Game five of the NBA Finals as the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns are all even at 2-2 in this series. The venue goes back to Phoenix here tonight. The Bucks made some adjustments in game three and four as both paid off big in the back-to-back wins. I said it before and now even more, this looks like a seven game series. Both teams have held home court and the Suns look to do so here on Saturday. The Suns could have easily won game four and should have covered, but that's the way things have gone in this series. I'm taking the Suns here in game five to hold home court. Play the Suns.

Game four of the NBA Finals as the Milwaukee Bucks look to even this series at 2-2 here on Wednesday. The Bucks made some adjustments in game three and they paid off big. Milwaukee won game three 120-100. The Bucks fell behind 25-28 after one quarter but used a 35-17 2nd quarter to get the lead and cruised the rest of the way. I expect the Suns to be more focused here on Wednesday. However, I still believe Milwaukee will win this game, though not by the game three margin. Home court means a lot in this series and this one is looking more and more like a 7-game series. I'll take the Bucks here today. Play Milwaukee Bucks.

Game one of the NBA Finals has the Milwaukee Bucks facing off against the Phoenix Suns. The main news for Bucks fans is the health of start player, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who hasn't played since game 4 of the Atlanta Hawks series. Currently, Antetokounmpo, is listed as "doubtful" in the injury report with his knee issues. Even without Antetokounmpo, the Bucks won the final two games of their series with the Hawks. The Suns look to be healthy as guard Chris Paul is probable with a hand injury. Milwaukee makes its first NBA finals appearance since 1974 and the Suns since 1993. I'll be looking at the over here tonight. Even though the Suns are considered a very good defensive team, they are 14-6 O/U in their last 20 games as a favorite. The Bucks are 16-5-1 O/U/P their last 22 games against a team with a winning straight-up record. The last four meetings between these clubs have seen all four go over. And, the last five in Phoenix has seen four of the five go over. Tonight, take the OVER.

Game 6 here on Saturday has the Milwaukee Bucks looking for that series clinching win today that will send them to the NBA Finals. Meanwhile, the Hawks look to overcome their game 5 blowout loss and even this series at 3-3. The Bucks could be without Giannis Antetokounmpo. Atlanta could also be without their star in Trae Young. Atlanta was one of the best home teams vs the spread this year, going 27-16. Tonight they need little more than a straight up win. With both teams' stars in question, the Hawks need this game if they are to stay alive. I'll take the Hawks, but I'm taking them on the Money Line and laying the small price. Play Atlanta Hawks Money Line.

Game 6 of the Western Conference Championships tonight have the LA Clippers once again looking to stave off elimination and the Phoenix Suns trying to get to the NBA Finals. LA likes living on the edge, having trailed 1-3 in three straight playoff series. Yet again they won when down and forced another game. The Clippers will be without Kawhi Leonard again tonight, something they have had to learn to live with. Once again this should be a good defense contest. The Clippers have dominated on the glass and they will need to limit Phoenix 2nd chance shots again tonight. I am going to take the Clippers here tonight, even without Leonard. They seem to have a knack of making big comebacks and I'm looking for another here tonight. Play the Clippers.

Game four of the Eastern Conference Championship tonight has the Atlanta Hawks with their backs against the wall after dropping the last two games. The Hawks took game one and then lost games two and three. They can even things tonight but may have to do so without their star player in Trae Young. Young has an ankle injury and is questionable for tonight's contest. The loss of Young could mean 25.3 points per game they have to make up for. The Bucks finally seem to be playing up to their potential the last few games. The Hawks have just 102 and 91 points in their last two games. Milwaukee is 1-5-1 O/U/P in their last seven games as a favorite. The Hawks are 1-6 O/U in their last seven overall. Can't see the Hawks getting many points here tonight if Young doesn't play. I'll take the UNDER.

Game five here tonight from Phoenix as the Suns can wrap things up with a win as they lead 3-1. Kwahi Leonard will miss again tonight for the Clippers wit his knee injury. The last game was a very poor offensive showing by both teams as the final came in at 84-80 Phoenix. I already see oddsmaker and bettors pushing this total down to now around 212. Considering they have already had 220 totals, this is a big drop. For me, I'm looking for a return to normalcy tonight as both teams get back to some scoring. I'm going against the bettors and the oddsmaker here and taking the OVER.

