We won with the Clippers in their last game as they defeated Toronto which snapped a two-game losing streak, the fourth time this season that Los Angeles was able to avoid a three-game losing skid. Now the Clippers come in favored by 10 more points than they were favored by on Friday and it is simply too big of a number. Actually, this is the most they have been favored by this season and it will prove to be too much. The Sixers are obviously having their struggles this season and they are in the midst of a five-game winless streak. Going back, they have won only three times in their last 18 games but two of those wins were on the road and over that stretch, Philadelphia is 4-3 ATS on the road. This is the area where the Sixers have flourished the most, going 13-12 ATS as a road underdog and they are 6-4 ATS as a double-digit underdog this season. They have seen a number this high only once and that resulted in a cover at Indiana which is a better team than the Clippers so those spread should not even be comparable. While the clippers are 14-4 ATS following a loss, they are just 16-18 ATS following a win. Additionally, Philadelphia has a solid situation on its side as we play on road teams that are averaging between 98 and 102 ppg going up against teams allowing between 98 and 102 ppg, after allowing 100 points or more three straight games. This situation is 46-14 ATS (76.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (815) Philadelphia 76ers

We won with Golden St. on Thursday and similar to playing against Chicago in that game after winning with the Bulls in their previous game, we will go against the Warriors in a comparable situation. Golden St. was coming off an embarrassing loss at home against Charlotte in its previous game to Thursday so we knew the effort was going to be a big one. The Warriors improved to 15-9 at home and while they are a decent 15-11 on the road, seven of those wins have come against the Eastern Conference while five others have come against Utah, New Orleans and Sacramento all of which are in last place in their respective divisions. Overall, Golden St. is just 7-11 against teams ranked in the NBA power rankings and Phoenix is part of that group. At 29-20, the Suns are the surprise story of the league as many had them tabbed for near the bottom of the Western Conference. They won seven of eight games starting in mid-January before losing their last two on Tuesday and Wednesday. Phoenix has won 10 of its last 14 games coming off a loss and has lost more than two games only once since late November and the other time was when all three games were on the road. Speaking of on the road, the Suns lost by 29 points on the road at Golden St. in the last meeting so it is payback time tonight. Golden St. is 0-6 ATS in its last six games following a win while Phoenix is 6-0 ATS in its last 12 games following a double-digit loss. 10* (512) Phoenix Suns

The Clippers did their best to try and come back from a 19-point deficit against Miami but fell short and suffered their second straight loss and just their fourth at home this season. Typically, Los Angeles has been a solid team coming off a loss this season and this is just their fourth two-game losing streak of the season and it has been able to keep the losses in check as they have followed up the previous three back-to-back losses with wins next time out, taking those games by 13, 20 and 8 points. Overall, the Clippers are 13-4 both straight up and against the number following a loss. Toronto is also coming off a loss as it fell to Sacramento on Wednesday in a game it never led and was not as close as the final score indicated. The Raptors have also been a solid team coming off a loss this season but the situations have been a lot more in their favor than it is here. Some of the follow up victories have come against Utah (twice), the Lakers, Milwaukee, Philadelphia (twice), New York, Detroit and Brooklyn. Of its 26 wins, only nine have come against the Western Conference and only one of those have been against a team that is higher than eighth place and while it was at Oklahoma City, it came right after the Thunder were coming off a win at San Antonio. Overall, the Raptors are just 3-13 against teams ranked within the top ten of the NBA power rankings. We also have a great situation on our side as we play on home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points in the second half of the season that are outscoring opponents between 3 and 7 ppg going up against teams with a scoring differential between +3 and -3, after scoring 110 points or more two straight games. This situation is 28-8 ATS (77.8 percent) since 1996. 10* (820) Los Angeles Clippers

Sometimes shakeups are good and in the case of Cleveland, this could be a beneficial turn. The Cavaliers fired general manager Chris Grant on Thursday as the season has been one of the most disappointing ones in the entire league. Cleveland is coming off a loss to the Lakers, who finished the game with four eligible players, to make it six straight losses as well as six straight non-covers. The firing sends a message and players tend to respond in these situations and that is what we are expecting from the Cavaliers tonight. We played on Washington on Wednesday against San Antonio and it had the game in control early, leading by as many as 17 points but it was outscored 14 points in the second half and eventually lost in double overtime. It was the Wizards first game being over .500 in more than four years and they could not respond and while a bounceback will be the goal, I can't see a huge effort here. This is rare territory for Washington as it is not typically favored by this many points and when it has been this season, it has not gone well as the Wizards are 0-5 ATS when favored by seven or more points. The Wizards are 0-7 ATS in their last seven home games against teams with a losing road record and they fall into a negative situation where we play against home teams in the second half of the season that are averaging between 98 and 102 ppg going up against teams allowing 102 or more ppg, after scoring 55 points or more in the first half in two straight games. This situation is 39-12 ATS (76.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (805) Cleveland Cavaliers

We won with Chicago on Tuesday as the Bulls never trailed and defeated the Suns in a wire-to-wire victory which came after one of their worst games of the season, a 29-point thrashing at Sacramento. So which Bulls team shows up tonight? A lot of that will be dictated by the opposition but this is the Bulls fifth game of this roadtrip and there has been very little rest in-between games with this being the third game in four nights and the fourth game in six nights. The Bulls are six games over .500 against the Eastern Conference but six games below .500 against the Western Conference. Golden St. meanwhile is coming off one of second worst games of the season offensively and its worst showing on offense at home. The Warriors lost by 16 points which was their worst loss of the season and their 75 points scored were the fewest of any home game this season. I expect a big bounce back game even though they are facing one of the best defenses in the NBA. The Bulls are 0-4 ATS in their last four games following an ATS win while going 8-18 ATS in their last 26 games coming off an outright win as an underdog. Golden St. is 8-1-2 in its last 11 games following a loss of more than 10 points while going 8-0-1 ATS in its last nine games following a double-digit loss at home. 10* (504) Golden St. Warriors

Toronto is 2-1 on its current roadtrip following a win at Utah on Monday. The Raptors have covered five straight games and seven of their last eight as they are competing with Phoenix for the best ATS record in the NBA, and also two of the biggest surprises. Toronto is now four games over .500 and it leads Brooklyn by four games in the Atlantic Division, easily the worst division in the NBA. The Raptors are 14-5 against the Atlantic and Central but just 12-17 against the rest of the league. Sacramento is coming off a win on Monday against Chicago as it snapped a seven-game losing streak and the big thing is that it is once again healthy. DeMarcus Cousins returned on Monday while Rudy Gay is back after missing four games. The Kings have covered three straight games and five of their last seven at home despite a brutal slate as they have played the second toughest schedule in the NBA. Sacramento is 14-2 ATS in its last 16 games after having lost eight or more of its last 10 games while going 9-1 ATS in its last 10 home games against teams with a winning road record. The wrong team is favored here. 10* (722) Sacramento Kings

Wins have been few and far between for Milwaukee this season but the Bucks are coming off a dramatic home win against the Knicks on Monday, snapping a six-game losing streak. Putting a winning streak together has been a problem for Milwaukee however as it has yet to win consecutive games this season, going 0-8 straight up following a victory while covering just one of those follow up games. The Bucks have only one win this season against the Western Conference while going 4-13 ATS in those games. Additionally, the Bucks are 2-10 ATS as a double-digit underdog. Denver is coming off a big win against the Clippers as it rallied from 13 points down to snap a two-game home skid. Ty Lawson was out for both of those losses but he returned Monday and his presence was felt with 27 points. The Nuggets have been surprisingly average at home this season and while coming off a big win can be a letdown for some teams, the feeling here is Denver uses it to close the first half strong. This is their last home game prior to the All Star break as they head out for four road games after this so they take care of business here. 9* (720) Denver Nuggets

Many will be surprised that Washington is the favorite here. After all, the Wizards have lost 15 straight meetings including the last eight at home against San Antonio but I think they are in a good spot here. This is arguably the best Washington team we have witnessed in sometime and that is backed up by the fact that it has been a huge underdog in this series during the losing streak. On top of that, the Wizards are over .500 for the first time in over four years and because it is well documented, they want to keep things rolling. San Antonio is coming off a big win over New Orleans as it trailed by as many as 14 points and outscored the Pelicans by 19 points in the fourth quarter. That presents a letdown opportunity here. The Spurs have been great on the road overall but have just 2-4 ATS in their last six road games. Washington is 6-2 ATS as a favorite of lass than five points while the Spurs are 0-2 ATS as underdogs in the same price range. Additionally, the Spurs are 0-5 ATS in their last five games against teams with a winning record while the Wizards are 15-4 ATS in their last 19 home games against teams with a winning road record. 10* (706) Washington Wizards

The Bulls never got it going last night as they got down early in Sacramento and could never recover. It was one of their worst losses of the season as they lost by 29 points and the offense managed to shoot a mere 28.2 percent from the floor. The good news is that because of the horrendous loss, playing a back-to-back isn't as bad considering that the starters played limited minutes and even still, Chicago is 2-1 ATS in the second of back-to-back road games. Phoenix hit a bit of a lull in early January but it has picked things back up and in a big way. The Suns have won five straight games including sweeping a four-game roadtrip and defeating Charlotte at home last time out. The win at Indiana was very impressive but the other victories over this stretch came against teams that are at least seven games under .500. Phoenix has been one of the biggest surprises in the entire league this season and because of that, the ATS record is best in the NBA, hence the once again overwhelming support by the public. The Suns have a game in Houston tomorrow which could put them in a tricky spot here. Chicago is 7-2 ATS in its last nine games following a loss as well as going 4-1 ATS in its last five games following a double-digit loss. The underdog has covered seven of the last 10 meetings in this series and I expect that to continue tonight with a big rebound from the Bulls after last night. 10* (505) Chicago Bulls

I tend to stay away from Miami when it is listed as a road favorite since it is usually extremely overvalued. I do not feel that is the case tonight however plus the Heat have a lot of variables on their side. After jumping ahead of Oklahoma City by 18 points early, Miami fell apart and was outscored by 35 points the rest of the game and that can be chalked up as one of the most embarrassing losses in a while and was actually the largest home loss since LeBron James came to Miami. Not only do the Heat want to recover from that defeat, they will also be out for payback after suffering a 10-point loss here on January 9th, the second straight to the Knicks and the fourth in the last fifth meetings. The streaky Knicks are once again riding high. After winning five straight games, they lost their next five games only to rebound to win their last four games, three of which have come by 29, 26 and 31 points. The are catching Miami at the wrong time however. The Heat are 18-8 ATS in their last 26 games revenging a same season loss while going 9-1 ATS in their last 10 games following a home loss. They also fall into a great situation where we play on teams that are revenging a straight up loss as a road favorite of seven or more points and coming off a home loss. This situation is 23-5 ATS (82.1 percent) since 1996 with the average point differential being +14.4 ppg. 10* (515) Miami Heat

Memphis is rolling right now as it has won seven of its last nine games including four in a row to get back into the Western Conference playoff hunt. The Grizzlies trail Dallas by just a half game for the eighth and final playoff spot. They have surprisingly been a better road team than a home team this season but that does not give them reason to be favored here as in my opinion, the wrong team is laying the points. While Memphis is hot, Minnesota has quietly gone 5-1 over its last six games to move over .500 for the first time since November 23rd when it was 8-7. The Timberwolves have been getting it done at home with wins and covers in three of their last four games at the Target Center and this marks just the second time all season they have been a home underdog. The first was against Miami which is legitimate and considering Minnesota was favored at home over Oklahoma City earlier this month, being and underdog to Memphis does not add up. We are looking for an easy Minnesota win nonetheless. The Timberwolves fall into a great situation as we play on home teams where the line is +3 to -3 after allowing 80 points or less going up against an opponent after allowing 90 points or less in two straight games. This situation is 56-26 ATS (68.3 percent) since 1996. 10* (806) Minnesota Timberwolves

Toronto is coming off a dramatic win at Brooklyn on Monday and while it has had a day to recover from that, this is not a good spot for the Raptors. This is the sixth game in 10 days and there has been travel every day as there has not been any back-to-back games at home. Following this, Toronto hits the road for a five-game west coast trip so facing a bad Orlando team is something they are not going to be stoked for. The Magic should come in with more motivation as they have lost nine straight road games and have not covered any of those on top of it. This one sets up as one of the best opportunities over these games to get a cover as this line has been placed too high. Toronto will likely be without leading scorer DeMar DeRozan again tonight as he is nursing an ankle injury. Orlando falls into a great situation as we play against home teams in the second half of the season that are averaging between 98 and 102 ppg going up against teams allowing 102 or more ppg, after scoring 55 points or more in the first half in two straight games. This situation is 39-11 ATS (78 percent) since 1996. 10* (701) Orlando Magic

The Spurs are coming off a humbling loss in Miami on Sunday as they lost by 12 points in a game that was not as close as the score indicates. San Antonio never led and trailed by as many as 29 points despite shooting 50 percent from the floor. I expect a big rebound tonight and the Spurs have been the best bounce back team in the NBA this season as thy are 10-0 straight up and 9-1 against the number coming off a loss. San Antonio has been a road underdog three times this season and while it is 1-2 in those games, each time the Spurs were coming off wins in their previous game so the situation is a lot different at hand tonight. San Antonio has some added incentive as well as it has lost both meetings to Houston this season with both of those taking place at home. Houston has dropped two straight games, both to Memphis, and is 2-5 ATS in its last seven games. It has been a money burning machine since the start of December, going 10-13-1 ATS in its last 24 games. While the Rockets are 13-3 against the East, they are just 16-14 against the West. San Antonio is 42-24 in its last 66 games revenging a loss as a home favorite of seven or more points. 10* (507) San Antonio Spurs

