Sports Picks & Predictions

The Jazz normally bounce back well after a bad loss, like the one they had in Game 1, and they are 4-0 ATS the last four games when getting beat by 10 or more in the previous game. We really like this Jazz team and we think they will make adjustments to keep this close in Game 2. We don’t think this Houston team is as good as last year’s club, and they are vulnerable in this game. The Jazz have been very good as big dogs this season, and we think they will come through on Wednesday night.

This is just a couple too many points. No NBA player likes to be embarrassed like the Pistons were in Game 1, and we think they give a much better effort here in this Game 2 matchup. The Bucks will sweep this series. But after Game 1 the bookies inflated this number when conventional wisdom says the Pistons will probably give a better effort here. It’s hard to blow any NBA team out in consecutive games. Detroit will keep this one within double digits.

Boston really locked down on the defensive end in Game 1, holding the Pacers to only 74 points. Their offense wasn’t good, either, but they did enough to cover comfortably. We expect them to play with the same defensive tenacity in Game 2, and we think their offense will be better here tonight. We think the Celtics are a real threat in these playoffs despite their subpar regular season, and we think they want to end this first-round series in four or five games.

Really like the Thunder to win this one. We think they outplayed the Blazers in Game 1, but the poor shooting from Paul George doomed this team in the second half. They were still within the cover at the end of the game, and we expect a much better effort from them tonight. They owned the Blazers during the regular season, and they have a big advantage on the inside with Nurkic injured. It’s interesting to see where the bookies make their adjustments from Game 1 to Game 2, and in this series it looks like they expect the Thunder to be much more competitive. And that is what we think as well.

Really like the Thunder to win this one. We think they outplayed the Blazers in Game 1, but the poor shooting from Paul George doomed this team in the second half. They were still within the cover at the end of the game, and we expect a much better effort from them tonight. They owned the Blazers during the regular season, and they have a big advantage on the inside with Nurkic injured. It’s interesting to see where the bookies make their adjustments from Game 1 to Game 2, and in this series it looks like they expect the Thunder to be much more competitive. And that is what we think as well.

Game 1 went way under the posted total, yet the bookies didn’t adjust the line for Game 2. Orlando is a legit defensive team. Toronto should bounce back here, but the Magic aren’t going to let them go crazy on the scoreboard. Toronto is going to play desperate here, and we expect them to tighten up on the defensive end. We think there’s a great chance the Magic finish under the century mark, and a blowout is very possible here and would bode well for the under.

We cashed a big play in Game 1 with Golden State and we expect much of the same result here in Game 2. The Clippers were just happy to make the playoffs. They would never admit it publicly, but they don’t expect to do much in the postseason without any star players. You could tell once the postseason was locked up that this team kind of went in the toilet. They actually played a pretty good game in Game 1 yet still didn’t cover. And we are getting a similar line here for Game 2. There was a lot of chippy play in Game 1 and that will help motivate the Warriors in Game 2, and this is a series they can easily sweep and have some rest before the second round. We think they will do everything in their power to make that happen. We expect a big point total from the home team tonight.

We cashed a big play in Game 1 with Golden State and we expect much of the same result here in Game 2. The Clippers were just happy to make the playoffs. They would never admit it publicly, but they don’t expect to do much in the postseason without any star players. You could tell once the postseason was locked up that this team kind of went in the toilet. They actually played a pretty good game in Game 1 yet still didn’t cover. And we are getting a similar line here for Game 2. There was a lot of chippy play in Game 1 and that will help motivate the Warriors in Game 2, and this is a series they can easily sweep and have some rest before the second round. We think they will do everything in their power to make that happen. We expect a big point total from the home team tonight.

The Sixers looked bamboozled in the first game and they just weren’t ready to compete. But tonight is now a must win for the team and this team just has to get it done tonight. If they don’t, this whole process that the team has been going through for years will be a big disappointment. We think they will come out and play their game tonight, and we expect a strong effort from the home team. Brooklyn caught lightning in a bottle in Game 1 and everything went right for them. We don’t see a repeat here in Game 2.

Even though the Thunder won almost 50 games in the regular season, it was somewhat of a disappointing year with more downswings than the fans would have liked. But you can throw the regular season out the window now. This is a whole new season, and the playoffs are a whole new beast when it comes to team performance. And with two stars on the team, the Thunder have a very good chance to win this series. We think they have a great chance to steal Game 1. The Blazers got swept last season by the Pelicans in the playoffs. We think that is very telling that this is a regular-season team. Nurkic was injured for Portland and is out for the playoffs, and the Thunder have a big advantage down low. The Thunder won and covered all four games these teams played this season, and we think they match up very well here.

Indiana is one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, but they have been better at home than on the road, and they just have not been that good defensively down the stretch run of the regular season. That is a big part of the reason that this team slumped so bad down the stretch. We have a strong lean to Boston in this one and we expect them to put up a big point total tonight. These teams met recently in what was essentially a playoff game and the Celtics put up 117, and that was in Indiana. We think they can do better here at home. The last three meetings have gone over, and this is the lowest total they have seen during this time.

