Sports Picks & Predictions

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.

ASA top play on 10* OVER 232 Houston Rockets at Toronto Raptors, 7:40 PM ET - These two teams recently met in Houston with the Rockets winning big 135-106 which went Over the Total of 232. There was one outlier in that game in that the Rockets shot 595 as a team which is well above their season average of 46.4%. But the Raptors shot below their season average of 48% with a 44% night from the field. What we did learn from that game is both teams prefer an up-tempo pace as there were a combined 184 field goal attempts which is above league average of 178.8. Over their last five games the Rockets have played faster than normal with 102.5 possessions per game. They have an EFG% of 54.4%. Toronto has an EF% of 54.6% on the season but in their last five games that number improves to 56.1% which is a top 10 percentage. We don’t expect Houston to get to 135 in this game, but we are also betting the Raptors score more than 106. Toronto averages 114.5PPG at home this season. Toronto has struggled defensively of late as they have allowed 135 or more in four straight games and just allowed 117 to a Charlotte team that has struggled offensively this month. We are betting OVER in this one.

ASA top play on 10* Portland Trailblazers -5 vs Detroit Pistons, 10 PM ET - The Blazers find themselves in unfamiliar territory here as a favorite for only the 5th time this season. If we go back to the start of last season, they are 14-13 ATS as a home chalk with an average +/- of plus 4.6PPG. Portland is playing well right now with a 2-3 SU record in their last five games and two of those wins were against the Bucks and 76ers. Two of the losses were close games in Denver which speaks volumes of how much better this team is right now. Proving our point is their adjusted net ratings. On the season the Blazer ANR is -8.2, but in their last five games they are a positive +0.8. Detroit is 6-43 SU on the season with the worst road record in the league at 2-20 SU. They have one of the worst road differentials at minus -11.5PPG. Granted, the Pistons have covered 8 of their last ten games but only two of those games were away from home. Detroit has an adjusted net rating of -.9.5 for the season and -5.4 in their last five games. Portland has struggled offensively at times, but they should find plenty of open looks against this Pistons D that is 29th in defensive efficiency allowing 1.215-points per possession. We will lay the points with Portland.

ASA top play on 10* New Orleans Pelicans +6.5 at LA Clippers, 10 PM ET - This is a great spot to fade the red hot Clippers who have just played 7 straight games on the East Coast and only had 1 day off prior to this contest. New Orleans has won 3 straight games, the most recent was a 38-point blowout of the Raptors in which their starters played very few minutes. This will be the 3rd meeting of the season between these two teams with the road team winning both. The most recent clash was on January 5th in New Orleans which resulted in a Clippers 111-95 victory. The Pelicans had a horrendous night shooting by making 33/92 FG attempts or 36%. New Orleans is the 9th best shooting team in the league at 48.7% overall and own the 7th best 3PT%. These two teams have many similar statistics as the Clippers shoot 49.6% or 5th best and have the best overall 3PT% in the NBA. When it comes to defense the Pelicans rank 9th in defensive efficiency, the Clippers are 10th. The Pels hold opponents to 46.4% shooting, the Clippers give up 46.4%. The Clippers have 5 more wins on the season than the Pelicans, but these two teams are very even numbers wise. Given the travel circumstances, we won’t be surprised if New Orleans pulls the upset. Grab the points!

ASA top play on 10* Milwaukee Bucks +3.5 or +4 at Phoenix Suns, 10 PM ET - The Bucks have been on the road since Jan 29th and are playing with a day off after a loss in Utah. Phoenix meanwhile is returning home for their first game after a long 7-game road trip, and we like to fade teams in this situation. Prior to the extended road trip, the Suns had won two straight at home over Chicago and Indiana, but both were close and decided by 2 and 7-points. The Bucks are 1-3 SU on this trip and after that embarrassing loss in Utah we like them to bounce back here. Milwaukee sat Khris Middleton as a precaution in their last game, but he’s expected back for this game. The Bucks have an offensive efficiency advantage as they average 1.208 points per possession compared to the Suns who average 1.188PPP. Defensively the Suns have a slight edge allowing 1.160PPP compared to the Buck who give up 1.172PPP. Milwaukee has an edge when it comes to 3-point shooting though as they rank 7th best in 3PT% and the Suns rank 4th. But the Bucks defend the Arc much better, holding opponents to the 6th lowest 3PT% in the league at 35.1% compared to a Phoenix team that ranks 17th in 3PT% D. Milwaukee has won 3 straight in the series and 7 of the last eight. We expect that trend to continue and will ride the Bucks here plus the points.

ASA top play on Cleveland Cavaliers -5 vs Sacramento Kings, 7 PM ET - We missed our last bet against the Kings but will double down with the Cavs here. Scheduling certainly favors the Cavs in this matchup as the Kings are playing their 7th straight road game in 12 days. Sacramento jumped out to a big lead against the Bulls the other night, but the fatigue factor showed late in the game. The Bulls came all the way back from down 30 in the 3rd quarter to down 3-points late in the game. The Cavs have been off for a few days and have been playing well the past few weeks with 5-straight wins and 9 of their last ten. Cleveland have won 7 straight home games and all but one have come by 5 or more points. The Cavs don’t have a great overall home record at 17-8 SU but do own an average +/- of +5PPG. Sacramento is 15-11 SU away from home this season with an average differential of +1.6PPG. Cleveland owns the 4th best FG% defense in the NBA allowing 45.5% shooting to opponents. They also defend the 3-point line well, ranking 8th best in foes 3PT% against. The Kings on the other hand have struggled on the defensive end of the court allowing teams to shoot 48.4% which is 21st worst in the league. They don’t defend the 3PT line either, ranking 29th in that defensive category. The Cavs lost at Sacramento earlier this season but this is a shot at revenge and they make the most of this favorable spot! Cleveland delivers the revenge payback! Lay the points.

ASA play on Utah Jazz -1 or Pick -115 vs Milwaukee Bucks, 8 PM ET - The Bucks are off a solid win in Dallas last night and will struggle tonight without rest in Utah. The Jazz are off 3-straight losses, the most recent coming at home against Philly. Utah had played a tough 6-game road trip prior to the loss to the 76ers. Now that they are rested, we like them to get this home victory. Utah is 15-7 SU at home this season with a net point differential of +7.2PPG which is 10th best in the league. As of this writing the Jazz are a -1-point favorite here which puts them in the 7-1 SU role as a home dog with an average MOV of +14.3PPG. The Bucks are only slightly better than .500 with a 12-11 SU record as a visitor with an average differential of +1.4PPG. Milwaukee is 0-3 ATS as a road dog this season. These two teams met in early January in Milwaukee with the Jazz coming away with a 132-116 victory. Lillard did not play in that game, but the Jazz still shot 52% as a team against a Bucks defense that hasn’t lived up to expectations this season. Utah has won 9 of their last eleven home games and have impressive wins over the likes of: the Knicks, Mavs, Nuggets, Lakers and Pacers Fade the Bucks here and back the Jazz.

ASA top play on 10* Milwaukee Bucks -4.5 at Dallas Mavericks, 8:40 PM ET - There is something going on with this spread and looks to us as if the Oddsmakers are begging you to take the Mavericks at home plus the points. With more tickets and money being placed on the Mavs the line should not be going up in favor of Milwaukee. The Bucks are coming off two straight losses in new head coach Doc Rivers coaching debuts but have now had time to acclimate to his new systems. This Bucks team is one of the five best teams in the NBA, and they have lost 3-games in a row just two times in the past three regular seasons. Dallas is coming off a horrible showing in Minnesota in their last game which resulted in a 87-121 blowout loss. Dallas played without Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving in that game but should have Doncic back here. The Mavs have lost three straight at home as Underdogs to the Kings, Suns and Celtics with all three losses coming by 5 or more points. Milwaukee has the better offensive efficiency numbers and better defensive efficiency numbers despite it being a down year for them on the defensive end of the court. Milwaukee has won and covered 3 straight against Dallas and 4 of the last five. Lay the points with the Bucks.

ASA play on Chicago Bulls -1.5 or Pick'em -125 vs Sacramento Kings, 8 PM ET - Scheduling certainly favors the Bulls in this matchup as the Kings are coming off a game last night, playing their 3rd in four days and 6th in ten days which have all been on the road. Not to mention, the game last night had a little extra meaning for the Kings/Pacers players that were involved Sabonis/Haliburton trade. The Kings core rotation of players logged heavy minutes last night so this back-to-back is going to be especially tough. The Bulls have been off for a few days and have been playing well the past few weeks with an 8-5 SU record their last thirteen games. Chicago is 14-11 SU at home on the season with an average point differential of +2PPG. Dating back to the start of last season the Bulls have been profitable when playing with 2-3 days rest with a 16-9 ATS record and an average MOV of +3.2PPG. Sacramento is 9-12 ATS their last 21 when playing without rest and have a negative differential of minus -2.6PPG. The home team has won 5 of the last six in this series and we expect that trend to continue here.

ASA top play on 10* Denver Nuggets -11.5 vs. Portland Trailblazers, 10 PM ET - We typically don’t lay big numbers in the NBA, but we will make an exception tonight with Denver. The Nuggets sat All-Star/MVP Jokic in their last game, a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but he’s expected back tonight. The Blazers are coming off a huge upset over the Bucks the other night in Dame Lillards return to Portland and we expect them to letdown tonight. Portland has one of the worst road records in the NBA dating back to last season at 22-44 SU with an average differential of minus -7.5PPG. In that same time frame the Nuggets have the best home record in the league at 63-12 SU with the second-best average point differential of +9.7PPG. When we compare each teams recent spreads we find the Nuggets were favored by -8.5-points over the 76ers at home and even minus -10.5 against the Pacers in mid-January. Portland was just plus +10.5-points at home against the Bucks and were double-digit dogs at Houston, OKC and the Lakers. The Blazers are one of the poorest shooting teams in the league at 44% which ranks 29th and their 3PT% isn’t much better ranking 25th at 35.5%. Denver is a tough team to make shots against with the 9th best FG% defense and 13th best 3PT% D. Denver is going to have a much easier time scoring also with the 5th best shooting percentage in the NBA at 49.4% going up against a Blazer defense that allows 49.5% (26th). The advantage on the glass for Denver is also going to be an issue for Portland who rank 30th in defensive rebounds per game. With Denver off a loss and back at home, versus a young Portland team off a huge win, we will back the Nuggets and lay the points.

