**7** NBA Non-Conf. **Game of the Week** I think it is time for Portland to lay a beating on am inferior team and the Bucks look liker the perfect victim. The Blazers are back home following a four-game roadtrip out east where they have mixed results, going 2-2 including an overtime loss in their final game at Charlotte. That split may seem good for a lot of teams but Portland expressed disappointment in that roadtrip as it came against four average teams and considering the Blazers went in with a very respectable 8-10 road record, more was expected. This is the first of five home contests covering their next six games with the lone road game being against the Clippers so this is a pretty important stretch and one that needs to start the right way. Portland sits two and a half games behind Denver and with the Nuggets starting a stretch of 11 road games in their next 15 overall games, now is the time to strike. Milwaukee is coming off an inexcusable road loss against the Clippers on Saturday night as Los Angeles was absolutely riddled with injuries with its three top players out as well as losing a fourth during the game. This is the type of season it has been for Milwaukee and that is one of great inconsistencies. Milwaukee is 9-16 on the road this season including a 4-8 record against Western Conference teams. Looking into that a little further shows those four wins coming against the Kings, Thunder, Grizzlies and Spurs. The first three have a combined record of only 29-93. The win over San Antonio can be chalked up as a complete aberration. Need more proof? Portland is 13-3 against teams ranked outside the top 16 in the league while Milwaukee is just 4-17 against teams ranked within the top 16 so you can clearly see the disparity between these two teams. The Bucks got off to a very sluggish start and then put together a solid 5-1 run in December but since then they have been nothing more than a .500 team from a weak conference. Sadly enough as weak at the Eastern Conference is Milwaukee is still sitting on the outside looking into the playoff picture. The Blazers are 14-4 at home which is tied for the second best record in the Western Conference. As mentioned, this is a big stretch coming up starting tonight and one they need to take advantage of. While eyeing the Nuggets for first place, Portland has to be peeking in the rearview mirror as well as Dallas, Phoenix, Houston are Utah are breathing down their neck. As good as Portland has been, it is just a game out of actually missing the playoffs so the pedal cannot come off the gas. The Blazers are 5-1 at home against the Eastern Conference with the only loss coming to Orlando who every team has been losing too of late. This includes a one point win over Detroit and a five-point win over the Celtics. The other three were against below average teams Toronto, Miami and Chicago and came by 13, 38 and 42 points respectively. Milwaukee has been very good recently when coming off a loss but those next games have comes against the likes of Indiana, New York, Charlotte, Toronto, Washington, New Jersey and Sacramento. That is not exactly the greatest bunch of teams for sure. Portland is 13-3 ATS in its last 16 games when coming off a loss as a road favorite. The Blazers are 4-1 ATS in their last five games against teams with a losing road record so this combination sets up very well here. Portland is 6-3 ATS over the last nine meetings Milwaukee has been one of the better ATS teams in the league and because of that, we catch some value in this line. 7* Portland Trailblazers

**8** 82.1% Dark Horse Dandy *5-0 DHD Run* It is hard not to be impressive with what Orlando has been doing this season including last night as in went into Los Angels and defeated the Lakers. It was the sixth straight win for the Magic including the first three of this four-game roadtrip. That nationally televised victory last night was big and it proved that all of the power does not just lie in the Western Conference. However, how can Orlando possibly get up again for this game? I don

**7** 78.4% Dark Horse Dandy *4-0 DHD Run* Phoenix dropped a tough game last night in Denver and it came in overtime no less. The Suns now head back home for a game before hitting the road for a six-game roadtrip. The Suns had won three straight games prior to Thursday but there is just something not right about this team. Phoenix is 11-9 over its last 20 games and is currently a game and a half out from actually missing the playoffs. The Western Conference is rugged once again as it is going to be a nine-team race for eight playoff spots and the Suns could be on the outside looking in. There is a changing of the guard in the conference as young teams such as Portland and New Orleans are taking over for the teams that used to rule the conference such as Phoenix and Dallas. The Suns have been one of the bigger disappointments for backers as hey are just 13-22 against the number including a 6-13 ATS record at home. The Suns used to be able to take big spreads and crush them with no problem. That is far from the case this season yet the public continues to support this overpriced team. Phoenix is 2-11 ATS this season when favored by seven or more points and against teams with a losing record, it is a dismal 3-10 ATS. Minnesota is coming off a three-point loss at home against Miami on Wednesday but this team has quietly turned a corner. Prior to that loss, the Timberwolves had won five straight games and since enduring a 13-game losing streak, they are 7-3 in their last 10 games since then. Two of those losses came by 10 combined points while the third came against Orlando who has been beating everyone up so that was no surprise. Minnesota has been plagued by a poor defense all season but it has been getting better of late, allowing fewer than 100 points in four of its last five games. The offense is clicking as during this recent 10 games stretch, it is averaging 106.4 ppg and now gets to face a struggling Phoenix defense. In the loss against Miami, the Timberwolves got another big effort from Randy Foye, who has been the catalyst for their recent surge. He put up 29 points and eight assists in the losing cause and is averaging 22.2 ppg while shooting 52 percent (45-87) from the floor. The Suns have allowed 107.4 ppg over their last five games and it has been nearly as bad during the 9-11 stretch. Over those 20 games, the defense has given up an average of 106.3 ppg. In 12 home games, he Suns have allowed 104.8 ppg and they have outscored the opposition by only 3.9 ppg. Minnesota is one of the youngest teams in the league but the maturity is coming through and the recent shakeups are starting to pay off. After a season of discontent during which they fired head coach Randy Wittman and demoted VP of basketball operations Kevin McHale to the role, the Timberwolves have finally begun to see some results from the youth movement that last summer's trade of Kevin Garnett ignited. The Timberwolves fall into a solid contrarian situation for tonight. Play on road teams that are allowing 99 or more ppg on the season going up against an opponent after scoring 105 points or more five straight games. This situation is 29-8 ATS (78.4 percent) since 1996 with the average point differential being just -3.2 ppg. Minnesota has covered six straight on the road against teams with a winning home record while Phoenix has dumped four straight home games against teams with a losing road record. We will see these runs continue on Friday. 7* Minnesota Timberwolves

