Sports Picks & Predictions

The Spurs have covered in six of the last eight meetings in this series. While the Spurs may not be as good as they were during their peak years, this is a very stable franchise and they have one of the best home-court advantages in the entire NBA. OKC is going through a lot of changes in this transition season. The Spurs are coming off two losses so we are getting some nice value here as last season this line would have been about 3, but the Thunder aren’t close to the same team as last season with Westbrook out to Houston. The Spurs are 3-1 this season at home while OKC is winless on the road, and we think the Spurs have a great chance for a 7+-point win tonight.

Boston is rolling and they are doing in very quietly while some of the other teams in the NBA are grabbing the headlines. That makes for a strong bet, and they have failed to cover in only one of their last five games (one push). The Hornets have been playing well but doing it against a very easy schedule. We think the Celtics have a great chance for a double-digit win tonight. Aside from last season, the Celtics have been one of the best bets the last few seasons in the entire NBA, and with the hype gone from last season we think they will be profitable again this season.

Kawhi is out tonight and we think these are the best two teams in basketball. But with their star out of the lineup, the Bucks are the much better squad. This is a chance to make a statement for them. It’s likely that Leonard is sitting out here and will play tomorrow in the more important conference matchup against Portland on TNT. While this Clippers team plays hard every night, we think they will really bring their best effort on Thursday while this move by Doc Rivers shows that this game is just not as important to the team, and that can have a mental effect on the squad as a whole.

Philly was kind of exposed during their trip to Phoenix as they lost their first game of the season. The Suns are much improved for sure. But they aren’t anywhere near as good as this Utah team. The best teams in the West are much better than the top teams out East, Milwaukee withstanding as the Bucks are a true title contender. We had this line handicapped at 4.5 and think there is nice value tonight on this short line.

Even though the Warriors beat the Blazers getting big points last time out, we still think this is a team to fade. The Blazers played very poorly and they underestimated the Warriors in that game. We still think the Warriors are a team to fade with the current lineup they have on the court right now. Because they have the name Warriors on the jersey they have more respect from oddsmakers and bettors than they should. Teams aren’t going to care about kicking them when they are down, and a team like the Rockets that can score lots of points should have a field day against this defense.

A battle of 2-4 teams tonight but we like the underdog to keep this close and possibly win outright. The Magic have a more stable team heading into the new season. This team has underperformed for sure, but they are stable as the Thunder have a lot of change and they are working things out on the fly. Orlando has played the best defense in the NBA up to this point and we think that will keep them in the game to the end.

Boston has been one of the best defensive teams to open the season, and as a result they are 4-1 thus far to the under on the season. We don’t see Cleveland having much success on offense tonight, and in fact we think there’s a good chance for a blow out here, which would bode well for the under. Boston has been off for awhile and their offense could be rusty to start the game but their defense should be in top form with lots of energy from the time off. Great chance the Celtics hold the Cavs under the century mark tonight.

This is a really interesting situation with the Golden State Warriors this season, at least until Stephen Curry comes back. With him out and Draymond Green out and likely Russell as well, this is barely a G-League squad that the Warriors are fielding tonight. I have seen some NBA writers exclaim that this is the worst team fielded in the NBA for years. There are some really bad teams in the NBA every year. And they normally get generous points from the oddsmakers, and that is definitely the case here tonight. But the strange thing about this situation is that the Warriors are the biggest dynasty in the NBA for the last five years and teams are not going to overlook them. I think teams will take pleasure in “kicking them when they are down” and especially in the West this season where every win is a potential playoff tiebreaker we think that Golden State could have a really tough time covering numbers and we might start to see 10+ points with them every night until they get healthy.

Dallas has had a tough schedule to open the season. They are coming off a tough OT loss to the Lakers. They should be highly motivated to get back on track here tonight against one of the worst teams in the NBA and the easiest matchup on their schedule so far. Every game counts in the West, especially for a team like Dallas that could be on the fringes of playoff eligibility in April. They are 2-0 on the road this season, so early indications are that this team is ready to compete in road games. We see them notching a comfortable win tonight.

We went against the Magic last night and they were blown out of the water at home by Milwaukee. Now they face a good team off an embarrassing loss. Denver was blown out in New Orleans last time out, giving the Pelicans their first win of the season. Mike Malone called his team out publicly for lack of effort. When your boss calls you out for lack of effort, you are going to give a better effort next time out… right? Me neither! But we think the Nuggets players will respond tonight. Good teams off a bad loss are normally a good bet in the NBA as they give better effort next time, and with their coach calling them out we think the Nuggets will bring their A Game. They were off Friday while the Magic were getting rolled by the Bucks, and you would think Orlando would want to play their best game against a conference foe. But this team has gotten off to a real slow start and they have covered only one line this season, but two points against the lowly Knicks. We think Denver will flex their muscles a bit in this one and they should cruise to a comfortable win.

The Knicks are in the Bottom 3 offensively so far this season. They are only four games in, but it’s hard to see them rising too much as the season goes on. This isn’t a very good team. And they will be facing a very good defensive club in the Celtics tonight. The Knicks have gone under the total in all four games so far this season. They managed only 83 points last time out against the Magic. They have already faced off against the Celtics, at home, and managed only 95 points. They should have even more trouble here on the road. And with the teams so familiar after having just played, there’s a good chance the Knicks D will be more effective against the Celtics this time around.

Orlando has gotten off to a real slow start for a team that is on the rise and they have covered in just one of their four games so far. Their defense has been good but this team just can’t generate any offense right now. Milwaukee is averaging 119 points on offense thus far. We don’t think the Magic defense will be able to slow them down, and we for sure don’t see their offense being able to keep up. Milwaukee should have extra motivation after losing by double digits last time out at Boston. A motivated Bucks team is by far the best team in the East, and we see them taking their frustrations out on a Magic team that still seems to be figuring some things out in the early going of the season.

