Sports Picks & Predictions

I'm playing on DALLAS.  The Magic beat the Mavs at Orlando recently. I expect the Mavs to avenge that 2/19 game this evening. The Mavs were laying -12.5 points when they hosted the Magic last year and tonight they're laying less than half that. Things have changed for both teams, but not that much. The Magic are still a poor 10-18 on the road while the Mavs are still a solid 18-12 at home. While the Magic are 3-5 ATS their last eight as road underdogs in the 3.5 to 6 range, the Mavs are 5-2 ATS their last seven against teams with a losing record. Payback time. 10* Annihilator

I'm playing on LA. The Clippers shook off a disappointing loss against Denver by defeating Sacramento by double-digits in their last game. I expect an even more convincing victory tonight.

While they've managed a couple of wins on their current trip, the Nets are not a strong road team. They're still 6-20 away from Brooklyn. They're also still just 3-5 ATS (1-7 SU) their last eight against teams with a winning record.

Both teams had yesterday off. However, while the Clippers also have tomorrow off while the Nets will face the Lakers. Knowing thats a far more winnable game, it won't be surprising if the Nets "save themselves" a little for that game. 

The Clippers are 14-8-2 ATS (18-6 SU) against teams from the Eastern Conference and they're 9-5 ATS their last 14 against teams which allow 99 or more points per game. 

While the last couple of meetings at Brooklyn have been relatively close, the Clippers won by 39 points the last time they hosted the Nets. I see another lopsided result in the cards on Monday. 10* GOM

I'm playing on INDIANA. The Pacers lost a tough one last time out and took me down with them. That won't stop me from backing them again today though. While the Blazers are playing well, they're up against an Indiana team which is angry after the Charlotte loss and which is out for revenge from an earlier blowout loss at Portland.

While the Blazers are only 11-16 away from Portland, the Pacers are still a solid 18-10 here at Indiana. Overall, Portland has been stronger against weak teams while Indiana typically brings its "A Game" against the league's better teams. With both these teams above the .500 mark, note the Pacers are 19-8 ATS against teams with a winning record while the Blazers are only 12-14 ATS against winning teams. 

The Blazers are off a win at Chicago yesterday and will now be playing their third game in the past four days. I expect the Pacers to be both "fresher" and "hungrier" and for that to ultimately lead to a win and cover. 10* Personal Favorite

I’m playing on DETROIT. White its the Pistons who played yesterday, off an emotional win over Cleveland on Friday, I feel that its the Raptors who may be ripe for a letdown here. 

The Raptors are 3-5 ATS off an upset win and 12-20-1 ATS in that situation the past few seasons. As far as they're concerned, it doesn't get much bigger than a victory over the Cavs.

Some may be concerned about the back-to-back spot but I'm not too worried aboutit. Yesterday's game wasn't exactly taxing as the Pistons won comfortably. Also, they had two days off before yesterday AND they're already 2-0 SU/ATS in February when playing the second of b2b games. Last time that they did so, they won outright at Cleveland. 

The Pistons are playing well right now and Raptors coach Casey acknowledged that the addition of Tobias Harris (a player that has had success against Toronto when playing for Orlando) "adds quickness to a roster that is already fast and athletic."

The Pistons may have some added motivation due to the fact that the Raptors have already beaten them twice this season, including a blowout win here at The Palace. Payback time. 10* Best Bet

I'm playing on ATLANTA. The Hawks have taken two of three meetings overall this season and they've long dominated the Hornets here at Atlanta. Playing at home, I expect them to have the advantage this afternoon. Both teams had yesterday off after each won on Friday. Charlotte beat the Pacers by one, at Indiana. The Hawks snapped a 3-game skid with a 15-point blowout of Chicago. While they've had a successful road trip, the Hornets are still only 11-18 away from Charlotte. This is the final game of their long trip and they could easily already be looking forward to getting home. On the other hand, the Hawks know that they start a road trip of their own after this, beginning with a game at Golden State. Given the Warriors' home record this season, Atlanta knows it better take care of business today or it could easily find itself mired in another losing streak after the game against the Warriors. I expect them to do just that. 10* Annihilator

I'm playing on UTAH. The Nets were able to get a win last time out. This is a much tougher venue though and I expect them to stumble. The Nets, who closed as small favorites against the Suns, have just two wins in their last 14 tries off an "upset win" and they're just 18-28-1 ATS (14-33 SU) their last 47 in that situation. 

While the Nets will be happy about earning a rare road win, the Jazz should be in a foul mood after the Spurs embarrassed them here in the last game. They already won by 22 at Brooklyn this season and they beat the Nets by 35 here last season. All signs point to this one turning ugly once again. 10* B.M Beatdown

I'm playing on PHOENIX. The Grizzlies are in the midst of a favorable stretch of games. Four of their last five were against the Lakers (twice) the Nets and the T-Wolves. The only difficult game, out of that 5-game stretch, was against Toronto and the Grizzlies got blown out in that one. Now, they get to face the Suns and Kings, before hosting the Jazz and then the Suns again. That's about as "easy" as a 9-game stretch as it gets in today's NBA. Out of that entire 9-game stretch, the Grizzlies only play b2b games once - and that happens to be here. I feel that it could catch up with them and that they could easily get caught going through the motions against the lowly Suns. The Suns are certainly going through some growing pains right now. They're still playing hard though and should be desperate to get their coach his first victory, particularly when considering that they take to the road for four games (and 6 of 7) after this. I expect their best effort to lead to at least a cover. 10* best bet

I'm playing on DALLAS. With the Nuggets off an upset win at LA against the Clippers and the Mavericks off a double-digit loss against OKC, some might be tempted to back the visitors here. Recent results suggest that would be the wrong move though. 

The last time the Nuggets were off an "upset win" was when they defeated the Pistons on 2/10. They'd follow up that victory with three straight SU/ATS losses, although it should be noted that the All-Star Break separated those games. All the same, they're just 6-11-1 ATS (4-14 SU) when off a SU win as an underdog.

Conversely, the Mavs tend to respond well to bad losses. The last time they were off a double-digit defeat, they won outright at Memphis in their next game. Including that result, they're 10-4 SU/ATS off a double-digit loss, 16-10 ATS (17-9 SU) after allowing 105 or more points. They won by 11 against the Nuggets here earlier, a game where they were laying -8.5 points. We're getting a much lower line to work with here and I'm expecting a similar result. 10* BM

I'm playing on INDIANA. The Hornets just embarrassed the Pacers here at Indiana a couple of weeks ago. Since then, the Pacers have won three of four, including a win at OKC and a win in their lone home game. That 2/10 game notwithstanding, the Pacers are much better at home than the Hornets are on the road. Indiana is 18-9 here, the Hornets are 10-18 away from Charlotte. That said, this line could easily be a little higher.

Due to their strong home record, the Hornets are still above .500, barely. That's noteworthy as the Pacers are 19-7 ATS against teams with a winning record. They're also 8-4 ATS (9-3 SU) the last 12 times that they were home favorites in the 3.5 to 6 range. Prior to the 2.10 meeting, the Pacers had long dominated the Hornets here. I expect them to resume that homecourt dominance this evening. 10* Personal Favorite

I'm playing on UTAH. The Jazz were hammered in both this season's previous meetings. Both of those were at San Antonio though and Gobert wasn't around for either game. Tonight, they're rested, relatively healthy and playing at home. Big difference as the Jazz are an entirely different team here and they're now playing arguably their best basketball of the season. The Jazz have won seven straight here. While the last game went to OT, allowing Houston to score 114, they're allowing an average of only 88.1 ppg in regulation during the winning streak, holding teams to 40.8% from the field. The Spurs played last night and playing the seventh leg of an 8-game road trip. The Jazz beat the Spurs in both games here last season. With all due respect to San Antonio, I'm expecting another upset tonight. 10* roast

I'm playing on PHOENIX. Not exactly a dream matchup if you're a fan but I believe the Suns are in a good spot and offering excellent value. Both teams are pretty bad, obviously. Both play hard on most nights but are generally unable to compete against the top teams in the league. They'll both view tonight as a chance to earn a win. While a victory could actually impact their lottery chances negatively, I do expect both teams to be "trying." While the Nets don't even own their first round pick, I still believe that the Suns will be a little hungrier. They still haven't won a game since the coaching change and know that tonight offers their best chance in the forseeable future to get one. The Nets have lost seven straight away from Brooklyn and are 4-20 on the road for the season. The Suns, 19-8 ATS their last 27 against teams from the Atlantic are a profitable 28-17-1 the past few seasons, off a double-digit loss, 12-9 ATS this season. They were embarrassed last time out and I expect an entire team effort in this one. 10* best bet

I'm playing on MEMPHIS. The Lakers burned me in their last game, scoring a bunch of meaningless points in the closing seconds to eke out a cover at Milwaukee. I won't let that stop me from going against them tonight though as I believe their "good fortune" runs out in a big way here.

Even though they've been covering lately, the Lakers still aren't a good team and they still aren't winning. They've dropped six straight and those close losses eventually do take a toll. The Grizzlies are the typed of team that tends to take care of business against the league's lesser teams, too. Indeed, they're 25-4 SU and 18-10-1 ATS when matched up against sub-500 teams. That includes a 16-point blowout of these same Lakers here earlier. 

Knowing that they'll be hosting the Grizzlies on Friday, the Lakers may realize that they're more likely to win that one and already have a losing mentality coming in here. On the other hand, knowing they'll face the Lakers at LA on Friday, the Grizzlies know they need to take care of business tonight. They're 3-0-1 ATS (4-0 SU) the last four times that they played a home game with an O/U line in the 205 to 209.5 range and I expect them to improve on those stats here. 10* Personal Fav

I'm playing on CHICAGO. While a player like him can't be replaced, the Bulls seem to have adjusted to life without Jimmy Butler.  They're off back-to-back double-digit wins and have covered three straight. With the schedule in their favor, I expect them to extend that streak for another day.

While the Bulls have had the past two days off, the Wizards played last night against New Orleans. Yes, Washington is 6-7 ATS (bad, but not terrible) when playing b2b games. However, with the pointspread not really a factor tonight, we can instead look at their 4-9 SU record, when playing the second of b2b games. Note that they're 0-2 over the last month, when playing a road game, after playing the previous day. 

While we don't necessarily think of them as this type of team, the Bulls are 5-1 ATS when playing a game with an O/U line of 210 or greater. I expect those stats to improve with a Chicago win on ESPN tonight. 10* Main Event

I'm playing on Utah. These teams met twice in January, once at Utah and once at Houston. The Rockets won both games. I expect the revenge-minded Jazz to return the favor on Tuesday. 

A look at the January games reveals that Favors didn't play in either for the Jazz and that Utah was struggling at the time. Also, Gobert missed the first and wasn't in game shape for the second, playing only 15 mins in his first game back in five weeks. Favors is back now and playing well. He makes this team much better. In his last two games alone, he's played 67 combined minutes, scoring 45 points while pulling down 18 boards. He also added seven assists and four blocks. Gobert is also back and contributing significantly. He's playing at least 30 mins a night and has a double-double in five of his last six games. 

With the exception of a couple of wins at Phoenix, against a depleted Suns team, road wins have been few and far between for the Rockets over the last month. The only other team they beat away from Houston was New Orleans, when they eked out a 1-point win back on 1/25. For the season, they're allowing 108.3 ppg on the road. 

The Jazz are tough to beat at home. They're 18-10 overall, including a 4-1-1 ATS mark as home favorites in the -3.5 to -6 range, 12-4-1 ATS (15-2 SU) their last 17 in that role. During that time, they're also 34-18-1 ATS after allowing 105 or more points in their previous game. They're battling with the Rockets for a playoff spot and know they can't afford to lose a third game to them. They won't. 10* GOW.

I'm playing on MILWAUKEE. I successfully played against the Lakers last night and I'm going back against them here. The Lakers fought hard in yesterday's game, as they were in it almost the entire way. That was also the case in Friday's game against San Antonio. Off those two hard-fought losses and now playing their third game in four days, I feel they're ready to get blown out by a rested and revenge-minded Milwaukee team.

