Sports Picks & Predictions

The Clippers have covered in three of four games, and we think this is a very winnable game for them. The two big stars are still out for awhile, but the role players are mostly back and this is a pretty talented team even without the Big 2 but they haven’t had a consistent roster yet this season. We think as long as this core group stays healthy that the Clippers will start winning more games and covering more spreads. The Clippers are 7-2 ATS in the last nine meetings.

The Pistons are playing well lately. They have covered the last two, and their last game against Utah was much closer than the final score indicated as Detroit was in position to win for most of the game until a late Utah flurry. Denver is 4-8 ATS when laying five or more points, so they haven’t met expectations as a big favorite. They haven’t covered in three straight games. We think the road team can keep this one within double digits.

The Bulls are banged up right now but we still think they win this game. Orlando is on an 0-4 ATS slide despite some very generous odds nightly. The Bulls have been playing well lately despite the roster issues and they have covered three of the last four. After a loss to the Bucks last time out where they were very competitive, we see them taking this game seriously tonight.

The Heat have been a good favorite bet lately at 4-1 ATS when laying points. The Lakers won against lowly Orlando last time out but they had a harder time than they should have. The Lakers are one of the worst ATS teams in the NBA and we think this line is too short on Sunday as we see the Heat taking care of business.

Houston is playing with a lot of confidence right now. They have won three of four, all on the road. They will want to put their best foot forward tonight against one of the best teams in the conference. Golden State is coming in on a back to back and they played in OT last night so fatigue will definitely be an issue. This team has not been consistent lately, and they have upcoming games against playoff teams like Utah and Dallas that they will probably give full energy for. We think they might not bring it here.

The Jazz have covered only one of their last seven games and this team has lost every time they failed to cover. We don’t think their form warrants this big of a spread. The Pistons have a nice young group of players and they normally don’t give up, and we think they will go all out tonight as this is certainly a winnable game with the way the Jazz have been playing.

The Blazers are 3-11 ATS in their last 14 as a road underdog. We think the Celtics will take care of business here and this looks like a double digit win for us. Portland has been very poor on the road this season and we don’t think they have the personnel to be competitive in this matchup.

This is a perfect Get Right game for the Lakers. The oddsmakers have made major adjustments with this team, and deservedly so. They have been awful. They do have the best player on the planet, who should be motivated to get the convincing win here.

The Thunder are one of the best ATS teams in the NBA this season. They suffer the occasional blowout but they more often than not play it close and lose the game but cover as a big dog. And when they do suffer one of those blowouts, they normally come back strong the next game. They are 4-0 ATS when losing by 10 or more points their previous game. OKC has covered four straight here in Charlotte and they are 17-7-1 in the last 25 meetings.

After their almost 40 point loss at Denver on Saturday, the Lakers faced their harshest criticism from the media, and even Magic Johnson chimed in on Twitter, bashing the team’s performance. LeBron went on Twitter to say this team will do better and Westbrook had to respond to the Johnson comments. We think this team has circled the wagon a bit and we expect another solid performance after they beat Utah last time out. Sometimes a team just needs a spark, and we think the Lakers found it. The Pacers are 1-5-1 ATS in their last seven road games, despite some very generous spreads. The Lakers have been getting the job done against the worst teams as they are 4-0 ATS against sub-.500 teams. And the Lakers are 5-0-1 ATS in the last six meetings overall.

We always look for a reason to take the underdog when the points are this high. Detroit has been about 50% at covering these big spreads. However, Golden State is figuring some things out right now with getting their No. 2 star back in the rotation, and they are 1-5 ATS in their last six games as favorites, so we aren’t getting the consistent play from them recently that we are used to.

The Mavs have been playing very well. But this OKC team just has a knack for covering the spread and keeping games close. They don’t often get the outright win, so that keeps the value with this team. They have covered six of their last eight overall with one push. They are 27-14-1 ATS on the season. The Mavs have been blowing teams out. But this is their third game in four nights even though they were off on Sunday. OKC has the rest advantage because they played Saturday but not Friday. Dallas is 3-6 ATS when laying 5 or more points this season. OKC is 23-11-1 ATS when getting 3 or more points as a dog. OKC is solid defensively and Dallas is a Top 5 defense. The total is low and we expect a low scoring game, which makes every point in a big line more valuable for the underdog. These teams met in OKC about two weeks ago and the Mavs won by nine. The Thunder were without their best player for that game and they are much healthier tonight. We expect a close game.

The Cavs went into a bit of a slump when Rubio went down, but they have been playing better as of late and have won three of four. We think they will take care of business against a floundering Spurs team. San Antonio has won only one of their last nine and they have covered only three in that span. They are going long stretches where they can’t hit any shots on a regular basis, and Cleveland’s excellent defense should keep them away from the basket tonight.

The Warriors are struggling (1-4 SU and 2-6 ATS). They are coming in on a back-to-back. The Bulls were on their own B2B Wednesday and they were embarrassed by the Nets. We think that will be extra motivation for them here tonight at home. Golden State is just trying to get Klay acclimated and up to speed and we don’t think they are massively concerned about winning every game right now. This team is all about the postseason.

