Sports Picks & Predictions

The Clippers have some talent still after the trade deadline but this team is tanking. It benefits them to make the lottery this season instead of the playoffs. LA has had a brutal schedule lately and they are playing their third game in four nights after a night off last night after their back-to-back. Now they face an underrated Utah team that has covered in five straight games. Utah had a couple recent tough losses to OKC and GSW on the road, so they will take this game very seriously and they are playing some very good basketball overall right now. Plus, they have covered in five straight meetings.

The Pacers are the best defensive team in the NBA. And since Oladipo went down they have been playing even better for the most part on that side of the ball. They have been playing better overall as if they have something to prove with the loss of their best player. Dallas gutted their team at the trade deadline in favor of the future and this is not the same team that was an ATS darling through most of the season. We think the Pacers take this one in a low-scoring game.

The Pacers are the best defensive team in the NBA. And since Oladipo went down they have been playing even better for the most part on that side of the ball. They have been playing better overall as if they have something to prove with the loss of their best player. Dallas gutted their team at the trade deadline in favor of the future and this is not the same team that was an ATS darling through most of the season. We think the Pacers take this one in a low-scoring game.

We were on the Celtics last night and they put forth another really bad effort in their worst loss of the season. That comes after a loss in Chicago. If they don’t play well tonight then things are really bad. We think they will bounce back here tonight. It should all start with defense. This total looks a tad high already, but with the two bad losses we think coach Stevens will have his team really give max effort on the defensive side of the ball. Boston has covered in three of the last four meetings and the under has hit in two of the last three.

We were on the Celtics last night and they put forth another really bad effort in their worst loss of the season. That comes after a loss in Chicago. If they don’t play well tonight then things are really bad. We think they will bounce back here tonight. It should all start with defense. This total looks a tad high already, but with the two bad losses we think coach Stevens will have his team really give max effort on the defensive side of the ball. Boston has covered in three of the last four meetings and the under has hit in two of the last three.

Atlanta is a lousy team but they are not on the bottom tier and this team is pretty competitive compared to some of the NBA’s bottom feeders. The Timberwolves have not covered in the last three meetings in this series. Minnesota has been hot lately, but that has just made them overvalued. But the fact is that this team stinks on the road (9-21 record) and we think the Hawks could possibly pull off the upset tonight.

Toronto is the fourth-worst betting team in the NBA this season. That is because the oddsmakers post too-high lines for them on a nightly basis and they cooled down big time after their hot start to the season. We are many times looking for spots to go against them. We think that this is one of them. Boston sits No. 5 in the east as of Tuesday. This team, however, is talented, playoff tested, and well-coached. They are going to move up in the standings as we head to the postseason and in our minds are the team to beat once the playoffs get here. We like to take a good team off an embarrassing loss, and that is certainly the case with Boston after losing in Chicago last time out. They have had two nights off after that game so they should be rested and focused. The Celtics covered at the Bucks and at Philly in their last five games, and we think they will be focused tonight against another EC power.

10-Unit Play #565 Take Golden State -8.5 over Charlotte (7 p.m. EST, Mon. Feb 25)

The Warriors are one of the worst betting teams in the NBA this season and they have been particularly bad recently. This team is always overrated by the oddsmakers and they don’t give 100% every night just because the regular season isn’t that important to this team and they don’t have to give full effort to win since this team is so talented. We have made a lot of money going against this team this season. However, there will be certain spots where this team will be motivated, and we think this will be one of them. The Warriors have lost two of three and they are coming off a loss to the Rockets. They will probably take it out on poor Charlotte tonight as losing three of four would be an official slump so we think this team will flex its muscles a little here. If this team is really motivated they can beat the Hornets by 20, even on the road. This team has covered in only one of their last nine games. This is a rare GSW game where you don’t have to lay double digits, however, and we think this motivated squad will put their best foot forward tonight. 

Both teams played last night so no b-2-b advantage for either team. The Pacers are the better squad and they have been a covering machine since losing Oladipo for the season and this is still a very good team and they are underestimated by the oddsmakers. Last night the Pacers looked great in a comeback vs. New Orleans while the Wizards fell flat at Charlotte, both games we cashed on. Two teams going in different directions here tonight.

The Hornets are starting a homestand that will be very important to their playoff hopes. We think they start off with a strong win against a Wizards team that is going nowhere. The Hornets are on a three-game winning streak in this series at home. The home team is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings. We think the Hornets are a much better team and they have all the motivation here on Friday.

New Orleans has been held to 90 or fewer points in two of their last three games before the break. Now they face the best defensive team in the NBA, and we just don’t see this one as being a shootout. The Pacers are really upping their defensive intensity since Oladipo went down, and of course their offense misses his scoring. But this is still a very good team in our eyes, and the oddsmakers keep punishing the Pacers too much for the loss of their best player as we think there is value in this line. And the Pacers covered five of seven before the break. The under is 22-8 in Pacers home games this season, one of the strongest betting trends in the NBA this season and one the oddsmakers haven’t adjusted to because no one is betting unders. But we have been making lots of profits off this trend!

New Orleans has been held to 90 or fewer points in two of their last three games before the break. Now they face the best defensive team in the NBA, and we just don’t see this one as being a shootout. The Pacers are really upping their defensive intensity since Oladipo went down, and of course their offense misses his scoring. But this is still a very good team in our eyes, and the oddsmakers keep punishing the Pacers too much for the loss of their best player as we think there is value in this line. And the Pacers covered five of seven before the break. The under is 22-8 in Pacers home games this season, one of the strongest betting trends in the NBA this season and one the oddsmakers haven’t adjusted to because no one is betting unders. But we have been making lots of profits off this trend!

Some teams feel they really will need to turn it on after the break. Golden State is not one of those teams, in our opinion. This team doesn’t care about the regular season, and they can give half effort and still win. In our opinion this is a Top 3 team in NBA history, But that doesn’t mean they are a good bet. They are the fourth-worst betting team this season. They have covered only one of their last seven overall. Sacramento has covered in three straight meetings and in six of the last eight, and we see this as another inflated line on Thursday.