The Bucks have won three of four and covered four of five. They had yesterday off, after winning by eight at Atlanta the previous day. When they played at LA earlier this season, they were still riding high off their upset of the Warriors, the first team to beat Golden State. Perhaps they had a letdown. Either way, they got blown out (113-95) by the Lakers, a game which they haven't forgotten.

Despite playing hard, the Lakers have been terribly defensively on their current trip. No games have gone to OT yet they're allowing an average of 112 points, opposing teams shooting better than 49%. Their last three opponents have hit better than 50% from beyond the arc, after the Bulls lit them up from 3-point range yesterday. Bryant is supposed to play tonight (last game at Milwaukee) but thats not necessarily a positive, in the second of a b2b set.

The Bucks are 4-0 SU/ATS when playing a home game with an O/U line in the 205 to 209.5 range. As of this writing, the O/U line is sitting right in the middle of that range; I'm expecting a blowout. 10* Personal Favorite

I'm playing on CHICAGO. The Bulls may be without a few key players but they still had enough to beat a good Toronto team by double-digits last time out. I believe that they've still got enough to do the same to the Lakers.

The Lakers have been on a nice roll at the betting window, as they've mostly been competitive in their losses. They're still losing though and one game they weren't competitive in was the game against the Bulls on 1/28. Chicago won by 23. It should be noted that they didn't rely on Butler to dominate. Rather they got a big game from Gasol with solid contributions from the likes of Gibson, McDermott and Moore, all of whom will be available tonight. 

In terms of line value, the Bulls' injuries (and the recent Lakers' ATS winning streak) have worked in our favor, bringing the line down lower than it even was for last month's game at LA. The last meeting here at Chicago saw the Bulls win by 20, Gasol leading the way with 23 points and 13 boards. I expect him to have another big day against his former team, leading the Bulls to another win and cover. 10* Personal Fav

I'm playing on BROOKLYN. The Nets played the Hornets tough at Charlotte earlier in the season, losing by five points. For today's home game, we're actually getting more points to work with (for the Nets) than we were for that road game. For a team that's showing signs of coming around, I believe thats providing us with excellent value. 

Admittedly, the Nets have some issues and they are having a tough season. That said, they're off a double-digit win over the Knicks on Friday and have quietly won three of their last four games here, while going 5-3 ATS their last eight overall. With their longest road trip of the season on deck and knowing that road wins have been hard to come by, the Nets know they could badly use another victory here before they go. 

Speaking of road trips, the Hornets are playing the third leg of a 6-game trip. Having already won the first two games and with the Cavs coming up next, it may be easy to look past lowly Brooklyn. 

While Charlotte averages a healthy 102 ppg, the Nets are 6-2 ATS their last eight against teams that score 99 or more. They're also averaging 106 ppg over their past five, having hit triple-digits in six of their last eight. I'm grabbing the points. 10* best bet

I'm playing on OKC. The Cavs won a close one when these teams played at Cleveland in December. I expect the revenge-minded Thunder to return the favor this afternoon. 

While the Cavs are a respectable 16-10 at home, the Thunder are a much better 25-6 at home. Cleveland averages 99.7 ppg on the road, OKC averages 108.7 at home. 

The Cavs, 2-8 ATS when playing with two day's rest, are 2-5 ATS their last seven. They've won two in a row against the Thunder but both games were at Cleveland. The Thunder won the last meeting here by nine. Prior to Friday's loss against the Pacers, they'd won nine straight here. They're still 14-3 their last 17 games, ALL 14 of those wins coming by a minimum of three points. 

It should be noted that the Cavs are expected to be without newly acquired Frye and that they may be without Shumpert. That may not sound like a big deal but Shumpert is a good defender and the Cavs could use all hands on deck here. If Shumpert were to play, he may be at less than 100%.

Lue had this to say of him: "Shump, being our best defender on ball, we need him. He's got to guard both players." With or without Shumpert, there's no guarding OKC's dynamic duo. Payback time at Chesapeake Energy Arena. 10* Main Event 

I'm playing on SACRAMENTO. The Nuggets entered the break as the hotter team. However, as we saw with the Jazz, in last night's game at Washington, that doesn't always translate to success in the first game back from the layoff.

Like the Wizards, who were off a loss before the break and who had dropped nine of their previous 13, the Kings had been struggling before the break. They were just 2-8 their previous 10 games, which led to rumors that George Karl would lose his job. Karl's still around though (although he did lose an assistant coach) and I like the Kings to mimic the Wizards with a rejuvenated effort in their first game back.

Like Washington, Sacramento is still thinking playoffs. The Kings are within four games of the eighth and final playoff spot. However, a look at the schedule shows that they've got some difficult games coming up, making taking care of business tonight all the more important. Next up, after another few days off, is a rematch with these same Nuggets, at Denver. So, they'll want to protect their homecourt here. After that, they host three of the top teams in the West, SA, LAC and OKC. That's followed by a tough road trip. Of all those games, this is likely the only one in which they Kings will be favored. Again, that makes taking care of business critical tonight. 

Of course, the Nuggets are in a similar spot in the standings as the Kings, so they'll be viewing this as a chance to gain valuable ground too. That said, they've got a somewhat easier upcoming slate than Sacramento does and they know they'll host the Kings again on 2/23. I don't expect them to have quite the same sense of urgency as the Kings here. 

Only Golden State and OKC score more points than Sacramento. While the Nuggets are 11-17 on the road, the Kings can move back above .500 at home with a win tonight. I expect them to do so, covering the small number along the way. 10* GOW

I'm playing on WASHINGTON. After winning with the 'over' in their previous game, I successfully played against the Wizards in their final game before the break, a 99-92 loss at Milwaukee. One has to be flexible, willing to play on/against any team at any time. That said, in their first game back from the break, I now believe that its the Wizards who are providing us with value.

Last month's snowstorm didn't do the Wizards any favors overall but should work in their favor tonight. Both teams play tomorrow, their regularly scheduled game back from the break. However, while the Wizards will remain in Washington, the Jazz will have to get back to Utah. Then, their next game is in Portland. So, they may already be grumbling a little bit about the next few days and having their break cut a little short. Of course, the Wizards play three games in three days, so things aren't exactly "convenient" for them either. (Maybe they can draw inspiration from the fact that the last team that played 3 in 3 won all three of them.) All the same, I do think that playing this first one at home and not having to travel tomorrow favors Washington, if only for the fact that the Jazz aren't a good road team

While homecourt may not mean a whole lot to the Wizards, it does to the Jazz. They're tough to beat at Salt Lake City but only 9-16 on the road. That includes a money-burning 2-5 SU/ATS mark as road underdogs of three or fewer points. 

The Wizards know that a fast start to the second half is critical. Wall, who had a 24/9/6 line the last time that the Wizards faced the Jazz, commented: "I really think these three tough games we can really go 3-0 or 2-1, and it's going to help us with our season. If it's vice versa, we're in a tough situation."

Washington has won three straight in the series, including a 9-point win here last season. The Wizards are also 3-1 SU/ATS, including a victory over the Spurs, when playing with three or more day's rest in between games. I expect their best effort tonight and that to lead to another win and cover. 10* Personal Favorite

I'm playing on MILWAUKEE. Both these teams eked out a win in their last game. The Bucks beat Boston by one; the Wizards won by three at MSG. Playing at home, I expect the revenge-minded Bucks to be the team which builds off their victory and which carries a winning streak into the break. 

If looking at their place in the standings, many might assume that the Bucks are already "playing out the string." I don't believe that to be the case at all though. This is a young team with some real talent and when they play up to their potential, they're extremely capable. Remember, they were the first team to beat Golden State this season. Including that victory and the recent win over the Celtics, the Bucks have quietly gone 14-8 here at the Bradley Center. 

One thing that the Bucks have going for them is that they've played more road games than any other team in the league. That means they'll get more home games than anyone else (19 of their final 29) to end the season. If they do want to entertain any thoughts of getting back in the playoffs, the Bucks know that every game is critical and that the Wizards are one of the teams they'll be chasing. The fact that they lost all three of this season's earlier meetings should provide the Bucks with even more motivation. 

Milwaukee tinkered with its lineup before last game and it seemed to pay dividends. The Bucks were actually up big on the Celtics, before letting them back in the game. I like the fact that they were able to close the deal. A loss in that Boston game, after holding the lead, would have been crippling. However, I believe the victory will provide them with some positive momentum. 

The Wizards have been far from consistent. Every win over the past few weeks has been followed by a loss. Note that they're just 1-3 ATS as road underdogs of three or fewer points. They're also 5-8 ATS when playing a game with an O/U line of 210 or greater. The Bucks, on the other hand, are 8-4 ATS the last 12 times that they played a game with an O/U line of 210 or greater. I expect them to improve on those stats this evening. 10* GOW 

I'm playing on PHOENIX. Having beaten the likes of the Spurs and Cavs by 30 or more points, the Warriors are capable of blowing out any opponent. That said, given the situation, I feel they're laying a little too high a number here.

Golden State comes off a win against Houston last night, extending its home winning streak. Prior to taking on Harden, the Warriors had faced Durant, Westbrook and co. on Saturday night. Mixed in between those games, Curry was busy attending the Super Bowl. Next up is the All Star game. Given all that "excitement," I feel it will be easy for the Warriors to overlook the lowly Suns, a team they've already beaten twice this season. 

The Suns haven't won yet but they've been playing hard since the coaching change. Only one of four losses has come by double-digits, none of them by greater than 16. They shot better than 50% from the field last time out (best mark in 17 games) which caused coach Watson to comment: ''I think you see our team, we're growing, we're getting better. We're not discouraged. We won't be discouraged.''

With the exception of a game at Philadelphia (the Warriors nearly lost that one!) this is the largest line that the Warriors have been asked to lay on the road all season. Including the ATS loss at Philly, note that they're 0-4 ATS the last four times that they were laying greater than 15 points on the road. Don't be surprised if this one also proves closer than most will be expecting. 10* Best Bet

I'm playing on DETROIT. I successfully played against the Nuggets when they lost at Brooklyn on Monday. This is a more difficult venue and I expect them to be facing a determined Pistons team.

Off back-to-back losses, the Pistons badly want to right the ship, before the break. Added motivation stems from the fact that they lost a close one at Denver a few weeks ago. The Pistons squandered a double-digit lead in that one and were outscored 39-20 in the third quarter. Stan Van Gundy wasn't at all pleased with that effort and he's going to demand more from his team this evening.

Both teams had yesterday off, after playing Monday. However, the Pistons had Sunday off while the Nuggets played at MSG. That makes this their third road game in four days.

While the Nuggets are 9-17 away from Denver, the Pistons are a respectable 16-9 at home, outscoring teams by a 104.7 to 99 margin here. That includes a 4-2 ATS mark as home favorites in the -3.5 to -6 range. I expect them to improve on those stats in convincing fashion here. 10* PF

I'm playing on MILWAUKEE. The Celtics have been on a roll recently. However, I like how this one sets up for the home team. 

Off four straight wins and with victories in nine of their last 10 games, the Celtics could easily take tonight's game for granted. After all, the Bucks have dropped five straight and seven of eight. Plus, Boston already won big here earlier in the season. Throw in the fact that they've got a big showdown vs. the Clippers on deck tomorrow night and that they just beat a former teammate (Rondo) last time out and I feel that the Celtics may go through the motions a little here. 

On the other hand, the Bucks have had the past three days off and they also get tomorrow night off. They nearly snapped thier skid last time out, losing by only three at Utah. Including that "cover," they're 6-1 ATS after losing three or more consecutive games. 

The Bucks are 2-1 ATS as home underdogs in the +3.5 to +6 range, both ATS wins also resulting in SU wins. They're also 3-0 SU/ATS when playing at home with an O/U line in the 205 to 209.5 range. They've still won nine of 13 here and I look for their best effort tonight. 10* Best Bet

I'm playing on BROOKLYN. I successfully played against the Nets in their last game. However, I really like how this one sets up for them.

