Sports Picks & Predictions

This is a play on the ORLANDO MAGIC for our NBA Wednesday Supreme Annihilator. Orlando has lost three straight games all in blowout fashion but two of those had different circumstances as the loss in Detroit was overshadowed by a brawl that saw players get ejected and they were shorthanded in the last game against Washington. The Magic are getting seven players back that missed the game against the Wizards and are in a good situation to stop the three-game slide. Prior to that, Orlando was on an 8-2 run which was its best stretch of the season and it is now 5-2 in its last seven home games to move to 9-11 overall at home. Oklahoma City snapped a two-game losing streak with a 33-point win over Boston last night as a big second quarter put the game out of reach early. The Thunder are now 11-9 at home but hit the road where they are 5-12 and while they have a winning record against the number, most of those covers have come as big underdogs. They have played eight games against teams with a losing record compared to 25 games against winning teams so the schedule has been brutal but while they are 5-0 ATS at home against losing teams, they are 0-3 ATS on the highway. Oklahoma City is 1-3 in the second of back-to-back games this season. Here, we play against underdogs off an upset win as an underdog going up against an opponent off a home loss. This situation is 135-85 ATS (61.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (558) Orlando Magic

This is a play on the UTAH JAZZ for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. Utah has dropped four straight games to fall a game under .500 and it has fallen completely out of the Western Conference playoff standings, sitting a game and a half behind Phoenix and Golden St. for eighth and ninth place. The Jazz lost three of those on the road and after the most recent loss against Miami at home, they are now 12-6 at home and close a two-game homestand before hitting the road for three more games. The offense has been the strength overall as they are No. 4 in scoring with 117.3 ppg and that increases to 121.5 ppg at home. Utah is 15-5 ATS when playing against a team with a winning record this season. Sacramento had its two-game winning streak snapped with a 10-point loss at Memphis on Sunday. The Kings fell to 8-9 on the road and sitting four games over .500, they are No. 5 in the Western Conference, four games out of first place. It has been a surprisingly good season thanks to a potent scoring offense that is averaging 118 ppg and it is a reverse split like that of Utah as the scoring offense drops to 113.4 ppg on the road. The Kings are 2-5 ATS in their last seven road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. Here, we play on favorites revenging a loss where opponent scored 100 or more points, off a home loss. This situation is 204-136 ATS (60 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (552) Utah Jazz

This is a play on the CLEVELAND CAVALIERS for our NBA Saturday Enforcer. Cleveland is coming off its third straight loss on Thursday as it fell to Indiana by nine points as a short favorite. The Cavaliers are No. 4 in the Eastern Conference, four games behind Boston and are in the midst of a nine-game stretch where seven of those games are on the road with this being the first game of a home-and-home with Chicago. The defense is coming off its fourth worst performance of the season as it allowed 126 points, the most it has given up since November 18, a span of 22 games and seeing that the Cavaliers possess the best scoring defense in the league, they will be out for some retribution. Cleveland is 13-5 against teams ranked outside the top 16. Chicago has won two straight games and five of its last six following a four-game slide to get back to three games under .500. The Bulls are one of six teams within two and a half games of each other vying for the final three playoff spots in the conference and they remain home where they are just one game over .500. In their last game against Detroit, the Bulls shot 57.6 percent from the floor which is just the tenth time they have eclipsed 50 percent shooting and they have gone 3-6 in the previous nine follow up games. Here, we play on road favorites off two or more consecutive upset losses as a favorite going up against an opponent off a home win. This situation is 51-22 ATS (69.9 percent) since 1996. 10* (509) Cleveland Cavaliers

This is a play on the DENVER NUGGETS for our NBA Friday Enforcer. We played against Denver on Wednesday and caught a big fourth quarter rally from the Kings as the Nuggets lost by a point, squandering a 19-point lead in the process. They have been one of the better teams in the league coming off a defeat as they are 8-3 following a loss and look to get it back following an 8-1 run previous to that Sacramento loss. Denver is back home where it is 12-3 including six straight wins and after short stint in first place in the Western Conference, the Nuggets are now tied with New Orleans for the top spot, one game up on Memphis. This is a good matchup at home where they can dictate the pace of the game and controlling that is the key. Miami is coming off a win over the Lakers on Wednesday which was its second straight victory to get back over .500 on the season and this is the start of a five-game roadtrip looking to better its most recent trip on the highway where it went 4-0 but those were against some pretty below average competition. The Heat are 7-9 on the road overall which includes a 2-5 record against teams with a winning record and yet they continue to be overpriced. Miami has been favored in 10 of its last 11 games and while it comes in as an underdog here, it is a short price and this line has already dipped by a bucket despite the Heat having the worst ATS record in the NBA at 12-22-1. Here, we play on home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points shooting 46 percent or better on the season, after three straight games allowing 47 percent or higher shooting. This situation is 62-30 ATS (67.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (576) Denver Nuggets

This is a play on the NEW YORK KNICKS for our NBA Thursday Enforcer. The Knicks were rolling along with eight straight wins but have since lost four in a row including an improbable loss against Dallas in overtime on Tuesday. Going into that game, teams that led by nine or more points with 35 or fewer seconds remaining were 13,884-0 but that record is now 13,884-1 as the Knicks blew it and had to watch Luka Doncic score a career-high 60 points and grab a career-high 21 rebounds to go with 10 assists in the 126-121 loss. The Knicks have to get up off the floor and not only bounce back from that but get rid of this losing streak that has seen them drop down to a tie for the No. 6 spot in the Eastern Conference yet are just one game out of ninth place in the jumbled bottom half of the conference. It was another instance where the Knicks could not get past one of the top teams in the NBA as they are now 3-11 against the top ten which is the third most losses in the league against the top ten but they are 15-6 against the rest of the league. New York is 10-7 on the road and it is a perfect 3-0 straight up and ATS when favored on the highway. The Spurs were in a tailspin with a 1-16 run but then won three in a row before its recent 2-5 slide including a 16-point loss at Oklahoma City on Tuesday. The Spurs did win their most recent home game against Utah as they had their second best defensive performance of the season by allowing just 40.2 percent shooting but they still have the worst defense in the league, allowing 50.4 percent shooting and could not catch the Knicks at a worst time. Here, we play against home underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after a game where they failed to cover the spread going up against an opponent after failing to cover the spread in three or more consecutive games. This situation is 42-17 ATS (71.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (559) New York Knicks

This is a play on the SACRAMENTO KINGS for our NBA Wednesday Enforcer. Sacramento will be out for some immediate revenge following a seven-point loss to Denver last night as it blew a 20-point lead and was outscored 34-23 in the fourth quarter. It was the second straight loss for the Kings as they fell to 17-15 and they remain in the No. 7 spot in the Western Conference. Sacramento is now 9-7 at home which includes just a 1-3 start on this current six-game homestand and this is an important time to turn things around as they are in a stretch of 15 of 19 games taking place at home. Sacramento is ranked No. 3 in total offense and No. 4 in shooting offense and is coming off its lowest point total over its last six games despite shooting a solid 48.8 percent from the floor. The Kings have covered three of four games this season when playing on back-to-back nights and this is the first instance of a home-and-home in consecutive nights. Denver has won five straight games and eight of its last nine to maintain a one game lead over New Orleans for first place in the Western Conference. The Nuggets are now 10-8 on the road which is very good but not close to their 12-3 home record and the victory last night snapped a 1-3 road skid. Like the Kings, the offense is the strength as they are No. 7 overall and No. 2 in shooting and also like the Kings, they struggle on the defensive side of the floor and they could once again be without Aaron Gordon who missed last night and is questionable tonight with a shoulder injury. Denver is 6-17 ATS in its last 23 games after three straight games where they made 47 percent of their shots or better. Here, we play against road teams where the line is +3 to -3 coming off an road win scoring 110 or more points, when playing their 3rd game in four days. This situation is 52-25 ATS (67.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (548) Sacramento Kings

This is a play on the MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES for our NBA Western Conference Game of the Month. Both Phoenix and Memphis are coming off losses on Christmas and we expect the Grizzlies to be the team to rebound as they head back home where they are 13-2 and are actually getting some value here. Memphis won in Phoenix last week by 25 points as a three-point favorite but we are seeing a small line shift based on venue change and it will be out to bounce back from that 1-3 roadtrip that has sent it into third place in the Western Conference, one game behind Denver for first. Desmond Bane is back in the lineup after missing a month and after a solid debut, he struggled from the floor on Sunday against the Warriors as he was just 2-13 shooting. The Suns have lost three straight games and are now three games back in the Western Conference and are going to have to patiently wait to get fully healthy again as they finally got Chris Paul back but are again down their best player. Phoenix got Devin Booker back on Sunday but he lasted only four minutes as he suffered another injury, this time a groin injury and he will be out on Tuesday. The Suns are just 5-10 on the road including 1-5 over their last six games on the highway including losses in all three games when getting points while covering only one of those. The offense definitely has taken a hot with Booker back on the bench and they will struggle again against this defense after scoring just 100 points in the meeting last week. Here, we play against teams off a road cover where the team lost straight up as an underdog going up against an opponent off an upset loss of 10 points or more as a road favorite. This situation is 56-24 ATS (70 percent) since 1996. 10* (526) Memphis Grizzlies

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES LAKERS for our NBA Tuesday Ultimate Underdog. The Lakers have lost four straight games and eight of their last 11 and while this would typically be a contrarian play by playing against a Los Angeles team, it is contrarian by playing them here. They have failed to cover five straight games and the injury bug has hit once again with Anthony Davis once again on the shelf for at least a couple weeks so basically it has been LeBron James as the only production from the starting five. Los Angeles has fallen into No. 13 in the Western Conference with a lot to make up to get back into the playoff mix. The Lakers are ranked No. 7 in scoring offense and No. 9 in shooting offense and that has still held true during this losing skid and now faces a below average defense. Orlando is still well out of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference but it has narrowed the gap after an awful start as the Magic have gone 8-1 over their last nine games with the lone loss coming against Atlanta by just one points after nearly coming back from a late 13-point deficit. The Magic have covered 10 straight games and that is part of the contrarian aspect along with the straight up victories as the value is starting to turn with this being their third straight game as favorites and only the fifth time all season they have laid points. Orlando is now 9-9 at home and the Lakers visit will always bring extra energy for the home team but the Magic are in a tough spot. Here, we play on underdogs allowing 114 or more ppg on the season, after three straight games where both teams scored 115 points or more. This situation is 32-9 ATS (78 percent) since 1996. 10* (515) Los Angeles Lakers

This is a play on the NEW ORLEANS PELICANS for our NBA Monday Star Attraction. New Orleans has put a halt to a four-game losing streak with a pair of wins at home against San Antonio and on the road at Oklahoma City and it heads back home for the start of a three-game homestand. It is 13-4 at home this season which includes an 8-1 run the last nine games and it has been dominant by outscoring opponents by eight ppg in those 17 games while covering six of nine games against teams with a winning record. The Pelicans are one game behind Denver for first place in the Western Conference and the recent two-game winning streak is even more encouraging considering they were without Zion Williamson in those games because of an illness but he will be back in the lineup tonight. Indiana is coming off a pair of upset road wins the last two games which puts it into a go against situation. The Pacers improved to 17-16 on the season which has them in a tie with Atlanta for No. 7 in the Eastern Conference yet prior to the recent winning streak, they went 3-8 over their previous 11 games. The Pacers have not been able to put any sort of winning streak together as they have gone 1-6 in their last seven games following a win and it has not been pretty for the most part, losing those games by an average of 11 ppg. They do own an impressive six wins over teams ranked within the top ten but this is not the spot for that to continue. Here, we play against underdogs with a winning percentage between .501 and .600 coming off two or more consecutive upset wins as a road underdog. This situation is 57-22 ATS (72.2 percent) since 1996. 10* (512) New Orleans Pelicans

This is a play on the MIAMI HEAT as part of our NBA Friday Three Pack. Miami had its four-game winning streak come to an end on Tuesday with a 10-point home loss against Chicago to fall back to .500 on the season. The Heat were without Jimmy Butler because of a stomach issue but he will be back tonight which will help the offense that has been inconsistent the entire season and they will also be facing a below average defense. Miami is 9-7 at home which is nothing spectacular and while it is an average 7-7-1 ATS following a loss, this is a much better situation than when coming off a win where the Heat are 3-13 ATS. They are the worst ATS team in the league but are catching value here as they were favored by 3.5 points at Indiana in their last meeting less than two weeks ago so the line difference based on venue shift is way off. Indiana snapped a two-game losing streak with a big win at Boston on Wednesday as it got a huge game from Tyrese Haliburton as he scored 33 points but is questionable tonight with a wrist injury so he might not be close to 100 percent if he goes. The Pacers have not been able to put ant sort of winning streak together as they have gone 0-6 in their last six games following a win and it has not been pretty for the most part, losing those games by an average of 11 ppg. Playing at a quick pace is the plan here but not a good plan against this team. Here, we play on favorites coming off an upset loss as a home favorite going up against an opponent off an upset win as a road underdog. This situation is 80-44 ATS (64.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (570) Miami Heat

This is a play on the MILWAUKEE BUCKS as part of our NBA Friday Three Pack. Milwaukee is coming off a loss at Cleveland on Wednesday to snap a two-game winning streak and the Bucks have gone just 3-3 over their last six games. But the one thing they do not do is lose consecutively as they are 7-1 this season following a loss and this is the first of two straight games against the top of the Eastern Conference with Boston on deck Christmas Day. Milwaukee is now a half game ahead of the Celtics for first place in the conference and while there is a ton of basketball left, these early games do go a long way. The Bucks defense remains the strength as they are No. 2 in opponent shooting and No. 3 in points allowed and can challenge this Nets team that has been overachieving because of the opposition they have faced which has not been very good. Brooklyn is playing its best basketball of the season as it has won seven straight and 11 of its last 12 with a home loss against Boston being the lone blemish. Taking a look at this recent 12-game run shows the Nets have played hardly anyone with wins over Portland and Indiana being the only victories against teams that are currently in a playoff spot and they are both in the No. 8 spot in their respective conferences. The offense remains the best shooting team in the league but this is their biggest test. Here, we play against favorites after scoring 120 points or more in two straight games going up against an opponent after scoring 43 points or less in the first half last game. This situation is 48-21 ATS (69.6 percent) since 1996. 10* (559) Milwaukee Bucks

This is a play on the CLEVELAND CAVALIERS as part of our NBA Friday Three Pack. Toronto came through for us on Wednesday as it won in New York to snap the Knicks eight-game winning streak but we are fading the Raptors as they are facing one of the top defenses in the league and will not be able to get the same 52-point game from Pascal Siakam that they got against the Knicks. Toronto is just 4-12 on the road and while it was in a great contrarian spot in its last game, it is time to fade the Raptors on the road on another short price. The Raptors are four games under .500 and have no offensive consistency as they are one of the worst shooting teams in the league at No. 28 overall and No. 30 from long range. Cleveland is coming off a big win against Milwaukee to make it five straight wins and after a little bit of a lull, the Cavaliers are creeping up in the Eastern Conference as they are now in the No. 3 spot, one game behind Milwaukee for first place. Cleveland is ranked No. 1 in the league in points allowed and No. 5 in defensive shooting and we know who they will be keying in on here. The offense is slowly improving and the Cavaliers are now No. 7 in shooting as they have shot 47 percent or better in six of their last seven games and will be going up against the No. 29 ranked shooting defense so they are again projected to go well above 50 percent tonight. Here, we play on home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points revenging two straight losses going up against an opponent off an upset win over a division rival as an underdog. This situation is 60-24 ATS (71.4 percent) since 1996. 10* (564) Cleveland Cavaliers

