7* NBA Non-Conference Game of the Week on Miami Heat +4.5 

The Key: The Miami Heat come in hungry off their embarrassing 16-point home loss to the Bulls last time out. They’ll be more focused tonight with the Thunder, who have won 6 straight and are getting a lot of respect from oddsmakers, coming to town.  The Thunder have to deal with all the distractions that come with playing in Miami because they didn’t fly home after their game against Orlando the other night.  The Heat are 19-6 ATS off an upset loss as home favorite over the last 3 seasons.  The Thunder are 3-16 ATS in road games after covering 5 or 6 of their last 7 ATS over the last 3 years.  Bets on home dogs who are off an upset loss as a home favorite in the 2nd half of the season are 43-16 ATS over the last 5 years.  Take Miami. 

7* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on San Antonio Spurs -7.5 

The Key: Greg Popovich called out his players on their lack of respect for the game when they needed a buzzer-beater to beat the Suns 126-124 at home last time out.  Look for his players to respond.  It also helps that the Spurs will get back DeMar DeRozan from a one-game absence and are back at full strength tonight.  They are taking on a Nets team that is starting to get too much respect from oddsmakers for beating up on a weak schedule of late.  And the Nets will be playing their 3rd game in 4 days here.  The Nets are not healthy, missing Spencer Dinwiddie, Jared Dudley, Caris LeVert and Allen Crabbe.  Bets on favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points (San Antonio) - after having covered 5 or 6 of their last 7 ATS, in a game involving two marginal winning teams (51% to 60%) are 29-6 ATS over the last 5 seasons.  The Spurs are 20-7-1 ATS in their last 28 games overall.  The Spurs are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 against Eastern Conference teams.  The Spurs are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 home meetings with the Nets.  The Spurs are 25-7-1 ATS in the last 33 meetings.  Take San Antonio. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Miami Heat -10 

The Key: The Chicago Bulls are just 1-14 SU & 4-10-1 ATS in their last 15 games overall.  Now they’ll be playing for a second consecutive day after losing 117-122 to the Nets last night.  The Heat come in on two days’ rest, making this a tremendous situational advantage for them.  The Heat are 3-0 in their last 3 meetings with he Bulls winning by 7, 11 and 14 points.  Take Miami. 

7* Warriors/Pacers NBA TV *HEAVY HITTER* on Golden State -8.5 

The Key: The Warriors are rolling right now having won 10 straight.  And they look pretty unstoppable with DeMarcus Cousins in the fold now.  The Pacers were moving along nicely in the East, but then suffered a huge blow when Victor Oladipo suffered a season-ending knee injury a few games back.  They proceeded to lose to Memphis in their first game without him, and Memphis hasn’t been beating anyone.  The Warriors are 10-1 ATS in road games after allowing 110 points or more in 3 straight games over the last 2 seasons.  Take Golden State. 

7* NBA Non-Conference Game of the Week on Dallas Mavericks +5 

The Key: The Dallas Mavericks have been one of the best home teams in the NBA this season.  They are 18-6 SU & 17-7 ATS at home this year.  The Mavs are 9-1 ATS in home games off a win by 6 points or less over the last 2 seasons.  Dallas is 8-1 ATS as a home underdog this season.  The Raptors are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 road games.  Take Dallas. 

7* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Portland Trail Blazers -8 

The Key: The Portland Trail Blazers are 8-0 in their last 8 meetings with the Suns while outscoring them by 13.9 PPG.  And while the Blazers are fully healthy coming into this game, the Suns are expected to be without two of their best players in DeAndre Ayton and TJ Warren.  They are already short on talent, which is why they are the worst team in the West.  And they stand little chance of keeping this game competitive now without Ayton and Warren.  The Suns have lost 12 of their last 14 coming in.  The Blazers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games following an ATS loss.  Take Portland. 

7* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Miami Heat -5 

The Key: Good spot for Miami, bad spot for Los Angeles tonight.  The Heat had yesterday off while the Clippers played in Dallas last night.  Now the Clippers have to travel to Miami overnight and play for a second consecutive day and their 3rd game in 4 days.  The Clippers are clearly a tired team as they haven’t had two consecutive days off since January 2-3.  It’s starting to show as the Clippers are 1-6 SU & 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games overall.  Miami is 10-1 ATS against good foul drawing teams who attempt 27 or more free throws per game over the last 3 seasons.  The Heat are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 against a team with a winning record.  Take Miami. 

6* NBA Non-Conference *CA$H COW* on New York Knicks +8 

The Key: The Rockets are wearing down.  They are 1-2 SU & 0-3 ATS in their last three games overall which included a pair of overtime games at home against the Nets and Lakers.  They laid an egg last time out in a 93-121 loss at Philadelphia on Monday night.  And they still won’t have much left for the Knicks tonight.  The Knicks have been a lot more competitive of late as they are 5-3 ATS in their last 8 games overall.  The Rockets are still without Chris Paul and Clint Capela, while the Knicks are as healthy as they’ve been all season.  Houston is 1-9 ATS in road games off a road game this season.  The Knicks are 11-2 ATS in their last 13 games after trailing in their previous game by 15 points or more at halftime.  The Rockets are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 road games against a team that wins less than 40% of their home games.  Take New York. 

7* Rockets/76ers TNT *HEAVY HITTER* on Philadelphia -3.5 

The Key: The Rockets have to be running on fumes by now playing back-to-back overtime games against the Nets and Lakers, both at home.  They were substantial favorites in both games.  And now they’re getting too much respect from oddsmakers here as only 3.5-point dogs at Philadelphia.  The Rockets are without both Chris Paul and Clint Capela.  The 76ers are 19-5 at home this year.  Houston is 0-7 ATS after a combined score of 245 points or more this season.  The 76ers are 8-0 ATS in home games after failing to cover 4 or 5 of their last 6 games this season.  Take Philadelphia. 

7* NBA Situational Game of the Month on Atlanta Hawks +8.5 

The Key: The Hawks have pulled some monster upsets, and come close to pulling some others here of late.  They beat Miami by 24 as 6.5-point home dogs, won at Philadelphia as 10.5-point road dogs, and beat the Thunder by 16 as 10.5-point home dogs.  They also only lost by 3 as 13.5-point dogs at Toronto.  All four efforts have come within their last 6 games.  Now they are rested coming in on 3 days’ rest, while the Celtics will be playing for a second consecutive day and their 7th game in 11 days.  The situation really favors the Hawks tonight.  Boston is 1-8 ATS when playing its 3rd game in 4 days this season.  The Celtics are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 road games.  Take Atlanta. 

7* NBA Non-Conference Game of the Month on Memphis Grizzlies +11 

The Key: The Grizzlies have failed to cover 15 of their last 17 games overall.  That’s why they are catching 11 points tonight, and the price is too good to pass up.  The Celtics are coming off a huge win over the Raptors and won’t be nearly as hungry to face the Grizzlies.  Memphis also wants revenge from a home loss to Boston earlier this season.  The Grizzlies relish these opportunities to face some of the league’s best teams as they’ve already won outright as big dogs over the Bucks and Jazz this year.  Take Memphis. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Phoenix Suns +8 

The Key: Toronto is coming off a tough game at Boston last night.  That has prompted them to rest Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry tonight, their two best players.  They are also playing without Jonas Valanciunas and OG Anunoby.  C.J. Miles is questionable to return as well.  The Suns are actually the better team tonight with all the players the Raptors are missing, and they should not be catching 8 points here to the Raptors.  It will only be the 3rd game in 9 days for the Suns here.  The Suns are 39-18 ATS in their last 57 against NBA Atlantic Division teams.  The Suns are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 road games.  The Suns are 20-6-1 ATS in the last 27 meetings, and 5-0 ATS in their last 5 meetings in Toronto.  Take Phoenix. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Detroit Pistons -4 

The Key: The Pistons are happy to be back home after a tough 4-game road trip out on the West Coast.  They concluded the trip playing well with an upset win at the Clippers as 7.5-point dogs and a cover as 7.5-point dogs at the Jazz.  The Magic are in a letdown spot here off back-to-back upset home wins over Boston and Houston.  The Magic are just 1-6 SU & 1-6 ATS in their last 7 road games with all 6 losses coming by 10 points or more.  The Pistons are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 Wednesday games.  The home team is 5-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings.  Take Detroit. 