While they did lose their last road game, the Nets played very well in their last home game, a 128-119 win over defensively-challenged Sacramento. Denver is another team which gives up a lot of points and I believe the Nets, who had yesterday off, match up favorably.

That win over the Kings was the Nets best offensive effort of the season. As that was their last game on this floor, it should give them some confidence here.

Admittedly, the Nuggets have played well recently. In fact, they've been a spread-covering machine of late. That said, they're off a big win at NY yesterday and will be playing their third game in four days here. I believe it'll catch up to them.

The Nets have generally been at their best against teams from the West, going a respectable 12-8 ATS. They've beaten the Nuggets three straight times and with the schedule in their favor, I look for them to do it again. 10* Best Bet

I'm playing on PHILADELPHIA. While I successfully played against the 76'ers last night, I believe this will prove to be a much better spot for them.

Yesterday, I noted that the 76'ers could easily get caught looking ahead to a "rare winnable game" (this one) tomorrow night. Perhaps they did as they were never really in the game against the Wizards.

The Nets also played last night. Unlike the 76'ers, they gave it everything they had and earned an upset win over the Kings. Given last night's results and the fact that Brooklyn won this season's previous meeting, I believe that the 76'ers may well be the "hungrier" team tonight. 

While both teams are in a b2b spot, the Nets will also be playing their sixth game in the past nine days. By comparison, the 76'ers will be playing just their fourth game in the past 10 days. Big difference.

The 76'ers arent favored often but they tend to fare well when they are. In fact, they're 5-1 SU/ATS the last six times that they were listed as home favorites of three or fewer points. I expect them to improve on those stats here. 10* Personal Fav

I'm playing on Charlotte. The home team has won both meetings so far this season. I expect another victory for the home team here.

Both teams have been rolling recently. The Heat upset the Mavs at Dallas last time out and are now 5-1 their last six. The Hornets upset the Cavs last time out, their fifth win in their last seven. 

The Hornets are a modest 25-22 ATS the past couple of seasons off an upset win. Nothing noteworthy about that. However, that record looks a lot more impressive when compared to Miami's ugly 7-17 ATS mark in the same situation. 

While the Heat won by 10 at Miami, the Hornets returned the favor with an 18-point victory here at Charlotte. In fact, the Hornets have beaten the Heat three straight times here now. They're expecting/hoping to get Walker back tonight and I believe the small line is providing excellent value. 10* Personal Favorite 

I'm playing on Orlando. Don't look now but the Magic have quietly started to play better. The Magic have covered three straight. They lost by only three at OKC last time out. You may recall that I played on them in their most recent home, an outright win over Boston. Those results should give the Magic some confidence here, as will the fact that they lost by only two when these teams played at LA earlier. 

The Clippers, who are playing without Griffin, lost against Minnesota last time out. They've won both their last two road games. However, both of those victories came by only two points. In fact, only one of their last five road games has resulted in a win by greater than two points. 

You might be surprised to learn that the Magic actually have a winning record (10-8) against teams from the West. That's translated to an impressive and profitable 13-4-1 ATS mark at the betting window. I believe they're catching the Clippers at the right time and I expect at least another cover tonight. 10* Best Bet

I'm playing on the Wizards. These teams both just lost against the Warriors. While the Wizards lost by double-digits, the 76'ers lost by only three. That may have some scratching their heads as to why the Wizards are laying nearly double-digits here. However, I believe there's good reason why they're such large favorites. 

While they occasionally show some flashes, the 76'ers still have the worst record (7-42) in the league, by far. They followed up their closs loss vs. the Warriors by getting destroyed by 38 points in their next game. This team still has issues. 

Recent struggles notwithstanding, the Wizards are still a very capable team. They're also desperate for wins to get themselves into the playoffs. They can't let opportunities like this one get away from them.

Fast-paced games tend to get away from the 76'ers and this one's expected to be high-scoring. Philly is just 32-56 ATS, excluding pushes, its last 78 when the O/U line was 210 or greater. 

If/When the 76'ers get down here, they could easily get caught looking ahead to tomorrow night's game, as they have a rare winnable home game against Brooklyn. Washington, on the other hand, can't afford to let up in this one, no matter what happens. 

The Wizards have dominated the 76'ers. They won the last meeting by 29 points and they won the last two here at Washington by 13 and 35 points. I'm expecting another rout. 10* B.M.  

I'm playing on WASHINGTON. Its always a bit nerve-wracking going against the Warriors. They're a great team, one which is capable of making other teams look bad, regardless of venue. That said, I feel we're getting strong value with the home underdog here.

While they'll be without their coach, I expect the Wizards to come ready to play. They badly need wins and they don't want to get embarrassed here. They lost by seven at home against the Warriors last season. 

The Warriors aren't invincible. They very nearly lost at Philadelphia a couple of games ago. They've done a great job of maintaining focus but it still may be easy for them to overlook Washington here. Note that the Warriors, who have OKC up next, have been far more dominant against the West. They're actually only 8-11-1 ATS against the East. 

We have to go back a long way, as the Wizards haven't been this big a home underdog in years, but Washington is 11-4 ATS its last 15 as a home underdog in the 9.5 to 12 range. Look for this one to be closer than expected. 10* best bet

I'm playing on ATLANTA. While both teams played yesterday, I like how this one sets up for the home team.

The Mavericks had their hands full with a depleted Phoenix team almost the entire game yesterday, eventually pulling away in the fourth. On the other hand, the Hawks lost badly yesterday and that should give them some added hunger/motivation here. They've got a favorable stretch of games coming up and they know they need to take advantage. Starting tonight.

Yes, both teams played yesterday. However, the Hawks had the previous two days off, last playing on 1/28. That's not the case for the Mavs. Prior to yesterday, their most recent game came on 1/29. That puts them in a three games in four nights spot here. It'll also be their fifth game in the past seven.

While the Hawks may seem a little down at the moment, keep in mind that they've still won seven of their last nine on this floor. ALL seven of those victories came by a minimum of seven points, five of them coming by double-digits. (Won by 17, 28, 15, 19, 7, 9 and 21 points) In fact, they won those games by an average of 16.6 points. Laying -8.5, they beat Dallas by 17 points here last season. Another double-digit win won't surprise. 10* Personal Favorite

I'm playing on INDIANA. The Cavaliers are playing well right now, seemingly happy with their new coaching situation. They dropped their first game under Lue but have since won four straight. On that 4-game winning streak and off a double-digit win over the Spurs, many are likely to be jumping on the bandwagon tonight. However, I expect Lebron and co to have their hands full, as the Pacers are always at their best when Cleveland comes to town.

While everyone knows the Cavs are winning, the Pacers are quietly coming around. Myles Turner has proven to be a major addition while Monta Ellis has found his old form. Indeed, over the past two games, Ellis is averaging 28.5 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals. His return as a viable scoring threat should help ease some of the burden on team star, Paul George.

With the Cavs laying this many points, one might assume that their road record is much better than Indiana's home record. That's not the case though. The Pacers are 15-7 at home. The Cavs are 15-9 on the road. The Cavs outscore teams by an average of 4.6 points away from Cleveland. However, the Pacers outscore teams by an average of 6.1 points here at home.

Note that the Cavs, 7-11 ATS off three or more consecutive SU wins, are just 7-14-1 ATS the last 22 times that they were listed as road favorites in the -3.5 to -6 range.

The Pacers gave the Cavs everything they could handle when the teams met at Cleveland earlier in the season. The Cavs escaped with a 4-point win. Games at Indiana have been a different story though. In fact, the Pacers have beaten the Cavs 10 straight times here. Seven of the 10 Indiana victories came by double-digits, all came by at least four. I'm grabbing the points. 10* Best Bet

I'm playing on ORLANDO. These teams just met at Boston a couple of days ago. The Celtics pulled away for a big win. Back home, I expect the revenge-minded Magic to return the favor.

Off five straight wins, the Celtics are admittedly playing well. They've got a "revenge game" against a divisional opponent (NY) on deck though and I feel it may be easy to look past lowly Orlando, particularly after they just handled the Magic a couple of days ago. Note that even with Friday's cover, the Celtics are still just 2-4 ATS after three or more consecutive wins. 

While the Celtics could get caught patting themselves on the back a little, the Magic figure to be desperate. Victor Oladipo noted: "We've got to figure something out. We've got to do it fast ... we've just got to do it. There's nothing more we can say."

The Magic, who just wrapped up a 3-game road trip, are 15-9 ATS the last couple of seasons, after playing their previous three on the road. During that time, they're 17-10-1 ATS as home underdogs in the 3.5 to 6 range. 

The Magic have also fared well as a host in this series. A 110-91 win earlier this season brought them to 4-1 SU/ATS their last five home meetings with the Celtics. While I'll gladly take the points, I'm expecting an upset. 10*

I'm playing on INDIANA. The Nuggets have played well recently and they're coming off an upset win at Washington last time out. However, I expect them to find things considerably more difficult this evening.

The Pacers got back on track last time out. Their 19-point rout of Atlanta provides some positive momentum. Having lost their previous three, the Pacers know they can't afford any letdown here though, particularly with the Cavs on deck. Note that there shouldn't be any looking ahead to that game. Not only is it on Monday (as opposed to tomorrow) but the Nuggets just beat the Pacers, at Denver, less than two weeks ago. So, the Nuggets should have the Pacers' undivided attention.

The Nuggets, who are playing the final leg of a road trip, are just 4-9-1 ATS off an upset win. They're not going to like what they find here. 10* Personal Fav

I'm playing on INDIANA. The Pacers have struggled at the betting window of late but this should be a good spot for them to get back on track.
Both teams just faced the Clippers. However, while the Pacers played LA on Tuesday, the Hawks had to face them yesterday. In addition to playing the second of b2b games, the Hawks will now be playing their third game in the past four days, their sixth game in the past nine days and their ninth game since 1/15. That's a pretty tough stretch, when considering it included a trip out west. By comparison, the Pacers will be playing just their seventh game since 1/15.
 
Yes, the Pacers have lost three in a row. However, they haven't lost four in a row all season. Each of the previous four times that they lost three straight, they responded by snapping the streak in the fourth game. Three of the four victories came by double-digits. The only game played here at Indiana, after losing three straight, resulted in a double-digit win. I believe the signs point to another big bounceback.
 
Even though they came up short, the Pacers got a monster game from Paul George last time out. That's an encouraging sign as they need George to play like the star that he is. The emergence of Myles Turner has also been a bonus. Additionally, the defense played much better last time out.
 
Indiana coach Vogel noted: "We know we're close, we know we've done some good things. We're not getting blown out every night," Vogel said. "We haven't won nearly enough for our liking but we feel like we're doing the right things to start put us in position to start winning games again."
 
Note that the Hawks are only 8-12 ATS the last 20 times that they were listed as road underdogs of three or fewer points. During the same span, the Pacers were 8-4-1 ATS as home favorites of three or less. It should also be noted that the Pacers have been very competitive against winning teams; they're 15-5 ATS their last 20 against teams with a winning record.
 
While they've had real trouble at Atlanta over the years, the Pacers handled the Hawks here last month. With the schedule in their favor, I look for more of the same this evening. 10* GOW

I'm playing on UTAH. These teams met just over a week ago at Charlotte. While it took them two overtimes to do it, the Hornets managed to win that one. With this evening's rematch being played at Salt Lake City, I expect a much different result.

Including the game vs. Utah, the Hornets have seen three of their last five go to OT. I expect it to catch up with them tonight.

The Jazz finally got Derek Favors back last game. While he played only 19 points, he did manage 14 points. Teams can sometimes struggle in the first game when a star returns from a lengthy injury - and the Jazz were upset by the Pistons. However, Favors now has a game under his belt and his return only makes this team stronger.

The Jazz are 20-5 all time here against the Hornets, including a perfect 8-0 the last eight meetings here.