Boston has been a big underachiever this season. But for some reason we still think this team is going to be the top dog in the East when all is said and done. We think at this point after the All-Star Break is when they will come on strong and get in playoff mode. If the Celtics were a stock we would buy right now. This is a very talented roster and the best coach in the NBA, and they will find a way to have success. We loved what we saw from this team before the break, and we think they will compete with a chance to win this one tonight.

We think after the All-Star break that the best teams in the East will really start to flex their muscles. Philly is rested and even though Embiid is out here this team still has a stacked lineup. They are rested so there should be no problems with the rotation, and this Sixers team is almost unbeatable at home. We think the bookies are penalizing this team too much for Embiid with this line, and we think this one has a decent chance to be a double-digit win.

These are two of the worst teams in the NBA. But we think the Suns have a brighter future with some talented youngsters, and we think they are a team that will want to have a strong finish to the season and build momentum for next season while the Cavs are tanking and their future just isn’t as bright. We think the Suns are a slightly better team and we think this line is more than fair as we had them at -2.5 and we think they will get the road win here.

We have to admit that the Knicks offense has been putrid lately and that they haven’t been able to score points at all. Their offensive trends go against a total this high. But we see this game as a shootout on Thursday night as we head into the All-Star Break on Friday. Both of these teams are really bad defensively. Neither of these teams is going to the playoffs. There is not much to play for tonight and we think these players will have one foot out the door as they get ready to go on vacation. Any NBA team can score when there is no defense. Defense takes desire, effort and perseverance. Scoring is easy. We think this is going to be a mini version of the All-Star Game in that this will be a glorified game of street ball where no defense at all is played. The Hawks have give up 112 or more points in 10 straight games. This team plays at a fast pace and the Knicks offense should benefit. They have given up 120 or more in six of their last 10. The Knicks offense had their best game in awhile last night in a 111-point effort against Philly. They should be able to get more than that tonight, and on a back-to-back and with the break looming we don’t see them slowing down the Hawks offense or even really trying. The over is 20-8 in the last 28 meetings in Atlanta and 13-6 in the last 19 meetings overall.

We went with the under with the Pacers last time out, and we are going to follow one of the strongest betting trends in the NBA this season once again on Wednesday. The under in the Pacers home games this season is 21-8. This is the No. 1 defensive team in the NBA. There aren’t a lot of good defensive teams in the league these days, but the Pacers are definitely one of them. They allow fewer than 99 points at home this season, which is quite amazing considering the point totals teams are putting up on a nightly basis. They won’t hold the Bucks to that few of points, but they do have a strong chance to slow the Bucks offense down. The Pacers have stepped up the D even more since Oladipo went out of the lineup. They have allowed an average of 91 PPG in their last four matchups. The Bucks have been putting up some big totals lately, hence the big number here, but we don’t see them scoring as effectively tonight. If this is going to be a competitive game, the Pacers will have to even the playing field with defense. Otherwise it will be a blowout. We think both potential results bode well for the under. For straight meetings in Indiana have gone under the posted total, and we think this number has been inflated too high as well.

Sometimes handicapping the NBA means looking into psychology more than numbers crunching. And we don’t think the Warriors head is in the game now. This team has been one of the worst bets in the NBA over the course of the last couple seasons. Their lines are always inflated because of public betting. They only care about the postseason because the one season they wanted the regular-season wins record is the year they lost the finals. All they care about is heading into the postseason with a good state of mind and healthy. They have streaks where they flex their muscles, and they have come off one like that, but they have now failed to cover in four of their last five. This team is one to fade until at least after the all-star break.

The Celtics have received a lot of bad press lately because they have struggled on the court and the Sixers did well at the Trade Deadline so they have gotten some good press. That has skewed the line in this game. We think this number should be around 4, and the Celtics should be very motivated here in this matchup. Boston has won and covered in six of the last seven meetings in this series, and they come in with two days rest after that very embarrassing loss to the Clippers where they blew a big lead. We think that they put their best foot forward here tonight.

The Spurs have lost four straight and they haven’t looked good doing it. But they have played all four games on the road and they have played an incredibly tough schedule, with their last three games against the Jazz, Blazers and Warriors. But this is a “get right” game for them and the Grizzlies are a bad team. They have won three of four, but those came against some pretty lousy opponents. San Antonio needs to stop the bleeding, and they have no choice but to give their best effort here tonight.

The Hornets have been in a couple shootouts lately, and we think as a result the oddsmakers have posted too high of a total here for this Monday night matchup. The Pacers are the No. 1 defensive team in the NBA. They have really stepped up their defensive game since Oladipo went out and they have allowed just 92 PPG in their last three matchups, and two of those games were against the Clippers and Lakers, teams that can score the basketball. We think there’s a good chance that they can hold the Hornets to a real low point total here. Anything under 105 seems very doable, and that should be enough to get this one under unless the Pacers go crazy on offense. Indiana held the Hornets to just 95 points when these teams met a few weeks ago. The Pacers scored 120 in that game, but 21 of those points came from Oladipo, and we don’t think they will put up a massive number on offense here. The under is also 20-8 in Pacers home games this season, and under-the-radar trend that is one of the strongest betting trends in the NBA this season.

The Suns put together a competitive game every few games or so, and last time out they played well in a cover vs. the Warriors. Now they are in a letdown spot against a Kings team that won’t get the Suns too excited like the defending champs did. Despite some very generous lines from the oddsmakers, this team has covered only three of their last nine games. And despite generous numbers from the bookies all season, this team is in the Bottom 5 ATS teams this season. The Kings are playing well and have won four of five. They are proving they belong in the playoff picture when former Kings teams would have started folding by now. They have played exceptionally well at home, where they have won and covered in seven of their last eight overall, and that slate included some very solid teams. Sacramento is the third-best ATS team this season. And they are a very impressive 7-1 at home against sub-.500 clubs. They are 14-4 ATS overall against bad teams, and they normally take care of business against bad clubs, especially at home, where they have covered nine of 10 overall.

