Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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12-14-21 | Warriors -4.5 v. Knicks | Top | 105-96 | Win | 100 | 8 h 50 m | Show |
This is a 10* on GSW Steph Curry will look to become the NBA’s all-time leader in three-pointers made when his Warriors visit New York on Tuesday. Curry is only two threes shy of Ray Allen’s record entering this game. Considering he made five last night, it would seem like a lock that history will be made tonight in Madison Square Garden. You have to figure Curry’s teammates will want to make the record-setting day a victorious one as well. Laying only a few points here to the struggling Knicks seems to be a “no-brainer.” This line is relatively short because Golden State was in action Monday. They beat Indiana 102-100, but it was the third game in a row where they did not cover the spread. Seeing as the Warriors lead the league in point differential, a win by more than what the oddsmakers are calling for tonight doesn’t sound so far-fetched. The Knicks aren’t as good as the Pacers. NY has dropped three straight games and six of its last seven. At home, they lost by 15 to the Bucks on Sunday. It was their third double digit loss in the past five games. Don’t overthink this one. Play on GOLDEN STATE AAA |
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12-14-21 | Northwestern State v. LSU -34.5 | Top | 49-89 | Win | 100 | 7 h 11 m | Show |
This is a 10* on LSU LSU is still undefeated and should win in a romp tonight. Now you probably already knew that by looking at this pointspread. It is quite high. But Northwestern State truly has zero shot at being competitive in Baton Rouge. The Demons are 2-8, both wins coming in non-lined games. They beat Dallas Christian Saturday. But not all the news was good. A flu bug has made its way through the Northwestern State locker room, affecting both players and coaches. Even at full strength, Northwestern State could not compete here. With players out, tonight’s game should get ugly in a hurry. There have been three games this season that the Demons have lost by 30 or more points. One was to Houston, the only top 15 team they’ve faced. LSU isn’t in the top 15, but probably should be as they’re off to their best start in over 20 years at 9-0. The Tigers’ six home wins have been by more than 30 points/game and they’ve covered the spread every time. They should mirror Houston’s 41 point win over Northwestern State and continue their climb up the rankings. Play on LSU AAA |
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12-13-21 | Suns -2.5 v. Clippers | Top | 95-111 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 38 m | Show |
This is an 8* on PHOENIX Thanks to Golden State’s loss Saturday night, Phoenix (21-4) now has the best record in the NBA. The Suns are on the road tonight, facing the Clippers. This is obviously a big game for both teams. But with the Suns having won 20 of their last 21 games, how can you not like them laying such a short number? Defensively, they are one of the best teams in the NBA, allowing only 104.4 points/game and 43.4% shooting. Only Golden State allows fewer points per possession. The Suns are also a top five offensive team in the league. This is where they are vastly superior to the Clippers, who are only 24th in offensive efficiency. Phoenix doesn’t have Devin Booker right now, but the Clippers are playing without both Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. This is going to be the Clippers’ 9th game in the last 16 days. Phoenix has had a much “lighter schedule” of late. The only team to beat the Suns since October is Golden State. Without George and Leonard, the Clippers can’t do what the Warriors did. LA is only 6-12 ATS at home this year. Play on PHOENIX AAA |
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12-13-21 | Cal Poly v. Portland -4.5 | Top | 77-78 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 37 m | Show |
This is an 8* on PORTLAND Portland is looking to bounce back from an upset loss at the hands of VMI ten days ago. The Pilots were five point favorites but lost to the Keydets 90-82. Before that, they had won seven of eight with the only loss coming by three to Montana State. They’d also covered five straight going into the VMI matchup. We like the home team here because they are well rested while visiting Cal Poly is playing a second road game in three days. Cal Poly was able to shoot 54.5% from three in its 61-58 upset over Portland State on Sunday. The Mustangs went into that game as 3.5 point underdogs. It was their second close game in a row after losing by one at San Diego on December 5th. This will be CP’s fourth consecutive road game to start the month. The win at Portland State on Saturday was the first win on the trip. Don’t see them winning two in a row as the three-point shooting from the last game can’t be matched (CP shooting only 30% from three for the year) and Portland’s offense (85.2 points/game) is just too much. CP has scored more than 61 only twice against Division I opponents this season. Play on PORTLAND AAA |
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12-11-21 | Warriors -2.5 v. 76ers | Top | 93-102 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 56 m | Show |
This is a 10* on GSW The Warriors are short road favorites tonight in Philadelphia and we’ve got to lay the points. Golden State is clearly the best team in basketball right now. There’s not a single metric that suggests otherwise. They’ve lost only four games, three by five or less and the other to a Suns team that was on an 18-game win streak. They immediately avenged that loss to the Suns with a 22-point win. The Warriors last two wins have also been by double digits. They beat Orlando by 31 and Portland by 10. Those were at home, but the Warriors are also 7-2 on the road. Golden State is outscoring teams by basically 13 points/game. So that’s why we’ve got zero hesitation about laying this number. Philadelphia hasn’t covered any of its previous three games. Twice they could barely beat an undermanned Charlotte team and then they got crushed by Utah here at home. The Jazz are probably the second best team in the league right now. What Thursday told us is that Philly is not ready for this level of competition. The Sixers aren’t just 3-8 ATS at home, they are only 5-6 straight up. Steph Curry could set the NBA record for most career three-pointers made tonight. Play on GOLDEN STATE AAA |
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12-11-21 | Penn State v. Michigan State -10 | Top | 64-80 | Win | 100 | 5 h 1 m | Show |
This is an 8* on MICH STATE Fresh off handing Minnesota its first loss, Michigan State returns to East Lansing to play host Penn State on Saturday. The Spartans come in at 8-2. They were seven-point favorites on Wednesday, despite the fact their opponents were undefeated. Consider this a “lesson learned” as we made the mistake of fading Sparty at Minnesota. Tom Izzo's team came out red hot and took a 37-24 lead into halftime. Penn State is not nearly as strong as the Golden Gophers, so with this game being a home game, expect MSU to roll. Penn State’s only other true road game this year resulted in a 25-point loss at UMass. Since then, they are just 4-3. The Nittany Lions lost the Big 10 opener 76-64 to Ohio State before bouncing back with an easy win over Wagner earlier this week. This is a rivalry that Michigan State has dominated with wins in 39 of the 48 all-time meetings. The Spartans already have four wins over Top 40 teams and are 4th in the country in defensive efficiency. Play on MICHIGAN STATE AAA |
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12-10-21 | Pistons +5.5 v. Pelicans | Top | 93-109 | Loss | -100 | 12 h 24 m | Show |
This is a 10* on DET The Pistons have lost 10 in a row. But at least they were able to force overtime in their last game, which they lost at the buzzer. The 119-116 loss to the Wizards marked the fourth time that the Pistons lost by five or less during the current losing skid. Tonight they are catching a decent number from a New Orleans team that certainly can’t be labeled as “good.” The Pelicans also lost in overtime Wednesday, 120-114 to Denver, leaving them with the same number of losses that Detroit has (20). We think that this is a good spot to take the points as Detroit is 4-2 ATS in its last six games and they were favored one of the two times they failed to cover the spread. This is just the third time this season that New Orleans will be favored to win a game. They’ve gone 0-2 ATS the previous two times, losing both games outright. The Pelicans are also 0-7 ATS this season when facing a team that has a losing record. We’ve got to play against the home team on sheer principle in this one. New Orleans should never be this large of a favorite. Play on DETROIT AAA |
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12-10-21 | DePaul v. Louisville -7.5 | Top | 62-55 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 14 m | Show |
This is a 10* on L'ville DePaul is off to a pretty impressive 7-1 start. The Blue Demons’ one loss came against Loyola Chicago and that was by only four points. Following that first loss, they rebounded with an impressive 20-point win over Duquesne earlier this week. The Blue Demons’ ATS record matches their SU record as the one time they failed to cover was in an 84-80 win over Western Illinois where they were 9.5 point favorites. Tonight they are underdogs for just the third time this season. While it may seem tempting to take DePaul plus the points in this situation, they are outclassed playing at Louisville. The Cardinals have dominated the head to head series with the Blue Demons, winning 21 of the last 23 meetings. They’re 10-1 SU and 8-3 ATS against them as the home team. L’ville has two losses but has also played a much more challenging schedule than DePaul has. In their last game, the Cardinals went to NC State and won the ACC opener. They also hold wins over Mississippi State and Maryland in tournament play. Play on LOUISVILLE AAA |
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12-09-21 | Iowa -5.5 v. Iowa State | Top | 53-73 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 28 m | Show |
This is an 8* on IOWA We’ve got an unranked team laying points on the road to a Top 25 opponent that’s also undefeated. That’s quite the statement by the linesmakers. And we agree that Iowa is the better side in this Thursday night matchup. Give Iowa State credit for being 8-0, especially since they’ve been underdogs in three of the previous four games. They pulled upsets over Xavier, Memphis and Creighton. But none of those teams are as strong as the Hawkeyes, who are seeking to end a two-game losing streak tonight. Iowa was 7-0 before facing Purdue, who is now the top ranked team in the country. That was a two-point game in the final three minutes. Then it was a four-point loss to Illinois on Monday. Both those Big 10 opponents are much stronger than Iowa State. Not to be disrespectful to the Cyclones, but the only reason they are ranked is because they are undefeated. They’ve yet to face a team as good as Iowa. This is going to be their first loss of the season and we will lay the points. Play on IOWA AAA |
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12-09-21 | Purdue -12 v. Rutgers | Top | 68-70 | Loss | -119 | 8 h 37 m | Show |
This is a 10* on PURDUE For the first time in program history, Purdue will take the court as the #1 ranked team in the country. That obviously puts the proverbial “bulls-eye” on the Boilermakers’ back, but expect THEM to be the more motivated group on Thursday night as they travel to Piscataway to face Rutgers. Not only does Purdue want to prove that it deserves it’s #1 ranking, but they’ve surprisingly lost the last three times they’ve taken on the Scarlet Knights. Coach Matt Painter has made sure to remind his team of the three-game losing streak. Rutgers is just simply no match for a motivated Purdue team that is #1 in the country in offensive efficiency, averaging 90.5 points/game. The Scarlet Knights just lost to Illinois by 35, a game where they were dominated on the boards. Being only 4-4 has to be a major disappointment to coach Steve Pikiell as Rutgers was the favorite in every game but the one at Illinois. Star guard Baker is still dealing with a hamstring injury and a flu bug has hit the team as well. Purdue should roll here. Play on PURDUE AAA |
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12-08-21 | Michigan State v. Minnesota +7 | Top | 75-67 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 37 m | Show |
This is a 10* on MINN There are still 12 undefeated teams left in College Basketball. That number is likely to decrease very soon. Five of those 12 unbeatens are in action tonight, two (Arizona & Wyoming) against one another. San Francisco (9-0) is favored, but you’ve also got Weber State (8-0) and Minnesota (7-0) taking the court as underdogs. While this game vs. Michigan State may seem like a logical end point for Minnesota’s unbeaten start, what we are seeing here is a great opportunity to grab the points. At home, the Golden Gophers shouldn’t be getting this many points from a Michigan State team that has two losses. Now those losses were to Kansas and Baylor, so you can’t really fault Sparty for not being unbeaten like Minnesota still is. But the Gophers did just win two tough road games against Pitt and Mississippi State. They were 11.5 point dogs at Miss State and led by as much as 14 points. Being back home - where they are giving up just 49.7 points/game - is huge for this team. Michigan State lost by 25 points here last season. Take the points with Minnesota. Play on MINNESOTA AAA |
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12-08-21 | Wizards -6.5 v. Pistons | Top | 119-116 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 47 m | Show |
This is an 8* on WASH Washington desperately needs a win here. The Wizards have lost their last three games and played pretty poorly against Indiana Monday night. While they only ended up losing by six points, the Wizards let the Pacers shoot 52.4 percent and were behind by 10 after the first quarter. At no point in the game did Washington hold a lead of more than three points. Now when you’re this desperate for a win, looking across the court and seeing the Detroit Pistons is definitely a good thing. The Pistons have the worst record in the league (4-19) and are on a nine-game losing streak. Four of their five starters are either rookies or in their second year in the league. Perhaps a new low was established on Monday when the Pistons blew an 18-point lead and lost to Oklahoma City. That Thunder team was coming off a record-setting 73-point loss. Detroit was actually favored to beat OKC. It was only the second time this season that they were favored to win a game. They’re not favored here, but the line is short enough that we will lay it. Play on WASHINGTON AAA |
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12-07-21 | Texas Tech v. Tennessee -3.5 | Top | 57-52 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 13 m | Show |