After stealing game one against the Milwaukee bucks, the Atlanta Hawks had a horrid game two, losing 91-125. Now they return to their home court State Farm Arena for game three with the series tied 1-1. The Bucks put together a complete game two, something we haven't seen from them in these playoffs. Good news for the Hawks is that whether they lost by 1-point or 25-points, it's still just one loss and they are tied in the series. This is a key game for Atlanta as they need to stop the team they saw in game two. Atlanta really needs this game as they have to put that last game behind them. Nate McMillan has this team playing well and I believe he will have them ready for a great effort here tonight. Getting 4.5 points is a nice bonus. Take the points with the home Hawks here tonight.

The Clippers look to even this series here tonight, trailing 1-2 in this best of seven Western Conference Championship. The Clippers lost games one and two at Phoenix and bounced back in game three with a win 106-92. The Clippers have covered two of their three with the Suns and six of their last seven games overall. It looks like the Clippers will once again be without Kawhi Leonard who is still nursing that knee injury. The Clippers proved last game they can win vs the Suns without Leonard in the lineup. I look for the Clippers to event he series here tonight. Play LA Clippers.

The Atlanta Hawks put a shock into Vegas Sports books with their win over No 1 Philly in their last series. Both teams won in seven games to advance to these Eastern Conference finals. The Bucks needed a thrilling OT win over the Nets to advance here tonight. The Atlanta Hawks have now defeated the top two defenses in the NBA. The Hawks are 35-15 S/U and 31-18-1 ATS since Nate McMillian took over as coach of Atlanta. The Bucks used a very good defense to shutdown one of the best offensive teams in the NBA in the Nets. Atlanta allowed just 101.5 ppg over their last four games and going well under the posted total. They should have little trouble holding this Milwaukee team down too. Take the UNDER.

The Clippers look to even their series tonight with the Phoenix Suns at 1-1 after dropping game one of the series, 114-120. Paul George did his part for the Clippers, hitting seven, 3-point shots for 34 total points. The Sun won despite playing without one of their stars in Chris Paul. The Clippers have covered four of their last five overall games while the Suns are 25-10 ATS at home their last 35 games. Kawhi Leonard remains out for the Clippers tonight as does Chris Paul for the Suns. I'll take the Clippers to bounce back here in game two tonight. Play Clippers.

 This Eastern Conference series moves to Atlanta tonight for game three as the Hawks look to take 2-1 advantage and hold home court against the Sixers. The Sixers rebounded from their game one loss at home with a 118-102 win in game two. The Hawks find themselves a 1.5 point home dog here tonight. Atlanta has been a good covering team at home, going 25-13 and 20-6 ATS over their last 26 at home. Philly forward Joel Embiid always seems to be the focal point with his injuries. Embiid is questionable with a knee injury tonight. The Hawks have only trailed at the half in one playoff game and that was game two vs Philly. This is a team that gets out of the gate fast and I look for that again here tonight. This Hawks team very good at home and I'll take them as a short home dog. Play Atlanta.

6/10 07:00 PM PT / 10:00 PM ET

NBA   (523) LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS VS (524) UTAH JAZZ

Take: (523) LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS

Reason: The LA Clippers lost game one of this Western Conference semifinals at Utah, 112-109. The Jazz trailed 47-60 at the half but rallied in the third quarter to tie the game heading into the fourth. The Jazz held a large lead but the Clippers closed the final to three points, right on the number. Donovan Mitchell scored 45 points for the Jazz in the win. The Jazz did this without their star player in Mike Conley, who missed the game with a hamstring injury. Conley is questionable for tonight's contest. Despite the loss, the good news for the Clippers was that DeMarcus Cousins made his postseason debut and finished with six points in four minutes. Whether or not Conley is able to go tonight I expect the Clippers to come back and take game two. Play LA Clippers.

The Philadelphia 76ers look to even this best of seven series at 1-game apiece here on Tuesday. The Hawks stole game one in Philly and now can at least know they go back to Atlanta tied at worse. The big question here in game two is the health of Sixer's Joel Embiid. It was Trae Young that stole the show in game one, scoring 35 points and having 10 assist. Embiid played game one and played well with 39 points and nine rebounds, though he was only on the floor for 38 minutes. Officially, Embiid is questionable tonight with that bad knee. Despite being way down, the Sixers showed heart in coming back to make the final more respectable and after sleepwalking through most of game one, I expect to see a different Philly team here in game two. Look to see a different attitude starting this game tonight. Play Philadelphia.

