A lot of Boston

Miami heads into the Eastern Conference Semifinals coming off an easy series win over the Knicks as it wasn't challenge by New York which was hit with significant injuries. The Heat now have control of home court advantage through the nest two rounds thanks to the Bulls losing their series and they cannot afford to let it go. Miami went 28-5 at home during the regular season while winning all three playoff home games against the Knicks by double digits and it will be out to make a statement here as well.

The Pacers have been one of the hottest teams in the NBA as it is 16-4 over its last 20 games following an easy series win against the Magic. However, nine of the 12 regular season wins came against non-playoff teams while the four postseason wins came against an injury depleted Orlando team that would have been much different had Dwight Howard have been available. Indiana has been solid on the road but it is just 9-26 ATS in its last 35 road games as an underdog between 6.5 and 9.0 points.

Miami won three of the four regular season meetings and feel they are even better off now. "They're a much different team in the last six weeks," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said about Indiana. "We feel we are, too. Watching some of our film from those last two games [against Indiana], it's not really recognizable. Our energy level at that period of time, but also how we were playing offensively - there's a lot of different things from our standpoint." That feeling of confidence cannot be understated.

The Heat have covered four straight games at home and are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games as favorites between 5.0 and 10.5 points. They are also 7-2 ATS in their last playoff games as favorites of that same parameter and they fall into a great situation where we play on home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points that are revenging a loss of 10 points or more, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .750. This situation is 54-22 ATS (71.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (502) Miami Heat

This line is high and in fact, it is the highest pointspread we have seen in this series however I don't think it is going to be enough for the hurting Clippers to stay around. The Grizzlies are on the verge of doing a rare feat in coming back from a 3-1 series deficit as only eight other teams in the history of the NBA have come back from such a deficit. Memphis has been the better team this entire series even though it is tied up and the majority of the games have been close.

Not only did the Grizzlies blow that huge load in Game One but the other two losses have also been close, one being decided by a single point and the other being decided in overtime. Two of the three Memphis wins have been the only big margin victories. The Grizzlies accomplished something no other team in the history of the NBA had done before as despite losing the turnover battle 22-7, it won the game which was the biggest negative turnover disparity for a winning playoff team ever.

The Clippers are banged up and it showed on Friday as Chris Paul and Blake Griffin were not close to 100 percent as both struggled. Many of the Clippers had called Friday night their Game Seven, wanting to close out this series at home and while they certainly haven't given up, they are emotionally down. The Grizzlies are 28-8 at home this season and they have a clear edge in this final game as in the history of the NBA, the home team has won the decisive in Game Seven 80 percent of the time.

The Grizzlies outscored Los Angeles 48-26 in the paint in Game Six as Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph are playing at a top level and it is tough for any team to match up. They fall into a great situation as well as we play against underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points that are revenging a home loss where they covered but lost straight up as an underdog. This situation is 84-39 ATS (68.3 percent) over the last five seasons. Also, the Clippers are 1-11 ATS in their last 12 off a cover where it lost the game straight up as an underdog. 10* (760) Memphis Grizzlies

Both Philadelphia and Boston won their series on Thursday so each has the same amount of rest heading into the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The difference here though is that both clinched on their home floors so the Celtics have the advantage of having no travel heading into Game One while Philadelphia is on the road with just a day in-between. It needs to be noted that both of the Sixers losses in Chicago came with just one day of rest with travel involved so they find themselves in a tough spot again.

Boston is coming off a hard fought game over Atlanta to clinch the series so having not to travel is a big advantage. The Celtics can feed off that and now that they have the home court advantage, which they did not have against the Hawks, they will want to take advantage in Game One of this series. Boston has been awesome at home as it is 27-9 on the season including wins in 16 of its last 17 games, the only loss coming against San Antonio by just one point.

The Sixers were average on the road even though they won four of five to end the regular season. They went 1-2 in Chicago in the first round and that was against a depleted Bulls team with the only one game being played when Derrick Rose was actually on the court. Taking out the top seed in the Eastern Conference can be a confidence builder but it can also hurt as it can provide an immediate letdown and I see the latter taking place in Game One with such a short span in-between games.

This was a very lopsided regular season series as the home team not only won all three meetings but won big, by 32, 13 and 24 points. The last one was the only meeting in Boston and the Celtics will be ready to make a statement. The Sixers are just 3-10 ATS in their last 13 road games against teams with a home winning percentage greater than .600 while Boston is 8-1 ATS in their last nine home games against teams with a losing road record. Also, the Celtics are 17-5 ATS in their last 22 games following one day off. 10* (504) Boston Celtics

We won with Memphis in Game Five and I expect the Grizzlies to put forth another solid effort and take this series back to Memphis on Sunday. As I mentioned in the analysis from Game Five, the Grizzlies could easily be up in this series or have closed it out already. Not only did they blow that huge load in Game One but the other two losses have also been close, one being decided by a single point and the other being decided in overtime. The two Memphis wins have been the only big margin victories.

The Clippers are back home to try and close out the series where they are 26-9 on the season but this is not a great spot surprisingly. After losing Game Five and with a potential Game Seven on the road, the pressure is squarely on them right now. They may not be saying it, but it is. The closed the season horribly which put them in this spot of not controlling home court in this series and while they were able to salvage a win in Memphis, 99 times out of 100 they would not make that comeback.

Making matters worse for the Clippers is the fact that they are pretty banged up right now. Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and Caron Butler are all going to play tonight but none of them are close to 100 percent and that could turn into a problem as the game moves along. That has certainly affected this line as Los Angeles opened in a limited amount of places as a small favorite but once lines were widely released, the Grizzlies were the chalk which is just fine on our end.

Memphis falls into a solid situation as well as we play against home teams that are averaging between 92 and 98 ppg going up against teams that are allowing between 92 and 98 ppg after a loss by 10 points or more. This situation is 167-111 ATS (60.1 percent) over the last five seasons. Also, the Grizzlies are 37-16-2 ATS in their last 55 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600 while the Clippers are 18-42-1 ATS in their last 61 games against the NBA Southwest. 10* (743) Memphis Grizzlies

Before the postseason began, I thought this series had the biggest potential for an upset and that still holds true. With Chicago down in its series with Philadelphia, that would be a bigger upset at this point however a lot of that is due to unfortunate injuries that Chicago has sustained. The Nuggets were on the verge of elimination but came through huge with a win at Los Angeles to force a Game Six back home. The Nuggets are 21-14 at home which isn't great but the spot in fact is.

Kobe Bryant nearly single-handedly brought the Lakers back from a 15-point, fourth quarter deficit but just fell short and now the Lakers may be feeling the pressure. They have not been a good road team all season long and despite coming off a win the last time they played here in Game Four, they are just 12-22 ATS on the road this season. Los Angeles had closed out a playoff series on the first try in 11 of its previous 12 opportunities so things are definitely different this season.

Obviously winning in Los Angeles again will be difficult for Denver but it certainly wants that chance. Even though they are down a game, the Nuggets have actually outplayed the third-seeded Lakers for long stretches of the series. One key factor has been on the fast break as Denver has used it to put together big runs. The Nuggets have outscored the Lakers in all five games in fast break points and now with momentum on their side, they hold serve on their home floor.

The deeper roster for Denver is paying dividends late in this series and will continue to do so going forward. Because they run, the Nuggets have an edge with the deep roster and so far in this series, the bench is outscoring the Lakers bench 41.2 ppg to 17.0 ppg. The Lakers meanwhile are 4-15 ATS off a loss as a home favorite over the last two seasons while going just 1-5 ATS in its last six playoff games as underdogs of fewer than five points. Denver is now 7-2 ATS in its last nine games. 10* (736) Denver Nuggets

We saw Chicago, Atlanta and Denver all win their respective must wins games last night as they all trailed in their series' 3-1. Memphis is in a similar spot tonight as it heads home down 3-1 in this series against the Clippers but things are a lot closer than what that deficit shows. It has been so close in fact that had the ball bounced the other way in those games, Memphis could be up 3-1 right now or they could have even already have won it 4-0. So there is no way they have tossed in towel as they know this series can be won.

The Clippers have been the fortunate team thus far in this series as they have won two games by a single point, including the one where they never led until the end in coming back from 27 points down, as well as winning the most recent game in overtime. Los Angeles took care of business at home with the two victories and now it hits the road again where it suffered the only lopsided loss in this series which dropped it to 17-18 on the highway this season.

This is a tough home court that Memphis possesses as it is 12-1 over its last 13 home games with the only defeat being that huge collapse in the opener. One player that the Grizzlies are relying on tonight is Marc Gasol who is averaging 10.3 ppg and 6.2 rpg both of which are well below his season average and well below what he did last season in the playoffs where he averaged 15 ppg, 11.2 rpg whole shooting 51 percent from the floor. The points in the paint will have to go the Grizzlies way tonight.

This has been a good spot as Memphis is 30-14 ATS in its last 44 games revenging a loss after allowing 100 or more points and it is 36-16-2 ATS in its last 54 games against teams with a winning percentage greater than .600. The Grizzlies also fall into a solid situation where we play on home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points after failing to cover four or five of their last six, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .750. This situation is 60-26 ATS (69.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (728) Memphis Grizzlies

After taking a 1-0 lead in this series, the Hawks have dropped the last three games to find their backs up against the wall and are now in must win mode. Atlanta will look to avoid elimination tonight as it heads back home following a huge 22-point loss to the Celtics in Game Four and that setback is helping us with tonight's line. The Hawks were favored by 4.5 points in the second game in this series but the number has decreased significantly in this one and we are at the point where a straight up win likely means a cover as well.

You have to give credit to Boston for taking over this series but this is not an easy spot to take it with this one being on the road. The Celtics were able to grab the home court edge with a win here in Game Two and that was without the services of Rajon Rondo who was suspended. Now the desperation factor has switched to the other side. Interestingly, of the nine playoff series that the Celtics won in the first four years of the Big Three era, only two were clinched on the road.

The Hawks are going to need a big effort from Joe Johnson who took only eight shots from the floor in Game Four and he was clearly not happy about it. The return of Al Horford did not make much of a difference as he scored 12 points off the bench but shaking off that rust was important and he should be a much bigger factor at home tonight. Playing without him much of the season made the team more solid as overcoming adversity was accomplished which is the case once again.

Boston is just 7-14 this season as a road underdog and it is 1-5 ATS in its last five playoff games as an underdog. The Hawks are still a potent 11-5-1 ATS in their last 17 games as favorites and at a short price of less than three points, they are 10-3 ATS this season. The result from Game Four helps the home team as Atlanta is 4-0 ATS in its last four games coming off a double-digit loss while Boston is just 7-19 ATS in its last 26 games following a win by 15 or more points. 10* (718) Atlanta Hawks

Even though the Hawks lost Game Three in Boston, they should be coming into Sunday with a ton of confidence. They rallied from a late double-digit deficit to force overtime before falling in the extra session but I expect the bounce angle to come into play here. Atlanta not only lost home court advantage when it lost one of the first two games at home but losing Game Three means that Game Four would give the home edge right back to them if they can pull out the win.