This is a 10* on TENNESSEE It’s the Big 12 vs. the SEC on Tuesday as #13 Tennessee takes Texas Tech as part of the “Jimmy V Classic” in New York City. We’re surprised that this line is so low, considering that the Vols are ranked. Also, Texas Tech is coming off its first loss of the season, 72-68 at Providence, in what was the Red Raiders first true road game. That was six days ago. Tennessee played over the weekend as they went to Colorado and won 69-54 as six-point favorites. The Vols only loss so far was to #6 Villanova. All six of their wins have been by double digits. We figure this one will be as well. Tennessee is third in the country in defensive efficiency right now and just held Colorado to 34.5% shooting on Saturday. Texas Tech does force a lot of turnovers, but also turns it over a lot themselves. Whereas the Vols have two quality wins already (North Carolina, Colorado), the Red Raiders have nothing of the sort. Play on TENNESSEE AAA |
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12-06-21 | Cavs v. Bucks -7 | Top | 104-112 | Win | 100 | 11 h 3 m | Show |
This is an 10* on MIL Cleveland has been one of the real surprising teams in the NBA so far, but we don’t like their chances at Milwaukee tonight. The Cavs took a one-point loss, at home, against Utah on Sunday. That saw them battle back from a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter, only to come up one bucket short. Now they must hit the road to face another of the league’s top teams, without rest. The Bucks have won 9 of 10 and on Saturday downed Miami by a score of 124-102. That was despite not having Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has missed the last two games. But the defense from the NBA Champions continues to be sensational as only one of their last ten opponents has been able to shoot better than 43.5%. Milwaukee has beaten Cleveland seven straight times and tonight we look for them to end the Cavs’ 7-game ATS win streak. Play on MILWAUKEE AAA |
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12-05-21 | Wizards v. Raptors -1.5 | Top | 90-102 | Win | 100 | 10 h 22 m | Show |
This is a 10* on TOR The Wizards and Raptors have already played twice.The road team won both times. Washington won here in Toronto on Opening Night 98-83. It wasn’t nearly as low scoring when the Raptors won in D.C 109-100 on Dec 3. This time we like the home team to prevail. While the Raptors have struggled on their home floor, going just 3-8, they did beat Milwaukee here on Thursday. That was a better result than what Washington did on Friday, losing to Cleveland 116-101. The Raptors have defended well recently, holding the last two opponents under 40% shooting. The Wizards haven’t been all that impressive away from home, going 4-7 ATS and scoring 101.8 points/game. Defensively, they were ravaged by the pick and roll against Cleveland. So Toronto has its blueprint for success. Playing their fourth straight game at home, the Raptors should have no excuses tonight. Play on TORONTO AAA |
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12-05-21 | Arizona -11 v. Oregon State | Top | 90-65 | Win | 100 | 8 h 12 m | Show |
This is a 10* on ARIZONA Arizona is a strong team and should easily be able to defeat Pac 12 rival Oregon State by double digits. At 6-0, the Wildcats are one of 12 unbeaten teams left in College Basketball. They are one of the highest ranked as well with #4 Baylor and #10 Arkansas the only undefeated teams above them in the top 25. The Wildcats haven’t just been winning either. They’ve been blowing out every opponent. Their six wins have been by an average of 33.8 points/game. There was one close game, a four-win over Wichita State, but all others have been by at least 18 points. The last time ‘Zona was on the court, they blew out Sacramento State 105-59 as a 29-point favorite. In addition to being the conference opener, this will be the Wildcats' first true road game. They could not have asked for a better opponent as Oregon State has dropped seven in a row since opening the season with a 73-64 victory over Portland State. The Beavers have certainly had their share of close defeats - three by three points or less - but they also just lost by 12 at Cal on Thursday. Arizona has been off for a full week and played just one game in the last two weeks. They are rested and simply better. Last year’s trip here to Corvallis resulted in a 34-point win. The home team has no chance here. Play on ARIZONA AAA |
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12-03-21 | Suns v. Warriors -7 | Top | 96-118 | Win | 100 | 14 h 47 m | Show |
This is a 10* on GOLDEN STATE We’ve got quite the showdown Friday night in the NBA as the 19-3 Suns, winners of 18 straight games, take on the 18-3 Warriors. Now these teams just met, Tuesday in Phoenix, and the Suns came out ahead by the score of 104-96. Golden State shot a season-low 41.9% in that game and matched a season-high with 23 turnovers. But we think they are deserved favorites for the rematch. First off, this time the game is in San Francisco. The Warriors are 11-1 at home and averaging 116.7 points/game. Secondly, the Suns are at a clear disadvantage having played another game last night. Golden State has not played since Tuesday. While it was a relatively easy 114-103 win for the Suns on Thursday, over the Pistons, things will not be that easy here in the second night of a back to back. Phoenix shot 54% against Detroit, including a blistering 76% in the second quarter, got 48 bench points and had seven players finish in double figures. Don’t expect any of that to happen again tonight. Leading scorer Devin Booker got injured Tuesday, missed last night’s game and isn’t expected to play here. Meanwhile, Steph Curry should break out after being held to 4 of 21 shooting in the last game. Look for the Warriors to end Phoenix’s record win streak and lay the points. Play on GOLDEN STATE AAA |
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12-02-21 | Spurs v. Blazers -3.5 | Top | 114-83 | Loss | -110 | 15 h 46 m | Show |
This is a 10* on PORTLAND We’re a little shocked at how low this spread is. The shock is for two reasons. One, San Antonio comes in on its first win streak of the season. Before this, they’d never even won two straight games all year. So we see another win being highly unlikely, especially because they are playing in Portland tonight. That brings us to the second reason for being shocked about the line. The Blazers have been a great home team thus far, winning 10 of 11 games here and covering the spread nine times. We took them the other night when they were hosting Detroit and that ended up being an easy 110-92 win as 9.5 point favorites. It was a game that the Blazers basically controlled from start to finish. They led by as many as 26. Now Damian Lillard is still out (for at least 10 days), but considering how the Blazers looked on Tuesday without him, we don’t think that’s going to be a problem here. The Spurs aren’t a very good team and winning for a third straight time as underdogs seems unlikely. On the road, they are just 2-7 and they average less than 100 points. Portland is 5-1 ATS its last six games vs. San Antonio. Play on PORTLAND AAA |
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12-01-21 | Michigan v. North Carolina +2 | Top | 51-72 | Win | 100 | 13 h 24 m | Show |
This is a 10* on N CAROLINA At one time, Michigan was ranked as high as #4 in the country. But Juwan Howard’s team has already lost twice (to Seton Hall and Arizona) and hardly looked impressive as 21-point favorites last week in a 64-54 win over Tarleton State. Tonight finds the Wolverines playing their first “true” road game of the year and it’s in Chapel Hill, part of the Big 10 vs. ACC Challenge. So far the Big 10 has largely dominated this event, taking six of the eight head to head matchups, including Ohio State beating #1 Duke last night. North Carolina is 0-6 ATS coming into this game, tying them with William & Mary for the most ATS losses without a win this season. But getting this game at home is pretty huge for the Tar Heels. Michigan is down to #24 in the rankings and turns the ball over too much, even when facing bad teams. They turned it over 20 times vs. Prairie View A&M and 21 times vs. Tarleton State. If UNC, who comes in averaging 83.2 points/game, can be disruptive enough at the defensive end, then they will pull the “upset.” The Tar Heels are off their best defensive effort of the season as they held UNC Asheville to 53 points on 26.5% shooting a week ago. Take the points. Play on NORTH CAROLINA AAA |
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11-30-21 | Pistons v. Blazers -8.5 | Top | 92-110 | Win | 100 | 15 h 47 m | Show |
This is a 10* on PORTLAND Portland’s road woes continued last night as they were blown out in Utah, losing 129-107 as 7.5-point underdogs. That completed an 0-3 road trip for the Blazers, who are now 1-10 (SU and ATS) for the year away from home. But they have been a completely different team at home where they are 9-1 SU and 8-2 ATS. Starting tonight, they will play eight of their next nine games in Portland, including the next four. Even better is that the first home game (tonight) is against a 4-16 Detroit team that stinks no matter where it plays. The Pistons have lost their last six games. While many of them have been close, this is going to be their fourth road game in seven days, all of them taking place out West. At home, Portland is scoring 12 more points per game than what they allow. Detroit, who is one of three teams not even averaging 100 points/game, gives up 110 points/game on the road. Look for the home team to win this one by double digits. Play on PORTLAND AAA |
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11-29-21 | Tarleton St v. Gonzaga -30.5 | Top | 55-64 | Loss | -110 | 14 h 57 m | Show |
This is an 8* on GONZAGA Gonzaga just suffered what was only their second loss since the start of LAST season. Duke beat them 84-81 in Las Vegas Friday night. Of course, the only other Gonzaga loss in the last two years came in April’s National Championship Game against Baylor. They obviously did not get a chance to immediately bounce back from that one. But they can bounce back here. Considering who the opponent is, this could get ugly in a hurry. Tarleton State isn’t any good to begin with and they are in the wrong place at the wrong time as far as we’re concerned. The last four times Gonzaga has been off a loss, they have covered the spread in the next game. Tarleton State has yet to even beat a Division I opponent this season (0-5). The Texans will have no answers here for a team that beat UCLA by 20 last week. Gonzaga already has three wins by 34 or more points this year. Play on GONZAGA AAA |
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11-26-21 | Baylor -5.5 v. Michigan State | Top | 75-58 | Win | 100 | 4 h 36 m | Show |
This is an 8* on BAYLOR This is the Final in the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament with #6 Baylor taking on Michigan State. Baylor was able to overcome a bit of a sloppy first half (13 turnovers) yesterday and beat VCU 69-61, just barely covering the 5.5 point spread. The Bears are 6-0 SU and 4-1-1 ATS. The only ATS loss came as 33 point favorites in the opening game. The opponent here is Michigan State, who upset UConn 64-60 (as 2.5 point dogs) on Thursday, thanks to scoring the game’s final nine points. The Spartans are 5-1 SU and 4-2 ATS. The only team they lost to was Kansas (first game) and they also failed to cover Wednesday vs. Loyola Chicago. This is the third game in three days for both Baylor and Michigan State. Sparty’s two games have been decided by a total of six points. After two close calls like that, we’re just not sure they’ll have enough left in the tank to survive a vastly superior opponent. Baylor has won 31 straight non-conference games. Yesterday was probably the Bears’ weakest performance to date and they still won fairly comfortably. MSU is still only 2-8-1 ATS its last 11 neutral site games. Play on BAYLOR AAA |
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11-24-21 | Hawks -3.5 v. Spurs | Top | 124-106 | Win | 100 | 12 h 45 m | Show |
This is a 10* on ATLANTA It’s been quite the difference when it comes to home vs. away for the Atlanta Hawks. The team has captured five straight, all at home, where it is now 8-1 on the young season. But on the road, they are 1-8 SU and an even worse 0-9 ATS. It’s back on the road tonight for a date with San Antonio. Given the extraordinary split we’ve seen thus far from the Hawks, you may be thinking now is the time to buck them. But facing one of the league’s worst teams should allow for their first ATS road win of 2021. The Spurs have lost five in a row while getting outscored by 13 points/game. Atlanta’s average margin of victory during the five game win streak is 14.2. So we’re looking at two teams at polar opposites of the spectrum here. The Spurs have only won four games so far, two of them coming against Orlando. A late rally Monday vs. Phoenix made the game appear closer than it actually was. Most of the way, it very much looked like San Antonio would be headed for its fourth double digit defeat in the last 10 days. The Spurs are 0-5 ATS their last five times playing with exactly one day of rest. Play on ATLANTA AAA |
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11-24-21 | California Baptist v. Texas -22 | Top | 44-68 | Win | 100 | 12 h 34 m | Show |
This is a 10* on TEXAS Texas is 3-1 and ranked #8 in the country. That one loss came to Gonzaga, so no one is going to fault them for that. Tonight the Longhorns host an undefeated Cal Baptist team that is playing on the road for the first time in 2021. The Lancers’ previous five games - against San Francisco St, Miss Valley, Jackson St, San Jose St and Northern Colorado have simply not adequately prepared them for what’s in store here. Texas is giving up just 47.3 points/game when not facing Gonzaga this year. They play at one of the slowest tempos in the nation, but have an efficient offense that is 16th in points per possession. On Saturday against San Jose State, the ‘Horns led by 18 just nine minutes into the game and by 30 at halftime. They ended up winning by 34 and held SJSU to 31.9 percent shooting from the floor. Even more impressive is that Texas forced 27 turnovers and had a season-high 16 steals. At the same time, they connected at just over 51% at the offensive end and had 36 points in the paint. The home team is simply going to overwhelm the opposition in this one. Play on TEXAS AAA |
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11-23-21 | Lakers v. Knicks -4 | Top | 100-106 | Win | 100 | 9 h 20 m | Show |
This is a 10* on NYK So there’s no LeBron James tonight for the 9-9 Lakers, who visit Madison Square Garden to face the Knicks. James is suspended for getting into a fight with the Pistons’ Isaiah Stewart on Sunday. The Lakers went on to win in Detroit, but were actually behind by 15 entering the fourth quarter against one of the worst teams in the NBA. That doesn’t bode well for tonight. The Lakers have lost six of their last 10 games, most of those without James, who had been out with an abdominal strain. The Knicks, who are 4-7 their past 11 games, thought they had a win Sunday when they were leading the Bulls going into the fourth. But they gave up 37 points in the final quarter to lose 109-103 as 5.5 point road underdogs. Expect New York to play better at home tonight - for a full four quarters - and take advantage of the Lakers not having LeBron. On the road, the Lakers have been very bad defensively, giving up 117.3 points/game. Play on NEW YORK AAA |