The Clips should have Kawhi back tonight to play against his old team, in case he needed any extra motivation after LA lost in Utah last night. The Spurs are 3-0 SU but 0-3 ATS, as the bookmakers have them overvalued at this point of the season. In the tough Western Conference, every game is important, and the Clippers will not want to lose two in a row to the teams they may be battling for seeding in the postseason. The Spurs are down this season from what we are used to, despite their current record, and the better team will get a comfortable win tonight.

The Clippers had a slip up against the Suns, but besides that they have taken care of business with an exclamation point against any test thrown their way. Even with Paul George yet to join the squad, this looks like the best team in the NBA to us, and they seem to be very motivated for a hot start. This team is playing selfless basketball. We had this line handicapped at PK so we think there is nice value here with them getting a decent amount of points tonight.

These teams don’t play often, but they have seen some very high scoring games in recent meetings. We don’t see any reason this one will be different, and it seems like the Rockets offense is way ahead of the defense so far as they have played in three high-scoring games where both teams put up a lot of points on offense. The Wizards offense has gotten off to a slow start, but we saw encouraging signs last time out in a 122-point effort at San Antonio, and we think that will carry over tonight against a team that hasn’t been playing good defense but plays at a fast pace.

The Raptors have played really well to open the season, but this team is just not as good as their team last year. Not even close. And The oddsmakers are lining them tonight like they still have Kawhi. Detroit has been inconsistent but they should get up for this game against the defending champs, and this line seems about three points too high to us. Detroit has covered in four of the last five meetings, and we think they come to play tonight.

The Cavs gave up 129 last time out to the Bucks, and we see them giving up a big number tonight as Chicago comes to town. The oddsmakers expect this to be a close game, and we agree, so the Cavs should get their points as well. The Bulls haven’t looked great on offense, but this game against Cleveland should be the cure, and four of the last five meetings here have gone over the posted total.

Orlando has covered in four of the last five meetings and we like them to do the same tonight. Orlando has gotten off to a slow start to the season, and they haven’t yet covered a line. But in NBA betting you have to take each game as a new opportunity, and this should be a good game for a solid Orlando team to get things back on track against a very poor Knicks club. We see a double-digit win here for the home squad.

We think that this is a few too many points for the Hawks tonight, a team that has gotten off to a strong start on the season. They have covered in all three of their games this season, and their only loss was last night at home vs. Philly, a Top 2 team in the East, by only a bucket. We think the Hawks are being punished a little too much by the oddsmakers because of a back-to-back as it’s early in the season and these players are somewhat fresh still. And Atlanta always seems to being their A Game against the Heat as they have covered in four straight and six of seven meetings.

We will back the Warriors again after their bad performance yesterday vs. OKC. But this team does not want to start 0-2 so they will put forth their best effort tonight. It’s early in the season and this is the youngest team in the NBA so the back-to-back should not be a problem. Golden State is better than they have looked so far, and the oddsmakers made too big of an adjustment here to this line.

This is only the Magic’s third game of the season, while Toronto has played three and one went to OT, so we think the road team will be primed for a strong performance. Orlando is an under-the-radar team that public bettors tend to stay away from, so there should be value with this team early. This is an improving club. Orlando has played excellent defense to start the season, and we think that will continue tonight. We expect a close game tonight.

We think the Bulls are underrated by the oddsmakers early this season, so we will go with them again here on Monday. They are coming off a bad loss to Toronto but should play a lot better here tonight. The Knicks are winless to start the season, and once again this team looks like one of the worst in the NBA. With this short line the Bulls basically just need to win, and they have the better talent on the court tonight and should have nice motivation.

We don’t think the Warriors are as bad as they looked in their opener at home against the Clippers. Los Angeles was dialed in for that game and made the Warriors look bad. But they are the stronger team here, and they will anxious to get the season back on track. Kerr will devise a gameplan to give Golden State the best chance for success here, and Curry give his teammates on the court the best chance to succeed. And the Warriors have covered five of the last six in OKC.

The Clippers have covered in seven of the last eight meetings in this series. And they have their best team ever right now. To us this is the clear cut best team in the NBA and Paul George hasn’t even started playing yet. We can tell that this team wants to get off to a strong start to the season. We don’t see them having a letdown tonight. They have a very tough schedule coming up and they need to win games like this. This Clippers team seems very bought in to the team goals and is playing very unselfish team basketball. The Suns have some issues right now with No. 1 draft pick Ayton getting suspended for 25 games for violating the NBA drug policy. He might win his appeal, but he won’t be available here tonight. Like any team, the Clippers will face some adversity during points in the season. But for right now this team looks extremely motivated. And it seems they are having fun. Don’t think there’s a lot of joy in Phoenix right now. This looks like a double-digit win to us.

The Kings looked really bad in their season opener against Phoenix. They were outscored 70-36 in the second half. To freaking Phoenix. They lost by almost 30. Now they face a team that went to the WCF last season. This team lost their opener to a very good Denver team and they will not take the Kings for granted as they don’t want anything to do with a 0-2 start. During the middle of the NBA season some good teams can overlook at game like this, but coming off a loss and with the season still young, we think they put forth their best effort tonight.

The Bulls have covered the last four matchups between these teams, and they have their best squad now compared to the one the last couple years. We see this team as a playoff contender and for sure a team on the rise. Memphis is facing a major rebuild and this team won’t get many wins this season. Both teams bombed out in their first game, but we think the Bulls had an off game while we think the Memphis result showed more of what they are. We had this line handicapped at -5, so we think there is some very nice value here. We think there’s a great chance for a comfortable win, and a double-digit win wouldn’t surprise us.

The Raptors haven’t covered a line in their last four trips to Boston. The Celtics kind of have a bad image after they faced so much discontent last season and flamed out in the postseason. But we think this team will be just fine and they have a solid roster. They have been one of the best bets in the NBA the last few seasons, and we think they will continue that this year. They were beat by a better team in the opener, but we think tonight they are the superior team and this line looks short to us.