After a bit of a slump at the end of December, the Suns are playing well again, having won four of five. We think they are in line for another comfortable win here. They are well rested with two nights off. They have covered in seven of 10 meetings here in Indiana. The Pacers sometimes play a great game out of nowhere, but this team just isn’t playing well right now with only one win in their last eight games.

The Spurs are a bit in desperation mode here as they have lost seven of the last eight games. They have played a brutally tough schedule, however. Their last eight games included matchups with: NY and Brooklyn, Philly, Boston, Toronto, Memphis and Utah. They have lost two of their last six games in overtime. Seven of their last eight were on the road. Now they are back home and very much in need of a win. They have the perfect opponent to get it against tonight as the Rockets are of a much lower caliber than most of the Spurs recent opponents. They have lost their last three games by a full 40+ points over the very generous lines they have been given. This looks like another potential blowout but we think a comfortable Spurs lead is all but certain. They have one of the best coaches in NBA history. They have covered five of the last seven meetings in San Antonio.

Minnesota is very underrated and they are laying a small number here on the road in a game they should win comfortably. They are hot right now and have won four straight heading into this game, while the Pelicans have lost four of five. Minnesota is 5-0-1 in their last six road games, and they are being underestimated by the oddsmakers once again. Not to mention they have covered in their last four meetings in New Orleans.

The Pistons pulled off one of their biggest wins of the season last night vs. Utah and now this is a major letdown spot for a team that is competitive at times as a big dog but also has the ability to lose big. We think the later will be the case tonight, and that bodes well for the favorite and the under here. After a big game the Pistons normally have a letdown. In their last nine games after scoring 125 or more, they are 1-8 ATS. The Pistons have not covered in nine straight meetings and the under is 6-0 in the last six meetings.

The Thunder are one of the best ATS teams in the NBA and they are decently healthy and they had the night off Monday. No reason they should be getting this many points at Washington, a lousy ATS team that hasn’t been favored by this many points against anyone this season. When they have been a favorite of three or more points, they are 5-10 ATS. OKC has covered in four of their last five games, while the Wizards have failed to cover in three straight. OKC has the rare game where they get blown out of the water, but this is a winnable game for them and we think they put their best foot forward tonight.

The Suns have just been destroying teams lately. All season in fact. They should be getting some key players back here today, while key guys for Miami should still be sidelined. Phoenix has shown they have great chemistry to matter who they put out on the court. And that they are such a strong ATS team despite their pedigree and shaded lines constantly is a testament to how good this team is. We see another double digit win here.

Indiana has lost six straight, but they have been competitive recently. We think this is a great chance for them to notch one in the win column. Utah is all banged up right now and this is a shell of the team that has done so well this season. They enter here on a B2B and playing their third game in four nights. They had a big lead on Toronto yesterday but just fell apart in the second half, and we see that continuing here and the wrong team is favored.

Two bad teams here but we think the Pistons are the better team. They have been more competitive overall, and the Magic come into this one very banged up. Detroit has covered in six of the last eight meetings, and we see them pulling away for a comfortable win in the fourth quarter.

This is more of a bet against the Cavs than for the Blazers. Cleveland has been a team we have used a lot for picks this season with great results. They have been the top ATS team for most of the season. However, they have really struggled since Rubio went out for the season with injury. This team has covered just one of their last seven games. Portland is missing their two best players here, and they haven’t been good ATS either, but they are getting too many points at home for what looks like a very winnable game for them.

The Lakers are relatively healthy compared to the Hawks, who have a very long injury list. The biggest stars for both teams are on the list tonight, but LeBron has a good chance to play. The Lakers have won and covered in four of five games and they are playing well right now. We normally rarely take the Lakers as they don’t often have betting value. But their current form, combined with this small number, make them a play tonight.

The Kings are definitely the more healthy team right now. This team has been back and forth and you kind of never know what you are going to get with them on a nightly basis. But they are 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings between these teams, and we think they match up well tonight, especially against this inflated number. This is a winnable game for them. The Nuggets are coming off two consecutive losses, so they aren’t in top form. They also are 1-6 ATS in their last seven home games.

We like to take the losing team when teams play consecutive games like this. OKC lost by eight in Minnesota on Wednesday. They got off to a real slow start in that game, being outscored 30-10 in the first quarter. But they outplayed the Wolves from there on out. And now they are the home team in this revenge spot and also one of the better ATS teams in the NBA at 24-13 ATS. They are 12-5 ATS at home, so they rarely fail to cover here. They are also 6-0 ATS in their last six as a home dog.

Toronto has played as well as any team in the NBA recently. They have won four straight, all against playoff contenders, and they have covered five in a row. They have covered in nine of ten overall. Utah is absolutely decimated because of Covid right now and all their star players are out for this game. Toronto is barely above .500 on the season so they are not going to go into this one expecting an easy win and they should put their best foot forward, which they have been doing for every game recently.