We think that this line is a couple points too short tonight. Atlanta has played much better than expected this season but the Hornets are a much better ballclub, and they should be able to win this one comfortably. The Hornets come in off two straight losses, to much better teams, so they won’t take this game for granted tonight. They have covered in five of the last seven matchups in this series, so they match up well here. Atlanta is 2-8 ATS at home against teams that have a sub-.500 record, so they normally underwhelm in situations like this. The Hornets are just a game up in the Eastern Conference playoff picture and they need to win games like this to keep their playoff standing. This is the easiest game of their current four-game road trip. This team isn’t very good on the road. But they know they need to beat bad opponents like this on the road, and we think they will put their best foot forward tonight.

We normally don’t like laying this many points. But we think this situation warrants it. The Pacers have been fine without Oladipo and they actually seem to be playing better. At least the offense has been on point. They have scored 136 and 116 in their last two games. They have won four straight and covered in three of four. This team seems intent to show they are still a strong team despite the loss of their best player, and they have an opponent tonight that they can easily blow out. Cleveland is coming in on a back-to-back and we just don’t think they can keep up on the scoreboard with the Pacers if they continue to score the basketball like this.

The Mavs have traded a bunch of starters over the trade deadline. This team will be fine in the short term and probably really good by next year. But in the very short term this team is in for some rough patches. They have to fit these new players in the lineup and tinker around with rotations. The Bucks are a bad team to try these experiments out on. The Bucks have won 11 of their last 12 games and they are playing as well as any team in the NBA right now. And this team is not only winning but also covering lines. They are 8-3-1 ATS during this current surge. They put up 148 points last time out against the Wizards, and an offense can’t be running much better than this one is right now. Dallas has been one of the best betting teams this season and they have been covering a lot of lines lately also. But the trade deadline changed the makeup of this team and it might take a few games to figure things out. And Doncic is questionable tonight for Dallas. If he is not at 100% that hurts this team a lot. We think there’s a great chance for a double-digit win here for the road team.

The Clippers are a team we have used plenty this season and they have been one of the better ATS teams in the league. But with the trade deadline moves this team made it’s clear they are tanking on this season now. They sent Harris, their best player, and a couple glue guys, to the Sixers for mostly draft picks. Management sent a clear message to the players that this is a lost season, and what was one of the deepest benches in the NBA has been gutted a bit. The Clips are in the midst of a long road trip and we just don’t see the players rising up to play hard in this one. They needed big comebacks to beat Detroit and Charlotte recently and they should have never been in that big of a hole to begin with. They played a real lackluster game on Sunday in Toronto. Indiana seems to be adapting well to life after Oladipo and they have won three straight entering this game. They played one of their best games of the season last time out vs. the Lakers, and we think they come into this game very confident and we see this as a potential double-digit win for the home team.

The Mavs are by far the best betting team this season at 32-19-1, and they don’t really move the needle with the general betting public due to the lack of big names on the roster. But this team has been easy to trust this season, and we will back them again here Wednesday. These teams played last month in Charlotte and the Mavs recorded one of the biggest blowouts on the NBA season, and we know they match up well in this contest. Dallas comes into this one with three nights rest and the Hornets played last night so they enter on a back-to-back. They looked awful in the second half in giving back a big lead to the Clippers, and we think they will have a hangover effect here. Dallas is 6-0-1 ATS in their last seven and the oddsmakers just keep posting value lines with this team. We will take advantage again tonight.

Miami has been playing very strong defense lately, and we think they will slow the game down here. And with a lower-scoring game, that makes the points more valuable with the underdog. This is the first game of a long road trip for the Heat, and we think they do their best to get off to a strong start on the trip. The Heat haven’t been playing as well as they are capable of, but as they have dropped down in the playoff picture they know they need to have a solid road trip. We think they put their best foot forward tonight with a strong defensive effort.

Miami has been playing very strong defense lately, and we think they will slow the game down here. And with a lower-scoring game, that makes the points more valuable with the underdog. This is the first game of a long road trip for the Heat, and we think they do their best to get off to a strong start on the trip. The Heat haven’t been playing as well as they are capable of, but as they have dropped down in the playoff picture they know they need to have a solid road trip. We think they put their best foot forward tonight with a strong defensive effort.

Toronto is the better team in this matchup and we think they are getting too many points tonight. We had this game as a pick, and we think the road team has a great chance for the outright win. We think revenge is an overrated NBA handicapping angle, but we also have no doubt the Raptors remember the beatdown they suffered here in December. They also lost to Boston last time they played, so this game is important for EC supremacy. We think the better team will rise to the challenge tonight.

We had the Clips last time out as a big dog in Toronto on Sunday and they lost big on the second end of a back-to-back. That turned out to be a bad spot for them. But this team is playing well overall and we think they bounce back tonight. They are a much better overall team that the Hornets, and they have won and covered five of the last seven meetings in this series. We expect a strong effort from the visitors tonight.

The Pacers have covered just one of their last seven games overall. This team really missed Oladipo, who was the heart and soul of this club. The Lakers are trending up with LeBron back and this is the time for this team to make a playoff push. Plus, the Pacers are on a back-to-back here while the Lakers have had two nights off since their matchup with the Warriors. At this point in the season that extra rest is crucial.

The Suns have a long losing streak going, so they will want to end that and they should be focused. This game comes after big games for Houston as they played at Denver and at Utah in their last two matchups. They gave a lot in those games, and we think this will be a letdown spot. They can beat the Suns without giving full effort, and this line looks shaded to us as the bookies added a couple points to this number. Bettors just don’t want to take the Suns these days. But Phoenix is getting healthy and they have a nice young core. We think they keep this one close.

Detroit has covered in three of the last four meetings, and we like the dog again here tonight. Detroit has just as many wins at home as the Nuggets do on the road. Denver is the better team, but they don’t play as well on the road as they do at home. We feel this is a public line tonight and we think the home team has a great chance to challenge for the straight up win.

