This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Boston gave one away in Dallas as it dropped Game Four by 38 points and trailed at one point by 48 points so the Celtics clearly did not show up. It was expected after the Celtics built a comfortable 3-0 series lead and they head back home where they are 45-6 and will look to complete the gentleman's sweep on Monday. Dallas made more of an effort to chase Boston off the three-point line and to defend with more intensity but the effort simply was not therefor Boston so not all of the credit can be given to the Mavericks. A lack of focus has been the main reason for a lot of Boston losses this season as it can beat any team on any night by 20 points and it actually tied a record of most 30-point wins during the regular season with 10. The Celtics finished with the highest offensive rating at 122.2 of any team since 1997-98 and the highest net rating since 2000 at 11.7. The Celtics are 2-0 with a plus-33 point differential after losses in this postseason run, and both of the previous two were by double digits. In NBA history, there have only been three cases in which a team down 3-0 in the Finals forced even a Game Six, the last coming in 1996so this is where the gentleman's sweep comes into play. Here, we play on home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points revenging a loss where team scored less than 85 points, off an upset loss of 10 points or more as a road favorite. This situation is 24-5 ATS (82.8 percent) since 1996. 10* (510) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the DALLAS MAVERICKS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Dallas is on the brink of elimination and the numbers already say Boston will win the championship but the Mavericks have one last gasp on their home floor as this series will end up a gentlemen's sweep. They built a big lead early but were on the wrong end of a 34-point swing when Boston got up 21 points yet there was no quit as Dallas cut it to three points late in the fourth quarter when disaster struck. Luka Doncic picked up his fifth and sixth fouls on back-to-back possessions, fouling out with 4:12 left which left them for dead at that point. Questionable calls for sure but he cannot put himself and his team in that position and now the Mavericks have to make history and come back from a 3-0 deficit which is unlikely but they are not going away just yet. In what was a game of swings, Game Three came down to volume of the long ball as in the second half, the Celtics had made 16 three-pointers while Dallas had only taken 17 and the math is simple to figure out the result of that. Dallas will adjust as it has no choice. The Celtics are taking 48.8 percent of their shots from three-point range compared to 29.2 percent for Dallas so even through the percentages are pretty equal, the numbers are real. We have seen a complete line flip with Dallas which closed as a three-point favorite to now getting points in Game Four and the adjustment is series related and not game related. The Mavericks send the series back to Boston. 10* (508) Dallas Mavericks

This is a play on the DALLAS MAVERICKS for our NBA Game of the Month. It is must win time for Dallas as it has lost the first two games of the Finals and let a good chance slip away in Game Two as the Mavericks outshot the Celtics but came up short as Kyrie Irving registered his second straight poor game as he has shot 13-37 (35.1 percent) from the floor including going from long range. Additionally, he has only two free throw attempts. We will play the due factor with him tonight as he has been held to fewer than 20 points in consecutive games only one other time the entire season. We are seeing a 9.5-point line shift from Game Two with the venue change but a lot of that is due to injury news and this is only the fourth time all season the Celtics have been underdogs, the last two resulting in blowout losses at Milwaukee, one with and one without Kristaps Porzingis. He had a special return to the floor in Game One, scoring 20 points and grabbing six boards with three blocks in 20 minutes. His Game Two was not nearly as good and just past 23 minutes, he got hurt again in what the Celtics are calling a torn medial retinaculum allowing dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon. Whatever that is, it does not sound good and he will most likely not see the floor which gives the Mavericks a chance to thrive going back to the rim which carried them in the first three rounds of the playoffs. His presence down low has affected the Dallas offense which has allowed Jrue Holiday and Derrick White to clamp down on Irving as their defense on him has been stifling and overall, the Mavericks have had no rhythm and even if Porzingis does gut it out, he will not be as effective as Dallas gets it done on their home floor. 10* (506) Dallas Mavericks

This is a play on the DALLAS MAVERICKS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. As expected, this lined opened higher than Game One, which was quickly bet down, and it opened higher because of the Celtics dominance in Game One but we have seen this script before, from both sides. In the opening round, Dallas lost to the Clippers by double digits in Game One on the road only to go on and win Game Two outright. Ditto for the Western Conference Semifinals against Oklahoma City. On the other side, Boston rolled over Miami in Game One of the opening round at home and then went on to lose Game Two and then it a repeat of that against Cleveland in the Eastern conference Semifinals. Certainly, the Celtics are well aware and do not want to leave Boston all squared up and having lost home court but we see adjustments being made on the Mavericks side and the added day off only help them for Game Two. Additionally, having nine days off before the Finals hurt them more as it killed any momentum they had from the two series upsets prior to get here. One adjustment that Dallas will likely input is to make Jayson Tatum more of a scorer and while that sounds like a disaster, it actually helps the defense as they get the double team off him which will no give Boston too many open looks, which they had plenty of in Game One. One adjustment we will not see and one that should just happen is Kyrie Irving having a better game. He was absent early and never got into rhythm as he finished 6-19 from the floor including 0-5 from long range and he dished out only two assists. Get him and Luka Doncic close to a combined 60 points compared to their 42 points from Game One and Dallas can head home with a series split. 10* (503) Dallas Mavericks

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Against Miami and Cleveland, Boston came out focused and determined and it dominated both of those series openers and that is what we expect in Game One of the NBA Finals. The Celtics have not been tested in the postseason, losing only twice in 14 games and it is the Indiana series that will remind them they cannot sleepwalk because three of those wins were by five points or less and any of those could have gone the other way. Keeping home court is essential and Boston has been dominant at home where it has outscored opponents by over 14 ppg while winning 43 of 49 games at TD Garden. Dallas is 8-1 in the postseason when it shoots 49 percent or better from the floor and the two Boston losses came when the Celtics allowed that percentage or higher and their defense will be stronger with Kristaps Porzingis back from his injury. Boston had one of the Defensive Efficiency units in the league and it has slipped over the past month, sitting in the middle of the teams in the postseason. The Celtics were especially strong in the paint with their two-point defense being ranked near the top and while it regressed in May, Porzingis provides solid rim protection. Boston is better on offense with him on the floor as well even though the Celtics have shot 47 percent or better in eight of the 10 games he missed so this is an elite offense nonetheless, it is just an added weapon against a quality team. Boston easily won and covered both meetings this season and that is with Luka Doncic scoring 33 and 37 points. The Celtics will want to set the tone to open the series and while this is the toughest opponent thus far, the line is substantially lower of any home playoff game. 10* (502) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Minnesota kept its season alive with a win in Dallas in Game Four and there is still a lot of work to be done. The Timberwolves have an elite defense but it has been inconsistent over the last few games but they still come in ranked No. 1 in the league in Defensive Efficiency. The results pertain to that defense as Minnesota is 1-7 when allowing 49 percent shooting or higher and 8-0 when holding the opponent to under that. Dallas has shot well in its last three road games but the Timberwolves figured things out in Game Four as they allowed the Mavericks to shoot just 42 percent from the floor. On the other side, Minnesota was awful in the first two games of the series and those made it three straight games where it shot 42.7 percent or worse but it has been able to make adjustments which has let to easier shots. The Timberwolves shot 50.6 percent in Game Three and 52.7 percent in Game Four and this is more in line with the norm because the Dallas defense can be a liability as they are No. 14 in the NBA in Defensive Efficiency. The return home is big for Minnesota despite dropping the first two games here as they are 33-15 here while outscoring opponents by 8.0 ppg and the value is back on its side as the Timberwolves were favored by 6 points in Game Two. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after having covered four or five of their last six games against the spread, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .750. This situation is 55-27 ATS (67.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (512) Minnesota Timberwolves

This is a play on the MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES for our NBA Signature Enforcer. We were on Minnesota in Game Three in what was another close game up until a 12-3 Dallas run to close the game to give the Mavericks a commanding 3-0 series lead. The top ranked defense in efficiency has been far from it, allowing 51 percent shooting from the floor and Game Three had them allowing a postseason tying 116 points on just 68 field goal attempts. The bigger problem has been on the other side as Dallas won the first two games by a combined four points and the last game was closer than the final score even with Anthony Edwards averaging just 22 ppg on 38.6 percent shooting and Karl-Anthony Towns putting up 15 ppg on 27.8 percent shooting. Together, they are 37-111 (33.3 percent) compared to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving going a combined 63-128 (49.2 percent) so even a slight uptick on their end could have made this a series. The Timberwolves have had the lead under five minutes in all three games but the offense has gone away late as they have a rating of 114.3 pointers per 100 possessions but that includes a number of 95.5 in the fourth quarter. It is difficult to incorporate luck into the metrics but Dallas has been on the right side of that as the Mavericks are at a 58.1 percent in Effective Field Goal Percentage compared to an xEFG of 53 percent this series. Here, we play on teams with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 after having lost 5 or 6 of their last 7 games, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 51-24 (68 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (507) Minnesota Timberwolves

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Boston trailed by 18 midway through the third quarter and eventually closed Game Three on a 13-2 run to pull out the three-point win and take the commanding 3-0 series lead which a team has never blown in the history of the NBA postseason. Favored again on the road, the Pacers may seem like the take based on the number, venue and desperate situation but their confidence is completely shot as they know the situation and what they are up against. Road favorites in the postseason that are in a close out game are 78-36 straight up and 65-47-2 against the number since 2003 while road teams that are looking for a sweep are 50-26 straight up and 41-32-3 against the number. The Celtics had a 49 percent three-point attempt rate as 46 of 83 shots were from long range while the Pacers were at just 21 percent in the absence of Tyrese Haliburton. Boston shot only 35 percent but that attempt discrepancy made a huge difference and the Pacers likely will not force much in Game Four as they were a middle of the pack team in three-point attempts on the season. Overall, the shooting of Indiana has been off the charts as it has shot over 50 percent in all three games yet has lost all of those. Boston has not played particularly well on defense which may seem obvious from the shooting percentage allowed but it is more than that as visually, they have looked lethargic. We expect an all out effort on that side of the ball on Sunday to get this series closed out and grab as much rest as possible. Here, we play on teams in the second half of the season in a game involving two teams shooting 36.5 percent or better from long range after allowing 50 percent shooting or higher in two straight games. This situation is 65-32 ATS (67 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (505) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES for our NBA Signature Enforcer. This series has started the same for Minnesota as the last series with the road team winning the first two games only the Timberwolves are on the opposite side this time. Minnesota went into Denver and won the first two game in the Western Conference semifinals and it has gone 5-1 on the road in the postseason including the clinching Game Seven victory against the Nuggets. A quick look at the first two games of this series shows the Timberwolves defense has not been close to as good as it has been since the start of the season and surprisingly a lot of that is due to Rudy Gobert who won Defensive Player of the Year but in the first two games, the Timberwolves are allowing an absurd 145.6 points per possession with him on the floor but we see that coming back to normal as opposed to staying out there. The bigger factor has been the offense. Dallas won the first two games by a combined four points and that is with Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns going a combined 21-69 (30.4 percent) from the floor. The fact that the duo has averaged only 10.5 made field goals and the games have been as close as they have been shows that even an average effort from them gets them over the top. Towns is shooting 49 percent in the six road playoff games while Edwards is right there at 48.8 percent so we expect both to step up after doing basically nothing to start this series. Here, we play on teams with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 after having lost 5 or 6 of their last 7 games, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 51-23 (68.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (503) Minnesota Timberwolves

This is a play on the INDIANA PACERS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. It took a quarter, but Boston finally got its wakeup call as it opened the second period of Game Two on a 17-0 run and led by double digits late in the third quarter and the entire fourth to take a 2-0 series lead. The series now shifts to Indiana with the Pacers being in a must win spot to avoid the deathlike 3-0 hole as the Conference Finals will be all but over with a loss. Something will have to give as the Pacers are 6-0 on their home floor in the postseason, winning 11 straight overall, while the Celtics are 4-0 on the road in the playoffs. While it is a must win for Indiana, we only care about the points in this one and we will gladly take the points in the home underdog role against a Boston team that has not been able to control a whole game for the most part since facing Miami in the first round. The Pacers could be without Tyrese Haliburton who left Game Two with a hamstring injury as he is questionable but this is not an end all injury. He got hurt against the Celtics back on January 8 after playing only 13 minutes and counting that game, the Pacers went 7-4 when he was out so they will be just fine. He has the ability to take over a game but he has not shown up in the postseason half the time and Indiana is 5-4 in game he has scored 20 or fewer points not counting Game Two with the early exit. This is a reason the Pacers acquired Pascal Siakam and he has been on a roll with an average of 23.8 ppg over his last five games and he has lit Boston up with 24 and 28 points as the absence of Kristaps Porzingis leaves the Celtics vulnerable. This is the game the Pacers step up and show the energy needed and even if they fall short, we expect this one to be within shouting distance. 10* (502) Indiana Pacers