7* NBA Western Conference *HEAVY HITTER* on Memphis Grizzlies +5 

The Key: The Grizzlies want revenge from two losses to the Rockets in the last month.  They catch the Rockets at the right time because they are without 3 of their 4 best players in Paul, Capela and Gordon.  And the Rockets are playing on a back-to-back after losing in Orlando on Sunday.  Take Memphis.

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on New Orleans Pelicans +2 

The Key: The situation couldn’t be better for the Pelicans tonight.  They come in on 2 days’ rest while the Timberwolves will be playing for a second consecutive day.  And the Pelicans are fully healthy for the first time all season.  It has helped them to a 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS run in their last 3 games while outscoring the opposition by a whopping 23.3 PPG.  Given the situation, they shouldn’t be dogs to the Timberwolves tonight.  The Pelicans are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games when playing on 2 days’ rest.  Take New Orleans. 

7* Bulls/Warriors NBA *BAILOUT* on Chicago +15.5 

The Key: The Bulls have been playing well on the road in recent games.  They are 4-2 ATS in their last 6 road games.  They won outright at San Antonio by 5, won at Cleveland by 20 and won outright at Washington by 9 all as underdogs.  They only lost by 6 at Toronto as 10.5-point dogs.  And they were in the game the entire way against the Blazers on the road last time out before eventually losing by 12.  They can stay within 15.5 of the Warriors tonight as this price is too steep.  The Bulls are 5-1 ATSin their last 6 games playing on one day of rest.  The Bulls are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games against teams that win better than 60% of their games.  The Warriors are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 home games.  The Warriors are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 home games against a team with a losing road record.  Take Chicago. 

7* Celtics/Heat TNT *HEAVY HITTER* on Miami +3 

The Key: The Celtics will be playing for a second consecutive night and their 3rd game in 4 days.  It’s a bad spot for them, and they’re up against a Miami Heat team that is playing very well right now.  The Heat are 12-7 SU & 12-6-1 ATS in their last 19 games overall.  They had yesterday off and will be playing only their 5th game in 11 days.  The Heat are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings with the Celtics and match up very well with them.  The Celtics are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games playing on 0 rest.  The Heat are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games against a team that wins more than 60% of their games.  Miami is 8-2 ATS in its lsat 10 games against a team with a winning record.  Take Miami. 

7* Pistons/Lakers ESPN *BAILOUT* on Los Angeles -1.5 

The Key: Head coach Luke Walton called out Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram for not being passionate enough following their 86-108 loss at Minnesota two games back.  Well, those two responded in a big way in the 2nd half in leading the Lakers to a 107-97 upset win as 7.5-point dogs at Dallas the next night.  And they should continue playing harder here against the Pistons at home on National TV.  Getting a healthy Kyle Kuzma back has also helped.  The Pistons are 6-11 on the road this season.  Detroit is 20-41 when the line is +3 to -3 over the last 3 seasons, including 7-20 ATS on the road when the line is +3 to -3.  Take Los Angeles. 

7* Knicks/Warriors NBA TV *BAILOUT* on New York +17 

The Key: The Knicks will be playing just their 3rd game in 7 days tonight.  That’s why I’m not concerned that they are playing for a second consecutive day here after losing in Portland last night.  They’ll certainly be able to muster up the energy to face the defending champion Warriors, just as every has seemed to do this season.  The Warriors get everyone’s best shot, which is why they have struggled so much this season, going 26-14 SU & 16-24 ATS.  They are tied with the Wizards as the worst ATS team in the NBA this season.  It’s pretty easy to figure out why.  The Warriors are 1-14 ATS on Tuesday nights over the last 2 seasons.  The Warriors are 0-7 ATS in their last 7 home games against a team with a losing road record.  The Knicks are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 against Western Conference teams.  Take New York. 

6* Knicks/Blazers NBA *BAILOUT* on New York +11.5 

The Key: The Knicks are starting to catch too many points now after a recent 1-12 SU & 2-13 ATS run.  But they’ve covered the last two games with a 7-point loss at Denver as 13.5-point dogs and an outright win by 7 points over the Lakers as 5.5-point dogs.  And now they are catching double-digits on the road here against the Blazers and should be able to stay within the number.  The Knicks come in on 2 days’ rest so they will be fully of energy, especially since it’s also just their 2nd game in 6 days.  The Blazers are coming off a big win over the Rockets and this is clearly a letdown situation for them.  Bets on road dogs who are off a road win who win between 25% to 40% of their games playing a team with a winning record are 53-19 ATS over the last 5 seasons.  Take New York. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Washington Wizards +10 

The Key: The Wizards have been playing better since it was announced John Wall was out for the season.  He is a cancer in the locker room and the Wizards simply play better without him.  They have gone 2-1 SU & 3-0 ATS in their last 3 games without Wall.  And now they’re catching 10 points at Oklahoma City.  A big reason for their improved play of late is also the return of a healthy Otto Porter Jr., who is one of the more underrated players in the NBA.  The Thunder are 15-35 ATS in their last 50 games off a road win by 3 points or less.  Bets on dogs of 10 or more points who are off a loss by 6 points or less against an opponent that scored 110 points or more in their previous game are 52-27 ATS over the last 5 seasons.  Take Washington. 

7* Thunder/Blazers ESPN *Total* Annihilator on UNDER 223.5 

The Key: The Thunder are the top defensive team in the NBA this season.  And the Blazers play at a slow pace compared to most teams and they’ll control the pace playing at home.  This number is too high tonight, especially when you factor in what these teams have done in recent meetings.  They have combined for fewer than 223.5 points in 7 of their last 8 meetings.  The UNDER is 10-1 in Thunder games where the line is between +3 and -3 this season.  Take the UNDER. 

7* Rockets/Warriors TNT *Total* Annihilator on UNDER 225 

The Key: When you look at the recent history in this series it’s easy to see that the books have set this number too high tonight.  The Rockets and Warriors have gone UNDER the total in 20 of their last 28 meetings.  And more recently, they have combined for 211 or fewer points in 6 consecutive meetings.  The Rockets are 28th in pace, no longer the run and gun team they used to be.  They really have to play this style now because they don’t have Chris Paul and Eric Gordon due to injury.  Take the UNDER. 

7* OKC/LAL ESPN *BAILOUT* on Los Angeles +6 

The Key: This line has been adjusted too much for the absence of Lebron James.  I like the Lakers tonight catching a pretty big number at home against the Thunder.  The Lakers won without James against the Kings and they can win this game also.  The Lakers are in a good situation playing on 2 days’ rest.  The Thunder will be playing their 3rd game in 4 days.  The home team has dominated this series with the home team going 16-5 ATS in the last 21 meetings.  Take Los Angeles. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Detroit Pistons +10.5 

The Key: The Bucks are starting to get too much respect from oddsmakers.  They now have the best record in the NBA at 25-10.  Their lines are inflated now as they are laying double-digits night in and night out.  And the Pistons should be able to make a game out of this.  They’ll want to avenge their 107-104 loss to the Bucks in their last meeting on December 17th just 2 weeks ago.  Milwaukee is 23-48 ATS in its last 71 games as a favorite of 10 points or more.  The Pistons are 4-1-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings.  Bets on dogs of 10 or more points who allowed 55 points or more in the first half of two straight games against an opponent that scored 60 points or more in the first half last game are 42-17 ATS over the last 5 seasons.  Take Detroit. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on New Orleans Pelicans -5 