This Clippers team snuck up on the Warriors in the first meeting of the season, winning straight up. They played them close in the second game as well. But Golden State figured out they just couldn’t take the night off against this team and they blew out LA in the next two meetings. This Clippers team was great for us all season long. But you get the feeling this squad just wanted to make the playoffs. Since they locked up a spot they have been playing pretty lousy. They lost three of their last four, and the only win was against a Utah team that rested their starters , and the game went to OT. We think this series will be a quick one, and the Warriors will show no mercy on LA. These teams just played, and it wasn’t even a game. Golden State played most the fourth quarter with scrubs in there. They won by almost 30. Not sure why this game would be any different.

This Clippers team snuck up on the Warriors in the first meeting of the season, winning straight up. They played them close in the second game as well. But Golden State figured out they just couldn’t take the night off against this team and they blew out LA in the next two meetings. This Clippers team was great for us all season long. But you get the feeling this squad just wanted to make the playoffs. Since they locked up a spot they have been playing pretty lousy. They lost three of their last four, and the only win was against a Utah team that rested their starters , and the game went to OT. We think this series will be a quick one, and the Warriors will show no mercy on LA. These teams just played, and it wasn’t even a game. Golden State played most the fourth quarter with scrubs in there. They won by almost 30. Not sure why this game would be any different.

The Nets come into this game with momentum as they have won three straight to close out the regular season. Embiid is listed as doubtful for Philly as we compose this writeup, and that helps the Nets immensely. The Sixers have one of the best starting 5s in the NBA, but this team just doesn’t have a lot of depth, and this to us seems like a team that might flame out quickly in the postseason, especially if Embiid doesn’t get healthy quickly. We see this as a very competitive, decently low-scoring matchup.

The Pacers are locked into their seeding in the playoffs and will travel to Boston for Game 1 over the weekend. But they have been slumping towards the end of the season, and they will want some positive momentum heading into the playoffs. Atlanta has been a nice surprise and they have a bright future. But we don’t think they match up with a motivated Indiana team tonight.

The Spurs, Thunder and Clippers are all in play for the No. 8 seed tonight and the dubious task of taking on Golden State in the first round. These teams want to avoid that. A win here and the Thunder avoid that fate. We think this is a glorified playoff game for them in that respect, and we think they give their all here since the postseason doesn’t start until the weekend. No reason to hold anything back against a Bucks team that will have their minds on the postseason.

The Wolves are out of the playoffs. But this team has been playing well down the stretch and it’s clear they aren’t content to tank for Lottery positioning. They have covered three straight heading into this game, and this is their last home game as they finish the season in Denver tomorrow. The Raptors are stable in their playoff positioning so they don’t really have any reason to worry about this game, and we think this line is inflated tonight as we expect a close, hard-fought game.

We have been going against the Warriors a lot all season. It worked out great for a long time as they have been one of the worst ATS teams this season. They have been on a surge lately, however. But they now have the No. 1 seed on lockdown and this team will not care about this game at all. The starters will have very limited minutes here. This is the season finale for the Pelicans, so there is no reason for them to not go all out tonight. A win here would be sweet in what was a very disappointing season overall. We expect a close game here.

This is a must-win game for the Heat. They need to win out and get help for the postseason. This is also possibly Wade’s last home game as he heads into retirement. The Heat have been floundering lately, but because of these factors and the fact that the Sixers don’t have a lot of motivation here, we think the Heat will play their best game in some time tonight. It probably won’t be enough because they need help, but we think they will want to send Wade out a winner in his last home game and we expect the team to rally around him tonight.

Boston is locked into its playoff position and they could care less about this game. The starters will see limited minutes if they even play, and the team that Washington fields on the court tonight will be the more talented one. They will want to end the season on a positive note, just like Boston, but this is their last game and at home, and we think they want to go out on a winning note in what was otherwise a forgettable season.

The Clippers have played pretty lousy the last couple games, but there will be some good motivation for this team in this game. Mainly that they want to do everything possible to avoid the Warriors in the first round. The Clippers have covered in four of the last five meetings. The Warriors have essentially locked in the No. 1 seed and they don’t have a whole lot to play for. They can win this game without giving 100% effort, and they might not even want the Clips to drop to the No. 8 seed as they might want to see a different opponent.

The Eastern Conference playoff race is tightly-contested at the bottom, and Nos. 6-8 could all miss the playoffs if they don’t win down the stretch. Brooklyn is certainly in that situation. The Pacers loss to the Celtics pretty much cemented their first-round meeting, with Boston holding home court, but the Nets need this game badly as they are in the No. 6 slot. They are only 1.5 games ahead of the Heat, in the No. 9 spot, however. They come in on a back-to-back, but we think they will give it their all after beating Milwaukee on Saturday. Also think this total is a couple points too high.

The Eastern Conference playoff race is tightly-contested at the bottom, and Nos. 6-8 could all miss the playoffs if they don’t win down the stretch. Brooklyn is certainly in that situation. The Pacers loss to the Celtics pretty much cemented their first-round meeting, with Boston holding home court, but the Nets need this game badly as they are in the No. 6 slot. They are only 1.5 games ahead of the Heat, in the No. 9 spot, however. They come in on a back-to-back, but we think they will give it their all after beating Milwaukee on Saturday. Also think this total is a couple points too high.

The Nets have been sliding lately and this team needs a win bad to make the postseason. These teams could meet in the first round of the playoffs. We don’t think this game means much to the Bucks, and they probably won’t want to show a lot here in case these two teams meet next week. But Brooklyn should be highly-motivated here, and we expect them to do everything they can to get the win. This game should be close.

