Sports Picks & Predictions

This one is all about motivation. The Pelicans have all the motivation here on Saturday as they fight for a playoff spot. The Warriors are more concerned about keeping everyone healthy, and from this point, despite what Coach Kerr says, we don’t think that Golden State gives a squat about any of these regular season games and they are on cruise control until the playoffs. Golden State has been one of the worst ATS teams in the NBA this season as they haven’t taken these games seriously at all. And that is good for them as we all saw what happened as they spent too much energy during their record-setting regular-season. We think the Pels have a good chance to win this outright.

The Bulls are coming in on a back-to-back. They lost at Boston last night and that was probably a game they wanted to play better in than this one tonight. This team is tanking and there will be many nobodies on the floor tonight. Chicago is 3-10 straight up and 4-8-1 ATS on the second end of a back-to-back this season. Brooklyn is one of the teams that they are fighting with for draft position and ping pong balls. However, the Nets don’t own their pick this year so they have no reason not to play hard here. The Nets are a Top 5 ATS team this season and they have covered three of four in this series. This is a team that seems to want to end the season on a positive note, and this is a chance for a rare road blowout win.

The Clippers would probably make the playoffs if they had an easier schedule down the stretch. This is a pretty good team and they work hard every night. But they just have an uphill climb to reach the postseason. This game comes after hosting San Antonio, in a game where you almost feel like they “left it all on the court” with a furious comeback, and then they host the Nuggets and Pelicans in their next two games. And that is going to be too tough to overcome. This is their last road game of the season, and we don’t see this going well for them. Utah is very strong at home and they are just the better team. We think that the Jazz have a good chance to win this one by double digits, and we expect Utah to flex their muscles here as the Clippers look like a team that peaked too soon and the weight of this brutal season-ending schedule is starting to show in some poor recent results for this squad, like the Indiana game at home where the Clippers needed a win but choked the game away in the fourth quarter.

Both teams enter off a back-to-back. But Dallas has to travel here on the road, which makes things a lot tougher. Both teams won last night. Dallas beat Portland at home. That was a big win for them. They are probably satisfied with that win as the season winds down and after playing playoff-type teams the last three games we think they won’t care much about this road opponent tonight. The Magic earned a much less impressive win last night since they only beat the Knicks. But they did it on the road and they won by 20+, so it was impressive in its own right. The Magic have the big advantage of being home tonight and they will want to play well in front of the home fans and maybe build a little winning streak here with momentum coming off of one of their most impressive wins of the season. Their defense was awesome last night and we think they can hold the Mavs to a real low score here as well.

San Antonio has had a down season compared to what we are used to. However, they have started playing like the Spurs we are all used to lately. This team seems to have accepted the fact that they are moving forward without Leonard and that is the best thing for this team. They are in playoff form right now, and we think they win this game pretty comfortably. The Clippers pretty much blew their playoff chances in a home loss to the Pacers and if they could not beat Indiana then how will they rise up to play better against a much stronger team? The Clippers have played well above expectations this season after their stars left, but it seems they peaked too early. This one is an easy call tonight.

The Celtics are the No. 1 betting team this season and they are the No. 3 defensive team for points allowed and we think both those trends will contribute to our betting interests tonight. Boston has just been incredible on defense lately and none of their last six opponents have gone higher than the century mark. We don’t see the Bucks doing anything special on offense tonight, and they will struggle to get anywhere near 100 points. Milwaukee has played in some high scoring games lately but they have played more high-paced teams. But they will struggle to put points up tonight. Defense wins out in this one and we see the Celtics winning 105-98 or a somewhat similar score.

Toronto has covered in only one of the last six meetings (one push). We think this is a good spot for the Cavs here. Cleveland is a team we have been fading almost all season, and they have been the worst betting team in the league. But with the playoffs fast approaching we think it’s time to go the other way as this team is taking games more seriously. And they will want to flex their muscles here against the Raptors in a potential playoff preview. Toronto has a much more important game on Wednesday vs. Boston and they might not go full bore here in a more meaningless matchup. If they win vs. the Celtics that will go a long way towards sealing up the No. 1 seed and home court throughout the playoffs. Toronto has failed to cover the line now in eight straight games. They are in cruise control until the postseason, and Wednesday’s game might be the last one they take seriously down the stretch of the season (assuming they win).

Detroit has won four straight and six of seven games, and we liked the way they played last night even though we were on the other side but they took care of business vs. New York in a tough spot. Both of these teams played last night but the Nets went to OT and played a more grueling game against the physical Heat. The Nets have been a team we have backed a lot this season as an underdog but we don’t trust this team as a favorite and we think they are a solid fade in this position. Also, the Pistons have faint playoff hopes so that gives them extra motivation in this matchup.

The Clippers have a couple different levels of motivation here. First, they lost to Indiana on the road a little over a week ago. It was a pretty close game throughout. Revenge is not an angle we use for NBA handicapping too much, but when the teams played recently it takes on a bigger importance, and we have no doubt that the Clips don’t want to look back at these two games against a beatable opponent and see that’s what kept them out of the playoffs. Secondly, the Clippers need to win every game they can. They are on the outside looking in for the playoff picture and they have a very tough schedule down the stretch while the Pacers are more secure in their playoff positioning. Lastly, the Clippers are coming off one of their worst games in a couple weeks last time out in Portland and they will want to put forth a better effort here. We thought this line should be closer to 5.5 so we think there is nice value here for Sunday!

Golden State has been dealing with a lot of injuries. They have lost three straight, all at home no less, and that just doesn’t happen with this team. This is a team with a lot of pride. And the best talent in the league. And we think they come out with a vengeance tonight and win this one big over the tanking Kings. Thompson should be back on the court tonight and this team will have all its All-Stars besides Curry and that is a really formidable club. Also, Kevin Durant was ejected last game so we think he comes out with a monster game to make things right. This team should be very focused tonight, and they are extremely dangerous with that mindset!

The Nets are 25-9 ATS when getting six or more points this season! This is one of the better underdog bets in the NBA and this team normally plays with a chip on their shoulders when getting lots of points against a good team. They are also 24-12 ATS on the road this season, so they are often getting too many points on the road in situations like this, and we definitely think that is the case here tonight. And remember that the Nets are one of the few lottery teams that don’t have any incentive to tank since they don’t own their pick in the upcoming draft, so this is a team you can trust to play hard and prideful down the stretch.

