Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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12-08-24 | Grizzlies v. Wizards +12 | Top | 140-112 | Loss | -109 | 7 h 22 m | Show |
This is a play on the WASHINGTON WIZARDS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Memphis is coming off a win in Boston last night for its second straight win and the Grizzlies have now won eight of their last nine games in what is one of the bigger turnarounds from last season after a 27-55 finish. Tonight signals a letdown after the Celtics win and on a back-to-back on top of it against the worst team in the NBA. Going from the best to the worst on the road has seen an 18.5-point differential swing in the line and we go contrarian ugly here. Memphis has played the easiest schedule in the NBA and will not improve that with this game. It can be argued that the Wizards are on a letdown themselves coming off a win over Denver last night in a wire-to-wire cover but the difference here is that a bad team can carry that momentum and not be in that letdown spot. The Wizards are now just 3-18 after snapping a 16-game losing skid and it is worth noting that the first two wins did come in back-to-back games against Atlanta. Washington did lose the first meeting this season one month ago by 24 points where Memphis was a 7.5-point favorite at home and now the Wizards are getting four more points at home. Here, we play against road favorites of 10 or more points playing on back-to-back days, in the first half of the season. This situation is 33-8 ATS (80.5 percent) since 1997 with a scoring differential of -6.4 ppg. 10* (514) Washington Wizards |
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12-06-24 | Pacers -3 v. Bulls | Top | 132-123 | Win | 100 | 11 h 5 m | Show |
This is a play on the INDIANA PACERS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. We faded Indiana on Tuesday at Toronto which resulted in an 11-point loss and the Pacers backed that up with another loss at Brooklyn on Wednesday to make it four straight losses but now is the smash spot. They have been one of the bigger letdowns in the Eastern Conference after making the conference finals last season and getting swept by Boston and the problem has been on the road where they are 2-11, failing to cover 10 of those. Shockingly, they step up to competition where they have won four games against top ten teams, tied for third most but come in 2-12 ATS against losing teams so this is the ultimate contrarian move. Chicago is coming off a win last night in San Antonio which played without Victor Wembanyama and that made it two straight wins for the Bulls. They return home where they have been awful with a 3-7 record which is ahead of only Washington and Philadelphia for home records in the Eastern Conference. The reason is their defense as Chicago has the worst Defensive Efficiency rating in the league at home and now faces an offense that has yet to hit its stride and coming off a 90-point game, easily its worst game over its last 12. Here, we play on road teams with a winning percentage between .250 and .400 where the line is +3 to -3 after being beaten by the spread by more than 6 points in three consecutive games. This situation is 24-4 ATS (85.7 percent) since 1997 with the scoring differential being +5.0 ppg. 10* (559) Indiana Pacers |
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12-05-24 | Nuggets v. Cavs -4 | Top | 114-126 | Win | 100 | 9 h 21 m | Show |
This is a play on the CLEVELAND CAVALIERS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Cleveland has shaken off a home and home sweep against Atlanta with a big home win over Boston followed up by a 31-point win over Washington on Tuesday. The Cavaliers remain home where they are 12-1 while covering 10 of those games and while the schedule has been favorable, they are a perfect 5-0 ATS against teams with a winning record. They are narrowly behind New York and Boston in Offensive Efficiency and coupled with their top ten defense, they are No. 2 in Net Efficiency. Denver is coming off a controversial win over Golden St. where it was able to sneak by thanks to a no call technical foul after calling a timeout it did not have to move to 11-8. That was just the Nuggets fifth win over a team with a winning record and of the 15 NBA teams with a positive differential in Net Efficiency, they are No. 13. The defense has struggled of late with a No. 25 ranking in Defensive Efficiency over their last five games. Here, we play on favorites with a +10 ppg scoring differential and coming off a win by 30 points or more going up against teams with a scoring differential of +/- 3 ppg. This situation is 32-10 ATS (76.2 percent) since 1997 with a scoring differential of +14.6 ppg. 10* (538) Cleveland Cavaliers |
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12-04-24 | Magic -3 v. 76ers | Top | 106-102 | Win | 100 | 11 h 46 m | Show |
This is a play on the ORLANDO MAGIC for our Eastern Conference Game of the Month. Orlando had its six-game winning streak snapped with a 15-point loss to the Knicks and returns Wednesday now in the role of the favorite where it is 13-2 straight up and 12-3 against the number. The Magic remain in first place in the Southeast Division by 3.5 games over Atlanta while staying in third place in the Eastern Conference, one game up on New York. They have dominated losing teams, going 11-1 straight up and 10-2 against the number and have not missed a beat since Paolo Banchero went down as after losing their first four games, they have gone 12-2. The Sixers have won consecutive games for the first time this season following a six-point win over Charlotte last night. Surprisingly, this is only their second back-to-back of the season which resulted in losses in both games and while Joel Embiid did not play last night, head coach Nick Nurse said he does not expect him to play against tonight with the possibility of Paul George sitting as well. It has been a disaster of a season obviously and they come into tonight having failed to cover all four games as home underdogs of six points or less, losing those games by an average of 14.5 ppg. Here, we play on road favorites off a road loss by 10 points or more going up against an opponent off an road win scoring 110 or more points. This situation is 46-16 ATS (74.2 percent) since 1997 with a scoring differential of +8.0 ppg. 10* (523) Orlando Magic |
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12-03-24 | Rockets v. Kings -1.5 | Top | 111-120 | Win | 100 | 10 h 42 m | Show |
This is a play on the SACRAMENTO KINGS as part of our NBA Tuesday Three-Pack. This is the contrarian play with a contrarian line. The first question is why is Sacramento favored here? The Kings have lost six of their last seven games to fall to 9-12 and this includes just a 4-7 record at home. This has been a disappointment early on and the Kings have struggled despite playing the No. 25 ranked schedule in the league and have been average on both ends of the floor. They are 1-8 ATS over their last eight games which adds to the contrarian aspect. Houston has been just the opposite as it has won and covered three straight while going 10-1 ATS over its last 11 games which again, contrarian. The Rockets are 15-6 and lead the Southwest Division and are a half-game behind Oklahoma City for first place in the Western Conference. 70 percent of the money is on Houston but the line has risen slightly. Contrarian again. By game time, we think Houston may shift to the favorite which brings in a system where we play against road favorites after two straight games where both teams scored 115 points or more going up against an opponent after scoring 120 points or more. This situation is 33-9 ATS (78.6 percent) since 1997 with a scoring differential of +4.1 ppg. 10* (518) Sacramento Kings |
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12-03-24 | Pacers v. Raptors +3 | Top | 111-122 | Win | 100 | 7 h 13 m | Show |
This is a play on the TORONTO RAPTORS as part of our NBA Tuesday Three-Pack. We have a false favorite in our opinion and based on our numbers. Indiana had won three straight games but has since lost two in a row by 14 and 15 points and this is not the same Pacers team from last season. They remain on the road where they are 2-9 and bring in one of the worst defenses in the league which the offense has not been able to overcome with Indiana ranked No. 23 in Net Efficiency which is actually two spots below Toronto. The Raptors are 4-3 over their last seven games with the streak starting here against Indiana in an 11-point win. All three of those losses were on the road where they have struggled with a 1-11 record but come in 5-4 at home following a three-point win over Miami on Sunday. The Raptors are close to Indiana in offense and are healthy once again while their defense is not great but has the edge here. Toronto is 4-0 ATS at home against teams allowing 46 percent shooting or higher. Here, we play against road teams where the line is +3 to -3 averaging between 114 and 118 after scoring 68 points or more in the first half last game going up against teams averaging between 108 and 114 ppg. This situation is 34-10 ATS (77.3 percent) since 1997 with a scoring differential of +6.7 ppg. 10* (508) Toronto Raptors |
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12-03-24 | Bucks v. Pistons +3.5 | Top | 128-107 | Loss | -115 | 7 h 51 m | Show |
This is a play on the DETROIT PISTONS as part of our NBA Tuesday Three-Pack. Following a win over Indiana in an NBA Cup game on Friday but followed that up with a 15-point loss to the Sixers as Cade Cunningham was a late scratch at home Saturday night against the Philadelphia with a left sacroiliac joint sprain but he is not on the injury report following a couple days off. The Pistons remain home where they are 4-6 and this is just their fourth home game since November 13. With a win, they will progress to the knockout round, slated for December 10-11. Milwaukee is playing its best basketball of the season as it has won six straight games but only one of those was on the road, a three-point win at Miami. The Bucks are 2-6 away from home and while they have dominated this series, this is arguably the best Detroit team they have seen in a while. They won the first meeting this season at home but it took overtime as a seven-point favorite and they are a bit overvalued based on their run and we are not sure how much motivation they are going to have compared to the Pistons. Here, we play on home underdogs revenging a road loss, off an upset loss by 15 points or more as a favorite. This situation is 73-35 ATS (67.6 percent) since 1997 with a scoring differential of -1.0 ppg. 10* (506) Detroit Pistons |
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12-01-24 | Spurs v. Kings -5.5 | Top | 127-125 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 54 m | Show |
This is a play on the SACRAMENTO KINGS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. We played against Sacramento on Friday as it lost in Portland to make it five losses in its last six games. The Kings are now 9-11 which is a big disappointment early on and the Kings have struggled despite playing the No. 25 ranked schedule in the league and have been average on both ends of the floor. They are 1-7 ATS over their last eight games which adds line value and they are playing with revenge after suffering a 20-point loss in San Antonio three weeks ago. The Spurs had their four-game winning streak snapped with an 18-point loss on Wednesday so they do have the rest advantage but the other factors outweigh that. San Antonio has been a pleasant surprise as it is a game over .500 but most of the success has been at home where it is 8-4 compared to 2-5 on the road with both wins coming at 4-15 Utah. The Kings are getting healthier with DeMar DeRozan listed as probable after missing the last two games. Here, we play on home favorites with a winning percentage between .400 and .499 revenging a loss of 10 points or more, playing a winning team. This situation is 34-10 ATS (77.3 percent) with a scoring differential of +10.9 ppg. 10* (548) Sacramento Kings |
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11-30-24 | Hawks -4.5 v. Hornets | Top | 107-104 | Loss | -109 | 7 h 51 m | Show |
This is a play on the ATLANTA HAWKS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Atlanta completed the home and home sweep over Cleveland, both as an underdog, and now the Hawks are right back at it as favorites and we are not expecting a letdown by giving back those big wins. Atlanta is now 9-11 including 4-6 on the road and while its defense has been the liability sitting No. 20 in Defensive Efficiency, that will not pose a problem here. Charlotte is No. 26 in Offensive Efficiency and averaging only 107.7 ppg on 42.7 percent shooting, No. 27 and No. 30 in the NBA respectively. The Hornets are riding a four-game losing streak following a one point loss to the Knicks at home last night and that may provide the letdown. They have also dropped six of their last seven games with the only wins coming in overtime by a bucket against Detroit. Three of their last four wins have come by two points or less and while Charlotte is 9-3 ATS in its last 12 games, that provides value the other way. Here, we play on favorites after beating the spread by more than 18 points in two consecutive games. This situation is 26-6 (81.3 percent) since 2021 with an average line of -5.5 and an average scoring differential of 11.9 ppg. 10* (521) Atlanta Hawks |
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11-29-24 | Kings v. Blazers +7.5 | Top | 106-115 | Win | 100 | 8 h 8 m | Show |
This is a play on the PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS as part of our NBA Friday Double Play. Sacramento snapped a four-game losing streak with an impressive win over Minnesota on Wednesday. Overall, it is now 9-10 which is a big disappointment early on and the Kings have struggled despite playing the No. 26 ranked schedule in the league and have been average on both ends of the floor. They will be without DeMar DeRozan once again who is dealing with a back injury and his 22.6 ppg is a sizable loss for the offense. With this being an NBA Cup game and the fact that the Kings are 0-2 in group play, motivation could play into this. Portland has not been horrible as it is 7-12 which is far from stellar but a lot of the damage has come from its recent roadtrip where the Blazers went 1-4 but were competitive in the majority, going 3-2 against the number. They have been undervalued based on their 11-7-1 ATS record overall and they head back home where they are 4-4 straight up and have covered three straight games here. They have played the No. 3 ranked schedule having faced seven top ten teams which is tied for eighth in the league. 10* (520) Portland Trailblazers |
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11-29-24 | Clippers v. Wolves -5.5 | Top | 92-93 | Loss | -109 | 6 h 47 m | Show |
This is a play on the MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES as part of our NBA Friday Double Play. Minnesota has lost four straight games and seven of its last nine to fall to 8-10 after a 6-3 start and it is currently in the No. 12 spot in the Western Conference. It is time to turn things around with a healthy lineup that remains No. 15 in Offensive Efficiency and No. 12 in Defensive Efficiency, both of which are pretty average with a loaded roster. The Clippers are getting 84 percent of the money yet the line has gone up in most places from the opening of 5.5. Los Angeles has been a pretty pleasant surprise in the league as they have dealt with numerous injuries this season and have been without Kawhi Leonard all year. The Clippers have done it with their defense as they are No. 5 in Defensive Efficiency with the offense way back at No. 22. They are still the lowest rated team in the league that has at least 12 wins and a lot of this due to the actual outcomes against expected outcomes as they are No. 6 in the NBA Luck Ratings and to no surprise, Minnesota is No. 29, being one of the most unfortunate teams in the league. 10* (508) Minnesota Timberwolves |
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11-27-24 | Lakers -2 v. Spurs | Top | 119-101 | Win | 100 | 9 h 50 m | Show |
This is a play on the LOS ANGELES LAKERS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. The Lakers have lost three straight games following a loss last night in Phoenix to drop them to 10-7 on the season. There should be a sense of urgency with this skid coming off a six-game winning streak that now has them sitting in the No. 6 spot in the Western Conference. They have fallen into the bottom half of the league in the power ratings and this is the spot to get back on track as they are 9-3 against teams ranked outside the top ten. San Antonio has been a pleasant surprise as it is now 10-8 following its fourth straight win, including a victory over Utah last night, its second win over the Jazz during this winning streak and that is not saying much. The Spurs do own wins over Oklahoma City and Golden St. so those were impressive but now play a tough back-to-back. They are 2-1 in the second game playing with no rest but the two wins were against Utah and Portland. 10* (561) Los Angeles Lakers |
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11-22-24 | Hawks -1 v. Bulls | Top | 122-136 | Loss | -112 | 8 h 41 m | Show |
This is a play on the ATLANTA HAWKS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. The Hawks are coming off a 1-2 west coast roadtrip and it was a weird one where they lost to Portland and beat Sacramento before ultimately getting blown out by Golden St. Atlanta has not been horrible as it is 7-9 with an average defense, which was the issue last season that has somewhat been corrected. The Hawks are No. 20 in Defensive Efficiency and this is an early big game with a brutal upcoming schedule. Injuries have been an early issue with many teams and Atlanta has been pretty fortunate and their injury list is pretty clean. Chicago has lost three of four following a 16-point loss at Milwaukee on Wednesday to fall to 6-10 which to its credit, is not that horrible in what is a rebuilding season. The Bulls fell to 5-5 on the road which is solid but they are only 1-5 at home and bring in one of the worst defenses in the NBA. They are No. 28 in Defensive Efficiency overall including No. 26 at home which has been the problem with the lack of success in Chicago. This is one of those lines we will back as 86 percent of the money is on the Bulls yet the line has gone from a pickem to the Hawks now favored. 10* (543) Atlanta Hawks |