This is a play on the NEW ORLEANS PELICANS for our NBA Thursday Enforcer. New Orleans has lost four straight games since ascending to the top of the Western Conference and bad news came across Wednesday. Zion Williamson has been declared out for this game with an illness which puts New Orleans now out with its two stars as the Pelicans also will be without Brandon Ingram for at least two more games. Williamson has averaged 28.6 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 6.0 apg and 1.5 spg in the 11 games with Ingram out so his absence will be big but even when he was in the lineup, the Pelicans have been slumping. That being said, the line has dropped significantly and the New Orleans roster is still better than San Antonio even with those two out and there are plenty of options to step in, namely Jonas Valanciunas and CJ McCollum. This is a typical spot where a superstar goes out and others pick it up in the first game of the absence. San Antonio opened the season pretty strong by going 5-2 but then lost 16 of its next 17 games before finally getting into the win column with three straight victories. The Spurs then lost two more but came back with an upset win over Houston, if you can call it that, by 19 points as a 4.5-point underdog. Now they are getting only three more points. Not nearly enough. They are a respectable 5-8 on the road but three of those came during that early run. Here, we play on favorites coming off an upset loss as a home favorite going up against an opponent off an upset win as a road underdog. This situation is 79-44 ATS (64.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (552) New Orleans Pelicans

This is a play on the TORONTO RAPTORS for our NBA Divisional Game of the Month. Here, we have two teams heading in complete opposite directions and the short number is putting the majority on the Knicks. New York has won eight straight games including a 38-point blowout against Golden St. last night to move to 18-13 on the season and the Knicks are currently in the No. 6 spot in the Eastern Conference. This was the first victory for New York over the Warriors at home since 2013 so that was certainly a statement victory which spells a letdown tonight. This is typically not a good situational spot for the Knicks as they are 1-4-1 ATS in their last six home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. Toronto meanwhile has lost six straight games and has the complete opposite record of the Knicks at 13-18 as the Raptors have fallen completely out of the playoff picture as they are now 2.5 games out of the final spot in the Eastern Conference. Four of those six losses came by four points or less which includes an overtime loss against Philadelphia on Monday so this skid could be a complete flip if the bounces went differently. The Raptors are only 3-12 on the road so looking at the broad numbers makes New York the easy side here but a line like this is what makes this a great contrarian spot. Here, we play on road underdogs off a close loss by three points or less to a division rival going up against an opponent after two consecutive covers as a favorite. This situation is 24-6 ATS (80 percent) since 1996. 10* (539) Toronto Raptors

This is a play on the DENVER NUGGETS for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. Denver is coming off a win over Charlotte on Sunday to make it four wins in its last five games and with the victory, the Nuggets improved to 18-11 on the season, which has them tied with the Suns for the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference. They trail Memphis by one game so a win here gets Denver into a first place tie and tonight the Nuggets are getting points at home for the first time this season. They are 9-3 at home with the three losses coming by a total of six points including the last two where they shot 50 percent or better from the floor and the first defeat came with no Nikola Jokic in the lineup. He is listed on the injury report along with Jamal Murray, which is the likely reason this line is what it is, but both are listed as probable and are good to go. Memphis had its seven-game winning streak snapped with a loss at Oklahoma City on Saturday and in those seven victories, six were at home while the other one was at Detroit. The Grizzlies are 13-2 at home but just 6-8 on the road where they are anywhere between 3-9-2 and 3-11 ATS and even if this game flips back to Denver being favored, that is fine as Memphis is 0-4 ATS as a road underdog. Their defense remains No. 3 in efficiency but this will be a test facing the No. 3 ranked team in offensive efficiency as they are 2-5 this season against teams ranked in the top six in that category. Two contrarian situations favor Denver tonight. First, we play against road teams covering eight or more of their last 10 against the spread, playing six or less games in 14 days. This situation is 39-17 ATS (69.6 percent) over the last five seasons. Second, we play on teams failing to cover six or seven of their last eight games against the spread, with a winning record on the season playing another winning team. This situation is 131-83 ATS (61.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (528) Denver Nuggets

This is a play on the ATLANTA HAWKS for our NBA Divisional Game of the Month. This is a ripe spot for Orlando to get blown out as the Magic are coming off another win at Boston to sweep the back-to-back on the road, both coming as double-digit underdogs. That made it six straight wins for Orlando with the first four coming at home where it was an underdog in all of those as well. The two wins in Boston moved the Magic to just 3-11 on the road which makes this an awful spot staying on the road for a back-to-back and playing their third game in four nights. Orlando is 0-4 in the second game of a back-to-back this season and now after covering seven straight games, we are getting value based on that as the last five road games, they were getting 10 or more points. It has been a rough stretch for Atlanta as it has gone 4-8 over its last 12 games but did snap a two-game slide with a blowout win at Charlotte on Friday. Sitting at 15-15, the Hawks are in the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference and while injuries have been a slight issue, Trae Young is back healthy and playing well as he is close to averaging a double-double with 27.0 ppg and 9.9 apg and his assist numbers have surged and has helped the rest of the roster. One of the recent losses was an 11-point loss at Orlando two games back so immediate revenge is in store and Atlanta is 27-14 ATS in its last 41 home games revenging a loss where opponent scored 110 or more points. Here, we play on home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points revenging a loss of 10 points or more, playing only their 2nd game in five days. This situation is 62-33 ATS (65.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (506) Atlanta Hawks

This is a play on the DETROIT PISTONS for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. Brooklyn is rolling along with five straight wins including the first three of this four-game roadtrip and going back it has won nine of its last 10 games but this is a very common trip up spot. The Nets are now 8-7 on the road with the scoring differential just about dead even at +0.4 ppg with a big reason being its poor perimeter defense. They are allowing opponents to shoot 38 percent from long range which is slightly above the season average allowed that checks in at No. 29 in the NBA. Detroit has certainly had its share of problems this season at 8-23 overall but the Pistons do have a winning record against the number because of inflated numbers like this one. The Pistons are coming off a loss to Sacramento on Friday to make it four losses over their last five games as they still possess the top ranked schedule played in the NBA which has obviously played a role in the overall record but this is an excellent spot against a team not fully focused here. The Pistons are 8-2-2 ATS in their last 12 games against teams with a winning straight up record. Here, we play against teams with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 after two consecutive covers as a favorite, playing a team with a winning percentage between .250 and .400. This situation is 48-21 ATS (69.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (568) Detroit Pistons

This is a play on the CHICAGO BULLS for our NBA Friday Enforcer. The Knicks have won five straight games including at win at Chicago on Wednesday in overtime to improve to 15-13 on the season which has out them into sixth place in the Eastern Conference. The victory against the Bulls was just their fourth against a top 16 team this season which is the second fewest for a top 16 team, ahead of only the Clippers who have three victories against this group. Additionally, New York has 10 losses against the top 16 which is the most in the top half of the NBA and while that is tied with the Bulls, Chicago has double the amount of wins. The Knicks have won three straight road games but the other two came against Detroit and Charlotte which are a combined 15-43 on the season. Chicago has lost two straight games with the first coming in Atlanta in overtime as well on a last second shot. This is a great spot to bounce back to remain above .500 at home. And they have a solid edge in offense as their efficiency in No. 3 in the league over the last three games and they go up against a Knicks defense that is middle of the road in defensive efficiency. Here, we play on favorites coming off an upset loss as a home favorite going up against an opponent off an upset win as a road underdog. This situation is 79-41 ATS (65.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (544) Chicago Bulls

This is a play on the MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES as part of our NBA Wednesday Three Pack. The Clippers are coming off a 20-point win over Boston and while we were on the wrong side of that, we are fading Los Angeles here in what is close to an 11-point line shift and no matter good the Celtics may be, they are not separated by this many points against a competent that sits right around the .500 mark. The Clippers got the best game of the season from Kawhi Leonard as he scored 25 points to go along with nine rebounds and six assists and they need this the rest of the season to make any long playoff run but that is something that cannot be counted on yet. The Clippers are just 8-6 at home and could be in for a lookahead spot here with Phoenix on deck tomorrow. Minnesota has lost two straight games, both in Portland to from a game over .500 to a game under .500 which came after a mini run of 3-1 as it still plays in the absence of Karl-Anthony Towns. The Timberwolves are a respectable 6-7 on the road and like the Warriors, they are a top ten team overall in shooting on both sides of the floor which makes them dangerous any night and especially in betting aspects of getting a number this big. Here, we play against home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points with a winning percentage between .501 and .600 coming off a home win scoring 110 or more points, playing a losing team. This situation is 47-19 ATS (71.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (519) Minnesota Timberwolves

This is a play on the GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS as part of our NBA Wednesday Three Pack. We played against Golden St. last night as it was able to build an early lead but that did not last long as it fell behind as many as 26 points in the 16-point loss against Milwaukee. The road struggles are evident as the Warriors fell to 2-12 on the highway and this is a good spot to bounce back in the midst of this six-game roadtrip that gets tougher after this. Despite a .500 record, the Warriors are a top ten team in both offensive and defensive shooting , effective field goal percentage and three-point shooting. Indiana has lost its first two games of this three-game homestand and has lost six of its last eight games as the overachieving start has started to catch up. This is no great home court advantage like the Warriors have gone against for most of the season as the Pacers are 8-6 with half of those wins coming against Orlando (twice), Detroit and Washington. While the Warriors are top ten in the aforementioned shooting rankings, the Pacers are ranked in the bottom half of the league in all of those with the exception of offensive three-point shooting. Here, we play on road teams after allowing 63 points or more in the first half in two straight games going up against an opponent after scoring 90 points or less. This situation is 36-13 ATS (73.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (501) Golden St. Warriors

This is a play on the ATLANTA HAWKS as part of our NBA Wednesday Three Pack. Atlanta is coming off a 25-point loss at Memphis on Monday to make it four losses over the last five games. After a great start to the season where the Hawks opened 10-6, they have lost eight of their last 10 games with the inconsistency of Trae Young being in the lineup being a big issue with that. He missed the last game against the Grizzlies with a back issue and comes into this game questionable but will likely be in the lineup in the start of a get right stretch of six straight games against teams with a losing record. Orlando has turned a corner with wins in three straight games, all at home and all as an underdog of at least 6.5 points but this corner cannot last very long. The return of some key injured players have started to show some bright signs recently but prior to this run, the Magic lost nine straight games which included a home loss by 17 points against Atlanta where they were getting 6.5 points. Now they are getting just 2.5 points and they are 1-4 ATS this season when getting three of fewer points with the lone win and cover coming against 7-20 Charlotte. Here, we play on favorites with a scoring differential of +/- 3 ppg going up teams with a scoring differential between -3 and -7 ppg, after a loss by 15 points or more. This situation is 38-14 ATS (73.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (503) Atlanta Hawks

This situation is MILWAUKEE BUCKS for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. We played against Milwaukee on Sunday as it went into Houston and lost outright as a 10-point favorite and now it is back home in the second part of the proverbial sandwich where the Bucks won at Dallas Friday and has the Rockets in-between the two games which possibly caused the letdown, lookahead situation. The loss kept the Bucks a game and a half behind Boston for first place in the Eastern Conference and they head into Tuesday where they are 12-3 at home and look to get back on track following a 7-1 previous to Sunday. The Bucks are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 home games against teams with a losing road record. Golden St. snapped a two-game losing streak with a win over Boston on Saturday as it avoided a Celtics pursuit of getting revenge from the NBA Finals from last season. The Warriors moved back to a game over .500 on the season which has been a major disappointment following their championship last year. Golden St. improved to 12-2 at home but now hit the road where it has been a disaster with a 2-11 record with the only wins coming against Houston and Minnesota on the highway and it has lost two straight since that most recent win against the Timberwolves. The Warriors are 2-6 ATS in their last eight games following a straight up win of more than 10 points. Here, we play on home teams after two or more consecutive unders, that have a scoring differential between +3 to +7 ppg going up against teams with a scoring differential of +/- 3 ppg. This situation is 87-40 ATS (68.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (568) Milwaukee Bucks

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Nonconference Game of the Month. Boston opened this roadtrip with three wins including a solid 27-point win over then-Western Conference leading Phoenix where it built a 45-point lead but suffered a loss at Golden St. on Saturday by 16 points which was its worst defeat of the season. The Celtics are now 21-6 and after the previous five losses, they won four of their follow up games and by an average of 11.5 ppg and are in another good spot to bounce back from the most recent loss. Boston remains in first place in the Eastern Conference as the offense still is tops in the league in scoring, three point shooting and free throw shooting while sitting No. 4 in overall shooting. The Clippers return home from a four-game east coast roadtrip where it went 2-2 and they are 15-13 overall showing nothing special along the way. They are just 7-6 at home and are still barely ranked in the top 20 in the power rankings as their schedule has been very easy, ranked No. 28 in the league as their wins have come against the poor teams in the NBA. Los Angeles is 13-5 against teams ranked outside the top 16 and just 2-8 against the top 16 that includes a 1-5 record against the top 10, one of only three teams in the entire league that has only one win against a top ten team, their being a two-point win against Cleveland. The Clippers do have a tough defense but the offense does not have enough to keep up. Here, we play on road favorites coming off a road loss by 10 points or more going up against an opponent off an road win scoring 110 or more points. This situation is 39-12 ATS (76.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (563) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the HOUSTON ROCKETS for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. We played against Houston on Friday as it lost at San Antonio in the first game that it has been favored in all season and now heads back home where it is significantly better than it is on the road. The Rockets have been better overall, going 4-4 over their last eight games which includes three straight home wins where they are now 4-5 on the season as opposed to 3-13 on the highway so they have played a very heavy road schedule. This is part of the reason Houston has played the No. 3 ranked schedule in the league and they are catching a huge number at home where they are 4-1 ATS against teams with a winning record including an outright win over Philadelphia in its last game at home. The Rockets will be out for revenge following a 20-point loss in Milwaukee in the first meeting this season which is tied for their biggest loss of the season. Milwaukee is coming off a one-point win at Dallas on Friday to make it four straight wins and victories in seven of its last eight games. That puts the Bucks in a tough situation here as coming off that win and having a game on deck at home against Golden St. leads them into a tough sandwich spot. The runs along with the Celtics loss last night puts Milwaukee now one game behind Boston in the Eastern Conference. The Bucks are 7-3 on the road and they have actually been outscored overall on those 10 road games despite being four games over .500. The Bucks are just 2-5 ATS as favorites of more than seven points. Here, we play on teams coming off an upset loss as a favorite going up against an opponent off a road win by three points or less. This situation is 52-22 ATS (70.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (550) Houston Rockets

This is a play on the PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS for our NBA Saturday Enforcer. Portland is coming off a brutal home loss against Denver on Thursday as it went down on a last second three-pointer from Jamal Murray which snapped a modest two-game winning streak. The Blazers fell to 5-6 at home as they are one of only three teams in the Western Conference that possess a losing home record with San Antonio and Houston being the others. That being said, they are in a great spot here coming off that loss and facing a team on a back-to-back. Portland is ranked No. 4 in the league in three-point shooting going up against the Timberwolves perimeter defense that is No. 25 in long range shooting allowed which sets up Damian Lillard to have another huge game similar to his outburst against the Nuggets. Minnesota has won two straight games following a 10-point win at Utah last night. This is the Timberwolves fourth time this season playing back-to-back games and while having gone 1-2 against the number in the first three instances and this is the first of the season where both consecutive games have come on the road. The offense has been on a roll but the defense has been dreadful as the Timberwolves have allowed 123 ppg over their last six games. Here, we play on teams coming off a loss by three points or less to a division rival going up against an opponent after a road game where both teams scored 100 or more points. This situation is 35-10 ATS (77.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (536) Portland Trail Blazers

This is a play on the INDIANA PACERS for our NBA Eastern Conference Game of the Month. Indiana was on a decent roll where it was on a 9-2 run before heading out on a seven-game roadtrip where it ended up going 2-5 to fall to 13-12 on the season. The Pacers are now back home for the start of a four-game homestand and while they have been playing over their heads based on their power ranking that is in the bottom third of the league, this is a good spot to get back into the win column to get some of that momentum back. They have a mismatch advantage in the backcourt tonight as Tyrese Haliburton, Benedict Mathurin and Buddy Hield are averaging 54.7 ppg to go along with a lot of depth from the bench. Indiana is 7-4 at home and the Pacers are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games against teams with a losing road record. One reason for the backcourt disadvantage for Washington is that Bradely Beal is on the shelf again as he is out with a hamstring injury and as mentioned in other scenarios, teams initially tend to step up when a star player goes down but this is now the third game with him out and his absence has been felt as the thin backcourt does not have a reliable scorer to make up for his production. The Wizards have lost four straight games and seven of their last eight to crawl back under .500 for the season and the road has not been kind of late as they have dropped six straight games on the highway. The Wizards are 6-16-1 ATS in their last 23 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. Here, we play against underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points that are revenging a loss as a favorite, off a cover where the team lost the game straight up as an underdog. This situation is 139-82 ATS (62.9 percent) since 1996. 10* (506) Indiana Pacers