This is a play on the MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES for our NBA Round 3 Game of the Year. Both road teams covered the first game of each Conference Final with Boston covering last night and we are going with the other home team in Game Two, this time to even up the series. Minnesota was in a tough spot that historically was not good for them as there have been 88 teams coming off a seven-game series and 55 times, that team lost Game One of the following series so make that 56 out of 89 now. This is a great bounce back opportunity with the Timberwolves making the necessary adjustments needed take away the dominance that the Mavericks had inside as they shot close to 60 percent with their two-point shots which was an anomaly as they were No. 22 in the league in two-point scoring in the regular season. It is a simple strategy for the Minnesota defense as in the postseason, they are 1-5 when allowing 49 percent shooting or higher and 7-0 when holding the opponent to under that. Offensively, Minnesota shot just 42.7 percent from the field, its second straight game under 43 percent, and the cause for the Game One struggles was that they put up 49 three-pointers which was over 51 percent of their total shot attempts and that ratio was the highest of any game this season and the Timberwolves are not going to go that route again as they put up 16 more attempts than what they averaged on the season where they were ranked No. 23 in three-point shots taken. This also led to getting outrebounded by nine boards which is uncharacteristic as well. Plain and simple, we play on home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points in a playoff game, in the 2nd game of a playoff series. This situation is 28-9 ATS (75.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (556) Minnesota Timberwolves

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. We had Boston in Game One and while the Celtics came away with the victory, it was far from dominating and they should not be content following a huge last minute of regulation to send the game into overtime. We are catching a smaller number for Game Two and this is the statement game for Boston before heading to Indiana and avoiding any momentum shifting to the Pacers. Indiana shot lights out against New York in its Game Seven win, hitting over 67 percent from the floor, and it again had a good shooting night in Game One where it went 53-99 (53.5 percent) and that is bad news for the Pacers against this defense. The Celtics have allowed 49 percent shooting or higher three times now in the postseason and in the first two instances, they buckled down next game, allowing 41.6 percent and 42.9 percent shooting while giving up 84 and 93 points respectively in those games. As stated in the Game One analysis, one player to have a big game is Jayson Tatum who has crushed Indiana this regular season as he has scored 30 or more points in all four games against the Pacers, averaging 32.5 ppg, and he put up 36 despite an awful fourth quarter but made up for it with a clutch overtime and we expect him to again have his way. Here, we play on home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points after failing to cover the spread in three or more consecutive games, playing only their 2nd game in five days. This situation is 47-22 ATS (68.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (554) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the DALLAS MAVERICKS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Minnesota wants to set the tone of this series as it gained home court advantage with its seven-game series win over defending champion Denver. However, the Timberwolves are in a tough spot though and while there really is not a letdown in the postseason, history shows the typical letdown following an emotional series win. There have been 88 teams coming off a seven-game series and 55 times, that team has lost Game One of the following series and we are getting value with the number with the Mavericks. Some may point to the fact that Minnesota won three of the four regular season meetings but that comes with a huge asterisk as Luka Doncic missed two of those losses while Kyrie Irving missed all three and in the one game both played, the Mavericks won with the duo combining for 69 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists. Minnesota has a solid home court advantage as it is 33-13 at the Target Center but Dallas is no pushover on the road where it is 29-18, going 31-16 against the number in those games. Minnesota is known for its strong interior defense as it was No. 1 in the NBA in points in the paint defense since the trade deadline but No. 2 in that category was Dallas. The Mavericks are 19-8 ATS in its last 27 road games revenging a same season loss and we can cash in two scenarios here, either a Dallas outright win or a close loss and we will grab the points in this series opener. 10* (551) Dallas Mavericks

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Indiana has actual improved its offensive rating in the postseason after finishing No. 2 during the regular season but it faced two teams ranked outside the top ten in defensive efficiency and now it faces the No. 2 ranked team. Jrue Holiday and Derrick White are ideal point-of-attack defenders to throw at Tyrese Haliburton, and the Celtics possess the wings to handle Pascal Siakam. The Pacers have relied on transition points all season and they have done so in the playoffs as well but the Celtics do a great job of limiting fast break opportunities where they finished fourth in points allowed in transition. Part of that is the Celtics efficient offense which obviously limits those opponent opportunities. One player to have a big game is Jayson Tatum who has crushed Indiana this season as he has scored 30 or more points in all four games against the Pacers, averaging 32.5 ppg, and will have more usage with Kristaps Porzingis still out. Boston has taken advantage of poor defenses as it is 25-10 ATS in its last 35 games in the second half of the season against teams allowing 48 percent shooting or higher. Here, we play on home teams after allowing 105 points or less in two straight games going against an opponent after scoring 130 points or more. This situation is 35-8 ATS (81.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (550) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the DENVER NUGGETS for our NBA Round 2 Game of the Year. The Nuggets could not have been more embarrassed in Game six as they trailed by as many as 50 points and lost by 45 as an early 20-0 run sealed it for the Timberwolves early. Denver gets a chance for redemption on its home floor where it lost the first two games of this series but was able to pick up the first home win by any team in this series in Game Five. That was a tough situation for Minnesota and it is the same for Game Seven. Prior to Game Five, the Timberwolves have not had to fly into altitude on short rest yet and that can be a huge disadvantage as the first game here came with six days of rest. They lost that short rest travel game by 15 points and are in a similar spot. Expect Denver to do a better job on the offensive glass to get more second chance opportunities. In the regular season, the Nuggets attempted 80 or fewer shots in only three of 82 games. In the second round, they have been held to 80 or fewer shots in four of the six games which is shocking but the correlation is that they have single-digit offensive rebounds in those four games so it is a simple plan. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 off a win by 20 points or more over a division rival, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 46-18 ATS (71.9 percent) since 1996. 10* (540) Denver Nuggets

This is a play on the OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER for our NBA Signature Enforcer. The home team is just 2-3 in this series so the home floor has not been a huge advantage which is more surprising for Oklahoma City which came into the series 36-8 at home but has dropped two of three at home. Dallas came into the series 27-17 at home so its home court has not been as dominant anyway and the 1-1 split should not be a huge surprise and the Thunder have no issues coming away with another road win. Oklahoma City is coming off its worst defensive performance in the playoffs and it was not even close. While giving up just 104 points, the Thunder allowed Dallas to shoot 52.6 percent and that was the highest percentage allowed in their last 13 games. The Thunder offense has sputtered the last two games, shooting around 40 percent combined and the long range shooting has really tailed off. They are yet to make more than 10 three-pointers in this series after knocking down 16 of them in Game One and we feel that regression comes back to the norm in Game Six. The total has come down in every game and it is as low as 208.5 in some places and Oklahoma City is 9-0 ATS in its last nine road games where the total is 200 to 209.5. Here, we play on road teams revenging a straight up loss vs opponent as a favorite, off an upset loss as a favorite. This situation is 132-81 ATS (62 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (531) Oklahoma City Thunder

This is a play on the INDIANA PACERS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. New York can set up a meeting with Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals with a win while Indiana is in must win mode to extend the series and the Pacers are in a great spot to do that. They are 5-0 at home in the postseason and they have won 10 straight games at home overall. The Knicks rolled in Game Five thanks to the defense that allowed only 91 points which was a season low for the Pacers which came in averaging 117.5 ppg through the first four games of the series. Indiana is a different team on offense at home where it is averaging 124.9 ppg on 51.3 percent shooting we will certainly see a better effort in Game Five. While star Jalen Brunson went off for 44 points in Game Four, the Pacers need their star to shine as Tyrese Haliburton is coming off a poor game, scoring only 13 points while taking just 10 shots. Basically, he needs to stop being passive. Additionally, Indiana will do a better job being more aggressive as it outrebounded 53-29, including 20-5 on the offensive glass while New York had a 62-36 edge in points in the paint. Knicks forward OG Anunoby will miss his fourth straight game due to a hamstring injury sustained in Game Two. Here, we play against underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after a win by 10 points or more going up against an opponent after trailing in their previous game by 15 or more points at the half. This situation is 40-16 ATS (71.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (530) Indiana Pacers

This is a play on the MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES for our NBA Signature Enforcer. After falling behind 2-0 in this series with a pair of home losses, Denver has taken over the series with three straight wins including the first win from a home team in Game Five. We think the second home win takes place tonight in Minnesota and the Timberwolves extend the series to a full seven games. The Nuggets offense was elite in Game Five as they attempted 47 percent of their shots at the rim and converted on 73.5 percent of those. Nikola Jokic had one of the best postseason games ever as he scored 40 points and handed out 13 assists while not committing a single turnover. Another game like that and it will be lights out for Minnesota but that will not happen. While the Denver offense has been spectacular over the last three games, Minnesota has to get its own offense going as it has been pretty bad. The Timberwolves are averaging 95.8 points per 100 possessions in the half-court over the past three games which is a 20-point disparity from the half-court offense from the Nuggets. Additionally to improving the half-court, Minnesota needs better transition as it is the far more athletic team and had only four fast break points last game. Here, we play on teams in the second half of the season in a game involving two teams shooting 36.5 percent or better from long range, after two straight games allowing 50 percent shooting or higher. This situation is 64-31 ATS (67.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (526) Minnesota Timberwolves

This is a play on the OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER for our Western Conf. Game of the Month. Oklahoma City was able to take Game Four on the road to even up this series and was able to regain home court advantage with pivotal Game Five on its home floor. The Thunder are 36-9 at home while outscoring opponents by 12.9 ppg which has led to a 29-16 ATS marl. The Thunder are a top-five team on offense and defense compared to Dallas, which is only a top 10 team on offense so the Mavericks have a much smaller margin for error and that is even more of a problem with Luka Doncic and his knee issue. The injury cannot be overstated. He is averaging 22 ppg in the series which is decent but he has .390/.310/.679 shooting splits and 44.8 percent Effective Field Goal Percentage which is nearly 13 percent lower than his mark during the regular season. Kyrie Irving has been inconsistent with his scoring so having to continue to rely on P.J. Washington for offense is not ideal. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after having covered four or five of their last six games against the spread, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .750. This situation is 55-25 ATS (68.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (524) Oklahoma City Thunder

This is a play on the DENVER NUGGETS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. This has been a road dominated series thus far with the road team taking all four games which is a surprise for two teams that went a combined 63-19 at home during the regular season. Minnesota was not horrible on offense in Game Four as it averaged exactly 100 points per 100 possessions, but they were completely outpaced by a Denver team that scored 121.8 points per 100 possessions. This came after averaging 114.5 points per 100 possessions in Game Three so the efficiency has been back following two bad games at home. The key is to limit their turnovers and get back in transition which is where Minnesota has the athletic edge. The Timberwolves have not had to fly into altitude on short rest yet and that can be a huge disadvantage as the first game here came with six days of rest. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after having covered four or five of their last six games against the spread, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .750. This situation is 54-25 ATS (68.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (520) Denver Nuggets

This is a play on the CLEVELAND CAVALIERS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Boston came through for us in Game Three which was a smash spot coming off that Game Two loss but we should see some come back numbers from that game. We bought on the Celtics defense and it stepped up by allowing 42.9 percent shooting which was close to 12 percent less from Game Two and while they are a top three defense in efficiency, it will not be as good here. Donovan Mitchell will be a big part here as he had big first quarter in Game Three and led the Cavaliers with 33 points but it comes down to the Cleveland defense. This is where we can see the Cleveland defense step up after allowing 51.2 percent shooting and this is a top five defense in efficiency and it comes down to the perimeter here. Boston is 4-10 ATS in the playoffs when it hits fewer than 15 three-pointers and Cleveland can hope to take that away. The Cavaliers are 21-7 ATS in their last 28 home games after having lost 2 of their last 3 games and while they might not win here, we have a close game tonight. 10* (514) Cleveland Cavaliers

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Cleveland was able to upset the Celtics in Boston in Game Two to even the series and take over home court. While the Cavaliers now seem to have a shot in this series now, the Celtics are in prime bounce back mode. They lost Game Two to Miami in the first round and came back and trounced the Heat in Miami by 20 points as a 9.5-point favorite. The offense had no answers for the Cleveland defense as the Celtics managed just 94 points on 41.2 percent shooting which was tied for its fifth lowest shooting percentage on the season. Boston is 8-0 ATS in its last eight road games after scoring 95 points or less. The Cavaliers finished with a 60-44 advantage in the paint and had a big edge from long range as well, making five more shot from behind the arc. Boston finished only 8-35 from long range which was an aberration after hitting 38.8 percent in the regular season, second best in the NBA. Cleveland shot 54.7 percent overall, its best percentage in a game since the end of March and we certainly do not see a repeat of that against the No. 3 Defensive Efficiency team in the league. Here, we play on road favorites revenging a home loss, off an upset loss by 10 points or more as a favorite. This situation is 25-4 ATS (86.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (507) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the INDIANA PACERS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. The Knicks have built a 2-0 series lead thanks to a big home court at MSG but they are in rough shape for Game Three as they hit the road. The injuries a major concern with O.G. Anunoby out and Jalen Brunson being a big question mark. Brunson will most likely go but he is far from 100 percent and can this team rely on Donte DiVincenzo to go 10-20 again? The line is telling us what to do here. Indiana had its chances to win both of the games to open this series but fell short late. Now home, the Pacers can get back into this series at least for one game and coming back to Indiana, it can ride the fact they have shot over 51 percent in the first two games so the confidence is there. The Pacers are 29-11 against the number following a cover loss. Here, we play on teams in the second half of the season in a game involving two teams shooting 36.5 percent or better from long range, after two straight games allowing 50 percent shooting or higher. This situation is 62-29 ATS (68. Percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (502) Indiana Pacers