The Celtics looked like a tired and dead team during many parts of the regular season but they came on strong at the end now enjoy the upper hand in this series. Linesmakers may be setting a bait on Boston as it went from an eight-point favorite last game to a 5.5-point favorite here despite winning. This is where we can look at the bounce angle or the zig-zag theory and toss it out as they are making the adjustment based on bettors going the other way. My take on it is that there is still a ton of value on the Hawks.

Injuries took their toll on the Hawks in Game Three. Forward Josh Smith was out because of a sprained left knee he suffered in Game Two. He had been their best player in the series and his injury further eroded Atlanta's frontcourt depth but the good news is that he will be back on Sunday. His presence is certainly needed after Boston outscored Atlanta 52-36 in the paint. Even with the frontcourt shortcomings, the Hawks nearly stole the game so more depth now only helps matters more.

Going back to the pointspread and we see this line has not moved and that keeps the Celtics in a bad spot as they are 6-13 ATS this season when favored between four and seven points and they just haven't been very good as a home favorite in general. Speaking of favorites, Boston is 3-15 ATS in its last 18 playoff games as a favorite between 5.0 and 10.5 points. Meanwhile the Hawks are 6-0 ATS in their last six games following a loss while the underdog is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings in this series. 10* (705) Atlanta Hawks

No team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in an NBA seven-game playoff series so the chances of Dallas winning the next four games seems nearly impossible. The Mavericks have not thrown in the towel just yet though and I expect a full out effort on Saturday to avoid the sweep as this one is more about pride than anything else. Four players on this team have been swept while playing with other teams and they know the pain from it takes longer to last than other series losses.

The problem for Dallas in this series has not been about intensity but it has been about shooting. While Oklahoma City is coming off its best shooting performance of the series ,including going 12-28 from three-point range, the Mavericks shooting percentage has gotten worse each game and over the last two games, they are a mere 12-45 (26.7 percent) from behind the arc. Kevin Durant finished with 31 points on 11-15 shooting after going a combined 15 of 44 in the first two games of the series.

It is hard to see Dallas going backwards again, especially playing at home for at least one last time after never leading in Game Three. The Mavericks ended up shooting 34.2 percent Thursday which was their fourth worst shooting percentage in playoff history. Good teams bounce back, no matter the situation and we will see that here. "I believe if we get one, anything can happen," Vince Carter said. "I really don't care what history says, at some point, someone is going to defy the odds, so why not try for it?"

The lines tells us a lot as the linesmakers have written off Dallas as after being favored by 3.5 points in Game Three, the Mavericks are now getting points. They have been a home underdog only twice all season and one of those games was against the Thunder early in the season and that resulted in a 13-point outright Dallas victory. The Mavericks are 4-0 ATS in their last four games following a double-digit loss while going 23-9-2 ATS in their last 34 playoff games when getting points. 10* (550) Dallas Mavericks

Chicago's loss in Game Two against the Sixers was arguably one of their worst this season and at the very least, it was one of their ugliest. Consider this. The Bulls ranked first in the league in rebounding this season and allowed the second-lowest field-goal percentage in the league. On Tuesday they allowed 59 percent shooting from the floor against the Sixers which shot 49 percent during the regular season. That is the highest field-goal percentage the Bulls have allowed in 68 games.

On top of that, Chicago was outrebounded 38-32 for the game and 22-12 in the second half. That discrepancy had a lot to do with the fact that the Bulls were outscored 52-32 in the paint. The first argument that comes to mind is the fact that Derrick Rose was out but his absence had nothing to do with that as the backcourt did its job, and very well for that matter, as the Bulls registered 23 assists while committing only eight turnovers. It is up to the frontcourt to step up and retake control of this series.

You do have to give the Sixers credit for running away with Game Two in the second half and seize home court in this series. Without Rose in the Bulls lineup, Philadelphia probably believes that it does have a chance to advance and there is certainly that possibility but it will take close to perfect basketball the rest of the way and that isn't going to happen like it did in Game Two. Even with that Game Two win, the Sixers are only 8-15 against teams ranked in the top 10 in the league.

The Bulls are still a very solid 18-10 without Rose this season so they have proven they can win without him. They have been the best bounceback team in the NBA this season as they are 12-4 ATS in their 16 games following a loss and this includes a 15-1 straight up record which is obviously more important here since they are the underdog and a win means a cover as well. Revenging a same season loss has been highly motivated as the Bulls are a perfect 7-0 ATS this year revenging a same season loss. 10* (541) Chicago Bulls

The defending champion Mavericks have their backs up against the wall following two very close losses in the first two games of this series. A loss here and they can pretty much count on an early exit in the playoffs but a win gets Dallas right back into it. Even though they are down 2-0, the Mavericks will be coming in with a lot of confidence knowing that they can certainly hang around against the Thunder, especially on the road. Past history in on their side as well.

Oklahoma City is in a good position right now with a two-game lead in the series and while it would like nothing more than to take a 3-0 lead, the situation is not a good one. They have been pretty average of late, going 9-7 over their last 16 games which includes a pedestrian 4-4 record on the road. It definitely needs to be noted that those four wins all came against non-playoff teams while the four losses came against teams currently in the playoffs. They are only 5-11 ATS during this 16-game stretch.

Oklahoma City has not been an underdog very often this season and it has not come through when it has been, going just 1-3 ATS when getting points. The Mavericks know what is at stake tonight and they are banking on the home crowd to back them up again. Dallas went 9-2 at home last season in the playoffs with those two losses coming by only eight points. "Game 3 is Game 7 for us,'' Jason Terry said Wednesday after practice. "We're coming out with a sense of urgency.''

Dallas is 5-0-1 ATS is its last six playoffs game following a loss in its previous game going back to last year's postseason. Also going back to last year, the Mavericks are a perfect 7-0-1 ATS in their last eight games in the first round and an incredible 19-4-2 ATS in their 23 playoff games since the start of last season. Going back to the regular season, the Thunder are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games following a win while Dallas is 5-1 ATS in its last six games following a loss. 10* (538) Dallas Mavericks

Orlando was able to steal a game in Indiana and grab home court advantage. Now it will be up to the Magic to hold onto that edge as a big Game Three for both sides presents home excellent value for the home team. The Pacers were favored by 9.5 points in the first two games at home so the change in venue should bring that number down to 1.5 points based on a four-point margin for home floor. This number has not come down enough and the Magic are getting a solid number here.

Indiana was able to negate early game runs by the Magic but putting up its own big run in the third quarter both times. The Pacers were unable to maintain that momentum in Game One but did so in Game Two. Now they are being asked to lay a significant number on the road and this is the toughest game to do so as it is the first home playoff game of the series for Orlando and with that comes a big advantage with the home crowd. Indiana went just 6-8 ATS as a road favorite and most of those were against garbage teams.

Obviously the absence of Dwight Howard is huge for Orlando and that was no more evident than when the Pacers took control in Game Two as they outrebounded the Magic 15-1 and won the second chance points battle 13-2. That comes down to intensity and with this series shifting to Orlando, it will be up to the Magic to feed off the home crowd to attain that edge on their sideline. That intensity will be the most important right after halftime as both games, Orlando came out too lethargic to keep up.

Orlando has not shot well in the first two games of this series and with points being a premium so far and likely to continue to be so, the Magic need to regain their touch and playing at home figures to help out. Orlando is 7-3-1 ATS in its last 11 games as a home underdog of fewer than five points while Indiana is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games as a favorite of fewer than five points including a 1-3 ATS mark on the road. This is the first road game for Indiana in over two weeks and it will show. 10* (532) Orlando Magic

The loss of Derrick Rose is obviously a big one for Chicago but this team is far from dead, at least for now. When a player like that goes down, his teammates tend to rise to the occasion and we will see that Tuesday night. Chicago went from favorites to underdogs in the Eastern Conference and they will be taking it personal. It wasn't like Rose was healthy all season to begin with and the Bulls went 18-9 without Rose this season so they have proven they can win without him.

Philadelphia closed the regular season strong with four straight road victories to hold off Milwaukee before losing its season finale at Detroit which was a meaningless game. Those wins however came against some weak foes for the most part and while the season did close on a high, Philadelphia does not have the team to compete against these elite -teams. The Sixers are 7-15 against teams ranked in the top 10 and that includes losses in the last three meetings against Chicago.

As important as Rose is to Chicago, this team is still very deep on offense and C.J. Watson is no slouch. Watson did start 25 games this season, averaging 11.3 ppg and 4.6 apg. "He's an excellent pick-and-roll player," Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau said. "He can push the ball in transition. He's a terrific 3-point shooter. He has good quickness." The Bulls were able to start their top five just 15 times this season because of injuries to Rose, Richard Hamilton and Luol Deng , yet they were tied for the league's best record.

With Rose out, we are getting a much better number with the Bulls and while this goes against the zig-zag, we are happy to go against it here in backing a team that is suddenly against the wall. Philadelphia is 10-23 ERA in its 33 games this season against teams with a winning record so it comes as no surprise it is 7-13 ATS as an underdog including 4-11 ATS when getting fewer than seven points. The Bulls meanwhile have covered five straight games as a favorite and they will be making a statement here. 10* (526) Chicago Bulls

We have seen the zig zag theory go the other way in recent years in the NBA Playoffs as linesmakers and even the law of averages have turned this once profitable theory into a bust. The situations though cannot be overlooked and opportunities to go with it will still come into play. While that may not trigger a complete comeback that was so lucrative a couple decades back, it does show that playing these in the right spots can give positive results. We come across our first one tonight.

One of those spots is with Indiana that lost outright against Orlando in Game One of their series. It was a loss at home for the Pacers which stings even more so falling down 2-0 in this series and then heading on the road is not an option. It was only the 11th home loss for the Pacers but it was the third in four games after going 8-1 in their previous nine games at home. Indiana shot only 34.5 percent from the floor in Game One so we can expect a big bounceback effort from that.

Orlando took three of the four regular season meetings as well so there are possible matchup issues to deal with here. One of those however goes Indiana's way as Dwight Howard is missing from the Magic lineup and while that did not come into play in Game One, a lot of that goes to the rest of the Orlando players stepping up in that first game behind a fallen teammate. Doing it again will be difficult especially with Indiana's back against the wall in the early going of this series.