**8** NBA Non-Conf. **Game of the Month** Another game, another cover for Oklahoma City. This team has been on an amazing run of late against the number and the Thunder look to do it again at home tonight. This line is low to many and with that, the public is backing the other side once again. We saw it on Tuesday when the Thunder were getting 5.5 points from Utah and the majority was all over the Jazz at a good 75 percent clip. Oklahoma City went on to win that game and it is inching closer to getting away from the basement in the league standings. The Thunder are 4-4 over their last eight games and even the losses have been good over this span for the most part. One of the defeats came in New Jersey in overtime while two others, at home against Houston and at home against Denver, came by two points each. Losses like that can be discouraging to a lot of players and teams but that is not the case here as it seems to be even a bigger motivating factor. Oklahoma City has not defeated many of the top teams, going just 1-21 against teams ranked within the top 16, but it has been extremely competitive. It has played 21 games against teams with a winning record and has gone 16-5 ATS so it has either been the Thunder playing up to the competition or the competition looking past and playing down. It could also be a combination of both but all I know is that this team is on a roll. Since Scott Brooks took over as head coach, the Thunder have been a different team even though it may not show in the win column as they are a league worst 7-33 but a third best 26-14 against the number. Overall, the Thunder have been covering machines of late, going on ATS runs of 8-1, 12-2, 14-3 and 21-6 over their last 27 games. Detroit has lost three straight games after a run of eight wins in its nine previous games. The Pistons may be considered desperate here and will not be looking past this game as they have New Orleans at home tomorrow but even if that is the case, I am far from sold on this team. The Pistons are old, slow and despite the struggles, still a very overrated ballclub. Only a year ago, Detroit was right in the thick of the top spots in the Eastern Conference but now it is sitting in 5th place overall and in the division, Cleveland has taken over and likely for good. One of the best players in Pistons history can be partly to blame. Richard Hamilton has been struggling and he was absent from the Pistons recent 6-1 stretch due to groin injury, and his return has been less than stellar, shooting 8-for-25 from the floor in the two losses. He is hearing from every direction that he needs to be shipped out and he has said he will not be coming off the bench. Detroit has won eight straight meetings in this series but it has been far from dominant. The last six wins have come by two, three, four, four, four and two points. The Pistons could easily come in here and blow out Oklahoma City but at the same time, they could go down once again and I am banking on the latter considering the struggles and inconsistencies it is going through right now. Oklahoma City is a perfect 8-0 ATS in its last eight home games and against the Eastern Conference, it is 10-1 ATS in its last 11 games. As mentioned, the Thunder have not won many, one actually, against winning teams but with Brooks, they are 13-1 ATS against teams with a winning record. Conversely, the Pistons are 0-5 ATS in their last five games against teams that have won fewer than 40 percent of their games this season. Detroit is 5-13 ATS as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points this season and its struggles will continue again tonight. 8* Oklahoma City Thunder

**7** NBA 71.2% TV **Game of the Night** I was on Chicago in the last meeting between these two teams back in the beginning of January and the Bulls were hammered by 25 points in Cleveland. While that call was certainly a bad one, this time around it should work in our favor as we get tremendous line value for the home team. Cleveland was favored by 12.5 points in that last matchup meaning it should be favored between 4.5 and 5.5 points in this one taking home court into consideration. The linesmakers are not doing that it seems and to their credit, it is the right move. Reason being is that the public is still all over the Cavaliers even with this overpriced line. If the line was where it should be, those wagers would certainly not change and be more on the Cleveland side. As far as strengths of these two teams, the Cavaliers clearly are the superior team. Chicago is again having a disappointing season but a lot of that can be traces to injuries. Kirk Hinrich missed 31 games, Luol Deng missed eight games and numerous other players have missed games here and there. Hinrich and Deng are big contributors and there absences were huge. Not only that but it messes everyone else up as continuity and consistency are hurt with key players being out. This is the third game back for both Hinrich and Deng so now that they are getting back in the flow, things will be getting even better moving forward. The Bulls are coming off a rare road win last time out in Toronto and bring some good confidence into this one. The Bulls are a much better team at home as proven by their 12-7 record. On the other side, the Cavaliers are a perfect 19-0 at home but just 11-6 on the road. In the NBA, anything over .500 is solid but does that make Cleveland a target to be such a big favorite in a road game against a division rival? I say no. Especially when you see that they were favored by roughly the same amount in their last road game at Memphis on Tuesday, who is 11-27 and ranked well below the Bulls in the NBA Power Rankings. Plus Chicago has played the NBA

**7** Western Conference Game of the Week This is the first meeting of the season between the Lakers and Spurs and the first meeting since Los Angeles ended the defending World Champions season last year. The Lakers won the Conference Finals four games to one and this could be payback time for the Spurs. After a slow start, the Spurs have caught fire, going 22-7 over their last 29 games. They are coming off a loss against Orlando on Sunday and have had three days to get ready for this big rematch.

The Lakers were absolutely crushing teams early in the season and that led to an 11-6 ATS mark to start the year. The linesmakers caught up and Los Angeles lost 10 straight against the number and lines were then starting to shift the other way. What happened? The Lakers reeled off five straight wins against the number but once again, they were overvalued and they have now lost four of five ATS. After a 17-3 start, Los Angeles was +11.0 in scoring margin. In 17 games since and going 14-3, it is just +6.2 ppg.

The Spurs that they were banged up in that playoff series with Los Angeles and it had the makings of a classic one. Manu Ginobili played but he was no where near 100 percent and it definitely hurt the team as a whole. He was out to start the year this season and once again, the Spurs struggled. San Antonio is 6-6 with him out of the lineup and 18-6 with him in the lineup. While Tony Parker and Tim Duncan are huge contributors, Ginobili is the biggest hole to fill when he is out. The Spurs went 7-2 without Parker.

San Antonio is coming off that loss against Orlando and that puts it into a great bounce back situation. Play on home teams that have won between 60 and 75 percent of their games where the line is +3 to -3 that are coming off a loss as a favorite and playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 58-24 ATS (70.7 percent) since 1996 including a 17-4 ATS mark (81 percent) over the last five years. San Antonio is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 games when coming off a non-conference game. 7* San Antonio Spurs

**7** NBA 67% DARK HORSE DANDY *8-3 L11* Orlando enters this game coming off a huge road win at San Antonio and on deck are games against the Lakers, Nuggets and Celtics. That puts this game at a low priority but a high priority for the betting public who will be all over the league

**7** NBA 71.1% DARK HORSE DANDY *7-3 L10* I am kicking myself for not jumping on Oklahoma City on Saturday at Chicago where it ended up winning outright in overtime. The Thunder had just come off a hard-fought battle with the Rockets in which they lost by just one point and I was unsure how the team would react. Well, they reacted pretty well once again and that has been the trait recently as you hardly find teams with such bad records that play harder than this team is. We get line value once again.

Since a 9-3 run in mid-November and early-December, the Nets have gone 7-11 in their last 18 games and have been the true word of inconsistent. Two of those seven wins came in overtime, while another came by just a single point. For the season, New Jersey is -2.0 ppg in scoring margin including -3.8 ppg at home. Only nine teams in the NBA have a negative scoring margin at home and the Nets are the only team sitting in a playoff spot while the best record of the other eight is Charlotte at 14-24.

Since Scott Brooks took over as head coach, the Thunder have been a different team even though it may not show in the win column as they are a league worst 6-32 but a fourth best 24-14 against the number. Overall, the Thunder have been covering machines of late, going on ATS runs of 6-1, 10-2, 12-3 and 19-6 over their last 25 games. On the road, the Thunder are 13-5 ATS on the season including 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games. Oklahoma City is 17-7 ATS as an underdog of seven or more points.

Oklahoma City falls into a great contrarian situation. Play on road teams that are allowing 103 ppg or greater on the season going up against an opponent after allowing 60 points or more in the first half last game. This situation is 49-21 ATS (70 percent) over the last five seasons wit the average point differential being +0.5 ppg in favor of the play on team. Also, Oklahoma City is 10-3 ATS this season against teams that average 99 or more ppg so it falls right into this system. 7* Oklahoma City Thunder

**7** NBA 83.3% DARK HORSE DANDY *6-3 L9* Miami is 6.5 games better than Indiana yet it is getting only 3.5 points less than what the Pacers got Friday night. I released the Lakers as an early Newsletter play and stuck with it but they struggled once again to put a lower echelon team away. They went into the 4th quarter with a 12-point lead but allowed the Pacers to come roaring back before they won on a Kobe Bryant jumper with three seconds remaining. Los Angeles will once again be without Lamar Odom and Luke Walton, two key bench players.

