We just see the Thunder coming up big here. They have superior depth in this matchup and this is the Nuggets second Game 7 of the playoffs, so they have been putting in some overtime. We just have to imagine that the Thunder will have a big game at home and they will circle the wagons so to speak after a poor showing in Game 6. We think we might see one of their best performances of the series here in Game 7, and we think they should win this one by double digits.

We will go with the moneyline here. New York has been the better team all series and the Celtics had a Next Man Up boost in Game 5 at home but the awful reality of losing Tatum will hurt them in this close out game on the road. With Tatum out, that thins out the Celtics depth and the Knicks have a starting 5 that will get the job done tonight.

The Thunder know that Minnesota is waiting for them and we think they give 100 percent effort to close this one out tonight. We originally liked Denver to give the Thunder a lot of trouble in this series and they did, extending this one longer than most expected. But OKC has captured all the momentum with consecutive wins and this is the most reasonable line of the series for the Thunder. They would have covered this line in all three of their wins in the series. We think they have figured the Nuggets out a bit and there will be a sense of urgency tonight to get it done here in Denver.

This is a close out game and we expect both teams to lock down on defense. We think it will be a team effort from Boston with Tatum out, and they will circle the wagons tonight. We don’t think it will be enough, as we think the Knicks have a great chance to win outright. They know the Pacers are waiting in the wings and they don’t want this series to drag on. So they need to get it done tonight, and their best chance of that is on the defensive end. We expect a close, low scoring game. And as long as it doesn’t go to OT, we think this total will cash easy.

Denver has been competitive in every game in this series except Game 2 where they got down big early and threw in the white flag to conserve energy for Game 3, which they proceeded to win. They had been coming off a grueling 7-Game series against the Clippers and we can give them a mulligan for that game. Overall we think the Thunder are a bit overrated in the playoffs due to their regular season results. The playoffs is a different animal entirely. And Denver has been playing some of their best basketball of the season in the playoffs. They know what it takes to win this series. We don’t know if they will win it, but they should play another hard fought game here and we expect this one to be a close one.

We had Minnesota in Game 3 and they lost by the hook on a garbage three at the end of the game. That one came after a missed shot and an offensive rebound from the Warriors. Minnesota played pretty bad in that game and they still should have covered. We expect to see a better performance here as they don’t want this series to go on for too long. They are a much better team with Curry sidelined. They have all the momentum in this series after losing Game 1 and they have the chance to close this series out in Game 5 at home with a win here. We get the feeling we might see the best game of the series so far from the Wolves, and it seems that the Warriors might have given their last gasp in Game 3, and it still wasn’t enough.

Besides Game 2, where Denver had already secured home court advantage in the series and let the game get away from them early, the Nuggets have controlled this series. This is no longer the regular season where OKC can just roll over disinterested teams, and the Nuggets are a real threat to win this series and they are playing some of their best basketball of the season in the playoffs. Game 3 went to OT where the Nuggets pulled ahead for the win, and we think this will be another close game.

The Warriors did not look good without Curry in the lineup. With Klay gone and Curry out, the Warriors just don’t have that clutch aspect that they had during the prime of their dynasty. They have some have some good players but Butler hasn’t had time to acclimate to the team in the way that he can be a true leader. That takes at least a full season. We think there is a good chance that Minnesota will be the West’s representative in the Finals this year and we think they will make a statement here and reclaim home court advantage.

Even though Denver suffered a very embarrassing defeat in Game 2, they didn’t need to win that game. They accomplished their goal in the first two games, splitting and stealing home court advantage. They obviously didn’t play like Game 2 mattered much, and after they got down a decent amount they gave up. But overall Denver has played some of their best basketball of the season in the playoffs and they came up big when they needed to against the Clippers in the first round. This is a crucial game and we think they will show up here and give 100% effort.

We think the side and the total here are overreactions to the Curry injury. So the bookmakers expect the Warriors only to score about 90 points here? Normally other players step up when a star goes down, especially in the first game after that happens. With such a low total, these points for the underdog count more than if the total was 240. Minnesota didn’t look like a team that could blow anyone out right now after their Game 1 performance, one of their worst games of the season. We do think they will shoot better, however, and we think Golden State will play better than expected.

Denver’s Game 1 win was no fluke. This team is playing its best basketball of the season right now, and they have to be feeling confident after winning two straight in OKC now. When a big underdog wins Game 1, the line usually inflates as it has here for Game 2, but we think it should have gone the other way as we saw how good Denver is playing now. We said OKC would face some adversity in the playoffs and now is that time. We just don’t see this team responding well to the first pressure they have faced and recording a blowout here. We see another close game.

Denver is coming in playing some of their best basketball of the season. They swatted away a Clippers team that was one of the best defensive teams in the NBA and had come into that series playing amazing on offense. They won Game 7 120-101 in a game that wasn’t even nearly that close. They are playing great on both sides of the ball and the role players have elevated their games to help out Jokic. We always thought that the Thunder would face some adversity in the playoffs. They got an easy first round opponent and one they had dominated for a long time. But this team doesn’t have a lot of postseason experience and they have been off for a long time so could be rusty. Things have gone too easy for this team and we think we will see a lot of fight from Denver tonight.

5-Unit Play Take Cleveland -8 over Indiana (6 p.m. EST, Sunday May 4)

The Pacers looked good against the Bucks but they now face a huge step up in competition here. The Cavs are the much better team and they are rested and healthy. They are one of the best ATS teams this season and they will want to make a statement in Game 1. We think the Pacers will be more competitive as the series goes on, but we see a blowout in Game 1 as we think Indiana is walking into a buzzsaw today.

We have always liked the Clippers for the series and will go with them for Game 7. We think it will be a close game but LA is the better all around team and they will do what it takes to win this one. We think both teams will get their share of the total, as these games have been generally highs scoring and this is the lowest total of the series.