The Clippers are being punished too much for the back-to-back here. We think that they can handle it. This team is 5-4 ATS on the second end of a back-to-back, so they are better than average in this situation. This squad is all about team basketball and they normally put in a full team effort. They sure did on Saturday as they mounted a huge comeback at Detroit. That just shows that this team never gives up. They don’t have any household names on the roster, but there is a lot of talent here. These players play unselfishly and they seem to like playing together and are well coached. We think they will keep this one close on Sunday. The Raptors have been awful when laying big points. They are 7-12 ATS this season when laying nine or more points. They have been overrated by the oddsmakers all season and are one of the worst betting teams in the NBA after their hot start. This team came back down to earth a bit but the oddsmakers never adjusted. The Clippers haven’t been big dogs like this often, but they are 2-0 ATS this season when getting 8 or more points. Toronto has failed to cover in three straight games and in six of their last nine. Besides that head-scratcher vs. Atlanta the Clippers have been playing very well. And in the tough Western Conference they need every game badly. Not sure they can win this outright, but we expect a close game here and this is too many points!

Philly had their biggest win of the year last time out, beating the Warriors in the Bay Area. But that makes this a big letdown spot, and the Kings are a very underrated team. The Sixers are a very mediocre team on the road this season. This is the classic sandwich game for the Sixers as it comes between the Warriors matchup and their next matchup as they host Toronto in a big EC matchup. We don’t see them giving their best effort tonight. Sacramento has won and covered both of the last two matchups, and we see the same result tonight.

The Hawks have not covered in six straight meetings in this series (one push). The Suns are getting healthy and they have more upside than the Hawks as they have a nice young core that is building to the future while the Hawks are more at the start of their rebuild. Phoenix has played a brutal schedule lately but we think they will put their best foot forward tonight in a very winnable game. Lay the points here on Saturday night.

These teams met in LA about two weeks ago and the Warriors delivered a beatdown by almost 20 points. LeBron was out, of course, in that one, but the Lakers shot 50% from the floor and could not even come close to Golden State, who is in top form right now. LeBron is back, but he is still integrating himself into the lineup and he is not 100% healthy by his own admission. The Warriors have been playing flawless basketball lately, but they hit a speedbump last time in a home loss to Philly. We will give them a mulligan on that one and we expect to come out fired up in that one. Judging by the last time these teams met, the Lakers bring out the best in the Warriors kind of like the Clippers used to when Paul and Griffin were on the team. And even if they are up big they will still play hard and keep trying to run up the score. All signs point to a blowout in this one.

Charlotte, like many teams in the NBA, is much better at home than on the road. They have played a road-heavy schedule lately, and the results have been predictable, so bettor confidence is down with this team. But they are home tonight where they are 17-8 and have a winning ATS record as well (Memphis is 8-18 SU and 10-16 ATS on the road). This team won in Memphis about a week ago by 11, and we think there is a great chance this one is a double-digit win again tonight. We always say revenge is an overrated factor in NBA handicapping. Memphis has a ton of issues now and their best two players, and anyone on the roster really, could be on the way out of town any day now. They aren’t foaming at the mouth for revenge against the Hornets, and that is just one of many losses for this team recently. We think the Hornets will be extra motivated after getting beat down in Boston last time out.

The Spurs won last time out, but that game was at home against the Suns and they needed a buzzer beater to get the win. After the game Coach Pop ripped the team a new one in his presser. With some coaches in the league that might not be a big deal. But with Pop and how well respected he is we think the players will respond tonight. He criticized the team’s lack of defense, and we think they will step in up in that area tonight. The Under is 8-2-1 in the last 11 meetings in San Antonio.

The Spurs won last time out, but that game was at home against the Suns and they needed a buzzer beater to get the win. After the game Coach Pop ripped the team a new one in his presser. With some coaches in the league that might not be a big deal. But with Pop and how well respected he is we think the players will respond tonight. He criticized the team’s lack of defense, and we think they will step in up in that area tonight. The Under is 8-2-1 in the last 11 meetings in San Antonio.

We had the Mavs last night at the Knicks, and they scored a rare road win and scored us a winning ticket. But now this team is on a back-to-back, and the fact is that they have only five wins on the road after last night. They are also 1-7 in back-to-backs this season, so this team is no good without rest. The Pistons have their issues, but they are well rested here. And this is also a revenge spot since these teams played on Friday in a hard-fought game on both sides where the Pistons lost by 5. We think they get payback tonight.

We expect playoff intensity in this game, and we think it will be a defensive battle. Five straight meetings have gone under the posted total, and we think this number is too high as well. We think that the Jazz will try and control the pace here and we see both teams locking down on defense, especially in the fourth quarter if the game is close. But in the end we think this total is about 4-5 points too high and we think the home team pulls away late to win this one.

We expect playoff intensity in this game, and we think it will be a defensive battle. Five straight meetings have gone under the posted total, and we think this number is too high as well. We think that the Jazz will try and control the pace here and we see both teams locking down on defense, especially in the fourth quarter if the game is close. But in the end we think this total is about 4-5 points too high and we think the home team pulls away late to win this one.

The Kings have won and covered three of the last four meetings. The Kings are the much better team here, and we think that this line is short. Sacramento has cooled off after a very hot start to the season. But this team plays in the much tougher Western Conference, and they face tough opponents night in and night out. They are coming off a tough road trip that had mixed results, but we expect them to take care of business tonight in this very winnable home game. Great chance for a double-digit win tonight.

The Pelicans gave everything they had last night in a win at Houston, and we think they left it all on the court last night. We think their tank will be empty tonight and expect the Nuggets to roll to a double-digit win. This team circled the wagons last night with a depleted roster and the Anthony Davis trade rumors. We don’t see any way they can replicate that effort here tonight. New Orleans is 1-7 SU and 2-6 ATS in the second half of a back-to-back, and we think that trend continues tonight as the fresh Nuggets roll.