The Pistons are one of the worst road teams in the NBA among those clubs competing for a playoff spot. Well, the Pistons are sunk now that Blake Griffin is out for likely the rest of the regular season. And the Knicks have seven more wins at home than the Pistons have on the road! The Knicks have covered in six of their last eight games and they have been playing hard despite injuries. But we feel like the value here on Saturday definitely lies with the home team as we had this game handicapped at Detroit -1 and we think this one is really a coin flip as to who wins so getting this many points is great tonight.

This Cleveland team is one we have been fading for most of the year but we think now is the time to go the other way on this team, which has been the worst bet in the NBA all season. But now that we are in the playoff stretch run this team is staring to play really well and they are shaping into playoff form and seem to be taking the games more seriously. They have won five straight and have covered four in a row. The Hornets have won four straight, but those were against really bad teams, and they needed OT to get by the Knicks last time out, at home no less. Cleveland has won eight in a row in the series and they have covered all but two of the spreads during that streak (one push).

All the playoff teams in the Eastern Conference are secure but that is not the case at all in the Western Conference and every game is more crucial out west. And this is another of what is basically a must-win game for the Clippers and every game will probably be like that down the stretch as this game is a couple games out of the playoff hunt and they have a very tough schedule down the line. They play six of their final nine at home so every one of these games carries increased importance. The Clippers just won in Milwaukee last week. They will be very motivated here tonight. This game is sandwiched between games against the Spurs and Warriors for Milwaukee, and that gives this one the potential for a letdown from the road team.

This road trip started off really bad for the Nuggets with an inexplicable loss to the Grizzlies then they dropped their next one, in overtime, to the Heat. But now they are getting back on track and they come into this game with some momentum after a blowout in Chicago and a very impressive straight up win as an underdog in Washington. Motivation will be a huge factor in this matchup tonight and Denver needs this game more. They are currently in the No. 9 spot in the Western Conference playoff picture and they are 1.5 games behind Utah while the Sixers can relax more since they are in the playoffs. We think the Nuggets match up well here and expect them to compete for the win tonight.

Boston has been dealing with a lot of injury issues but this team has won and covered in three of four – including two straight – and they seem to be working well with what they have on the floor now. They have a chance for a big win here today against a Sacramento team that barely seems to care on most nights. The Celtics have a chance to rack up two pretty easy wins tonight and Monday as they face the Suns tomorrow, and since this team has faced some adversity lately we don’t think that they will overlook these games and we expect to see a well-oiled machine here tonight.

The Clippers haven’t been playing well. And neither have the Raptors. Toronto basically has the No. 1 seed all but locked up in the Eastern Conference and they seem to be on cruise control until the playoffs. They have dealt with some injuries lately and they seem more concerned about health than winning big down this stretch run. They haven’t covered now in five straight games. With Utah losing to the Spurs on Friday and the Timberwolves floundering a little, slim chances for the Clippers have opened up for the playoffs. They are 2.5 games out of the No. 8 spot and 3.5 out of No. 7. With the Warriors ailing there is a legit chance for any team in the West to do some damage, but this Clippers team must get there first. And this is basically a must-win game for them. We are not sure if they can win it, but we expect them to give maximum effort and we don’t see the same coming from the Toronto side. This line was already inflated a bit to start with. But we expect a close game here, and the Clippers have done very well as a big dog this season as they are 6-1 ATS when getting nine or more points.

The Suns best players are all probably out here. This team is coming in on a back-to-back after getting blown out at Cleveland last night in a game they probably wanted to perform better in than this one tonight. We know it’s hard to lay points with a team as bad as Orlando but this team has some talent and this is like a real NBA team playing a D-League squad tonight. And a tired one at that. Orlando has had lots of injuries this season but this team is relatively healthy right now. They have been playing hard and have been covering lines with somewhat regularity. That’s unlike the Suns, who haven’t covered in five straight, and that’s despite getting very generous odds from the bookies. They lost by 15 or more in all of those games. While they faced a tough schedule, we don’t think this team has enough in the tank to overachieve tonight and they don’t have the talent on the floor to keep this one competitive. Orlando will have a chance for a rare home blowout tonight and we think that will be just what happens.

The Bucks will likely be missing the Greek Freak tonight but the Bulls are in full tank mode so we think this is a game Milwaukee can win pretty easily even without their best player. This team has motivation after two straight losses and they have the much better team on the court tonight as the Bulls are resting seemingly any decent veteran player on their roster. Milwaukee is coming off very tough games against the Cavs and Clippers, and this one will serve as a “get right” game for them and we see them rolling to a big win tonight.

You always have to look at the Nets when they are getting a nice amount of points. This team is 24-8 against the spread when getting six or more points as an underdog this season. They always seem to get up for these kind of games and this team has been in the Top 10 of the ATS rankings all year. Toronto has failed to cover in four straight games and they have lost two of their last three straight out, so this team isn’t in top form right now.  We think the Nets have a great chance to keep this one within double digits.

The Clippers scored a win over Milwaukee last time out but we think they are in tough here at Indiana tonight. This team has lost 4 of 5 to see their playoff hopes diminish significantly and this team is not playing well in crunch time. Indiana is a very good team at home and this team is underrated by the oddsmakers here on their home court. They have also covered in four of the last five meetings between these clubs and they have won three of the last four straight out. The Pacers have been playing excellent defense lately and we expect them to control the tempo and cruise to a comfortable win tonight.

Both of these teams stink, but we think the Kings are the better ballclub and we expect to get a low spread here in a game we think the Kings should roll in. Sacramento has been very competitive lately and they have actually covered in seven of their last 10 games. They are playing with some pride while many teams are straight out tanking. That latter category would be the Hawks, who have been losing many games by double digits lately. They have covered in only two of their last eight games despite getting some very favorable numbers. The Kings will be well rested heading into this game with two nights off. Also the Hawks play Golden State tomorrow and the Rockets on Sunday, so they probably want to save their energy here as a competitive game over either of those team would be more to hang their hat on than a competitive game against the Kings.