The Key: The Pelicans will be hungry for a victory tonight after losing 6 of their last 7 all by 8 points or less.  They get Elfrid Payton back in the lineup and will be a dangerous team moving forward.  They had yesterday off, while the Timberwolves played yesterday and will be a tired team playing their 3rd game in 4 days.  The Pelicans are 12-6 at home this year, while the Timberwolves are 5-13 on the road.  Minnesota is 0-10 ATS in road games after covering 3 of their last 4 ATS over the last 2 seasons.  The Timberwolves are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 road meetings with the Pelicans.  Take New Orleans. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Orlando Magic -2 

The Key: The Orlando Magic are coming off a 116-87 home win over the Raptors on Friday.  That ended a 4-game skid, so they’re still hungry for victories.  And they should be able to get one at home against the Pistons Sunday afternoon.  Detroit is also scuffling right now at 3-10 SU & 4-8-1 ATS in their last 13 games overall.  Bets on favorites in a game involving two poor defensive teams (45.5%-47.5%) after a game where they allowed a shooting percentage of 35% or less are 24-6 ATS since 1996.  Take Orlando. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Phoenix Suns +5 

The Key: The Phoenix Suns are 5-3 SU & 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games overall.  They don’t have to travel at all after losing to the Thunder at home last night.  The Nuggets have to travel after a hard-fought 102-99 home win over the Spurs last night.  I think the situation favors the Suns staying at home and sleeping in their own beds in this matchup of two teams on the second of a back-to-back.  The Nuggets are 6-16 ATS in their last 22 road games off a home win.  Bets against any team off a home non-cover where they won straight up as a favorite, on Saturday games are 72-33 ATS over the last 5 seasons.  Take Phoenix. 

7* Clippers/Lakers NBA TV *BAILOUT* on Los Angeles Clippers -5.5 

The Key: This is a bad spot for the Lakers.  They will be playing for a second consecutive day and their 3rd game in 4 days after a 116-117 loss to the Kings last night and a shocking upset win over the Warriors on Christmas Day.  The Clippers will be playing only their 2nd game in 5 days tonight.  While the Clippers are fully healthy, the Lakers are playing without LeBron James and Rajon Rondo right now.  Michael Beasley is also out, and JaVale McGee is questionable.  They are short-handed, which makes this spot even worse for them.  The Clippers should run away with this one given the spot.  The Clippers are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 Friday games.  The Clippers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall, which started when Lou Williams returned from injury.  The road team is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings.  Take the Los Angeles Clippers. 

7* NBA Total of the Week on Knicks/Bucks UNDER 228 

The Key: This will already be the 4th and final meeting between the Bucks and Knicks this season.  Not to mention, they just played two days ago on Christmas Day with the Bucks winning 109-95 for 204 combined points.  And now this total is 228 just 2 days later?  Give me a break.  The UNDER has tremendous value in this matchup.  Familiarity breeds low-scoring games and favors the defenses over the offenses.  The UNDER is 6-0 in Bucks last 6 games following a win by more than 10 points.  The UNDER is 8-1 in Bucks last 9 vs. Eastern Conference teams.  The UNDER is 9-2 in Bucks last 11 games overall.  Take the UNDER. 

7* NBA Non-Conference Game of the Week on Chicago Bulls +4.5 

The Key: The Bulls come in playing well with back-to-back upset blowout victories over the Magic (90-80) and the Cavs (112-92).  They have held 5 of their last 6 opponents to 97 points or fewer as interim head coach Jim Boylen is getting them to play defense.  Lauri Markkanen, off consecutive 30-point games for the first time in his career, says the team is having fun playing basketball again under Boylen.  The Timberwolves should not be favored on the road in this matchup.  The Timberwolves are just 3-13 SU & 6-10 ATS on the road this season and giving up 116 PPG away from home.  The home team has won and covered each of the last 4 meetings between these teams.  The Timberwolves are 13-28 ATS in their last 41 road games dating back to last year.  The Bulls are 11-0 ATS off 2 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.  Take Chicago. 

7* Blazers/Jazz ESPN *BAILOUT* on Portland +6.5 

The Key: The Blazers will be revenge-minded following their 90-120 home loss to the Jazz on December 21st just 4 days ago.  Everything went right for the Jazz in that game as they shot 55.3% overall and 51.6% from 3-point range.  The Blazers shot 40.2% overall and 31.2% from 3-point range.  Ricky Rubio scored 24 points, and Rubio, Crowder and Korver combined to go 11-of-18 from 3-point range.  That’s not going to happen again.  Bets on dogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points who have lost 2 of their last 3 games, a marginal winning team (51% to 60%) playing a losing team are 26-6 ATS over the last 5 seasons.  Take Portland. 

7* Pelicans/Lakers NBA *BAILOUT* on Los Angeles -3.5 

The Key: I like the price we are getting on the Lakers tonight as short home favorites over the New Orleans Pelicans.  The Lakers come in hungry off consecutive losses.  The Lakers have won 9 of their last 10 home games and if they win this game, they’re likely going to cover.  I think they will win because the Pelicans are banged up right now.  Mirotic and Payton are out, and Julius Randle, Ian Clark and Anthony Davis are all questionable.  The Pelicans are 4-12 SU on the road this year.  The Pelicans are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games after covering the spread in their previous game.  The team favored in this series is 6-0 ATS in the last 6 meetings.  Take Los Angeles. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Detroit Pistons +4.5 

The Key: I like the situation for the Pistons tonight.  They blew a double-digit lead at Charlotte the last time these teams played on December 12th just over a week ago and lost 107-108.  They want to avenge that defeat and I think they will here.  They gutted out an impressive OT win at Minnesota last time out and are playing much better here of late.  They beat Boston 3 games back and only lost to Milwaukee by 3, so they’ve played 3 straight good teams tough and won two of them outright as underdogs.  Detroit is 14-3 ATS vs. teams who shoot 24 or fewer free throws per game this season.  Charlotte is 3-12 ATS in December home games over the last 2 seasons.  The Hornets are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.  The Hornets are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 home games overall.  Take Detroit. 

7* Mavs/Clippers NBA *BAILOUT* on Los Angeles -3 

The Key: The Clippers have played 7 of their last 10 games on the road.  It hasn’t gone well for them as they’ve gone just 3-7 during this stretch.  But now they are back home here and on two days’ rest so they should be primed for a big performance against the Mavericks.  This is a Dallas team that has been dreadful on the road this season with a 2-11 record.  The Mavericks are 3-14 ATS on the road when the line is +3 to -3 over the last 3 seasons.  I like the price we are getting with the Clippers at home tonight.  Take Los Angeles. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Phoenix Suns +12 

The Key: The Phoenix Suns have Devin Booker back in the lineup and it’s no surprise that they are now playing up to their potential.  The Suns are 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS in their last 3 games overall with upset wins over the Mavericks and Timberwolves, and a blowout road win by 18 at the Knicks.  They stay out East here for this showdown with the Celtics, a team they have owned.  The Celtics are starting to get too much respect from the books now after going 8-1 SU & 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games overall.  The Suns are a perfect 6-0 ATS in their last 6 meetings with the Celtics, not once losing by more than 10 points.  Take Phoenix. 

7* NBA Eastern Conference Game of the Week on Cleveland Cavaliers +12 

The Key: Indiana is starting to get too much respect from oddsmakers due to their 7-game winning streak.  And they certainly will not be that excited to play the Cavs tonight, which will make it difficult for them to cover this 12-point spread.  Especially when you fact in that they have a huge road game at Toronto on deck tomorrow night, so they’ll want to conserve their energy for that game against the East’s top team.  It’s just a great situation here to back the Cavs given the Pacers’ obvious lack of motivation tonight.  The Pacers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.  The Cavs are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games after giving up more than 125 points in their previous game.  The road team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.  Take Cleveland. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Detroit Pistons +4 

The Key: The Bucks are just 6-6 SU & 5-7 ATS on the road this season.  They are getting too much respect from oddsmakers tonight as 4-point road favorites over a Pistons team that is 10-6 at home this year.  It’s also a hungry, rested Pistons team that will be playing just their 2nd game in 5 days.  And they have lost 6 of their last 7 coming in, but they were a tired team previously, and now they’re fresh.  It helped when they returned from 2 days off to beat the Celtics 113-104 at home as 2-point dogs last time out.  Home-court advantage has clearly matters in this series.  The home team is 7-0 SU in the last 7 meetings.  The Bucks are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games following a win by more than 10 points.  Take Detroit. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Phoenix Suns +8.5 

The Key: The Timberwolves are 2-11 on the road this season and losing by 7.6 PPG.  They can’t be laying 8.5 points on the road to anyone.  Minnesota is 12-26 ATS in its last 38 road games.  The Suns are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 home meetings with the Timberwolves.  Take Phoenix. 