Dallas has been really bad on the road. They have only four wins away from home. However, this team toils in the Western Conference where many road games are much tougher than this one. But New York has the same amount of wins at home that the Mavs have on the road. Dallas is the much superior team and we expect them to win this game convincingly. The Knicks are just 8-13 ATS at home despite very generous lines from the oddsmakers, and Dallas, despite their poor road record, covers half their games on the road.

This Cleveland team is bad, but there is no reason that the Wizards should be laying this many points on the road. This is flat out too many points for a Washington team, while playing better since Wall went down with injury, is just not very good. The Wizards are just 4-9 ATS on the road against sub-.500 teams this season. They normally play down to their level of competition. We expect a close game here.

These are two of the better under teams in the NBA, and we think this is another total that has been posted too high for Tuesday. Detroit has really been struggling on offense lately and this has been one of the most inept offenses in the NBA this month. The Bucks had their long winning streak broken last time out so they will probably be in a good bounce back spot here, and we think they will lock down on defense. The over has hit only once in the last seven meetings between these teams.

The Magic are a more competitive team than most people think. They are facing a very public line tonight. The Magic have actually covered in six of the last four matchups between these teams. They won three of the last four outright, and the one loss was in OT. Orlando has covered three of their last four overall so they are playing above oddsmakers current expectations. We think they come to play tonight with a chance to win this one outright.

We are surprised by this line as we expected a number in the 8-9 range. Nice value here as well. The Clippers are being punished too much for this back-to-back and they are 5-3 ATS in the second of a back-to-back this season. They will be fine with no rest. This is a very well-rounded team and they play great team basketball, so if one player is having a down night there will likely be someone else to step up. The Clips are trending upwards as they have won and covered three straight and four of five. The Hawks haven’t bee covering many games despite very generous numbers from the bookies. The Clips can’t afford to overlook a game like this so we think they put their best foot forward and take care of business tonight.

The Thunder are playing very well right now and are on a four-game winning streak entering this game. We expect them to extend that tonight, and we had the Thunder as a slight favorite in this game. We think the wrong team is favored here. OKC has had two nights off heading into this one, and that extra day of rest is crucial here at this juncture of the season. The Bucks enter on a winning streak of their own, but they have had a very easy schedule lately. This is by far the toughest game during this current streak. OKC is 12-5 ATS in the last 17 meetings, and we just think this line is a very public line since the Bucks are oddsmaker darlings this season. We think OKC has a good chance to win this one comfortably.

Oladipo suffered a bad injury lately and is out for the season. We expect his team to step up in his absence. This has been a strong team environment all season. The loss of their best player hurts for sure, but this team is still strong, and we should get some value lines with them in the near future. Memphis has all sorts of problems right now, mainly as two of their three best players could be on their way out of town. Indiana is one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, and we expect them to hold Memphis to a real low score tonight.

Oladipo suffered a bad injury lately and is out for the season. We expect his team to step up in his absence. This has been a strong team environment all season. The loss of their best player hurts for sure, but this team is still strong, and we should get some value lines with them in the near future. Memphis has all sorts of problems right now, mainly as two of their three best players could be on their way out of town. Indiana is one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, and we expect them to hold Memphis to a real low score tonight.

The Clippers have struggled lately against a tough schedule and this team is now on the verge of being out of the playoff picture. But this team is trending back upwards and they have been one of the better bets in the NBA most of the season. They have won and covered two of three, and they can’t afford to overlook this Bulls team tonight. Past versions of the Clippers might do just that, but this team seems better suited to win these types of games despite lacking the overall talent of the Clippers with the Big 3 on the roster.

Brooklyn has been playing well and this team has made us some nice profits this season. But they are great in the underdog role but now the public is catching on and they are nearly a double-digit favorite here. We just don’t think they are ready to lay that many points as this is still a mediocre team. And while the Nets are the more talented team by far, this is a big regional rivalry so there’s a good chance the Knicks will put their best foot forward and be competitive.

The Cavs are one of the worst teams in the NBA but this line is just ridiculous and we have to take a stab at the underdog here. The Heat have lost six of their last nine and enter on a two-game slide. Just no way they should be favored on the road by this much against any NBA team. We are pretty sure most NBA players are aware of the spreads for their games, and if the Cavs have any pride they will take that as a big disrespect and play hard in a very winnable game.

It is becoming evident that the Wizards are a better team without John Wall. The last couple years when he has been out for extended periods they played better basketball, and that has been the case again this year. They have played really well on this homestand, winning four of five, with the only loss coming to Toronto in overtime. They were blow out early in the season on the road against the Warriors, and every team wants to play well against the defending champs at least once, so we think they give a much better effort here. The Warriors have really been rolling lately, and they have been covering some spreads, which is something they have struggled to do the last couple seasons with inflated spreads. This has been one of the worst betting teams in the NBA the last couple seasons. And the lines are quick to get big again, which is the case tonight, since public bettors will take the Warriors no matter the number. This team has won eight straight entering this game. But they don’t care about streaks whatsoever. They are just treating this as another game. They are probably due for a letdown game, and with the Celtics coming up next in the marquee game on Saturday, this team could be caught looking ahead to the next game.

Denver has been the better team this season. But on paper Utah is just as good, and they are at home here. We just think that this number is short tonight and that there is nice value here. Utah had won six straight before losing last time out against Portland, but they are playing better now after a slow start to the season. This is the point of the season when top playoff contenders that started slow start to play better, and we think this number has value tonight.

These are two of the worst teams in the NBA, but the Bulls are much worse than the Hawks. Atlanta has more wins on the road than the Bulls have at home. The Hawks have been pretty competitive lately as they have wins vs. OKC and at Philly. We had the Hawks listed as a slight favorite in this matchup and we think they have a great chance to win this game. The Bulls are coming off a rare win over the Cavs, but this team has been awful lately and the Hawks have at least been playing with pride on a more regular basis.