The Clippers are getting more heathy while the Suns are going through Covid issues right now. We expect the road team to stay within double digits here. The Clippers recently beat the Nets on the road as huge underdogs, and that game wasn’t a fluke. But the Clippers haven’t been able to stay consistent. But they have had two nights off entering this game, so they are well rested. LA normally plays very well against Phoenix and they are 18-8 ATS in the last 26 meetings, including a blowout win last month in LA. We see the Clippers playing hard tonight and keeping this one close.

We like to back a good team after a bad/embarrassing loss, and that is the case here for the Bucks on Wednesday as they suffered an embarrassing home defeat last time out to the Pistons (they were 17-point favorites; we had the Pistons plus the points). That snapped a six-game winning streak. We think the Bucks are in a good spot to bounce back here. Toronto has been playing well but are coming in on a back-to-back. They have done well in these situations, but they become harder as the season wears on. This is also their third game in four nights, while the Bucks are well rested as they have had a much lighter schedule. But Milwaukee should be ultra motivated tonight. A big win here puts that Detroit loss well in the rearview mirror and can be chalked up as a bad night.

New Orleans has been playing some of the best basketball they have played this season and they have won five of their last eight SU. They fell back to earth a little bit, losing three of their last four. But we feel this is a good spot for them as a home underdog. The Suns have lost three of their last five and they have covered in only three of six. This team is facing Covid issues, while the Pelicans are relatively healthy.

The Spurs were playing some of their best basketball of the season but then they had one of their games postponed, had a long layoff, and were rusty and lost their momentum. We think this is a good bounce back spot and winnable game after three straight losses. This team has one of the best coaches in the game and can get the team back on track quickly, and they have been one of the best ATS teams this season, and this line looks a couple points too high. Also we will take a crack at the under as we expected this total under 220 as the Raptors have one of the better defenses in the NBA.

Detroit is 7-4 ATS when catching double digit points. We always want to see if there is a chance for the underdog when catching this many points. The Pistons played well last time out in an OT upset win over the Spurs. Detroit has covered five of their last six on the road against quality opponents. Detroit is a team that plays hard despite a lack of talent. We see them possibly keeping this one around double digits.

Cleveland is by far the best ATS team in the NBA, and they still hold value in the odds as the public bettors are not big on this team with the absence of any big stars. But this team plays great fundamental basketball and strong defense, and they are absolutely a playoff team and one that could put a scare into one of the contenders. They are on a different level then the Pels, and we see another comfortable win SU and ATS here as the odds are in our favor again.

Paul George is out for a while, but we think this Clippers team will be a good Buy Low option in the coming weeks. This team has playoff talent without Kawhi and George, and their role players will need to step up in the absence of their stars. We think these guys will elevate their games, and we see this as a coin flip game tonight, so getting this many points with the home dog provides solid value.

The Jazz are on an 0-5 ATS slide and the oddsmakers have them overvalued at the moment compared to their play on the court. They have been winning but not blowing teams out, and their best player should be sidelined tonight. The Spurs have been extremely impressive recently, and they have one of the best coaches in the league who can keep this team motivated instead of being Fat and Happy after a few wins. We think the home team has a great chance for the outright win.

2-Unit Play #542 Take San Antonio over Detroit (7 p.m. EST, Sunday Dec 26)

The Spurs became Los Angeles legends before the Xmas break by beating both the Lakers and Clippers for the last official games at Staples Center before the name change. Both games were impressive blowouts. You might think the Xmas break would stymie momentum, but this team has one of the best coaches in the NBA and we think they will keep the positive momentum going against one of the worst teams in the NBA, who are probably going to be distracted playing away from home on the day after a holiday. 

Whenever an NBA team is catching this many points, you have to take a look at the underdog and see if there is a good chance they can cover. We can cover this line even in a blowout. And we think the Thunder are primed to cover tonight. OKC is the No. 3 ATS team in the NBA at 19-11 ATS. They are even better than the Suns, who have been great ATS also. Even though the Thunder are on a B2B, they have a favorable injury report tonight (good thing there is no nightlife in OKC!). They are also in good form as they have won three straight SU and covered in four straight ATS. All of those wins came against playoff contenders. This is a letdown spot for the Suns. Phoenix played the Lakers last time out, and they are preparing for their rematch against the Warriors on Christmas. So they probably won’t give full effort here against OKC. And we think the Thunder will play hard here against the best team in the NBA. OKC has a strong betting history here as they have covered in seven of the last nine meetings.

We like to take a good team after a bad loss. We aren’t sure yet if this Clippers team is a good team or not yet, as they have looked great one night then awful the next. But last game out this team suffered a really embarrassing home loss to the Spurs. The team flat out did not show up to the arena, and Coach Lue made it known he wasn’t happy with the effort. We expect a strong effort here, and Paul George has a game under his belt to get back in the groove. Not to mention the Clippers are 5-1 ATS in their last six trips to Sacramento.