It was just one game, but on Tuesday at Staples Center, the Clippers sure looked like the clear-cut top team in the league. Now they face one of their biggest rivals in Golden State on TNT tonight. The Warriors are way down from what we are used to with Durant gone and Klay out for the season. This team also has questionable depth. Curry and Draymond will surely lead them to a lot of wins, but we think they are outmatched here in this game against what should be a very motivated Clippers club that won’t hesitate to kick Golden State when they are down.

The Kings were a hot betting team to start the season last year and this team was in the playoff discussion before trailing off late while other teams got hot. But we think this team is solid and they will be competitive once again. They are pretty far ahead of where the Suns are at right now. And this line is more than fair for the opener for both teams as we only have to lay a small number with the Kings on the road and get the much better team in the process.

We think the Nets are a little overrated to start the season. The Wolves are pretty healthy here and we think they will give their best effort in their season opener. The Nets have a lot of buzz, but Durant won’t be here until next season and they enter the season a little banged up. The Wolves have been betting gold when playing Brooklyn as they are 22-8 ATS in the last 30 meetings, and we think this very strong trend will continue on Wednesday.

The last three meetings between these teams have gone over the posted total. We expect the same result here in the season opener for both teams. Both teams have new rosters and new philosophies. We expect the pace to be brisk here. These are known as defensive teams and we think the total is about four or five points too low for this game as we see both teams getting well over the century mark here on Wednesday.

Kemba Walker was the only guy really keeping this Charlotte team competitive in the past, but now he is gone. The Hornets will probably be one of the worst teams in the NBA this season. The Bulls strategy over the last few years of tanking is finally starting to pay off, and we expect a big jump forward and for this team to compete for the playoffs this season in the weak East. There seems to be some nice value in the line here for the opener for both teams.

There will be a lot of points in this game, but this total seems about 5 points too high. These are two of the NBA title favorites and there is a lot of pressure on both teams, and we just don’t see these clubs both excelling on offense right off the bat under the national spotlight. Both teams have a lot of new moving parts, and despite preseason results when the games matter things are different. We expect both teams to go through at least one cold shooting streak here in this game, which should be enough to keep the total under this posted number.

We think this might be the defensive game of the series so far. Toronto doesn’t want this to go to Game 7, and we think they play lock down defense tonight. The Warriors really have to chance but to leave everything on the court tonight in the last game ever at Oracle and also an elimination game and possibly the end of their dynasty. This should be a close game and in the fourth quarter both teams will really lock down and we just see the pace slowing down as this contest goes on.

Judging by this line it’s obvious that Durant is expected to take the floor tonight for the road team. That should help on the offensive end for Golden State. Toronto has been excellent in this series on the defensive end, but there has also been some poor shooting for the Warriors, and these guys won’t stay cold forever. And if Durant plays not only will he add to the scoresheet but that opens up a lot of things for the Golden State offense. And we don’t see Golden State slowing down Toronto much as they have been able to achieve their offensive goals on a regular basis in this series.

The Warriors can win this game and be right back in the driver’s seat for the series. They have been here before and had some scares in the postseason before, but they have so much experience and they won’t be scared and will just take care of business. They get some help tonight as Klay Thompson should be back in the lineup, and they know there’s a chance that Durant could be back for Game 5. They know there’s no reason to panic. We think scoring will be a lot better for the home team from Game 3 with Klay back here, and Toronto has shown they are hot on offense as well. But we think the Warriors will play with a purpose here with their backs against the wall, and we think they take care of business tonight.

The Warriors can win this game and be right back in the driver’s seat for the series. They have been here before and had some scares in the postseason before, but they have so much experience and they won’t be scared and will just take care of business. They get some help tonight as Klay Thompson should be back in the lineup, and they know there’s a chance that Durant could be back for Game 5. They know there’s no reason to panic. We think scoring will be a lot better for the home team from Game 3 with Klay back here, and Toronto has shown they are hot on offense as well. But we think the Warriors will play with a purpose here with their backs against the wall, and we think they take care of business tonight.

The Warriors have gone through some big lulls this season as a team. We wondered at points in the season if this team was as good as previous seasons. But when we get down to the nitty gritty we just think they were bored at times. This team has accomplished so much and the desire didn’t seem to be there. But when they were challenged, either after a bad game or by facing some kind of adversity, this team normally responded very well. And we think with these injuries tonight the team is facing that the players on the court are going to play with a chip on their shoulder. When this team and Curry are motivated, good things normally happen for them. They have Toronto right where they want them having stolen a game in Canada. We think the Warriors will rely more on defense tonight since they are likely to be missing a lot of scoring. The numbers don’t show it because of the pace, but this is one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. And we think Curry will lift his game up enough to cover this number.

The Warriors have gone through some big lulls this season as a team. We wondered at points in the season if this team was as good as previous seasons. But when we get down to the nitty gritty we just think they were bored at times. This team has accomplished so much and the desire didn’t seem to be there. But when they were challenged, either after a bad game or by facing some kind of adversity, this team normally responded very well. And we think with these injuries tonight the team is facing that the players on the court are going to play with a chip on their shoulder. When this team and Curry are motivated, good things normally happen for them. They have Toronto right where they want them having stolen a game in Canada. We think the Warriors will rely more on defense tonight since they are likely to be missing a lot of scoring. The numbers don’t show it because of the pace, but this is one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. And we think Curry will lift his game up enough to cover this number.

The Warriors are much better than they played in Game 1. They had a lot of time off before this series, and sometimes it is tough for a team to get into gear after that much time away from the court. But at times recently the Warriors need a kick in the butt to get things going, and that Game 1 result probably was the thing to do the trick. This team is in pretty bad shape if they go down 2-0, and we expect them to play with some purpose tonight and get this series back on track. And remember, the Raptors have played much more basketball in this playoffs with some long series, and Golden State should have some good energy here despite some injuries.

