Sports Picks & Predictions

The Lakers are completely healthy and they have been playing well. San Antonio is really banged up and will be without a handful of key players tonight, hence the small line here. The Spurs have not played well on the road this season at 10-12 and that is just two more wins than the Lakers have at home and Los Angeles has been underachieving for much of the season. They have won two straight, however, in very impressive fashion and this would be a marquee win for the ballclub and they will give it their all tonight since the Spurs are in a weakened state. We think the Lakers are playing hard right now for their coach after the controversy with the Ball family.

The Clippers gave everything they had last night in their shocking upset of the Warriors in Oakland. This is not only a back-to-back but their third game in four nights. This team has to be running on fumes right now, and on our line we had the Kings favored by a couple points. The Clippers are already thin in the rotation and with the fatigue factor this doesn’t set up well for the road team tonight. The Clippers have won ten straight in Sacramento but the Kings have a real good chance to break that streak tonight and we think that they put forth their best effort.

This game is in London. Both teams are playing very well right now. Both teams are well rested. With the international travel involved here we think that favors the underdog in what we think is a pretty even matchup with both teams healthy. Boston has won and covered both meetings this season but the Sixers have covered in four of the last six and we think that this game is a coin flip and that you have to take the points in that situation. Both teams will be playing hard and Philly won’t want to lose three in a row to one of the best teams in the East.

The Magic are getting healthy and we think they will have the offensive chops to keep this game competitive tonight and to push this one over the posted number. The Magic have traditionally done well as a double-digit dog and after a bad loss last time out in Dallas we think that they will play much better tonight. They have a strong history against Milwaukee as they have covered in 15 of the last 22 meetings. We think this one will be a shootout but we see the Magic hanging with the Bucks offensively all night and we think this will be a close, high-scoring game.

The Magic are getting healthy and we think they will have the offensive chops to keep this game competitive tonight and to push this one over the posted number. The Magic have traditionally done well as a double-digit dog and after a bad loss last time out in Dallas we think that they will play much better tonight. They have a strong history against Milwaukee as they have covered in 15 of the last 22 meetings. We think this one will be a shootout but we see the Magic hanging with the Bucks offensively all night and we think this will be a close, high-scoring game.

We like the home dog here. Anthony Davis is doubtful for this game tonight for the Pelicans and we think that Memphis should be a slight favorite here. The Grizzlies have had a very tough schedule lately but they have covered three of their last four games and despite a poor record this team is playing hard on a nightly basis. They already beat the Pelicans once in this same building at the start of the season and they have covered in five of the last seven meetings in Memphis. Take the home dog tonight.

Going to ride the Pacers in this one as they have regained their home-court edge with blowout wins in their last two games here at home. Miami has put together a nice run lately but this squad is playing in a road back-to-back tonight and this will be their third game in four nights. And after a hard-fought win in Toronto last night we think this is a bad spot for them and this looks like a game where they could possibly take the night off. The Heat are 1-5 ATS in the last six meetings in Indiana and we think that this game has a great chance for a double-digit win by the home squad.

We have been very impressed with the play of the Hornets lately, and after a slow start to the season they seem to be peaking right now. They have won three of four, all on the road and by double digits, including that big win over the Warriors in the Bay Area. This team has always had the talent, and now they are putting it together. Usually the game after a road trip can be treacherous for the home club but Charlotte has had four nights off and that is crucial rest at this point of the season. Dallas is coming off a homestand where they lost three of four and they aren’t playing with the same intensity we have seen from this team at some points in the season. Dallas is 4-12 ATS this season against sub-.500 teams and we think they are in for a rough outing tonight.

The Pistons have just been horrible on the road lately and they have lost four straight away from home. Two of those losses were to Orlando and Dallas, both by double digits, and they face much tougher competition than those clubs tonight. New Orleans has been inconsistent but this squad has covered in eight of the last 10 meetings and this is a club they traditionally play well against. The Pistons have some key players banged up tonight and we feel that their road woes continue here with a comfortable win by the Pelicans.

Cleveland has dropped five of eight and they just aren’t playing well right now. However, the books keep lining them as if they were winning. This is normally one of the best teams in the NBA to fade and now they are 12-26-1 ATS this season so they are even better than normal as this team is just not as good as previous squads and this team normally performs at 75% effort during the regular season to save their energy for the playoffs. The Wolves have been really strong at home lately and this team is finally getting it together after years of potential and this team is playing very well right now. The Wolves are 14-6 at home this season while the Cavs have been poor on the road and we expect a strong showing from the home club tonight.

The Lakers have lost nine straight games and this team is dealing with a lot of inner turmoil right now and we just don’t think that they should be favored by this many points against any team right now. This team is 1-6 ATS at home against sub-.500 teams and this is about as shaky of a favorite as you can get in the NBA betting market. Atlanta has won three of six, including wins over Portland and Washington, and they are in better form right now. This game seems like a coin flip to us so we have to take the underdog that is getting so many points.

Eight of the last nine meetings between these squads have gone over the posted number, and we expect this one to be high scoring as well. Minnesota has played in a couple real low-scoring games recently and the oddsmakers have overadjusted this number as a result. But the Pelicans are a real strong over team this season and we think the pace of this game will benefit the offenses for both teams. We had this game handicapped at 224 and we think there is excellent betting value on what should be a high-scoring affair.

The Clippers have been playing well lately and we think they are getting too many points here in the Saturday matinee. Golden State has absolutely dominated this series but now that Chris Paul is gone we don’t think the Warriors have that same burning desire to embarrass the Clippers and this is just another game for them. They are coming off a game against Paul and Houston and that is the game that was more important to them and we feel this is a letdown spot. That was the first in four games Golden State covered and they needed a 7-0 run to finish the game just to get the ATS win. We might throw a couple bucks on the Clippers moneyline here as we think this is a decent spot for them to challenge for the win.