The Hornets don’t win much on the road, but they have a great chance to win this one tonight. Gasol and Conley, the Grizzlies best two players, are on the trade market. This team is heading into a massive rebuild and the team just doesn’t have a lot of motivation to play well. They have lost six straight heading into this game, and they covered only one of those games despite some very generous lines. The Hornets come into this one having won three of their last four games, and they have won and covered in all of the last three meetings.

Brooklyn has covered in five straight meetings between these teams, winning four of those games outright. This team is playing with a lot of confidence right now as they have won and covered in four straight games. This team has some very nice talent and they are one of the nicer surprises in the NBA this season, yet they remain under the betting radar for most gamblers. Sometimes teams like this do well as an underdog but fail for bettors as a favorite, but this team is 8-4 ATS as a favorite this season and we think they get the job done again tonight.

Portland has a strong history in this series, they are in fine form right now, and they are one of the better betting teams in the NBA this season. This seems like too many points in a game where the Blazers can threaten for the straight up win. Portland has won six of the last seven meetings between these teams. The one where they didn’t was earlier this month in a two-point loss at home. Portland enters on a three-game winning streak and they have covered six of their last seven overall. They are playing very confident basketball right now and unless they just have an off night we just don’t see any way this won’t be a close game. These teams match up well. Both teams are coming in on a back-to-back but the Thunder had to travel from NY compared to Utah for Portland and that is a much easier travel schedule. We think there are a lot of factors that point to the road team tonight, and this also seems like an inflated spread.

We just think that this is too many points for the Mavs to be getting here on the holiday. Both teams are amongst the top betting teams ATS this season, but this line is just too large. This is one of the biggest numbers the Mavs have faced this season, and they are a perfect 2-0 ATS when getting double digit points. You have to go all the way back to 2014 as to when the Bucks covered a game in this series, and Dallas is 8-1-2 ATS in the last 11 meetings.

Both teams are coming in on a back-to-back and playing their third game in four nights, and we expect both offenses to be sluggish and think there will probably be some sloppy basketball in this one with two fatigued teams. Five of the last eight meetings in this series have gone under the posted total. The under is also 5-2 in the second leg of back-to-backs for the Pacers. The Pacers are the No. 1 defense in the NBA for points allowed and we think they can keep the Hornets down to a real low score but we think there is a very good chance both offenses struggle in this one.

We think the Hornets are way overrated coming into this game. This team has low morale after a bad road trip. The Suns played very well last time out and gave Toronto all they could handle. Phoenix did very well ATS a few weeks ago as they had a nice streak and with Booker back they could have value against the betting line. This looks like too many points tonight.

New Orleans has been pretty inconsistent and we think the Blazers are more trustworthy tonight than the Pelicans are. Portland has lost two of three but this team has been flawless at home lately and we expect them to take care of business tonight. New Orleans is coming off their big game against the Warriors where they collapsed late, and we think there will be some lingering issues from that game. The future is uncertain for this Pelicans club, and they don’t give max effort every night, especially on the road where they are 6-18 SU on the season. We expect the Blazers to come out and win this one comfortably by 6-7 points.

One of the safest bets in the NBA lately has been to bet against the Memphis Grizzlies. They have covered only once in the last 11 games. And things will probably get worse before they get better. The trade deadline is coming up, and Gasol and even Conley might be on their way out of town. It’s time for this team to do the total rebuild that they have been putting off for years and everyone knows it. And this team is just not playing with any fire lately. They have lost two straight by double digits, and we see that as the likely result again tonight. Boston hasn’t been as stable as we like this season but they are streaky and this might be the start of another hot streak coming off the big win vs. Toronto last time out. Boston has covered seven straight at home, and when this team wins it normally covers, so we think this is a very solid bet tonight.

 The Hornets are coming off a long road trip where things didn’t go that well, as expected as this team is just not good away from home. But this squad has been pretty good at home and they are 14-8 here this season. We think revenge is a way overrated NBA handicapping angle, but we do think that it comes into play when teams have recently met, and the Kings won in Sacramento when these teams played just five days ago. It was a pretty close game despite the Hornets shooting poorly in the second half. We expect a much better effort here at home. Like the Hornets are undervalued due to a recent poor road trip, the Kings are overvalued here since they have had some success at home lately. But we think this line is too short tonight.

Both of these teams have been bad against the spread this season but the Warriors are normally overrated by the oddsmakers and that is the situation here tonight. Golden State is on a back-to-back and playing their third game in four nights. They played in the high-altitude of Denver last night and that makes this back-to-back even tougher tonight. Not to mention that game against Denver was a much bigger game than this one. New Orleans is 4-1 in their last five games, and they are quietly playing some of their best basketball of the season right now.

The Jazz have won four straight but those games were all at home and this team is just really banged up now, especially at point guard with multiple injuries. The Clippers have been alternating streaks as they have now lost three straight after winning three in a row. We think this is a good spot for the Clippers to get back on the winning track against a Utah team that won’t be anywhere near full strength and all these injuries, while significant, have not affected the line too much in this matchup.

The Spurs have won five of the last six meetings in this series. And despite the Mav’s stellar record at home, we think the Spurs are in a good spot to win here on the road. The Spurs have been playing rather well lately but they hit a rough spot lately and have lost three of four, but we just think that makes them put their best foot forward tonight against an opponent they are very familiar with and one against which they have the superior talent.

Orlando actually has one more win than Detroit on the season, and we think this is a very public line. This is the first game back home after a long West Coast road trip for Detroit, and the first game back home can often be tricky since the players’ minds may be focused more on personal matters. Orlando is confident here, coming off home wins against Houston and Boston. They have also covered in seven of the last eight matchups in this series!

We think that the wrong team is absolutely favored here. Denver has a very good team this season and they are a real threat for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. This is an up-and-coming team and they actually care about the regular season, while the Warriors just want to be healthy and in a good state of mind once April rolls around. This game is important for a potential tiebreaker down the line and we think the Nuggets are much more serious about this matchup than is Golden State. Denver has a strong recent history in this series as they have won the last two meetings straight up. The Warriors haven’t covered in four straight meetings (one push) and they are 1-5-1 ATS in the last seven meetings. We like Denver for a big time win here.