When we set this total for the Game 1 matchup we came up with a number around 207. We think there is some great value in the under. The Raptors slowed the game down a lot in the Eastern Conference Finals, and we think they will employ the same strategy here. Both teams are fresh with a lot of time off, and that means they will have a lot of energy for defense. And with the extra time off, the offenses might be rusty. We expect some cold shooting, especially in the first quarter before teams get warmed up. And we just have to love the Warriors getting points here. They have all the experience. They know this might be their last chance at a championship as there are a lot of questions in the offseason with this roster. They are just flat out a much better team – throw the regular season results out as the Warriors barely cared this season during some stretches but they are in full playoff form now and playing some of their best basketball of the season despite injuries.

When we set this total for the Game 1 matchup we came up with a number around 207. We think there is some great value in the under. The Raptors slowed the game down a lot in the Eastern Conference Finals, and we think they will employ the same strategy here. Both teams are fresh with a lot of time off, and that means they will have a lot of energy for defense. And with the extra time off, the offenses might be rusty. We expect some cold shooting, especially in the first quarter before teams get warmed up. And we just have to love the Warriors getting points here. They have all the experience. They know this might be their last chance at a championship as there are a lot of questions in the offseason with this roster. They are just flat out a much better team – throw the regular season results out as the Warriors barely cared this season during some stretches but they are in full playoff form now and playing some of their best basketball of the season despite injuries.

This is a season-defining game for both teams, and we expect both clubs to be at their top level defensively. Offense hasn’t consistently worked out for either of these teams consistently in this series, so we think they will rely on defense to get the job done. While the Bucks are on the ropes here and facing elimination, they are just a small underdog and if they win they will be a pretty big favorite for Game 7. Despite some real lackluster play in the last two games, we still think they are the better team and they will put their best foot forward here. We just can’t see them playing three straight duds. We still think they have a great chance to win this series.

This is a season-defining game for both teams, and we expect both clubs to be at their top level defensively. Offense hasn’t consistently worked out for either of these teams consistently in this series, so we think they will rely on defense to get the job done. While the Bucks are on the ropes here and facing elimination, they are just a small underdog and if they win they will be a pretty big favorite for Game 7. Despite some real lackluster play in the last two games, we still think they are the better team and they will put their best foot forward here. We just can’t see them playing three straight duds. We still think they have a great chance to win this series.

Everyone remembers the last game in an NBA playoff series, and the Bucks were routed in Game 4 in Toronto. We will give this team a mulligan, however, as we think they just had a bad game. It happens to the best of teams. But if Game 3 had gone a little different, this could easily be an elimination game for the Bucks. We think this is a great spot for them to rebound, and we don’t at all think that the Raptors have the momentum in this series. The Bucks will play their best at home and have a chance to close it out in Game 6 in Toronto. We took the over last time out as these teams had just come off Double OT and were tired. They should be more well rested here, and we expect a lower-scoring game. We think the defenses will really step up as this is a crucial game in what is now a 3-game series. And we think there’s a decent chance this could be a blowout and that the Raptors will be held to a real low score.

The advantage goes to the better team when two teams are tired, and after the long Game 3 with two overtimes we think that gives the Bucks the advantage here in Game 4. Toronto needed an almost superhuman effort to win Game 3, and we think the Bucks had an off game. But this team is focused and determined and we don’t see them losing this game. We saw what happened after the Denver/Portland four OT game when defense went out the window in the following game with tired legs. We expect to see a similar result here and we think the scoring will be way up from what we saw in regulation in Game 3. We expect more shots to drop, and we think Milwaukee will do everything they can to ensure that they have a chance to close this out in Game 5 back at home, especially now that their probable NBA Finals opponent is already waiting and resting after Golden State swept the Blazers (and they have major injuries they are hoping for extra time to heal).

The advantage goes to the better team when two teams are tired, and after the long Game 3 with two overtimes we think that gives the Bucks the advantage here in Game 4. Toronto needed an almost superhuman effort to win Game 3, and we think the Bucks had an off game. But this team is focused and determined and we don’t see them losing this game. We saw what happened after the Denver/Portland four OT game when defense went out the window in the following game with tired legs. We expect to see a similar result here and we think the scoring will be way up from what we saw in regulation in Game 3. We expect more shots to drop, and we think Milwaukee will do everything they can to ensure that they have a chance to close this out in Game 5 back at home, especially now that their probable NBA Finals opponent is already waiting and resting after Golden State swept the Blazers (and they have major injuries they are hoping for extra time to heal).

Golden State is playing some of their best basketball of the season right now. Maybe some of these players hate Kevin Durant and want to win in spite of him, but they have rallied around each other and things have been working out great. Portland, at the end of Game 3, reminded me of the old Clippers team when they would be close in the playoffs at the end of a game. They just completely fell apart and had no control of the ball. They were just hoisting prayer shots up. They were basically panicking with their season on the line and the Warriors were cool, calm and collected. Portland needed that Game 3 to have any chance in this series. They are sunk now. And with a good chance to win heading into the fourth and with the way they played (and something isn’t right with Lillard right now), we don’t see how they can pick themselves up and be competitive here in this elimination game.

The Bucks have now covered in six of the last seven meetings after covers in Games 1 and 2. We think that both conference finals series are kind of mismatches, but especially this one. The Bucks just seem like a team built for the postseason while the Raptors seem more like a regular season club. Just look at what happened with Toronto last season, getting swept by the Cavs when it looked like they had their best team ever and Cleveland struggled all through the regular season. But the Bucks haven’t really faced much adversity in these playoffs and they have made things look easy. We think there’s a good chance that this series could end in a sweep as well, and we think there is nice value here getting the plus points in a game that the Bucks could easily win outright. After their slow start in Game 1 they have looked like the clear superior team here, and we don’t think the change in venue will make a difference for Toronto.