The playoff zig-zag will be in play here and the Pacers also fall into a great revenge situation that uses the regular season as well as we play on home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 that are revenging a loss against a team with a winning record where team scored less than 85 points. This situation is 39-15 ATS (72.2 percent) over the last five seasons. The line remains relatively the same as Game One which is good value as this one could have gone up based on the first loss. 10* (520) Indiana Pacers

It is not often that you see a team that is ranked higher in the power ratings and sitting with a lower seed. I think the Nuggets have the best shot at a first round upset heading into the playoffs although Orlando can make a case for that after Saturday. Denver rides into the playoffs on a four-game winning streak including two road wins and looking past that, it is on a 3-0 run on the highway with impressive wins over Phoenix and Oklahoma City. The Nuggets were 18-15 on the road this season.

As good as the Lakers are, or think they are, they really are just an average team from the Western Conference. They finished 16 games over .500 and are in this spot because they won the Pacific Division but it came by only one game and that game proved the difference between third place and fifth place in the conference. Obviously this team is extremely talented but the parity in the Western Conference trumps that and the Nuggets have their own parity without a real go-to player.

The Lakers took three of four games from Denver during the regular season but the Nuggets played Los Angeles tough in each game with the three losses coming by six points or less. The Lakers were very average on the road this year and if Denver can steal a game in Los Angeles, it has a great shot at pulling off the first round upset. This is the game that it needs to take care of that and it helps knowing that the Nuggets are 25-8 ATS in their last 33 games as a road underdog.

The loss of Metta World Peace is significant and the Nuggets caught a break with it. His absence leaves the Lakers vulnerable at small forward, which was weakened further when Matt Barnes suffered a sprained right ankle during the Lakers' double-overtime victory over the Thunder. Los Angeles is 2-10 ATS in its last 12 games as a home favorite while Denver is 11-1 ATS this season after playing a game as a road favorite. Also, Denver was solid this season as an underdog, going 15-8 ATS when getting points. 10* (511) Denver Nuggets

Miami is coming off a couple blowout losses to end the regular season and while it can be argued that because of the losses and all of the players that sat, the Heat have no momentum heading into the playoffs. That would be the case for a lot of teams but Miami is different as it does not need any more motivation based on what happened last season. The Heat lost in the NBA Finals and it is safe to say they are the most motivated team heading into this year's postseason.

The Knicks were left for dead in the middle of the season but they closed with a charge by going 18-6 over their last 24 games and were able to sneak into the playoffs, finishing a game ahead of Philadelphia for seventh place in the Eastern Conference. It was a great turnaround and one that was finished without the services of Jeremy Lin who was there for a 7-1 start to the run but is now out for the rest of the season. This is a dangerous team that can make some noise.

While dangerous, the opening game is a different story based on everything else. The Heat have been banged up late this season but are healthy heading into the playoffs and obviously playing at home is a big edge. Miami went 28-5 at home during the regular season including two easy wins over the Knicks. This is a classic playoff series but one that has not taken place since 2000. The Heat were favored by double-digits in both of those home meetings so they are getting some value.

The Knicks are 1-4 ATS in their last five games as road underdogs between 5.0 and 10.5 points while Miami is 4-1 ATS in their last five games as favorites between 5.0 and 10.5 points. Also, Miami is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games following a double-digit loss and it falls into a great situation where we play against teams that are outscoring their opponents by three or more ppg going up against an opponent after scoring 75 points or less two straight games. This situation is 23-5 ATS (82.1 percent) since 1996. 10* (504) Miami Heat

The Hawks head into the final game of the regular season with a lot on the line as they are still vying for home court advantage in their first round series against the Celtics. Boston has locked down the fourth seed and Atlanta the fifth seed but the Hawks can still finish a game better than Boston which would give them the home edge. They would need Boston to lose if they lose to Dallas tonight but that is probably not going to happen so Atlanta needs to take care of its own business.

Dallas is not in the same type of situation. It will be playing on the road in the first round no matter what as the only lingering question is who the Mavericks will be playing. They will either face the Thunder or the Lakers depending how everything shakes out so even a win or a loss here will not determine their opponent so they will treat this game as a time to rest some players and have the card fall as they may. Dallas is just 13-19 on the road including losses in its last three games on the highway.

One key player that will be sitting tonight for the Mavericks is Jason Kidd. The goal for him is to have eight or nine days off before the Mavericks play their first playoff game and this philosophy worked last season as they sat Kidd from April 4-9 before he played in the team's final three games of the regular season. He responded with a great first round series against the Blazers. Also expected to sit is Jason Terry and don't be surprised to see Dirk Nowitzki playing less than normal.

Dallas has been off since Saturday so it is certainly plenty rested already but there is no reason so chance anything in what is considered a pretty meaningless game. The Mavericks are 1-4 ATS in their last five road games against teams with a home winning percentage greater than .600. Meanwhile the Hawks are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games against team with a winning record and 9-4-1 ATS in their last 14 games as a favorite. They are also 13-6 ATS this season as favorites of fewer than six points. 10* (702) Atlanta Hawks

We lost with the Clippers last night as they fell down in the third quarter and could not recover. It was a tough loss in that it secured the Pacific Division for the Lakers and kept Memphis in the hunt for the fourth spot in the Western Conference. With this their final regular season game, the Clippers need to beat New York or hope Memphis loses to Orlando on Thursday to host the playoff opener against the Grizzlies at Staples Center this weekend. This game is now even more crucial.

This game is also important for the Knicks as far as playoff seedings go as they are tie for seventh place with Philadelphia. The difference here is not about home court advantage though as it is about picking its poison. If the Knicks fold and finish eighth, they set up a series with Chicago but if they can claim the seventh seed, they are rewarded with a series against Miami. New York has a chance to move to sixth place but Orlando needs to lose its last two games including at home against Charlotte and that isn't going to happen.

Chris Paul is listed as questionable after limping off the court with an apparent groin injury but he will be suiting up no matter what. "I'm all right," Paul said. "At some point, something didn't feel right, but I'll be OK. I'll be ready to go as soon as they throw that ball up. Tomorrow we've got to win so we make sure we have home court. The good thing about it is we still control our own destiny." The Clippers cannot rely on Memphis losing tomorrow against Orlando at home because chances are it will not happen.

Getting home court is big for the Clippers as it's no coincidence that the Clippers have won both of their home games against the Grizzlies and lost their only road matchup. Memphis and Los Angeles are two of only 10 teams in the NBA with single-digit home losses showing just how strong their home floors are. The Clippers are 18-6 straight up and 15-9 ATS following a loss this year and this series has been dominated by the road team as the host is 1-7 ATS over the last eight meetings. 10* (509) Los Angeles Clippers

This is a big game for both teams as both the Clippers and Hawks are fighting for home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Atlanta is a game ahead of the Celtics and would gain the home court edge if it finishes ahead of them by one game even though Boston has the fourth seed locked down. The Clippers can lock up home court advantage with a win tonight, thus guaranteeing at least the fourth seed with the possibility of the third seed still in play.

Since it is a big game for each side, we are basing this on the matchup and which team is in better recent form and those advantages both go to the Clippers. Los Angeles is 14-3 over its last 17 games including a 5-2 record on the road and it is playing its best basketball of the season which could not have come at a better time. As far as the matchup edge, the Hawks may have issues defending Blake Griffin since they remain without injured big men Al Horford and Zaza Pachulia.

Atlanta is 14-7 over its last 21 games which is a good run but 10 of those wins came against the bottom six teams in the Eastern Conference. One of the wins came against Utah, which is fighting for a playoff spot and while the other three victories came against Eastern Conference playoff teams, they were against teams without key players as New York was missing Amare Stoudemire, Orlando was without Dwight Howard and Boston was without its top four players. Atlanta is 6-8 in its last 14 games against playoff teams.

"We got to keep fighting," point guard Chris Paul said. "We got to win one more to lock up home court so a big game for us in Atlanta." The Clippers got good news as both Caron Butler and Nick Young traveled with the team and could be ready tonight. The Hawks are 2-11 ATS in their last 13 home games following a loss as a home favorite and 0-9 ATS in their last nine home games after allowing 110 or more points. The Clippers are 8-2 in their last 10 games after their opponent scored 100 or more points last game. 10* (701) Los Angeles Clippers

This is a must win game for Milwaukee as its playoff hopes are hanging by a thread. The Bucks put together a solid 13-4 run to put themselves in position for a playoff push but a recent 2-5 skid has taken them back and now they are in a position where they have to win their final three games of the regular season while hoping Philadelphia loses its final three games. One of those games is a matchup between the two on Wednesday but things are not looking good in Milwaukee.

We played against Toronto last night and were beaten by a bucket with the spread as the Raptors hung tough with the Pistons in an ugly game offensively. It was pretty clear that both teams had little motivation going in and it showed but tonight should be a different story for Toronto which has a chance for some revenge as well as a chance to play spoiler. The Raptors fell to 10-22 on the road with the loss but the cover improved them to 19-13 ATS and that nine-game difference is the biggest in the NBA.

Since this is a must win game for the Bucks, the line has been adjusted because of that although it probably isn't far off of where it should be. Still, this is not a favorable number for Milwaukee which is 0-2 ATS this season when laying double-digits so this is close to unchartered territory. The Raptors did play last night but they are a solid 5-2 ATS this season when playing with no rest in the second of back-to-back road games. They are also a solid 24-16-1 ATS following a loss.

Toronto has lost both meetings against the Bucks this season, both by identical 105-99 scores taking place at home which sets up a revenge scenario. The Raptors are 15-7 ATS this season playing with revenge from a game where the opponent scored 100 or more points. Also, Toronto is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 road games against teams with a winning home record. Milwaukee meanwhile is just 4-10 ATS in its last 14 games as a home favorite while going 0-6 ATS in its last six games coming off a double-digit win. 10* (509) Toronto Raptors

The Pistons have been playing better and more consistent even though they are just a game better than the Raptors. Through its first game in February, Detroit went 4-20 to open the season but it has gone a pretty solid 19-20 since then despite a recent rough stretch that has seen it go 2-7 over its last nine games but six of those seven losses all came against teams either in the playoffs or right on the cusp of getting a spot. This is where Detroit has had the most success, going 10-4 when favored.

The Raptors have dropped two straight games as well and are 2-6 in their last eight games. They have won a few games on the road but are still just 5-12 in their last 17 games on the highway and that includes a 19-point loss in Detroit in the most recent meeting in this series back in early March. Toronto has been pretty solid this season as an underdog but a lot of that has been due to stepping up against the elite teams as it is just 1-5 ATS in its last six games against teams with a losing record.

We won with Detroit on Tuesday as it clobbered the Cavaliers and a lot of that reasoning was due to injuries to Cleveland and that is similar for Toronto tonight. The Raptors are without three key players as center Andrea Bargnani has been shut down for the season, point guard Jose Calderon, who is tied for fourth in the NBA in assists, will sit out his fourth straight game with an eye injury while forward Linas Kleiza is likely to sit out his third straight game with a bum knee. These are three huge absences.