6* Warriors/Kings NBA *BAILOUT* on Sacramento +7.5 

The Key: The Kings are 5-1 SU & 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.  They will relish this opportunity to face the defending champion Warriors at home tonight.  The Kings have actually won 2 of their last 5 meetings with the Warriors outright, and in their only meeting this season they only lost 116-117 on the road.  They are now getting 7.5 points to the Warriors at home.  The Warriors are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 vs. Western Conference teams.  The Kings are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 games when coming in on one days’ rest.  Take Sacramento. 

6* NBA Eastern Conference *CA$H COW* on Cleveland Cavaliers +10.5 

The Key: The Cavaliers just lost by 16 at Milwaukee 5 days ago on December 10th.  I like looking to back teams who have a shot at revenge in the 2nd meeting between teams who have just recently played.  Especially big underdogs like the Cavs here, who are now catching double-digits against the Bucks at home.  The Cavs have won their last two home games outright as underdogs over the Wizards and Knicks by a combined 22 points.  The Bucks are only 20-48 ATS in their last 68 as a double-digit favorite and 4-12 ATS in their last 16 road games.  Take Cleveland. 

7* NBA Total of the Month on Knicks/Hornets UNDER 224.5 

The Key: The Hornets and Knicks just played 6 days ago on December 9th.  The Hornets won that game 119-107 for 226 combined points.  I like looking to the UNDER in the 2nd meeting between teams who have just recently played.  And I think it’s safe to take the UNDER here as they just need to combine for 2 fewer points to get the UNDER.  The Knicks have a ton of injuries right now and are without three key players in Trey Burke, Alonzo Trier and Lance Thomas.  Trier and Burke are big losses because they create offense.  The Knicks just don’t have many playmakers left.  Take the UNDER. 

7* NBA Western Conference Game of the Month on Memphis Grizzlies -3 

The Key: The Blazers are in a difficult situation tonight.  They will be playing the second of a back-to-back while having to take a long flight from Houston to Memphis last night in between.  The Grizzlies are hungry for a victory off two straight losses to the Lakers and Nuggets, and they had yesterday off.  The Grizzlies are 8-4 SU & 8-4 ATS at home this season, while the Blazers are 5-8 SU & 4-9 ATS on the road.  The Blazers are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 road games.  Portland is 2-9 ATS in its last 11 games overall.  Memphis is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.  The Grizzlies are 11-4 ATS in their last 15 home games.  Take Memphis. 

7* Raptors/Clippers NBA TV *BAILOUT* on Toronto -4 

The Key: The situation is a good one for the Raptors.  They are coming off two straight upset losses to the Nets and Bucks, and they’ve covered just one of their last six coming in.  They’ll be hungry for a victory here against the Clippers.  This is a Clippers team playing the 2nd of a back-to-back after needing overtime to beat the lowly Suns on the road last night.  Several starters played close to 40 minutes, and they’ll be fatigued now.  It’s also their 3rd game in 4 days and their 6th game in 10 days.  The Raptors are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 meetings with the Clippers.  Take Toronto. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Cleveland Cavaliers +13.5 

The Key: This is a great situation to fade the Milwaukee Bucks.  They are coming off an upset win yesterday over the Raptors on the road, so they’ll be playing for a second consecutive day.  And that followed up a 10-point home loss to the Warriors.  So their last two games have been against the defending champs and the team with the best record in the NBA.  There’s absolutely no way they get up emotionally to face the Cavs tonight, and that’s going to make it tough for them to cover this big spread.  And this is a Cavs team that is playing competitive basketball now.  They went on the road and upset the Nets 99-97 as 6-point dogs a few games back, and last time out they won 116-101 as 7.5-point home dogs to the Wizards.  Milwaukee is 2-11 ATS as a favorite of 10 or more points over the last 3 seasons.  The Bucks are 3-12 ATS off an upset win as an underdog over the last 2 years.  Take Cleveland. 

7* NBA Eastern Conference Game of the Week on New York Knicks -2.5 

The Key: The Nets are in a letdown spot off their 106-105 upset win over the Raptors last night.  They’re also a tired team as they’ll be playing the second of a back-to-back and their 6th game in 9 days.  The Knicks will be playing just their 2nd game in 5 days.  The home team is 3-0 in the last three meetings, including a 19-point win and a 16-point win by the Knicks in the last two meetings in New York.  The Nets are 0-7 ATS when playing their 3rd game in 4 days this season.  Take New York. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Atlanta Hawks +6.5 

The Key: The Nuggets just had their 7-game winning streak come to an end in Charlotte last night.  I always like going against teams who just had a long winning streak ended because they seem to be deflated the next game out.  And the Nuggets will now be playing the second of a back-to-back and their 3rd game in 4 days.  Plus, they’ll be without two of their best players in Paul Millsap and Gary Harris.  Millsap suffered a broken toe against the Hornets last night, and his loss is a big one for this team.  Harris is the Nuggets’ leading scorer this year.  And they’re already without Will Barton.  The Hawks are rested having two days off prior to this game, and they’ll be playing only their 3rd game in 8 days.  The situation really favors Atlanta.  The Nuggets are 1-8 ATS off one or more consecutive overs this season.  The Hawks are 36-17 ATS in their last 53 games following a double-digit home loss.  The Hawks are 6-1 ATS in the last 7 meetings and 4-0 ATS in the last 4 home meetings.  Take Atlanta. 

7* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on San Antonio Spurs +1 

The Key: I love the situation here for the Spurs.  They blew a big lead against the Lakers on Wednesday and lost 113-121.  Now they get their chance at revenge just two days later, this time in San Antonio.  And I think they get that revenge tonight.  The Lakers are banged up right now as they were already playing without Rajon Rondo, and now they’ll also be without starter Brandon Ingram for their next two games.  And they are playing a back-to-back here with Memphis on deck tomorrow night.  They won’t be nearly as hungry as the Spurs here, and they will be looking to limit their starters’ minutes if they can.  The Spurs are 16-7 ATS in their last 23 home games.  The Spurs are 21-8 ATS in their last 29 Friday games.  The underdog is 6-0-1 ATS in the last 7 meetings.  Take San Antonio. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Portland Trail Blazers -13 

The Key: This really feels like a get right game for the Portland Trail Blazers tonight.  They are just 1-6 SU in their last 7 games and 0-8 ATS in their last 8 games.  But the Suns are the worst team in the West at 4-20 on the season, and they are 1-11 on the road while losing by 14.6 PPG on average.  The Suns are also 0-6 SU & 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games overall, losing 5 times by double-digits, including 4 straight by 14 points or more.  And now the Suns are without their two leading scorers in Devin Booker and TJ Warren.  They are already short on talent, but they really stand zero chance of being competitive without these two, who combine to average 41.2 PPG on the season.  The Blazers are 24-10 ATS in their last 34 home games, and 10-1 ATS in their last 11 Thursday games.  Take Portland. 