New Orleans is on the only back-to-back-to-back of the season tonight vs. the Los Angeles Lakers. They beat Indiana last night in a make up game from earlier in the season. This is unprecedented lack of rest for the NBA season, and we don’t see it going so well for the home team tonight. We are getting a more than fair line here for the underdog as the Pelicans have won three straight and covered four straight, but we had the Lakers listed as slight favorites in this one and expect them to win this game. The Lakers have had two nights off coming into this game and they had two nights off before their last game, so they are well rested here. And after three straight losses we think the Lakers will really try and take advantage of this bad situation the Pelicans are in tonight.

The Spurs have suddenly gotten their act together and it looks like this team might be getting ready to peak heading into the playoff stretch run, and they have won four straight entering this game. They don’t have a lot of room for error after a real bad stretch of games this past month, so they won’t rest on their laurels and be happy with the four wins. Even with their struggles they have compiled a 27-8 record at home this season. And they have the best coach in the game that can guide them through this crucial stretch to the playoffs. Aldridge has really stepped up during this win streak and he is now leading this team. The Spurs have won three straight in this series and we expect them to continue to play well here in this crucial matchup.

While they aren’t mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, the Clippers postseason hopes are on life support after losing last night in Minnesota in what was a pretty lustful performance. We were on the Wolves last night and we will fade the Clippers again tonight. This is a real tough spot for them on a back-to-back, on the road no less, and this team is not playing with the spark they had been for the last couple months and we think that they peaked too soon. They have been playing at a fast pace but their offense has taken a nosedive and injuries have really caught up with this squad. No total in the last eight meetings have gone anywhere near this high and we think this total tonight has been inflated, and we think there is a great chance for a blowout here, which would bode well for the under.

The Hornets have underachieved big time this season, but they are still the better team here by a pretty large margin. We think they will win this game pretty comfortably tonight. Revenge is an overrated NBA handicapping angle but it does come into play when teams have met recently, and that is the case here as the Nets embarrassed the Hornets in Charlotte less than two weeks ago. We are sure they remember that matchup and will want to put forth a much better performance tonight. They had won three straight meetings between these teams prior to that game. Brooklyn has been a great bet this season when getting lots of points but they have struggled as a small dog and we don’t see them winning this game tonight.

Memphis has won 10 straight in this series and seven straight in Philadelphia. Of course, this isn’t the same dominant Memphis team that we have known the last several years, and the Sixers are a better team this year, but that is long-time domination right there. The Grizzlies are 4-1 ATS when getting 11 points or more this season and they should have the services of Gasol and Evans tonight. Philly has covered only two of their last six games and this team has trouble focusing for a whole game in order to cover some of the huge spreads the bookies have been tagging them with lately.

There’s no doubt that the Blazers are playing excellent basketball right now. But they aren’t anywhere near as good as the Rockets. Houston this year is like Golden State a couple years ago when they set the NBA regular-season record for wins. They want to win every game and with a chance to end the Blazers big winning streak they have extra motivation here. While the Warriors have taken a more relaxed approach to the regular season, the Rockets seem to want to lock up that No. 1 seed and they want to flex their muscle against potential Western Conference Playoff teams. We respect what the Blazers have been doing but they won’t win every game and we think this test will be too tough for them on Tuesday night.

We were on the Clips for our big play on Sunday and they put up a real lousy effort at home in a must-win game against the Blazers. This team has an incredibly tough schedule down the line and they probably ruined their playoff hopes with that loss. Now they face another team that is fighting for a playoff spot. We feel like maybe the Clippers peaked a little early and we didn’t like their effort on Sunday and we expect to see the same type of play here on the road against a team that has beaten them three times already this season. We think that this line is a couple of points too short.

The Raptors are in a bit of a downturn right now as they lost their last game at home to OKC and they needed OT to get by Dallas at home in a game they didn’t cover. This is a tricky spot for the Raptors as they are off the OKC loss and they play the Cavs tomorrow, and that is a game they are probably more focused on. And this line is already inflated as well. Orlando is a great underdog bet when they are getting big points as this team is 10-3 ATS when getting double digit points this season. They have been off since Friday so they are well rested. They should be able to give their best effort here.

The Hornets have been a tire fire lately. You can just look at their last game to see how much effort that this team is putting in lately. They lost by 23 in New York to the Knicks on Saturday. Their only recent wins came against Atlanta, Phoenix and Chicago, and they face a big step up in competition tonight. The Sixers have won and covered in four straight meetings in this series. They have won three of four overall and they have been off since Friday so they have had the whole weekend to rest and prepare for this game. This one has double-digit blowout written all over it.

We wanted to release this pick early to take advantage of what looks like great line value with the Clippers. The Blazers are at halftime with the Pistons as I write this and they are up big and it looks like they will win easy and bring their 12-game winning streak into Staples Center on Sunday to take on the Clippers. It’s always tough to play in the road in the NBA on a back-to-back. The Blazers win streak is impressive, but they have had a home-heavy schedule and they have played their fair share of teams with issues. The Clips need this win badly as they lost their last two, but those were tough games at Houston and OKC, and they didn’t embarrass themselves in either. We think this is a good spot for them to get back on track against a tired team. The Clippers have really been underestimated by the oddsmakers after their stars left the team but they are playing great basketball and they will play with purpose against a team on a back-to-back that is probably a bit overrated right now.

The Blazers are looking for win No. 12 in a row tonight and we think that they get it in a big way against the struggling Pistons. The Blake Griffin trade gutted the depth of this team and they don’t have much of an identity and they are lacking leaders and team chemistry. The result has been a 1-16 record in their last 17 road games. The season is over for this team and they know it even though they are not mathematically eliminated at this point. They would have to turn the whole season around and from what we have seen since a hot start to the season, this team just doesn’t have it in them. The Blazers are laser focused right now and we think they will go for the jugular against this struggling Detroit squad.

The Nets had Thursday off while the Sixers will be on a back-to-back here. We watched their game on Thursday and they used a lot of energy in a rally to win but not cover the line. They looked pretty lethargic most of the game but had to give everything they could to salvage the game late in the fourth. We think revenge is an overrated handicapping factor for NBA but it does come into play when the teams recently met and Philly blew the Nets out on Sunday in Brooklyn. We think that can and will play much better here with Philly on no rest. The Nets are a Top 6 ATS team this season and they are getting too many points tonight.