The home team has won every game in this series except for Game 1 when the Warriors got a leg up in this series and we think that will continue tonight. Everyone saw the Game 5 beatdown in Houston. Bettors want to jump on the Rockets here. The core of the Warriors has all the experience and they have closed out many a team at home in their careers. They know what need to be done here. Houston seems a year away and a couple more pieces from being a serious threat. We think there is a great chance that the Warriors are firing on all cylinders here and that they win this one by double digits.

The Pistons played well in Game 5 and staved off elimination but we think that was their last gasp and we don’t see the Knicks letting this one get to Game 7. This should be another close game but New York is the much better team and they will find a way to get it done. They won both games here in Detroit, so the atmosphere won’t faze them. And Game 5 was a wakeup call for them. They didn’t play well but were still within striking distance of a win. We see a very focused effort tonight, and the Knicks should have one of their better games of the series. They know they need to avoid Game 7 with tougher opponents on the horizon, and we don’t see them slipping up again.

We have liked the Wolves all series and think they will challenge for the win to close this one out. They match up well with the Lakers and they have now won five of the last seven meetings. The West is so competitive this season that it is crucial to close series out as soon as possible for extra rest and injury avoidance. Minnesota has an elite defense, which they will lean on here. The Lakers are a bit overrated, and we think this line is very public leaning.

The Clippers have been the better team in this series and are a couple unlucky bounces from already being done with this series. Denver won Game 4 on a very lucky play with a missed shot at the buzzer and they had a player in the right spot to get a slam dunk at the buzzer. We think LA will come out more focused than ever for Game 5 after losing that one in heartbreaking fashion. Denver has some injuries piling up on their already thin roster and this team needs every role player to step up as this has pretty much been a one man show that has got them this far. The Clippers are a complete team and playing as well as any team not named the Thunder down the stretch of the season. We think they bring their A Game tonight and win this one comfortably.

Cleveland knows what to do here up 3-0 in the series with some matchups tomorrow from the east where teams are up 3-1. They need to close this one out and get extra rest as the path gets a lot more difficult from here. We think they are up to the challenge. Cleveland has scored 120+ in every game of this series and their defense has also been spectacular. The Heat teams of the past really turned it on in the postseason, but this looks like a new era in Miami and this is just not a playoff caliber team this year.

These teams showed they can both lock down on defense in Game 3, and we think this game will be more like the second half of that game than the first half. These are two of the best defensive teams in the league and buckets will be hard to come by. The under is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings, and Orlando really has found some things that will work well with slowing the Celtics down. And there is always a good chance that the Magic will have a real low team total. Boston has scored under the century mark in four of five meetings in Orlando, and we think that is likely to happen again.

We think the Lakers are overrated. They always are. They are the biggest public team in the NBA since the 80s, and their lines are normally shaded. They have a good team this season, no doubt, and Luka will be a force for years to come. But he came in a little late in the season to fully gel with his teammates. Minnesota started off slow as they needed time to gel, but they are a complete team now and a true championship contender. Game 3 is always a big one, and we expect them to rise to the occasion tonight. They have won four straight against LA at home.

The Clippers could easily be up 2-0 in this series. They are the better team despite the seedings. The Clippers are a team built for the playoffs. They are only the lower seed because of injuries early in the season. But this is the best Clippers team in the history of the franchise and they are a true championship contender. Besides OKC, they are probably playing the best basketball in the league right now. We think home court will reign supreme tonight and we expect the Clippers to pull ahead in the fourth and win this one pretty comfortably.

We think this is an extremely fair price for the Celtics tonight. They didn’t even play their best in Game 1 and won by 17. We think they should do even better tonight. They can play lock down defense as well as the Magic or maybe better, and they are a much stronger offensive team. Tatum is out here for Game 2 for the Celtics, but this team has incredible depth and they went 8-2 in games he missed this season. Strangely, those two losses were against the Magic, but Boston had large injury reports in those two games, both in Orlando. They are much healthier here, and at home, and they have plenty of players to make up the slack for Tatum. And this team knows the importance of closing this series out early against a much inferior opponent, so we don’t think they will let up here and we expect a strong team performance all around. The home team has won and covered now in eight straight meetings, and we expect that trend to continue here, at least for one more game.

We have tried to resist taking the Thunder too much and going against them sometime as the lines swelled, but they just keep covering and winning big. They embarrassed the Grizzlies in Game 1 by 50+. Most times we would like the losing team to come back strong and more focused, but Memphis just doesn’t seem like that sort of squad this year. OKC has now covered in nine of 10 meetings, and we think this series will continue to be one sided. OKC will face some adversity in future rounds, but this should be smooth sailing for them tonight.

3-Unit Play Take Houston -1 over Golden State (9:30 p.m. EST, Sunday April 20)

We think this is a good matchup for the Rockets and we think they have a great chance to send the Warriors home early, Golden State played well down the stretch and the Butler trade gave them a Big 3 again, but Curry and Green are just not the players they were in their prime. Houston lacks the star names but this is a more complete team and they have been very strong at home. We think this series will probably go the distance, but Houston will make a statement here in Game 1.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

5-Unit Play Take LA Clippers +2.5 over Denver (3:30 p.m. EST, Saturday April 19)

The Nuggets have pretty much been a one-man team most of the season. Their role players have been up and down but this just doesn't look like a championship caliber team this season. The Clippers do. They are healthy and have been playing their best basketball of the season down the stretch. This team has some of the best depth in the league and they have been playing great team basketball. Kawhi Leonard looks like he is on a mission to prove the doubters wrong, and this team seems to have great morale and confidence right now.