The Lakers were absolutely crushing teams early in the season and that led to an 11-6 ATS mark to start the year. The linesmakers caught up and Los Angeles lost 10 straight against the number and lines were then starting to shift the other way. What happened? The Lakers reeled off five straight wins against the number but once again, they were overvalued and they have now lost three in a row ATS. After a 17-3 start, Los Angeles was +11.0 in scoring margin. In 15 games since and going 12-3, it is just +6.5 ppg.

Miami is playing decent basketball. After an 8-9 start, the Heat have gone 11-7 over their last 18 games including a 4-4 record on the road. After losing three straight games by double-digits in mid-December, Miami has gone on a 7-4 run with the four losses coming by 8.8 ppg but they came against Denver, San Antonio, Orlando and Cleveland so there is nothing bad about that. This is a game the Lakers could be looking past as they are at Houston and San Antonio and then host Orlando and Cleveland in their next four games.

The Lakers are a dreadful 4-18 ATS in their last 22 games against the Eastern Conference while Miami is 7-3 ATS this season and an underdog of four or more points. The Heat also fall into a great situation. Play on underdogs of 10 or more points after allowing 100 points or more two straight games, going up against an opponent after a combined score of 215 points or more in two straight games. This situation is 25-5 ATS (83.3 percent) since 1996. 7* Miami Heat

**7** NBA SUPREME ANNIHILATOR *6-2 ATS L8* I was on Washington last night and the Wizards outplayed the Bulls for three quarters but the problem was that they could not recover from a 14-point deficit in the first quarter. They now go back home for a revenge game against Charlotte who won the first meeting less than three weeks ago by eight points. Washington scored a season low 72 points in that game and that was against a defense that is nothing but average, allowing 45.4 percent shooting from the floor, 16th in the league.

The Bobcats are coming off a loss last night as well as their road struggles continue. It was their third straight road setback to push them to 3-12 away from home. Of those 12 losses, 11 of those came by more than what they are getting tonight and for the season, they are getting outscored by 5.8 ppg away from home. That may sound decent but a 29-point road win over Memphis has skewed the numbers. The 12 losses have been by an average of 11 ppg and that is more indicative of the play.

All-star forwards Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison combined to make five of 20 shots and score 14 points. One guy who is going to have a big night tonight is Butler. Last night, Butler's two points on 1-8 shooting were a season-low.

**9** NBA 82% TOP Conference Play *5-0 L5* Chicago is laying points and quite honestly has no business doing so no matter the competition. The Bulls have won 10 games since November 18th and only two of those have been by double digits. Meanwhile of their 15 losses over that span, eight of those have been by double-digits. In total during this 25-game stretch, Chicago has been outscored by 5.4 ppg. The thing is, the Bulls are still getting the call to try and cover a big number and they can

**7** NBA 70.2% DARK HORSE DANDY *5-0 Run* This situation sets up perfectly for the Thunder. Oklahoma City had been on a monster ATS run before getting whooped in Minnesota and whooped badly by 42 points. That is what you call a beatdown. Two good things come of that. It was two days ago on the road and the Thunder are now home again where they have been a much more solid team. It also gives us excellent line value. Oklahoma City was covering at a frantic pace and we were starting to lose some of that really good value. It is back now.

Houston is not going to show much interest here. The Rockets are coming off a huge road win in Boston on Wednesday and this is the final game of their five-game road trip. Waiting in Houston is a five-game homestand so after being on the road for nine days, it wants nothing more than to get home. The Rockets goal is to skate by Oklahoma City as is the case with most good teams since it is hard to get up for a team with only five wins on the season especially when you have already defeated them twice this season.

Since Scott Brooks took over as head coach, the Thunder have been a different team even though it may not show in the win column as they are a league worst 5-31 but a fourth best 22-14 against the number. Playing at home, Oklahoma City is 10-9 ATS but this was after a slow start. It is 6-0 ATS in its last six and 8-3 ATS in its last 11 at the Ford Center. Overall, the Thunder have been covering machines of late, going on ATS runs of 4-1, 8-2, 10-3 and 17-6 over their last 23 games. Oklahoma City is 16-7 ATS as an underdog of seven or more points.

They are 11-1 ATS against teams with a winning record since he took over. Houston is now 0-5 ATS in its last five games as a favorite and it is 2-8 ATS as a favorite of seven points or more. Houston is a tired team now and falls into a situation where you play against favorites coming off an upset win as a road underdog and playing their 8th game or more in 14 days. This situation is 101-50 ATS (66.9 percent) with the average point differential being just -2.3 ppg. 7* Oklahoma City Thunder

**7** NBA 80.6% ATS SMASH **4-0 ATS Run** The Knicks blew a chance for a win on Tuesday but they were favored in that game and that is not a spot you want to touch them in. I went against them there and won but I will now be backing them as this is a lot of points for a team that has been very competitive.
Of the last 10 losses, seven have been by eight points or fewer including five of the last six on the road. The lone exception was a 19-point loss in Boston. New York is off until Saturday after this while Dallas is looking ahead to a game in Phoenix on Friday.

Knicks head coach Mike D

**7** 84.5% SUPREME ANNIHILATOR *3-0 Run* Underdogs went 8-0 last night so point takers were very happy. It also brings up good spots for some of the favorites as public gamblers have some of the shortest memories around and in seeing the bogs roll last night, they will be all over them again tonight. This is one dog that is in a horrible spot yet the public is pounding New Orleans. The Hornets are coming off a huge win last night in Los Angeles and making it even stronger was the energy they exerted in that 4th quarter comeback.

That victory snapped the Lakers 15-game home winning streak and avenged the two losses that took place in New Orleans earlier this season. It is pretty safe to say that the Tuesday game was a pretty big one. Now the Hornets must try and bounce back in an equally tough environment in Utah. The Jazz have won five of their last six games at home following a rare 2-3 stretch at the end of November and early December. This is just the fourth home game for Utah since December 14th, a span covering 11 games.

David West and Chris Paul combined for 72 points last night and that total was more than the Hornets scored in their last game against Utah, a 77-66 setback in April of last year. Utah has won seven of the last nine meetings including four straight at EnergySolutions Arena. Those four wins have come by 22, 27, 10 and 24 points and those seven wins during this recent run have been by an average of 15.6 ppg. Dating back to last season, the Jazz are 50-8 in their last 58 regular season games.

This is not only a good spot but also a good number. Utah is 15-4 ATS as a home favorite of fewer than six points over the last two seasons. The Hornets are a dismal 2-12 ATS as a road underdog between five and 10.5 points. The Jazz are on a two-game ATS losing streak and that benefits us here as they are 10-1 ATS in home games following two or more straight losses against the number. Finally, New Orleans is just 2-12 ATS in its last 14 road games following a double-digit win as an underdog. 7* Utah Jazz

**7** NBA Tuesday 80% DARK HORSE DANDY The bad news is that Oklahoma City is coming off a draining last second loss to the Nuggets on a last second Carmelo Anthony shot. The good news is that four days have passed since then so any lingering effects from that game it should have won are now gone. Right now it is about moving forward and winning games to boost confidence and this is one of those games. The Thunder are a league worst 4-30 but a fourth best 21-13 against the number and yes we get some value once again.

The Knicks are coming off their biggest win of the season on Sunday over the rival Celtics and that one can cause a hangover in this game. They now hit the road where they are 5-11 on the season and all 16 of those games they have been underdogs. Yes they are playing the worst team in the league but if anything, this game should be a pickem. New York has been covering pretty frequently on the road, going 6-1 ATS in its last seven, but it was getting points in all of those games including at least 7.5 points five times.