Game two in the NBA 2nd round between the Bucks and Nets as Milwaukee looks to even the series at 1-1 before returning home for game three. The Nets took game one, 115-107 in a low scoring game for two of the highest scoring teams in the NBA. The line has dropped from game one as the Nets now a 1.5-point favorite and the total at 234.5 in this Eastern Conference Semifinal. One big loss for the Nets is that of James Harden. Harden pulled up lame in the opening minute of game one with a hamstring issue and will not play here in game two. Both these teams have been hot with Brooklyn winning 10 of the last 11 and the Bucks going 12-2 their last 14. I don't expect the Bucks offense to be flat like it was in game one as they scored 12 fewer points then their season average. Even with their poor shooting they weren't too far off in game one. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 34 points and 11 rebounds. I fully expect a big rebound game here tonight out of the Bucks, especially with Harden on the shelf for this one. Play Milwaukee.

It took two OT periods, but the Denver Nuggets took game five, 140-147 as Denver is one game away from the series win. The Nuggets had numerous leads of 9-points or more in game five including the first OT, but Portland kept coming back and back. The Nuggets even led by 20-points in the 2nd quarter, only to see the Blazers rally. Denver continues to be without Jamal Murray who is done for the rest of the playoffs. Portland has their back to the wall here tonight and I like them to respond and even the series at 3-3. Play Portland.

It looked like the Dallas Mavericks were going to walk away with this series after taking both games 1 and 2 in LA. Then the series moved to Dallas where the Clippers returned the favor, stealing games 3 and 4 on the Mavs home court. Now we go back to the Staples Center all tied at 2-2. Dallas could be without Luka Doncic who is battling a neck injury. Doncic looks like he could play tonight, but how effective he will be remains to be seen. With Doncic hurting in game four the Mavs offense sputtered. Leonard has been great for the Clippers this playoff series. These teams are slower paced teams and that remains so in the playoffs. Still, the seven points may look like a lot for the Clippers to lay here tonight. But not for me, with Doncic likely not near 100% and the Clippers riding a two-game win streak I'll take them here tonight. Play LA Clippers.

Memphis stole game one of this best of seven series in Utah and since then it's been all Utah as they now lead 2-1 and have regained home court advantage. Tonight's game could be the end for the Grizzlies. A Utah win means the Jazz return home with a 3-1 lead and likely the end to this series. While the Jazz started slow in game one they came back late to make it close. Then the Jazz won games two and three by double-digits. The Jazz leading scorer in Donovan Mitchell missed game one but returned in game two and that made a world of difference. Memphis has played well, but I'm afraid not well enough. I'm going to take the Jazz vs the spread (-5.5 points) and also lay the -2.20 on the Money Line with the Jazz.

Memphis stole game one of this best of seven series from the Jazz in Utah, 112-109. However, the Jazz pounded them back in game two, scoring 141 points en route to a 141-129 victory. The Grizzlies did whittle that down to just two points before the Jazz pulled away late. Memphis plays their first game of this series at home tonight and they are getting 5 or 5 1/2 points. The Grizzlies have covered their last five home games as a dog. This Grizzlies team won't go down without a fight and while the odds are against them to win the series, I believe they will cover a lot of these spreads. I'm taking Memphis on their home court plus the points tonight. Play Memphis.

This best of seven series heads South to Atlanta with both teams having gained a win in New York. The Knicks need to find a way to defend Hawks guard Trae Young who has scored 62 points and hit over 51% from the field. The one thing the Knicks have is depth as the Hawks lack that experience coming off the bench. The Knicks have played well on the road, going 23-13 ATS this year. They have also covered nine of their last 11 road games against teams with a winning record. The Knicks have still done well vs the Hawks, going 15-5-1 ATS in the last 21 meetings and 18-7-1 ATS in the last 26 meetings at Atlanta. Take the Knicks plus the points here in game three.

The Miami Heat have their collective backs against the wall as they return to Miami here on Thursday down 0-2 in this best of seven series. If they have any hope to make this a series they need a win here in game three. The Bucks blew out the Heat in game two, opening up a huge lead and never looking back. They led by 26 points at the end of the first quarter. Jimmy Butler has also struggled in the first two games of this series. Butler was 4-for-22 in game one and 4-for-10 in game two. Butler not playing a leadership role in this series thus far. The Heat coaches will have to put a fire under the Heat here tonight if they hope to avoid doing down 0-3 in this series. I'll take a shot as the Heat play for some pride after the demolishing they took in game two. Miami in a situation where it's now or never. Play Miami here in game 3.

The Memphis Grizzlies need a pair of Play-in wins in the playoffs to get to this series with the Utah Jazz. And, the Grizzlies shocked the Jazz in game one in Utah, 112-109. Dillon Brooks let the Grizzlies with 31-points. The Grizzlies have gone over in their last five playoff games when the dog. They are also 7-3 O/U in their last 10 overall games when the dog. The Jazz have gone over their last four games at home as a favorite and five of their last seven. The over is 5-1 in the last six meetings between these teams and 6-0 O/U in the last six meetings in Utah. Expect a much better effort tonight from the Jazz. Take the OVER.