This is a play on the OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Oklahoma City rolled in Game One and that was a fun team to watch as they were all over the floor on both sides and we should not see anything different in Game Two. Typically, going with the team being dominated is the way to go, but Dallas just is not the same team it was following a 16-2 run despite opening the playoffs with an easy series win against the Clippers. The Thunder are a top-five team on offense and defense compared to Dallas, which is only a top 10 team on offense so the Mavericks have a much smaller margin for error and that is even more of a problem with Luka Doncic and his knee issue. He has had it going on for a while and he irritated it more early in the opener and his shooting is totally affected because of it. He is making only 39.5 percent of his shots including 22.7 percent from long range and with a balky knee against one of the best defensive teams in the league, he will not have much room for improvement. The Thunder are 36-8 at home while outscoring opponents by 13.3 ppg and the deep and healthy roster will take them to Dallas with a 2-0 advantage. 10* (566) Oklahoma City Thunder

This is a play on the INDIANA PACERS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Indiana will come into Game Two with a chip on its shoulder after some questionable late calls going against them in Game One and them speaking about it publicly. The Pacers have relied on scoring all season and they are averaging 113.6 ppg in the postseason. Indiana is only turning the ball over 9.6 times per game which is the least of all playoff teams but the one factor that has hurt is that the Pacers are shooting just 72.2 percent from the free throw line in the postseason which is a huge drop-off from its 78.2 percent slip during the regular season but we will see the playoff percentage get better. Indiana is 17-8 ATS revenging a same season loss this season. The Knicks got the calls but it cannot be understated how much Jalen Brunson has meant to this team as he has scored 39 or more points in five straight games and he shot a playoff high 53.8 percent in Game One so we should see some regression. In four meetings, the Knicks have a pair of four-point wins and a pair of losses against the Pacers so we can expect to see another one to two possession game either way. Here, we play against home favorites after going over the total by 24 or more points total in their last three games going up against an opponent after going over the total by 42 or more points total in their last five games. This situation is 89-57 ATS (61 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (561) Indiana Pacers

This is a play on the OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Dallas is coming off a series win over the Clippers but benefited from Los Angeles being banged up and shorthanded. Dallas did have an unfortunate break as Maxi Kleber dislocated his shoulder, making him inactive and unlikely to return from the injured list during this series or for the rest of the postseason. His defensive IQ played a big role against the Clippers and his presence will be sorely missed. The Mavericks lost three of the four regular season meetings although two of those were with no Luka Doncic and one without Kyrie Irving. It is still hard to look past Oklahoma City in the series opener after taking out New Orleans in four games. The defense was outstanding as the Thunder allowed 92 or fewer points in all four of those games. The are 35-8 at home while outscoring opponents by 13.2 ppg. Oklahoma City has a significant rest advantage and the Thunder have won each of their last 14 home games when playing with a rest advantage. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after having covered four of their last five games against the spread, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .750. This situation is 28-8 ATS (77.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (558) Oklahoma City Thunder

This is a play on the DENVER NUGGETS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Denver came up small at home in Game One as Anthony Edwards broke a franchise playoff record with 43 points but it was the other side that was the real difference. The Nuggets were held to an offensive rating of 109 and they grabbed only four offensive rebounds in the game. That offensive rebounding output was their worst rebounding game in a year and a half. As elite as Edwards has become, we cannot see him repeating his 17-29 shooting effort as an adjustment will be made with Christian Braun likely seeing more defending time. Denver lost the home floor edge so that is the big urgency to get it back with the Nuggets being 36-9 here. One thing we thought we would see is better is three-point shooting as the Nuggets disposed of the Lakers despite shooting just 31.4 percent from behind the arc after being a top ten team from three entering the postseason. They followed that up with a 42 percent effort in Game One but overall, they took only 75 shots. Here, we play on home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points in the 2nd game of a playoff series. This situation is 26-7 ATS (78.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (554) Denver Nuggets

This is a play on the DENVER NUGGETS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Both Minnesota and Denver are coming off easy first round series wins and now they square off after a regular season series split. Three of the four games were not really that close with the only one possession game being a Denver win at Minnesota. Majority money has come in on the Timberwolves for the series, and they seem to be the sleeper but this is practically the same roster the Nuggets disposed of in five games last season. Denver has the home floor edge and that is big for the first game especially with the Nuggets being 36-8 here. They disposed of the Lakers despite big early deficits and one thing we should see going forward is better long range shooting. They shot just 31.4 percent from behind the arc despite being a top ten team from three entering the postseason. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after having covered 4 of their last 5 against the spread, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .750. This situation is 28-7 ATS (80 percent) over the last 5 seasons. 10* (530) Denver Nuggets

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. The Clippers are coming off a 30-point loss in Game Five and we are seeing a huge line shift going into Game Six. Dallas was favored by 4.5 and 6.5 points in its first two home games and are now seeing another increase. With no Kawhi Leonard, it is up to the stars James Harden and Paul George. Both have been inconsistent in the series, but dominant in their victories. Harden is averaging 30.5 ppg in Clippers wins compared to 16.7 ppg in Dallas wins while George is averaging 27.5 ppg in their wins and 14.7 ppg in their losses. It is all about the defense as well as the Mavericks have improved their shooting percentage in all five games, hitting a series high 54 percent in Game Five. Here, we play against favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points in the second half of the season in a game involving two teams with a scoring differential between +/- 3 ppg, after scoring 120 points or more. This situation is 107-55 ATS (66 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (527) Los Angeles Clippers

This is a play on the PHILADELPHIA 76ERS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. The Sixers are coming off a great effort in New York in overtime to keep their season alive and are now back home to try and force a Game Seven. The Knicks were 28.9 seconds away from closing out the series after building a 96-90 lead but could not close and momentum has shifted. Tyrese Maxey scored 46 points which came after a 50-point effort from Joel Embiid so these two superstars certainly are one of the best one-two duos in the league. Philadelphia is 27-17 at home including a 25-10 record as a home favorite, going 22-13 against the number. The Knicks got another big game from Jalen Brunson no one else has had a major contribution and it has now been three straight games of that as they have had one player put up 20 points just one time over this stretch. New York has killed it this season when favored on the road but is only 8-16 as an underdog. 10* (512) Philadelphia 76ers

This is a play on the DALLAS MAVERICKS  for our NBA Signature Enforcer. This has been one of the better series of the postseason as the Clippers were able to tie it up at 2-2 with a five-point win in Game Four. Now the Mavericks are favorites again on the road which is a contrarian spot. They allowed the second highest shooting percentage over their last 22 games, giving up 53.7 percent and they are  in a great spot. Dallas is 9-0 ATS in road games revenging a straight up loss as a favorite this season. Obviously, the big storyline is Kawhi Leonard who has been ruled out again and it’s a weird dichotomy. The Clippers are 2-0 without him in this series and 0-2 with him. Still, the books think that the Mavericks are the better team, even on the road with the Clippers taking back home court. Here, we play on road favorites revenging a straight up loss as a home favorite, off a upset loss as a favorite. This situation is 46-19 ATS (70.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (505) Dallas Mavericks

This is a play on the CLEVELAND CAVALIERS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. For a series that is tied 2-2, it has not been a great watch with all four games resulting in blowouts by the home team, the latest being a 23-points win by Orlando on Saturday. The Cavaliers are back home where they look to break 100 points for the first time in this series and as mentioned, their defense has been getting the pub with the offense being the problem. Pace has played a big part and the good news is that they are coming off a 47.2 percent performance which is the best in the series but Cleveland put up only 72 shots, it fewest since March 24, a span of 16 games. The home floor has been good at 27-15 which includes a 24-9 record as a favorite. As far as the line goes, the last two losses has given Cleveland value as it is a point less favorite than it was in Game One and Game Two. The spot is good for the Cavaliers which have been great in bounce backs, going 14-4 ATS in their last 18 games coming off a double-digit road loss. Here, we play on favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points with a winning percentage between .501 and .600 after failing to cover the spread in two or more consecutive games, playing a winning team. This situation is 44-18 ATS (71 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (570) Cleveland Cavaliers

This is a play on the MIAMI HEAT for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Miami was able to steal the home court advantage with a win in Boston in Game Two but gave it back with a 20-point loss in Game Three. This is where the value comes in as the line has gone up a point from the close of the last game with Miami in a spot where it can get back into the series although we are more into it being a closer game. The Heat injuries are apparent but like most other teams that are without their stars, it is time to step up for the remainder of the roster. This is the ultimate contrarian play with Miami being 0-11 as a home underdog this season while covering only one of those games and that is again where the value comes into play. Here, we play against road favorites of 10 or more points outscoring their opponents by nine or more ppg going up against an opponent after scoring 90 points or less. This situation is 36-11 ATS (76.6 percent) since 1996. 10* (558) Miami Heat

This is a play on the PHOENIX SUNS for our NBA Round 1 Game of the Year. We won with the Lakers in a similar situation last night and while this series is all but done, pride is on the line tonight. Winning a game to extend your season and not take the sweep in front of your home crowd is a big motivational factor as we saw with the veterans last night in Los Angeles. While the offense is always there to go off, the defense has to be better here with KAT, Rudy Gobert and Anthony Edwards having their way in Game Three with a combined 73 points on 53.2 percent shooting. The Suns are up against the wall in what has been one of the most disappointing seasons with one of the best rosters coming in and not even competing for one of the top spots in the Western Conference. What happened has been injuries throughout the season and not being able to build any sort of chemistry. What we do have is the biggest line adjustment so far in the postseason without injuries being taken into account as the Suns closed as 5.5-point favorites in Game Three and are now underdogs two nights later. Here, we play on home teams where the line is +3 to -3 revenging a loss where opponent scored 100 or more points going up against an opponent off an upset win of 10 points or more as a road underdog. This situation is 89-49 ATS (64.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (556) Phoenix Suns

This is a play on the MILWAUKEE BUCKS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Indiana has a chance to put this series heavily in its favor after losing the opener and winning the last two games including an overtime win in Game Three. The Pacers are now in a spot going up against a Bucks team without their two top players and the line is reflecting that but their top line against even a depleted roster does not warrant them close to a double-digit favorite. Indiana remains home where it is 27-15 which includes a 20-11 record when favored but they are just 15-15-1 against the number. The season is basically on the line for the Bucks tonight and without Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard puts them in a tough situation but this is where we take the value. Those two can take over a game late but the other seven top rotation players are all veterans who can pick this team up and keep it close which is what we all care about here. The Bucks can easily cash it is but these are professionals and there is a disrespect that will come into play. Here, we play against favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points with a winning percentage between .501 and .600 off a home win by three points or less. This situation is 28-9 ATS (75.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (553) Milwaukee Bucks

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES LAKERS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. This series is all but over but we are banking on the Lakers not going away without a fight. No team in NBA history has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit and we are not expecting that here but we are expecting the series to back to Denver or in the worst case, this being a one possession game. The Lakers closed as 1.5-point favorites in Game Three and come into Game Four as 3.5-point underdogs and this is just too much of an adjustment. Game Three was the same story as Los Angeles built an early lead only to see it go away and entering the fourth quarter, the Lakers were just 1-14 from three-point range so a couple more of those going in and it could have been a different outcome. One thing we will see is a big game from LeBron James who has played in 54 playoff series over 17 postseasons and this will be the fifth time he has faced a 3-0 deficit and in the previous four Game Fours, he has averaged 29.5 ppg, 8.3 rpg and 9.5 apg. And it will be up to the role players to show up which they have not thus far, especially in Game Three with the team shooting 30 percent when taking away James, Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves. Here, we play on teams revenging a straight up loss as a home favorite, off an upset loss as a favorite. This situation is 166-104 ATS (61.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (548) Los Angeles Lakers