These teams played last month and it was a real low-scoring game and as a result we are getting a real low total here. The Wizards offense is really humming right now as they have scored 120+ in two of their last three games and in the other they notched 114. We don’t think they will have any problem penetrating the Memphis defense tonight. The Grizzlies have shown lately that they can score as well. They have scored 105 or more in four straight games and they showed against the Warriors that they can take advantage of a swift pace as they put up 128 a couple games ago in a losing effort. We think that both teams get well over the century mark tonight and the league overall has been trending to the over lately.

Both teams have been playing well beyond expectations lately but we just think this is too many points to be laying against the Bulls who have been playing hard every night. After a real hot streak the Bulls have lost three straight but they have had a real tough schedule and all those losses were to playoff-caliber squads. They take a big step down in competition tonight and we think that these teams are evenly matched and we had this line handicapped at -3 with a lean to Chicago at that number so we think there is very nice value here tonight getting this many points.

This looks like the kind of spread where the bookies are begging for Boston money but we will side with the road team with this small spread as we think the Wolves have a legit chance to win this one straight out. Boston is in a letdown spot here as they are coming off their big win vs. Cleveland and then they play tomorrow and we would think they might not play to their potential against this out of conference opponent tonight. The Wolves are coming off a loss but this team lately had been playing as well as any club in the league and we think they are a live dog tonight.

The Clippers have been playing well but they have had a super easy schedule and their only real quality win was at Houston but we think that was more of an off night for the Rockets than the Clippers doing anything special. OKC has won seven of nine and this team is starting to put it together after a slow start to the season where there were some growing pains with the new Big 3. But this is a team that was supposed to be a Top 3 team in the NBA and they are suddenly playing the part while the Clippers ceiling this season is probably a No. 8 seed if they even make the playoffs (and if they can stay healthy). The Thunder have covered four of the last five meetings. They played in LA last night and barely broke a sweat against the Lakers so they have no travel and this is about the best situation for a road game back-to-back that they could possibly have tonight.

The Warriors are getting healthy again and the Rockets are banged up, with of course their superstar James Harden out of the lineup for this contest. Golden State has revenge for the Rockets beating them early in the season and when this GSW team is motivated they play their best. We have no doubt that this is one of the biggest games of the season for them and they should give 100% tonight. Golden State had won and covered three straight in this series before that season-opening loss and this version of the Rockets with Chris Paul leading the charge is a weaker team than the Harden-led club that Golden State dominated in those meetings. We think with the Warriors playing at their best that this game is a real mismatch.

Utah is coming off a win over the overrated Cavs, but otherwise this team has not been playing great basketball after a nice start to the season. They really miss Rudy Gobert and this is a team to be wary about until their best player returns. These teams played about a month ago in New Orleans and the Pelicans led by as many as 16 before squandering that lead in the second half. Revenge is an overrated handicapping angle but when a team folds like that they normally remember and want to right the previous wrong. And they have just the team to do it against tonight in the reeling Jazz.

Chicago has been a nice story, but if we are being real here the Raptors are so far ahead of the Bulls as far as talent and ability that this should be a blowout if Toronto plays their game. Chicago has lost their last two games so this team is cooling off a bit. Toronto has won three straight matchups in this series and we had this line handicapped at -8.5 so we think there is some nice value here getting the much better team on the other side of the key NBA betting number of 7.

Miami has been a nightmare for bettors when they play at home as they are 4-11-2 ATS on the season here in South Beach and we think they are overvalued here again tonight. Not only are the Pistons in great form after blowing out the Spurs last game but they have had three days off coming into this matchup, their first of 2018. They will also get Avery Bradley back tonight and that should give this team a big boost. The Heat have been very inconsistent this season, but the one thing that is very consistent with this squad is that they don’t often cover on their home court and we think that trend will continue here on Wednesday night.

This Houston offense goes through James Harden and without him this team won’t have the same fluidity on the offensive end that they had with him in the lineup. There are going to be some growing pains and Chris Paul is more of a facilitator than a guy that is going to pick up the massive void of scoring left by Harden’s absence. The under is 6-2 in the last eight meetings between these teams here in Orlando. We don’t see the Rockets playing the same on offense as they have all season and the Magic are a pretty lousy offensive team and it’s doubtful that they would have the breakout offensive night needed to get this one over the posted number.

The Clippers are playing well recently with three straight wins and five of six. But you get the feeling that things won’t continue to go well for this team as this squad is probably a lottery team this season even if Blake Griffin stays healthy. The Grizzlies one of the teams that always seems to give the Clippers trouble and they have covered in eight of 10 here at Staples Center and they are 14-6-1 ATS in the last 21 meetings overall. The Grizzlies are playing with some confidence right now and we think they will challenge for the win in what should be a close contest.

Atlanta is one of the worst NBA teams in the league this season and this team is 3-15 on the road. The Suns aren’t a good team, either, but at 14-24 and playing in the tougher Western Conference they are quite a bit better than the Hawks, in our opinion. The Suns have won two of three and they are in nice form right now and this is a very winnable game for them so we think they go all out tonight in front of the home fans. The Suns have covered in four straight meetings and they have won the last two meetings at home, and we think those trends will continue here on Tuesday.

The Spurs have not been a good road team this season. They are 8-10 SU and 6-12 ATS. We think the Knicks can keep this one close tonight and this is just too many points for the public Spurs. At 18-18 the Knicks have been playing much better than expected. They have done most of their damage at home, where they are 15-6 on the season. The Knicks have covered three of four meetings. Their non-cover was last week in San Antonio but New York will play much better this time around and on their home court.

The Blazers are one of the best under teams in the NBA this season at 25-10, and we think that this is another game where the bookies have posted a total too high. The Blazers have been without Damian Lillard for four games and he is questionable tonight. They have trended to the under in those games with a 3-1 mark. Even if Lillard suits up tonight he won’t be 100%, and Portland is already a lousy offensive team even with their best player in the lineup. Portland is in the Top 5 defensively for both points allowed and defensive field goal percentage and we don’t see the Bulls doing much on offense tonight. Chicago is on a back-to-back here and they have averaged less than 97 points per game in seven games on the second end of a back-to-back.