4-Unit Play Take Dallas +6 over Memphis (9:30 p.m. EST, Friday April 18)

Dallas looked great in their road play in game against the Kings. We just really like them to keep this one close or win outright. This team lost their two stars, with Doncic traded and Irving injured, but they still have the best player on the court in Anthony Davis, and a lot of players with winning experience in the postseason after their run to the NBA Finals last season. We think the NBA would want the Mavs in the postseason also over the bad-vibes Grizzlies, so we might get some calls that go our way as well.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

The NBA is all about its stars in the playoffs, and Atlanta with Trae Young is the best player on the court tonight. The Magic just aren’t the same team they were last season and this doesn’t seem like a team built for postseason success this year. Atlanta has been solid on the road this season, and they come into this one with some momentum, with three straight wins to close out the regular season, including one vs. Orlando (most starters rested in this one). We think the Hawks have a great chance to win this one outright.

The old Lob City Clippers were always owned by the Warriors, but this new version of the Clippers has dominated Golden State. They have won six straight and covered in five straight. They are just the better team, they are in better form, and they are one of the hottest teams in the league. Neither team is in a safe position in the playoffs, so this will be like a postseason game, and we think the Clippers will rise to the occasion and they have a great chance for the outright win.

The Clippers have won three straight in this series and five of seven. We feel they match up very favorably to the Kings. That’s not to mention that the Clippers are one of the hottest teams in the NBA. They are playing at a Championship level right now. The Kings don’t have anywhere near that kind of ceiling. Sacramento is locked into the play in tournament, while the Clippers are in the regular playoffs as of the start of action today but have two play in teams (not the Kings) hot on their trail so these last games of the season are the most crucial for them. LA has some players on the injury report tonight, but this team has great depth so they will have a chance to win comfortably with the team they field tonight. The Kings haven’t had much home court advantage lately as they have won only one of their last six home games, and that win was against Portland. We think LA keeps their momentum going tonight.

This is a key game for the Western Conference and the Timberwolves are currently in the play in tourney but one game out of the playoffs. Memphis is that team that they are one game behind. Minnesota had a tough start to the season but things have mostly come together at the right time for them, and they are the better team in this matchup. They are healthy and rested and we expect a strong performance tonight.

The Clippers should have covered last night vs. the Spurs but a late flurry kept the score closer than the game actually was. This game is very important to the Clippers but not so much for the Rockets, who are more locked in to their playoff spot. Kawhi was a scratch last night against the Spurs, so he will probably play here. He will be fresh, and the Clippers have great depth, so we doubt a back-to-back, at home no less, will be much of a factor.

The Clippers are playing as well as any team in the league right now and they are one loss from dropping into the play in, so this is the most important game of the season, just like their next game will be. We think they demolish the Spurs here. San Antonio has had an incredibly tough season, and this team as much as any is looking towards next season. They lost their coach and best players, and they just need a reset. They have been competitive in some matchups, but they have lost five of their last eight games by double digits.

The Sixers have been the most disappointing team in the NBA this season, and they don’t have much hope for a strong finish to the regular season. They have had a crazy amount of injuries this season and the body count keeps rising. They are fielding a glorified G-League team right now, and Miami is motivated tonight and should win this one in a blowout. Philly has covered only one of their last ten games despite some very generous spreads. The Heat have covered in seven of the last nine meetings.

Boston is pretty much locked into their playoff position and it’s extremely doubtful they will give 100% here. Washington probably will, as it’s always a big game when any team from the East plays Boston. We could suffer a blowout here and still win ATS. Brown and Tatum are both listed as questionable for the Celtics, and you really have to question if they will play of get ample playing time here in a matchup they are not needed for.

It’s telling that these teams played on Friday and the Clippers scored an easy blowout yet we are getting a smaller spread this time out. We were on the Clippers yesterday but we think it’s not only hard to score two blowouts in a row over one team but even win consecutive games. We don’t know what the rosters that take the floor will look like but most likely anything out of the norm would go against the Clippers (Davis and Thompson returning for Dallas or Kawhi out for LAC). We think the Mavs will make some adjustments and at least keep this one close.

The Spurs have been horrible on defense down the stretch. This team has dealt with a lot of bad luck this season from the coach all the way down to their two best players. If any team wants the season to end and focus on next year, it’s these Spurs. And that porous defense is not ideal against one of the best offensive teams in the league. The Spurs are coming off a win at Denver where any good player the Nuggets had was out, and they should be Fat and Happy and we don’t see them putting in much effort here.

These teams played in late March, here in Washington, a 120-105 Orlando win. We actually think that the Magic can do better than that offensively here. They have shown they can put up big numbers against bad defenses, and they desperately need wins so they will leave nothing up to chance. The over is 7-2-1 in the last 10 meetings. Washington is a ragtag group as they have lots of injuries, but they should bring some pace here and the Magic will play along. And being at home, they have a better chance to earn their share of the total.

This just looks like a blowout to us. The Spurs are on a back-to-back and playing their third game in four nights. They were blown out in both those games. They don’t have much to play for here, and the Nuggets are fighting for playoff position. With the top of the West so competitive, a losing steak could even send a team like Denver into the play in. So they have to be focused here towards the end of the season, and we think this is an easy win for them tonight.

The Clippers are on a back-to-back after playing the Cavs last night and they played well in a loss. They have dropped into the play in tournament and are one game out of the regular playoffs, creating a must win situation here after the loss last night. The Magic are in the play in and will stay there as they don’t have a realistic chance of moving up. If the Clippers were in the East they would be one of the top seeds even with an up and down season. The Clippers are the better team and have more motivation. This is a very deep squad and the B2B should not be a huge deal. And Kawhi could play tonight, and he would be fresh after sitting in Cleveland.