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11-20-24 | 76ers -3.5 v. Grizzlies | Top | 111-117 | Loss | -109 | 4 h 40 m | Show |
This is a play on the PHILADELPHIA 76ERS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. This could be the get right spot for Philadelphia as it has been the most disappointing team in the NBA this season as it fell to 2-11 following a loss at Miami Monday, its fourth straight defeat. The Sixers held a team meeting after the game and basically went off on each other and that could be the shot it needs to turn this debacle around. They remain on the road which is a good thing as they do not need to be in front of their home fans right now. They come in as the favorites despite a big record disparity and they sit 0-8 against the top 16 with only Washington being the other team to not having defeated a top 16 team. This is the ultimate contrarian play but motivation can overtake any of this. Memphis is coming off a loss last night against the Nuggets to split the back-to-back set with Denver and having lost three of four, Memphis is now 8-7 overall. The Grizzlies had their seven-game ATS winning streak snapped and they have actually struggled against the lesser competition, going just 5-3 against teams ranked outside the top 16. They remain No. 2 in pace which has helped their efficiency numbers on offense but the defensive numbers have suffered as they are No. 28 in Defensive Efficiency over the last five games. We waited this out for injury info and the Grizzlies will be the most affected with Zach Edey ruled out and Marcus Smart now listed a doubtful. 10* (521) Philadelphia 76ers |
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11-19-24 | Cavs v. Celtics -5 | Top | 117-120 | Loss | -109 | 10 h 54 m | Show |
This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our Eastern Conference Game of the Month. Cleveland is off to its best ever start as it is 15-0 and is just the fourth team in NBA history to win its first 15 games and now comes the real test. The Cavaliers have played the No. 29 ranked schedule in the league and while they come in 7-0 on the road, the only real wins were against a very underperforming Knicks team and against the Bucks by a point. They remain No. 1 on Offensive Efficiency but are now going against one of the top defenses in the NBA. This is obviously a revenge spot following the 4-1 series loss last season in the playoffs but we are not a proponent of road revenge especially against this team. The Celtics have won two straight games following an uninspiring 126-123 win over Toronto in overtime on Saturday and remain the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. They are 11-3 on the season with the three losses coming by a combined 10 points and have shown nothing at home since opening the season 2-0 against New York and Milwaukee. Boston is just 2-2 in its four home games since then with both wins coming in overtime, the other coming against Brooklyn. This is the spot to show they remain the top team in the conference. 10* (502) Boston Celtics |
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11-15-24 | Grizzlies v. Warriors -7 | Top | 118-123 | Loss | -115 | 10 h 41 m | Show |
This is a play on the GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS as part of our NBA Friday Three-Pack. The Warriors are playing at a very level as they are off to a 9-2 start following a win over Dallas in their first NBA Cup game on Tuesday. It was an emotional win with Klay Thompson coming back for his first game since leaving Golden St. but the Warriors have been off since then so there is no chance for a letdown. The one huge edge here is perimeter shooting as they are averaging 16.1 three-pointers which is second in the league while their 39.0 percentage is No. 4. They have won seven straight meetings at home against Memphis and some of those were against a healthy Grizzlies team which is not the case here. Memphis had won three straight games but lost to the Lakers Wednesday by five which was a revenge game for Los Angeles as they were a victim in that Grizzlies run. Give them credit for playing well without the services of Ja Morant and Desmond Bane although Bane has improved to questionable. Still, they allowed the Lakers to shoot 20-41 (48.8 percent) from long range on Wednesday night and on the other side, they are No. 23 in Offensive Efficiency in their last five games. 10* (522) Golden St. Warriors |
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11-15-24 | Bulls +10.5 v. Cavs | Top | 126-144 | Loss | -109 | 7 h 12 m | Show |
This is a play on the CHICAGO BULLS as part of our NBA Friday Three-Pack. Cleveland is coming off another win to keep its undefeated record intact as it is now 13-0 and it returns home laying another big number. The Cavaliers have been in some close games as of late, beating Brooklyn by five, Chicago by six and Philadelphia (without Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George) by eight. They were a moneymaker early but after starting 7-0 against the number, the markets are adjusting and they have gone just 2-4 ATS their last six. Chicago is now 5-7 on the season following an upset win in New York on Wednesday and it has won two of its last three games, the other win also coming on the road in Atlanta and the loss came against Cleveland as mentioned above by only six points. This is one of the worst defensive teams in the league but the Bulls run and the up tempo style is good for big underdogs because they can score and score in bunches. The Bulls can keep it close once again and it comes in with its highest confidence level of the season and they have actually been better on the road at 4-3 compared to just 1-4 at home. 10* (511) Chicago Bulls |
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11-15-24 | Pistons -2 v. Raptors | Top | 99-95 | Win | 100 | 7 h 51 m | Show |
This is a play on the DETROIT PISTONS as part of our NBA Friday Three-Pack. After defeating Miami on Tuesday in the first game of the NBA Cup, Detroit had to come back on Wednesday and play at Milwaukee and nearly pulled off the upset but ended up losing in overtime as the Bucks got 59 points from Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Pistons now have a good opportunity to make it two straight wins in the NBA Cup as they got the big first challenge out of the way. Detroit is playing better than expected as after a 0-4 start, it has won five of nine with two of the losses coming by three points combined in addition to that overtime loss. Toronto has lost five straight games, including losing by 14 points or more in three of its past four. The Raptors are back home following their five-game roadtrip and even at 2-10, they opened as favorites but the line has flipped for good reason. They have no confidence and are still without a bunch of their core players with Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, Bruce Brown and Kelly Olynyk all on the shelf. Toronto has been solid against the number but that is with getting big underdog numbers which is not the case here. 10* (505) Detroit Pistons |
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11-13-24 | Celtics -8.5 v. Nets | Top | 139-114 | Win | 100 | 8 h 34 m | Show |
This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Last night showed how unpredictable the NBA can be. Boston defeated Atlanta on the road nine nights ago by 30 points and lost to the Hawks at home last night by a point as it was outscored by 12 points in the first half. Being the NBA Cup, there might have been little motivation as it is hard to project who actually cares but we expect a bounce back tonight. The Celtics are top seven in both Offensive and Defensive Efficiency and remain the No. 3 rated team in the league. Brooklyn has not been as horrible as expected early on in the season as it is 5-6 and has been more competitive than that record shows as it has covered nine of its 11 games including four straight. The Nets have been the beneficiary of some big numbers and they are back home following three straight road games including a win at injury riddled New Orleans on Monday. They are 3-2 at home but are in a horrible spot tonight. Boston won the first meeting by four points in overtime five nights ago so based on that effort from the Nets, the Celtics will be focused. 10* (551) Boston Celtics |
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11-02-24 | Cavs v. Bucks -1.5 | Top | 114-113 | Loss | -109 | 12 h 52 m | Show |
This is a play on the MILWAUKEE BUCKS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. This line is wrong for so many reasons and because of that, we are playing it. We lost with Cleveland last night as it did not fall into the lookahead trap and we are facing the Cavaliers again. Cleveland opened the season with three wins against three really poor teams, Toronto, Detroit and Washington, ranked No. 29, No. 25 and No. 27 respectively, and followed those up with a pair of high profile wins against the Knicks and Lakers. The Cavaliers are one of only two undefeated teams, Oklahoma City being the other, and they are playing like it as they are ranked No. 3 in Offensive Efficiency and No. 2 in Defensive Efficiency while also being No. 2 in Efficiency Differential. They have covered every game, another reason for the fade. The Bucks are off to a horrible start as they are 1-4 following a loss at Memphis on Thursday. That was their third straight road game and four of their first five games have been away from home and now they are back in Milwaukee for just their second home game of the season. Their first game here was a horrible performance against Chicago where they lost by 11 points as a 9.5-point favorite and the Bucks have now failed to cover their last four home games, another reason for the take. One game will not turn a season around but this is a huge game for Milwaukee to get right before travelling to Cleveland on Monday for the second game of a home and home. 10* (530) Milwaukee Bucks |
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11-01-24 | Magic +8 v. Cavs | Top | 109-120 | Loss | -109 | 9 h 38 m | Show |
This is a play on the ORLANDO MAGIC for our NBA Ultimate Underdog. Cleveland opened the season with three wins against three really poor teams, Toronto, Detroit and Washington, ranked No. 29, No. 25 and No. 27 respectively, and followed those up with a pair of high profile wins against the Knicks and Lakers. The Cavaliers are one of only two undefeated teams, Oklahoma City being the other, and they are playing like it as they are ranked No. 3 in Offensive Efficiency and No. 2 in Defensive Efficiency while also being No. 2 in Efficiency Differential. They are one of just four teams ranked in the top ten in both efficiency categories but are in a tricky spot tonight as while this is a game against a quality opponent, Cleveland has a game on deck at Milwaukee tomorrow night. Orlando is coming off a loss at Chicago to fall to 3-2 but does own a pair of solid wins over Miami and Indiana, the former coming on the road. The Magic were one of the pleasant surprises in the Eastern Conference last season as they made the postseason and won the NBA Southeast Division with a 47-35 record after winning just 34 games the previous season. Orlando came into the season with a ranking of No. 13 and this is a team built around defense which they are utilizing again this season as they are No. 5 while being one of only seven teams with a positive Efficiency Differential of 4.0 or better. The loss of Paolo Banchero is a big one but playing on a team in their first game without their star is the best time to back them. 10* (505) Orlando Magic |
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10-31-24 | Suns v. Clippers +5 | Top | 125-119 | Loss | -108 | 15 h 23 m | Show |
This is a play on the LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. The Clippers came up small for us last night as they lost to one of the youngest and worst teams in the league but have a chance for some redemption on Thursday. They played another solid game defensively but it was the offense that hurt them with James Harden and Ivica Zubac combining for just 25 points on 32 percent shooting. There is no Kawhi Leonard while has put a strain on the offense but it has not hurt the defense where they are No. 3 in Defensive Efficiency and overall have a No. 8 ranking in Efficiency Differential. It has been a season of close games including a three-point loss against the Suns in their season opener so there is revenge in play and coming off a horrible loss gives them extra incentive. Phoenix is coming off a four-point win over the Lakers on Tuesday, handing Los Angeles its first loss of the season, and that resulted in a win, loss or push against the number which fluctuated between 3.5 and 4.5 and now they come in as five-point road favorites which is the same spread as the season opener. We are high on this Phoenix team this season as long as they remain healthy as new head coach Mike Budenholzer is the guy that can make them work. This is a situational play against Phoenix tonight however and the back-to-back is not a concern, especially this early in the season. We catch the right number if this turns into another close game but we are banking on the number does not even come into play with an outright Clippers win. 10* (570) Los Angeles Clippers |
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10-30-24 | Blazers v. Clippers -8.5 | Top | 106-105 | Loss | -110 | 15 h 5 m | Show |
This is a play on the LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. This is a great spot for the Clippers and we have seen this line go up a point since opening at 7.5 which was totally expected. They have started the season without Kawhi Leonard who is still having knee issues and while it has hurt the offense as they are No. 21 in Offensive Efficiency but it has not hurt the defense where they are No. 3 in Defensive Efficiency and overall have a No. 8 ranking in Efficiency Differential. All of this has come against the No. 1 ranked schedule where they have gone 2-1, losing to Phoenix in their season opener but beating the Nuggets and Warriors on the road to follow that up. While James Harden has not surprisingly led the team in scoring, Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac are both playing at high levels, averaging over 22 ppg. The Clippers welcome the second lowest rated team in the Western Conference which is no surprise as Portland remains in rebuilding mode. They are 1-3 with a pair of good games against New Orleans, one win and one loss by two points but the Blazers have been blown out in their other two games. Portland is No. 26 in Efficiency Differential which is where it will sit most of the season. The Clippers have won nine straight in this series, covering six of those with the three exceptions being when Portland was getting double digits. 10* (562) Los Angeles Clippers |
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10-30-24 | Raptors +6.5 v. Hornets | Top | 133-138 | Win | 100 | 12 h 50 m | Show |
This is a play on the TORONTO RAPTORS for our NBA Ultimate Underdog. Toronto comes in as a significant underdog being one of the bottom rated teams in the league, currently coming in No. 25 with a 1-3 record which includes a 0-3 record against the top 16 in the league. All four games have been against teams that will be in the playoffs barring any significant injuries and now the Raptors will be playing their first game against a team that in part of their own group. The schedule has played a part in the early season numbers as Toronto is ranked No. 28 in Efficiency Differential which has come against a schedule ranked No. 8 and there is line value as we have this number at 3. Part of the reason for the inflated number is the fact that Scottie Barnes is out but that is offset with the Hornets Brandon Miller also out after playing just 11 minutes so far this season. Charlotte is 1-2 and comes in just ahead of Toronto at No. 24 in the current power rankings and has played the easier schedule at No. 17. The Hornets lone win came at Houston in their season opener which was a solid win but has since lost to Atlanta and Miami. LaMelo Ball is carrying this team right now, averaging 31.7 ppg, 7.3 apg and 7.0 rpg and he has been the main usage guy with his scoring average over 13 ppg higher than Tre Mann who is second with 18.3 ppg. Overall, Charlotte is No. 18 in Efficiency Differential. 10* (547) Toronto Raptors |
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10-29-24 | Pelicans -3 v. Warriors | Top | 106-124 | Loss | -110 | 14 h 39 m | Show |
This is a play on the NEW ORLEANS PELICANS for our NBA Western Conference GOM. Golden St. is off to a 2-1 start with wins over Utah and Portland, the two lowest rated teams in the Western Conference but lost their last game against the Clippers at home. The loss took a bigger hit as Stephen Curry left the game with an ankle sprain and while it is not too sever, he will miss at least the next two games. This is the first of a pair of back-to-back home games against the Pelicans and could put the Warriors in an early hole before heading out on a five-game roadtrip. This roster will be hard to succeed with the absence of Curry even he has not gotten off to a great start but playing their first two games against bad teams has helped. The Pelicans are also 2-1 with their record looking worse with the loss coming at Portland, the second of a back-to-back at the Blazers where they won the first game by just two points. The big three have been just fine with Zion Williamson missing the opener but the real story so far has been second year guard Jordan Hawkins who is averaging 18 ppg on 52.9 percent shooting after averaging just 7.8 ppg last season. Coming off the recent loss against Portland will have them motivated to get it back at a good price on the road. 10* (539) New Orleans Pelicans |
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10-28-24 | Lakers v. Suns -3.5 | Top | 105-109 | Win | 100 | 10 h 10 m | Show |
