Sports Picks & Predictions

ASA top play on 10* Indiana Pacers -9.5 vs Milwaukee Bucks, 7 PM ET - The Bucks are in a very tough situation here without Giannis and now Dame Lillard who are their two leading scorers. Khris Middleton put this team on his back in Game 3, scored 42 and it still wasn’t enough as Milwaukee lost in OT. You could see Middleton was exhausted in that game and now he’ll be the focal point of the Pacers defense so we’re not sure where the Bucks scoring will come from. Indiana had 6 players score in double digits and also got 6-points from Sheppard and 7 from McConnell off the bench. Indiana was 26-15 SU at home this season with the 6th best home court differential of +6.8PPG. They closed out the regular season with 5 straight home wins, 4 of which were against other Playoff teams. Milwaukee was a below average road team this season with a 18-22 SU record and a negative average Margin of Victory of minus -1.1PPG. When coming off a loss the Bucks are 14-19-1 ATS this season which is the second worst spread record in the league in that situation. Indiana is 6-2 SU versus the Bucks this season and 4 of those wins have come by 9+ points. Lay it here with the Pacers.

ASA top play on LA Clippers +6 at Dallas Mavericks, 3:30 PM ET - We are backing the Clippers today and will grab the generous points against the Mavericks. I’ll be honest I prefer this bet if Kawhi Leonard does NOT play for the Clippers as he’s clearly not himself at this point in time. Without Leonard in Game 1 the Clippers offense and defense was much better than it’s been with him on the floor. Specifically, on offense where the ball was moving much better and didn’t stop with him in isolation sets. Either way, we expect a very tight Game 4 in Dallas. The Mavs are 26-16 SU at home but have an ‘average’ point differential of +3.8PPG which is 14th in the NBA. The Clippers have an identical road record of 26-16 SU with the 5th best average Margin of Victory at +3.2PPG. The Clippers were 19-13 SU this season when coming off a loss with a +2.3PPG point differential. These two teams have slowed down dramatically in terms of field goal attempts and pace of play which makes the points and this dog that much more attractive.

ASA top play on Boston Celtics -9 vs Miami Heat, 6 PM ET - We are obviously laying a premium price here with the Celtics, but our numbers suggest a double digit win by the visitor. Miami won Game 2, but it took a historically great 3-point shooting night to notch that W. The Heat set franchise playoff records with the number of 3’s made (23) and 3PT% at 53%. We are expecting a sharp regression in Game 3 as the Celtics have the 4th best 3PT% defense in the NBA allowing just 35.4%. Miami is 12th in the league in 3PT% at 37.2%. Boston also had two starters play one of their worst statistical games of the season with Jrue Holiday and Porzingis struggling. The Celtics are 14-4 SU coming off a loss this season, which doesn’t translate when they are favored by 9.5 points, but their average MOV in those games was +12.3PPG, which does. Miami was slightly better than average at home this season with a 23-19 SU record, but they had a low +/- of +2.4PPG. Boston was the best road team in the NBA this season at 27-14 SU with a +7.5PPG average point differential. The Celtics won on this court twice this season already and one of those wins came by 33-points. Lay it with a motivated Celtics team.

ASA top play on 10* Indiana Pacers -5.5 vs Milwaukee Bucks, 5:30 PM ET - If we examine the big picture for the Bucks, it’s not as rosy as one might think. They are already paying two previous coaches a ton of money and are now stuck with Doc Rivers who is vastly overrated. The roster when healthy is a good one, but without Giannis (30PPG, 11.5RPG, 6.5APG, 1.1BPG) they have too many deficiencies on both ends of the court. There is a good chance Khris Middleton doesn’t play tonight, or if he does, he will not be close to 100%. The young Pacers were clearly nervous for Game 1 as it was a first-time playoff experience for many on the roster and it showed in a 109-94 loss. Then in Game 2 they settled in and dominated the Bucks in the second half for a 125-108 victory. Back at home we expect the home crowd to be electric and the young Pacers will feed off that energy. Indiana was 26-15 SU at home this season with the 6th best home court differential of +6.8PPG. They closed out the regular season with 5 straight home wins, 4 of which were against other Playoff teams. Milwaukee was a below average road team this season with a 18-22 SU record and a negative average Margin of Victory of minus -1.1PPG. When coming off a loss the Bucks are 13-19-1 ATS this season which is the second worst spread record in the league in that situation. Indiana is 5-2 SU versus the Bucks this season and 4 of those wins have come by 9+ points. The Bucks have no answer for Siakam who torched Milwaukee for 36 and 37 points in the first two games. Easy call here with Indiana in a double-digit win.

ASA top play on 10* OVER 216.5 Denver Nuggets at LA Lakers, 10 PM ET - We are simply betting the number here and have to take the value with an OVER wager in this Game 3. Everyone knows how the Nuggets have dominated the Lakers with 10-straight wins but so far in this series the (gulp) Lakers have been the better overall team. While we are not getting involved in the Side of this game, we will jump in on the Total. The first two games in this series had O/U’s of 226.5 and 223. Granted, they combined for 217 and 200 total points but that will change in Game 3. The two regular season games in Los Angeles had O/U’s posted of 231.5 and 233 and the two teams combined for 238 and 220. In fact, in the last ten meetings between these two teams they have combined to score more than tonight Total eight times. The Lakers will set the tempo tonight and they prefer to play fast at home with the 3rd fastest pace of play on their home court during the regular season. We also know the Lakers will get some ‘home cooking’ from the officials and will score plenty of points from the free throw line with a stopped clock. The Lakers are 20-15-1 Over when coming off a loss this season, 29-25-1 Over against other Western Conference teams. Denver has some strong Under support on the road this season but those O/U numbers were set significantly higher during the regular season. The Nuggets road games averaged 220PPG on the year which is clearly enough to grab the cash in this one.

ASA play on Orlando Magic -1.5 -115 or Pick -125 vs Cleveland Cavaliers, 7 PM ET - Home teams have dominated thus far in the playoffs (as expected they are the lower seed) and we expect that trend to carry over in this 4/5 series. The Magic were 18-23 SU away from home this season with an average +/- of -3.6PPG. They had an efficiency differential of minus -3.6 on the road. At home the Magic were a completely different team with a 29-12 SU record and the 5th best average point differential of +7.8PPG. We played against Orlando in the first two games of this series and expected them to struggle offensively. They shot just 33% and 36% in Games 1 and 2. We should see a positive regression here as they shoot 47.5% on the season and 48.7% at home. Cleveland did have a winning record on the road this season of 22-19 SU with a positive differential of +1.1PPG. They have lost 8 of their last ten on the road though and now face a desperate Orlando team who is fantastic on their home court. We like Orlando to get a win here.

ASA top play on 10* New Orleans Pelicans +7.5 at Oklahoma City Thunder, 9:30 PM ET - The Pelicans looked good in the opener of this series and the Thunder looked like a young team lacking playoff experience. New Orleans covered rather easily and could have stolen Game 1 had they hit a few open 3’s they missed late in the game. The Pelicans attempted 96 field goals in the game and dominated the glass with 52 rebounds versus 44 for OKC. The Thunder shot 44% overall and 31% from deep but had two quarters with 20 or less points. I originally liked the Thunder in Game 1 with the Pelicans coming off two huge emotional games then having to travel. But the Pelicans proved their 28-15 SU road record this season isn’t a fluke and with the G1 cover they are on a 15-5-1 ATS run as a road underdog. New Orleans also has a strong history when coming off a loss at 21-12-1 ATS with an average +/- in those games of +6.3PPG. OKC clearly has some strong home court statistical support but given the fact that the Pelicans shot poorly in the opener and still nearly won outright has us on New Orleans here. Four of the last five in this series have been decided by 7 points or less. Grab the digits.

ASA top play on 10* OVER 211.5 New Orleans at Oklahoma City Thunder, 9:30 PM ET - The opening game of this series was obviously very low scoring with 186 total points. That forced the oddsmakers to make a correction on the O/U number here, so we are looking at a much lower number compared to Game 1. We like the value with an Over bet on this one. In the opener these two teams combined for 181 total field goal attempts which is higher than the league average of 177 per game. The Pels had a poor shooting night at 39% overall and 28% from the 3-point line. Those averages are well below their seasonal numbers of 48.5% and 38%. We like a positive regression here for the Pels and more shots to fall in Game 2. The same case can be made for the Thunder. OKC shot 44% overall in Game 1 and 31% from Deep. Both well below their season average of 49.8% (3rd in NBA) and 38.8% (1st). With both teams expected to shoot better tonight we predict an easy Over winner in Game 2.

ASA top play on 10* Indiana Pacers +1.5 at Milwaukee Bucks, 8:30 PM ET - The Pacers looked like a bunch of young kids that never had a taste of playoff basketball in the first half against the Bucks. Milwaukee was up 69-42 at halftime with Dame Lillard going off for 35-points. Indiana played much better in the second half, outscoring the Bucks 52-40 while holding Lillard scoreless in the second half. Now that the Pacers have the jitters out of the way we expect them to win Game 2 in Milwaukee who will again be without Giannis. Indiana has won 4 of the last six meetings with Milwaukee and they own the best spread record in the NBA this season when coming off a loss with a 23-11-1 ATS record and an average +/- in those games of +4.8PPG. The Bucks have a losing spread record when coming off a win of 23-26 ATS with a plus/minus of +2.7PPG. Milwaukee is not a good defensive team so don’t expect them to hold the Pacers to 40% shooting again or 21% from Deep. Take Indiana in Game 2.

ASA top play on 10* Phoenix Suns +3.5 at Minnesota Timberwolves, 7:30 PM ET - The T’Wolves were disrespected in Game 1 with an opening line of -1.5 and were coming off a loss to the Suns so they clearly got up for the opener in a resounding 120-95 win. We like the Suns to rebound from that G1 loss and even this series at one win apiece. Phoenix had won 3 straight against the Wolves in the regular season with all of those wins coming by 7+ points. In the regular season finale on this court the Suns won by 19-points. In Game 1 the Wolves got a monster effort from Anthony Edwards who poured in 33 points on 14 of 24 shooting. ANT is obviously capable of those types of performances, but we like the Suns to make adjustments in Game 2 and force him to give up the ball early in the offensive set. Phoenix got a big game from KD who scored 31 and grabbed 7 boards but Booker was relatively quiet with 18-points. Bradley Beal scored just 15 after scoring 36 vs. the Wolves in the last regular season game. The Suns closed out the regular season with 4 straight road wins against Playoff teams and this veteran group will not be intimidated by the moment. The Suns 9-1 ATS streak in this series continues here.

ASA top play on 10* Denver Nuggets -7 vs. LA Lakers, 8:30 PM ET - The Nuggets had a long layoff going into Game 1 and it showed as they got off to a slow start and trailed early by as many as 12 points. Denver pulled together and dominated the last 3 quarters of the game. That makes it 9 straight wins for the Nuggets over the Lakers and there is not reason not to expect that trend to continue here. The Lakers are bad defensively, ranking 17th in defensive efficiency as they allow 1.154-points per possession. Since the All-Star break the Lakers rank 23rd in defensive Net rating and have allowed the 3rd most points per game in that time frame at 120.3PPG. Offensively the Lakers are ‘average’ in terms of offensive efficiency ranking 15th in the NBA. As we previously mentioned, Denver has owned the Lakers with 9 straight wins, they rank 5th in offensive efficiency and 8th in defensive efficiency. The Nuggets are 34-8 SU at home this season with an average +/- of +9.8PPG. Since the beginning of last season, the Nuggets are 78-17 SU at home +9.8PPG. LBJ and AD are soft like warm ice cream and both were dinged up a little in game 1 so don’t expect peak effort here. Lay it with Denver.

ASA top play on 10* Cleveland Cavaliers -5.5 vs. Orlando Magic, 7 PM ET - The young Magic had a fantastic regular season at 47-35 SU, but were 29-12 at home. On the road they were 18-23 with a negative differential of minus -3.5PPG. Orlando was great defensively this season ranking 2nd in DEFF but they struggled to score points ranking 22nd in OEFF while scoring just 110PPG. The Magic lack a big time shooter on their team and ranked 15th in team FG% overall, 24th in 3PT%. You can argue the Cavs are the same team ranking 18th in OEFF and 6th in DEFF. The Cavs though are a better overall shooting team at 47.9% (12th) and 36.7% in 3PT% (15th). Cleveland also played without their best scoring option in Donovan Mitchell (27PPG) who missed 27 games this season, along with Evan Mobley (16PPG) who missed 32 games and Darius Garland (18PPG) who only played 57 games. Despite all the missed time by key players the Cavs were still 26-15 SU at home in the regular season with the 11th best average point differential of +3.8PPG. In Game 1 the Cavs won by 14-points and they didn’t even play as well as we expected. The big edge the Cavaliers enjoyed in the opener and will not change here is their size and advantage on the board. Cleveland grabbed 54 rebounds compared to the Magic’s 40. We did expect the Magic to struggle offensively, and they did with only 32 combined points in the 2nd and 3 quarters. For the game the Magic shot just 33% overall and they may shoot better here but the Cavs are also going to improve over their Game 1 performance. Let’s lay it again in Game 2 with Cleveland.