Kawhi is out here for the Clippers and we think the oddsmakers are punishing them too much for this on the line. This is a deep team and they are playing well at the moment and we expect a close game. The Clippers have won two straight meetings and scored a blowout win over Cleveland in LA on March 18. Forget about the revenge angle as enough time has passed for Cleveland to put that loss in the rearview. The Cavs have covered only two of their last eight, so they have been a bit overvalued by the oddsmakers. We feel that is the case here again tonight.

The Clippers have won by double digits in the last two meetings and they had one of their biggest wins of the season and one of the biggest blowouts in the NBA this season when these teams met in January in a 126-67 Clippers win. Forget about revenge. Brooklyn has lost to a lot of teams since then and they are probably more focused on the offseason since they have been eliminated. The Clippers are barely in the playoffs right now and they need to win to avoid the play in tournament. This is essentially a must win, and the Clippers are rested and healthy, while the Nets have starters on the injury report.

The Magic have been playing really well lately. They have one of the best defenses in the NBA, and now all of the sudden their offense is clicking. They have scored 110 or more in seven of their last ten, and they have had a couple games against bad defenses where they scored in the 120 range. Well, the Mavs have been playing some of the worst defense in the league recently and this team has given up 120+ in eight of their last 10 games. It’s safe to say that they haven’t covered many games giving up those types of point totals. If Orlando can keep playing like they have, they have an outside shot of playing their way out of the play in tournament and into the regular playoff field. They need to win almost every game, however, and they need to especially win against no hope teams like Dallas who are waiting for the offseason to begin.

The Clippers have been playing championship caliber basketball recently and this is a team no one will want to face in the playoffs if they stay healthy. You can tell the Knicks miss Brunson a lot as their offense isn’t working well and they have been overall inconsistent. They don’t have a performance recently that was extremely impressive and they have been beating the teams they should but losing to solid teams. They lost to the Clippers earlier this month in a low scoring game. The Clippers have won and covered in four of five meetings.

We went big on the over last night for the Lakers/Magic contest and that was one of Orlando’s biggest wins of the season. We think this will be a flat spot for their offense. It’s hard to get excited about the Hornets coming to town after playing against LeBron and company last night, and a back-to-back is always tough as the Magic gave 100 percent in their win. The Hornets stink and there’s a good chance the Magic blow them out regardless. A blowout would bode well for the under as Charlotte can be held under 100 here easy.

The Lakers have a couple key players on the injury report but should mostly be at full strength here. There could be a line move depending on injury updates, but we think this one will go well over the posted number. The Magic are really clicking on offense right now and they are playing their best offensive basketball of the season by far. This team has been an Under machine for most of the season, where they struggled to reach the century mark on the scoreboard night in and night out. But they have scored 108 or more in eight of their last nine games. They have gone over 110 in six of those games, and over 120 in two, including last time out against the Wizards. Orlando has picked up their pace of play, and they have been playing with real confidence on the offensive end. Seven of their last 11 games have gone over the posted number as a result. The Lakers are trending to the over, as six of their last eight have gone over the posted total. They allowed 146 last time out in a loss to the Bulls. They have been putting up 115 or more on offense on a regular basis lately. These teams put up 230+ in the last meeting in November. That was a close game, and we expect this one to be as well. Overtime is not out of the question. Five of the last six meetings have surpassed this total. We think the oddsmakers are a little behind on the way this Magic offense has improved, and as a result there has been value in their overs in recent games.

We like what we have seen from the Bucks lately and they have covered in four of their last six games. This team has seen its share of ups and downs over the course of the season, but they have been playing playoff-quality basketball recently. They have a strong history here as they have won nine of 10 meetings, and these teams don’t play often so that streak stretched back many years.

All the sudden the Clippers are looking like a championship caliber ball club. If they keep playing like this and enter the postseason healthy, this is going to be a team no one in the west will want to match up against. They have won seven of eight and covered in six of those games. They have had two days rest after absolutely decimating the Cavs at home on Tuesday. Memphis has been one of the best ATS teams this year but has covered in only two of their last 10. They have been overvalued by the oddsmakers and have not matched their early season play. They are also banged up, while the Clippers are healthy.

Every now and then the Raptors have a bad game where they get run out of the building. That is pretty rare though as this team puts up a fight almost every night. So after a 40-point blowout in Phoenix last time out, we feel we will see a much better effort from this team. Toronto has had a couple days off since that loss and have two days off after this, so they can give max effort here tonight.

As of this writing Tatum is questionable for the Celtics and Brown is out, so Brooklyn should be able to stay within double digits here. Every game from here on out is basically a must win for the Nets, who are well outside the play in tourney at the moment. Brooklyn has covered in four of their last five games and they have been exceeding oddsmaker expectations. These teams just played in Brooklyn and the Nets almost won. We think this will be another close game.

Any bet against Washington is a good one, and the Nuggets should roll in this one. We see no reason they don’t win this one by 20+. The Wizards have been given generous spreads all season yet they have a terrible ATS record and this squad is blown out on a regular basis. They are Fat and Happy, as we say, after a win over Detroit last time out in a quick revenge spot. They earned their night off tonight, and we don’t expect to see the same effort.

Orlando has failed to reach the century mark in two of the last three meetings. Whenever they take the court, it’s possible they don’t reach 100 points. And this certainly looks like one of those games where they will fail to do so. They come in on a back-to-back and they put up 113 in a game vs. the Pelicans where New Orleans didn’t play much defense. Now they face a Minnesota club that will lock down on the defensive end. And this looks very much like a flat spot for the Magic, a team without great depth. After a string of a few overs, Orlando has gone under in two straight, and we think the trend will continue. The only chance the Magic have here as a double-digit dog is to slow the game down as no team but them can do, with the slowest pace in the league. Minnesota held Denver to 95 last time out, and we think we could see another defensive masterpiece from them tonight.