The Clippers have been pretty much the best team since the all-star break. But they had a big hiccup last time out in a blowout loss to the Rockets. This was a rare game where they just didn’t show up to play. That went very much against the profile of how this team has played all season, and we expect a major bounce back tonight. The Lakers come in on a back-to-back after playing the Warriors last night. They got down big and expended a lot of energy in the comeback, and this looks like a very flat spot for them. We expect the Clippers to win this one by 15+

This game means nothing for Minnesota, playing an out-of-conference team when their playoff hopes are gone in the dust. But Miami is desperate here as they try to regain the No. 8 seed in the playoffs. They should give everything they have here as they are off tomorrow and then have to play Toronto on the road. That is a less-winnable game, so they have to take care of business here, and that makes this pretty much a must-win game.

This one is essentially like a playoff game. These teams will likely meet in the first round, and a win in this game will go a long way to deciding home-court advantage in that series. We think both teams will lock down defensively. Both of these teams are excellent defensive clubs. And we expect that to be on display tonight as these teams battle for home court. The under is 25-14 in the Pacers home games this season. The under has gone 9-4-1 in the last 14 meetings between these teams. The under is 5-0 for Pacers games after they win the last game, which means they normally like to follow up a win with a strong defensive performance. We think this total is about five points too high.

The Lakers have covered in five of the last seven meetings. We like the way Los Angeles has been playing and had them against OKC the other night and they had the cover in hand until just missing at the end with some very poor play the last couple minutes of the game. But that broke a streak of five straight covers, and this team is playing hard down the stretch, probably for their coach. Golden State is pretty much assured the No. 1 seed, and we don’t see them giving top effort down the stretch as they rest towards the playoffs.

The Clippers have covered six of the last seven in this series. They match up well with Houston, and this could be a winnable playoff series for them if they do meet up in the postseason. The Clippers have the best record in the NBA since the all-star break. They have great team chemistry and solid coaching. They are underestimated by the oddsmakers on a nightly basis, and that is the case again tonight. They won both meetings this season already, and we think it’s a point of pride to get the season sweep tonight against Chris Paul, so gave up on the squad.

A team visiting Denver on a back-to-back is another situation where we would probably stay away from said team. But Denver is in a bad spot here too, and they played and failed in Golden State last night in a game that was much bigger than this one. So we think they have just as tough of a back-to-back here tonight. The Spurs have been playing some of their best basketball of the season overall in the last month, and we had this line handicapped at 3 so we see some value here.

Even with their struggles the Celtics are a much stronger team than the Heat. They need to keep winning to start the playoffs at home, and that is a major goal right now. The Heat are trying to hold the No. 8 seed in the EC, and there is a reason they are that low in a down year at the bottom of the EC. These teams played Monday and the Celtics won by 5 at home. Normally in these quick turnaround games we would take the team that lost, but this is crunch time and we think the cream will rise to the top tonight.

The Warriors seem to be rounding into playoff form. This is probably the most important game for them left in the regular season, and we have no doubt that if they really flex their muscle that the Nuggets can’t really compete with them in the Bay Area. Golden State has covered in the last two meetings, and both were blowouts. Golden State has been one of the worst betting teams all season long, but they have been covering more lines lately and have had more dominating performances, and they should be motivated tonight.

This is just too many points for the Thunder to be laying tonight. No team is limping towards the postseason more than OKC. They have lost seven of their last nine overall (against a home-heavy schedule, no less). Their ATS record is the same during that stretch. Yet they are being lined like they are playing well. The Lakers have won four of five and covered in all those games. These young players are playing hard for contracts and pride. We think there is a great chance they can keep this one within double digits, and possibly even win if OKC implodes again. OKC is 0-7 ATS in their last seven against sub-.500 teams!

In a must-win situation last night in the Bay Area, the Hornets fell flat on their faces. They lost by almost 50 points. Teams normally put their best foot forward against the Warriors. The Jazz don’t create the same excitement. The Hornets are now on a back-to-back against another very good team, and we just don’t see how they will be competitive tonight. This just doesn’t seem like a team where pride will kick in but instead will feel sorry for themselves as they are No. 10 in the east with not much hope of rising up unless they won last night and tonight.

Not only are the Bucks coming in on a back-to-back, but they played OT vs. Atlanta on Sunday and now this team has to go on the road to face an underrated Nets club. The Greek Freak and Middleton are both questionable tonight for Milwaukee, and we are pretty confident that the Bucks will err on the side of caution with their two best players with the postseason coming soon. Even if they play, the Nets will play well at home vs. a team that shouldn’t have a lot left in the tank.

With Blake Griffin most likely out for the Pistons tonight, we like the Pacers to take care of business here at home tonight. The Pistons never seen to play well here as they are 1-7 ATS in the last eight meetings. Indiana has been struggling lately, but they have had a very tough schedule that has been road-heavy. This team plays much better at home, and we expect them to up the defense tonight as they not only need to get back on the winning track but they are trying to get a home playoff series as well.

Most Golden State lines seem inflated anyways, and this one looks that way as well. That, and the fact they normally get the best effort from their opponents, has factored into them being one of the worst betting teams in the league this season and the worst by far the last couple seasons. And this team could care less about the regular season. They will play to their top level in the playoffs. And they probably have lost a bit of fire after all the championships. But Charlotte needs this game badly as their playoff hopes are on life support. We should see a solid effort from them tonight.