ASA top play on 10* Oklahoma City Thunder -8 vs New Orleans Pelicans, 9:30 PM ET - The Pelicans have top 10 efficiency ratings in both offense and defense and are a team capable of coming out of the West statistically. But the reality is that they haven’t played up to those expectations lately with a 5-6 SU record and are now in trouble without Zion Williamson for the foreseeable future. The Pels are coming off two huge emotional home games just to get into the Playoffs and will have a tough time getting up for this Game 1. OKC is well rested, rank 3rd in offensive efficiency, 4th in defensive efficiency, are 33-8 SU at home and win on their own court by an average of +13.3PPG. OKC is 23-12 ATS as a home favorite this season with an average +/- in those games of +15.2PPG. The Thunder have won two straight in this series versus the Pelicans and 4 of the last five. We are backing the round 1, big home favorite in this matchup which has produced steady profits for 10+ years.

ASA top play on 10* OVER 231.5 Indiana Pacers at Milwaukee Bucks, 7 PM ET - This number opened at 239.5 and has been steadily bet down so we will step in now with the value-bet on the Over. Let’s start with the fact that these are the two worst defenses of all the Playoff teams. The Bucks rank 19th on the season in defensive efficiency allowing 1.159-points per possession. The Pacers are worse yet ranking 24th allowing 1.211PPP and over 120PPG. Things haven’t gotten any better since the All-Star break either as the Bucks have the 17th defensive Net rating, the Pacers are 18th. We also know both teams want to play fast and get out in transition. The Pacers are the 2nd fastest paced team in the NBA, the Bucks are 7th. When it comes to offensive efficiency the Pacers ranked 2nd in the NBA and scored 123.3PPG. Milwaukee was 6th in OEFF and put up 119PPG. We are confident we are going to get a big game from Dame Lillard or Khris Middleton or Bobby Portis. The season series between these two teams was very high scoring with total points scored of 272, 235, 266, 247 and 260. Bet OVER here!

ASA top play on 10* Boston Celtics -13.5 vs Miami Heat, 1 PM ET - As soon as the Heat vs Bulls game went final I was immediately poised to bet on the Celtics at home minus the points. Boston opened briefly at -12.5 and I was all in. Clearly the line has been adjusted slightly but we still feel there is value with the Celtics. Boston was in cruise control late in the season as they had home court wrapped up and focused on staying healthy down the stretch. Boston was the best team in the NBA the entire season and has the deepest team in the league. The Celtics had the best record in the NBA against the top 16 teams in the league this season at 27-14. They ranked 1st in OEFF and 3rd defensively. They had the best average Margin of Victory per game at +11.3 overall. They won at home by an average of +15.2PPG. The Celtics were near unbeatable at home and owned a 20-4 SU versus other playoff teams on their floor this season. In February the C’s were favored by -8-points in Miami so this line isn’t as high as it seems. Miami lost Jimmy Butler to a knee injury in the Play-In games and don’t have enough weapons to trade baskets with Boston. The Heat used a zone defensive effectively against the 76ers and Bulls but those two teams rank 23rd and 18th in team FG%. The Celtics have the 8th best team FG% in the NBA and the 2nd best 3PT% so the Heat zone isn’t going to work in this one. Big favorites in Round 1 have done historically well with a 59% cover rate and we expect the Celtics to make quick work of the Heat who upset them in the Playoffs a year ago.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 214.5 Phoenix Suns @ Minnesota Timberwolves, 3:30 PM ET - This is going to be a heated series and we expect this first game to be dominated by the defenses. These two met in the regular season finale and the O/U on that game was 216.5. The Suns won that game 125-106, an easy Over. So why did the oddsmaker adjust this number lower than that previous game? Digging deeper we find the combined field goal attempts by both teams (156) well below the league average of 177 per game. The main reason the game eclipsed the number was a great night of shooting by both teams. The Suns hit 55% overall and went 16-29 from the 3PT line for 55%. We expect a regression here as the Suns shot 49.3% on the season and 38.2% from Deep. Not to mention the Wolves have the #1 FG% defense in the NBA and rank 7th in opponents 3PT%. In that most recent game, the Wolves shot 51% and made 25 of 31 FT attempts. The Suns have the 8th best FG% D in the league and the Wolves rank 10th in team field goal percentage. This won’t be a high possession game either as the T’Wolves are the 24th slowest paced team in the NBA, the Suns rank 15th. Minnesota has a historically great defensive efficiency rating this season and the Suns were above average ranking 13th in DEFF. This one shapes up to be a grinder with a low output by each team. Bet UNDER.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 207.5 Orlando Magic at Cleveland Cavaliers, 1 PM ET - We will keep this analysis short and get right to the facts. These are two of the best defenses in the NBA with the Magic ranking 2nd in defensive efficiency allowing just 1.113 points per possession, the Cavs rank 6th. Cleveland has the 6th best FG% defense in the league and allow the 7th fewest points. Orlando allows a higher FG% but allows just 108.4PPG 4th fewest in the league and give up the 8th fewest points in the paint. Offensively neither team is great as the Magic rank 22nd in offensive efficiency, the Cavs are 18th. Cleveland is 12th in team FG% overall, 15th in 3PT%. Orlando ranks 15th in team FG%, 24th in 3PT%. Lastly, this should be a slower tempo game as the Magic are the 5th slowest paced team in the league, the Cavs are 9th slowest. The young Magic have not been in a pressure situation like this and the Cavs best scoring option Donovan Mitchell is less than 100%. We like UNDER.

ASA top play on 10* OVER 210 Sacramento Kings at New Orleans Pelicans, 9:30 PM ET - The oddsmakers have over-adjusted this number with the injury status of Zion Williamson. These two teams have met 5 times this season and put-up huge numbers in each of those games. They have combined to total 222 or more points in every clash this season and most recently amassed 258 total points just 7-days ago. The five meetings this season between these two have averaged 237.5PPG. We don’t see things changing here as both look to extend their seasons. We should get an average pace of play with the Kings ranking 13th in possessions per game and the Pelicans ranking 18th. The Kings do their scoring with volume as they attempt the 6th most field goals per game this season and 3rd most 3’s. The Pelicans do their damage offensively with the 9th best FG% and the 3rd best 3PT%. Sacramento is not a great defensive team to begin with so the Pels shouldn’t have any problems putting up a big offensive number here. The Kings held the Warriors to 94-points in their last game, but Golden State literally couldn’t throw it in the ocean, shooting 41% overall and 31% from Deep. The Pelicans scored 106 but attempted 93 field goal attempts. Had the Lakers not gotten to the FT line every other possession (surprise) this could have been a much higher scoring game if the Pelicans could have gotten into a rhythm. This number is simply too low and we expect a game closer to the league average of 227.4 total points.

ASA top play on 10* New Orleans Pelicans +1.5 vs. Sacramento Kings, 9:30 PM ET - We can’t pass on the Pelicans as a home dog here. We’ve seen it happen a million times, when a Super Star gets injured, in the very next game, someone shines in their absence. New Orleans is coming off a very tough home loss to the Lakers (outscored by 15 at the FT line) and will bounce back here. Sacramento on the other hand is off a huge win over the Warriors who eliminated them from the postseason last year. These two teams met in Sacramento on April 11th in a ‘must win’ for both teams and the Pelicans never trailed in a 12-point win. The Kings were -1.5-points in that game at home and are now favored on the road? This is a matchup problem for the Kings as they’ve lost 5 straight times this season to New Orleans. The Pelicans are far superior defensively with the 7th best defensive efficiency compared to the Kings who rank 15th. We are expecting a close game throughout but like the Pelicans to get it done at home.

ASA top play on 10* Chicago Bulls -3 vs Atlanta Hawks, 9:30 PM ET - The Hawks have the worst defense in the playoffs, ranking 27th in defensive efficiency allowing 1.194-points per possession and 120.5PPG. On the road their defense is even worse, and they lost road games this season by an average of -5.4PPG. The Bulls were 20-21 SU at home this season with a negative differential of minus -0.2PPG but 6 of their most recent 7 home losses have come against some of the best teams in the NBA. In the most recent meeting between these two teams the Hawks pulled the upset as a +2-point underdog on this floor 113-101. The Bulls had a horrendous shooting night while the Hawks shot lights out. We expect Chicago to shoot much better this time around against a Hawks defense that is 28th in opponents FG% overall and 3PT% defense. Atlanta is 10-17 ATS as a road dog with a negative differential of minus -8.1PPG. The Bulls have a losing ATS record as a home favorite but they do have a positive point differential of +2PPG. The Hawks are without Jalen Johnson which is a huge loss for them even though they get Trae Young back. The Bulls had a few impressive wins late in the season against the T’Wolves, Knicks and Pacers and we expect that momentum to carry over to this game. Lay it with the Bulls.

ASA top play on 10* OVER 221.5 Atlanta Hawks at Chicago Bulls, 9:30 PM ET - Let’s start on the defensive end of the court for both teams. The Hawks were bad defensively, I mean really bad, as in 27th in defensive efficiency allowing 1.194-points per possession. The Bulls weren’t a whole lot better, ranking 21st allowing 1.163PPP. Atlanta is the 6th fastest paced team in the NBA and will try to push the tempo. The Bulls were one of the slowest teams in the league and will want to slow things down. In the 3 meetings this season these two teams combined for 231, 262 and 214 total points. The lowest scoring game of the bunch was on April 1st but we did get 176 field goal attempts in that game. In that particular game the Hawks shot 50% overall and 48% from Deep, while the Bulls struggled at 39% overall and 25% from beyond the Arc. Chicago won’t shoot that poorly again versus this Hawks D that ranks 28th in FG% D and 3PT% defense. Not to mention, the Bulls have the 9th most efficient offense over their last 5 games in the NBA averaging 1.192-points per possession. When Atlanta has been on the road this season those games have averaged 229.3PPG. Chicago home games this season have averaged 233.7PPG. We expect plenty of points in this one…BET OVER!

ASA top play on 10* Golden State Warriors -2 vs Sacramento Kings, 10 PM ET - If this game is like the last three in this rivalry it’s going to be close, but we like the veteran Warriors to pull out a win on the Kings court. The last three meetings have been decided by 1-point each with the Kings winning the last two games. Sacramento had their full complement of players for both of those W’s with Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk who are out here. The Warriors come into this game having won 10 of their last twelve games and have the 4th best Net rating (+9.1) in the NBA over that 12-game stretch. The Kings on the other hand have the 13th best Net rating at +3.8 and are 5-7 SU. Golden State is 25-16 SU on the road this season with the 4th best average point differential at +4.5PPG. The Kings are 24-17 SU at home with the 17th rated average point differential at +2.2PPG. With their shortened rotation the Kings have to rely heavily on Domantas Sabonis who has struggled when facing the Warriors and Draymond Green in the past. Golden State is peaking at the right time and we expect them to move on tonight.

ASA top play on 10* New Orleans Pelicans Pick -115 vs. LA Lakers, Tuesday 7:30 PM ET - This is an interesting number to say the least. As of this writing, the status of Anthony Davis is in question for the Lakers. We expect AD to play and this line to adjust to the Lakers as the favorite. When that happens, we will be on the Pelicans plus the points and will even venture a small wager as them as a low favorite. These teams just met the other day, and the Pelicans were favored by 3-points. Los Angeles smacked the Pelicans 124-108 behind some great shooting at 55%, well above their season average of 49.9%. New Orleans had a fantastic game from beyond the Arc (15/37 or 41%) and we don’t expect that to change here. The Pelicans have the 4th best 3PT% in the NBA at 38.3% and the Lakers ranked 25th in defending the 3PT line, allowing opponents to hit 37.5% from deep. The Pelicans have the 6th best Net rating in the NBA this season at +4.6, the Lakers are 18th at +0.5. Since the All-Star break the Pels have a +4.8 Net rating differential, the Lakers are +2.2. Contrary to what you might read or hear, the Pelicans are the better team in this matchup. New Orleans ranks 11th in offensive efficiency ratings this season, the Lakers are 15th. When it comes to defense, the Pels rank 7th in DEFF, the Lakers rank 17th. We like the Pelicans to get this home win Tuesday night.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 217.5 Phoenix Suns at Minnesota Timberwolves, 3:40 PM ET - This might be the biggest game on the schedule today as the Wolves can win the West and home court throughout the Western Conference Playoffs. If the Suns win and the Pelicans lose they can claim the 6th spot and avoid the Play-In Tournament. With so much on the line we expect a defensive showdown between these two teams. These same two teams recently met in Phoenix on April 5th and they produced 184 total points. The pace of that game was extremely slow as the two teams combined for only 161 total field goal attempts. Minnesota scored 26 or less points in every quarter, while the Suns scored 25 or less in 3 of the four. The Suns defense has been much better of late as they have allowed 105, 108 and 107 points against the Clippers (2xs) and Kings who both average over 116PPG on the season. We can count on the T’Wolves showing up defensively as they rate the best defensive efficiency unit in the NBA allowing just 1.088PPP. The Under is the play here.