These teams played here on Tuesday, and the Pistons won in a blowout. It’s very hard to have the same result over one team in consecutive games. Washington is a terrible team. But they are now very familiar with these Pistons from the recent meeting and they will make some adjustments tonight. It’s telling that after Detroit covered on Tuesday that this line is smaller than the closing line in the last meeting. The sharp play here is the Wizards.

We are big fans of what they are doing in Detroit and the way this team has been playing. However, we don’t think they are ready to lay this type of spread. They are coming off a four-game West Coast road trip and the first game back home can be tricky as players navigate personal lives. The focus might not be there for this game. Washington recently played a double set like they will against Detroit (these teams play again Thursday). Washington won the first game against Toronto before suffering a blowout in the second game. We think we might see the same pattern here.

These teams played yesterday and the Thunder laid a beat down but it’s not only hard to beat the same team on consecutive days but also hard to score a blowout in consecutive games. Not to mention that the Thunder don’t have much to play for down the stretch with the No. 1 seed well in hand. Denver has been playing well lately overall and they should be focused here. We always state revenge is an overrated handicapping aspect in pro sports. But it does come into play in situations like this, where the loss is still fresh on the losing team’s mind.

Minnesota has been overrated by the oddsmakers all season and this line looks inflated as well. Could the Timberwolves run the Spurs out of the building tonight? Sure. But we think San Antonio can keep this one within double digits. The Spurs suffered an embarrassing loss at Sacramento last time out where the team didn’t give full effort, so they will probably be more motivated to play hard here. San Antonio has covered in six of the last seven meetings, and we expect that trend to continue here.

We are basically always going to look closely at a home dog getting this many points. The game can be a blowout and we can still cover. The Hornets have been pretty good recently when getting double digit points. Maybe they check the lines and don’t want to be disrespected. Whatever the case, we think they will want to put up a fight tonight. The Cavs have covered only one of their last three. That isn’t too crazy, but this team is covering at a high rate this season. But they are playing their third game in four nights and they have Milwaukee on deck on Sunday, so they might not give full effort here in a game they don’t need to in order to win.

It seems as if the Jimmy Butler trade has paid off for the Warriors and they are playing as well as any team in the league right now. They have won and covered in seven of their last eight. They have scored double digit road wins in three of their last five away from home, and those wins were over the Knicks, Hornets and Kings. Two of those were playoff clubs. It seems obvious that the Nets won’t make the play-in tournament and this team is fading down the stretch. They have lost five straight coming into this one. They have lost their last three games by a combined 54 points, and none of these teams were nearly as good as the Warriors. Brooklyn is one of those strange cases where they have played better on the road than at home this season. The fans haven’t had much to cheer about, and most in the building tonight will be there to see the Warriors stars in person. Brooklyn has given up 120+ in three of their last four, and that is not a good sign against a Warriors team that has been playing extremely well offensively.

The Clippers are quickly falling out of the playoff picture due to a recent string of bad play. We don’t have much positive analysis for them here other than a gut feeling that they will circle the wagons tonight and at least give a massive effort on defense. If they had been playing better this would just be another game, but this now seems like one of the more important games of the season, especially after blowing a huge lead at Phoenix last night and losing that game. This does seem like an inflated spread and we think this will be a close, low scoring game.

Wins have been hard to come by for San Antonio and this team received a blow when Wemby was ruled out for the season. But that shock has passed and the Spurs still have a decent team. This is definitely a winnable matchup for them and we expect them to take care of business tonight. The Nets have suffered consecutive blowouts. They haven’t stayed within this number in any of their recent losses. The Spurs have won and covered in the last two meetings and three of the last four. Not sure what the motivation level will be for this Nets team tonight, but we are confident that the Spurs need a win and they should play hard in front of the home fans tonight.

Even though the Blazers are on a back-to-back, we still think there is nice value here as we had this game closer to PK. Portland has the look of a team on the rise and this team won’t be tanking to finish off the season. They want to build some momentum heading into next year. They have won four of five and they played a very strong game in Cleveland on Sunday in a close loss. Philly is a walking infirmary ward right now and this team has real low morale at the moment. No bet against them is a bad one right now.

Golden State has won and covered the last four meetings. This team is just steamrolling the league right now, and we don’t see that stopping tonight. The Warriors have won and covered in seven of eight overall, and their offense is really efficient right now and their defense is creating a lot of extra opportunities. Morale in Philly is at an all time low. They lost Embiid for the season and they have lost nine straight and covered in only one of their last 10. This team is already several games out of the play in and now it will be tanking time for the remainder of the season. We don’t expect them to put up much of a fight here against an out of conference foe.

Detroit has been playing great basketball but the line value seems to be gone with them now laying points to Denver. These teams don’t play often, but Denver has won and covered in four straight meetings. They will have extra motivation tonight since Detroit is on a big winning streak, and it is always a confidence boost for a team to snap a streak like that. Denver has lost two of three but we think that just gives them extra motivation here to snag the win.

These teams have gone under in three of the last four meetings, including one earlier this month in the Bay Area, a 104-99 Warriors win. We see no reason this one won’t be a similar scoreline. Golden State has been putting up a lot of points lately, but Orlando is an old school style team and they play at the slowest pace in the league and they put up sub-100 scorelines on offense on a regular basis. The Magic have gone under the total in six straight games and we think they will do a great job of slowing the Warriors down. They allowed 122 to Cleveland last time out and that was an unacceptable defensive performance for this team. We think they make some adjustments here and play a much better defensive game against the Warriors. And while the Warriors are known for their offense, this is also a strong defensive team. There is a very good chance we could see the Magic end up under the century mark in this February rematch.