Game 3 is the most pivotal in a seven-game series. That is especially the case for the Blazers here as they are down 2-0. A loss here would be devastating to their chances in this series. We don’t think they have much of a chance to win this series, but the Warriors are without Durant and they are not as strong as they have been in past years. They have lost the competitive fire a little bit also, which is natural. Portland played well enough to win in Game 2, but the Warriors staged an epic comeback. But the home court will be kinder to the Blazers, and we expect them to win here tonight. These conference finals have been without much drama so far and we expect the refs to give the home team the close calls tonight. Sweeps in both series would be horrible for the bottom line.

The Bucks were obviously rusty at the start of Game 1 and they went down big to the Raptors early before getting it all together and rallying for the cover. Toronto had come in in better playing form having finished their last series in seven games, but now the Bucks have shaken off the rust and we expect a more complete game from them. We expect the Bucks to have a lot better offensive night, and the total has been adjusted down from Game 1. We think there is value on the over, and we think there’s a great chance that the Bucks could win this one by 10+ if they play as well as they did in the second half in Game 1 all the way through here in Game 2.

The Bucks were obviously rusty at the start of Game 1 and they went down big to the Raptors early before getting it all together and rallying for the cover. Toronto had come in in better playing form having finished their last series in seven games, but now the Bucks have shaken off the rust and we expect a more complete game from them. We expect the Bucks to have a lot better offensive night, and the total has been adjusted down from Game 1. We think there is value on the over, and we think there’s a great chance that the Bucks could win this one by 10+ if they play as well as they did in the second half in Game 1 all the way through here in Game 2.

We expect a lot better effort here in Game 2 from the road team. They didn’t play well at all in Game 1, and this team doesn’t normally have two bad games in a row. We expect their shooting to be better and we think both teams will get their points. Both clubs got off to a slow start in Game 1, but the scoring here on Thursday should be a lot more fluid and we expect a close game and it would not surprise us if the Blazers challenged for the win as this is just not the same Golden State team we are used to.

We couldn’t be happier with this line. The number we had in our mind was around 9, but we knew the bookies would not open with that big of a number. We think the Raptors are getting a little extra shading with the line here because everyone and their mother saw Leonard’s amazing buzzer-beater on SportsCenter. But we think this Game 1 will be pretty one-sided. The Bucks have looked much more impressive than the Raptors in this postseason. They have been chilling for awhile while the Raps finished a grueling seven-game series on Sunday. The Bucks seem incredibly focused in this postseason so we don’t see them being rusty with the time off. But Toronto could sure use some more rest coming into this one. The Bucks won and covered in three of four meetings this season, and two of those games were blowouts. We think they have a very good chance to win this by double-digits. The Bucks were one of the best ATS teams in the NBA at home this season, and we think they are underrated once again tonight. We expect them to take a statement here tonight with a tour de force in Game 1. We also think this total is too high and we think this will be a low-scoring game like Games 1 were for these teams in the last round.

We couldn’t be happier with this line. The number we had in our mind was around 9, but we knew the bookies would not open with that big of a number. We think the Raptors are getting a little extra shading with the line here because everyone and their mother saw Leonard’s amazing buzzer-beater on SportsCenter. But we think this Game 1 will be pretty one-sided. The Bucks have looked much more impressive than the Raptors in this postseason. They have been chilling for awhile while the Raps finished a grueling seven-game series on Sunday. The Bucks seem incredibly focused in this postseason so we don’t see them being rusty with the time off. But Toronto could sure use some more rest coming into this one. The Bucks won and covered in three of four meetings this season, and two of those games were blowouts. We think they have a very good chance to win this by double-digits. The Bucks were one of the best ATS teams in the NBA at home this season, and we think they are underrated once again tonight. We expect them to take a statement here tonight with a tour de force in Game 1. We also think this total is too high and we think this will be a low-scoring game like Games 1 were for these teams in the last round.

Golden State seems to have found their scoring touch again and Stephen Curry broke out of his shooting slump in a big way against the Rockets in Game 6, having a big second half. With Durant out for this game, the Warriors go small ball and this is mostly the lineup that began the dynasty in the Bay Area. We just don’t see the Blazers slowing this team down tonight. Portland has a very strong offense and we don’t think they will have trouble putting the ball in the basket tonight. We feel like they are playing with house money in this series and the game should be free flowing and we don’t see a defensive matchup here. We may see more defensive games later in the series, especially if Portland manages to win a game or two and make this a series. But for tonight we expect a fast pace and some easy baskets for both teams.

Even though four of the six games in this series have gone under, the last two have gone over. But we think there is a great chance this will be one of the most low-scoring games of the series. Both of these teams have massive expectations. Whichever team loses this game will have had a disappointing season. We just don’t see this as a free-flowing offensive game and we think both teams are really going to buckle down on the defensive end. We really think we could see a game like Game 2 where both teams finish well under 100. These teams don’t have a lot of experience in this situation and there will probably be some jitters that could affect early offense. And by the fourth quarter both teams will be fighting for their postseason life and we should see some great D.

We have always liked the Blazers to advance in this series and we think the line has value here for Game 7 in what we expect to be a close game. Despite the results of this series, the Blazers are the more experienced team, and that will count a lot in a Game 7. We had this line handicapped at 3.5 and we think the Blazers could do even better than that and win this one outright.

Kevin Durant has been playing out of his mind in the postseason and the rest of the Warriors supporting cast has been a disappointment most of the time. But this is the defending NBA champ and the current NBA dynasty, and they still have Curry, Thompson and Green, and a solid team all around. They also have a great coach. We think they will do what they can to make this a competitive game. Curry isn’t going to stay cold forever, and with more responsibility tonight we think he has a great game and takes control. We expect a close game here tonight.