The Suns are coming off a win last night in Cleveland which puts them in a bad spot tonight. They are certainly the big surprise of the Western Conference at six games over .500 but they have been average of late, going 8-8 over their last 16 games including 3-5 on the road. They are also 1-4 on the road in their last five games against the Eastern Conference. Phoenix is 1-5 ATS in its last six games following a win and it lost at Detroit in its first time this season in the second of back-to-back road games. The Sixers are living up to their preseason expectations as they are 14-30 which is the third worst record in the league. They are 2-9 in their last 11 games following a four-game winning streak and while the home floor has not been very kind, they are 9-7 ATS against teams coming off a win showing that teams are coming in with a little too much confidence. We are catching a good line as well as Phoenix was favored by 10.5 points in the first meeting this year which should make it about a 2.5-point favorite here based on the venue change. Additionally, Phoenix is 0-10 ATS in its last 10 games in the second half of the season when playing against teams with a winning percentage between .250 and .400. 10* (702) Philadelphia 76ers

We won with Orlando on Friday as it overcame a double-digit deficit and while it was partly a play on the Magic, a lot of it was going against the Lakers which were coming off a hard fought effort the night before at Miami. Now Orlando hits the road where is has been horrific all season long with a 3-18 record including losses in seven straight games while covering none of those. Despite the win against Los Angeles, Orlando is 3-15 against the Western Conference this season. New Orleans is also coming off a win as it won in Detroit on Friday which made it two straight wins on the road. The problem has been at home though as the Pelicans have dropped six straight. While the streak started against Washington, the last five have come against Western Conference opponents and on the season, New Orleans has won nine of 14 games against the East. Additionally, this is a revenge game for the Pelicans as they lost in Orlando by 20 points earlier in the season, their second worst road loss this season. New Orleans is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games against losing teams while Orlando is 5-15 ATS in its last 20 games after playing its last game as a favorite. 10* (806) New Orleans Pelicans

This is a great spot to go against Minnesota as it is coming off a big win last night at Golden St. to improve to 3-0 both straight up and against the number in its last three games. Prior to the Friday victory, the Timberwolves had defeated no one of significance as their previous seven wins were against Utah (twice), Charlotte, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Milwaukee and Washington. The last big win came at home against Portland which sets the Blazers up nicely in a revenge spot tonight. While Minnesota has been on a perfect run, Portland has not as it is 0-3 ATS in its last three games and after being very dominating at home, it is just 3-6 ATS in its last nine home games. Still, the Blazers are 17-4 at home and they have rolled in this series recently at home with three straight wins and covers. They key number here is 110 points as Portland has scored that many points in 8 of its last 11 home games and it is 19-9 ATS in its last 28 games when scoring that amount while Minnesota is 10-23 ATS in its last 33 games when allowing 110 or more points. Additionally, the Timberwolves are just 4-11 ATS in their last 15 games coming off a win. 10* (516) Portland Trailblazers

Brooklyn has started to finally play to its potential as it has won eight of its last nine games including five straight at home and going back has won six straight here. The Nets have covered eight of those nine games as well as the last six games played at the Barclays Center so they have started to gain a home court edge after starting off 5-9 in their first 14 games at home. The issue however is that most of the opposition has been from the Eastern Conference during this run and while a win over Golden St. was nice, the Warriors were riding a 10-game winning streak and were ripe for a letdown. Dallas meanwhile is coming off a loss in Toronto on Wednesday and it has been a great bounceback team of late, going 6-1 straight up and ATS coming off a loss. Dallas is 14-2 against teams ranked outside the top 16 in the league. 10* (809) Dallas Mavericks

The Knicks were showing positive signs at the beginning of the month as they won five straight games including solid wins over Dallas, Miami and Phoenix. Since then however, they have dropped their last five games and are 0-6 ATS in their last six games overall. The first loss during this recent skid came in Charlotte as they went down by 10 points as a one-point underdog. That is significant as now they are favored by just three points which makes the line change off by four points based on the venue switch. That is some significant value. Charlotte meanwhile has won two straight and three of its last four games with the lone defeat coming against Miami in overtime. This mini run is also helping to add to the value here. While the Knicks lost to the Bobcats last week, they also lost the first meeting in New York so they will be out for double the payback. 10* (814) New York Knicks

The Lakers are coming off a strong effort last night in Miami as they fell behind early by 11 points at halftime but kept things within reach the rest of the way. Los Angeles has now covered six straight games including all five on this current roadtrip. The Lakers have been very solid in the role of underdog, but after last night, they are in a very bad spot as getting up for Orlando is much different than getting up for Miami. They are 3-7 when playing with no rest. Orlando is coming off another loss on Wednesday as it was defeated at home by Atlanta but it was able to stay within the number. The Magic are 1-12 straight up and 3-10 ATS in their last 13 games but all three of those covers have been in the last five games and all at home where they are 3-1 ATS their last four. 10* (802) Orlando Magic

We played on the Spurs two games back as they were hosting Portland in a triple revenge game but the Blazers used an 18-6 late run to pull away after Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich was ejected with 7:18 left in the third quarter. Now San Antonio is in another triple revenge spot and this is the one that it gets the job done. The Spurs are a half-game ahead of the Thunder for the best record in the Western Conference and while it is too soon to think about playoff seedings, these head-to-head matchups are big and the Spurs can ill afford to lost the first three meetings this year. Oklahoma City played last night and defeated Portland and that was a double revenge game for the Thunder after losing the first two meetings this season against the Blazers. They have been on a roll, going 4-0 in their last four games straight up and against the number but they are ripe for the pickings tonight. The last three games have been at home and Oklahoma City is just 1-3 straight up and ATS in its last four road games and while it has been decent playing with no rest, this is the first time this year going from home to the road in a back-to-back spot. Revenge will be sweet tonight. 10* (720) San Antonio Spurs

At 14-28, Utah possesses the worst record in the Western Conference but it has actually been playing very well after a horrid start. The Jazz opened the season 1-14 but it is a much more respectable 13-14 over its last 27 games. They are coming off a 1-2 roadtrip but have won five of their last seven games at home including winning the last two outright as underdogs. The most recent loss was on Saturday at Minnesota by 26 points which makes this an immediate revenge situation. Minnesota meanwhile has been stuck in neutral for pretty much the entire season following a 3-0 start. The Timberwolves are coming off the blowout win over the Jazz but putting together a winning streak has been an issue. They are 2-12 in their last 14 games following a victory and winning on the road has been a big issue as well as they are just 7-13 away from home. The Jazz are 4-0 ATS in their last four games following a loss of more than 10 points while the Timberwolves are 9-25-1 ATS in their last 35 games following a win. Utah will also be getting Gordon Hayward back after missing the last five games with a hip injury. He leads the team with 17.1 ppg and is second with 4.9 apg. 10* (510) Utah Jazz

Several afternoon games are on the NBA card today including this one from New York with the Nets and Knicks squaring off. Both teams have been major disappointments this season but Brooklyn has been playing better of late and is actually back in the playoff mix as it is sitting in a tie for sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings. That certainly shows how weak the Eastern Conference is and despite the recent surge, I don't think Brooklyn deserves to be the favorite here. The Nets are 6-13 ATS in their last 19 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of less than .400. The Knicks meanwhile have been going backwards as they have dropped three in a row following a five-game winning streak. The last two losses have come against the Clippers and Pacers so they take a big step down in class on Monday. While the Knicks are just 1-6 straight up and ATS as home underdogs, that is offset by the fact that the Nets are 1-6 straight up and ATS as road favorites. Here, we play on home underdogs after failing to cover four of their last five games against the spread going up against an opponent that has covered six or seven of its last eight games against the spread. This situation is 102-60 ATS (63 percent) since 1996. 10* (710) New York Knicks

Washington has won three straight games to get to the .500 mark for the season and a win tonight would give the Wizards a winning record for the first time in four years and even then, they were just 2-1 so this is a big deal. The problem is they are laying a bigger than expected number and are coming off three big wins. First, Washington won in Chicago in a blowout and never allowed the Bulls to have the lead. Then on Wednesday, it defeated Miami and the game was not as close as the final score showed as the Wizards led by as many as 34 points. Last night, they again defeated the Bulls but it was a close game throughout as neither team had a lead of more than eight points. That style of game just adds to the challenge tonight. Detroit meanwhile is coming off a home loss against Utah as it trailed by as many as 29 points and that defeat snapped a modest two-game winning streak. The Pistons are definitely going in the wrong direction but the loss last night coupled with the Washington stretch has them in a solid situation here. Here, we play on road teams that are averaging between 98 and 102 ppg going up against teams allowing between 98 and 102 ppg, after allowing 100 points or more two straight games. This situation is 75-25 ATS (75 percent) over the last five seasons. Additionally, Washington is 1-5 ATS this season as a favorite of five points or more. 10* (501) Detroit Pistons

After an incredible start to the season, Portland has cooled off recently. The Blazers have won three straight games but defeating Orlando, Boston and Cleveland at home is nothing to brag about. Going back, they are 5-4 over their last nine games and more important, they are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games looking back even further. Portland has gotten the job done this season as a road underdog as it is 6-1 SU and ATS in that situation but most of that success came early on when it was flying under the radar and was actually an underdog against teams like Sacramento, Toronto and Brooklyn. The most recent win was at Oklahoma City but the Thunder have not been the same without Russell Westbrook. San Antonio has won six straight games including four straight at home to improve to 16-5 on the season. The Spurs haven't exactly been covering at a feverous pace but tonight's game will certainly have their attention. San Antonio has lost three straight meetings against the Blazers including the first meeting this year in Portland by 10 points and more importantly, the last meeting last season which was at home and resulted in a 30-point blowout. The 136 points allowed were the most San Antonio had allowed at home since 1990. Revenge is certainly on their minds tonight. Additionally, we play on home teams that are coming off a home no-cover where the team won straight up as a favorite, in January games. This situation is 55-24 ATS (69.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (818) San Antonio Spurs

The Rockets are coming off a closer than expected win last night at New Orleans as they were likely peeking ahead to this game tonight and for good reason. After losing in the playoffs last season to Oklahoma City four games to two, Houston hit the road to face the Thunder for the first time this season just over two weeks ago and it got pummeled by 31 points. The Rockets never led, shot just 36.5 percent from the floor and allowed the Thunder to shoot 57.3 percent from the field. It is safe to say Houston has had this game circled since them. The Rockets are on a three-game winning streak and have won eight of their last 11 overall including four of five at home. Oklahoma City is coming off a loss which have been more prevalent of late as it has lost five of its last eight games including three straight on the road. It is no coincidence as the Thunder are just 5-5 since Russell Westbrook went down with an injury and 6-6 in all games he has missed this season. This includes a 4-8 ATS record. The Rockets are playing on no rest but that is a nonissue as they are 8-2 straight up and against the number this season in the second of a back-to-back set. This includes a win and cover in the lone spot of playing on the road and coming back home. Additionally, Houston is 29-12 ATS in its last 41 home games coming off a divisional road win. Revenge will be sweet tonight. 10* (506) Houston Rockets

We played against Toronto on Monday and lost as the Bucks continued their woeful season and could only compete for a half. We are playing against the Raptors tonight once again as now it catches a better opponent and is playing on the road. They have been very solid on the road season, going 10-9 but the odds are against them now. Toronto has covered 10 straight games which you do not see very often and thus, we have an inflated line because of it. Boston's recent run is helping as well. The Celtics have lost nine straight games which is certainly a rough run however, looking into it shows some reason why. Six of those games were on the road with the last five coming against playoff bound teams from the Western Conference. The most recent home game came against Houston, another Western Conference playoff team. The other two home games came against Atlanta and New Orleans and those losses were by a combined four points. Boston takes a step down in competition here after a run against the West and I expect them to rebound huge with the outright upset more than a possibility. 10* (708) Boston Celtics

We waited to put this one out based on conflicting reports about Kemba Walker and his availability. There was a question about how his hand has responded the last couple days but it seems to be fine after he hurt it last game against the Bulls and while it was reported at one point he may sit, all signs point to him going tonight. In two games against the Knicks this year, he is averaging 25 ppg, 4.0 rpg and 5.5 apg so his presence is pretty big. The Bobcats have been off since Saturday and the time off certainly helped him and the team as a while as Charlotte is 3-0 both straight up and against the number in its last three games. The Knicks meanwhile have won five straight games but has their six-game cover streak come to an end last night at home against Phoenix in overtime. This is a run everyone has been waiting for but this is not a great spot as this is the first back-to-back situation for New York and it is 0-2 this season when playing at home and going on the road the next night. This is just the second home game in 18 days for the Bobcats and while they have been average, the Knicks are no better on the road. The Bobcats also fall into a positive situation where we play against teams with a winning percentage between .400 and .499 that are coming off a home no-cover where the team won straight up as a favorite, playing a losing team. This situation is 98-56 ATS (63.6 percent) since 1996. 10* (502) Charlotte Bobcats

Milwaukee is no doubt struggling this season as it is 7-29 which is the worst record in the NBA but don't think the linesmakers aren't aware of that. The Bucks are on a 0-5 straight up and ATS run as they head to Toronto to wrap up a short two-game roadtrip. Despite the worst overall record, they have not had the worst road record as they are at least a respectable 8-11 ATS on the highway. Here is the clincher. Milwaukee is 0-7 ATS as a double-digit underdog this season but five of those have been against top teams from the Western Conference and the other two came against Miami and Indiana, clearly the two best teams in the Eastern Conference. Now the Bucks are getting double-digits from Toronto? The Raptors have been covering machines which is a big reason why they are laying such a big number here as they are 9-0 ATS over their last nine games. That is a streak many will ride and I will gladly go against. The Bucks have two awesome situations on their side. First, we play on underdogs of 10 or more points that have gone three straight games making 42 percent or less of their shots going up against an opponent after five straight games of allowing 42 percent or less from the floor. This situation is 30-8 ATS (78.9 percent) since 1996. Second, we play against favorites of 10 or more points that are averaging between 98 and 102 ppg going up against teams averaging between 88 and 92 ppg, after allowing 85 points or less. This situation is 35-11 ATS (76.1 percent) since 1996. 10* (701) Milwaukee Bucks