The Pistons fall into a great situation where we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points that are revenging a loss where opponent scored 100 or more points, playing with three or more days rest. This situation is 89-47 ATS (65.4 percent) since 1996. On top of that, the Raptors are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games when playing with three or more days rest. Meanwhile, Detroit is 13-2 ATS in its last 15 home games coming off a home loss while going 10-1 ATS in its last 11 games coming off a double-digit loss. 10* (708) Detroit Pistons

Well, it's official as Dwight Howard is now done for the season for the Magic after undergoing successful back surgery yesterday. His days in Orlando forever are probably done as well but now the Magic can focus on one thing and that is getting into the playoffs. Orlando is 3-3 over the last six games that Howard has been out and now that is it definite that he will not be back at all this season, it will be much easier for the current players to simply go out and play.

This is a huge game for Utah as it is tied with Phoenix for eighth place in the Western Conference with just three games left. This is considered a 'must win' game for the Jazz which is certainly playing into this line but in reality, it isn't a 'must win' situation quite yet. The Jazz host Phoenix in their next game on Tuesday and then host Portland in their season finale so there is still a lot of wiggle room even if it should lose here. A win is fine here as we are more concerned about the generous point spread.

Dwight Howard is one of the best players in the NBA no doubt but I do not thing he is worth the amount of points the Magic are getting docked because of his absence. They were getting 4.5 points in Boston in their last game, a contest thy lost by three points, and now they are getting double that in Utah just three nights later. The easy question is Utah 4.5 points better than Boston? The easier answer is no even though the Celtics were without Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen.

This is a classic example of an overreaction by the linesmakers to news that we pretty knew anyway. Orlando is still a very solid team sans Howard and you can guarantee they will be motivated tonight. The Magic have already clinched a playoff spot but a win tonight locks down the sixth seed which is big since it avoids both Chicago and Miami in the first round of the playoffs. Utah is in a bad scenario as it is just 8-21 ATS in its last 29 games as a favorite between 5.0 and 10.5 points. 10* (515) Orlando Magic

There are plenty of playoff races still heating up in the Western Conference and two of those are in play tonight in this game. San Antonio has a half-game lead over Oklahoma City for first place in the conference but essentially it is a game and a half as the Spurs hold the tiebreaker because of the season series win. A win here keeps the pressure on as the Thunder are at Sacramento and will likely be able to keep pace. San Antonio has won and covered five straight games so there seems to be no slowing down.

The Lakers will get to see Kobe Bryant back in the lineup tonight after missing seven straight games because of that sin injury so we are likely going to see a lot of public action backing the Lakers for this reason alone. Los Angeles is a game up on the Clippers in the Pacific Division after they lost to the Suns last night so there is some cushion but the difference between first and second place in the division is nothing more than either the three or four seed in the conference, both of which are good.

Don't expect Bryant to play his normal 38 minutes as health is the main concern. "The next-best bet for us is to try and hold on to third place." Lakers head coach Mike Brown told reporters. "We're trying like the dickens to do it, but I'm not going to do it at the cost of somebody's health or something like that." Things are more important for the Spurs and they have proven all season they can get it done as they are 21-8-1 ATS at home including 6-1-1 in their last eight home games as favorites between 5.0 and 10.5 points.

Straight up, the Spurs are 25-5 at home and one of those losses came earlier this month as the Lakers came in and won by 14 points without Bryant. San Antonio returned the favor by winning six days later in Los Angeles by 21 points and while the revenge factor seems to be on the Lakers side, the Spurs are not done with their payback as they are still out to avenge that home defeat. They have actually lost three straight to the Lakers at home and they break through tonight as they inch closer to that top seed. 10* (710) San Antonio Spurs

We played against Phoenix last night and carded the easy victory with the Thunder but we will be backing Phoenix tonight. Last night's play was more of a play on Oklahoma City than it was a play against the Suns because the Thunder were coming off that horrific performance against the Clippers in their previous game. The loss last night sent Phoenix back into ninth place in the Western Conference, just a half-game behind Utah and with four games left, this one certainly means something.

The Clippers have won five straight games following their victory last night in Denver and with the Lakers also winning, they kept pace in the Pacific Division and trailed their city rival by a half-game still. The Lakers and Clippers have the third and fourth seeds pretty much locked up in the Western Conference, it is just a matter of which teams gets what seed. There is not a big difference between the two but winning the division means bragging rights and that is why the Clippers have not backed down.

This is not the greatest of spots for Los Angeles as it is only 16-19-2 ATS following a win this season which certainly isn't horrible but it shows some overvaluation when playing in their next game. The Clippers lost the first two meetings this season including the first meeting in Phoenix and they are just 1-5 ATS in their last six trips here. It is important to note that the Suns were underdogs last night but are slight favorites tonight and they are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 games as a favorite.

While just a half-game separates Utah, Phoenix and Houston, the Suns hold the tiebreaker in either a two-way or three-way tie which is huge. The Suns are not the youngest team in the league so playing back-to-back nights would seem to be a bad situation but they have been solid in it this season, going a solid 11-7-1 ATS including 6-2-1 ATS when that second game is played at home. Even better news is that Grant Hill is expected to return after missing two games because of a sore right knee. 10* (510) Phoenix Suns

Oklahoma City has not suffered many losses this season and it has not suffered many double-digit losses like it did in its last game at the Clippers. The Thunder lost by 15 points which was their second biggest loss of the season but most important, they scored just 77 points in doing so, easily their lowest offensive output of the season no thanks to 25 second half points scored on 9-of-31 shooting (29.0 percent). They had a nine-point halftime lead but that poor second half will have them focused here.

The Suns continue to fight as they are coming off a win at home over Portland to move into a tie for eighth place in the Western Conference with Houston. That certainly makes this a big game for Phoenix with only five games left on the schedule. Not many saw this comeback coming as the Suns were near the bottom of the conference at one point but credit has to go out to this veteran team for not throwing in the towel. Things could bad though as four of the final five games are against Western Conference playoff teams.

While it is big for the Suns, it is equally big for the Thunder. They have clinched the Northwest Division but they remain tied atop the Western Conference standings and they are still gunning for the top seed. The Spurs are tied with them but it they finish tied with San Antonio, they will not get the top seed because they lost the season series. Oklahoma City has a game at Sacramento up next in two nights so there is no look ahead which means a fully focused effort here.

The Thunder have been great in this role as they are 13-3 straight up and 12-4 ATS following a loss this season including a 3-1 ATS record when losing the previous game by double-digits. They fall into a great league-wide situation where we play on road favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points that are coming off a loss by 15 points or more as a favorite, with a winning record on the season. This situation is 25-6 ATS (80.6 percent) over the last five seasons. Expect all of these marks to be expended. 10* (721) Oklahoma City Thunder

The Cavaliers were on a 1-12 run with its only won coming against New Jersey but since then it has gone a respectable 3-4 in its last seven games but those victories came against Toronto, Charlotte and Washington. The last four victories have come against the four worst teams in the NBA, not counting themselves. Granted Detroit is just above that list but he Pistons have at least been more consistent for a longer period of time. The big problem now is that injuries continue to be a big issue.

Cavaliers Kyrie Irving and Anderson Varejao are listed as questionable but according to the Cleveland blog 'Fear the Sword', neither will be in action on Tuesday and the possibility of both sitting out the rest of the season is a definite possibility. These are two huge absences that affect both the frontcourt, as Varejao has been out for quite some time, and the backcourt as Irving has missed his last eight games after averaging 18.8 ppg and 5.7 apg in a sensational rookie season.

As mention the Pistons have been playing better and more consistent even though they are just a game and a half better than the Cavaliers. Through its first game in February, Detroit went 4-20 to open the season but it has gone a pretty solid 18-18 since then despite a recent rough stretch that has seen it go 1-5 over its last six games but those five losses all came against teams either in the playoffs or right on the cusp of getting a spot. There is where Detroit has had the most success, going 9-3 when favored.

The Pistons won the last meeting so that sets up a revenge spot for the Cavaliers but they have been horrible in that role as they are 4-13 ATS in their last 17 games revenging a loss where they scored 85 or fewer points. Also, Cleveland is 0-4 ATS in its last four road games against teams with a winning home record while the Pistons are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 home games against teams with a winning percentage of less than .400. On top of that, Detroit is 12-2 ATS in its last 14 home games coming off a home loss. 10* (504) Detroit Pistons

We won with Miami on Sunday as the Heat used a late surge to pull away from the Knicks late and grab a very important road win. It didn't do much in the standings but it game them confidence going forward in what has been a rough stretch of road games. Expect those struggles to come back into play Monday as Miami is in a prime letdown spot following the nationally televised game at MSG. Not only that, this is the Heat's fourth game in five nights.

Not much has gone right for New Jersey this season as injuries have been a big part of the reason why it has struggles so much. While the Nets are sitting at a dismal 22-39 on the season, they are a very respectable 7-5 over their last 12 games and while most of those wins have come against some bad teams, we aren't asking them to win here. This point spread is based on the fact it is New Jersey against Miami and is not taking into consideration the situation that is in place that the Heat have to deal with.

There are only six games left on the schedule for New Jersey and it is probably a safe bet to assume that the Nets want this season over as quick as possible. That being said, a win over Miami would be huge and that provides enough motivation for New Jersey to show up on Monday. The Heat won the first two meetings this season by 11 and 30 points so revenge comes into play as well. If there is a team on the floor that is expected to be the more motivated, it isn't going to be Miami.

Miami has been solid this season against the bottom teams in the NBA as it has won 20 of 24 games against teams ranked below the top 16 but the role of road favorite has been sketchy as best as it is 13-14 ATS as a road chalk this season and the cover against the Knicks Sunday was just the fourth cover in their last 10 games in that spot. The Heat are just 7-10 ATS this season when playing with no rest including a 4-7 ATS record when that second game is on the road. 10* (710) New Jersey Nets

The Knicks are playing good basketball right now and because of that we are catching a solid line with Miami. They have a nine-game home winning streak and are 7-3 in their past 10 games and they are in a fight with Philadelphia for seventh place with Milwaukee sitting just 2.5 games back in ninth place. That makes all of these games important for New York but the feeling here is that it simply cannot match up and it has struggled against the top teams, going 6-12 against the top 10.

Miami is still keeping a slim hope alive for first place in the Eastern Conference but that is likely not going to happen. Many can argue that the Heat may take the final portion of the regular season to rest and get more healthy but they are not going to be taking that approach at all. "The most important thing for us is we're trying to get an optimal level of play where we're playing at a high level," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We're not there yet, particularly on the road."