ASA top play on 10* Orlando Magic +8 at Minnesota Timberwolves, 8:10 PM ET - This is a solid spot to back the Magic and fade the Wolves in this East vs West matchup. These teams recently met in Orlando on Jan 9th with the Wolves winning 113-92 as a -5.5-point road favorite. At first glance that would mean tonight’s line should be at a minimum -12, but the Magic were missing 3 starters in the earlier clash, hence the lack of adjustment. Orlando is healthy here and playing well with their regular rotation back on the floor. The Magic are 2-2 SU in their last four games and the two losses were by 2-points or less. Orlando is 10-16 SU on the road this season but 8-4 ATS their last twelve as a road underdog. Minnesota is coming off a pair of big Western Conference wins against the Thunder and Mavericks and may let down here against a Magic team they recently beat by double-digits. The Wolves have the 4th best home record in the NBA at 18-4 and own a spread record of 12-8-2 ATS. Both teams are coming off a win in their previous game and it’s interesting how each has done in this role this season. The Magic are 16-8 ATS when coming off a ‘W’ which is the 3rd best number in the NBA. Minnesota on the other hand is 15-16-2 ATS off a win. When we look at each teams last five games we find they are near even in both offensive and defensive efficiency which would indicate these teams are playing much closer right now than the 8-point spread.

ASA top play on 10* OVER 240.5 Indiana Pacers @ NY Knicks, 7:40 PM ET - When the Pacers come to town it’s literally like the Circus is arriving as fans will be guaranteed an exciting evening of entertainment. Indiana is the second fastest paced team in the league at 102.6 possessions per game. They love to run and score the 4th most points per game in transition and are the 7th most efficient on the break. The Pacers are the most efficient offense in the league averaging 1.217-points per possession while scoring 124.8PPG. What the Pacers don’t do well is defend. Indiana is 26th in points allowed per possession (DEFF) at 1.197PPP and gives up on average 122.8PPG. The Knicks on the other hand do everything well with the 7th OEFF & DEFF rating on the season. I do see a trend with the Knicks and it’s when the oddsmakers post a Total of 240 or more they tend to be high scoring games. In 5 games involving the Knicks this season with an O/U of 240 or more, all but one has finished with 240 or more points being scored. One of those games was against the same Pacers team and that game had an O/U number of 248 and the two teams combined for 266 points. Indiana and their opponent have totaled 253 total points in 3 of their last four games overall. We will play OVER in this one.

ASA top play on 10* Portland Trailblazers +10.5 vs. Milwaukee Bucks, 10:10 PM ET - The Bucks haven’t been great off a loss with a 20-19-1 ATS record dating back to the start of last season and an average margin of victory in those games of +4.5PPG. The Bucks are coming off an ‘L’ in Denver on Monday in new head coach Doc Rivers debut. Milwaukee has an overall 11-10 SU road record this season with an average +/- of +1.1PPG. Portland is 8-13 SU at home on the season but 9-8 ATS as a home dog with a negative differential of minus -3.6PPG. The Blazers have been competitive as a home dog with a 6-1 ATS record in their last seven in that situation and the lone loss could have easily been a win against the Bulls just two games ago. In that game the Blazers had a horrible shooting night of 41% overall and 18% from Deep, both well below season averages. If we compare these two teams season averages we see the Bucks hold a massive offensive efficiency advantage but the two teams are even in DEFF. In the last five games of each team though the numbers are very close. The Bucks are averaging 1.166-points per possession, Portland is at 1.151PPP. Defensively, the Blazers are allowing 1.137PPP, the Bucks are giving up 1.119PPP. A lot is going to be made of Dame Lillard returning home to Portland and having a big game, but let’s not forget the Blazers roster is made up of guys out to show Dame he was wrong for leaving. We will grab the double-digits here.

ASA top play on 10* New Orleans Pelicans -2.5 at Houston Rockets, 8 PM ET - First off, we know the Rockets have been very good at home this season with a 17-8 SU record on their home court. The situation favors the Pelicans here who come into this game needing a win after 3 straight losses, while the Rockets just beat the Laker at home. The Pelicans 3 most recent losses came against the two best teams in the East at Milwaukee and at Boston. Prior to that the Pels lost to the Thunder. New Orleans is 9-7 SU their last sixteen games, but the 7 losses have come against some of the best teams in the NBA. On the season the Pelicans have faced the 7th toughest schedule to date yet have a winning 26-21 SU record and the 9th best adjusted net rating in the NBA. Houston has been a nice story this season, but their positive results don’t look sustainable with the current roster. In fact, it may be catching up with them as they are 7-12 SU in their last nineteen games. New Orleans should enjoy a sizable advantage from beyond the Arc with the 5th best 3-point shooting team in the NBA compared to a Rockets team that is the 27th worst in 3PT%. The Rockets have beaten the Pelicans twice this season but we are predicting payback here for New Orleans.

ASA top play on 10* Chicago Bulls -5.5 vs Toronto Raptors, 8:10 PM ET - This is a rematch of a game recently played in Toronto where the Bulls won 116-110 as a 2-point Dog. The natural swing of the line in this situation should have the Bulls favored by at least 6-points in this game. Chicago is quietly playing very well right now and have won 10 of their last fourteen at home. On the season the Bulls don’t have great overall statistics but when you look at a smaller subset like the last five games, they’ve been solid and three of those games were on the road. In the last five games the Bulls rank 15th in offensive efficiency and 9th in DEFF with an average point differential of +1.2PPG. Toronto has lost five straight games and 9 of their last ten overall. We used the Raptors in their last game at Atlanta as a 6.5-point Dog and felt they could win that game outright, but they came up 2-points short. In the last meeting between these two teams the Raptors had their full complement of starters with Quickley and Barrett healthy, but both will miss this contest. Toronto has some awful road statistics with a 6-16 SU record and an average +/- of minus -4.4PPG. They rank 23rd in defensive road efficiency and 13th in away offensive efficiency. The value is on the Bulls here minus the points, lay it!

ASA top play on 10* Minnesota Timberwolves +2.5 at Oklahoma City Thunder, 8 PM ET - Scheduling favors the Wolves here as the Thunder are off a game yesterday in Detroit and also playing their 3rd game in four days. They have been on the road in 7 of their last eight games overall. Fatigue will be a factor for the Thunder as they are also playing their 5th game in a seven-day span. Minnesota suffered an upset loss in San Antonio on Saturday night and should be primed for this rematch with the Thunder. Oklahoma City recently beat the T’Wolves in Minnesota on Jan 20th 102-97 as a 3-point Dog. They also beat this Timberwolves team by 23-points earlier this season in December. Prior to that, the Wolves had won 3 straight and 7 of the previous eight meetings. Oklahoma City is a tough place to play and they have a 17-5 SU record on their home court but the Wolves are 15-10 SU away. Both have winning SU records this season when coming off a loss, but the Wolves numbers are a little better at 11-2 SU with an average +/- of plus +12.4PPG. The schedule advantage cannot be overlooked and we will side with the Timberwolves in this one.

ASA top play on 10* Toronto Raptors +6.5 at Atlanta Hawks, 6 PM - The Atlanta Hawks shouldn’t be laying this many points to anyone in the NBA not named the Pistons, Spurs, Wizards or Hornets. This team is lacking effort on the defensive end of the court that is obvious to a casual observer, let alone statisticians. For the season the Hawks rank 27th in defensive efficiency allowing 1.204-points per possession. They just gave up 73-points to Luka Doncic and 148 to the Mavericks as a team. They have allowed 122, 134 and 148 in their last three games. Part of the problem seems to be several trade rumors involving this team which are impacting their on the court chemistry. Atlanta is 8-13 SU at home with a negative differential of minus -3.4PPG. Toronto made their trade when they shipped Siakam to the Pacers for Bruce Brown who should start for the injured Quickly in this one. The Raptors have lost 4 straight games they came against a hot Bulls team, the Knicks and Clippers. The one bad loss in that stretch was at home to the Grizzlies by 8-points. The Raptors were recently +7.5-points at New York and the Knicks are far superior to this Hawks team. Atlanta was an -8.5-point favorite at home against the 10-36 Spurs and the Raptors rate more than 2.5-points better than San Antonio. These two teams have similar offensive efficiency ratings but the Raptors are much better defensively. Grab the points.

ASA top play on 10* Sacramento Kings -1.5 at Dallas Mavericks, 9 pm ET - The Kings have a clear scheduling advantage here with a day of rest compared to the Mavs coming off a game last night in Atlanta. Luka Doncic had a monster night scoring 73-points but was visibly drained in the 4th quarter. Not only is this the second night of a back to back but also the Mavs 3rd game in four nights and 4th in six. Dallas has not done well on the second night of a back to back with a 7-13 SU record dating back to the start of last season. The Kings were off last night and are coming off a big win in Golden State on Thursday night. The Mavericks haven't been great at home with a 13-11 SU record this season and are 6-8-1 ATS as a home dog since the start of last season. In the games they've been a home underdog since last year they have lost those games by an average of -4.9PPG. Sacramento is 20-12-1 ATS dating back to the start of 2022 as a road favorite with an average +/- in those games of +3.7PPG. Earlier this season the Kings beat the Mavs rather easily on this floor by 16 and we expect another double-digit win here.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 238.5 Cleveland Cavaliers at Milwaukee Bucks, 8:10 PM ET - These same two teams just met on Wednesday night with the Bucks winning 126-116 on this same court. The game went Over the Total of 237.5 points. Both teams shot exceptionally well at 51% for the Cavs and 50% for the Bucks. Milwaukee also made 25 of 28 free throws for the game. That game was trending under through 3Q’s until the two teams exploded for 70-points in the 4th quarter. In other words, in a perfect storm these two teams combined for 242 points, and we are betting that doesn’t happen again here. In the 10 previous meetings between these teams, they have topped this Total only two times. The Cavaliers are the 3rd best defensive team in the NBA per efficiency ratings and 16th in OEFF. They are also one of the slower paced teams in the NBA at 98.1 possessions per game. The Bucks prefer to play faster, ranking 4th in pace and are 2nd in offensive efficiency but 19th in DEFF. We expect to see the Bucks defense improve with the new addition of coach Doc Rivers. The Bucks allowed the 4th fewest points per possession a season ago. The Cavs rank in the bottom third of the NBA in 3PT% so they won’t put up points from beyond the arc. The Bucks have the 7th best 3PT% in the NBA but the Cavs defense allows just 35.3% from Deep which is 8th best defensively. With these two teams having just played we expect the familiarity to lead to a lower scoring game.