We like the under here on Saturday. These are two of the better defensive teams in the NBA. They are both Top 5 for points allowed, with Indiana holding down the top spot. Indiana is coming in on a back-to-back and they allow even fewer points in these situations than their season average. The under is 25-12 in Pacers home games this season. It is 23-14 in Magic road games. We think there’s a great chance both teams finish under the century mark.

Utah has been a solid ATS betting team this season. But they have been especially good as big favorites as they are 7-2 ATS as a favorite of 11 or more points. These big spreads are normally designed to lure in the public sucker bettors, so when a team like Utah is good at covering these big lines it makes you take notice. The Wizards have lost five of six and this team is just waiting for the pain to end and for the season to finish. They got a win last time out against hapless Phoenix, so they probably has them content. We don’t see them putting up much of a fight here. They have one of the worst defenses in the NBA so we don’t see Utah having many issues putting up enough points to cover this big number. And Utah can play solid D, so they will hold the Wizards score down. Utah has won and covered in six straight meetings in this rare series, and we think they will win this one going away without breaking much of a sweat.

Even though the Spurs have lost thee of four, they had nothing to be embarrassed about in those tough games and overall this team has been playing its best basketball of the season this month. This team is starting to look like a factor in the Western Conference Playoffs and they are probably a team no higher seed wants to face. The Spurs have covered four straight in this series and they will want to get back on the winning track tonight. This is the perfect team to do it against, and we think it will be in blowout fashion.

The Clippers are one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now. We have backed them on many occasions. However, we think tonight is a time to go the other way. They are getting a lot of buzz right now for their recent play. But we think their current record is a bit deceiving as they have played some lousy teams. They have also caught the better teams on their schedule at a bad time (on a back-to-back or after or before playing a big game). This is the last game of a four-game road trip. They have gone 3-0 so far (but against Cleveland, New York, and Minnesota). Even if they get blown out here, they can head home with their heads held high. And that is what we think will happen. The Bucks are the No. 1 ATS team in the NBA this season. We think the Clippers are getting too much credit here and we had this game handicapped above double-digits and we think this one has blowout written all over it.

is right for the Thunder tonight, and we expect them to win this one comfortably. They have covered in three of the last four meetings between these teams. The Pacers have covered in only one of the last eight on the road. The Thunder are in the No. 7 spot for the WC playoffs and they will want to avoid the Warriors so they need to move up. Indiana is more secure in their seeding. We think both teams will play strong defense, but we expect the Thunder to come out on top, and there’s a good chance this one is a double-digit win.

The Warriors are battling with the Nuggets and a couple other teams for the top spot in the west. They have kind of sleepwalked through the regular season, and they have not been a good betting team. But we have seen some indications lately that they are putting forth a better effort, the home loss to Dallas notwithstanding. Three of the last four meetings with Memphis have been Golden State blowouts, and this is a rival and the Warriors always want to play their best against this opponent. We think that they will put their best foot forward tonight.

Never thought it would happen but the Bucks are becoming kind of a public team. This line sure seems inflated to us as we had the Bucks at -1. Houston has been playing well lately. They have been a bit up and down all season, but they seem to be making a strong push as we had towards the playoffs. This is the marquee game of the day and we don’t see this as a letdown spot. We think if both teams are playing their best that this is a pretty even matchup, so getting the points is the way to go here.

Minnesota matches up well with the Clippers and they always seem to play them well. They are 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings. They have won seven of the last eight meetings straight up. The Clippers have been very hot lately but we think this line is inflated and we had this one handicapped at PK so we think there is nice value here. The Wolves are normally very solid at home and we think they play hard tonight. This game is a coin flip, so getting the points is the only way to go.

This game has some reverse line movement so that is always a good sign when you are on the team not getting the majority of action. Atlanta has covered four straight in this series, and they have won three of those games. We think that the Hawks are playing hard down the stretch and they seem to want to end the season on a positive note while the future in New Orleans remains unclear and this team is kind of spinning its wheels right now. We like the underdog here to win straight up.

Boston has lost four straight and they haven’t been covering a lot of lines. They have had a very tough schedule lately, however, and the oddsmakers seem to have made a big adjustment here so we think this is a very winnable game and coverable line. Not only are the Celtics desperate for a win, but they have won three straight in this series, and they would have covered this line each time. And even without Irving they have the talent to win this one going away as long as they play a solid game.

We just think that this is too many points. The Suns have been playing some of their best basketball of the season this month, and they have covered more numbers than not in March. Utah is back home after a four-game road set, and these first games back can be tricky, especially against a lousy team like the Suns, as the home team players may be distracted by personal, off-court business. These teams played recently in what turned out to be a blowout Utah win, but the Suns hung in these most of the game until the fourth quarter. We think there’s a good chance to see a more complete game from them tonight since the teams have played recently.

We think this total is a few points too high. The Pacers are one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, and they do their best work in that department at home. They have been trending to the under here all season, and the last two meetings both went under the posted number.

The Spurs had their long winning streak snapped last time out vs. Miami. We predicted that loss after a win over the Warriors and with this game upcoming. We think the Spurs were probably looking ahead to this one. We think they will put their best foot forward. They are playing some of their best hoops so far this season right now, and I think all of the teams at the bottom of the playoff standings in the West want to keep winning to avoid the No. 8 seed and a dreaded matchup with Golden State in the first round.