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11-22-21 | Pacers v. Bulls -3.5 | Top | 109-77 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 50 m | Show |
This is a 10* on CHI Tied with Brooklyn for first place in the East, the Bulls should continue to roll Monday when they host Indiana. Chicago is 12-5 and has won six of its eight home games. They came from behind to win last night, 109-103 over the Knicks. Because it’s the second night of a back to back, oddsmakers have set a low number here and we think that’s a mistake. Indiana is 2-9 on the road. While they only lost by three in their last road game, they were actually down 25 at one point. That was against Charlotte. The Pacers did bounce back to defeat New Orleans on Saturday, but that was at home. The Bulls have covered both times they’ve been in a back to back this year, winning those two games by a combined 33 points. Lay the points in this one. Play on CHICAGO AAA |
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11-22-21 | Butler v. Houston -9 | Top | 52-70 | Win | 100 | 7 h 10 m | Show |
This is an 8* on HOUSTON This is a first round matchup in the Maui Invitational (which is being played in Las Vegas). We’ve got Butler facing Houston, two programs that have been to Final Fours. Of course, it’s been a decade since Butler advanced that far. Houston was in the Final Four last year and bowed out to eventual National Champion Baylor in the Semifinal. The Cougars are ranked #15 in the poll right now and is 3-0. They just wasted Virginia 67-47 in their last game, which was six days ago. Butler lost the following day (Wednesday), 73-52 to Michigan State, and is now 3-1 on the year. Our view is that Butler just isn’t in Houston’s class. Houston leads all AAC teams with 10.3 three pointers made per game. Defensively, the Cougars are just as impressive. They held Virginia to 34.9% shooting and forced 17 turnovers. The game was never close as UH jumped out to an early 14-2 lead and was up 13 at halftime. They led by double digits the entire second half. As for Butler, the loss to Michigan State was their largest margin of defeat at home in 29 years. They shot 28.6% and had only eight assists. The size of the Spartans was clearly an issue and it should be the same thing here with Houston. This is a bad matchup at a bad time for Butler. Play on HOUSTON AAA |
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11-21-21 | Raptors v. Warriors -10 | Top | 104-119 | Win | 100 | 11 h 7 m | Show |
This is a 10* on GSW Golden State is once again the best team in the league as they are 14-2. They’ve only been beaten once in regulation and perhaps the most impressive thing about them is that they are 12-4 against the spread. They are 10-1 SU/ATS L11 games and tonight host a Toronto team that will be playing its fourth straight road game and third in four nights. The Raptors snapped a three-game losing streak Friday in Sacramento. But they are outclassed here with Steph Curry set to return from a one-game absence. Curry sat out the Warriors’ 105-102 win in Detroit Friday. Though that game ended up being close, the Warriors led by 16 going into the fourth quarter. We know Detroit is bad, but the fact the Warriors were up 16 without their best player is still impressive. Golden State is winning at home by an average of 16.5 points/game and we just can’t see Toronto staying within the number in this one. Play on GOLDEN STATE AAA |
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11-18-21 | Ohio State -2 v. Xavier | Top | 65-71 | Loss | -113 | 8 h 9 m | Show |
This is a 10* on OHIO ST In-state rivals play Wednesday in Cincinnati as Xavier hosts #17 Ohio State. As short home underdogs, the Musketeers are probably thinking upset here, but we like the Buckeyes to handle their business in their first “real” test of the 2021-22 season. So far OSU has gone through Akron, Niagara and Bowling Green. Their margins of victory have continued to grow, culminating in a 31-point triumph over BG on Monday. Ten players scored for the Buckeyes in that win, five finishing in double digits. The bench scored 39 points and the team shot over 50%. It was their best game to date. Xavier is 2-0 with wins over Niagara and Kent State. The Musketeers could only beat Niagara by three while OSU beat them by 10. While that’s just one common opponent, you’ve also got the fact that OSU is 9-1 ATS in its previous 10 road games. Xavier hasn’t shot the ball well so far and figures to get outworked on the glass. Play on OHIO STATE AAA |
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11-17-21 | Boston College v. Rhode Island -5 | Top | 49-57 | Win | 100 | 9 h 30 m | Show |
This a 10* on RHODE ISLAND Rhode Island has been an 8.5-point favorite for both of their games thus far. They covered the spread each time, beating Boston U 71-62 and then Bryant 83-64. While that first game ended up being relatively close, at least as far as the pointspread was concerned, the Rams led the whole way and were never really threatened. It was a more complete performance in the second game with them blowing out Bryant in the second half. Over the last 15 minutes of the game, URI went on a 37-18 run. Boston College comes in at 3-0 and also covered the number in its first two games. But then they failed as 10-point favorites against Fairfield, winning only 72-64. This is the Eagles first time playing on the road. They are 0-4 ATS as a road underdog of 3.5 to 6 points the last two years. Rhode Island has won 20 of its previous 26 home games. Somebody is going to lose for the first time and we believe it will be BC as Rhode Island’s defense is #1 in the nation right now, holding teams to 30.6% shooting! Play on RHODE ISLAND AAA |
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11-16-21 | Creighton +3.5 v. Nebraska | Top | 77-69 | Win | 100 | 7 h 18 m | Show |
This is a 10* on CREIGHTON In-state rivals get set for their annual meeting as Creighton makes the drive from Omaha to Lincoln to take on Nebraska. Obviously, we know which school has more of a “national presence.” But when it comes to basketball, Creighton has taken over the Cornhusker State. While they trailed at halftime in both games, the Bluejays do enter this game at 2-0 on the young season. Nebraska is 1-1 and lucky not to be 0-2. After losing at home to Western Illinois last week, the ‘Huskers were down 10 early to Sam Houston State on Friday. That was also a home game. Creighton and Nebraska are a combined 0-4 ATS so far but the Bluejays have not been underdogs previous to this. The defense effort in their last game (just 44 points allowed) was the best by any Creighton team in eight seasons, at least against a D-I opponent. These teams played in Omaha last year and Creighton won by 24. Not enough has changed in a year to justify Nebraska being favored here. Play on CREIGHTON AAA |
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11-15-21 | Suns -3.5 v. Wolves | Top | 99-96 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 9 m | Show |
This is a 10* on PHOENIX Phoenix, the Western Conference Champions from last season, once again finds itself as the hottest team in the NBA. The Suns have won eight in a row entering Monday and have covered the spread seven straight times. This has them at 9-3 for the year and the only team ahead of the Suns right now (in the West) is Golden State). Tonight the Suns head to Minnesota to face a Timberwolves team that has experienced very different results over its last eight games. The T’wolves are 1-7 straight up and against the spread since Oct 30 with five of the seven losses coming by double digits. Even though Phoenix played last night, we can’t see Minnesota keeping this game close. It’s not as if last night was a difficult game for the Suns; they won 115-89, their third straight double digit win. There’s just no reason not to lay this short number as the Timberwolves have failed to cover the last five times they’ve been an underdog. Play on PHOENIX AAA |
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11-14-21 | Blazers v. Nuggets -6.5 | Top | 95-124 | Win | 100 | 10 h 44 m | Show |
This is a 9* on DENVER We think Denver is the right side in this Western Conference NBA matchup. The Nuggets will be looking to wrap up a perfect 5-0 homestand tonight when they host Portland. The Blazers have not been good on the road so far, losing six of seven while being outscored by roughly 8.7 points per game. So laying the points doesn’t bother us. Not with Denver leading the league in scoring defense. Through 12 games, the Nuggets are allowing an average 98.3 points/game. There have been only three times they’ve allowed triple digits and if you take away the one time Utah scored 122 (it was the second night of a back to back for Denver), then the defensive numbers look even more phenomenal. At home, the Nuggets are giving up just 93.4 points/game. Nikola Jokic has recorded a triple double in the last two games he’s played. Play on DENVER AAA |
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11-13-21 | Celtics -2.5 v. Cavs | Top | 89-91 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 41 m | Show |
This is a 10* on BOS Cleveland is 8-5 and coming off a 20-point win, but we’re still a bit skeptical. The 20-point win last night was against the Pistons, who are one of the NBA’s worst teams. The Cavs are now 9-3-1 ATS overall, tied with the Warriors for the best mark in the league. But they’ve pulled out quite a few narrow wins so far, including three in a row by three points or less to start the month. We’re about to find out how “for real” Cleveland is as they host Boston tonight. The Celtics also won last night, needing OT to get by Milwaukee 122-113. It was their fourth win in five games. The Cavs do have the better record coming into tonight’s game, but oddsmakers still don’t respect them that much as they are underdogs at home. We’re going to lay the short number with Boston. Though they had to go to overtime to get the win last night, Cleveland is probably in worse shape heading into the second game of the back to back. They’re missing Colllin Sexton (who averaged 23.3 points/game last year), Kevin Love, Lauri Markkanen and possibly Lamar Stevens. Boston is pretty healthy coming into this game, save for the Jaylen Brown injury. Play on BOSTON AAA |
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11-13-21 | Dartmouth v. Georgetown -16 | Top | 69-60 | Loss | -108 | 5 h 46 m | Show |
This is a 10* on G'town This is Georgetown’s first game. In case you’d forgotten, the Hoyas made an incredible run to the NCAA Tournament last March by winning the Big East Tournament as an 8-seed. They won four games in four days. However, it ended up being a short stay in the Big Dance as G’town was bounced in the opening round by Colorado, 96-73. A lot of the top talent from that team is now gone, but we still expect the Hoyas to handle their business here against Dartmouth. The Big Green have already played a game this season and it was a 72-57 loss to Boston College. They were never really in it as the halftime score was 42-19. Dartmouth shot just 37.5% overall from the field and 20.7% from behind the arc. As was the case with Iowa yesterday, we don’t think the dropoff with Georgetown will be quite as severe as the oddsmakers seem to. This should be a very easy opening game for the more talented side. Dartmouth hasn’t finished with a winning record in over 20 years. Georgetown is 7-0 ATS L7 home games against teams with a losing road record. Play on GEORGETOWN AAA |
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11-12-21 | Mavs -2.5 v. Spurs | Top | 123-109 | Win | 100 | 12 h 30 m | Show |
This is a 10* on DAL Dallas is off a loss while San Antonio is off a win. But with a 7-4 record, the Mavs are having the better overall start to the year. The Mavs went down in Chicago Wednesday night, losing 117-107 as they could not keep up in the second half. But they’d won three in a row prior to that loss with one of the wins coming here in San Antonio. The win was by a single point, 109-108, but Dallas didn’t even shoot the ball well. Expect them to tonight. The Spurs picked up just their fourth win of the year when they beat Sacramento 136-117 Wednesday night. They hit 18 threes in the win, something that you won’t see them do again anytime soon. The Spurs have yet to win two straight games this year and they lost to OKC the most recent time they were coming off a victory. San Antonio is actually 0-2 vs. Dallas this year as they also lost to them by five points back on Oct 28. They did cover the spread in both losses, but that won’t be the case here as the Mavericks have yet to lose two straight games this season. It all adds up to a third win over the Spurs and this time Dallas covers. Play on DALLAS AAA |
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11-12-21 | UMKC v. Iowa -20 | Top | 57-89 | Win | 100 | 12 h 5 m | Show |
This is a 10* on IOWA UMKC (Kansas City) will really be up against it on Friday as they travel to Iowa City to face the heavily favored Hawkeyes. This is already the second game against a Big 10 team for UMKC. They lost to Minnesota by a score of 71-56 on Tuesday. In that game, the Roos did not cover the spread as they were only 6.5 point underdogs. Oddsmakers like their chances here even less and so do we. Iowa is not the same team they were last year (no Luke Garza) but should certainly “handle its business” in this game. The Hawkeyes scored 106 points in the season opener vs. Longwood, so there’s not going to be that big of a dropoff at the offensive end. Iowa did cover the number vs. Longwood, so they are now 23-9 ATS in their last 32 home games. This should be another big win for them as they look to start the season strong. Play on IOWA AAA |
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11-10-21 | Robert Morris v. UCF -18 | Top | 59-69 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 13 m | Show |
This is a 10* on UCF This is the first ever meeting between Robert Morris and UCF. The home team is a big favorite and justifiably so. RMU had a tough maiden year in the Horizon League last season. They won only four games total and finished with their worst overall record in 11 years. Improving this season will be tough, at least early on, as the team’s best player from last year (AJ Bramah) transferred to Nevada. Bramah averaged 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Colonials. There are four new starters overall as the second leading scorer from last year is also gone. RMU ranked 324th in points allowed in 2020-21 so it’s not just the offensive end where they will struggle in this game. Central Florida returns most of its roster and should be healthier than they were a year ago when injuries were a problem. RMU has covered only one of the last six times it’s been a road underdog of 18.5 to 24 points. Lay it! Play on UCF AAA |
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11-09-21 | Siena v. St Bonaventure -19.5 | Top | 47-75 | Win | 100 | 10 h 24 m | Show |
This is an 8* on ST. BONAVENTURE St. Bonaventure opens its season at home against Sienna. The Bonnies won the Atlantic 10 last season with an 11-4 record in conference play and were 16-5 overall. They won the Conference Tournament to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. There they would lose in the first round to LSU 76-61. This team has all the ingredients not just to get back to the NCAA Tournament, but to be even better in 2022. The Bonnies have five seniors on the roster including two All-Conference selections in Lofton and Osunniyi. They are 22-7-2 against the spread in their previous 31 home games. While it's a somewhat sizable number tonight, we think they cover. Siena did share the regular season MAAC championship last year, but doesn’t look as strong coming into the new season. Play on ST. BONAVENTURE AAA |