Milwaukee likely will remember being bounced from the buble last year in the playoffs by the Miami Heat. The Bucks own a 2-1 record over the Heat this season. However, Heat star Jimmy Butler was missing in both of those losses. Miami had an excellent March, going 11-4-1 ATS. Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo struggled this year vs the Heat, averaging just 16.7 ppg. I expect a very close series here as the Heat seem to dial up the temperature in the postseason. Milwaukee not as good as last year either. I'll take the points here in game one. Play Miami.

Play-in game here today as one of these teams will see their season end tonight. The Charlotte Hornets will be without forward Gordon Hayward, who is out with a foot injury. Hayward averaged 19.6 points over 44 games. The Pacers are also having injury issues. Forward Domantas Sabonis (quad) and guard Malcom Brogdon (hamstring) are both questionable for tonight. The Hornets have been a good under team of late. They are 3-9 O/U in their last 12 road games a an underdog. They are also 5-12 in their last 17 overall away games and 11-26 O/U in their last 27 games. These teams have also had a long history of under plays, evidenced by their 5-21 O/U mark in the last 26 meetings in Indiana. More short term, they are 0-3-1 O/U in their last four overall. I like the under here in this game. Play UNDER.

A few games left in the NBA regular season and the Washington Wizards are the only team in the Eastern Conference sitting in a playoff spot that hasn't clinched. The Wizards sit 10th and in that final play-in position. They lead 11th place Chicago by 3 games and can close it out tonight. The Atlanta Haws are 4th in the East and are tied with Miami and New York for the 4 thru 6 positions. The Hawks have gone over in three straight and that includes their Monday game at home against the Wizards in which they combined for 249 points. The Wizards have now gone over in six straight games and have scored at least 122 in their last seven games. The problem is they allow a lot of points too, at least 125 in each of their last six games. This looks to be another shootout here tonight. Play OVER.

The NBA down to just a handful of regular season games. The Dallas Mavericks are in 6th place and have not clinched a regular playoff spot just yet. They are 1 1/2 games ahead of 7th place LA Lakers for that 7th spot and a play-in game. Meanwhile, Memphis sits 9th place, just a half game back of Golden State for the 8th spot and two games ahead of San Antonio for the 10th spot. Dallas has won and covered their last four games and are 10-2 S/U their last 12 and 8-3 ATS their last 11. Memphis has won three of the last four games but are just 2-4 ATS their last six games. Dallas laying just a point or two on the road here tonight. I'll take the Mavs who look to lock up that final regular playoff position. Play Dallas.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are coming off a loss on Sunday at home to Dallas, 97-124. They were never in the game from the beginning and now have to turn around and play back-to-back nights. Cleveland has now lost 10 straight games both S/U and ATS. They look to have packed-in their season as the final games of the regular season playout for them. The Indiana Pacers still have something to play for. The Pacers hold onto that last and final 10th spot play-in position. They lead 11th place Chicago by 2 1/2 games but trail 8th place Charlotte by just 1 1/2 games and 9th place Washington by a half game. For the Pacers they can improve their chances with a win tonight. The Cavs don't look to be playing even for pride at this point. Take the Pacers as the Cavs have their eyes on the last game and a vacation. Play Indiana.

 Time running out for the New Orleans Pelicans as they trail 10th place San Antonio by two games in the West. The Pelicans are just 5-5 over their last 10 games so that hasn't helped their cause, especially when the Spurs are just 4-6. The Charlotte Hornets sit in 8th place in the East, three games back of 6th place Miami. Looks like the Hornets will have to settle for one of those playin spots. The Hornets are 12-4 in their last 16 games when installed as the favorite. Hornets are an excellent home team and with the Pelicans struggling a bit over their last 10 games I'll lay the small price here with the host. Play Charlotte.

The San Antonio Spurs will make the postseason as a playin team. They can improve their position though. They currently sit in the last spot at Number 10. They trail 9th place Memphis by just one game and 8th place Golden State by 1 1/2 games. They will have to do it at the Sixth seed Portland tonight. Portland occupies the last regular playoff spot at this moment, though they could fall into that playin 7 thru 10 spots since they lead 7th place Lakers by just one game. They also trail 5th place Dallas by just one game. So someone on the line for both teams here tonight. The Spurs are 6-2-1 ATS in their last nine overall games. They are also 16-6-1 their last 23 as a road dog. Portland is just 2-5 ATS in their last seven home games and 0-5 their last five as a home favorite the last five. The Blazers are coming off that game last night where it was a bit tougher against the Lakers then they thought. They did win the game, 106-101, but failed to cover the 7.5 point line. The Spurs also played last night, beating Sacramento, 113-104 as a 4.5 point favorite. Should be a good game, I'll take the points with the Spurs.