Past Clippers teams would be scary to trust in situations like this. They had more talent than the current club for sure, but they didn’t play like a team and they would often underwhelm against bad teams on the road. But this current squad plays like a team, and they are one of the biggest surprises in the NBA this season. They are also getting possibly the best coaching job from Doc Rivers in his career. This team is 12-7 ATS on the road against sub-.500 clubs. They have covered four straight in this series. They are playing some of their best basketball of the season right now and they seem to want to improve their playoff standing as the season winds down, so we don’t see them overlooking the Cavs tonight.

OKC has lost four straight and they need this game badly. These teams just played Wednesday in Toronto and the Raptors won in OT. It is extremely hard to win consecutive games over the same team like this, and it is pretty rare for one team to get the sweep. OKC is 12-5 ATS in the last 17 meetings in Toronto.. Lowry is out here for the Raptors. This Toronto team seems like one that is content to ride out the rest of the regular season while the Thunder really need a win here, so the road team should have all the motivation tonight.

The Warriors have been one of the worst ATS teams all season. They just don’t give a crap about the regular season and their lines are always inflated. That certainly looks like the case tonight. After a rough patch the Warriors kind of flexed their muscles a bit and they have covered in three of the last four games. But we don’t think they will keep it up. They can give a subpar effort tonight and still win this game. Revenge doesn’t play a huge role in our NBA handicapping, but in certain situations we think it does come into play. And we have no doubt that the Pacers remember the 32-point beatdown they received at home to these Warriors earlier in the season. Every team wants to give Golden State their best shot, and we feel they will play strong defense tonight and give an all-out effort. Going to sprinkle 1 unit on the moneyline.

The Warriors have been one of the worst ATS teams all season. They just don’t give a crap about the regular season and their lines are always inflated. That certainly looks like the case tonight. After a rough patch the Warriors kind of flexed their muscles a bit and they have covered in three of the last four games. But we don’t think they will keep it up. They can give a subpar effort tonight and still win this game. Revenge doesn’t play a huge role in our NBA handicapping, but in certain situations we think it does come into play. And we have no doubt that the Pacers remember the 32-point beatdown they received at home to these Warriors earlier in the season. Every team wants to give Golden State their best shot, and we feel they will play strong defense tonight and give an all-out effort. Going to sprinkle 1 unit on the moneyline.

The Wizards won’t be making the playoffs. They would need a miracle for that to happen. But they are not mathematically eliminated, and we think they will play hard tonight. They have covered in three of the last four meetings in this series. They played a dud game last night as they went to OT at Chicago. But this team is a lot better at home and we don’t see them rolling over tonight. This looks like an inflated line, and we will take advantage of the extra points against a Denver team that is average on the road.

The Spurs are more secure in their playoff seeding right now and there is a lack of drama in the Western Conference playoff race. But Miami is in the No. 8 spot in the east and only 1.5 games secure in that spot. They need every win they can get, and the playoffs essentially start early for them if they want to keep this seeding. This is a sandwich game for the Spurs after their win over the Warriors last time out and with the Rockets on deck after this game. This looks like the perfect spot for a letdown game for the home team. Miami is one of the best betting teams on the road at 22-11 ATS this season. We think they will play some great defense tonight in a low-scoring affair. The only meeting this season, way back in November, saw the Heat win 95-88.

The Spurs are more secure in their playoff seeding right now and there is a lack of drama in the Western Conference playoff race. But Miami is in the No. 8 spot in the east and only 1.5 games secure in that spot. They need every win they can get, and the playoffs essentially start early for them if they want to keep this seeding. This is a sandwich game for the Spurs after their win over the Warriors last time out and with the Rockets on deck after this game. This looks like the perfect spot for a letdown game for the home team. Miami is one of the best betting teams on the road at 22-11 ATS this season. We think they will play some great defense tonight in a low-scoring affair. The only meeting this season, way back in November, saw the Heat win 95-88.

Boston matches up well here. They have covered in four straight meetings and in seven of the last eight. This line looks a little fishy as you would expect the Sixers to be favored by more points tonight and we think the sportsbooks are trying to get the public to load up on the home team here. But Boston has a strong history in this series and we think they will want to win this game coming off a loss last time out.

Philly has won all three meetings this season, but two have gone to overtime and one was decided by two points. In fact, all three Philly wins were by a combined six points for all three games. Charlotte matches up well here, and they will not want to get swept in the season series. The Hornets are 2.5 games out of a playoff spot, so this game is a must-win tonight, and we think this team will be focused on the task at hand. And Embiid is out of the lineup for the Sixers. This game is sandwiched between games against Milwaukee and Boston for the Sixers, and there’s no doubt they care more about those matchups than they do this one. Philly has been just average on the road this season, while the Hornets are very strong at home.

Golden State is one of the three worst ATS teams in the NBA this season. And they keep getting the benefit of the doubt of the oddsmakers. Every now and then they flex their collective muscle and play a playoff-type game, but mostly they are just going through the motions waiting for the playoffs while they get their best effort from opponents on a nightly basis. The Spurs have won eight straight and we think there’s a good chance they will keep that winni9ng streak going tonight.