Once again the Cavs are overrated by the oddsmakers because we had this game handicapped at 6.5 and we would lean to the Blazers at that number as well. Cleveland is 17-17 on the road this season while Portland, with one of the best home-court advantages in the NBA, is 23-11 here on their home court. They have won 10 straight and 12 of their last 13 and they are playing as well as anyone in the NBA right now. Yet they continue to get underestimated by the bookies. They have covered in 11 of their last 13 games. They will be hyped for this opponent and they should bring their A Game while the Cavs keep trying to figure things out and it doesn’t work more often than it does lately.

We had the Spurs the other night getting big points against the Rockets. This team just looked awful. They made a run at the end of the game when the scrubs were in, but in reality the game wasn’t even as close as the final score would indicate, and it showed a blowout on the scoreboard. The Spurs got a blowout win over Orlando their next game out, but they face a bigger step up in competition here. These teams have a similar record but the Pelicans are the much better team right now and we think they could win this one straight out. Even great coaching can’t rally the Spurs right now and if the season ended today this team would miss the playoffs!

The Knicks are just in a freefall right now. This team has been getting some very generous lines yet they have covered just one of their last 12 games at home. They have lost three of the last four games by double digits, and it seems that is the way this one will go as well. The Sixers have been a bit inconsistent lately but they have played well in the games they are supposed to win, and this one definitely falls into that category. The Sixers have covered in six straight meetings between these teams, and this one is probably one of the bigger mismatches of the night on the NBA schedule.

The Warriors have been a tricky team to bet on this year. The year they set the NBA record for regular-season wins they seemed to cover just about any line the bookies threw at them. If we could travel back in time this line would probably be 13 points or so. But this season the Warriors are saving themselves for the postseason. They have taken the Cavs philosophy of not really caring much about the wins and losses. However, when this team is motivated they are a good bet. And we feel that is the case tonight. They have lost two straight games. This team does not like losing streaks. We expect to see the championship-level Warriors tonight. They have had two nights off and they will be primed for an excellent performance here.

Miami started off their road trip with a blowout loss at Portland but this is their perfect chance to get back on track here in Sacramento. Miami always played well here in Sac Town and they have covered in 10 of the last 13 meetings. Since these teams don’t play often, that trend stretches back for years. Even with Wade and Whiteside out for this game the Heat are the much better team, and they have all the motivation here as they are currently in the heat (pun intended) of the playoff race while the Kings are tanking and they give a lazy effort more often than they give a strong one. This one is an easy call tonight.

The Celtics have not been playing up to their potential lately anyways, but they will be very shorthanded tonight with Kyrie Irving out and Al Horford likely to miss the game as well. The Wizards are coming off two straight losses and we think they will give it their all in this game where they have a chance to notch a win against a hobbled Boston squad. About a month ago the Wizards lost a hard-fought game against Boston at home in overtime. We think “revenge” is an overrated handicapping factor for NBA basketball, but we are pretty sure the Wizards have had this game circled since that loss and that they are in a good position to win this one and cover the spread.

The Clippers are one of the best bets in the NBA. Confidence has been down all year since Chris Paul left in the offseason and then it went down even further when they traded away Blake Griffin. But this team still has some nice talent and this season they play like a team. And it seems like Coach Doc Rivers has been reinvigorated with the coaching challenge he has been presented with. We like them laying what we think is too short of a line against the tanking Bulls, who have notched a few wins lately but those have come against the dregs of the NBA. They face a big step up in class tonight.

The Pelicans have lost two straight in blowout fashion, but that has created value here as they face a big step down in competition as those two losses were to the Wizards and Jazz. And this team has still covered in seven of their last 10 games despite those less-than-favorable performances in their last two. We think they are in a good position to get back on the winning track Here. Charlotte has lost five of their last six but won last time out. But they only beat Phoenix by seven at home and they were favored by 13. We think this line is way too short. The Pelicans have also covered in 11 of the last 13 meetings here at home, and we see that trend staying solid here on Tuesday night in the Big Easy.

We think there is some nice value here as we had this game handicapped at PK so getting the Wolves as an underdog here is a really good bet. The Wolves had been in a funk with three straight losses in really tough matchups, but they seemingly got their mojo back last time out with a big home win against the Warriors. The Wizards have played a home-heavy schedule yet they are 2-4 in their last six games. The loss of John Wall is really starting to be felt on this team in the stretch drive to the playoffs. We expect a close game here but it’s a coin flip as to who wins so we feel like we are in a good position getting this many points.

It’s not often that you get double digit points with the Spurs, but we will take that, and then some, tonight. The Spurs haven’t been playing good basketball. They have lost 10 of their last 13. Aldridge is out tonight. But this team still has a lot of talent, and they have the best coach in the game. And they are a very proud group. And they are suddenly in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in a couple decades. We don’t think there is any doubt that the Spurs will play hard tonight against their in-state rival. And Leonard is set to return this week and that will give the Spurs an extra boost kind of the way the Pistons started to play with more confidence right after the Blake Griffin trade before he even joined the team. The Rockets are on a back-to-back here. This is their third game in four nights while the Spurs had the night off Sunday. James Harden is banged up. There’s also probably a natural regression since their winning streak ended and we think that they played really hard during the long winning streak and it’s normal to stop playing with such intensity once something like that ends. The Spurs played the Warriors and the Thunder pretty tough on this road trip and we think that they will come to play tonight and play a prideful game even though a straight up win might be a tough accomplishment.

This is the last game of a four-game road trip for the Sixers and they have lost two of three and this road trip will be considered a disaster if they don’t win this one to split the trip 2-2, especially since they have been favored in all but one game and were only one-point dogs in Miami last time out. They gave a pretty poor effort in that Miami game and we think they will put their A Game on the floor tonight against a very beatable opponent. This is the first game back home after a long road trip for the Nets and that can normally be a soft spot for the home team. Brooklyn is a very good ATS team but this team normally does its best work when getting massive points but we don’t think Philly will have any problem covering this small line in a game where we expect them to be very motivated while this is just another game for the Nets in the long dog days of the NBA season.

We think this is way too many points for the Clippers to be laying against a Magic team that has been sneaky good lately. Orlando is 8-2 ATS when getting double digit points this season. Orlando is 6-2-1 ATS in the last nine meetings at Staples Center and we think they will keep this game close tonight.  Yes, the Magic come in on a back-to-back, but this team is young and they should have no problem with heavy legs. The Clippers are on a back-to-back as well, but they played a huge game against the Cavs last night and they got the win. Now they head on the road after this game and they have a big matchup against Houston coming up and we see this as a big letdown spot.