The Blazers always seem to play well here. In fact, they have won and covered in five straight visits. We expect more of the same tonight. We really like this Blazers team. They have some amazing talent and they play hard on a nightly basis. This is a team that is probably not going to make the play in tournament this season but they are still going to play hard down the stretch and they are a team we are buying into. The Wizards are just outright a bad team and they are likely tanking a bit for the remainder of the season. This team is by far the worst team in the NBA, and they have a horrible ATS record despite very generous odds from the bookmakers.

Both teams are on a B2B but the Clippers get the worst of it with both games on the road. This road trip isn’t going well for Los Angeles, who haven’t looked the same since a horrible fourth quarter against the Bucks. They were blown out in Indiana last night and they will be missing a couple key players on the second end of this one. Detroit has won six straight and covered in eight of 10, and this team is very confident they can get the win tonight. They have covered in seven of the last eight meetings.

This game is the second of a back-to-back for the Spurs played in Austin, down the road from their home in San Antonio. The Spurs got some horrible news yesterday that Wemby has been shelved for the season in his second season. This team was mediocre with him but they will be pretty bad without him. And it might make awhile for new addition De'Aron Fox to gel with his teammates. The Spurs played great on Thursday in their win over the Suns. But we saw them give a lot of effort there against a conference opponent, so we have to question not only their stamina here with a sudden lack of depth but also their motivation against a nonconference opponent. Oftentimes when a top player goes down, the rest of the team will step up for a game but there is no doubt losing Wemby hurts this team badly. Detroit has been playing excellent basketball and they are a legit playoff team in our eyes. This is their first game back after the break and they will have a lot of energy. We liked the Pistons here even before the news came out of San Antonio, and we like them even more now.

As if the Bucks weren’t struggling enough with an underachieving season, news just came out that Bobby Portis was suspended 25 games for drug violations. This kind of distraction is the last thing the Bucks need, not to mention the hit it takes for their depth since you never know if their stars will suit up from game to game. We think the Clippers are a better team regardless, and this line indicates that Kawhi is likely to take the court tonight. The Clippers looked great heading into the break and we think they will continue right where they left off.  

This is the last NBA game before the all-star break. Both teams are on a back to back and looked good on Wednesday, as the Jazz blew out the Lakers while the Clippers blew out the Grizzlies. But Utah doesn’t win often and we don’t see them replicating their play from last night. We have to figure that the Jazz are happy with their performance against the Lakers and ready for the All-Star Break, while the Clippers are dangerously close to slipping into the play in tournament section of the standings and need every win they can get. They are healthy and last night’s dominant win over the Grizzlies tells us this team is back playing well after some poor play to start the month. The Clippers match up well against the Jazz and have won five of the last six meetings. All those wins were by double digits, and four were absolute blowouts, including last Saturday, where the Clippers barely broke a sweat in a 20-point victory. LA has superior depth to handle the B2B even though Utah gets this one at home. But LA knows they have some time off coming up and should produce a strong effort tonight.

Memphis has been tearing the league up with wins and a high cover rate, including a win and cover at Phoenix on Tuesday. But now they are on a very tough back-to-back against a rested Clippers team that matches up extremely well with them. Los Angeles hasn’t played since Saturday, when they scored a 20-point win over Utah. The Clippers have won four straight in this series and six of the last eight. Before that Utah game, the Clippers had a bad stretch of play, but it looks like they are back on track now, and this is a good matchup for them to keep the momentum going. LA also has a very high cover rate this season and they are quietly getting the job done on the court and at the betting window.

The last two games for the Raptors show why they are a great squad to bet on this season. They lost to both Houston and OKC, and they had no real chance of winning those games. But they covered both of the matchups. This team doesn’t have big names and they are under the radar, but they play hard almost every night and they don’t give up until the final buzzer. That is why they have amassed a 31-21-1 ATS record. Philly is always overrated and has as a result struggled to cover too many lines (20-32 ATS). This looks like another matchup where the Raptors are underrated.

Orlando has won two straight meetings and three of four, and all the wins came by 10 or more points. Orlando has only two wins in their last eight games. But they have just finished a six-game road set and the friendly confines of home should be good for this team as they are 15-9 on the season here at Kia Center. The Spurs haven’t been much better with three wins in their last 10, and this is a very tough road B2B after they lost in Charlotte last night as a double-digit favorite. Not only is this a B2B with both games on the road, but Orlando is a strong and physical defensive team that should wear the Spurs down late. Orlando has dealt with so many injuries this season but are relatively healthy now. We expect a strong showing from the home team tonight.

The Wizards have won and covered in three straight, so they will come in to this one with some confidence. Cleveland has pretty much been a covering machine this season but they have started to become overvalued as their shooting has cooled off a bit. They have covered in four of their last nine games. Washington has covered in three of the last four meetings, and they kept it to a 10-point deficit in a meeting in Cleveland in December. We are pretty much going to back any home team getting this many points.

The Pistons are on a back-to-back, but in our opinion they are being punished too much by the oddsmakers. They have been pretty solid in recent back-to-backs, and they are facing a Hawks team that is banged up, missing their best player, and in an absolute tailspin, having lost eight straight games. Detroit has been building some momentum and has won and covered in two straight, and this is a great spot for them to make it three in a row. They match up well with the Hawks and already have two wins against them this season. The most recent meeting was less than two weeks ago in Atlanta, a 10-point Pistons win. Atlanta had to rally big time in the fourth quarter with a 29-17 quarter just to make the final look respectable. In that game, Capela notched a double-double and him and Young combined for almost 30 points, and both players are likely to miss this game tonight. The lack of rest shouldn’t faze the Pistons and we expect a comfortable win tonight.