Phllly got the upset win in Denver last night but now they have a real tough back-to-back in Phoenix. Denver is a tough place to play either the first or second half of a back-to-back and the Suns will run the Sixers with a fast pace all night and we think they will be real worn out by the fourth quarter and the Suns have a real legitimate chance to pull the upset here. Philly has yet to win or cover a b-2-b this season in four tries and this young team may be in another bad spot tonight.

The Pacers will likely be without Victor Oladipo tonight and he is really one of the main reasons that this team has played so well this season. They have lost three straight entering this matchup and this team is not in good form right now and without their best player we feel they will have a tough time beating the Wolves tonight. The Wolves are coming off a loss but they won five straight before that and even though they are banged up they should get some players back tonight and we think they have a good chance to win this one comfortably.

The Clippers had been playing well before Blake Griffin returned and with their best player back in the mix they should be even better. The Hornets are in a letdown spot after beating the Warriors last time out but we think that was more of an off game by Golden State than anything and they will likely come back closer to what they are tonight. The Clippers have covered in 11 of the last 16 meetings and we feel that will continue tonight as whenever the Hornets show signs of a spark they normally let down backers soon afterwards.

Embiid is the big start for this Philly team and when he rests as he will tonight you have to look to fade this team and that is what we will do tonight. Denver has one of the best home-court advantages in the NBA and they are 12-3 here this season. Philly has lost six of their last seven and this team is just not playing well right now and that trend should continue with Embiid sidelined in a hostile environment. The Nuggets have had two nights off before this game so they are well rested, and the Sixers probably have road fatigue as they have been on this trip for awhile and are probably ready to get back home to Philly.

These are two of the strongest under teams this season and the last three meetings between these clubs have gone under the posted total. The Warriors allowed 111 to the Hornets last night at home in a loss so we think they will tighten up the defense tonight. Opponents of Memphis have rarely reached the century mark lately and we think there is a good chance that the Warriors won’t get too much above that and there is a good chance for a blowout here as the Grizzlies struggle on offense during the best of times but they have been particularly bad lately with many results in the 80s and mid-90s.

We always like to back a good team off a bad loss and the Pistons certainly qualify tonight as they lost by double-digits in Orlando on Thursday. Now they face a Spurs team at home as a big underdog. The Spurs just haven’t been good on the road this season and they are just 8-9 SU away from home and an even worse 6-11 ATS. Detroit played the Spurs very tough in San Antonio earlier this month and we think they can be even better here at home despite being a but banged up. But we had this game handicapped as a pickem so we think there is some nice value here on Saturday.

The Clippers are playing well lately and they have won three of their last four. They could get Blake Griffin back tonight. He will probably be rusty but we think that he will help the team whether he plays or not as with BG back this team could actually fight for a playoff spot since he is coming back about a month ahead of schedule and now this team has some hope. They have won five straight in this series and covered in four of those games and we expect that domination to continue tonight.

Steph Curry is still out but otherwise this team is pretty healthy right now. They were in a letdown spot coming off their big Christmas win over the Cavs when facing Utah last time out but they just dominated despite somewhat of an off night and they won by 25. That tells us that this team is in fine form right now and they Charlotte team that has thus far been a big disappointment this season. This team is just 3-8-3 ATS away from home despite getting some very generous lines from the oddsmakers. We think this will be another GSW blowout tonight.

This game is really a coin flip and we just have to take the points here as either team could win this game. The Kings might be in a letdown spot after beating the Cavaliers last time out (we were on the Kings in that one) and this is the type of team that will probably be happy with that result and think that they have done their work for the week. They don’t handle success well as they are 2-7-1 ATS following a double-digit win and this team probably won’t handle the role of the favorite too well on Friday night.

Dallas has won and covered two straight, including at Indiana, where the Pacers rarely lose, so they are playing well right now. The divide between these two teams isn’t as large as this line would suggest. The Pels have won three straight but those were against pretty shoddy competition. This team does not play defense well while Dallas has been playing really excellent defense lately and they will be what keeps them in this game for four quarters with a chance for the straight up win late.

Even with dropping six of eight ATS the Nets are still one of the better betting teams in the league at 19-15 ATS and they have face a very difficult schedule lately. But this is a very winnable game for them tonight as there isn’t much about the Heat that gets us excited. The Heat are just 2-7 ATS as a favorite of three or more points this season and this is just not a role that they are very good in as a big favorite and we seriously think the road team has a decent chance to win this, but this game should be close regardless.

Houston has lost four straight and they aren’t in great form right now and the bookmakers are still lining them as if they are on their big winning streak. The Wizards are no pushovers and we had them as a slight favorite in this matchup. The Wizards beat Boston on the road on Christmas and then fell flat next game out at Atlanta but this team gets up for big games and we expect a winning performance from the home team here.

Sacramento has played the Cavs tough the last two games, covering both and losing by only six in Cleveland earlier this month. We think Cleveland is in a letdown spot after their big game against the Warriors on Christmas. Cleveland is 11-22-1 ATS this season. They are normally awful ATS as they do enough to win but don’t expend full energy every night. Sacramento looked awful last night in a blowout loss in LA but they were probably looking ahead to this game and they should put forth a much better effort on their home court tonight.

The Thunder have won five straight and six of seven but we aren’t convinced that this team has figured it all out yet. We at least at this point in time think that the Raptors are the much stronger team and you aren’t often going to get this many points when betting on the Raptors. Toronto is one of the best ATS teams in the league and OKC is one of the worst. Toronto is on a back-to-back but they are 3-1 ATS in these situations this season and we think their lackluster performance in Dallas last night was more of a look-ahead to this game than a sign of more concerning problems. Toronto is 4-0 in their last four meetings here.

The Knicks have covered in four of the last five meetings in this series. If this was a couple weeks ago the Knicks probably would have been 3-4 point favorites here. But the Bulls have been playing well. However, this is a tough spot as they are coming off a three-game road trip and are on a back-to-back tonight. We had the Knicks handicapped at -2 for this game so there is great value in them as an underdog. While the Bulls have been playing better this team will still finish with one of the worst records in the NBA and the Knicks are a much better team. We think they have an excellent shot at the rare road win tonight.