This is a play on ORLANDO MAGIC for our NBA Afternoon Dominator. It was a Game Three disaster for Cleveland which lost every quarter and eventually took a 38-point loss which was the worst in franchise playoff history. The money will be flying in on the Cavaliers for a Game Four bounce back which the linemakers expect and the line has been adjusted because of that as the zig zag theorists will be going that way. We like that angle in some occasions but not here. The story in the first two games was the Cleveland defense but that did not show up in Game Three as it allowed 121 points on 51.1 percent shooting but the actuality of it is, the Cavaliers offense has been bad. They have shot 41.6 percent from the floor and have yet to crack 100 points and while the Cleveland defense gets all of the accolades, the Orlando defense is better as it ranked No. 2 in defensive efficiency, No. 3 in turnovers gained and it is top 7 in all rebounding categories. The Magic had no offense and never even had a lead in Cleveland and while the Cavaliers defense gets credit, Orlando did not shoot well as it has missed wide open looks but the return home cured that. After the Thursday win, the Magic are 30-11 at home where they shoot 48.9 percent. Here, we play on home favorites after having lost 5 or 6 of their last 7 games, with a winning record on the season playing another winning team. This situation is 40-15 ATS (72.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (542) Orlando Magic

This is a play on the PHOENIX SUNS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. The Suns are up against the wall in what has been one of the most disappointing seasons with one of the best rosters coming in and not even competing for one of the top spots in the Western Conference. Phoenix does look left for dead after falling behind 0-2 in this series and being dominated twice and while only 8.6 percent of the 313 times that teams were down 0-2 and came back to win, 22 of the 27 times it was the road team that came back including six times the last three years. This is not a series bet but just a Game Three bet for a chance and we expect this team to get up off the mat and come to life. Minnesota has been dominant at home as it went to 32-11 following the first two wins in this series but the Timberwolves have not been the same team on the road where they are 26-15. That is certainly still good but it has been situationally dependent where it is 16-5 as a favorite. Here, we play on favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points with a winning percentage between .501 and .600 after failing to cover the spread in two or more consecutive games, playing a winning team. This situation is 44-17 ATS (72.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (538) Phoenix Suns

This is a play on the PHILADELPHIA 76ERS for our NBA Divisional Game of the Month. The Sixers have fallen down 2-0 in this series following a brutal defeat in Game Two where they blew a five-point lead with 47 seconds left and were outscored 8-0 the rest of the way. The final 30 seconds were filled with controversy with missed fouls and missed time outs for Philadelphia and the NBA has actually come forward with the mishaps. The Sixers will be playing with a chip on their shoulder and this is obviously a must win and there will be a message sent in Game Three. Tyrese Maxey was incredible despite playing with the flu and it will be up to him and Joel Embiid, who has been hobbling around with the knee issue, to again pick this team up which we fully expect at home. The Knicks have won five of the six meetings in this season series including a pair of blowouts in Philadelphia in January and February which is surprising without a huge matchup advantage. Philadelphia is 24-9 as a home favorite this season and laying a good number in this one. Here, we play against road underdogs off three or more consecutive home wins, playing five or less games in 14 days. This situation is 40-16 (71.4 percent) since 1996. 10* (528) Philadelphia 76ers

This is a play on the ORLANDO MAGIC for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Cleveland took advantage of its home floor with a pair of nearly identical wins as its top rated defense locked down and allowed 83 and 86 points on 32.6 percent and 36.2 percent shooting respectively. What is not being said much is the fact the Cavaliers offense was not very good as they did not get over 97 points and shot 44 percent or less in both games. Cleveland is a solid 23-19 on the road but now goes to an environment with its first home playoff game since April of 2019. The Magic have had no offense and never even had a lead in Cleveland and while the Cavaliers defense has been the catalyst, Orlando has not shot well as it has missed wide open looks but the return home will cure that. The Magic are 29-11 at home where they shoot 48.8 percent and they are not dead yet in this series despite only 8.6 percent of the 313 times that teams were down 0-2 and came back to win but in 22 of the 27 times it was the road team that came back including six times the last three years. Here, we play on home favorites after having lost 5 or 6 of their last 7 games, with a winning record on the season playing another winning team. This situation is 39-15 ATS (72.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (526) Orlando Magic

This is a play on the OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Oklahoma St. took Game One as it started to pull away late, stretching the lead to 10 points, their largest advantage of the game, early in the fourth quarter but New Orleans bounced back and actually took a lead with under two minutes left. It was a tough loss for the Pelicans and they will have a tough time playing with the same road energy, especially once again being without Zion Williamson. They have been really good on the road with a 28-15 record but that includes just a 10-10 record against current playoff teams. The Thunder meanwhile improved to 34-8 at home and that includes a 30-5 record when favored. By not covering the first game, we are catching a little value with a shorter line which is always good but we are expecting Oklahoma City to win this one going away as we are already seeing an overall disturbing trend similar to last season with playoff blowouts. Oklahoma City is 28-14 ATS in its last 42 games after allowing 100 points or less. Here, we play on home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points in the 2nd game of a playoff series. This situation is 25-7 ATS (78.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (520) Oklahoma City Thunder

This is a play on the DALLAS MAVERICKS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Home teams are now 11-0 in the postseason following a 3-0 Monday yet numbers have not changed or reflected that and this is one road team we will back to get into the win column. Following a loss in Game One where they never led and trailed by as many as 29 points, the Mavericks have now dropped three straight games but prior to this, they were on a roll. They were 16-2 in their previous 18 games and have one of the better matchups of all teams with the road disadvantage. While they have been good at home, they are 25-17 on the road and Dallas has been writing money in these spots, going 20-6 straight up and 19-5 against the number as road favorites despite the loss on Sunday. The Clippers lost their final three games of the regular season before taking Game One thanks to a sparkling defensive effort as they allowed only 30 first half points and that certainly will not happen again. Kawhi Leonard was questionable for Game One, did not play, and is now deemed out until early May. Here, we play on road teams where the line is +3 to -3 off two or more consecutive road losses, playing 6 or less games in 14 days. This situation is 89-43 ATS (67.4 percent) since 1996. 10* (513) Dallas Mavericks

This is a play on the ORLANDO MAGIC for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Home teams went 8-0 straight up in the first weekend for the first time since the 2013 playoffs while going 7-1 against the number. Taking into account in the NBA Play-In Tournament games, home teams went 13-1 straight up and 11-3 ATS so it has been host dominant but this will start to balance out. In the three previous seasons where the home teams went 6-2 ATS or better in Game One, Game Two saw a dead even ATS mark of 12-12 ATS. The one road team Monday that looks to bounce back is Orlando as it is coming off an awful game where the offense managed only 83 points on 32.6 percent shooting, its worst performance on that end of the floor, its worst shooting performance on the entire season. Cleveland has one of the best defenses in the NBA overall but it struggled down the stretch as the Cavaliers allowed 48 percent or higher in 10 of its last 12 regular season games. It was a 2-2 season series split during the regular season and Orlando has gone 14-4 ATS in its last 18 games after having lost four of its last five games while Cleveland is 15-23-1 ATS this season following a cover. Here, we play on teams after having lost five or six of their last seven games, with a winning record on the season playing another winning team. This situation is 128-81 ATS (61.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (501) Orlando Magic

This is a play on the MILWAUKEE BUCKS for our NBA Divisional Game of the Month. Milwaukee limps into the postseason on a 3-8 slide and will be without Giannis Antetokounmpo for the majority of this series at a minimum. The Bucks skid knocked them down into the No. 3 slot in the Eastern Conference but they were able to avoid falling into No. 4 which means avoiding Boston until the conference finals should they get that far but opening round Game One is the big one and this line is overadjusted because of Giannis being out. His absence is huge for sure but this roster has the talent to make up for it in this key spot. Indiana rolled Atlanta in its final regular season game and was able to grab the No. 6 seed based off a three-way tiebreaker which probably gave it the best matchup of the No. 5 and No. 7 teams that finished with the same record. The Pacers are average on the road and have lost to teams with significantly worse rosters than what they are facing tonight. Here, we play on underdogs after a loss by 10 points or more going up against an opponent after two straight games where both teams scored 115 points or more. This situation is 81-41 ATS (66.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (587) Milwaukee Bucks

This is a play on the DALLAS MAVERICKS for our NBA Afternoon Dominator. Dallas enters the postseason off a pair of losses which denied it a chance at home court advantage in the first round but it was without both Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving for both of those games and coming into those games, the Mavericks were on a roll. They were 16-2 in their previous 18 games and have one of the better matchups of all teams with the road disadvantage. While they have been good at home, they have an identical 25-16 record on the road and Dallas has been writing money in these spots, going 20-4 straight up and 19-5 against the number as road favorites. The Clippers lost their final three games of the regular season and come in with very little momentum with a 14-13 record over their last 27 games. The status of Kawhi Leonard is still in doubt after he missed the final eight games of the regular season as he comes into the first round Game One as questionable. He has participated in film sessions but he has not been able to have any contact on the court and it is unlikely the Clippers will put him on the floor. Here, we play on teams shooting 48 percent or better on the season after a game allowing 55 percent shooting or higher. This situation is 141-91 ATS (60.8 percent) since 1996. 10* (587) Dallas Mavericks

This is a play on the DENVER NUGGETS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. The Lakers are coming off a road win at New Orleans to grab the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference and they remain on the road to open the postseason in one of the toughest environments in the league. Los Angeles is still one game under .500 on the road following the recent win and the Lakers are 6-16 ATS in their last 21 games coming off an upset win as a road underdog. Denver begins its defense of its NBA Championship and the Nuggets have been on a roll following a rough start in November and December. They missed out on the No. 1 seed because of the tiebreaker as they finished in a tie for the second best record in the NBA. Home court has been solid again this year as they are 33-8 at home which includes a 12-point win over the Lakers in the lone home meeting and going back, Denver has won eight straight meetings that included a four-game sweep in the playoffs last season. Here, we play against underdogs off two or more consecutive upset wins as a road underdog, winning between 51% and 60% of their games on the season. This situation is 63-28 ATS (69.2 percent) since 1996. 10* (576) Denver Nuggets

This is a play on the MIAMI HEAT NBA Signature Enforcer. Miami is coming off a tough loss at Philadelphia on Wednesday by a point and heads home in a spot to make the actual playoffs with the big news that Jimmy Butler is declared out along with Terry Rozier. The Heat are 12-6 in their last 18 games and are still favored despite the depleted lineup which has put money on the other side. Miami is 0-10 as a home underdog but is 22-9 as a home favorite and a short number makes that more accessible. Chicago rolled over Atlanta at home on Wednesday behind 42 points from Coby White and hits the road where it is 19-22 on the season. This is another team where the home/road dichotomy situation is apparent with the Bulls being 9-2 ad road favorites but just 10-20 as road underdogs. Butler is out and this is where the rest of the team steps up. Here, we play on home teams after allowing 105 points or less in two straight games going up against an opponent after scoring 130 points or more. This situation is 34-8 ATS (81 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (560) Miami Heat

This is a play on the MIAMI HEAT for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Miami closed the regular season with a pair of wins and it closed the season strong by going 11-6 over its last 17 games. This includes a 6-2 record on the road where the Heats have been great all season with a 24-17 record. They have struggled as underdogs but most of that damage was at home where they are 0-10 when getting points. Miami and Philadelphia split the season series while losing the last meeting at home earlier this month and the Heat are 7-0 ATS in road games revenging a home loss this season. The Sixers have caught fire at the right time as they have won eight straight games including all five since Joel Embiid returned from his knee injury. Additionally, Philadelphia has covered 10 straight games so there is now value on the other side with these teams separated by just one game overall. Philadelphia has been dominant at home this season especially with a healthy Embiid but this line is priced to high based on the recent run. Here, we play against home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points with a winning percentage between .501 and .600 off a win against a division rival. This situation is 41-18 ATS (69.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (551) Miami Heat

This is a play on the NEW ORLEANS PELICANS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. The regular season did not end the way the Pelicans wanted as they had a four-game winning streak heading into their game against Lakers while welcoming Brandon Ingram back into the lineup but fall flat at home while trying to lock up a No. 6 seed and avoid the play-in. New Orleans still gets to play host with the winner grabbing the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference while the loser hosting another play-in game against the winner of a matchup between the Kings and Warriors. New Orleans is 20-12 both straight up and against the number following a loss. Los Angeles is still two games under .500 on the road following the recent win and finds itself in a tough spot. The Lakers are 5-16 ATS in their last 21 games coming off an upset win as a road underdog. Here, we play on favorites revenging a home loss, off an upset loss by 10 points or more as a favorite. This situation is 53-22 ATS (70.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (542) New Orleans Pelicans