I give Sacramento credit for some of it most recent wins as it has defeated Miami, Houston and Portland over the last two weeks but it also has losses against Charlotte and Philadelphia. This can be considered a case of the Kings stepping up against top teams and playing down against the bad ones or the opposition not taking them for real. Maybe it is a combination of both but either way, it is not good. The wins are great but the King's problem has been consistency as they are just 2-8 following a win including 1-5 when that win was at home. This is a role that has killed Sacramento backers as it is 0-9 ATS as favorites this season which directly correlates with its 0-7 ATS record at home against teams with a losing record. Orlando is on a bad run right now as it is 0-5 straight up and against the number in its last five games but it has been a tough stretch as four of those losses came against the Blazers, Clippers, Heat and Warriors. The other loss was in overtime on the road at Cleveland. Obviously the road has not been kind to the Magic as they are just 3-14 but they are a much more respectable 9-8 ATS in those games. Here, we play against home teams that are averaging between 98 and 102 ppg going up against teams allowing between 98 and 102 ppg, after scoring 100 points or more five straight games. This situation is 38-14 ATS (73.1 percent) since 1996. 10* (819) Orlando Magic

Miami has won three straight games and is clearly the better team in this matchup but the Heat are one of the most publicly bet teams in the NBA and the public loves to back them in these high profile games but it doesn't always pan out. The Heat has long been known for playing down to the opposition and that is the case again this season as they are 13-2 against the league's top ten but just 14-6 against teams below that. A 14-6 record isn't horrible but when playing those teams, they come with a big price pertaining to the spread and Miami is just 15-18 ATS this season. New York's spread record is even worse but the damage came early on when it was overpriced and couldn't win let alone cover. Since starting 3-11 ATS, the Knicks are a much more respectable 9-11 ATS in their last 20 games including covering four straight games. The last time we saw them in a national television spot like this was Christmas and they were blasted at home against the Thunder so we will see a lot more fire tonight to avoid a repeat of that. New York has won three of its last four games since Carmelo Anthony returned from a three-game absence because of a sprained left ankle and he has stepped it up of late against the Heat, averaging 38.5 ppg in his last four regular-season meetings. New York is 11-1 ATS in its last 12 home games after successfully covering the spread in three or more consecutive games while going 18-4 ATS in its last 22 home games after covering four or five of its last six games. Additionally, the Knicks are 5-0 ATS in their last five games when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game while the Heat are 0-4 ATS in their last four games following a win of more than 10 points. 10* (502) New York Knicks

Golden St. rolled over Milwaukee last night giving the Warriors 10 straight wins including all six on this current seven-game roadtrip. This is the Warriors seventh game in 11 days and fifth game in seven days and no matter how good teams may be playing, this type of packed schedule on the road is tough to overcome. They will be out to break the franchise winning streak so motivation will be there but even motivation cannot overcome fatigue. Golden St. is just 2-4 this season when playing with no rest and needed a three-pointer at the buzzer to win at Atlanta in its last game with no rest. I do not except the Warriors to get as lucky this time around. It has no doubt been a tough start this season for the Nets which came into the season as possible Eastern Conference contenders. They have been playing well of late though as they have won three straight games and will be looking for their longest winning streak of the season. They will once again be without Deron Williams whose troublesome ankle continues to keep him on the bench. While his production is missed, Brooklyn is 3-2 in the last five games he has been out of the lineup and defense has been the name of the game of late. The Nets have allowed 87.0 ppg on 41.5 percent shooting during their unbeaten start to 2014, far lower than their season marks of 101.1 ppg and 45.5 percent shooting allowed. Golden St. is just 4-12 ATS this season when favored between 3.0 and 7.5 points while Brooklyn is 4-2 ATS as an underdog in that parameter. Additionally, the Warriors are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games following an ATS win while the Nets are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games following an ATS win. 10* (706) Brooklyn Nets

The Raptors are coming off a solid effort two days ago as they led Miami going into the final quarter but were outscored 23-13 and ended up losing by five. Toronto has covered six straight and eight of its last nine games but that comes to an end tonight. They have taken control of the Atlantic Division as they are four games up on Brooklyn and Boston but sitting at .500, it shows how bad the division is. Toronto has been able to take care of the lower level teams without much issue as it is 12-4 against teams ranked in the bottom half of the NBA but it is just 2-10 against teams ranked in the top ten. One of those victories came against Indiana to open 2014 so the Pacers have that loss fresh in their heads. The Pacers have won seven of their last eight games with the Raptors loss being the only setback over that stretch. The Raptors caused the Pacers to commit a season-high 23 turnovers and record their lowest point total of the season so Indiana will be fully focused tonight and a game at Atlanta tomorrow will not provide any distractions. Playing with no rest has been the Pacers undoing this season as it is 6-4 straight up and 4-6 ATS but when playing with at least one day of rest to prepare, Indiana is 21-2 straight up and 19-4 against the number. Additionally, the Pacers are 14-2 ATS in their last 16 games following an ATS loss. They also fall into a super situation as we play on Favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points that are outscoring opponent by seven or more ppg going up teams with a +/- 3 ppg differential, after allowing 35 points or less in the first half last game. This situation is 50-20 ATS (71.4 percent) since 1996. 10* (506) Indiana Pacers

After going over the total is 13 of 14 games, the Hawks have stayed under the number in each of their last three games and I feel that streak comes to an end tonight. Atlanta has faced three very good defensive teams in each of the previous three games as Chicago and Golden St. are third and fourth respectively in defensive shooting percentage while Boston is allowing just 97.3 ppg which is sixth fewest in the NBA. Brooklyn is no where near those rankings as it is in the bottom half of both categories. The Nets are coming off two straight unders, the first coming against Oklahoma City which is ranked second in the league in defensive shooting percentage. The second came against Cleveland which is in the top half of the NBA in defensive shooting percentage. Atlanta is allowing 101.1 ppg and its 45.8 percent shooting allowed is 11th highest in the league. Both of these offenses should be able to take advantage of the weak stop units and because of the recent results, we are catching a solid total tonight. When the total is between 190 and 199.5, the teams have combined to go 24-11 to the over. Additionally, Atlanta is 21-7 to the over in its last 28 road games while Brooklyn is 10-3 to the over in its last 13 home games against teams with a losing road record. Look for a high scoring game in Brooklyn tonight. 10* Over (703) Atlanta Hawks/(704) Brooklyn Nets

Minnesota is having a decent season as it is sitting at .500 but that is not good enough in the Western Conference as Minnesota is sitting in ninth place and trails eighth place Dallas by 2.5 games. There is a ton of hoops left so the playoffs should not be discussed yet but this shows the disparity between the good teams and the elite teams and the Timberwolves are still one of the former. Playing at home will be big here as Minnesota is 10-5 at home on the season but this could be one of the most non-ideal spots for a team. The Timberwolves are coming off a win in their last game against New Orleans on Wednesday and while they have won three straight games at home in this series, it is the factors on the other side that make them in a tough spot. Oklahoma City is coming off a loss in its last game which was at home against Brooklyn on Thursday and that was actually its second straight loss at home. The Thunder had lost only once in their first 15 home games and a trip on the road may be the best cure at this point. They are 11-4 on the highway so playing on the road is a non-issue and they will be out to avoid a three-game losing streak prior to Boston coming to town on Sunday. Coming off a bad loss has been a great play as under head coach Scott Brooks, Oklahoma City is 8-0 ATS coming off an upset loss as a favorite of 10 points or more. Minnesota meanwhile is just 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games following a win and 1-6 ATS in its last seven games following a double-digit win. 10* (509) Oklahoma City Thunder

Golden St. is coming off a huge win last night as the Warriors defeated Miami by nine points as a 5.5-point underdog. It was the seventh straight win for the Warriors but now they have the tough task of playing with on rest following that victory and getting up again will be a challenge. Golden St. is 10-9 on the road and this includes a 1-3 record when the second of the back-to-back set is on the highway. Atlanta meanwhile has had two days off following a road win at Boston on New Year's Eve. It was the Hawks third win in four games with all three of those victories coming by two points or less. Going back further, Atlanta has won six of its last eight games and going back even further. It has won five straight and eight of nine at home, the lone loss coming against Oklahoma City. The Hawks have won two of three games as a home underdog and this is possibly the best spot of any of them. Additionally, Atlanta certainly has not forgotten the 22-point loss suffered here last season against Golden St. which was by far its worst home loss of the season. Here we play against road teams with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 where the line is +3 to -3 after going over the total by more than 18 points in their previous game, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 31-6 ATS (83.8 percent) over the last five seasons. Atlanta has covered six of its last seven games against the Western Conference while the Warriors are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games when their starters combine for more than 160 minutes in the previous game. 10* (806) Atlanta Hawks

Houston is coming off a horrible game last time out as it was throttled by Oklahoma City by 31 points but I expect a big bounce back tonight. The Rockets are one of the best teams in the NBA but they have gone through too many lapses as of their 12 losses, nearly half have been by double-digits but the good news is that they have rebounded well from those, going 4-0 straight up and 3-1 ATS following a loss by 10 or more points. Additionally, they are 5-0 ATS in their last five games following any loss. Getting up for Sacramento may seem like a challenge but one of those double-digit losses suffered this season came against the Kings, a 106-91 drubbing earlier this month so it will be payback time. Sacramento has been up and down this season, mostly the latter, but it is coming off two fine efforts. They defeated the Heat in overtime Friday, albeit Miami was without Wade and Allen, and then played tough at San Antonio on Sunday, losing by eight after getting outscored by 14 points in the fourth quarter. Putting forth another effort like those will be difficult especially for a team that is 3-9 on the highway. The Rockets fall into a solid situation a well as we play against teams averaging between 98 and 102 ppg going up against teams allowing 102 or more ppg, after two straight games where both teams scored 100 points or more. This situation is 121-73 ATS (62.4 percent) since 1996. 10* (508) Houston Rockets

This is the second game of a home and home between Washington and Detroit and th Pistons are in immediate revenge mode tonight following the 24-point shellacking they took on Saturday. Detroit has lost two straight, both on the road and are also riding a three-game losing streak at home but the situation is ideal tonight to snap both skids. The Pistons had won seven straight meetings against the Wizards prior to the last game including four straight victories at home. Washington lost its last game on the highway to fall to 6-9 on the road and while Detroit's home record is a half-game worse, the Wizards have lost nine of 13 road games as an underdog. The Wizards are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games following a double-digit win while Randy Wittman is just 9-24 ATS in road games after a win by 10 points or more. The Pistons fall into a great situation as we play on teams with a winning percentage between .400 and .499 where the line is +3 to -3 after going over the total by 54 or more points total in their last ten games, playing a losing team. This situation is 26-6 ATS (81.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (702) Detroit Pistons

Cleveland is coming off a loss last night in Boston by three points and it heads home in what is another great spot. We won with the Cavaliers in their last home game as they lost to the Hawks by a bucket in double overtime but cashed a ticket as they were getting three points. That improved them to 6-1 ATS as a home underdog this season and playing with no rest is not an issue as Cleveland has won all three of their games this year when going from the road back home. Even since losing to the Spurs which were resting their starters, Golden St. has reeled off four straight wins including a 29-point win against Phoenix last time out. The Warriors are a solid 11-4 at home but just 7-9 on the highway and laying a short price has not been kind to bettors as the Warriors are 4-10 ATS this season when laying fewer than seven points. Golden St. has dominated this series with five straight victories outright while cashing a ticket in the last eight meetings and that is adding to the public backing of the Warriors tonight. The Warriors are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games following a win while Cleveland is 5-1 ATS in their last six games against teams with a winning record. 10* (804) Cleveland Cavaliers

The Suns are coming off a blowout loss last night in Golden St., not exactly the start they were hoping for coming off the extended holiday break. Phoenix had won three straight and eight of its previous nine games before Friday and now it heads home in search of a bounceback. The Suns have been obviously much better at home but they are just 2-4 this season when playing with no rest and this is the first time they have been favored by double-digits which is very overaggressive in my opinion. The Sixers are playing their first game since the break and I feel this is a very good spot for them as they look to get something established on the road. The good news for Philadelphia is that Michael Carter-Williams is back in the lineup and the Christmas break actually gave him even more rest which is big. He has been a vital part to this team despite being just a rookie as the Sixers are 1-11 without him in the lineup but a much more respectable 7-9 when he plays including going 1-1 since his return. The Sixers are 4-1 ATS this season when getting double-digits while going 6-1 ATS in their last seven road games against teams with a winning home record. Meanwhile, the Suns are 3-9-1 ATS in their last 13 games against teams with a winning percentage below .400. The Sixers also fall into a solid contrarian situation as we play on road underdogs of 10 or more points that have lost eight or more of their last 10 games going up against an opponent that has won eight or more of their last 10 games. This situation is 46-17 ATS (73 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (519) Philadelphia 76ers

We have seen it numerous times in sports. A coach calls out his team for a lack of effort and the players respond with a big effort as these players do not like their egos getting bruised. Head coach Jason Kidd blasted his team following another lackluster effort on Christmas as they fell to the Bulls by 17 points, their second straight loss by that amount and fourth straight loss overall. Now is the time we see some effort and even though it is lowly Milwaukee coming to town, this game is huge. Following the game tonight, the Nets embark on a three-game road trip to Indiana, San Antonio and Oklahoma City and as of right now, that is a 0-3 roadtrip. Milwaukee lost in overtime in its last game at Charlotte, its third overtime loss over its last four games. The Bucks are just 3-11 on the road this season and while they have covered three straight, that only helps us here with the number not to mention the Bucks are just 3-7 ATS following an ATS win this season. There is no continuity or chemistry with this team as Milwaukee has used 16 different starting lineups through 28 games and that is not going to get the job done. Brooklyn falls into a fantastic league-wide situation as we play on teams that are coming off a loss by 15 points or more as a favorite going up against an opponent coming off a road cover where the team lost straight up as an underdog. This situation is 50-19 ATS (72.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (806) Brooklyn Nets