Washington is on a tough back-to-back here and we think that this game has a good chance to be a blowout. While the Heat were off last night the Wizards expended a lot of energy in a big road win at New Orleans. We don’t think they will have much left in the tank against a tenacious Heat squad. Miami is 5-2-1 ATS in the last eight meetings. We think this is a great spot for the home team and we would not be surprised by a double-digit win.

The Bucks have really struggled lately but this team has faced an extremely tough schedule. We think this is a “get right” game for them against the floundering Knicks. New York is another tanking team, and we think they will be very uninterested tonight while the Bucks will be desperate for a big win. The Bucks have won three straight meetings in this series, and they covered in two of them, and we don’t see any way this isn’t a double digit winner tonight as we see the Bucks being very focused and they have the huge edge in talent on the court tonight.

Both teams are playing some incredible basketball right now and this is the marquee matchup for Friday. The Rockets, however, will be playing their third game in four nights, all on the road, and we think this is a good spot for their winning streak to end tonight. The Raptors blew out Houston, in Texas no less, in the last meeting, and we don’t think that they will be intimidated. They will bring their A Game for sure, and they have had a much more favorable schedule even though this will be their third in four as well, but that is much easier at home than on the road. Toronto is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings at home in this series and we think that trend will continue tonight.

It’s seemingly now or never for the Pistons to get their act together and start playing better. We got an indication that might be happening as they took the Raptors to overtime in a loss last time out. That was a heartbreaking loss, but we get the feeling that this is a game the Pistons will dominate. The Bulls are a tanking team and they have failed to cover the line more often than not and normally face very favorable lines, unlike the Pistons, who have probably been overrated by the oddsmakers lately. But we think this is a game where they will shine as they are the much more talented team and they have the motivational edge tonight here at home.

We like the Timberwolves here as a home dog. This team is 6-2 ATS as a small underdog this season and we think this is a good spot for them tom score the straight up win. Minnesota lost Jimmy Butler recently and they have had a tough schedule and some mediocre results and oddsmaker confidence is down with this team right now, and that has created betting value in this matchup. We had this game as a PK and we think it will be a close game, so we have to grab the points. Minnesota has a talented team and we have no doubt they will be amped for this game tonight.

It’s hard to take a flier here on a bad team like the Suns, but this is more of a play against the Thunder than for Phoenix. The Thunder are one of those teams that seems to sink to their level of competition. This team is 8-20 ATS when laying six or more points this season. This is one of the worst ATS teams in the NBA and they are always overrated by the oddsmakers. These teams played about a week ago and the Suns held tough at home and led for most of the game but they fell apart late in the fourth and barely missed the cover. But they are familiar with this Thunder squad now with such a recent meeting and we think they will play well here against a big number. The Suns also had two nights off heading into this matchup, and this game is sandwiched between matchups against the Rockets and Spurs for the Thunder, so this is a prime letdown spot.

We love to fade the Cavs, the worst ATS team in the NBA this season. They are a very public team so the bookies don’t have to adjust their lines on this team. This line should be closer to 6 or 6.5. Denver just beat the Cavs by nine in Cleveland a few days ago. Normally that would be a revenge spot but the Cavs have bigger problems than obsessing over revenge against an out-of-conference opponent. If the Cavs were out for revenge they would have a lot of enemies this year because they have lost way more games than expected. We love the way the Nuggets are playing right now and they are rightfully playing like their playoff lives depend on every win. We see them bringing their A Game tonight.

We have been big on the Raptors lately with much success, but we think that this is a bad spot for them on Wednesday. They are coming in on a back-to-back on the road against a desperate team that has revenge on their minds because of an embarrassing beatdown in Toronto late last month. The Raptors will be playing their third game in four nights and they will likely be running on fumes here in what would likely be a close game even without the fatigue factor for the visitors. Not sure what’s up with the Pistons, who should be playing better than they have been, but we think this is a good spot for them to challenge for the straight up win.

Indiana has the better record here in this matchup, but now that Utah is healthy and playing well we think they are the much stronger team. And we feel this is a very favorable line for them tonight as we had them laying 3.5 here. We think that they should win this one pretty comfortably. The Jazz had trouble winning on the road early in the season, but they have solved those problems with eight straight road wins, and they will want to get off to a strong start for this three-game trip and we think this is a very winnable game for them.

The Warriors seem content to finish in second place in the west. They learned during their record-setting regular season a couple years ago that expending too much energy during the regular season will hurt you in the postseason. So this team hasn’t hit it’s extra gear in awhile. The Warriors are 10-14 ATS when laying more than 14 points this season and they are 1-5 ATS in their last six against Eastern Conference teams, who they have seemed particularly bored against lately. The Nets are 11-5 ATS at home against teams with a winning record and we were impressed with their effort Sunday at the Clippers. We think they play hard again here, and they have covered the last two meetings between these clubs.

The Pelicans eight-game winning streak comes to an end tonight. Their winning streak came against mostly bad teams, even though they had a couple big wins during that span. But they face a real tough test tonight and we think the Clippers are in a good spot to take this game. LA has covered in six of their last eight games. The bookies keep underestimating this team. They don’t have any big stars since Blake Griffin and Chris Paul left the squad. But they are playing better team basketball now then they ever did with those two stars, and Doc Rivers is doing some of the best coaching work of his career this year. The Clippers are 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings between these teams in Los Angeles, and they already scored a nine-point win in New Orleans the last time these teams met.

Portland has a very strong history betting-wise here in LA as they are 22-8 ATS in the last 30 meetings here, and they always seemed to play well here even when the Lakers were good. We think this line is way too short tonight. The Blazers are playing extremely well and have won seven of their last nine. The Lakers have won five straight, but only one of those wins, last time out at San Antonio, was against a legit team, and the Spurs have a lot of problems right now. A win against Miami was less impressive and they also beat Atlanta, Sacramento and Dallas, three of the worst teams in the NBA this season. They will be in tough tonight. The Blazers have to keep winning as they are one of many teams bunched up behind the Warriors and Rockets in the West, and we think they bring their A Game once again tonight.

The Celtics have been playing better of late and had the Rockets on the ropes in Houston before losing late and we think this will be a blowout here in Chicago on Monday. The Celtics have covered in five of the last six meetings and they won by 25 at home the last time these teams met in December. Boston has covered in four of their last five games overall so they are trending up in the betting markets. The Bulls, despite getting some very favorable lines from the bookies, have covered only two of their last eight and this team more often than not does not put in the effort on the court on a nightly basis.