The addition of Al Harrington has been big for the Knicks and the center position in the only one on the team in the plus in net production. At the forward position, New York is -12.1 in net production while the Thunder are +0.7 at the forward spot, mostly due to the emergence of strong forward Kevin Durant. Durant fashioned one of the better Decembers in the league as he averaged 25 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.5 spg and 1.2 bpg during the month. Those numbers are right at the top in the NBA.

As mentioned earlier, Oklahoma City has had ample time off to regroup and it is a perfect 7-0 ATS this season when playing only its second game in five days. This is different that the days rest in-between games as it takes into account time off prior to the previous game as well. The Thunder have been covering machines of late, going on ATS runs of 3-0, 7-1, 9-2 and 16-5 over their last 21 games. The Knicks are just 2-5 ATS as small favorites of seven points or fewer on the season. 7* Oklahoma City Thunder

**7** NBA Non-Conference Game of the Week I went with Denver on Saturday against New Orleans and it was able to pull out an important victory. That was the first game of an extended seven-game homestand and with the latter half very challenging, these are the games that the Nuggets need to take care of. Denver has now won three straight games and five of its last six and looks to be past a small slump that took place in mid-December where it dropped three in a row. The Nuggets are 15-1 against teams ranked outside the top 16 in the league.

The Pacers are on a modest two-game winning streak but seeing that those wins came against New York and Sacramento, it is hardly a worry. After a 5-5 start to the season, Indiana is just 7-16 over its last 23 games and to no ones surprise it is struggling against the better teams from its schedule. The Pacers are 4-14 against the top 16 in the NBA and this is not a good spot as it is the beginning of a brutal five-game west coast trip. Indiana is 2-8-1 ATS this season following a win.

The Nuggets are known for a strong offense and a weak defense but the Pacers have been even worse in that latter category. Indiana is allowing 104.9 ppg which is 4th worst in the league. That average is even worse of late. After allowing a very respectable 96.3 ppg through the first 10 games, the Pacers have allowed 108.7 ppg since then, a span covering 23 games including 109.9 ppg in their last 14 games. Denver is averaging 109.8 ppg through its last five games and will take advantage of that porous defense.

Denver is 6-1 ATS this season against really bad teams that have only won between 25 and 40 percent of their games. Also, the Nuggets are 15-4 ATS in home games against the Eastern Conference over the last two seasons with the scoring margin in those games being a solid +13.6 ppg. Indiana has struggled against the elite teams as mentioned and it is 0-5 ATS in its last five road games against teams with a home winning percentage greater than .600. Denver is also 7-1 ATS in the last eight meetings in this series. 7* Denver Nuggets

**7** Western Conference Game of the Week It is pretty safe to say that Denver was looking ahead to this game last night as it almost lost on the road to Oklahoma City. Carmelo Anthony bailed the Nuggets out with a three-pointer at the buzzer giving them a solid 3-1 record on their four-game roadtrip. Denver now returns home where it is 11-4 on the season including wins in four of its last five. The Nuggets will be looking for a little payback as one of those home losses came against the Hornets back on November 27th. Denver outshot New Orleans 50.7 percent to 45.2 percent but the Hornets shot an astounding 52.2 percent (12-23) from long range and also went 27-29 from the free throw line. In two-point shots alone, the Nuggets outshot New Orleans 53.4 percent to 42 percent and it would not be surprising to see more of the same. The Hornets have been playing well but they are coming off a hard fought win in Portland last night who was once again without Brandon Roy. The final margin was 15 points but Portland led 58-51 with 2:59 left in the third period so it was far from a dominating game despite the score. Denver is a solid 4-1 ATS this season when laying fewer than four points while the Hornets have not been great in the underdog role, going just 1-4 ATS. Denver falls into a great scoring situation. Play against underdogs after allowing 90 points or less in two straight games going up against an opponent after a game where both teams scored 105 points or more. This situation is 30-13 ATS (69.8 percent) over the last five seasons with the average point differential being +8.7 ppg. Also, Denver is 11-2 ATS in its last 13 games after allowing the opposition to shoot 55 percent or better. Look for Denver to get its revenge on Saturday. 7* Denver Nuggets

7* NBA Friday 75.5% DARK HORSE DANDY We saw this with the Lakers earlier this season and it looks like we are starting to see it with Cleveland now. The Lakers were rolling and thus their numbers were being inflated and they ended up losing 11 straight games against the number. The Cavaliers meanwhile have been rolling along as well but their numbers are reaching a point where they are simply too high. They have lost three straight games against the number including two in a row at home where they were laying double-digits. Overall, they have dumped three straight when putting down more than 10 points after going on a 9-0 ATS run as double-digit favorites. The numbers are not being adjusted however. The Bulls will be looking to rebound from a huge home loss against Orlando last time out and this is a team that can recover well. In eight previous occasions, Chicago has lost by double digits this season and it has gone 7-1 ATS in its next game with all seven of those wins outright by an average of 9.3 ppg. Most importantly, the Bulls were underdogs in six of those contests. Going back even further, the Bulls are 18-4 ATS in their last 22 games following a double-digit loss. Chicago also falls into a solid power situation. Play on underdogs in a game involving two teams that average between 98 and 102 ppg after allowing 60 points or more in the first half last game. This situation is 22-9 ATS (71 percent) over the last three seasons with the average point differential being just +1.3 ppg. 7* Chicago Bulls

7* NBA Wednesday 78.3% DARK HORSE DANDY These two met five weeks ago and Philadelphia was a 9.5-point favorite and ended up winning the game by a single point. This team has not improved and it has actually gone backward yet there is no adjustment made in the line in this second meeting with the exception of a six-point move based on home court (three for each side). Here is a quick little synopsis. Both Philadelphia and Los Angeles have dropped four straight games so any short term rum to go with is a wash. Looking longer tern, the Clippers are 5-6 over their last 11 games while the Sixers are 4-7. Going out further, Philadelphia is 5-12 in its last 17 games while Los Angeles is 6-11 over that same span. Those are certainly some ugly records but in there what makes the Sixers deserved of being the favorite? It is nothing evident in the numbers as it is based on the public who are backing the Sixers at a 74 percent clip so far half way into the betting period. And we will expect more. The Clippers are without Zach Randolph but the Sixers are still without Elton Brand and he would have been a big emotional edge for the Sixers in heading back home. The Sixers are 0-3 ATS this season against teams winning between 25 and 40 percent of their games and they are just 1-4 ATS in their last five road games as a road chalk of fewer than five points. Conversely, the Clippers are 4-1 ATS in their last five games as a home underdog of fewer than five points. Also, Los Angeles is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games following a loss. Orlando came here three weeks ago and was -4 and now Philadelphia is -3? I don

7* NBA Tuesday 90.9% SUPREME KNOCKOUT The Bobcats are playing some excellent basketball right now. They are coming off a loss against New Jersey but that game was decided in overtime. Prior to that, Charlotte had won four of its previous five games and with a new roster, this team is off and running. Since acquiring Raja Bell and Boris Diaw, the Bobcats are 5-4 but even that doesn