Speaking of perfect, the Jazz are a perfect 6-0 SU/ATS off an upset loss this season. Despite facing some tough teams, they won those six games by a combined 63 points, too, an average of greater than 10 per game. I expect them to improve on those stats tonight. 10* Personal Favorite

I'm playing on MILWAUKEE. I successfully played against the Bucks in each of their last two games, road losses at Houston and New Orleans. Returning home to face a struggling Orlando team, I like their chances of getting back on track here.
To their credit, the Magic are still playing hard. That hasn't been enough though. They're 0-6 SU their last six games and 1-10 their last 11. Counting yesterday's game as an ATS loss, (Magic won or pushed vs. overnight line but lost vs. closing line) Orlando is now an awful 2-10 ATS its last 12 games.
 
Normally, if I thought a team was still "playing hard," I might expect them to snap out of their ATS funk. However, this is a very difficult spot for them. Not only are they playing the second of b2b games (they're already 0-2 SU/ATS in b2b spots in 2016, losing by 31 combined points) but they're also off their second straight OT loss, which can get demoralizing. Last night, the Magic gave everything they had and were leading by four points with less than 20 seconds to go.
 
Tobias Harris noted: "Its very disappointing. Two games we felt we had the game in our hands and we let it slip away." Harris and Vucevic both played more than 39 mins last night. Their three top guards played 35, 37 and 38 respectively. Sure, Skiles would like to win his return to Orlando. However, Kidd, back behind the bench for the first time in 18 games, wants to prevent that from happening every bit as much.
 
The well-rested Bucks, who average nearly 50 points per game in the paint, should be licking their chops to face an Orlando team which gave up 70 in the paint last night. They've won three straight at home and they'll be looking to avenge a November loss at Orlando. Payback time. 10* Personal Fav

I'm playing on WASHINGTON. If they can get this game in, I feel that it will favor the home team. The Wizards have had plenty of time off. The Celtics played last night and will now be playing their third game in the past four days. Going back further finds that Boston will be playing its 9th game in the past 14 nights. This will just be Washington's sixth game, during the same period.
True, yesterday's game was pretty "easy" for the Celtics. However, they still had to play - and they still had their schedule thrown off by the weather. (That game was supposed to be played the day before.) I won't be surprised to see it effect them here.
 
While the snowstorm has obviously been less than ideal and some may be concerned with the long layoff, note that the Wizards are 3-0 SU/ATS when playing with three or more day's rest in between games.
 
In addition to having the schedule and venue in their favor, the Wizards are playing with triple revenge, having lost all three of this season's series meetings. Payback time. 10* Personal Favorite

I'm playing on the LA CLIPPERS. The Raptors upset the Clippers at LA earlier this season. I believe that they caught the Clippers at the right time for that one and that they'll find they're facing a far more formidable opponent in Sunday's rematch.
The Clippers were mired in their worst stretch of the season when the Raptors faced them back in November. The loss to Toronto was their third straight setback and dropped them to just 2-7 in their previous nine. Things have changed a lot since then though, as the Clippers have only lost eight more games combined since that time. Instead of coming off b2b losses, the Clippers check in off a 28-point win.
 
While they've been on a nice roll recently, the Raptors are just 5-11 ATS (6-10 SU) the last 16 times that they were listed as home favorites of three or fewer points. Don't be surprised to see their winning streak come to an end. 10* best bet

I'm playing on New Orleans. Situation favors the home team here. Off back to back double-digit wins and winners of four of their last five, the Pelicans are arguably playing their best basketball of the season. Prior to yesterday, one could have said the exact same thing about the Bucks. The Bucks were off b2b double-digit wins and had won four of their previous five. Milwaukee lost a hard-fought game at Houston last night though. The fact that they battled all the way back, only to still fall short, makes it hard to take. Off that close loss and now playing the final leg of a 4-game road trip, I feel that they may not have enough left to contend with Davis and co. A look ahead to the return trip home - and the expected return of coach Jason Kidd - may also be in order.

Davis, who has 67 points in his last two games, had this to say of the team's recent play: "We're just playing desperate. That's it. That's how we've got to play from here on out. Like coach said, in a couple weeks we're going to see where our season goes - whether it's just playing it out or every game matters."

New Orleans has owned the Bucks here. I expect more "desperate" play, leading to another win and cover. 10* Personal Favorite

I'm playing on HOUSTON. The Bucks come in as the hotter team. However, I believe the Rockets will be the "hungrier" team this evening.
 
Off three straight wins, the Bucks may be patting themselves on the backs a little. They've already guaranteed themselves at least a split on the current road trip. With a game at New Orleans on deck tomorrow night (Houston has tomorrow off) I could see this young team not showing up fully focused here. Keep in mind that they're still 7-18 on the road, getting outscored by an average of 104 to 96.1.
 
Also note that the Bucks are just 2-8 ATS the last 10 times they were off three or more consecutive SU wins AND just 4-19-1 ATS (4-20 SU) the last 24 times that they limited their previous opponent to 85 or fewer points.
 
Focus should not be an issue for the Rockets as they know they need to get back on track. I don't mind the fact that Howard won't be available either. Harden has been the man in recent games against Milwaukee and he'll need to be again here. The Rockets star was quoted as saying: "We've been through this situation before. Guys are going to have the opportunity to step up and play extra minutes, so just take advantage of it. Every go on this roster is preparing themselves for a situation like this ... It's just a matter of us regrouping and getting a win (Friday)." I expect Harden and co. to do just that, covering the small number along the way. 10* Personal Favorite

I'm playing on BROOKLYN. Admittedly, the Nets are pretty brutal. I won with them when they beat the Knicks here on 1/13 though and I believe they're offering plenty of value again tonight.
 
The Jazz, who remain without one of their top two players in Favors, aren't the same team on the road. In fact, Brooklyn has more home wins (7) than Utah does road ones. The Jazz are only 6-15 away from Utah, getting outscored by a 99.9 to 95.8 average. They're already 0-2 on their current trip and they play at Washington tomorrow night. The Nets have tomorrow off. Note that Utah went to double-OT in the first of those games and single OT in the next. Disheartening losses.
 
The Nets are 12-9 ATS the last couple of seasons as home underdogs in the 3.5 to 6 range. This year's team is a respectable 9-6 ATS against teams from the West. I like their chances of improving on those stats tonight. 9* best bet

I'm playing on CHICAGO. Clearly, the Warriors are an elite team. Betting against them each game so far this season would have resulted in significant losses. They've shown some chinks in their armor recently though. Prior to Monday's blowout win at Cleveland, the Warriors had actually dropped two of three games outright and had gone 0-1-3 ATS their previous four. I believe this will be another good spot to go against them.
The Bulls got back on track with a momentum-building win at Detroit on MLK Day. They'll be highly motivated for the opportunity to knock off the mighty Warriors on National TV, particularly with the Warriors having already beaten them out west. The Bulls are 11-2 SU their last 13 when playing with "revenge," going an impressive 69-27 (SU) in that situation the past few seasons. While they were "only" 13-6 SU their last 19 games here, a closer look shows that only one of those 19 games resulted in a loss of greater than six points. I expect them to give their guests all they can handle with an excellent shot at the outright win. 10* Main Event

I’m playing on the Washington Wizards as my 10* Personal Favorite.

The Washington Wizards welcome the Portland Trail Blazers to the nation’s capital, with the Blazers fresh off a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. While many would see Portland ripe to rebound from that embarrassing defeat, we believe this is the beginning of a slide for the Trail Blazers, who wrap a three-game Eastern road trip in DC. Defense has been the Blazers’ biggest issue, allowing their last two opponents – Philly and Brooklyn – to score 114 and 104 points respectively. Washington has much more firepower than those Eastern rivals, ranked 10th in the NBA in points per game. The Wizards had won four in a row before losing to Boston Saturday and are a strong bounce-back bet, having covered in 11 of their last 13 games coming off a loss. The Wizards have also covered in seven of their last eight home stands against Portland.

I’m playing on Washington as my 10* Personal Favorite Monday.

I’m playing on the Philadelphia 76ers as my 10* Best Bet.

The Sixers are home to the Portland Trail Blazers Saturday, having covered in two straight games including an OT loss to the Bulls last time out. Philadelphia continues to dwell in the NBA basement and because of this, oddsmakers are handing over piles of points to them on a nightly basis. The value on the 76ers is starting to bubble up again especially in this matchup with a Western opponent. Perception between the two conferences is a wide gap, but the Blazers aren’t a strong team and will be playing the second night of a back-to-back after visiting the Brooklyn Nets Friday night. The Sixers have been a great play in non-conference games with a 10-6-1 ATS mark versus the West this season.

I’m playing on the Philadelphia 76ers as my 10* Best Best Saturday.

I’m playing on the Houston Rockets as my 10* Main Event.

Houston has a chance to pick up a resume win when LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers comes to the Toyota Center Friday. The Cavaliers will be in letdown mode, coming off a tough contest in San Antonio Thursday night. The Rockets will look to pick up their already up-tempo pace against the tired legs of Cleveland. Houston ranks eighth in offensive pace and averages 105 points per game as a host. The Rockets are peaking at the right moment to upend the Cavs, winning five in a row while covering the spread in three of those games. Cleveland has struggled in the second half of back-to-backs, going 0-4-1 ATS in their last five contests without rest.

I’m playing on Houston as my 10* Main Event Friday.

I’m playing on the Los Angeles Lakers as my 10* Main Event.

The Lakers step into the lion’s den against the Golden State Warriors – a matchup of the West’s worst versus its first. However, that’s where the value lies in this game. Oddsmakers are pulling truckloads of points to Los Angeles, which has been one of the better bets in recent weeks. Thanks to some huge spread and some better-than-expected play, L.A. has covered the spread in seven of its last 10 games including an outright win and cover versus New Orleans. The Warriors are in action Wednesday, playing in the thin air of the Pepsi Center in Denver. That should leave the defending champs feeling extra fatigued in this second stop of back-to-back road stops. We don’t think the Lakers have an upset in them but they are playing well enough to stay within this mountain of points.

I’m playing on L.A. Lakers as my 10* Main Event Thursday.

I’m playing on the Brooklyn Nets as my 10* REVENGE ANNIHILATOR.

Things are going south in Brooklyn, with the franchise doing some housecleaning the past week – firing its head coach and GM. Often times a shift like this can shake a team from its slumber, and with the media doing its best to lambast the Nets, the spreads will climb for Brooklyn. That’s what we’re dealing with Wednesday when the Knicks come to the Barclays Center. New York will be playing the second night of back-to-back games, taking on the Celtics in a physical affair at home Tuesday. The value on the Nets is coming full circle and with the Knicks in a perfect situational spot, we can’t resist pulling the trigger on Brooklyn as a home underdog.

I’m playing on Brooklyn as a my 10* REVENGE ANNIHILATOR.

I am playing on the CELTICS. I fully expect to see a huge effort from Boston Tuesday night after losing a heartbreaker on Sunday to Memphis after holding a 21-point lead in that game.

The Celtics have dropped to 19-18 after a five-game winning streak in late December and they know they have to get back to that form to keep the playoffs on the radar - especially against so-so Eastern teams like New York.

Boston owns the No. 2 defensive rating in the NBA and I feel they'll clamp down on the Knicks on Tuesday. They lost the first two games of this three-game road trip, to Chicago and Memphis, and they'll be playing desperate basketball to salvage something from the roadie. 10* BEST BET

I am playing on BROOKLYN. This is simply a case of the Nets getting way too many points with the advantage of home court and I like them to cover the number on Monday.

Brooklyn is 6-3 against the number this season as a double digit dog so they've had some success this year when oddsmakers give them too much leeway. I fully expect the Nets to give one of their best efforts of the season in their first game after the club fired its head coach Lionel Hollins and reassigned GM Billy King on Sunday.

Often in these spots, we see teams come out motivated in a huge effort in the next game after firing a coach, both to prove itself to the new bench boss and because the onus often ultimately falls on the players for the firing. Assistant coach Tony Brown will be the interim coach for the rest of the year, so it should help that the team doesn't have a brand new personality to get accustomed to.  