This is a play on the SAN ANTONIO SPURS for our NBA Thursday Enforcer. The Spurs have lost 11 straight games and 16 of their last 17 games with 14 of those against potential and current playoff positioned teams and the other three of those against the resurgent Lakers so while losing like this is certainly not good, it has been a brutal stretch. The lone win came against Milwaukee in a fluke and now San Antonio finally catches a break and gets a team on its own level. They have played the No. 8 ranked schedule in the NBA and have faced only four teams at home with a losing record, covering only one but two of the losses were against the Lakers and the other was against Charlotte which was way back in the season opener. Houston has been playing better as it has won four of its last seven games including an overtime win in its last game against Philadelphia and also included an improbable road win at Phoenix three games back. That being said, the recent stretch is a reason along with the Spurs struggles that the Rockets are favorites on the road for the first time this season and for the first time overall as they have gotten points in all 24 games heading into Thursday. That is an automatic play against situation and one that also falls into a contrarian spot as no one will be betting on the 1-16 run of the Spurs. Here, we play on teams allowing 50 percent shooting or worse on the season and averaging 48 or fewer rpg on the season. This situation is 33-14 ATS (70.2 percent) since 1996. 10* (578) San Antonio Spurs

This is a play on the PHOENIX SUNS as part of our NBA Wednesday Three Pack. We played against Boston in its last game and once again, the Celtics stepped up late as it turned a close game against Toronto into a runaway thanks to a 35-18 edge in the third quarter before Toronto made it respectable at the end. The Celtics possess the best record in the NBA at 20-5 and still hold a two-game lead over Milwaukee in the Eastern Conference. Boston has won two straight games after a win over Brooklyn on Sunday prior to the Raptors win which closed a 5-1 homestand. The Celtics are a perfect 9-0 against teams outside the top 16 but 11-5 against teams within that and while still good, it is just 4-2 on the road against those top 16 teams with this being the biggest test of the season. The Suns are still atop the highly competitive top portion of the Western Conference at 16-8 and after a 7-1 run, they are coming off a 19-point loss at Dallas on Monday which was their worst loss of the season. Of those eight defeats, five have come by two points or less so a few bounces their way and they could be right with the Celtics for the best record in the league. Phoenix is 12-2 at home with the two losses coming by three points combined and it is getting points here which it should not be based on the power rankings and the fact they are at home. The Suns are 7-0 ATS in their last seven games following a loss. Here, we play against road teams where the line is +3 to -3 off a road win scoring 110 or more points, playing their 3rd game in four days. This situation is 51-24 ATS (68 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (574) Phoenix Suns

This is a play on the MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES as part of our NBA Wednesday Three Pack. Indiana concludes its seven-game roadtrip tonight in Minnesota and it has not been a good one as the Pacers are 2-4 through the first six games but they are coming off a big upset on Monday as they went into Golden St. and came away with an eight-point win as an 11-point underdog. Indiana is now 6-7 on the road which is respectable for a team not expected to do much but has been outscored by five ppg overall and half of those wins came against bottom-feeding teams in the league. On the season, the Pacers are 4-6 against the much tougher Western Conference and they have a ranking of just No. 24 in the NBA as they are one of only two teams ranked in the bottom third of the league that have a winning record. Minnesota has split its first two games in the absence of Karl-Anthony Towns and looks to bounce back from a home loss against Oklahoma City last time out. The Timberwolves have lost two straight games at home where they are just 6-7 on the season and they have been a money-burning 2-6 ATS over their last eight games but are in a good spot here with their high-powered offense going up against an Indiana team that is ranked No. 17 in defensive efficiency and allow the eighth-most points in the league. Also, they are facing a Pacers team with two of their top three scorers questionable for tonight. The Timberwolves are 5-1 ATS in their last six games playing on three or more days of rest. Here, we play on favorites coming off an upset loss as a home favorite going up against an opponent off an upset win as a road underdog. This situation is 78-41 ATS (65.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (562) Minnesota Timberwolves

This is a play on the MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES as part of our NBA Wednesday Three Pack. Oklahoma City went through a rough stretch where it lost five of six games but it has rebounded with three consecutive wins including a pair of outright wins on the road at Minnesota and Atlanta as sizeable underdogs. The Thunder are two games under .500 which is still very good for a team expected to be near the bottom of the NBA after losing No. 1 pick Chet Holmgren for the season before it even got underway. To their credit, the Thunder have played the No. 9 ranked schedule in the NBA but it has gone as expected as they are a solid 10-5 against teams outside the top ten but have gone just 1-8 against those ranked within that with the only victory coming against Dallas early in the season and have lost seven straight to the top ten teams. Memphis is rolling again after a bit of a lull where it went 1-4 over a five-game stretch but the Grizzlies have won five of their last six games and are positioning themselves in the top part of the Western Conference. They are 15-9 overall which is good for third place in the conference, one game behind Phoenix for first place. Memphis has dominated the teams it should dominate, going 10-2 against teams ranked outside the top 16 in the league and it brings in a 9-2 record at home, the only losses coming against a surprising Sacramento team that the whole league has caught off guard and the Celtics who have the best record in the NBA. Here, we play against underdogs coming off two or more consecutive upset wins as a road underdog. This situation is 196-129 ATS (60.3 percent) since 1996. 10* (566) Memphis Grizzlies

This is a play on the TORONTO RAPTORS for our NBA Monday Enforcer. This is going to be considered a fishy line to some as the 19-5 Celtics, leaders of the Eastern Conference by two games over Milwaukee, are only favored by a point and the majority are already lining up on their side. Boston is coming off a win at Brooklyn on Sunday as it bounced back from an overtime loss against Miami on Friday which closed a 5-1 homestand and this is the second game of a six-game roadtrip that sends them out west after this. This is just the second time this season they have played back-to-back games on the road and the first resulted in a win but non-cover against Orlando. The Celtics are a perfect 9-0 against teams outside the top 16 but 10-5 against teams within that and while still good, it is just 3-2 on the road against those top 16 teams. Toronto bounced back from a pair of road losses with a win against Orlando on Saturday to improve to 9-2 at home as opposed to a 3-9 record on the road so the venue has played a big part in its success. The Raptors elevate when playing against the better teams in the league as they are 10-4 ATS this season against teams above .500 including a 6-1 ATS mark at home. Facing the top ranked offense in the league will be a challenge but the Toronto defense forces a lot of turnovers as over its last 17 games, it has taken it away at least 17 times in 12 of those after not doing so in any of their first six games and Boston has had at least 14 turnovers in eight of its last 11 games. Here, we play against teams in the first half of the season where the line is +3 to -3 averaging 118 or more ppg on the season. This situation is 33-13 ATS (71.7 percent) since 1996. 10* (536) Toronto Raptors

This is a play on the WASHINGTON WIZARDS for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. The Lakers have won two straight games and are 7-2 over their last nine games following an upset win over Milwaukee on Friday. It should be noted that three of those wins came against San Antonio which has lost 10 straight games and another against Detroit, one of the worst teams in the NBA. The win over the Bucks was impressive with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook combining for 87 points but Los Angeles is still just 3-6 on the road with the other two wins coming against the aforementioned Spurs. The Lakers are 8-19 ATS in their last 27 games after successfully covering the spread in two or more consecutive games. Washington lost at Charlotte last time out and has now dropped five of its last six games. All five of those losses were on the highway where the Wizards are 3-8 on the season and they head home where they are 6-1 over their last seven games and they will have a big home crowd on their side in this one with the Lakers in town. Washington is now back under .500 but are in a good spot with James not 100 percent with an ankle injury and the Wizards come in with the No. 3 ranked shooting percent defense in the league and can slow down the Lakers offense after 133 points scored against Milwaukee. Here, we play on teams coming off a loss by three points or less to a division rival going up against an opponent after a road game where both teams scored 100 or more points. This situation is 35-9 ATS (79.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (524) Washington Wizards

This is a play on the MILWAUKEE BUCKS for our NBA Saturday Enforcer. Milwaukee had its three-game winning streak snapped with a loss to the Lakers last night and they are in a great bounce back spot tonight. It was a bittersweet loss as the Bucks welcomed back Khris Middleton as he took the floor for the first time since the start of the NBA Playoffs last season. He scored 17 points in 26 minutes and he will likely rest tonight in the second of a back-to-back but his return just gives them a spark going forward in pursuit of the Celtics. Milwaukee prides itself on defense as it is ranked No. 4 in points allowed and No. 3 in shooting percentage allowed but last night LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook combined for 87 points and the Bucks allowed a season-high 133 points. Charlotte also played last night and it pulled off the upset against Washington and the Hornets have now won three of their last four games, easily their best four-game stretch of the season. All three of those wins came at home and by just nine points combined after starting the season 1-6 on their home floor and they are getting outscored by close to four ppg which may not seem like much but some of those losses came against some bad teams. Charlotte is just 1-3 following a win this season and those three losses have come by an average of 18 ppg. Here, we play on road favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points coming off an upset loss as a home favorite going up against an opponent off an home win scoring 110 or more points. This situation is 31-5 ATS (86.1 percent) since 1996. 10* (505) Milwaukee Bucks

This is a play on the BROOKLYN NETS for our NBA Divisional Game of the Year. Brooklyn is 12-11 after a 113-107 win over the Wizards on Wednesday to improve to 3-0 on its season-long seven-game homestand. Kevin Durant has carried the offense of late as he has scored 30 or more points in four straight games and while Brooklyn is just 5-7 when he scores at least 30 points, half of those games took place when the Nets lost six of their first eight games and since then, they are 10-5 and becoming more dangerous as the defense has also picked it up. Brooklyn has allowed just 106.5 ppg over that 15-game stretch and will be out to extend its five-game home winning streak. It is safe to say a coaching change has been a great move. Toronto is coming off an 19-point loss at New Orleans on Wednesday which was its sixth loss in its last seven road games to fall to 3-8 on the season on the highway. This is not a good spot to get right as the defense has regressed as the Raptors have allowed opponents to shoot 50 percent or higher in six of their last nine games and they are catching a red hot offense that has surpassed 50 percent from the floor in seven of their last eight games. Toronto has had no rhythm throughout the season as it has won back-to-back games four times but was unable to turn that into three straight wins all four times and the Raptors are coming off starting their 12th different lineup and that kills continuity. Here, we play on home teams where the line is +3 to -3 after having won five or six of their last seven games, with a winning percentage between .450 and .550. This situation is 51-17 ATS (75 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (564) Brooklyn Nets

This is a play on the DETROIT PISTONS for our NBA Thursday Enforcer. We played against Detroit on Tuesday as it lost by 30 points at home to the Knicks despite shooting over 50 percent from the floor and the Pistons have now lost three straight games but we are going the other way on Thursday and taking the bigger number at home. This is big contrarian play and being the standalone game, the public is all over the more public team in what will be considered a short line. Detroit is 6-2-1 ATS over its last nine games and the Pistons are catching a number they have been very profitable at as they are 8-3-2 ATS as underdogs of more than seven points. That defense that was lit up against New York should get a reprieve as Dallas is not a good offense and it needs to be noted Detroit has played the No. 2 ranked schedule in the league. Detroit is 7-0 ATS in non-conference games this season. The Mavericks are coming off a big home win over Golden St. which snapped a four-game losing streak and this sleeper championship team has been inconsistent all over the place. The Mavericks are ranked in the bottom half of the league in almost every major statistical category which has made them dead even at 10-10 on the season. Dallas hits the road where it is just 1-7 which came against Brooklyn in the second game of the season and while they have lost to some really good teams, they also have lost to Orlando and Washington on the highway. The Mavericks cannot lay points over a bucket at they have gone 2-11-1 ATS when laying three or more points. Dallas is 0-9 ATS after one or more consecutive wins this season. 10* (554) Detroit Pistons

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES LAKERS for our NBA Revenge Dominator. The Lakers have shown signs of improvement after an awful 2-8 start as they went on a 5-1 run before an implosion on Monday as they blew a 17-point fourth quarter lead against Indiana. Los Angeles is in a good bounce back spot here after the defense allowed 32 fourth quarter points and this unit will take exception to that. The Lakers defense has kept their heads somewhat above water as they are ranked No. 9 or better in all seven defensive shooting categories including No. 3 in defensive shooting efficiency. They also get a boost with the return of Patrick Beverly as he is back from his suspension. The offense has been okay but has been hindered by poor long range shooting which could break out here. Portland is coming off a brutal loss last night as it blew an 18-point lead, getting outscored 36-17 in the fourth quarter to make it two straight losses for the Blazers. They shot 49 percent from long range on Tuesday as they remain a top three team in three-point shooting but will face a tough test here and they have had to rely on their perimeter shooting this season which is a tough way to go about having long-term success. Portland is ranked No. 26 in two-point shooting percentage and is in the bottom half of the league in most other shooting categories including being one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the league. Portland is 16-29 ATS in its last 45 games against teams shooting 46 percent or better from the floor. Here, we play on favorites revenging a straight up loss as a home favorite, off an upset loss as a home favorite. This situation is 65-27 ATS (70.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (552) Los Angeles Lakers

This is a play on the SACRAMENTO KINGS for our NBA Supreme Annihilator. Sacramento was on a big run with seven straight wins after a 3-5 start but the Kings have dropped their last three games which included two road losses at Atlanta and Boston as healthy underdogs and then dropped their most recent game at home against Phoenix on Monday by five points. They remain a top three offense in efficiency with a 57.1 percent effective field goal percentage thanks to leading the NBA in two-point shooting at 58.8 percent. A lot of this has to do with great transition offense as they are No. 5 in fast break points and No. 4 is assist/turnover ratio. The defense leaves a lot to be desired but they face a middle of the road offense in efficiency. Sacramento is 8-1 ATS in its last nine games after playing a home game this season. Indiana has been one of the bigger surprises in the Eastern Conference as it has improved to 12-8 on the season following a win at the Lakers on Monday as it overcame a 17-point fourth quarter deficit to make it 11 wins in its last 15 games. The majority of those wins have come against some very bad teams as the Pacers schedule is ranked No. 27 in the league and they are No. 24 in the Sagarin Ratings, the lowest mark of any team with a winning record. The Pacers are ranked in the top ten in only one of 14 offensive and defensive shooting categories and that is a No. 87 ranking in defensive two-point shooting percentage. Indiana is 14-27 ATS in its last 41 games after playing 2 consecutive road games. Here, we play on teams coming off an upset loss as a home favorite going up against an opponent off a road win by three points or less. This situation is 35-13 ATS (72.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (550) Sacramento Kings

This is a play on the MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES for our NBA Wednesday Enforcer. Minnesota had one five straight games to improve to 10-8 after a slow start but it has since lost its last three games and now will have to go on without Karl-Anthony Towns who is out for upward of six weeks with a calf strain but it is not a huge concern as this is still a great roster that can make up for his absence and we always like the angle of the first game played without a go to guy with others getting the opportunity to step up and make a name. The Timberwolves are a game under .500 at home so that along with the Towns news is giving them value here. The numbers have been great with the exception of long range shooting which has kept the efficiency down as Minnesota is No. 3 in offensive two-point percentage and No. 6 in defensive two-point percentage so they are getting quality shots. Memphis has won and covered two straight games including a win at New York which snapped a three-game road losing streak that all resulted in double-digit defeats. Overall, the Grizzlies are just 3-4 over their last seven games as they remain banged up as well with Desmond Bane and his 24.7 ppg remains on the sidelines and Dillon Brooks and his 17.6 ppg is hobbled with a thigh injury and he is questionable for tonight. Looking at the seven shooting categories on both sides, they are ranked No. 19 or worse in half of those and are not ranked higher than No. 10 in any of those and the perimeter defense has struggled which will help the Minnesota outside shooting. Memphis is 6-17 ATS in its last 23 road games after having won two of their last three games. Here, we play on home underdogs revenging a road loss of 10 points or more, off an upset loss by 15 points or more as a favorite. This situation is 44-16 ATS (73.3 percent) since 1996. 10* (540) Minnesota Timberwolves