This is a play on the PHOENIX SUNS as part of our NBA Monday Three-Pack. The Lakers are one of only four undefeated teams in the league but are the lowest rated of that group. All three wins have been against some very good teams but all came down to the final minutes and all of those were at home. Los Angeles covered all three of those games, one of five teams to start off the season a perfect 3-0 against the number and this is the time we start fading these streaks based on the situation and this is one of those situations hitting the road for the first time in an early season revenge game for the opponent. Phoenix is 2-1 with wins over the Clippers and Mavericks sandwiched around that loss to the Lakers which was by seven points after blowing a 22-point lead. That makes this a big revenge spot and this is a game that can go a long way as the Suns do not want to lose the first two games for upcoming tiebreak reasons. Phoenix is actually rated above the Lakers are they are No. 6 with having played the No. 4 ranked schedule factoring into that. Look for the big revenge win at a very favorable number on top of it. 10* (530) Phoenix Suns |
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10-28-24 | Bucks +10 v. Celtics | Top | 108-119 | Loss | -113 | 8 h 47 m | Show |
This is a play on the MILWAUKEE BUCKS as part of our NBA Monday Three-Pack. Milwaukee opened the season with a win over the shorthanded Sixers and then lost outright to Chicago and Brooklyn by 9.5 and 8.5-point favorites respectively. Now they face the unenviable task of facing the reigning World Champion Celtics but those losses can only help moving forward and they certainly help with the line. The Bucks will be a big public fade tonight and that is fine with us as these are the spots we like to take these supposed down and out teams that are still pretty darn good. The Celtics are off to a 3-0 start as they defeated the Knicks in their season opener where they celebrated their world championship while tying the NBA record for three-pointers. They then defeated the two worst teams in the Eastern Conference and while they are in a favorable spot here, winning by margin will not be easy in this matchup. Boston and Milwaukee spit the season series last year with the Bucks covering all four of those games. This came in a much anticipated game but the line is saying different and this is where the Bucks show some pride. 10* (519) Milwaukee Bucks |
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10-28-24 | Cavs v. Knicks -2.5 | Top | 110-104 | Loss | -109 | 8 h 41 m | Show |
This is a play on the NEW YORK KNICKS as part of our NBA Monday Three-Pack. New York got blown out by Boston in its season opener but bounced back with its own blowout win, a 25-point win over Indiana which was a revenge spot for the Knicks following their seven-game series loss against the Pacers last season. They have another tough game to start the season but we are getting some great line value having played an early schedule ranked No. 2 in the league. Jason Hart is listed as questionable with an ankle injury which is the only significant injury concern. Cleveland is off to a 3-0 start with three blowout wins but those were against Toronto, Detroit and Washington, arguably the three worst teams in the NBA which has equated to playing the easiest schedule in the league early on. Now comes their first test against a contender and on the road no less so while the Cavaliers have an early rating of No. 3, they have yet to prove much. Cleveland finished just three games over .500 on the road last regular season and the Knicks will be out to make it two straight at home before it heads back out on the road for a four-game trip. 10* (522) New York Knicks |
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10-26-24 | Magic v. Grizzlies | Top | 111-124 | Win | 100 | 11 h 31 m | Show |
This is a play on the MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES for our NBA Saturday Enforcer. Orlando has rolled in its first two games, a 19-point win in the season opener at Miami and then a 17-point home win over Brooklyn last night. Now the Magic have to hit the road for a back-to-back and opened as favorites against a team that is rated higher than the Heat where they were the underdog. The early success has had a lot to do with their lack of turnovers where they gave it up only 11 and 12 times, coming off a season where they averaged 14.7 tpg which was No. 24 in the league and those first two games can be considered an anomaly as this will tick up. Memphis opened the season with a two-point win at Utah and followed that up with a 20-point loss at Houston last night. The Grizzlies are also in the back-to-back situation with no rest but are home for the first time. Last season was a disaster with Ja Morant starting the season on a 25-game suspension and then not being able to finish the season because of a shoulder injury and it ended up being a 27-win season for the Grizzlies. There are big expectations with this backcourt of Morant and Desmond Bane who was also part of the injury bug. Memphis turned it over 17 times last night after giving it up only 12 times against the Jazz and we expect them to be more like that in their home opener. We get the better team at an even number price tonight. 10* (562) Memphis Grizzlies |
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10-25-24 | Pacers v. Knicks -4.5 | Top | 98-123 | Win | 100 | 10 h 28 m | Show |
This is a play on the NEW YORK KNICKS for our NBA Friday Supreme Annihilator. Even though this is a new look Knicks team, there is some form of revenge from last season when they lost to the Pacers in seven games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The defense allowed an NBA Playoff record 67.1 percent shooting in the decisive Game Seven and do not think that has been on the mind of head coach Tom Thibodeau all summer. Coupled with the near record-breaking performance from the Celtics in their season opener, New York should be ready to play some defense tonight. There will be energy in the building tonight to slow down the best offense in the NBA from last season. The Pacers are coming off a win over the Pistons in their series opener in a tougher than expected game as Indiana had to outscore Detroit by 14 points in the fourth quarter to get the win and cover by a half-point. The Pacers finished one game over .500 on the road during the regular season last year which included an 11-13 record against playoff teams. Indiana shot 51 percent against Detroit but was just 9-31 from long range and after Boston going off from deep on Tuesday, the perimeter defense was a focal point the last two days of practice. It is early in the season but this is a game New York needs to show it can stay with the top of the conference after failing in the opener against Boston. 10* (538) New York Knicks |
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10-23-24 | Suns -4.5 v. Clippers | Top | 116-113 | Loss | -110 | 23 h 54 m | Show |
This is a play on the PHOENIX SUNS for our NBA Divisional Game of the Month. Phoenix was arguably the biggest disappointment in the NBA last season as it came into the season as one of the favorites to win the NBA Title but injuries crushed them, finishing 49-33 and were swept out of the playoffs in the first round by Minnesota. Head coach Frank Vogel was fired after just one season which seems unjustified but the Suns upgraded with championship coach Mike Budenholzer. The play was not horrible last season as the Suns were fifth in the league in three-point percentage at 38.2 percent and scored 11.3 percent of their points on midrange shots which was the second most in the league. When Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal were actually on the floor together, they averaged 120.5 points per possession. The Clippers come in ranked in the bottom third of the league in a few preseason lookaheads and it could be a rough start to the season. Paul George is gone while Kawhi Leonard will be absent for the foreseeable future and there is little scoring outside of James Harden who is not getting any younger. The defensive strategy will be simple for the Suns and while the Clippers defense will try and carry them, this is not the matchup that can win the game. Los Angeles has just over a 50 percent chance to make the playoffs and while at home, it is facing a Suns team with a lot to prove. 10* (521) Phoenix Suns |
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10-22-24 | Knicks v. Celtics -5.5 | Top | 109-132 | Win | 100 | 25 h 47 m | Show |
This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. Boston is back on the floor opening night to start the season to defend their NBA Championship and the opponent makes this a play on spot right out of the gate. This is their biggest rival and the opener provides the chance to show it. Boston won five of the six meetings last season with four of those wins being blowouts, the lone loss coming right after Boston clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, and while the Knicks seemed to have improved their roster from last season, this is the statement game and all of the fanfare going along with the championship celebration, this is a game that the Celtics or going to take serious. The Knicks are the No. 2 favorite in the Eastern Conference at +800 to win the championship this season so they are legit contenders in the eyes of the futures market and will want to prove something themselves but the value is on the home team. Thirteen of the 15 players from the Celtics team that won the title are back this season, including the entire playoff rotation sans Kristaps Porzingis who had his moments late but was not a huge impact overall. This is a great opening spot with the Celtics being in a similar spot as the Nuggets last season, a trend of reigning champions getting it done in their first game in front of their home crowd. 10* (502) Boston Celtics |
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06-17-24 | Mavs v. Celtics -6.5 | Top | 88-106 | Win | 100 | 13 h 31 m | Show |
This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Boston gave one away in Dallas as it dropped Game Four by 38 points and trailed at one point by 48 points so the Celtics clearly did not show up. It was expected after the Celtics built a comfortable 3-0 series lead and they head back home where they are 45-6 and will look to complete the gentleman's sweep on Monday. Dallas made more of an effort to chase Boston off the three-point line and to defend with more intensity but the effort simply was not therefor Boston so not all of the credit can be given to the Mavericks. A lack of focus has been the main reason for a lot of Boston losses this season as it can beat any team on any night by 20 points and it actually tied a record of most 30-point wins during the regular season with 10. The Celtics finished with the highest offensive rating at 122.2 of any team since 1997-98 and the highest net rating since 2000 at 11.7. The Celtics are 2-0 with a plus-33 point differential after losses in this postseason run, and both of the previous two were by double digits. In NBA history, there have only been three cases in which a team down 3-0 in the Finals forced even a Game Six, the last coming in 1996so this is where the gentleman's sweep comes into play. Here, we play on home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points revenging a loss where team scored less than 85 points, off an upset loss of 10 points or more as a road favorite. This situation is 24-5 ATS (82.8 percent) since 1996. 10* (510) Boston Celtics |
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06-14-24 | Celtics v. Mavs +1.5 | Top | 84-122 | Win | 100 | 14 h 40 m | Show |
This is a play on the DALLAS MAVERICKS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Dallas is on the brink of elimination and the numbers already say Boston will win the championship but the Mavericks have one last gasp on their home floor as this series will end up a gentlemen's sweep. They built a big lead early but were on the wrong end of a 34-point swing when Boston got up 21 points yet there was no quit as Dallas cut it to three points late in the fourth quarter when disaster struck. Luka Doncic picked up his fifth and sixth fouls on back-to-back possessions, fouling out with 4:12 left which left them for dead at that point. Questionable calls for sure but he cannot put himself and his team in that position and now the Mavericks have to make history and come back from a 3-0 deficit which is unlikely but they are not going away just yet. In what was a game of swings, Game Three came down to volume of the long ball as in the second half, the Celtics had made 16 three-pointers while Dallas had only taken 17 and the math is simple to figure out the result of that. Dallas will adjust as it has no choice. The Celtics are taking 48.8 percent of their shots from three-point range compared to 29.2 percent for Dallas so even through the percentages are pretty equal, the numbers are real. We have seen a complete line flip with Dallas which closed as a three-point favorite to now getting points in Game Four and the adjustment is series related and not game related. The Mavericks send the series back to Boston. 10* (508) Dallas Mavericks |
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06-12-24 | Celtics v. Mavs -2.5 | Top | 106-99 | Loss | -110 | 14 h 54 m | Show |
This is a play on the DALLAS MAVERICKS for our NBA Game of the Month. It is must win time for Dallas as it has lost the first two games of the Finals and let a good chance slip away in Game Two as the Mavericks outshot the Celtics but came up short as Kyrie Irving registered his second straight poor game as he has shot 13-37 (35.1 percent) from the floor including going from long range. Additionally, he has only two free throw attempts. We will play the due factor with him tonight as he has been held to fewer than 20 points in consecutive games only one other time the entire season. We are seeing a 9.5-point line shift from Game Two with the venue change but a lot of that is due to injury news and this is only the fourth time all season the Celtics have been underdogs, the last two resulting in blowout losses at Milwaukee, one with and one without Kristaps Porzingis. He had a special return to the floor in Game One, scoring 20 points and grabbing six boards with three blocks in 20 minutes. His Game Two was not nearly as good and just past 23 minutes, he got hurt again in what the Celtics are calling a torn medial retinaculum allowing dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon. Whatever that is, it does not sound good and he will most likely not see the floor which gives the Mavericks a chance to thrive going back to the rim which carried them in the first three rounds of the playoffs. His presence down low has affected the Dallas offense which has allowed Jrue Holiday and Derrick White to clamp down on Irving as their defense on him has been stifling and overall, the Mavericks have had no rhythm and even if Porzingis does gut it out, he will not be as effective as Dallas gets it done on their home floor. 10* (506) Dallas Mavericks |
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06-09-24 | Mavs +6.5 v. Celtics | Top | 98-105 | Loss | -105 | 12 h 35 m | Show |
This is a play on the DALLAS MAVERICKS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. As expected, this lined opened higher than Game One, which was quickly bet down, and it opened higher because of the Celtics dominance in Game One but we have seen this script before, from both sides. In the opening round, Dallas lost to the Clippers by double digits in Game One on the road only to go on and win Game Two outright. Ditto for the Western Conference Semifinals against Oklahoma City. On the other side, Boston rolled over Miami in Game One of the opening round at home and then went on to lose Game Two and then it a repeat of that against Cleveland in the Eastern conference Semifinals. Certainly, the Celtics are well aware and do not want to leave Boston all squared up and having lost home court but we see adjustments being made on the Mavericks side and the added day off only help them for Game Two. Additionally, having nine days off before the Finals hurt them more as it killed any momentum they had from the two series upsets prior to get here. One adjustment that Dallas will likely input is to make Jayson Tatum more of a scorer and while that sounds like a disaster, it actually helps the defense as they get the double team off him which will no give Boston too many open looks, which they had plenty of in Game One. One adjustment we will not see and one that should just happen is Kyrie Irving having a better game. He was absent early and never got into rhythm as he finished 6-19 from the floor including 0-5 from long range and he dished out only two assists. Get him and Luka Doncic close to a combined 60 points compared to their 42 points from Game One and Dallas can head home with a series split. 10* (503) Dallas Mavericks |
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06-06-24 | Mavs v. Celtics -6 | Top | 89-107 | Win | 100 | 77 h 17 m | Show |
This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Against Miami and Cleveland, Boston came out focused and determined and it dominated both of those series openers and that is what we expect in Game One of the NBA Finals. The Celtics have not been tested in the postseason, losing only twice in 14 games and it is the Indiana series that will remind them they cannot sleepwalk because three of those wins were by five points or less and any of those could have gone the other way. Keeping home court is essential and Boston has been dominant at home where it has outscored opponents by over 14 ppg while winning 43 of 49 games at TD Garden. Dallas is 8-1 in the postseason when it shoots 49 percent or better from the floor and the two Boston losses came when the Celtics allowed that percentage or higher and their defense will be stronger with Kristaps Porzingis back from his injury. Boston had one of the Defensive Efficiency units in the league and it has slipped over the past month, sitting in the middle of the teams in the postseason. The Celtics were especially strong in the paint with their two-point defense being ranked near the top and while it regressed in May, Porzingis provides solid rim protection. Boston is better on offense with him on the floor as well even though the Celtics have shot 47 percent or better in eight of the 10 games he missed so this is an elite offense nonetheless, it is just an added weapon against a quality team. Boston easily won and covered both meetings this season and that is with Luka Doncic scoring 33 and 37 points. The Celtics will want to set the tone to open the series and while this is the toughest opponent thus far, the line is substantially lower of any home playoff game. 10* (502) Boston Celtics |
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05-30-24 | Mavs v. Wolves -4.5 | Top | 124-103 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 1 m | Show |