That is important to hear as Miami needs to head into the playoffs with some momentum and confidence as it is just 6-6 over its last 12 games and that is not a record of a championship caliber team. The Heat's road struggles are pretty well documented but the teams that they have been losing to are all in the upper half of the playoff seedings and while no losses are good losses, at least they are against powerful opponents. Miami is 29-9 against teams ranked outside the top 10.

The Heat should have Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem back after Miami used Friday's rout of Charlotte to rest Wade's minor injuries and Haslem's bad stomach. New York has lost both regular season meetings this season and rather handily, both taking place in Miami. That sets up a revenge spot but not a good one as we play against home teams where the line is +3 to -3 that are revenging a loss against an opponent after a cover as a double digit favorite. This situation is 64-32 ATS (66.7 percent) since 1996. 10* (501) Miami Heat

We played on the Pacers in this same matchup exactly three weeks ago and we will again be backing Indiana tonight. The Pacers easily defeated Cleveland last night for the home-and-home sweep and because the game was in hand early in the second half, players did not log a lot of minutes as no one played more than 27 minutes. They have now won three straight games and are also three games in front of Boston for third place in the Eastern Conference standings with seven games remaining.

Milwaukee cashed an easy ticket for us last night as it fell behind early but rallied late in the first quarter and pulled away in the third to win by 16 points. The Bucks kept pace in the playoff race for the eighth position as they trail the Knicks and Sixers by two games so this is a big one tonight but a 'must win' doesn't mean it turns out that way. Milwaukee improved to 9-3-1 ATS as a road favorite with that victory over the Pistons but the home floor is a different story as the Bucks are only 6-10 ATS as a home chalk.

Playing with no rest has been a struggle for the Bucks as they are 7-12 both straight up and ATS and this includes a dismal 3-7 straight up record and 2-8 ATS mark when playing at home following a road game. While the Pacers have been average in the second game of a back-to-back set, they are actually at their best when they go from home to play on the road. It was the same in that last meeting as the Bucks played on the road and Pacers played at home the previous night. It resulted in a 21-point Indiana win.

The Pacers are coming off a strong game offensively against the Cavaliers and they have topped the 100-point plateau in eight of their last nine games after doing so in just six of their previous 15 games. Indiana is 5-2 ATS over this recent stretch when surpassing 100 points. This is obviously a revenge game for Milwaukee but it has not been a strong payback team this season, going just 11-20 ATS revenging a previous loss. Also, Milwaukee is 0-5 ATS in its last five games following a double-digit win. 10* (711) Indiana Pacers

Time is running out on Milwaukee. The Bucks lost a very crucial game on Wednesday against the Knicks as they blew a four-point lead going into the fourth quarter by getting outscored by eight points en route to a four-point loss. The loss put Milwaukee two games behind New York for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and with just eight games left, every game is becoming more and more critical. With Indiana on deck tomorrow night, this one is big.

Detroit snapped a three-game losing streak with a win last night at Charlotte but a win over the Bobcats is not saying a whole lot. The Pistons have not quit on this season after a horrendous start and that shows a lot of character but this is not a good situation for Friday. The Pistons are 7-10 over their last 17 games which isn't horrible but of those seven wins, six came against Charlotte (twice), Washington (twice), Cleveland and Sacramento. There has been only one win against a winning team since early March.

The Bucks are two games under .500 so putting them in the role of a road favorite may not seem justified but they have handled it very well this season. Overall, they have a winning ATS record on the road and in 12 games as a road favorite, Milwaukee is 9-3 straight up and 8-3-1 ATS so it has been very successful. The Pistons meanwhile are playing with no rest and while they have been strong in this scenario this season, they are just 1-3 ATS when going from the road to home.

The home team has won and covered the first three meetings this season so Milwaukee will be looking to buck that trend here, no pun intended. It does set up well as they Bucks are 7-1 ATS in their last eight road games and they are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 games against teams with a losing record. Detroit meanwhile has been just above average when coming off a win this season but going back further, it is 7-22 ATS in its last 29 games coming off a double-digit win. 10* (517) Milwaukee Bucks

We won with Memphis last night and despite a lot of the same scenarios being in play tonight, the Grizzlies are in a strong play against spot. Memphis has won four straight games to inch closer to the fourth spot in the Western Conference standings but the last three have come at home where they have been significantly better. Their last two road wins came at Oklahoma City and Miami so the Grizzlies have defeated some strong teams away from home but tonight will be different.

The Spurs had won 11 straight games before losing at Utah on Monday when part of the teams didn't even travel but they lost at home last night and were pretty much embarrassed against a Kobe Bryant-less Lakers team. San Antonio is now 23-5 at home and had won eight in a row before last night. Losing consecutive games has been rare as well as the Spurs have not dropped back-to-back games since late January and before Wednesday, they had been 6-0 in their last six games after a loss.

The game at Utah on Monday was played with no rest and that is why a lot of the starters didn't even travel and it is pretty well known that the Spurs have not been a great team when playing with no rest. However, they are 8-7-1 ATS in that role this season which is far from horrible and this includes a perfect 2-0 ATS record when both games are played at home. Those second game winners came by 22 points against Dallas and 12 points against New Orleans.

San Antonio has won the first three meetings this season and while Memphis will be looking to get a win, similar to what Utah wanted to do after losing the first three meetings, the Grizzlies will find it much more challenging. They have been great with no rest but are just 3-2 ATS when the first of the back-to-back games was at home. Memphis is 5-12 ATS in its last 17 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of .600 or better while the Spurs are 11-1-1 ATS in their last 13 games after a non-cover. 10* (708) San Antonio Spurs

The Knicks are coming off a tough loss last night in Chicago as they led early but could not withstand a big Chicago run in the second quarter. The Bulls avenged an overtime loss in New York two nights prior so it was not a good spot for the Knicks and tonight's is not much better. New York fell to 10-18 on the road on the season and despite a recent run where they had gone 11-3 in its previous before Chicago, only six of those games came on the road.

Milwaukee was rolling along with four straight wins until Oklahoma City came to town and put it to the Bucks by 20 points two nights ago. They are still very much alive in the playoff hunt and the big trades that took part a couple weeks ago are paying off as the Bucks are 13-5 over their last 18 games. Milwaukee is just one game out of the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference standings and the team in front of it happens to be the Knicks which makes this one pretty big.

The Bucks will be pretty focused here as coming off the loss to the Thunder should be motivation enough but they lost to the Knicks toward the end of March in New York and it was one of those games they got a bad feeling from. New York was sent to the free throw line 35 times compared to just 18 times for Milwaukee so the home cooking was in full effect. Milwaukee has won 10 of 15 games this season as a home favorite and the revenge situation makes it that much stronger.

New York may be 10-8 ATS this season when playing with no rest but the Knicks have not fared well in these spots as they have gone 1-4 ATS in their second of back-to-back games when both games have been on the road. The Bucks are 23-6 ATS in their last 29 games against the Atlantic Division while going 5-1 ATS in their last six games following a loss. Despite the recent home win over Milwaukee, the Knicks are just 2-12 ATS in the last 14 meetings in this series. 10* (508) Milwaukee Bucks

Miami is coming off a win over Detroit on Sunday which was the perfect setup in getting prepared for this big rematch against the Celtics. This is the third of four meetings with Boston and the Heat are out to avenge their worst loss of the season after losing by 19 points to start the month. This is very similar to a previous scenario as Miami lost at Oklahoma City in late March, which was their worst loss of the season at the time, and came back to win and cover in the home rematch.

We won with the Celtics in their last game as they easily took care of the Sixers in a double-revenge scenario. Now that revenge is going the other way. Boston has been playing much better late in the season but it still is having trouble against the NBA elite even though it did defeat Miami earlier. The Celtics are only 5-15 this season against teams ranked in the top ten in the NBA. Miami meanwhile is 26-9 against teams ranked outside the top 10 and that is where Boston falls.

The Celtics are 12-15 on the road this season but five of those have come against Washington, Cleveland and Charlotte, the three worst teams in the NBA. This will be another stiff test as Miami brings in a 24-3 home record and while all three losses were questionable ones, the situation was not as favorable. Boston is just 2-6-1 ATS in its last nine games as a road underdog between 5.0 and 10.5 points and it has covered just one of the last five meetings in Miami.

Miami has a huge game at Chicago on deck for Thursday but it knows it has to take care of business here and because of the previous meeting, there will be no lack of motivation. The Heat fall into a great revenge situation as we play on home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points that are revenging a same season loss with that opponent coming off a win by 20 points or more over a division rival. This situation is 41-13 ATS (75.9 percent) since 1996. Boston is 6-19 ATS in its last 25 games after a win by 15 or more points. 10* (704) Miami Heat

This is a big game for both sides as Los Angeles is looking to tie the Lakers for the Pacific Division lead while Memphis is looking to inch its way up the Western Conference standings. The Grizzlies trail San Antonio by 8.5 games in the Southwest Division so while that race is done, they are only a game and a half out of fourth place in the conference and the team they trails happens to be the Clippers. Picking up a game with a win here tonight would be a bog move.

Los Angeles is red hot right now as it has won eight of its last nine games but the schedule has set up very well. The Clippers had to leave the state only once over that stretch, a trip to Dallas, and six of those wins came against teams that are currently on the outside of the playoff picture. Only two games in the nine-game stretch were on the road and despite winning both, the Clippers are 3-5 in their last eight road games and have a trip to Oklahoma City on deck in what is a big revenge game.

Speaking of revenge, the start of this Clipper run was at the expense of Memphis as the Grizzlies lost in Los Angeles by 16 points just over two weeks ago. They fell behind by 16 points after the first quarter, trailed by as many as 22 points and never had a chance. That was the last game of a three-game losing streak and since then, Memphis has gone 7-2 so while the Clippers are hot, the Grizzlies are not far behind. Even more impressive is that six of those nine games were on the road.

Memphis has been solid in these spots in the past as it is 29-14 ATS in its last 43 games revenging a loss where the opponent scored 100 or more points. The Grizzlies are also 27-15 ATS in their last 42 home games following a win and 13-4 ATS in their last 17 games in the second half of the season against teams with a winning record. The Clippers meanwhile are just 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games following a double-digit win while going 7-18 ATS in their last 25 games after scoring 105 or more points. 10* (510) Memphis Grizzlies

It is pretty well documented that the Celtics have not fared well when playing on no rest. Well, they are coming off a game last night in Indiana in which they won going away so now they head home in search of wins on consecutive nights. While Boston is 5-11 ATS this season in the second game of a back-to-back set, this situation is actually a good one. The Celtics are a perfect 5-0 straight up and 3-2 ATS when going from the road and coming back home for that second game.

The Sixers have hit the skids. They once looked like they were going to run away with the Atlantic Division but after slumping and Boston catching fire, things have certainly gone the other way. The Sixers are not playing very good and haven't been for close to two months now, going just 9-17 over their last 26 games following a loss at home last night to Orlando, which was slumping with five straight losses. The road has been tough on Philadelphia as it is 3-10 over its last 13 games on the highway.