ASA top play on 10* Indiana Pacers -14 vs. Atlanta Hawks, 1:10 PM ET - The Hawks are locked into the 9-10 matchup with the Bulls no matter what the outcome of this game. It will be much more important to get rest and stay healthy for that game. Indiana is treating this game like a Game 7 as a loss could potentially send them to a play in situation as low as the 8 seed. A win for the Pacers and they are guaranteed a top 6 seed. What makes the Pacers a more attractive large favorite than some of the other big chalks today in the NBA is the fact that they can put up a big offensive number here. Indiana is 2nd in offensive efficiency at 1.208PPP and scored 122.9PPG on the season. They are 25-15 SU at home this season and win on their home court by an average of +6PPG. Atlanta has struggled on the road this season with a 14-25 SU record and an average negative differential of minus -4.7PPG. Indiana has put up 157, 150 and 126 points in three games against the Hawks this season who have the 27th rated defensive efficiency rating in the league. The last two Pacer wins against the Hawks have come by 34 and 18-points.

ASA play on Phoenix Suns (Moneyline -190) at Sacramento Kings, 10:40 PM ET - This is a very unique bet for us and not a typical wager, but this situation is warranted. Last night we went against the Kings in a home game against the Pelicans and won. Tonight, the Kings face a rested Suns team that is in full playoff mode and 4-2 SU their last six games. Sacramento on the other hand is playing the second night of a back-to-back, 3rd game in four days and 4th game in six days. They are already short-handed with two starters out and All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox tweaked his ankle last night. When playing without rest the Kings are 5-9 ATS this season with a negative differential of minus -5.9PPG. Phoenix is 15-6 SU when they have a rest advantage over their opponents and they win those games by an average of 7.0PPG. These two teams are 2-2 SU versus each other this season, but the Suns have won the last two meetings. Sacramento has been a home dog just 4 times this season with a 2-2 SU record. Since this is a moneyline bet and we just need the Suns to win, Phoenix is 15-10 SU at a road favorite with an average +/- of +5.2PPG. Both teams have plenty to play for and in a playoff like atmosphere we trust the Super Stars in Durant and Booker.

ASA top play on 10* Golden State Warriors -4.5 vs New Orleans Pelicans – 10 PM ET - Both teams have a ton to play for as far as seeding is concerned in the Western Conference. The Pelicans are trying to hold on to the 6th seed, while the Warriors are looking to move up from the 9th. Scheduling clearly favors the Warriors here who are off an easy win last night vs. Portland while the Pelicans are coming off a huge win in Sacramento last night. Golden State is 9-6-1 ATS when playing without rest this season with an average +/- of +6.1PPG. New Orleans is 7-5 ATS this season when playing without rest but the scheduling situation warrants a bet against them. Golden State looks like a team on a mission with a 9-1 SU record their last ten games, 4 of which have come against other playoff bound teams. New Orleans has won 3 straight, all on the road but this will also be their 3rd game in four nights and 4th in six days. Golden State has won and covered 3 of the last four meetings with the Pels and we like them by 8+ points here.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 223.5 Milwaukee Bucks at Oklahoma City Thunder, 8:10 PM ET - The Bucks are expected to sit nearly everyone tonight and will have a tough time scoring with the reserves playing the majority of the game. They just beat Orlando the other night and limited their starters in that game and as a team they only attempted 84 field goals. They put up 117-points as a result of 51% shooting overall and 38% from beyond the arc. Milwaukee will have a tough time scoring tonight against a Thunder team that is 6th in defensive efficiency on the season allowing just 1.126 points per possession. OKC just put up a big number against the Spurs but prior to that they had scored 113 or less in 5 of their previous six games. In fact, the Thunders net offensive rating over their last ten games ranks 13th. The Bucks defense is currently 7th in defensive net rating over their last 10 games. Milwaukee’s offensive net rating over the course of their last ten games is 19th worst in the league. The Bucks have been one of the fastest paced teams in the NBA this season, but in their last ten games they have slowed considerably and rank 15th in tempo. We don’t see these two teams getting into the 220’s tonight.

ASA top play on 10* NY Knicks -2.5 at Boston Celtics, 7:30 PM ET - The Celtics have nothing left to play for as they have the #1 overall seed locked up through the NBA Finals. New York on the other hand has plenty to play for as they sit in the 2nd seed in the Eastern Conference and could get the #2 seed if they win out or even fall back to the #6 or #7 if they lose out. Because of the circumstances you have to ignore the Celtics season dominance of the Knicks as they’ve won all 4 meetings with New York. Boston is going to sit players in this game (potentially Brown, Holiday, Tatum, Porzingis and Horford) and will waive the white flag early once they fall behind. The Knicks continue to get stellar play from PG Jalen Brunson (averaging 34PPG over his last 10 games) and now have Anunoby back in the lineup after missing several weeks with an injury. We love the Celtics depth but you can’t sit 3-5 of your starters and still expect to win in the NBA. New York clearly shouldn’t be favored on the road here, but the number tells us they are favored for a reason. Bet the Knicks.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 215.5 Orlando Magic at Milwaukee Bucks, 8 PM ET - I’m going to trust the numbers here and not my own eyes and play Under in the Magic vs Bucks game. I sat through the Celtics/Bucks game last night and my assessment of the Bucks defense is that it’s bad. The Celtics only scored 91 points but it wasn’t because of the Bucks defense, they just missed shots they’d normally make. Boston had several uncontested dunks and wide open 3’s but shot just 40% for the game. With that said, the Magic aren’t a great shooting team at 47.7% (14th) and they hit just 35.3% of their 3-point attempts which ranks 22nd in the NBA. When it comes to efficiency ratings the Magic rank 22nd in the league at 1.136PPP. Orlando is also the 5th slowest paced team in the NBA at 96.8 possessions per game. The Bucks took a huge hit when Giannis went down last night and fortunately for them it looks like he could be back for the playoffs. That’s a big part of their offense that will be missing tonight. Even though I just ripped on their defense, they are currently 11th in defensive net rating over their last 10 games. Milwaukee’s offensive net rating over the course of their last ten games is 20th worst in the league. They have been one of the faster paced teams in the NBA this season, but in their last ten games they have slowed considerably and rank 14th in tempo. With both teams fighting for the 2nd or 3rd seed in the East we expect a defensive playoff type game. Bet UNDER!

ASA top play on 10* Orlando Magic - points vs Houston Rockets, 8:10 PM ET - After the Rockets colossal collapse against the Mavericks on Sunday which eliminated them from the postseason, we are betting they won’t show up for this game versus the Magic. We were very fortunate with our win on the Mavericks in that contest as the Rockets led from start to finish and were up by as many as 22-points at one time. It was a demoralizing loss to their in-state rival and now their season is essentially over. Orlando on the other hand still has plenty to play for as they currently sit 3rd in the East and could move up or even down depending on how they finish the season. Orlando is 18-20 SU away on the season and owns the 7th best defensive efficiency rating on the road as they allow just 1.140-points per possession. After winning 11 straight games the Rockets have now lost 5 straight and 3 of those came at home. Houston got off to a fantastic start at home this season but are now just 12-9 SU their last 21 on their home court. Orlando’s defense is top tier, ranking 8th in defensive net rating in their last 5 games, the Rockets are 30th or last in the NBA over that same 5-game stretch. Looking closer at both teams’ most recent 5-games we see the Magic rank 9th in overall Net rating, the Rockets rank 30th. We don’t see a team that is playing this poorly to all of a sudden rise to the occasion tonight in this meaningless game for them. Lay it with Orlando who wins this one going away.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 212.5 New York Knicks at Chicago Bulls, 8 PM ET - This game has playoff implications for both teams as they jockey for better seeding in the Eastern Conference. New York is looking to move up or just hold on to the 4th position which would mean home court advantage in the first round. The Bulls are essentially battling the Hawk for home court in the play-in game. One thing we know for sure in this game is that it’s going to be slow paced. NY is the slowest paced team in the NBA at 95.3 possessions per game. The Bulls are the 2nd slowest at 96.2 possessions per game. Chicago is average in terms of shooting percentage defense as they rank 15th in overall FG% D and 17th in 3PT%. The Knicks are a poor shooting team at 46.4% (24th) and rank 14th in 3PT% at 36.6%. New York is 11th in opponents FG% shooting and 16th in 3PT% D but the Bulls are 18th offensively at 46.8% and 20th in 3PT%. So, we know neither team shoots it well, both are adequate defensively and it’s going to be a low possession game. These two teams just met on April 5th and produced 208 points on this same court. These two teams have stayed below the total in 7 of their last ten meetings. We will make a play on the Under here.

ASA play on OVER 227.5 Miami Heat @ Indiana Pacers, 5:10 PM ET - We expect plenty of points in this Eastern Conference showdown between two teams jockeying for better playoff positioning. Coincidentally, this game features a pair of Wisconsin guards in Tyler Herro and Tyrece Haliburton who I actually coached against and one of my son’s played against growing up. Herro returned to the Heat’s lineup and scored 17 points, had 6 assists and grabbed 5 rebounds on Friday against the Rockets. Herro is the Heat’s second leading scorer behind Jimmy Butler at just under 21PPG. Miami is on a current 5 game Over streak which includes a game against the Blazers were they put up 142-points. Today the Heat face a Pacers defense that is worse than Portland’s in terms of defensive efficiency allowing 1.181-points per possession. What Indiana does do well is score points with a highly efficient offense averaging 122.8PPG with an OEFF of 1.206PPP. Miami is averaging 109.9PPG over their last ten games and our math model has them scoring 115 versus this defense today. Granted the Heat have solid defensive numbers but Indiana scores on everyone including big numbers against three similar defenses lately in the Clippers, Lakers and Warriors. In two meetings this season one of these two teams has scored 140+ points. Both of those games had O/U’s set of 237.5 so you can see for yourself the value in today’s number. Easy call on the OVER here.

ASA top play on Dallas Mavericks (-) vs Houston Rockets, Sunday 3:40 PM ET - The Mavs have 9 of their last ten games and 13 of their last fifteen. They have done it with defense as they have one of the best defensive Net ratings since the All-Star break. Since the ASB they have an average +/- of nearly 7PPG. Houston was red hot with an 11 game winning streak and looked like a team that could sneak into the 10th spot in the Western Conference. But a 4-game losing streak has essentially eliminated them from post season contention. The Rockets haven’t been competitive in their last four games with an average loss margin of 16PPG. These two teams met in Houston on March 31st with the Mavs a 4-point favorite on the road. Dallas won that game by 18-points. The Mavs have won 5 of the last six meetings and they will get another big win here.

ASA top play on OVER 221.5 Atlanta Hawks at Denver Nuggets, 9:10 PM ET - We are betting contrarian here as the public is all over the Under in this game, but we’ll bet Over. This number is simply too low according to our models. Examining recent road games for the Hawks they had O/U numbers of 228.5 in Dallas, 227.5 in Phoenix and 226 vs. the Lakers in L.A. In the two games against the Suns/Lakers they allowed 136 and 128 and both games went Over the number easily. In their most recent game against the Mavs, they faced one of the hottest defenses in the NBA and only managed 95 points on 40% shooting overall, 34% from the 3PT line. Denver is one of the most efficient offenses in the NBA at 1.181-points per possession. Since the All-Star break they have the 3rd best EFG% in the NBA at 57%, the Hawks are 14th at 54.7%. Denver has had a few lower scoring games in recent weeks, but they came against other Western Conference teams fighting for playoff positioning. Now they face a Hawks defense that is 27th in opponents FG% defense, 28th in 3PT% D and they allow 120PPG (27th). This game goes Over the number.

ASA play on OVER 229.5 Cleveland Cavaliers at LA Lakers, 3:40 PM ET - We have lost a little value on this Over as the number was immediately bet up from the opener, but we still feel there is enough wiggle room for an Over bet here. The Lakers are playing fast and scoring points. L.A. is the fastest paced team in the league over a 10-game span at 102.91 possessions per game. In that same time period, they have the 3rd best EFG% at 57.2% and the 7th best offensive net rating at 117.3. The Lakers are averaging 123.1PPG over the past 10 games which is the highest number in the NBA by 3 points. When we continue to evaluate each teams last 10-game stretch we find the Cavs are 27th in defensive net rating while giving up on average 112.4PPG. Cleveland recently got great news with the return of Donovan Mitchell who will immediately bolster their scoring with his 26.75PPG. The Cavs have the 8th best EFG% over the last ten games and rank 12th in overall season FG% at 48% and 16th in 3PT% for the season. The Lakers are below average in both FG% defense and 3PT% on the season. An average NBA game this season will finish with 227.4 total points, but these two offenses are going to get into the 115 to 120 range and push this game Over the total rather easily.