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11-08-21 | Hornets v. Lakers -3 | Top | 123-126 | Push | 0 | 14 h 21 m | Show |
This is an 8* on LA LAKERS It’s been quite the disappointing start to the season for the LA Lakers, who are just 5-5 straight up and 2-8 against the spread. They’ve lost their last two games. Not only did LeBron James not play on Saturday, but teammate Anthony Davis (sprained thumb) was on the court for only seven minutes. The result was a 105-90 loss to Portland. It wasn’t even that close as the Lakers trailed by 31 going into the fourth quarter. We were happy as we were on the Blazers. But here we’re going with the Lakers. Yes, they played a bad game the other night and still won’t have James. But they are facing a Charlotte team that just got blown out last night in this building by the Clippers. Charlotte is 0-4 straight up and against the spread in its last four games and this is their third road game in the last four nights. That’s a bad situation. There have been multiple games this year where the Lakers blew a big lead and lost. We bring that up to illustrate that they should have a better record. Even without James (and maybe Davis?), we’re confident they can down the Hornets. Play on LA LAKERS AAA |
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11-06-21 | Lakers v. Blazers -4.5 | Top | 90-105 | Win | 100 | 14 h 11 m | Show |
This is a 10* on PORTLAND Portland is playing the second night of a back to back on Saturday, but may be catching a huge break in that the Lakers could be without both of its superstars in tonight’s game. We know LeBron James won’t play. James suffered an abdominal strain in Tuesday’s game vs. the Rockets. He missed the Lakers last game, which was a loss to Oklahoma City. That game saw Anthony Davis sprain his thumb. Davis is questionable for tonight. Look for the Blazers, who won by four against Indiana on Friday, to take advantage of their banged up visitors. They are a different team where their record is 4-1. (They are 0-4 on the road). Damian Lillard is having an awful start to the year. But the fact that Portland still won even with him shooting 2 for 13 last night is probably a good thing. There’s just no way Lillard won’t start to shoot the ball better. The Lakers are not a terribly deep team. Without James and Davis, they’re pretty bad. LA’s ATS record is 2-7, worst in the league. Even if Davis plays, we don’t see them covering this number. Play on PORTLAND AAA |
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11-05-21 | Hornets +1.5 v. Kings | Top | 110-140 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 0 m | Show |
This is an 8* on CHARLOTTE The Hornets and Kings meet tonight in Sacramento with the home team coming in as a slight favorite. The Kings are 4-4 overall and coming off a 112-99 win against New Orleans. Charlotte is 5-4 but has lost its last two games, one by three at home to Cleveland and the other by 22 at Golden State. We like the visitors in this one for a variety of reasons. One is that they are 4-0 straight up and against the spread the last five times they’ve played Sacramento. Two is that half of the Kings wins this year have come against New Orleans, who is 1-8 and in last place in the West. Their win on Wednesday marked the first time all year that the Kings won a game by more than four points. Third is that Charlotte is 17-5 ATS the last 22 times they’ve been coming off a double digit loss. It was a season low 92 points that they scored in their last game. Expect a much better performance tonight. Play on CHARLOTTE AAA |
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11-04-21 | Celtics v. Heat -7 | Top | 95-78 | Loss | -103 | 11 h 16 m | Show |
This is a 10* on MIA Miami is catching Boston in the second night of a back to back, a situation that clearly benefits the home team. But it’s not as if the Heat need much additional “help” right now. They are 6-1 with the best point differential in the NBA and all six wins have come by 13 points or greater. The Celtics have been somewhat of a mess in recent days due to in-fighting. Reports are that the players hashed it out last night before downing Orlando 92-79, but we’ll see about that. It’s a big jump in class from facing the Magic (arguably the league’s worst team) to the Heat (who have been better than everybody to this point). Miami is holding teams to 98.9 points/game, the fewest in the league. In six of its eight games, Boston has shot worse than 44% overall. Play on MIAMI AAA |
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11-02-21 | Bucks -4.5 v. Pistons | Top | 117-89 | Win | 100 | 10 h 7 m | Show |
This is a 10* on MILWAUKEE It’s been a poor start to the season for NBA Champion Milwaukee. Losers of three straight, the Bucks head to Detroit Tuesday night to face the Pistons. The good news here is that few teams are in sorrier shape right now than the one hailing from the Motor City. The Pistons are 1-5 and just lost by 26 to the Nets, who had previously been struggling just as the Bucs have. We’ll gladly lay the short number in this one as this is where Giannis and company should right the ship. The Bucks have dominated the Pistons in recent years, winning 14 straight meetings. We understand that the Bucks are playing short handed right now. But even with “just Giannis,” they’ve got way more in the tank than does Detroit, who has only gotten one game out of top draft pick Cade Cunningham thus far and he went 1 for 8 from the field. The Pistons' one win came against Orlando, who is the only team in the East that might finish with a worse record. All five times that Detroit has been an underdog, they’ve lost by at least six points. Play on MILWAUKEE AAA |
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10-28-21 | Spurs v. Mavs -6 | Top | 99-104 | Loss | -105 | 12 h 56 m | Show |
This is a 10* on DALLAS After an embarrassing effort in the first game of the season, Dallas has put together two straight impressive wins. They beat Houston in the home opener Tuesday, 116-106. But they failed to cover the 10.5 point spot. Here the number is a lot more manageable as they are set to host San Antonio. Coach Jason Kidd remains a somewhat questionable hire for the Mavericks, however the players seem to be working well with him. A decision was made to play EVERYONE (all 15 players) against the Rockets. The Spurs have had a different leading scorer in every game but just one win. That win came in the opener against Orlando. The Spurs have since lost to the Nuggets, Bucks and Lakers in a trio of fairly close encounters. We can see why some might think SA will keep this game close, but look for Dallas to shoot the ball much better than they have so far. At barely over 40%, the Mavs have the lowest FG% in the league right now. That is not going to continue with the likes of Luka Doncic on the roster. Lay the points here as the Spurs have allowed 121 and 125 points in their previous two games. We've got them ranked as one of the worst teams in the league. Play on DALLAS AAA |
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10-27-21 | Wolves v. Bucks -6.5 | Top | 113-108 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 19 m | Show |
This is a 10* on MILWAUKEE Save for a disastrous effort last Thursday in Miami, the Bucks have been every bit as good as expected to start the new NBA season. The NBA Champs are 3-1 with wins over the Nets, Spurs and Pacers. The last two wins came on the road. Now they return to Milwaukee to take on the upstart Timberwolves. This is a big step up in class for what is still a young Minnesota team. So far they’ve faced New Orleans (who is without Zion Williamson) twice and Houston. All three games came at home. They lost to the Pelicans on Monday, failing to score 100 points for the second straight game. We cannot see where they get the necessary offense to stay with the Bucks tonight. The Bucks have averaged 122.3 points/game in their three wins. We’ve seen more “small ball” recently with Brook Lopez out of the lineup. The Bucks have covered six straight home games when you go back to last year’s championship run. Minnesota was a poor 10-26 in their 36 road games last season. Lay it! Play on MILWAUKEE AAA |
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10-26-21 | Nuggets +7 v. Jazz | Top | 110-122 | Loss | -105 | 13 h 3 m | Show |
This is a 10* on DENVER Though this is the second night of a back to back for the Nuggets, we expect them to come out and play hard Tuesday on TNT. It was an embarrassing result for them last night as they finished with just 87 points and lost to the lowly Cavs. Tonight they face a team at the opposite end of the NBA hierarchy, that being Utah, who is off to a 2-0 start. The Jazz have covered the spread in both wins. However, keep in mind that the two teams they’ve faced so far: Oklahoma City and Sacramento. The Jazz are well-rested coming into tonight as they have not played since Friday. But the thing with that is they are 0-6 against the spread the previous six times they’ve played a game on three or more days' rest. No one on the Nuggets, besides Nikola Jokic, scored more than 12 points last night. The team shot 9 of 38 from three-point range and just 40% percent overall. We expect across the board improvement from them tonight and do not believe Utah’s rest advantage will play a significant role. If anything, the Jazz could be a little bit rusty. Play on UTAH AAA |
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10-25-21 | Blazers +3 v. Clippers | Top | 86-116 | Loss | -106 | 13 h 7 m | Show |
This is a 10* on POR Portland is off an impressive 134-105 win against Phoenix the other night. In case you forgot, the Suns were in the NBA Finals last July. Now the Blazers head to LA hoping to end a six-game losing streak to the Clippers. The Clippers are not what they once were as Kawhi Leonard is out indefinitely and their record is 0-2. They lost to the Warriors in the first game and the Grizzlies in the second. Both games were close (decided by six points or less) but that doesn’t help if you’re the favorite as the Clippers are tonight. Plus while the two games have ended up close, both times the Clippers found themselves down by double digits. They trailed by as many as 16 in both contests. Portland is averaging 127.5 points/game which is just too many for the Clippers to overcome when laying points. In the early going, LA is shooting only 43.8% from the field. Grab the points. Play on PORTLAND AAA |
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10-24-21 | Warriors -3.5 v. Kings | Top | 119-107 | Win | 100 | 14 h 59 m | Show |
This is a 10* on GSW Golden State is 2-0 after sweeping the two LA teams. They upset the Lakers 121-114 on Opening Night. Then they defeated the Clippers 115-113 on Thursday. Two close wins, but in the Clippers game they did lead by as many as 19 at one juncture. Steph Curry made 10 three pointers in that game and scored 45 points. We’re starting to see “the Warriors of old.” While we aren’t saying they are back to that championship level, they are certainly better than a Sacramento team that hasn’t made the playoffs in 15 years. The Kings did win their first game, 124-121 over Portland, but couldn’t hold off Utah in a 110-101 loss on Friday. This is a situation where we simply believe one team (Golden State) is much better than the other and we’re getting an early season discount. Play on GOLDEN STATE AAA |
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10-22-21 | Nets -1 v. 76ers | Top | 114-109 | Win | 100 | 11 h 19 m | Show |
This is a 10* on BROOKLYN The Nets will look to rebound from a poor Opening Night performance when they travel to Philadelphia on Friday. The Sixers are a mess right now with the ongoing Ben Simmons drama. Of course, Brooklyn has its own share of drama with Kyrie Irving. But they can still call upon both Kevin Durant and James Harden. That may have not been enough when facing Milwaukee Tuesday, but we expect them to play far better here. The 76ers did beat the Pelicans by 20 on Wednesday. But tonight they are unlikely to shoot the ball as well as they did in that first game when they connected on over half their field goal attempts, including 52% from three. Really, this play boils down to two simple things: we think the Nets are better and also can’t see them starting 0-2. They were underdogs Tuesday. Tonight they are favorites. They are 16-5 ATS in their last 21 games as a favorite. Play on BROOKLYN AAA |
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10-21-21 | Mavs v. Hawks -2.5 | Top | 87-113 | Win | 100 | 9 h 22 m | Show |
This is a 10* on ATLANTA The Hawks flew their way into the Eastern Conference Finals last season before eventually bowing out to Milwaukee in six games. After hiring Nate McMillian to be the head coach on March 1st, no team in the East had a better won-loss record than Atlanta’s 27-11. They also won 23 of their final 29 home games. The entire core of that team has been brought back and there have been some minor additions. What made the Hawks’ late season run so impressive is that they had several key players injured. Now fully healthy, we expect them to challenge for a top three spot in the standings. Can’t say the same for Dallas out in the Western Conference. Jason Kidd was a questionable coaching hire in our view. The Mavericks did not get out of the first round last season and are no better on paper for 2021-22. It’s only the first game of the season, but one motivating factor for the Hawks is they lost both games to the Mavs last year. Both losses occurred before McMillian was hired. Atlanta is 18-4 ATS its last 22 games as a home favorite. It’s a small number tonight. Lay it! Play on ATLANTA AAA |
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10-20-21 | Rockets +5.5 v. Wolves | Top | 106-124 | Loss | -101 | 11 h 56 m | Show |
This is a 10* on HOUSTON The Houston Rockets are not expected to be all that competitive for the 2021-22 season. Most prognostications have them and Oklahoma City as the likely two worst teams in the Western Conference. But should Minnesota, another team that’s not very good, be laying this many points in a season opener? Probably not. The Timberwolves have made the playoffs only once since 2003-04. While they did improve some after a coaching change, they still ranked near the bottom of the league defensively last year. They brought some new pieces to help them on the defensive end, but the problem is those players are liabilities at the offensive end. Other than Karl-Anthony Towns, there just aren’t many good two-way players on this roster. The T’wolves were only favored in 11 games last season and lost five of them. Their scoring differential when favored was only +1.5 per game. So they are not a team you’d want to lay points with. Houston is young and basically playing with “house money” coming into the new season. They had a winning (ATS) record as a road underdog last season and are capable of pulling the upset here. Play on HOUSTON AAA |