The Cavs have now covered in 14 straight games! And here we see them as an underdog again against the underperforming Celtics. Both teams have a grocery list sized injury report as most of the teams in the NBA are being wracked by Covid. But the Cavs have played great team basketball and this team doesn’t have any stars anyways. They have been playing hard every game as evidenced by their stellar ATS record, and they are getting too many points again today in a game either team could win.

The Lakers are the worst ATS team in the NBA, and they are playing the NBA’s best team to this point of the season. The Lakers have a long list of players out due to covid or injury, and the Suns should have all their stars tonight. The Lakers are the worst ATS team because they aren’t that good this season but also they are normally shaded by the oddsmakers and we think that is the case tonight as we thought this line should be closer to double digits.

These teams played Sunday and it was a pretty strong game for both teams. We are going with the Zig Zag theory here for the rematch. When teams play consecutive games here, especially mid-tier teams, and there is a change of venue where the losing team is now at home, they normally have a great chance to win the game. We see that happening here. Key players are out for both teams and we expect a low scoring game.

The Spurs come in on a B2B and playing their third game in four nights. The Clippers are desperate for a win as they have dropped two straight after a four-game winning streak. And they could be getting Paul George back tonight for this one, and he will be fresh if not rusty. But he will be the best player on the court. The Clippers have covered in five of six meetings and they have won three straight.

The Bulls are as rested as any team in the NBA at this point in the season as their last game was over a week ago. Both teams are still having Covid issues, but the Lakers will also be without AD, who is now out for a month at least. And Chicago is getting some players back in the mix for tonight. The Lakers roster is thin anyways, and chemistry is a major issue here. The Bulls will be excited to get back on the court, and that should be reflected in the final score.

The Wizards haven’t been playing well lately. But this spread is just too good to pass up. Utah looked in bad form last night in a home loss to San Antonio. Their offense once again did well, but their defense didn’t play up to standards. Now they are on a B2B against a Wizards team that was off on Friday. This is the most points the Wizards have gotten as an underdog this season, and we think this is a couple too many points.

Cleveland has covered in three straight games. And it looks like they have another juicy line here for Saturday. They are well rested, while the Bucks are coming in on a B2B. The Bucks are likely to be shorthanded again tonight, while the Cavs are relatively healthy. Not only did the Bucks play last night, but they went to OT where they lost in New Orleans. This is just a bad spot for the home team and we think Cleveland will keep the momentum going tonight.

The Celtics are on a back-to-back, but they were well rested coming into last night’s game so this isn’t your normal B2B. And they are 4-2 SU and ATS in B2B situations regardless this season. They were a bit rusty to start the game last night due to that time off and could never catch up through they played well at the end, and we think that positive momentum will carry over here tonight. New York doesn’t have a quality win yet this month, and we don’t see it happening tonight.

The Wolves are healthy while the Lakers injury list looks as long as a grocery list. They have key players out because of Covid, and everyone else is banged up at the very least. This is already a thin team in terms of depth, and the Wolves will want to perform well here as it is always an important game when the Lakers come to town.

The Grizzlies have figured it out and are playing some of the best basketball in the NBA right now even without their best player. They don’t seem to have a letdown game too often, and they are playing great team basketball and their offense is in rhythm. They far outclass the Kings, who look to be in for another poor season. We will go with the hot team here again tonight.

The Nuggets have generally been playing above their heads most of the last month despite some key injuries. Kudos to them. We think this might be a time to fade them for a bit moving forward. They obviously have respect from the oddsmakers. But they played really bad last time out in a blowout to a divisional opponent (Minnesota) at home. Now they face a much better team on the road. And we are getting a nice line here because the Hawks haven’t played their best. But we expect them to use this game to build their first win streak of the month.

Golden State has covered only one of their last four, and we think they have cooled off a bit and they are still saddled with shading from the oddsmakers. Boston is coming in well rested and they just knocked of Milwaukee at home. This team has a penchant for getting up against top teams at home, and we think they will be very motivated for the outright win here. Boston has covered in four of the last five meetings.

Philly hasn’t been playing great basketball lately, and they are on a back-to-back, but this is a great chance for a win for them and they are the kind of team that can take advantage. The Nets have seven players out for Covid protocols right now and they had to sign someone off the streets to get to the league minimum of eight players to play this game. The situation is so dire and we doubt we will see Durant play super heavy minutes here. So the Sixers have a great chance for a pretty easy win, and we had them laying five points here in our handicapping. They have lost three of four so a win is important. The Nets are 0-6 ATS in their last six home games, and we don’t expect things to go well for them tonight with this very limited roster.

The Grizzlies are quietly getting the job done and playing their best basketball of the season. They have won 8 of 9 and are covering in a lot of those games. The Blazers have been very cold as they are 1-9 in their last 10 SU. They have had a very tough schedule, but this game will be tough for them as well. Especially since they are on a back-to-back after taking the Suns to overtime last night, and this is a game they exerted a lot of energy in. We don’t expect them to have much left in the tank for a game that probably isn’t as important to them as the one they played last night.