Boston has built a two-game lead in the Atlantic Division and this game is meaningful to both sides as the Celtics can stretch out a comfortable lead while the Sixers can cut the lead to one game. The Celtics will be a hungry team tonight though as they will be looking for payback from two losses in Philadelphia from earlier this season which included one by 32 points. Boston is 19-9 at home this season and this is the first home game since that gut wrenching loss to the Spurs.

The Celtics have been very tough at home lately as they are 7-0-1 ATS in their last eight home games while going 6-0 ATS in their last six home games against teams with a losing road record. The Sixers meanwhile are 0-6 ATS in their last six games when playing with no rest while going 7-20 ATS in their last 27 games against teams with a winning record. This has been part of the reason that the Sixers are 1-7 ATS in their last eight games as underdogs of fewer than five points. 10* (706) Boston Celtics

Portland is coming off a rare win last night as it took overtime to defeat the Mavericks. It was rare in the fact that the Blazers have won two straight games which is the first time this has happened since late January as they were an atrocious 0-15 in their last 15 games following a victory prior to last night. They have won three straight games only once all season and those happened to be their first three games of the year, all of which took place at home. They are 0-3 straight up and ATS after two straight wins.

The Bucks have had trouble the last two games against some bad teams but they have been able to walk away with victories. They blew a big lead against Cleveland but held on and last night, they blew another big lead but were able to hold off the lowly Hornets. Milwaukee has won three straight and is 12-4 over its last 16 games as it continues to make its playoff push. The Bucks trail the Knicks by only one game in the Eastern Conference and with games against the Thunder and Knicks on deck, this one is big .

Milwaukee has not been very good this season when playing with no rest, going 6-12 both straight up and against the number but this is the first time there has been no travel involved as the Bucks plays consecutive home games for the first time this season. Portland meanwhile is just 1-4 straight up and 2-3 against the spread when playing consecutive road games with no rest. The situation is even tougher here following a win that needed overtime.

This is a revenge game for Portland as it was blown out at home earlier this season but that means little here, especially on the road. Plus the Blazers are 2-14 ATS in their last 16 games revenging a loss when the opponent scored 110 or more points. Also, Portland is 0-7 ATS following two or more consecutive covers this season while going 3-14 ATS in its last 17 games as an underdog of fewer than five points. Milwaukee is 8-1 ATS this season following a win by six points or less. 10* (512) Milwaukee Bucks

While laying road chalk in the NBA is never a fun thing to do, sometimes it is advisable and that is the case here. Following a home loss against Memphis, Oklahoma City went on the road and lost at the revenge-minded Heat on Wednesday which was just its second time all season that it has lost consecutive games. You have to go back to February of last season to find the last time the Thunder has lost three in a row and despite the loss to Miami, they are 11-2 straight up and 10-3 ATS after a loss.

Indiana has won three straight games to move to 12 games over .500 and remain in third place in the Eastern Conference. The victories came against Washington and two teams at the bottom end of the playoff picture and while Pacers do own a win over Miami from last week, defeating the elite teams has been extremely rare this season. Since February 7th, they are 14-14 and of those 14 wins, only four have come against teams in current playoff positions while 11 of the 14 losses came against postseason teams.

The Thunder are now two games behind Chicago for best record in the NBA with home court advantage given in the Finals to that team with the best overall record but Oklahoma City has more important things to worry about right now. It is ahead of San Antonio by just a game in the Western Conference so what seemed like a coasting into the playoffs as the top seed, the Thunder are far from safe so this has turned into a very important game as the season winds down.

Indiana is just 6-20 ATS in its last 26 games after covering the spread in two or more consecutive games while going 1-4 ATS in its last five home games against teams with a winning percentage greater that .600. Oklahoma City falls into a fantastic situation as well as we play on favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points that are allowing opponents to shoot 43 percent or less on the season going up against an opponent after a game where it shot 55 percent or better. This situation is 59-29 ATS (67 percent) since 1996. 10* (701) Oklahoma City Thunder

The early Thursday lines in the NBA are scarce but a couple places do have the Bulls at -6 as an opener so we are basing this play based on that number, give or take it a little bit either way. Depending on the status of Derrick Rose, it could move more but that really is not a concern here. Chicago needs this game in a big way as it has lost two straight games, the first time this has occurred in the regular season since early February of last season. The Bulls haven't lost three straight regular season games since March, 2010.

The Celtics enter this game off a loss as well but theirs is a totally different matter as it came against the Spurs last night and it ended up being an agonizing loss. Boston lost by a single point after making a huge second half rally as it held the Spurs to just 28 second half points. That loss, along with the fatigue from that defensive effort, will carry over into tonight and it will be tough to recover from even though it is a game against Chicago. Boston is just 11-14 on the road this season.

Playing with no rest has been an issue for the aging Celtics as they are just 5-10 ATS this season in the second night of a back-to-back set. To their credit, they have performed very well when that second game is at home as they are a perfect 5-0 straight up but when having to play on the road, it is a totally different matter as Boston is 2-8 straight up and against the number and this includes records of 1-4 straight up and ATS when it is back-to-back road games.

Chicago still owns the best record in the NBA but after the two losses, it has shrunk to a game and a half while its lead in the Eastern Conference is only two games over Miami. With a home-and-home against Knicks on deck with a game against Miami right after, this is a pretty big game for the Bulls. They are 11-1 straight up and 8-4 ATS following a loss this season and they are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 Thursday games and since they are usually in a TV game, they definitely relish the spotlight. 10* (506) Chicago Bulls

We played on the Sixers last night and they lost but ended up covering in a hard fought game against Miami, a team they desperately wanted to beat but once again came up short. Philadelphia is in must win mode now as it trails the Celtics by a game and a half in the Atlantic Division but must win does not necessarily translate into a cover, especially at this price. The Sixers have been solid following a loss this year and have been good at covering the big number but this is not a good spot for them.

Toronto has won two straight games as well as three of its last four and despite sitting well outside the playoff picture, the Raptors continue to fight. They compare very similar to Golden St. which is playing for nothing but continues to compete as the season winds down. Toronto is coming off a five-game homestand following a win last night against Charlotte and while it is 8-18 straight up on the highway this season, it is 15-11 ATS in those games which shows some undervaluation.

There should be a lot of extra energy in the tank for the Raptors as they will be out for some payback following a 35-point loss suffered here in January. Obviously road revenge is not a very strong angle because of the big advantage that the home floor usually provides however staying within this number is more than realistic. And let's face it, the Sixers are not playing very good and haven't been for close to two months now, going just 9-15 over their last 24 games.

Toronto has fared well against the top teams of late, going 11-3-1 ATS in their last 15 games against teams with a winning record while going 4-0 ATS in its last four road games against teams with a winning percentage greater than .600. The Sixers are 0-5 ATS in their last five games when playing with no rest and they are 0-2 ATS this season when playing with no rest and heading home following a road game. Toronto looks for revenge and winning outright is far from out of the question. 10* (703) Toronto Raptors

After a 4-6 stretch, the Sixers are now looking up at Boston in the Atlantic Division, thus dropping from third place in the Eastern Conference all the way down to seventh place. This is not a spot they want to be in as it would set up a first round playoff matchup with the Heat. Philadelphia was handled rather easily in the first round of the playoffs last season by Miami and it has lost the first three meetings this season, making it 11 straight regular season losses against the Heat.

This game is more than revenge as it sets up pretty similar to the Memphis game last night where the Grizzlies were trying to avoid a 4-0 season series sweep. That they did. It helped that the Thunder may have been caught looking ahead to playing Miami on Wednesday and now that role can be reversed as the Heat could very well be looking forward to playing Oklahoma City tomorrow night as they will be out to avenge their 16-point loss just over a week ago which at the time was their biggest loss of the season.

Miami is coming off a loss on Sunday at Boston so it will be looking to get back into the win column but with tomorrow's big game on deck, don't expect Miami to expend a lot of energy here. The Heat are just 8-5 straight up and 7-6 ATS following a loss which is nothing special so expecting a big bounceback here should not be the case. Miami is no doubt strong at home, going 21-2 but it is just 12-11 ATS which shows how overvalued the Heat are when playing on their home floor.

The last meeting took place in Philadelphia and Miami was able to grab the win and the cover but the situation was different as a focused Heat team was just coming off a four-game losing streak. The Sixers could use this win just like Memphis did last night and that is to prove that they can actually win against the elite. The Heat are just 6-16 ATS in their 22 home games over the last two seasons coming off one or more consecutive losses while going 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games against teams with a winning record. 10* (659) Philadelphia 76ers

Oklahoma City has won five straight games, easily covering the spread in four of those. That included a win at Los Angeles against the Lakers in their last game on Thursday and while it certainly is not going to be a letdown, a win like that can add value to the other side. The way the Thunder have been covering makes it impossible to not overadjust this line and while they have been solid at home, they are 4-10 ATS as favorites between 3.0 and 6.5 points.

The Bulls continue to keep winning despite the absence of Derrick Rose. They have gone 7-2 in his recent absence which shows how much of a team this is as opposed to one special player making the difference. The defense is stifling as they have allowed 82 points or fewer in five of their last seven gems including all three road games where they have allowed an average of just 72.7 ppg over those contests. While Chicago has one of the best home courts in the NBA, its 21-6 road record is easily the best in the league.

This is a big game for both sides as home court advantage throughout the playoffs is the goal for both sides with Chicago possessing a two-game lead over the Thunder at the moment. Oklahoma City can obviously cut that in half here but can it do so by covering this big number as well? It is rare for the Bulls to be getting points but they have taken advantage as they are a perfect 5-0 ATS this season as underdogs which includes a perfect 4-0 ATS record on the road.

While Oklahoma City is 22-4 at home, it is just 1-8 ATS in its last nine home games against teams with a winning road record which clearly shows overvalued numbers. The Bulls meanwhile are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games against teams with a winning record and fall into a situation where we play against favorites after beating the spread by 18 or more points total in their last three games, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages more than 75 percent. This situation is 26-6 ATS (81.2 percent) since 1996. 10* (501) Chicago Bulls

Milwaukee is coming off a cakewalk last night as it won in Cleveland by 37 points and now returns home sitting in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, a game and a half behind the Knicks for the final playoff spot. That makes this and every game big for the Bucks which are three games under .500 overall and just a game over .500 at home. Even though the starters saw limited action last night because of the blowout win, playing the second of back-to-back nights is not in their favor.