The Cavaliers enter this game with some pretty big motivation. They are riding a two-game losing streak, losing by a combined 39 points following a 16-point loss at Chicago and then a 23-point loss against Detroit at home, easily their worst home loss of the season. Cleveland had won five of its previous six home games prior to Monday's shellacking and it also comes in with some revenge on its mind following a 19-point loss in Atlanta earlier this month. The Hawks meanwhile are coming off a tough loss against Miami in overtime on Monday which snapped a three-game winning streak. The problem with the Hawks is that all three of those wins came at home and they have dropped five straight games on the road to fall to 4-9 on the highway for the season. Making them the road favorite here is overaggressive in my opinion despite the overall records as they have been in this role only once and that was way in the beginning of the season. The Cavaliers fall into an incredible situation as well as we play against favorites that are coming off a cover where the team lost the game straight up as an underdog going up against an opponent off an upset loss by 10 points or more as a favorite. This situation is 30-8 ATS (78.9 percent) since 1996. Atlanta is 4-15 ATS in its last 19 road games after allowing 120 points or more while the Cavaliers are 5-1 ATS in their last six games against teams with a winning record. 10* (502) Cleveland Cavaliers

After taking three of four from the Clippers last season, the Warriors dropped the first meeting this season, an 11-point loss on Halloween. I expect Golden St. to avenge that loss as we are catching a very solid number for the home side in this one. The Warriors are 9-4 at home this season and while their 16-13 overall record is pretty average, playing the seventh toughest schedule in the NBA is part of the reason. After dropping nine of 14 games, Golden St. has won three of its last four including two in a row and I like the momentum to continue. The Clippers have their own momentum going as well as they have won five straight games but the last four have all come at home. They are an average 8-7 on the road and seven of those victories have come against teams that currently possess losing records including their last six. Golden St. falls into a solid situation where we play against road teams with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 where the line is +3 to -3 after going over the total by more than 18 points in their previous game, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 31-6 ATS (83.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (810) Golden St. Warriors

We won with the Lakers in their last home game, a victory over the Timberwolves. Since then, they have dropped two straight games on the road, a 19-point loss to Golden St. and a 27-point loss most recently at Phoenix. I feel this is a great spot for a bounceback and while winning the game will be a challenge, getting close to double-digits at home is extraordinary value. Miami is riding a five-game winning streak following an overtime win over Atlanta on Monday. All five of those games were at home though where the Heat are 14-2 overall but they are a much more pedestrian 7-4 on the highway and that is not much better than the Lakers 7-6 record at home. The Heat are once again overvalued and I say once again because of their 21-6 straight up record compared to their 13-14 ATS mark. The Lakers are 15-5 ATS in their last 20 games following a loss of 15 or more points and they fall into a great situation where we play against teams that are allowing between 92 and 98 ppg going up against teams allowing 102 or more ppg, after a combined score of 215 points or more two straight games. This situation is 36-13 ATS (73.5 percent) since 1996. Look for a much closer than anticipated game in Los Angeles today. 10* (806) Los Angeles Lakers

***Note 1:00 PM ET start*** Boston looks to bounce back from its last game as it lost to Detroit by blowing a 21-point lead and suffered a one-point setback. The loss snapped a two-game winning streak but I expect the Celtics to get it back tonight. They had won five of their previous six home games and overall, Boston is a game over .500 following a 0-4 start to the season so head coach Brad Stevens is getting the best out of a team that has not standout go to guys. The Celtics are 4-0 ATS in their last four home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. Washington meanwhile has won its last two games, both coming on the road which snapped a four-game losing streak. The road wins have been few and far between as the Wizards had dropped eight of their first 11 games on the highway and they have not won three straight road games since the end of the 2012 season. Going back further, Washington is 9-22 in its last 31 games coming off two or more consecutive road wins. Meanwhile, Boston is 16-5 ATS in its last 21 home games against teams allowing 99 or more ppg. The ?Celtics have been great as home favorites this season, going 5-2 both straight up and against the number and with Washington going just 3-8 straight up as a road underdog, the short price on Saturday favors the Celtics enormously. 10* (504) Boston Celtics

This is what we call line overadjustment. By now everyone knows that Kobe Bryant will be out another six weeks following a leg injury suffered at Memphis in the Lakers last game. It was unfortunate for him and the team but now Los Angeles has to move on just like it did before he came back six games ago. This was not a bad team without him as the Lakers actually went 10-9 without Bryant as opposed to 2-4 with him. This is where the overadjustment takes place as the most recent injury has prompted the linesmakers to make this line much bigger than it should be. How much so? In their last game at home without Bryant, the Lakers were 3.5-point underdogs to Portland and now they 6-point underdogs to the Timberwolves which is saying that Minnesota is 2.5 points better than Portland. I don't think so. Granted, Minnesota just blasted Portland at home and we were on the Timberwolves in that game but the spot was exceptional as the Blazers were playing their fourth game in five nights while coming off two last second victories. The Timberwolves are just 5-9 on the road and while that includes a 23-point win here back in November, that benefits us now as the Lakers not only will be rallying around the Bryant absence but also playing with revenge after the Timberwolves hung up 47 points in the first quarter. The Timberwolves are 8-20-1 ATS in their last 29 games following a win including going 0-4 ATS in their last four games following a double-digit win. The Lakers meanwhile are 4-1-1 ATS in their last six home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. 10* (818) Los Angeles Lakers

Golden St. snapped a two-game losing streak with a resounding win over New Orleans on Tuesday that was not as close as the final score indicated. The Warriors led by as many as 26 points and never allowed the Pelicans the lead and they look to carry that into Thursday as they will be out to settle a couple scores against the Spurs. Golden St. lost to San Antonio in six games in the Western Conference Semifinals last season and in the first meeting this year, it lost at San Antonio by a bucket while scoring a season low 74 points. The series clincher last season was in Golden St. as San Antonio won by 12 points so the Warriors want some redemption there as well. San Antonio is coming off a win last night against the Suns as it bounced back from an ugly loss against the Clippers on Monday. Playing against the Spurs in the second of back-to-back games used to be an automatic play but that hasn't been the case the last few years as head coach Gregg Popovich has seemed to have done a better job of working around these no rest situations. Still, the spot tonight is not a good one especially with Tim Duncan playing over 30 minutes last night. This will be the fourth time that the Spurs have had back-to-back road games and Duncan has played both games only once in the first three instances so I would not be surprised if he is a late scratch in this one. The Spurs will be without Tony Parker again tonight as he is resting his injured shin and will be reevaluated prior to Saturday's game against the Thunder, which is a revenge situation for San Antonio after getting thumped by Oklahoma City last month. The Spurs are 1-4 ATS in their last five road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600 while the Warriors are 5-2-1 ATS in their last eight home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (504) Golden St. Warriors

We bet against Portland last night and we will go against them once again here. Cleveland used a late run to stay within the number and while it looked like the game would actually go into overtime, the Blazers nailed a three-pointer with 0.4 seconds left to pull off another late victory. Portland continues to find ways to win and now at 22-4, it remains the best team in the NBA. Coming off two straight last second wins, the task tonight will be more difficult as it heads back into Western Conference play while playing their fourth game in five nights. There were high expectations in Minnesota this season, but at 12-13, the Timberwolves have been pretty disappointing. They are coming off a 1-2 roadtrip including a loss at Boston last time out and they will look to regain their footing at home where they have dropped three of their last five following a 5-1 start. This is actually a good matchup for the Timberwolves as they like to score, get out on the break, attack the middle and pass the ball well. They also draw a lot of fouls and they're accurate at shooting free-throws. Minnesota could very well catch a tired Portland team as fatigue could very settle in for the Blazers with their recent schedule. Portland won and covered all four meetings last season but only one of those games was decided by double-digits so they were close and puts Minnesota into a big revenge situation as well. The Timberwolves are 18-7-1 ATS in their last 26 games following a loss while going 19-7 ATS in their last 26 games after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game. The absence of Kevin Martin is important for sure but Minnesota has the depth capable to make up for it. 10* (716) Minnesota Timberwolves

While Detroit and Boston come in with identical records, one might deduce that there is value on the home team based on the very short number here but I do not think that is the case at all. The Pistons are inching closer and closer to getting over that hump from being a mediocre team into a very solid team. They are coming off a big road win at Indiana and that could be a season changing victory. Detroit was coming off a devastating loss against Portland the previous night at home as it blew a 19-point lead but bounced back with that huge win against the Pacers the nest night. That can no doubt be a season changer. The Pistons have won five of their last six road games with the lone defeat coming in overtime. The Celtics have won two straight games and five of their last seven following a win over Minnesota last time out on Monday. Brad Stevens has done a terrific job this season in turning a group of hodgepodge players into a competitive team but I am not sold, especially in this matchup. The Pistons are 10-2 against teams ranked outside the top 16 of the NBA while Boston is just 8-7 against teams in that same range. Detroit also falls into a phenomenal situation as we play on road teams with a winning percentage between .450 and .550 where the line is +3 to -3 that are coming off a win over a division rival as an underdog. This situation is 31-9 ATS (77.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (709) Detroit Pistons

Cleveland continues to have the biggest home/road dichotomy in the NBA as the host is 18-5 in its 23 games this season. The Cavaliers 11 losses are tied for most in the NBA but they are 7-3 at home including wins in four straight. Overall, they are 5-2 in their last seven games and catching points at home has been a solid proposition this year as Cleveland is 4-1 both straight up and against the spread as a home underdog, the lone defeat in both coming against Miami. Additionally, Cleveland is on a 6-1 ATS run. We played against Portland on Sunday and came away with the cover on the Pistons despite them blowing a 19-point lead and losing in overtime. The Blazers improved to 21-4 which is still the best record in the NBA while their 11-2 road record is also the best in the league. They have yet to lose to an Eastern Conference team which is certainly impressive but they have a game at Minnesota tomorrow night which could put them in a slight lookahead spot. Portland has dominated as a big favorite this year but is just 3-5 as a favorite between three and six points while Cleveland is 4-1 ATS when getting points in the same range. The Cavaliers have an underrated home court edge and that will pay dividends on Tuesday. 10* (502) Cleveland Cavaliers

The Clippers return home following a seven-game roadtrip that took over two weeks and they were able to capture the finale at Washington to go 4-3 in those games. Los Angeles is 8-2 at home and it will look to get back to the winning following a loss against Indiana in its most recent game at the Staples Center. Surprisingly, the Clippers are just 6-6 against the Eastern Conference but 10-3 against the Western Conference while going 6-3 against the top ten teams in the NBA and those six wins are tied for most in the league. The Spurs have won four straight but none of those wins have come against teams over .500 and you have to go all the way back to November 8th to find the last time they beat a team with a winning record currently, a span of 17 games. Over that stretch, San Antonio went 0-3 against winning teams and on the season it is just 3-4 against the league's top 10. Obviously, the Spurs are a very solid team at 19-4 but I do not think they should be a road favorite here and the line has actually gone up. The Spurs are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games against teams with a winning percentage above .600 while the Clippers are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. Additionally, we have a great situation going for us as we play against road favorites with a winning percentage of .750 or better after having covered three of their last four games against the spread, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 78-43 ATS (64.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (716) Los Angeles Clippers

Despite heavy action on Portland, this line has actually come down which shows a reverse line movement and that is favorable for us here. The Blazers are coming off a blowout win last night over the Sixers as they put up a season high 139 points. The last time Portland scored 130 points, it did so against Utah and came back the next night to lose. The Blazers have the best ATS record in the NBA and that is a big reason for the heavy action but this is a very tough spot with them playing their third game in four nights as well as their sixth game in 10 days. Detroit is coming off a win on Friday and while we missed the cover by a bucket, we will ride the Pistons again in this situation. Detroit was rolling along with a 6-2 run including four straight wins before losing its last three games prior to Friday so it got some of its momentum back. The Pistons are playing with revenge after losing in Portland a month ago by six points as a 4.5-point underdog so you can see the line movement from then to now has not changed much despite the venue change. The Blazers are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games after scoring more than 125 points in their previous game while the Pistons are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game. Additionally, the Pistons fall into a great situation where we play on home underdogs after failing to cover four of their last five against the spread going up against an opponent having covered six or seven of their last eight against the spread. This situation is 101-58 ATS (63.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (806) Detroit Pistons

We are playing a rare NBA total here but these will become more regular going forward as we have some solid history to work with plus we have a very good idea of where the linesmakers are starting to shade the totals towards. Sacramento comes in with a 6-14 record as its losing ways continue but at least the offense has shown a pulse as the Kings have gone over 100 points in four straight games. To no surprise, all four of those games have gone over the total and overall, Sacramento is 9-2 to the over when surpassing the century mark. Now however, the Kings are seeing their highest over/under of the season and we are banking on the over run to come to a halt. Phoenix is also on an over run, surpassing the total in two straight games as well as six of its last seven contests. The majority of the Suns games have gone over this season but like the Kings, this is the highest total they have seen all season. The recent over runs on both sides are definitely playing into that but this is the time to hit the other way because of the significant value. Sacramento games are averaging 200.6 ppg while Phoenix games are averaging 201.7 ppg so there is plenty of leverage in this total tonight. Here we play the under where the total is greater than or equal to 200 involving home teams after two or more consecutive overs going up against a road opponent after four or more consecutive overs. This situation is 54-21 (72 percent) to the under the last five seasons. Additionally, Sacramento is 9-0 to the under in its last nine road games after a loss by 20 points or more while Phoenix is 15-5 to the under in its last 20 games coking off a win as a road underdog. 10* Under (823) Sacramento Kings/(824) Phoenix Suns