Kevin Durant has been playing out of his mind in the postseason and the rest of the Warriors supporting cast has been a disappointment most of the time. But this is the defending NBA champ and the current NBA dynasty, and they still have Curry, Thompson and Green, and a solid team all around. They also have a great coach. We think they will do what they can to make this a competitive game. Curry isn’t going to stay cold forever, and with more responsibility tonight we think he has a great game and takes control. We expect a close game here tonight.

A team is normally never as bad or good as their last game, and we are willing to give the Blazers a mulligan for that one as the game just got out of control and they could never recover. But otherwise this has been a competitive series and we don’t see the Blazers going away that easy. This team has a lot of determination and grit, and they have a great home crowd behind them tonight against a Denver team that is a nice squad for sure but they aren’t a championship-caliber team at this point. We think there’s a great chance for a comfortable win for the home team here.

Toronto has taken back control of this series by winning the last two games and putting the Sixers on the verge of elimination. Now they should have a sense of urgency cine the Bucks closed out the Celtics in the East. They don’t want this series to go to seven games. The Sixers lack of depth is starting to glaringly show as the starters are becoming less effective as the series wears on and Embiid has been a dud all series long. We think Toronto closes this one out tonight.

We think there is a very good chance that Golden State loses this series and that their reign is coming to an end. They face a ton of questions in the offseason and this squad just doesn’t seem to have the same fire that they have had in past seasons. They also don’t look as confident. All the pressure seems to be on Golden State as the Rockets are expected to lose and they can play more free and just play their game. They have taken momentum in this series and we think they will compete hard here with a chance for the outright win.

Boston hasn’t played well in this series and this season has been a disappointment and there will probably be a shakeup once this team gets bounced in this series. But this team does have heart, and we don’t think they will roll over like some other teams would facing insurmountable odds. We can see the Celtics leaving it all on the court tonight in this elimination game. We have to think Coach Brad Stevens will have his team compete for four quarters and we just think this is too many points as this is the biggest value for Boston during this entire series.

The Sixers have been very competitive in this series but Toronto gutted out a Game 4 win in Philly and now the series has turned into a best-of-3, with Toronto having two games at home. They were always our pick to win this series and they just have a deeper team and more experience in the postseason. The Sixers have not played well here in Toronto has they are 1-5 ATS in their last six visits, and we have a feeling the Raps will break this series open tonight with a comfortable win and put the Sixers on the brink of elimination.

This is really crunch time for the Celtics and they need a win here or there is a good chance this series will slip away. Boston is one of the better defensive teams in the league but they didn’t play well in that regard in the last two games. But they are much better than they have showed, and we expect them to batten down the hatches tonight and play a great defensive game. In Game 1 they held the Bucks to 90 points, and although they may not hold them to that low of a score we think they will make adjustments here as they have one of the best coaches in the league. We expect a very strong showing from the home team tonight.

Wow that was an amazing game in Game 3 even though we came up a bucket short on our pick. But after 4 overtimes and these teams giving everything they had, we think this game will be a grind, and we think the pace will be slowed down here. These players played their hearts out and played so many minutes and ran so far. There just isn’t going to be a lot left in the tank. And we think that will contribute to a low-scoring game. And we think this rare situation plays to the home team as they will be more comfortable at home and they can feed extra energy off the home fans.

Wow that was an amazing game in Game 3 even though we came up a bucket short on our pick. But after 4 overtimes and these teams giving everything they had, we think this game will be a grind, and we think the pace will be slowed down here. These players played their hearts out and played so many minutes and ran so far. There just isn’t going to be a lot left in the tank. And we think that will contribute to a low-scoring game. And we think this rare situation plays to the home team as they will be more comfortable at home and they can feed extra energy off the home fans.

A lot is on the line for the Raptors in this game. They bombed out of the playoffs last season in getting swept by Cleveland, and that was supposed to be their best team ever. Now this season they are supposed to have an even better team, and they need to even this series up badly and make it a three-game series. Kawhi Leonard is probably 50/50 to come back next season, but an early playoff exit here probably for sure sends him out the door. We think the Raps will give 100% after a lackluster performance in Game 3.

Both of the first two games in the Bay Area were close, but we just don’t see the Warriors cruising through this series without facing a little adversity and this is a must win for the Rockets tonight. We think that they will get the job done here. Houston has always gave the Warriors a challenge and this Warriors team just doesn’t seem to have the same fire that we have seen in past seasons.

As we have stated before, Game 3 is a crucial one in a 7-game series, and we see the Blazers as the clear favorite to win this series. They really flexed their muscle in that Game 2 win, and Denver’s postseason inexperience shined through. Both of these teams are much different at home than on the road, and the fact that Portland had such a dominating performance in Game 2 makes us think the momentum has swung their direction in a big way.

Game 3 is the most crucial in a seven-game series and the team that wins normally goes on to win the series. We see the home team winning tonight and we think Boston will win this series. This team didn’t play well in the regular season, but the playoffs are a different animal and Boston is built for the postseason. The Bucks are 1-6 ATS in the last seven meetings in Boston and 4-11 ATS in the last 15 meetings overall. We think the very deep Celtics team matches up well in this series and we expect them to lock down on defense against this inflated total.

Game 3 is the most crucial in a seven-game series and the team that wins normally goes on to win the series. We see the home team winning tonight and we think Boston will win this series. This team didn’t play well in the regular season, but the playoffs are a different animal and Boston is built for the postseason. The Bucks are 1-6 ATS in the last seven meetings in Boston and 4-11 ATS in the last 15 meetings overall. We think the very deep Celtics team matches up well in this series and we expect them to lock down on defense against this inflated total.