Both these teams have been as hot as can be ATS with the Rockets at 9-1 ATS in their last 10 and the Cavs 10-0 ATS. So somethings got to give. We think the chances of this being a blowout outweigh it being a close game. The Rockets got hot and have had some solid wins, but many of their recent games have come against questionable teams. Cleveland right now isn’t questionable and this team is quietly playing as well as any team in the NBA right now. Cleveland hasn’t been overlooking opponents, and we see another cover coming tonight.

Both teams have key players that may or may not miss this game. But the Suns have been playing amazing team basketball all season and they are better built to weather the storm of injuries than the Clippers, a team still very much trying to figure things out. LA has been playing better recently, but they don’t seem to be a match for the Suns, and this spread is more than fair for the visitors. And, also, even though Pat Bev doesn’t play for the Clippers any more, Chris Paul will be motivated against his old team because of history and also that Pat Bev shove in the back in the postseason last year.

The Spurs have covered in five straight meetings and six of seven. Both teams here play bad defense, and we see a high scoring game. But the Spurs are good offensively, and we expect them to put up a big number on offense tonight. These teams have similar records, but the Spurs are the better team, and we expect them to take care of business here at home.

The Nets have had trouble here in recent meetings as they are just 1-4 ATS in their last five in Detroit. Harden for the Nets will be out for rest, and that tells us that the Nets aren’t taking this game too seriously. Brooklyn is 3-8 ATS in this spread range they see themselves in tonight, and they are just 2-4 ATS on the road against sub-.500 teams. That shows us that this team loses focus in situations like this. Detroit is a bad team but they play hard and they have a habit of covering as a decent sized underdog. We expect a close game here tonight.

It would seem that many things would point to a solid bet on OKC here. They are one of the best ATS teams in the NBA, and the Lakers are one of the worst. OKC is coming off two wins, and the Lakers are coming in on a back-to-back on the road after losing last night in Memphis. The Thunder have won both games against the Lakers this season. But it’s that last point in why we like the road team so much tonight. This is a game we have had circled for awhile, and the line certainly set up nicely for us. This is a double revenge scenario for the Lakers, who have been playing much better overall since they lost those two games to OKC. A lot of times teams forget about random games from months ago, but we doubt the Lakers forgot about those two losses. Those are brought up all the time by fans and media in criticisms of the Lakers. LA played a stinker last night in Memphis. They lost by double digits. We get the feeling they were looking ahead at this double revenge spot. And OKC has won two straight after a long losing streak and we don’t see them giving top effort tonight. Lakers by 7+!

OKC is another one of those bad teams that are good against the spread. They play hard and have a good floor leader but they don’t yet know how to close out games. That is ATS gold. They have covered seven of their last 10 despite going 2-8 SU during that span. They are 14-9 ATS on the season despite a 7-16 SU record. We think they are getting too many points here again. Toronto is 0-3 ATS this season as a favorite of three or more points. We like to back a team off an embarrassing loss and that was OKC when they suffered the worst defeat in NBA history last week. They had an off night. It happens. But they bounce back nicely with a win and a cover, and we think they will want to play well for two straight games at least to get the bad taste of last week’s game out of their collective mouth.

Detroit is a bad team but one that plays hard and covers on a regular basis, especially when catching decent points. The Wizards haven’t been great as a favorite as they are 4-7 ATS as a favorite of three or more points. They are also 1-5-1 ATS in their seven road games this season against sub.-500 teams. The Wizards have lost three straight and four of five, and they just aren’t in good form right now. We don’t think they are deserving of laying this many points on the road to a decent ATS team. This is a winnable game for the home team, and we think they go all out to make this a competitive one on Wednesday.

The Cavs are a team we targeted early in the season as a serious ATS threat, and they have been just that, with an 18-7 ATS mark that is one of the best in the NBA. And this team can really keep going strong all season as they are not a popular team with bettors with no superstar players. But this team plays strong team basketball and lock-down defense, which is a great recipe for ATS success. This team certainly looks like a playoff team and a team on the rise. The Bulls are right behind the Cavs on the ATS leaderboards. But they will be missing some players tonight, and depth is already an issue with this team. DeRozan is out because of Covid protocols, and they are missing some role players as well. The Cavs have covered eight straight games, but they lost two in a row to the Jazz and Bucks. This is a great spot for them to get back on the winning track, and we see a comfortable win here.

Both teams have looked good recently but we believe the Bulls are in better form, and this line is short in our opinion as we had this one handicapped at 6.5. The Nuggets are getting into the middle of this long road trip and that is when the fatigue starts to set in. They have also been playing a bit over their heads recently with all the injuries they have. We think the home team has a great chance for a comfortable 7+-point win.

Memphis has won four straight, but those were against opponents with some questions. They face a much tougher task tonight, and Miami is the better team with Ja Morant out for the Grizzlies. Miami has had a pretty tough schedule lately, but this looks like a good spot for them, and they might get some key players back tonight as well.