8* NBA 75.4% SUPREME KNOCKOUT *24-13 Run* Detroit is getting points at home? We have not seen this in a while as a matter of fact, the Pistons have not been home underdogs since they were getting a point against Utah back in November of 2007. The Jazz won that game by 10 points by the way. This Pistons team just is not right despite winning six of their last eight games. Those wins came against some poor competition as those teams are currently ranked 15th, 30th, 17th, 27th, 22nd and 18th. That is not a good resume of wins. Detroit is just 2-4 against the top ten teams in the league and that includes a 1-2 record at home with the lone win being a statement win against the Cavaliers. Detroit has owned this series with wins in 12 of the last 13 games played at the Palace. Times have changed however as the Magic are now the team with a decided advantage. Orlando is fighting with Boston and Cleveland for Eastern Conference supremacy and it is not far behind. Orlando has gone 24-4 since dropping its first two games, and has won 11 of its last 12 games with the only setback being a last-second loss in Phoenix. Orlando is 11-3 on the road which is tied for the best road record in the league with Boston. The Magic are 20-2 against teams ranked outside the top ten in the league with the losses coming at Memphis in that second game and at the aforementioned Suns. Richard Hamilton is questionable for this game and he had been an Orlando killer so the Magic will be happy if he does not suit up. Even if he does, it remains a question how effective he can be with his groin injury. Orlando falls into a great situation as well. Play on road teams where the line is +3 to -3 that are averaging 99 pr more ppg after a win by 20 points or more. This situation is 36-14 ATS (72 percent) over the last five seasons. Detroit is just 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games as a home underdog of fewer than five points while Orlando is 5-0-1 ATS in its last six games as a road favorite of fewer than five points. Orlando gets its revenge here. 8* Orlando Magic

7* NBA 77.6% DARK HORSE DANDY *24-12 Run* The public is all over the Wizards here and I continue to scratch my head as to why. Oklahoma City is the worst team in the NBA but the Wizards are not far off. At 4-23, Washington is easily the biggest disappointment so far this year and this team has absolutely no confidence right now. The Wizards have dropped eight straight games and while this could be the one game where they want to break out, there is no evidence it will happen. Washington is 0-6 ATS as a favorite this season and all six of those games have resulted in straight up losses as well. The Wizards have been favored just once since the beginning of December and that was a home game against Indiana where they lost by 20 points. The Thunder are 1-11 in their last 12 games but they continue to be competitive as they are a solid 93 ATS over that span. Going back further, Oklahoma City is 13-4 ATS in its last 17 games. As an underdog of six points or more, the Thunder are 15-7 ATS and on the road, they are 12-3 ATS. Just because Washington is playing a bottom tired team does not mean an automatic win as it is 2-8 against teams ranked outside the top 16 while Oklahoma City is 3-9 against that same competition. The Thunder put forth a great effort last night in Detroit to fall short by only two points but don

7* NBA Friday SUPREME KNOCKOUT *23-11 Run* **Hoops writeups truncated on Friday** Carmelo Anthony is out again for the Nuggets and is the main reason we are catching some line value. Of course he will be missed but Denver is more than capable to make up for it.

8* NBA Friday DARK HORSE DANDY *23-11 Run* **Hoops writeups truncated on Friday** Since the trade with the Suns, Charlotte is a whole new team and one that is playing extremely well. Since acquiring Raja Bell and Boris Diaw, the Bobcats are 4-3 but even that doesn

7* NBA Game of the Week BOS/LAL *22-11 Run* **Hoops writeups truncated on Thursday** The Lakers snapped their 10-game losing streak against the number with their outright win over New Orleans on Tuesday. There was obviously no lookahead in that one and now they head home to take on the Celtics in the first rematch from last season

8* NBA 82.6% DARK HORSE DANDY *21-10 Run* The Lakers have now gone 10 straight games without covering which came on the heels of an 11-6 ATS start to the season. In losing 10 straight against the number, we are bound to get some value and we no doubt have it here. Los Angeles is coming off a hard fought game last night in Memphis and missing the cover by a bucket. Now the Lakers must recover quickly against the Hornets who are playing their best basketball of the season. New Orleans has won four straight, seven of eight and 11 of its last 13 games. The Hornets have won six straight games at home and this is a price range that has suited them all season as they are 5-1 ATS when favored by fewer than seven points. The only loss? It was a home against the Lakers who won that meeting by seven points. That happened to be the only time the Lakers have been underdogs this season. The Lakers had a 21-point lead cut to three but held off the Hornets in the final minutes and Los Angeles is well aware of the situation. The Lakers are 7-4 against the Eastern conference but 15-1 against the Western Conference. Going back to last season, the Lakers are 11-4 ATS in their last 15 games as underdogs so this role suits them just fine. The underdog is a perfect 8-0 ATS in the last eight meetings and that gets extended with the Lakers outright. 8* Los Angeles Lakers

7* NBA 77.4% SUPREME KNOCKOUT *21-10 Run* **Hoops writeups truncated on Tuesday** It looked as though the Pistons had gotten things back together with three straight wins before losing in double overtime on Friday against Utah. They followed that up with a loss in Atlanta on Sunday so now it is time once again to right a ship that has severely gone off course. This is a very manageable number and with the recent struggles and the surprising recent domination in this series by the Bulls, Detroit will be taking this one very serious. Chicago is coming off a win at home against Utah on Saturday but that comes as no surprise. The home team is now 21-6 in Bulls games this season which is the greatest home/road dichotomy in the NBA. Those 21 wins have come by an average of 11.5 ppg. Chicago took three of four from Detroit last season and covered all four and that has been taken into consideration in this number. The Bulls are just 6-22 ATS coming off a home win over the last two years while Detroit is 19-6 ATS after failing to cover two or more games over the last two seasons. Look for Chicago to once again struggle on the road with the Pistons getting back on track before the short Christmas break. 7* Detroit Pistons

7* NBA Monday SUPREME KNOCKOUT *20-10 Run* **Hoops writeups truncated on Monday** Generally, laying points on the road in the NBA is a non-profitable endeavor but some cases call for it and this is one of those. Houston has matchup advantages all over the place here and New Jersey once again is not going to have a big home court edge. The Nets have dropped five of their last seven games including four of five at home where they are 5-9 on the season. They have lost seven straight meetings to the Rockets in New Jersey and nothing changes here. Houston has a big game at Cleveland tomorrow night and the last thing it wants is to end its three-game winning streak prior to that contest. Overall the Rockets have won five of their last six, seven of their last nine and 11 of their last 15 games. Houston is 13-5 ATS in its last 18 games as a road favorite which certainly helps ease the tension of laying road chalk. Also, Play against home underdogs after allowing 105 points or more going up against an opponent after scoring 105 points or more in three straight games. This situation is 53-26 ATS (67.1 percent) since 1996. The Rockets roll again. 7* Houston Rockets

7* NBA 85.7% DARK HORSE DANDY *25-15 Run* **Hoops writeups truncated on Sunday.** Since a 25-point loss to New Orleans way back on November 21st, Oklahoma City has played 14 games. And while only two of those resulted in wins, but only one of those 12 losses was by more than what the Thunder is seeing on Sunday. This team has been very competitive of late and a win over Toronto on Friday no doubt added confidence to a team that was in desperate need of something good to happen. This is a tough spot for the Cavaliers. It will be tough to rise up for this one especially after playing a big game in Denver late Friday night and then having to face Houston at home on Tuesday. Cleveland was a two-point underdog in this matchup in Seattle last season. So basically the linesmakers are telling us that the Cavaliers and Thunder have somehow seen the gap widen by 15 points in less than a year with pretty much the same personnel? I

7* NBA Friday Supreme Knockout *18-8 Run* The Jazz have won six straight games over the Pistons, and have not dropped a series with them since the 2003-03 season and quite honestly, I think we are getting some line value because of that. The recent problems with the Pistons have kept this line low as well but they are slowly coming out of their funk. After a run of 4-7 that started in the middle of November, Detroit has won three straight games and while those three games came against horrible Eastern Conference teams, it is all about confidence.