Road teams have done well in the postseason thus far and the bookies have also posted too high of totals in these playoffs with the under trending, and that is the direction we see for this Game 3 tonight. While we liked Philly getting a fair bit of points in their road games in Toronto, we still think this is the Raptors series to lose, and with them losing Game 2 the urgency is now raised and they need a win here tonight. We expect them to get it. This is an important game for both teams, and we see both locking down on the defensive end, but the Raptors will have a bit more success on offense.

Houston was in a position to win Game 1. We think this series is much closer than the oddsmakers think, and Golden State seems to have lost some of their fire and they just don’t have the same swagger as we have seen the last few seasons. The refs really screwed the Rockets in Game 1, and this has been massively publicized. If we see the same thing here in Game 2, there will be major scrutiny from the officials so we think the Rockets will get a fair shake here, and maybe even get more calls than the Warriors. The Game 1 total went way under and we still think this Game 2 number is too high and we just don’t see a free flowing game and we think every possession will be challenged on each end of the court.

Houston was in a position to win Game 1. We think this series is much closer than the oddsmakers think, and Golden State seems to have lost some of their fire and they just don’t have the same swagger as we have seen the last few seasons. The refs really screwed the Rockets in Game 1, and this has been massively publicized. If we see the same thing here in Game 2, there will be major scrutiny from the officials so we think the Rockets will get a fair shake here, and maybe even get more calls than the Warriors. The Game 1 total went way under and we still think this Game 2 number is too high and we just don’t see a free flowing game and we think every possession will be challenged on each end of the court.

We really like the Celtics in this series and we think they have a great chance to win the east. This team underperformed in the regular season, but the playoffs are a whole different game and the Celtics are built for the postseason. We expect a very competitive game here, and the oddsmakers didn’t really make much of an adjustment from the Game 1 line despite a 22-point win for Boston. We think this game will be more competitive because the Bucks season is basically on the line here, but Boston won’t roll over and be satisfied with their Game 1 win, and both teams should lock down on defense in what we expect will be another low-scoring game.

We really like the Celtics in this series and we think they have a great chance to win the east. This team underperformed in the regular season, but the playoffs are a whole different game and the Celtics are built for the postseason. We expect a very competitive game here, and the oddsmakers didn’t really make much of an adjustment from the Game 1 line despite a 22-point win for Boston. We think this game will be more competitive because the Bucks season is basically on the line here, but Boston won’t roll over and be satisfied with their Game 1 win, and both teams should lock down on defense in what we expect will be another low-scoring game.

We are pretty confident the Blazers will win this series and we obviously like them in Game 1 here getting the points. Portland made easy work of OKC in their first-round matchup and they are the more well rested team coming in to this series as the Nuggets had a grueling seven-game series where they almost blew it at the end on their home court. Many, including us, were skeptical of the Blazers in the postseason after losing Nurkic, but they have proved us wrong and this team just looks ready to head to the conference finals after a disappointing playoff exit last season. Most of these Game 1s have gone under while these teams figure each other out in the early going, and this total looks a tad high as well.

We are pretty confident the Blazers will win this series and we obviously like them in Game 1 here getting the points. Portland made easy work of OKC in their first-round matchup and they are the more well rested team coming in to this series as the Nuggets had a grueling seven-game series where they almost blew it at the end on their home court. Many, including us, were skeptical of the Blazers in the postseason after losing Nurkic, but they have proved us wrong and this team just looks ready to head to the conference finals after a disappointing playoff exit last season. Most of these Game 1s have gone under while these teams figure each other out in the early going, and this total looks a tad high as well.

Toronto got off to a strong first quarter in Game 1 and these two teams played pretty close the rest of the way and no other quarter was decided by more than two points even though the Raptors won all four quarters en route to a 13-point win. We think Philly will play a more complete game in this one. Some of the big names for the Sixers didn’t play well and we expect a better effort this time out and we think this series is closer than the Game 1 results indicate.

In the Warriors series against the Clippers, Los Angeles played pretty well. But it was also the struggles of the Warriors that allowed this series to be so competitive. And Game 6 would have been a lot closer if Lou Williams didn’t miss so many shots for LA. Now Curry and Thompson are banged up. This team just doesn’t have the fire that they had in previous years. They have a quick turnaround for this series. And they play a Rockets team that just embarrassed a pretty good Utah team. Houston could win outright.

We think this will be one of the tightest series and best ones in recent years. Despite the regular season records we think these teams match up well together. As long as they keep giving us lines like this for the Celtics we will take them. We can see each team winning on the other’s home court at some point in this series. We think this Game 1 will be a close one regardless.

We like the home team to get the job done tonight. The Nuggets have one of the best home court advantages in the NBA. They have lacked playoff experience coming into the postseason, but they have it now and they have a chance to advance here at home, and we expect them to get the job done. They have blown out the Spurs a couple times in this series, and we think this one has a chance to be a 10+-point win.

This should be a very tightly-contested series and we expect this Game 1 to be close. We thought that this Game 1 line was a little high and this total is high as well. Both teams should lock down on defense in Game 1 and they will be feeling each other out and we don’t expect a free-flowing offensive game. A Philly win in Game 1 would not be shocking, but we expect a close game either way.

The Warriors were the biggest NBA favorites in a series in NBA history for this series with the No. 8 Clippers. But now here we are heading to Game 6 at Staples Center after Los Angeles shocked the world with a Game 5 win in the Bay Area. This Clippers team has been underrated all season, and they have gotten even better as the season has worn on. They played an absolutely masterful game in Game 5 and they dominated in crunch time of that game. They have nothing to lose here and all the pressure is on the Warriors. This Golden State team has had issues all season. They were one of the worst betting teams all year. They had some head-scratching losses, especially at home. They don’t seem to have the same fire they have played with the last couple years, and they don’t seem to get along as well when they face adversity. They will likely win on Friday, but we think there’s a real good chance that they might miss out on a championship this year. And we might see the end of a dynasty as this team likely won’t have the same makeup. But there is no reason to think this won’t be a competitive game. This is Ralph Lawler’s, the long-time Clippers announcer, final home game. He is well loved by the team and fans and we think that’s an extra motivation for the team. You would think this Game 5 loss would be a wake up call for Golden State but they still lost another at home after Game 2, and they should have played with more determination in Game 5 after seeing Houston close out Utah in their series and knowing the team that gave them lots of trouble last year is getting extra rest. That they failed in this crucial spot says a lot about the team this season, and we think this will be an extremely competitive game on Friday.