After a sluggish start, the Nets responded in a big way as they outscored the Clippers by 36 points after trailing by 13 points in the first quarter. It was the third straight victory for Brooklyn which is finally starting to look like the NBA title contender it was pegged as early in the season. Or is it? A win over Milwaukee was unimpressive. A win over Boston was decent but the Nets were catching the Celtics coming off a 41-point win over the Knicks. Beating the Clippers was impressive but Los Angeles was coming off a victory over Boston the prior night so the spot for Brooklyn was pretty favorable. Tonight it is the opposite as the Nets hit the road with no rest for the first time following a home game. They have not been very good following a victory, going just 1-5 in their next game. Detroit was rolling along with a 6-2 run including four straight wins before losing its last three games. The Pistons lost a revenge game against the Heat, were not ready for Minnesota and in their last game, lost a tough one to New Orleans in overtime. We are going contrarian here as the Nets are on a 3-0 ATS run while the Pistons are on a 0-3 ATS run which adds to the value. The Pistons are 18-7 ATS in their last 25 games after failing to cover the spread in two or more consecutive games while the Nets are 2-10 ATS this season against teams allowing 99 or more ppg. Additionally, Detroit is 5-1 ATS this season as a favorite of four or more points while going 5-1 ATS at home against losing teams. Look for a big win from the Pistons tonight in the great spot they are in. 10* (810) Detroit Pistons

Houston hits the road for the start of a three-game weekend roadtrip as it looks to extend its modest two-game winning streak in Portland tonight. The Rockets were pegged NBA title contenders before the season started and they seem to be rounding into form after a rough stretch in the early part of November. Surprisingly though, they have played a relatively easy schedule, ranked 23rd in the NBA, even though the Western Conference has been extremely tough. it shows in the records as Houston is 7-1 against the Eastern Conference while going just 8-6 against the Western Conference. Portland is 9-2 at home this season with one of those losses coming against Houston by 16 points just over a month ago. That defeat, coupled with this game being on national television, will give Portland a ton of energy to get its redemption on its home floor. The Blazers are the surprise of the NBA as they currently possess the best record in the Western Conference and not many saw this coming after last season's 33-49 record which saw them lose their final 13 regular season games. They are 10-4 against the Western Conference this season and the offense is leading the charge as the Blazers have scored 100 or more points in nine consecutive games, their longest such streak since they scored 100 or more in the final 13 games of the 1993-94 season. This is the first game in the Rose Garden since a loss against Dallas on Saturday so this place will be pumped. Look for the Blazers to get their redemption tonight. 10* (504) Portland Trailblazers

The Celtics are coming off a loss last night in Brooklyn as they were not in a very good spot, having just come off a 41-point win in New York in their previous game against the Knicks. Now they return home to face their former coach Doc Rivers for the fist time since he left for the Clippers where Boston is 5-5 on the season including wins in its last three games at TD Garden. The Celtics still cling on to a two-game lead in the incredibly weak Atlantic Division and this is the start of a five-game homestand through the next 11 days. This is the fifth game of a season high seven-game roadtrip for the Clippers and the early results have been average at best. They are 2-2 through their first four games and overall, they are 6-6 on the highway compared to 8-2 at home. This is not the best time for a big roadtrip as depth is now a huge concern for Los Angeles as it is dealing with injuries to J.J. Redick, Matt Barnes and Reggie Bullock. The Clippers are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games following an ATS win while the Celtics are 4-0 ATS in their last four games following an ATS loss. Boston is 15-3 ATS in its last 18 home games against teams allowing 99 or more ppg and even though Rivers is still extremely appreciated in Boston still, sending him out of town with a loss is a huge goal for the Celtics. And that is certainly not out of the question. 10* (704) Boston Celtics

The return of Kobe Bryant did not go as planned as the Lakers lost to Toronto in his season debut as he struggled considerably. I expect him to perform better and for the Lakers to grab a big win in his second game back. To their credit, they played pretty good without Bryant as they went 10-9 in the 19 games he missed and with the Western Conference as tough as it is, they cannot afford to stay at this level. After the Phoenix game, Los Angeles goes on the road for four games in five nights, starting things off in Oklahoma City on Friday which makes this game pretty important. Phoenix has been one of the bigger surprises in the NBA as it was picked by many to finish last in the Western Conference but currently it is sitting in eighth place with an 11-9 record. The Suns own quality victories over Portland (twice) and Houston, but also lost to Sacramento (twice), Utah and Brooklyn so they have been very inconsistent. They have won two straight games which is their fifth two-game winning streak but have yet to win three straight games. The Lakers are 4-0-1 ATS in their last five games following a loss and 5-1-1 ATS in their last seven home games against teams with a losing road record. The home team has owned this series with nine straight wins and I expect that to continue tonight. 10* (516) Los Angeles Lakers

This line came out late due to the injury situation for Denver as Ty Lawson is listed as doubtful for this game. The Nuggets conclude their six-game roadtrip tonight after going 3-2 through the first five games. They are coming off a win at Philadelphia on Saturday after losing two straight games and this has been a very favorable roadtrip as not one game have come against a team with a winning record but this is as close as it gets as Washington is the best of the bunch at a game under .500. The Nuggets have won five of their last seven road games but with the return home upcoming, I do not see a fully focused effort here. Washington got off to a horrible start, losing seven of its first nine games but it has been playing much better, going 7-3 over its last 10 games. The Wizards are coming off a loss against Milwaukee in its last game on Friday in overtime and they will certainly want to make up for that poor effort. Washington had won five straight games at home prior to that and at 6-3, it does have a solid home edge considering two of those losses came in overtime. The Wizards are 4-0 ATS in their last four games following an ATS loss while the Nuggets are 5-12 ATS in their last 17 games against teams with a losing record. Look for Washington to send the Nuggets home with a roadtrip split. 10* (706) Washington Wizards

The Kings have played a brutal schedule this season as it is currently ranked second hardest in the NBA. Of their 12 losses, three are against the Clippers, two are against the Warriors, two are against the Blazers and one is against the Thunder. That is a tough way to start the season and they are currently riding a five-game losing streak with four of those losses coming against the aforementioned teams. The other loss over this stretch came in Los Angeles against the Lakers by 14 points so Sacramento will be out for some payback as well as trying to halt its losing skid. The Lakers have been playing pretty well of late as they have won five of their last seven games while covering six of those. The good play however can be lost momentum wise as they have not played since Sunday so while rest is good, killing a good thing could be even worse. While many thought Kobe Bryant would be returning for this game, it has been pushed back to Sunday against Toronto for his season debut. I don't think it makes a difference either way as his presence would be huge but he could also affect chemistry and come in with a bit of rust. Nonetheless, the Kings do not have to worry about that and they will be out to grab their first win of the season when favored as they are 5-0 straight up and against the number when laying points. However, the Lakers are 1-13 ATS in their last 14 road games coming off a home loss and they are just 9-21 ATS in their last 30 games as a road underdog. I expect the Kings to get their revenge tonight and snap their losing streak in the process. 10* (818) Sacramento Kings

Not only does Portland have the best record in the Western Conference, but it has been a covering machine as the Blazers are 14-5 against the number, which is tied for best in the NBA. Now they are doing something they have not done all season and that is laying double-digits. Portland is a perfect 7-0 ATS as an underdog this season but a much less impressive 7-5 ATS as a favorite including going just 4-4 ATS when laying four or more points. This is as breather alert for the Blazers as well as they are coming off games against Indiana and Oklahoma City while having a game on deck for Saturday against Dallas. Getting 100 percent out of Portland will be difficult. At 4-16, the Jazz have the worst record in the Western Conference but they have been playing their best of the season of late, going 3-2 in their last five games. Utah has been more competitive as well as after starting the season 1-6-1 ATS, it is 8-4 against the number over its last 12 games and a lot of that is due to the poor straight up record, forcing linesmakers to inflate the lines. This is proven by the Jazz going 4-1 ATS in their last five games as double-digit underdogs. The Blazers are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 home games against teams with a losing road record while the Jazz are 4-1 ATS in their last five road games against teams with a winning home record. Additionally, we play against home favorites of 10 or more points after three or more consecutive wins, with a winning record on the season playing a losing team. This situation is 101-57 ATS (63.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (819) Utah Jazz

Miami had its 10-game winning snapped in its last game, a 10-point setback at home against the Pistons and I am expecting a big Heat rebound here. This will be the side of many for sure but it is the perfect situation to be playing Miami as a road favorite and it has thrived in the role so far this season, going 5-2 straight up and against the number. The Heat have been one of the best teams in the NBA coming off a loss as they are 2-1 this season after going 20-3 last season so consecutive losses have been few and far between. Additionally, they are 14-3 ATS in their last 17 games following a loss as well as going a perfect 5-0 ATS following a double-digit loss at home with all of those wins coming by double-digits and by an average of 17.5 ppg. Chicago lost its last game against New Orleans in triple overtime at home. It was the first home loss of the season for the Bulls which opened at 5-0 at the United Center but it was also the first home game with a depleted roster as they were missing guard Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler. The Bulls are 1-4 without Rose and they are 1-6 without Butler as well so while the Rose absence is obviously huge, this whole backcourt is depleted. The home crowd energy will be big no doubt but that is the case with every team when Miami comes to town so it is something the Heat are used to. They like the spotlight as they are 20-8 ATS in their last 28 Thursday night games while the Bulls are 0-7 ATS in their last seven games after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game including a 0-3 ATS record this season. 10* (505) Miami Heat

The NBA's biggest positive surprise is back in action following an upset win over Indiana on Monday. The Blazers improved to 15-3 to keep pace with the Spurs for the best record in the Western Conference. The most surprising thing about Portland's 15-3 record is the fact that two of those losses were blowout defeats in Phoenix so it has lost to just one other team the entire season. Make that two after tonight. Overall, the Blazers schedule is ranked relatively high in strength but it is hard to ignore the fact that of their 18 games, 10 have come against teams with a losing record and three others against teams just two games over .500 or worse. The win over the Pacers was solid no doubt but I do not see another quality win again. Oklahoma City is coming off a lethargic effort last night and that is just fine with us as it shows a likely lookahead to this game. The Thunder won by just two points at Sacramento but it was their eighth straight victory and they should come into this game with a chip on their shoulder showing that the Western Conference championship still has to come through them. Playing with no rest is not an issue as they have covered the lone game this season and are 5-0 ATS in their last five games in the second of a back-to-back set. Meanwhile, the Blazers are 1-5 ATS in their last six games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. 10* (715) Oklahoma City Thunder

It has been a horrible start to the season for the Nets as they are 5-12 but if there is any good news, it is the fact they are just a game and a half out of first place in the dreadful Atlantic Division. Brooklyn did pick up a much needed win at Memphis last time out and it hopes to carry that momentum back home where it has lost four in a row after opening 0-2. Their six home games are tied for the fewest in the NBA and to their credit, the Nets have played the fifth toughest schedule in the NBA. Denver meanwhile is playing some good basketball as it has won six straight games including three straight on the road. While the Nuggets are hot, putting them in the role of a big favorite on the road is a little overaggressive. This is a 6.5-point swing from their game at Toronto on Sunday and that is simply too much, even if he Nets are a banged up team right now. The starters may have gotten the wakeup call of the benching from the weekend, thus playing with more energy and passion. The Nuggets are 3-10 ATS in their last 13 games against teams with a losing record while the Nets have covered six of their last seven games playing with two days rest. 10* (508) Brooklyn Nets

San Antonio owns the best record in the Western Conference at 13-1 and that is tied with Indiana for the best record in the entire NBA. The Spurs have won 11 straight games and they have covered six of their last eight games heading into this one and those runs are keeping this number rather short. This is actually the first time in seven road games they have actually been underdog and for good reason as they have played the 25th ranked schedule in the NBA. Oklahoma City comes in 9-3 including wins in its last four games. All three losses have come on the road as the Thunder are a perfect 6-0 at home and speaking of perfect, they have won and covered five straight meetings at home against the Spurs with those victories coming by an average of 12 ppg. Oklahoma City has had one more day off than San Antonio has which could make a difference but even more important is the fact that Russell Westbrook rested in their last game so he will be more than ready to go. Here, we play against underdogs that are coming off a home win by 10 points or more against opponent off a home win by 20 points or more. This situation is 102-60 ATS (63 percent) since 1996. Oklahoma City is 14-4 ATS in its last 18 games against teams allowing 43 percent or less shooting while going 4-0 ATS in its last four home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (720) Oklahoma City Thunder

We are going against the grain by taking a road favorite here but the situation sets up well for Golden St. The Warriors have lost three straight games after winning four in a row and most surprising is the fact that two of those losses have come at home. A trip to New Orleans could do them good however as they swept the four-game season series a year ago with Stephen Curry and Davis Lee having some really big games. Golden St. is 3-4 on the road but two of those losses came against the Clippers and Spurs. It is 3-6 against the top 16 teams in the NBA but a perfect 5-0 against the bottom 16 and that is where New Orleans falls into. The Pelicans are coming off a loss in San Antonio last night which snapped their three-game winning streak. They are 6-7 which is decent but they have played the second easiest schedule in the NBA and have faced only three teams ranked in the top 10, going 1-2. New Orleans is 5-2 at home but has not defeated a team with a winning record on its home floor. The Warriors are 8-0 ATS in their last eight games following a double-digit loss at home while the Pelicans are 2-7 ATS in their last nine games against teams with a winning record. Additionally, Golden St. falls into an incredible situation where we play on road teams where the line is +3 to -3 that are averaging between 98 and 102 ppg going up against teams allowing between 98 and 102 ppg, after allowing 100 points or more two straight games. This situation is 26-2 ATS (92.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (507) Golden St. Warriors