I think we might also see Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich look to use as much of his bench as he can in this game if San Antonio gets a lead. San Antonio plays back to back road games Monday and Tuesday when they face New York a night after Brooklyn. Popp has been known take this tactic in the past and it could be a prime spot for a backdoor cover even if San Antonio pulls away early. 10* Best Bet 

I’m playing on the Portland Trail Blazers as my 10* Best Bet.

Portland hosts the Oklahoma City Thunder Sunday, aiming to put an end to a three-game skid. The Blazers have dropped three in a row at home – a rare feat for a franchise that prides itself on a home-court edge inside the Rose Garden. Portland hasn’t had much trouble scoring the basketball in the past two games – putting up totals of 98 and 108 points – but hasn’t been able to get it done on defense. They catch Oklahoma City at an opportune time Sunday, with the Thunder playing a string of weaker opponents, beating up on the likes of the Lakers, Bobcats, Suns, Bucks and Nuggets during their 6-1 winning stretch - and losing to the Kings. We’re looking deeper into this streak and have watched OKC struggle at time against these opponents, most recently fighting for a 4-point win over the hapless Lakers. Oklahoma City has failed to cover in four of its last five versus Western Conference opponents and is just 10-11 ATS in conference games this season. We see another close game for a Thunder team that isn't as good as its current record would indicate.

I’m playing on Portland as my 10* Best Bet Sunday. 

I’m playing on the Minnesota Timberwolves as my 9* Afternoon Annihilator.

The Timberwolves are licking their wounds coming off a one-sided loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers Friday. Minnesota backs into this home game against the Dallas Mavericks on a five-game losing skid, but oddsmakers are handing the T-Wolves a ton of points and we can’t help but see the value in this matchup. The Mavericks are wrapping a three-game trip in Minnesota, so we expect them to start looking ahead to their next home stand. That happens to be against LeBron James and the Cavaliers. That’s followed by a showdown at Oklahoma City, so Dallas has plenty on its plate and we are expecting an unfocused Mavs side Sunday. Dallas is coming off a loss at Milwaukee and has been softer on defense in opposing arenas, allowing 103 points per game on the road compared to just under 99 at home. The Mavericks are also getting burned by turnover issues in recent games, coughing up the ball 14.3 times per game in their last three and 16 times in the loss to the Bucks. Those giveaways will equal easy points on the other end for Minnesota.

I’m playing on Minnesota as my 9* Afternoon Annihilator Sunday. 

I’m playing on the Philadelphia 76ers as my 10* Best Bet.

The Sixers hold great value hosting the Toronto Raptors Saturday. Toronto, which played at Washington Friday night, finishes a three games in four nights stretch in Philadelphia and is playing the fourth stop of a five-game road trip that started with a loss to Cleveland Monday. We expect the Raptors to be a little worse for wear against the 76ers, who celebrated a win over Minnesota Monday before losing to Atlanta Thursday. Philadelphia has a young and athletic frontcourt led by Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor, who can be a handle for smaller opponents. Toronto lacks a true big-body center and will lean on Jonas Valanciunas to bang with those big men Saturday. The Raptors have been beaten up inside in recent games, allowing an average of 42.7 points in the paint over their last three contests heading into Friday. Toronto has relied on second-chance looks off offensive rebounds this season, and that’s something the Sixers have cut back on in recent outings.

I’m playing on Philadelphia as my 10* Best Bet Saturday.

I am playing on the Atlanta Hawks. Sports betting is all about catching spots where are you are ahead of the oddsmakers' adjustments and I feel we have a perfect opportunity like that Saturday night when the visiting Bulls come to town.

I've been watching Atlanta play recently and even though the club has lost two of its last three games, the Hawks have been playing much better team basketball and I've been waiting for them to break out. That break out came in their last game against the Sixers when they erupted for 126 points in a 28-point win where Atlanta piled up 36 assists.

That's the Hawks team we got used to seeing last year and I feel they are way undervalued Saturday night as Chicago comes in hot on a six-game winning streak. I feel that luck is about to run out for a Bulls squad that I feel will be playing on tired legs in its fifth game in nine days going up against a Hawks team playing fantastic hoops as a unit.

Atlanta's Kent Bazemore is averaging 20.3 points over his last four games and I'm expecting another big effort from him Saturday night in an Atlanta victory where they are laying a small number. 10* Personal Favorite

I'm playing on CHICAGO. Bulls lost a close one at Boston last month. They weren't playing well at the time, as that was their third straight SU loss and fourth straight ATS loss. What a difference a month can make. The Bulls enter tonight's game off five straight wins, having covered the spread in four of those, each of the last three. While that streak figures to come to an end in the relatively near future, I don't expect it to be tonight. The Bulls had last night off while the Celtics are off a hard fought and disappointing loss vs. the Pistons. This will be their third game in the past four nights. The Bulls are 9-1 SU the last 10 times that they attempted to avenge an earlier loss. I expect them to improve on those stats, covering the small number along the way. 10* Main Event

I'm playing on MINNESOTA. Both these teams have struggled of late and both view tonight's game as an opportunity to earn a rare victory. Playing at home, I believe the T-Wolves will have the edge. This will already be the fourth meeting of the season. The teams split the first two at Denver. Then, the Nuggets won the most recent game, a 112-100 "upset" here at Minnesota. Note that the T-Wolves were favored by -6.5 points for that one, so we're getting a far more favorable line tonight. The fact that they lost that the most recent meeting, and that it was here, puts the T-Wolves in one of their best roles. The Wolves check in at a profitable 38-20 ATS their last 58 times that they attempted to avenge an earlier home loss. They skipped Tuesday's regular practice to instead "discuss strategy" and I expect it pay dividends on the court tonight. 10* Personal Favorite

I'm playing on DALLAS.

The Kings had their way with the Mavs when these teams met at the end of November. However, that game was at Sacramento and the Kings were well-rested. Tonight's meeting sets up differently. Not only is the venue now at Dallas but the well-rested Mavs will host a Kings team which played at OKC last night and which will be playing in its third different city in the past four days. Off a 10-5-98 loss vs. New Orleans on 1/2, which was preceded by a New Year's Day loss at Miami, the revenge-minded Mavs should be motivated for a big effort in order to secure their first win of the year. They've 9-3 ATS after allowing 105 or more points in their previous game and 3-0 ATS when coming off a SU loss as a favorite. Payback time.

10* Personal Favorite

I'm playing on MILWAUKEE.

This is a lot of points to be getting with a team which has won back-to-back games (road wins @ Indiana and Minnesota) and which has a winning record on its home floor. The Bucks did get blown out at San Antonio a few weeks back. However, they're playing better since then, haven covered 10 of their last 15. While the Spurs are clearly playing very well, the Bucks aren't intimidated by anyone and their win over the Warriors on this floor should give them the confidence that they can pull off the upset tonight. Grab the points.

10* Best Bet

I'm playing on INDIANA.

These teams have split a pair of meetings at Detroit. Including those results, the Pistons are an impressive 11-5 at home. They aren't nearly as good on the road though. Indeed, they're only 7-10 SU/ATS away from Detroit. Note they're just 6-14 SU/ATS the last 20 times that they played a road game with an O/U line in the 200 to 204.5 range. They'll be facing a Pacers team which outscores teams by an average margin of 103.2 to 97.2 here. I feel the number could easily be higher and am expecting a win and cover for the home team.

10* Personal Favorite

I'm playing on NEW ORLEANS.

The Clippers easily. handled the Pelicans when the teams met last month. That was at LA though. The Clippers had Blake Griffin in the lineup and they were playing with a day's worth of rest in between games. None of those things are true for this evening's rematch. This time, the Clippers are off a game last night, while facing a rested Pelicans team. This time, the Clippers on the road. This time, they'll be sans Griffin; he had 20 points, six boards and six assists in last month's meeting. This is arguably worse than just a typical b2b spot for the Clippers, as they'll be playing their fifth game already since Christmas. The Pelicans have won three straight games on this floor. I expect them to make it four in a row, covering the small number along the way.

10* GOW

I'm playing on HOUSTON.

The situation favors the home team here. The Hawks are off a big game at Indiana last night. The Rockets will play with two day's worth of rest. That's noteworthy as they're an impressive 23-5 SU and 20-8 ATS the past couple of seasons when playing with exactly two day's rest. A narrow loss at New Orleans last game notwithstanding, the Rockets are showing signs of coming around. They're 4-2 SU/ATS their last six. They've also won seven straight here at home, covering the last six of those. With the schedule in their favor, I expect them to extend their streak here for at least another day.

10* Personal Favorite

I'm playing on PHOENIX.

This is a tough spot for the Cavs. They battled the Warriors on Christmas Day and then had to play Portland the very next day. That makes this their third road game in four days and they know that they'll play at Denver tomorrow night. While the Suns also played Boxing Day, they had enjoyed both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day without playing. They also get tomorrow off. Motivated by a loss against the lowly 76'ers, I expect the Bledsoe-less Suns to bring their best effort en route to at least a cover.

10* Best Bet

I am playing on MEMPHIS (vs LA Lakers) as my *10 Personal Favorite on Sunday @ 6:05 PM ET - Of course it goes without saying that the Lakers are one of the worst teams in the league but they have gone 6-0 ATS in their last 6 meetings with Memphis. That said, the Grizzlies certainly won't overlook the Lakers as they don't want another tight victory here; Memphis wants a blowout. The Grizzlies are coming off of back to back losses at Washington before Christmas and then at Charlotte yesterday. As a result, there is no doubt that Memphis will bring plenty of intensity to the floor Sunday against the Lakers. Only once this entire season has Memphis had a lost streak go further than two games. That said, they will be ready to pound LA on Sunday. The Lakers come into this game with a 2-5 ATS mark as a road dog set in a range of 9.5 to 12 points. The Lakers are also 0-5 ATS against Southwest Division opponents this season. Look for ATS loss #6 to come in on Sunday as the Lakers are in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's the perfect spot for Memphis to impose their will 

I am playing on UTAH (vs LA Clippers) as my *10 NBA Game of the Week on Saturday @ 9:05 PM ET - The Jazz catch the Clippers in a tough scheduling spot here as the Clips battled with the Lakers in the late game on Christmas Day yesterday. Utah definitely has the edge in terms of being rested for this game while the Clippers had to travel from LA to Salt Lake City for this tough back to back game. The Jazz already defeated the Clippers in LA earlier this season and are 24-11-2 ATS in their last 37 home games against the Clips. Utah comes into this game on a 4-2 straight-up and ATS run in home games. The Jazz are 3-0 ATS this season in home games with a total set in a range of 195 to 199.5 points. Utah's most recent game was a loss by a margin of 18 points at Golden State on Wednesday. The Jazz are 3-1 ATS this season when off of a loss by a margin of 10 points or more. The Clippers are off of a win against the Lakers last night but they did fail to cover the spread and are now 4-8 ATS this season in road games. As a road favorite of 3 points or less, the Clippers are on a long-term 31-53 ATS run. Look for the Jazz to improve to 4-0 SU and 4-0 ATS in Saturday games this season with another big home win as they take advantage of a scheduling situation that is very favorable for Utah. 

I am playing on HOUSTON (vs San Antonio) as my *10 Main Event on Friday @ 8:05 PM ET - The Rockets host the Spurs with a shot at revenge in this heated rivalry. These teams are separated by less than 200 miles and, as a result, there is certainly "no love lost" between these rivals. The Spurs managed to win each of the last three meetings between the clubs last season and that means payback is the order of the day for Houston on Christmas Day. The Rockets are off of a loss at Orlando but had won 10 of their 14 prior games. As strong as the Spurs have been this season, it is still difficult to justify San Antonio being favored by a big margin on the road against a tough rival. In the Rockets current 10-5 run their last 15 games only 2 of the 15 games was a Rockets loss by a margin of more than 6 points. San Antonio is on an 18-25 ATS run in divisional games. The Rockets are on an 8-4 ATS run this month and have covered 44 of 69 games the past three seasons when their prior game was a non-conference game. After playing very solid defense for three straight games (all wins) Houston really let up on the defensive end in their loss at Orlando. Look for the solid D to resume on their home floor on Christmas Day and the Rockets should absolutely be in this game all the way Friday evening. That means great line value is being offered with the points in this one.