This is a play on the CHICAGO BULLS for our NBA Afternoon Dominator. The final day of the regular season will present many scenarios for different seedings up for grabs and lines are overadjusted with this being one of those. The Knicks have secured no worse than the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference and remain alive to pass Milwaukee for the No. 2 seed if they win here and the Bucks lose to Orlando with both being very much possible. But this number is taking that into consideration as a normal price is having the Knicks favored by only eight points. Meanwhile Chicago has nothing to play for as it is locked into the No. 9 seed in the conference and playing a road game for its play in game. While there is no chance to move up or down, the Bulls would like to keep the momentum going after having won their last two games and going into the postseason with positive confidence. Chicago is 27-15 ATS in its last 42 games revenging a loss of 10 points. Here, we play against home favorites of 10 or more points after going over the total by 18 or more points total in their last three games going up against an opponent after going over the total by 36 or more points total in their last five games. This situation is 27-6 ATS (81.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (507) Chicago Bulls

This is a play on the SACRAMENTO KINGS for our NBA Divisional Game of the Year. Sacramento came up small for us last night in a 12-point home loss against New Orleans but we are going back with the Kings which are still in good shape while now catching a big number at home. There is currently a three-way tie at the bottom of the Western Conference with the Kings, Warriors and the Lakers all 45-35. The Kings hold the tiebreaker over both, so they currently sit eighth despite the loss against New Orleans last night. They close with Portland on Sunday so a win here likely guarantees a home game for the play in. Phoenix got its revenge against the Clippers on Wednesday in a 16-point road win but it did not get help last night with the Pelicans win as it is now a game behind them in the No. 7 spot. Phoenix can avoid the play-in entirely by going 2-0 over its final two games but it needs the help of at least one New Orleans loss as well so there is plenty to play for but laying this road number is too excessive. Here, we play on home teams off an upset loss by 10 points or more as a favorite, playing six or more games in 10 days. This situation is 70-33 ATS (68 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (584) Sacramento Kings

This is a play on the SACRAMENTO KINGS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Despite coming off a pair of wins, New Orleans has been eliminated from a home court advantage possibility as it is 3.5 games out of the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference with three games remaining. The Pelicans can still move down but there is no advantage of facing No. 2 or No. 3 so falling from No. 6 to No. 7 is huge disadvantage. Facing the Kings with the Warriors and Lakers on deck to close the season is a tough spot with literally nothing to play for. This season, the Pelicans are 1-15 ATS coming off a double-digit road win. The Kings meanwhile do have something to play for as they are currently in the No. 8 spot in the conference which is good enough to host a play in game but they are only a half-game ahead of the Lakers to fall out of that and while they have not been the greatest home team this season, an elimination game on the road is something they do not want. This is the first of three home games to close the season and Sacramento is coming off a 1-3 roadtrip with the last game being a non-cover at Oklahoma City and it is 24-13 against the number this season following an ATS loss. 10* (552) Sacramento Kings

This is a play on the PHOENIX SUNS as part of our NBA Wednesday Triple Play. Here, we have another road team where the line is defining the story. Phoenix is coming off a loss at home against the Clippers last night and are now in Los Angeles for a rematch and come in as the favorite. The Suns have been eliminated from having home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs but they are not safe as they are in the play in group where they will host a game more than likely but still have a chance to avoid that elimination game as they are just one game behind New Orleans. Los Angeles is two games clear of Dallas for the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference as it has won four straight games with this being the first of a season closing three-game homestand. Kawhi Leonard was out last night so it was a bad loss for the Suns in that regard and he will be out again tonight. The Clippers are 7-18 ATS this season coming off a road win while Phoenix is 14-4 in its last 18 games after scoring less than 100 points. Here, we play on road favorites revenging a home loss, off an upset loss by 10 points or more as a favorite. This situation is 23-4 ATS (85.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (543) Phoenix Suns

This is a play on the ORLANDO MAGIC as part of our NBA Wednesday Triple Play. Orlando is coming off a bad loss in Houston last night, against a Rockets team that was just eliminated from playoff contention and had nothing to play for, and the Magic slipped to No. 4 in the Eastern Conference but still hold tiebreaker over No. 5 Cleveland based on winning their division. Many will question this line as Orlando is currently a slight road favorite but that line is telling us exactly what this situation is and the public will be all over the Bucks. Milwaukee is coming off a much needed win over Boston last night which snapped a four-game losing streak. The Bucks are still one game ahead of the Knicks for the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference so all remaining games will be big but health is the now more important issue. Giannis Antetokounmpo was a little hobbled coming into last night but he had to leave the game with a leg injury and he is again listed as questionable and it is highly unlikely he is going to take the floor tonight and that is what this line is saying. Here, we play on teams revenging a loss where opponent scored 100 or more points, off an upset loss of 10 points or more as a road favorite. This situation is 81-41 ATS (66.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (539) Orlando Magic

This is a play on the DALLAS MAVERICKS as part of our NBA Wednesday Triple Play. Dallas has peaked at the right time as following a 26-point win over Charlotte last night, it has won four straight games and is 15-2 over its last 17 games. With four games left, the Mavericks are in the No. 5 spot in the Western Conference, two games behind the Clippers so there is still a possibility of moving up. Dallas is 7-0 ATS in road games when playing on back-to-back days this season while going 12-3 ATS after a win by 15 points or more. Miami lost a tough game at Indiana on Sunday but bounced back with a win at Atlanta last night in double overtime. Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro all logged at least 44 minutes so this is a much more tired team coming into this back-to-back spot. The Heat are guaranteed a home game in a play in situation but can still avoid that as they are a game and a half behind Indiana for the No. 6 spot. Miami is 0-7 ATS as a home underdog of six points or less this season. Here, we play against underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points off a road win against a division rival, playing their 3rd game in four days. This situation is 29-7 ATS (80.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (535) Dallas Mavericks

This is a play on the MILWAUKEE BUCKS for our Eastern Conf. Game of the Month. Milwaukee has now lost four straight games and even with just four games remaining, the Bucks are in jeopardy of falling out of the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference and they are just a game and a half out of fifth place. The good news is they control their own destiny as they hold the tiebreaker over New York and Cleveland and can win the season series with Orlando. They got Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo back in the lineup together and while the latter is questionable, he will likely be able to go again. Boston has won five straight games and has already clinched the best record in the NBA so health is the biggest factor as it closes out the regular season. Jayson Tatum missed the last game and is probable tonight but we are likely not going to see the starters play big minutes. Here, we play on teams with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 after having lost five or six of their last seven games, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 48-20 ATS (70.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (508) Milwaukee Bucks

This is a play on the PURDUE BOILERMAKERS for our National Championship Crusher. The chalk again came through in the Final Four as the favorites have had the biggest NCAA Tournament of all time and after Saturday, the public has cleaned up as in the NCAA Tournament this season, favorites of eight points or more are 20-5 (80 percent) against the number. This number has not reached that yet but it is close and this is the contrarian move to close the season with nearly 80 percent of the money on the Huskies which are now 11-0 ATS over the last two NCAA Tournaments. Connecticut is an absurd +125 in scoring differential in this tournament but Purdue is not far behind as it is +98 and this is the first time since 1960 that the National Title game has featured two teams that have outscored their opponents by 19 ppg or more. These teams are on more of a level field than what this line is saying with the Boilermakers coming in 31-4 in non-Quad 4 games and the Huskies 27-3. This is a rare spot for Purdue which has not been an underdog of more than six points since 2021. With the run the Huskies are on, the number is certainly inflated and this is the highest spread of No. 1 seeds facing each other since 1999 so taking everything into account, this is a number play backing a Purdue team that is narrowly behind Connecticut in the NET rankings and has a better Q score. 10* (675) Purdue Boilermakers

This is a play on the MILWAUKEE BUCKS as part of our NBA Sunday Triple Play. Milwaukee is in an absolute funk right now as it has lost three straight games and they were not just any losses as they were against the Wizards, Grizzlies and the Raptors which are three of the six lowest rated teams in the league and all three were as favorites of 12 points or more. They got Damian Lillard back after missing the previous three games but the Bucks were without Giannis Antetokounmpo in their last loss against Toronto but both will be back in the lineup tonight in what has become a must win. Milwaukee did get a break last night with the Cavaliers loss and are now a game and a half ahead of Cleveland with three of its last five games coming against pursuers New York and Orlando with the other two against the Celtics and Thunder. At 29-9 at home, the Bucks have to take this one. The Knicks are coming odd a bad loss as well as they fell to the Bulls to open their four-game roadtrip and they are tied with the Magic for the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference. They could not catch a title contender at the wrong time however and they have been average on the road at 20-18 while going 9-12 as underdogs. Here, we play on favorites with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 after having lost five or six of their last seven games, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 24-5 ATS (82.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (580) Milwaukee Bucks

This is a play on the ORLANDO MAGIC as part of our NBA Sunday Triple Play. Orlando had been on a 10-2 run but lost three straight games before coming back to win three consecutive games. that was a much needed run but the Magic followed that up with a horrible loss at Charlotte on Friday to remain in a tie with New York for fourth place in the Eastern Conference. The Magic are 27-11 at home while covering 25 of those and come in part of a great situation from all season as they are 19-4 as home favorites, bringing in the money in 17 of those and this is a team that needs to lock down their home floor for the first round of the playoffs so all games are huge going forward. Chicago is coming off a win over the Knicks to halt a 2-5 slide and it really has nothing to play for at this point as it is locked in to a road play-in game with the opponent still to be determined and out of its control. The Bulls are on the road for four of their last five games where they are three games under .500 including a 9-18 record as underdogs. This is the prime spot for Orlando which is 15-4 ATS this season as a favorite between 3.5 and 9 points. Here, we play on favorites in the second half of the season in a game involving two teams with scoring differential of +/- 3 ppg, after trailing in their previous game by 15 or more points at the half. This situation is 34-7 ATS (82.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (568) Orlando Magic

This is a play on the OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER as part of our NBA Sunday Triple Play. Oklahoma City has fallen into third place in the Western Conference following its third straight loss with all three of those games having Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the pine with a quad contusion. This is a team that continues to get no respect as they have been underdogs in their last three games but those were all against solid playoff teams yet they are favored on the road here against one of the worst teams in the league and as a line comparison, not nearly enough considering the Hornets have been at least 12-point underdogs in their last four home games against playoff teams. Charlotte beat Orlando in its last game by nine points as a 12-point underdog as it was the first game played since head coach Steve Clifford was told he would not be retained and that was a spot where the team came together. Now it is a letdown game and coming against a team that is playing for so much at this point. Charlotte is just 11-28 at home while winning just nine of those games and even though it is catching a significant number, it is not where it should be. Here, we play on road favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points after being beaten by the spread by 30 or more points total in their last three games going up against an opponent after going over the total by more than 24 points in their previous game. This situation is 26-3 ATS (89.7 percent) since 1996. 10* (569) Oklahoma City Thunder

This is a play on the ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE for our ALA/UCONN Final Four Crusher. We are going contrarian with Alabama as it continues to shoot at a high level and will obviously need to continue that, bringing in the No. 1 ranked scoring offense in the country. Alabama had no issues with its two mid-major opponents as it beat Charleston and Grand Canyon by double digits and then got quality wins over North Carolina and Clemson to get confidence and momentum back for a team that limped into the NCAA Tournament with losses in four of its previous six games. The Huskies ATS run has reached historic levels as they are the 1st team in seeding era to win and cover 10 straight games and going back, the Huskies are on a 26-6 ATS run in the NCAA Tournament, covering 14 of those games by double digits. No one wants to step in front of this train and the number has been on the move with over two-thirds of the tickets and the money on Connecticut which has pushed the number from -10.5 opening to -12 in most places as of Wednesday afternoon. Looking overall, the public has cleaned up as in the NCAA Tournament this season, favorites of eight points or more are 18-5 (78.3 percent) against the number. Free throw shooting is a big factor in these games and Alabama has a big edge. The Tide shoot 78.6 percent from the stripe while Connecticut shoots 73.9 percent which is still good but teams that shoot 75 percent or higher going up teams that shoot less than 75 percent are 85-54-2 ATS (61.2 percent) since 2018. 10* (671) Alabama Crimson Tide

This is a play on the NC STATE WOLFPACK for our NCST/PUR Final Four Dominator. This is the contrarian call and we say contrarian based on the line and the seeding for NC State but not based on the early betting moves which does tell the story early on. The Wolfpack have garnered 75 percent of the money and 65 percent of the tickets but the number has not moved. It has been an historic run for NC State as it has won nine straight games to make it to its first Final Four in over 40 years and this from a team that was not even on the bubble to make the NCAA Tournament. Its 14 losses are the most ever for any team to make the Final Four. Eight of those losses were Quad 1 defeats but only two of those were by more points than what the Wolfpack are getting here and those were against Duke and North Carolina. Purdue is the big chalk for a reason and it has it all to win the National Championship as the Boilermakers are elite on both sides of the ball, ranked No. 2 on offense and No. 16 on defense in the country and of course are led by center Zach Edey, who has won the Naismith Player of the Year two seasons in a row. Purdue has played 21 games away from home and has gone 17-4 but only seven of those wins have come by more than eight points, two of those coming against non-major teams, three against Big Ten teams that did not make the NCAA Tournament and the other two against Gonzaga by 10 and 12 points and those latter two are the only true quality victories. 10* (673) NC State Wolfpack