We lost with Memphis on Friday as it fell behind early against the Spurs and while it made a push in the third quarter, it could never get over the hump. The Grizzlies lost Marc Gasol early in the second quarter and unfortunately, that changed the dynamic of the game. They were coming off four straight road wins prior to that and I feel this is a good spot to bounceback at home where they have dropped three of their last four games. Houston has won four of its last five games including a home win on Saturday against Minnesota. The Rockets are just 3-3 on the road however and while they have a slightly better overall record, I do not think they should be favored here. They have played the 22nd ranked schedule in the NBA while the Grizzlies have played the second toughest so that needs to be taken into account as well. Houston is 8-19 ATS in its last 27 road games after allowing 100 points or more two straight games while going 3-9-1 ATS in its last 13 games following a win of more than 10 points. Memphis meanwhile is 21-9 ATS in its last 30 games against teams allowing 43 percent shooting or less. James Harden will miss his second straight game for Houston and that is where Memphis can take advantage with a strong defensive effort. 10* (710) Memphis Grizzlies

After a slow start, Memphis has found its groove winning its last four games all coming on the road. The Grizzlies last loss came at home against Toronto by 16 points so they will be out to make up for that as well as getting some redemption on top of it. Memphis lost the first meeting this season, a seven-point setback in the first game of the season and in addition, the Grizzlies will be out for payback after getting swept in last year's Western Conference finals. The Spurs bring in the best record in the NBA at 10-1, tied with Indiana, and because of that, we are catching a very favorable line. Memphis has been favored in the last four meetings but now it is catching a point and it comes down to the records but with the Grizzlies finally hitting their stride, they have a ton of value tonight. Memphis is 13-3 ATS in its last 16 home games against teams that are outscoring their opponents by nine or more ppg while going 23-9 ATS in their last 32 home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. Meanwhile the Spurs have dropped four straight against the number against teams with a winning record. 10* (512) Memphis Grizzlies

We won with Washington last night but we will be going against the Wizards tonight as they hit the road for the second of a back-to-back set. Washington improved to 2-2 at home with the Tuesday victory but is still just 3-7 overall and the 1-5 road record has been their undoing. The only road win for Washington was at Philadelphia which started off hot but has lost seven of its last nine games. Cleveland has been off since Saturday when it defeated Washington on the road in overtime. It was the Cavaliers first road win of the season which came after their first home loss of the season the night before against Charlotte. That obviously makes this a revenge game for Washington but backing road revenge in the NBA is something I stay away from. Especially with a team that struggles consistently on the highway. The rest factor is a big factor here as well as Cleveland has been off for a while and it is 4-0 ATS in its last four games playing with three or more days rest while the Wizards are 0-5 ATS in their last five games playing with no rest. The Cavaliers get back to their winning ways at home tonight. 10* (504) Cleveland Cavaliers

Washington has lost four straight games including its last one at home in overtime against Cleveland after blowing a 15-point lead. The Wizards were considered playoff contenders before the season started and while there is plenty of time left, a 2-7 start is not exactly what they envisioned. First and foremost, they need to take care of business at home where they are 1-2 as six of the first nine games were on the highway. This is actually an exceptional spot for Washington as coming off that loss to Cleveland will have them energized and it catches Minnesota in a great situation. The Timberwolves are off to a 7-4 start after a blowout win over Boston on Saturday. The Timberwolves are 5-1 at home but just 2-3 on the road including splitting as road favorites. Minnesota has a game at home against the Clippers tomorrow which puts in a big lookahead situation and revenge situation as well as it lost the first meeting against them this season by a bucket just over a week ago. The Wizards are 26-12-1 ATS in their last 39 games against teams with a winning record and they have covered seven of the last eight meetings at home. 10* (702) Washington Wizards

Brooklyn got hammered on the road on Wednesday at Sacramento as the Nets never led and ended up losing by 21 points as a four-point favorite. That dropped them to 0-4 on the road and they have not come close to covering a game on the highway, losing those four games by a combined 64.5 points against the spread. It is safe to think that the linesmakers have no choice but to keep the heavy wood off of them until they can show they can win on the road. That finally happens on Friday as this one is a big one considering Brooklyn has a game against the Clippers on Saturday and sitting winless on the road, there is no chance they are looking ahead to that. Phoenix lost a touch one in Portland on Wednesday by a point but at 5-2, the Suns are one of the pleasant surprises this season. They are a perfect 4-0 at home and while I feel the winless Nets break their streak, I also think the Suns streak comes to an end as well. The Suns are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400 while the Nets have covered four of their last five after a double-digit loss. 10* (715) Brooklyn Nets

The Cavaliers are at least one thing this season and that is consistent. Following their 29-point loss at Minnesota on Wednesday, they fell to 0-6 on the road and only two of those losses were decided by single digits. Conversely, Cleveland is 3-0 at home and while those wins have come by only seven points combined, wins are wins are the Cavaliers are due for a big breakout on their home floor. Enter Charlotte. The Bobcats are coming off an upset win at Boston to improve to 4-4 overall and 2-2 on the road. This is definitely a team on the upswing and while the spot was good in Boston, it is not good here. The Bobcats caught the Celtics on a five-game ATS winning streak and now they catch Cleveland on an eight-game ATS losing streak. That is a streak I love to go against and adding to it is that one of those losses came in Charlotte as the Cavaliers lost to the Bobcats by six points as a 3.5-point chalk. Now they are only favored by a few points more at home and presents us with excellent value. The Bobcats are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* (710) Cleveland Cavaliers

While most will be expecting a shootout in Oakland on Thursday, I am expecting a lower scoring game that should stay below this inflated number. The Thunder played last night which made it three straight overs and they have gone under in four of their last five games playing with no rest. Golden St. meanwhile has gone over in two straight games but those totals were lower than tonight's and note than the Warriors have gone under in all three games this season when the total is higher than 206 which is the case tonight. This has been a very high scoring series as well and that is going to add to the public money on the over and all of this is beneficial to us as the number is inflated based on the public reaction. Oklahoma City is 14-3 to the under in its last 17 road games after scoring 100 points or more five straight games while the under is 7-1 in the Warriors last eight games after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game. Additionally, we have a league-wide situation favoring both teams as we play the under in the first half of the season where the total is between 200 and 209.5 involving teams with a winning percentage between .600 and .750, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 48-17 (73.8 percent) to the under the last five seasons. 10* Under (503) Oklahoma City Thunder/(504) Golden St. Warriors

We played this total last week which stayed well below the number. We got the possessions and shots we wanted but they just were not falling last Friday as Los Angeles and New Orleans shot a combined 41 percent from the floor while making only nine three-pointers. Tonight we are catching a better number as this is the first Lakers total that is under 200 on the season and a lot of that has to do with three straight unders hitting the window in their games. As for New Orleans, it has also gone under the total in three straight games as defensively, they remain one of the best in fewest shots allowed as 80 has been the highest total the Pelicans have given up. The Lakers are averaging 89 shots per game at home while New Orleans is averaging 86 shots per game on the road and the Lakers defense is not going to be helping much as they are allowing an average of 106.5 ppg to rank near the bottom of the NBA and were outscored 50-32 in the paint and 19-9 in transition in their last game against Minnesota. Meanwhile, the Pelicans lost in Phoenix in their most recent game on Sunday as they committed 17 turnovers and scored only 16 points in the first quarter and no offense is going to overcome those figures. Also, Despite going only 4-13 with three-pointers against the Suns, the Pelicans still lead the NBA with 43.8 shooting percentage from behind the arc. The Lakers are 21-7 to the over in their last 28 games after three straight games where they shot 42 percent or worse. Additionally, the over is 12-4 in the Lakers last 16 games against team with a losing record while the over is 8-2 in the Pelicans last 10 games against teams with a winning percentage below .400. 10* Over (507) New Orleans Pelicans/(508) Los Angeles Lakers

After opening the season 3-1, Houston has lost its last two games, both at home against the Lakers and Clippers. While it is difficult to state a game is a must win game this early in the season, this one fits for the Rockets as they need to pick up a victory before hitting the road. The offense has been non-existent during the two-game skid as Houston has shot just 41.3 percent from the floor while putting up only 98 and 94 points. This after averaging 112.8 ppg in its previous four games and while its faces what looks like a tough Toronto defense, the Raptors have not really been tested much. Looking at the schedule shows most of the Raptors opponents are offensively inept and their 93.9 ppg allowed, which is fourth fewest in the NBA is skewed because of that. Toronto is 0-3 against the NBA's top 16 while its 24-point home win over Utah on Saturday is giving it a little too much credit here. The Raptors are 2-6 ATS in their last eight games following a win of more than 10 points while the Rockets are 19-7 ATS in their last 26 home games after having lost two of their last three games. The health of James Harden was clearly an issue against the Clippers as he had trouble attacking against them, getting to the line only three times. The time off between this games can only help him. Getting him back in gear and having a clear edge down low gives Houston a big edge in this matchup. The home team has dominated this series with wins in 12 straight meetings. 10* (712) Houston Rockets

We played against Brooklyn last night as the Nets lost in overtime against Washington to fall to 0-3 on the road. The Nets may have been guilty of looking ahead to this game as they played pretty poor despite having a big lead at one point as 21 turnovers can be a tell-tale sign of a team not focused in the game as well as putting up a poor defensive effort. You can guarantee they will be focused tonight against Indiana which at 6-0, it the lone undefeated team in the NBA. The Pacers are coming off a win over Toronto last night as they had to fight off an early 12-point deficit to pull away. While the back-to-back games is in play for both sides, this is the fourth game in five nights for the Pacers and even though it is early in the season, it is never an easy scenario for teams and players. The Nets are hoping Paul Pierce can shake his recent illness and show some improvement as he had a season-low four points while sinking just 1 of 5 from the field against the Wizards. It is still up in the air whether or not Kevin Garnett will be taking the night off or not but at this point, it really doesn't matter either way as he is averaging a mere 6.0 ppg on 30.4 percent shooting. The Pacers are 0-5 ATS in their last five games against teams with a losing record while the Nets are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following a loss. Brooklyn dominated this series last season by sweeping all three games and it continues as it puts an end to the perfect start for Indiana. 10* (706) Brooklyn Nets

After going 38-3 at home last season, the Nuggets are already just one loss away from matching that mark this year as they have started 0-2 at the Pepsi Center and 0-3 overall. They are coming off a loss against San Antonio and it was a game they could have and should have won but they were outscored 30-16 in the final period to lose by eight points. During a lengthy film session Wednesday, Nuggets head coach Brian Shaw reiterated the need to push the tempo at home and minimize turnovers that have plagued Denver in two of its first three games. The Nuggets committed 19 turnovers in their opener at Sacramento and added 23 miscues against San Antonio. Denver has a significant edge down low as the Nuggets are fourth in the league in rebounding while the Hawks are 25th so look for the Nuggets to dominate the boards down low with Kenneth Faried and Javale McGee. Atlanta won in Sacramento in its last game as it nearly blew a 19-point fourth quarter margin as it got down to one point before the Hawks were able to finish off the Kings. That evened the Hawks record at 2-2 and got them their first road win of the season where they are currently 1-2. Winning consecutive road games was a challenge last season as Atlanta went just 2-6 on the road immediately following a road victory. Despite the poor start, this is still a very solid Denver team that will be in the playoff mix once again and it has to take care of its home court. The Nuggets have won eight of the last nine games in Denver against the Hawks so this is a good place to grab that elusive first home win of the season. Denver is 11-2 ATS in its last 13 games against teams averaging 103 or more ppg while the Hawks are just 2-7 ATS in their last nine games after scoring 100 or more points in their previous game. 10* (704) Denver Nuggets

The Pacers blew our ticket last night as a big third quarter led them to their fourth straight victory to open the season and remain the lone undefeated team in the NBA which is definitely a surprise this early in the season. It will be a test to keep it going however as the schedule has set up in the Pacers favor as through the first week of the season, they have faced the 30th ranked slate in the NBA. Now they will face their biggest test of the early season even though the Bulls are not playing to their ability yet. Chicago is off to a 1-2 start, losing both games on the road and narrowly defeating the Knicks at home by a point. The Bulls are 0-3 ATS and coming off what can be considered an embarrassing loss at Philadelphia on Saturday, they put together an intense practice on Monday which lasted for three hours. They hope to carry the intensity over into games and especially this one as Chicago is in need of a big win. It is also in need of hitting some shots. After three games, the Bulls are 29th in the NBA in three-point shooting at 23.2 percent. Only the Thunder is worse at 22.1 percent. In addition, the Bulls are just 22nd in three-point attempts at 18.7. Against the Pacers' tough interior defense, the Bulls are going to need to score over the top which is something the Pistons could not do last night, making just 20 percent from long range on 5-25 shooting. Derrick Rose also needs to step things up as he has shot just 28.8 percent from the floor through the first three games and has been to the free throw line just 10 times. He has had some of his best game against Indiana and this could finally be his season breakthrough. The Bulls went 1-3 against Indiana last season but in the other 16 games since Rose joined the team, they are 13-3 against the Pacers. The Bulls are 33-13 ATS in their last 46 games coming off an upset loss as a favorite while going 26-9 ATS in their last 35 games after a loss by six points or less. Look for there to be no undefeated teams remaining in the league after tonight. 10* (503) Chicago Bulls