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07-20-21 | Suns +5 v. Bucks | Top | 98-105 | Loss | -108 | 22 h 18 m | Show |
This is a 10* on PHX The NBA Finals have taken a dire turn for Phoenix. Once up 2-0, they are now down 3-2. This would be their first three-game losing skid since January, which is also the only other one (three-game skid) that they’ve been on all season. It’s a must-win in Game 6 at Milwaukee and we will be grabbing the points. For starters, the Suns are 14-5 ATS coming off a straight up loss as a favorite. They were four-point favorites back in Game Five. This is just the second time in the postseason that the Suns have been trailing in the series. The Bucks are 6-17 ATS when on a three-game win streak and 0-3 ATS off a straight up win as an underdog. Phoenix has shot 50% from the field in this series, which is pretty impressive. It also makes the series deficit that more shocking. In the last two games, the Suns have shot 53%. They were 68.4% from three in the last game. Devin Booker, off two straight 40+ point games, should get more help from teammates tonight. For Milwaukee, Middleton and Holiday will probably not combine for 56 points again (that’s what they went for in Game Five). Facing elimination for the first time, you know Phoenix is going to fight to the end. The last two losses were by just 10 total points. The underdog will cover in this one. Play on PHOENIX AAA |
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07-17-21 | Bucks v. Suns -3.5 | Top | 123-119 | Loss | -108 | 35 h 29 m | Show |
This is a 10* on PHOENIX An improbable Game 4 victory saw the Bucks take nearly 20 more shots from the field. That was the key as they were outshot 51.3% to 40.2%, but still won 109-103. Not only did they win, they covered the 4.5-point spread as well. But now it's back to Phoenix. The home team is 4-0 straight up and against the spread in this series and we believe that trend is going to continue in Game 5 Saturday night. The Suns should have won Game 4. Devin Booker was on fire the entire game, but was eventually cooled off by foul trouble. We don’t see a player of Booker’s caliber getting into foul trouble at home. Chris Paul should play better in Game 5. He had just 10 points and five turnovers in Game 4. Kris Middleton went for 40 for the Bucks, but as we’ve seen throughout the playoffs, he’s better at home. The Suns made only 16 of 54 three-point attempts in the two games at Milwaukee. They made 20 threes in Game 2, the last time here. Milwaukee has not won or even covered a game in Phoenix the last three seasons. The Bucks really aren’t a great road team (just 25-22 SU) and they are just 3-7 ATS as underdogs this year. This is only the second time in the entire playoff run that the Suns have lost two in a row. Their one and only three game losing streak this season occurred back in January. We can’t see them losing a third straight game here. Lay the number. Play on PHOENIX AAA |
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07-11-21 | Suns v. Bucks -4 | Top | 100-120 | Win | 100 | 11 h 0 m | Show |
This is a 10* on MILWAUKEE The Bucks’ backs are against the wall here as they are down 0-2 in the best of seven series. But they now get to be the home team. This is Milwaukee’s first time hosting an NBA Finals game since 1974! So expect a “rocking atmosphere” with Giannis and company delivering a win. Antetokounmpo did all he could in Game 2 with 42 points. Obviously he’s not bothered by the injury. He needs more help from his teammates and should get it at home. As we’ve been saying throughout the Bucks playoff run, both Middleton and Holiday always seem to shoot better at home. They were a combined 12 for 37 in Game 2, so improvement from them is a virtual guarantee. Phoenix also won’t make 20 three pointers again as they did in the last game. Dario Sarkic has been lost for the remainder of the series and Torrey Craig, a key bench player for the Suns, got injured in the second half of Game 2. Milwaukee obviously cannot afford to lose here as they would be in an 0-3 hole that no NBA team has ever gotten out of. Fortunate for them is they are 7-1 straight up and against the spread in home playoff games. The Bucks may be 0-5 SU and ATS the last five meetings with the Suns, but four of the games were in Phoenix. Play on MILWAUKEE AAA |
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07-01-21 | Hawks +2 v. Bucks | Top | 112-123 | Loss | -104 | 13 h 27 m | Show |
This is a 10* on ATL The insane injury bug that has seemingly bitten every single team in these playoffs has struck again, this time claiming Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks. Milwaukee had been the one team to stay pretty much injury free this postseason, but now things have really gone sideways for them. They were terrible in Game 4, especially after Antetokounmpo went down. They were outscored by 14 after the injury and ended up losing 110-88. With Antetokounmpo doubtful for Game 5 and his entire future status in doubt, there is simply no way we could take the Bucks in this spot. Atlanta has proven they can win without Trae Young, doing so by 22 in the last game. Young is more likely to play tonight than Antetokounmpo and his return would be a real nice luxury to have. The Hawks are 3-0 SU and ATS this season off a game where they allowed 90 or less points. Lou Williams was tremendous starting in place of Young as he scored 21 points and had eight assists in Game 4. The Hawks are also 15-5-1 ATS off their last 21 double digit wins. Getting points against an Antetokounmpo-less Bucks team seems like a steal, even if Young does not play. Play on ATLANTA AAA |
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06-30-21 | Suns +1 v. Clippers | Top | 130-103 | Win | 100 | 14 h 39 m | Show |
This is a 10* on PHX The Suns have not lost two in a row since the Lakers series. So coming off the loss in Game 5, we’ll take them here in their second attempt to close out the Clippers. Digging themselves into a massive early hole (trailed 20-5 at the outset) did Phoenix no favors Monday night. That poor start basically decided the game. It was the first time in the series that the Suns trailed at the half. The first positive bit of news to report is that they are 7-3 against the spread this season when off a double digit loss. They are 19-7 ATS off a loss of any kind. It is unlikely that Chris Paul and Jae Crowder will combine to go 0 for 10 from behind the three point line again. That’s what they did in Game 5. Similarly, the Clippers probably won’t shoot 54.8% again like they did in Game 5. Paul George went for 41 points, his playoff high. The Clippers are definitely more banged up at this point of the series with Kawhi Leonard, Serge Ibaka and now Ivica Zubac all injured. LA is 3-6 ATS when off an upset win as an underdog. Our call is that the Suns end the Western Conference Finals tonight. Play on PHOENIX AAA |
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06-25-21 | Hawks v. Bucks -7.5 | Top | 91-125 | Win | 100 | 13 h 2 m | Show |
This is a 10* on MILWAUKEE Atlanta is now 3-0 in Game 1’s during this playoff run. All three wins have come as underdogs. They were +8 for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals here in Milwaukee, a game they came from behind to win 116-113. Trae Young rebounded nicely from a dismal Game 7 against the 76ers. He had 48 points Wednesday night. The Hawks have been underdogs in nine straight games. Tonight will make it 10. They are an impressive 6-3 SU those past nine games, but have never won three straight games, which is what they are looking to do this evening. But we can’t see the Bucks losing both home games to open the series. So we’ll lay the points. Even though the Hawks have won five of their last six on the road, they are still just a .500 team (for the year) away from home. The Bucks are 31-11 SU at home and were 5-0 in the playoffs before dropping Game 1. They were also on a 13-game win streak at home going back to the regular season. Young can’t score 48 in every game and the injury to Bogdan Bogdanovic seems significant as he went just 1 for 6 in Game 1. Bogdanovic, not Young, has been the team’s best 3-point shooter this season. Expect the Bucks to shoot way better from three in this game (they were just 8 of 36 in Game 1), especially Kris Middleton (who was 0 for 9). Lay it! Play on MILWAUKEE AAA |
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06-24-21 | Suns v. Clippers +1.5 | Top | 92-106 | Win | 100 | 12 h 9 m | Show |
This is a 10* on the CLIPPERS Both Games 1 and 2 were tightly contested and the Suns are up 2-0 heading back to LA. We are also 2-0 in the series. Phoenix was the play for Game 1 and they covered the spread thanks to a pair of late Devin Booker free throws. We took the Clippers in Game 2 and that probably should have been an outright win, but we’ll take the cover. The finish to Game 2 was wild with the Clippers allowing a game-winning alley-oop in the final second. For the third straight series, they are down 0-2. In the first round, they won Game 3 in Dallas 118-108. In the second round, they won Game 3 at home, 132-106 over Utah. Going back to Game 7 of the first round, they’ve won four straight at home - all by double digits. The season is basically on the line tonight. Chris Paul may be back for the Suns, which is why the line has shifted towards the Suns after initially flipping to the Clippers -1. But Paul will have rust to shake off and bettors are overreacting to the news. Reggie Jackson has stepped up for the Clippers with Kawhi Leonard out as he’s averaging 23 points over the last four games. To us, this is a very obvious bounce back situation as the Clippers probably should have won Game 2. The Clippers are 6-2 ATS when trailing in the series during these playoffs. Phoenix is 1-9 ATS its last 10 visits to the Staples Center to face the Clippers. Play on LA CLIPPERS AAA |
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06-22-21 | Clippers +5.5 v. Suns | Top | 103-104 | Win | 100 | 14 h 35 m | Show |
This is a 10* on LA CLIPPERS We’re going with the Clippers plus the points in Game 2. We laid the points with the Suns in Game 1. They shot 55% from the field and were led by Devin Booker’s 40 points. Booker also had a triple double. Booker and his teammates aren’t likely to be that prolific for a second straight game. Considering that the Clippers were never out of Game 1, we give them a solid shot at pulling the upset here even as they continue to play without Kawhi Leonard. They defeated the Jazz twice without Leonard. Phoenix doesn’t have Chris Paul. The Clippers are 5-2 ATS when trailing in these series during these playoffs. Game 1 was tied going into the fourth quarter. Factoring in the likely decline in shooting by Phoenix, the Clippers should easily cover this spread. The Suns haven’t lost since Game 3 of the first round and can’t go on winning “forever.” Play on LA CLIPPERS AAA |
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06-20-21 | Clippers v. Suns -4 | Top | 114-120 | Win | 100 | 8 h 5 m | Show |
This is an 8* on PHOENIX So it is the Clippers vs. the Suns in the Western Conference Finals. But no Kawhi Leonard or Chris Paul in Game 1. This is the Clippers’ 1st ever Conference Finals appearance. It’s the first for the Suns since 2010 and they haven’t been in the NBA Finals since 1993. So we’re guaranteed some “new blood” out of the Western Conference this year. We were shocked that the Clippers beat the Jazz two straight times without Leonard. They trailed by 25 in the third quarter Friday. While LA got just one day off between series, Phoenix hasn’t played in a week. The Suns looked very impressive in sweeping Denver, winning all four games comfortably. They’ve won and covered seven in a row. It’s a shame that Paul is out, but we believe the Suns still get it done at home in Game 1. The Clippers lost the first two games of both prior series. We don’t see them continuing to post the best offensive efficiency rating in the playoffs. That’s because Phoenix allowed only 100.8 points/game in the first two rounds. The Clippers don’t have Serge Ibaka either and are 3-7-1 ATS off a straight up win by 10 or more points. Play on PHOENIX AAA |
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06-19-21 | Bucks v. Nets | Top | 115-111 | Loss | -110 | 24 h 0 m | Show |
This is a 10* on BROOKLYN The home team has won all six games in this series. We expect the trend to continue in Game 7. That means Brooklyn advances to the Eastern Conference Finals. Even having to go without Kyrie Irving, the Nets should put up a lot of points at home. The three games at Milwaukee have seen them average only 89.3 points/game. But at home they’ve averaged 118.0 and one of those was without Irving and also James Harden making just 1 of 10 field goal attempts. We trust Kevin Durant to lead the way Saturday. He is averaging 33.3 points/game in the series. Harden shot a lot better in Game 6 and finished with 16 points. He’s played 40+ minutes in both games since returning and we’re gonna predict a series high in points of Harden here in Game 7. On the flip side, look for Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton’s numbers to go down. Middleton had a game-high 38 in Game 6. He is averaging almost 31 points in the three games in Milwaukee. But that average goes down to 18.3 in Brooklyn. That’s a big difference. The Bucks crunch time play has not impressed us. They were lucky to get out to a big early lead in the last game. Brooklyn has the best player (Durant) and is at home. The Bucks’ road record is just 22-19 SU and they are 1-5 ATS as underdogs this season. If you include the regular season, the home team is 9-0 in head to head meetings between these teams in 2020-21. Play on BROOKLYN AAA |
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06-18-21 | Jazz -2 v. Clippers | Top | 119-131 | Loss | -101 | 30 h 2 m | Show |
This is a 10* on UTAH Utah thought they had the Clippers right where they wanted them heading into Game 5. The announcement that Kawhi Leonard would miss Game 5 led to the line skyrocketing. But the Clippers pulled the 119-111 upset and are now a game away from advancing to their first ever Western Conference Finals. Last year they were in this same position but famously dropped three straight to the Denver Nuggets. They only get two shots this time, after starting down 0-2 in the series. We don’t like their chances of getting it done in Game 6. Leonard is still expected to be out. Same with Serge Ibaka. This is the first three-game losing streak of the season for Utah, who had the NBA’s best regular season record. So history favors them getting it done. We realize the same could have been said for Game 5 and that was at home. But can you trust Paul George to score 37 points again? We don’t. The Jazz scored 65 first half points on Wednesday and six players finished in double figures. The Donovan Mitchell ankle injury remains a concern, but at least he’s gonna play (unlike Leonard). The Clippers are just 2-5 SU/ATS when leading a playoff series the last three years. It was very logical to “count them out” going into the last game. Utah won’t make the same mistake twice. Play on UTAH AAA |
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06-17-21 | Nets v. Bucks -5 | Top | 89-104 | Win | 100 | 11 h 23 m | Show |