This is a play on the MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Minnesota kept its season alive with a win in Dallas in Game Four and there is still a lot of work to be done. The Timberwolves have an elite defense but it has been inconsistent over the last few games but they still come in ranked No. 1 in the league in Defensive Efficiency. The results pertain to that defense as Minnesota is 1-7 when allowing 49 percent shooting or higher and 8-0 when holding the opponent to under that. Dallas has shot well in its last three road games but the Timberwolves figured things out in Game Four as they allowed the Mavericks to shoot just 42 percent from the floor. On the other side, Minnesota was awful in the first two games of the series and those made it three straight games where it shot 42.7 percent or worse but it has been able to make adjustments which has let to easier shots. The Timberwolves shot 50.6 percent in Game Three and 52.7 percent in Game Four and this is more in line with the norm because the Dallas defense can be a liability as they are No. 14 in the NBA in Defensive Efficiency. The return home is big for Minnesota despite dropping the first two games here as they are 33-15 here while outscoring opponents by 8.0 ppg and the value is back on its side as the Timberwolves were favored by 6 points in Game Two. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after having covered four or five of their last six games against the spread, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .750. This situation is 55-27 ATS (67.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (512) Minnesota Timberwolves |
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05-28-24 | Wolves +2 v. Mavs | Top | 105-100 | Win | 100 | 12 h 9 m | Show |
This is a play on the MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES for our NBA Signature Enforcer. We were on Minnesota in Game Three in what was another close game up until a 12-3 Dallas run to close the game to give the Mavericks a commanding 3-0 series lead. The top ranked defense in efficiency has been far from it, allowing 51 percent shooting from the floor and Game Three had them allowing a postseason tying 116 points on just 68 field goal attempts. The bigger problem has been on the other side as Dallas won the first two games by a combined four points and the last game was closer than the final score even with Anthony Edwards averaging just 22 ppg on 38.6 percent shooting and Karl-Anthony Towns putting up 15 ppg on 27.8 percent shooting. Together, they are 37-111 (33.3 percent) compared to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving going a combined 63-128 (49.2 percent) so even a slight uptick on their end could have made this a series. The Timberwolves have had the lead under five minutes in all three games but the offense has gone away late as they have a rating of 114.3 pointers per 100 possessions but that includes a number of 95.5 in the fourth quarter. It is difficult to incorporate luck into the metrics but Dallas has been on the right side of that as the Mavericks are at a 58.1 percent in Effective Field Goal Percentage compared to an xEFG of 53 percent this series. Here, we play on teams with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 after having lost 5 or 6 of their last 7 games, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 51-24 (68 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (507) Minnesota Timberwolves |
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05-27-24 | Celtics -7 v. Pacers | Top | 105-102 | Loss | -105 | 9 h 3 m | Show |
This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Boston trailed by 18 midway through the third quarter and eventually closed Game Three on a 13-2 run to pull out the three-point win and take the commanding 3-0 series lead which a team has never blown in the history of the NBA postseason. Favored again on the road, the Pacers may seem like the take based on the number, venue and desperate situation but their confidence is completely shot as they know the situation and what they are up against. Road favorites in the postseason that are in a close out game are 78-36 straight up and 65-47-2 against the number since 2003 while road teams that are looking for a sweep are 50-26 straight up and 41-32-3 against the number. The Celtics had a 49 percent three-point attempt rate as 46 of 83 shots were from long range while the Pacers were at just 21 percent in the absence of Tyrese Haliburton. Boston shot only 35 percent but that attempt discrepancy made a huge difference and the Pacers likely will not force much in Game Four as they were a middle of the pack team in three-point attempts on the season. Overall, the shooting of Indiana has been off the charts as it has shot over 50 percent in all three games yet has lost all of those. Boston has not played particularly well on defense which may seem obvious from the shooting percentage allowed but it is more than that as visually, they have looked lethargic. We expect an all out effort on that side of the ball on Sunday to get this series closed out and grab as much rest as possible. Here, we play on teams in the second half of the season in a game involving two teams shooting 36.5 percent or better from long range after allowing 50 percent shooting or higher in two straight games. This situation is 65-32 ATS (67 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (505) Boston Celtics |
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05-26-24 | Wolves +2.5 v. Mavs | Top | 107-116 | Loss | -115 | 9 h 53 m | Show |
This is a play on the MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES for our NBA Signature Enforcer. This series has started the same for Minnesota as the last series with the road team winning the first two games only the Timberwolves are on the opposite side this time. Minnesota went into Denver and won the first two game in the Western Conference semifinals and it has gone 5-1 on the road in the postseason including the clinching Game Seven victory against the Nuggets. A quick look at the first two games of this series shows the Timberwolves defense has not been close to as good as it has been since the start of the season and surprisingly a lot of that is due to Rudy Gobert who won Defensive Player of the Year but in the first two games, the Timberwolves are allowing an absurd 145.6 points per possession with him on the floor but we see that coming back to normal as opposed to staying out there. The bigger factor has been the offense. Dallas won the first two games by a combined four points and that is with Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns going a combined 21-69 (30.4 percent) from the floor. The fact that the duo has averaged only 10.5 made field goals and the games have been as close as they have been shows that even an average effort from them gets them over the top. Towns is shooting 49 percent in the six road playoff games while Edwards is right there at 48.8 percent so we expect both to step up after doing basically nothing to start this series. Here, we play on teams with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 after having lost 5 or 6 of their last 7 games, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 51-23 (68.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (503) Minnesota Timberwolves |
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05-25-24 | Celtics v. Pacers +7.5 | Top | 114-111 | Win | 100 | 12 h 25 m | Show |
This is a play on the INDIANA PACERS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. It took a quarter, but Boston finally got its wakeup call as it opened the second period of Game Two on a 17-0 run and led by double digits late in the third quarter and the entire fourth to take a 2-0 series lead. The series now shifts to Indiana with the Pacers being in a must win spot to avoid the deathlike 3-0 hole as the Conference Finals will be all but over with a loss. Something will have to give as the Pacers are 6-0 on their home floor in the postseason, winning 11 straight overall, while the Celtics are 4-0 on the road in the playoffs. While it is a must win for Indiana, we only care about the points in this one and we will gladly take the points in the home underdog role against a Boston team that has not been able to control a whole game for the most part since facing Miami in the first round. The Pacers could be without Tyrese Haliburton who left Game Two with a hamstring injury as he is questionable but this is not an end all injury. He got hurt against the Celtics back on January 8 after playing only 13 minutes and counting that game, the Pacers went 7-4 when he was out so they will be just fine. He has the ability to take over a game but he has not shown up in the postseason half the time and Indiana is 5-4 in game he has scored 20 or fewer points not counting Game Two with the early exit. This is a reason the Pacers acquired Pascal Siakam and he has been on a roll with an average of 23.8 ppg over his last five games and he has lit Boston up with 24 and 28 points as the absence of Kristaps Porzingis leaves the Celtics vulnerable. This is the game the Pacers step up and show the energy needed and even if they fall short, we expect this one to be within shouting distance. 10* (502) Indiana Pacers |
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05-24-24 | Mavs v. Wolves -5 | Top | 109-108 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 17 m | Show |
This is a play on the MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES for our NBA Round 3 Game of the Year. Both road teams covered the first game of each Conference Final with Boston covering last night and we are going with the other home team in Game Two, this time to even up the series. Minnesota was in a tough spot that historically was not good for them as there have been 88 teams coming off a seven-game series and 55 times, that team lost Game One of the following series so make that 56 out of 89 now. This is a great bounce back opportunity with the Timberwolves making the necessary adjustments needed take away the dominance that the Mavericks had inside as they shot close to 60 percent with their two-point shots which was an anomaly as they were No. 22 in the league in two-point scoring in the regular season. It is a simple strategy for the Minnesota defense as in the postseason, they are 1-5 when allowing 49 percent shooting or higher and 7-0 when holding the opponent to under that. Offensively, Minnesota shot just 42.7 percent from the field, its second straight game under 43 percent, and the cause for the Game One struggles was that they put up 49 three-pointers which was over 51 percent of their total shot attempts and that ratio was the highest of any game this season and the Timberwolves are not going to go that route again as they put up 16 more attempts than what they averaged on the season where they were ranked No. 23 in three-point shots taken. This also led to getting outrebounded by nine boards which is uncharacteristic as well. Plain and simple, we play on home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points in a playoff game, in the 2nd game of a playoff series. This situation is 28-9 ATS (75.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (556) Minnesota Timberwolves |
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05-23-24 | Pacers v. Celtics -8.5 | Top | 110-126 | Win | 100 | 13 h 60 m | Show |
This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. We had Boston in Game One and while the Celtics came away with the victory, it was far from dominating and they should not be content following a huge last minute of regulation to send the game into overtime. We are catching a smaller number for Game Two and this is the statement game for Boston before heading to Indiana and avoiding any momentum shifting to the Pacers. Indiana shot lights out against New York in its Game Seven win, hitting over 67 percent from the floor, and it again had a good shooting night in Game One where it went 53-99 (53.5 percent) and that is bad news for the Pacers against this defense. The Celtics have allowed 49 percent shooting or higher three times now in the postseason and in the first two instances, they buckled down next game, allowing 41.6 percent and 42.9 percent shooting while giving up 84 and 93 points respectively in those games. As stated in the Game One analysis, one player to have a big game is Jayson Tatum who has crushed Indiana this regular season as he has scored 30 or more points in all four games against the Pacers, averaging 32.5 ppg, and he put up 36 despite an awful fourth quarter but made up for it with a clutch overtime and we expect him to again have his way. Here, we play on home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points after failing to cover the spread in three or more consecutive games, playing only their 2nd game in five days. This situation is 47-22 ATS (68.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (554) Boston Celtics |
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05-22-24 | Mavs +4.5 v. Wolves | Top | 108-105 | Win | 100 | 12 h 53 m | Show |
This is a play on the DALLAS MAVERICKS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Minnesota wants to set the tone of this series as it gained home court advantage with its seven-game series win over defending champion Denver. However, the Timberwolves are in a tough spot though and while there really is not a letdown in the postseason, history shows the typical letdown following an emotional series win. There have been 88 teams coming off a seven-game series and 55 times, that team has lost Game One of the following series and we are getting value with the number with the Mavericks. Some may point to the fact that Minnesota won three of the four regular season meetings but that comes with a huge asterisk as Luka Doncic missed two of those losses while Kyrie Irving missed all three and in the one game both played, the Mavericks won with the duo combining for 69 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists. Minnesota has a solid home court advantage as it is 33-13 at the Target Center but Dallas is no pushover on the road where it is 29-18, going 31-16 against the number in those games. Minnesota is known for its strong interior defense as it was No. 1 in the NBA in points in the paint defense since the trade deadline but No. 2 in that category was Dallas. The Mavericks are 19-8 ATS in its last 27 road games revenging a same season loss and we can cash in two scenarios here, either a Dallas outright win or a close loss and we will grab the points in this series opener. 10* (551) Dallas Mavericks |
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05-21-24 | Pacers v. Celtics -9.5 | Top | 128-133 | Loss | -115 | 11 h 1 m | Show |
This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Indiana has actual improved its offensive rating in the postseason after finishing No. 2 during the regular season but it faced two teams ranked outside the top ten in defensive efficiency and now it faces the No. 2 ranked team. Jrue Holiday and Derrick White are ideal point-of-attack defenders to throw at Tyrese Haliburton, and the Celtics possess the wings to handle Pascal Siakam. The Pacers have relied on transition points all season and they have done so in the playoffs as well but the Celtics do a great job of limiting fast break opportunities where they finished fourth in points allowed in transition. Part of that is the Celtics efficient offense which obviously limits those opponent opportunities. One player to have a big game is Jayson Tatum who has crushed Indiana this season as he has scored 30 or more points in all four games against the Pacers, averaging 32.5 ppg, and will have more usage with Kristaps Porzingis still out. Boston has taken advantage of poor defenses as it is 25-10 ATS in its last 35 games in the second half of the season against teams allowing 48 percent shooting or higher. Here, we play on home teams after allowing 105 points or less in two straight games going against an opponent after scoring 130 points or more. This situation is 35-8 ATS (81.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (550) Boston Celtics |
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05-19-24 | Wolves v. Nuggets -4.5 | Top | 98-90 | Loss | -115 | 11 h 5 m | Show |
This is a play on the DENVER NUGGETS for our NBA Round 2 Game of the Year. The Nuggets could not have been more embarrassed in Game six as they trailed by as many as 50 points and lost by 45 as an early 20-0 run sealed it for the Timberwolves early. Denver gets a chance for redemption on its home floor where it lost the first two games of this series but was able to pick up the first home win by any team in this series in Game Five. That was a tough situation for Minnesota and it is the same for Game Seven. Prior to Game Five, the Timberwolves have not had to fly into altitude on short rest yet and that can be a huge disadvantage as the first game here came with six days of rest. They lost that short rest travel game by 15 points and are in a similar spot. Expect Denver to do a better job on the offensive glass to get more second chance opportunities. In the regular season, the Nuggets attempted 80 or fewer shots in only three of 82 games. In the second round, they have been held to 80 or fewer shots in four of the six games which is shocking but the correlation is that they have single-digit offensive rebounds in those four games so it is a simple plan. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 off a win by 20 points or more over a division rival, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 46-18 ATS (71.9 percent) since 1996. 10* (540) Denver Nuggets |
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05-18-24 | Thunder +3.5 v. Mavs | Top | 116-117 | Win | 100 | 12 h 13 m | Show |