This is a play on the NEW YORK KNICKS for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. The Knicks got back to over .500 at 8-7 following a pair of wins over Utah and Denver in mid-November but has lost four of its last five games to fall to 9-11. The losses were all against teams from the Western Conference that possess winning record and with three of those ranked in the top ten in the Sagarin ratings. This is a get right game with this already being the third meeting after the Knicks won the first two by 24 and nine points and this is the first meeting on the road where they are a respectable 5-6 on the season. Those six road losses have all come against teams that are No. 11 or better in the ratings and overall, New York is 7-2 against teams ranked outside the top 16. Detroit has gotten off to an expectedly bad start at 5-17 which is the worst record in the NBA but the Pistons have been cashing for backers as they are on a 6-1-1 ATS run but that means little here except for the value that comes with it on the other side. This is the smallest line Detroit has seen over this stretch and five of those games they were getting double digits, covering all of those. Detroit has been better at home than on the road with a 3-6 record with the only notable win coming against Golden St. which is 2-9 on the highway. Here, we play against home underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points with a winning percentage of .250 or less having covered six or seven of their last eight games against the spread. This situation is 48-21 ATS (69.6 percent) since 1996. 10* (521) New York Knicks

This is a play on the UTAH JAZZ for our NBA Monday Enforcer. Utah has come back down to earth a little bit after a 12-6 start as it has lost four straight games but the last two were definitely expected as the Jazz travelled to Golden St. and Phoenix in back-to-back nights against a pair of teams a combined 20-2 at home. Utah returns home where it is 6-2 on the season and will be out to bounce back after its worst home loss of the season against Detroit by nine-points as a 12-point favorite. The Jazz are laying a short price and despite the recent results, they are still ranked No. 5 in offensive efficiency and No. 15 in defensive efficiency. The Bulls are coming off an overtime loss at Oklahoma City which came after a pair of upset wins over Boston and Milwaukee and they remain on the road where they are 3-6. After a decent 5-4 start to the season, Chicago has lost seven of their last 10 games and has been all over the place. The Bulls are an average offensive team, ranked No. 16 in offensive efficiency but the defense has been horrible, ranking No. 26 in defensive efficiency and that makes for a very bad matchup tonight. Chicago has been awful in this price range this season, going 1-6-1 ATS as underdogs of fewer than five points. Chicago is 4-14 ATS in its last 18 nonconference road games. Here, we play against road underdogs coming off an upset loss as a road favorite, with a winning percentage of between .400 and .499 on the season. This situation is 32-7 ATS (82.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (516) Utah Jazz

This is a play on the ATLANTA HAWKS for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. Miami snapped a four-game losing streak with a pair of home wins over Washington on Wednesday and Friday and now it hits the road against where it has been a poor start. The Heat are 1-7 on the road which includes seven straight losses following a win over Portland in their first road game of the season. There have been close calls along the way but four of the seven losses have come by more than what they are getting on Sunday and they are catching the wrong opponent at the wrong time. Miami is 3-13 ATS in its last 16 games coming off two or more consecutive home wins. Atlanta has been all over the place after a 7-3 start to the season as it has lost five of its last nine games including a pretty embarrassing loss at Houston on Friday by six points as an eight-point chalk. That made it three losses in four road games over this recent stretch and the Hawks return home where they are 7-3 and in a great bounce back spot. Atlanta is 6-1 this season following a loss and the lone two-game losing streak this season came in back-to-back road games at Milwaukee and Toronto. Atlanta is 13-3 ATS in its last 16 home games when playing against teams with a winning percentage between .400 and .499. Here, we play on favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points after failing to cover five or six of their last seven games against the spread going up against an opponent after having covered two of their last three games against the spread. This situation is 103-61 ATS (62.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (568) Atlanta Hawks

This is a play on the OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER for our NBA Saturday Enforcer. Oklahoma City and Houston are both coming off underdog wins at home last night and we have to go with the more trustworthy team in the second of a back-to-back despite the travel aspect. The Thunder took care of Chicago in overtime which snapped a three-game losing streak and while they are 0-2 in their two previous games in the second leg of consecutive games in consecutive nights, those were against Minnesota and Boston. Oklahoma City is 3-6 on the road and those losses include games against Minnesota, Denver, Milwaukee, Boston and Memphis and overall, it has played the No. 8 ranked schedule in the NBA. The Thunder are 5-1 ATS in their last six road games against teams with a losing home record. Houston is probably coming off the more impressive win last night as it defeated then 11-6 Atlanta and this is a situation that we want to avoid involving a very young team. The Rockets have lost their three previous games following a victory with those defeats coming by eight, seven and eight points. Houston is now 2-4 against the Eastern Conference while going just 2-10 against the Western Conference. The Rockets have a huge disadvantage down low as they are facing the No. 1 team in points in the paint and overall, Houston is ranked No. 26 in offensive efficiency. The Rockets are 8-21 ATS in their last 29 games as a home underdog of six points or less. Here, we play on teams where the line is +3 to -3 that are between +3 and - 3 in ppg scoring differential going up against teams that are -7 or worse in ppg scoring differential. This situation is 49-22 ATS (69 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (555) Oklahoma City Thunder

This is a play on the DENVER NUGGETS as part of our NBA Friday Three-Pack. The depleted Clippers return home following a 17-point loss at Golden St. on Wednesday which snapped a three-game winning streak and they are again without Kawhi Leonard who is back on the pine with his ankle injury. He made it back for three games and was barely an influence as he scored 25 points and grabbed seven boards in those games combined as he again joins Paul George on the bench. They have somehow stayed afloat with an 11-8 record and Los Angeles comes in at just 5-4 at home where it is middle of the league in defensive efficiency and overall, it is No. 26 in offensive efficiency. The Clippers are 4-11 ATS in their last 15 home games against teams with a winning road record. Denver survived overtime on Wednesday in Oklahoma City as it came in with losses in three of its previous four games but two of those losses were without Nikola Jokic in the lineup but he is back and the Nuggets will get Jamal Murray back tonight with the possibility of also having Michael Porter, Jr. return after missing the last game. They are a half-game ahead of Los Angeles in the overall standings in the crowded Western Conference where two games separates the top 10 teams. Denver has played 12 of 18 games on the highway and has been a successful 7-5 in those games and the Nuggets are 5-1 ATS in their last six games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. Here, we play on road favorites after a win by six points or less going up against an opponent after a loss by 10 points or more. This situation is 67-34 ATS (66.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (551) Denver Nuggets

This is a play on the MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES as part of our NBA Friday Three-Pack. The Grizzlies have lost two straight games and four of their last five and they are now a game out of first place in the Southwest Division with a chance to get back into a tie tonight. Memphis avoided a big absence in its lineup as Ja Morant missed just one game with a Grade 1 sprain in his left ankle after he had been considered week-to-week with the injury. That would have been a massive loss with Desmond Bane already out for at least a few weeks and while the Grizzlies lost in his return Tuesday, the backcourt is in much better shape. One of those losses came in New Orleans by 11 points so revenge is on the table tonight as well. Memphis is 6-2 at home and while known for the offense, the Grizzlies have the No. 5 defensive efficiency at home in the league. New Orleans has won its last two games by 45 and 19 points and going back, it has won five of its last six games and it is tied for second place with the Nuggets and Jazz in the Western Conference, a half-game behind the Suns. Four of those wins have come at home and the Pelicans are 5-4 on the road and they will again be without a big piece of the lineup as C.J. McCollum has landed in the health and safety protocols of the league which is surprisingly still a thing. They won without him against the Spurs but that is a bad team in a current freefall. New Orleans is 11-27 ATS in its last 38 road games off a win by 10 points or more over a division rival. Here, we play on favorites revenging a loss where opponent scored 100 or more points, off a home loss. This situation is 198-131 ATS (60.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (532) Memphis Grizzlies

This is a play on the BROOKLYN NETS as part of our NBA Friday Three-Pack. Brooklyn is back to full strength and has won two of three games since the return of Kyrie Irving to the lineup after missing eight games which includes a 14-point win at Toronto on Wednesday. More importantly, the Nets have seen a spike in the production of Ben Simmons as he is averaging 14.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg and 6.4 apg over his last five games after being pretty much a no-show to start the season when he got back into the lineup. Obviously, there was a lot of rust involved and his presence will make this team better going forward. They are a game under .500 but well within the thick of the Eastern Conference and the Nets are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games against teams with a winning straight up record. The Pacers have been a pleasant surprise as they are 10-7 on the season and had won nine of their previous 11 games before a 14-point loss at home against Minnesota on Wednesday. Their previous two home wins were against 5-13 Orlando and they are still well down in the rankings however as they are No. 24 in the Sagarin Ratings, the lowest mark of any team with a winning record as Indiana has played a schedule ranked No. 28 in the league. The offense has been solid but they are No. 17 in defensive efficiency and could have issues against a healthy Nets lineup. Indiana is 9-19 ATS in its last 28 games after scoring 105 points or less. Here, we play on road favorites off a win by 10 points or more over a division rival, playing their 3rd road game in five days. This situation is 33-7 ATS (82.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (533) Brooklyn Nets

This is a play on the MIAMI HEAT with our NBA Eastern Conference Game of the Month. Miami was able to get back to .500 following three straight home wins but it hit the road for a four-game roadtrip and lost all four of those games that included an overtime loss at Washington by a point so now back home, the Heat will get back on track with some motivation to boot. That trek dropped Miami to 1-7 on the road but they are a decent 6-4 at home that includes wins in five of their last six games. The absence of Jimmy Butler is obviously a big one as the injury list is a big one but the spot is too good and too important with four more road games on deck against three likely playoff teams in Atlanta, Boston (twice) and Memphis. While the offense has been inconsistent, the defense remains strong as Miami is No. 9 in scoring and No. 12 in defensive efficiency. Washington comes in on a two-game winning streak and has won six of its last seven games to move three games over .500 and are tied with Atlanta for first place in the Southeast Division. The Wizards are 7-4 at home and just 3-3 on the road and have injuries issues of their own with Bradley Beal questionable as well as point guard Monte Morris. Washington also brings in a strong defense but the offense has been one of the worst in the league as the Wizards are ranked No. 24 in offensive efficiency as well as No. 24 in floor percentage. The Wizards are 2-7 ATS in their last nine road games against teams with a winning home record. Here, we play on favorites after four or more consecutive unders, averaging between 108 and 114 ppg going up against teams allowing between 108 and 114 ppg. This situation is 61-29 ATS (67.8 percent) since 1996. 10* (510) Miami Heat

This is a play on the ATLANTA HAWKS for our NBA Wednesday Enforcer. Sacramento is coming off a win at Memphis on Tuesday for its seventh straight win and of all of the surprise teams in the Western Conference, this has to rank right at the top. The Kings got off to the start many expected as they opened 0-4 but have won 10 of their last 12 games and are just a game and a half out of first place in the Western Conference. They possess the top ranked offense in the NBA in both scoring and shooting which has translated into the No. 1 ranked offensive efficiency team after finishing sixth worst in the league last season. The Tuesday win moved them to 4-3 on the road but are now playing the second of a back-to-back for only the second time this season and the first that involves two road games. Atlanta had won five of seven games but has lost two of its last three games including a 12-point loss at Cleveland on Monday but the Hawks are back home where they are 6-3 and it has been a mixed bag of quality wins and quality losses and at this point, we cannot put Sacramento into the elite category. The backcourt duo of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray have carried the load to become one of the best backcourts in the Eastern Conference as they are averaging 47.7 ppg and 16.8 apg and will no doubt be able to run with this Kings team. The efficiency has not been there but has a good matchup tonight. Here, we play against road teams covering eight or more of their last 10 against the spread, playing six or less games in 14 days. This situation is 39-17 ATS (69.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (514) Atlanta Hawks

This is a play on the PHOENIX SUNS for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. The Lakers have won three straight games after a 3-10 start to the season and they have won all three of these with LeBron James sitting on the bench so that is a storyline within itself and one of course that the talking heads are not talking about. Those games were all at home and now Los Angeles hits the road where it is 0-5 and getting outscored by 14 ppg and all of those have come by at least nine points. Overall, the Lakers have played the No. 23 ranked schedule in the NBA so it is not like they have been getting beat against an elite schedule and they step into elite tonight despite the Suns still being without Chris Paul. The Lakers are 5-16 ATS in their last 21 games off a home win by 10 points or more. With Paul being out and the Suns still winning shows how good this roster is as Cameron Payne has filled in great and has not missed a beat. Phoenix has struggled somewhat of late by going just 4-5 over its last nine games but four of those losses were on the road and the one home loss came against Portland by a bucket and the Suns come into tonight with an 8-1 record at home. Despite those recent hiccups, Phoenix is still ranked No. 2 in the latest Sagarin ratings and it is No. 3 in offensive efficiency and No. 7 in defensive efficiency so they are playing at that elite level mentioned earlier. The Suns are 4-0 ATS in their last four home games against teams with a losing road record. Here, we play against underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points with a winning percentage between .250 and .400 off a home win by 20 points or more, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 52-21 ATS (71.2 percent) since 1996. 10* (578) Phoenix Suns

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS for our NBA Monday Enforcer. Utah continues to roll along as it has won two straight games following a three-game losing streak to improve to 12-6 and have moved into the top spot in the Western Conference, not bad for a team coming into the season with the word tank linked to their name. The Jazz are No. 4 scoring offense in the league but are just No. 13 in shooting percentage and defensively, Utah is No. 18 in points allowed and No. 22 in shooting percentage allowed so they are doing nothing spectacular. As mentioned prior to the last game, the Jazz have a 2.7 Luck Rating according to Team Rankings so while they have played well, they have been the most fortunate team in the league early in the season. The Clippers have won two straight games to move three games over .500 and while sitting in No. 7 in the Western Conference, they are just 2.5 games out of first place in the very competitive conference. They have won four of their last five home games and bring in the No. 2 ranked scoring defense and No. 1 ranked shooting defense and will be out for revenge following a 110-102 lost to Utah here earlier in the month. Here, we play against road teams averaging 114 or more ppg on the season going up against an opponent after allowing 100 points or less in two straight games. This situation is 41-13 ATS (75.9 percent) over the last five seasons. Additionally, we play against underdogs off two or more consecutive upset wins as an underdog, with a winning record on the season playing another winning team. This situation is 142-88 ATS (61.7 percent) since 1996. 10* (570) Los Angeles Clippers

This is a play on the HOUSTON ROCKETS for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. Golden St. took care of the Knicks Friday night to improve to 7-1 at home but the Warriors are now back on the road where they are 0-8 and while this is a game they should and likely will win, they are laying too big of a number here. Three of those outright losses came when laying 7.5 or more points so it is not like they have been losing to just good teams as Charlotte, Detroit and Orlando are far from that. Putting it more into perspective as only one of those eight losses has been by fewer than seven points while getting outscored by over 10 ppg. Golden St. is 7-17 ATS in its last 24 road games when playing against a team with a losing record. Houston is not a very good team but it has not gotten a break early in the season as 11 of its 16 games have been on the road and overall, the Rockets have played the toughest schedule in the NBA, not only playing those road games but 11 of the games have come against the top half of the league. Yes, Golden St. is part of that group but this line is out of control simply because of the name and not the Warriors product that has been on the floor. Only one of the four home losses has been by double-digits and the Rockets are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game. Here, we play against road teams averaging 114 or more ppg on the season going up against an opponent after allowing 100 points or less in two straight games. This situation is 40-13 ATS (75.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (550) Houston Rockets

This is a play on the PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS for our NBA Saturday Enforcer. The surprising Jazz opened the season 10-3 but suffered through a three-game losing streak before a solid win last night at home against Phoenix although the Suns were once again without Chris Paul so Utah caught a break in that regard. The Jazz have a 3.2 Luck Rating according to Team Rankings so while they have played well, they have been the most fortunate team in the league early in the season. Utah is now 11-6 and sitting in second place in the NBA Northwest Division, one game behind the opponent for tonight. They are ranked No. 3 in scoring but are just No. 14 in shooting percentage and defensively, Utah is No. 18 in points allowed and No. 22 in shooting percentage allowed so they are doing nothing spectacular. Utah is 4-14 ATS in its last 18 road games when playing against teams with a winning percentage between .600 and .750. Portland lost to Brooklyn on Thursday and has lost two of its last three games following a three-game winning streak. The Blazers are definitely another surprise team and they have had their good fortunes as well but are in a good spot here with a team playing a back-to-back. This is one of the better defenses in the NBA and on offense, after missing a ton of last season, Damian Lillard has played like the Damian Lillard of old and he is an integral part of that defense as well. The Blazers are 5-1 ATS in their last six games against teams with a winning straight up record. Here, we play against underdogs off an upset win as an underdog going up against an opponent off a home loss. This situation is 127-77 ATS (62.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (536) Portland Trail Blazers