Milwaukee is 6-11 overall this season when playing with no rest and it has been horrible in this scenario, going 3-10 ATS when that first game is on the road including 2-7 ATS when traveling from the road to back home. We won with a very similar scenario exactly one week ago as the Bucks won in Charlotte by 20 points on Friday night and then lost at home against Indiana by 21 points as short favorites. They have beaten up on the bad teams but the Bucks are just 9-20 against teams ranked in the NBA's top 16.

After two straight win, the Grizzlies lost last night in Houston and it was a very costly loss as they saw the Rockets and Nuggets close to within a half-game of them for sixth place in the Western Conference standings. Memphis is just a game and a half out of ninth place so nothing is secure making the situation pretty similar to that of Milwaukee where every game is getting more and more important. The Grizzlies are 9-3 ATS playing with no rest including an impressive 3-1 ATS in back-to-back road games.

While those numbers are impressive for this season, going back further reveals an incredible run as Memphis is 23-4 ATS in its last 27 games when playing with no rest and a lot of that comes down to coaching. Under head coach Lionel Hollins, the Grizzlies are 31-15 ATS as road underdogs of less than six points and while Memphis has struggled somewhat within its own conference, it has beaten up on the Eastern Conference, going 10-3 straight up and 8-4-1 ATS. 10* (809) Memphis Grizzlies

After losing in Milwaukee on Tuesday in a big revenge situation for the Bucks, the Hawks came home and laid a bigger egg against Chicago on Wednesday as they lost by 21 points. The two-game losing skid comes after winning four straight games and Atlanta is now sitting in sixth place in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Hawks are in great shape to remain in the postseason as falling to ninth is unlikely but their goal is to catch Orlando for the third spot which they trail by just two and a half games.

The Knicks are coming off a laugher of a win over Orlando as they led by as many as 39 points and cruised to a 22-point victory. It was their eighth win in their last nine games, all of which have been under the watch of interim head coach Mike Woodson, so they are playing their best basketball of the season. Only three of those nine games, including the lone loss, came on the road however and New York is just 9-15 on the highway this season including a 4-10 record as an underdog.

New York isn't without its problems though as Amare Stoudemire is out for a few weeks with a back issue while Jeremy Lin is still bothered by a bad knee. Granted, they have looked great the last two games without either of them but the matchup is not a great one here that takes place on the road and not only is Atlanta looking to get back into the win column, doing it against the Knicks would be even better. New York won the only meeting so far this season by 17 points so the Hawks will be out for payback.

That revenge spot hooks the Hawks up in a terrific revenge situation as we play on favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points revenging a road loss against an opponent that is coming off a home win by 20 points or more. This situation is 37-13 ATS (74 percent) over the last five seasons. As mentioned, playing on the road has been rare lately for the Knicks and they are just 3-7 ATS in their last 10 roadies while the Hawks are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games against teams scoring 100 or more points last game. 10* (510) Atlanta Hawks

Oklahoma City is coming off a win in Portland that was what we were hoping for prior to this game as the Thunder have been one of the best teams following a loss this season, going 11-1 straight up and 10-2 against the number. They do own the best road record in the Western Conference but now they face a team with tied for the second best home record and the fact that the Lakers lost their last home game against Memphis, it makes the play even better for the home side.

The Lakers are 20-4 at home on the season and they have yet to drop consecutive home games this season as they are 3-0 at home following a loss in their previous home game. They are coming off a win at Golden St. on Tuesday which upped their lead in the Pacific Division to 2.5 games over the Clippers and keeping that edge is important for the playoffs in getting at least one round on their home floor. The Lakers have covered five of their last seven games against teams with a winning percentage greater than .600.

One of the big stories here is the return of Derek Fisher who is now in a Thunder uniform after getting traded to Houston which resulted in a buyout. His presence will allow Oklahoma city to possibly get some inside info on the Lakers but to be honest, it is safe to say they know them pretty well already. Fisher likely won't get much done on the floor as even though the Thunder are 4-0 since he got there, he is averaging only 3.8 ppg and shooting just 22.7 percent from the floor in a backup role.

Oklahoma City's last win came in Portland by 14 points and it is just 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games following a double-digit win. The Lakers will be out for some payback here as well as they lost in Oklahoma City by 15 points in the first meeting this season last month. The Lakers fall into a great situation as well as we play on favorites that are allowing opponents to shoot 43 percent or better on the season going up against an opponent after a making 55 percent of their shots or better. This situation is 87-44 ATS (66.4 percent) since 1996. 10* (708) Los Angeles Lakers

The Clippers had dropped three straight games on the road at Indiana, Oklahoma City and New Orleans and the fans wanted head coach Vinny Del Negro's head. They have won their last two games since then and all is well again. That is until another losing streak starts but it won't start here as Los Angeles needs to continue to dominate on its home floor where it is 17-8 on the season, including wins in four straight games. The Clippers have inched back to within two games of the Lakers heading into Tuesday.

Phoenix has got to be the biggest surprise in the Western Conference right now as slow start left the Suns way back in the standings and trade talk abounded about Steve Nash leaving town. But the Suns have gone 13-5 over their last 18 games and they are within a game and a half of eighth place in the Western Conference standings. It is unlikely Phoenix makes a legitimate push into the postseason as it has trouble on the road still, going 3-3 over that 18-game stretch. A home-heavy schedule has definitely helped.

Surprisingly, this is only the second time this season that the Suns have had to play consecutive games with the first game taking place at home and the second game taking place on the road. Coincidentally, that second game was at the Clippers just 12 days ago which resulted in a win as they were getting nine points. The line is much lower now even though that was only two weeks ago. Los Angeles has not bee able to solve Phoenix this year as it has lost both meetings, setting up double revenge.

The Clippers have actually dropped four straight and nine of 10 in this series so it has been an ongoing issue but this was mostly when Phoenix was elite and the Clippers were bottom-feeders. Los Angeles currently holds down the all-important fourth position in the Western Conference so holding onto that home court edge means taking care of home court now. Seven of their final ten games are on the road so every game in Los Angeles means something and with only eight left, it is getting to be crunch time. 10* (520) Los Angeles Clippers

Cleveland has lost four straight games and seven of its last eight following a big loss last night in Philadelphia in a game the Cavaliers were never in. they have been blown out in their last three games while five of the last six losses have come by double-digits but it should be noted that all five of those games came against teams currently in the playoffs or right on the outside fighting for a position. Cleveland is 5-5 as a favorite this season and the two ATS losses it won outright were only by a combined 1.5 points.

The Pistons had dropped five straight games before defeating Washington in it their last game by a bucket on the road. That was just Detroit's fifth road win of the season as it is an even .500 at home but 15 games under .500 on the highway. The road victories have been average at best as of those five wins, four came against Washington as mentioned, New Jersey, Sacramento and Toronto, all of which have worse records than the Cavaliers. How the Pistons won in Boston is still a mystery.

The Cavaliers are actually in a favorable back-to-back spot here. Cleveland is just 6-7 ATS when playing with no rest this season but it has been at its worst when that first game took place at hone as it is 2-6 ATS but when the first game is on the highway, the Cavaliers are 4-1 ATS in the next game including 3-1 ATS when they go from the road to back home. Cleveland was on a 3-1 run at home before losing seven of its last eight and this is the perfect opportunity to turn that around.

The Pistons are just 4-20 as road underdogs and with the size of this line, another loss also most likely means a non-cover as we are getting good value with the home team. Detroit is 4-13 ATS in its last 17 games after having lost four of their last five games so bad runs have been contagious. Cleveland has won the first two meetings this season and four straight overall so this is one team the Cavaliers have had success against. They are 10-4 ATS over the last 14 meetings. 10* (504) Cleveland Cavaliers

Heading into Monday, Houston is tied with Denver and Utah for two of the final three playoff spots in the Western Conference so there is little room for error. After a five-game losing streak, the Rockets have gone 5-4 to stay in the hunt but they are in a crucial part of their schedule as this is part of five of the next seven games taking place on the road. They have been decent playing with no rest, going 10-7 ATS and they have an edge in the series as the road team have covered the last four meetings.

Dallas snapped a two-game winning streak with a win over the Rockets on Saturday at Houston which sets up a home-and-home as the Mavericks look to get closer to fourth place in the Western Conference standings. It has been a very up and down season for the regaining World Champions and they have been part of winning streaks and losing skids all season and are sitting just six games over .500. Dallas is still an overvalued team as it is 5-12 ATS in its last 17 games.

Even looking at this line shows that as the Mavericks were getting three points at Houston and based on the change in venue, it should be a seven-eight points line shift which would make Dallas a -4 to -5 chalk but instead it is much higher than that. Houston has fared pretty well against the elite teams in the NBA, going 7-7 against the top ten in the league power rankings and the rockets are one of only six teams in the entire NBA that has a .500 or better record against the top ten.

Conversely, Dallas has not exactly been at its best against lesser foes as it is just 13-13 against the top 16 in the NBA and the Mavericks are 16-36-2 ATS in their last 54 home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. That again proves the overvaluation of the Mavericks. Dallas swept the season series last year and took the first meeting just on Saturday as mentioned so the Rockets should come in playing with added incentive as they look to try and break the string against their in-state rivals. 10* (767) Houston Rockets

Utah is red hot right now and this is the perfect time to go against the Jazz. They have won six straight games but a closer look shows that it is not as great as it seems. Two of those victories came in overtime while four of those six wins came at home. The two road victories were by a combined five points and despite a two-game winning streak on the highway, the Jazz are still only 7-16 on the road. They are 1-5 ATS in their last six games as road underdogs of fewer than five points.

Atlanta has won three straight games although it has come against some bad teams as has its five wins over its last six games. Still, the Hawks are getting healthier and are rounding back into form heading into the playoffs. They are tied with Indiana for fifth place in the Eastern Conference and they trail Orlando by just two games in the fight for the third seed. While Atlanta has struggled against the elite, going 7-10 against the NBA's top ten, it is 22-10 against the rest of the league.

This is the third game in three nights for the Hawks but they have not let fatigue hurt them this year. They played three consecutive games back in early January and won the second two and they have been one of the better teams in the league when playing with no rest as they are 10-3-1 ATS in the second of back-to-back games and that includes a 6-1 ATS mark when the second of the two games is at home. They came back from a big deficit last night but we should see that as a confidence builder.

The Hawks have been up and down against the number but they are catching a great price at home. Atlanta is 9-4 ATS this season as favorites of fewer than five points and it is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games following a win. The Jazz meanwhile have not been as successful. They are coming off a win by 19 points over Denver and they are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games coming off a double-digit victory. Atlanta has won four of five against Utah after losing 11 of the previous 12 meetings. 10* (706) Atlanta Hawks

Indiana won for us on Tuesday as it bounced back from that Knicks home-and-home sweep and it also won two games later at Washington by a bucket. The Pacers overcame a 22-point deficit against the Wizards to pick up that win and the flatness from that showed last night as the Pacers lost at home to Phoenix. Indiana is now in a tie for fifth place in the Eastern Conference but third place is still within reach as it is just two and a half games behind Orlando. The Pacers are 13-12 on the road, one of only six teams in the entire NBA with a road record better than .500.