7* 76ers/Raptors ESPN *HEAVY HITTER* on Toronto -6 

The Key: The Toronto Raptors are coming off a rare loss this season to drop to 20-5 on the year.  They should come back hungry here against the Philadelphia 76ers Wednesday night.  The home team is 6-1 SU & 5-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings with the only exception being the Raptors winning at the 76ers last year.  The Raptors are 12-0 SU in their last 12 home meetings with the 76ers with all 12 wins coming by 8 points or more.  Chalk up another win by 8-plus points tonight for them.  Take Toronto. 

7* NBA Situational Game of the Week on Sacramento Kings -5.5 

The Key: The Sacramento Kings come in on 2 days’ rest.  It will also be just their 3rd game in 9 days.  They will run the Phoenix Suns to death, and the Suns won’t be able to do much about it.  The Suns are expected to be without their top two scores in Devin Booker and T.J. Warren, who combined to average 41.2 PPG this season.  That’s a lot of production to have to replace.  There’s just not much talent on this roster outside those two, and that’s evident with their 4-19 record this year.  The Kings are 9-1 ATS when the total is 220 to 229.5 this season.  The Suns are 0-5 SU & 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games overall, losing 4 times by 11 points or more.  Take Sacramento. 

6* Monday NBA *Total* Annihilator on Clippers/Pelicans UNDER 236.5 

The Key: Both the Pelicans and Clippers will be gassed tonight.  Both are playing for a second consecutive night after playing on the road last night.  They will have tired legs, and that will affect their shooting more than anything.  These teams played earlier this season on October 23rd and combined for 225 points.  I think this 236.5-point total is too high given that result and the situation.  The UNDER is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings, and 4-0 in the last 4 meetings in New Orleans.  Take the UNDER. 

6* NBA Game of the Day on Boston Celtics +2.5 

The Key: Boston handled its business in a 128-95 home win over Cleveland last night.  The Celtics were able to rest their starters late because of the blowout, negating the impact of this back-to-back.  They also had 3 days’ rest coming into that game, so this will still be just their 2nd game in 5 days.  They will have plenty left in the tank for the Timberwolves, who are starting to get too much love after a 4-0 SU & 4-0 ATS stretch coming into this game.  But those 4 wins all came against bad teams in the Nets, Bulls, Cavs and Spurs, four teams who are below .500.  Boston is 10-1 ATS following a blowout home win by 20 points or more over the last 2 seasons.  Take Boston. 

6* Nuggets/Blazers ESPN *BAILOUT* on Portland -2 

The Key: I like the price we are getting on the Blazers as short home favorites over the Nuggets tonight.  And we’re getting this price because the Blazers have lost 3 of their last 4 coming in an are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games.  The Nuggets are 4-0 SU & 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games.  Those recent performances are giving us line value on the Blazers.  The home team is 6-1 SU in the last 7 meetings.  Portland is 32-12 SU in its last 44 home meetings with Denver.  The Blazers are 24-9 ATS in their last 33 home games.  Take Portland. 

6* Clippers/Kings NBA *BAILOUT* on Sacramento +2.5 

The Key: The Kings should be able to beat the Clippers at home tonight given their massive advantage in this situation.  They come in on 3 days’ rest and are 16-5 ATS in their last 21 games when playing on 3 or more days’ rest.  The Clippers will be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back after their win over the Suns last night.  The Clippers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 road games against a team with a winning home record.  The Kings have covered the spread in 6 straight Thursday games.  Take Sacramento. 

7* NBA Eastern Conference Game of the Month on Chicago Bulls +14.5 

The Key: The Bulls want to avenge their 19-point loss to the Bucks earlier this month.  And I can’t see the Bucks being too hungry to beat the Bulls by another big margin in this rematch.  And the Bucks haven’t been covering of late so they shouldn’t be this big of favorites.  They are 0-3 ATS in their last 3 games overall and have lost outright as favorites in two of those.  They are just 19-47 ATS in their last 66 tries when favored by at least 10 points.  The road team is 7-1 ATS in the last 8 meetings.  The Bulls are 16-7 ATS in their last 23 meetings with the Bucks.  Take Chicago. 

6* NBA Non-Conference *CA$H COW* on Washington Wizards +6.5 

The Key: The Wizards are playing their best basketball of the season right now.  They are 3-1 SU & 3-1 ATS in their last 4 games overall.  The Pelicans are slumping, going 0-4 SU & 1-3 ATS in their last 4 games overall.  They lost to the Wizards by 10 just the other night and are now favored by 6.5 points in the rematch.  I like the Wizards to hang tough again and possibly win this game outright.  New Orleans is 0-7 ATS off two or more consecutive losses this season.  The Pelicans are 1-8 ATS after scoring 105 points or more in 4 straight games this season.  The Wizards are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games after scoring more than 125 points in their previous game.  The Pelicans are 0-9 ATS in their last 9 games following a loss.  The Wizard are 20-6 ATS in the last 26 meetings, and 13-3 ATS in their last 16 meetings in New Orleans.  Take Washington. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on San Antonio Spurs -6 

The Key: The Spurs will be hungry for a victory after losing 3 of their last 4 coming in.  And they should be able to get back on track against a Chicago Bulls team that has been playing awful for weeks.  The Bulls are 1-6 SU & 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games overall with all 6 losses coming by 5 points or more, including 4 by 15 points or more.  The Bulls are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 Monday games.  The Spurs have won their last 3 meetings with the Bulls by 39, 10 and 19 points.  Expect another double-digit blowout win in their favor tonight.  Take San Antonio. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on New York Knicks +7 

The Key: I like the situation for the Knicks tonight.  They’ll be looking to avenge a 124-129 road loss at New Orleans as 11-point underdogs on November 16th.  And they don’t have to wait long to do it as this game will be played exactly one week to the day later.  Bets on underdogs who are revenging a same season loss who are also off an upset win as a road dog of 10 points or more are 22-4 ATS over the last 5 seasons.  Take New York. 

7* NBA Situational Game of the Week on Milwaukee Bucks -7 

The Key: The Bucks will be playing just their 2nd game in 5 days here and will be fresh for the Blazers.  They also want revenge from a 103-118 loss at Portland in their first meeting this season on November 6th.  The Blazers are in a tough situation here.  They’ll be playing the second of a back-to-back and their 3rd game in 4 days after a 118-114 win in New York last night.  The Bucks are 8-1 SU at home this year and winning by 15.3 PPG on average.  The Bucks are 8-1-1 ATS in their last 10 home games.  The Bucks are 3-0-1 ATS in their last 4 home meetings with Portland.  Take Milwaukee. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Washington Wizards +1 

The Key: The Washington Wizards had yesterday off and should be a hungry team tonight with all of the trade talks surrounding them right now.  The Clippers played last night and needed a big comeback late to beat the Hawks.  They will now be playing for a second consecutive night and won’t have much left in the tank.  This is a great situation spot to back the Wizards, who are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games after losing at home by 10 or more points in their previous game.  Take Washington. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on San Antonio Spurs +7.5 

The Key: The Spurs had 2 days off prior to beating the Warriors 104-92 last night.  That should help ease the effects of this back-to-back situation.  They should still be competitive against the Pelicans tonight, especially catching 7.5 points here.  The Pelicans are getting a little too much respect from the books after going 5-1 in their last 6 games.  New Orleans is 3-13 ATS in its last 16 home games after having won 3 of its last 4 games coming in.  The Pelicans are 0-7 ATS vs. good 3-point shooting teams that make 36% of their attempts or better this season.  Take San Antonio. 

7* Pelicans/Timberwolves ESPN *HEAVY HITTER* on New Orleans -1 

The Key: The Pelicans have won 3 in a row and will be playing just their 3rd game in 7 days tonight.  They should have plenty of energy to give to the Timberwolves, who just traded away Jimmy Butler.  So the Timberwolves are in transition right now with Robert Covington and Dario Saric expected to make their team debuts.  And Andrew Wiggins and Jeff Teague are questionable for the Timberwolves tonight.  The Pelicans are expected to get Nikola Mirotic back in the lineup, and Elfrid Payton could return as well as he’s listed as questionable.  Either way, I like the Pelicans in this spot because they are the better team with Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday leading the way.  The Pelicans are 14-3 ATS in their last 17 road games after scoring 120 points or more.  New Orleans is 9-1 ATS in their last 10 games vs. a team that wins less than 40% of their games.  Take New Orleans. 

7* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Charlotte Hornets -8.5 

The Key: The Cavs are decimated by injuries right now.  They are without 3 starters in Cedi Osman, George Hill and Kevin Love.  They are also without key reserves Kyle Korver and Sam Dekker, and fellow reserve JR Smith is questionable.  I just don’t see how they can even be competitive tonight against the Charlotte Hornets, who are one of the most improved teams in the league.  The Hornets already beat the Cavs 126-94 back on November 3rd in their first meeting this season, and I think we see a similar result tonight given the Cavs’ injury situation.  Cleveland is 4-21 ATS in its last 25 home games with a total set of 210 to 219.5.  The Cavs are 19-42-1 ATS in their last 62 home games overall.  The Hornets are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 road games.  Take Charlotte. 

6* Spurs/Kings Western Conference *CA$H COW* on San Antonio -2.5 

The Key: The Spurs love facing the Sacramento Kings.  They are 14-0 SU in their last 14 meetings, and 7-0 SU in their last 7 meetings in Sacramento.  And with a spread of just 2.5 tonight, the price is right to lay it with the Spurs to earn their 15th straight win over the Kings.  They basically just have to win the game to get the cover.  The road team is 20-8-1 ATS in the last 29 meetings.  The Spurs are 5-1-1 ATS in their last 7 trips to Sacramento.  Take San Antonio. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Miami Heat -2 

The Key: The Heat have playoff revenge in mind from the 76ers knocking them out in the first round last year.  And they will be playing a depleted 76ers team that is without Jimmy Butler, Dario Saric and Robert Covington, the 3 players in the big trade with the Timberwolves.  The Heat should be able to get a win and cover here at home Monday night given the situation.  The Heat are 9-0 ATS in their last 9 games vs. teams who attempt 27-plus free throws per game.  Take Miami. 

6* Thunder/Mavs Western Conference *CA$H COW* on Dallas +1.5 

The Key: The Thunder have been able to win their first two games without Russell Westbrook, winning on the road at Cleveland and at home against Houston.  But we see this time and time again.  Teams play well for one or two games without their stars, but then it catches up to them.  I think that happens tonight here against the Mavericks.  The Thunder will be without Westbrook again here tonight.  The Thunder are 1-14 ATS in their last 15 road games after covering 5 or 6 of their last 7 ATS coming in.  The Mavericks are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 games off a loss by more than 10 points.  The Mavs are 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings, and 4-0 ATS in the last 4 home meetings.  Take Dallas. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Brooklyn Nets +7.5 

The Key: The Brooklyn Nets have gone 4-0 ATS in their last 4 meetings with the Warriors, including a 6-point home loss in their first meeting this season.  The Nets are also 4-0 ATS in their last 4 trips to Golden State.  And their job gets a lot easier today against a banged-up Warriors team that is playing without Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Shaun Livingston and DeMarcus Cousins.  They are just a shell of their former selves right now and will be a money burner for backers until they get healthy.  The Nets have a legitimate shot to win this game outright, just like the Bucks did the other night in their 134-111 win at Golden State.  Take Brooklyn. 

6* Timberwolves/Kings Western Conference *BAILOUT* on Sacramento +3 

The Key: The Sacramento Kings have been flying under the radar this season.  They are 6-5 SU & 7-4 ATS and have picked up some impressive wins along the way.  But off back-to-back losses to Milwaukee and Toronto, they should be hungry for a victory at home tonight against the Timberwolves.  Minnesota has off-court distractions that just aren’t getting fixed.  They have lost 4 in a row coming in with 3 of those losses by double-digits.  And the Timberwolves are 0-7 SU & 2-5 ATS on the road this season, getting outscored by 11.0 PPG in the process.  Minnesota is 9-23 ATS in its last 32 road games dating back to last season.  The Kings are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games.  Take Sacramento. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Portland Trail Blazers -5 

The Key: The Portland Trail Blazers are just rolling along and consistently undervalued.  They are 8-3 SU & 8-3 ATS this season.  They have won 5 of their 7 home games this season all by double-digits.  And they should make easy work of the Clippers tonight.  The Clippers will be without Avery Bradley, and his loss is huge because he would have been guarding either Lillard or McCollum.  Now they just have Patrick Beverly to guard one of those two, which means the other should be able to go off.  It will most likely be McCollum, who is coming off a 40-point game and gaining confidence in his shot.  The Clippers are 37-64 ATS in their last 101 games off 2 consecutive covers as a favorite.  The Blazers are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 Thursday games.  The Blazers are 22-7 ATS in their last 29 home games.  Take Portland. 

6* 76ers/Pacers ESPN *CA$H COW* on Indiana -2.5 

The Key: The Philadelphia 76ers are still in search of their first road victory of the season.  They are 0-5 SU & 0-5 ATS on the road this year and getting outscored by a whopping 15.2 PPG.  That’s why I have no problem laying the short price with the Pacers at home tonight as only 2.5-point favorites.  They are one of the top teams in the East and took Lebron James and the Cavs to 7 games last year, which nobody else in the East can say.  The Pacers are 10-2 SU & 9-3 ATS in their last 12 meetings with the 76ers as well.  The 76ers are 0-8 ATS in their last 8 road games.  The Pacers are 40-18 ATS in their last 58 games following a loss.  Take Indiana. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Portland Trail Blazers +2 

The Key: The Bucks are really starting to get too much love from the books now after their 8-1 start to the season.  They are being asked to go on the road and lay points here to one of the better teams in the Western Conference in the Portland Trail Blazers, who are 7-3 SU & 7-3 ATS.  If anything, the Blazers are getting disrespected.  They should play the underdog card here and get an outright win and cover.  The Bucks are 4-14 ATS in their last 18 after having covered 5 or 6 of their last 7 ATS coming in.  Bets on home teams of +3 to -3 in a game involving 2 up-tempo teams who average 82 or more shots per game, after a game where they allowed a shooting percentage of 35% or less are 26-6 ATS since 1996.  Take Portland. 

6* Timberwolves/Clippers NBA *BAILOUT* on Los Angeles -5 

The Key: The Timberwolves are in disarray.  They are just 4-6 this season and coming off road losses by 30 and 17 points.  They won’t be able to hang with an improved Clippers team tonight.  The Clippers are rested having the last 2 days off since beating the Magic by 25 on the road last time out.  The Timberwolves are 8-22 ATS in their last 30 road games.  The Clippers are 12-5 ATS in their last 17 games off a win by more than 10 points.  Take Los Angeles. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Houston Rockets -8 

The Key: James Harden makes his return from a hamstring injury tonight.  That should help ease the load on the Rockets from playing the 2nd of a back-to-back here.  And they should be fresh either way because this is still just their 3rd game in 8 days.  The Bulls are also playing on a back-to-back tonight after losing yet another heartbreaker to the Pacers by 2 points last night.  They could be flat here off back-to-back tough close losses.  And the Bulls will be playing their 6th game in 9 days.  They’re already short-handed with 4 key players out with injury in Markkanen, Dunn, Portis and Valentine.  They won’t be able to keep pace with the Rockets tonight.  The Rockets are 28-13 ATS as a road favorites over the last 2 seasons.  The Rockets are 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS in their last 3 meetings with the Bulls winning by 32, 9 and 21 points.  Take Houston. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Memphis Grizzlies +8 

The Key: The Memphis Grizzlies are 4-2 SU & 4-2 ATS this season.  Their 4 wins have all come by 8 points or more, including a 92-84 road win at Utah as 11-point underdogs in their first meeting this season.  This line is only 8 because Utah has some key injuries right now.  The Jazz are expected to be without leading scorer Donovan Mitchell (23.3 PPG) tonight and key reserve Alec Burks.  I just don’t see how they’re going to cover this spread without Mitchell.  The Grizzlies come in on 2 days’ rest.  Memphis is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 vs. NBA Northwest Division teams.  The Jazz are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.  The Grizzlies are 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings, and 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings in Utah.  Take Memphis. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Oklahoma City Thunder +1.5 

The Key: The Oklahoma City Thunder started the season 0-4 and that has had them undervalued.  They have since reeled off two straight blowout home victories over the Suns and Clippers and I think they are back to being the team we thought they’d be coming into the season.  Russell Westbrook was banged up to start the season, so that had a lot to do with the slow start.  But now they are basically at full strength going forward.  They are certainly better than the Charlotte Hornets, who are now overvalued after a 6-2 ATS start to the season.  The Hornets should not be favored here.  Charlotte is 2-16 ATS when playing 8 or more games in 14 days over the last 2 seasons.  The Hornets are 5-21 ATS after covering 3 of their last 4 ATS over the last 3 seasons.  The Thunder are 14-5-1 ATS in the last 20 meetings.  Take Oklahoma City. 