Boston is not in good form right now as they have lost three of four and they are just 11-8 in their last 19 after starting off the season playing the best ball in the NBA. Charlotte played the Celtics tough in their first meeting of the season, in early November, in Boston, which was a three-point loss. This is a road game sandwiched between home games vs. Washington and Houston for Boston and we think they might save their energy a little for the Rockets, whom they play tomorrow night. We think there is some value in the home dog here.

Detroit has taken two of three meetings this season so far in this series but we think that these teams are pretty even and the Pacers have a strong history in this series as they have taken seven of nine meetings against the spread. This game has reverse line movement as the public is on Detroit and the line is getting smaller, meaning that other sharp bettors probably like the Pacers as well in this game tonight. Both teams have been good ATS but the Pacers have been even better as they are the No. 2 ATS team at 20-13 on the season. The Pistons are not in the best form as the oddsmakers have overadjusted in some games, and as a result they are only 2-5 ATS in their last seven games. They are 0-4 ATS in their last four home games while the Pacers have played very well on the road and are on a 7-1 ATS run away from home. One of the Pistons best players, Avery Bradley, has been out for four games and is questionable tonight and the Pistons will need a complete effort to get by Indiana and we just don’t see it happening tonight.

Portland has one of the best defenses in the NBA this season, and against a Denver offense that has been inconsistent lately we just don’t see the Nuggets doing anything special tonight on the offensive end. We think there is a good chance that the Nuggets score well under 100 tonight. And that should be enough to cash this ticket. On the other side, the offense of the Blazers can’t be called dynamic by any measure and tonight they will be without their best player in Damian Lillard and that is going to hurt this team in many ways. We think there is a good chance that both teams finish under the century mark.

The Rockets had their long winning streak broken by the Lakers last time out and that was just a game where they took the night off as every NBA team does in certain games. But they will be motivated by this one as this has become a rivalry in the last few years, even more so now after the trade sent Chris Paul to the Rockets in the offseason. Paul will be out tonight, but it won’t matter. The Clippers just don’t have the players to compete in this matchup and besides a couple holdovers from last year the Clippers don’t have a lot of extra motivation in this matchup. We think Houston will get back on the winning track in a big way.

The Bucks have been up and down this season but last time out they scored a big win over the Cavs on at home and we think that game might be the catalyst for a winning streak. This is the first of a home-and-home, back-to-back and we think the home teams will play well in each game. The Bucks have the advantage here tonight not only being at home but they have had the last two nights off as well. They have covered in three of the last four meetings and we expect a very strong game from the home club tonight.

Although the Pistons aren’t playing as well lately as they were early in the season they are still one of the better ATS teams in the NBA and we feel they are catching the Knicks in a nice spot tonight coming off an upset win over the Celtics. New York hasn’t been good in back-to-backs this season and they aren’t good on the road at 2-9 on the season. The Pistons have won three of their last four and we just don’t see the Knicks beating the Celtics and Pistons on consecutive nights and we think there is a good chance for a big New York letdown tonight a good possibility for a 10+-point win for the home team.

We went against the Bulls last night and that didn’t work out. They won their seventh in a row, and in blowout fashion, against Orlando. For whatever reason this team, which looked like the clear-cut worst team in the NBA before the season started, has put it together with great coaching and solid team-oriented basketball. Just have to love getting double-digit points here with this team tonight as good as they have been lately. The Bulls have covered in eight of the last nine meetings and this team normally gets up to play Cleveland no matter the circumstance, so we don’t think the back-to-back will hurt them too much tonight. The Cavs are one of the worst teams to bet on in the entire NBA year in and year out as they face inflated spreads by the oddsmakers and they don’t care much about the regular season and tend to do just enough to win but not always cover the line.

The Blazers have won and covered two straight in this series. This team has been kind of under the radar for awhile as they have been on a long road trip and they have earned mixed results as far as straight up wins go. But when you look at their recent ATS results you see that they are 6-0 ATS in their last six, so they are underestimated by the oddsmakers right now. And that looks true again tonight as they are only slight favorites against a Spurs team that has been very shaky on the road and will be without Leonard tonight.

Denver has had a road-heavy schedule lately and they have been kind of a forgotten team after some mixed results on the road. But tonight they are back at home where they are one of the best in the NBA on their home court. They are 11-2 at home while the Wolves are a paltry 7-7 on the road. Denver has covered in five of the last seven meetings in this series and we expect them to win this one comfortably tonight as the Wolves have been very inconsistent away from home. Denver is 6-1 ATS in their last seven home games and we expect that trend to hold weight again tonight.

The Bulls are one of the hottest teams in the NBA and out of nowhere this team has won six straight. Any team can get hot at any time in the NBA as these are some of the most talented basketball players in the world even though some teams have less supreme talent than others. But now the Bulls are in the role of a big favorite against a team that is probably a bit better than them. Even with the six-game winning streak the Bulls are only 9-20, and when all is said and done this team will have one of the worst records in the NBA. We just think this is too many points for a team like Chicago to be laying tonight.

Brooklyn is in the Top 4 this season for NBA ATS teams and we think this is a good spot for them tonight. Brooklyn has a strong history in this series as they are 7-1 in the last eight meetings at home and they are the much stronger team in this matchup. Brooklyn has lost three straight but they have had a pretty tough schedule lately and we think they will use this chance against an inferior opponent for a big win here on Wednesday night. This is the final game of a four-game road trip and we think the Kings will be ready to go home after this one.

We went with the Hornets last time out against the Knicks and were very impressed with the way they played and we will back them here as this is a team that has some talent and they started off the season slow but this might be time for a surge and they certainly will not get any love from the oddsmakers as this is a team that the public hates to bet on even when they play well. And we certainly think that they are getting a good line tonight as we had this game at pickem so there is nice value here for the home underdog in a game we expect to be close and it could go either way as to who wins straight up. Charlotte has covered in three of the last four meetings.

The Bucks are a team that doesn’t always play to their potential this season but they should be sharp and focused here on Tuesday night. The Bucks have lost three straight, including one to the suddenly-hot Bulls. A three-game losing streak is bad. But a four-game losing streak is panic time. They would be hyped for this game anyways but there is a lot more on the line tonight as this team needs to get back on a winning streak. The Cavs are one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now but this team is notoriously bad against the spread and this season is no different at 11-19-1 ATS. They are overvalued again tonight.