This is a 10* on MILWAUKEE The Bucks seemed to have all the momentum heading into Game 5. They’d won the previous two games, plus James Harden and Kyrie Irving were both hurt for Brooklyn. Harden wound up suiting up Tuesday, but he did not play well (shot 1 of 10) and Milwaukee quickly jumped out to a 29-15 lead after one quarter of play. Their lead was 16 midway through the third, which is when Kevin Durant took over. Durant turned in a game for the ages with 49-17-10. But we don’t see him doing that again in Game 6 at Milwaukee. The Nets have lost all four games in Milwaukee this season, Irving is still out and Harden clearly isn’t 100 percent. So lay the points with the home team facing elimination. The Nets scored only 83 and 96 points in Games 3 and 4 here in Milwaukee. Play on MILWAUKEE AAA |
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06-12-21 | Jazz v. Clippers -4.5 | Top | 106-132 | Win | 100 | 13 h 14 m | Show |
This is a 10* on LA CLIPPERS For the second series in a row, the Clippers find themselves down 0-2. There is a difference this time though. In the first round versus Dallas, those first two losses both came at home. The first two losses of the second round were both in Salt Lake City. So now, instead of having to go on the road to even things up, the Clippers can do so at home. They did lose the first three home games to Dallas, but won Game 7 here in Staples Center by a score of 126-111. We expect Kawhi Leonard to play better tonight than he did in Games 1 and 2 when he averaged just 22 points. Game 2 was a bit of a disaster as LA gave up 66 points in the first half and was down by as many as 21. But they actually rallied to take the lead in the fourth quarter. We certainly don’t see them falling behind that big in Game 3. In fact, they figure to come out quite strong given the series deficit that they are facing. Utah isn’t going to come close to matching its shooting from Game 2 (55.3 FG%). The Jazz were 20 of 39 on three-point attempts in that last game as well. The Clippers were the top three point shooting team in the NBA this year, so look for them to turn the tables Saturday. Utah has not covered any of the last four times they’ve been underdogs. Play on LA CLIPPERS AAA |
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06-08-21 | Clippers +4 v. Jazz | Top | 109-112 | Win | 101 | 14 h 33 m | Show |
This is a 8* on LAC The Clippers turned in their highest scoring effort of the first round when they most needed it, winning Game 7 against Dallas 126-111. Most will view this as a disadvantage, having to start a new series basically 48 hours after winning a Game 7. But we like the Clippers as underdogs in Game 1 at Utah. Getting points, LA is 7-4 ATS this season and they’ve taken the game outright six times. We played against Utah in Game 1 of the opening round. That was the only game of the Memphis series they lost. Instead of focusing on how little time the Clippers had off between the two series, maybe we should focus more on how much time the Jazz have had off. They are 2-8 ATS since 2018-19 when having at least three days off between games. They are 0-2 ATS this season in that scenario with Game 1 vs. Memphis being the most recent instance. Mike Conley may be unavailable tonight and that would be a major blow for the home team. The two best players in this series (Leonard, George) will both be wearing road colors tonight. Play on LA CLIPPERS AAA |
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06-06-21 | Hawks v. 76ers -3 | Top | 128-124 | Loss | -108 | 6 h 53 m | Show |
This is an 8* on PHILADELPHIA Joel Embiid’s Game 1 status is up in the air, but remember that the Sixers won the series clincher against Washington without him. This line feels awfully short for a top seed playing at home. We’d say the line should be -3 before factoring in any kind of home court advantage. When these teams met three times in the regular season, the home team won all three times. Philadelphia hosted twice and won by 44 and 22. Those wins came in April too. The significance of that is that it was post-coaching change for Atlanta, which is when they got a lot better. The Hawks have lost only 11 games since Nate McMillan took over, but two of those were to the Sixers. Philadelphia scored 120 or more points in all four of its first round wins and regardless of whether Embiid plays today or not, they will be much more difficult to defend than the Knicks were (for Atlanta) in Round 1. Speaking of defending, the Sixers gave up the second fewest number of points per possession in the league during the regular season. Atlanta has traditionally struggled in this round, going 6-17-1 ATS its last 24 games. Play on PHILADELPHIA AAA |
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06-05-21 | Bucks v. Nets -4 | Top | 107-115 | Win | 100 | 10 h 5 m | Show |
This is a 10* on BROOKLYN Look for Brooklyn to win Game 1 comfortably. Milwaukee is an underdog, which is rare, but it hasn’t been a good situation for them - at all. 0-4 this season - straight up and ATS - and 0-8 SU and ATS the last eight times. They’ve yet to face the Nets with Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving all suited up. We think the Bucks stock may be a bit too high after it took the minimum four games to beat the Heat in the first round. It’s not as if the Nets had much difficulty ousting Boston either. They did lose once, but that took a superhuman 50-point effort from Jayson Tatum. All four Nets wins in the first round were by double digits. They are the only team that averaged more points per game than Milwaukee in the regular season. Again, they did so despite the three All Stars not playing much together. Not surprising, Brooklyn’s scoring increased against Boston to 123.4 points/game. And it should be noted the Celtics are a pretty decent defensive team. Milwaukee is 6-16 ATS in 2020-21 following a win streak of three or more. A full week off for the Bucks is not ideal when having to deal with the Nets’ tempo. Play on BROOKLYN AAA |
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06-04-21 | Clippers v. Mavs +3 | Top | 104-97 | Loss | -113 | 33 h 35 m | Show |
This is an 8* on DALLAS We’re now 6-0 over the five games of this series with the Under giving us three of those wins. We also won once with the Over. We’ve played the side twice, winning with Dallas in Game 2 and the Clippers in Game 3. The Mavericks now have a 3-2 series lead after taking Game 5 by a score of 105-100. They got 42-8-14 from Luka Doncic, who has been the best player - on either team - in the series. If you’re a Clippers fan, the scary thing is to hear Doncic say “I could have played way better.” We agree that the Mavs could have shot better as a team. They made only 41.6% from the field in Game 5. The home team has yet to win a game, but we see that as likely to change in Game 6 where we like the short home dog. It’s difficult to see the home team losing six in a row in one series. Play on DALLAS AAA |
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06-03-21 | Suns +2 v. Lakers | Top | 113-100 | Win | 100 | 14 h 12 m | Show |
This is an 8* on PHOENIX The Lakers appear lost offensively without Anthony Davis. They still have LeBron James and because of that most are going to expect them to force a Game 7. But we don’t. People have underrated this Suns team all season as their 45-30-2 ATS record is second best in the whole league. The Lakers’ ATS record of 33-44-1 is among the five worst in basketball. The Lakers scored a season-low 85 points in Game 5 and trailed by 30 at halftime. While it’s reasonable to assume things will be closer in Game 6, which is in LA, we don’t think the Lakers can make up the entire gap we saw in the last game. That’s even if Davis plays, which is up to the doctors. The Suns defense has been great since the start of the second half of Game 4 as the Lakers are shooting less than 40 percent. Cameron Payne has really stepped up with Chris Paul playing hurt. Devin Booker is handling the scoring. For LA, James has been settling for threes and not getting to the free throw. His supporting cast simply can’t make up for the loss of Davis. You’re seeing why this was a team that had to win a play-in game just to be part of the playoffs. Take the points. Play on PHOENIX AAA |
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06-02-21 | Grizzlies +9.5 v. Jazz | Top | 110-126 | Loss | -104 | 14 h 57 m | Show |
This is a 10* on MEMPHIS The Grizzlies are facing elimination in Game 5 as the series moves back to Utah. It’s a tall order facing the underdogs as they’ve now got to defeat the team with the best record in the NBA three straight times, including twice on the road. But considering they did win Game 1 here in Salt Lake City, it would be foolish to write Memphis off at this point. We went with them in what turned out to be 112-109 upset in Game 1 and will do the same tonight. Even though they’ve lost three straight, the Grizzlies have not played poorly by any means in this series. Game 2 was an obvious bounce back situation for the Jazz, but Memphis was still within six in the fourth quarter. The two games at Memphis were both competitive. Game 3 saw the Grizzlies ahead with just over four minutes to go. Game 4 saw them fight back and get as close as two points in the fourth quarter. Take the points tonight. Utah’s three point shooting in the last three games has been excellent, but will cool off. The three point shooting for Memphis should improve from the 28.6% we saw in the last game. The Grizzlies are 24-17 straight up (and 24-15 ATS) on the road in 2020-21. The Jazz are only 3-8 ATS their last 11 home games. Play on MEMPHIS AAA |
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05-31-21 | 76ers -8 v. Wizards | Top | 114-122 | Loss | -115 | 9 h 3 m | Show |
This is a 10* on PHILADELPHIA Look for the 76ers to finish off the Wizards tonight and to do so in decided fashion. This is just a one sided series as Philadelphia is averaging 125.7 points/game and allowing only 105.3. The last two games were basically over by halftime and ended up being wins of 25 and 29 points. The Wizards have not shot well, which is essentially doom for them as they don’t play very good defense. The teams have met six times this year with Philadelphia now 6-0 straight up. They’ve scored at least 120 points in five of the six wins. Washington has been held under its season average in four of the six losses. Russell Westbrook is hobbled, which makes things even worse for the underdog. Going back to last year, the Sixers have beaten the Wizards eight straight times. They are on a 10-3-1 ATS run as road favorites coming into tonight. Washington has given little indication that they can “hang” and they are 2-10 ATS the last 12 games as a playoff dog. Play on PHILADELPHIA AAA |
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05-29-21 | Nuggets v. Blazers -4 | Top | 95-115 | Win | 100 | 8 h 37 m | Show |
This is a 10* on PORTLAND Portland is looking to avoid dropping back to back home games to Denver, which would put them in a 3-1 hole in the series. The Blazers simply have not defended well over the course of the three games, first allowing the Nuggets to shoot better than 50% overall in the two games in Denver and then 52.6% from three (20 of 38) in Game 3. But we like old “zig zag theory” to come through for Game 4 as Portland should bounce back at home. Damian Lillard, after an incredible individual effort in Game 2, made just 5 of 16 three point attempts on Thursday. He still scored 37 points mind you, but the team ended up 14 of 45 from three point land. It was the second game in this series where we saw a pretty massive discrepancy in three point shooting between the two teams. The discrepancy worked out in Portland’s favor when they won Game 1 and it’s only natural to see a swing in their favor for Game 4. Denver won’t have Will Barton active for tonight and that’s on top of missing Jamal Murray. We don’t think Austin Rivers is capable of duplicating his Game 3 effort and the Blazers should move to 9-4 ATS this season when off a loss as a favorite. Play on PORTLAND AAA |
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05-28-21 | Knicks +4.5 v. Hawks | Top | 94-105 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 3 m | Show |
This is an 8* on NEW YORK Trailing by double digits at halftime in Game 2, the Knicks appeared to be in grave danger of falling down 0-2 in this series with the Hawks. But they put the clamps down in the second half of that last game, holding Atlanta to just 35 points, and it ended up being a 101-92 New York win. Having lost the first game by only two points, Knicks’ fans probably feel as if they should be up 2-0 in the series. That it was the defense that sparked the second half comeback on Wednesday should not come as any surprise. The Knicks allowed the fewest number of points per game in the league during the regular season. They are also the league’s best ATS team with a cover rate of 65.3%, which is well out in front of everyone else. The fact they’ve covered 9 of their last 11 games as road underdogs comes in handy here as they are taking on a team that’s 11-0 straight up in its last 11 home games. The Knicks have suffered only two losses in their previous seven games and each came by just two points. Therefore, taking the points in Game 3 seems like the best option. Play on NEW YORK AAA |
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05-27-21 | Bucks v. Heat +2 | Top | 113-84 | Loss | -114 | 11 h 46 m | Show |
This is an 8* on MIAMI The Heat find themselves desperately needing to win Game 3, otherwise this series will be just about over. They lost both games in Milwaukee, the first one being close (109-107 in overtime) and the second one being a blowout (132-98). Given that the Heat are down 0-2, we were a bit surprised to see this line “jump the fence” as the Bucks are now favored. It was record-setting shooting for Milwaukee on Monday as they made 22 three-pointers, the most ever by the franchise in a single playoff game. They scored 46 points in the first quarter, 78 in the first half and were ahead at one point by 36. But now the series heads to Miami and the Heat have yet to shoot well. We think they will tonight in Game 3. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are averaging just 26 points/game - combined. In the regular season, the duo averaged just over 40 points/game. The Bucks were just 20-16 straight up on the road in the regular season as opposed to 26-10 at home. They are 5-10 against the spread coming off a game where they scored at least 130 points. Miami can’t afford to go down 0-3 as no one has ever come back from that series deficit in the history of the NBA. Play on MIAMI AAA |
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05-25-21 | Mavs +6 v. Clippers | Top | 127-121 | Win | 102 | 30 h 13 m | Show |
This is a 10* on DALLAS The Mavs seized home court advantage by “stealing” Game 1 in LA, 113-103 as six-point underdogs. Luka Doncic scored 31 points and the key was the Clippers, the league’s top three point shooting team, making only 27.5% from behind the arc. Dallas led most of the game and shot well. While most will be thinking “zig zag theory” here, the gap between the teams simply isn’t as wide as the spread suggests. The Clippers have not won a game in 10 days and are just 3-9 ATS their previous 12 games. They’ve lost three of the four games to Dallas this year including the infamous 51-point loss two days after Christmas. All three Mavericks wins have been by 10 or more points. The Clippers have a lot of pressure on them heading into this postseason and we’re not convinced they are capable of living up to the hype. Dallas is a good team that has lost just three times in its last 13 games, one of those the inconsequential final regular season game. Grab the points in this one. Play on DALLAS AAA |