ASA top play on 10* Golden State Warriors +2 or +2.5 vs. Sacramento Kings, 10 PM ET - This line is off, and the value clearly lies with the Warriors at home as an underdog. Golden State played last night but fatigue isn’t going to be a factor as they had 9-days off prior to that. Both teams' most recent opponent was Atlanta. The Warriors beat the Hawks by 22 last night as a 6-point home chalk. The Kings were favored by 8-points at home over Atlanta and won by 15. The outcomes aren’t what matter it’s the pointspread as Vegas is suggesting the Kings are a 2-point favorite on a neutral court. If we examine the three previous meetings this season, we find the Warriors were +1.5 and +3 at Sacramento and were favored by -7-points at home on November 1st. This is a big rivalry after last season’s playoff series and there is no way the Warriors should be home underdogs. Golden State’s Steph Curry has played extremely well against the Kings with a 50 and 41-point game against them in the last four meetings. If we go back to last season and the playoff series, Curry has averaged 33PPG vs. the Kings. Another recent schedule comparison is a Warriors home game against the Nuggets where they were a 4-point dog. Sacramento was also +4.5 points at Phoenix within the past 10-days. Golden State is 8-2 ATS as a home dog dating back to the start of last season. Grab the points as the wrong team is favored in this one.

ASA top play on 10* OVER 237.5 Philadelphia 76ers at Indiana Pacers, 7 PM ET - This number hasn’t been set high enough and the bet to make is on the Over the Total. Indiana just faced a Nuggets team that plays much slower than the 76ers and that O/U number was essentially the same at 237. Philadelphia is 5th in offensive efficiency this season averaging 1.207-points per possession and rank 15th in pace of play. The Indiana Pacers are 2nd in pace of play at 102.6 possession per game and rank 1st in OEFF while scoring on average 124.6PPG. Indiana also allows the 2nd most points per game at 122.9PPG and rank 26th in DEFF. Philadelphia is coming off a 133-123 win over the Spurs who play at the same frenetic pace as the Pacers and are equally as bad defensively. In the two meetings between these two teams this season they have produced 263 and 258 total points. Even without Haliburton for the Pacers we like a higher scoring game here. Bet Over!

ASA top play on 10* Milwaukee Bucks -6.5 vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, 8:10 PM ET - The Bucks have moved on from first year head coach Adrian Griffin after starting the season 30-13. The main reason for the firing was the Bucks lack of defense as they dropped from 4th in defensive efficiency from a year ago to 22nd this season. Interim coach Joe Prunty will take over in the short term as it looks like the Bucks will bring in vet Doc Rivers. Coaching won’t have a lot to do with tonight’s game, the players will. Milwaukee was just embarrassed on Jan 17th in Cleveland by 40-points, a 95-135 loss that is still fresh in their minds. Going back to December 29th, the Bucks beat the Cavs on their home court 119-111. In the most recent Cleveland win, the Cavs got a ‘unicorn’ night from George Niang who shot 13 of 14 from the floor in scoring 33-points. We are betting the short-handed Cavs don’t get another performance like that from Niang tonight in Milwaukee. The Bucks are 19-4 SU at home on the season with an average +/- of +7PPG. They have won 3 straight at home against quality competition in the Celtics, Warriors and Kings. Cleveland is playing very well right now with 8 straight wins, but other than the win against the Bucks, they haven’t beaten a team in that stretch of games with a winning percentage better than .524. Three of the Cavs last eight wins have come against the Wizard and Spurs who combined have 15 wins between them on the year. This one will get ugly early!

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 240.5 Denver Nuggets @ Indiana Pacers, 7:10 PM ET - The Pacers are returning home after a long 6 game West Coast road trip and one of those games was a date in Denver. The Books posted an Over-Under on that game of 239.5 and the game finished with 226 total points. Granted, Tyrese Haliburton did not play in that game and is expected to be in the lineup tonight but we still like the value with the Under. In that most recent game, the Pacers shot 47% in making 43 of 92 field goal attempts. Denver shot extremely well at 65%, making 46 of 71 from the field. The main statistic here is the number of field goal attempts which was well below league average. Indiana relies heavily on their transition offense or fast break points as they average the 4th most in the league at 17 per game. Denver allows the 9th fewest transition points per game at 13.5ppg. Indiana is the 2nd fastest paced team in the NBA at 102.9 possessions per game but in their last five games that average dips to 100.2. The Nuggets prefer a much slower tempo, ranking 29th in the league with an average of 97.5 possessions per game. In each teams last five games they have been above average in terms of defensive efficiency. We don’t see the Pacers having much energy in their first game home after the extended travel and the Nuggets prefer a much slower pace to begin with. We will be this on Under the number.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 229 Chicago Bulls @ Phoenix Suns, 9 PM ET - The Suns are coming off a high tempo game last night against the Pacers with the starters seeing extended court time. They will gladly play at a much slower pace tonight against the Bulls. Over their last five games the Bulls are 25th in pace of play at 96.1 possessions per game. On the season the Bulls are THE slowest team in the league at 96 possessions per game. Contrary to what you might think, the Suns actually play slower, also ranking 28th in pace on the season and 17th in the last five games. Both teams rate right around the league average in defensive efficiency allowing 1.154-points per possession. On the season the Suns rate above average in offensive efficiency, Chicago is well below. In recent action the Bulls are 16th in OEFF, the Suns are 17th. Chicago is missing one of their scorers as Zach LaVine is out tonight with an ankle injury. LaVine is averaging 19.5PPG on the season and shooting over 45%. The Suns have played Under the total in 3 straight games and 4 of their last five. After a stretch of 4 straight Overs the Bulls have now stayed below their posted Total in 2 of their last three. In the other meeting this season these two teams combined for 231 in overtime but had just 219 in regulation. The O/U on that game was 218 so you can see for yourself the added value here. Bet UNDER.

ASA top play 10* on #572 Phoenix Suns -4.5 vs. Indiana Pacers, 8 PM ET - Phoenix is starting to jell now that they have a relatively healthy roster and look like the team many expected them to be this season. The Suns have won 4 straight games with an 18-point win at the Lakers, an 11-point win at Portland, a solid home win over the Kings and then a W at New Orleans. Indiana is playing their 6th straight road game and coming off a poor showing in Portland. The Pacers also lost by 8-points in Denver and by 27 in Utah on this road trip. Granted they did not have Haliburton for most of this trip, but he did play in their most recent game in Portland. Indiana has one of the worst road defensive efficiency numbers in the NBA as they allow 1.224-points per possession (27th). The Suns season statistics aren’t an accurate indicator for this team as the Big 3 of Beal, Durant and Booker have barely played together. Now that all 3 are on the floor we expect their numbers to improve dramatically including their 3-point percentage which is 37.6% and 9th best in the league. The Pacers are 23rd in the league in defending the 3PT line allowing 37.8%. The Suns were recently a 4.5-point home favorite against the Kings, the same line we have here. That same Kings team just hosted the Pacers and were 8-point favorites. That tells us the value is on the Suns in this home game at a bargain price.

ASA top play on 10* Miami Heat -6.5 vs. Atlanta Hawks – 8:10 PM ET - This is certainly a tough scheduling spot for the Hawks who are coming off a game last night versus the Magic while Miami is rested. It took a buzzer beating shot by Dejonte Murray to steal that victory last night and we’re betting they have a tough time getting back up for this game tonight. When Miami last played they were blown out in Toronto 121-97. The Heat rank 11th in defensive efficiency rating but they struggled to get stops against the Raptors and allowed 20 made 3-pointers. Prior to that loss the Heat had won 3 straight games and are finally getting healthy Butler, Adebayo and Herro all in the lineup. These teams met in December with the Heat winning 122-113 at home as a 1-point chalk. Miami played without Butler in that game and still won by 9-points. The Hawks haven’t been a great road team this season with a negative differential of minus -1.7PPG and a 9-12 SU record. Miami has had a ton of missed games by starters this season yet still have a home record of 12-7 SU and an average +/- of plus 1.2PPG. Miami has been very good when coming off a loss with a 61% win rate dating back to the start of last season. Atlanta is one of the worst teams in the NBA when playing without rest with a 5-15 SU record in their last 20. Miami has won outright 7 of the last ten meetings and will get a double-digit win here.

ASA top play on #503 Milwaukee Bucks -3.5 or -4 @ Cleveland Cavaliers, 7:40 PM ET - The Cavs have won 5 straight games, but they’ve come against 19-23 Bulls, 16-23 Nets, 7-32 Spurs and two wins against the 7-32 Wizards. So, let’s not be fooled by this current Cavaliers stretch of wins. The Bucks on the other hand have won 3 straight against the Celtics, Warriors and Kings. Milwaukee is the superior team here offensively ranking 3rd compared to the Cavs ranking 20th. Cleveland does hold the advantage defensively with the 5th best overall rating compared to the Bucks at 15th. Milwaukee has the 3rd best 3-point percentage in the league while the Cavs rank 10th in 3PT% defense. The Cavs are 26th in the NBA in 3PT% shooting and won’t make many against the Bucks defense that is 2nd in the league in defending the 3-point line. In fact, in the most recent meeting between these two teams the Bucks held the Cavs to 6 of 43 on 3-point field goals. The Cavaliers are still without dynamic PG Garland and starting Center Mobley and simply don’t have the depth to hang with Milwaukee at near full strength. Lay the points on the road.

ASA play on Phoenix Suns -5 vs Sacramento Kings, 9 PM ET - The Suns grade out below the Kings in most season long statistical categories, but they’ve played most of the season without their ‘big 3’ of Booker, Durant and Beal on the floor together. They are finally healthy so we are starting to see what this roster can potentially do. They are coming off 2 straight road wins over the Lakers and Blazers and now catch a Kings team playing their 5th straight road game. Sacramento is off a demoralizing last second loss to the Bucks when Dame Lillard hit a deep 3-pointer with no time on the clock. The big edge we like for the Suns in this game will be 3-point shooting. The Suns are 11th in the league in 3-point percentage (even with the injuries) at 37.4%. The Kings are second to last in the NBA in opponents 3PT% allowed. The Suns are also one of the best defensive rebounding teams in the league, so the Kings won’t get many second chance opportunities here. You can expect the Suns to steadily trend up as they become accustomed to playing with each other so tonight is a ‘buy low’ opportunity with Phoenix.