We made a poor call on the Knicks last night as they could not stop Minnesota in the first quarter, allowing 40 points to the Timberwolves and falling behind by 21 points, a deficit they nearly erased but could not overcome. Minnesota is 3-0 for the first time in 12 years but that streak ends tonight. The Timberwolves were pretty average over the last three quarters last night, averaging just 23 points per quarter while getting outscored by 12 points and nearly blowing a 23-point lead. Playing in the second of back-to-back nights will be difficult after last night and last season, Minnesota was just 8-14 playing with no rest including going 4-7 on the road. This is definitely a team on the rise, but now that the cat is out of the bag, the value is going the other way. Cleveland is back home following two road games over the weekend, both resulting in losses. We played against the Cavaliers Friday in Charlotte and after that loss, they traveled to Indiana and were crushed by the Pacers by 15 points. I expect a big bounceback effort tonight on their home floor as going back, the Cavaliers are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games following a loss of more than 10 points. Minnesota meanwhile is 5-15-1 ATS in its last 21 games following a win while going back further, it is 7-18 ATS in its last 25 games coming off a win as an underdog. Look for Cleveland to grab the comfortable win at home, thus covering with this short number. 10* (504) Cleveland Cavaliers

The Knicks return home following a last second loss in Chicago on Thursday night as Derrick Rose scored the game winning floater with just 5.7 remaining. New York fell to 1-1 with the loss as the lone victory came here at MSG against the Bucks to open the season. Expectations are high once again in New York as even Garden Chairman said the Knicks should be expected to win the NBA Championship and it starts by taking care of business at home. Last season, the Knicks won a playoff series for the first time in 13 years thanks to having the home court advantage as it was 31-10 at MSG during the regular season and 5-2 in the playoffs. Additionally, the Knicks were able to bounce back well as they went 21-12 following a loss and I expect a big bounce back effort tonight. Minnesota meanwhile is off to a 2-0 start and it looks to start a season 3-0 for the first time since 2001 but the problem is that the Timberwolves are not at home. Both victories to open the season came at home including a resounding victory over Oklahoma City following an overtime win over Orlando but Minnesota went just 11-30 on the road last season including 9-29 when getting points. Like New York, the Timberwolves were a solid team when coming of a loss but they went only 7-23 following a victory and one of those losses came here in New York right after they defeated the Thunder in December. The line then was eight points and I'm not sold that the gap has closed this much. The Timberwolves are 3-11-1 ATS in their last 15 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600 while the Knicks are 18-2 ATS in their last 20 home games after playing a game as an underdog. 10* (710) New York Knicks

The NBA card is filled with a lot of three-in-four matchups including both teams here. Houston is coming off a win last night at home against the Mavericks as James Harden had another big night scoring while Dwight Howard again had a huge night on the boards. The Rockets now hit the road for the first time and after being favored by 6.5 points at home, they are now favored by the same amount on the road. Basically this is saying that Houston would be favored by 2.5 points against Dallas on a neutral floor and 10.5 points against Utah on a neutral floor and this differential of eight points is way off. This is the Rockets first road game of the season and high expectations lead to high point spreads which is the case here. Utah meanwhile is off to a 0-2 start and expectations are not very high on the Jazz this season as they cut loose on a lot of their roster but they didn't get to the point of a total rebuild. They lost at home in their opener against Oklahoma City by just three points and lost by a similar margin last night in Phoenix. The fact they head home is a big advantage in this three-in-four situation. Houston was horrendous playing with no rest last year and the fact that it is even older this season should not improve that. The Rockets were 6-15 straight up and 8-13 ATS in the second of a back-to-back set including going 0-5 straight up and 1-4 ATS when going from home to on the road. Utah meanwhile was 4-1 straight up and ATS when going from the road to home on no rest a season ago. The Jazz also fall into a solid NBA situation as we play on home underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points that had a winning percentage between .450 and .550 from a season ago. This situation is 39-12 ATS (76.5 percent) since 1996. Additionally, the Jazz are 8-1-1 ATS in their last 10 games following a straight up loss while the Rockets are 3-13-1 ATS in their last 17 road games against teams with a losing home record. 10* (512) Utah Jazz

We played against Charlotte on Wednesday and despite losing by 13 points, the Bobcats played a relatively good game. The game was close for the most part but Houston was able to pull away in the fourth quarter and actually got the cover on a last second three-pointer before the shot clock expired. Now the Bobcats are back in Charlotte for their home opener and while this is a team still in rebuilding mode, the first game at home is always a big one. Despite some very rough seasons overall the last two years, Charlotte has won its home opener in each, defeating Milwaukee as a three-point underdog in 2011-12 and defeating Indiana last season as a seven-point underdog. Now underdogs once again, I expect the Bobcats to rise to the occasion. Cleveland meanwhile is coming off a win in its season opener against Brooklyn as it defeated the Nets by four points at home. Now the Cavaliers go from home underdog to road favorite which is a scenario I like to go against. Last season Cleveland was just 10-31 on the road and while one of those wins was here in Charlotte, it was by only two points and the Cavaliers were not favored then and I don't believe they should be favored now. The Cavaliers were road favorites only once last season and while they won and covered, it was a game at Orlando which was missing three of its top players. Charlotte falls into a great situation here as well as we play against teams in the first six games of the season that are coming off a win as an underdog, after closing out last season with five or more straight losses. This situation is 30-8 ATS (78.9 percent) since 1996. 10* (704) Charlotte Bobcats

After winning two straight games against Memphis to open the playoffs last season, the Clippers went on to lose four straight games for a quick exit. That led to the firing of head coach Vinny Del Negro and the Clippers brought in Doc Rivers for a fresh start but the start to the new season did not go as planned. The Lakers bench dominated the Clippers in the fourth quarter and they lost their season opener by 13 points to a team they were not supposed to lose to, especially one without Kobe Bryant. It is now bounceback time for Los Angeles which claims it was not ready and was a good lesson to open the season. I expect the Clippers to rise to the occasion tonight on national television. They take on Golden St. which destroyed the same team that beat the Clippers two nights ago. The Warriors never trailed against the Lakers, built a 35-point lead and showed the rest of the Western Conference they are to be taken serious. Golden St. shot 53.5 percent from the floor including 55.6 percent from long range and while this is a big game for them as well, I do not expect the same sharpshooting tonight on the road. The Warriors were just 19-22 away from home last regular season and went 2-4 on the highway during the playoffs. They were in this situation only once last season where they won at home and played on the road the next night and it resulted in a loss at Sacramento. A similar result is on the table for tonight. The Clippers fall into a great early season situation where we play on favorites in the first six games of the season that are coming off a loss as a road favorite, a playoff team from last season which lost four or more of their last five games. This situation is 28-7 ATS (80 percent) since 1996 including a perfect 6-0 ATS the last three seasons with an average point differential of +13.3 ppg. 10* (504) Los Angeles Clippers

One of the more improved team in the NBA this season could be the Sacramento Kings. They need to learn how to win on the road but that is not our concern tonight. The Kings have new ownership, a new general manager and a new head coach and this stale franchise will no doubt embrace the change. Sacramento doesn't appear to have the defensive skill to completely reverse their putrid rankings from last year, but with a little focus, effort and good coaching, they could become respectable. If not for anything else, they will be exciting to watch on offense as additions of Ray McCallum and Ben McLemore bring fresh life into the roster. While the Kings are looking to go up, the Nuggets are set to take a major backwards fall. They were 32 games over .500 last season but lost to Golden St. in the first round which eventually led to the firing of head coach George Karl despite being names the NBA Coach of the Year. Denver lost Andre Iguodala to free agency and could be without two additional starters tonight if Ty Lawson cannot go. Danilo Gallinari will be out for at least another month. Even forward Kenneth Faried is not 100 percent. Had this been last season, we could eat up the points Denver is getting here but it is the underdog for a reason. The spread variance is eight points from last year to this year and after nine straight wins in this series, that streak ends tonight. Denver struggled on the road last season to begin with and with so many question marks going into the season opener, including a complete overhaul of the offensive system, those road struggles will be even worse. 10* (726) Sacramento Kings

This is one of the best scenarios to go against on opening day. It is banner day in Miami and we know what that means. The Heat will be lowering their 2012-13 NBA Championship banner on Tuesday night and playing a basketball game is not at the forefront for the players right now. This is a huge event and with that comes a lot of distractions. Players have been saying that once the banner is lowered and the game starts, they will be focused but that is easier said than done. Now let's go back to the NBA Champion angle. Prior NBA Champions are usually slow starting out of the gate the following season since their lines are over-adjusted to start the season. The last 12 NBA Champions (Dallas, Boston, San Antonio, Miami three times, San Antonio, Detroit, San Antonio and LA Lakers three times) have combined for a 38-61 ATS mark (38.4 percent) through their first two weeks of the following year. Distractions and overvaluation are definitely keys to this. We have seen it in the season opening game for the reigning NBA Champions for six of the last seven seasons. Two years ago, Dallas got thumped by Miami. Three years ago, the Lakers won but did not cover against the Rockets. Four years ago, the Lakers won but did not cover in their opener against the Clippers. Five years ago, the Celtics won but did not cover at home against the Cavaliers. Six years ago, the Spurs won but did not cover at home against the Blazers. Seven years ago, Miami lost against the Bulls by 42 points in its opener. Last year, the Heat did cover against Boston giving the recent run its only blemish. While we are looking to fade Miami, this is a big game for Chicago. The Bulls finished 45-37 last year which was a disappointment and it was largely due to Derrick Rose being out. They did make it out of the first round of the playoffs as they got past Brooklyn in seven games but were taken down by Miami in the second round 4-1 after taking the first game. While this is a test for Chicago, I expect greater motivation on its side to get the season started on a high note. 10* (503) Chicago Bulls

The blown lead by San Antonio in Game Six can be viewed two ways. It is going to absolutely crush the Spurs going forward or it will put Miami in a tough spot facing a letdown situation. I feel it is the former as a loss like the one that San Antonio endured on Tuesday is difficult to recover from. The Spurs had this one wrapped up as they were up by five points with 28 seconds remaining and were at the free throw line when it completely unraveled. Two missed free throws, one from Manu Ginobili and one from Kawhi Leonard didn't help while two blown defensive rebounds with Tim Duncan off the floor, led to two second-chance three-pointers for Miami in regulation. The rest is history. Duncan played one of his best postseason games of all-time as he put up 30 points and 17 rebounds but he played more than 44 minutes and managed only five points after halftime. I do not see a repeat and I definitely see some fatigue settling in. It will be tough for the Spurs to come back mentally. "I have no clue how we're going to be reenergized," Manu Ginobili said after the game. "I'm devastated." It lingered into Wednesday as well. "I'm still down," he added. "A blow like that, it's not easy to get back up." Home teams have won 41 of 53 Game Sevens since 1991, covering 31 of those games and this one has the added benefit of the Miami miracle. 10* (714) Miami Heat

We lost with the under on Game Six as it was looking good until the Miami comeback sealed our fate which sent the game into overtime. I am coming back with the under tonight however as I feel the situation is perfect for a very low scoring affair. It is also going against the over streak which many will be riding once again. We have now seen the last four games go over the total and the last three have not even been close. Game Four saw 202 points, Game Five saw 218 points and Game Six saw 203 points. People will be expecting to see the high scoring continue because that is what they want to see but I expect the exact opposite here. This is where there is a difference from the past and it is almost as though the linesmakers are trying to bait bettors into taking the over. Whereas the total has risen each of the last three games to compensate for the over action coming in, this number has actually gone down from Game Six so many will feel there is value by taking the over. That may be the case from a raw numbers standpoint but not a situational standpoint. History shows these games are played tighter than others as the last three NBA Finals Game Seven total scores have been 162, 155 and 174. Clearly, defense is emphasized. We also have a great situation on our side as we play on the under in the NBA Finals where the total is between 180 and 189.5 points. This situation is 50-18 (73.5 percent) to the under since 1996. 10* Under (713) San Antonio Spurs/(714) Miami Heat

We won with the Over in Game Three as the number cleared the total by three points and that gamer triggered an Over barrage as the last two games have also gone over the total. The last two were not even close as Game Four saw 202 points while Game Five saw 218 points. That last game was easily the highest scoring game of the season series between the Heat and Spurs, regular season and playoffs, and it was also the highest scoring regulation game for San Antonio in the playoffs. It was also the highest scoring game for Miami in the playoffs as well so that will only help us out even more here. People will be expected to see the high scoring continue because that is what they want to see but I expect the exact opposite here. Because of the recent high scoring, the linesmakers have been forced to adjust the total to accommodate the Over action and thus, we are seeing the highest total of this series so far. That presents a ton of value. San Antonio is 8-1 to the under this season after allowing 100 or more points in two straight games and while going 12-3 to the under this season after scoring 60 or more points in the first half. Miami has gone under the total in four straight home games while going 19-8 to the under in its last 27 games against winning teams. The Spurs also have a solid situation on their side for a low scoring game as we play the under where the total is between 190 and 199.5 points involving a team shooting 46 percent or better on the season going up against an opponent that allowed 55 percent or higher in its last game. This situation is 50-22 (69.4 percent) to the under the last five seasons. 10* Under (711) San Antonio Spurs/(712) Miami Heat

As mentioned in the Game Four analysis, playing the Zig Zag Theory over the last eight games with Miami would have provided you with a perfect 8-0 ATS record as the Heat have alternated ATS wins and losses since Game Two of the Indiana series. They extended that on Thursday with an easy winner making it nine straight Heat covers by laying the bounce. I think this streak finally comes to an end however as I believe Miami takes control of the series by winning Game Five and heading home in need of just one more win to defend its NBA title. LeBron promised a better game and he didn't disappoint as he scored a team high 33 points on 15-25 shooting as Miami shot 52.9 as team. The Heat won going away despite San Antonio taking 14 more free throws but it really came down to turnovers as the Spurs had 18 of them thanks to 13 Miami steals and it will be up to the Heat to continue that defensive pressure in what is still considered a must win game. Miami also didn't allow as many open looks from three-point range as it allowed just 16 attempts and while the Spurs did make half of those, limiting the attempts is the key. Miami found its rhythm in Game Four and that is bad news for San Antonio as the Heat are a team that can use that momentum in crunch time as we saw on Thursday. The Heat have had their struggles of late following wins which have aided in the Zig Zag success but they are now 15-6 ATS in their last 21 road games against teams with a winning home record while the Spurs fell to 2-6 ATS in their last eight home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. Getting this one early could be big as the value is on the Heat at a pickem price. 10* (709) Miami Heat