The Bucks have been home underdogs more times than home favorites this season (12 to 9) so do they really deserve to be the chalk here against one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference? It is debatable but there will be no debate about taking this generous point spread. Milwaukee is coming off a win at Charlotte last night which is obviously not a big deal so it was able to bounce back from its home loss to the Celtics the night before. This is the third game in three nights for the Bucks.

The Milwaukee starters minutes were limited last night thanks to the relatively easy win over the Bobcats but fatigue could easily be an issue. Usually coaches sit at least one starter in game one or in game two to keep them fresh for game three but that did not happen here. Guards Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings played 62 and 60 minutes respectively the last two nights which is still a lot. Momentum is back on the Bucks side but the schedule is not helping out.

Milwaukee is 2-9 ATS is the second of back-to-back games when that first game is played on the road so it obviously does not travel well. Indiana is 2-7 ATS in back-to-back spot when the first game is played on the road so it too struggles in that situation but it is a more respectable 4-3 ATS playing with no rest following a home game. The Bucks are just 1-6 ATS in their last seven games as home favorites of fewer than five points and the underdog is 4-0-1 ATS over the last five meetings in this series. 10* (515) Indiana Pacers

We played on the Clippers and lost Thursday but we will come right back with them Saturday. They are in the midst of their first three-game losing streak of the season but a return home will take care of that as all three of those losses came on the road. Los Angeles now trails the Lakers by three and a half games in the Pacific Division but more importantly it is in a logjam in the Western Conference with six teams that are separated by a half-game between fourth and ninth place.

Memphis is one of those teams making this an equally important game for the Grizzlies. The road has not been kind however as they have lost the first two games of this four-game roadtrip and are 9-13 overall on the highway. They are 1-8 ATS this season after playing two consecutive road games. Memphis has played 25 games against team ranked in the top 16 in the NBA and it is just 10-15 in those games. Conversely, the Clippers have played 27 such games and are 17-10 in those contests.

The recent skid of 6-10 and following the New Orleans loss, head coach Vinny Del Negro has been brought under fire by of course ESPN and other media outlets. Yet it is those same people that still think the Clippers will make the playoffs. The point is that Del Negro is not the problem The offense has stumbled lately but in this NBA season, strange things are taking place with a lot of teams. The Clippers are 15-8 at home and are still a solid 12-8 ATS following a loss.

The Clippers fall into a great league-wide situation also as we play on teams that have failed to cover the spread in eight or more of their last 10 games while playing eight or more games in 14 days. This situation is 73-40 ATS (64.6 percent) over the last five seasons. The Grizzlies are just 2-9 ATS in their last 11 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of .600 or better including 1-5 ATS against teams with any winning record. A packed house this afternoon will get this thing turned around. 10* (502) Los Angeles Clippers

New York is a perfect 5-0 under interim head coach Mike Woodson and that is now being reflected in the line. The Knicks just faced Toronto at home three days ago and were favored by 8.5 points and with the change of venue, that line should come down at least seven points but that is not the case here. New York won that game handily but playing the role of a road favorite has not been good this season as the Knicks are 2-5 ATS including losses in three straight.

The Raptors are no doubt having a tough season as they are 17 games under .500 including eight games under .500 at home. They have been unable to defeat any of the elite teams in the NBA, going 0-13 against the top ten and 3-18 against the top 16 but they are a much more respectable 12-14 against the teams below that. Despite the bad straight up records, the Raptors have the third best ATS record in the league and their 11 more ATS wins than straight up wins is easily the best in the NBA.

Toronto has lost three straight games including its last game where it blew a late lead against Chicago at home, losing by 12 points after getting outscored by 19 points in the fourth quarter. The Raptors won't buckle though as they have been solid after a loss, going 18-12-1 ATS and they have been strong at home despite the game against the Bulls. Prior to that, they had not lost at game at home by more than seven points since January 31st, dropping those games by an average of 4.75 ppg.

This is a double-revenge game for Toronto which lost in New York three days ago as mentioned as well as a home loss on a Jeremy Lin three-pointer when time expired. Going back further, the Knicks are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games as a road favorite and once again, the public is all them here. Toronto is 14-4 ATS in its 18 games this season after losing three of its last four games and in this series, the underdog is 10-3 ATS in the last 13 meetings. 10* (852) Toronto Raptors

The Clippers got smacked around last night against Oklahoma City, their second straight poor outing. A lot of it has to do with the play of the Thunder which were coming off a loss in Utah the previous night and they have stepped it up a gear in those spots as they are now 11-1 following a loss including 10-2 ATS. It was bad timing for the Clippers which now have to pick up their own pieces and it won't be easy with this being their third game in three nights but that should not be an issue.

The good news is that both recent losses were blowouts so the Clippers were able to cut down on the minutes of the starters with Caron Butler sitting out altogether. Los Angeles is 6-9 over its last 15 games and the defeat last night caused head coach Vinny Del Negro to lash out after the game and the message should have sunk in to the players. This was the fifth time this season that the Clippers have lost two in a row and in the previous four occurrences, they responded with wins to avoid three consecutive losses.

New Orleans is coming off a poor showing last night as well as it lost at home to the Warriors which is a bad sign considering Golden St. has already tossed in the towel this season. The Hornets were in their unfamiliar role of favorites and dropped to 0-7 ATS this season when laying points. They have been better as underdogs but not much better at home as they are 4-13 straight up and 6-11 ATS when grabbing points at home. New Orleans 4-20 home record is the worst in the NBA.

The Hornets are 0-5 ATS in their last five home games against teams with a losing road record while going 1-11 ATS in their 12 home games this season after having lost five or six of their last seven games. The Clippers also fall into a solid situation where we play on favorites with a winning percentage between .501 and .600 in the second half of the season, playing a team with a winning percentage below .250. This situation is 62-33 ATS (65.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (807) Los Angeles Clippers

Orlando has scored 59 or fewer points four times in the history of the franchise and it has happened twice this season. The Magic scored 59 points on Monday in a home loss against Chicago by 26 points. The only good news to come from that is based on the last time this season, they were able to bounceback right away and make up for it. The first time they scored 56 points in a 31-point loss at Boston and were able to win their next game at Indiana by 19 points. Expect a similar rebound here.

Phoenix continues to play very well as it is 11-3 in its last 14 games heading into Tuesday's action at Miami. While the run has been great, the majority of the success has come at home as of those 11 wins, 10 came in Phoenix. The game in Miami on Tuesday marks only its third road game in over a month so playing in back-to-back road games is almost a brand new setting. The last time it happened was on February 14th when the Suns faced Denver after a game in Golden St. They lost to the Nuggets by 17 points.

It is definitely a tough time in Orlando right now following the Chicago loss but it also lost at Miami the night before so the situation was not good to begin with. Making the Bulls defeat even more difficult is the fact that Chicago was without Derrick Rose and Orlando had gone 7-1 over its previous eight games. Even though the Magic have dropped consecutive games, it has been rare as they are 13-4 straight up and 12-5 ATS following a loss this season. They have lost more than two straight only once this year.

Phoenix is just 4-9 ATS as a single-digit underdog of seven or more points. Orlando has had its share of struggles this season against the elite teams, going against teams ranked in the top ten in the league but the Magic have beaten up the lesser teams as they are 24-6 against the rest of the league. Coming off consecutive losses against the two best teams in the Eastern Conference should have them more than ready to go here. This has been a very common theme all year and while it is frustrating, it works well again for us here. 10* (756) Orlando Magic

The Pacers have not been able to get a run together as after losing four straight games, they were able to win two in a row only to lose a home-and-home with the Knicks over the weekend. Indiana had gone 6-1 in its last seven home games prior to its loss on Saturday against New York and it remains a solid 13-6 on its home floor for the season. Despite the recent struggles in covering, the Pacers are 16-5 ATS in their last 21 home games after having lost six or seven of their last eight games.

This is the seventh game in 10 days for the Clippers which makes for a pretty brutal stretch of games. The first six of those came at home making this their first road game since March 9th. Los Angeles does have a winning record on the road at a game over .500 but it has had most of its success against the poor teams, going 7-4 straight up when favored but just 4-6 when getting points away from home. Also, the Clippers are 0-8 ATS in their last eight games against the NBA Central Division.

The concern right now is about the Pacers offense as they have scored 100 or more points only twice in their last eight games after going over that plateau in their five games before that. Enter newly acquired Leandro Barbosa who will be making his Indiana debut on Tuesday. The guard averaged 12.2 ppg in 42 games with the Raptors this season and he adds his superior free throw shooting to an already solid free throw shooting team. Indiana trails Orlando by two games for the coveted third spot in the Eastern Conference.

This is the first and only meeting this season and the home team has dominated of late, going 4-0 straight up and ATS with all four games being easy covers. Hitting the road at this time has been problematic for the Clippers are they are 0-7 ATS in their last seven games after playing three consecutive home games this season. This includes a 0-3 record on the road following a long homestand where it lost all three of those games outright. The Pacers have won nine of 12 games against the Western Conference this season. 10* (652) Indiana Pacers

The first stage of the roadtrip started good for Boston as it went 2-1 but it dropped the last two games at Sacramento and Denver and things will not be getting any easier. The Celtics have two more games on the highways after this as they look to improve their 7-13 record on the road. They have dropped nine of their last 12 games away from home. Boston is sitting in seventh place in the Eastern Conference and trails Atlanta by just two and a half games but it is just two and a half games out of eighth place as well.

Atlanta won last night in Cleveland which was its second straight win following two straight losses and playing with no rest is far from bad for this team. The Hawks are 10-2 ATS this season when playing the second of a back-to-back set and that includes a perfect 5-0 ATS mark when going from the road to back home. They are also a perfect 6-0 ATS when the second game is at home overall. Atlanta is 13-6 at home this season including wins in three straight games.

The Hawks have not been the best at covering at home this season but that is due to some pretty big lines and this price range is in perfect shape as they are 9-3 ATS when favorites of fewer than five points. Atlanta has covered four of its last five games and it is 10-2 ATS in its last 12 home games when on an 80 percent cover run. Meanwhile Boston is 0-7 ATS in its last seven road games after failing to cover the spread in two or more consecutive games this season.

This is the first meeting this season and Atlanta has fared pretty well against the Celtics with outright wins in five of the last seven meetings. The Hawks have played the sixth toughest schedule in the NBA and while they have struggled against some of the top teams, they are 17-4 against teams ranked outside the top 16 and that is where Boston falls. The Celtics are 5-8 against the top 10 while going 3-11 ATS in their last 14 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of .600 or better. 10* (604) Atlanta Hawks