7* NBA Game of the Week on Cleveland Cavaliers +9.5 

The Key: The Kings won’t be too interested tonight in beating the Cavaliers, let alone beating them by 10-plus points to cover this spread.  This number is too high.  Especially when you consider the Cavs are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 when playing on 2 days’ rest.  The road team is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings.  Take Cleveland. 

7* Rockets/Clippers NBA TV *BAILOUT* on Los Angeles +1 

The Key: The Clippers come in on 2 days’ rest and playing their best basketball of the season.  They have won 13 of their last 15 games overall.  The Rockets will be playing the second of a back-to-back.  The Rockets are coming off 3 straight wins and covers, but they are just 1-11 ATS in their last 12 off 3 straight covers as a favorite.  The Clippers have won both meetings with the Rockets this season and are 6-1 ATS in the last 7 meetings.  Take Los Angeles. 

6* Celtics/Heat NBA TV *CA$H COW* on Miami +1 

The Key: Miami wants to avenge Monday’s 105-110 loss in Boston in this home and home situation.  The Heat get the Celtics at home tonight and will have their revenge.  The Heat are 25-12 ATS as underdogs this season.  Miami is 5-0-1 ATS in its last 6 games off a loss.  The Heat are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 against Atlantic division teams.  The Celtics are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games off a win.  The Heat are 5-0 ATS in the last 5 meetings.  Take Miami. 

7* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Sacramento Kings +5.5 

The Key: The situation is a great one for the Kings tonight.  They want to avenge their 108-119 road loss at Houston on March 30th just a few days ago.  They actually led that game entering the 4th quarter before folding in the closing minutes.  They get the Rockets at home this time around, and the Kings are 23-15 SU & 24-13-1 ATS at home this year.  The Kings are 27-13-1 ATS in their last 41 games playing on one day of rest.  The Rockets are 4-13 ATS in their last 17 games off an ATS win.  The Kings are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games against a team that wins more than 60% of their games.  The home team is 7-2 ATS in the last 9 meetings.  Take Sacramento. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Orlando Magic +7 

The Key: The Magic are life and death right now with each game.  They only trail the Heat by 0.5 games for the 8th seed in the East.  And they are coming on real strong by winning 7 of their last 8 games coming in.  The Raptors don’t have much to play for the rest of the way.  They are basically locked into the No. 2 seed in the East, unable to catch the Bucks and way ahead of the 76ers.  The situation really favors the Magic.  The Raptors are 0-7 ATS after scoring at least 110 points in 4 straight games this season.  Take Orlando. 

7* NBA Eastern Conference *HEAVY HITTER* on Indiana Pacers -5.5 

The Key: The Pacers are tied with the Celtics for the 4th seed in the East.  They will play each other in the first round, so home-court advantage is important.  Especially when the Pacers are 28-10 at home this season.  They will get back on track at home tonight against the Pistons, who are expected to be without their best player in Blake Griffin.  The Pacers are 14-4 ATS in home games after having lost 3 of their last 4 games over the last 3 seasons.  The Pacers are 14-6 ATS when revenging a road loss this season.  The Pistons are 10-23 ATS in road games off a home win over the last 3 seasons.  The Pacers are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 home games against a team that wins less than 40% of their road games.  The home team is 7-1 ATS in the last 8 meetings.  The Pistons are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 road meetings with the Pacers.  Take Indiana. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Toronto Raptors -10 

The Key: The Chicago Bulls are playing their D-League team tonight.  They will be without LaVine, Dunn, Porter Jr and Markkanen tonight, four players who have been starting for them here down the stretch.  The Raptors should be able to basically just show up and win by double-digits.  The road team is 6-0 ATS in the last 6 meetings.  Take Toronto. 