The Miami Heat in a dog fight for that 6th playoff spot with the Boston Celtics. Both teams are 10 games back in the Eastern Conference and one will fall into the play-in slots of 7 thru 10. The Heat have a key opportunity here tonight to put the pressure on the Celtics who are playing at Chicago. The Heat take on the Timberwolves who have been eliminated from the postseason. The Heat hope that Jimmy Butler will be in the lineup tonight as he's been battling the flu. I look for the Heat to win this one as they can't let a bad Minnesota team win this road game. Play Miami.

Battle for LA here tonight as the Clippers and Lakers play at the Staples center. No home court for either team as Staples Center is home to both. However, the Lakers are just holding onto that 6th and final playoff spot. They are 1/2 game ahead of Portland who is in that 7-10 place Play-in positions. The Lakers did win their last game, but have lost seven of their last 10 overall. The Clippers are in 4th place and have that secure. They can't fall any further but they can improve as they are tied with Denver and just three games back of Phoenix for 2nd place. Lakers have had injury issues all season and here again tonight they are dealing with key injuries. Lebron James is out tonight with an ankle injury and Anthony Davis is now probable with a calf injury. Lakers know they can't get into a run and gun shootout with the Clippers. I look for this game to slow down the pace tonight. Play UNDER.

The Atlanta Hawks are 5th in the Eastern Conference with a 36-30 record. They have won two straight games and six of their last 10. The Hawks can't relax though as they lead 6th place Miami by just one game and 7th place Boston by just 1 1/2 games. That being the important spot as Boston is in that first play-in position. The Phoenix Suns are tied for the best record in the West with Utah at 47-18. They have won five straight and seven of the last 10 games. Problem tonight for the Suns is that they are playing the 2nd of a back-to-back spot here. The Suns played at Cleveland last night, and won 134-118. However, don't let that score fool you, they had to cover the 13-point spread in Overtime, something almost unheard of these days. Back to back for the Suns, off an OT game and now they hit the road again to play at Atlanta. I'll take the host here tonight against what should be a letdown spot for the Suns. Play Atlanta.

The Sacramento Kings are not eliminated from the postseason, but time is running out as they site 4-games back of 10th place San Antonio. As for the OKC Thunder, they are eliminated from the postseason. They have also lost three straight games and nine of their last 10. The Kings have won two straight and are 5-3 their last eight games. They are also 7-2 ATS their last nine games. They are coming off a pair of huge road wins, one at the Lakers, 110-106 and then last game at Dallas, 111-99. The Kings need this game tonight to have any chance and they play a Thunder team that has won just once in their last 18 games. This is a great situation for the Kings to take advantage of a down team and grab an extra game in the standings. Take Sacramento.

Games difficult to get a handle on these last games of the regular season as many players sitting for rest as the playoffs near. But Jim has this under tonight that he likes a lot between the Spurs and the Jazz. The Jazz are tied for first in the Western Conference with the Phoenix Suns. The Spurs hold the last spot in the play-in list of 7 thru 10 spots. They have a 2 1/2 game lead over New Orleans but are just one game back of 8th place Memphis. The Spurs could be without Dejounte Murray tonight who is questionable with a ankle injury and Derrick White is out with an ankle. The Jazz are still playing without Donovan Mitchell who has an ankle injury. I'm looking for this game to go under tonight as both sides nursing injuries. Play UNDER.

The New York Knicks hold onto that 4th playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks have been hot too, winning nine of their last 10 games. Houston, well their season is almost over. The Rockets are dead last in the West and already eliminated from the postseason. The Knicks have been a very good over team too. They are 3-1 O/U in their last four and 7-2 O/U in their last nine games. Houston gives up a lot points, 115.3 overall on the season and 114.2 points at home. I'm going to play this game over this evening.

As we enter the final games of the NBA regular season the Washington Wizards hold onto that last play-in position at 10th place. They lead 11th place Chicago by 2-games and trail 9th place Indiana by one game. The Wizards have been hot, going 9-1 over their last 10 games. The Wizards are 6-1 ATS in their last seven road games and 8-2 ATs in their last 10 overall games. The Cleveland Cavaliers won't be going anywhere this postseason. The Cavs are in 13th place in the East and seven games back of Washington. The Cavs are 1-5 ATS in their last six games as a underdog and 0-4 ATS their last four overall. Washington has more to play for and right now are one of the hottest teams in the NBA. Play Washington.