ASA play on Chicago Bulls (-) vs NY Knicks, 8:10 PM ET - Great spot to fade the Knicks and bet on the Bulls. Chicago has been off since Monday and got some much-needed rest and we like the fact they are coming off a home loss. New York played on Thursday night in a home game against the Kings. This is also New Yorks 3rd game in four days, 4th game in six days and 5th in eight. This Knicks roster is already playing short-handed with key injuries to several starters. The Knicks are 4-7 ATS this season when playing without rest with a negative average point differential of minus -2.5PPG. New York is fighting for the 4th seed and home court in the first round of the playoffs, but the Bulls are fighting for their playoff lives as they currently sit 9th in the East. The Knicks normally enough a huge advantage on the offensive glass but that won’t be the case tonight against a Bulls team that is nearly as good as them when it comes to O-boards. The more desperate Bulls get this home win given the scheduling circumstances.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 228.5 Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets – 8:10 PM ET - This game will have a playoff vibe as the Rockets are fighting to get into the top 10 in the West, while the Warriors are looking to hold on to the 10th spot or move up. Since the All-Star break the Warriors are giving up 110PPG. Golden State has the 3rd best defensive Net rating in the league over a 5-game period and have held 4 of their last six foes to 100 or less points. The Warriors have slowed their pace of play considerably in recent games as they rank 18th in pace over their most recent 5-game span. The same can be said for the Rockets who averaged 99.53 possessions per game for the season but in their last 5 games that number has dipped to 97.76. Houston has the 11th best defensive Net rating over a 5-game period at 111.6. If we continue to focus on each teams last 5 games we find that both teams rank in the bottom half of the NBA in Net offensive ratings too. Houston has really struggled with shooting in that same stretch of games with the 27th rated EFG% at 53.5%. The Rockets have scored 107 or less in 3 straight games and 110 or less in 4 of five. When these two teams met on this floor back in October they produced just 201 total points. We are betting these two teams don’t get into the 220’s.

ASA play on Phoenix Suns (-) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, 10 PM ET - Scheduling has a lot to do with this assessment on this game as the Cavs are in a tough spot here having played in Utah last night. Not only that, but the Cavaliers are playing their 3rd game in four days and 4th game in six days. The Suns are rested as their last game came on April 1st, a win in New Orleans. Phoenix is facing a brutal 3-game stretch coming up against Western Conference contenders which makes this game extremely important. The Suns are also 14-6 SU with an average +/- of +6.4PPG when they hold a rest advantage over their opponents. Cleveland is 5-7 ATS when playing without rest and has a negative point differential in those games of minus -3.2PPG. When we evaluate each teams last ten games we find the Suns have a +3.0 Net differential, the Cavs are minus -5.2 AND the Suns have faced a much tougher schedule over that 10-game span. In this must-win situation we like the Suns by double-digits.

ASA play on LA Clippers (-) vs. Sacramento Kings, 10 PM ET - The Kings recently beat this Clippers team in Los Angeles as a +4-point dog, 123-107. Prior to that meeting the Clippers had won two games against the Kings 119-99 and 131-117. In the Kings most recent win over the Clippers though, they were basically at full strength with Monk and Huerter both available. Those two combined for 27 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists in that game. Both are out here with injuries and the Kings depth is a major concern. In their last five games the Kings have slipped in both offensive and defensive Net ratings and have a net differential of minus -1.1. The Clippers have run hot/cold in recent weeks and right now it looks like they are running hot with 3 straight wins, all on the road. In fact, the Clippers have won 5 straight away from home and 7 of their last eight on the road. This L.A. team has the 4th best average point differential on the road this season at +3.8PPG and hold a 25-14 SU road record. The Kings are below league average in home court point differential with a +1.4PPG average which ranks them 20th in the NBA. Both have plenty to play for as they jockey for playoff position, but the injury concerns for the Kings will be the difference here. The visitor has also covered 5 of the last six in this series. Lay it with the Clippers.

ASA play on OVER Brooklyn Nets at Indiana Pacers, 7 PM ET - We expect a higher scoring game tonight when the Nets square off against the Indiana Pacers. There won’t be much defense played in this game as the Nets allow the 14th most points per game in the NBA at 113.5 and the Pacers give up 120.6PPG (28th). The Pacers are last in the NBA in opponents FG% defense allowing 49.8% overall and 36.6% from the 3-point line which ranks 19th. The Pacers offense is the best shooting team in the NBA at 50.3% overall and 9th best in 3PT% at 37.3%. They should put up a big number tonight against a Nets defense that ranks 18th in opponents FG% allowing 47.3% and 23rd in 3PT% allowing 37.3%. Indiana has scored 121 or more points in 6 of their last seven games and averaged over 122PPG on the season so you can bet they’ll get into the 120’s. That means the Nets need 110-points and we cash an easy Over. Even a poor offense like the Nets that ranks 22nd in Offensive Efficiency should get to that number against this porous Pacers D. Brooklyn does average 111.1PPG on the season and has put up 122 and 125 in a pair of recent games against the Wizards and Bulls. These two teams met on March 16th and combined for 221 total points, but the Nets had a horrible shooting night and just 77 field goal attempts. The Pacers made only 6 of 30 3-point attempts too (20%) which is well below their season standards. This game sets up nicely and we like the value with an OVER bet here.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER Utah Jazz at Sacramento Kings – 9:10 PM ET - We are not expecting many points to be scored in the NBA game as both teams are struggling to find their offenses and each has significant injuries. The Kings have stayed Under in 9 of their last ten games with the 19th worst offensive net rating over that span of games but the 5th best defensive numbers. In their last five games the Kings have played considerably slower too with a pace of 95.7 possessions per game versus their season average of 99.79. While we are on the subject of pace of play, the Jazz average 100.54 possessions per game on the season, but have dipped to 98.6 in their last ten games. Utah is also on a current Under streak with 7 of their last ten games staying below the Total. Offensively the Jazz have scored 107 or less 7 of their last ten games as a result of poor shooting with the 21st EFG% over that stretch of games. Sacramento has also had some shooting woes with the 20th worst EFG% at 52.5% in their last ten games. Both teams are right around league average in both overall FG% and 3PT% and now with the slower tempo from each we don’t see this game getting into the 220’s. The bet here is UNDER.

ASA top play on 10* Chicago Bulls + the points vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, 7:10 PM ET - We like the way the Bulls match up with the Timberwolves as they have the size and depth with Vucevic and Drummond to deal with Gobert and Reid in the paint. Chicago is the 10th best offensive rebounding teams in the NBA compared to the Timberwolves who rank 26th. The Wolves average 324.4 defensive rebounds per game, the Bulls average 32.6. Minnesota has won 4 straight games and are coming off a big win over the Nuggets a few nights back. The Bulls are off a tough loss to Brooklyn and have lost 4 of their last five but two of those came against the red hot Rockets and the Celtics. Chicago beat this Wolves team in early February by 6-points in OT. The Bulls have won 4 of the last 6 meetings with Minnesota. The T’Wolves have another big Western Conference game on deck versus the surging Rockets and may look past this Bulls team. The line is inflated and we will grab the value with the Bulls and the points.

ASA top play on 10* Milwaukee Bucks (-) vs. Atlanta Hawks, 7:40 PM ET - This is a great spot to back the Bucks and fade the Hawks. The Hawks are coming off a thrilling OT win at home over the Celtics on Thursday night and could be flat here with a shortened rotation. The Bucks meanwhile are off a pair of difficult losses to the Lakers and Pelicans. In the win the other night over the Celtics the Hawks got a huge game from Dejonte Murray who poured in 44-points, but it took him 44-shots to get there. The Bucks have two solid perimeter defenders in Beasley and Beverly who should be able to slow down Murray here. Milwaukee’s recent loss was especially tough as they held the Pelicans to 40% shooting overall and 25% from the 3-point line but the Pels benefitted from 34 trips to the FT line compared to the Bucks 19. Milwaukee is solid off a loss with a 17-9 SU record and an average +/- in those games of +4.5PPG. The Bucks have an overall losing ATS record on the road as a favorite at 12-15 but they do own a positive differential of +4.5PPG. Atlanta is 4-7 ATS as a home dog this season with a negative differential of minus -3.9PPG. The Bucks should enjoy a shooting advantage here with the 7th best FG% offense facing a Hawks D that ranks 28th in opponents FG% allowing 49.4% on the season. Milwaukee is 8th in 3PT% offense, the Hawks are 28th in 3PT% defense. Atlanta does not shoot the ball well either, ranking 20th in team FG% while the Bucks are 11th best in the NBA in FG% D allowing 46.9%. This line might be a little intimidating to you but consider the Celtics were just favored by -16-points here the other night. Lay it with Milwaukee.

ASA play on Sacramento Kings over the Dallas Mavericks, 10:10 PM ET - These same two teams recently met on this court and the Mavs handed the Kings a 132-96 beatdown. Dallas had an unusually hot shooting night 55% from the field and 56% from Deep. The Kings had a horrible shooting night at 39% overall and 37% from the 3-point line. These two teams are shooting roughly 48% from the field for the season, so you can see the disparity in the last game compared to ‘average’ statistics. The Kings had beaten the Mavs twice this season prior to Tuesday’s game and we expect them to get immediate payback here. Sacramento is 19-10 SU coming off a loss this season with an average +/- of +3.2PPG. Dallas is great as a road favorite but just 5-11 SU as an away underdog. Sacramento has a positive point differential at home, the Mavs have a negative differential on the road. Take the Kings here.

ASA play on Indiana Pacers over the LA Lakers, 7:10 PM ET - We like the Pacers to bounce back here off a 26-point loss on Wednesday in Chicago to the Bulls. This is also a quick rematch as the Lakers recently beat the Pacers in L.A. 150-145. The Lakers are playing their 3rd straight road game and have won 5-straight games. Indiana has the 10th best average margin of victory at home at +5.0PPG and owns a 21-15 SU record on their home court this season. The Pacers have done well when coming off a loss this season with a 21-11 SU record and a +3.0PPG average MOV in those games. The Lakers have had their struggles on the road this season with a 14-20 SU record and a negative average point differential of minus -5.0PPG. The Lakers hold an advantage defensively with the 15th rated defensive efficiency rating compared to the Pacers who rank 25th. Offensively though the Pacers rank 2nd in OEFF, the Lakers are 16th. The Lakers fell into the trap of playing fast with the Pacers in the most recent meeting and when they do that here it won’t end well for them. Back the Pacers at home, off a loss, playing with revenge.

ASA top play on 10* New Orleans Pelicans (+) vs Milwaukee Bucks, 8:10 PM ET - More money and tickets have come in on the Bucks, yet the line has fluctuated in the direction of the Pelicans. Both teams are off disappointing losses as the Bucks lost at home to the Lakers after blowing a lead late in that game. The Pelicans lost a crucial home game to Oklahoma City as the Thunder shot 53% in a 7-point win. Both teams are great when coming off a loss as the Bucks are 17-8 SU in that situation, the Pelicans are 18-9 SU. Milwaukee is 17-18 SU on the road this season with a negative overall differential at minus -0.2PPG. New Orleans is 20-14 SU at home with an average Margin of Victory of +5.4PPG. The Pelicans have been great against non-conference opponents with an 18-9 SU record and an average +/- of +7.7PPG. The Bucks versus the West is 15-12 SU +0.2PPG. We like the Pelicans here to get a win on their home floor.

ASA top play on 10* Dallas Mavericks +1.5 at Sacramento Kings, 10 PM ET - The Mavs have a slight scheduling advantage here as both teams played last night but the Kings are playing their 3rd game in four days and 5th in seven nights. As we mentioned, Dallas is also off a game last night in Utah, but they had been off since the 21st prior. The Mavs are 21-12 ATS on the road this season and have been great playing without rest with an 8-3 ATS record and an average +/- of +3.3PPG. Sacramento on the other hand is 4-8 ATS when playing without rest with a negative differential of minus -3.8PPG. The Kings have beaten the Mavericks twice already this season so we know the Mavs will come into this game with a chip on their shoulders. Sacramento is only 6-5 SU their last eleven games going into Monday night and two of those wins were against the Spurs and one versus the Grizzlies. The Mavericks are 4-2 SU their last six on the road heading into Monday night. Dallas owns the 7th best EFG% in the NBA since the All-Star break, the Kings are 12th. The road team has covered 6 of the last seven in this series and we are betting that trend continues here.

ASA top play on 10* Milwaukee Bucks -2.5 vs Oklahoma City Thunder, 7 PM ET - We have to back the Bucks here at home as a small favorite. Milwaukee has won 5 straight at home and are 28-6 SU at home this season with an average +/- of +7.4PPG. Going back even further the Bucks are 61-17 SU at home since the start of last season with an average MOV of +6.6PPG. With a low number on this game we need Milwaukee to win outright and they are finally healthy with Middleton, Giannis and Lillard on the floor. We are not blind to the fact that the Thunder are one of the best road teams in the NBA at 21-13 SU but we aren’t impressed with their last 3 wins on the road as they came against the Raptors, Grizzlies and Blazers. With the season winding down we like how the Bucks are playing and they look like a team that could contend to win it all this season. The Thunder are obviously very good but Milwaukee has owned them in recent years by winning 5 straight in the series and 7 of the last eight meetings.

ASA top play on 10* OVER 233 Oklahoma City Thunder vs Milwaukee Bucks, 7 PM ET - We have two of the best offensive teams in the NBA squaring off when the Thunder face the Bucks in Milwaukee. The Thunder rank 3rd in offensive net rating since the All-Star break, the Bucks are 5th. Both teams average over 120PPG which ranks top 5 in the league. The Thunder are the 2nd best FG% team in the league at 50%, the Bucks are 7th at 49.1%. Milwaukee is the 7th best 3-point shooting team in the NBA at 37.9%. OKC is 1st at 39.2% from Deep. Both teams don’t need a ton of possessions to score either as they are highly efficient at 1.197-points per possession (Milwaukee) and 1.202PPP for OKC. With both teams having a great shot at getting to 120 each we predict and easy OVER here.