This is a play on the GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS for our NBA Friday Supreme Annihilator. The championship hangover has turned into a real thing for Golden St. as it dropped to 6-9 after a loss at Phoenix and it sitting in the No. 12 spot in the Western Conference. The good news is that they are back home but just for one game and that is important because it makes this a near early season must win as they head back on the road Sunday where the Warriors are 0-8 on the season and grouped with Detroit and Orlando as the only winless road teams. No one would have predicted that but they are 6-1 at home with the lone loss coming against Denver by five points. Golden St. is outscoring opponents by over 10 ppg on its home floor and catches New York in a great spot. Golden St. is 23-9 ATS in its last 33 home games when playing against a team with a winning record. The Knicks have won two straight games to get back over .500 and both of those victories came on the road against Utah and Denver as underdogs which is a great play against spot. Obviously, New York will be fired up playing the reigning champions but every team does and six so far have not succeeded. The Knicks have succeeded this season against winning teams on the road but this is a different situation playing against a team searching for answers that still possesses one of the best rotations in the league despite the early struggles. The Knicks are 1-5 ATS in their last six games following a straight up win. Here, we play on favorites off an upset loss as a favorite going up against an opponent off two or more consecutive upset wins as a road underdog. This situation is 64-30 ATS (68.1 percent) since 1996. 10* (526) Golden St. Warriors

This is a play on the SAN ANTONIO SPURS for our NBA Thursday Enforcer. Sacramento is coming off its second best offensive performance in regulation in franchise history and the Kings are now overinflated tonight because of that. They scored 153 points against Brooklyn in the 32-point beatdown as they shot an improbable 60 percent for the game including 49 percent from long range but the defense still stunk as it has all season. Sacramento allowed the Nets to shoot 49 percent which is right around the season average allowed as it is ranked No. 29 in shooting defense and No. 27 in points allowed and overall, the Kings are No. 27 in defensive efficiency. The Kings are 8-25 ATS in their last 33 games after scoring more than 125 points in their previous game. San Antonio started the season red hot and we expected a regression sooner rather than later and it has come quick as the Spurs have lost seven of their last eight games but to their credit, they have kept most games within reason and as of late, they have covered four of their last five games. Defensively, they are just as bad as the Kings which does not bode well but their offense does make up for it as they are a top half team in most offensive categories. Sacramento has been a favorite five times this season and this is easily the biggest number they have laid and the Spurs are the beneficiaries. San Antonio is 24-11 ATS in its last 35 road games against teams shooting 46 percent or better on the season and the Spurs are 14-3 ATS in their last 17 games against teams with a winning straight up record. Here, we play against home favorites with a winning percentage between .501 and .600 after beating the spread by more than 24 points in their previous game, playing a team with a winning percentage between .250 and .400. This situation is 23-5 ATS (82.1 percent) since 1996. 10* (503) San Antonio Spurs

This is a play on the MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES for our NBA Nonconference Game of the Month. Minnesota snapped a three-game losing streak with a win at Cleveland on Sunday and it is in a good spot here for another win before a pair of tough games on deck. The Timberwolves had lost six of seven games prior to that but four of those losses came against Phoenix twice, Milwaukee when it was healthy and Memphis so it was a tough stretch against some very good teams. It has been a very disappointing start for Minnesota that added pieces that should have it make a run in the Western Conference but at 6-8, it is sitting 3.5 games behind Portland in the Northwest Division. They are 2-3 on the road with the only bad loss coming at San Antonio. Orlando had won two straight games in big upsets over Dallas and Phoenix but lost to Charlotte on Monday and is likely for another regression that saw it start 2-9 in its first 11 games. This team should improve somewhat as the season goes on once they start getting healthy as they are a banged up bunch. There is no veteran leadership on this team the Magic still have some key players out on Wednesday with Moritz Wagner, Markelle Fultz and Gary Harris unavailable along with Jonathan Isaac who is still out after missing all of last season and No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero is still on the injury list after averaging 23.5 ppg and 8.3 rpg through the first 11 games but he is questionable with an ankle injury. Here, we play on road favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points after having lost two of their last three games going up against an opponent after having won two of their last three games. This situation is 42-18 ATS (70 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (559) Minnesota Timberwolves

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Monday Supreme Annihilator. Boston is rolling along as it has won six straight games to improve to 10-3 on the season and has a 3.5-game lead over Toronto in the Atlantic Division and has moved to within a half-game of the Bucks in the Eastern Conference for first place. The Celtics are 5-1 at home with the only loss coming against Cleveland in overtime, one of two losses against the Cavaliers this season, and the offense has not skipped a beat with the new coaching staff in place. Boston leads the league in scoring with 119.5 ppg and they are also No. 1 in offensive efficiency. They have not been as strong on defense but have been good enough and are in a good spot here against a tired team playing their second game in two days. The Celtics are 4-0 ATS in their last four games against teams with a losing straight up record. Oklahoma City snapped a four-game losing streak with a win over Toronto on Friday and followed that up with a 10-point win over the Knicks on Sunday. This will be the second back-to-back for them this season, losing the second game of the first one by 10 points at home against Minnesota. The Thunder has not been as horrible as expected as they are 6-7 but only one of those wins have come against a team that was at least close to 100 percent healthy which was a surprising win at Dallas as a 10.5-point underdog in October. The offense has been putting up a ton of points based on pace but it is just No. 21 in shooting including No. 25 from behind the arc and Oklahoma City is ranked No. 18 in overall offensive efficiency. The Thunder are 2-5-2 ATS in their last nine games after scoring more than 125 points in their previous game. Here, we play against underdogs coming off a win by 10 points or more as an underdog, in November games. this situation is 34-16 ATS (68 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (538) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the NEW YORK KNICKS for our NBA Game of the Week. New York is coming off a win over Detroit on Friday to get to .500 once again and it improved to 4-2 at home. The four wins have comes against some bad teams in the Pistons twice, the Magic and the Hornets while the two losses came against solid teams in Boston and Atlanta and the Knicks will be facing another team from that former group. Overall, the Knicks are 1-5 against the top ten teams and 5-1 against teams outside that top ten with the one defeat coming against Brooklyn. Their defense has been one of the best in the league as they are ranked No. 3 in shooting defense including No. 8 in three-point shooting defense and face a below average offense. New York is 28-14 ATS in its last 42 games when playing six or more games in 10 days. Oklahoma City snapped a four-game losing streak with a win over Toronto on Friday but the Raptors were again shorthanded playing without Pascal Siakam. The Thunder has not been as horrible as expected as they are 5-7 but only one of those wins have come against a team that was at least close to 100 percent healthy which was a surprising win at Dallas as a 10.5-point underdog in October. As mentioned, the offense, despite scoring points because of pace, is just No. 22 in shooting including No. 28 from behind the arc and Oklahoma City is ranked No. 28 in overall offensive efficiency. The Thunder are 1-5-2 ATS in their last eight games after scoring more than 125 points in their previous game. Here, we play against underdogs coming off a win by 10 points or more as an underdog, in November games. this situation is 34-14 ATS (70.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (518) New York Knicks

This is a play on the DALLAS MAVERICKS for our NBA Saturday Enforcer. Dallas has been a non-cover disaster for bettors as it has failed to cover the number in seven straight games, going 4-3 straight up over that stretch. The Mavericks are coming off a mini two-game roadtrip to Orlando and Washington and lost those games by seven and eight points respectively as favorites to fall to 1-4 on the road. They head back home for the start of a five-game homestand to try and break that two-game slide and improve their 5-1 record in Dallas that includes four straight wins and we are getting value here based on the recent ATS skid. The Mavericks have played solid defense as they are No. 8 in defensive efficiency and while scoring has been down, this is mostly due to pace as the come in ranked No. 11 in offensive efficiency. Dallas is 11-2 ATS in its last 13 games off an upset loss as a road favorite over the last 3 seasons. Portland opened its six-game roadtrip with a split in Phoenix but has won its last three games including a solid win on Thursday at New Orleans by 11 points as a nine-point underdog. The Blazers have been one of the bigger surprises in the Western Conference as they are 9-3 and are currently in second place in the conference behind the more surprising Utah Jazz. They have gotten it done on the road with a 6-1 record which is also keeping this number down and Portland has been the best cover teams in the league at 10-2 ATS and this is a good spot to go against them in the final game of this trip that has had them on the road for the last 12 days. Portland is 2-11 ATS in its last 13 road games after allowing 100 points or less. Here, we play on favorites off an upset loss as a favorite going up against an opponent off an upset win as a road underdog. This situation is 102-59 ATS (63.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (516) Dallas Mavericks

This is a play on the DALLAS MAVERICKS for our NBA Wednesday Enforcer. Dallas is coming off a 4-1 homestand which is solid but it did not play particularly well as three of the wins were by three points or less and the Mavericks ended up 0-4-1 ATS and that is a streak we like to go against as they are due for a maximum effort especially against one of the worst teams in the league. Their schedule has been home heavy where they have played six of nine games and they come into Wednesday with a 1-2 road record with the two losses coming at New Orleans and Phoenix by a bucket apiece. While they have mostly won close games, the three losses could have gone eight way with two of those by two points and the other in overtime. Dallas is 20-5 ATS in its last 25 games after scoring 100 points or less. Orlando is off to a miserable start as it is 2-9 and while that includes a 0-6 record on the road, the Magic are just 2-3 at home and while that includes a win over Golden St., the Warriors have been playing awful everywhere. This team should improve somewhat as the season goes on once they start getting healthy as they are a banged up. There is no veteran leadership on this team the Magic still have some key players out on Wednesday with Moritz Wagner, Markelle Fultz and Gary Harris unavailable along with Jonathan Isaac who is still out after missing all of last season and now No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero has been added to the injury list after averaging 23.5 ppg and 8.3 rpg through the first 11 games but he is questionable with an ankle injury. Orlando is 9-20 ATS in its last 29 home games after having lost four or five of their last six games. Here, we play against home underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after a game where they failed to cover the spread going up against an opponent after failing to cover the spread in three or more consecutive games. This situation is 40-15 ATS (72.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (535) Dallas Mavericks

This is a play on the NEW ORLEANS PELICANS for our NBA Monday Enforcer. New Orleans fell to 5-4 on the season following a loss in Atlanta on Saturday in overtime. In fact, three of its four losses have come in overtime by a combined seven points and the Pelicans have followed up their three previous losses with wins next time out and this is another get well game before a trip to Chicago for their next game. The offense remains potent as they are No. 2 in scoring and No. 4 in shooting percentage and they have been strong down low, being ranked No. 2 in points in the paint. New Orleans should see little resistance from the Indiana defense. The Pelicans are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games following a straight up loss. The Pacers are coming off an upset win over Miami at home on Friday to make it three wins over their last four games, covering all four of those after a 1-4 straight up and ATS start. Indiana has won two straight games at home with the other victory coming against hapless Detroit and this is a tough spot to keep it going. The aforementioned defense is ranked No. 27 in points allowed and No. 21 in shooting percentage allowed and overall, the Pacers are No. 24 in defensive efficiency. Indiana has been better on offense but not enough to compensate as it is No. 9 in scoring thanks to pace but just No. 24 in shooting. Indiana is 8-18 ATS in its last 26 games after scoring 105 points or less. Here, we play against home underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points off a close home win by three points or less, in November games. this situation is 32-5 ATS (86.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (507) New Orleans Pelicans

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. We played against Utah on Friday and while looking good for a while, the Jazz were up by just two points late in the third quarter but outscored the Lakers 33-21 the rest of the way to win their third game over their last four. Utah is currently in third place in the Western Conference with its 7-3 record and it is the biggest surprise team in the Western Conference in the early going after what seemed to be a rebuilding or tanking year but that is definitely still in the cards. They play at a fast pace as they are No. 3 in scoring but only No. 17 in shooting and that is coming off a plus 50 percent shooting performance against the Lakers where they made a season-high 52 field goals. Utah is 6-20 ATS in its last 26 games after playing two consecutive road games. After a rough stretch of four straight losses, the Clippers have rebounded with three straight wins to get back over .500 at 5-4 and have some good momentum with a favorable line. The Clippers play at a slower pace that Utah as they are ranked near the bottom in scoring but make up for it with a solid shooting effort by hitting 46.8 percent from the floor. The absence of Kawhi Leonard is obviously a big loss but have made up for it with great balance down low and Paul George has picked is up after a slow start by averaging 31.7 ppg and 6.3 apg over his last three games. The Clippers are 24-10 ATS in their last 34 games after failing to cover five or six of their last seven games against the spread. Here, we play against underdogs off a win by 10 points or more as an underdog, in November games. This situation is 33-13 ATS (71.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (574) Los Angeles Clippers

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES LAKERS as part of our NBA Friday Triple Play. We played against Utah in its last game at Dallas and while it lost outright, it stayed within the number to make it three straight covers. The Jazz are 6-3 which is still a solid start for a team expecting to rebuild as they are 4-0 at home but just 2-3 on the road and those two wins came in overtime albeit against good teams in Minnesota and New Orleans so those could have gone either way as the home teams came up small in the extra time. The offense has been fairly average however as the Jazz are No. 16 in offensive efficiency and No. 22 in floor percentage while the one big issue has been in transition as Utah is No. 25 in fast break efficiency. Utah is 5-17 ATS in its last 22 games coming off a road loss. The Lakers have found something as they have won two straight games after opening the season 0-5 and while moving Russell Westbrook to coming off the bench might not seem like a big deal, it really has been as the rotations have been a lot cleaner and efficient and he gives them a better scoring option in those spots. The two victories have been impressive over solid teams in New Orleans and Denver and this is the third game of an important four-game homestand where they can make up some big ground. The offensive efficiency is still dead last in the league but that was because of the awful start and they have improved over the last three games and they have been excellent in transition, raking No. 2 in fast break points. Here, we play on home teams where the line is +3 to -3 after beating the spread by 18 or more points total in their last three games in the first half of the season. This situation is 61-28 ATS (68.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (550) Los Angeles Lakers

This is a play on the DALLAS MAVERICKS as part of our NBA Friday Triple Play. Toronto has been on a roll the last two games, defeating Atlanta and San Antonio by 30 and 43 points respectively, and the Raptors have won four of their last five games after a 1-2 start. They have won two in a row on the road but are 2-2 after losing at Brooklyn and Miami albeit by just a total of seven points. Those last two victories provide an ideal go against spot as it provides line value because the action will certainly favor their side. Despite a 5-3 record, they are ranked No. 15 in both shooting offense and shooting defense and while great in transition, they are just No. 21 in points in the paint. The Raptors are 7-16 ATS in their last 23 games after scoring more than 125 points in their previous game. Dallas is coming off a win but non-cover against Utah last time out to make it two straight to move over .500 for the first time this season. The Mavericks are 4-3 but two of those losses came by a bucket at Phoenix and at New Orleans with the other defeat coming in overtime against Oklahoma City to they could very well be closer to undefeated than .500 if some of those breaks went their way. Two of their four wins came at home by nine and 41 points. Dallas is ranked No. 9 in scoring offense and has been very efficient as it is No. 2 in offensive efficiency and No. 2 in floor percentage. Dallas is 15-3 ATS in its last 18 games as a home favorite of six points or less over the last two seasons. Gere, we play on home teams after allowing 105 points or less two straight games going up against an opponent after scoring 130 points or more. This situation is 29-8 ATS (78.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (542) Dallas Mavericks