This is a play on the OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER for our NBA Signature Enforcer. The home team is just 2-3 in this series so the home floor has not been a huge advantage which is more surprising for Oklahoma City which came into the series 36-8 at home but has dropped two of three at home. Dallas came into the series 27-17 at home so its home court has not been as dominant anyway and the 1-1 split should not be a huge surprise and the Thunder have no issues coming away with another road win. Oklahoma City is coming off its worst defensive performance in the playoffs and it was not even close. While giving up just 104 points, the Thunder allowed Dallas to shoot 52.6 percent and that was the highest percentage allowed in their last 13 games. The Thunder offense has sputtered the last two games, shooting around 40 percent combined and the long range shooting has really tailed off. They are yet to make more than 10 three-pointers in this series after knocking down 16 of them in Game One and we feel that regression comes back to the norm in Game Six. The total has come down in every game and it is as low as 208.5 in some places and Oklahoma City is 9-0 ATS in its last nine road games where the total is 200 to 209.5. Here, we play on road teams revenging a straight up loss vs opponent as a favorite, off an upset loss as a favorite. This situation is 132-81 ATS (62 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (531) Oklahoma City Thunder |
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05-17-24 | Knicks v. Pacers -6 | Top | 103-116 | Win | 100 | 13 h 36 m | Show |
This is a play on the INDIANA PACERS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. New York can set up a meeting with Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals with a win while Indiana is in must win mode to extend the series and the Pacers are in a great spot to do that. They are 5-0 at home in the postseason and they have won 10 straight games at home overall. The Knicks rolled in Game Five thanks to the defense that allowed only 91 points which was a season low for the Pacers which came in averaging 117.5 ppg through the first four games of the series. Indiana is a different team on offense at home where it is averaging 124.9 ppg on 51.3 percent shooting we will certainly see a better effort in Game Five. While star Jalen Brunson went off for 44 points in Game Four, the Pacers need their star to shine as Tyrese Haliburton is coming off a poor game, scoring only 13 points while taking just 10 shots. Basically, he needs to stop being passive. Additionally, Indiana will do a better job being more aggressive as it outrebounded 53-29, including 20-5 on the offensive glass while New York had a 62-36 edge in points in the paint. Knicks forward OG Anunoby will miss his fourth straight game due to a hamstring injury sustained in Game Two. Here, we play against underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after a win by 10 points or more going up against an opponent after trailing in their previous game by 15 or more points at the half. This situation is 40-16 ATS (71.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (530) Indiana Pacers |
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05-16-24 | Nuggets v. Wolves -2.5 | Top | 70-115 | Win | 100 | 13 h 13 m | Show |
This is a play on the MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES for our NBA Signature Enforcer. After falling behind 2-0 in this series with a pair of home losses, Denver has taken over the series with three straight wins including the first win from a home team in Game Five. We think the second home win takes place tonight in Minnesota and the Timberwolves extend the series to a full seven games. The Nuggets offense was elite in Game Five as they attempted 47 percent of their shots at the rim and converted on 73.5 percent of those. Nikola Jokic had one of the best postseason games ever as he scored 40 points and handed out 13 assists while not committing a single turnover. Another game like that and it will be lights out for Minnesota but that will not happen. While the Denver offense has been spectacular over the last three games, Minnesota has to get its own offense going as it has been pretty bad. The Timberwolves are averaging 95.8 points per 100 possessions in the half-court over the past three games which is a 20-point disparity from the half-court offense from the Nuggets. Additionally to improving the half-court, Minnesota needs better transition as it is the far more athletic team and had only four fast break points last game. Here, we play on teams in the second half of the season in a game involving two teams shooting 36.5 percent or better from long range, after two straight games allowing 50 percent shooting or higher. This situation is 64-31 ATS (67.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (526) Minnesota Timberwolves |
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05-15-24 | Mavs v. Thunder -4 | Top | 104-92 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 42 m | Show |
This is a play on the OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER for our Western Conf. Game of the Month. Oklahoma City was able to take Game Four on the road to even up this series and was able to regain home court advantage with pivotal Game Five on its home floor. The Thunder are 36-9 at home while outscoring opponents by 12.9 ppg which has led to a 29-16 ATS marl. The Thunder are a top-five team on offense and defense compared to Dallas, which is only a top 10 team on offense so the Mavericks have a much smaller margin for error and that is even more of a problem with Luka Doncic and his knee issue. The injury cannot be overstated. He is averaging 22 ppg in the series which is decent but he has .390/.310/.679 shooting splits and 44.8 percent Effective Field Goal Percentage which is nearly 13 percent lower than his mark during the regular season. Kyrie Irving has been inconsistent with his scoring so having to continue to rely on P.J. Washington for offense is not ideal. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after having covered four or five of their last six games against the spread, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .750. This situation is 55-25 ATS (68.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (524) Oklahoma City Thunder |
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05-14-24 | Wolves v. Nuggets -4.5 | Top | 97-112 | Win | 100 | 13 h 37 m | Show |
This is a play on the DENVER NUGGETS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. This has been a road dominated series thus far with the road team taking all four games which is a surprise for two teams that went a combined 63-19 at home during the regular season. Minnesota was not horrible on offense in Game Four as it averaged exactly 100 points per 100 possessions, but they were completely outpaced by a Denver team that scored 121.8 points per 100 possessions. This came after averaging 114.5 points per 100 possessions in Game Three so the efficiency has been back following two bad games at home. The key is to limit their turnovers and get back in transition which is where Minnesota has the athletic edge. The Timberwolves have not had to fly into altitude on short rest yet and that can be a huge disadvantage as the first game here came with six days of rest. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after having covered four or five of their last six games against the spread, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .750. This situation is 54-25 ATS (68.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (520) Denver Nuggets |
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05-13-24 | Celtics v. Cavs +8.5 | Top | 109-102 | Win | 100 | 12 h 40 m | Show |
This is a play on the CLEVELAND CAVALIERS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Boston came through for us in Game Three which was a smash spot coming off that Game Two loss but we should see some come back numbers from that game. We bought on the Celtics defense and it stepped up by allowing 42.9 percent shooting which was close to 12 percent less from Game Two and while they are a top three defense in efficiency, it will not be as good here. Donovan Mitchell will be a big part here as he had big first quarter in Game Three and led the Cavaliers with 33 points but it comes down to the Cleveland defense. This is where we can see the Cleveland defense step up after allowing 51.2 percent shooting and this is a top five defense in efficiency and it comes down to the perimeter here. Boston is 4-10 ATS in the playoffs when it hits fewer than 15 three-pointers and Cleveland can hope to take that away. The Cavaliers are 21-7 ATS in their last 28 home games after having lost 2 of their last 3 games and while they might not win here, we have a close game tonight. 10* (514) Cleveland Cavaliers |
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05-12-24 | Nuggets +3 v. Wolves | Top | 115-107 | Win | 100 | 12 h 18 m | Show |
05-11-24 | Celtics -7.5 v. Cavs | Top | 106-93 | Win | 100 | 9 h 41 m | Show |
This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Cleveland was able to upset the Celtics in Boston in Game Two to even the series and take over home court. While the Cavaliers now seem to have a shot in this series now, the Celtics are in prime bounce back mode. They lost Game Two to Miami in the first round and came back and trounced the Heat in Miami by 20 points as a 9.5-point favorite. The offense had no answers for the Cleveland defense as the Celtics managed just 94 points on 41.2 percent shooting which was tied for its fifth lowest shooting percentage on the season. Boston is 8-0 ATS in its last eight road games after scoring 95 points or less. The Cavaliers finished with a 60-44 advantage in the paint and had a big edge from long range as well, making five more shot from behind the arc. Boston finished only 8-35 from long range which was an aberration after hitting 38.8 percent in the regular season, second best in the NBA. Cleveland shot 54.7 percent overall, its best percentage in a game since the end of March and we certainly do not see a repeat of that against the No. 3 Defensive Efficiency team in the league. Here, we play on road favorites revenging a home loss, off an upset loss by 10 points or more as a favorite. This situation is 25-4 ATS (86.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (507) Boston Celtics |
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05-10-24 | Knicks v. Pacers -6.5 | Top | 106-111 | Loss | -115 | 10 h 30 m | Show |
This is a play on the INDIANA PACERS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. The Knicks have built a 2-0 series lead thanks to a big home court at MSG but they are in rough shape for Game Three as they hit the road. The injuries a major concern with O.G. Anunoby out and Jalen Brunson being a big question mark. Brunson will most likely go but he is far from 100 percent and can this team rely on Donte DiVincenzo to go 10-20 again? The line is telling us what to do here. Indiana had its chances to win both of the games to open this series but fell short late. Now home, the Pacers can get back into this series at least for one game and coming back to Indiana, it can ride the fact they have shot over 51 percent in the first two games so the confidence is there. The Pacers are 29-11 against the number following a cover loss. Here, we play on teams in the second half of the season in a game involving two teams shooting 36.5 percent or better from long range, after two straight games allowing 50 percent shooting or higher. This situation is 62-29 ATS (68. Percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (502) Indiana Pacers |
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05-09-24 | Mavs v. Thunder -4.5 | Top | 119-110 | Loss | -115 | 14 h 54 m | Show |
This is a play on the OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Oklahoma City rolled in Game One and that was a fun team to watch as they were all over the floor on both sides and we should not see anything different in Game Two. Typically, going with the team being dominated is the way to go, but Dallas just is not the same team it was following a 16-2 run despite opening the playoffs with an easy series win against the Clippers. The Thunder are a top-five team on offense and defense compared to Dallas, which is only a top 10 team on offense so the Mavericks have a much smaller margin for error and that is even more of a problem with Luka Doncic and his knee issue. He has had it going on for a while and he irritated it more early in the opener and his shooting is totally affected because of it. He is making only 39.5 percent of his shots including 22.7 percent from long range and with a balky knee against one of the best defensive teams in the league, he will not have much room for improvement. The Thunder are 36-8 at home while outscoring opponents by 13.3 ppg and the deep and healthy roster will take them to Dallas with a 2-0 advantage. 10* (566) Oklahoma City Thunder |
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05-08-24 | Pacers +4.5 v. Knicks | Top | 121-130 | Loss | -108 | 13 h 56 m | Show |
This is a play on the INDIANA PACERS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Indiana will come into Game Two with a chip on its shoulder after some questionable late calls going against them in Game One and them speaking about it publicly. The Pacers have relied on scoring all season and they are averaging 113.6 ppg in the postseason. Indiana is only turning the ball over 9.6 times per game which is the least of all playoff teams but the one factor that has hurt is that the Pacers are shooting just 72.2 percent from the free throw line in the postseason which is a huge drop-off from its 78.2 percent slip during the regular season but we will see the playoff percentage get better. Indiana is 17-8 ATS revenging a same season loss this season. The Knicks got the calls but it cannot be understated how much Jalen Brunson has meant to this team as he has scored 39 or more points in five straight games and he shot a playoff high 53.8 percent in Game One so we should see some regression. In four meetings, the Knicks have a pair of four-point wins and a pair of losses against the Pacers so we can expect to see another one to two possession game either way. Here, we play against home favorites after going over the total by 24 or more points total in their last three games going up against an opponent after going over the total by 42 or more points total in their last five games. This situation is 89-57 ATS (61 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (561) Indiana Pacers |
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05-07-24 | Mavs v. Thunder -3.5 | Top | 95-117 | Win | 100 | 14 h 40 m | Show |
This is a play on the OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Dallas is coming off a series win over the Clippers but benefited from Los Angeles being banged up and shorthanded. Dallas did have an unfortunate break as Maxi Kleber dislocated his shoulder, making him inactive and unlikely to return from the injured list during this series or for the rest of the postseason. His defensive IQ played a big role against the Clippers and his presence will be sorely missed. The Mavericks lost three of the four regular season meetings although two of those were with no Luka Doncic and one without Kyrie Irving. It is still hard to look past Oklahoma City in the series opener after taking out New Orleans in four games. The defense was outstanding as the Thunder allowed 92 or fewer points in all four of those games. The are 35-8 at home while outscoring opponents by 13.2 ppg. Oklahoma City has a significant rest advantage and the Thunder have won each of their last 14 home games when playing with a rest advantage. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after having covered four of their last five games against the spread, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .750. This situation is 28-8 ATS (77.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (558) Oklahoma City Thunder |
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05-06-24 | Wolves v. Nuggets -5.5 | Top | 106-80 | Loss | -109 | 14 h 16 m | Show |
This is a play on the DENVER NUGGETS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Denver came up small at home in Game One as Anthony Edwards broke a franchise playoff record with 43 points but it was the other side that was the real difference. The Nuggets were held to an offensive rating of 109 and they grabbed only four offensive rebounds in the game. That offensive rebounding output was their worst rebounding game in a year and a half. As elite as Edwards has become, we cannot see him repeating his 17-29 shooting effort as an adjustment will be made with Christian Braun likely seeing more defending time. Denver lost the home floor edge so that is the big urgency to get it back with the Nuggets being 36-9 here. One thing we thought we would see is better is three-point shooting as the Nuggets disposed of the Lakers despite shooting just 31.4 percent from behind the arc after being a top ten team from three entering the postseason. They followed that up with a 42 percent effort in Game One but overall, they took only 75 shots. Here, we play on home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points in the 2nd game of a playoff series. This situation is 26-7 ATS (78.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (554) Denver Nuggets |
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05-04-24 | Wolves v. Nuggets -4.5 | Top | 106-99 | Loss | -107 | 10 h 50 m | Show |
This is a play on the DENVER NUGGETS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Both Minnesota and Denver are coming off easy first round series wins and now they square off after a regular season series split. Three of the four games were not really that close with the only one possession game being a Denver win at Minnesota. Majority money has come in on the Timberwolves for the series, and they seem to be the sleeper but this is practically the same roster the Nuggets disposed of in five games last season. Denver has the home floor edge and that is big for the first game especially with the Nuggets being 36-8 here. They disposed of the Lakers despite big early deficits and one thing we should see going forward is better long range shooting. They shot just 31.4 percent from behind the arc despite being a top ten team from three entering the postseason. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after having covered 4 of their last 5 against the spread, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .750. This situation is 28-7 ATS (80 percent) over the last 5 seasons. 10* (530) Denver Nuggets |
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05-03-24 | Clippers +8 v. Mavs | Top | 101-114 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 35 m | Show |