7* Hornets/Lakers NBA *BAILOUT* on Charlotte -2.5 

The Key: The Hornets have won 4 straight now and are feeling good about themselves, especially after knocking off two of the best teams in the NBA in the Raptors and Spurs in the process.  They are now just 1.5 games behind the Heat for 8th in the East.  They need to keep winning if they want to make the playoffs.  The Lakers won’t offer much resistance tonight considering they have lost 13 of their last 17 games overall and are missing several players due to injury.  Take Charlotte. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Oklahoma City Thunder -3.5 

The Key: The Nuggets are in a brutal situation tonight.  They will be playing the second of a back-to-back and their 6th game in 9 days after losing in Houston last night.  The Thunder will be playing just their 3rd game in 7 days and should handle their business tonight.  They want to avoid the season sweep after losing their first 3 meetings with the Nuggets this season, so they will be extra hungry here.  The Nuggets are 8-17 ATS in their last 25 road games.  Take Oklahoma City. 

7* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Los Angeles Clippers +9 

The Key: The Milwaukee Bucks are primed for a letdown off their win over the Rockets on Tuesday.  They basically have the East and the top overall seed already wrapped up.  They can afford several more losses before they have to worry.  The Clippers are motivated to get the 5th seed or higher and hopefully set up a matchup with the Blazers in the first round.  The Clippers are 11-1 in their last 12 games overall and cannot be tamed right now.  They have won 3 straight meetings with the Bucks, including their 128-126 win in their first meeting this season at home.  The Bucks have a ton of injuries right now that have them well short of full strength.  They aren’t winning by double-digits tonight.  Take Los Angeles. 

7* Pacers/Thunder ESPN *HEAVY HITTER* on Oklahoma City -6 

The Key: The Thunder have lost 5 of their last 6 and are now just 0.5 games ahead of the Spurs for 8th place in the West.  This is a team that was looked at as a contender just a few weeks ago.  And they know it’s important to have a big finish now to get the 5th seed, which would mean a date with the banged-up Blazers in the first round.  Look for them to turn it on tonight at home against the Pacers.  They want revenge from blowing nearly a 20-point lead to the Pacers two weeks ago to lost 106-108 at Indiana.  It’s a Pacers team that has been atrocious on the road, going 0-8 SU & 1-7 ATS in their last 8 road games while losing by 11 PPG on average.  Take Oklahoma City. 

7* NBA Eastern Conference Game of the Week on Cleveland Cavaliers +6 

The Key: The Cleveland Cavaliers are about as healthy as they have been all season.  The Boston Celtics will be without Kyrie Irving, and they could also be without both Al Horford and Jayson Tatum, who are both questionable tonight.  It’s no wonder they are struggling with all these injuries.  The Celtics have lost 4 straight coming in and are just 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games overall.  The Cavs are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 home games.  Cleveland is 7-0 ATS in its last 7 Tuesday games.  The Cavs are 5-0-1 ATS in their last 6 games off an ATS loss.  The home team is 9-1 ATS in the last 10 meetings.  Take Cleveland. 

7* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Orlando Magic +2 

The Key: The Orlando Magic are one game behind the Heat for 8th place and only 2.5 games out of 6th place in the East.  They only have nine games remaining, so they need a big finish to make the playoffs.  They’ve certainly given themselves a chance by winning four straight coming in.  The 76ers are beatable on the road as they are just 18-17 SU & 15-20 ATS on the highway.  And they’ve played the 76ers tough, losing by 1 and 8 on the road, and beating them by 5 at home in their 3 meetings this season.  Orlando is 8-1 ATS after scoring 120 points or more this season.  The Magic are 12-3-1 ATS in their last 16 against Atlantic division teams.  Take Orlando. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Atlanta Hawks +8 

The Key: The Philadelphia 76ers are coming off a huge comeback win over the Boston Celtics.  They beat the Hornets and Bucks in their previous 2 games as well and are in a prime letdown spot now against the Atlanta Hawks.  The 76ers are getting too much respect from oddsmakers now because they are on a 6-game winning streak.  But the Hawks won’t go down without swinging, and they’ve shown that here down the stretch.  The Hawks are 11-4 ATS in their last 15 games overall.  They just upset the Jazz as nearly identical 7.5-point home dogs.  The 76ers are 7-19 ATS off 2 or more consecutive wins this season.  The Hawks are 9-3 ATS in the last 12 meetings, including 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home meetings.  Take Atlanta. 