This is a play on the DETROIT PISTONS as part of our NBA Friday Triple Play. Cleveland has been the surprise of the Eastern Conference as it is off to a 6-1 start which is still not good enough for first place because Milwaukee is 7-0 but the Cavaliers have been red hot. They have won their last six games, covering all of those but they have been pretty fortunate with three of those victories coming in overtime and four of the last five wins have come at home. They are banged up on the perimeter with point guard Darius Garland and shooting guard Donovan Mitchell dinged and are listed as questionable and while they should go, neither are 100 percent. The Cavaliers are 0-4 ATS in their last four games against teams with a winning percentage below .400. Detroit is off to a rough start as expected as it is 2-7 but both wins came at home, including one against Golden St., where it is 2-2 and one of those losses was by just five points against Atlanta. The Pistons have lost their last two games but those came against those 7-0 Bucks on the road so no harm there and they bring in a 3-1 ATS record at home. This is clearly a young team in transition but it is all about spots and this one is set up perfectly where they are getting the same number as the one against the Warriors as the Cavaliers recent ATS stretch is helping inflate it. Detroit is 11-1 ATS in its last 12 games against teams shooting 39 percent or better from long range. Here, we play against road favorites with a winning percentage of .750 or better after beating the spread by 36 or more points total in their last five games, playing a team with a winning percentage of .250 or worse. This situation is 28-7 ATS (80 percent) since 1996. 10* (534) Detroit Pistons

This is a play on the MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES for our NBA Western Conference Game of the Month. Memphis is one of many teams in the NBA expected to make a run to the top but have struggled early. The Grizzlies are 4-3 which is not horrible but the last two losses were bad ones at the overachieving Jazz and are now 2-3 on the road and we see value here in what is a great bounce back spot. The offense is humming along as they are No. 4 in scoring as they are again a great team in transition, ranked No. 8 in the league in fast break points and No. 7 in fast break efficiency. Memphis also has a big edge down low as it is No. 2 in points in the paint with 56 ppg and while the defense has struggled, they catch a short-handed Blazers team. The Grizzlies are 39-13 ATS in their last 52 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points. Portland opened the season 4-0 before losing at home to Miami by 21 points yet rebounded after that with a 14-point win but that was against the 1-7 Rockets. The Blazers won that game without Damian Lillard who is out until later this month with a calf injury and that puts them in a tough spot playing against a solid team, especially one that is in need of a win after two favorite losses. Anfernee Simons now has to shoulder the load up top and he responded with a 30-point game against Houston but it is a big drop off after that. To their credit, the Blazers do own two solid win over Denver and Phoenix but those were at full strength and their 5-1 ATS record is giving us value here. The Blazers are 2-7 ATS in their last nine games following a straight up win of more than 10 points. Here, we play on road favorites coming off two or more consecutive upset losses as a favorite going up against an opponent off a home win. This situation is 51-21 ATS (70.8 percent) since 1996. 10* (519) Memphis Grizzlies

This is a play on the DALLAS MAVERICKS for our NBA Wednesday Enforcer. The Jazz have been one of the early season surprises in the league as they are off to a 6-2 start which includes a pair of back-to-back wins over Memphis in their last two games but those were at home where they are 4-0 to start the season. Utah is 2-2 on the road but those two wins came in overtime albeit against good teams in Minnesota and New Orleans so those could have gone either way as the home teams came up small in the extra time. The offense has been fairly average however as the Jazz are No. 16 in offensive efficiency and No. 22 in floor percentage while the one big issue has been in transition as Utah is No. 26 in fast break efficiency. Utah is 8-21 ATS in its last 29 games after having won three of their last four games. The Mavericks are just 3-3 but two of those losses came by a bucket at Phoenix and at New Orleans with the other defeat coming in overtime against Oklahoma City to they could very well be closer to undefeated than .500 is some of those breaks went their way. Two of their three wins came at home by nine and 41 points. Dallas is ranked No. 6 in scoring offense and has been very efficient as it is No. 2 in offensive efficiency and No. 2 in floor percentage. The Mavericks have a scheduling advantage having two days off following their last two games being at home so they have not travelled in a week while Utah has to hit the road following a home game on Monday and note its last tine in this situation, it won at home against the Rockets and then lost at Denver by 16 points two days later. The Mavericks are 18-7-1 ATS in their last 26 home games. Here, we play against underdogs off a win by 10 points or more as an underdog, in November games. This situation is 33-11 ATS (75 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (518) Dallas Mavericks

This is a play on the GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS for our NBA Tuesday Star Attraction. Miami opened the season with four home games and went 1-3 before hitting the road for what was hoping to be a turnaround trip but after defeating Portland by 21 points to open, the Heat dropped the final two games against Golden St. and Sacramento. This does set up a revenge spot but they are now facing a team that is just as much in desperate mode but with a better roster to recover. Miami plays at a slower pace as it is No. 26 in scoring offense and No. 12 in scoring defense but the shooting percentages on both ends are not good. The slow start is being deemed due to too much individualism from the players whereas last season they played team basketball. Going back, Miami is 0-7 ATS in its last seven home games. The Warriors have also lost two straight games to fall to 3-4 on the season and those were two bad losses against two of the expected worst teams in the league in Charlotte and Detroit so Miami will have their attention tonight. Golden St. fell to 0-3 on the road following those two defeats with the other coming against Phoenix and it has been outscored by an average of 16.6 ppg on the highway and no doubt teams are out to scorch the reigning champs, this team should not be allowing this to happen. Golden St. is playing at a fast pace as it is No. 3 in the league in scoring but sitting No. 29 in points allowed yet it has outshot opponents from the floor based on effective field goal percentages. Here, we play on road teams after being beaten by the spread by more than 12 points in two consecutive games, in November games. this situation is 54-25 ATS (68.4 percent) since 1996. 10* (571) Golden St. Warriors

This is a play on the BROOKLYN NETS for our NBA Monday Supreme Annihilator. We lost with the Nets Saturday but are back on them here in another get right game. Brooklyn has opened the campaign awful as is off to a 1-5 start to the season following that loss against the Pacers but we see some serious revenge here. The first five games were against teams all expected to make the playoffs and overall, the schedule is still ranked No. 9 in the league but above average teams should still have more than one win in those games and three of those were not even close with losses by 22, 10 and 11 points. Brooklyn is ranked No. 28 in point differential and No. 30 in defensive efficiency and its once top ranked offense is now No. 15 in efficiency. The Pacers opened the season by going 1-2 at home with the win coming against equally bad Detroit and started their five-game roadtrip with losses at Philadelphia and Chicago by 14 and 15 points respectively before playing at Washington on Friday that resulted in a win and then another upset over the Nets the following night. The defense has been atrocious as Indiana is ranked No. 26 in the league in points allowed and this is no surprise with so many new parts and young players dotting the roster. While the Brooklyn defense has been even worse, it has the more complete roster. We are getting excellent line value here as Indiana closed as 11-point underdogs in the first meeting. Indiana is 4-15 ATS in its last 19 games coming off two or more consecutive upset wins as a road underdog. Here, we play on favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points revenging a straight up loss as a favorite of seven or more points going up against an opponent off two or more consecutive upset wins as a road underdog. This situation is 22-4 ATS (84.6 percent) since 1996. 10* (558) Brooklyn Nets

This is a play on the MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES for our NBA Sunday Supreme Annihilator. Minnesota continues its early season run of playing a very soft schedule and while San Antonio is off to a great start by their standards, that will not withstand and we are now dealing with a very manageable number. The Timberwolves are 4-2 which is okay but they should actually have a better record based on playing the easiest schedule in the league thus far and it shows in the spreads as they have been favored by at least seven points in all six of their games. This is already the third meeting with the Spurs and after losing the first one, they got their revenge two nights later and then followed that up with a win over the Lakers on Friday and this is the final game against the nonelite crowd as they have games with Phoenix and Milwaukee on deck. This will not be a lookahead spot based on their average record and the fact Minnesota has already lost once to the Spurs so they cannot take them lightly. San Antonio is the early surprise of the season as it is 4-2 as well with every outright win coming as an underdog and this has been a team that has clearly been coached up. The Spurs defeated Chicago on Friday by five points as a five-point underdog but the Bulls were shorthanded with no Zach LaVine and Minnesota is fully healthy. The offense has been playing very well but the defense still has a lot to be desired as the Spurs are ranked No. 29 in scoring defense and No. 28 in shooting defense and are again facing a strong offense that hung 134 points on them in the most recent meeting. Here, we play against home underdogs revenging a road loss of 10 points or more, off an upset win as an underdog. This situation is 59-28 ATS (67.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (545) Minnesota Timberwolves

This is a play on the BROOKLYN NETS for our NBA Saturday Supreme Annihilator. Brooklyn has opened the campaign awful as is off to a 1-4 start to the season following an overtime loss against Dallas on Thursday but this is the game to get things right. The first five games were against teams all expected to make the playoffs and overall, the schedule is ranked No. 2 in the league but above average teams should still have more than one win in those games and three of those were not even close with losses by 22, 10 and 11 points. How ugly is it? Brooklyn is ranked No. 28 in point differential and No. 30 in defensive efficiency and its once top ranked offense is now No. 17 in efficiency. Clearly, it is early and the play of Ben Simmons has been anything but good yet there is so much time to get it right and this starts the stretch of five straight games where they will be significant favorites so this is a big week and a half coming up. Indiana is off to a poor start as well but this one was expected. The Pacers opened the season by going 1-2 at home with the win coming against equally bad Detroit and started their five-game roadtrip with losses at Philadelphia and Chicago by 14 and 15 points respectively before playing at Washington on Friday that resulted in a win. The defense has been atrocious as Indiana is ranked dead last in the league in points allowed and this is no surprise with so many new parts and young players dotting the roster. This is a big number but a justified one and the first complete effort from the Nets comes Saturday. Here, we play on teams after two or more consecutive losses in the first six games of the season, playoff team from last season who lost four or more of their last five games. This situation is 104-61 (63 percent) since 1996. 10* (528) Brooklyn Nets

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES LAKERS for our NBA Western Conference Game of the Month. The Lakers are 0-4 both straight up and against the number and they are obviously the talk of the league which is not a good thing. Yes, there is pressure but they are only four games in and the talent is too good for this team to be playing so poor and making this one more important is the fact they head back to Los Angeles for a four-game homestand and being 0-5 in front of that crowd is not ideal. We only care about the cover here though as this number is way too high as the public overreaction is working in our favor. The defense has not been great but it is one that can be worked around and it is the offense that needs to get it together. The Lakers are the second worst shooting team in the league at 41.6 percent and being in the mix with Detroit, Houston and Oklahoma City at the bottom of those rankings is not a good thing. Additionally, they are by far the worst three-point shooting team in the NBA at a mere 22.3 percent while averaging only eight makes per game but they have been at least better on the road in the two games compared to the two games at home. We won with Minnesota on Wednesday as it was able to win and cover the second game of a back-to-back with San Antonio and is again laying a big number at home. We know this is a very talented team but the Timberwolves have had the luxury of playing no one as they have played the easiest schedule thus far in the NBA. Many will put Los Angeles into this group but not quite yet and the fact it was getting five points at Denver in its last game and now are getting more than that which is too aggressive. The offense is in the top five in both shooting and scoring but that goes up against the strength of the Lakers as Los Angeles is top 11 in both and while both are small sample sizes, it is a benefit. While the Lakers have been brutal, it is too soon to lump them into the likes of those young teams like Utah and Oklahoma City and that is what this spread is telling us. Huge value on Los Angeles here. 10* (511) Los Angeles Lakers

This is a play on the MIAMI HEAT for our NBA Nonconference Game of the Month. Things have not started well for Miami as it is off to a 1-3 start and most troubling is the fact all four of those games were at home. Now the Heat hit the road on the west coast for the start of a three-game trip that includes a game at Golden St. on Thursday and while that would normally be a spot for this to constitute a lookahead, that is not going to happen with the brutal start. Hitting the road at this time may not seem ideal but heat coach Erik Spoelstra said playing on the road could be beneficial because of the bonding experience and that can help a team like this that has had past success and now dealing with some early adversity. Miami was an underdog 23 times last season and won 14 of those outright. Portland is coming off a win over Denver on Monday to improve to 4-0 and it is a surprise as the last time it opened 4-0 was 1999 and the Blazers are the lone undefeated team in the Western Conference. Damian Lillard finished with 31 points and eight assists for the Blazers and he has been on fire as he was the Western Conference Player of the Week prior to that and he is now averaging 33. 2 ppg on 50 percent shooting while averaging 5.5 rebounds per game and 5.2 assists per game. The Blazers have impressively won all four games as underdogs and now they are in the role of favorites, albeit a small one, and we will take the value on the other side against the desperate team. This is the perfect contrarian spot with Miami 0-4 ATS and Portland 4-0 ATS. Here, we play against home favorites off a win against a division rival in the first half of the season. This situation is 82-43 ATS (65.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (555) Miami Heat

This is a play on the MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES for our NBA Wednesday Supreme Annihilator. Minnesota is in revenge mode following a Monday loss against San Antonio and we are backing the Timberwolves again for a lot of the same reasons from Monday. Minnesota is off to a 2-2 start against three of the worst teams in the Western Conference and have a rematch with another. They failed to cover in their win over Oklahoma City as they won by seven as an 11-point favorite and then fell to Utah in overtime as an eight-point chalk and then bounced back with another win over the Thunder on Sunday before getting off to a slow start against the Spurs and could not recover. A 2-2 start against this opposition is not good on this easy initial portion of the schedule and a bounce back is important even early on in the season. San Antonio has started 3-1 as it lost its season opener at home against Charlotte by 27 points but has won the last three games on the road, covering all three numbers and winning outright as big underdogs. It is another transition year for San Antonio as it sent All-Star point guard Dejounte Murray to Atlanta and got Danilo Gallinari, who eventually got waived, three first-round picks in 2023, 2025, and 2027 and a 2026 pick swap so it is clearly playing for the future even though it has not looked that way thus far. The offense has been efficient but the defense has been the opposite and despite a 3-1 record, the Spurs have been outshot and outscored overall through those four games. Here, we play on favorites off an upset loss as a favorite going up against an opponent off two or more consecutive upset wins as a road underdog. This situation is 63-29 ATS (68.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (550) Minnesota Timberwolves

This is a play on the MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES for our NBA Monday Supreme Annihilator. Minnesota is off to a 2-1 start against two of the worst teams in the Western Conference and will be facing a fourth on Monday in a great situation as the Timberwolves are ready for another big breakout. They failed to cover in their win over Oklahoma City as they won by seven as an 11-point favorite and then fell to Utah in overtime as an eight-point chalk and then bounced back with another win over the Thunder on Sunday and we are not going to shy away from laying the big number here. Offseason moves have put Minnesota back on the map with the addition of Rudy Gobert and is teamed with Karl-Anthony Towns who finished fourth and third, respectively, the All-NBA voting for centers. In addition, this lineup is loaded with the backcourt of D'Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards along with defensive specialist Jaden McDaniels who has the length and wingspan that shuts down perimeter shooters. San Antonio has started 2-1 as it lost its season opener at home against Charlotte by 27 points but has won the last two games on the road, covering both numbers as underdogs. It is another transition year for San Antonio as it sent All-Star point guard Dejounte Murray to Atlanta and got Danilo Gallinari, who eventually got waived, three first-round picks in 2023, 2025, and 2027 and a 2026 pick swap so it is clearly playing for the future. Yes, they have played great on the road in the last two games with the offense showing great signs but will be facing a very strong defense that is No. 6 in shooting percentage allowed. This is a very young Spurs team and after having 22 straight postseason appearances, the Spurs will likely miss the playoffs for the fourth straight season. The future looks bright but not now and not in this spot. 10* (522) Minnesota Timberwolves

This is a play on the OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER for our NBA Western Conference Game of the Week. We are fading the Nuggets here after their big win at Golden St. last night which followed a season opening loss at Utah. The Nuggets are playing their first home game of the season which is obviously a big edge but this line seems short based on the fact they are playing a team expected not to do much this season and the number has already gone up from its opening making this a decent contrarian play in going against the obvious side. Jamal Murray is questionable again with a knee ailment and they are not going to rush him along as he is going to be a vital part of how far this team can go. The Thunder lost their season opener at Minnesota but covered the 11-point spread and now they are getting a shorter number against what is considered a better team which is part of the contrarian aspect. Oklahoma City caught a bad break before the season even began as No. 1 pick Chet Holmgren was lost for the season but the Thunder have a very underrated player in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as he scored 32 points while grabbing six rebounds, dishing five assists, and nabbing three steals in their opener. As a team, they shot just 38 percent from the floor but face a porous defense that has allowed 123 ppg on 49.1 percent shooting. Here, we play against favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points off an road win scoring 110 or more points, team that had a winning record last season playing a team that had a losing season. This situation is 42-15 ATS (73.7 percent) since 1996. 10* (569) Oklahoma City Thunder