I am playing on PHOENIX (vs Denver) as my *10 Blue Marlin on Wednesday @ 10:05 PM ET - The Suns host Denver in the perfect spot for a blowout. The Nuggets hosted the Lakers last night and then had to travel west for one final game before a Christmas break. It's more than just a back to back as it's also a lookahead to some time off for Denver. The Phoenix situation is different as they were off yesterday and that game the Suns even more time to think about the bad loss they had at Utah on Monday. in that game Phoenix got drilled by 21 points. The Suns are 5-2 ATS this season when off of a loss by 10 points or more. Phoenix also is 21-10 ATS the past three seasons combined when off of a defeat by a double digit margin. The Suns are 26-16 ATS in their last 42 games against teams from the Northwest Division. Denver has lost 5 of 6 (and gone 2-4 ATS) in their games against teams from the Pacific Division this season. The Nuggets are only 2-4 SU in the 2nd night of back to backs this season. Also, Denver has lost 3 of 4 in the 2nd night of a back to back when the first game is at home (thin air in Denver) and the 2nd game is on the road (always tough to travel for a back to back). Situation is great here for a Phoenix win by a double digit margin. 

I am playing on HOUSTON (vs Charlotte) as a *10 Blue Marlin on Monday @ 8:05 PM ET - Very small number on the home favorite Rockets and I am going to step in and take full advantage. Houston has won five straight games on their home floor and not enough weight has been given to their home court edge in looking at this match-up. The Hornets have lost 7 of their 11 road games this season. Also, this is not an easy spot for them. Charlotte has allowed 50% or better shooting from the field in their two most recent road games. The Hornets won't be able to slow down a high-powered Rockets offense that has been firing on all cylinders recently. Charlotte has failed to cover 3 of their last 4 games while Houston has covered 7 of their last 10 games. This is a classic case of Hot versus Not and I''ll grab the Hot!

I am playing on TORONTO (vs Sacramento) as my *10 NBA Personal Favorite on Sunday @ 6:05 PM ET - This is a very manageable number for Toronto. On Sunday, the Raptors are hosting a Kings team that is only 2-9 on the road this season. That said, laying about 5 points with a Toronto team that is 8-4 in home games this season is truly a good value. The Raptors play this game with revenge from a road loss at Sacramento last month. Toronto is 10-2 ATS this season when playing with revenge. The Raptors are off of a 108-94 win at Miami and Toronto has gone 6-1 ATS this season when off of a game where they scored 105 points or more. The Kings enter this game off of a road loss at Minnesota and that brings Sacramento's current run in road games to 1-3 ATS and 0-4 straight-up. The Kings were favored against the Timberwolves and Sacramento has gone 8-14 ATS when they are off of a straight-up loss as a favorite. The Kings also are on a 7-16 ATS run against Atlantic Division opponents and a 13-23 ATS run in December games. Look for the Raptors to roll at home in a game that is set up well to be ALL Toronto!

I am playing on HOUSTON (vs LA Clippers) as my *10 Best Bet Saturday @ 8:05 PM ET - Though this is a revenge spot for the Clippers it is also a poor scheduling spot for them and that gives the Rockets a huge edge here. The Clips were battling hard in San Antonio last night while Houston had an off day on the calendar. This is not only a back to back spot for the Clippers but also it is the 7th game for LA in the past 11 days. The Rockets come in rested and ready to defeat the Clippers for a 5th straight time. After falling behind 3 games to 1 in their series against the Clips in the post-season, the Rockets rallied to win three straight games to take the series. Houston then followed that up with a 4th straight win over the Clippers when the Rockets beat them in LA in their first match-up of the season. Now the 2nd match-up also favors Houston based on the scheduling dynamics here. The Rockets are 5-2 SU and ATS in games against the Pacific Division this season. The Clippers allowed 115 points to the Spurs last night and the Clips have gone 2-5 ATS this season after a game in which they gave up 105 points or more. 

I am playing on PHOENIX (vs New Orleans) as my *10 Blue Marlin on Friday @ 10:35 PM ET - The Suns have hit a tough stretch and are a tough 11-16 on the season but New Orleans is 1-7 ATS this season against teams with a losing record. The Pelicans have a 7-18 record on the season and there is great line value here with Phoenix as a small home favorite. The Suns have a 7-6 straight-up record in home games this season while the Pelicans had lost 12 of their 13 road games before a surprising road win at Utah on Wednesday night. With New Orleans off of an upset win on the road and Phoenix off of an ugly road loss at powerful Golden State, the set up is perfect for a big Suns home win here. Phoenix is 4-2 ATS this season - and 20-10 ATS the last 3 seasons - when they are off of a loss by a margin of 10 points or more in their prior game. When the Suns allowed 105 points or more in a game, they've responded by going 45-32 ATS in their next game. Look for Phoenix to get back on track tonight as they take advantage of New Orleans off of a rare road win. The Pelicans, with only two road wins all season, are certainly unlikely to put together two straight victories away from home. 

I am playing on ATLANTA (@ Boston) as my NBA *10* Game of the Month on Friday @ 7:35 ET - The Hawks will be surging with confidence when they hit the floor in Boston tonight as they scored 127 points on 61.5% shooting from the floor in their win versus Philadelphia on Wednesday. The Hawks are catching the Celtics at a good time as they are off of back to back losses including a deflating 119-116 loss at Detroit on Wednesday. Boston has lost three of their last four games and has shot poorly from the field in four of their last five games. In a home game with the total set in a range of 200 to 204.5 points the Celtics have gone 2-5 ATS this season and 13-20 ATS the past three seasons cumulative. The Hawks blasted by 24 points in the last meeting between these clubs last month. Atlanta has outshot the Celtics from the field by a substantial margin in each of the last four meetings between these teams. With the Hawks also coming off of the hot shooting night Wednesday, Boston's defense is truly in trouble here. Atlanta has taken full advantage when facing weaker defenses this season as Atlanta has gone 9-4 ATS this season in games against teams allowing 99+ points per game on average. The Hawks are 18-8 ATS in road games with a total set in a range of 200 to 204.5 points this season. Atlanta also has a 26-11 straight up record in December games the past three seasons. Look for another big December win tonight on Friday for Atlanta and grab the points with the Hawks. 

I am playing on HOUSTON (@ LA Lakers) as my *10 TNT *Main Event* on Thursday @ 10:35 PM ET - After back to back losses in a tough back to back situation at Denver and then Sacramento, the Rockets have now had a day off and are rested and will take advantage of facing a Lakers team that just won for only the 4th time in 25 games this season. That sets this situation up perfectly for the Rockets to come in and dominate. The Lakers had lost their two prior games by a combined 51 points before notching their rare win over Milwaukee on Tuesday. Of course the Lakers were helped by a situational edge there as the Bucks were off of their massive upset win over Golden State that ended the Warriors unbeaten season. The Lakers took advantage of the situation and got the win over a 'flat' Bucks team. Thursday the Lakers certainly will not be facing a flat team as the Rockets are ready to end their 2 game losing streak. Houston had won 7 of 9 before these two losses and they'll pulverize a Lakers team that has not won two straight games all season. Lakers are 1-4 ATS this season when off of a game where they scored 105 points or more. LA is 5-12 ATS the last three seasons when they are off of a win by a margin of ten points or more. The Rockets entered this season with a 19-9 ATS mark when they are off of a loss by ten points or more. With a powerful Rockets team off of a big loss and a weak Lakers team off of a big win, the set up for a huge Houston win is perfect here.

I am playing on PHOENIX (@ Golden State) as my *10 ESPN *MAIN EVENT* on Wednesday @ 10:35 PM ET - This is the first game for Golden State since their unbeaten start to the season finally came to a close in their loss at Milwaukee on Saturday. Though many may predict a Golden State "bounce back" here, I believe the opposite will be true. Many Warriors admitted to being glad that the pressure of the unbeaten run is finally no longer an issue. In my opinion, Golden State will no longer have that same incentive on the floor that they did during the ridiculously long winning streak they had to start the season. Are they likely to win this game tonight? Yes. But will it be a huge blowout win covering this inflated number? I doubt it when you consider the circumstances. The Warriors are happy to finally be back home after a long trip back east and they just want to 'grind out' a win tonight. The Suns are off of a loss at Dallas but previously had won three of their last four games. In all their games dating all the way back to Thanksgiving, the Suns have only lost one game by more than 10 points and that was to Golden State. Looks like a little revenge is on order for Phoenix tonight. The Suns are 20-9 ATS when off of a loss by 10 points or more. Also, Phoenix is 4-1 ATS as a road dog of 12.5 points or more. The Warriors are likely to win tonight but the final score should be much closer than what this spread would lead you to believe.

I am playing on DETROIT (vs Boston) as my *10 NBA *Blue Marlin* on Wednesday @ 7:35 ET - Tough back to back spot for the Celtics who put up only 77 points last night at home against the Cavaliers. Now Boston has to try and keep pace with a Pistons team that has shot the ball well in many of their recent home games.. Overall, Detroit has scored at least 102 points in 7 of their last 9 games. The Pistons will be looking to bounce back after losing a tight one to the Clippers on Monday. Also, Detroit plays this game with home loss revenge as the Celtics got the better of them in their most recent meeting. Boston's straight-up record is 13-29 when they are off of a loss by 10 points or more in their prior game. Overall, on the road, the Celtics have lost 61 of their last 96 games. With the short line on this game on the Pistons and a sparkling 9-3 ATS mark at home this season, Detroit is the play here. The Pistons are a perfect 3-0 ATS this season as a home favorite of 3 points or less. This is Detroit's last home game until after Christmas so all their energy and focus will be going into bouncing back from the loss to the Clips with a big home win tonight. 

I am playing on SACRAMENTO (vs Houston) as my *10 NBA *Main Event* on Tuesday @ 10:05 PM ET - The Kings will take advantage of the Rockets being in a very tough scheduling spot on Tuesday. Houston had to battle it out with the Nuggets in Denver last night and will be playing the second night of a back to back here plus it will be the Rockets third game in four nights. Houston has won five straight games against the Kings so, without a doubt, Sacramento is fully focused on the task at hand here. The Kings want revenge and it's the ideal situation to get it. Not only will the Rockets be worn down for this game, Sacramento is well rested as they have not played since Thursday. That was the Kings second straight win and they have won 3 of their last 4 home games. The Rockets come in having played well on offense in recent weeks but their defense has left a lot to be desired. Sacramento has been picking up the intensity on the defensive end with holding their last three opponents to a shooting percentage of 41.3% or less. Look for another strong defensive effort with fresh legs to wear down this road-weary Rockets team Tuesday night as the Kings get their revenge.

I am playing on INDIANA (vs Toronto) as my *10 Blue Marlin on Monday @ 7:05 PM ET - After getting blasted by a 22 point margin on the road at Detroit on Saturday, the Pacers will respond in a big way on their home court Monday. Indiana is 8-2 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record. The Pacers also have revenge on their minds here as they have lost 4 straight games against the Raptors. Indiana has won 7 of their 10 home games this season. The Pacers are 4-1 ATS when off of a divisional game and also 4-1 ATS this season as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points. The Raptors straight-up record is 33-52 in their last 85 games against teams with a winning record. With the small line on this game, any straight-up win for the Pacers is also quite likely to be an ATS cover as well. The Raptors crushed a bad Philadelphia team yesterday evening and that makes this a back to back spot for them. Toronto has lost the 2nd game of a back to back three straight times. Look for that streak to reach four tonight.