7* Heat/Spurs Non-Conference *HEAVY HITTER* on Miami +6.5 

The Key: You’re definitely having to pay a tax to back the Spurs tonight after they have gone 9-0 SU & 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games overall.  And this is a huge letdown spot for the Spurs, who are coming off an upset home win over the Warriors.  I look for them to come out flat tonight.  The Miami Heat are playing just as well as the Spurs right now.  The Heat are 8-3 SU & 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games overall with their only losses coming to the Rockets, Raptors and Bucks.  The Heat are 21-6 ATS in their last 27 against southwest division teams, including 8-0 ATS against them this season.  Miami is 42-15-2 ATS in its last 59 road games against a team with a winning home record.  Take Miami. 

6* Pacers/Clippers NBA TV *BAILOUT* on Los Angeles -4.5 

The Key: The Indiana Pacers are in a tough spot tonight.  They’ll be playing for a second consecutive day after a tough loss in Portland last night, 98-106.  Now they have to face a freight train in the Clippers, who are 8-2 SU & 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games overall and trying to hang on to the final playoff spot in the West.  Los Angeles is 24-11 ATS as a favorite this season.  The Pacers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 road games.  Indiana is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 road games against a team with a home winning percentage of greater than 60%.  Take Los Angeles. 

7* Pacers/Blazers ESPN *BAILOUT* on Indiana +4.5 

The Key: The Portland Trail Blazers will be without CJ McCollum for the next week with a knee injury that he suffered last time out against the Spurs.  The Blazers are a much more pedestrian team when they are missing either McCollum or Lillard.  They go together like peanut butter and jelly.  The Pacers should be able to pull off the upset tonight.  The Pacers beat the Thunder two games back and only lost by 2 at Denver last time out, so they’ve shown they can play with the best the West has to offer.  Take Indiana. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Sacramento Kings -6.5 

The Key: No analysis due to being on vacation Wednesday through Sunday. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Brooklyn Nets +9 

The Key: No analysis due to being on vacation Wednesday through Sunday. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Miami Heat -1.5 

The Key: No analysis due to being on vacation Wednesday through Sunday. 

7* Blazers/Clippers NBA *BAILOUT* on Portland -2 

The Key: The Portland Trail Blazers come in on 2 days’ rest and will be ready to go against the Los Angeles Clippers tonight.  The Clippers will be playing the second of a back-to-back after their big win over Boston last night.  I’ll back the fresher team here in the Blazers to win and cover this late-night game Tuesday.  The Blazers are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 road games.  The Blazers are 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings, and 4-0 ATS in their last 4 trips to Los Angeles.  Take Portland. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on San Antonio Spurs -1.5 

The Key: The Spurs come in on 3 days’ rest and off 4 straight wins and covers.  The Bucks come in on the second of a back-to-back and their 6th game in 10 days.  The situation really favors the Spurs, who are 25-7 at home this season.  Take San Antonio. 

7* Nuggets/Warriors ESPN *HEAVY HITTER* on Denver +6.5 

The Key: The Nuggets are only one game behind the Warriors for first place in the Western Conference.  They face a Warriors team that is really struggling right now having lost 5 of their last 8.  The Warriors have killed bettors even worse, going 1-10 ATS in their last 11 games overall.  DeMarcus Cousins is proving to be a bad fit because teams take advantage of his terrible defense, and the Nuggets will do the same tonight.  The Nuggets are 5-0-1 ATS in their last 6 trips to Golden State.  The Warriors are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 against a team with a winning record.  Take Denver. 