Almost every game from here on out is a must win for Washington if they want to make the postseason. This team played pretty well at home, while the Jazz are just average on the road. Washington has covered in seven of their last eight games and they are playing well above their handicap from the oddsmakers lately. We expect a close game here and think the home team will put their best foot forward.

This is a bad spot for the Pistons and an inflated number also. They are coming in on a back-to-back and playing their third game in four nights. They also had one of their biggest games – and wins – of the season on Sunday with a home win over Toronto. They probably won’t be able to emotionally get up for this game like that one. And this is the start of a five-game road trip for the Pistons, and we just think they will get out of the gate slow here. Cleveland has won their last two home games. Going to sprinkle a little on the moneyline here as well.

We just think that when push comes to shove that the Bucks are a much stronger and deeper team than are the Sixers, and we think that if both teams flex their muscles on national tv here that the Bucks will come on top with a comfortable win. Milwaukee has covered in three of the last four meetings and in five of the last seven, and we think they will match up well again here today. Nice line value here, in our opinion.

We like this price for the underdog tonight for what we think is the better team. The Blazers have a shot to win this one outright. They were off on Friday and have played a light schedule lately while the Spurs enter on a back-to-back. The Spurs are 3-8 straight up in the second half of back-to-backs. The home team has been dominant in this series lately, but we think the Blazers flip the script tonight and we think they have a chance for the outright win.

The Spurs are 2-10 ATS when laying more than seven points this season. In the past you could trust this Spurs team to run up the score on clubs and they would try to give opponents the dagger when up big late. But this just isn’t the same team this year, and this team doesn’t have the same killer instinct. We think this line is a few points too high and we think the Spurs will do just enough to get the job done but we don’t expect them to win in a blowout.

This game is much more important for the Heat than it is for the Bucks. The Heat hold a 1.5-game lead for the final playoff spot in the east. They have won and covered in six of the last seven meetings between these clubs. This is the last game of a three-game road trip for the Bucks and they have Philly on deck at home on Sunday, and we think this may be a letdown spot for them Friday night.

This is a letdown spot for the Rockets after their big game against Golden State last time out. This line looks inflated by a couple points to us. The Suns are playing some of their best basketball of the season right now and this looks like a team that wants to enter the offseason with some momentum as opposed to some tanking teams out there. They have covered six of their last eight games overall, including an outright win over Golden State.

This is just too many points for the Pistons to be laying tonight. This team has gotten blown out the last two games, and they scored only 74 and 75 points in those contests. They failed to cover those games by almost 60 points! They are just not in good form right now. This is probably a good spot for them to bounce back, but we don’t see them winning by double digits. The Lakers are 4-1 ATS when getting nine or more points this season.

Charlotte hasn’t been playing well lately, but we think this is a very winnable game for them. Despite their similar records, we think the Hornets are the better team in this matchup. They are the more likely team to make the playoffs if either of these teams were to make it, and we think this is a must-win game for them in order to push themselves closer to that goal. They have won the last two matchups, and we think they match up well here.

The Mavs are flailing as the season wears on. At the trade deadline they made a bunch of moves with an eye towards the future, and they pretty much took a flier on this season. They have lost six straight and 11 of 12 entering this contest. Not only that, but their plane into Denver was delayed because of weather problems. And star rookie Doncic is dealing with an injured knee that he has been playing through and Mavs Coach Carlisle admits he has been playing the rookie too many minutes. We think there is a good chance he plays very limited minutes here in this one. Denver played great last time out in their big win over the Wolves, and we think that positive momentum will carry over here. Plus, Denver goes for the season sweep tonight, and the first two games were both decided by double digits. Bad matchup for Dallas here.

The Suns have been playing well lately and are coming off the biggest win of the season and probably the biggest win for the franchise in the last few years when they beat Golden State in the Bay Area on Sunday. The Warriors don’t care much about the regular season and they didn’t give full effort in that game. But we think Utah will give full effort tonight. They have lost three of their last four and are in desperate need of a win and some positive momentum. This is just the team to get a big win against. Utah has won the last five meetings all by double digits. The Suns are one of the worst ATS teams in the league, and this is a letdown spot for them after the big win at Golden State. This looks very much like a double-digit win by the road team to us.

Portland has covered six of the last eight meetings between these clubs. The Clippers have been playing very well lately, but they are in a tough spot tonight coming in on a back-to-back and after playing Doc Rivers old team in the Celtics last night. This is a tough task facing a Portland team that has had two nights off. After a big winning streak the Blazers have lost two of three, and they should enter this game angry and fired up against a fatigued team.

We thought the Celtics would turn the corner at some point and start playing better. They have, and they come into this one having won all three games on the current road trip, including that big win over the Warriors. We think the positive momentum will continue here against a Clippers team that will be overmatched out on the court. The Clippers have won four straight, but the only impressive win was against OKC, and they were on a tough back-to-back. We had this line handicapped at 5.5, so we think there is nice value here tonight.

The Jazz slipped up last time out in a poor performance in Memphis, and they have had two days off since to get back into a good state of mind as a team and we think they will be ready tonight. Utah has to remember when these teams met late last month in OKC and the Jazz lost by a point in OT. Revenge is an overrated handicapping aspect for NBA, but it does come into play when teams have recently met. And we think home cooking will get the Jazz over the hump tonight.