The Warriors are banged up right now but this is still a very good team and much better than the Lakers even with these key players out. They still have Durant and Thompson and they have a lot of other nice pieces. The Lakers are retiring Kobe Bryant’s jerseys tonight and that could be a distraction for the home club. Golden State is 13-6 ATS in the last 19 meetings and even though the Lakers have been down for a couple years other teams still want to win at Staples Center and we think the Warriors bring their best effort tonight.

We will go with the hot team here with the home underdog as the Bulls have won five straight while the Sixers have lost five of six. Chicago is playing great team basketball and strong defense and they are obviously better than most of us thought as this winning streak is no joke. Their last three opponents are likely playoff clubs. Philly has playing OT games in their last two contests and this is a lone road game sandwiched between home games and we don’t think this is a good spot for the road club tonight.

The Hawks are only 6-23 SU but they are 15-13-1 ATS and that shows us this is a team that is better than the oddsmakers think and also a team that plays hard most nights to keep games close. The Hawks have had two nights off while Miami will be playing its third game in four nights and they have Boston on deck after the night off Tuesday so they could very well be in a letdown spot here. Atlanta has won only two of their last nine games but they are 7-2 ATS during that span but this is a game we think they can actually win straight out.

Porzingis is questionable here and likely won’t be near 100% if he does play with a sore knee. The Knicks have won four straight and the Hornets have lost three straight so this line looks a little fishy. But Charlotte has had a much tougher schedule and we think this is a good spot for them to get back on the winning track. New York has played really well at home but they are just 2-8 on the road this season and we think that the Hornets will roll to a comfortable win tonight as they will be playing with purpose.

The Celtics have become overvalued and they are not playing their best basketball of the season right now. In fact, they have covered in only three of their last nine games. The Pacers have been very strong at home this season at 10-6 and Boston has a bullseye on their backs now and they will probably get the best effort from their opponents almost every night, especially on the road. The Pacers have been playing well above expectations this season and we think they have a good chance for the straight up win here.

The Cavs seem to run hot and cold ATS and they are cold now as they have failed to cover in three straight and five of six overall. Washington has been cold ATS but they had the night off on Saturday while the Cavs are coming in on a back-to-back and this will be their third game in four nights, and it’s always tough to play a good team on the road in that situation. We think that this is a great spot to back the home team and we are confident they will win this one comfortably tonight.

The Kings have covered in four of the last five meetings and we think that they are getting too many points tonight. Sacramento has covered in four of their last six games and they have been playing pretty well overall. One of those last non-covers as last time out as the Kings got blown out in Minnesota. That was a game the Kings did not show up for so we expect a much better effort here and we think Sacramento can keep this one within double digits.

Houston is playing as well as any team in the NBA right now and we don’t think the Bucks will be able to match up with them tonight. Both teams are coming in on a back-to-back but Houston was home last night and they get to stay at home here while the Bucks had to make the long road trip to Texas. That’s not to mention that the Rockets made it look easy in beating the Spurs last night while the Bucks lost to lowly Chicago at home. Houston is in much better form right now and this is an easy call tonight.

The Suns were already a very thin team talent-wise and were down Devin Booker already and now Tyson Chandler might be out here as well. With the Bulls playing well lately this Suns team may be fielding the weakest lineup in the NBA tonight. This looks like a real good spot for the Timberwolves to shine. They beat a much better team in the Kings on Thursday by 20+ and we think they could lay down a similar beatdown tonight. The Wolves are 4-1-1 ATS in the last six meetings between these teams in Minnesota and we think that the Wolves match up real well in this game and we expect them to shine tonight.

The Cavs had the night off last night while the Jazz are coming in on a back-to-back after a big game against Boston last night and now this will be their third game in four nights. To make matters worse, they will be without Rudy Gobert tonight. This team gets the job done with defense but with such a brutal recent schedule we don’t think they will have the energy to stop the Cavs high-octane offensive attack.

Houston is just in such a zone offensively right now that we don’t think there is anything that even a supreme defensive team like San Antonio can do to slow them down. And the Spurs offense will definitely prosper with such a fast pace. We see both teams scoring very well tonight. Leonard is the Spurs best defensive player but he is on a minutes restriction and he is just getting himself back into playing shape and we don’t think he will be a major factor on the defensive end tonight. We are getting a very low total here because the Spurs are so stout defensively but we just think that the Rockets can score on anyone right now and the Spurs will get their points as a result of the pace.

The Nets are the No. 3 ATS team in the entire league at 17-10. They have been great as a big underdog this season as they are 7-1 ATS when getting seven or more points. This is a team that can hold betting value every night as they don’t have any stars and are well below .500 on the W/L record but this team plays hard almost every night and they have some underrated talent on the court. They come in on a back-to-back tonight but they are 3-1 ATS in these situations this season and this is a young and athletic team so we aren’t worried about the lack of rest and after a poor performance last night we think they will want to play much better here tonight.  Toronto has dropped four of their last six ATS and they have struggled to cover as a double-digit favorite as they are just 1-3 ATS in this role in 2017.

We think that “revenge” is one of the more overrated NBA handicapping angles. However, when the teams played recently we do think that it comes into play. And these teams played less than a week ago in LA with the Clippers scoring a one-point win. They needed a three in the last 10 seconds for the win and there was also some controversy with the clock on the Wizards last possession so we have no doubt that they remember that game. The Wizards should have John Wall back here as he missed the last meeting and that will be a big improvement for this Wizards team. Washington had a slow start in that last meeting but they outplayed the Clippers in the second half and we think they will put forth a more complete performance here at home on Friday night.

We thought the Pistons were just in a slump against a tough schedule then they were blown out of the water at home against Boston and then they had a really embarrassing home blowout loss to the Nuggets last time out and this team just is not playing well right now. Atlanta has covered in five of the last eight meetings in this series. They have been a covering machine as of late as they have covered in four straight games and in six of their last seven. This team is playing hard almost every night and we have no doubt they will be amped to have the Pistons in town tonight and Detroit might be more focused on a tougher opponent in the Pacers, who they travel to play on the road tomorrow night.