This is a play on the CLEVELAND CAVALIERS for our NBA Afternoon Dominator. Seeding implications are on the line for both Cleveland and Los Angeles and we will be taking the inflated number. The Lakers are 8-1 over their last nine games which is their best stretch of the season and are inching closer to being able to host a play in game also in part to New Orleans and Sacramento fading of late. The recent run along with just being the Lakers has forced this number to be where it is and while they are 21-7 as home favorites, they are just 13-13-2 against the number. Cleveland is coming off a loss at Phoenix on Wednesday and it has not been a good run since early March as the Cavaliers are 5-9 over their last 14 games. However, the recent struggles for Milwaukee has kept Cleveland alive for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference as it is just one game behind the Bucks so this is a big two-game Los Angeles weekend. The Cavaliers are 12-3 ATS following a road loss this season and they are 13-2 ATS in their last 15 games following a double-digit road loss. Here, we play against home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points in the second half of the season in a game involving two teams with scoring differentials of +/- 3 ppg, after scoring 120 points or more. This situation is 74-36 ATS (67.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (553) Cleveland Cavaliers

This is a play on the PHOENIX SUNS for our NBA Western Conf. Game of the Month. After a horrible loss to San Antonio, Phoenix was faced with a tough task to close the season with its 10 remaining games all coming against playoff teams which was the No. 1 remaining schedule. So far, so good as the Suns are 3-1 including a big win at home over Cleveland last time out with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker combining for 72 points and this roster could finally be finding their rhythm. It will not get any easier here but they are in their best stretch in a long time as they are 6-2 over their last eight games and have moved into a tie for No. 6 in the Western Conference. Minnesota has also regained its form after a 2-4 stretch to open March as the Timberwolves have gone 9-2 since then. It does include two impressive road wins over Denver and the Clippers and they come in 25-13 on the road for the season. They are tied with Denver atop the Western Conference and they are coming off a 48-point win over Toronto and while they have been good after wins, they are just 34-18 off a victory compared to 19-4 off a loss. The defense is still No. 1 in Efficiency but will have their hands full against this team on the road. 10* (550) Phoenix Suns

This is a play on the SACRAMENTO KINGS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Boston is coming off a 35-point win over short-handed Oklahoma City to clinch the No. 1 overall seed and secure home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. It was the third straight win for the Celtics which play at home in five of their final six games with the biggest test coming on the road against Milwaukee. This is a line to grab early if possible as Boston is not going to go all out the remainder of the season and while they will unlikely sit their starters, they will not be seeing normal action but we could still see someone sit here especially with Jaylen Brown questionable. We played against Sacramento on Thursday which was more of a play on with the Knicks which seemed to be a much bigger game for them based on their situation in the Eastern Conference standings and the fact they have a four-game roadtrip on deck. The Kings are in a group of six teams within four games of each other between the No. 5 and No. 10 spots in the conference so each game is big for them as well and stealing a game against the best team in the league would be huge but we will gladly take the very big number in hopes of what should be a close game. 10* (535) Sacramento Kings

This is a play on the HOUSTON ROCKETS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. The season is on the line tonight for the Rockets. Houston put together an 11-game winning streak to get into playoff contention but has lost two straight games to fall three games behind the Warriors after creeping up within one game. It has been an incredible turnaround season for the Rockets which have already surpassed their wins from last season by 16 games so it has already been a success but they want to keep it going. Houston has won 22 of 26 games as a favorite and while it is the underdogs here, the Rockets have won 11 of 20 games as home underdogs, covering 13 of those. Golden St. is coming off a win over Dallas which made it five straight wins but it has clearly been a disappointing season for the Warriors. This is a spot they have excelled in this season as they are 16-1 as road favorites, covering 13 of those but we are bucking that here based on the situation and that fact that Houston has been the most profitable team at home this season, going 27-11 ATS, one of just four teams at 60 percent or above. Houston lost the first two meetings this season but those were before December and this is a much better team from then and they are 17-5 ATS at home revenging a loss. 10* (526) Houston Rockets

This is a play on the NEW YORK KNICKS for our NBA Supreme Annihilator. Sacramento has won two straight games and is currently tied for the No. 7 spot in the Western Conference and it is in a group of teams six teams within four games of each other between the No. 5 and No. 10 spots in the conference. This is the sixth time since late February that the Kings have won two games in a row but they are 0-5 in the last five games following consecutive wins with the losses coming by 11, 8, 7, 7 and 36 points. They hit the road for their final four road games of the season where they are a solid 21-16 and have covered 23 of those games but that is keeping this number low. The Knicks are coming off their third straight loss and they are also in a logjam in their conference. New York is tied with Orlando for fourth place in the Eastern Conference but it has already lost that tiebreaker and while it can feasibly still reach No. 3, it is also in the situation where it could fall as far as No. 8 should these struggles continue. The Knicks have four road games on deck after this one so this is a big home game where they are 24-14 including a 21-6 record as a home favorite and they are 18-7 ATS in their last 25 home games coming off a road loss. 10* (524) New York Knicks

This is a play on the INDIANA ST. SYCAMORES for our NIT Game of the Year. The analysis remains the same for the Sycamores from their game on Monday. Although Indiana St. could not get out of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, it should have gained a berth in the NCAA Tournament as the Sycamores finished No. 28 in NET rankings and were by far the highest rated team to not make the tournament. This team looks to be on a mission with a huge chip on their shoulder and this venue favors them as they will have the crowd on their side. The Sycamores feature three players that shoot at least 40 percent from long range and they shoot 38.3 percent as team from behind the arc which is No. 11 in the country. They did not shoot great from long range against Utah but still won by 10 points as they shot 80.7 percent from two. Seton Hall jumped out to an 18-3 lead over Georgia and never looked back. The Pirates led by as many as 24 points in the second half but the Bulldogs did mount a comeback as they got it to within 12 points with just under six minutes left so the Seton Hall starters did not get a break in a game in which they should have. The Pirates have rolled in their last three games after barely getting by St. Joes in the NIT opener so while playing great, they are just No. 67 in NET ranking and while they can out-physical teams, Indiana St. proved it can handle that as it did against Utah. 10* (681) Indiana St. Sycamores

This is a play on the MILWAUKEE BUCKS for our NBA Supreme Annihilator. Milwaukee is coming off a bad loss at Washington on Tuesday as it was without Damian Lillard for a second straight game but head coach Doc Rivers said that he should be back on Wednesday. The Bucks lead over Cleveland for the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference has shrunk to 1.5 games and they are just 2.5 games ahead of the Knicks for fourth place which is the spot no team wants since it would have to face Boston before the conference finals. Milwaukee is back home where it is 29-7 and this is the start of a five-game homestand so it has a good shot to clinch No. 2 here but the final three games on this homestand are against playoff teams so these first two games are big. Memphis snapped a three-game losing streak with a win at Detroit on Monday. Four of their last five wins have been against non-playoff teams with the other coming against Philadelphia which has certainly not been the same. The last real quality win came at home back in mid-February against Milwaukee so the Bucks will also be out for some payback in addition to bouncing back from a horrible loss. Here, we play on favorites revenging a straight up loss as a favorite of seven points or more going up against an opponent off an upset win as a road underdog. This situation is 45-17 ATS (72.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (508) Milwaukee Bucks

This is a play on the NEW ORLEANS PELICANS for our NBA Non-Conf. Game of the Month. New Orleans was in good shape to keep pace with the Clippers for the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference where it also owns the tiebreaker against Los Angeles but it began a brutal homestand at the start of last week against four championship contenders and it went 103 in those games, the lone win coming against Milwaukee. The Pelicans face another playoff team before closing out against San Antonio and after two straight losses, this is a big one to get as the possibility of falling into the play in spot is there as the Pelicans are only a game ahead of Phoenix for the No. 7 spot and the elimination game. New Orleans has been better on the road than at home this season but that is reflected in the short number. Following a pair of wins over lowly Memphis and Portland, Orlando is also in must win mode but nothing more than seeding as well as its magic number is five to avoid the play in game but the difference here is that the Magic are on the road where they are 17-19 compared to 27-1 at home. They are 9-1 as road chalk but just 8-18 as underdogs and are simply in a bad spot. Here, we play on favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points with a winning percentage between .501 and .600 after failing to cover the spread in two or more consecutive games, playing a winning team. This situation is 43-16 ATS (72.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (514) New Orleans Pelicans

This is a play on the INDIANA PACERS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Indiana is still very much alive for the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference as it trails New York and Orlando by a game and a half. The Pacers have won two straight games including a 22-point home win over Brooklyn on Monday where they closed at -12.5 so this is a fair number for the venue change and with everything on the line. They are decent on the road at 19-18 but have been inconsistent yet they have won six of their last eight on the highway and with games against Oklahoma City and Miami on deck so there will be plenty of motivation despite the revenge angle on the other side. It has been two straight losses for Brooklyn which has basically ended its playoff chances as one more loss or one more Atlanta win with the Hawks hosting Detroit Wednesday eliminates the Nets. After opening the season 16-4-1 against the number, Brooklyn is just 16-30-1 ATS over its last 47 games and this is not the spot. This starts a four-game homestand where the Nets are just 17-20 and while they have been solid with seven wins in 11 games as underdogs, it is a different scenario when late in the season especially with nothing likely on the line. Here, we play against underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points revenging a road blowout loss of 20 points or more, off a road loss by 10 points or more. This situation is 38-11 ATS (77.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (511) Indiana Pacers

This is a play on the GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS as part of our NBA Tuesday Triple Play. Dallas has won seven straight games and 11 of its last 12 to climb the Western Conference standings as it is now in the No. 5 spot and trails the Clippers by two games for the all important No. 4 spot and home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. They have been excellent on the road which has been the case for a lot of teams as the Mavericks are one of seven teams with 22 or more road wins and while they are 18-3 as road favorites, they are just 5-11 as road underdogs. Golden St. has won four straight games, all on the road, and it returns home where it has been a major disappointment this season. The Warriors are 18-19 at home so there has not been a true home floor edge but that provides value in what is a near pickem. They are still holding down the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, two games clear of Houston with a game against the Rockets on deck so this is a big one to not make that a swing game. Here, we play against road underdogs with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 coming off a road win against a division rival, playing a team with a winning percentage between .501 and .600. This situation is 28-9 ATS (75.7 percent) since 1996. 10* (580) Golden St. Warriors

This is a play on the NEW YORK KNICKS as part of our NBA Tuesday Triple Play. New York is coming off a pair of losses against San Antonio and Oklahoma City which halted a 7-1 run and it still remains in the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference, a half-game behind Cleveland for third place and just a half-game ahead of Orlando for fifth place. They have been a solid road team all season and the Knicks are 10-5 in their last 15 road games and while this is a tough spot, they are 20-9 following a loss and they have dropped more than two in row only two times this season. Miami has been one of the most inconsistent teams in the league as it has pulled off some big runs but has also fallen into some bad runs as well. The Heat are currently riding a two-game winning streak but those wins were against Portland and Washington and of their last nine wins, only one came against a team that will be making the playoffs. They are a game out of avoiding the play in game so each game is huge but at only 19-17 at home, there is not a big edge. Here, we play on road teams in the second half of the season in a game involving two teams averaging between 108 and 114 ppg, after a loss by three points or less. This situation is 31-9 ATS (77.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (569) New York Knicks

This is a play on the TORONTO RAPTORS as part of our NBA Tuesday Triple Play. Toronto has dropped 13 straight games and this is a game it will be up for with the Lakers coming to town. The Raptors have been extremely shorthanded but they will get R.J. Barrett and Immanuel Quickley back tonight who have both been out since early to mid-March. They have not been great at home at just 13-25 but that is just four games worse than how the Lakers have performed on the road and they are 25-11 ATS in their last 36 games following two straight losses by 15 points or more. Los Angeles is coming off a win at Brooklyn and it has won six of its last seven games including a 3-1 start on this current six-game roadtrip with a game at Washington on deck tomorrow. That brings in the probability of LeBron James and/or Anthony Davis resting for one of these games and both are on the injury list as questionable so we can get value here when bet early and possibly getting a late scratch as this number will only come down. The Lakers are 17-21 on the road and have covered only four of 13 games as road chalk. Here, we play on underdogs failing to cover the spread in 12 or more of the last 15 games going up against an opponent after having covered three of their last four games. This situation is 82-34 ATS (70.7 percent) since 1996. 10* (564) Toronto Raptors