The Miami Heat sit on one of the bubbles for the playoffs. The Heat are in 7th place, actually tied with Boston for that 6th playoff spot. Spots 7-10 are play-in spots and the Heat would much rather move into 6th instead of being in the 7-10 group. The Heat are coming off a loss and are 5-5 over their last 10 games. The San Antonio Spurs are in 9th place, again one of those 7-10 play-in positions. The Spurs trail 6th place Dallas by 2 1/2 games. They have also won three straight games and seven of their last 10. The Spurs have covered five of their last six games and are 4-0 their last four as a road dog. The Spurs have covered six of the last eight meetings with the Heat in Miami. I'll take the visitor in this game. Play San Antonio.

The Dallas Mavericks had to play last night in Sacramento and while the trip to Golden State isn't long, it's that dreaded 2nd game of a back-to-back spot here tonight for the Mavs. Dallas lost at the Kings last night, 106-113 and really only led once or twice early in the 3rd quarter and that was it. Dallas Forward Kristaps Porzingis has been out for a while with an ankle injury. He's listed as doubtful here tonight. The Golden State Warriors climbed over the .500 mark thanks to a two-game win streak. They are also 7-2 S/U and 6-4 ATS over their last 10 games. I'm taking the host here tonight as Dallas will be tired out from their game last night. Play Golden State.    

The Phoenix Suns having an excellent season as they sit 2nd in the Western Conference, just two games back of the Utah Jazz and tied with the Clippers. The Suns have lost two games in a row on this East Coast road trip. The Suns won at Milwaukee and then at Philadelphia to open this road trip. However, then they lost at Boston 86-99 and then lost last game at Brooklyn 119-128. The NY Knicks are 4th in the Eastern Conference and look hold onto that position. They are tied with the Atlanta Hawks and both teams just two games ahead of 6th place Boston. The Knicks have been red hot, winning nine straight games both S/U and ATS. They have also covered 12 straight games. The Suns have struggled on the road of late, going 1-5-1 ATS in their last seven away games. The Knicks are a small dog here tonight and as hot as they have been I'll take those points and look for a straight-up win. Play NY Knicks.

The Sacramento Kings see their playoffs hopes fading each day. The Kings are 12th right now, two spots back of the play-in slots. They trail these Warriors for that 10th spot by 5 1/2 games. It doesn't help that the Kings are on a 2-8 S/U run as they enter play tonight. The Kings are also 4-8 ATS over their last 12 games. The Warriors have that 10th spot and a comfortable lead over 11th place New Orleans by four games. The Warriors have covered five of their last six home games. The Warriors are coming off a home win over Denver, 118-97 and have won six of their last eight games both S/U and ATS. I'll lay the points here tonight with the host. Play Golden State.

Early action here on the Saturday NBA hard court as the Knicks host the Raptors. The Toronto Raptors bring a four-game win streak into today's contest both S/U and ATS. However, all four of those wins were at home in Florida as they now hit the road. The Raptors have not done well on the road, going 1-8 ATS over their last nine away games. The 33-27 Knicks have been hot, going 8-0 S/U their last eight and 11-0 ATS over their last 11 games. The Knicks are also 21-6-1 ATS over their last 28 games. The Knicks are 9-4 ATS their last 13 meetings with the Raptors and 7-3 ATS their last 10 in New York. Play the Knicks.

The Washington Wizards sit 10th in the Eastern Conference and are holding onto that final play-in spot for the playoffs. They sit just 1/2 game ahead of 11th place Chicago Bulls, so every game is vitally important to the Wizards. Washington has won six straight games and eight of their last 10 games. Oklahoma City is close to being out of the playoffs as they sit nine games back of that final play-in spot. The Thunder have lost 12 straight games. The Thunder are also 2-12-1 ATS their last 15 games. Washington needs this game and they are red got. Play Washington.

The Phoenix Suns are 2nd in the Western Conference, just 1 1/2 games back of the Utah Jazz. They play the 2nd of a back-to-back spot here on Thursday against the Boston Celtics. This is the third game of this Eastern road trip for the Suns. The Suns have won the first two games at Milwaukee and at Philly last night, 116-113. The Boston Celtics are holding onto that 6th playoff spot, just a half game ahead of 7th place Miami. Places 7 thru 10 are playin spots for the Playoffs and the Celtics would like to avoid dropping into that zone. Boston saw its six game win streak snapped last game at home vs Chicago, 9-102. Still, they have won eight of their last 10 games and are 6-3-1 ATS. I like the Celtics tonight. The Suns are playing back to back and after the Bucks and Sixers they could be wore out here tonight. Play Boston.