Detroit has won three of four in this series, and the one they didn’t win was last time out, and that was only a one-point loss in OT. Detroit is playing very well lately. They have won eight of nine and covered in seven of their last eight. Brooklyn has been playing well, but they haven’t been covering as the oddsmakers have overvalued this team, and they are 1-5 ATS in their last six. The Pistons have been more reliable lately, and we had this game handicapped as a pickem.

The Blazers have had a very tough schedule lately. They had a massive road trip and then returned home to play OKC to OT in a loss on Thursday. They have lost two straight heading into this game, so there will be no letdown situation tonight. The Suns have actually won three straight. They got a surprise win over the Bucks, but the other two wins were over trash teams. And the Suns are one of the worst ATS teams in the league this season despite getting very generous lines from the oddsmakers. We think this one will be a blowout tonight.

The Thunder had a much more important game last night, in Portland, and they prevailed in overtime. So not only are they on a tough back-to-back here, but they played an extra five minutes of hard basketball. The win last night was good, but this team hasn’t been playing well overall. The Clippers are underrated and one of the best ATS teams in the NBA this season, and they seem to be making a playoff push despite selling off some pieces at the trade deadline.

Chicago has covered in six of their last nine overall, and they are playing hard almost every night lately. The Pistons have been covering a lot as well, but it didn’t take long for this team to get overvalued, and this spread definitely looks out of whack for Friday. Detroit has covered in only one of their last five visits to Chicago, so they don’t play well here. We expect a competitive game here on Friday night.

Only in this day and age in the NBA where we will see a total close to 210 for two teams like this, two of the better defensive clubs in the NBA. Bot teams have been trending to the under lately, and we think this is another total that is too high. The under is 28-8 in the last 36 meetings in Memphis, and 16-7 in the last 23 meetings overall. We think the Grizzlies slow the pace down here and this one has a great chance to turn into a defensive slugfest.

The under has cashed in four of the last five meetings, and this is the highest total these teams have faced during that stretch. This game is on TNT, of course, and we are getting down to the playoff stretch drive of the regular season. We think this game will have a playoff atmosphere, and there will be a more intense level of defense and it won’t be a free-flowing offensive game. We think this total is about 5-6 points too high, and we also expect the Blazers to win this one comfortably as they are in better current form than the Thunder.

The under has cashed in four of the last five meetings, and this is the highest total these teams have faced during that stretch. This game is on TNT, of course, and we are getting down to the playoff stretch drive of the regular season. We think this game will have a playoff atmosphere, and there will be a more intense level of defense and it won’t be a free-flowing offensive game. We think this total is about 5-6 points too high, and we also expect the Blazers to win this one comfortably as they are in better current form than the Thunder.

The Pacers haven’t been more than an eight-point underdog all season, and we just think this is too many points for the underdog. Milwaukee has been one of the best ATS teams all season, but their lines are starting to get inflated. The Pacers have been a good ATS club as well, but the public bettors haven’t caught on because since Oladipo went down there are no stars on this team. Yet the Pacers are one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, and this is a big game for them. We expect them to be very competitive tonight.

We were confident the Celtics would turn the corner at some point, and sometimes it just takes a confidence-building win to turn things around. They got that last night in Golden State in a 32-point road win, the worst loss for the Warriors at home in the Steve Kerr era. Boston can’t really afford to let up now, and we think the positive momentum from that win will carry over into tonight’s matchup. The Kings have been a great story this season and they have been money for bettors at home, but when both teams are playing their best game the Kings just can’t compete with the Celtics. We might be hesitant to back a team on a back-to-back after a big win like last night, but the Celtics didn’t seem to break a sweat and we don’t see them being in a letdown spot tonight. Plus, they are 8-3 ATS in the last 11 meetings, and we think they can score a comfortable road win here in this matchup.

We have been pretty good at identifying solid moneyline underdogs, so we will take a shot on the Mavs here in what we see as a very winnable game for them. They are coming off of two very embarrassing blowout losses, and we think they will want to put their best foot forward here. The Wizards are not a good team. Dallas will have the best player on the court tonight. They have won and covered in five straight meetings in this series. We think this will be a close game and the Mavs have a more than decent chance to pull the upset.

Boston has lost five of six and this team is slumping big time. But we think they play desperate tonight. Golden State always seems to bring out the best in this team, and Golden State has covered in only two of the last nine meetings (one push). Golden State has dropped four of their last seven games, so they are not in top form right now. This team is the worst ATS team in the NBA this season, and the bookies post too-high lines on a nightly basis for this squad. We thought this line should be closer to 5 points. If Boston can win this game then all is right in the world again and the pressure will be off for awhile. We think they put their best foot forward tonight. The Warriors probably don’t care about this game nearly as much as they don’t put much emphasis on the regular season anymore. But for Boston this game means a lot tonight.

The Clippers are building towards the future and they probably don’t even want to make the playoffs this season as they lose their draft pick in that scenario. The Lakers are desperately trying to finish strong and make the postseason, because once they make the playoffs anything can happen with LeBron in the lineup. They currently sit at No. 10 in the west, and there aren’t a lot of games left, so they need every one they can get. This is a very winnable game tonight, and we think the differing motivation will be the difference in this one.