ASA top play on 10* Indiana Pacers +7.5 at Utah Jazz, 9 PM ET - This line is grossly inflated with the Jazz current success and the fact that the Pacers are coming off a game in Denver last night. The Pacers gave extended minutes to their bench players yesterday so fatigue shouldn’t be a factor here. Utah has ripped off 5-straight wins, but they are coming off a big win over the Lakers and have two huge games on deck against the Warriors and Thunder. Looking at recent home games for the Jazz they were favored by -8.5-points against the 3-36 Pistons. Now they are laying nearly that same number against the 23-16 Pacers. Utah has been a solid home favorite this season with a 5-1 ATS record, but the Pacers are a profitable 13-9 ATS as an underdog this season. These two teams have similar strength of schedules yet the Pacers rank 2nd in offensive efficiency and 26th in DEFF compared to the Jazz who are 23rd in OEFF and 23 in defensive efficiency. Clearly the Bookmakers have over-adjusted this number so let's grab the value with Indiana over Utah.

ASA top play on 10* Sacramento Kings +5.5 or +5 at Milwaukee Bucks, 7 PM ET - We like the scheduling advantage for the Kings as they catch the Bucks off a big game last night against the Golden State Warriors. Milwaukee is also off a huge home win over the Celtics on Thursday night making this their 3rd game in four nights and the 2nd of of a back to back. The Bucks clearly are not unbeatable at home this season as they’ve lost recent home games to the Jazz and Pacers. Since the start of last season the Bucks are 50-14 SU at home with an average +/- of +6.3PPG. The Kings are rested and come into this game off a recent loss in Philadelphia. Prior to that loss the Kings had won 4 straight road games. Going back to the start of the 2022-23 season the Kings have the 4th best road record in the NBA and average +/- on the road of +1.7PPG. Milwaukee’s defense has been their Achilles heel this season as they give up 119.4PPG which is 24th most in the league. Sacramento is the 9th highest scoring team in the league and should put up plenty of points here to cover this short number.

ASA top play on 10* OVER 231 New Orleans Pelicans at Dallas Mavericks, 8:40 PM ET - The Pelicans are in a very tough scheduling situation playing their 2nd of a back-to-back and third game in four nights. Not to mention, last night’s game was in altitude in Denver. Dallas has been at home and is coming off a 128-124 win over the Knicks. They played without Luka Doncic in that game but it clearly didn’t hurt them offensively as they put up 128 points against the 10th adjusted ranked efficiency defense. Dating back to the start of last season the Pelicans have gone Over the total in 70.6% of their games when playing without rest. In those 17 games the Over has cashed by an average of +7.8PPG. The Pels have the 12th most efficient offense in the NBA and play at a league average pace. The Mavericks own the 8th most efficient offense in the NBA, rank 24th in DEFF (meaning they will give up points here) and also play at the 8th fastest pace in the league. In the two head-to-head meetings this season they have produced 241 and 260 total points. The bet here is OVER again.

ASA top play on 10* Minnesota Timberwolves -14 over the Portland Trailblazers, 8:10 PM ET - We don’t make a habit of laying double digits in the NBA but tonight we will make an exception. The Blazers are bad…really bad! In their last two games they’ve lost to the Knicks 84-112 and to OKC last night 77-139. This team is last in the NBA in offensive efficiency over their last 5 games and score just .980 points per possession in that span of games. Defensively they are better, but not by much as they allow 1.189PPP which ranks 20th in their last 5. They have the worst average point differential in the league at minus -21.4PPG in that same stretch of games. Portland is playing their 7th straight road game, 2nd of back-to-back nights, 3rd in four nights and 7th game in 12 days. The Blazers average +/- on the road this season is a negative -9.8PPG. Minnesota meanwhile is coming off a tough loss to the Celtics and also lost their most recent home game to the Pelicans. The Wolves have the 4th best home differential in the NBA at +9.7PPG and rely on a defense that is best in the NBA in terms of efficiency ratings. Given the circumstances we expect the T’Wolves to get a dominating home win here.

ASA play on Boston Celtics +6 at Milwaukee Bucks, 7:30 PM ET - Something is clearly going on within the Bucks organization/locker room that we can’t figure out. Even though this team is 25-12 SU, this loaded roster should be better than it is. The Bucks are currently 21st in defensive efficiency after ranking 4th a season ago. The Celtics were 3rd in DEFF a year ago and rank 2nd this season allowing just 1.113PPP. That’s what separates these two teams as the C’s play defense and the Bucks don’t. Both teams average over 1.210 points per possession and rank 2nd and 3rd in offensive efficiency. The Celtics are coming off a game last night but that hasn’t mattered as they are 9-4 ATS dating back to the start of last season when playing without rest. They have a very deep roster and have beaten the Bucks 5 of the last six times they’ve played. Milwaukee was 24-18-2 ATS at home a year ago with an average +/- of +5.9PPG. The Celtics owned the best road point differential in the league last season at +2.9PPG. Boston has an average margin of victory on the road this season of +6.4PPG. Milwaukee at home is winning by an average +5.8PPG at home with a 7-11-1 ATS record on their home court. Grab the points with the Celtics unless they decide to sit starters.

ASA top play on 10* Denver Nuggets -6.5 at Utah Jazz, 10 PM ET - Utah is coming off a tough East coast road trip and two huge upset wins of the 76ers and Bucks. The Jazz benefited from facing a 76ers team without Joel Embiid and a Bucks team without Lillard. Those two victories will have the Nuggets on high alert and focused for this road date in Utah. Denver continues to play outstanding with an 8-2 SU record their last 10 games with 6 of those W’s coming by 6+ points. The Nuggets have been favored by -7.5 or more points in four straight meetings with the Jazz and have covered 3 of 4. A key advantage in this game for Denver will be in the turnover department. Denver turns the ball over the 2nd fewest times per game at 12.2 on the season while the Jazz turn it over more than any team in the league at 16.4 per game. The Nuggets are also one of the best shooting teams in the NBA at 49.5% and the Jazz are 19th in opponents FG% against allowing 47.8%. Utah will have a tough time scoring here with the 25th worst shooting statistics in the league (46.2%) going up against a Denver D that holds opponents to 46.3% (10th). The Nuggets have won 6 straight road games, and we like them to get a win by a double-digit margin here.

ASA top play on 10* Oklahoma City Thunder -11 or 11.5 at Washington Wizards, 7 PM ET - Rarely will you find us on a double-digit road favorite but there are times you have to make exceptions to the rules which is the case tonight. Oklahoma City Thunder is an elite team in the NBA at 23-11 SU and a serious contender in the Western Conference. Washington is a dumpster fire at 6-29 SU and expect a roster shakeup before the trade deadline. OKC has lost two straight on the road and will bounce back here after a couple days of rest. The Thunder have the 2nd best average Margin of Victory on the road this season at +7.2PPG. The have the #1 defensive efficiency rating on the road allowing 1.095 points per possession and rank 9th in OEFF. Washington has the WORST average road differential in the NBA at minus -12PPG. They rate 24th in offensive efficiency and 30th or last in DEFF. The Thunder are the 2nd best overall shooting team in the NBA and the Wiz are 29th in overall FG% defense. OKC is 1st in 3PT% offense and the Wizards are 23rd in defending the 3-point line. With Oklahoma City off a pair of losses we expect them to be focused here with a big road effort.

ASA top play on 10* Orlando Magic +9.5 at Denver Nuggets, 9 PM ET - This is a great spot to fade the Nuggets and back the Magic. Denver is off a huge last second win last night in Golden State and will have a tough time getting back up for the Magic tonight. The Nuggets came back from 18-points down in the final 7-minutes to win and expended a ton of energy in that comeback win. Orlando is rested and coming off a most recent loss in Sacramento by 3-points in OT. The Magic have lost 3 straight road games at the Kings, Warriors and Suns. They were plus +6-points against the Kings and Suns and catch an inflated number here. Not only are the Nuggets playing the second night of a back to back but they are also playing their 5th game in nine days. Denver has a winning record of 11-9 ATS when playing without rest but their average margin of victory is only +1.2PPG. In their last 8 road games the Magic have just 2 losses by more than 9-points. Easy call here with the Underdog.

ASA top play on 10* Golden State Warriors +3 vs Denver Nuggets, 10 PM ET - This is a quick rematch between these two teams as they recently met in Denver on Christmas Day. There was some controversy after the game as Warriors coach Steve Kerr had issues with Nuggets Center Jokic attempting 18 free throws by himself. That game went down to the wire with the Nuggets holding on for a home win by 6-points as a -7.5-point favorite. With that said this line should be a pick’em based off the number of the previous meeting. This has been a tightly contested series with 7 of the last eight meetings all decided by 6-points or less. The Warriors are coming off a win at home over the Magic and the encouraging news for the Warriors is that Klay Thompson is starting to find his stroke again. Thompson was 6 of 11 against the Magic and is a huge factor in the Warriors offense. In the game against the Nuggets he was 3 of 12 from the field. The Warriors are the best offensive rebounding team in the NBA and the Nuggets allow the 17th most. Golden State has a positive home point differential and is 9-6 SU on their home court with an impressive win over the Celtics recently. Denver has won 5 straight on the road but those W’s didn’t come against great competition (Hornets, Nets, Raptors, Bulls, Hawks). Grab the points with GST.

ASA top play on 10* Atlanta Hawks +2 vs Oklahoma City Thunder, 7:40 PM ET - The Thunder are in a tough scheduling situation here after coming off a huge game against the Boston Celtics last night. Not only that, but they are also playing their 3rd game in four nights and 6th game in nine days. Fatigue is certainly going to be a factor in Atlanta where the Hawks are home and rested. Atlanta is 1-4 SU their last five games but did win their most recent game in Washington. The Hawks have Jalen Johnson back in the starting lineup and now become a deeper team. We are expecting the Hawks to get plenty of extra field goal attempts with the 2nd best offensive rebounding team going up against an OKC team that 29th in defensive rebounding. The Thunder are 28th in rebounding overall while the Hawks are 19th. The Thunder put everything into their game last night against the league leading Celtics and will have little left in the tank to face the rested Hawks.