ASA top play on 10* Phoenix Suns -9.5 vs San Antonio Spurs, 8 PM ET - The Suns are finally healthy for the first time of the season and building continuity as they head to the playoffs. Phoenix has won 2 straight games handily with wins over the Hawks by 13 and the 76ers by 13-points. San Antonio is coming off a game against Memphis on Friday and they've struggled when playing without rest. The Spurs are 2-9 SU when playing without rest this season with a negative differential of minus -10.4PPG. When the Suns are facing a team and have a rest advantage they are 12-6 SU +4.9PPG. The last time the Suns were a road favorite they won by 22-points. Phoenix has two huge games looming against Denver and OKC so they had better win this game. We like the Suns in a big win here.

ASA top play on 10* Golden State Warriors -4.5 vs Indiana Pacers, 10 PM ET - The Warriors will look to build on their momentum following a blowout home win over the Grizzlies on Wednesday night. Golden State looked very good in that game shooting 58% overall and 49% from Deep. That shooting success should carry over here against a Pacers team that rank 29th in opponents FG% allowing 49.9%. Not to mention Indiana doesn’t defend the 3-point line well as they allow foes to hit 36.9% of their 3PT attempts which ranks 20th. Indiana is obviously a great shooting team themselves, but the Warriors defense ranks 8th in opponents 3PT% and 12th in FG% defense. The Pacers have also struggled shooting in recent games with an EFG% of 55.2% which ranks 16th in the league over the last 5-games. Golden State is 17-9 SU/ATS when facing an Eastern Conference foe this season. Indiana is 10-14-2 ATS versus the Western Conference. Golden State went to Indianapolis in early February and destroyed the Pacers 131-109 and never trailed in the game. Expect another dominating performance here.

ASA top play on 10* Houston Rockets -2.5 vs Chicago Bulls, 8:10 PM ET - The Rockets are on a 6-game winning streak and have won 8 of their last 10 games with the two losses to playoff bound Phoenix and the Clippers. Houston has been solid all season long at home with a 23-11 SU / 23-10-1 ATS record. The Rockets win at home by an average of +6.1PPG. Chicago is 3-3 SU their last six games and 6-4 SU their last ten. On the road this season the Bulls are 16-18 SU with a negative loss margin of minus -3PPG. The Bulls are beat up right now with several players potentially out for this game including Caruso and White. Offensively these two teams have very similar statistic but the Rockets hold a big advantage defensively. Chicago is 19th in offensive efficiency, the Rockets are 20th. Houston has the 6th best FG% defense in the NBA and the 3rd best 3PT% D. The Rockets allow just 1.128-points per possession which is the 7th best number in the NBA. The Bulls by comparison allow 1.161PPP which ranks 17th. The play here is on the Rockets.

ASA top play on 10* OVER 216.5 LA Clippers @ Portland Trailblazers, 10:10 PM ET - We expect plenty of points tonight in the Western Conference game between the Clippers and Trailblazers. Examining recent games between these two teams we find the two games this season finished with 234 and 259 total points, both easy Overs. Going back to last season these two teams have gone 4-1 to the Over when playing each other and all 5 have finished with more than 217 total points. We expect the Clippers to bounce back after a pair of horrible offensive outings against the Hawks and Pelicans. Tonight, they face a Blazers defense that ranks 22nd in defensive efficiency allowing 1.176-points per possession and 115.9PPG. The Clippers have the 5th best offensive efficiency numbers on the season at 1.196PPP. Portland has allowed 118 or more points in 6 of their last nine games and has the 5th worst FG% defense in the NBA since the All-Star break. The Blazers have been shooting much better over their last five games and a large part of that is due to the improved play of center Deandre Ayton who is averaging 26.8PPG in his last 6 games. The Clippers sport the 7th best EFG% in the league at 56.6% and they should enjoy a great shooting night versus this Blazers defense. With more tickets and public money coming in on the Under, the line has ticked up which is a tell for Over bettors.

ASA top play on 10* New Orleans Pelicans -7.5 at Brooklyn Nets – 7:30 PM ET - We will look to fade the Nets who are returning home after a 6-game road trip that saw them go 1-5 SU with losses to the Pistons, Hornets and Spurs who are three of the worst teams in the NBA. New Orleans has had a few days off and are on a heater right now with 2 straight wins and W’s in 6 of their last seven games. They have also covered 6 of their last seven overall with three in a row on the road. In their last three road games the Pelicans have a 13-point win in Atlanta, an 8-point win in Philly and a 41-blowout in Toronto. New Orleans should enjoy success from beyond the Arc tonight with their 5th best 3PT% going up against a Nets defense that ranks 23rd in 3PT% defense. The Pelicans should also enjoy a sizable advantage on the boards with a top 10 rebounding team going up against a bottom 10 rebounding team in Brooklyn. New Orleans is 9-8 ATS as a road favorite but they do have an average MOV of +10.9PPG. The Nets are 8-9-1 ATS as a home dog with an average loss margin of minus -4.8PPG. These teams met back in January with the Pelicans winning 112-85. This time around won’t be as dramatic of a victory, but we like the Pels to win by double-digits.

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* OVER 225 Atlanta Hawks at LA Lakers – 10:40 PM ET - The Hawks are coming off a solid 110-103 win over the Clippers last night in this building and we expect them to have another good shooting night against the Lakers. The Hawks hit 17 of 34 3-point attempts and led by 26-points after the 3Q. The Lakers aren’t as good defensively as the Clippers and certainly don’t defend the 3-point line well at all ranking 25th in 3PT% defense. The Lakers give up on average 117.6PPG which is the 23rd highest number in the NBA. The Hawks just played in Utah a few nights ago and the O/U was 223.5 and the teams combined for 246 total points. The Jazz are similar to the Lakers in terms of offensive efficiency and pace of play. The Lakers are better defensively but will likely be without their best interior defender Anthony Davis tonight. The Lakers are going to put up points of their own tonight against this Hawks defense that ranks 28th in defensive efficiency allowing 1.196-points per possession and 120.8PPG. Los Angeles has the 3rd best team FG% in the NBA at 49.9% and the Hawks allow 49.3% which is the 28th worst number in the league. LA should also connect from Deep against this Atlanta defense that allows opponents to hit 38.3% of their 3PT attempts which is 28th in the NBA. LA has scored 120+ in 4 of their last five games and allowed 120+ in 4 of five. Easy OVER call here.

ASA top play on 10* San Antonio Spurs -1.5 vs Brooklyn Nets, 8 PM ET - The Spurs are still playing hard despite a horrendous season in the win/loss column. The Nets still have an outside shot to make the post season but they are just 13-31 SU their last 44 games. Even in losing lately the Spurs have been competitive against playoff bound teams such as Denver, Golden State, Sacramento, Indiana, OKC and Minnesota in recent weeks. In their last ten game stretch they have three quality wins against the Thunder, Pacers and Warriors. Tonight they catch the Nets coming off a game last night in Indianapolis and this will be Brooklyn’s 6th straight road contest. Brooklyn is 10-23 SU on the road this season with an average loss margin of minus -6.9PPG which is the 24th highest differential in the NBA. The Nets are 4-6-1 ATS when playing the second night of a back-t0-back this season with a negative average differential of minus -10.1PPG. They are 1-7 ATS as a Dog when playing without rest this season. San Antonio has only been favored in 5 games this season and they’ve covered 4 of them. Take the Spurs in this one.

ASA top play on 10* Sacramento Kings -3 or -3.5 vs NY Knicks, 10 PM ET - We like the surging Kings in this matchup and expect Sacramento to light the beam in this home contest against the Knicks. Sacramento is 4-1 SU their last five games and it includes a win over the Bucks and two against the Lakers. In their last ten games they also have wins over the Timberwolves and Clippers. New York is 3-2 SU their last five games, but the wins aren’t as impressive as they came against the Magic, struggling 76ers and a bad Portland team. There is a lot of talk about the Knicks recent defensive prowess but again those numbers are skewed based on the offenses they’ve faced. Tonight they face a Kings offense that is one of the best in the league. Sacramento is 9th in offensive efficiency at 1.178-points per possession, they rank 9th in team FG% and 7th in EFG%. In analyzing each teams last five games we see the Knicks have the #1 defensive efficiency rating in the league allowing .977PPP but they are 27th in offensive efficiency in that same 5-game stretch. Conversely, the Kings have the 3rd best OEFF in their last five games AND rank 9th in DEFF. NY is 7-10-1 ATS as a road dog with a negative differential of minus -2.9PPG. Sacramento has a losing spread record at home as a favorite but do own a positive average scoring differential of +1.8PPG. The Knicks are going to have a tough time keeping up offensively in this game as the Kings have too many weapons with Fox and Sabonis.

ASA BET on 10* OVER 216.5 LA Clippers at New Orleans Pelicans, 8:10 PM ET - We are well aware of the current Under streak in the NBA and how the officials have changed how they call games, which has had a big impact on Totals. But there is no way this O/U number should be this low. These same two teams met just over a month ago and the number set on that game was 234.5. In other words, the oddsmakers are suggesting a 17-point swing to the Under in this game? In the most recent meeting these two teams played at a slower than normal pace and attempted just 116 field goals and the game finished with 223 total points. In the two other clashes this season they produced Totals of 206 (174 FGA’s) and 222 (180 FGA’s). L.A. is the 11th highest scoring team in the NBA at 117PPG, the Pelicans are 12th at 116.1. Both teams have strong Under records this season, but this number is simply set too low. Games involving the Clippers this season have averaged 229.7PPG. Games that have featured the Pelicans have averaged 227.3PPG. Even with the current Under streak in the NBA games are still averaging 229PPG since the All-Star break. In LA.’s last 21 games, only 3 have finished with less than 215 total points. Going back to Christmas, the Pelicans have played 35 games and 25 of those finished with more than 215 Total points. This is bad number and we will bet the Over!

ASA top play on 10* LA Clippers -6.5 at Chicago Bulls, 8 PM ET - The Clippers are coming off an ugly home loss to the T’Wolves on Tuesday night and look to get back into the win column at the Bulls expense. Chicago played last night in Indianapolis making this the second night of a back-to-back for the Bulls. Not only that, but this is their 3rd game in four days and 4th in six days. Chicago is not a deep team to begin with and has the 18th worst Net Rating for their bench. The Bulls bench has the 24th rated EFG% in the NBA at 52.1%. With the added rest the Clippers starters should see extended minutes in this one and have a healthy Paul George and Kawhi Leonard for this contest. The Clippers starters have the 6th best Net Rating differential in the NBA at +4.6. Los Angeles has the 4th best offensive efficiency rating and the 13th best DEFF. In comparison the Bulls rate 18th in defensive efficiency and 22nd in OEFF. The Clippers are 12-10 ATS as a road chalk this season with an average +/- of +7.5PPG. The Bulls are 8-6-1 ATS as a home underdog but they own a negative differential of minus -2.9PPG. The Clippers start their road trip with a double digit win here.

ASA BET ON Chicago Bulls +4 @ Indiana Pacers – 7PM ET - This is a great spot to back the Bulls and fade the Pacers who played last night in Oklahoma City and won as an underdog. The Bulls are 18-15 ATS on the road this season and have won 5 of their last seven road games outright. We like the fact that the Bulls are coming off a blowout home loss in their most recent game on Monday to the Mavericks which should have them focused here. Indiana played last night making this the second of a back-to-back and also their 3rd game in four nights. When playing without rest this season the Pacers have the worst spread record in the NBA at 2-9 ATS with an average loss margin of -8.6PPG. Indiana is also 9-11-1 ATS as a home chalk this season. Both teams have negative point differential since the All-Star break with the Pacers at minus -1.9PPG, the Bulls are minus -3.4PPG but clearly both of those differentials would net a cover in this one. Indiana has some depth concerns with Mathurin out for the season and the road team has covered the spread in both meetings this season. Grab the points.

ASA BET ON ORLANDO MAGIC -7 vs Brooklyn Nets – 7 PM ET - We are on the Magic in this one. Orlando has the best spread record at home as a favorite this season at 13-3 with an average Margin of Victory in those games of +13.4PPG. Overall at home the Magic are 20-9 ATS with an average +/- of +6.7PPG. The Nets on the other hand are 10-20 SU away from home, 11-19 ATS which is the 2nd worst road spread record in the league. When playing on the road, the Nets lose by an average of -6.3PPG. The Magic look to bounce back after 2 straight losses, with the most recent being at home to Indiana. Brooklyn meanwhile is coming off a huge upset road win over the Cavs and should revert back to their losing ways tonight. The home team has covered 5 straight in this series.