Utah started the season 6-1 but it has been an uphill battle ever since. The Jazz have gone 10-10 since then including a 4-6 record on the road. Chemistry has hurt this team as injuries hit hard and often and that did not help in the whole team concept and consistency. Those four road wins combined with the two road wins to start the season have put Utah at but the six wins have comes against teams a combined 50-100 and none of those teams have a record better than .500.

The seven losses has been a mixed bag but it has been a struggle against the strong teams of late. Utah

7* NBA Friday TOTAL DOMINATOR *18-8 Run* Toronto

8* Western Conference TOP PLAY *17-8 Run* The Suns have won both games since they acquired Jason Richardson from the Bobcats but neither wins were easy and while this may look like a move to push toward the top of the Western Conference, I think this is a horrible move. Phoenix had no problem scoring points so what is the point of bringing in another scorer? It isn

7* NBA Western Conference GOW **16-7 Run** The Hornets have no doubt been looking forward to Wednesday night's nationally televised game in New Orleans Arena against the Spurs, the team that eliminated the Hornets in last year's Western Conference semifinals. The home team took the first six games of the best-of-seven series but it was San Antonio that broke that streak as it took the deciding game by nine points thanks to nailing 12 three-pointers. New Orleans has had this game circles since May 19th of last season.

The Spurs have come on strong after injuries led to a slow start. San Antonio started the season 2-5 but since then it has gone 13-3 and looks like the team of old. The recent run includes three straight wins on the road and its overall road record of 7-3 is pretty impressive. However, two wins over Minnesota, and victories over Memphis, the Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento have padded that and those teams are a combined 26-70. Overall, the Spurs have played the 27th ranked schedule in the league.

New Orleans has faced the 18th ranked slate and it brings in a 7-3 record at home. Like the Spurs, the Hornets started slow but have rebounded well, going 9-2 over their last 11 games including four straight wins at home. The best news for the Hornets was that Tyson Chandler was back in the lineup last night against the Grizzlies and he will play a big roll against San Antonio. He averaged 11 rpg in the four games played in New Orleans in that playoff series.

The Spurs are 9-22 ATS in road games after playing two consecutive games as favorite over the last two seasons. They are also 4-10 ATS in their last 14 road games against a team with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. The Hornets meanwhile are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 home games against a team with a winning road record. The home team has dominated this series, going 8-1 ATS in the last nine meetings. This is a great price for the home team once again and the Hornets do get their revenge. 7* New Orleans Hornets

8* NBA Eastern Conference GOM **16-5 Run** Toronto had its short two-game winning streak snapped on Sunday against the Hornets which doesn

7* NBA Non Conference GOW **21-10 Run** Miami is 4-1 in its last five games and 5-2 in its last seven games. However, I am far from impressed with the run. I went against Miami Friday and it was hammered by the Hawks and will again go against them here. During this run, road wins over Phoenix and Utah look good but both of those teams were shorthanded with the Suns without Steve Nash and the Jazz without Carlos Boozer and Andrei Kirilenko. The other wins were against the 7-17 Bobcats, 7-15 Warriors and 2-21 Thunder.

Memphis could be argued that it is part of that latter group just mentioned but it is playing some good basketball right now. The Grizzlies have won three straight games which came after a dreadful 2-12 run. Two of those wins came at home against Chicago and Houston so they have actually taken out some good competition. They are 6-5 at home on the season including three straight wins they come into this game with a 5-2 ATS mark in their last seven home meetings with Miami.

The Heat are 4-3 on the road this season against the Western Conference which may sound good but there is a reason for that success. As mentioned, two of those games came against the Suns and Jazz who were missing key players while another came against the Spurs who were without Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker played only 10 minutes. The fourth victory came against Golden St. by just a point in overtime. Miami is just 2-6 ATS in its last eight games against the Western Conference.

Miami could be short-handed for this game as forwards Udonis Haslem and Michael Beasley missed Saturday's practice, and both are questionable. If they are unable to play, Miami would be thin on the front line without the team's leading rebounder and second-leading scorer, respectively. This is the reason for the game being off the board for so long but this play is based on them actually playing so if one or both do miss this game, it is a bonus on our part. 7* Memphis Grizzlies

7* NBA Revenge Game of the Week *14-5 Run* The Hawks return home following a solid road win at Miami last night which snapped a three-game losing streak and provided some great momentum heading into this homestand. This is the first of eight straight home games for Atlanta and what better way to start out than by taking out one of the hottest teams in the NBA. The Hawks are 7-1 at home this season with the lone loss coming against New Jersey in the middle of November. This sets up a great revenge spot after they loss in Cleveland by 14 points.

The Cavaliers are absolutely rolling right bow as they have won 11 straight games and even more impressive has been the fact that they have covered everyone of those games and in pretty east fashion. Those wins have come by an average of 20 ppg and only one of those wins was decided by single digits. Going against a streak like this may seem not too smart but what it provides us tremendous line value. Cleveland was favored by 6.5 points in its last road game in Philadelphia and this line is similar although the Hawks and Sixers are far from similar.

Cleveland has had the luxury of playing a rather soft slate as its schedule is ranked 26th in the league. The Cavaliers have gone 14-0 against teams ranked outside the top 16 in the NBA but they are a more realistic 6-3 against teams ranked within the top 16 and that is where the Hawks fall. Atlanta is ranked 11th overall and 4th in the Eastern Conference and this is with playing the 11th ranked schedule. The Hawks are 2-5 against the top ten in the NBA but all of those games came on the road.

The Cavaliers are 7-3 on the road including wins in four straight games but those contests came against the Sixers, Bobcats, Bucks and Knicks who are currently 22nd, 23rd, 19th and 21st. That is not exactly a solid resume of big wins. Do I think the Cavaliers are a very solid team? Of course. Do I think the Cavaliers are overrated? Yes. This streak is not going to last forever and this is the first time in over three weeks they have been truly tested and with their injury situation, the streak comes to and end tonight. 7* Atlanta Hawks

***8*** #1 NBA 92% Power Play in December The Pistons are reeling right now as are the Pacers. Which team is more apt to get their act together? I give the overwhelming edge to Detroit in this case considering two of its last three loses came on the road while the other came against the Sixers, a team it clearly does not match up well with. That is far from the case tonight. The Pistons have taken out the Pacers in each of the last seven meetings and with eight of the next 11 games being taken place at home, this is where Detroit needs to start a run the other way.

The Pacers are really struggling with a 3-11 record over their last 14 games after starting the year 4-3. They have dropped three of those games in overtime but at the same time, five of those losses have been by double digits. The road has been troublesome as Indiana is 2-9 while getting outscored by 8.4 ppg. The defense allows 102.2 ppg which is 7th worst in the league and that jumps to 102.9 ppg in road games and 110.9 ppg over their last seven games while allowing at least 49 percent shooting in each of the last six.

Detroit has dropped four of its last five games yet is actually outshooting the opposition over that stretch. The Pistons have also put up a solid 1.92 assist/turnover ratio. The problems have come from long range shooting where Detroit has hit only 30.3 percent from behind the arc compared to 37.2 percent on the season. The good news is that the Pacers allow 36.5 percent from three-point land including 38.5 percent over their last five games. Detroit will also pick up its rebounding as it has uncharacteristically struggled.