 Golden State looks to stay above the .500 mark tonight as they play at Washington. The Warriors are 5-1 S/U and ATS in their last six games. However, always tougher on the West teams playing these road trips to the East and this is game number five on the road for the Warriors. The Washington Wizards are just 24-33 on the season. However, they have been playing very well of late winning five in a row and seven of their last eight. They are also 7-1-1 ATS in their last nine games. Washington is close to those 7-10 slots that are NBA play-in games for the playoffs. Right now they are in contention with the Bulls as both teams have identical 24-33 records. Golden State has the 9th spot and that's one of those play-in positions. They they should hold a top 10 slot since their closest team to knock them out are the Pelicans who are four games back. I like the Wizards as this long Eastern road trip starts taking its toll on the Warriors. Play Washington.

East Action here in the NBA tonight as we get closer to the end of the season. Great situation here on the hard court tonight with one of these teams needing this game while the other is just playing out the season. The Atlanta Hawks holding onto one of those postseason spots as they are 4th in the East. However, this game is very important to them as they sit just 1/2 game away from being in that play-in spot. The Hawks don't want that so look for a full effort here tonight against the Magic. The Magic won't be going to the postseason as they sit next to last in the East. They have also lost two straight and eight of their last 10 games. Hawks can ill afford to let these kind of games get away from them. Play Atlanta.

As we get toward the end of the regular season some teams still need wins and others are just playing it out. The Memphis Grizzlies are holding onto that 8th and final playoff spot, two games ahead of the San Antonio Spurs. The Denver Nuggets are in 4th place, just 1 1/2 back of the Suns and three back of the Jazz. The Grizzlies have won two straight games and covered four straight after Saturday's win at Milwaukee, 128-115. Denver has also won and covered two straight. The Nuggets are also 10-2 S/U and 8-4 ATS over their last 12 games. Both teams can use wins here tonight, but in the high altitude I'll take the host here. Play Denver.

Houston has just 14 wins on the season and 42 losses so no postseason for the Rockets. They have also lost five straight and 10 of their last 11 games. The Orlando Magic will also miss the playoffs this season with a 18-38 record. The Magic have won just one of their last eight games. The Magic have gone under in seven of their last nine games when the favorite. They are also 2-5 O/U in their last seven as a home favorite. Two bad teams here tonight I'll stick with the UNDER as teams like this begin to play more bench players and shut down for the season. Play UNDER.

The Golden State Warriors have climbed back to the .500 mark after winning four straight games and five of their last six. They have also covered five of their last six. They have to make the long Eastern trip to Boston to play the Celtics today. The Celtics are 30-26 after a West road trip that saw the team go 3-0 both S/U and ATS. They are coming off a win at the Lakers, 121-113. Boston has been hot, winning five straight and seven of their last eight games. Golden State is just 2-7 in their last nine games as a dog and 2-5 ATS in their last seven road games. Boston is 9-3-1 ATS in their last 13 games vs the Warriors. Play Boston.

The Orlando Magic snapped a six-game losing streak last time out on Wednesday at Chicago, 115-106. It was also just their 2nd cover in their last five games. The Toronto Raptors also snapped a 2-game losing streak on Wednesday at home over the Spurs. 117-112. They are just 2-4 S/U and ATS in their last six games. Toronto has now gone under in their last four games as a favorite. They are also 8-18 their last 26 as a home favorite. I'm taking the UNDER here tonight.

The Washington Wizards continue their Western road trip here today at Sacramento. It's been a very successful trip as they started out with a loss to Toronto, 101-103 but then won three of their next four on the road including last game at Utah, 125-121 as a 10.5-point dog. They have covered four of their last five games. Meanwhile, Sacramento looks to snap a seven game losing streak here tonight. They are also 1-6 ATS over that seven game losing streak. The Wizards are happy to have NBA leading scorer Bradley Beal back in the lineup after some back issues. With the Kings continue slide and Beal and Weestbrook leading a Wizards resurgence, I'll take the visitors here tonight. Play Washington.