The Suns offense has stunk lately and they have averaged 97 PPG in their last three. Losing their best player, Devin Booker, has really hurt this team’s offense and we don’t see them doing anything tonight against a pretty good Toronto defense. The Suns come in on a back-to-back and they scored only 92 at the Kings last night and throw in the fatigue factor and they might not get to the century mark again tonight. This is the third game in four nights for Toronto and the last of their four-game road trip and we could see another flat performance like we did last time out when they scored only 91 in LA (Clippers).

These teams played late last month in Utah and the Jazz won by 30. We don’t think that the change in venue will matter much here. Utah has lost three straight and the Bulls have won three straight but that doesn’t mean much to us for handicapping this game as the Jazz had a much tougher schedule. The Bulls destroyed Boston last time out but every team takes a night off now and again and we don’t give the Bulls too much credit for that win. The Jazz are the much better team in this matchup and after such a tough slate of games they should be very motivated to get back on track against what is probably the worst team in the NBA this season.

OKC is one of the worst ATS teams in the league this season and it is looking more and more every game like this Big 3 experiment in Oklahoma City may not work. This will be Paul George’s return to Indiana and he won’t get a pleasant welcome back from the fans or his old team. Right now the Pacers are actually the better team and they will be ultra motivated tonight while the Thunder are just still trying to figure things out and won’t take this game as seriously. OKC won early in the season but things are a bit different now and Indiana has been nearly unbeatable on their home court (10-4) while the Thunder can’t get anything going on the road (3-9). This spread is giving the Thunder too much credit on name alone.

At first glance this total looked too high and these teams have a history of games going under the posted total. Seven of the last nine meetings have gone under and four of the last five in Orlando have gone under the posted total. The Clippers aren’t a very good offensive team with all the injuries they have suffered and this team is starting a lot of backups right now. They are coming off an effort where they scored only 96 at home against Toronto and we feel the shooting slump could continue here. The Magic are thin as well and they have not been playing well offensively. They went over one game because of OT but that game was under at the end of regulation and three of their last five have gone under.

The Spurs have just not been good on the road this season and they are 6-6 so far and an even worse 4-8 ATS away from home. Leonard is expected to return tonight for his season debut after missing the first 27 games of the season. He won’t be in midseason form and he won’t get a lot of minutes right off the bat. For his first couple games back he may hurt the team more than help it until he gets back into game shape and gels with his teammates. We expect this to be a close game as the Mavs have covered in five of the last six meetings.

The Lakers have won two straight impressive road games but we think they are getting overrated tonight by the oddsmakers as a result. The fact is that this team is just 4-8 on the road even after those two wins and tonight they face a Knicks team that has been incredible at home at 12-5 both SU and ATS. They are also 5-1 ATS as a small favorite this season and we think that they will win this game pretty comfortably tonight. The Knicks have covered in four of six and this team seems to be continually underrated by the bookies at home.

The Pistons have lost six straight, but they had probably the toughest schedule anyone could possibly play during that stretch. They played well enough to win in at least half of those games. This is the weakest team they have played during this stretch and we think they go all out to get back on the winning track tonight. Detroit won and covered both games last season and this Pistons team is a better club this year. Both wins were by 10+ points. They have covered in 10 of the last 14 meetings between these teams in Detroit. The Pistons are still one of the best ATS teams in the league and we think they flex their muscles tonight against an inferior opponent.

The Clippers D has been terrible recently and they have allowed 112+ in five of their last six games and their best defensive performance during that stretch was giving up 108 in Dallas. That does not bode well tonight against a Toronto team that is in mid-season form offensively. Toronto has averaged 117 PPG in their last six and we don’t see any way the Clippers slow them down tonight. The Raptors have covered in six straight meetings in this series.

The Raptors are playing as well as any team in the NBA right now having won nine of their last 11. They have covered in six of their last 10 but they had a couple recent games where they just missed the cover. This team looks better than the Raptors squad that we saw the last couple years and this team could be a legit NBA Finals contender if other top clubs in the east can’t stay healthy. We think that this team will keep up their hot play today against an overmatched Sacramento squad. The Kings are at home but this start time does them no favors as it is a very early start California time and we think that plays to the Raptors advantage. This is the first game back home after a long road trip for the Kings and that can be a bad omen for a bad team like this as they often can’t keep their focus on the game when they have other life stuff to take care of. And the fact that they got a big win last time at New Orleans (in OT no less) might make this team feel like they have done their work for the weekend and that they won’t give full effort here. Toronto averages about 15 points more per game than do the Kings on offense and we just don’t think they can keep up with a Toronto team that looks really focused right now and is rounding into mid-season form.

The Jazz have lost two straight and we think they make it three in a row tonight. Milwaukee is coming in on a back-to-back but they are 8-2-1 ATS in these situations lately and we think they will be fine after barely breaking a sweat last night vs. Dallas last night. After a slow start the Bucks have won five of six with their lone loss coming at Boston. They are starting to play as well as we expected them to and we think that this line is short tonight as we had this one handicapped at -4.5 with a lean to the home team at that number. We expect a low-scoring game here and the Bucks will separate themselves in the fourth quarter for the win by 5+.

The Jazz have lost two straight and we think they make it three in a row tonight. Milwaukee is coming in on a back-to-back but they are 8-2-1 ATS in these situations lately and we think they will be fine after barely breaking a sweat last night vs. Dallas last night. After a slow start the Bucks have won five of six with their lone loss coming at Boston. They are starting to play as well as we expected them to and we think that this line is short tonight as we had this one handicapped at -4.5 with a lean to the home team at that number. We expect a low-scoring game here and the Bucks will separate themselves in the fourth quarter for the win by 5+.

These teams played on Wednesday but in a strange scheduling quirk the Magic hosted Denver (while getting run out of the building) while the Hawks had the night off. That sets up a big revenge spot here as the Hawks lost in Orlando in overtime and now they are the rested team while Orlando comes in on a back-to-back after getting embarrassed on Friday. Atlanta is 6-2 ATS against their last eight opponents with a losing record and we think they are in a much better position for a big performance tonight than is Orlando.