Both these teams are like most of the mid-tier NBA squads in that they can’t win on the road. The Timberwolves are 6-15 away from home this season. But the Sixers are 18-4 at home and we think this line looks quite a bit short for Tuesday night. Philly has won and covered in four of the last five meetings. The Sixers haven’t been in the greatest form but they have had a road-heavy schedule lately and we think they are primed for a strong performance here in front of the home fans against a Timberwolves team that is very inconsistent.

This New Orleans team should be much better. They look better on paper. They have one of the NBA’s best players. But there are some internal problems with this team, Anthony Davis is probably on his way out of town soon and everyone knows it, and this team is underachieving big time. That is almost the opposite of the Clips, who have put together a blue-collar effort that has them right in the playoff mix despite very low expectations. We think the number is right here and we think the Clips have a great chance for a comfortable win.

The Blazers had their four-game winning streak halted last night in Denver but we think this is a great spot for them to bounce back and get a win tonight. Portland is both 4-2 SU and ATS this season, so we don’t think the back-to-back will bother them. The Kings are much improved this season, but the Blazers are still the much better team and we think they have a great chance for the outright win here. Portland has won four straight in this series outright, and the Kings have not covered in the last four meetings (one push).

Utah has a strong history in this series as they have won and covered in five straight meetings in this series. This game is the last of a four-game road trip for the Pistons, and things mostly haven’t gone well. But they had their best game in awhile last time out in an emotional win in Blake Griffin’s first game back to play his old Clippers team. We think because of that big game and this being the last game of the road trip that this is a bad spot for the road team. Utah has won three straight and five of six and they are in fine form right now.

This series has a strong history to the over as that has cashed in 10 of the last 11 meetings and five straight in Los Angeles. These teams don’t play often, so that trend stretched back a long time. We expect another shootout tonight. Sharp money has driven this total up since release, but we think there is still nice value here as we had this number handicapped at 226-227. There won’t be a lot of defense played in this one, and we think this game might be competitive as both teams should get enough points to push this one over the number.

Denver is also one of the best teams in the NBA at home this season, where they are 17-3. Portland is good at home, too, but worse than mediocre on the road at 8-10 on the season. They are coming off a home-heavy schedule where they had a lot of success and they are a bit overrated by the oddsmakers coming into this game. Portland has failed to cover in any of the last four meetings (one push), and we see the Nuggets getting a comfortable 7+-point win here tonight.

Dallas is one of the best home teams in the league at 16-4 on the season, and the Warriors have been just a little better than mediocre on the road at 11-8. We had Golden State listed as a slight favorite here but we think this line is inflated. Dallas is 6-2 ATS at home this season against above-.500 clubs, and they should give their best effort tonight against the defending champs. Dallas is one of the best ATS teams in the league this season, and we trust them again tonight.

Charlotte is in the midst of a tough road trip and the Kings are much improved this season, but this spread has us scratching our heads as the Kings are getting too much respect here from the oddsmakers. Sacramento has lost five of their last seven. We think the Hornets are the better team in this matchup and we think they have a very good chance to win outright. They close this road trip at San Antonio, so this game is crucial to salvage the road trip as if they lose this one and lose in SA, this trip will be deemed a total disaster. Charlotte is 4-1 ATS in the last five trips to Sacramento.

We just really like the form Boston is in right now. We give them a mulligan last time out in a bad loss at Miami as that was a quick back-to-back and their third game in four nights. They took the night off there. They have had a day of rest now and should get back on track here in Orlando. This team has now covered in 19 straight games where they won SU, and the point spread doesn’t come into play a lot in the games as long as they win. This has been one of the most trustworthy teams to bet on in the NBA the last couple seasons.

There is a reason why this is one of the lowest posted totals of the season. The bookies barely ever post a total under 200 this season, and this one was posted just under and bet down by sharps, but there is still value left at this number with two teams that have trouble scoring and play strong defense. Memphis has hit the century mark just one time in their last five games, and that was when they scored 100 against Brooklyn. These are two Top 5 defenses and both offenses are in the Bottom 6 of the NBA in scoring. This should be an old-school defensive battle, and you have to like the underdog in what should be a low-scoring game, making the points more valuable.

There is a reason why this is one of the lowest posted totals of the season. The bookies barely ever post a total under 200 this season, and this one was posted just under and bet down by sharps, but there is still value left at this number with two teams that have trouble scoring and play strong defense. Memphis has hit the century mark just one time in their last five games, and that was when they scored 100 against Brooklyn. These are two Top 5 defenses and both offenses are in the Bottom 6 of the NBA in scoring. This should be an old-school defensive battle, and you have to like the underdog in what should be a low-scoring game, making the points more valuable.

Not a lot of people realize it, but if the season ended right now the Nets would be in the postseason. That’s not a major accomplishment in the East and they are just 21-22, but the perception of the public is that this is a lottery team, but the truth is that they are playing some decent basketball. This team has covered in four of their last five games, and they have won straight up in all those covers. The Raptors have won three straight, but this team is not in the same fine form they were when they set the NBA ablaze early in the season. They have covered just 3 of their last 13 games overall, a clear sign that their play on the court is not matching the oddsmaker expectations. This team has had lots of trouble covering big lines this season as they are 4-11 ATS when laying nine or more points this season. They are 4-7 ATS at home against Sub-.500 clubs. Brooklyn has also covered in three of the last four meetings, two of which went to overtime (the Nets won the last meetings between these clubs, in December).

We have been making a lot of money with the Clippers lately, but we think it’s time to go the other way tonight. Denver is one of the best home teams in the NBA at 16-3 while the Clippers are mediocre on the road at 10-10. LA has won three straight, but those all came against flawed opponents. They take a hefty step up in competition tonight. Denver has won six of their last seven, and they are in fine form right now. This team is 13-6 ATS at home this season, so when they win they normally cover the line as well. They are also 8-2 ATS at home against teams above .500, so they get up when the best of the best competition comes to Denver. The Nuggets have covered in seven of the last 10 meetings in this series, and they have revenge for a beatdown in LA last month that was a bad spot for them. They should get their revenge tonight in what we see as a comfortable 7+-point win.