6* Pacers/Knicks ESPN *CA$H COW* on New York +6 

The Key: The New York Knicks are 5-2 ATS this season and have consistently been overlooked by oddsmakers.  I expect them to hang with the Indiana Pacers tonight and possibly pull off the upset as 6-point home underdogs.  The home team is 22-6 ATS in the last 28 meetings.  The Knicks are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 home meetings with Indiana.  Take New York. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Memphis Grizzlies -1.5 

The Key: I like the situation for the Grizzlies tonight.  They are rested with 2 days off in between games and will be playing for just the 2nd time in 6 days here.  The Wizards will be playing their 5th straight road game and their 5th game in 9 days.  They are 1-3 on this trip thus far with their only win coming by one point in overtime, and they are coming off a 32-point loss to the Clippers.  I think the Wizards are running out of gas, especially with injuries to two key players in Dwight Howard and Markieff Morris.  The Grizzlies are 17-4 SU & 15-6 ATS in their last 21 home meetings with the Wizards.  Washington is 3-13 ATS in its last 16 road games.  The Grizzlies are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 home games.  The home team is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings.  Take Memphis. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on New York Knicks -2 

The Key: The Brooklyn Nets will be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back and their 3rd game in 4 days here Monday.  Not only that, they are coming off a hard-fought 114-120 loss to the Warriors last night in which they used a lot of energy for a 4th quarter comeback.  They will be tired and won’t be nearly as excited to face the Knicks as they were the Warriors.  The Knicks come in on 2 days of rest having last played on Friday.  They want revenge from a 105-107 road loss to the Nets on October 19th just 10 days ago.  The situation really favors the Knicks tonight.  Take New York. 

6* Wizards/Kings NBA TV *BAILOUT* on OVER 235 

The Key: The Wizards have been forced to go to a small lineup these last two games with Markieff Morris playing center.  That’s because both Dwight Howard and Ian Mahinmi are out with injuries.  And it’s no surprise that they have gone OVER the total in all 4 games this season, and the last 2 were the highest-scoring.  They combined for 249 points with the Blazers two games back and 266 points with the Warriors last time out.  And they should sail OVER this 235-point total with the Kings as well.  The Kings are 4-1 to the OVER this season and trying to play at a faster place to utilize De’Aron Fox’s skill set.  They have combined for 240, 278, 251 and 238 points in their 4 OVERS.  All four of those numbers were higher than this 235-point total.  Get ready for a shootout in Sacramento tonight.  Take the OVER. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Portland Trail Blazers -3 

The Key: This is a tough situation for the Magic.  They are coming off a huge upset win over the Boston Celtics on the road.  I can’t help but think they will have a letdown at home against Portland tonight.  The Magic are just 18-40 ATS in their last 58 games following a victory.  And the Magic haven’t been very good at home this year, going 1-1 with a 3-point win over a depleted Miami team, and a 32-point loss to Charlotte.  The Blazers are coming off a loss that will have them focused.  And they’ve gone 4-1 in their last 5 meetings with the Magic with an average victory of nearly 15 PPG.  Take Portland. 

7* Wizards/Warriors NBA *Total* Annihilator on OVER 234 

The Key: The Wizards have to go small ball tonight because Dwight Howard didn’t make the trip West, and Ian Mahinmi left their last game with a back injury.  The Wizards went with Markieff Morris at center in their small ball lineup against the Blazers after Mahinmi’s departure and it worked well.  They eventually won 125-124 in overtime.  The Warriors love going small themselves, so this should be a track meet tonight.  The Warriors beat the Wizards 120-117 in their last meeting at Golden State.  I think both teams top 120 points tonight.  Washington head coach Scott Brooks even said prior to this game if you don’t score 120 it’s tough to win in today’s NBA.  And all his players complimented the small ball approach.  Take the OVER. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Chicago Bulls +4.5 

The Key: The Bulls are hungry for their first win of the season tonight.  They should get it as 4.5-point home dogs to the Hornets.  Their last two losses have come by a combined 8 points to the Mavs and Pistons, so they’ve been close.  And I like the price we are getting with the Bulls tonight.  The Bulls are 5-1 SU & 5-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings with the Hornets.  Charlotte is 5-15-1 ATS in its last 21 games following a loss by more than 10 points.  The Hornets are 5-20 ATS after covering 3 of their last 4 ATS over the last 3 years.  The Bulls are 15-3 ATS against Southeast division opponents over the last 2 years.  The home team is 6-2 ATS in the last 8 meetings.  Take Chicago. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Sacramento Kings +11.5 

The Key: The Denver Nuggets are in a tough spot tonight.  They are in letdown mode off their 100-98 upset win over the defending champion Warriors last time out.  They won’t be nearly as hungry here tonight against the Kings, and that’s a problem when you’re being asked to lay 11.5 points.  I think the Nuggets come out flat here and the Kings get the cover.  The Kings are coming off a 131-120 upset road win of their own as 10.5-point underdogs against Russell Westbrook and the OKC Thunder.  But they won’t have a letdown because beating the Thunder is not like beating the Warriors.  The Kings are shooting 52.8% as a team this season as they’ve clearly improved dramatically on the offensive end, averaging 125.7 PPG.  Take Sacramento. 

6* Suns/Warriors NBA *BAILOUT* on Phoenix +12.5 

The Key: The Phoenix Suns should be one of the most improved teams in the NBA this season.  They have a young roster and have been stockpiling talent for years.  That talent is about to come to fruition this season.  They got DeAndre Ayton with the No. 1 pick in the draft and he’s a can’t-miss player.  Devin Booker is becoming a star already.  And the addition of Trevor Ariza gives them a leader in the locker room that they’ve desperately needed.  All Ariza does is win everywhere he goes because he plays winning basketball.  The Warriors will be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back after a 98-100 loss in Denver last night.  Playing in altitude will have certainly taken more out of them than in most normal back-to-back situations. Take Phoenix. 

6* Spurs/Blazers Western Conference *CA$H COW* on San Antonio +4.5 

The Key: The Spurs aren’t getting much respect early in the season.  I don’t think they’re any worse off than they were last year.  In fact, they should be better.  The replaced Kawhi Leonard with DeMar DeRozan.  Leonard played hardly at all last season, and DeRozan is healthy and still one of the best players in the NBA.  The Spurs haven’t lost any of their last 10 meetings with the Blazers by more than 4 points.  They are 7-3 SU in those 10 games with their 3 losses coming by 1, 1, and 4 points.  Take San Antonio. 

6* Celtics/Raptors ESPN *CA$H COW* on Toronto -3 

The Key: Home-court advantage has been huge in this series between the Celtics and Raptors.  The home team is 10-1 SU in the last 11 meetings.  The Raptors are 6-0 SU & 6-0 ATS in their last 6 home meetings with the Celtics.  This is a pretty cheap price to get the Raptors at tonight given the series history.  Take Toronto. 