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05-24-21 | Heat +5 v. Bucks | Top | 98-132 | Loss | -115 | 12 h 1 m | Show |
This is an 8* on MIAMI Both the Heat and Bucks hope for improved shooting in Game 2. From the Heat point of view, that may sound a little strange seeing as they connected on a franchise record 20 three-pointers in Game 1. But they were just 32.7% from the floor inside the arc and both Bam Adebayo (4 of 15) and Jimmy Butler (4 of 22) were not sharp. Miami was our 10* Game of the Month in Game 1, so we were quite happy with the final result. We’ll take them again here as they never trailed by more than eight points on Saturday and there’s no reason to believe they will again tonight. Remember that they eliminated the Bucks from last year’s playoffs. They seem to know how to defend Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was only 10 of 27 in Game 1. The Heat are 16-5 ATS their previous 21 playoff games including 5-0 ATS in the first round. They’ve won 8 of their last 11 overall and while two of the losses were to Milwaukee, one of them didn’t matter and the other went to overtime. The Bucks are now 1-7 ATS their last eight games. Play on MIAMI AAA |
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05-23-21 | Grizzlies +9 v. Jazz | Top | 112-109 | Win | 100 | 13 h 1 m | Show |
This is a 10* on MEMPHIS Not many are giving Memphis a chance in Game 1, let alone the series. But coming off two wins in the first ever play-in tournament, maybe they should. The Grizzlies’ narrow wins over San Antonio and Golden State are a little misleading in the sense they led most of the way in both games. Not saying it’s going to be a wire to wire win here in Salt Lake City, but we do like the Grizzlies to keep it close. It will be interesting to observe the “rest vs. rust” for the Jazz, who have not played in a week. The fact Memphis had to win twice to get here isn’t that big of a disadvantage as teams normally play more than twice in a six day span. Of the three times these teams played in the regular season, two were decided by four points or less. The exception was the second game, which was a back to back on the road. Utah has had three or more days rest for only one game all season and they didn’t cover the spread in it. Memphis is 23-14 ATS in road games and is a top six team defensively in points per possessions allowed. Grab the points. Play on MEMPHIS AAA |
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05-22-21 | Heat +5 v. Bucks | Top | 107-109 | Win | 100 | 67 h 8 m | Show |
This is a 10* on MIAMI Milwaukee will obviously be motivated based on last year’s playoff exit at the hands of Miami. But the Bucks sure chose a tough potential path to make it to the NBA Finals. They may have to go through the Heat, Nets and Sixers to get there. They’ve infamously flamed out of the playoffs earlier than expected the last two years. There’s a lot of pressure on star player Giannis Antetokounmpo coming into this series. The Heat are once again peaking at the right time. They won 12 of their final 16 regular season games to move up to the six seed. Yes, one of the losses did come to the Bucks. But now it’s the playoffs and that’s what this team (meaning the Heat) are built for. They have a top 10 defense and held Milwaukee to 32.7% shooting on three-point attempts in last year’s series. They also have a blueprint to stop Giannis. Eric Spoelstra really outcoached Mike Budenholzer last year. Miami is 15-5 ATS L20 playoff games. The reason they got off to the slow start this year was likely to do to such a short period of time off between seasons. Jimmy Butler’s numbers ended up being here this year compared to last. He and Bam Adebayo are the keys, but we also think some of the Heat’s perimeter shooters are going to knock down more threes than usual. Tyler Herro has been cold since returning from injury. That can change in a hurry. The Bucks have only covered one of their last seven games. Play on MIAMI AAA |
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05-19-21 | Warriors +5.5 v. Lakers | Top | 100-103 | Win | 100 | 14 h 48 m | Show |
This is an 8* on GOLDEN STATE This is too many points for Golden State. Not only have they won six in a row, they’ve covered six straight as well. The Lakers have the worst ATS record among playoff teams (31-40-1). They aren’t going to just automatically “gel” now that LeBron and Davis are back. James is still hobbled by his injured ankle. Not hobbled is Steph Curry. He went for 46 in the last game and is #1 in the league in scoring. Over his past 24 games, Curry has scored 30 or more 21 times while averaging 36.9 points. HIs shooting alone can propel the Warriors to victory here. The five-game win streak by the Lakers includes two wins by two points. They are off a 110-98 win at New Orleans on the season’s final day. Bad news: the Lakers are 6-15 ATS off a double digit win this year. They are only 2-12 ATS after their last 14 straight up wins. We’re grabbing the points. Play on GOLDEN STATE AAA |
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05-15-21 | Heat +2 v. Bucks | Top | 108-122 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 4 m | Show |
This is a 10* on MIAMI Each has two games left in the regular season, but this may not be the last time the Bucks run into the Heat. There’s a chance these two teams could be first round playoff opponents. Milwaukee will finish in the top three, maybe as high as second depending on what the Nets do this weekend. Miami can finish anywhere from fourth to sixth depending on the next two games. What we do know is the Heat would much rather finish in the top five, and match up with either the Hawks or Knicks, as opposed to finishing sixth and facing either the Bucks or Nets. Miami seems to be peaking at the right time as they’ve won four in a row and seven of eight. Their last win was against the East’s #1 seed, Philadelphia, whom they held to 94 points. Remember that the Heat peaked at the right time last year and made it all the way to the NBA Finals, a run that included them eliminating the Bucks from the postseason. The teams haven’t met since December when Miami was in a lot rougher shape. Milwaukee is off a big 142-133 win at Indiana Thursday. They are 4-10 ATS this season if they scored 130 or more points in their last game. Also, in four of their past five games, the Bucks have surrendered at least 133 points. That’s pretty bad. Grab the points. Play on MIAMI AAA |
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05-14-21 | Cavs v. Wizards -7.5 | Top | 105-120 | Win | 100 | 12 h 37 m | Show |
This is a 10* on WASHINGTON There’s still one spot in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament up for grabs. It will likely go to Washington. All the Wizards need to do is beat Cleveland tonight and the spot is theirs. They have a two-game lead over Chicago with two games to play. Beating the Cavaliers should not be difficult. The Cavs are one of the worst teams in the league and are coming off a rare win. Before defeating Boston 102-94 two days ago, Cleveland had lost 11 in a row. Seven of those losses were by double digits and only two were by less than nine. The only teams in the league with a worse point differential (than the Cavs) are Orlando and Oklahoma City. Washington let one slip away in Atlanta Wednesday, so they should come out angry. Even without Bradley Beal, the Wizards averaged 120 points/game in the two losses to the Hawks. Scoring shouldn’t be an issue here either. Washington is 26-12 ATS after scoring 115 or more points in their last game and they finished with 116 on Wednesday. Since April 12th, the Wizards are 13-5 and every loss was by four points or less, three of them by one point. So they are one of the hottest teams in the league over the last month. On the road, Cleveland does not even average 100 points/game and they are 10-24 ATS. Play on WASHINGTON AAA |
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05-13-21 | Clippers v. Hornets +9 | Top | 113-90 | Loss | -115 | 8 h 25 m | Show |
This is a 10* on CHARLOTTE The Clippers, who have gone Under the total in nine consecutive games, are just 5-4 straight up during the same stretch. They did defeat undermanned Toronto 115-96 on Tuesday, but look for the Hornets to be a taller order on Thursday. Playing at home, Charlotte will be looking to cement its status as a top eight team in the Eastern Conference. Finishing in the top eight should be the Hornets goal at this point as they’d only have to win once to escape the play-in round and would also get a mea culpa (second game) if they were to lose their first play-in game. The Clippers are pretty much locked into a top four seed out West and don’t have a ton to play for in the next three games, all of which will be on the road. This is the Hornets’ last regular season home game, so expect there to be some level of motivation, or at least more motivation than the Clippers will have. Charlotte has lost two in a row and three of four - all those games coming at home. Not saying they’re going to win tonight, but taking the points is the correct call. Play on CHARLOTTE AAA |
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05-12-21 | Wizards v. Hawks -5.5 | Top | 116-120 | Loss | -110 | 20 h 47 m | Show |
This is a 10* on ATLANTA The Hawks beat the Wizards Monday, 125-124, but did not cover the number (-8). It was an interesting game in that the Wizards led 62-61 at halftime, but then Atlanta came storming out of the break to take a 17 point lead after three quarters. But the fourth belonged to Washington as they outscored the Hawks 45-29. Still, Atlanta won despite shooting only 33.3 percent from three (compared to 50% for Washington). The number is a little bit shorter for tonight’s rematch and we will lay the points in this one as Washington isn’t liable to shoot the ball as well as they did Monday. Bradley Beal, who is the NBA’s second leading scorer, has again been ruled out. That the Wizards scored 124 without him on Monday was a surprise. Atlanta has won four of five and is trying to lock down home court advantage for the first round of the playoffs. They are 22-11 SU at home this season, so home court advantage is important to them. Monday was their eighth straight win here. They are 14-2 ATS L16 as a home favorite. Play on ATLANTA AAA |
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05-11-21 | Heat -1.5 v. Celtics | Top | 129-121 | Win | 100 | 12 h 44 m | Show |
This is a 10* on MIAMI This is a really important game in the race for the six seed in the Eastern Conference. Miami has a two-game lead over Boston after beating them (the Celtics) on Sunday 130-124 here in Beantown. The six seed, as a reminder, avoids the play-in tournament. So it’s very significant to finish in the top six in your conference. The Heat have been the hotter team of late with wins in 9 of their last 12 games. The Celtics have dropped six of nine and actually trailed by 30 points in one of those three victories. We’re going with Miami to make it two in a row in Boston tonight on TNT. The Heat led by 26 at halftime Sunday after shooting 65 percent. Boston got some really bad news yesterday when it was announced that Jaylen Brown, who is having a career year, is done for the season because of a wrist injury. Before getting beaten by the Heat 48 hours ago, the Celtics lost by 22 at Chicago. They’ve now used 34 different starting lineups this season, fourth most in the league, and there’s just not a lot of positives for this team right now. Play on MIAMI AAA |
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05-09-21 | Pelicans +5 v. Hornets | Top | 112-110 | Win | 100 | 10 h 29 m | Show |
This is a 10* on NEW ORLEANS The Pelicans desperately need to win Sunday. They are two back of San Antonio, who lost yesterday, for 10th place and the last play-in spot. They’ll head to a place the fans know well, Charlotte, as that’s the franchise’s former home. Neither Zion Williamson or Brandon Ingram will make the trip though as both are injured at the most inopportune time. But without either, New Orleans almost defeated Philadelphia on Friday. They lost that game by only two. Charlotte doesn’t scare us as they too have an injury-depleted roster. The Hornets have won back to back games only one time since April 10th. They are off a win over Orlando on Friday. New Orleans hasn’t dropped consecutive games since a four-game losing streak in mid-April. They are 4-0 ATS off a loss since then. They are 21-9 ATS vs. the Hornets and won the last two times they’ve come to Charlotte. The Hornets are 5-11 ATS their last 16 games. New Orleans is 5-0 ATS its last five road games and 4-0 ATS its last four as an underdog. Play on NEW ORLEANS AAA |
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05-09-21 | Wolves v. Magic +7 | Top | 128-96 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 29 m | Show |
This is an 8* on ORLANDO Minnesota laying seven points on the road seems a bit excessive. They’ve won only eight times on the road all season and have the third worst overall win percentage in the entire NBA. We know the Magic have been struggling recently, but they are still a game better than the Timberwolves. And recent Orlando efforts - except the one vs. Boston - have been competitive. They beat Memphis and Detroit last weekend and were neck and neck with Charlotte most of the way Friday. In January, they rallied from a 16-point halftime deficit to win 97-96 at Minnesota. This will be only the fourth time the T’wolves have been favored to win a road game in 2020-21. They are 2-1 SU/ATS in the other three, but the scoring margin is just +2.0 PPG. Play on ORLANDO AAA |
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05-08-21 | Spurs v. Blazers -5 | Top | 102-124 | Win | 100 | 15 h 41 m | Show |
This is a 10* on PORTLAND Both teams won last night. San Antonio got a much needed win in Sacramento, 113-104, ending a five-game losing streak in the process. Portland won for the sixth time in seven games, beating the Lakers 106-101, but did not cover the spread. We think the Blazers will cover Saturday night as they continue their pursuit of a top six spot in the Western Conference. The win over the Lakers did help as it moved them a game ahead. The difference between finishing sixth and seventh is huge because of the new play-in round. The Spurs can only hope for a play-in round appearance as they are 10th, 2.5 games up on New Orleans. (Ten teams make the playoffs, including the play-in round). The best San Antonio can probably hope for is 8th, but that’s still the play-in round and honestly they don’t want to face the Lakers or Blazers in that situation. (Although the winner of the 7th vs. 8th place game is guaranteed a first round playoff series). But the bottom line is Portland is 7-1 ATS its last eight vs. teams with losing records and going to stop an 0-5 ATS skid as home favorites. Play on PORTLAND AAA |
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05-07-21 | Knicks v. Suns -7 | Top | 105-128 | Win | 100 | 11 h 18 m | Show |