The Clippers played probably their most complete game of the season last night vs. the Lakers. But this team has been incredibly inconsistent, and this is a prime letdown spot after they go up against and beat their biggest rival then they face Sacramento on the road in a back-to-back. Paul George has ankle issues but is expected to play. The Kings beat this team in LA last time out, and they are rested. They also have wins over the Lakers and Blazers recently, so this team is playing well even though they have some head scratching losses too.

We just think this is a huge letdown spot for the Warriors after they snapped the Suns winning streak last night. They played two straight against the Suns and also had a game against the Clippers, who are more of a rival than the Spurs, who aren’t really moving the needle from an excitement standpoint at the moment. But the Spurs have won three straight and covered in four of five games, and we see a competitive game here tonight.

We rarely take the Lakers for expert picks. They are normally shaded by the oddsmakers and they are normally one of the worst ATS teams in the NBA. But bettor confidence is down for them at the moment, and we had them laying five in this game tonight in our NBA handicapping. The Clippers just look lost lately. They were beaten soundly in their last two games – by the Kings and Pelicans, two of the worst teams in the NBA. The Lakers have been more competitive lately and they have won three out of four, and they will have their full complement of the Big 3 tonight. The Clippers have been playing very bad defense, and we see the Lakers cruising to an easy win here.

We love to back a good team off an embarrassing loss. Not sure the Clips are a good team yet as they have been wildly inconsistent this season. But they are certainly off a very embarrassing loss as they were blown out at home by New Orleans. They were on a B2B in that game after a tough game against the Warriors, but now it is the Kings that are on a B2B. They were blown out by a Lakers team that has looked worse than the Clippers, and LeBron James was out with Covid. They really faded in the second half and looked out of energy, and that is a bad sign against a Clippers team that has owned them the last couple years (10-3 ATS in the last 13 meetings).

This is a rapid revenge spot for the Thunder as these teams played Monday and the Rockets blew out OKC in Texas. Now we have a venue change where OKC is at home, and we think they are the better team despite the records by a considerable margin. At 13-7, OKC is one of the better ATS teams in the NBA. They are 7-3 ATS in their last 10, so they are playing above oddsmaker expectations. Houston is just not a good team and they don’t handle success well as they are 2-9 ATS after a SU win. The Rockets are 1-8 ATS in their last nine meetings in OKC.

We rarely take the Lakers as they are normally shaded by the oddsmakers, but we think this is a good spot. LA is getting healthy, and they need a win here and should be extra motivated after losing to the Kings recently. This is more than a fair number for the much better team on the road. These teams have both been terrible ATS, but the Lakers have been shackled with shaded lines by the oddsmakers, while the Kings always get the benefit of very favorable lines. We think the road team gets a 7+-point win here.

Portland has just been a very mediocre team this season, and they are getting lined here according to their potential and not their play on the court. They come into this one in lousy form, having lost three straight SU and ATS. Detroit is a young team that is going to have some bad losses, but there is some talent here and they have  been a very good bet as a big underdog as they normally play hard for a full four quarters.

Cleveland continues to be one of the best ATS teams in the league at 13-7 ATS, and they have covered in their last three games as well. The Mavs are one of the worst ATS teams this season and they are regularly overrated by the oddsmakers. No one wants to bet this team with no stars, and the Mavs have some star power that hasn’t translated into the expected success on the court this season. In fact, these teams have very similar records, and we expect a close game tonight.

When a team is catching this many points, you have to look for a reason to back them. Since these are normally bad teams, you need to usually look at the other team and see if there are chinks in the armor. In our opinion, Philly hasn’t played like a team that should be laying this many points. They have covered in only two of their last 10 games. They are finally getting healthy, but this team hasn’t exactly been dominant when healthy this season. We think the Magic will be competitive in this one, and the players are probably even aware of this huge point spread and could use it for fire.

Both teams have similar records, but the Grizzlies have a much higher ceiling and they have underachieved to start the season, while the Kings have been what we expected from them. And we are getting a nice line here because Morant, the best player on the court for Memphis, is missing. But this team still has a lot of talent, and their offense has been humming lately. In a game that won’t feature much defense, we see the home team pulling away in the fourth quarter.

We think this is a great spot for the Nets, who have been playing as well as any team in the NBA lately. They are well rested here after having two nights off after a big win over Boston on Wednesday, while the Suns are on a back-to-back. They played a physical Knicks team last night. Phoenix has been playing extremely well overall lately, but they have had a very busy schedule this week and this road trip will start to wear on them. Brooklyn has had a lot of success in this series as they are 9-3 ATS in the last 12 meetings. And since these teams don’t see each other often, that trend stretched back for years.

Boston had been playing very well recently until they ran into a hot Brooklyn team and had kind of a bad loss on Wednesday. We think that was just a hiccup and this is a great spot for them to bounce back and get on track. Boston has found their defense and they have probably been playing some of the best defense in the NBA throughout the last 10 or so games before the Brooklyn loss. We expect them to be focused here against a very beatable opponent, and this line is more than fair laying a small number on the road. Boston has bounced back well after a loss as they are 4-0 ATS after losing a game.  