This is a play on the LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. The Clippers are coming off a 30-point loss in Game Five and we are seeing a huge line shift going into Game Six. Dallas was favored by 4.5 and 6.5 points in its first two home games and are now seeing another increase. With no Kawhi Leonard, it is up to the stars James Harden and Paul George. Both have been inconsistent in the series, but dominant in their victories. Harden is averaging 30.5 ppg in Clippers wins compared to 16.7 ppg in Dallas wins while George is averaging 27.5 ppg in their wins and 14.7 ppg in their losses. It is all about the defense as well as the Mavericks have improved their shooting percentage in all five games, hitting a series high 54 percent in Game Five. Here, we play against favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points in the second half of the season in a game involving two teams with a scoring differential between +/- 3 ppg, after scoring 120 points or more. This situation is 107-55 ATS (66 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (527) Los Angeles Clippers |
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05-02-24 | Knicks v. 76ers -3 | Top | 118-115 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 4 m | Show |
This is a play on the PHILADELPHIA 76ERS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. The Sixers are coming off a great effort in New York in overtime to keep their season alive and are now back home to try and force a Game Seven. The Knicks were 28.9 seconds away from closing out the series after building a 96-90 lead but could not close and momentum has shifted. Tyrese Maxey scored 46 points which came after a 50-point effort from Joel Embiid so these two superstars certainly are one of the best one-two duos in the league. Philadelphia is 27-17 at home including a 25-10 record as a home favorite, going 22-13 against the number. The Knicks got another big game from Jalen Brunson no one else has had a major contribution and it has now been three straight games of that as they have had one player put up 20 points just one time over this stretch. New York has killed it this season when favored on the road but is only 8-16 as an underdog. 10* (512) Philadelphia 76ers |
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05-01-24 | Mavs -2.5 v. Clippers | Top | 123-93 | Win | 100 | 8 h 59 m | Show |
This is a play on the DALLAS MAVERICKS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. This has been one of the better series of the postseason as the Clippers were able to tie it up at 2-2 with a five-point win in Game Four. Now the Mavericks are favorites again on the road which is a contrarian spot. They allowed the second highest shooting percentage over their last 22 games, giving up 53.7 percent and they are in a great spot. Dallas is 9-0 ATS in road games revenging a straight up loss as a favorite this season. Obviously, the big storyline is Kawhi Leonard who has been ruled out again and it’s a weird dichotomy. The Clippers are 2-0 without him in this series and 0-2 with him. Still, the books think that the Mavericks are the better team, even on the road with the Clippers taking back home court. Here, we play on road favorites revenging a straight up loss as a home favorite, off a upset loss as a favorite. This situation is 46-19 ATS (70.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (505) Dallas Mavericks |
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04-30-24 | Magic v. Cavs -4.5 | Top | 103-104 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 58 m | Show |
This is a play on the CLEVELAND CAVALIERS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. For a series that is tied 2-2, it has not been a great watch with all four games resulting in blowouts by the home team, the latest being a 23-points win by Orlando on Saturday. The Cavaliers are back home where they look to break 100 points for the first time in this series and as mentioned, their defense has been getting the pub with the offense being the problem. Pace has played a big part and the good news is that they are coming off a 47.2 percent performance which is the best in the series but Cleveland put up only 72 shots, it fewest since March 24, a span of 16 games. The home floor has been good at 27-15 which includes a 24-9 record as a favorite. As far as the line goes, the last two losses has given Cleveland value as it is a point less favorite than it was in Game One and Game Two. The spot is good for the Cavaliers which have been great in bounce backs, going 14-4 ATS in their last 18 games coming off a double-digit road loss. Here, we play on favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points with a winning percentage between .501 and .600 after failing to cover the spread in two or more consecutive games, playing a winning team. This situation is 44-18 ATS (71 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (570) Cleveland Cavaliers |
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04-29-24 | Celtics v. Heat +10.5 | Top | 102-88 | Loss | -110 | 4 h 18 m | Show |
This is a play on the MIAMI HEAT for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Miami was able to steal the home court advantage with a win in Boston in Game Two but gave it back with a 20-point loss in Game Three. This is where the value comes in as the line has gone up a point from the close of the last game with Miami in a spot where it can get back into the series although we are more into it being a closer game. The Heat injuries are apparent but like most other teams that are without their stars, it is time to step up for the remainder of the roster. This is the ultimate contrarian play with Miami being 0-11 as a home underdog this season while covering only one of those games and that is again where the value comes into play. Here, we play against road favorites of 10 or more points outscoring their opponents by nine or more ppg going up against an opponent after scoring 90 points or less. This situation is 36-11 ATS (76.6 percent) since 1996. 10* (558) Miami Heat |
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04-28-24 | Wolves v. Suns +1.5 | Top | 122-116 | Loss | -115 | 10 h 30 m | Show |
This is a play on the PHOENIX SUNS for our NBA Round 1 Game of the Year. We won with the Lakers in a similar situation last night and while this series is all but done, pride is on the line tonight. Winning a game to extend your season and not take the sweep in front of your home crowd is a big motivational factor as we saw with the veterans last night in Los Angeles. While the offense is always there to go off, the defense has to be better here with KAT, Rudy Gobert and Anthony Edwards having their way in Game Three with a combined 73 points on 53.2 percent shooting. The Suns are up against the wall in what has been one of the most disappointing seasons with one of the best rosters coming in and not even competing for one of the top spots in the Western Conference. What happened has been injuries throughout the season and not being able to build any sort of chemistry. What we do have is the biggest line adjustment so far in the postseason without injuries being taken into account as the Suns closed as 5.5-point favorites in Game Three and are now underdogs two nights later. Here, we play on home teams where the line is +3 to -3 revenging a loss where opponent scored 100 or more points going up against an opponent off an upset win of 10 points or more as a road underdog. This situation is 89-49 ATS (64.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (556) Phoenix Suns |
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04-28-24 | Bucks +9.5 v. Pacers | Top | 113-126 | Loss | -107 | 9 h 48 m | Show |
This is a play on the MILWAUKEE BUCKS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Indiana has a chance to put this series heavily in its favor after losing the opener and winning the last two games including an overtime win in Game Three. The Pacers are now in a spot going up against a Bucks team without their two top players and the line is reflecting that but their top line against even a depleted roster does not warrant them close to a double-digit favorite. Indiana remains home where it is 27-15 which includes a 20-11 record when favored but they are just 15-15-1 against the number. The season is basically on the line for the Bucks tonight and without Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard puts them in a tough situation but this is where we take the value. Those two can take over a game late but the other seven top rotation players are all veterans who can pick this team up and keep it close which is what we all care about here. The Bucks can easily cash it is but these are professionals and there is a disrespect that will come into play. Here, we play against favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points with a winning percentage between .501 and .600 off a home win by three points or less. This situation is 28-9 ATS (75.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (553) Milwaukee Bucks |
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04-27-24 | Nuggets v. Lakers +3.5 | Top | 108-119 | Win | 100 | 11 h 18 m | Show |
This is a play on the LOS ANGELES LAKERS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. This series is all but over but we are banking on the Lakers not going away without a fight. No team in NBA history has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit and we are not expecting that here but we are expecting the series to back to Denver or in the worst case, this being a one possession game. The Lakers closed as 1.5-point favorites in Game Three and come into Game Four as 3.5-point underdogs and this is just too much of an adjustment. Game Three was the same story as Los Angeles built an early lead only to see it go away and entering the fourth quarter, the Lakers were just 1-14 from three-point range so a couple more of those going in and it could have been a different outcome. One thing we will see is a big game from LeBron James who has played in 54 playoff series over 17 postseasons and this will be the fifth time he has faced a 3-0 deficit and in the previous four Game Fours, he has averaged 29.5 ppg, 8.3 rpg and 9.5 apg. And it will be up to the role players to show up which they have not thus far, especially in Game Three with the team shooting 30 percent when taking away James, Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves. Here, we play on teams revenging a straight up loss as a home favorite, off an upset loss as a favorite. This situation is 166-104 ATS (61.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (548) Los Angeles Lakers |
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04-27-24 | Cavs v. Magic -2 | Top | 89-112 | Win | 100 | 4 h 20 m | Show |
This is a play on ORLANDO MAGIC for our NBA Afternoon Dominator. It was a Game Three disaster for Cleveland which lost every quarter and eventually took a 38-point loss which was the worst in franchise playoff history. The money will be flying in on the Cavaliers for a Game Four bounce back which the linemakers expect and the line has been adjusted because of that as the zig zag theorists will be going that way. We like that angle in some occasions but not here. The story in the first two games was the Cleveland defense but that did not show up in Game Three as it allowed 121 points on 51.1 percent shooting but the actuality of it is, the Cavaliers offense has been bad. They have shot 41.6 percent from the floor and have yet to crack 100 points and while the Cleveland defense gets all of the accolades, the Orlando defense is better as it ranked No. 2 in defensive efficiency, No. 3 in turnovers gained and it is top 7 in all rebounding categories. The Magic had no offense and never even had a lead in Cleveland and while the Cavaliers defense gets credit, Orlando did not shoot well as it has missed wide open looks but the return home cured that. After the Thursday win, the Magic are 30-11 at home where they shoot 48.9 percent. Here, we play on home favorites after having lost 5 or 6 of their last 7 games, with a winning record on the season playing another winning team. This situation is 40-15 ATS (72.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (542) Orlando Magic |
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04-26-24 | Wolves v. Suns -4 | Top | 126-109 | Loss | -110 | 15 h 43 m | Show |
This is a play on the PHOENIX SUNS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. The Suns are up against the wall in what has been one of the most disappointing seasons with one of the best rosters coming in and not even competing for one of the top spots in the Western Conference. Phoenix does look left for dead after falling behind 0-2 in this series and being dominated twice and while only 8.6 percent of the 313 times that teams were down 0-2 and came back to win, 22 of the 27 times it was the road team that came back including six times the last three years. This is not a series bet but just a Game Three bet for a chance and we expect this team to get up off the mat and come to life. Minnesota has been dominant at home as it went to 32-11 following the first two wins in this series but the Timberwolves have not been the same team on the road where they are 26-15. That is certainly still good but it has been situationally dependent where it is 16-5 as a favorite. Here, we play on favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points with a winning percentage between .501 and .600 after failing to cover the spread in two or more consecutive games, playing a winning team. This situation is 44-17 ATS (72.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (538) Phoenix Suns |
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04-25-24 | Knicks v. 76ers -4.5 | Top | 114-125 | Win | 100 | 12 h 13 m | Show |
This is a play on the PHILADELPHIA 76ERS for our NBA Divisional Game of the Month. The Sixers have fallen down 2-0 in this series following a brutal defeat in Game Two where they blew a five-point lead with 47 seconds left and were outscored 8-0 the rest of the way. The final 30 seconds were filled with controversy with missed fouls and missed time outs for Philadelphia and the NBA has actually come forward with the mishaps. The Sixers will be playing with a chip on their shoulder and this is obviously a must win and there will be a message sent in Game Three. Tyrese Maxey was incredible despite playing with the flu and it will be up to him and Joel Embiid, who has been hobbling around with the knee issue, to again pick this team up which we fully expect at home. The Knicks have won five of the six meetings in this season series including a pair of blowouts in Philadelphia in January and February which is surprising without a huge matchup advantage. Philadelphia is 24-9 as a home favorite this season and laying a good number in this one. Here, we play against road underdogs off three or more consecutive home wins, playing five or less games in 14 days. This situation is 40-16 (71.4 percent) since 1996. 10* (528) Philadelphia 76ers |
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04-25-24 | Cavs v. Magic -1.5 | Top | 83-121 | Win | 100 | 11 h 2 m | Show |
This is a play on the ORLANDO MAGIC for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Cleveland took advantage of its home floor with a pair of nearly identical wins as its top rated defense locked down and allowed 83 and 86 points on 32.6 percent and 36.2 percent shooting respectively. What is not being said much is the fact the Cavaliers offense was not very good as they did not get over 97 points and shot 44 percent or less in both games. Cleveland is a solid 23-19 on the road but now goes to an environment with its first home playoff game since April of 2019. The Magic have had no offense and never even had a lead in Cleveland and while the Cavaliers defense has been the catalyst, Orlando has not shot well as it has missed wide open looks but the return home will cure that. The Magic are 29-11 at home where they shoot 48.8 percent and they are not dead yet in this series despite only 8.6 percent of the 313 times that teams were down 0-2 and came back to win but in 22 of the 27 times it was the road team that came back including six times the last three years. Here, we play on home favorites after having lost 5 or 6 of their last 7 games, with a winning record on the season playing another winning team. This situation is 39-15 ATS (72.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (526) Orlando Magic |
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04-24-24 | Pelicans v. Thunder -7.5 | Top | 92-124 | Win | 100 | 15 h 48 m | Show |
This is a play on the OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Oklahoma St. took Game One as it started to pull away late, stretching the lead to 10 points, their largest advantage of the game, early in the fourth quarter but New Orleans bounced back and actually took a lead with under two minutes left. It was a tough loss for the Pelicans and they will have a tough time playing with the same road energy, especially once again being without Zion Williamson. They have been really good on the road with a 28-15 record but that includes just a 10-10 record against current playoff teams. The Thunder meanwhile improved to 34-8 at home and that includes a 30-5 record when favored. By not covering the first game, we are catching a little value with a shorter line which is always good but we are expecting Oklahoma City to win this one going away as we are already seeing an overall disturbing trend similar to last season with playoff blowouts. Oklahoma City is 28-14 ATS in its last 42 games after allowing 100 points or less. Here, we play on home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points in the 2nd game of a playoff series. This situation is 25-7 ATS (78.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (520) Oklahoma City Thunder |
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04-23-24 | Mavs -2 v. Clippers | Top | 96-93 | Win | 100 | 15 h 33 m | Show |
This is a play on the DALLAS MAVERICKS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Home teams are now 11-0 in the postseason following a 3-0 Monday yet numbers have not changed or reflected that and this is one road team we will back to get into the win column. Following a loss in Game One where they never led and trailed by as many as 29 points, the Mavericks have now dropped three straight games but prior to this, they were on a roll. They were 16-2 in their previous 18 games and have one of the better matchups of all teams with the road disadvantage. While they have been good at home, they are 25-17 on the road and Dallas has been writing money in these spots, going 20-6 straight up and 19-5 against the number as road favorites despite the loss on Sunday. The Clippers lost their final three games of the regular season before taking Game One thanks to a sparkling defensive effort as they allowed only 30 first half points and that certainly will not happen again. Kawhi Leonard was questionable for Game One, did not play, and is now deemed out until early May. Here, we play on road teams where the line is +3 to -3 off two or more consecutive road losses, playing 6 or less games in 14 days. This situation is 89-43 ATS (67.4 percent) since 1996. 10* (513) Dallas Mavericks |