This is a 10* on PHOENIX The Knicks have been so successful ATS that they’ve even caught the eye of “mainstream” outlets like ESPN. Coming into tonight’s game with Phoenix, New York has gone 43-23 against the spread this season, a cover rate of 65.1%. Per the ESPN report, only two other teams in the past 30 years have covered 65% of their games in a given season. That’s pretty good for a team that opened the year tied with Cleveland and Detroit as the biggest long-shot to win the NBA Finals (500-1!). But now that they’re getting this kind of recognition, it’s probably a choice time to start fading. Just 48 hours ago, the Knicks got their doors blown off in Denver 113-97, a bad call by us. But we’ve learned our lesson and now are going to fade as the Knicks’ toughest road trip of the season continues tonight in the desert. The Suns have been just as surprising as the Knicks this year, maybe even moreso, as they have the league’s second best overall record. After a shocking 32-point loss to Atlanta on Wednesday, they should be surly. The Suns have won and covered all five matchups with the Knicks the past three seasons including a 118-110 win in Madison Square Garden last month. That ended what was a nine-game Knicks win streak at the time. Phoenix has been great off a loss this year, going 14-4 ATS, so lay the points with confidence. Play on PHOENIX AAA |
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05-06-21 | Lakers +8 v. Clippers | Top | 94-118 | Loss | -105 | 14 h 39 m | Show |
This is a 10* on the LAKERS Betting either the Lakers or the Clippers recently has been hazardous to one’s bankroll. The Lakers are just 1-7 ATS their last eight games, though they did just upset Denver - as a 3.5 point underdog - on Monday. They did so without the services of LeBron James. James returned on 4/30 against the Kings and also played on 5/2 vs Toronto, but those were both Lakers’ losses. They are 2-6 SU those last eight games and have fallen into a tie with Dallas for 5th in the West. Seventh place Portland is lurking just a half game back, so there’s a chance the defending NBA champs could end up in the play-in round. James is not playing tonight, but we’ll still take the points with the Lakers as the league’s “other LA team” has not covered in five straight and should not be laying so many points. The Clippers have lost three of the last five games outright and the two wins - both of which were against non-playoff teams - were by just five points each. They trailed much of the way against Toronto in their last game. Remember the Lakers still have Anthony Davis and are #1 in the league in points allowed per possession. Play on LA LAKERS AAA |
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05-05-21 | Knicks +3 v. Nuggets | Top | 97-113 | Loss | -109 | 13 h 17 m | Show |
This is a 10* on the KNICKS Two hot teams meet in Denver Wednesday night. The Knicks are the hotter of the two and arguably the hottest team in the league currently. They’ve won 12 of the last 13 games, including three straight by double digits. Equally as impressive is the fact they are on a 15-1 ATS run! That goes back to April 3rd. Nine of the last 10 wins have been by 10 or more points. The only game the Knicks have lost since April 8th was to Phoenix, who has the best record in the NBA. New York will visit Phoenix on Friday. But first they are in Denver. Tonight is the beginning of a tough four-game stretch, all of them on the road. In addition to visits to Denver and Phoenix, the Knicks go to LA to face the Lakers and the Clippers. We’re taking the points here as they just won in Memphis 118-104 as a 3.5-point dog Monday. That same night, Denver lost to the Lakers 93-89 in a game where LeBron James rested. The Nuggets had won five in a row and nine of 10 before suffering that loss, but remember PG Jamal Murray is out for the year and that absence will be felt moving forward. The Knicks have covered two-thirds of their games this season, easily the best ATS record in the league. Denver lost another guard (PJ Dozier) to injury on Monday. Play on NEW YORK AAA |
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05-01-21 | Pelicans -4 v. Wolves | Top | 140-136 | Push | 0 | 9 h 16 m | Show |
This is a 10* on NEW ORLEANS Minnesota is on a season-best four game win streak. Two of the wins were against Utah. Look for that streak to end tonight though against a somewhat desperate Pelicans team. New Orleans is on a 3-0 ATS run with one SU loss coming by two points. They are 11th in the West, needing to make up a three-game gap to catch Golden State for the final play-in spot. Golden State is who Minnesota just beat, so that helped the Pelicans out. It’s impressive that New Orleans won so comfortably in Oklahoma City as they only shot 5 of 29 from behind the three-point arc. They’ll certainly be better tonight against a T’wolves team that lets opponents hit over 39% from three. Minnesota is still just 2-13 straight up when coming off an upset win as an underdog. The Pelicans have double revenge as they are one of two teams that Minnesota has multiple wins against this season without a loss. New Orleans' last two losses were by two points each, so they could easily be on a five game win streak heading into tonight. This is pretty close to “must win” and they are 27-11 ATS their last 38 road games vs. teams with a home win percentage of .400 or worse. Minnesota is 12-19 at home. Play on NEW ORLEANS AAA |
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04-30-21 | Blazers -1 v. Nets | Top | 128-109 | Win | 100 | 9 h 47 m | Show |
This is a 10* on PORTLAND Second time in a row we’re going with Portland. They won big for us in their last game, a 130-109 pummeling of Memphis. They were up 33 at one point. It was the Blazers second straight emphatic victory. They also beat Indiana 133-112 earlier in the week. So coming off back-to-back 130+ point efforts, they look to win their third straight game tonight in Brooklyn. The Nets won’t have Durant or Harden and Irving is listed as questionable. They hope to have Irving back, but it’s a gametime decision. The Nets are 4-0 straight up and against the spread their last four games, but Portland comes in more desperate for a win. They are now one game back of Dallas for the six seed and finishing sixth or higher means you avoid the play-in round. Brooklyn is first out East, even though Philadelphia and Milwaukee have better scoring differentials. The Blazers are a good road team (18-12) and can easily beat the Nets when they don’t have two, or maybe all three of their stars. Play on PORTLAND AAA |
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04-29-21 | Warriors -5.5 v. Wolves | Top | 114-126 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 8 m | Show |
This is a 10* on GOLDEN STATE For the first time in 2020-21, Minnesota finds itself on a three-game win streak. The only previous time they’d even won two in a row was when they started the season 2-0. Oddly, two of those wins came against the Jazz, the team with the best record in all of basketball. They are 3-0 vs. Utah this season and just 16-44 against everyone else. The third straight win came on Tuesday against a Houston team that is simply playing out the string at this point. We don’t see the Timberwolves extending this improbable win streak tonight though as they face a Golden State team that’s off an incredibly embarrassing 30 point defeat at the hands of Dallas. The Warriors trailed 62-29 at halftime despite the Mavs coming into the game short-handed and it was at HOME. The loss leaves them 31-31 on the year and clinging on to the last available spot for the play-in round. We expect a big time bounce back performance here from Steph Curry as Golden State has already beaten Minnesota by double digits two different times this year. Coach Steve Kerr ripped his team pretty bad after the Dallas loss and said every game from here on out needed to be treated like a playoff game. Lay a really short number in this one. Play on GOLDEN STATE AAA |
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04-28-21 | Blazers +2.5 v. Grizzlies | Top | 130-109 | Win | 100 | 24 h 18 m | Show |
This is a 10* on PORTLAND Big-time revenge game for the Blazers tonight. They’ve lost twice at home to Memphis in the last seven days. This time they face the Grizzlies on the road. They do so on the second night of a back to back. Last night probably could not have gone any better as they boat raced Indiana 133-112. They were 50 of 106 from the field and 20 of 35 from three-point range and took control by outscoring the Pacers 40-16 in the third. They were up 35 at that point, which means key players were able to rest. This race for sixth in the West has gotten quite interesting as Portland lost five in a row, four of them at home, before last night’s win. But they are still 1.5 games up on the Grizzlies and 17-12 SU/ATS on the road. Memphis has a losing home record (13-16 SU) and was blown out in Denver two nights ago. This is their first home game in two weeks. A 24-point loss is not the way you want to end a seven-game road trip and look for that to have an effect on the Grizzlies tonight. They shot really well both games in Portland, but were 4 of 32 from behind the arc in Denver. Play on PORTLAND AAA |
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04-25-21 | Kings v. Warriors -9.5 | Top | 113-117 | Loss | -110 | 14 h 55 m | Show |
This is a 10* on GOLDEN STATE Golden State should really “give it” to Sacramento Sunday night. We had the Warriors in a most impressive 118-97 win against Denver on Friday night. That was their sixth win in the last eight games as they continue their push to the playoffs. The two losses were both close games on the road. All six wins have been nine points or greater and this matchup should continue the trend as the Kings won’t have De’Aaron Fox, who is out due to COVID. The Warriors are winning by an average of 9.5 points in the games where they were favored this year. Steph Curry has scored 30 or more in 12 of his last 13 games and should exceed that number again tonight seeing as the Kings are the worst defensive team in the league. The Kings are also 2-10 in their last 12 games with one of the two wins coming earlier this week, by only three points, against last place Minnesota. Seven of those ten losses have been by double digits. Play on GOLDEN STATE AAA |
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04-24-21 | Bulls v. Heat -5 | Top | 101-106 | Push | 0 | 12 h 50 m | Show |
This is a 10* on MIAMI The Heat’s three-game run (win streak) ended Friday with a 118-113 loss in Atlanta. Now they host Chicago for a couple games. These games will have an effect on the Eastern Conference playoff race as the Heat (31-29) sit in seventh place while the Bulls (25-34) are one game back of 10th, which is where they need to be to make the new play-in round. Although we took them on Thursday and they beat Charlotte 108-91, the Bulls aren’t a very good team. Leading scorer Zach LaVine is still out indefinitely (quarantine). The Bulls last road game resulted in a 16-point loss at Cleveland, who isn’t very good. Miami wasn’t very good defensively on Friday, allowing a shorthanded Hawks team to shoot 53.8% and make 15 threes. They were also outrebounded and -13 in fast break points. They can’t afford to lose a second straight game to a team playing without its leading scorer. Several key players had bad shooting nights in Atlanta and we expect them to bounce back and deliver at home. The Heat won by 11 in Chicago last month. Play on MIAMI AAA |
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04-23-21 | Nuggets v. Warriors +3 | Top | 97-118 | Win | 100 | 13 h 1 m | Show |
This is a 10* on GOLDEN STATE Denver enters Friday at 38-20 overall and in 4th place in the Western Conference. They’ve won four straight, but the last two have been by a total of three points and they didn’t cover either of those. Golden State is 29-30 SU this season and coming off a heartbreaking 118-114 loss at Washington Wednesday night. The Warriors are 10th in the West, just barely holding on to a spot for the play-in tournament. So this game would seem more important to them and they’ve got to love the fact it’s at home. Steph Curry and the boys haven’t played a home game in 11 days. The last one was against the Nuggets and they won 116-107 as 5.5-point underdogs. They just completed a successful road trip (3-2) and are 6-3 SU the last nine games overall. In that last meeting, Denver lost point guard Jamal Murray for the season to an ACL injury. We’re surprised they’ve done so well without him. Steph Curry had 53 points in that last meeting and after having an 11-game run of 30+ point games snapped Wednesday, look for him to have another big game tonight. The Warriors are 6-1 ATS the last 7 games vs. Denver. Play on GOLDEN STATE AAA |
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04-22-21 | Hornets v. Bulls -1.5 | Top | 91-108 | Win | 100 | 11 h 54 m | Show |
This is an 8* on CHICAGO The race for the four play-in spots in the NBA’s Eastern Conference is intensifying. Washington has gotten hot and there are four teams separated by three games gunning for the last two playoff berths. Charlotte is a little bit ahead of those four teams, in eighth place, but fading rapidly as a rash of injuries have hurt literally and figuratively. Just 1-5 the last six games, the Hornets are without LaMelo Ball, Malik Monk and Gordon Hayward. Without three of their top five scorers, the team has failed to even hit 100 points in five of the past 11 games. Really, we didn’t think this team was all that great BEFORE the injuries and this slide should continue tonight in Chicago. The Bulls are desperate after losing in Cleveland last night 121-105. They are one game back of 10th place as they’ve won just twice in their past eight games. Their leading scorer (Zach LaVine) is also out, but they are still a better offensive team than Charlotte. They also held Cleveland and Boston both to just 96 points in recent wins. We just see Charlotte as a team in a free-fall and it's unlikely to end with so many key players still missing. Play on CHICAGO AAA |
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04-21-21 | Warriors -2 v. Wizards | Top | 114-118 | Loss | -107 | 21 h 9 m | Show |
This is a 10* on GSW Thanks to the latest virtuoso effort from Steph Curry (49 points), the Warriors were able to defeat Philadelphia Monday night 107-96. They are now 3-1 on the current road trip with Curry averaging 42.8 points/game on 55 percent shooting. Their next game is tonight in the Nation’s Capital against a Wizards team that has been surging of late with five straight wins. That win streak has them tied with Chicago for 10th place, the last available spot for the play-in round of the postseason. Golden State, who has won five of its last six overall, is 9th in the West. So this one is every bit as important to them. We don’t see how you can fade Curry right now, especially in this matchup against the team that gives up the second highest number of points/game in the league. The Warriors have revenge for a three-point home loss 12 days ago. The Wizards have a losing record at home. Golden State is 16-6 SU and 14-8 ATS when favored this season. Washington did snap Utah’s long home win streak earlier in the month, but their last four wins have all been against non-playoff teams, the last two vs. Detroit and Oklahoma City, who might be the worst teams in each conference. Play on GOLDEN STATE AAA |