Playing the Zig Zag Theory over the last eight games with Miami would have provided you with a perfect 8-0 ATS record as the Heat have alternated ATS wins and losses since Game Two of the Indiana series. This is a trend I don't prefer backing because you know it will not last but I think this situation is different in that we have to continue to ride it. The Heat were embarrassed on Tuesday at San Antonio as they lost by 36 points after putting up that identical number of points in the second half. While Miami did not play that well, the Spurs played over their heads with a tremendous 16-32 shooting display from long range. However it is very interesting to note that since the NBA Finals went to a 2-3-2 format in 1985, the Game Three winner when the series was tied 1-1 has gone on to win 12 of the 13 titles, though the Heat were the lone one that didn't, in 2011. Definitely some irony there. That was a big loss in terms of Miami trying to repeat as champions but it is far from done as five of the 12 teams that lost by 30-plus in an NBA Finals game went on to win the series (not counting series ending 30-point losses). I see Miami coming back big, just like it did against San Antonio after losing Game One and it has been solid in this situation for a while, going 14-3 ATS in its last 17 road games following a loss by 20 or more points. The injury to Tony Parker is a big one while the bounceback we will get from LeBron James will be the difference maker in evening up this series. 10* (707) Miami Heat

The first two games of this series went under the total with both closing totals being 189.5. Now the series shifts to San Antonio and we are catching a lower over/under to work with and it is the lowest total in the four meetings going back to the regular season. The Heats have now gone under the total in five straight games which makes this game a great situation to go the other way. The defense has led the way over this stretch as Miami has allowed just 84.4 ppg and the main reason has been limited opponents shots as it has forced opponents to shoot an average of 74.8 attempts per game. This is down significantly from its 80.9 attempts per game allowed during the regular season. San Antonio will have something to say about this on its home floor. The Spurs defense has limited the made shots over the last five games but they have allowed an average of 88.2 attempts per game over that span and more shot on offense from both sides means a potentially higher scoring game. I expect San Antonio to shoot the ball better than it did in Game Two as the big three of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili went a combined 10-33 (30.3 percent) from the floor. The Spurs have gone over in five of their last six home games while going 5-2 to the over in their last seven games following a loss. Meanwhile Miami is 10-4-1 to the over in its last 15 games playing on one day rest. 10* Over (705) Miami Heat/(706) San Antonio Spurs

We won with the Spurs in Game One of the NBA Finals as they took the opener outright in Miami. It did not come as a surprise at all as San Antonio, despite losing the two regular season meetings, kept those games very close but now is the time Miami steps it up. The Heat can ill-afford to go down 2-0 in this series before hitting the road for three straight games at San Antonio so while the pressure may be on, this team has shown it can get it done when needed. The Heat are a perfect 4-0 straight up and ATS following a loss in the playoffs and all we need to do is look back at the Chicago series when Miami lost Game One at home only to go on and defeat the Bulls by 37 points in Game Two. Miami has not lost consecutive games since January, has not lost consecutive home games since June of 2011 and after losing a game at home this year, it has gone a perfect 6-0 straight up and ATS in its next home game. One player that will have a big game is LeBron James as despite posting a triple-double, he scored just 18 points which was his lowest output of the playoffs by far. Miami is 14-4 ATS this season revenging a loss and this is the biggest revenge game to date as going to San Antonio tied at 1-1 is not ideal but it is all that is left for the Heat at this point. 10* (704) Miami Heat

The question in Game One is whether the extra rest is going to hurt or help the Spurs. They have been off since May 27th after sweeping the Grizzlies which means a full 10 days off prior to the NBA Finals. We have to decipher if rust or rest will be the bigger factor and I believe that the latter is going to benefit San Antonio more. While this is now a team of veteran stars and upcoming young players, the added time off benefits everyone especially the older players after a very long season. Adding to that is the fact that Miami is coming off a hard fought series against Indiana that went the distance which will give San Antonio a big edge in not only rest but also with the letdown effect. Miami is the best team in the NBA and no one is denying that but the Pacers showed how certain matchups can take advantage against the Heat and San Antonio has those as well. Miami won both regular season meetings but they were decided by a combined seven points and expect this opener to show a similar type of game. Miami has shown the letdown effect in these playoffs as it is 0-5 ATS in its last five games following a win while the Spurs have been solid in these types of situations, going 6-1 ATS in their last seven road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. Look for a very close game here with the Spurs having a legitimate shot at stealing the opener. 10* (701) San Antonio Spurs

Miami went cold in the third quarter of Game Six and even though it rallied from a 17-point deficit to cut the lead to four points but then a couple questionable calls pretty much put the game away. LeBron James finished with 29 points, going 10 of 21 from the field, but the Heat got next to nothing from Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, who combined to score 15 points. Now it is on to Game Seven in the Eastern Conference Finals for Miami for the second straight season. Last year, the Heat rolled over Boston by 13 points and I expect a similar outcome here. Heading back home is obviously huge despite the recent road success for Miami as the Pacers are a different team on the highway, sitting five games under .500 for the entire season. The Heat recover well from setbacks as they are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 games following a loss including a perfect 3-0 ATS in the playoffs with those wins coming by an average of 22 ppg. They also fall into an outstanding situation as we play on favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points that are revenging a double-digit loss as a road favorite where team scored less than 85 points. This situation is 24-4 ATS (85.7 percent) since 1996. 10* (528) Miami Heat

Those playing the Zig Zag Theory have cleaned up in this series as playing against the winning team since the opener has yielded a perfect 4-0 ATS record. I believe that comes to an end tonight however as this is the game that the Heat can prove that they are the dominant team and avoid the ever-so-crazy Game Seven where anything can happen. Miami was able to pull away in Game Five thanks to a 30-13 third quarter with LeBron James again leading the way. He took off for 16 points and four assists in the third quarter to finish with 30 points overall in Game Five. For the last two seasons, Miami has had that killer instinct when sitting with three victories as it has closed out the series the next game and that trend will continue here. I give Indiana a lot of credit as it has shown that it can match up with the best team in the NBA but ultimately, it does not have enough to keep up. The Spurs have been off and rested for a while now and with Game Seven slated for Monday and the NBA Finals slated to start on Thursday, Miami wants to end this series now and gets its own rest. The Pacers have been solid coming off a loss but Miami is 18-8 ATS coming off a home win by 10 points or more this season and playing on the road is no issue as it is 21-6 ATS in its last 27 road games. 10* (523) Miami Heat

After another over in Game Four, the first four games of this series have now all gone over the total and while we got burnt the last game, we will come back with the under again tonight. Not only will we be going against the over streak but we are again catching a valued number as this is the highest total that has been posted thus far in this series. Going back to the second round of the playoffs, Miami has seen the over go 5-0 in its last five games while Indiana is on a similar streak with its last five games going over the total as well. I mentioned Indiana needed a strong defensive effort in Game Four and it got it as it held Miami to 39 percent shooting from the floor. While the Pacers shot 50 percent that game, the reason the game cleared the total was due to free throws as the teams combined for 60 attempts, making 50 of those. This has been the story of late as after making a combined 40 free throws in Game One, they have averaged just over 49 makes the last three games. I expect that to come down as these teams are averaging just a combined 36.2 makes per game on the season. Both teams fall into two solid situations. First, we play the under involving teams that have gone over the total in five straight games and are outscoring opponents by three or more ppg. This situation is 156-96 (61.9 percent) to the under since 1996. Additionally, we play the under where the total is between 180 and 189.5 points in a playoff series which is tied. This situation is 104-64 (61.9 percent) since 1996. 10* Under (519) Indiana Pacers/(520) Miami Heat

The first three games of this series have all gone over the total but I expect that to come to an end tonight. Not only will we be going against the over streak but we are catching a great number in doing so as this is the highest total that has been posted thus far so we are getting additional value on top of it. Going back to the second round of the playoffs, Miami has seen the over go 4-0 while Indiana is on a similar streak with its last four games going over the total as well. The Pacers need this game badly to avoid falling behind 3-1 in this series and the only way to do that is to do a better job on the defensive end. The Heat's five starters each scored in double figures for the first time this postseason and overall they shot 54.5 percent from the floor while their 70 points in the first half set a franchise playoff record for points in a half. Indiana is allowing an NBA best 42.2 percent shooting on defense so that last effort was an aberration. Miami continued its strong play of defense, allowing the Pacers to shoot just 39.7 percent from the floor and over its last five games, it is allowing just 40.7 percent shooting. 10* Under (515) Miami Heat/(516) Indiana Pacers

History is clearly not on the side of the Grizzlies as no team has ever come back from a 3-0 series deficit in the NBA Playoffs. As a matter of fact, only three teams have gone on to force a Game Seven but in this case, Memphis is not dead yet. It has in fact already spurned history this year as the Grizzlies became the first team in NBA Playoff history to lose the first two games of a series (against the Clippers) and then go on to win the next four games all by double digits. Obviously that doesn't have a lot to do with this game but this is a team with no quit and we will see another great effort from Memphis similar to the one that we saw at the start of Game Three. The Spurs didn't take their first lead until 15 seconds into the fourth quarter so they have to be given credit for not folding. The Spurs are 4-12 ATS in their last 16 games when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game while Memphis is a perfect 6-0 ATS in its last six games following an ATS loss. While the series may be out of reach, the Grizzlies extend it for one more game at least. 10* (514) Memphis Grizzlies

Indiana may look tasty as a home underdog here but let's not forget it is playing one of the best road teams we have ever seen and one that is coming off a bitter defeat. The Pacers handed the Heat what became their fourth loss in 50 games and now we are catching Miami where a win likely leads to a cover. It has won nine straight games on the road and going back further is 22-1 over its last 23 road games. The Pacers are no doubt a solid home team and they have shown they match up very well against Miami but this is where the best team in the NBA steps up. Miami will be out avoid what happened last year in this playoff series as it lost one of its two home games to the Pacers only to go on and get hammered in the first game in Indiana. The Heat also fall into a solid situation where we play on road teams where the line is +3 to -3 that are coming off a loss as a home favorite, playing three or less games in 10 days. This situation is 25-6 ATS (80.6 percent) since 1996. 10* (511) Miami Heat

Due to unforeseen circumstances, I am unable to provide my normal in-depth analysis for Saturday's games. We won with Memphis in Game Two as the Grizzlies rallied from a late deficit to force overtime and secure the cover. That helps us here because of the outright loss as Memphis cannot afford to go down 3-0 in this series and desperation mode will be in play. The Grizzlies have been here before as they fell behind 0-2 against the Clippers only to bounce back to not only win and cover Game Three but to go on to win the next four games. That latter task will be difficult but heading home here will have them in great shape. The Grizzlies are a perfect 6-0 ATS in their last six home games while going a perfect 5-0 ATS in their last five games following a loss. Also, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after having covered three of their last four against the spread, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .750. This situation is 51-27 ATS (65.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (510) Memphis Grizzlies

I played against Miami in its first half in Game One in the series against Chicago and it not only didn't cover the half but lost the game outright. The Heat went on to win the next four games to take the series but the last thing they want is to lose Game One again as the challenge to come back from that will be more difficult. Miami was off for over a week before taking on Chicago and it will have been off for a week leading up to this series and while rustiness can be attributed to the Game One loss against the Bulls, I feel they have learned from that mistake and will come out a much different team this time around. Indiana took care of New York in six games after taking out Atlanta in six games as well. The Pacers were 6-0 at home but their road woes continued as they went just 2-4 on the highway with all four of those losses coming by double-digits. This same comparison can be said about the season series as Indiana defeated Miami in the first two meetings but both of those games were at home and Miami was able to return the favor with a 14-point win in the third and final regular season meeting. I fully expect the Heat to come out as if this is an elimination game. The Pacers are 2-6 ATS in their last eight road games against teams with a winning home record and while Miami is 11-4 ATS in its last 15 games following a win, it is 6-0 ATS in its last six games following an ATS loss. 10* (504) Miami Heat

The extended time off did not help Memphis as it came out rusty in the Game One of this series as it was outscored 31-14 and was never able to get back into the game. That was a bad call on our part but I certainly expect a much better effort in Game Two as the Grizzlies are only dealing with one day of rest and will be stoked to come out for some retribution. It was a surprise that Memphis did get blown out as bad as it did in Game One after three of the four regular season meeting against the Spurs were tight. Because of the severity of the loss, we are catching some additional value here and while that is good to have, I don't think the Grizzlies will even need it. We can chalk that game up an as anomaly considering it was Memphis' worst defeat since January and their third worst of the season. The difference was the hot shooting Spurs which nailed 14 three-pointers, the most Memphis has allowed all season long as well as five more than any other opponent in the playoffs. Additionally, the Spurs' 14 three-pointers marked a franchise playoff-record. As far as the Grizzlies offense, they shot just 43.2 percent while Zach Randolph had one of his worst games as he scored just two points on 1-8 shooting and his -28 +/- was easily the worst of any Memphis player. Expect a bog bounceback from him as well. We have two situations in our favor as well. First we play against home teams after two straight wins by 10 points or more against opponent after scoring 85 points or less. This situation is 40-17 ATS (70.2 percent) over the last five seasons. Second, we play on road teams that are outscoring their opponents by three or more ppg, after a loss by 15 points or more. This situation is 70-40 ATS (63.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (505) Memphis Grizzlies