The Clippers are getting used to life without Blake Griffin and we think they will play well in this Saturday matinee. The Wizards are in the midst of a road trip and this will be their third straight away from home while the Clippers have had two days off and they had two days off before that so they are very well rested here and with Gallinari back we think that this squad has a good chance to win here straight up. Getting the points is just a bonus.

Boston is 10-2 ATS on the road this season and this is a team you can really trust away from home. They are also a better team than the Spurs at this point in time. The Celtics are a perfect 5-0 ATS when getting points this season and we expect them to take care of business and win this game outright. These are two of the best defensive teams in the league and this should be a close game and in the fourth quarter every possession will be contested. These teams met in October and the total went just above 200 but these defenses are in midseason form now and this will be a tight game but in the end we have to go with the Celtics as we know they want this one really bad and their defense should go all out to win a low-scoring game here.

Boston is 10-2 ATS on the road this season and this is a team you can really trust away from home. They are also a better team than the Spurs at this point in time. The Celtics are a perfect 5-0 ATS when getting points this season and we expect them to take care of business and win this game outright. These are two of the best defensive teams in the league and this should be a close game and in the fourth quarter every possession will be contested. These teams met in October and the total went just above 200 but these defenses are in midseason form now and this will be a tight game but in the end we have to go with the Celtics as we know they want this one really bad and their defense should go all out to win a low-scoring game here.

Memphis has covered only one of the last five meetings between these teams, and this is the worst version of the Grizzlies that Toronto has seen during that time. We took the Grizzlies against Minnesota a couple games ago as they were desperate for a win and they got it against the Wolves but then they had a big letdown the next game out in getting blown out at the Knicks. Now they face a much better team in the Raptors tonight. We are super impressed with the play of Toronto this year as they have adapted their style and are getting great ball movement on offense. This is the first game of Toronto’s four-game road trip and we know they will want to get off to a good start here against a floundering team that is also one of the worst ATS teams in the NBA.

Detroit has lost four straight but three of those losses were very respectable and those were all on the road. Now they are back home where they are 8-2 on the season. This is the second meeting this season between these teams and the Pistons already won in the Bay Area in October as part of their 15-7-2 ATS record. Detroit is Top 3 ATS this season and this team seems to love the big matchups as they have beaten a lot of top teams this season. Golden State is a very good team even without Curry but they have had a pretty easy run of it on their current road trip and we expect this team to face a bit of adversity tonight.

Utah is 11-4 ATS at home this season and they are undervalued again tonight. The Jazz are coming off a road loss at OKC but this team won six straight before that, with five coming on this same court. This team has one of the best home-court advantages in the NBA and this is a very good team this season even after losing Gordon Hayward. Houston has won seven straight but this team has had a real easy schedule lately. This is the toughest game they will have played in their last eight games. The Jazz have scored 110+ in five of their last seven games and this is an offense that can hang with the Rockets and keep up with their pace. We think both teams will get their points and we expect a close, high-scoring game here on the TNT nightcap.

Utah is 11-4 ATS at home this season and they are undervalued again tonight. The Jazz are coming off a road loss at OKC but this team won six straight before that, with five coming on this same court. This team has one of the best home-court advantages in the NBA and this is a very good team this season even after losing Gordon Hayward. Houston has won seven straight but this team has had a real easy schedule lately. This is the toughest game they will have played in their last eight games. The Jazz have scored 110+ in five of their last seven games and this is an offense that can hang with the Rockets and keep up with their pace. We think both teams will get their points and we expect a close, high-scoring game here on the TNT nightcap.

The Lakers have lost five straight but they have had three nights off before this game and we think that they will be primed for a strong showing here on Thursday night. These teams played in LA last month and we thought the Lakers matched up pretty well and they were up heading into the fourth quarter but ended up losing by six. With the extra rest coming into this game we think they will play well again and this seems like an inflated line as we had this one at 6.5 so getting this one on the other side of the key NBA betting number of 7 provides some nice value for this TNT matchup as we expect a close, hard-fought game.

Detroit has lost three straight so they will be very keen on getting back on the winning track tonight. If you look at those losses, though, you will see that there was only one bad loss, and that was to the Wizards in a game that they did not play well. The next night they were on a back-to-back in Philly and they led entering the fourth quarter but ran out of gas late. Then they led the Spurs almost all game and San Antonio hit some nice shots late to score a three-point win even though the Pistons covered. Now Detroit is on the last leg of their 4-game road trip which makes this game even more important as if they win here tonight they will come out of this trip without many worries but if they lose all four of their games then this was just a disastrous road trip. We think they give max effort here. We expect a real close game here and we had this spread closer to pick’em. Milwaukee has won four of six but if you look at their schedule they needed OT to get by Phoenix then they won a home and away against Sacramento. Those are two of the five worst teams in the NBA. And they also won at Portland, which is their only recent quality win. Detroit has covered the last three in this series and the games have all been pretty competitive. We see this as a game that will be close again but we think the Pistons have the more complete team right now and they will be extra motivated in this game. We think that they pull out a close one tonight on the road.

We always like to take a team that is coming off an embarrassing loss because these players are pros and they will give a much better effort the next time out. The Wizards were on the wrong end of one of the biggest blowouts of the season as they lost last night by 47 points in Utah. That came after playing almost a perfect game at home in their own blowout win over Detroit even with John Wall sidelined. They are going to give a much better effort here and we are sure of that. Portland has lost two straight, both at home, and this team is just 7-6 at home this season and that is just one more win than the Wizards have on the road. And while we think revenge is mostly an overrated handicapping philosophy we do think it comes into play and the Blazers won in Washington last week and we think that maybe last night in Utah that they were looking ahead to this matchup. We also expect a low-scoring game, which makes the points for the underdog all the more valuable.