7* NBA Total of the Month on Jazz/Pelicans UNDER 230 

The Key: The Jazz and Pelicans just squared off two nights ago in Utah with the Pelicans pulling the 115-112 upset.  That game saw 227 combined points.  Now we have a total of 230 in the rematch, and I think it’s too high.  The 2nd meeting in these home-and-home situations is almost always lower scoring than the 1st because of the familiarity of the teams.  The same thing happens in the NBA playoffs, and it applies in the regular season as well.  Bets on the UNDER on road teams where the total is 200 or more revenging a loss as a home favorite of 7 points or more against an opponent that’s off an upset win as an underdog are 34-9 over the last 5 seasons.  Take the UNDER. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Detroit Pistons -5 

The Key: The Detroit Pistons are rolling right now having won 9 of their last 11 with their only two losses coming on the road at San Antonio and Boston.  The Minnesota Timberwolves are just 9-24 on the road this season and 1-8 in their last 9 road games.  While the Pistons come in on 2 days’ rest, the Timberwolves will be playing the second of a back-to-back and their 3rd game in 4 days.  The Pistons are 7-0 SU & 7-0 ATS in their last 7 meetings with the Timberwolves.  Take Detroit. 

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

The Key: The Memphis Grizzlies have been a really tough out.  They beat the Mavs by 30 on the road and followed that up with only a 4-point road loss at OKC in which they blew a late lead.  And in their last 9 games, they have only been beaten by more than 6 points once.  That’s important considering this 6-point spread.  The first 2 lines in the first 2 meetings this season were Portland -5 at home and Memphis -3 at home.  Now Portland is a 6-point favorite at Memphis.  I like the price we are getting with the Grizzlies at home tonight.  Take Memphis. 

7* NBA Non-Conference Game of the Month on Brooklyn Nets -4.5 

The Key: The Brooklyn Nets are in a critical stretch right now if they want to make the playoffs.  They have home games against the Mavs, Cavs, and Pistons as well as a road game at Atlanta in their next four games.  Then they’ll be going on a brutal 7-game road trip.  They need to win all 4 of these games, especially after losing 3 straight coming in.  It starts tonight against the Mavs, who are just 6-24 on the road this season.  The Mavs are also 1-6 SU & 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games coming in.  They’ve rarely even been competitive as all 6 losses came by 9 points or more.  Take Brooklyn. 

6* Pelicans/Nuggets NBA *BAILOUT* on New Orleans +13.5 

The Key: The Pelicans are now 10-4 ATS in their last 14 games overall after winning 130-116 in Phoenix last night.  That blowout allowed them to not play their starters too heavy of minutes, and they should still be fresh in Denver tonight.  Fresh enough to cover this huge 13.5-point spread as the Pelicans continue to lack the respect they deserve from oddsmakers.  New Orleans is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games against a team with a winning record.  Denver is 8-20 ATS in its last 28 against NBA Southwest teams.  The Pelicans are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings with the Nuggets, not once losing by more than 6 points.  Take New Orleans. 

7* Clippers/Kings NBA *BAILOUT* on Sacramento -3.5 

The Key: The Kings are now 16-7 ATS in their last 23 games overall.  They have recently losses by 1 to Milwaukee, by 2 at Golden State and by 2 at Denver, as well as an upset win at Oklahoma City.  They have been through the gauntlet.  Now they face a lesser team in the Clippers who they are actually trailing in the playoff hunt, making this a must-win game for them at home tonight.  Expect them to give a big effort that should be good enough to cover this 3.5-point spread.  The Kings are 8-1 ATS as home favorites this season. Sacramento is 10-1 ATS in its last 11 games following a loss.  The Kings are 23-9 ATS in their last 32 home games.  Take Sacramento. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Miami Heat +9.5 

The Key: The Miami Heat will be hungry for their first victory coming out of the All-Star Break tonight.  And they’ll be hungry to avenge a tough 118-120 road loss at Golden State on February 10th earlier this month as 13.5-point dogs.  Now they are 9.5-point home dogs in the rematch, and I love the price on them tonight.  The Warriors are just 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games overall and were fortunate to cover at Charlotte last time out getting a late 3-pointer by Steph Curry which proved to be the difference between covering and not covering.  The Warriors continue to get too much respect from the books tonight.  Golden State is 6-18 ATS as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points this season.  Take Miami. 