This is a play on the INDIANA ST. SYCAMORES for our NIT Annihilator. Although Indiana St. could not get out of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, it should have gained a berth in the NCAA Tournament as the Sycamores finished No. 28 in NET rankings and were by far the highest rated team to not make the tournament. This team looks to be on a mission with a huge chip on their shoulder and this venue favors them as they will have the crowd on their side. The Sycamores feature three players that shoot at least 40 percent from long range and they shoot 38.3 percent as team from behind the arc which is No. 11 in the country. Utah used its huge home court advantage to roll through the first three games of the NIT and winning away from home kept the Utes out of the NCAA Tournament. They went 17-2 at home but won only five games outside of Salt Lake City with just two of those victories coming after November. Utah has a big size advantage but it does not help them defensively, especially on the perimeter where the Utes are No. 223 in three-point shooting defense. Additionally, they are one of the worst free throw shooting teams in the country, hitting only 65 percent from the stripe which is No. 348 in the nation. Here, we play against underdogs after successfully covering the spread in three or more consecutive games, playing with five or six days of rest. This situation is 149-112 ATS (57.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (662) Indiana St. Sycamores

This is a play on the DETROIT PISTONS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Memphis has lost three straight games and seven of its last eight as this injury riddled season starts to wind down. The Grizzlies got one key player back recently as Desmond Bane returned for five games after being out since January 12 but he is once again out of the lineup and they will be playing with four of their normal starting five out. Memphis has actually been better on the road than at home as it is 16-22 but that is being taken into consideration with this number. Detroit is coming off a win at Washington on Saturday which snapped an eight-game losing streak but all of those losses came against teams that will be in the postseason. Going back, the Pistons last 21 losses have come against teams that will be in the playoffs and on the season, they have only two wins against the top 16 in the league which is tied for second fewest. While not great at home, Detroit has won three straight here against non-playoff teams. Here, we play on favorites averaging between 108 and 114 ppg after a combined score of 205 points or less 2 straight games going up against teams allowing between 108 and 114. This situation is 66-28 ATS (70.2 percent) since 1996. 10* (558) Detroit Pistons

This is a play on the WASHINGTON WIZARDS for our NBA Divisional Game of the Year. Miami is coming off a 60-point, yes 60-point, win over Portland on Friday and is now laying a huge number on the road, the most it has been favored by on the road all season. After a 7-1 run wrapped around the All Star break, the Heat are just 5-7 over their last 12 games and are currently No. 7 in the Eastern Conference with no chance to move up into a home court advantage but still a chance to get out of playing in a play in game so these games are meaningful but lines are inflated because of that. Washington put together a three-game winning streak but has lost back-to-back games against Brooklyn and Detroit and its 14 wins on the season are second fewest in the league. The Wizards are just 6-30 at home this season and they have been throwing away money against the number but they are 6-4 ATS in their last 10 games at home when catching double digits. This is a revenge game for Miami which lost at home by a bucket but is laying basically the same price on the road and this is the recency bias play against spot. Here, we play on underdogs after scoring 95 points or less going up against an opponent after scoring 125 points or more. This situation is 65-35 ATS (65 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (540) Washington Wizards

This is a play on the DUKE BLUE DEVILS for our Elite 8 Game of the Year. It has been an improbable run for No. 11 seed NC State as it has now won eight straight games to get to the Elite 8. After winning five games in five days in the ACC Tournament, the Wolfpack have carried that momentum into the NCAA Tournament with three wins but it is safe to say, they have been fortunate. This is not a very good defense despite what the numbers have shown as on the season, NC State finished No. 280 in opponent three-point percentage and it leaves opponents wide open as Texas Tech, Oakland and Marquette simply could not make their shots as they went a combined 23-97 (23.7 percent) so if any one of those teams shot their average, NC State would not even be here. Duke rolled over a couple mid-majors in the first two rounds and then took out No. 1 seed Houston on Friday. The Blue Devils no doubt caught a break as Houston played the final 26-plus minutes without All-American Jamal Shead and he means more to this team than arguably any other team in the country. That being said, Duke took advantage of it and now catches an overachieving team at the right time. The Blue Devils are No. 21 in Effective Field Goal Percentage and No. 31 in Turnover Rate and they are elite from long range, finishing No. 13 in the country in three-point shooting. They went just 5-20 against the Wolfpack in the ACC Tournament loss so hit their shots here and they roll. 10* (658) Duke Blue Devils

This is a play on the DENVER NUGGETS for our NBA Afternoon Dominator. Denver is coming off a pair of losses against Phoenix and Minnesota at home which gave it just eight home losses on the season and this is the spot to bounce back with Jamal Murray having a good possibility to return after missing four games. The Nuggets have shot 43 percent or worse in consecutive games for just the third time this season and in the previous two occurrences, they came back by shooting 53 percent from the floor both times. They will be facing a tough defense for the second straight game but this is the get right spot as the Nuggets have fallen into third place in the Western Conference. Cleveland is coming off a win over Philadelphia which temporarily halted a 1-4 stretch as it got Donovan Mitchell back after he missed the previous six games with a broken nose so the Cavaliers are back to full strength. They are still in a fight for the No. 3 and No. 4 spots in the Eastern Conference and his return is keeping this number low. Here, we play on favorites with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 after failing to cover five or six of their last seven games against the spread, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 87-54 ATS (61.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (532) Denver Nuggets

This is a play on the ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE for our Sat. Elite 8 Annihilator. Clemson is coming off the big upset of Arizona which was the third straight game in the NCAA Tournament where the defense was the difference as it has forced 32 turnovers and that has been something it has been unable to do on a consistent basis this season as they are No. 344 in Turnover Percentage. Alabama is also off an upset as it defeated North Carolina as it outshot the Tar Heels by close to 10 percent. The offensive metrics are not great for the Tide but they are the highest scoring offense in the country and three-point shooting will play a big role and the law of averages favor Alabama. The Tide average 11 made three-pointers per game while being held to fewer than nine only 10 times and Clemson is 5-5 on the season when it allows 10 or more long balls and 8-8 when allowing nine or more. One of the exceptions to this was in the first meeting when Alabama made 11 three-pointers in the loss but the Tigers but the difference was on the other side where Clemson was 11-21 (52 percent) from long range. Alabama is 0-4 when teams shoot 44 percent or better from behind the arc and while that was one of those losses, Clemson has shot 44 percent or more only six times so that first meeting was an aberration. Alabama is 17-8 ATS as a favorite this season while going 6-0 ATS after allowing 45 or more points in the first half. 10* (654) Alabama Crimson Tide

This is a play on the MILWAUKEE BUCKS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. We do not like to lay big numbers on the road but this one is very manageable. Milwaukee opened at -7.5 and in comparison, Boston was favored at Atlanta in the last Hawks game by 17.5 points at one point, it closed at -15.5, and while the Bucks are not on the same level as the Celtics, they are not 10 points worse despite the recent struggles which are actually helping with this number which continues to plummet. As is the fact Damian Lillard will miss this game but this is one of those times where a star sits and the rest of the team picks it up. It was the second win in three games for the Hawks over Boston, which had already clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, and the Celtics can be guilty of complacency. With that win, it was their fourth straight victory for the Hawks with a depleted roster and that is going to catch up at some point. Atlanta is 11-28 ATS in its last 39 games off an upset win as an underdog. Here, we play on road favorites off two or more consecutive upset losses as a favorite going up against an opponent off a home win. This situation is 55-22 ATS (71.4 percent) since 1996. 10* (529) Milwaukee Bucks

This is a play on the SACRAMENTO KINGS as part of our NBA Friday Triple Play. This is an immediate revenge game for Sacramento as it lost to Dallas by 36 points on this floor on Tuesday so there will be some extra motivation in the tank tonight. The Kings are now a half-game behind Phoenix for the No. 7 spot in the Western Conference and they were in a tie for sixth place with Dallas prior to that loss so they can get that back with a win and can move back into a tie with the Mavericks. Sacramento is 24-8 ATS in its last 32 games following a home loss and 16-4 ATS in its last 20 games after allowing 130 or more points. Dallas has been on a heater as it has won five straight while going 9-1 over its last 10 games to solidify its playoff position. The Mavericks have been solid on the road this season at 21-14 but five of their last six wins on the highway have come against teams that will not be in the postseason and despite the win over the Kings as a slight underdog in their last game, they are just 4-11 as road underdogs on the season. Here, we play on teams revenging a same season loss, off an upset loss by 20 points or more as a favorite. This situation is 43-18 ATS (70.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (524) Sacramento Kings

This is a play on the TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS for our Fri. Sweet 16 Enforcer. We had the unfortunate curse of having the underdog in a game that went to overtime, in this case double overtime, as Oregon had its chances but lost to Creighton by 13 points as its depth became an issue late. Creighton has been a very popular No. 3 seed to make the deep run but they do not do two important things well as they do not force turnovers and do not get to the free throw line as they are ranked No. 362 in Defensive Turnover Percentage and No. 353 in Free Throw Rate. The Bluejays rely on the pick-and-roll to set up its three-point shots where it is above average at No. 54 in the country but the Volunteers match up well as they are No. 18 in pick-and-roll defense while allowing under 15 percent of total three-pointers taken to be left unguarded. That is only part of the defense that is raked No. 3 in Adjusted Efficiency Defense and that is why Tennessee is here as it was able to overcome an awful shooting night against Texas where it hit only 33.8 percent of its shots. Dalton Knecht led the Volunteers with 18 points but was just 5-18 from the floor and we expect a much better effort here after averaging 25.5 ppg in SEC action. The narrative here is that Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes is 4-16 against the number in NCAA Tournament games but we will be going against that here. 10* (642) Tennessee Volunteers

This is a play on the HOUSTON COUGARS for our Fri. Sweet 16 Annihilator. Houston got a scare from Texas A&M and it is in a great spot here laying its shortest price since February 24 when it laid 2.5 points at Baylor and while it has not been great when laying fewer than two possessions, all of those were in true road games and while this is not a home game, location matters here. Houston will be the fifth No. 1 seed to play the Sweet 16 in its home state with only St. John’s to lose its Sweet 16 game while the other three all advanced to the Final Four. Houston is not a great offensive team as it is ranked No. 229 in Effective field goal Percentage but does not face a great defense with Duke No. 90 in Effective Field Goal Percentage and the Cougars make up for it as they do not turn it over and rebound excellent, ranked No. 10 and No. 13 respectively in those categories. The Blue Devils had no issues with Vermont and James Madison, winning those games by 37 and 38 points and because of that, the line has been adjusted as the public will think that the Blue Devils are back but now they catch a real test. Duke has a very efficient offense but will be facing a defense ranked No. 2 in Effective Field Goal Percentage and Adjusted Defensive Efficiency and No. 3 in Turnover Rate. The Blue Devils are 5-4 in Quad 1 games with Houston being 16-4 and that disparity is enormous. 10* (646) Houston Cougars

This is a play on the UTAH JAZZ as part of our NBA Friday Triple Play. Houston has won 10 straight games to get it into the playoff picture in the Western Conference as it trails Golden St. by one game for the final playoff spot. Half of those wins have come on the road but three of those were against Portland, San Antonio and Washington and while the latest victory was at Oklahoma City, the Thunder were without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Rockets are just 11-24 on the road overall and this line has gone up from opening by over a bucket based on their run. Utah has been on a near opposite run as it has lost seven straight games with four of those at home but those three were against upcoming playoff teams. The Jazz are still 20-17 at home compared to going 9-27 on the road and they are 13-9-1 ATS as home underdogs. One of the recent road losses was a 28-point defeat in Houston and Utah is 15-7 ATS at home revenging a loss where opponent scored 110 or more points. Here, we play on underdogs averaging 114 or more ppg on the season going up against an opponent after a combined score of 255 points or more. This situation is 90-59 ATS (60.4 percent) since 1996. 10* (522) Utah Jazz

This is a play on the INDIANA PACERS as part of our NBA Friday Triple Play. Indiana is coming off a bad loss to Chicago by 26 points to close out its roadtrip with a 3-2 record. The Pacers are back home for four of their next five games and they remain one game ahead of Miami for the No. 6 spot in the Eastern Conference to avoid the play in. Indiana is 21-12 off a loss, covering 20 of those games and this is the first home meeting after two losses to the Lakers, one in Los Angeles and one on a neutral floor in the Play-In Tournament Championship and it is 12-4 ATS at home this season revenging a loss. The Lakers have won five straight games and are now 2.5 games ahead of Golden St. for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference so they have caught fire at the right time for a second straight season after closing last year 9-2 over their last 11 games. The last two wins have come on the road where they are just 14-20 and on the season, the Lakers are 2-11 ATS off a road win. Here, we play on favorites in the second half of the season in a game involving two teams with scoring differentials between +/- 3 ppg, after trailing in their previous game by 15 or more points at the half. This situation is 33-7 ATS (82.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (504) Indiana Pacers