ASA top play on 10* Oklahoma City Thunder +3.5 vs Boston Celtics, 8:10 PM ET - Both teams come into this game red hot with the Celtics on an 11-1 SU run their last twelve games while OKC is 7-1 SU their last eight games. Boston has the 2nd best average margin of victory at +10.2PPG but the Thunder are 3rd at +7.7PPG and OKC has faced a slightly tougher schedule. On a neutral court we would have Boston favored by -3.1 points, so the value is clearly on the Thunder at home where they are 13-5 SU this season +8.4PPG. Looking at recent Thunder games and we see they were recently favored by 2-points at home over Minnesota and minus -6.5-points home vs. the Clippers. The Celtics were recently favored by 4 and 5-points at the Lakers and Clippers and should not be laying points here. Boston lives and dies with the 3-ball as they rank 1st in the NBA in attempts and makes but rank 11th in 3PT%. OKC defends the 3-point line well, ranking 10th in 3PT% defense. The Thunder are the leagues best 3-point shooting team in the NBA and the Celtics are 14th in defending the Arc. That 3-point advantage will be key tonight in what shapes up to be a 1-possession game either way. Grab the points.

ASA top play on 10* #572 Indiana Pacers -4.5 vs NY Knicks, 7:10 PM ET - We like the Pacers here as the Knicks are in a tough scheduling situation with this being the second night of a back-to-back. Not only are they playing without rest, but this will also be their 3rd game in four days, 4th game in six days. Now they must face the second fastest paced team in the NBA who is rested and at home. Indiana played extremely well going into the in-season tournament but came back to Earth immediately afterwards. They have seemed to have found their groove again with a pair of wins on the road at Houston and Chicago. New York is 9-9 SU on the road this season with a negative overall differential. Indiana is 8-7 SU at home with an average +/- of plus 6.7PPG. The key advantage the Pacers have is their transition offense which averages the most fastbreak points in the league compared to a Knicks team that allows the 20th most. Lay it with Indiana.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 231.5 Charlotte Hornets at Phoenix Suns, 9:10 PM ET - Charlotte is coming off a game last night and gave up 133 to the Lakers. They have given up some big numbers recently against the Lakers, Pacers and 76ers but we don’t expect that tonight in Phoenix. The three teams previously mentioned are faster paced teams ranking 13th or better but the Suns are the 5th slowest team in the NBA. Phoenix is also an average team in terms of offensive efficiency at 1.166-points per possession. Charlotte doesn’t play fast either (without Ball in the lineup) ranking 17th in pace this season overall and they’ve been slower yet in their last five games at 97.7 possessions per game. The Hornets are struggling offensively having scored 114 or less points in 9 straight games and 104 or less in 5 of nine. The Suns had an outlier offensive game last time out when they put up 129 against the Rockets. Prior to that they had scored 114 or less in 7 of their last nine games. We aren’t expecting many points in this game and will BET UNDER.

ASA top play on 10* Golden State Warriors -3.5 vs. Miami Heat, 10:10 PM ET - The Warriors are playing better of late with wins in 5 of their last six games. The lone loss in that stretch was their most recent game on Christmas Day in Denver. Golden State has won 8 straight at home including an impressive win over the Boston Celtics. The Warriors last five games numbers are significantly better than their overall numbers on the season. In their last five games they have an offensive efficiency rating of 1.237-points per possession and a DEFF of 1.167PPP. Miami has some solid road numbers including a 9-6 SU record and a +2.8PPG differential. The Heat though have played the 27th easiest schedule to date compared to the Warriors who have faced the 3rd toughest. Going back to the start of last season, the Warriors are 36-25 ATS at home with an average margin of victory of +6.1PPG. Miami is off a big upset win in Philly on Christmas Day and now travels across the country to face a motivated Warriors team as Miami won the most recent meeting last season so this is a revenge spot for the Warriors. Lay the short number.

ASA top play on 10* Oklahoma City Thunder -2.5 vs NY Knicks, 8 PM ET - We are not concerned about the Thunder playing last night as they were able to give extended minutes to several bench players. OKC had a remarkable shooting night at 60% against the best defensive team in the NBA and now face a Knicks team that is average in that regard. New York allows opponents to make 47.5% of their FG attempts which ranks 18th in the league. One key advantage the Thunder have here is their 3-point shooting as they have the 2nd best 3PT percentage in the NBA at 38.6%. The Knicks allow foes to hit 37.3% which is 19th worst in the league. The Knicks are average in most key offensive categories and the Thunder hold the 2nd best FG% defense and are 12th in defending the 3-point line. This line is a bargain considering the Thunder were just favored by 2-points against the T-Wolves, -3.5 vs. the Lakers and -6.5 vs. the Clippers who all grade out higher than the Knicks. OKC has a positive differential of +7PPG at home this season and should get a win by that margin here.

ASA top play on 10* New Orleans Pelicans -4.5 vs. Memphis Grizzlies, 8 PM ET - We really liked this game when it opened at -3.5 but there is still value at the current number with New Orleans. These same two teams just met on this court last week with Memphis winning by 2-points on a Ja Morant game winner. The Pelicans were favored by -8.5-points in that game, hence the value here. It’s a great situation to back New Orleans as they are off a home loss to the Rockets while Memphis has won 3 straight since the return of Morant. The Grizzlies upset this Pelicans team, then won at home against a Pacers team that is trending down, then beat a Hawks team that is 3-8 their last eleven. New Orleans is a solid home team with a 33-23 ATS record and a plus/minus of +4.6PPG dating back to the start of last season. Memphis is 22-36 ATS on the road since the start of last year with a +/- of -3.8PPG. With the quick turnaround between these two teams we like the situation and scheduling to back the Pelicans at home.

ASA Top Play on 10* Philadelphia 76ers -1.5 or Pick -120 at Miami Heat – 8:10 PM ET - The 76ers have been a money-making machine this season with a 20-8 ATS record, and we’ll back them on the road in Miami. The Heat are getting healthy, but we’re still not sold on this roster. Miami has won 5 of their last seven games but the wins have come against Charlotte (2x), Chicago, Orlando and Atlanta which is hardly impressive. Philly is on an 8-1 SU run and owns the best average point differential in the NBA at +11.3PPG. The Sixers are the best offensive efficiency team in the league and rank 5th defensively. Miami is 14th in DEFF and 15th in OEFF and have a negative point differential at home of -0.8PPG. The visitor has covered 4 straight in this rivalry and we expect that trend to continue here.

ASA Top Play on 10* Denver Nuggets -6.5 vs Golden State Warriors – 2:30 PM ET - This Warriors team is not your Warriors team from the past. The aging roster is catching up to them and we don’t see them as a relevant contender this season in the West. Denver on the other hand has the best starting five in the NBA and clearly are one of the favorites to win it all this season. Denver doesn’t lose very often at home with a 71.1% winning percentage at home since the start of the 2020 season. Since the start of last season the Nuggets are 55-10 SU with an average +/- of +10PPG. Golden State has really struggled on the road the past two season with a 18-43 SU record and a loss margin of minus -3.6PPG. Denver has won 4 straight in the series, including a 3-point win earlier this season at home. Denver owns the 8th best 3-point percentage defense in the NBA and can limit Curry and Crew from Deep. Lay the points.

ASA top play on Memphis Grizzlies Pick'em -115 vs Atlanta Hawks, 7:40 PM ET - The Grizzlies are significantly better with Ja Morant on the floor as evidenced by their two wins with him back in the lineup. Today they face a Hawks team off a game last night in Miami. Atlanta is 5-13 SU their last 18 when playing without rest and they’ve lost those games by an average of minus -2.7PPG. Going back to the start of last season the Grizzlies have an average point differential of +5.1PPG when holding a rest advantage over their opponents and a 16-12 record. Atlanta took a hit when they lost up-and-coming Jalen Johnson and have just 3 wins in their last ten games. This is the Hawks 3rd game in four nights and 4th in six days so fatigue will be a factor. Memphis has two quality wins over the Pelicans and Pacers in their last two games and there is a reason they are favored in this game.

ASA NBA top play on 10* Brooklyn Nets +4.5 vs. Denver Nuggets, 7:40 PM ET - We are grabbing the value with the Nets here at home plus the points. These two teams recently met in Denver where the Nuggets were favored by -9-points. That means this line should be Denver minus 1 or 2 points. The Nets were in the middle of a tough road stretch and were playing the second night of a back-to-back in altitude. They shot horribly at 41% overall and made just 8 of 30 3-point attempts. The Nuggets were just favored by this same spread in Toronto who we grade slightly worse than Brooklyn. The Nuggets road numbers aren’t great at 7-8 SU with an average point differential of minus -0.4PPG. Brooklyn is 8-5 SU at home with the 12th best average margin of victory at +6.8PPG. We like the Nets to get a bit of revenge here from that recent loss in Denver. Grab the points.

ASA top play on 10* Oklahoma City Thunder -4.5 vs LA Clippers, 8 PM ET - The Clippers trade for Harden seems to be working out as they’ve won 9 games in a row, including a road win last night in Dallas. L.A. is now playing their 3rd game in four nights and the second of a back-to-back in OKC. The Thunder have been off since the 18th and they’ve won 6 of their last eight games. The Thunder are coming off two straight impressive wins in Denver and at home against Memphis by 19-points. Oklahoma City is winning at home by an average of +7.3PPG which is the 10th best number in the NBA. When playing without rest the Clippers are 7-12 SU since the start of last season with a negative differential of minus -3.1PPG. The Clippers typically beat teams by shooting a high percentage but that will be tough to do tonight against an OKC team that is 2nd in opponents FG% overall and 9th in defending the 3-point line. The Thunder also shoot it just as well as the Clippers from beyond the arc (4th) and overall (4th). The scheduling clearly favors the Thunder at home.

ASA top play on 10* Houston Rockets -3 vs Atlanta Hawks, 8:10 PM ET - We have admittedly been slow to get on the Rockets bandwagon but will side with them tonight at home against the Hawks. If you haven’t been paying attention, the Rockets are 11-1 SU at home and the only loss came back in the first week of the season to Golden State. They have beaten some of the best teams in the league at home including: the Kings (twice) Lakers, Pelicans, Nuggets (twice) and Thunder. Houston’s average Margin of Victory at home is 4th best in the NBA at +12.8PPG. The Hawks have OK road numbers with an average MOV of +0.5PPG and a 6-6 SU record but most recently they’ve struggled with a 2-6 SU record in their last eight road contests. Their last four road wins have come against teams with losing records with 2 of those coming at the Spurs and at Washington, two of the worst teams in the league. Houston is coming off a 3-game road stint with a win in Memphis and two tightly contested losses in Milwaukee and Cleveland. Atlanta has been a fade team all season long with a 6-20 ATS record while the Rockets are 16-7-1 ATS. We expect that trend to continue tonight and will back Houston.