6* Celtics/Raptors Eastern Conference *CA$H COW* on Toronto -3.5 

The Key: This one is as easy as it gets tonight.  The home team is 10–0 SU & 9-1 ATS in the last 10 meetings between the Celtics and Raptors.  The Raptors are 7-0 SU & 7-0 ATS in their last 7 home meetings with Boston.  Take Toronto. 

7* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Atlanta Hawks +12.5 

The Key: The Houston Rockets are in a big letdown spot tonight.  They are coming off an upset win over the Golden State Warriors even without James Harden.  Now they have to host the Atlanta Hawks and won’t be nearly as hungry to face them as they were the Warriors.  And Harden is still questionable to return.  It’s a Hawks team that has covered 3 of their last 4 and is trying to win games.  Atlanta is 9-1 ATS in road games off a home game this season.  Houston is 6-17 ATS after scoring 115 points or more this season.  The Rockets are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 games following a win.  Houston is 0-8 ATS in its last 8 games off an ATS win.  Take Atlanta. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Miami Heat -3.5 

The Key: The situation favors the Miami Heat tonight.  They had yesterday off following a tough 4-point loss at Philadelphia on Thursday.  Detroit is playing the second of a back-to-back after winning a 125-122 shootout at Atlanta last night.  The Pistons are 2-11 ATS against teams that average 3 or more rebounds per game than their opponents this season.  The home team is 5-1 SU & 4-2 ATS in the last 6 meetings.  The Heat are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home meetings with the Pistons.  Take Miami. 

7* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Chicago Bulls +8 

The Key: After going 5-0 SU & 5-0 ATS in their final 5 games before the break, the betting public is quick to jump on the Orlando Magic coming out of the break.  But we see this all the time.  A team with momentum has a long break and then comes out flat.  They don’t want the break when they are playing well.  I think that will be the case for the Magic tonight.  They are now laying 8 points when they haven’t been favored by more than 6 points in any other game this season.  Simply put, it’s getting pricey to back the Magic now.  The Bulls have shown some fight in winning 3 of their last 8 games straight up.  They beat the Grizzlies by 12 at home, upset the Nets by 19 on the road and upset the Heat by 16 on the road.  They have actually been playing better on the road than at home.  The underdog is 22-10 ATS in the last 32 meetings.  Take Chicago. 

6* Kings/Warriors NBA *BAILOUT* on Sacramento +12.5 

The Key: The Sacramento Kings are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games overall and have been one of the best covering teams in the NBA this season.  And now they’re catching 12.5 points against a Warriors team that they have played tough in recent meetings.  The Kings are 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings with an outright win and losses by 4, 5 and 1 point against the Warriors.  Sacramento is 13-3 ATS in its last 16 games playing on 3 or more days rest.  Golden State is 2-12 ATS in its last 14 Thursday games.  The Warriors are 5-15-1 ATS in their last 21 home games.  Take Sacramento. 

7* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Atlanta Hawks -8 

The Key: It’s a great situation to fade the New York Knicks tonight.  They have lost 18 straight games and now they are running on fumes.  They’ll be playing for a 2nd consecutive day and their 5th game in 7 days.  They are just ready to get to the All-Star Break.  The Hawks have pulled off outright upsets in 3 of their last 6 games coming in and continue to play hard.  I like the fact that they play at the fasted pace in the NBA, which should help them tire the Knicks out early and allow them to pull away in the 2nd half.  The Knicks are just 1-11 ATS in their last 12 games against a team with a losing record.  Take Atlanta. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Dallas Mavericks -2.5 

The Key: The Miami Heat are a tired, beaten up team right now.  They will be playing their 5th straight road game and their 4th road game in 6 days tonight.  Now they have to go up against a Dallas Mavericks team that has been tremendous at home this season.  The Mavericks are 20-8 SU & 19-8-1 ATS at home this season.  The Heat are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games off a loss by more than 10 points.  The Mavericks are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games following a loss.  Dallas is 46-22-1 ATS in its last 69 games off a loss by more than 10 points.  Take Dallas. 