This looks like a seven-game series all the way, and Denver has always seemed to be one of the more vulnerable teams in the Western Conference playoffs. They have no postseason experience, and no matter what they did in the regular season, the postseason is a whole different animal, and the Spurs have all the stripes in this situation. They also have one of the best coaches in the game, and we think he will find a way to extend this series. We think the Spurs will get the job done on the defensive end, and this one will be a lot different than Game 4, the only time in the last few years that the Nuggets have had any success playing in San Antonio. Also with the lack of drama in the postseason this year in regards to long series, we think the refs will really be on the side of the Spurs as the NBA would love a Game 7 in the first round. And although there is no fix in, the home team normally gets the calls in these situations.

This series has split on the over/under with two of the four series games going over and the other two going under. We think there’s a good chance that this game is a blowout as the Warriors really need to close this series out quickly and another game would hurt this club in the long run. We think they will really lock down on defense, and we just don’t see the Clippers scoring enough on their end to get this one over the posted number.

Utah didn’t show a lot of life in this series until Game 4 and they played a really amazing game. We think there’s a good chance that momentum carries over here tonight. Some of the teams that faced elimination last night didn’t even put up a fight, but the Jazz are a very good team and one that has a lot of pride. They know they are right back in this series with an upset tonight and then a home game for Game 6. We think they will leave it all on the court tonight.

It has been a great season for the Nets but their season might end tonight. But the way this team has played all season, we think they put up a good fight tonight. The Sixers have covered three straight in this playoff series but we have an inflated number here in Game 5 and we think that Brooklyn will do all they can to keep this competitive. The Nets will just come to work and they don’t have any big pressure tonight and we think the shots will fall and that this will be a close game.

All four games in this series have gone under the posted total, and seven of the last eight meetings have gone under the posted total. We haven’t seen much of an adjustment on the line from last game, and we think there is still value here for what has been a series with strong defense from both teams. Another blowout here is not out of the question, and that result would bode well for the under.

We thought that this series would be more competitive but the Jazz have played awful here and they just aren’t matching up well. They are toast and once you go down 3-0 there is no saving you. We think Game 3 sapped the rest of the Jazz’s competitive spirit and we think they will go out without a whimper tonight.

The big comeback win in Game 2 was a wakeup call for the Warriors. And it’s not like they played bad all game in Game 2 as they were up by 31 points in the second half. They just took their foot off the gas and couldn’t get it started again. But now this team is motivated and they should win here by double digits. We do think this Warriors team will see some adversity in later rounds but this series is a mismatch. The future looks bright for the Clippers, but this year their surprising playoff appearance will be a brief one.

If the Rockets win this game they will probably sweep the series, and we don’t see that happening. The Jazz are a very strong team and they will be back home to make their stand, and we see it working out well for them. Utah will lock down on defense and their home crowd will fuel them to the win. Just because two games were so lopsided doesn’t mean this series is over, and Utah will find a way to get it done.

This series hasn’t been even remotely competitive so far. We don’t think the change in venue will make much of a difference here. The teams have had two nights off and that favors the Bucks here as we think they will be rested and ready to put the Pistons one way from elimination. Detroit is the worst team in the postseason, and we don’t see them putting up much of a fight at home as the Pistons are living up to their reputation as the worst team in the playoffs this year.

While we think the Thunder have a good chance to win this game, and we admit we were wrong about them the two games in Portland, the Blazers have looked like the far superior team thus far in this series. And we think they are getting too many points in this one as we had this game handicapped at 4.5. The Blazers remember getting swept out of the postseason last year and they will want to get this series over with quickly in order to forget that debacle. This series looks like a possible sweep if the Blazers can win tonight, and the way these two teams have played, that doesn’t seem to far fetched.

Neither of the first two games has come anywhere near 200, yet the oddsmakers are hesitant to put a total under 200 here. Indiana has been the best defensive team in the NBA all year. But Boston has stepped their defense up big time and they have held the Pacers to an average of 82 ppg in the two contests thus far. The Pacers have also struggled with their shooting. We don’t see either team breaking out on the offensive end, but Boston will do enough to get the job done and we expect them to win this game tonight.

Neither of the first two games has come anywhere near 200, yet the oddsmakers are hesitant to put a total under 200 here. Indiana has been the best defensive team in the NBA all year. But Boston has stepped their defense up big time and they have held the Pacers to an average of 82 ppg in the two contests thus far. The Pacers have also struggled with their shooting. We don’t see either team breaking out on the offensive end, but Boston will do enough to get the job done and we expect them to win this game tonight.

This series has been a defensive battle thus far, with both games going under the posted total. As a matter of fact, seven of the last nine meetings have gone under the total. And the under is 6-0 in the last six meetings in Orlando. The Magic are a very good defensive team and so is Toronto. This is probably one of the most crucial games in the series and we see both teams locking down on every possession. The oddsmakers have not adjusted this number enough.

The Clippers are getting a lot of love for their historic Game 2 comeback in the Bay Area. While the Clippers certainly earned that win, a lot had to do with poor coaching decisions from Golden State and an apathetic attitude from the team when they were up big. This Golden State team hasn’t had the fire that they have had in recent years. This team seems to need motivation to come from outside. But they should have that motivation tonight, and we see this one as being a blowout as the Warriors give a superhuman defensive effort in LA.