I am playing on DALLAS (vs Washington) as my *10 Blue Marlin on Saturday @ 8:35 ET - Washington was in New Orleans last night and now had to travel to Dallas for this game. This is only the 12th of December and yet it will be the 8th game already this month for the Wizards. Needless to say this is a tough scheduling spot for Washington. Dallas is playing just their 5th game in the last 11 days and had two off days prior to this game. The Mavs have dominated the Wizards in their last two meetings (average margin of victory of 19.5 points per game) and Dallas has won all five meetings with Washington the past three seasons. The Wizards were heading into the game at New Orleans last night having lost seven of their last ten games. Though Washington is playing this game with home loss revenge (annihilated by the Mavericks earlier this season in DC), that is a situation that has seen the Wizards go 0-3 ATS this season. Look for the Mavs to improve to 7-3 ATS as a favorite this season as they take advantage of the favorable scheduling situation here while sending the weary Wizards to another loss. 

I am playing on ATLANTA (vs San Antonio) as my *10 Main Event on Saturday @ 8:05 PM ET - The Hawks lost by 20 at San Antonio last month so a little payback is on order here. Atlanta has won 8 of their last 11 home games and here they are a home dog against the Spurs. San Antonio is in a back to back spot and they've been wanting to get rest for Tony Parker plus Kawhi Leonard has not been 100%. After hosting the Spurs Friday night San Antonio had to quickly head east to Atlanta for this game. It will be the 7th game in 11 nights for an aging Spurs team. The Hawks are rested here as they were off last night. San Antonio has a 5-11 ATS mark in their last 16 games as a road favorite of 3 points or less. The Hawks are on a 9-4 ATS run as a home dog of 3 points or less. Revenge, rest, scheduling situation...it all combines to provide for a very strong home dog situation involving the Hawks. Grab Atlanta for a *10 in this spot.

I am playing on INDIANA (vs Miami) as my *10 Blue Marlin on Friday @ 7:05 PM ET - The Heat have enjoyed a home-heavy schedule to start the season as 14 of their first 20 games have been in Miami. However, tonight's game at Indiana is part of a stretch where the Heat are playing 4 of 5 games on the road and Miami's struggles away from home have seen them go 2-4 SU and ATS so far this season on the road. Indiana will be ready to bounce back at home after being dealt a home loss by Golden State. Certainly there was no shame in losing a tight battle with the Warriors on Tuesday as they are still undefeated on the season! The Pacers had previously won 6 of their 8 home games this season and are ready to respond after a rare home loss. When playing with two days of rest Indiana is 6-1 ATS this season. In their games against teams with a winning record the Pacers have gone 7-1 ATS this season. The Heat are 13-23 ATS in games in the month of December the past 2+ years. Home/road values are the key to this play on Indiana who deserves more respect as a home favorite here. The Pacers are a big value at this low number.

I am playing on SACRAMENTO (vs New York) as my *10 Main Event on Thursday @ 10:35 PM ET - The Kings were off last night while the Knicks were battling it out with the Jazz in Utah. New York lost by 21 points yesterday to the same Jazz team that the Kings just beat 114-106 on Tuesday. Look for Sacramento to take advantage of a Knicks team now dealing with a tough back to back spot. New York has lost 7 of its last 9 games. Included in this stretch is 4 straight road losses for the Knicks and traveling to Sacramento is unlikely to improve things for New York. The Knicks have lost 13 of their last 19 visits to Sacramento. Also, New York's most recent meeting with the Kings was an ugly beating by a margin of 38 points. Sacramento shot 56% from the field against Utah on Tuesday and the offense stays hot here against a Knicks team not too excited about playing defense after having battled with the Jazz in Utah last night. The Kings did allow 106 points to Utah Tuesday and Sacramento is 9-4 ATS when they are off of a game where they allowed 105 points or more. The Knicks are 6-14 ATS in their last 20 games against Pacific Division opponents. Look for the Kings to again pound the Knicks as they take advantage of home court plus catch New York in a back to back.

I am playing on PHOENIX (vs Orlando) as my *10 NBA Blue Marlin @ 9:05 PM ET - The Suns have won three of their last four meetings with the Magic both straight-up and against the spread. Phoenix also has won 12 of the last 17 games hosting Orlando. The Suns are thrilled to be back home as this will be the first home game for Phoenix since Black Friday! The Suns bring a little momentum into this match-up as Phoenix got a much-need victory at Chicago on Monday to wrap up their tough six-game road trip back east. Orlando is in the middle of a road trip of their own as they are wrapping up a five-game road trip tonight. What makes this spot extra tough for the Magic is that they were at Denver last night. Orlando 'left it all on the floor' last night as they got the 85-74 win over the Nuggets. The Magic are on a 7-15 ATS run against teams from the Pacific Division. Also, Orlando is on a 35-53 ATS run in games against teams with a losing record. The Suns are 4-0 ATS this season - and 20-6 ATS the last 3 seasons - in home games with a total set in a range of 205 to 209.5 points. Phoenix is 41-26 ATS in non-conference games and 19-9 ATS when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games on the road. Look for the Suns to take advantage of being back at home as they catch the Magic in a tough scheduling spot. 

I am playing on TORONTO (vs San Antonio) as my *10 NBA BEST BET on Wednesday @ 7:35 ET - The Raptors battled hard but came up just short against the Warriors on Saturday. Now, after blasting the Lakers Monday, Toronto gets a shot at the #2 team in the league. The Spurs are in town and the Raptors are relishing the shot at knocking off San Antonio here after that tight Saturday loss to the #1 team, Golden State, who is now 23-0 on the season. Toronto is seeking revenge for a 10 point loss at San Antonio in their most recent meeting in March. The Raptors have some incredible money-earning stats in their favor here as they are 7-0 ATS in games against teams with a winning record this season. Also, Toronto is 7-1 ATS as an underdog this season. As strong as the Spurs are, they are not superhuman. That said, it's hard to be entirely focused on your next opponent when you are off of a blowout win of epic proportions. The Spurs absolutely annihilated the 76'ers in Philly on Monday as they won by a margin of 51 points! Look for San Antonio to come out a little flat here as a result and the Raptors have the talent to take advantage. Excellent home dog value here with Toronto.

I am playing on INDIANA (vs Golden State) as my *10 MAIN EVENT on Tuesday @ 7 ET - The Warriors have now alternated wins and losses (in terms of ATS covers) in each of their last four games. With their incredible 22-0 straight-up record on the season they are beginning to be over-valued by the betting markets. Playing their 5th straight road game and facing a Pacers team that is 6-2 straight-up at home this season, Golden State is likely to fall short of the money again on Tuesday night. Indiana is well-rested here as the Pacers have been off since Saturday's tight loss at Utah. The Pacers are a perfect 6-0 ATS this season when playing with two days of rest. Indiana also has a great history of covering against Golden State as the Pacers are 14-5 ATS in home games against the Warriors. This included an Indiana six point win back in January. The Pacers are 7-0 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record. Indiana is also 5-1 ATS this season when they are off of a game where they scored 105 points or more. Indiana began this season with three straight-up (and ATS) losses but since then the Pacers have not lost (or failed to cover) in three straight games. Coming into this game well-rested but off of back to back straight-up and ATS losses, it is the ideal time to back a Pacers team that hasn't lost three straight games since October.

I am playing on NEW ORLEANS (vs Boston) as my *10 Main Event on Monday @ 8:05 ET - Boston battled hard at San Antonio on Saturday night but came up just short. That is the type of tough defeat that is difficult to bounce back from. Look for the Celtics to struggle tonight in New Orleans as a result. The Pelicans are well rested here as they have been off since Friday after knocking off the Cavaliers at home that night. Though the Pelicans overall record does not impress, New Orleans has won four of their last six home games and this is an ideal spot to keep the strong play going at home. Boston's straight-up record on the road is 33-61 the past 2+ seasons. Also, the Celtics have lost 20 of their last 24 games against Southwest Division opponents. The Pelicans are 14-8 ATS in their last 22 games as a home favorite of 3 points or less. Boston's David Lee is expected to miss tonight's game and this certainly hurts the frontcourt depth of the Celtics. Boston won both match-ups with the Pelicans last season including the game in New Orleans in March. A little payback is in order tonight and this is the Pelicans only game in the span of a week so you know a huge effort is forthcoming. Boston could get caught looking ahead to their next game as it will be back home against an Eastern Conference foe (Chicago). 

I am playing on CHARLOTTE (vs Detroit) as my *10 Personal Favorite on Monday @ 7:05 ET - Scheduling situation here favors the Hornets in a big way. Detroit battled with the Lakers yesterday and that makes this a back to back spot for the Pistons. Detroit has lost the 2nd game of their back to back situations three of the four times it has occurred this season. Charlotte was off yesterday and the Hornets have won 11 of their last 16 games. Charlotte is a perfect 3-0 ATS this season as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points. The Hornets also are 48-35 ATS the last three seasons in their games against teams with a winning record. In games against the Central Division, Charlotte is on a 25-14 ATS run. The Pistons got the big home win yesterday but they are a money-burning 4-7 ATS on the road this season. As a road dog of 3.5 to 6 points, Detroit is 6-10 ATS the last three seasons. Charlotte is catching the Pistons at the ideal time to exact revenge for an embarrassing 116 to 77 loss at Detroit in April. Indeed it is payback time!

I am playing on BROOKLYN (vs Golden State) as my *10 BEST BET Sunday @ 6:05 ET - The Warriors appear to be overvalued again here just like they were yesterday in Toronto. After barely squeaking by the Raptors yesterday, Golden State is now a double digit favorite at Brooklyn the very next night. A back to back situation on the East Coast is a tough test for this West Coast team no matter how dominant they have been so far this season. The tight win at Toronto was the 2nd close call that the Warriors have had in their last three games as their amazing unbeaten streak to open up the season certainly appears lose to ending. This back to back spot on the road is a tough spot for any team to blowout another on the road. This is even tougher when the opponent is a Brooklyn team that is on a 10-2 ATS run. The Nets have been big money-earners at the ticket window in recent weeks and Brooklyn will be absolutely rocking for this shot at the unbeaten Warriors Sunday evening. The Nets already covered earlier this season at Golden State and Brooklyn also covered both games with Golden State in last season's series. The Nets are 6-2 ATS this season in games against teams with a winning record. The Warriors are 0-3 ATS against teams from the Atlantic Division this season. The Nets will give Golden State all they can handle Sunday as every team is gunning for the Warriors right now and Brooklyn is next in line to cover the inflated numbers set by the marketplace.

I am playing on TORONTO (vs Golden State) as my *10 Best Bet on Saturday @ 5:05 PM ET - Don't be surprised if the Raptors get the OUTRIGHT WIN here to put an end to Golden State's unbeaten season. Toronto battled tooth and nail with the Warriors in their earlier meeting this season in California. That tight loss (by just 5 points) gives the Raptors the confidence they need to pull off the upset here. Toronto was looking ahead to this match-up with the 20-0 Warriors when the Raptors lost to Denver on Thursday. Toronto had won 5 of their last 6 games before that defeat and the Raptors are hungry to get right back on track here. The Warriors were involved in a narrow escape recently (at Utah) to keep their streak alive and I am forecasting the streak to either end here or continue only by way of yet another narrow escape. In other words, the generous points being offered here are worth the taking. Toronto is a fantastic 6-1 this season as an underdog. Also, the Raptors are a perfect 6-0 ATS in their games against teams with a winning record. 

I am playing on HOUSTON (@ Dallas) as my *10 Best Bet on Friday @ 8:35 ET - There is a chance that the Rockets Dwight Howard may miss this game to rest up for the home game that Houston has against Sacramento Saturday. This seems to be getting a bit of an over-reaction from the betting markets and the Rockets are being given some sizable points in this match-up. Houston knocked the Mavs out of the playoffs last spring but then the Mavs got some revenge in Houston last month so this is a revenge game for the Rockets after the home loss on the 14th of November. The Mavericks come into this game off of an upset win at Portland on Tuesday. Dallas won outright as a small dog in that game. The Mavs have gone 10-16 ATS when off of an upset win as an underdog. Also, prior to the Dallas win at Houston last month, the Rockets had gone 9-4 SU and ATS in their last 13 match-ups with the Mavs. Houston matches up very well with Dallas and they continue to exert their series dominance here as they get revenge for last month's loss. Even if they are without Howard, the Rockets are adept at winning games with the 'small ball' approach and their smaller lineup will get the job done with speed in transition on both ends of the floor. 