We always like to take a team that is coming off an embarrassing loss because these players are pros and they will give a much better effort the next time out. The Wizards were on the wrong end of one of the biggest blowouts of the season as they lost last night by 47 points in Utah. That came after playing almost a perfect game at home in their own blowout win over Detroit even with John Wall sidelined. They are going to give a much better effort here and we are sure of that. Portland has lost two straight, both at home, and this team is just 7-6 at home this season and that is just one more win than the Wizards have on the road. And while we think revenge is mostly an overrated handicapping philosophy we do think it comes into play and the Blazers won in Washington last week and we think that maybe last night in Utah that they were looking ahead to this matchup. We also expect a low-scoring game, which makes the points for the underdog all the more valuable.

The Suns are running on fumes here tonight as they are on the last game of a six-game road trip and come in on a back-to-back. They won in Philly last night in a big surprise and they also played Boston real tough but now this is their third game in four nights and we don’t think they will have much left here. Toronto is playing extremely well and they have won seven of their last nine games. Toronto is 7-3 ATS when laying six or more points this season so this is a team that you can trust when laying a big number as they tend to beat up on bad teams. The Suns are just in a very bad spot tonight and we think this will be a very ugly game for the visiting team that could lose by as many as 20 points tonight.

Detroit is one of the best ATS teams in the league at 14-7-1 on the season and even though they have lost two straight we think they will be primed for a big bounce-back performance here. Detroit is 5-2 ATS on the road against winning teams. They have some big wins this season on the road as they beat OKC, Boston and Golden State already this season. We think that not only will they be primed to end this two-game slide but they want to put another feather in their collective cap by beating a top team on the road. We think the Pistons are absolutely legit this season and since this team doesn’t have big stars and is not a team with recent success that they will hold their betting value despite some major ATS success already this season.

Memphis is on a long losing streak. This isn’t a team like the Bulls or Suns; this is actually a decent squad that is just in a slump. And we think they will play hard until they end this losing streak so we could see some value in their numbers as they get bigger and bigger. We definitely think there is value here getting the points at home against a Minnesota team that is on a back-to-back after beating the Clippers on Sunday (in a game where they did not cover). But this team is inconsistent and they normally follow up a win with a loss as this team has not been able to build any positive momentum. Minnesota is 4-11 ATS in the last 15 games in Memphis and we think the home team has a very strong chance to end the losing streak tonight.

Only two of the last eight meetings between these teams have gone under the posted total. We think this will be a high-scoring, competitive game on Monday and we think both teams get over the century mark tonight. Boston has been very good defensively but they haven’t brought the intensity in that area on a nightly basis lately as five of their last seven opponents have scored 100+ and two of their last three opponents have scored 110+. The over is 7-1-1 in the last nine meetings in Boston and we think that there is a very good chance that this one can get past 210 tonight.

We were on the Pistons last night and they put forth an embarrassing performance but we think that we will see a much better effort from them here on Saturday. Last night they were beaten in almost every aspect by a Wizards team that was missing John Wall but they just took the night off there and this team is much better than that. This team has been one of the Top 3 clubs in the Eastern Conference and they are one of the best ATS teams on the season. We really like them getting this many points against a team that while improved is still a work in progress and we think that the Pistons are the more complete ballclub right now. Plus Detroit has revenge as they lost to Philly as one of their seven losses on the season (in October).

The Clippers are a mess right now and wrought with injuries but we don’t think the Mavs should be favored by this many over anyone. The Clippers are a better team even with this depleted roster. LA played well against Utah last time out before a late collapse but in their second game sans Blake Griffin we think they will put together a more complete game. Dallas has been favored only three times this season and they have failed to cover in any of those games. They are 1-7 ATS at home against teams with a losing record. We think that this is a very winnable game for the road team and we expect them to go all out for the win since those are going to be harder and harder for the Clippers to get this season with all the injuries holding them back. We also expect this one to be pretty low scoring as the Mavs don’t have a very strong offense.

The Clippers are a mess right now and wrought with injuries but we don’t think the Mavs should be favored by this many over anyone. The Clippers are a better team even with this depleted roster. LA played well against Utah last time out before a late collapse but in their second game sans Blake Griffin we think they will put together a more complete game. Dallas has been favored only three times this season and they have failed to cover in any of those games. They are 1-7 ATS at home against teams with a losing record. We think that this is a very winnable game for the road team and we expect them to go all out for the win since those are going to be harder and harder for the Clippers to get this season with all the injuries holding them back. We also expect this one to be pretty low scoring as the Mavs don’t have a very strong offense.

The Spurs are just 10-10-1 ATS this season and this team is not playing championship-caliber basketball at the moment. Leonard is out and this team has struggled to meet expectations with their star out. San Antonio is 4-5 on the road this season SU and 2-7 ATS. This is the second game of a home-and-home as these teams played in San Antonio on Wednesday with the Spurs capturing a nine-point win. But it’s hard for the same team to win the second game in these situations, especially when the second game is a road contest. The Grizzlies have dropped nine straight so they will be very desperate for a win, and we think with the last meeting being just a couple days ago that familiarity will give them a chance to succeed here. We think they will get the job done via defense. The Grizzlies can’t score much but they can play defense when motivated, and we think that will be the case tonight. The Spurs, of course, always play strong D and we think both teams will grind it out in this game. And a low-scoring game makes the underdog more attractive. Memphis has covered four of the last five meetings in this series at home.

The Spurs are just 10-10-1 ATS this season and this team is not playing championship-caliber basketball at the moment. Leonard is out and this team has struggled to meet expectations with their star out. San Antonio is 4-5 on the road this season SU and 2-7 ATS. This is the second game of a home-and-home as these teams played in San Antonio on Wednesday with the Spurs capturing a nine-point win. But it’s hard for the same team to win the second game in these situations, especially when the second game is a road contest. The Grizzlies have dropped nine straight so they will be very desperate for a win, and we think with the last meeting being just a couple days ago that familiarity will give them a chance to succeed here. We think they will get the job done via defense. The Grizzlies can’t score much but they can play defense when motivated, and we think that will be the case tonight. The Spurs, of course, always play strong D and we think both teams will grind it out in this game. And a low-scoring game makes the underdog more attractive. Memphis has covered four of the last five meetings in this series at home.