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04-22-24 | Magic +5.5 v. Cavs | Top | 86-96 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 50 m | Show |
This is a play on the ORLANDO MAGIC for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Home teams went 8-0 straight up in the first weekend for the first time since the 2013 playoffs while going 7-1 against the number. Taking into account in the NBA Play-In Tournament games, home teams went 13-1 straight up and 11-3 ATS so it has been host dominant but this will start to balance out. In the three previous seasons where the home teams went 6-2 ATS or better in Game One, Game Two saw a dead even ATS mark of 12-12 ATS. The one road team Monday that looks to bounce back is Orlando as it is coming off an awful game where the offense managed only 83 points on 32.6 percent shooting, its worst performance on that end of the floor, its worst shooting performance on the entire season. Cleveland has one of the best defenses in the NBA overall but it struggled down the stretch as the Cavaliers allowed 48 percent or higher in 10 of its last 12 regular season games. It was a 2-2 season series split during the regular season and Orlando has gone 14-4 ATS in its last 18 games after having lost four of its last five games while Cleveland is 15-23-1 ATS this season following a cover. Here, we play on teams after having lost five or six of their last seven games, with a winning record on the season playing another winning team. This situation is 128-81 ATS (61.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (501) Orlando Magic |
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04-21-24 | Pacers v. Bucks +1.5 | Top | 94-109 | Win | 100 | 10 h 51 m | Show |
This is a play on the MILWAUKEE BUCKS for our NBA Divisional Game of the Month. Milwaukee limps into the postseason on a 3-8 slide and will be without Giannis Antetokounmpo for the majority of this series at a minimum. The Bucks skid knocked them down into the No. 3 slot in the Eastern Conference but they were able to avoid falling into No. 4 which means avoiding Boston until the conference finals should they get that far but opening round Game One is the big one and this line is overadjusted because of Giannis being out. His absence is huge for sure but this roster has the talent to make up for it in this key spot. Indiana rolled Atlanta in its final regular season game and was able to grab the No. 6 seed based off a three-way tiebreaker which probably gave it the best matchup of the No. 5 and No. 7 teams that finished with the same record. The Pacers are average on the road and have lost to teams with significantly worse rosters than what they are facing tonight. Here, we play on underdogs after a loss by 10 points or more going up against an opponent after two straight games where both teams scored 115 points or more. This situation is 81-41 ATS (66.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (587) Milwaukee Bucks |
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04-21-24 | Mavs -2.5 v. Clippers | Top | 97-109 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 15 m | Show |
This is a play on the DALLAS MAVERICKS for our NBA Afternoon Dominator. Dallas enters the postseason off a pair of losses which denied it a chance at home court advantage in the first round but it was without both Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving for both of those games and coming into those games, the Mavericks were on a roll. They were 16-2 in their previous 18 games and have one of the better matchups of all teams with the road disadvantage. While they have been good at home, they have an identical 25-16 record on the road and Dallas has been writing money in these spots, going 20-4 straight up and 19-5 against the number as road favorites. The Clippers lost their final three games of the regular season and come in with very little momentum with a 14-13 record over their last 27 games. The status of Kawhi Leonard is still in doubt after he missed the final eight games of the regular season as he comes into the first round Game One as questionable. He has participated in film sessions but he has not been able to have any contact on the court and it is unlikely the Clippers will put him on the floor. Here, we play on teams shooting 48 percent or better on the season after a game allowing 55 percent shooting or higher. This situation is 141-91 ATS (60.8 percent) since 1996. 10* (587) Dallas Mavericks |
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04-20-24 | Lakers v. Nuggets -6.5 | Top | 103-114 | Win | 100 | 6 h 45 m | Show |
This is a play on the DENVER NUGGETS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. The Lakers are coming off a road win at New Orleans to grab the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference and they remain on the road to open the postseason in one of the toughest environments in the league. Los Angeles is still one game under .500 on the road following the recent win and the Lakers are 6-16 ATS in their last 21 games coming off an upset win as a road underdog. Denver begins its defense of its NBA Championship and the Nuggets have been on a roll following a rough start in November and December. They missed out on the No. 1 seed because of the tiebreaker as they finished in a tie for the second best record in the NBA. Home court has been solid again this year as they are 33-8 at home which includes a 12-point win over the Lakers in the lone home meeting and going back, Denver has won eight straight meetings that included a four-game sweep in the playoffs last season. Here, we play against underdogs off two or more consecutive upset wins as a road underdog, winning between 51% and 60% of their games on the season. This situation is 63-28 ATS (69.2 percent) since 1996. 10* (576) Denver Nuggets |
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04-19-24 | Bulls v. Heat -1.5 | Top | 91-112 | Win | 100 | 5 h 32 m | Show |
This is a play on the MIAMI HEAT NBA Signature Enforcer. Miami is coming off a tough loss at Philadelphia on Wednesday by a point and heads home in a spot to make the actual playoffs with the big news that Jimmy Butler is declared out along with Terry Rozier. The Heat are 12-6 in their last 18 games and are still favored despite the depleted lineup which has put money on the other side. Miami is 0-10 as a home underdog but is 22-9 as a home favorite and a short number makes that more accessible. Chicago rolled over Atlanta at home on Wednesday behind 42 points from Coby White and hits the road where it is 19-22 on the season. This is another team where the home/road dichotomy situation is apparent with the Bulls being 9-2 ad road favorites but just 10-20 as road underdogs. Butler is out and this is where the rest of the team steps up. Here, we play on home teams after allowing 105 points or less in two straight games going up against an opponent after scoring 130 points or more. This situation is 34-8 ATS (81 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (560) Miami Heat |
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04-17-24 | Heat +5 v. 76ers | Top | 104-105 | Win | 100 | 21 h 1 m | Show |
This is a play on the MIAMI HEAT for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Miami closed the regular season with a pair of wins and it closed the season strong by going 11-6 over its last 17 games. This includes a 6-2 record on the road where the Heats have been great all season with a 24-17 record. They have struggled as underdogs but most of that damage was at home where they are 0-10 when getting points. Miami and Philadelphia split the season series while losing the last meeting at home earlier this month and the Heat are 7-0 ATS in road games revenging a home loss this season. The Sixers have caught fire at the right time as they have won eight straight games including all five since Joel Embiid returned from his knee injury. Additionally, Philadelphia has covered 10 straight games so there is now value on the other side with these teams separated by just one game overall. Philadelphia has been dominant at home this season especially with a healthy Embiid but this line is priced to high based on the recent run. Here, we play against home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points with a winning percentage between .501 and .600 off a win against a division rival. This situation is 41-18 ATS (69.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (551) Miami Heat |
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04-16-24 | Lakers v. Pelicans -1 | Top | 110-106 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 52 m | Show |
This is a play on the NEW ORLEANS PELICANS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. The regular season did not end the way the Pelicans wanted as they had a four-game winning streak heading into their game against Lakers while welcoming Brandon Ingram back into the lineup but fall flat at home while trying to lock up a No. 6 seed and avoid the play-in. New Orleans still gets to play host with the winner grabbing the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference while the loser hosting another play-in game against the winner of a matchup between the Kings and Warriors. New Orleans is 20-12 both straight up and against the number following a loss. Los Angeles is still two games under .500 on the road following the recent win and finds itself in a tough spot. The Lakers are 5-16 ATS in their last 21 games coming off an upset win as a road underdog. Here, we play on favorites revenging a home loss, off an upset loss by 10 points or more as a favorite. This situation is 53-22 ATS (70.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (542) New Orleans Pelicans |
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04-14-24 | Bulls +15 v. Knicks | Top | 119-120 | Win | 100 | 5 h 6 m | Show |
This is a play on the CHICAGO BULLS for our NBA Afternoon Dominator. The final day of the regular season will present many scenarios for different seedings up for grabs and lines are overadjusted with this being one of those. The Knicks have secured no worse than the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference and remain alive to pass Milwaukee for the No. 2 seed if they win here and the Bucks lose to Orlando with both being very much possible. But this number is taking that into consideration as a normal price is having the Knicks favored by only eight points. Meanwhile Chicago has nothing to play for as it is locked into the No. 9 seed in the conference and playing a road game for its play in game. While there is no chance to move up or down, the Bulls would like to keep the momentum going after having won their last two games and going into the postseason with positive confidence. Chicago is 27-15 ATS in its last 42 games revenging a loss of 10 points. Here, we play against home favorites of 10 or more points after going over the total by 18 or more points total in their last three games going up against an opponent after going over the total by 36 or more points total in their last five games. This situation is 27-6 ATS (81.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (507) Chicago Bulls |
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04-12-24 | Suns v. Kings +5.5 | Top | 108-107 | Win | 100 | 14 h 44 m | Show |
This is a play on the SACRAMENTO KINGS for our NBA Divisional Game of the Year. Sacramento came up small for us last night in a 12-point home loss against New Orleans but we are going back with the Kings which are still in good shape while now catching a big number at home. There is currently a three-way tie at the bottom of the Western Conference with the Kings, Warriors and the Lakers all 45-35. The Kings hold the tiebreaker over both, so they currently sit eighth despite the loss against New Orleans last night. They close with Portland on Sunday so a win here likely guarantees a home game for the play in. Phoenix got its revenge against the Clippers on Wednesday in a 16-point road win but it did not get help last night with the Pelicans win as it is now a game behind them in the No. 7 spot. Phoenix can avoid the play-in entirely by going 2-0 over its final two games but it needs the help of at least one New Orleans loss as well so there is plenty to play for but laying this road number is too excessive. Here, we play on home teams off an upset loss by 10 points or more as a favorite, playing six or more games in 10 days. This situation is 70-33 ATS (68 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (584) Sacramento Kings |
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04-11-24 | Pelicans v. Kings -1 | Top | 135-123 | Loss | -110 | 14 h 11 m | Show |
This is a play on the SACRAMENTO KINGS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Despite coming off a pair of wins, New Orleans has been eliminated from a home court advantage possibility as it is 3.5 games out of the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference with three games remaining. The Pelicans can still move down but there is no advantage of facing No. 2 or No. 3 so falling from No. 6 to No. 7 is huge disadvantage. Facing the Kings with the Warriors and Lakers on deck to close the season is a tough spot with literally nothing to play for. This season, the Pelicans are 1-15 ATS coming off a double-digit road win. The Kings meanwhile do have something to play for as they are currently in the No. 8 spot in the conference which is good enough to host a play in game but they are only a half-game ahead of the Lakers to fall out of that and while they have not been the greatest home team this season, an elimination game on the road is something they do not want. This is the first of three home games to close the season and Sacramento is coming off a 1-3 roadtrip with the last game being a non-cover at Oklahoma City and it is 24-13 against the number this season following an ATS loss. 10* (552) Sacramento Kings |
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04-10-24 | Suns -3 v. Clippers | Top | 124-108 | Win | 100 | 14 h 5 m | Show |
This is a play on the PHOENIX SUNS as part of our NBA Wednesday Triple Play. Here, we have another road team where the line is defining the story. Phoenix is coming off a loss at home against the Clippers last night and are now in Los Angeles for a rematch and come in as the favorite. The Suns have been eliminated from having home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs but they are not safe as they are in the play in group where they will host a game more than likely but still have a chance to avoid that elimination game as they are just one game behind New Orleans. Los Angeles is two games clear of Dallas for the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference as it has won four straight games with this being the first of a season closing three-game homestand. Kawhi Leonard was out last night so it was a bad loss for the Suns in that regard and he will be out again tonight. The Clippers are 7-18 ATS this season coming off a road win while Phoenix is 14-4 in its last 18 games after scoring less than 100 points. Here, we play on road favorites revenging a home loss, off an upset loss by 10 points or more as a favorite. This situation is 23-4 ATS (85.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (543) Phoenix Suns |
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04-10-24 | Magic v. Bucks | Top | 99-117 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 35 m | Show |
This is a play on the ORLANDO MAGIC as part of our NBA Wednesday Triple Play. Orlando is coming off a bad loss in Houston last night, against a Rockets team that was just eliminated from playoff contention and had nothing to play for, and the Magic slipped to No. 4 in the Eastern Conference but still hold tiebreaker over No. 5 Cleveland based on winning their division. Many will question this line as Orlando is currently a slight road favorite but that line is telling us exactly what this situation is and the public will be all over the Bucks. Milwaukee is coming off a much needed win over Boston last night which snapped a four-game losing streak. The Bucks are still one game ahead of the Knicks for the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference so all remaining games will be big but health is the now more important issue. Giannis Antetokounmpo was a little hobbled coming into last night but he had to leave the game with a leg injury and he is again listed as questionable and it is highly unlikely he is going to take the floor tonight and that is what this line is saying. Here, we play on teams revenging a loss where opponent scored 100 or more points, off an upset loss of 10 points or more as a road favorite. This situation is 81-41 ATS (66.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (539) Orlando Magic |
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04-10-24 | Mavs -4.5 v. Heat | Top | 111-92 | Win | 100 | 11 h 11 m | Show |
This is a play on the DALLAS MAVERICKS as part of our NBA Wednesday Triple Play. Dallas has peaked at the right time as following a 26-point win over Charlotte last night, it has won four straight games and is 15-2 over its last 17 games. With four games left, the Mavericks are in the No. 5 spot in the Western Conference, two games behind the Clippers so there is still a possibility of moving up. Dallas is 7-0 ATS in road games when playing on back-to-back days this season while going 12-3 ATS after a win by 15 points or more. Miami lost a tough game at Indiana on Sunday but bounced back with a win at Atlanta last night in double overtime. Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro all logged at least 44 minutes so this is a much more tired team coming into this back-to-back spot. The Heat are guaranteed a home game in a play in situation but can still avoid that as they are a game and a half behind Indiana for the No. 6 spot. Miami is 0-7 ATS as a home underdog of six points or less this season. Here, we play against underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points off a road win against a division rival, playing their 3rd game in four days. This situation is 29-7 ATS (80.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (535) Dallas Mavericks |