Milwaukee looked like they were back to playoff form with a stretch of solid play but now the injuries are piling up again and they were blown out in their last two games, to the Spurs and Blazers no less. Morant is likely out here for the Grizzlies, but they have proven they can get the job done with multiple rosters starting. They have won and covered six straight meetings.

It is always one of the biggest games of the season whenever the Lakers visit Madison Square Garden. The Knicks are the much better team and they will face a Lakers team that is very banged up at the moment. We don’t see anything other than a blowout here. The Knicks are rested and absolutely rolling right now as they have won five straight and just won their last three by double digits. And look at the opponents: Denver, Memphis and Sacramento. That is playoff form right now and this team is establishing themselves as a serious championship contender.

The Hornets have covered in four of their last five as double digit dogs. We like this Clippers team a lot but are they going to get up for this game after playing teams like the Spurs, Suns and Celtics recently? This is the biggest line the Clippers have faced on the road this season, and they know they can probably win this one without giving full effort. The Hornets have lost but covered the last two meetings and three of the last four. We simply think this is too many points tonight, and there is a good chance the home team keeps this one within double digits.

Cleveland is one of the best teams in the NBA at not only winning games but covering them also, and it is very tough to go against them for wagers. We think it is justified tonight, however, and we think the Cavaliers are vulnerable. The Hawks have lost six straight and are very desperate for a win. They have played well in their last two games, however, with covers at Minnesota and vs. Houston, as they have had a tough schedule lately. The Cavs are on a back-to-back, while the Hawks are rested. Cleveland has won and covered two straight, but before that they were on a rare three-game losing streak without a cover, so they aren’t playing their best overall right now. The Hawks have also won and covered in three straight meetings. For our personal wagers, we might sprinkle a little on the moneyline also.

Utah has covered in three of the last four meetings. We think they are getting too many points again. The Jazz haven’t been playing well lately. It wasn’t long ago that they were covering a lot of games. They are coming off consecutive blowouts and we just think they are due for a competitive game. They have a winning record ATS this season and Golden State has not had many blowout wins lately outside of that Chicago game. The Warriors have covered only three of their last eight games, so the oddsmakers have them overrated right now.

This game should be an absolute shootout. Both teams are rolling offensively right now and the pace should be fluid here. Memphis has scored no less than 125 in their last three games. They have 129 or more in four of their last six games. The Knicks are coming off a 143-point effort against the Kings. We think this will be a very competitive game that should come right down to the wire, and we think both teams can easily surpass 120 points each. Eight of the last nine meetings have gone over the posted number.

Just love the way the Bucks have been playing, and we had this line handicapped at PK so there is some value here. Milwaukee is playing as well as any team in the NBA right now and making up for a slow start. They are a live underdog to win this one tonight. They play well against the Clippers traditionally. They have won eight of the last 10 meetings and covered in three straight. That is a long history of dominance since these teams don’t play each other often.

The Kings have been hot, but we think this is a very tough matchup for them. This is their third game in four days, and they looked like they were running out of steam on Thursday vs. the Nuggets. They will need everything in their arsenal to beat the Knicks at MSG, and we don’t see this matchup going well for them. The Knicks have won and covered the last two meetings and six of the last seven.

We don’t often like to lay double digits in the NBA, but Memphis is the type of team that can put a massive score up against a banged up team like the Pelicans. Once again the Pels will be without their best player, and Murray is banged up as well. Memphis is 5-1 ATS as a double digit favorite in their last six in this situation. They have won and covered in four of the last five meetings.

The Magic have been very poor on offense and we just don’t see them being able to score enough to cover this line tonight. They have scored 100 or less in four straight games. This team plays at the slowest pace in the league, and a low scoring game makes the points more valuable here. The Blazers have won and covered in their last two games, and they should come in confident they can keep this one close if not challenge for the win.

The Mavs have tons of injuries across their lineup and even if some of the questionable players hit the court, this team will be severely shorthanded tonight. The Timberwolves have been a bad team to bet on most of the season, but we have found if we pick the right spot for them that it can be advantageous and this looks like a good spot for them to pick up a comfortable win. They have had some losses lately as they have had a very tough schedule, but they have played well even in the losses and this team finally looks like it is gelling a bit with the roster additions. They have won and covered the last two visits to Dallas, and we think this could possibly be a 10-point-or-more victory.

Orlando is dead last in points per game in the NBA and they are also the slowest paced team. It’s no wonder they are 26-18 to the under. They have dealt with injuries all season long and haven’t had a consistent rotation, which hasn’t helped. They literally have to rely on their defensive schemes to stay competitive and hope they can sink enough buckets to win. Three straight meetings have gone under, and the last two were well under this total. The Magic haven’t scored more than 100 in three straight games. It’s doubtful they will break out here since the Raptors are an underrated defensive club. They held Boston to 97 recently and the Warriors to 100. It’s a very strong possibility that Orlando won’t reach 100. The Magic have been giving up some points lately as they have played many strong offensive teams. They have lost a lot of those games. But we think this is a game they think will be winnable and they will lock down defensively tonight.

The Clippers have won and covered in four straight meetings. The Bulls enter on a five-game losing streak. They have not covered any lines in their last four despite some generous lines by the oddsmakers. The Clippers are as healthy as they have been all season and they have played very well in their shiny new building. They are a very focused team this season and are playing great fundamental basketball, and are well coached as well.

Orlando’s stock is down and they haven’t been playing well lately. Injuries have been a big problem here. But we think this is too many points. The Nuggets are an inconsistent team. They don’t care much about the regular season and this is a team built for the postseason. We don’t see them giving 100% effort here. Orlando has had a very tough schedule lately. But they have won three straight in this series and covered in seven straight. They play at the slowest pace in the league and we think defense will allow them to keep this one close tonight.