The Clippers were ON during their seven-game winning streak, but that seems pretty far in the rearview mirror and this team is OFF right now. They have lost four of six SU and ATS, and three of those losses have been by double digits. That’s not the type of form where the more popular team should be laying double digits to anyone, even the rebuilding Pistons. Detroit is battle tested lately and they have played a bunch of playoff type teams lately. They have been very competitive and haven’t lost a game in blowout fashion in a handful of games against teams in better form than LA. Detroit is 6-1 ATS in their last seven after a loss.

The Suns have that gaudy 14-3 record, but the Cavs have a better ATS record than do the Suns. They are one of the better ATS teams in the NBA at 11-7 ATS. They have been in a bit of a slide lately as they faced an incredibly brutal schedule lately. And they didn’t embarrass themselves in any of those games and were always competitive. The Suns have faced a slew of Western Conference teams lately. They have been playing well. We think they might take a breather here and not give 100% against an out of conference team that isn’t going to move the needle nationally.

These teams played Saturday, same venue, and the Bucks won by only 9. Milwaukee is not in playoff form right now, but they keep getting lined by the oddsmakers like they are. The Bucks haven’t covered a spread in five games. They are 1-7 ATS at home. The Magic aren’t a very good team. But this is a revenge spot against a familiar opponent where they just played and kept the game within punching distance. We think there’s a great chance this game is even closer than the Saturday game.

We think that this is a good spot for the Lakers to get back on track, on the road vs. a bad team. Going against the Lakers this season has been very profitable as they are bad ATS. But Detroit has been just about as bad. The difference is that the Lakers lines are shaded, while the Pistons lines have been generous. LeBron has had a game back to get his footing, and this team needs a big win bad. We think they get it tonight.

These teams played Wednesday, same venue, and the Suns won but didn’t cover. We will go with the Zig Zag theory here, which will be useful this season with the quirky scheduling. The team that covers the first game normally doesn’t in the next, and we think Dallas is in trouble until Luka gets back as he is truly one of the top MVP candidates yearly because he is probably the most important player in the league to his team. They put up a fight Wednesday, but we don’t see it happening again tonight.

The Bucks have been a poor ATS team to start the season, and especially recently. This team seems to be in a bit of a funk to start the season, and they are no where near championship form that we saw over the Summer. But they are being lined as such. The Thunder are becoming a good ATS underdog. They have cashed six of eight tickets. They are gelling well as a young team and playing solid team basketball. They are healthy here and should bring their A Game against the champs to keep this one within double digits.

This line is short because LeBron James should be back in the lineup. But they weren’t very good before he left with injury, and we doubt he will be in 100% game shape if he does enter the lineup tonight. Bet this ASAP as if he is ruled out, the line will rise a bit. The Lakers are one of the worst ATS teams year after year as they are given too much respect by oddsmakers and bettors. Boston is always one of the best ATS teams, and they will give their rival their best shot tonight, LeBron or no LeBron.

Philly is 0-5 SU and ATS in their last five. But we just think this is too many points. The Sixers are dealing with a lot of injuries. But so is Denver as some of their key players are out as well. The Sixers have played a lot of close games during this losing streak but they were blown out and embarrassed last time out, losing to the Jazz by 35. This is a winnable game for them and we expect a much more focused effort and we think they will challenge for the win here.

The Warriors faced their first major road test against Brooklyn and dominated without really breaking a sweat. This seems like a team on a mission, and they are facing a banged up Cavs team that is on a back-to-back after putting up a good fight against that same Nets team last night but losing by 10. That was a conference game and now on a B2B and very thin roster we doubt they play better than they did last night and against a hotter team tonight.

These are two lousy teams. But they are a different level of bad. The Thunder are building something, while the Rockets seem hopeless right now and are unable to win a game. And despite some generous lines from the oddsmakers, they have not been covering, either. The Thunder aren’t too far removed from a four-game winning streak, and they have covered in five of their last seven. They are a much better defensive team than the Rockets, and we think that will be the difference.

The Cavs have some injuries tonight, but the Nets are on a back-to-back after a beatdown by Golden State last night, and we don’t see them playing well enough to win by double digits. The Cavs are 10-5 ATS this season ad flying way under the radar. They are playing excellent team basketball and solid defense, and we think they will bring that same mentality to the floor regardless of who suits up tonight. The Nets are only 7-8 ATS this season.

The Lakers have been bad, but we think this is too many points. The Bucks aren’t exactly in mid season form. They are 6-8 ATS on the season. They have covered only three of their last 10. The Lakers need a win badly, and we think they will play hard against the Bucks. They probably have to feel a bit disrespected also since this is their biggest line as an underdog in a while. Plus, knowing that LeBron is coming back soon might give this team a jolt.