ASA top play on 10* OVER 234.5 Milwaukee Bucks at Sacramento Kings, 10 PM ET - These two teams met in Milwaukee in mid-January and produced 285 total points in OT. The oddsmakers had set an O/U number of 247 on that game. Both teams shot 52% overall, and 41% (Kings), 47% (Bucks) from beyond the arc which are also well above season each team’s season average. That seems to be a reoccurring trend when these two teams get together as they’ve gone Over the Total in 10 straight meetings. The last seven meetings have averaged 257 points scored. The Bucks defense has certainly improved since Doc Rivers took over but they have given up 125, 123 and 117 in their last three games against similar offensive teams to the Kings. The Bucks rank 5th in offensive efficiency at 1.195PPP and play at the 4th highest rate in the league. The Kings are 12th in pace of play at 99.7 possessions per game and have the 13th best offensive efficiency rating at 1.175-points per possession. Milwaukee is the 8th best 3PT shooting team in the NBA at 37.6% and the Kings are last in defending the 3PT line allowing 39.8%. The Kings rely on volume shooting to score with the 5th highest FG attempts per game and the 10th best shooting percentage. Granted the NBA has been on an Under trend but we like Over here.

ASA Top Play on 10* OVER 240.5 Indiana Pacers at Oklahoma City Thunder, 8:10 PM ET - We loved this bet on the opening number of 236 before it was immediately bet up to the current number of 240.5. There is still some value in this number, and we expect a game in the mid-to-upper 240’s. We have the Pacers who rank 2nd in pace of play at 102.1 possessions per game and are the 2nd most efficient offense in the NBA at 1.206-points per possession. OKC is the 3rd most efficient offense in the league at 1.204PPP and rank 11th in tempo. Indiana has the best overall team field goal percentage in the league at 50.4% and rank 6th in 3PT percentage. The Thunder are the 2nd best shooting team in the NBA at 50.1% overall and #1 in 3PT% at 39.4%. Both teams average over 120PPG offensively ranking 1st and 3rd in scoring. This will be a high possession game with two great shooting teams that should get over this number.

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* UNDER 231.5 Toronto Raptors at Denver Nuggets, 9:10 PM ET - We are betting against the move on this game and will grab the added value with an Under wager. This Total opened at 226 and has climbed to 231.5 where it currently sits. Denver is making a run at the #1 seed in the West with a current 8-1 SU run. They are coming off a blowout win over Utah in which they scored 142 points. After tonight they go on the road, so we are betting they will try to conserve some energy tonight before the trip and limit starters. We also expect them to play much slower tonight as they have a huge size advantage over the Raptors with Jokic, Gordon and Porter Jr. The Raptors are short a few starters tonight and it’s showed in recent games with 3-straight losses to the Pelicans, Suns and Blazers. Toronto shoots 47.5% as a team (15th) and 35.5% from beyond the Arc (24th). Toronto has the 20th Net Offensive Rating in the NBA on the season and are averaging just 109PPG over their last 5-games. The Nuggets have the 10th best overall defense on the season when it comes to Net Ratings but since the All-Star Break they have been even better. We also like the fact that the Raptors have played at a much slower pace in their last 3-games, well below their season average. This game fits the current Under narrative in the NBA.

ASA TOP PLAY ON #518 ORLANDO MAGIC -1.5 vs Indiana Pacers, 6:10 PM ET - The Magic are coming off a humbling game on Friday night in New York as they were beaten handily 74-98. That loss snapped a 5 game winning streak and we expect them to bounce back here. Orlando has quietly been playing fantastic basketball with a 13-4 SU record in their last seventeen games. The Magic have been a money printing machine at home as a favorite with a 13-3 ATS record while covering 7 in a row. Not only have the Magic been covering at home as a Chalk but they’ve done it in impressive fashion with an average +/- of +13.4PPG in those games. Indiana comes into this game off a home loss to the Timberwolves and are 2-4 SU their last six games overall. The Pacers have been average on the road this season with a 15-14-1 ATS record. In their last twelve road games they have just 5-covers. The difference between these two teams is obvious as the Magic rely on the 3rd best defense in the league, while the Pacers are anchored by the 2nd most efficient offense. In the two regular season meetings thus far the Magic and their defense have won twice, both in Indiana, by 12 and 7-points. We will back the better defense again today.

ASA top play on 10* OVER 234.5 Dallas Mavericks at Detroit Pistons, 7 PM ET - This game is going to be a track meet between a pair of teams that love to play fast. The Pistons are the 8th fastest paced team in the league at 100.1 possessions per game, the Mavericks are 7th at 100.3. Neither team is good defensively as the Pistons allow the 3rd most points per possession at 1.202PPP, the Mavs give up 1.179PPP which ranks 22nd. Detroit just played Brooklyn and the two teams combined for 230 total points. Prior to that game the Pistons had faced 6 teams that are much better defensively than the Mavericks and those games were all lower scoring which has had an impact on this O/U number. Dallas is the 6th highest scoring team in the league this season at 118.7PPG. Detroit averages 112.1PPG. The Mavs defense has allowed 120+ points in 6 of the last seven games. Given the pace of play and poor defenses we expect a ton of points in this one.

ASA top play on 10* OVER 225.5 Miami Heat at Oklahoma City Thunder, 8 PM ET - The Thunder are home, rested and ready to put up a big number against the Heat. Miami meanwhile is playing the second night of a back to back off a game in Dallas last night. When these two teams met in Miami in mid-January the O/U set on that game was 232.5. The Heat dictated tempo on their home court and that game finished with 228 total points. Now the Thunder will dictate pace of play and they rank 8th for the season in possessions per game at 100.3. The Thunder had the 3rd most efficient offense in the NBA averaging 1.220PPP. OKC is also 3rd in team EFG% at 57.5%. Miami is slightly below league average in terms of offensive efficiency, but they make up for it with the 10th best 3PT% in the league. Miami is shooting 37.5% from Deep and the Thunder are average in terms of defending the 3-point line. The Heat has a strong Under record on the road this season but they will be forced to score to keep up with the Thunder in this one. Bet OVER!

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* San Antonio Spurs +10.5 at Sacramento Kings 10 PM ET - Even with big man Wembanyama sidelined for this one, we like the Spurs here and the double digit points who are in a very favorable scheduling situation. The Kings are coming off a huge showdown with the Lakers in L.A. on Wednesday night and are also playing their 3rd game in four days. They have lost two straight at home to the Bulls and Heat. The last time the Kings won at home was against this Spurs team by 5-points 127-122. San Antonio has been playing under the radar since the All-Star break with a 2-5 SU record, but they have covered 5 of seven. The visitor in this series has covered 5-straight games. Since the ASG these two teams have very similar Net Ratings with the Kings ranking 15th at -2.1, the Spurs are 23rd at -2.3. The big reason the Spurs have played well recently has been the improvement of their overall defense. In their last five games the Spurs are allowing 1.140-points per possession, which is 13th in the league. The Kings defense ranks 21st in DEFF over that same 5-game span. There was a time when the Kings home court was incredible but this season they are closer to average with a 16-11 SU record and an average +/- of +0.6PPG. Grab the points with San Antonio.

ASA TOP PLAY ON Denver Nuggets +1.5 at home vs. Boston Celtics, 10 PM ET - This could very well be a Finals preview and should be a great game. We will side with the home team Nuggets though as their home numbers are just too much to overlook. Both teams come into this game off a recent loss. The Celtics blew a big lead to the Cavs on Tuesday and lost 104-105. The Nuggets trailed the Suns at home from most of the game before outscoring them 21-12 in the 4th to send the game to OT where they eventually lost. Since the start of last season, the Nuggets are 68-14 SU at home with an average +/- of +9.6PPG. They have only been home underdogs 4 times and they won all four by an average of +10.5PPG. Boston is really good as a road team with a 50-29 SU away record their last 79 away. If you compare every key statistic between these two teams you find they are very close offensively and defensively, but we like the home court advantage of Denver. The World Champs gets this win on Thursday.

ASA top play on 10* Golden State Warriors -3.5 vs. Milwaukee Bucks, 10 PM ET - This line is telling us Giannis will not be in the lineup for the Bucks tonight which means we will back the Warriors at home minus the points. The Bucks have clearly seen a resurgence since the All-Star break with 6 straight wins and a defense that ranks best in the NBA over that time period. As a Bucks fan I temper my enthusiasm though as two of those wins came against Charlotte, one versus a struggling Bulls team and one against Philly who had injury issues. The Warriors are coming off an embarrassing blowout loss in Boston on Sunday in a National TV showing. I like Golden State to bounce back with a concentrated effort at home. The home team in this series has dominated with 6-straight wins including the Bucks getting a W on Jan 13th at home 129-118. You might be a bit surprised to know that the Bucks are 3-5 ATS as an underdog with a negative average differential in those games of -10.5PPG. Golden State has dominated Eastern Conference teams this season with a 16-7 SU record and a +/- of +3.3PPG. Given the circumstances we like the Warriors minus the short number.

ASA top play on 10* Dallas Mavericks -4.5 vs Indiana Pacers, 8:30 PM ET - These two teams recently met in Indiana which saw the Pacers win at home 133-111 as a +2-point dog. Based on that spread this line should have the Mavericks as a much bigger favorite. The big difference in that Pacer win was a fantastic shooting night at 56% overall and a +8-rebound differential. The Pacers rely heavily on their offense and outscoring opponents but since the All-Star break they have seen a significant drop in their Offensive Net Rating and overall shooting percentages. For the season the Pacers rank 1st in the league in team FG% at 50%, but in their last five games that number has dipped to 47.4% which would rank them 13th. Also, in their last five games their 3PT% had dropped to 32% which is the 25th lowest percentage in the NBA over this recent 5-game period. We like Dallas to get a measure of revenge here from the recent L in Indianapolis. Dallas is also coming off a loss at home to Philadelphia on Sunday in a national TV game. Prior to Sunday’s home loss, the Mavs had won 4-straight at home with two of those wins coming against Phoenix and OKC. The Mavericks are 16-10 ATS when coming off a loss with an average +/- in those games of +3.8PPG. When laying points this season the Mavs have a 21-14 ATS record with a plus/minus of +5.8PPG. Indiana is 9-9-1 ATS as a road dog with a net differential per game of minus -9.6PPG. Dallas will find their shot tonight against a Pacers defense that is last in the league in opponents FG% allowed at 50.5%. Lay the short number with Dallas.

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* Philadelphia 76ers -2 at Brooklyn Nets, 7:40 PM ET - You couldn’t ask for a much better situation with a bet on the Sixers here laying a short number against the Nets. Philadelphia looked good in their win over the Mavericks on Sunday and were relatively healthy without Embiid who is out for the foreseeable future. The Sixers didn’t shoot overly well against the Mavs but still put up 120 points on 45% shooting overall and just 30% from Deep. This Philly team is 2-3 SU their last five games but the two losses came to the Celtics and Bucks who are playing extremely well at the moment. Now they step down in class against a 24-36 Brooklyn team that also has a losing home record. The Nets are coming off a game against the Grizzlies on Monday making this the second night of a back-to-back. Brooklyn is 2-7 SU this when playing without rest and have an average negative differential in those games of -15PPG. This will also be the Nets 3rd game in four days. The 76ers had beaten the Nets 9 straight times before their most recent game which was a blowout loss on their home court. Paybacks are a bitch and that’s exactly what happens here tonight.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 228 LA Clippers at Milwaukee Bucks, 8:10 PM ET - Based on how well the Bucks defense is currently performing and how well the Clippers D has been all season, this number is set way too high. Clearly Doc Rivers has had an impact on the Bucks defensive intensity as they currently hold the best defensive net rating since the All-Star break at 101.5. They’ve also gone from being one of the fastest paced teams in the NBA to ranking 27th in pace of play since the break. Prior to the ASG the Bucks defense gave up an average of 118.8PPG 8th most in the league. Since the All-Star game they are allowing 97.2PPG the lowest PPG allowed in the NBA. Milwaukee is also 1st in opponents FG% allowed at 40.8% and 6th in 3PT% allowed. The Clippers have been a top 10 defensive team all season long allowing the 9th fewest PPG and ranking 13th in DEFF. LA also prefers to play slower, ranking 22nd in pace of play at 97.8 possessions per game on the year. In their last 6 games they played at a slightly slower tempo and are currently without Russell Westbrook who pushed the pace with the second unit. The Bucks, Clippers and T’Wolves are very similar in terms of defense right now and the Bucks/Wolves just totaled 219 points while the Clippers/Wolves just scored 177 points yesterday. There is no reason to believe these two teams aren’t going to be locked in defensively Monday night. Bet UNDER!

ASA top play on Charlotte Hornets +8.5 @ Toronto Raptors, 6 PM ET - This is a bad number and does not reflect how much better the Hornets have been since the trade deadline. In fact, the oddsmakers have over-adjusted this price because of the Hornets 3 recent losses but let’s not forget that those L’s came to the surging Bucks (twice) and a 76ers team in desperation mode. In their last 10 games the Hornets have the 10th best Net Defensive rating and they’ve covered 6 of their last nine games. In their most recent loss they didn’t have starter Brandon Miller their second leading scorer but he’ll be back in the lineup Sunday. The Raptors on the other hand lost Scottie Barnes their best player who is averaging 19.9PPG and 8.2 rebounds per game. Toronto has not been good defensively either, ranking 22nd in Net Defensive rating in their last 10 games. The Raptors are 8-8 ATS as a home favorite with an average +/- of +1.0PPG which is clearly not enough of a margin to cover this number. Charlotte has a negative differential on the road of -12.4PPG but those numbers mainly came from before the All-Star game. The Hornets defense will keep them in this one, especially with Barnes on the bench in street clothes.