This is a play on the ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE for our Thu. Sweet 16 Enforcer. North Carolina came into the NCAA Tournament as the lowest No. 1 seed and it is currently rated lower than three No. 2 seeds as it comes in No. 8 overall of remaining NCAA Tournament teams. The Tar Heels easily overmatched Wagner in the opening round and surprisingly rolled over Michigan St. by 16 points to advance to the Sweet 16. They are and always will be a publicly bet team and are laying a short number which will bring more attraction with already 73 percent of tickets and 68 percent of money on them but with very little line movement. This is another contrarian angle play and this is based upon head coach Hubert Davis. The Tar Heels missed the NCAA Tournament last season after their huge 2021-22 run and going back to that, Davis is 8-0 ATS in the NCAA Tournament, being only the third coach to start his coaching career 8-0 ATS or better in the big dance. Alabama has had no issues with its two mid-major opponents as it beat Charleston and Grand Canyon by double digits which is huge for confidence and momentum for a team that limped into the NCAA Tournament with losses in four of its previous six games. Kansas and Auburn are already out as No. 4 seeds so the Tide got a good draw and starting to re-peak after what was an overall great season. 10* (635) Alabama Crimson Tide

This is a play on the ATLANTA HAWKS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Boston will be motivated tonight to avenge an awful loss against Atlanta on Monday as the Hawks overcame a 30-point deficit to end the Celtics nine-game winning streak with a 120-118 victory. It was the biggest comeback in Hawks history and the largest comeback in the NBA this season so while this revenge spot heavily favors Boston, it goes from a 10.5-point favorite to a 17.5-point favorite. Sorry, but no matter who is in the Atlanta lineup tonight, a line shift like this is ridiculous with huge value on Atlanta which still has more to play for at this point. The Celtics locked up the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference thanks to Milwaukee losing to the Lakers on Monday and they have all but locked up the best record in the league as they are 6.5 games clear of Denver. Atlanta has won three in a row after its win over Portland last night and remains No. 10 in the Eastern Conference and it remains a game and a half behind Chicago which also won last night and getting to that No. 9 seed is big to avoid playing Boston in the first round should it get past the play in game. Boston can win by 30 but the probability is not there and we will gladly jump on this overinflated number. 10* (568) Atlanta Hawks

This is a play on the SAN DIEGO ST. AZTECS for our Sweet 16 Game of the Year. Connecticut is still arguably the best team in the country as it once again looks unstoppable following its National Championship run last season. The Huskies are a very public team right now and for good reason as they have covered eight straight NCAA Tournament games going back to last season so this is the contrarian move. Obviously, they have not let the big numbers deter their ATS run as they have been able to cover the inflated numbers and linesmakers are now forced to make huge adjustments based on this. The bad news is that this is a horrible spot to be in with 85 percent of tickets and 91 percent of money coming in on them and going back, NCAA Tournament teams with 80 percent or more of the action on their side are 2-11 ATS over the last 19 years. San Diego St. is not getting the respect here as this is a tournament tested team that is looking to make another run to the championship game and the Aztecs are of course doing it with their defense as they are No. 8 in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They got a scare from UAB but rolled over Yale and while the defense will be tested against the No. 2 ranked offense in efficiency, mucking up this game and making it low scoring heavily favors the underdog, especially a quality one getting double digits. 10* (633) San Diego St. Aztecs

This is a play on the UTAH JAZZ as part of our NBA Wednesday Triple Play. Utah has lost six straight games including three of those at home but those three were against upcoming playoff teams. The Jazz are still 20-16 at home compared to going 9-27 on the road and that home record is 10-3 when they are favored. Utah had a great run in December and January but it has struggled since mid-January and it has fallen out of playoff contention but we love the contrarian aspect of this spot with the current losing streak and laying a short number. San Antonio is coming off a win over Phoenix without Victor Wembanyama in the lineup which snapped a three-game losing streak. The Spurs hit the road for their first true road game since March 9 as they have played five home games and a pair of neutral site games since that last road game. San Antonio is 7-29 on the highway and coming off a win has not given them much momentum this season as the Spurs are 4-11 following a victory. Here, we play on teams with a winning percentage between .400 and .499 coming off a home loss by 10 points or more, playing a losing team. This situation is 79-39 ATS (66.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (564) Utah Jazz

This is a play on the INDIANA PACERS as part of our NBA Wednesday Triple Play. Indiana followed up a five-point loss to the Lakers on Sunday with a 17-point win against the Clippers on Monday which was its third win in four games to open this five-game roadtrip. The Pacers improved to 19-17 on the road and once again on their own conference where they are 28-17 against Eastern Conference teams. Indiana is still alive for home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs as it trails New York by three games and this is a good momentum spot as the Pacers are 18-6 ATS in their last 24 games coming off a double-digit win as road underdogs. Chicago is coming off its third straight loss as it fell to Washington at home which was a killer defeat and it is pretty much guaranteed to take part in the play in portion of the postseason. The Bulls are 6.5 games out of sixth place in the conference with just 10 games remaining. They are now 18-19 at home and this includes a 2-5 run at home with the two wins coming against two of the worst teams in the NBA. Here, we play against underdogs with a winning percentage between .450 and .550 off an upset loss as a home favorite. This situation is 89-47 ATS (65.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (561) Indiana Pacers

This is a play on the SETON HALL PIRATES for our NIT Signature Enforcer. The NIT can be tough to figure out early on with motivation being a key factor and both of these teams have been locked in. Seton Hall has the benefit of remaining at home where it played its first two games including a 14-point win last time out over North Texas. Additionally, the Pirates come into this game with an extra day of rest to go along with the no travel so there is added prep time. The Pirates are 16-3 at home with half of those wins coming against postseason teams. It has been a tough travel schedule for UNLV over the last week as it opened the NIT on the east coast against Princeton then travelled back home to host Boston College on Sunday and now it is back in New Jersey to face Seton Hall. The Rebels have performed well on the road this season as they are 8-3 but only three of those victories have come against teams that made the postseason in some form while all three losses were against such teams, two by double digits. UNLV has just six Quad 1 and 2 wins while Seton Hall has 10. 10* (622) Seton Hall Pirates

This is a play on the INDIANA ST. SYCAMORES for our NIT Signature Enforcer. There might have been a question with Indiana St. and its motivation following a loss in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Championship against Drake and then getting snubbed for an at large berth in the NCAA Tournament but the Sycamores clearly have the motivation to keep their season going. They have rolled over SMU and Minnesota in the first two rounds of the NIT and this is the final home game of the season and it will be fire. Indiana St. is 15-1 at home and with a chip on its shoulder, this will be a tough environment for the visitor. Cincinnati held its own in its first season in the Big 12 Conference but it was still just a 7-11 finish yet the Bearcats got a top seed in the NIT thanks to a decent run in their conference tournament. They won their first two games at home and are now on the road where they have won only four games this season. Additionally, they went 4-11 in Quad 1 games this season with the win at Texas Tech being the only one on the highway. 10* (612) Indiana St. Sycamores

This is a play on the ATLANTA HAWKS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Boston has won nine straight games while going 8-1 against the number in those games. The Celtics are close to clinching the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference as a win here solidifies it with an 11-game lead over the Bucks with 10 games remaining. That being said, winning and covering in this spot is a different story as this number is inflated due to the run and the clinching scenario and going back just three nights ago, they were favored by only 2.5 points more over the lowly Pistons. Atlanta is coming off a win over Charlotte which snapped a two-game losing streak and a 1-5 skid. The Hawks hold down the No. 10 spot in the Eastern Conference and are in good shape to make the playoffs as they have a 5.5-game lead over Brooklyn. They have been awful against the number this season but this is just the second time this season they are getting double digits and they covered the first time which happened to come against the Celtics in Boston. Here, we play against road favorites of 10 or more points having won 15 or more of their last 20 games, playing their 3rd road game in four days. This situation is 27-5 ATS (84.4 percent) since 1996. 10* (520) Atlanta Hawks

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES LAKERS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. The Lakers are coming off a pair of wins against the Hawks and Sixers and this concludes a four-game homestand before Los Angeles hits the road for a six-game trip so this is a game it needs. The Lakers are in the No. 9 spot in the Western Conference, three and a half games behind Phoenix to avoid the play in but they are also three games from missing the postseason all together making every game huge. They are 20-7 at home as favorites. Indiana has also won two straight games includi9ng an upset at Golden St. on Friday and the Pacers have now won five straight games on the road to move two games over .500 on the highway. This is a revenge game for Indiana after losing to the Lakers in the In-Season Tournament Championship but road revenge is a different story. Here, we play on home teams after allowing 105 points or less in two straight games going up against an opponent after scoring 120 points or more. This situation is 92-38 ATS (70.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (512) Los Angeles Lakers

This is a play on the SAN DIEGO ST. AZTECS for our 2nd Round Game of the Year. Yale pulled off the big upset over Auburn and while this might look like a Princeton scenario from last season, it is a different story as it celebrated like it just won the National Championship. The Bulldogs went up against a very good defense against the Tigers and while they put up 78 points, they were outshot from the floor but benefitted from a 21-15 edge from the free throw line which was an anomaly as Yale is No. 332 in Free Throw Rate. The tempo for the Bulldogs is very similar to that of San Diego St. which favors a low scoring game but the physicality of the Aztecs will be the difference. This is the lowest total on the board of all of the Sunday games and for a reason with the style of both teams and experience will play a big part here as well. The Aztecs made it to the championship game last season with a lot of this team still intact and while they would be at a disadvantage playing a team with more tempo that could take over control, mucking up a game against a team that also wants to that heavily favors them. Yale does not turn the ball over but it also does not force turnovers as it is No. 255 in Turnover Rate. 10* (838) San Diego St. Aztecs

This is a play on the GRAND CANYON ANTELOPES for our Sun. CBB Ultimate Underdog. Grand Canyon came through on Friday as the offense did what is does as it was more physical against a physical defense and now plays a team that does not play defense with that style. The Antelopes are very experienced and have the key numbers on both sides where they will want to turn this game to a physical slugfest again. They are ranked in the top five in FTA/FGA rate and are ranked in the top 30 in offensive rebounding as they attack the rim and have the size to excel here and their 36 free throws against the Gaels shows that. Alabama beat a good Charleston team in an up and down game which is in their favor as the Tide are No. 9 in Tempo but the difference here is that the Cougars also prefer that style and this is a completely different matchup. The offense is ranked No. 11 in Effective Field Goal Percentage but go up against the No. 10 defense in that category and the Tide are not going to be able to run as much as they prefer. As mentioned, Grand Canyon gets to the line, ranked No. 5 in Free Throw Rate and Alabama will send them to the stripe as they are No. 319 in Free Throw Rate defensively. 10* (839) Grand Canyon Antelopes

This is a play on the JAMES MADISON DUKES for our Sun. CBB Signature Enforcer. Duke won and covered against Vermont but it was close early as it got the calls throughout as the Blue Devils were 20-of-29 from the free throw line, while Vermont made two of their six free throws. This has not normally been the case as the Blue Devils are No. 148 in Free Throw Rate and as a team this season, they are middle of the road at 72.5 percent. Duke is solid offensively at No. 21 in Effective Field Goal Percentage and the offense revolves around Kyle Filipowski in the screen-and-roll game but James Madison has the interior length to at least slow that down. The Dukes have won 14 consecutive games following a win over Wisconsin and already beat Michigan St. earlier this season in East Lansing so there is zero intimidation. This team is fantastic on both ends of the floor as the offense is ranked No. 55in Offensive Efficiency while possessing an Effective Field Goal Percentage of 54.4 percent. Defensively, the Dukes are top 30 in the latter category and the perimeter defense is the strength as they allow opponents to shoot just 28.8 percent from long range which is No. 5 in the country. 10* (827) James Madison Dukes

This is a play on the OREGON DUCKS for our Sat. CBB Late Powerhouse. Oregon had no issues with South Carolina in the opening round after winning three games in three days to capture the Pac 12 Tournament Championship. Overall, the Ducks have won five straight games and are ranked No. 21 in T-Rank Power Rating since the final game of the regular season with Creighton just one spot ahead at No. 20. This team is still under the radar and no one is buying into the Ducks but they were crushed by injuries all season and are now accustomed to their eight-man rotation led by the inside/outside duo of N'Faly Dante and Jermaine Couisnard. Creighton had no issues with Akron which was expected as it was an 11.5-point favorite and it is the pick of many to make it to the Final Four out of the Midwest Region. The Bluejays have a great defense that is No. 16 in Effective Field Goal Percentage and they do not foul but they are catching an Oregon offense that has regained its form. Offensively, Creighton usually has the big edge down low with Ryan Kalkbrenner but the ducks can counter him with Dante, something many teams cannot. 10* (793) Oregon Ducks