The only teams the Cavs have beaten since the All-Star Break are Memphis and Brooklyn. They should not be favored by this many tonight and this is a very public line. Heck, the Pistons haven’t been playing well but they have even been playing a little better than Cleveland. Detroit won the last meeting when these teams played in January by double digits at home. We expect a close game here and you just have to go against the Cavs laying this many points with the way they have been playing lately.

The more we see Houston play and grow together as a team, the more we think they could be a serious threat to Golden State’s supremacy in the Western Conference. The Warriors seem to have lost a bit of their hunger while the Rockets are as hungry as ever. The more we see the Celtics play the more we think this is a good team but not a great one. Houston will want to showcase themselves on national TV here and we think that this one has a great chance to be a 10+-point win.

We like the Thunder for a blowout here. We will keep the units reasonable here since the Thunder have struggled against bad teams this year. But they had a close call against the Mavs last time out and we expect them to be more focused here. The Suns broke their long losing streak last time out against Memphis and they are probably satisfied with that. They have not been playing any defense lately and we expect the Thunder to be able to pick their score on offense tonight and whatever they put up should be more than enough to cover this big number.

Toronto is for real this season and they seem very focused and determined right now. This is a real NBA Finals threat this season and they are peaking right now. Four of their last six games have been blowout wins, and they are in the Top 3 ATS rankings for the season. This team doesn’t have any mega names on the roster and they play north of the border, so this team does not face public lines as often as some of the more popular teams in the league and we had them as 7-point favorites for this matchup and we think they could win this one by close to double digits.

The Grizzlies seem hopeless right now. And by looking at their defensive numbers, this once-proud defensive team is not even trying lately. They have now given up 109 or more in six straight games. There is no focus here and no effort. That does not bode well for them against one of the hottest teams in the league. Denver has been playing as well as any team in the NBA lately and their offense has been pretty much unstoppable. They are coming off two straight losses that can be categorized as “heartbreaking” to two playoff-type teams and that is why they will not lose focus here against this opponent that seems to be already looking towards the offseason.

This feels like one of those games the Warriors might slog through as it’s the end of a trip and ahead of three days off. The Hawks have done very well against the Western Conference this season in going 7-1 ATS.  The Hawks have covered two of the last three meetings and they lost by only eight in the non-cover during the last meeting, which was also on this home court. We think one team here will be giving max effort, and that won’t be the Warriors.

The Magic have covered five straight games in this series and we think they win this one straight out but we will take the spread instead of the moneyline as we expect a close game. But the Pistons have not been playing well. Neither have the Magic, but this team is healthy right now and they will be desperate to break their long losing streak in front of the home crowd and they face a very winnable game against a flawed team that they have played well against in the past.

The Wolves started life without Jimmy Butler a couple games ago and they haven’t really skipped a beat. They won and covered both games pretty easily. But they face a much tougher test tonight after playing the Kings and Bulls in their last two games. This is the type of game where the loss of Butler will really start to be felt. Portland has won four straight and six of seven. And they didn’t just beat pushovers, as their wins included games against the Warriors and they also broke the Jazz’s long home winning streak. This team is peaking right now and we think they are underrated by the oddsmakers here tonight.

The Lakers enter this one having won three straight, but those wins were against Atlanta, Sacramento and Dallas, three of the worst teams in the NBA this season. Those teams are all tanking, and tonight they face a big step up in competition against a team that is currently the No. 8 seed in the east and will be very cognizant to win games like this for the rest of the season. Miami is normally a team that plays hard nearly every night, but they aren’t going to overlook an opponent like this when they are a couple losses away from being outside of the playoff picture.

The Clippers have won both meetings this year. Those results were pretty shocking and we think they had more to do with an off night from the Rockets than anything the Clippers did. You have to hand it to LA, they are playing harder than they ever had when they employed Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, and Coach Doc Rivers has done a masterful job coaching this ragtag squad. But they are coming in on a back-to-back after a hard-fought win last night in Denver and they won’t have much left here against a Houston team that will want to make a statement here.

Wins have been a rarity for the Mavs lately. They got one last time out. It’s doubtful they will put up much of a fight here, however. OKC has won three of their last four overall so they are in pretty good form right now. This is a good revenge spot for the visitors as Dallas won the last two meetings, but both those were earlier in the season and the Thunder are a better team now. This looks like a really good spot for the Thunder to get a road win by 7+ points.

The Spurs are back home after their long road trip and they have lost four of five. That win did come on the road against the Cavs last time out, however, so we think the pendulum is swinging the other way for this team. They have a favorable home-heavy schedule the next few games and even though this is the toughest matchup, they will be eager to get back on track. This team is 22-6 at home and has one of the best home-court advantages in basketball. New Orleans has been playing well but this is their third game in four nights and they have also had a couple OT games recently, so they won’t have the energy needed to keep this game competitive.

Boston has just owned this series lately as they have won six straight meetings, and they covered in five of those with one push. They have won three straight heading into this game and they are getting back on track, and they are the much better team in this matchup. Their offense has been playing really well lately and we think they have a big scoring night tonight, so they should be able to cover this number with no problem. The Hornets have won five straight but that was against a very easy schedule and we think they will be exposed tonight in a high-scoring affair.

The Bucks have not covered in any of the last four meetings (one push). We always like to back a decent team that got embarrassed in their last game and that is certainly the case for the Pistons after a nearly 30-point loss to the Raptors on Monday. But Detroit was off last night and the Bucks played a hard-fought game against Washington and they are playing their third game in four nights and they also went to OT in two of their last three games, so we think they will be running on fumes tonight against a Pistons team that will be desperate to get back on the winning track.

Toronto is playing as well as anyone in the NBA right now. They seem to have their eyes set on the No. 1 seed in the east and home-court advantage and they have not been letting up. Their only loss in the last nine games was in OT vs. the Bucks, another streaking team. The Magic are in a freefall. They have lost six straight. This team looks to be in full tank mode with a strong draft ahead. Toronto has taken care of business against bad teams as they are 7-0 ATS in their last seven against a team with a winning percentage below .400 and they are 21-10 ATS (10-6 on the road) against teams with a losing record.