ASA top play on OVER 236.5 Philadelphia 76ers @ Dallas Mavericks, 1 PM ET - The 76ers offense has really struggled to put up points in recent weeks averaging 106.4PPG over their last seven contests. Those poor scoring results have driven this Total down and given us tremendous value on the Over here. Take a look at the Sixers last seven games. They have faced Charlotte (top 8 Net Defensive rating in their last 10 games), the Celtics (3rd DEFF), Bucks (L5 games 8th DEFF), Cavs (2nd DEFF), Knicks (10th DEFF), Heat (8th DEFF) and Cavs again. We expect their offense to explode Sunday versus the Mavs D that ranks 20th in Defensive Efficiency rating. The last two games the 76ers faced a comparable defense they put up 119 and 121 points. Philly is around average in terms of pace of play, but Dallas prefers to play much faster, ranking 7th in possessions per game. The Mavs are 12th in offensive efficiency ratings (76ers 8th) and they scored 118.6PPG. Dallas is even better at home with the 7th best OEFF rating while putting up 120.5PPG. The Mavericks defense was torched on a recent 4-game road trip as they allowed 133 to the Pacers, 121 to the Cavs, 125 to Toronto and 138 to the Celtics. Both teams like to go Over when playing out of Conference as the Sixers are 11-8 Over versus the Western Conference, while the Mavs are 12-9 Over against the Eastern Conference. This is going to be a shootout!

ASA top play on 10* Utah Jazz +7.5 vs Miami Heat, 5 PM ET - Betting on or against the Jazz has not been kind to us but we have a short memory and will back Utah in this situation against the Heat. Orlando play at Orlando on Thursday and lost a pretty tight game by 8-points. They are in Florida and have a big scheduling edge here. Miami is home for the first time after a 6-game road trip which finished on Thursday night in Denver. The Heat are 15-13 SU, 12-16 ATS at home this season with an average MOV of +0.1PPG which is bottom 10 of the NBA. Utah on the road this season is 9-20 SU and haven’t been very good but this is a great situation for them to stay close with the Heat. The Jazz are 16-15-1 ATS when coming off a SU loss with an average net differential of minus -3.9PPG. It’s a tough scheduling situation for Miami so let’s grab the points with the Jazz.

ASA top play 10* on Chicago Bulls +3.5 vs. Milwaukee Bucks, 10 PM ET - The Bucks are playing 2nd of a B2B as they played in Charlotte on Thursday and have to travel. This is Milwaukee’s 5th game in 8 days and fatigue will be a factor. Chicago is at home and coming off an impressive win against the Cavaliers who rate very similar to the Bucks right now in our overall Power Ratings. The Bulls have a 64.3% cover rate when having a rest advantage with a 9-5 ATS record and a +1.9PPG average MOV in those games. Milwaukee is 9-13 ATS as a road favorite this season. The Bulls are 8-4-1 ATS as a home underdog. The Bucks struggled to defend this season but in their last five games they have the 8th best defensive efficiency rating but a byproduct of playing great defense has led to a regression in their offensive efficiency which has dropped to 18th compared to 5th on the season. The Bulls are around league average in both OEFF and DEFF but they defend much better at home allowing 1.123PPP which is 8th best in the league. The home team has won 6 of the last 8 meetings including 3-0 this season. In fact, the last two meetings this season have both gone to OT with the Bulls winning one of those 120-113 on this court. Grab the home dog here.

ASA top play on 10* New Orleans Pelicans -5.5 vs Indiana Pacers, 8:10 PM ET - These two teams just met in Indianapolis with the Pacers winning 123-114 as a 4-point favorite. The Pelicans went into that game having played the night before in New York and they were playing their 3rd in four nights and 5th game in 7 days. Indiana was off the night before and had played 3 straight home games prior. The Pelicans will get a measure of revenge on their home court tonight where they are 17-12 SU with the 11th best average point differential of +5.5PPG. New Orleans has the 7th best defensive efficiency rating on their home court allowing 1.120PPP. Indiana has a negative road differential of minus -1.9PPG and an overall SU record of 14-14. The Pacers defense on the road is one of the worst in the NBA as they give up 1.206-points per possession. New Orleans has the 3rd best spread record in the NBA when coming off a loss at 15-8-1 ATS with an average +/- of +6.7PPG. The Pacers clearly have a great offense with the best FG% in the NBA but the Pelicans have the 6th best shooting defense in the league allowing 46.3%. New Orleans is also the best team in the NBA defending the 3-point line and can limit the Pacers 5th ranked 3-points shooting.

ASA top play on 10* Phoenix Suns -8.5 vs Houston Rockets, 9:10 PM ET - These two teams just met in Houston last week with the Suns losing 110-114 as a 3-point favorite. Now the Suns are playing with revenge and laying a short number based on what the spread was in Houston. The Rockets have been horrible on the road this season with a 5-22 SU record and a negative differential of minus -6.3PPG (23rd). It’s been extremely tough for the Rockets on the road lately as they’ve lost 8 straight away from home and 5 of those L’s have come by 8+ points. Phoenix is starting to play well with a 6-3 SU record their last nine games with 5 straight wins on their home court. Houston struggles shooting with the 26th rated FG% in the NBA at 45.8%. they are also 26th worst in 3PT%. Phoenix on the other had shoots 49.6% as a team (3rd best) and 37.8% from Deep which ranks 8th. The Suns have the 6th best EFG% at 56.6%, the Rockets rank 28th at 52.5%. Granted the Rockets are the much better team defensively, but in their last five games their defense has allowed 1.166-points per possession which ranks 19th in the NBA over that span of games. The Suns defense has actually been much better over that same 5-game span allowing 1.154PP. We will lay the points with the Suns.

ASA top play on the 10* Clippers -3.5 vs. the Lakers, 10 PM ET - This rivalry has always meant more to the Clippers than the glamourous Lakers, which is why they’ve won 8 of the last ten meetings. The Lakers won the first two games of the season series, but the Clippers won most recently in the third clash on January 23rd. The Clippers were favored by -9.5-points in that game and won by 11. The Clippers have the 5th best average point differential in the NBA at +4.7PPG, while the Lakers have a negative overall differential of minus -0.5PPG. The Clippers are better offensively ranking 4th in OEFF, the Lakers are 18th. In terms of defensive efficiency, the Clippers allow 1.152PPP (13th) and the Lakers give up 1.155PPP (15th). The Lakers have a better overall spread record when coming off a loss, but the Clippers have the better overall point differential in those games at +4.3PPG versus +1.4PPG for the Lakers. We are on the Clippers in this one.

ASA top play on 10* Toronto Raptors +3.5 over Dallas Mavericks, 7:40 PM ET - This is a tough scheduling spot for the Mavs playing 2nd of a B2B and 3rd game in four days. The Raptors are home and rested. It’s a small sample size but the Raptors have looked like a new team in their last 3 games. In those three games they have the 6th Net offensive 122.6 and a defensive Net rating that is 11th 110.5 . Overall, that’s the 5th best NET differential rating of +12.1 over a 3-game span. Dallas had ripped off 7 straight wins prior to losing Sunday against the Pacers but 4 of those were at home. Now Dallas has a very good spread record as a road favorite at 11-3 ATS but their margin of victory in those games is +3.1PPG. They have an overall road record of 15-11 SU but they have a negative average point differential of minus -2.3PPG. The Raptors as a home dog is 5-7 ATS with an average +/- of -3.8PPG – but again they are playing much better of late. These teams have similar home/road efficiency ratings so given the adverse traveling situation the Mavs are in we like the home team with Toronto.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 225.5 Charlotte Hornets at Milwaukee Bucks, 8:10 PM ET - We don’t expect much scoring from either team tonight as both are in less than favorable scheduling situations. The Bucks are coming off a pair of big wins in Minnesota and Philadelphia and facing a Hornets team they recently beat 36. Charlotte is coming off a 3-game Western Conference Road trip and playing their 4th game in six days. What both teams are doing extremely well right now is playing defense. In their last 7 games the Hornets have the best defensive Net Rating in the league and the Bucks are 5th best. If we look at each teams last 5 games we see the Hornets are allowing just 1.046-points per possession (5th best) while the Bucks are giving up just 1.059PPP (6th). Both teams are also playing at a much slower rate in recent games with their pace of play dropping considerably. The Under has cashed 3 straight in this series and in 8 of the last ten meetings. Charlotte has stayed Under in 5 straight games, the Bucks have played Under in 5 of their last six. Make no mistake, the oddsmakers have adjusted this number down due to each team’s recent play, but they didn’t move it enough in our opinion. Bet Under.

ASA top play on Philadelphia 76ers +12.5 at Boston Celtics, 7:30 PM ET - This number is too high, and the value lies with the Dog in this rivalry. Boston recently played the 21-35 SU Nets at home and were favored by -11.5-points. In early February they were -11.5 at home against the Hawks. Now they are laying 12 versus the Sixers? Granted, the 76ers don’t have Embiid back they still have enough talent on this roster to stay close with the Celtics. Philly has the 7th best road point differential in the NBA at +2.8PPG and has only been road dogs 11 times this season with a 6-5 ATS record. They were recently +11.5 at Cleveland without Harris and Batum and won that game outright by 2-points. In the last meeting in Boston, the Celtics were favored by -11.5 points and the Sixers were without Embiid and Maxey. The Celtics barely won that game by 6-points. Boston is fantastic at home this season with a 26-3 SU record, but they are just 15-14 ATS as a favorite. 8 of the last ten meetings between these two teams has been decided by 12-points or less. Take the pooch!

ASA top play on 10* MIAMI HEAT +7.5 at Sacramento Kings, 10:10 PM ET - This is a great spot to bet on the Heat and fade the Kings who are coming off an emotional game last night against the Clippers. Miami last played on the 23rd, a win against the Pelicans. In the game against the Pels a scuffle broke out between the two teams and unfortunately for the Heat, Jimmy Butler is suspended for this game. But we still like Miami who has won 3 straight and 5 of their last six with two of those wins coming on the road in Milwaukee and Philadelphia without Butler. The Heat are 11-7 ATS on the road this season as a Dog with an average plus/minus of +0.66PPG. On that topic, the Kings are 10-13 ATS at home laying points with a net differential per game of +1.6PPG. Sacramento is also 3-5 ATS when playing without rest this season with a negative average differential of minus -5.3PPG. The Kings are 3-4 SU their last seven games heading into the contest against the Clippers and 5-5 SU their last ten games. When we compare each teams last five games we find the Heat have the leagues 6th best Net Rating differential versus the Kings who rank 11th. The Heat have stepped things up defensively with the 3rd best defensive efficiency rating over their last 5 games versus the Kings who rank 16th in that same span of games. The line is inflated due to the Heat suspensions, but it’s been over cooked. Grab the points.

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* UNDER 254 Dallas Mavericks at Indiana Pacers, 5:10 PM ET - This is a ridiculously high total for an NBA game, and we can’t resist the value with an Under bet here. Let’s first talk about raw numbers. Indiana scores 123.8PPG and allows 122.2PPG. Dallas is putting up 118.7PPG and giving up 117.2PPG. If we get an average game from both, they are not reaching that total, but we know its not as simple as that. The Mavs have won 7 straight games, and their offense has played above their season metrics in terms of offensive efficiency but it’s their defense that has been the difference. Dallas has the 2nd best Net Defensive Rating in the NBA over a 7-game stretch at 104.5. In their last five games they are allowing just 1.045-points per possession which is the 4th lowest number in the league over that course of games. Indiana has actually played better defense in their most recent 5-games allowing 1.165PPP while holding three opponents to 115 or less. Dallas shoots 48.2% overall at home but that number dips to 47.4% on the road and their 3PT% falls to 35.9 on the road compared to 38.6% at home. Indiana is playing at a slowing pace in their last five games compared to their season tempo average and their offensive efficiency has also dropped in recent games. The value lies in the Under here.

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* UNDER 235.5 Milwaukee Bucks at Philadelphia 76ers, 1:10 PM ET - A few big syndicate bettors hit this Over and have driven the number up from 225.5 where it opened to 235 where it currently sits. We are betting contrarian and taking the value with the added points and UNDER the total. In the last seven meetings between these two teams, they have scored 235 or less five times. In the last four meetings in Philadelphia they have totaled 234 or less points in every game. The Bucks may have turned the corner with a big win in Minnesota the other night and the main reason this team is playing better in their defense. The Bucks D was one of the worst defensive efficiency units in the NBA until the recent hire of Doc Rivers. In their last five games they allowed the 6th fewest points per possession at 1.059PPP in the NBA. In their last five games they have the 3rd best FG% defense and allowed the 3rd fewest made shots. They’ve also given up only 104.4PPG in their last five games which is 5th best in the league. Each team has seen a dramatic decrease in their offensive Net Ratings also. Looking at each teams last 7 games we find they rank 23rd and 24th respectively in the league. In that same 7-game stretch the Bucks EF% is 17th, the Sixers are 26th. Philadelphia is coming off a game against a Cavs team that produced only 201 total points and the Cavs/Bucks has several similarities. The Sixers offense has struggled without Embiid in the lineup producing 104 or less points in 5 of their last seven games.