ASA top play on 10* Denver Nuggets -4 at Toronto Raptors, 7:30 PM ET - Toronto used to have one of the best home court advantages in the NBA but that hasn’t been the case this season. The Raptors are 8-7 SU with an average point differential of +1.4PPG. In their last five games at home, they have a pair of unimpressive wins against poor teams such as Charlotte and Atlanta and losses to good teams Miami and New York. Toronto is just 3-4 SU at home against teams with a current winning record. Denver is not a deep team but their starting five is as good as anyone in the NBA. They recently went through a stretch of games without PG Murray but he’s back now and the Nuggets have won 4 of their last five games. Denver has played the 8th toughest schedule yet still has an average point differential of +4.8PPG which is 7th highest in the league. Toronto has faced a much weaker schedule, and their net point differential is -1.7PPG. These two teams are relatively even in defensive efficiency, but the Nuggets hold a big advantage when it comes to offensive efficiency, averaging 1.185PPP compared to the Raptors 1.133PPP. At this price we will back the World Champs minus the points.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 235 Boston Celtics at Golden State Warriors, 10 PM ET - The O/U number on this game has ticked up slightly from the opener and we like the added value with an Under wager on this marquee NBA game tonight. Scoring is up as a whole in the NBA with games averaging roughly 230 total points per contest. To get to that lofty total you need several factors including pace of play, a poor defense or great offense. In this match up we have the Warriors who rank 13th in pace of play at 99.7 possessions per game, Boston ranks 23rd. The Celtics are 7th in offensive efficiency but the Warriors rank 15th in OEFF. Defensively the Celtics are 4th in defensive efficiency and allow 109PPG. Golden State is 17th in DEFF and give up 115PPG. When playing away from home the Celtics tend to play slower and score less at 111.2PPG which is significantly lower than the 123.6PPG they score at home. Golden State also plays at a slower tempo at home compared to when they play on the road and also score and allow less at home. In the two meetings last season these teams combined for 230 and 222 (in regulation) when they faced each other, and they have stayed Under the total in 7 of the last ten meetings overall. The bet here is UNDER!

ASA top play on 10* OVER 247 Washington Wizards at Sacramento Kings, 8:15 PM ET - The Wizards are in a tough spot here having played last night in Phoenix. Tonight’s game will also be their 3rd game in four days. Washington is a team that really struggles on the defensive end of the court and we know that ‘s where most of your energy should be spent. The Wiz are last in the league in defensive efficiency allowing 1.217PPP and 126.3PPG. They have allowed 130+ in 6 of their last ten games, 140 or more twice. Washington wants to play fast with the 2nd highest possession rate in the NBA. The Kings are going to score in this game and could easily get to that 130 number. Sacramento is 11th in pace and 14th in offensive efficiency. The Kings are averaging the 9th most points per game at 116.3PPG and are coming off a pair of games scoring 128 and 125. It’s a big number, but we like this game to reach 250+ total points.

ASA top play on 10* Houston Rockets +7 at Milwaukee Bucks, 7 PM ET - This is a great spot to fade Milwaukee and back a red hot Rockets team. Houston has won 5 straight games and that includes a pair of wins over OKC and Denver. This Rockets team is tenacious defensively ranking 2nd in defensive efficiency allowing just 1.082 points per possession. In comparison the Bucks rank 23rd. The Bucks have won three straight and 8 of their last ten but take a look at who they’ve played. Milwaukee has not faced a defense of this caliber since November 22nd at Boston and they lost by 3-points. In their last ten games the Bucks have faced 8 teams that rank in the bottom third of the NBA in total defense. Milwaukee has played THE easiest schedule in the NBA, the Rockets have faced the 12th toughest. Grab the points with Houston.

ASA top play on 10* Cleveland Cavaliers -2 or -2.5 vs Atlanta Hawks, 7:30 PM ET - The Hawks are in a tough scheduling situation here having played and won in Toronto on Friday night. This will be the second night of a back-to-back and their 3rd game in four nights. Cleveland has lost 4 straight games, but they’ve come against Miami, Orlando and Boston twice. The Cavs suffered a blow in their last game, losing PG Garland for the foreseeable future with a jaw injury. But LeVert is more than capable of filling in for Garland and also expect Donovan Mitchell to step up to the task. The Hawks hold the offensive advantage, but the Cavs are that much better defensively ranking 8th in defensive efficiency compared to the Hawks at 28th. With this low number we are basically just asking the Cavs to win this game outright and they are 38-18 SU at home since the start of last season with an average Margin of Victory of +5.8PPG. Atlanta is 25-33 SU their last 58 road games with a negative differential of minus -1.1PPG. Atlanta playing without rest is 5-12 SU their last 17, minus -2.4PPG. Let’s back the shorthanded Cavs at home in desperation mode.

ASA top play on 10* Boston Celtics -6 vs. Orlando Magic, 7:30 PM ET - These same two team met in Orlando in late November with the Celtics favored by -5.5-points. The Magic pulled the upset 113-96 when the C’s shot poorly at 41% while the Magic shot above their average at 51%. If Boston was a road favorite of -5.5-points they should be a larger favorite at home where they are 11-0 with an average margin of Victory of plus +15.9PPG. Orlando is 11-2 SU their last 13 games but 8 of those came at home. Their last two road games have been losses by 10 and 28-points. Boston has a big advantage from beyond the arc as the Magic shoot just 34.3% from Deep which ranks 26th in the NBA. Boston is the 13th best FG% shooting team in the NBA and rank 16th from the 3-point line. These two teams are very even defensively but the C’s are much better offensively ranking 7th in OEFF compared to the Magic who rank 18th. Lay the points.

ASA TOP PLAY on 10* UNDER 258.5 or 259 Indiana Pacers at Milwaukee Bucks, 8 PM ET - These two teams just met in the In Season tournament with the Pacers upsetting the Bucks 128-119 as a 5.5-point underdog. There was a fallout in the Bucks locker room after the game regarding their defensive intensity, so we are expecting a much better effort on that end of the court tonight. The Bucks were the 4th best defensive efficiency team in the NBA a year ago allowing just 1.090 points per possession but have dropped to 23rd this season. Milwaukee is not that bad defensively, so we are expecting a trend up in this defensive category as the season wears on. Even with the Pacers being one of the fastest paced teams in the league and the most efficient offensively it will take great shooting and a lot of possession to eclipse tonight’s O/U number. In the most recent meeting these two teams combined for 198 field goal attempts, and both shot above 45% and the game finished with 247 total points. There have been roughly 339 NBA games played this season and only 24 of those games have finished with more total points being scored than tonight’s Over-Under. We are clearly betting the value and Under in this one.

ASA Top Play on 10* OVER 241 New Orleans Pelicans at Washington Wizards, 7:10 PM ET - Even if Zion Williamson can’t play tonight, we like this game Over. The Wizard routinely give up 130 or more points and if the Pels get to that number this game goes Over the total easily. Washington has allowed 130+ in 7 of their last ten games and 4 of their last five. They rank last in the league in defensive efficiency allowing 1.217PPP and points allowed per game at 126.3PPG. We know we will get plenty of possessions in this game as the Wiz rank 2nd in pace of play, the Pelicans are above average at 12th. New Orleans is 12th in DEFF but in their last five games they haven’t been as good on that end of the court ranking 22nd. It’s a given the Pelicans are going to score here but we obviously need Washington to put up points also and they should. Washington is 6th in team field goal percentage at 48.2%, and 10th in scoring at 115.6PPG. New Orleans gives up 113.9PPG which is the 18th highest number in the NBA. We expect plenty of points in this game and will play Over.

ASA top play on 10* Phoenix Suns -3 vs Golden State Warriors, 10:10 PM ET - We are making this wager with the assumption that Kevin Durant will be in the lineup tonight against his former team. These team have very similar efficiency stats with the Suns allowing 1.149 points per possession compared to the Warriors 1.146PPP. Offensively the Suns rank 9th in OEFF, the Warriors are 13th. This is difficult to comprehend but the Warriors currently rank 25th in the NBA in shooting at 45.2% and hit 36.7% from beyond the Arc which is 13th and well below the Warriors standards. Golden State will have a hard time shooting it tonight against a Suns team that is 9th best in opponents FG% overall and 6th defending the 3-point line. Phoenix is the 3rd best 3-point shooting team in the NBA and 15th overall at 47.5%. The Warriors do defend the 3 well allowing just 34.2% but with the potential return of Bradley Beal it will be tough to defend all the shooters the Suns can run at them. Two of the Warriors cornerstone scorers are really struggling right now as Wiggins and Thompson can’t seem to find their shooting stokes. The Suns have beaten this Warriors team twice already this season including an 8-point win on this floor in late November.

ASA top play on 10* OVER 234.5 Brooklyn Nets at Sacramento Kings, 10 PM ET - Brooklyn’s strength offensively is shooting the 3-ball as they are the best in the league in that department at 38.7%. The Kings don’t defend the 3 well allowing 37.5% 3PT shooting by opponents which is 24th in the NBA. Sacramento is more of a volume team as the 11th fastest paced team in the NBA and the 12th most efficient. You won’t find either of these teams in the top half of the league in defensive efficiency ratings either as the Kings rank 20th, the Nets are 17th. The Kings score an average of 120PPG at home while the Nets allow 120PPG on the road. Brooklyn is averaging 120PPG away from home and the Kings give up 119PPG. The Kings are on a 7-2 Over streak at home this season and are on a 34-19 Over run at home dating back to the start of last season. Now that Brooklyn is healthy the offense has started to click with 128, 129, 114 and 124 points in their last four games. With the added rest we like both teams to be fresh and expect the offenses to be locked in. Bet OVER!

ASA top play on 10* Oklahoma City Thunder -2.5 vs Golden State Warriors, 8:10 PM ET - This will be the 4th meeting of the season between these two teams and the Thunder have already won 2 of the three. If you bet these two teams based on their logos or history, you’ll probably be on the Warriors, but the facts of the matter are, OKC is the better team right now. Golden State stands 10-10 SU on the season and it’s a bye product of two things, poor shooting and lack of defense. The Warriors were 4th in effective FG% a year ago but currently rank 22nd this season. Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins are broke right now as Thompson is shooting a career low 39.7% overall and 34.8% from deep. Wiggins has a career shooting average of 44.9% overall and 35.2% from deep but he’s hitting just 42.3% and 26.2% this season. Last year the Warriors were 10th in offensive efficiency at 1.118PPP. This season they rank 14th at 1.107PPP. Golden State has slipped defensively, also ranking 15th in defensive efficiency this season allowing 1.140PPP. Oklahoma City is the 4th best team in the NBA in offensive efficiency and average 119.6PPG with the 3rd best EFG% at 56.2%. The Thunder also play defense with the 7th best DEFF rating in the league and hold foes to the second lowest FG% in the league at 43.7%. The Thunder are a solid home team with a 30-21 SU record dating back to the start of last season with an average +/- of +5.3PPG. Golden State is 17-40 SU their last 57 road games with a negative differential of minus -3.7PPG. OKC is coming off a loss on the road to Houston and will be up for this home date with Golden State. Lay it!