Denver has won and covered both of the last two meetings in this series here at home. Denver is coming off a loss to Houston but they have won eight of their last nine games overall and this team is playing as well as any team in the NBA right now. They were down big against Houston but they came back and made it a game late in the fourth. We were very impressed by that comeback against one of the best teams in the NBA. The Clippers have been playing well but this team is overrated by the oddsmakers here in this situation.

The Timberwolves are 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings in Sacramento. The Wolves didn’t miss a beat after losing Jimmy Butler in their decimation of the Bulls last time out. They seem motivated, and should be able to beat a bad team here. This team is tanking and we doubt they will put forth the effort here that the Wolves will. Minnesota has put up lots of points lately on bad teams and we think they will be able to score enough to cover the spread with ease.

We think this is one of those lines that the bookies have intentionally set low to attract Pelicans money. But New Orleans is just 1-8 ATS in their last nine home games against teams with a losing road record and we think this is a spot where the Suns will keep this one close and cover the line. This is a back-to-back for the Pelicans and their third game in four nights, and both of their previous games went to OT. This is a tired team tonight that is ripe for an upset, and one that doesn’t play well against lousy teams at home.

The Grizzlies are in the midst of a 9-game losing streak but we think they are getting too many points tonight. They still have a very solid defense, and so does Boston, so with what could possibly be a low-scoring game the points are all the more valuable here. Boston is just 1-5 ATS when laying nine or more points this season. They have also covered in 14 of the last 18 meetings in Boston. We think they can keep this one within double digits, and we expect them to play hard tonight after a couple embarrassing losses in their last two games.

Detroit was hot right after the Blake Griffin trade but then things have fallen apart lately and now this team has covered in only one of their last 10 games. But we think this is too many points and the Pistons are a decent team. They should be able to keep this one close. The Pistons are 13-2 ATS as a dog of five or more points this season, and that is a very strong trend. They are also 5-1 in the last six meetings in Toronto. We expect the Pistons to put up a fight here and we think that this will be a close game.

Denver has quietly won seven of eight and this team is playing as well as any team in the league right now. Their offense has been even better than that of the Rockets lately. They will be amped to play Houston tonight and they have one of the better home-court advantages in the NBA. Also, Eric Gordon will miss this game for Houston and he is a key contributor. The Rockets are the better team but the oddsmakers have them overvalued here.

We just think that this line is too short. The Sixers are coming in on the second half of a back-to-back after winning vs. Orlando last night. Both teams will be playing their third in four nights but at least the Wizards had the night off last night. Both teams have been playing well, but the Sixers have had a pretty easy schedule, and it has been home-heavy. The home team has been strong in this series and we see that being the case again here on Sunday.

We had this line handicapped at 7 so there is some nice value here for Sunday’s marquee matchup. The Spurs have won the last three meetings between these teams so the Cavs will want to get some revenge here. Two of those games were in San Antonio and the loss in Cleveland was in OT. But the Spurs are kind of a mess on the road this season at 13-19 and the Cavs are playing their best basketball overall of the season right now. We see this as a comfortable win for the home squad.

The Clippers have been playing very well lately. In fact, they have won 7 of 10. The 2017-18 Golden State Warriors are probably the best version this team has had, but at the same time they have gotten smarter and they don’t care about the regular season that much. They definitely don’t care about these Clippers anymore now that Blake Griffin and Chris Paul are gone and this rivalry is no more. We don’t see the Warriors expending major effort here like they did with the Clips of the past and the blue collar Clippers should be able to keep this one within double digits.

We will go against the Hornets as a big favorite tonight. They have not done well in this role as they are 3-7 ATS when laying six or more points. This is a below average team and they just don’t blow opponents out on a regular basis. The Nets are not a tanking candidate in the second half as they don’t own their first-round pick and this has been one of the best ATS teams in the NBA all season. In fact, they are the only team in the Top 5 for ATS results that has a losing record, so this is a team that could hold betting value all season long.

We think the Magic are a team to watch after the All-Star Break as long as they can stay healthy. This team is getting some key players back tonight who have been out with injury for awhile, and this team when healthy has some nice young talent. We had this line handicapped at -6.5 and we think that there is great value here. The Knicks season is in shambles now that Porzingis is done for the year and this is a team that should be faded in spots as they are a likely Tanking candidate. Orlando has won and covered the last two meetings and we think that trend continues tonight.

Denver has been playing well, but they have had a home-heavy schedule. However, this team is just 8-19 on the road this season. This is kind of an awkward scheduling spot for them after beating the Spurs at home last time out and now they have to travel on the road to face a good Milwaukee team before the all-star break starts tomorrow. We think this is a real letdown spot for them tonight. The Bucks have won five of six and are playing well, and we think they will have much more incentive here at home tonight.

Sometimes NBA handicapping is all about motivation. You have to find teams that are going to play hard on any given night. We think the Suns fall into that category tonight. They got treated like a D-League team last time out in Golden State as Warriors coach Steve Kerr had his players coaching during the game. He wasn’t going to try this experiment against the Spurs or the Rockets, but he did it against the Suns because that game was a sure win no matter what. This had to be embarrassing for the Suns players and coaches, and we think they will come out with some fire tonight against a line that was already inflated.

New Orleans has won and covered three of the last four meetings. This will be the Pelicans last game before the All-Star Break and the Lakers play on Thursday before the break so the Pelicans have the advantage that they can leave it all on the court as they will get rest afterwards while the Lakers have a real tough schedule to close out the first half of the season as they have to play at Minnesota on Thursday. The Pelicans enter with confidence after winning two straight on the road, including a road blowout win at a Pistons team that has been playing well.

The Nets have dropped six straight games and they will want to get back on the winning track to avoid entering the all-star break on a big losing streak. They have a very winnable game tonight against an Indiana team that is much better at home than on the road. Despite their recent struggles the Nets are the No. 3 ATS team in the NBA and they are the only team in the Top 5 with a losing record. That shows that they play hard most nights. They really have been in a funk lately but we think they will go all out to get back on the winning track tonight.

The Hawks have won three of five games, and they are coming off a confidence-building win at home against Detroit last time out. Besides their blowout loss at Cleveland this team has been playing hard every night and we think they will keep this one close against a Bucks team that has become overrated by the oddsmakers. The Bucks have struggled to cover numbers against bad teams at home as they are 3-7 ATS at home against sub-.500 teams this season. This is the first game back home for the Bucks after an extended road trip and those situations can often be tricky for the home team.