I am playing on PORTLAND (vs Indiana) as my *10 BEST BET on Thursday @ 10:05 PM ET - The Blazers have a huge edge here as they were off yesterday and now get to host a Pacers team that had to battle it out with the Clippers in LA last night. Indiana has been rolling this season but this is a tough spot from a scheduling perspective. Additionally, the Pacers have been struggling against the Trail Blazers in recent meetings as Portland has held them to 85 points or less in each game...both of which resulted in Indiana losses. The Pacers went into last night's game at Los Angeles with an 0-4 ATS mark in non-conference games this season. As a road favorite of 3 points or less the past two seasons Indiana went 7-14 ATS. Portland has gone 4-1 ATS as a home dog of 3 points or less the past three seasons and that record is 52-32 ATS long-term. This is a proven situation that the Blazers thrive in and they are absolutely catching the Pacers at the perfect time to get the big home win. Look for Indiana to struggle again in this back to back spot as their ATS struggles against the West continue on Thursday night. 

I am playing on HOUSTON (vs New Orleans) as my *10 Blue Marlin on Wednesday @ 8:05 PM ET - New Orleans is in a tough back to back spot here. They were home against Memphis last night but the Pelicans are now back on the road Wednesday. New Orleans has lost 9 of their 10 road games this season and the back to back element with this one makes the situation even tougher. So far this season the Pelicans are 0-5 in the 2nd night of a back to back and all five losses have come by at least 7 points. The Rockets are laying only a couple buckets in this one and seem well worth the short home price. Unlike New Orleans, Houston was off last night so they come into this game rested as well as winners in 2 of their last 3 games. The Rockets are 41-24 ATS when they are off of a non-conference game. After losing to the Pistons on Sunday, look for that trend for Houston to continue as they get back on track after losing to an Eastern Conference foe as the Rockets may have been caught looking ahead to this divisional match-up. The Pelicans entered Monday's action with an 0-4 ATS mark in games against teams with a losing record this season. Also, New Orleans entered Monday with a 4-9 ATS mark as an underdog this season. The back to back situation and the fact that the Rockets will be fired up off of a loss after having won two straight are keys to this selection. *10 rating here on Houston.

I am playing on PORTLAND (vs Dallas) as my *10 Main Event on Tuesday @ 10:05 PM ET - This is a back to back situation for each club but for the Blazers it's nice to be back home after battling the Clippers in LA last night. For the Mavericks it's another tough night on the road after going toe to toe with the Kings in Sacramento last night. The Mavs went into last night's game having lost three straight road games and I look for the overall road struggles to continue regardless of last night's result. For Dallas this will be their 8th road game in their last 10 games. That is a tough stretch. For the Blazers, they had won 3 of their last 4 games heading into last night's battle with the Clips and Portland also is seeking revenge for a 16 points loss at Dallas in April last spring. This will be their first shot at payback and the Blazers have blasted the Mavs in their last two visits to Portland with an average margin of victory of 20 points per game. Dallas is 0-3 SU and ATS on Tuesday nights this year while Portland is 6-3 ATS this season in games against teams that are allowing 99+points per game this season. Portland gets the job done at home once again where they have a 71-26 record the last 3 seasons combined. 

I am playing on DALLAS (vs Denver) as my *10 NBA TV MAIN EVENT on Saturday @ 8:30 PM ET - Tough spot for Denver as they had to travel to Dallas after battling with the Spurs yesterday. Back to backs are never fun and certainly not when facing San Antonio and then the Mavericks on back to back nights. The situation here is much better for the Mavs as they are rested and ready at home as they've been off since Wednesday. Dallas has won each of their last four home games and they'll bounce back here at home after a tough recent road trip. The Mavericks have won those four home games by an average margin of victory of 9 points per win and I look for their home dominance to continue here. This will be the fourth back to back situation the Nuggets have been in and the first three certainly have not gone well. Denver lost the 2nd night of the back to back all three times and the average margin of defeat was 16.7 points per loss. Look for another blowout loss here as the Mavs take advantage of the scheduling edge. Dallas has won 60 of their last 93 home games while the Nuggets have lost 61 of their last 89 road games. Home court means an awful lot to each of these clubs and that means a big edge for the Mavericks in this one.

I am playing on the LA CLIPPERS (vs New Orleans) as my *10 NBA Game of the Week on Friday @ 10:35 ET - New Orleans comes into this game off of back to back wins over the Suns and that includes an upset win at Phoenix. That was the first road game that the Pelicans have won all season long. That puts them in the perfect 'fade spot' now after the rare road win. New Orleans is 4-7 ATS as an underdog this season and the Pelicans are 0-3 ATS when facing a team with a losing record. Even though the Clips have had a tough start to the season, they have shot the ball very well in 2 of their last 3 home games and I look for the Pelicans to struggle to keep up in this one. New Orleans has been held to just 43.7% from the field in road games this season and the Clippers have shot at least 50% from the field in 2 of their last 3 home games. The Clips are off of an upset loss as a favorite and that is a situation that has seen them go 30-11 SU the last 3 seasons combined. Indeed the Clips are hungry for the bounce back home win here and they have won 66 of their last 82 games against teams with a losing record. With the relatively small spread on this game, the SU win is very likely to equate to an ATS win as well. Lay the points with the Clippers. 

I am playing on Orlando (vs Milwaukee) as my *10 Main Event on Friday @ 7:05 ET - Orlando has a long-term run of 26-11 in match-ups between these teams in Orlando. This includes winning 3 of the last 4 played in Florida. However, the Magic did suffer that loss in the most recent match-up that took place between these clubs in Orlando. That was in January of last year and that means that revenge is on order here. The Magic come into this game off of a home win over New York on Wednesday and Orlando has won 5 of their last 6 home games. Milwaukee has not only lost their last three road games, the Bucks have been absolutely annihilated as they've been rolled by an average margin of defeat of 27 points per loss in their last three games away from home. Milwaukee enter this game off of a 129 to 118 home loss to Sacramento. The Bucks are 0-3 SU and 0-3 ATS when they are off of a game where they scored 105 points or more. This is the perfect spot for the Magic to continue their recent run of home domination. 

I am playing on ORLANDO (vs New York) as my *10 Personal Favorite on Wednesday @ 7:05 ET - The Knicks have been severely challenged on offense this season and Monday was no exception as they were held to just 78 points at Miami. New York, the last 3 seasons, has a straight-up record of 8-26 when they are off of a game where they were held to 85 points or less. In other words, don't look for a bounce back from the Knicks tonight. The Magic come into this game off of back to back losses but they did shoot 49% from the field in their defeat at Cleveland Monday. Look for another hot shooting night here and the Knicks simply won't be able to keep up. The Magic have been favored just 4 times so far this season and their straight-up record in those games is 3-1. With the small spread on this game taking that SU record to 4-1 on the season is very likely to result in an ATS victory as well. The Magic are also 3-1 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record. Orlando is already 2-0 SU and ATS against Atlantic Division opposition this season and I look for that record to rise to 3-0 here as the Magic take advantage of a Knicks team playing their 4th game in 6 nights.

I am playing on MIAMI (vs New York) as my *10 Main Event on Monday @ 7:35 ET - Streaks are meant to be broken. The Knicks have surprisingly covered 7 straight games as they head into this match-up at Miami on Monday night. The Heat come into this game having failed to cover 4 straight games. This is what has resulted in this line being much smaller than it should be. The Heat are a small home favorite and are fully capable of a blowout win at home. Miami has a solid 7-2 straight-up record at home this season. The Heat are 6-1 straight-up and ATS the last three seasons against New York. This includes a perfect 3-0 straight-up and ATS mark in the games played in Miami. The Knicks are off of a 107-102 win at Houston and New York has gone 1-3 SU when off of an upset win as an underdog this season. Also, in games after scoring 105 points or more in their prior game, New York has gone 0-3 SU. Look for another SU loss here and with the low number on this game, the Heat stay hot at home while also getting the ATS cover.

I am playing on the LA CLIPPERS (vs Golden State) as my *10 MAIN EVENT on Thursday @ 10:35 ET - Of course the 13-0 Golden State Warriors are getting plenty of attention and that means value in going against them in spots like this. The Clippers have won five of their six home games this season and they are well rested here as they have been off since a big home win over Detroit on Saturday. The Clips have won 6 of their last 8 games when they enter a game off of three or more days of rest. Golden State has failed to cover 5 of their last 8 games. The Warriors are 0-2 ATS in their two games against divisional opponent so far this season. The Clippers will take advantage of a Golden State team that has allowed 108.3 points per game in their last 3 games. The Clips have given up 96 points or less in 4 of their 6 home games this season. The Clippers have won just 1 of their last 4 match-ups with Golden State but the 3 losses have come by an average margin of just 5.3 points per game. Look for another tight game here and, therefore, even if the Clippers end up on the wrong end of the scoreboard, they should still end up well within the inflated point spread here. I would not be surprised to see both Chris Paul and JJ Redick back on the floor for this one but this one is a play regardless of their presence. You can this is the game the Clippers have had circled on their calendars!

I am playing on UTAH (vs Toronto) as my *10 Personal Favorite Wednesday @ 9:05 ET - Toronto is in a tough back to back here. The Raptors had to face the Warriors at Golden State last night. Toronto entered that game having lost four of their last six games. Utah will be playing their first home game in over a week and a half and the Jazz also will be boosted by getting a big road win at Atlanta in the last game of their road trip on Sunday. After losing their season opener Utah has covered 7 of their last 9 games. The Raptors have been heading the opposite direction as they've failed to cover four of their last six games. As a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points the Jazz are on an 8-3 ATS run the past two seasons. The Jazz are a perfect 3-0 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record. Heading into their game against Golden State last night, Toronto had a 27-40 SU record in their last 67 games as an underdog. With the small points posted on the side in this game, any SU win for the Jazz is likely to equate to an ATS win as well. Utah appears to be in a good spot here and laying the small number with the Jazz looks well worth it. 

I am playing on MEMPHIS (vs Oklahoma City) as a *10 BEST BET Monday @ 8:05 ET - Memphis got the win at Minnesota yesterday and they've put their recent struggles in the rear view mirror by posting back to back victories in their last two games. Now the Grizzlies are back home where they've won 2 of their last 3 and their only loss in that 3 game stretch was to Golden State. The Grizzlies got their offense back on track yesterday with 114 points and ridiculously hot shooting. Memphis also was draining the 3-ball against the Timberwolves and this confidence boost on the offensive end for the Grizzlies is perfect timing as they now travel home to face a tough Oklahoma City club. The Thunder also are in a back to back spot here as OKC hosted Boston yesterday and lost 100-85. Kevin Durant's hamstring injury is a major concern for the Thunder and I look for the Grizzlies to take advantage. Oklahoma City wasn't even playing that well when Durant was healthy. In fact, yesterday's embarrassing home loss to the Celtics was their 4th loss in their last 7 games. The hot shooting of Memphis yesterday and the stone cold shooting of the Thunder yesterday is a sign of what is to come today. Memphis should win this one in a rout. 

I am playing on PHOENIX (vs Denver) as my *10 Personal Favorite on Saturday @ 9:05 ET - The Nuggets have won three straight games but this is a very tough scheduling spot for them. Denver was in action last night and got the home win. In fact, all 3 of their wins in this three game streak have come at home. The last time they were on the road the Nuggets lost by double digits. That said, not only is this a return to the road for the Nuggets, it's also a tough back to back spot. Denver has gone 14-20-2 ATS and 7-29 straight-up in their last 36 times in the 2nd night of back to back. Phoenix is in a great spot here. The Suns are at home and playing just their 2nd game in the last 6 days so they are well rested. Phoenix is 18-6 ATS in their last 24 home games where the total was in a range of 200 to 204.5 points. The Suns also are 23-14 ATS in their last 37 games against teams from the Northwest Division. Phoenix has won (and covered) six of the last 7 meetings with Denver! With the strong situational edges here, I have little doubt about the streak reaching 7-1 ATS today.