Both teams are hot, but we think the Warriors record and recent results can be taken with a grain of salt. This team has had one of the easiest schedules in the NBA and it has been very home heavy as well. This is only their third road games outside of the state of California. They are facing their toughest opponent of the season, on the road, and we think this spread is short tonight. Might the Warriors be as good as their record indicates? Possibly. They certainly have some talent on the court. But we will have to see how they perform consistently on the road where things are a lot tougher in the NBA. We think there’s a great chance Brooklyn wins this one by 7+.

These teams played on Friday and the Cavs won a close one. Both squads were on a back-to-back so that was a boon for Cleveland as they were at home. Not only is it tough to beat a team twice in a three-day span, but with no B2B situation we give the edge to the better team, and that’s Boston. We have used the Cavs a lot lately with success but this is a good spot to go against them as the Celtics get revenge tonight.

Bad spot here for the road team against the surging Clippers. LA is well rested with Friday off, while the Timberwolves are coming in on a back-to-back after playing the Lakers on Friday in a game they probably wanted more than this one. This is the first back-to-back of the season for Minnesota, and it’s a game we don’t see going well for them. These teams have already played twice and the Clippers dominated both matchups.

Both teams are coming in on a back-to-back, but Cleveland has a major edge here since they are at home. This team has been one of the best bets in the NBA this season and they are still flying way under the public betting radar. We think they are being undervalued again here on Saturday night, and this line has some nice value.

The Lakers have won two straight, both in OT, but in both games the opponent kind of beat themselves instead of the Lakers playing great. This is just not a good team right now. But this squad always gets the benefit of the doubt from the oddsmakers as they are the most popular betting team in the NBA every year based on their popularity. Especially after a couple wins. And they are always one of the worst ATS teams every year. We think they are overvalued again here tonight.

The Suns have a nice record so far, but we still believe they are overrated. Their path to the NBA Finals last season was paved in gold. And they have played a super home heavy schedule so far this season. The Lakers are not good to start this season. They got blown out at Portland. And they scored a slim road win at Sacramento. The Suns overall have been racking up wins against an easy schedule that has kept them in the overrated category in our eyes. But we think this is a very tough road contest for them and we expect a comfortable win from the home team.

Just going with the hot team here as the Cavs have been one of the best bets in the NBA this season. And they are 9-1 ATS in their last 10. They are very quietly getting the job done playing great team basketball, and without star players they are staying off the public radar. Cleveland has covered in five of the last six meetings between these clubs, and we think this line is more than fair tonight.

We really like the way Boston has been playing lately. They have showed us that they are probably a different team than last season, and a change of leadership has probably done this team well. They have won three of four and have covered four straight. This team has always gotten up for big games, and we feel that will be the case again on Friday night. The Celtics always seem to play well against the Bucks and they have covered in five of the last six meetings. We see them bringing their A Game here tonight.

In Thibs We Trust. Tom Thibodeau is one of the better coaches in the NBA, and on Wednesday he benched his starters for the entire fourth quarter to send a message. We anticipate they will respond here with an excellent performance against a Hornets team that is struggling after having lost five of their last six after a hot start to the season. The Knicks have been very good on the road this season as they are 5-1 away from MSG. We expect an inspired performance from the road team in this one.

This would have been a bigger play but the Heat went to OT last night against the Lakers and the odds moved after that. We still think the Clippers take care of business. After a slow start, the Clippers seem to be gelling well and they have won five straight. They have covered in four straight. They will face a tired Miami team that is 0-5 in their last five matchups against the Clippers.

Utah has been playing very well this season and is among the top teams in the league so far. But we don’t think this matchup will really move the needle for them and this is too many points for an out of conference game they won’t be very interested in. Indiana has been playing excellent defense lately, and as a result their last four games have all gone under the posted total. We think both teams will play strong defense here, and we expect a low total, making the points for the underdog all the more valuable.

Cleveland has been playing as well as any team in the NBA lately and they should be PK here if not a small favorite. We think this game is a coin flip, so getting this many points provides nice value. The Cavs have won four straight and covered in five straight games. At 8-3 ATS they have even been a slightly better bet than the Wizards (7-3 ATS). But the Wizards have had a home-heavy schedule thus far and they are only 2-2 ATS on the road. Cleveland is playing great team basketball right now, and we believe they have a great chance at the outright win here.

Two teams that have been bad ATS, but the Clippers are trending up and they have won four straight and covered in their last three games. This team is used to slow starts as evidenced by their playoff performance last season, but this team is starting to gel together and they have been playing well lately on both sides of the ball. Portland has dropped four of their last five games ATS. And they are 0-5 ATS in their last five visits to play the Clippers. 

Even though we aren’t sure who the Lakers will suit up tonight, this seems like a good situational spot to take them laying the small number. The Hornets are coming in on a back-to-back after a loss here to the Clippers last night. They really trailed off at the end of that game and looked tired. We think this will be a tough B2B for them. They are 0-4 SU and ATS the last four, and they lost the last three by 10+. We rarely take the Lakers but we think this is a good spot for them to get back on track and they are in desperate need of a win so they need to bring their A Game against a tired team.