The Raptors are playing as well as anyone lately with five straight wins and covers, but the oddsmakers have simply made this line too high tonight against the Heat. Miami has covered two straight and three of four in this series and we think that they match up well tonight in this game. These games have been very low scoring with five straight meetings falling under the posted total, and we believe that will be the case again here Tuesday night and the points become all the more valuable for the underdog in a low-scoring game. Miami hasn’t won many games lately but they have been competing every night and we think that their defense shows up big time tonight to keep this one close in a low-scoring affair.

The Spurs are 13-16 on the road this season. That is very un-Spurs like. This team will be without Aldridge tonight as he will join Leonard on the bench. Utah has won nine straight, and this is their longest winning streak in decades. They are playing as well as any team in the league right now. They have a great defense and their offense is finally coming around as they have been putting up some big numbers on the offensive end. The Spurs have lost three of four, including a nine-point loss to these same Jazz at home, and we feel like this team is ready for the All-Star Break while Utah wants to keep the streak alive.

Brooklyn has been one of the best ATS teams in the league this season but lately this team hasn’t been playing well and they have dropped six of their last nine games ATS. You get the feeling that this is a team that is ready for the All-Star Break. The Clippers, on the other hand, are playing without expectations after trading away Blake Griffin and they are playing loose and free, and this team has some real talent. And they work hard almost every night. They are on the cusp of the playoff race in the West and they will be the team playing with more purpose tonight.

The Sixers have been money at home and the Knicks haven’t been able to cover any lines lately but this pick for New York is just a simple case of line value. This line should be no more than 8.5 points but this number has been inflated because the Knicks are a team that no one wants to bet on right now since Porzingis went down and they have not played well without him. The Sixers are 0-3 ATS this season when laying eight or more points and we think that they will win this game but that it will be much closer than the oddsmakers expect.

The Bulls come in on the second end of a back-to-back while the Wizards had the night off on Friday. Chicago played a very emotional game vs. some of their old players on Minnesota and they scored an unlikely win on Friday. Watching that game you saw the Bulls give it everything they had in the second half. We doubt they have much left in the tank here. Before that win the Bulls had lost seven straight. They had covered only once during that losing streak. They are 3-5-1 ATS on the second end of a back-to-back this season. They have also covered in only 3 of the last 13 meetings between these clubs in Chicago. The Wizards have played well despite missing John Wall and even though they have lost two straight entering this game they are still the much better team here in this matchup. We see the Wizards getting back on track in a big way tonight against a fatigued Bulls team who got its glory last night and is probably content to sleepwalk through this game.

Utah is healthy right now and they are playing extremely well. They have won seven straight, and the last four have come on the road. They have covered in seven of their last nine games so this team is overachieving against oddsmaker expectations right now. They are back home after a four-game road trip and this team has one of the best home-court advantages in the NBA, and the house should be rocking on Friday night. Charlotte is playing their fourth and final game of a four-game road trip tonight and they come in on a back-to-back after playing in overtime last night in Portland. A road back-to-back is already tough but it makes it even harder when they played an extra five-minute frame, especially when they lost in OT. Charlotte is 3-5-1 ATS in the second half of a back-to-back. The Hornets are 8-17 on the road this season and 8-13-4 ATS, so they don’t often cover in these situations despite getting some hefty numbers as a road underdog. They are 5-16 ATS as an underdog of seven or fewer points this season. We see the Jazz playing very well tonight against a fatigued Hornets team and we expect this to be a very comfortable win for the home club.

These teams completed the blockbuster trade of the NBA season that sent Blake Griffin to the Pistons. That put the Clippers in a position of being competitive but made the Pistons a contender in the east, and they have responded with five straight wins. Sometimes all you need is some confidence in the NBA to have success and Detroit has been playing with a lot more confidence, and Griffin seems to have fit in well with his new team so far. LA really screwed Griffin over in this trade after telling him he would retire with the team when they signed him to a mega-deal in the offseason, and we think he will give extra effort here against his old team in the final meeting of the season. His teammates seem to like him as well and we think they will give extra effort here also. The Clippers have surpassed expectations this season. They are fighting for a playoff spot. But this team has some overrated wins this season. Their wins over the Rockets and Warriors are quality, but we think those teams didn’t play well on those nights. And otherwise LA has wins over mostly pretty lousy teams otherwise. We thought that this spread would be closer to 7 and we think there is nice value here. Detroit has won and covered both of the last two meetings.

The Wizards have been hot since John Wall went down with injury. No matter what anyone says, this team is not better without their leader and best player. They came back to Earth last game out with a blowout loss at Philly and we expect them to lose this one as well. We actually handicapped the Celtics as three-point favorites in this game so there is very nice betting value here for Thursday night. The Celtics have been one of the best bets in the NBA as an underdog this season as they are 11-2 ATS when getting points this season. They have the much better team on the court tonight, especially with Wall sidelined. They are also 11-5 ATS in the last 16 meetings between these teams. We always like to take a good team off an embarrassing loss since these professionals don’t like to get humiliated like this and normally give a much better effort in their next game, and that is certainly the case for the Celtics tonight as they are coming off a 20-point blowout loss at Toronto. Before that, however, they had won four straight. The Wizards are not a good team when laying points as they are 6-18 ATS this season when laying fewer than nine points.

Brooklyn hasn’t been in top form as they have failed to cover in five of their last six games, but even with that slide they are still the No. 2 ATS team in the league, and we think that this is a good spot for them to play a close game and get the cover tonight. Houston is coming off big road wins at San Antonio and Cleveland, and we don’t see them getting too amped to play Brooklyn here and this is a letdown spot for the visiting team. The Nets have been great in the underdog role this season as they are 17-6 ATS when getting six or more points. They are also 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings in this series. This team gets hyped to play the best teams in the league, especially at home, and we think they put up a strong effort tonight in keeping this close.

The Clippers have won three of four and as a result the bookies have posted too high of a number here for this game on Monday. This team is now without Blake Griffin and although they have played well at points this season now this squad is missing its best player. We think the Mavs match up well here tonight and we expect a very close, hard-fought game. The Mavs destroyed the Clippers in Dallas the last time these teams met by 25+ and we think they could challenge for the win here. The Mavs have a couple nights off after this game and we think they will give an A+ effort here.