We have avoided Boston like the plague as they have been overrated by the oddsmakers and they have been a bad ATS team. But when they want to bring their A Game they can dominate any team in any given night. Considering they are coming off an embarrassing loss to the Raptors and also that the Magic beat them outright last meeting, this looks like a game that Boston will want to perform their best in. Orlando isn’t the team they should be this season with major injuries along their roster. We see a major blowout here.

These teams played a week ago, and the total topped 250. These teams don’t play often, but the meeting before that saw 248 points scored. These are two Top 8 teams for points scored per game and also pace. The Cavs are No. 2 in the NBA for scoring and average more than 122 per game. In last week’s game both teams shot well over 50 percent from the field, and this will be a fast-paced game with lots of offense, so we don’t see much of a difference in what the final outcome is. This should be another close game, and we expect both teams to get their share of the total. Cleveland is one of the top over teams in the league and they have gone over in five if their last eight. OKC has been trending in that direction with four straight overs.

Even though the Thunder keep covering some of these inflated lines, these numbers are starting to get ridiculous. Yes, Embiid is out here. But Philly still has some players and they will want to play their best here as OKC is really starting to have a target on their back. The Sixers have won eight of the last nine meetings outright and they have covered in six of the last eight. Philly hasn’t been great lately but they are rarely getting blown out recently and we think they fight hard here and keep this one within double digits.

Usually when teams face each other in consecutive games, you can always bank on the losing team to put in a better effort in the second meetings. But in a weird scheduling quirk, the losing team, in this case Memphis, played another game against Minnesota on Saturday after their Thursday matchup with Houston, so that shifted their focus and lessened the revenge angle. Houston has been off since that game on Thursday, so they have a big rest advantage, which is crucial at this point of the long NBA season. They also have won and covered in five of the last six meetings. We think the Rockets are slightly better than the Grizzlies on a neutral court, so a rested Houston team at home should take care of business tonight with a comfortable win.

This is a quick revenge spot for the Knicks, who lost by 10 to the Thunder just one week ago today. New York was up most of the game then just fell apart in the fourth quarter on the road. We expect a much more complete effort here at home, and we are happy to get points here as we had this line handicapped at PK with a lean to New York at that number. These teams have alternated covers for the last five meetings, and we think that trend will continue here tonight.

These teams met Saturday in Miami and the Jazz scored a 36-point blowout. We think revenge is an overrated factor in NBA handicapping and both teams have played two games since, so we don’t think Miami will be focusing too much on payback. They have some off the court issues that are probably dominating their thoughts. The Jazz have been a covering machine lately, cashing tickets in 8 of their last 10 games. And they play their best at home. We think this will be a close game, and a Jazz win would not be too surprising.

Injuries on both teams but Utah has been a covering machine lately and they have cashed bets in seven of their last nine. The Hawks have lost three straight to playoff type teams and they will probably have a letdown here. Atlanta has a poor ATS record and this team has been incredibly inconsistent. Utah has covered in six of the last eight and we think they are in a prime spot for a close game and possible outright win at home.

Detroit is at a great stage in their rebuild and things are starting to come together. But the oddsmakers are slow to react. We had them handicapped at -9 in this game. They are coming in off three straight wins. They have covered in five of their last eight. Right now they are in the play-in position for the playoffs so they can’t afford to take a team like Portland lightly. We expect them to take care of business with a comfortable win.

Minnesota has been a disappointment so far in the 2024-25 season and even more for bettors as they have stayed overrated by the oddsmakers. This line feels like much of the same. The traded they made in the offseason haven’t worked yet and this team often feels disjointed. They enter having lost five of eight, and Detroit has a chance to win this one outright. The Pistons have covered in four straight meetings between these clubs, and they have won two straight and five of six, so they will be confident they can compete for the win here. We expect a close game.

The Thunder have been amazing this season and an ATS machine, but they don’t win and cover every game, and this looks like a rare matchup that could see them struggle. They took care of business against a Harden-less Clippers squad on Thursday, and that was a physical game, so this is a tough back-to-back while the Knicks are rested. Despite the fact that New York has four more losses than do the Thunder, we think they are the more complete team and more of a championship threat this season. Brunson could return for the Knicks tonight from his minor injury that caused him to be a late scratch from the Jazz game. But the Knicks, now essentially healthy, have a deep roster even if he doesn’t play. The Knicks play has been as good as any team in the NBA lately, and they have the major rest advantage tonight.

It is very difficult to wager against OKC as they seem to cover any line the oddsmakers throw their way, but we lean towards the Clippers tonight ATS but think it’s better to attack this low total in what we think will be a competitive game. The Clippers are coming off one of their worst performances of the season in San Antonio and they will no doubt want to play well here today. These teams played here in November and the total topped 260. While we don’t see that type of game tonight, we could see this one easily going over 225. Four straight meetings at OKC have gone over the posted number, and we think that trend will continue tonight.

The Pelicans have been one of the worst teams ATS, while the Clippers have been very profitable as a betting team on the season. But we think this is a bad spot for the Clippers and the Pelicans are at a good Buy Low point in certain spots. No one is betting on New Orleans now as they have used up all of bettor’s good will. Two of their best players are out, and they have had lots of injury problems, the same ones that have plagued this team for the last couple years. But this looks like a game the Clippers likely won’t give full effort for. They just played one of their main rivals, Golden State, and they have played recent games against Dallas, Memphis, Minnesota and Houston. They have the Spurs and the Thunder on deck. If there were a game they might overlook, this looks like it. The Pelicans seem to always play well against the Clippers, and they have won and covered in seven of the last eight meetings. We have been picking the Clippers a lot this season and we stated in this space at the start of the season that we thought LAC was a playoff team even if Kawhi didn’t return. But we don’t like them in this spot and especially as a big road favorite.