With Detroit coming off that loss in Washington, it not only served as a wakeup call but also put the Pistons into a superb situation. Play on home teams that are coming off a loss by 10 points or more as a favorite and playing with two days rest. This situation is 45-11 ATS (80.4 percent) over the last five seasons including 23-2 ATS (92 percent) over the last three years with the average point differential being +12.3 ppg. The philosophy is simple as a superior team bounces back after stewing over an upset loss for a few days. 8* Detroit Pistons

*9* 2008 #1 NBA Divisional Game *12-4 Run* Utah has been struggling with a 5-4 record (5-4 ATS) over its last nine games as injuries have played havoc with this lineup. The most shocking thing is that three of those losses took place at home after starting the season 8-0 and after last year going 37-4 at EnergySolutions Arena. They are getting healthy and with Carlos Boozer the only remaining casualty, it is time to get that home court back. A home blowout win over Toronto last Friday started the turnaround and it will continue here.

I went against the Blazers Tuesday and I mentioned then that the value has left the building. Portland has definitely turned the corner and with that, the public is backing the Blazers like there is no tomorrow. Portland is 15-8 yet just 11-12 ATS against the number including a 0-5 ATS run and that is due to inflated lines as it has actually won three of those five games outright. With Portland winning at a fevered pace and the public lining up behind, the linesmakers have no choice but to inflate the numbers and that is no doubt the case again on Thursday.

These teams met three times last season, twice in Utah, with the Jazz favored by 14 and 8.5 points in the two meetings in Salt Lake City. Now flash forward to this season. These teams met in Utah on November 5th with Utah the favorite by 6.5 points. Since then, Portland has gone 14-6 while Utah has gone 11-9. Apparently that three-game difference causes a huge line shift but I

**8** NBA BLOWOUT of the Month *10-4 Run* Toronto looks to snap a five-game losing streak as it takes on a team that is arguably struggling even more. This is the first meeting this season between the Raptors and Pacers so it will be the first time that T.J. Ford and Rasho Nesterovic are back in Toronto and also the first time that Jermaine O

7* NBA Underdog 76.5% TOP PLAY **9-4 Run** Portland has definitely turned the corner and the sexy pick of the NBA season has the public backing the Blazers like there is no tomorrow. Portland is 15-7 yet just 11-11 ATS against the number including a 0-4 ATS run and that is due to inflated lines as it has won three of those four games outright. With Portland winning at a fevered pace and the public lining up behind, the linesmakers have no choice but to inflate the numbers. The Blazers were actually getting this number when these teams met here just a year ago.

Orlando started slow, if you can call a 0-2 start slow, but since then it has gone 16-3 including a 7-1 record on the road. At this point, the Magic seem to have the whole package as the frontcourt is one of the strongest in the NBA with Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu while the backcourt is healthy again after Jameer Nelson missed five games with a hip injury. The Magic are 5th in the NBA in rebounding while Portland is dead last and they will dominate again similar to the first meeting.

The Blazers won the first meeting this season in Orlando as Portland was seven point underdogs in that game back on November 10th so the line has moved over 12 points but is it justified? A line shift this big suggests that the teams are playing in opposite directions but that is not the case. Since then, Portland has gone 11-4 while Orlando has gone 12-2. With two teams playing equally, the line shift should be eight points based on home court shift and we are seeing a lot more here.

This is a very good number since the Magic do not see lines coming their way too often. Orlando is 2-1 ATS as an underdog this season with the only spread loss coming in Boston. Being an underdog sets up a great situation as well. Play on underdogs after having won five or six of their last seven games and are winning 75 percent or more of their games on the season and playing a team that has won between 60 and 75 percent of their games. This situation is 26-8 ATS (76.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 7* Orlando Magic

7* Eastern Conference GOW **9-3 ATS Run** Miami is starting to heat up, no pun intended, as it has won three straight games including two road wins at Utah and Golden St. This is its longest winning streak of the season and this game is part of a string of 10 home games in its next 14 overall so this is the time to step up. The Heat have already lost at Charlotte this season so they certainly know not to take this team lightly, especially after the Bobcats took three of the four meetings last season. The home team is 12-5 ATS in the last 17 meetings in this series.

Charlotte has played a very favorable schedule so far this season as it has gone on the road only six times compared to playing 14 games at home. Even with the favorable slate, the Bobcats have gone just 7-13 including a 1-5 record in those road games. Charlotte is averaging only 89.6 ppg which is dead last in the NBA and that has come against teams allowing 97.3 ppg so it is well below average. Rebounding is also an issue as Charlotte averages only 37.5 per game which is also last in the league.

Charlotte will be without Gerald Wallace for this game. He is the Bobcats leading scorer with 15.3 ppg and his absence is huge. He scored just one point against Cleveland last time out and they lost that game by 20 points. He has been held to single digits five times this season and Charlotte has lost four of those games by an average of 13 ppg. He has scored 231 or more points five times with the Bobcats going 3-2 and the two losses came by just 11 total points so it is obvious that they need his production to perform well.

Sean May could also sit out this game with a knee issue making the frontcourt depth very thin. Miami has outrebounded its last three opponents by an average of 11 per game so that does not bode well for the Bobcats. Miami is 11-2 ATS in its last 13 home games against teams that are winning 40 percent or less of their road games. The Bobcats are 2-7 ATS in their last nine games following a double-digit home loss while Miami is 9-3 ATS in its last 12 games following an ATS loss. The Heat get their revenge tonight. 7* Miami Heat

7* Eastern Conf Game of the Week *7-3 Run* Charlotte has played a very favorable schedule so far this season as it has gone on the road only five times compared to playing 13 games at home. Even with the favorable slate, the Bobcats have gone just 7-11 including a 1-4 record in those road games. They are coming off a three-game homestand where it went 2-1 but the two wins were against Oklahoma City and Minnesota who are a combined 6-30 on the year. Charlotte has won back-to-back games only once this season, going 1-5 thus far following a win.

The Bucks have played a very difficult schedule so far this season as it is ranked 4th in the NBA. As with most teams around their ranking, they struggle against the elite teams but do well against the bad teams. Milwaukee is 1-11 against teams ranked within the top 16 and 7-1 against teams outside the top 16 and needless to say, the Bobcats are in that latter group. The Bucks snapped a four-game skid with a win over the Bulls last time out and carry that into tonight before hitting the west coast for a three-game roadtrip.

The Bucks defense has been average this season, allowing 97 ppg which is middle of the pack in the league. However this is down from 103.9 ppg allowed last season which was second worst in the Eastern Conference. Charlotte is averaging only 90.1 ppg which is dead last in the NBA and that has come against teams allowing 97.8 ppg so it is well below average. Scoring has been up in three of the last four games but one of those came in overtime while the other two came against two of the six worst defensive teams in the NBA.

Coming off a win has been a good momentum boost for the Bucks as they are 6-1 ATS in their seven games following a win this season and each game they have won straight up following a loss, they have backed it up with another win in the last three occurrences. Milwaukee has fared well against the Eastern Conference, going 10-2 ATS in its last 12 games. Last but not least, Milwaukee is 8-0 ATS this season against teams that average fewer than 20 assists per game. Charlotte averages 17.8 apg, 3rd worst in the NBA. 7* Milwaukee Bucks

7* NBA Non-Conf. Game of the Week*6-2 Run* I am back on the Lakers tonight following that devastating loss last night as they blew a 15-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. They are no doubt and angry bunch after that and we will see a full 100 percent effort tonight as opposed to just a 75 percent effort. It really does amaze me how a team in the NBA can dominate a game for three quarters and then just completely let up and allow the opponent to not only get back into the game but win it outright.