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04-09-24 | Celtics v. Bucks +2.5 | Top | 91-104 | Win | 100 | 10 h 38 m | Show |
This is a play on the MILWAUKEE BUCKS for our Eastern Conf. Game of the Month. Milwaukee has now lost four straight games and even with just four games remaining, the Bucks are in jeopardy of falling out of the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference and they are just a game and a half out of fifth place. The good news is they control their own destiny as they hold the tiebreaker over New York and Cleveland and can win the season series with Orlando. They got Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo back in the lineup together and while the latter is questionable, he will likely be able to go again. Boston has won five straight games and has already clinched the best record in the NBA so health is the biggest factor as it closes out the regular season. Jayson Tatum missed the last game and is probable tonight but we are likely not going to see the starters play big minutes. Here, we play on teams with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 after having lost five or six of their last seven games, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 48-20 ATS (70.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (508) Milwaukee Bucks |
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04-07-24 | Knicks v. Bucks -4 | Top | 122-109 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 19 m | Show |
This is a play on the MILWAUKEE BUCKS as part of our NBA Sunday Triple Play. Milwaukee is in an absolute funk right now as it has lost three straight games and they were not just any losses as they were against the Wizards, Grizzlies and the Raptors which are three of the six lowest rated teams in the league and all three were as favorites of 12 points or more. They got Damian Lillard back after missing the previous three games but the Bucks were without Giannis Antetokounmpo in their last loss against Toronto but both will be back in the lineup tonight in what has become a must win. Milwaukee did get a break last night with the Cavaliers loss and are now a game and a half ahead of Cleveland with three of its last five games coming against pursuers New York and Orlando with the other two against the Celtics and Thunder. At 29-9 at home, the Bucks have to take this one. The Knicks are coming odd a bad loss as well as they fell to the Bulls to open their four-game roadtrip and they are tied with the Magic for the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference. They could not catch a title contender at the wrong time however and they have been average on the road at 20-18 while going 9-12 as underdogs. Here, we play on favorites with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 after having lost five or six of their last seven games, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 24-5 ATS (82.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (580) Milwaukee Bucks |
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04-07-24 | Bulls v. Magic -7.5 | Top | 98-113 | Win | 100 | 8 h 27 m | Show |
This is a play on the ORLANDO MAGIC as part of our NBA Sunday Triple Play. Orlando had been on a 10-2 run but lost three straight games before coming back to win three consecutive games. that was a much needed run but the Magic followed that up with a horrible loss at Charlotte on Friday to remain in a tie with New York for fourth place in the Eastern Conference. The Magic are 27-11 at home while covering 25 of those and come in part of a great situation from all season as they are 19-4 as home favorites, bringing in the money in 17 of those and this is a team that needs to lock down their home floor for the first round of the playoffs so all games are huge going forward. Chicago is coming off a win over the Knicks to halt a 2-5 slide and it really has nothing to play for at this point as it is locked in to a road play-in game with the opponent still to be determined and out of its control. The Bulls are on the road for four of their last five games where they are three games under .500 including a 9-18 record as underdogs. This is the prime spot for Orlando which is 15-4 ATS this season as a favorite between 3.5 and 9 points. Here, we play on favorites in the second half of the season in a game involving two teams with scoring differential of +/- 3 ppg, after trailing in their previous game by 15 or more points at the half. This situation is 34-7 ATS (82.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (568) Orlando Magic |
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04-07-24 | Thunder -9 v. Hornets | Top | 121-118 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 20 m | Show |
This is a play on the OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER as part of our NBA Sunday Triple Play. Oklahoma City has fallen into third place in the Western Conference following its third straight loss with all three of those games having Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the pine with a quad contusion. This is a team that continues to get no respect as they have been underdogs in their last three games but those were all against solid playoff teams yet they are favored on the road here against one of the worst teams in the league and as a line comparison, not nearly enough considering the Hornets have been at least 12-point underdogs in their last four home games against playoff teams. Charlotte beat Orlando in its last game by nine points as a 12-point underdog as it was the first game played since head coach Steve Clifford was told he would not be retained and that was a spot where the team came together. Now it is a letdown game and coming against a team that is playing for so much at this point. Charlotte is just 11-28 at home while winning just nine of those games and even though it is catching a significant number, it is not where it should be. Here, we play on road favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points after being beaten by the spread by 30 or more points total in their last three games going up against an opponent after going over the total by more than 24 points in their previous game. This situation is 26-3 ATS (89.7 percent) since 1996. 10* (569) Oklahoma City Thunder |
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04-06-24 | Cavs +5.5 v. Lakers | Top | 97-116 | Loss | -115 | 7 h 25 m | Show |
This is a play on the CLEVELAND CAVALIERS for our NBA Afternoon Dominator. Seeding implications are on the line for both Cleveland and Los Angeles and we will be taking the inflated number. The Lakers are 8-1 over their last nine games which is their best stretch of the season and are inching closer to being able to host a play in game also in part to New Orleans and Sacramento fading of late. The recent run along with just being the Lakers has forced this number to be where it is and while they are 21-7 as home favorites, they are just 13-13-2 against the number. Cleveland is coming off a loss at Phoenix on Wednesday and it has not been a good run since early March as the Cavaliers are 5-9 over their last 14 games. However, the recent struggles for Milwaukee has kept Cleveland alive for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference as it is just one game behind the Bucks so this is a big two-game Los Angeles weekend. The Cavaliers are 12-3 ATS following a road loss this season and they are 13-2 ATS in their last 15 games following a double-digit road loss. Here, we play against home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points in the second half of the season in a game involving two teams with scoring differentials of +/- 3 ppg, after scoring 120 points or more. This situation is 74-36 ATS (67.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (553) Cleveland Cavaliers |
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04-05-24 | Wolves v. Suns -4 | Top | 87-97 | Win | 100 | 12 h 1 m | Show |
This is a play on the PHOENIX SUNS for our NBA Western Conf. Game of the Month. After a horrible loss to San Antonio, Phoenix was faced with a tough task to close the season with its 10 remaining games all coming against playoff teams which was the No. 1 remaining schedule. So far, so good as the Suns are 3-1 including a big win at home over Cleveland last time out with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker combining for 72 points and this roster could finally be finding their rhythm. It will not get any easier here but they are in their best stretch in a long time as they are 6-2 over their last eight games and have moved into a tie for No. 6 in the Western Conference. Minnesota has also regained its form after a 2-4 stretch to open March as the Timberwolves have gone 9-2 since then. It does include two impressive road wins over Denver and the Clippers and they come in 25-13 on the road for the season. They are tied with Denver atop the Western Conference and they are coming off a 48-point win over Toronto and while they have been good after wins, they are just 34-18 off a victory compared to 19-4 off a loss. The defense is still No. 1 in Efficiency but will have their hands full against this team on the road. 10* (550) Phoenix Suns |
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04-05-24 | Kings +10 v. Celtics | Top | 100-101 | Win | 100 | 10 h 40 m | Show |
This is a play on the SACRAMENTO KINGS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Boston is coming off a 35-point win over short-handed Oklahoma City to clinch the No. 1 overall seed and secure home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. It was the third straight win for the Celtics which play at home in five of their final six games with the biggest test coming on the road against Milwaukee. This is a line to grab early if possible as Boston is not going to go all out the remainder of the season and while they will unlikely sit their starters, they will not be seeing normal action but we could still see someone sit here especially with Jaylen Brown questionable. We played against Sacramento on Thursday which was more of a play on with the Knicks which seemed to be a much bigger game for them based on their situation in the Eastern Conference standings and the fact they have a four-game roadtrip on deck. The Kings are in a group of six teams within four games of each other between the No. 5 and No. 10 spots in the conference so each game is big for them as well and stealing a game against the best team in the league would be huge but we will gladly take the very big number in hopes of what should be a close game. 10* (535) Sacramento Kings |
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04-04-24 | Warriors v. Rockets +4.5 | Top | 133-110 | Loss | -115 | 22 h 46 m | Show |
This is a play on the HOUSTON ROCKETS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. The season is on the line tonight for the Rockets. Houston put together an 11-game winning streak to get into playoff contention but has lost two straight games to fall three games behind the Warriors after creeping up within one game. It has been an incredible turnaround season for the Rockets which have already surpassed their wins from last season by 16 games so it has already been a success but they want to keep it going. Houston has won 22 of 26 games as a favorite and while it is the underdogs here, the Rockets have won 11 of 20 games as home underdogs, covering 13 of those. Golden St. is coming off a win over Dallas which made it five straight wins but it has clearly been a disappointing season for the Warriors. This is a spot they have excelled in this season as they are 16-1 as road favorites, covering 13 of those but we are bucking that here based on the situation and that fact that Houston has been the most profitable team at home this season, going 27-11 ATS, one of just four teams at 60 percent or above. Houston lost the first two meetings this season but those were before December and this is a much better team from then and they are 17-5 ATS at home revenging a loss. 10* (526) Houston Rockets |
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04-04-24 | Kings v. Knicks -3.5 | Top | 109-120 | Win | 100 | 21 h 18 m | Show |
This is a play on the NEW YORK KNICKS for our NBA Supreme Annihilator. Sacramento has won two straight games and is currently tied for the No. 7 spot in the Western Conference and it is in a group of teams six teams within four games of each other between the No. 5 and No. 10 spots in the conference. This is the sixth time since late February that the Kings have won two games in a row but they are 0-5 in the last five games following consecutive wins with the losses coming by 11, 8, 7, 7 and 36 points. They hit the road for their final four road games of the season where they are a solid 21-16 and have covered 23 of those games but that is keeping this number low. The Knicks are coming off their third straight loss and they are also in a logjam in their conference. New York is tied with Orlando for fourth place in the Eastern Conference but it has already lost that tiebreaker and while it can feasibly still reach No. 3, it is also in the situation where it could fall as far as No. 8 should these struggles continue. The Knicks have four road games on deck after this one so this is a big home game where they are 24-14 including a 21-6 record as a home favorite and they are 18-7 ATS in their last 25 home games coming off a road loss. 10* (524) New York Knicks |
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04-03-24 | Grizzlies v. Bucks -13 | Top | 111-101 | Loss | -100 | 20 h 42 m | Show |
This is a play on the MILWAUKEE BUCKS for our NBA Supreme Annihilator. Milwaukee is coming off a bad loss at Washington on Tuesday as it was without Damian Lillard for a second straight game but head coach Doc Rivers said that he should be back on Wednesday. The Bucks lead over Cleveland for the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference has shrunk to 1.5 games and they are just 2.5 games ahead of the Knicks for fourth place which is the spot no team wants since it would have to face Boston before the conference finals. Milwaukee is back home where it is 29-7 and this is the start of a five-game homestand so it has a good shot to clinch No. 2 here but the final three games on this homestand are against playoff teams so these first two games are big. Memphis snapped a three-game losing streak with a win at Detroit on Monday. Four of their last five wins have been against non-playoff teams with the other coming against Philadelphia which has certainly not been the same. The last real quality win came at home back in mid-February against Milwaukee so the Bucks will also be out for some payback in addition to bouncing back from a horrible loss. Here, we play on favorites revenging a straight up loss as a favorite of seven points or more going up against an opponent off an upset win as a road underdog. This situation is 45-17 ATS (72.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (508) Milwaukee Bucks |
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04-03-24 | Magic v. Pelicans -4 | Top | 117-108 | Loss | -110 | 19 h 7 m | Show |
This is a play on the NEW ORLEANS PELICANS for our NBA Non-Conf. Game of the Month. New Orleans was in good shape to keep pace with the Clippers for the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference where it also owns the tiebreaker against Los Angeles but it began a brutal homestand at the start of last week against four championship contenders and it went 103 in those games, the lone win coming against Milwaukee. The Pelicans face another playoff team before closing out against San Antonio and after two straight losses, this is a big one to get as the possibility of falling into the play in spot is there as the Pelicans are only a game ahead of Phoenix for the No. 7 spot and the elimination game. New Orleans has been better on the road than at home this season but that is reflected in the short number. Following a pair of wins over lowly Memphis and Portland, Orlando is also in must win mode but nothing more than seeding as well as its magic number is five to avoid the play in game but the difference here is that the Magic are on the road where they are 17-19 compared to 27-1 at home. They are 9-1 as road chalk but just 8-18 as underdogs and are simply in a bad spot. Here, we play on favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points with a winning percentage between .501 and .600 after failing to cover the spread in two or more consecutive games, playing a winning team. This situation is 43-16 ATS (72.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (514) New Orleans Pelicans |
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04-03-24 | Pacers -7 v. Nets | Top | 111-115 | Loss | -110 | 19 h 60 m | Show |
This is a play on the INDIANA PACERS for our NBA Signature Enforcer. Indiana is still very much alive for the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference as it trails New York and Orlando by a game and a half. The Pacers have won two straight games including a 22-point home win over Brooklyn on Monday where they closed at -12.5 so this is a fair number for the venue change and with everything on the line. They are decent on the road at 19-18 but have been inconsistent yet they have won six of their last eight on the highway and with games against Oklahoma City and Miami on deck so there will be plenty of motivation despite the revenge angle on the other side. It has been two straight losses for Brooklyn which has basically ended its playoff chances as one more loss or one more Atlanta win with the Hawks hosting Detroit Wednesday eliminates the Nets. After opening the season 16-4-1 against the number, Brooklyn is just 16-30-1 ATS over its last 47 games and this is not the spot. This starts a four-game homestand where the Nets are just 17-20 and while they have been solid with seven wins in 11 games as underdogs, it is a different scenario when late in the season especially with nothing likely on the line. Here, we play against underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points revenging a road blowout loss of 20 points or more, off a road loss by 10 points or more. This situation is 38-11 ATS (77.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (511) Indiana Pacers |