Despite the records, the Pacers are on the second tier of Eastern Conference contenders while the Celtics are the top tier. Boston just got off to a slow start this season while the Pacers have overachieved. But Boston is rounding into playoff form right now, and they are clearly the stronger team in this matchup. They have won and covered in three straight games. Once this team gets rolling they can cover a lot as they have been one of the best betting teams the last couple years. This team has now covered in 17 straight games where they have won, so when they win the spread normally doesn’t even come into play. The Pacers have actually won the last three meetings in this series, so we think the Celtics will give max effort here at home. This is the first meeting in Boston this season.

Charlotte is a really bad road team at 5-12 this season. They face a Clippers team tonight that has been playing well and will continue to provide betting value all season long because of the lack of big names on the roster. Preseason perception of this team was that this squad was a lottery team, and many think they will still fall short of the postseason, but we think, barring major injuries, that this will be a solid playoff team. They play unselfish basketball and the depth is great. They are the No. 3 earner in the NBA for betting, and we like this number again tonight on the south side of the NBA key betting number of 7. Both teams were off yesterday but the Hornets played the second of a back-to-back on Sunday, so this will be their third game in four nights, and this team is in the midst of a long road trip that can possibly sink their season unless they start to play better on the road. The Clippers have covered in seven of their last nine overall, and we think they are undervalued again here on Tuesday.

Milwaukee is one of the best home teams in the NBA at 18-4, and they cover here at home more often than not. Utah is just not the same team this season. As soon as you think they have started to turn the corner they come back with a lousy game. Milwaukee is rolling right now and they have covered five of their last six games. We think they come out strong here and win this one comfortably. The Bucks are 7-3 ATS at home against .500 or under teams this season, and we think they will give max effort tonight.  

Houston has won eight straight in this series, and they have covered in six of those games. Denver has a great team this year and their depth is amazing compared to the Rockets, who are top heavy, but Houston is playing lights out right now and we think this line is short. Houston had their win streak broken last time out against the Blazers, so they will be anxious to get back on the winning track here tonight. Despite the records this is the better team, and the Nuggets have been mediocre on the road so far this season. No upset here tonight.

Boston has scored double-digit wins in their last two games, and we think they make it three straight tonight. Brooklyn has won three straight, but one of those wins was against the Bulls, and that was yesterday, which means they are on a back-to-back and playing their third game in four nights tonight. This team hasn’t been good with no rest at 2-7 ATS. Boston has had two nights off heading into this game, and rest is becoming very crucial at this point of the season. The Celts should have Irving and Morris back tonight. We expect a strong performance.

Love the Suns in this spot. Phoenix has one more win at home than the Hornets do on the road! We think the wrong team is favored here. Charlotte is terrible on the road. They are coming in on a back-to-back after playing in the high altitude of Denver last night, and that is always tough as it takes a toll on the bodies of these players. The Suns have lost five straight, but they have played five strong playoff teams, and they have had one of the toughest schedules in the NBA lately. This is their most winnable game recently, and we think they put their best foot forward. This team is actually 8-4 ATS in their last 12 games and this young team is quietly playing a lot better and has a bright future ahead if these players continue to develop.

Many reasons to like the Nets in this spot, and mainly we feel this line is too short. Brooklyn has covered in four straight meetings and in six of the last seven. They have been pretty good on the road at 9-10, a winning percentage that some of the better teams in the league can’t achieve. They enter on a two-game winning streak, so they are in nice form and have momentum. And they are 4-1 ATS as a small favorite this season, in the spot they find themselves in today. We see a pretty good chance for a comfortable win on Sunday.

This current road trip isn’t going well for the Magic, who were blown out by the two good teams they played. And they are playing the best team so far on the current road trip. The Clippers keep getting underestimated by the oddsmakers because of the lack of stars. But this team is a legit playoff team this year. They have great chemistry, above-average coaching, and nice offensive weapons. Orlando hasn’t beaten the Clippers in many years, and we don’t see it happening tonight as the Clips cruise to an easy win.

We think this is a massive letdown spot for the Rockets after their OT win over the Warriors on Thursday. They expended a lot of energy in that one, and they could be sluggish here. Even if they play well, Portland is very good at home, and they have a strong history against the Rockets, covering in five of the last seven matchups. Portland comes in on a back-to-back after a close home loss to OKC, but we think they were looking ahead to this game, and we expect them to give full effort here.

The Spurs are coming off their big game against Toronto on Thursday and we think the offense may be sluggish in this one. The Grizzlies have been one of the better under teams in the NBA this season and their offense is nothing to write home about. We don’t see either offense going off tonight, and we think both teams will be solid on the defensive end. This one could be a blowout and the Grizzlies often have trouble reaching the century mark and we think that could be the case tonight.

The Pistons have been strong at home, and we like them to win here in their first game back home after a four-game road trip. We had this game handicapped at pickem and these teams are both having disappointing seasons so far. We think this game is a tossup, so taking the points is the only way to go here. We expect a close game throughout and think that the Pistons will pull away late in the fourth.

Miami has been a covering machine lately as they are 15-4 ATS in their last 19 games. We think they are undervalued here again tonight. Miami is the kind of team that can hold betting value all year long because of their lack of star power, and we think there’s a good chance for a double-digit win tonight. Washington has covered only one of five meetings in this series. Of course, they are without John Wall, their best player, who has been lost for the season. The Wizards are 0-7 ATS as a dog of 6 or more points this season, meaning they have failed every chance in a situation like they are in tonight. They are only 4-16 on the road this season, and that was with Wall leading the way most of the season. This team just doesn’t have any identity this season, and we don’t expect them to show up in this one tonight.