Philadelphia is coming off an overtime win in Chicago last night and that could provide some momentum, it could also be a negative. The Sixers used a lot of energy against the Bulls and now facing off against the best team in the Western Conference is going to be a challenge. They are 0-4 against the league

7* NBA Spread Dominator TOP PLAY *6-1 Run* This is going to be a very public play unfortunately but sometimes you have to go that route when so many things are favoring that side. We all know the Lakers would be favored coming into this game and the number is about where it was expected. That brings motivation into the picture and the one way that the Lakers can topple this number is if they are motivated. Los Angeles is 14-1 and is two wins short of its best start in franchise history. That is some serious motivation.

The travel is not an issue as this team is rested with limited action by the starters in the 4th quarter on Sunday including Kobe Bryant sitting out the entire final period. Five players are averaging 10 or more points, led by Bryant at 24.7 ppg and only two players are averaging 30 or more minutes, led by Pau Gasol at 34:22. The Lakers lead the NBA in ppg scoring margin as they are +13.7 ppg. You could say the schedule has been soft but it is ranked 20th and of the 15 games, only four have been against teams outside the top 16.

The Pacers are struggling as they have dumped seven of their last nine games. They are 4-4 at home and that does include a win against the Celtics, something the Lakers are well aware of. Indiana does not match up well especially inside as Los Angeles has a huge edge.

**7** NBA TOP PLAY Magic/Celtics *5-1 Run* Orlando comes in as one of the hottest teams in the Eastern Conference but the one team that is hotter is the Celtics. Boston has won eight straight games and motivation should not be a problem tonight as it faces another division leader. The Celtics are just 2-3 ATS against teams with a losing record but 5-3 ATS against teams with a winning record. It goes to show that the Celtics have the ability to get up when they want and still be able to coast against the lesser teams in the league.

Orlando has won four straight games and nine of its last 10 to build a two and a half game lead over the Hawks in the NBA Southeast Division. The Magic defeated the Pacers on Saturday as Dwight Howard once again had a monster game for Orlando with 32 points and 21 rebounds. Howard is averaging 25.8 ppg, 15.5 rpg and 3.8 bpg in his last four games but will face quite a test tonight in reigning Defensive Player of the Year Kevin Garnett who has slowed down some of the best this season.

The backcourt for Orlando is still banged up as Jameer Nelson is expected to miss another week with a hip flexor, while Keith Bogans will be out at least another four weeks with a broken left thumb. Even the frontcourt is shorthanded as Mickael Pietrus is out three to five weeks with a torn ligament in his hand. They are basically playing a seven to eight-man rotation right now and that is a trouble area against a team like Boston that wears you down with tough defense and an overall physical game.

More motivation for the Celtics is the fact that Orlando won two of the three meetings last season with the home team taking all three games. Boston is 28-2 in its last 30 games at home and Orlando is still searching for a big quality win. Orlando has beaten only two teams, 7-7 Toronto and 8-8 Dallas, that have non-losing records and three of the Magic's four losses have come against 10-6 Atlanta, 11-6 Portland and 11-6 Houston. Boston continues the surge and shows it is still tops in the Eastern Conference. 7* Boston Celtics

**7** NBA Non-Conference TOP PLAY Winner One of the most unfair scheduling situations in the NBA finally comes to an end on Sunday as the Lakers will be playing their final home game before hitting the road. Los Angeles has played six of its last seven games at home and it has taken advantage and pulled out to an-NBA best 13-1 record. The Lakers already have a three and a half game lead over four teams in the Western Conference so they need just one more win to end the solid stretch before playing the next three games on the road.

Toronto won its last two games of its recent homestand to move above .500 but it has been a slight disappointment for far for the Raptors. Big things were expected with Jermaine O

**7** Western Conference Game of the Week The Spurs are back as they have won six of their last seven games to move two games over .500 for the first time all season long. The first three wins in this stretch were by a combined seven points while the last three have been by a combined 48 points so San Antonio looks to be hitting a long-awaited groove it so desperately needs. After starting the season 0-3 at home, the Spurs have won four of their last five in the AT&T Center including big wins over heavyweights Utah and Houston. The value is still with San Antonio so we need to hop on and continue to enjoy the ride.

The Grizzlies are struggling in a big way right now. They have dropped four straight games and eight of their last nine after starting the season a respectable 3-3. They have lost four straight games on the road and are 1-7 away from home on the season with five of those losses coming by double digits. The defense carried the load early on but Memphis is no longer buying into defense wins as it has allowed 103.9 ppg over its last 11 games and has given up over 100 points in eight of those.

Manu Ginobili is back for the Spurs giving them a big boost in their recently depleted backcourt. Ginobili made his season debut on Monday, scoring 12 points on 3-of-4 shooting in 12 minutes of playing time against the Grizzlies. He followed that up with 15 points in 18 minutes against the Bulls on Wednesday. His absence is the biggest reason for the slow start to the season for the Spurs and even with Tony Parker still on the shelf, this team is top to bottom much stronger than the Grizzlies.

Four nights back, the Spurs defeated Memphis by 13 points in Memphis and now the venue is switched. San Antonio has won seven straight at home in this series and the last three have been dominant with winning margins of 24, 13 and 16 points. Memphis is now 6-20 ATS in its last 26 games against a team with a winning record and a dismal 8-27 ATS after a game in which it scored 100 or more points. San Antonio is now 5-1 ATS in its last six games against a team with a losing road record. The Spurs roll again. 7* San Antonio Spurs

**7** Eastern Conference Game of the Week Washington was very impressive last time out with new head coach Ed Tapscott as it rolled over the Warriors. It was surprising to see an effort like that but it looks as though the Wizards actually did rally around their new man. However, that type of energy will not be on display tonight. This is a horrible matchup for Washington and we have seen that this is the case already once this season. The Wizards went down to Orlando and got pummeled close to three weeks ago. Expect more of the same.

Orlando is coming off a huge win last night in Philadelphia but do not expect a letdown here. The Magic have won 11 of their last 13 games after starting the season 0-2. Surprisingly both of those losses were at home but both came against Western Conference foes which is not a huge surprise. Orlando is now a perfect 8-0 in its last eight games against Eastern Conference teams and it has won those games by an average of 8.4 ppg.

Orlando has won five of the last six meetings in this series with those five wins coming by 25, 20, 30, 12 and 6 points with the last three all coming in Washington. The matchup problem tonight for the Wizards is controlling Dwight Howard. He went off for 31 points and 16 rebounds in the first meeting this season and in the four games Orlando won, he played very well but was not dominating. Washington has no one to guard him as Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee will have to try and slow him down. Good luck.

This game sets up a revenge spot for the Wizards but that actually falls in the favor of Orlando as it sets up a fantastic situation. Play against home underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points that are revenging a loss where it scored fewer than 85 points while coming off a home win by 10 points or more in their last game. This situation is 39-12 ATS (76.5 percent) since 1996 with the average point differential being +8.8 ppg. This scenario is 12-2 ATS over the last three seasons. The Magic roll again. 7* Orlando Magic

7** NBA Wednesday 75% TOP PLAY Total Miami and Portland played two weeks ago and while that game went over the total, the posted number was four points less than what we are getting tonight. Recent history is also playing a role in this number as Miami has gone