ASA top play on 10* Milwaukee Bucks -4.5 vs Indiana Pacers, 5 PM ET - *NOTE THE EARLY TIPOFF* - We like the Bucks big here in this In Season Tourney game. The Pacers are coming off a HUGE home win over the Celtics and fed off the energy from the home crowd. Now the young Pacers are playing on a neutral court against a motivated Bucks team. Milwaukee is starting to figure things out with their new lineup and the addition of Dame Lillard. They beat a very good Knicks team the other night handily at home by 24-points. The Bucks are 10-2 SU their last twelve games while the Pacers check in with a 5-5 SU record their last ten games. This is the second meeting of the season for these two teams with the Pacers upsetting the Bucks at home by 2-points as a 1-point underdog. Milwaukee has beaten this franchise in 8 of the last ten meetings overall. Both teams are highly efficient on the offensive end of the court ranking 1st and 6th in OEFF but the Bucks hold an advantage on the defensive end of the court as the Pacers rank 29th out of 30 teams in defensive efficiency. Milwaukee also defends the 3-point line well by holding opponents to 36.3% shooting which is 13th best in the NBA. Conversely, the Pacers allow foes to make 39.1% of their 3PT attempts which ranks 28th and the Bucks own the 6th best 3PT% in the league. Fear the Deer!

ASA top play on 10* Toronto Raptors -3.5 vs. Miami Heat, 7:40 PM ET - We like the Raptors here and predict a double-digit win by the home team. Miami is dealing with two key injuries to Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo which has made them an ‘average’ team at best. The Heat have a positive net rating but have faced the 21st easiest schedule in the NBA. Toronto on the other hand has a slight negative differential but they have faced the 5th toughest schedule in the league this season. Miami is 6-6 SU on the road this season with a +1.8PPG differential. Toronto is 5-4 SU at home with an average MOV of +3.8PPG. These two teams have very similar offensive and defensive efficiency ratings, but the Heat are clearly not at full strength here. The Raptors are coming off a home loss to the Knicks but had won 3 straight at home by 7, 13 and 29-points. Toronto owned Miami last season by winning 3 of the four regular season meetings SU, covering all four. The Raptors are 31-21 ATS at home since the start of last season with an average MOV of +4PPG. We like Toronto at home in this one.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 224.5 Orlando Magic at Cleveland Cavaliers, 7:10 PM ET - We are surprised this Total opened as high as it did and like the value with an Under wager here. These two teams are known for their defenses as the Magic allow just 1.073 points per possession which ranks 3rd in the league, while the Cavs rank 13th allowing 1.136PPP. Cleveland is the 10th slowest paced team in the league at 98.5 possessions per game. Orlando plays slightly faster at 100.1 possessions p/game. In their last ten games the Magic have recently faced Brooklyn, Washington (2x’s), Charlotte, Indiana and Chicago who all rank 21st or worse in DEFF. Tonight, they face a Cavs team that allows opponents to shoot just 45.3% (7th) and give up the 8th fewest points in the league at 111.2PPG. Orlando isn’t a great offensive team either, ranking 19th in offensive efficiency and they don’t shoot it particularly well from deep at 35.4% which is 21st in the NBA. Cleveland is worse in OEFF ranking 22nd overall and they hit just 34.3% from beyond the Arc which ranks 26th. In four meetings last season these two teams had totals set of 213.5, 223, 217.5 and 215.5, which are all significantly lower than tonight’s O/U. Three of those four games all finished with 212 or less total points. The bet here is UNDER.

ASA Top Play on 10* NY Knicks +5.5 vs. Milwaukee Bucks, 7:30 PM ET - The Bucks are still going through the growing pains with their new lineup and the addition of Damian Lillard. Milwaukee is still one of the best teams in the league in offensive efficiency at 1.187 points per possession but defensively they rank 20th after finishing 4th a year ago. New York owns the 8th best DEFF rating allowing 1.108PPP while also ranking 11th in OEFF. The Knicks also have the better overall point differential in the league at plus +3.8PPG, the Bucks average +2.9PPG. New York is one of 12 teams in the NBA with a positive road differential at +1.5PPG. Milwaukee is 8-1 SU at home but their average margin of victory is only +2.7PPG. That is a significant drop from last years average of +5.9PPG at home for the Bucks which was the 6th best in the league. These two teams met in early November on this floor with the Bucks winning 110-105. Since that loss the Knicks have won 10 of their last thirteen games. The last three meetings have been decided by 6-points or less. We expect this game to go down to the wire and will grab the points.

ASA top play on 10* New Orleans Pelicans +3.5 vs. Sacramento Kings, 10 PM ET - This In Season tournament starts tonight and has two great matchups with one of them being this game between the Pelicans and Kings. The Pelicans are at full strength right now and currently undervalued by the oddsmakers. New Orleans beat this Kings team twice at home in mid-November by 36 and 5-points but played without starting PG CJ McCollum in both. Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram carried the scoring load with 105 combined total points in the two games. New Orleans in their last five games own the 12th best offensive efficiency rating and the 4th best defensive efficiency rating. In comparison, the Kings are 13th in OEFF and 16th in DEFF. The Pelicans have thrived as an underdog this season with a 8-3-1 ATS record while the Kings are just 4-7 ATS as a favorite. New Orleans has covered 5 of the last seven meetings with the Kings and in this tourney opener we like the Dog and the points.

ASA top play on 10* Brooklyn Nets -2.5 vs. Orlando Magic, 7:10 PM ET - The Magic are absolutely cooking right now with 9 straight wins and an overall 14-5 SU record for the season. The last team to beat this Magic teams was this Nets team back on November 14th. Brooklyn catches the Magic in a favorable scheduling situation here as Orlando is playing their second leg of a back to back. Orlando beat Washington last night and will also be playing their 3rd game in four nights, 4th in seven days. Brooklyn is rested here with their last game coming on Nov. 30th, a home loss which makes this situation even better. The Nets are 3-1 SU their last four games and are finally getting healthy with five of their top six players available tonight. These teams have a similar net rating by our metrics but the Nets have played our 11th toughest schedule compared to the Magics 28th rated. We like the Nets advantage with their 2nd best 3-point percentage shooting versus the Magic’s 17th ranked 3PT% defense. Orlando typically takes advantage of teams by forcing turnovers and turning them into points, but the Nets are 11th in TO’s so they won’t give the Magic that edge. The Nets beat this team at home in mid-November 124-104 and we are betting on a similar outcome today.

ASA top play on 10* OVER 236.5 San Antonio Spurs at New Orleans Pelicans, 8:10 PM ET - The Spurs are coming off a game last night in which they allowed 137 points to the Hawks but scored 135 themselves. When playing without rest this season the Spurs have allowed 120 and 152 points. The Spurs allow 1.193 points per possession which ranks 26th in the league. They give up 123.4PPG which is the 3rd most. We know there will be plenty of possessions in this contest as the Spurs are the 3rd fastest paced team in the league at 102.1 possessions per game. New Orleans also prefers to play up-tempo with the 8th fastest paced number in the NBA. The Pelicans are at full strength here with the return of CJ McCollum and are coming off a 124-point outing against the 76ers. New Orleans should have an easy time scoring here against this Spurs defense that ranks 27th or worse in: FG% defense, field goals made per game, field goals attempted and 3PT% against. With the Pels having a high probability of scoring 125 or more points we like this game to go Over the total.

ASA top play on 10* Atlanta Hawks -7.5 vs. San Antonio Spurs, 8:10 PM ET - The Hawks are coming off two straight losses to the Celtics and Cavaliers and now step down in talent to face the Spurs. This game becomes much more important for the Hawks off those two losses with a road date against the Bucks looming. As far as the Spurs are concerned, they have lost 12 straight games and even Wemby can’t save this team this season. Maybe politics and other concerns have damped Coach Popovich’s competitive drive? No matter what the issues are, we do know this. The Spurs own the 3rd worst average point differential in the NBA at minus -12.4PPG. At home they are losing by an average of -8.3PPG. They rank 29th in offensive efficiency and 19th in DEFF. In comparison, the Hawks allow 1.238 points per possession (27th) but they beat teams offensively by averaging 1.246PPP which is 3rd best in the NBA. In six of their last seven home games the Spurs have lost by 7 or more points. Atlanta recently beat the Wizards on the road by 28-points as a 9.5 point favorite. The Wiz and Spurs are similar teams and we expect another double digit win by the visitor in this one.

ASA top play on 10* OVER 227.5 Philadelphia 76ers at New Orleans Pelicans, 8:10 PM ET - An average NBA game finishes with 227.8 total points being scored. We don’t expect this game to be ‘average’. The host Pelicans like to play at a faster rate as they rank 8th in possessions per game. Philadelphia slightly lower than league average at 98.8 possessions per game. Philly scores their points by being highly efficient on the offensive end of the court averaging 1.202 points per possession which is 3rd in the NBA. The Pels aren’t as efficient but still manage 112.9PPG. We are seeing New Orleans trend in the positive direction offensively with an efficiency rating of 1.168PPP which ranks 12th best over the last 5 games. Defensively these two teams rank 12th and 13th in points allowed per possession. The Sixers average 17.5 fast break points per game, the Pelicans average 14.8 which is 11th best in the league. Both teams also feast in the paint ranking 9th and 11th in points in the lane. Last season in the two meetings these two combined for 231 and 243 total points. It all adds up to a higher scoring game between these two teams.

ASA top play on 10* Sacramento Kings -2 vs Golden State Warriors – 10:10 PM ET - The Warriors typically get everyone’s best shot on a nightly basis with their lofty reputation. The Kings are no exception here and even have a little more to play for after the Warriors knocked them out of the Playoffs last season and beat them twice this year. On Oct 27th the Warriors went to Sacramento and won 122-114 as a 3-point dog. Then on Nov 1st the Warriors won at home 102-101 but the Kings were without All-Star point guard DeAaron Fox. Fox is averaging just under 30PPG and 6APG and is clearly one of the Kings two best players along with Sabonis. Golden State is just 3-8 SU their last eleven games and two of those wins came against the struggling Spurs and Pistons. Sacramento is 7-2 SU their last nine games and coming off a big road win over the Timberwolves. The Kings are a respectable 29-21 SU at home since the start of last season with an average +/- of +2.7PPG. Golden State is 17-38 SU away since the start of last season with a negative differential of minus -3.8PPG. We like the Kings to get a measure of revenge in this one.