This is a play on the DETROIT PISTONS for our NBA Eastern Conference Game of the Week. Two likely non-playoff teams square off Wednesday with Detroit hosting its season opener before an already brutal schedule coming up. This is an important game for the Pistons as far as scheduling goes as they have three road games on deck followed by games against Atlanta (twice), Golden St. and Milwaukee (twice) so this is going to be the only game they will be favored in until maybe November 4 at home against Cleveland. Detroit is going trough a rebuild with a slew of young talent with Cade Cunningham, Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart and rookies Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren expecting to be big contributors. Getting Bojan Bogdanovic right before training camp was a solid acquisition of a veteran that can contribute and help develop the young roster. Detroit won three of the four meetings last season all of which would have covered this number. Orlando is in the same boat as it is rebuilding with a young core but are still a step behind and hitting the road six times in its first eight games is not ideal for a team that was 10-31 on the highway last season. There is no veteran leadership on this team and it would not be surprising to see the Magic tank again, which will not be hard, to be able to acquire the No. 1 draft pick for a second straight season. The Magic do have some key players out on Wednesday with Moritz Wagner, Markelle Fultz and Gary Harris unavailable along with Jonathan Isaac who is still out after missing all of last season. No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero could be the real deal as he dominated the Summer League albeit just two games. top to bottom ,this is a bad roster and has a bad setup in the opener even though it is against another bad team, the logistics will play a big part. 10* (508) Detroit Pistons

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES LAKERS for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. This line has remained relatively steady between 6 and 6.5 with a slight majority of the action on the Lakers. Golden St. is starting the defense of its NBA Title so Tuesday the Warriors will be dropping their championship banner and receiving their championship rings and this has been a lucrative situation over the years. Milwaukee won in this spot last season on banner night but the Bucks were getting points at home against the Nets yet historically, going against the reigning champions for the first couple weeks of the season has been the way to go as the numbers are overpriced early on. It was a quiet offseason for the Warriors up until the Draymond Green/Jordan Poole fiasco and while that has been washed away for the part, it is time to focus on basketball and Golden St. is tied with the Clippers and Celtics at +600 to win the NBA Championship. It is just the first game of the season but this is a statement game for the Lakers that were the biggest disappointment in the NBA last season and they heard about it all summer. It did not help matters that they went 1-5 during the preseason and that has been a big headline but it means little as head coach Darvin Ham used several lineups to try and figure out the regular season planned and he stated the Lakers will be better equipped to win games after all their players return from the injuries that came about during the preseason. This team is not getting younger so the time to jump on is early when they are actually healthy and one positive that came from the preseason was an improved defense thanks to the additions of Patrick Beverley and Dennis Schroder. The Lakers will be a play against for many based on the struggles last season but this is the best time to buy. 10* (503) Los Angeles Lakers

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Thursday Enforcer. Game Five continued the common theme of the series as a close game was opened up by a big, late run as Golden St. opened the fourth quarter on a 10-0 run and Boston could not recover. Going in, if you said Steph Curry would have 16 points and not make a single three-pointer, then Boston would be back home with a series advantage but Andrew Wiggins stepped up and gives the Warriors a shot on Thursday for their fourth NBA Title in the last eight years. Golden St. is just 4-5 on the road in the postseason, one win coming here in Game Four where Curry went off and obviously Boston has to contain him again to force a Game Seven. The other big difference was Golden St. committed only six turnovers compared to 18 for Boston. The Warriors are 2-7 ATS in their last nine road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. Boston is coming off consecutive losses in the postseason for the first time and it will haver to avoid its first three-game losing streak since dropping three in a row from December 25-December 29. The Celtics have gone 4-0 since then following consecutive losses and are 16-3 over their last 19 games following a loss, covering 15 of those against the number. Boston returns home where honestly it has not been great in the playoffs with a 6-5 record but the positive energy here in a must win game needs to be taken advantage of. Jayson Tatum did his best, scoring 27 points and grabbing 10 rebounds while going 5-9 from long range, but the rest of the team combined to go just 6-23 (26.1 percent). Boston is 13-4 ATS in its last 17 games off a road loss by 10 points or more. Here, we play on road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after having covered four or five of their last six games against the spread, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .750. this situation is 67-28 ATS (70.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (528) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Game of the Year. Steph Curry saved the day for the Warriors as he poured in 43 points to go along with 10 rebounds and four assists and it will likely take another effort like that here for the Warriors to take their first series lead. After four games, we are seeing Golden St. as fortunate to be tied in this series as Draymond Green has struggled with matchup disadvantages and Klay Thompson is a step or two slower and is not close to the same defender he was because of his past injuries. The Warriors are favored at home again thanks to their solid playoff record at home as they are 10-1 but the lone loss did come against Boston in what is turning into their toughest matchup in the postseason so far. The Warriors are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games following a straight up win. All four games of this series have been decided by double-digits and we are so overdue for a competitive game late as it was once again a blowout in the fourth quarter in Game Four that was the deciding factor. That favors the underdog obviously which gives us two outs here with the better team as the Celtics cane win outright or lose a close one. While the Warriors home record is outstanding, the Celtics are a very solid 8-3 on the road in the playoffs while going a mediocre 6-5 at home. The one common theme in this series as the team that won the points in the paint battle went on to win the game and Boston is coming off a Game four where it was just 19-47 from two-point range which directly affects the paint numbers and we should see the Celtics have a much better effort down low. The Celtics are 22-7-1 ATS in their last 30 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. Boston is 10-2 ATS after a loss by 10 points or more this season and that includes a 16-point win at home following a loss in Game Two. Here, we play on road teams revenging a same season loss against opponent off a win by 10 points or more as an underdog. This situation is 59-28 ATS (67.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (525) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS for our NBA Friday Enforcer. Boston gained control of the Finals with a 116-100 win on Wednesday to give it a 2-1 lead in the series and can put Golden St. in a world of hurt with a Game Four victory. The Big Three for the Celtics came up big in Game Three as Jaylen Brown led all scorers with 27 points while Jayson Tatum added 26 points and Marcus Smart chipped in 24 points. The third quarter has been the downfall of the Celtics as they have been outscored 106-63 in the first three games coming out of halftime. They have dominated other nine quarters in total with a 261-219 advantage but have not completely dominated individually as six of those quarter were decided by six points or less, split between the two teams. Boston is 6-14 ATS in home games after a win by 10 points or more this season. Golden St. rallied to within four points at the end of the third quarter in Game Three but the Warriors managed only 11 points in the fourth quarter, the second time in this series they were crushed in the final quarter and that has been the difference just like how Boston has been dominated in the third quarter. Golden St. is 3-5 on the road in the postseason but three of those losses came right after a win on the highway and the Wednesday loss was the first one in the first of back-to-back road games. The Warriors are in a great spot as they have been perfect in the postseason following a loss, going 5-0 after a defeat, winning those games by an average of 15.4 ppg. Golden St. is 20-6 ATS revenging a road loss this season while going 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games as an underdog. 10* (523) Golden St. Warriors

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Game of the Week. Golden St. got back into the series and avoided a 2-0 Finals deficit and while it lost home court advantage, it has new life. That being said, the Warriors are in a tough spot and not because of travel since both teams are doing the same thing, but because of being on the road against an elite defensive team looking for payback. The Warriors led by two points at halftime but outscored Boston by 21 points in the third quarter as the defense allowed only 14 points which put the game away. Golden St. is just 25-23 on the road and while going 10-1 at home in the postseason, the Warriors are just 3-4 on the highway in the playoffs. Their defense is really good and probably considered underrated since most everyone talks about the offense but the defensive rating goes down away from home. Golden St. is 4-12 ATS in road games when playing only its 2nd game in five days this season. Boston took Game One thanks to incredible efforts on both ends of the floor in the fourth quarter and while it allowed 107 points in Game Two, the defense played pretty well overall. The problem that the Celtics need to work is matching Golden St. down low. They have been outscored by 33 points in the first two games within the first 64 minutes with their lineup of two big men consisting of either Robert Williams, Grant Williams, Al Horford or Daniel Theus. Boston is 33-17 at home and while the playoff record is just 5-4, injuries played roles in some of those losses. The Celtics lead the league in defensive rating and steps up again at home. Boston is 10-1 ATS this season after scoring 95 points or less including 7-0 ATS after scoring 90 points or less this season. 10* (522) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. Game One was typical of what we have seen throughout the playoffs where we have a team blowing a big lead only to get blown out. Golden St. had Boston against the wall as it took a 12-point lead after three quarters only to get outscored 40-16 in the fourth quarter. It was the first home loss in the playoffs for the Warriors which were 9-0 heading into Thursday and outscoring opponents by 13.4 ppg over that stretch. Now we can see what this team is capable of in a must win spot as one bad quarter cannot derail the mission they are on. The extra day off is good to kill off any Boston momentum and to make some necessary adjustments. Golden St. is 23-9 ATS in its last 32 home games after one or more consecutive losses. The three-point shooting for Boston was off the charts as it went 21-41 (51.2 percent) from long range and we do not expect to see that again. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were just 3-11 but most everyone else were lights out, mostly in that final quarter. The Celtics have won eight of their last 10 road games which is hard to do in the postseason against quality opponents but this has been an atypical postseason where we have seen it all. Boston does have to given a lot of credit for making important adjustments defensively in the fourth quarter and now the strong Warriors defense will have to do the same in Game Two. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after having covered four or five of their last six games against the spread, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .750. this situation is 65-28 ATS (69.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (520) Golden St. Warriors

This is a play on the GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS for our NBA Game of the Month. Boston knocked off top seed Miami to make it to the NBA Finals for the first time in long time for this storied franchise. The Celtics have the No. 1 defense in the league, but the Warriors finished the regular season with the No. 2 offense so it is strength against strength and playing Game One on the road will be a tough one. Going through the Nets, Bucks and Heat has put this team battle tested but the matchup here is not one they have seen. The Celtics are 2-5-1 ATS in their last eight games following a straight up win. Golden St. is 9-0 at home in the playoffs, having outscored opponents by 13.4 ppg and have done it with an underrated defense that counters its great offense. The rest aspect is big here as the Warriors had two more days of rest before the Memphis and Dallas series and then went out and won each and this time, they have three more days of rest than the Celtics and the latter is moving cross country. The Warriors are 24-8-1 ATS in their last 33 home games against teams with a winning road record. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after having covered four or five of their last six games against the spread, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .750. this situation is 65-27 ATS (70.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (518) Golden St. Warriors

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Eastern Conf. Game of the Week. Miami has been able to maintain its home court advantage thanks to a win in Game Six in Boston and it is back home where this series comes down to one game. The Heat are 36-14 at home while outscoring opponents by seven ppg. The Boston defense gets the most pub which is legit but Miami is ranked No. 4 in scoring defense, No. 4 in shooting defense and No. 2 in three-point shooting defense but we expect Boston to bounce back. Miami got a great effort from Jimmy Butler as he poured in 47 points and while that is great momentum, the Boston defense will make the adjustment. The Heat are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 playoff games as an underdog. Certainly, there is a lot on the line for not just now but Boston has gone 0-4 in its last four chances to make it the NBA Finals and the role from Butler to Jayson Tatum is key in this matchup. He is coming off a 30-point game and likely will need more as well as more help from the bench. Derrick White was the top guy off the bench in Game Six and that was basically it as the Celtics got only two other bench points. The Celtics are 6-0 ATS in their last six games following a straight up loss. Here, we play on favorites revenging a straight up loss as a home favorite of seven points or more, off an upset loss as a home favorite. This situation is 38-12 ATS (76 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (509) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the MIAMI HEAT for our NBA Friday Enforcer. The broken record continues. The awful NBA basketball postseason keeps chugging along and this series is right at the top. There have been leads by at least 20 points in each game and overall, of the 35 games played since the start of the Conference Semifinals, 29 games have been decided by seven points or more with 22 of those being by double-digits with another taking place in the east on Wednesday. Boston took control of this series with a 13-point win in Game Five on the road and have a chance to meet the Warriors in the NBA Finals with a win on Friday at home. Because of the lead and the type of games we have seen, Boston is favored by its biggest amount in this series and a closer game either way cashes this one. Boston is 7-19 ATS in its last 26 home games after a win by 10 points or more. Despite opening with the home court advantage and having the top seed, Miami was not the favorite coming into this series and now it must win the final two games to advance. The Heat are coming off two bad games offensively and a lot of that can be put on Jimmy Butler. He has been injured but Boston has adjusted well as it is limiting his ability to drive and forcing him to take jumpers. The has scored 27 points the last three games combined following a 4-18 performance in Game Five and like Jayson Tatum in Game Four, the star needs to bring it. The Heat are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games following a double-digit loss at home. Here, we play on road teams revenging a same season loss, off a home loss by 10 points or more. This situation is 116-66 ATS (63.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (505) Miami Heat

This is a play on the GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS for our Western Conference Game of the Week. Dallas played with an inspired effort on Tuesday following the horrific tragedy in Texas as it remained alive in this series with a 119-109 victory in Game Four where it led by as many as 29 points. The Mavericks shot 50 percent from the floor including 47 percent from long range which was their best offensive effort in the series but they are now back on the road where they shot a combined 44.2 percent in the first two games. Dallas is 26-24 on the road and has been outscored and outshot overall and finds itself in another difficult spot against a defense that prides its game on defense. Dallas did get extra production from its bench in Game Four but those efforts have been few and far-between. The Mavericks are 1-5 ATS in their last six road games against teams with a winning home record. Golden St. definitely had a tough time on Tuesday as it was unable to close the series out but is still in great shape to make it to the NBA Finals. The Warriors return home where they are 39-10 including an 8-0 record in the postseason, outscoring opponents by an average of 15.4 ppg in those eight playoff games. As we have talked about before, this defense is the centerpiece which does not seem typical for this team but the Warriors are ranked No. 3 in points allowed, No. 2 in shooting defense and No. 3 in three-point shooting defense. Despite the loss, the Warriors still won the battle down low with a 44-36 advantage in the paint and they have done so in all four games and are still shooting over 60 percent from two-point range. Golden St. is 19-6 ATS revenging a road loss this season. 10* (504) Golden St. Warriors

This is a play on the MIAMI HEAT for our NBA Wednesday Enforcer. The awful NBA basketball continues and this series is right at the top. There have been leads by at least 20 points in each game and overall, of the 33 games played since the start of the Conference Semifinals, 27 games have been decided by seven points or more with 20 of those being by double-digits. Miami has been able to maintain its home court advantage thanks to a win in Game Three in Boston and it is back home where this series should continue to be more chippy. The Heat are 36-12 at home while outscoring opponents by seven ppg. The Boston defense gets the most pub which is legit but Miami is ranked No. 4 in scoring defense, No. 4 in shooting defense and No. 2 in three-point shooting defense and has the edge with this line. Miami is 10-1 ATS in its last 11 home games after scoring 100 points or less this season. Boston picked up the must win in Game Four to prevent a 3-1 deficit in this series. We expected a big game from Jayson Tatum and he produced after an awful Game Two although he was just 1-7 from long range. Injuries have played a big role in this series and both teams have a key player questionable in Game five as Tyler Herro and Marcus Smart are both questionable but we will likely see both play. The Celtics are 28-20 on the road which is solid and they have been great against the top teams but catching Miami in this spot after that loss is a tough one. While Tatum bounced back, we will see the same from Jimmy Butler who scored only six points on just 3-14 shooting and this will be his game to take over. The Celtics are 1-4-1 ATS in their last six games following a straight up win. 10* (502) Miami Heat