ASA top play on 10* Minnesota Timberwolves -7.5 vs Brooklyn Nets, 9 PM ET - We don’t mind the fact that the Wolves are playing the second night of a back-to-back here as they had plenty of rest with the All-Star Break. Minnesota is coming off a home loss to the Bucks last night and should be motivated for a bounce back win here. The T’Wolves have the best spread record in the NBA when coming off a loss with a 11-5 ATS record, and they’ve won those games by an average of +13.3PPG. Brooklyn is in a freefall in the midst of a 1-6 SU run their last seven games. On the season the Nets are 9-15 ATS on the road and they’ve lost 9 of their last ten away from home. Seven of those ten losses were by double-digits with an average loss margin of 17PPG. The big advantage the Wolves have here is with their defense. Minnesota has the best defensive efficiency rating in the NBA, while the Nets rank 21st. Minnesota has an average MOV at home this season of +9.4PPG which is 4th best in the league. We like the Timberwolves by 10+ today.

ASA top play on 10* OVER 225 Milwaukee Bucks at Minnesota Timberwolves, 10 pm ET - These same two teams recently met in Milwaukee in a game the oddsmakers set a total of 222 and the game finished with 234-points. This game will have a similar result. In that previous meeting the Bucks played without All-Star MVP Dame Lillard who seems to have found his 3-point stroke. Lillard won the 3-point shootout and hit eleven 3's in the AS game, two from half court. Another All-Star in that game put up a huge number as Karl Anthony Towns scored 50 for the West. We like both players to carry that momentum into this game. The Bucks own the 5th best team shooting percentage in the NBA, the Wolves are 7th. Minnesota has the 3rd best 3PT% in the league, the Bucks are 9th best. The Bucks have the 3rds best EFG%, the Wolves are 7th. The oddsmakers have set this number too low and we expect another higher scoring game between these two teams. Three of the last four meetings have resulted in 234 or more points.

ASA top play on 10* Utah Jazz -9.5 vs. Charlotte Hornets, 9:10 PM ET - We are betting the number here with the Jazz minus the points. These two teams recently met on January 27th in Charlotte and the Jazz were 10-point favorites in the Hornets building. They are now laying the same number at home. In the most recent meeting, the Jazz won 134-122 and that Hornets roster at the time featured PJ Washington who scored 43-points. Washington has since been traded to the Dallas Mavericks. Charlotte is one of the worst shooting teams in the league at 46.1% as a team which ranks 26th in the NBA. They rank 27th in offensive efficiency averaging 1.101-points per possession. In comparison the Jazz rank 15th in OEFF at 1.170PPP. Utah also holds a significant advantage on the boards with a top 8 offensive and defensive rebounding team versus a Hornets team that is 24th and 28th. Utah lost 4 straight games heading into the All-Star break, but the losses came to the Warriors twice, the Lakers and Suns. Charlotte has won 3 straight but had lost 10 in a row prior. It looks too easy to take the double-digit dog with the Hornets….so don’t.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 236.5 LA Clippers at Oklahoma City Thunder, 8:10 PM ET - This number has been set too high according to our math model which is projecting 231.5-points being scored. The league average for points scored in an NBA game this season is 229.6PPG and this number is considerably higher than that. When OKC has been at home this season those contests have averaged 236.6 total points per game. When the Clippers have been on the road those games have averaged 233.1PPG. Both numbers get us a cash on our bet here. These two teams rank 3rd in offensive efficiency at 1.204PPP but they also rank 6th and 12th in defensive efficiency. The last three meetings between these two teams have been higher scoring, but with the added rest from the All-Star Break we expect both defenses to rise to the occasion.

ASA Top Play on 10* UNDER 223.5 Milwaukee Bucks @ Memphis Grizzlies, 8:30 PM ET - New head coach Doc Rivers is working hard to implement his system in Milwaukee and it certainly has been a process. What’s evident is the Bucks pace of play and how they’ve slowed down offensively. The Bucks average 101.3 possessions per game on the season which is 5th fastest. In their last five games they are averaging 97.5 possessions per game which ranks 19th slowest. The Bucks offensive efficiency has fallen dramatically in their last five games but the defense has improved immensely as they allow only 1.124-points per possession which is 9th best in the NBA over the last 5 games. Looking at that same 5 game stretch the Grizzlies are last in the NBA in offensive efficiency at 1.055PPP. On the season the Grizz average the lowest points scored at 106.7PPG. Heading into the All-Star break we are betting both teams are looking forward to the time off so we can’t imagine either being enthused in a high scoring game. Lastly, the Grizz are coming off a game last night and they are 1-8 to the Under when playing without rest this season.

ASA play on LA Clippers +4 vs. Golden State Warriors 10 PM ET - I’ll start with the fact that I’ve been wrong betting against Golden State in their last two games. That changes here as we get a win tonight with the Clippers in this Western Conference showdown. The Warriors have won 5 straight games and 7 of their last 8 but only 1 of those wins came against a team the quality of the Clippers. Golden State was recently a 1-point dog to the Kings on this court and favored by 1.5 against the Lakers and lost both games. The Clippers are climbing the ranks in our power rankings and we currently have them as the 4th best team in the NBA. They are coming off an embarrassing loss at home to the Timberwolves and should bounce back here. The Clippers are 27-7 in their last 34 games and 5th best Adjusted Net rating in the NBA. LA is 15-11 SU on the road this season with the 4th best average net differential per game of +4.4PPG. The Clippers are 10-6 Su this season off a loss with an average +/- of +4.1PPG. Even though LA is likely without Kawhi Leonard here, buck the home team trend here of 9 straight winners.

ASA play on Denver Nuggets -5.5 vs Sacramento Kings, 9 PM ET - This is the ideal spot to back the Nuggets and fade the Kings. Denver returns home after a most recent loss to the Bucks. Sacramento has to play in the higher altitude after a huge game last night in Phoenix. The Nuggets are 12-5 SU this season when coming off a loss with an average +/- of +3.8PPG. At home the Nugget are 21-4 SU this season and they’ve won those games by an average of +9.7PPG. Going back to the start of last season, nobody in the NBA has a better home record than Denver at 65-12 SU, +9.8PPG. The Kings were fantastic on the road a season ago but have regressed to 15-13 SU away this season with an average MOV of +0.1PPG. Going back to last season the Kings are 10-12 ATS when playing without rest. Lastly, this is a quick turnaround game for these teams as they just met in Sacramento where the Kings put a smackdown on the Nuggets in a 135-106 win. Denver was coming off a big win over the Lakers the night before while the Kings were rested. Easy call here with Denver at home.

ASA top play on 10* OVER 227 Boston Celtics at Brooklyn Nets, 7:30 PM ET - Unfortunately, the All-Star break comes at a really bad time as, prior to tough Monday, we are locked in on the NBA right now. Tonight, we will bet the OVER in this Eastern Conference showdown. The Celtics are going to get to 120+ in this game as they average that number on the season. Boston is #1 in the league in offensive efficiency at 1.213-points per possession and has the 6th best Effective Field Goal percentage at 56.8%. The C’s should have an easy go of it on the offensive end of the court against a Nets defense that ranks 18th in defensive efficiency and allows 115.4PPG. The Nets defense has been even worse in their last five games allowing 1.228-points per possession and 120.6PPG. Boston is the 7th best 3-point shooting team in the league and should exploit a Brooklyn D that ranks 24th in opponents 3PT% allowed. We will need Brooklyn to score in this game but if they get to around 110 this game should go Over rather easily. The Nets average 113.9PPG on the season and do it with volume shooting as they rank 4th in FG attempts per game. We expect a total of 230 or more points.

ASA top play on LA Clippers -4.5 vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, 10 PM ET - We are betting the number here as this line is ‘light’ in our opinion and based on our power ratings. These teams met on January 14th in Minnesota and the Clippers were a 1-point road favorite. The Clippers were even without their starting center Zubac. That game went down to the wire with the Wolves winning by 4-points despite the Clippers shooting just 43% as a team and attempting 13 less FT’s. Minnesota shot 57% as a team and 50% from the 3-point line. The shooting percentages will even out tonight and we would expect the Clippers to get a few more calls as the home team. Minnesota is .500 or 36-36 SU their last 72 road games with a negative differential of minus -0.3PPG. In that same time frame the Clippers are 43-25 SU at home with an average +/- of +3.9PPG. The favorite has covered 7 of the last ten in this series and we expect Los Angeles to get a double-digit win here as they get revenge for that tight loss at Minnesota last month. Revenge home rout here!

ASA top play on Utah Jazz -1.5 vs Golden State Warriors, 9 PM ET - Scheduling clearly favors the Jazz here who have been off since Thursday and will be well rested here. Golden State played a tough 5-game East Coast Road, then played a huge home game versus Phoenix and now travel back to Utah. The Warriors have won 4-straight games and 6 of their last seven games yet are a road dog here? The Jazz have recent home wins over the Bucks and Thunder who both grades out better than the Warriors. These two teams are much closer than you might think when it comes to offensive and defensive efficiency rating, yet the spread on this game is swayed by public money and influence for the Warriors. Utah is 17-7 SU at home this season with the 7th best average point differential at +7.6PPG. Going back to the start of last season the Warriors are 23-47 SU with an average differential of minus -2.4PPG. We will back the home team here.

ASA top play on 10* Oklahoma City Thunder -3.5 vs Sacramento Kings, 3 PM ET - The Thunder are coming off a big loss at Dallas yesterday and should bounce back at home where they are 20-6 SU this season. The Thunders starters should not be overly fatigued here as they had 3 days off prior to yesterday's game and didn’t play much versus Dallas in the blowout. As we mentioned, OKC is 20-6 SU at home, 17-9 ATS with an average Margin of Victory of +10PPG. Sacramento could let down here as they are coming off a huge 29-point home win over the Nuggets on Friday evening. Sacramento is 15-12 SU away from home this season with an average MOV of +0.6PPG. The Kings rank 15th in turnovers per game and the Thunder are the best defense in the league in turning teams over. OKC also enjoys a huge advantage with their 3rd best shooting percentage at 49.9% versus a Kings D that allows opponents to hit 48.7% of their FGA’s which ranks 22nd. The Thunder are the 3rd best 3PT% in the NBA and the Kings are last in defending the 3-point line. Lastly the Thunder are playing with double revenge as they’ve lost twice to Sacramento this season. Lay the short number with OKC.

ASA top play on 10* Phoenix Suns -1.5 at Golden State Warriors, 10 PM ET - The Suns are 3-0 against the Warriors this season and have that record despite one of their “big 3” not playing in each of those W’s. All-Star PG Booker sat out the Suns last game for load management but will play today so Phoenix will have their full complement of Stars. Golden State is playing their first game at home after a recent 5-game East coast road trip and will struggle in this match up. The Clippers, Lakers and Kings, a few other West coast teams, underperformed in their first games home after a similar travel schedule in recent weeks. The Suns are starting to look like the contender they were predicted to be prior to the start of the season. Phoenix has won 5 of their last 6 and 7 of 10. Golden State on the other hand has seen their Championship window close with an aging roster that hasn’t made any improvements. Phoenix is the better shooting team at 50% (3rd best) compared to the Warriors who rank 17th at 47.4%. The Warriors are 9th in 3-point percentage, but the Suns are 5th. When the Warriors were at their peak, they were one of the best teams in the league defensively. They don’t have that advantage here either as the Suns allow 1.157-points per possession compared to the Warriors who give up 1.172PPP. Steph Curry just scored 42-points against the Pacers and carried this Warriors team to a win. We don’t expect a repeat performance in this scheduling situation. I’m betting we also get a motivated effort from Kevin Durant against his former team. Lastly, the Suns being favored here tells us enough. Back Phoenix.

ASA top play on 10* Chicago Bulls +5 at Orlando Magic, 7:10 PM ET - The underdog is the way to go in this one as these two teams are very even and many aspects with the Bulls at 25-27 SU and the Magic at 28-24. Chicago is slightly better when it comes to offensive efficiency ratings at 1.137-points per possession compared to the Magic who average 1.129PPP. Defensively the Magic have the advantage allowing 1.119PPP compared to the Bulls giving up 1.153PPP. The two meetings between these two teams this season were close with the Magic winning by 6 and 2-points in the two meetings. In fact, the Underdog has cashed in 7 of the last 10 meetings between these two Eastern Conference foes. The big edge we see the Bulls have in this matchup is the fact that they don’t turn it over like Orlando does. The Bulls average the 4th fewest TO’s per game, the Magic turn it over 14.4 times per game which is 23rd worst. Orlando has been a great favorite this year but the oddsmakers are starting to adjust their pricing on the Magic, giving us some added value here. Chicago has won 3 straight road games and are more than capable of hanging with the young Magic on their home court.