It’s not often a team has a letdown spot after playing the Bulls, but that is the case here. On Friday yje Hawks and Bulls played the third-highest-scoring game in NBA history, and this made the headlines in the sports world (yeah, we were on the over in that game). Then they had a rematch last night in a game that was highly-contested almost like a playoff game. So not only did they play a lot of extra basketball on Friday, but they are playing their third game in four nights tonight. This team isn’t going anywhere, so it’s understandable if they take a breather here and we don’t expect to see their best effort tonight.

The Cavs have actually been playing some of their best basketball of the season recently as they have won three of their last five. They didn’t beat any marquee teams or anything, but Orlando doesn’t actually fit into that category either. This seems like a huge letdown spot for the Magic after their wins over Golden State and Indiana (they are on a back-to-back here after beating the Pacers last night), and they have Philly on deck. Cleveland is on a b2b as well but playing at home is a much more desired position. Just don’t like Orlando laying this big number on the road

This Pelicans team is not even very good with Anthony Davis in the lineup, but he is out tonight for rest and this team is awful without him. The Pelicans are playing a back-to-back in this one and they are 4-7 ATS and 2-9 SU in these situations this season, so they don’t play well in back-to-backs, where Davis normally sits out. Denver suffered a rare home loss last time out vs. Utah, and they will want to take out their frustrations on this team. They should roll here and we think this one has the potential of a 20-point blowout.

We think that this is a real tough spot on the schedule for Milwaukee. They are nearing the end of a long road trip, and they play the Suns next in the last game of a five-game trip. They are playing their third game in four nights and on a back-to-back after playing the Lakers last night. They needed to expend a lot of energy late in that game as it was closer than expected but they pulled out the win and cover. Now they face a much tougher test against a Jazz team that has won three straight and covered in five of six, and we think fatigue will set in tonight for Milwaukee.

A few reasons we like the under here. First, the Pacers have played under at home more than any other team in the NBA. Also, they are the No. 1 defensive team in the league. The Magic aren’t bad either as they allow only 107 PPG this season. Orlando is coming off their big win over Golden State, so this is a flat spot for them, and we think the Pacers can hold them to a real low score. And there’s a chance the Pacers won’t put up many points on the Orlando D.

This is a very important game for both teams that are fighting for the playoffs. But judging by the moves at the trade deadline, the Kings really want to make the postseason this year while the Clippers are building towards the future. The Kings have been one of the strongest bets in the NBA this season at home, and we think they will be the more motivated club tonight.

We are going to look hard at the home team whenever they are getting points against these Pelicans. You look up the word dysfunctional in the dictionary and there is a picture of the Pelicans. This team has all sorts of issues – and is not very good as a team – and they should not be laying this many points on the road to any team, even the Suns. This game is sandwiched between bigger games for New Orleans (Lakers and Nuggets), and we don’t see them giving max effort here. The Pelicans are 3-10 ATS on the road against sub-.500 clubs.

Toronto has covered in three of the last four meetings. We expect them to take this one comfortably. Portland has covered every game on this long road trip so far. And the bookies just can’t give them too many points tonight. But the bookies are giving them a bit too much credit right now as this is the toughest game by far on the road trip. And fatigue has to set in at some point. Toronto has been excellent lately and we expect them to take care of business tonight

These are two bad teams that are trying to get as many balls in the draft lottery as possible. We just don’t see much defense being played tonight and this one should be a glorified game of street ball. Both teams have been giving up 110+ on an almost nightly basis, and we think there will be plenty of open looks at the basket for both clubs. The Bulls have been trending heavily to the over in recent road games, and we think that is the way this one will go tonight as well.

Getting some reverse line movement overnight on this one with the line shrinking despite most of the bets on the home team. That is normally a good sign if you like the underdog. And we do tonight as we think this is a coin flip matchup, so getting the points is the only way to go here. The Nets have overachieved while the Hornets, like always, have underachieved. But on paper we think the Hornets are a bit stronger despite the records, and they should fight hard here.

Denver was off last night while the Jazz had to expend a lot of energy to rally to beat the Clippers in what was a very tough game for them despite the big line in that contest. Not only did they have to use a lot of energy in the comeback, but now they come in on a back-to-back and have to play in one of the toughest arenas in the NBA and at high altitude. Utah is 4-6 ATS on the second night of a back-to-back so they aren’t great in this situation anyways, and we always call back-to-backs in Denver a super back-to-back since it’s so tough to play there. We don’t see things going well for the road team tonight.

Always looking to fade the Sixers on the road. This team is very popular with bettors this season, but on the road they are just average. And there is sometimes value in going against them. We think that is the case tonight. The Thunder have covered in five of the last six meetings in OKC and in the last four meetings altogether. We think the Thunder are the more complete team, and they need to put their best foot forward after losing three of their last four against a pretty tough schedule.

The under in Indiana home games is one of the strongest trends in the NBA this season at 22-9. Both teams played on Wednesday, and both offenses should be sluggish tonight. The oddsmakers have been slow to adjust to this Pacers home under trend, and we think this number is too high once again tonight. The Pacers have been on a road trip where their defense wasn’t up to par, but some home cooking is just what they need to get things right on defense. And we think this could be a real low scoring game tonight. The last two meetings both went under, both well under 200 points.

We love this Bucks team but the Kings are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 games and it looks like they are underrated once again by the oddsmakers. The Bucks have bigger road games upcoming and they probably won’t give max effort here. Sacramento has one of the best ATS records in the league at home, and we thought this line should be closer to -2 and we think this will be a very competitive game.