7* NBA Eastern Conference *HEAVY HITTER* on Cleveland Cavaliers +13 

The Key: The betting public wants nothing to do with the Cavs without Lebron James.  That’s why we will see some inflated numbers early in the season with them, and this is one of them.  But the Cavs have some nice chemistry with Tryonn Lue entering his 4th year, and still plenty of talent with Kevin Love and company to remain competitive in the weak East.  The Raptors are going through a system change with first-year head coach Nick Nurse, and they have to try and figure out how to make this new offense work now that leading scorer DeMar DeRozan is gone.  I think it will take some time before the Raptors are hitting on all cylinders, so they shouldn’t be laying 13 points to the Cavs in the opener.  Take Cleveland. 

6* 76ers/Celtics *Total* Annihilator on OVER 210 

The Key: The 76ers were one of the best offensive teams in the Eastern Conference last season in averaging 110 PPG.  They are loaded again and don’t put nearly as much emphasis on the defensive end. The Celtics had to play more defense last year because they were without their best 2 scores for much of the season in Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, especially in the playoffs.  But with Irving and Hayward back this should be one of the best offensive teams in the East.  And Irving doesn’t play much defense.  The OVER is 9-3 in the last 12 meetings in Boston.  The OVER is 6-1 in 76ers last 7 road games.  Take the OVER. 

7* Warriors/Cavs Game 4 *Total* Annihilator on UNDER 216 

The Key: As a series goes on, games tend to be lower and lower scoring.  That has been the case in this series as well as each game has been lower scoring than the next.  The Cavs and Warriors combined for 212 points in Game 3 and now we’re seeing a total of 216, so I think there’s value with the UNDER.  Both teams know what each other is trying to do, which makes scoring at a premium.  The UNDER is 10-3 in Warriors last 13 games overall.  The UNDER is 7-1 in Warriors last 8 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.  The UNDER is 11-5 in Cavaliers last 16 home games.  Take the UNDER. 

7* NBA Finals Game of the Year on Cleveland Cavaliers +4.5 

The Key: It’s do or die for the Cavaliers tonight.  I like backing teams with their backs against the wall because you know what kind of effort you are going to get from them.  While the Cavs will be at 110% tonight, the Warriors could relax after protecting home court with their 2-0 series lead.  And the Cavs will be happy to return home where they are 8-0 SU in their last 8 playoff games.  Take Cleveland. 

7* Cavs/Warriors Game 2 *HEAVY HITTER* on Cleveland +11.5 

The Key: The Warriors clearly should not be double-digit favorites against the Cavs in Game 2 tonight.  The Cavs should have beaten them in Game 1 and were the better team until overtime.  And with the injuries to the Warriors’ Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala, they aren’t the juggernaut that they are perceived to be.  The Cavs are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 vs. Western Conference teams.  The Warriors are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 when playing on 2 days rest.  Take Cleveland. 

7* Cavs/Warriors Game 1 *HEAVY HITTER* on Cleveland +13 

The Key: This Game 1 line has gotten out of control.  Too much has been made of the Warriors being massive favorites in this series.  I think it will be closer than most expect, starting with Game 1 tonight as the Cavs are ridiculous 13-point underdogs.  Kevin Love may or may not play, but it doesn’t matter as the Cavs were great without him and actually better defensively in winning their final two games against Boston.  Andre Iguodala is the best defender Golden State has against Lebron James, but he’s going to be out for Game 1.  James should be able to have his way against Golden State’s defense to keep this one closer than expected.  Take Cleveland. 

7* Warriors/Rockets Game 7 *HEAVY HITTER* on Houston +6.5 

The Key: The Houston Rockets have held their own at home against the Warriors.  After losing Game 1, they came back to win Game 2 and 5.  And they were favorites in all 3 previous home games in this series.  Yet now they are 6.5-point underdogs in Game 7.  I like the price we are getting with them here.  Andre Iguodala is doubtful while Kevin Looney is questionable.  Chris Paul could return today, but it’s factored into the line that he’s not playing, so if he does it would only be an added bonus.  The Rockets showed they could play with the Warriors without Paul by taking a 17-point lead in Game 6 before faltering in the second half.  They should be able to sustain that level of play for 48 minutes this time around due to the boost they’ll get from their home fans.  The Rockets are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following an ATS loss and 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a SU loss.  Take Houston.

7* Cavs/Celtics Game 7 *HEAVY HITTER* on Boston -2.5 

The Key:  This one is just about as easy as it gets.  The home team is 6-0 SU & 6-0 ATS in the six meetings thus far in this series.  The home team has won all 6 games by 9 points or more.  Boston has beaten Cleveland by 25, 13 and 15 points in its three home meetings.  The Cavs’ role players just don’t travel well.  And now they’ll be without Kevin Love due to a concussion, making their task even more daunting today.  The Celtics are 10-0 at home in the playoffs and will improve to 11-0 while earning a trip to the NBA Finals with a victory tonight.  Take Boston. 

7* Rockets/Warriors Game 6 *HEAVY HITTER* on Golden State -11.5 

The Key: No Chris Paul, no chance for the Rockets.  They suffered a huge blow when he hurt his hamstring in the final seconds of Game 5 and has now been ruled out for Game 6.  He is the heart and soul of this team.  He is also a massive part of their game plan.  Mike D’Antoni staggers the minutes of Paul and Harden to make sure that at least one of them is on the court at all times.  Now the onus will be on Eric Gordon to take over Paul’s role, but he’s much better working off the ball.  And the Rockets will have to go deeper into their thin bench.  Houston knows it has a home game in its hip pocket coming up in Game 7, so I don’t expect the Rockets to be giving 100% trying to win Game 6.  It’s do or die for the Warriors, so they should come out like gangbusters and cover this 11.5-point spread with ease.  Take Golden State. 

7* Celtics/Cavs Game 6 *HEAVY HITTER* on Cleveland -7 

The Key: Home-court advantage has made all the difference in this series thus far, and I don’t see that changing in Game 6 in this do-or-die game for Cleveland.  The Celtics know they still have a home game in their back pocket, which is huge considering they are 10-0 at home in these playoffs.  They can afford to not show up tonight.  The Cavs don’t have the same luxury.  The Cavs are 7-0 at home in the playoffs, while the Celtics are 1-6 on the road.  The home team is 5-0 SU & 5-0 ATS in the last 5 meetings in this series with an average win of 18 PPG.  Take Cleveland. 

7* Warriors/Rockets Game 5 *Total* Annihilator on UNDER 219.5 

The Key: I’m surprised the books keep setting the number too high in this series.  The UNDER is 3-1 and we’ve seen lower scoring games as the series has gone on.  Houston beat Golden State 95-92 for only 187 combined points in Game 4.  Now this total is 219.5 for Game 5, which is 32.5 points more than their Game 4 result.  They will likely score more points than in Game 4, but they won’t reach 220 or more.  These teams are very familiar with each other now and defense is winning out.  It has become an isolation series as neither team is able to move the ball on offense.  That results in longer possessions and contested shots at the end of the shot clock frequently.  Houston is 13-2 UNDER when the line is +3 to -3 this season.  The UNDER is 6-1 in Warriors last 7 games overall.  The UNDER is 38-18 in Rockets last 56 games overall.  The UNDER is 5-0 in Rockets last 5 Thursday games.  The UNDER is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.  Take the UNDER. 

7* Cavs/Celtics Game 5 *Total* Annihilator on UNDER 206.5 

The Key: Boston will control the tempo playing at home tonight just as they did in Games 2 and 3.  The Celtics and Cavs combined for just 191 points in Game 1 and 201 points in Game 2.  Now we’re seeing a total of 206.5 in Game 5, which I believe to be too high here.  The UNDER is 5-0 in Celtics last 5 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.  The UNDER is 14-6 in Cavs last 20 games following an ATS win.  The UNDER is 10-3 in the last 13 meetings in Boston.  Take the UNDER.