This is a play on the GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. We played Dallas in Game Three with the thought it would do a better job with the interior defense as well as getting more production from the bench and while Spencer Dinwiddie helped the latter with 26 points, the Mavericks produced just two other points from their bench. Taking away the 11-23 from Luka Doncic, the rest of the team shot just 19-52 (36.5 percent) in Game Three and this has been the case throughout the entire series and against the Warriors, more results like that will lead to a very early exit for the Mavericks. The home floor has been good in the postseason but that is negated with this matchup as Dallas cannot compete against the fully healthy Warriors roster. Dallas is 2-12 ATS in its last 14 home games after having lost four or five of their last six games. After breaking down the tape, by someone else, it is clear the Warriors have a big advantage down low and it has not been fluky situations. The breakdown shows Dallas has been concerned with the outside shooting of the Warriors and their defense is not big enough down low or quick enough up top to counteract that as the defense has not been able to collapse which has led to numerous open looks down low for easy baskets. Golden St. has outscored the Mavericks 152-96 in the paint have converted on a whopping 60.9 percent of its two-point shots. The Warriors are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games as an underdog. Here, we play against teams where the line is +3 to -3 after having lost three of their last four games going up against an opponent after having won five or six of their last seven games. This situation is 103-69 ATS (60 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (567) Golden St. Warriors

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Eastern Conference Game of the Week. We have witnessed some awful basketball since the end of the first round in the NBA Playoffs. Of the 31 games played since the start of the Conference Semifinals, 25 games have been decided by seven points or more with 19 of those being by double-digits and those have been involving eight of the top teams in the league so that kind of disparity has been unwatchable. Game Three of this series ended up being a six-point win for Miami but that game was never in question as the Celtics never led and the Heat led by as many as 26 points. Each game is its own separate entity but it just shows these big spreads can be beat in the right spots. The Heat are 2-5 ATS in their last seven playoff games as an underdog. Boston had a scare with Jayson Tatum leaving the last game but did return and is listed as questionable but Celtics head coach Ime Udoka called the injury a stinger and said it is not serious so we can expect a big effort following his 10-point, six-turnover performance on Saturday. Boston is now 32-16 at home and this one has turned into a must win as a loss going back to Miami down 3-1 will be tough to overcome and the energy in TD Garden will be off the charts on Monday. The Celtics are 5-0 ATS in their last five games following a straight up loss. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after having covered four or five of their last six against the spread, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .750. This situation is 64-27 ATS (70.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (566) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the DALLAS MAVERICKS for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. The Mavericks missed a golden opportunity as it blew a 19-point lead and the Warriors took control in the second half, outscoring Dallas 68-45. The Mavericks were dominated in the paint in both games and that obviously has to change at home where they are 34-13 including a 5-1 record in the playoffs that includes five straight wins. Jalen Brunson is doing his best take some of the pressure off Luka Doncic but they still need other help as the Mavericks got just 13 points from its bench in Game Two. Dallas has been here before as it lost the first two games at Phoenix in the Western Conference Semifinals and then went on to win next two games at home to get back into the series. The Mavericks are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 home games against teams with a winning road record. Giving the Warriors a glimmer of hope is not ideal which Dallas did Friday and this is where a change of venue hurts Golden St. The Warriors are 24-22 on the highway including a 2-3 record in the postseason with those two wins coming by six points total and both could have gone the other way. The Warriors are 0-5 ATS in their last five road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. Here, we play on home teams where the line is +3 to -3 after beating the spread by 42 or more points total in their last seven games going up against an opponent after going over the total by more than 18 points in their previous game. this situation is 60-30 ATS (66.7 percent) since 1996. 10* (564) Dallas Mavericks

This is a play on the MIAMI HEAT for our NBA Saturday Enforcer. Boston overcame an early 10-point deficit in Game Two to win by 25 points and stole home court advantage as it heads back home for Game Three. The Celtics are getting a lot of respect here as this is an eight-point line swing which is simply too much in a playoff game and value is on the road team. Boston shot 51.2 percent from the floor, including 50 percent from long range and it did show what it can do with a healthy roster. The Celtics are 32-15 at home but are two games under .500 against the number and have been average against the top teams. Boston is 7-18 ATS in its last 25 home games after a win by 10 points or more. Miami came out with good energy but lost it pretty quickly as the shots were not falling against the top ranked defense in the NBA and it will not get easier here but we are finally expecting a competitive game until the end, In Game Two, Miami made just 44.2 percent of its shots including 29.4 percent from behind the arc and the three-point shooting from both sides made the difference. The Heat are 26-20 on the road and are 16-10 ATS against teams with a winning record. It will be up to the defense to eliminate the hot Boston long range shooting. Miami is 16-5 ATS off an upset loss by 10 points or more as a favorite. Here, we play on road teams revenging a same season loss going up against an opponent off a win by 10 points or more as an underdog. This situation is 58-28 ATS (67.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (561) Miami Heat

This is a play on the GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS for our NBA Friday Enforcer. The NBA playoffs remain almost unwatchable with the number of blowouts we have encountered and the Finals have been no different so far. Golden St. rolled in Game One as its biggest deficit was a bucket and it led by as many as 30 points in its 25-point victory. The Warriors shot 56 percent from the floor but it was far from a perfect game as they went just 10-16 from the free throw line while committing 15 turnovers so they do have to shore some things up. Golden St. is now 37-10 at home which includes a 7-0 record in the postseason with the average margin of victory being 16.3 ppg and while going against the Warriors will be a popular play based on the bounce theory, they are rolling too much and present a very tough matchup as proven in the first game. Golden St. is 15-5 ATS in home games after two or more consecutive wins this season. Dallas has lost four of its last five games on the road with the one victory being that blowout over Phoenix to clinch a spot in the Finals. Those defeats were by an average of 20.5 ppg and in Game One, no one was able to pick it up behind a bad game from Luka Doncic. The Dallas offense is ranked No. 24 in scoring and No. 18 in shooting including No. 19 from behind the arc while Golden St. is top three in all defensive categories and we expect the Warriors to put the clamps down once again. The Mavericks are 1-4 ATS in their last five games as a road underdog. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after having covered four or five of their last six against the spread, winning between .600 and .750 of their games on the season. This situation is 96-47 ATS (67.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (648) Golden St. Warriors

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Thursday Enforcer. Boston lost Game One as it got off to a great start but the Celtics wore down in the second half as they were outscored 39-14 in the third quarter. They were already in a tough spot coming off a physical series against Milwaukee while playing with just one day of rest and they had to shift on the fly with Marcus Smart and Al Horford declared as out early Tuesday afternoon. Both are questionable with Smart the most likely to play and he will be a big presence to shore up the defense that allowed 49 percent shooting. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 53 points, 18 rebounds, 9 assists, and 5 steals in the loss and they will again step up in Game Two. Boston is 15-4 ATS in its last 19 games off a road loss by 10 points or more. Miami came into the series as a +150 underdog to make it to the NBA Finals and with the Game One win, the Heat are now -130 for the series at Draft Kings Sportsbook which is no surprise at this point. Jimmy Butler was outstanding in Game One with 41 points, including going 17-18 from the free throw line, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals, and 3 blocks in one of the best all-around efforts for a Heat player in the postseason in recent years. Miami is now 36-12 at home and one of those losses came against Boston in the lone regular season meeting played in Florida. The Heat are 7-0 at home in the postseason, winning by an average of 14.7 ppg, and that is putting the public behind Miami again here but Boston is in much better position than in Game One. Boston is now 20-5-1 ATS on the road against winning teams and is 16-8-2 ATS on the season as an underdog. 10* (543) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS for our NBA Western Conference Game of the Week. For a series that went seven games, the Dallas/Phoenix series was one of the worst ever taking place in the postseason as the average margin of victory was 19.4 ppg and the closest game was decided by seven points. That being said, it might be difficult to figure out what we can expect here. What we do know is that Golden St. stepped up when it had to and defeated Memphis by 14 points at home in Game Six and this is a very veteran team and clearly knows what it is up against in Luka Doncic who once again stepped up in an elimination game. Golden St. cannot afford to get in that type of series and the number here is right to get out to a good start. Golden St. is 15-6 ATS in home games after a win by 10 points or more this season. Dallas won in impressive fashion over Phoenix in Game Seven but that was a Suns team that did not show up and that will be different here. The Mavericks lost the first three games in Phoenix before the Game Seven blowout and those defeats were by an average of 19 ppg. The Dallas offense is ranked No. 24 in scoring and No. 18 in shooting including No. 19 from behind the arc while Golden St. is top three in all defensive categories and the Warriors are 36-10 at home and while it was a split during the regular season here, Golden St. had just Steph Curry in the one loss. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after having covered four or five of their last six against the spread, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .750. this situation is 61-27 ATS (69.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (540) Golden St. Warriors

This is a play on the MIAMI HEAT for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. This is a great situational spot for Miami in the first game of the Eastern Conference Finals as the Heat have been off since Thursday after coasting in their first two series. Despite winning the regular season and having home court in this series, Miami is a +150 underdog which is a great value play and while Boston has shown it can win big road games, this will be the toughest one to take. The Heat are 35-12 at home while outscoring opponents by seven ppg. The Boston defense gets the most pub which is legit but Miami is ranked No. 4 in scoring defense, No. 4 in shooting defense and No. 2 in three-point shooting defense and has the edge against a weary Boston team. Miami is 14-5 ATS against teams outscoring their opponents by three or more ppg this season. Meanwhile Boston is coming off a grueling and physical series against Milwaukee with just one day of rest to try and prepare as well as tossing in the travel aspect. The Celtics easily took out Milwaukee in Game Seven at home as they went on a 38-point swing after falling behind by 10 points only to build a 28-point lead to never look back. Boston has been the best team in the NBA this season when facing good teams on the road, covering 20 of 25 against teams with a winning record but this situation is totally different. Boston 14-27 ATS in its last 41 games revenging a straight up loss as a favorite. Here, we play on home favorites playing with three or more days of rest, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .750. this situation is 131-79 ATS (62.4 percent) since 1996. 10* (536) Miami Heat

This is a play on the PHOENIX SUNS for our NBA Sunday Star Attraction. We won with Golden St. on Friday in a similar situation and we are backing the Suns in a same spot scenario. The Suns are the best team in the NBA with a 73-21 record and it was a pathetic display in a closeout game in Dallas as Phoenix lost by 27 points after an awful second quarter it could not recover from. The Suns managed only eight fast break points which has been an issue this series and a return home should get them energized as they are 37-10 at home that includes three wins in this series by an average of 15.7 ppg which is closely above their nearly +10 ppg scoring differential on their home floor. Phoenix is 7-0 ATS revenging a straight up loss as a road favorite this season. Dallas has been impressive with basically a one-man show as Luka Doncic has carried the Mavericks throughout the first two series when he has been on the floor. They are 25-22 on the road and while they have done a great job of bottling up Chris Paul, who is averaging just six assists per game in the series after averaging double-digits during the regular season but part of that has been because of foul trouble. The defense has been solid most of the season which has carried them here but that offense is hard to look past as Dallas is ranked No. 24 in scoring and No. 18 in shooting including No. 19 from behind the arc. Here, we play on home teams revenging a road loss of 20 points or more, off an upset loss by 15 points or more as a favorite. This situation is 43-17 ATS (71.7 percent) since 1996. 10* (528) Phoenix Suns

This is a play on the GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS for our NBA Friday Star Attraction. We made a horrible call with Golden St. on Wednesday as the Warriors forgot they had a game, losing by 39 points, trailing by as many as 55 points and never having a lead. That was a complete aberration as Golden St. is arguably the second best team in the playoffs when fully healthy and while the Warriors are not at 100 percent, their core in fine and a return home will energize them in this closeout game as the last thing they need it having to win a Game Seven on the road. The Warriors defense has been very solid in this series prior to Game Five as they allowed the Grizzlies to shoot just 41.7 percent in the first four games and this has been reminiscent of the regular season as Golden St. finished No. 3 in points allowed, No. 2 in shooting defense and No. 3 in three-point shooting defense. Golden St. is 21-9 ATS in its last 30 home games after one or more consecutive losses. As mentioned in the Game Five analysis, the Grizzlies has been very good without Ja Morant on the floor and of the 22 wins without him, there are only four quality victories and that includes the win on Wednesday. They are 28-18 on the road including a 2-3 record in the postseason. While they have a top level scoring offense, with the help of Morant, they are just No. 16 in the NBA in shooting and while they shot over 47 percent in Game Five, they had the luxury of Golden St. committing 22 turnovers. The Grizzlies are 8-15 ATS in their last 23 playoff games as an underdog. Here, we play on home teams revenging a road loss of 20 points or more, off an upset loss by 15 points or more as a favorite. This situation is 42-17 ATS (71.2 percent) since 1996. 10* (518) Golden St. Warriors

This is a play on the PHOENIX SUNS for our NBA Thursday Enforcer. Phoenix has taken control of this series and will be out for the first road win from either team in this series as the host has won and covered the first five games which includes a 30-point win in Game Five. The defense played their best game of the series as they allowed the Mavericks to shoot just 38 percent from the floor and when that defense comes up like that and with the offense, the Suns are close to unbeatable. While they have a cushion where they cane lose and head home for a series finale, anything can happen in a Game Seven and bring in the No. 3 shooting defense inn the league so Tuesday was no fluke. Phoenix is 14-5 ATS on the road when the line is +3 to -3 this season. Dallas won its first two home games in this series by nine and 10 points despite getting outshot in both games as the Mavericks benefitted from 17 Phoenix turnovers in each game. The role players for Dallas has been the issue in this series and it was on fill display in Game Five where Luka Doncic scored 28 points and had only two other players behind him score in double-figures. He can take over a game but Phoenix has done a good job the last three games of limiting his scoring and there is not much behind that. Here, we play against home underdogs revenging a road loss of 30 points or more going against an opponent off a home win scoring 110 or more points. This situation is 54-22 ATS (71.1 percent) since 1996. 10* (513) Phoenix Suns

This is a play on the GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS for our NBA Western Conference Game of the Week. Following a pair of home wins, the Warriors have taken control of this series and can close it out Wednesday with a victory. Golden St. is 2-2 on the road in the postseason and are catching another break with the absence of Ja Morant who is out again with a knee injury. The Warriors defense has been very solid in this series as they have allowed the Grizzlies to shoot just 41.7 percent through the first four games and this has been reminiscent of the regular season as Golden St. finished No. 3 in points allowed, No. 2 in shooting defense and No. 3 in three-point shooting defense. Golden St. is 12-4 ATS off two or more consecutive home wins this season. While the series is not over, Memphis has a big hill to climb as it cannot afford a loss and has to win out without Morant. During the regular season, the Grizzlies were incredible without Morant as they won 22 of 24 games at one point in his absence but none of those were against a full strength Golden St. team. The Grizzlies took three of the four regular season meetings and in those three wins. Golden St. was not a full strength with Klay Thompson out for two and Steph Curry out for another. Memphis is 33-13 at home on the season but this spot is no good. The Grizzlies are 7-15 ATS in their last 22 playoff games as an underdog. Here, we play against underdogs off a road cover where the team lost straight up as an underdog, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .750. This situation is 63-19 ATS (76.8 percent) since 1996. 10* (509) Golden St. Warriors

This is a play on the MIAMI HEAT for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. Miami had this series under control after a pair of blowout wins at home and one win in Philadelphia would have likely put an end to it. The return of Joel Embiid has obviously gotten the Sixers rejuvenated but those two wins came at home and we expect home court to be the difference once again. The Heat were favored by 7.5 points in the first two meetings at home and that number has dropped to 3 in some places for Game Five based on the Embiid return and the possible momentum shift and that is a little too aggressive. Miami allowed the Sixers to shoot 51.1 percent in the two road games following a shooting percentage allowed of 44.2 percent in the two games at home. Overall, the Heat are 34-12 at home and the defense that is ranked in the top four in the top three defensive categories is even better at home. The Heat are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games as a home favorite. Philadelphia has lost four of its last five road games where it is 29-17 on the season where the defense has been a real issue, allowing 107.5 ppg. The Sixers are 0-5-1 ATS in their last six road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. Here, we play against underdogs in the second half of the season allowing between 104 and 108 ppg and after allowing 105 points or less in two straight games going up against teams allowing between 108 and 114 ppg. This situation is 32-11 ATS (74.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (502) Miami Heat