7* NBA Total of the Month on Spurs/Grizzlies UNDER 210 

The Key: The Spurs and Grizzlies are notorious for playing in low-scoring games.  In fact, each of their last 8 meetings have seen 207 or fewer combined points and an average of just 193.5 PPG.  That’s about 17 points less than this 210-point total.  The Grizzlies play at the slowest pace in the entire NBA and will control the tempo at home today, just as they did in their 96-86 home win over the Spurs in their last meeting.  Take the UNDER. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Denver Nuggets -10 

The Key: The Denver Nuggets are back home in their comfort zone hungry for a win after dropping 3 straight road games.  They are also on 2 days’ rest, so they will be fresh unlike the Miami Heat.  The Heat now have to play in elevation a night after laying it all on the line in a 118-120 road loss at Golden State.  They don’t stand much of a chance given this terrible spot for them.  The Nuggets are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 home games after a road trip of 7 days or more.  The Nuggets are 23-4 SU & 19-8 ATS at home this season.  Take Denver. 

7* NBA Eastern Conference Game of the Week on Orlando Magic -1.5 

The Key: The Orlando Magic are coming on strong as they try and move closer to the 8th and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.  They are 4-1 SU & 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall with wins over the Pacers, Nets, Timberwolves and Bucks, three playoff teams.  Their only loss came to the Oklahoma City Thunder after blowing a fourth quarter lead.  And now they face an Atlanta Hawks team that is coming off back-to-back home losses to Toronto by 18 and Charlotte by 9.  The Hawks are just 8-15 SU & 7-16 ATS at home this year and giving up 118.1 PPG on their home floor.  The Magic beat the Hawks 122-103 on the road in their lone meeting this season on January 21st.  The Hawks are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games playing on 0 days rest.  Take Orlando. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Utah Jazz -6.5 

The Key: The San Antonio Spurs are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games overall.  They failed to cover in narrow home wins over Phoenix by 2, Brooklyn by 3 and New Orleans by 5.  And the start of their 8-game rodeo road trip has been a disaster.  They lost by 15 at Sacramento to start the trip, and followed that up with a 39-point loss at Golden State and a 9-point loss at Portland.  I think this is a good price to back the Jazz as only 6.5-point home favorites tonight.  The Jazz will be playing just their 2nd game in 7 days.  The home team is 7-1 SU & 6-2 ATS in the last 8 meetings.  The Jazz beat the Spurs by 34 in their lone home meeting this season.  Take Utah. 

7* Heat/Kings NBA *BAILOUT* on Sacramento -3 

The Key: I think we are getting the Kings cheap because they lost by 26 at home to the Rockets the other night, while the Heat upset the Blazers as 7.5-point road underdogs in their last game.  But the Kings found out they traded away Iman Shumpert and Justin Jackson for Harrison Barnes before the game, and they weren’t mentally into that Rockets game.  They’ll be locked back in tonight and get back to playing great at home.  They are 7-2 SU & 8-1 ATS in their last 9 home games.  The Kings are 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS in their last 3 meetings with the Heat, including their 123-113 road win in their first meeting this season.  Sacramento is 13-3 ATS in its last 16 against at team with a losing record.  The Kings are 26-9 ATS in their last 35 against Eastern Conference teams.  Take Sacramento. 