ASA top play on 10* OVER 236 Washington Wizards @ Detroit Pistons, 7:10 PM ET - Tonight, the Wiz face a Detroit team that is 24th in defensive efficiency allowing 1.178 points per possession on the season and allow opponents to shoot 50.3% on the season which is 30th or last in the league. Washington is last in the NBA in defensive efficiency allowing 1.210PPP and give up over 125PPG. Washington is the 2nd fastest paced team in the NBA with 103.3 possessions per game. Detroit is 13th in pace of play and prefers an up-tempo approach. The Wizards have allowed 130 or more points in 4 of their last six games. Detroit has given up 119 or more points in 7 of their last ten games. Washington should have a solid shooting night with the 7th best FG% shooting team in the NBA going up against the 17th ranked FG% Pistons defense. Everyone shoots well against Washington as we mentioned, and both score well in transition with the Pistons ranking 2nd and the Wiz 8th in fast break efficiency. It’s a big number but we like Over.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 228.5 San Antonio Spurs at Denver Nuggets, 8 PM ET - The Nuggets are coming off a 1-4 five game road stretch and are playing with only 1 day rest. On the season the Nuggets average 1.171 points per possession which is 9th best in the NBA but in their last five games they are averaging 1.163PPP. The decline in scoring of course has a lot to do with the injury to All-Star PG Murray and his 16.3PPG missing from the lineup. Denver allows just 107.6PPG at home this season which is the 4th best number in the NBA. In comparison, the Spurs are averaging only 106.4PPG on the road which is 17th. On the season the Spurs rank 2nd to last in the NBA in offensive efficiency averaging just 1.066PPP while shooting just 45.5% (24th). The young Spurs typically want to play fast but the home team Nuggets will dictate tempo and they are the 4th slowest paced team in the league. Denver is on a 6-2 Under run, the Spurs have stayed Under in 3 straight. Bet UNDER!

ASA top play on 10* Brooklyn Nets -3.5 vs Miami Heat, 6 PM ET - This is an ideal situation to back the Nets at home who are rested, playing an unrested Heat team AND playing with revenge from a loss to the Heat just over a week ago. Miami played last night in New York and tonight’s game will be their 4th in six days, 3rd in four days. Brooklyn has been off since the 22nd and will be well rested heading into this game. On Nov 16th the Nets lost in Miami 115-122 as a +3.5-point underdog. The game was relatively even statistically, but the Heat shot it slightly better overall and from beyond the arc. The Nets are 3-1 SU their last four at home with their most recent home game being a blowout loss to the 76ers. Miami is 6-9-1 ATS dating back to the start of last season when playing on the second night of a back to back. Brooklyn is 11-7-1 ATS in that same time frame when playing with 2-3 days rest. Miami is 28-37-3 when coming off a win since the start of last season. Brooklyn had beaten the Heat 6 straight times prior to the recent loss and we are betting they get back on the winning track here.

ASA top play 10* on #566 Minnesota Timberwolves -4 vs. Sacramento Kings, 8:10 PM ET - This is a big game for the In Season Tournament as both teams are 2-0 in pool play and the winner of this game essentially locks up the In Season bid. Minnesota was just a -7-point favorite at home against the 76ers and are now laying just -4 against the Kings? These teams have similar offensive efficiency ratings with the Kings averaging 1.137-points per possession while the Wolves average 1.135PPP. Minnesota owns the 6th best FG% number in the league at 48.9%. Sacramento doesn’t shoot it overly well at 46.2% (22nd) but they make 3-pointers at a 14.6 per game clip which is 5th most. The difference between these two teams comes on the defensive end of the court. The Wolves are 1st in defensive efficiency allowing just 1.062PPP compared to the Kings who rank 16th in the NBA allowing 1.144PPP. Minnesota is one of the best teams in the league defending the 3-point line holding opponents to 32.4% shooting (2nd). Sacramento allows opponents to hit 48.9% of their field goal attempts which is 23rd in the league. Minnesota has won 3 of the last four meetings with the Kings getting one win in OT last year. Minnesota has the 2nd best average home differential in the league at +17.3PPG. The Kings have a negative road differential of minus -3.2PPG. Back the home team here by more than 4-points.

ASA top play on 10* #536 Boston Celtics -5.5 or -6 vs Milwaukee Bucks, 7:40 PM ET - This is the biggest game on the schedule tonight and we are backing the Celtics at home minus the points. The Celtics are coming off a loss and back at home where they haven’t lost this season. Boston has an average +/- of +22.4PPG at home this season and it’s come against quality opponents including the Heat, Pacers, Nets, Raptors and Knicks. We realize the Celtics can’t continue that torrid point differential at home, but we won’t be surprised if that average is double digits by seasons end. Last season the C’s average +/- at home was +8.8PPG. Last season the Celtics beat the Bucks badly in two of the three meetings with a pair of 41-point wins. Milwaukee is still going through an adjustment period with a new coach and Damian Lillard. The Bucks are 10-4 SU but it’s come against a very soft schedule (25th). These two teams are similar offensively with the Buck ranking 7th in offensive efficiency, the Celtics are 3rd. Defensively it’s not close as the C’s are 3rd in the league in defensive efficiency the Bucks are 25th. With Milwaukee still going through a transition period we like Boston to get a dominating win at home tonight.

ASA top play on 10*: #522 Atlanta Hawks -3.5 vs Indiana Pacers, 7:40 PM ET - This is a big game for the East Group A pool in the In-Season Tournament as the Pacers are 2-0 and leading the group with the Hawks in the 4th spot at 1-1. Atlanta is on the outside looking in but still have an opportunity to get into the mid-season finals if they beat the Pacers here and get a win over Cleveland. The Hawks are 2-3 SU their last five games and have currently lost three straight home games but we like them to get back on track here. Not to mention, the three recent home losses came to the 76ers, Knicks and Heat. The young Pacers have only played 4 road games this season with a 2-2 SU record. Comparing these two teams when it comes to efficiency ratings we find the Pacers hold a slight edge offensively ranking 1st while the Hawks are 5th. Defensively the Pacers are the 27th worst in DEFF with the Hawks ranking 22nd. Atlanta has the 9th best net differential when you factor in their strength of schedule while the Pacers are 19th. Atlanta has won 6 of the last seven meetings with five of those coming by 3 or more points. This line isn’t what it should be as our power ratings have the Hawks favored by nearly 6-points.

ASA top play on 10* #508 Minnesota Timberwolves -2 or -130 money line vs NY Knicks – 8:10 PM ET - If you haven’t noticed, the Timberwolves are playing at an extremely high level and are considered one of the best teams in the Western Conference. Minnesota has won 8 of their last nine games and are 9-3 on the season. The Wolves have done it against a very formidable schedule with recent wins against the Nuggets, Celtics, Warriors and Pelicans. The Wolves are 5-0 SU at home this season with an average Margin of Victory of +18.2PPG. The Knicks have won 6 of their last seven games but the wins have come against some of the league’s worst teams including the Spurs, Hornets, Wizards. Typically, New York would ‘out-defense’ you here, but the fact of the matter is the Wolves are better defensively owning the #1 efficiency rating in the NBA. When it comes to offense these teams are near even in efficiency ratings, but again, the Knicks have faced an easier schedule. Back the home team here.

ASA Top Play on 10* Indiana Pacers -4.5 vs Orlando Magic – 5:10 PM ET - These two teams have been big surprises in the Eastern Conference this season and both of their young rosters have played exceptionally well. Orlando comes into this game with a 7-5 SU record, Indiana is 7-4 SU. These teams play two entirely different styles of play as the Pacers try to outscore you whereas the Magic focus their energy on the defensive end of the court. Indiana is averaging a league best 1.223-points per possession and score 126.5PPG. Orlando has the 2nd best defensive efficiency rating in the league and allow 106.6PPG. We are betting the Pacers outscore the Magic here. Indiana is second in pace of play and the young Magic rank 15th meaning they can and will get sucked into playing an uptempo game today. Despite playing fast in high possession games, the Pacers don’t turn the ball over with the 3rd fewest TO’s in the league. Orlando on the other hand averages the 3rd most TO’s on the season at 16.3 per game. Pacer PG Tyrese Haliburton is playing at an All-Star level averaging 24.7PPG, 12.5 APG points per game, and his 12.5 assists per leads the NBA. We are not as impressed with the Magics recent two road wins over a Bulls team that is on the trade market. Indiana on the other hand has won 4 of their last five games including wins over the 76ers and Bucks in that stretch. They also own a pair of wins over a Cavs team this season that plays a similar style to the Magic. Orlando has a negative differential on the road this season of -5PPG, Indiana at home has a +11.3PPG differential which is 5th best in the NBA. Let’s lay the points.

ASA top play on 10* Sacramento Kings -6.5 at San Antonio Spurs, 7:30 PM ET - The Victor Webanyama hype is starting to die down and it’s becoming very clear just how far the Spurs have to go to be relevant again. San Antonio has lost 6 straight by an average of 19.5PPG, albeit two of those losses were by 36 and 41-points. But that’s also an indicator of just how bad this team can be at times. Sacramento is playing like the team that won 48 regular season games a year ago with 4 straight W’s. The last two victories were impressive with a 15-point win against the Lakers and a 12-point win over the Cavs. The Kings were the #1 most efficient offense in the NBA a year ago and averaged 120.8PPG. They’ve gotten off to a slow start this season but have a great opportunity to get right here against a Spurs defense that is 28th in the league in defensive efficiency allowing 1.197-points per possession. Sacramento has not shot the 3-ball well at 33.9% but the Spurs allow opponents to hit over 40% of their 3-point attempts. San Antonio is also 28th in the league in offensive efficiency scoring just 1.068PPP. This is one of the In Season Tournament games, so it has added incentive for the Kings who trail the Timberwolves by a win in the Western Conference group C. The Spurs are essentially eliminated from contention with a 0-2 record. Sacramento has won 5 of the last six meetings with the Spurs with all of those wins coming by 7 or more points. Lay it here with the Kings.