7* Spurs/Blazers TNT *BAILOUT* on Portland -6 

The Key: The San Antonio Spurs will be playing for a second consecutive day.  They will also be playing their 3rd road game in 4 days and their 7th game in 12 days overall.  They were worked by 15 at Sacramento and by 39 at Golden State their last two road games, and I expect them to get blown out of the building by the Blazers tonight.  The Blazers come in hungry off a rare upset home loss to Miami.  The Blazers are 22-8 SU & 19-11 ATS at home this season, while the Spurs are 10-17 SU on the road.  The home team has won both meetings this season by 13 points apiece.  Portland is 10-1 ATS revenging a road loss by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.  The Spurs are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games overall.  The Blazers are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 games playing on one days’ rest.  The Blazers are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games following an ATS loss.  Take Portland. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Chicago Bulls -1.5 

The Key: The situation is a good one for the Chicago Bulls tonight.  They come in on 3 days’ rest and face a short-handed Pelicans team that is without 5 of its 6 best players.  The Pelicans will be playing their 8th game in 15 days which is even more difficult when they are missing so many players.  The Bulls have been very competitive of late as each of their last 4 losses have come by 7 points or fewer, and they even went into Miami and won by 16 as 10.5-point dogs.  The Pelicans are just 8-21 SU on the road this season.  The Bulls are 11-4 ATS in their last 15 games when playing on 3 or more days’ rest.  The Bulls are 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings.  Take Chicago. 

7* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Orlando Magic +10 

The Key: The Orlando Magic will be hungry to avenge their 117-126 home loss to the Thunder on January 29th a week ago.  They blew a 4th quarter lead in that game.  The Magic have picked up two impressive wins since with a 7-point home win over the Pacers and a 13-point home win over the Nets.  They will be playing only their 2nd game in 5 days and come in on 2 days’ rest.  Orlando is 6-1-1 ATS in its last 8 games against a team with a winning record.  The Magic are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 meetings with the Thunder, including a perfect 6-0 ATS in their last 6 visits to Oklahoma City.  Take Orlando. 

7* Spurs/Kings NBA TV *BAILOUT* on Sacramento +2 

The Key: The Spurs are on pins and needles right now.  They have won 4 straight, but all 4 were at home, and they barely beat the Suns by 2 as 13.5-point favorites, the Nets by 3 as 8-point favorites and the Pelicans by 5 as 10.5-point favorites.  Now they have to hit the road, where they are 10-15 SU this season.  And they’re facing a Sacramento Kings team that is 6-1 SU & 7-0 ATS in its last 7 home games with its only loss coming to the Warriors by 4 points as 8-point dogs.  The Kings beat the Spurs 104-99 at home in their lone meeting this season.  The Kings are 20-6 ATS in their last 26 games on one days’ rest.  Take Sacramento. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Toronto Raptors -10.5 

The Key: The Raptors have a very favorable situation today over the Clippers.  Toronto comes in on 2 days’ rest and will be playing just its 2nd game in 7 days.  Los Angeles will be playing for a second consecutive day and its 8th game in 13 days.  The Clippers won’t be able to match the energy level of the Raptors today.  Toronto is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 meetings with Los Angeles and 7-2 ATS in its last 9 home meetings.  Take Toronto. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Phoenix Suns -2.5 

The Key: The Phoenix Suns have a big situational advantage over the Atlanta Hawks today.  The Suns come in on 3 days’ rest, while the Hawks will be playing or the 2nd consecutive day and their 3rd game in 4 days after losing in Utah last night.  And that means they played in altitude, and this will now be their 6th straight road game.  That’s a lot of travel, and there’s no doubt the Hawks are worn out.  The Suns should be getting DeAndre Ayton back from injury which is a huge boost.  The home team is 7-0 SU in the last 7 meetings, and the Suns basically just have to win this game to cover.  The Hawks are 0-7 ATS in their last 7 games playing on no rest.  The Suns are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games against at team with a losing record.  The Hawks are 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 visits to Phoenix.  Take Phoenix. 

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.