The Boston Celtics have won three and five of their last six as they head to Portland tonight to play the Blazers. The Celtics are coming off a win at Denver on Sunday, 105-87 as a 3-point dog. The Celtics are 8-3 O/U in their last 11 games as a road dog and 5-2 O/U in their last seven road games overall. The Blazers are coming off a home loss to the Miami Heat, 98-017. They have now lost three of their last four games. The Blazers home games have averaged 233.7 ppg this season. The Celtics road games have averaged 223.6 ppg this season. I'm looking for these teams to score a lot of points here tonight. Play OVER.

Chicago Bulls look to snap a two-game losing streak here tonight at Memphis. The Bulls have gone over in their last three games, allowing at least 113 point in each of those contests. Memphis also bring a two-game losing streak into the game. They have gone over in their last four games, scoring 124 points or more in each contest. The Bulls are 10-4 O/U in their last 14 games as a road dog and they are 11-5 O/U in their last 16 overall. The Grizzlies have gone over in six of their last seven games as a favorite. These teams are 4-1-2 O/U/P in their last seven meetings in Memphis. I'm taking the OVER here tonight.

The Pacers look to extend their win streak to three games here tonight in Memphis. The Pacers are coming off a win at Orlando, 111-106. The Pacers are 10-2 O/U in their last 12 games as a road dog. They are also 12-4 O/U in their last 16 road games overall. The Grizzlies saw their four game win streak snapped last game with a 129-133 road loss to the Knicks. They have gone over in three straight games and eight of their last 12 games. The Grizzlies are now 20-7 O/U in their last 27 games as a home favorite. The last four meetings in this series have gone over and that's what I'm looking for here tonight. Play OVER.

I had the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday when they played the Jazz and won in OT. I laid off them the next night when they played the Clippers as I expected a letdown and that's just what happened as they lost in LA. Now that they have had a night off to recoup, they come back here tonight against the Washington Wizards. The Wizards still playing day to day without their star quard, Bradley Beal who remains questionable with a back issue. Beal averages 30.0 ppg and that's a lot of offense to replace. The Wizards have won two straight games though and covered three in row. However, those games came at Golden State and Orlando. The Suns are 26-9 ATS their last 35 games playing on one day rest and 24-9 their last 33 games at home. I'm taking the Suns to bounce back here tonight. Play Phoenix.

The Phoenix Suns had a huge win last night over the NBA's best record team in Utah Jazz, taking the game to OT before winning, 117-113. I gave out the Suns in that game but tonight I'm going against them. Not only will they have a bit of a letdown tonight, but with the OT, travel and back-to-back spot, this is a game where the situations are against the Suns. The Clippers have won their last two on this homestand with a 133-116 win over the Blazers and 104-86 over the Lakers. I'm basically looking for a bit of a letdown here tonight by the Suns. Play LA Clippers.

Utah Jazz saw their nine-game winning streak snapped last time out at Dallas, 103-111. Still, the Jazz have the best record in the NBA at 38-12. Meanwhile, Phoenix extended its win streak to six games with a win over Houston on Monday, 133-130, though they failed to cover the 14-point spread. This is the big showdown right now in the Western Conference and will be on ESPN tonight. Phoenix has been one of the hottest teams in the NBA, winning 24 of their last 29 games. This will be a huge game here tonight at Phoenix and I'll take the Suns in this one.

Philadelphia 76ers look to bounce back from their loss at home to Memphis on Sunday, 100-116. The loss snapped a two game losing streak for the Sixers. Still, they are 6-3 S/U their last nine games. The Boston Celtics look to win their third straight game here tonight. The Celtics are coming off a Sunday win over Charlotte, 116-86. Philly is 7-3-1 ATS their last 11 games as a favorite and 5-0-1 ATS their last six as a road favorite. I'll lay the points here on the road with Philly as I look for them to bounce back tonight. Play Philadelphia.

Lakers finally got a needed win last time out over Sacramento, 115-94. Since James and Davis have been out they have not been scoring well at all, in fact that game went under too, their fourth in a row. The Clippers look to snap a two-game losing streak here today. They have not been scoring either, with just 94 and 96 points in their last two games. This looks to be another low scoring affair. Play UNDER.    

Denver bring a 3-game win streak into tonight's contest at the LA Clippers. The Nuggets have won seven of their last nine and covered six of their last nine. The Clippers look to bounce back after a home loss to the Orlando Magic, 96-103 as a 11.5 point favorite. The Clippers look to be without star forward Paul George who will be out with a foot injury tonight. The Clipper had been on a nice six-game S/U and ATS win streak before George went down and they lost to the Magic. I'm going to lay the small price on the road with the Nuggets here tonight. Play Denver.

The Chicago Bulls look to snap a four game s/u and ats losing streak here tonight a Phoenix. The Bulls on a West coast trip that saw them lose to San Antonio and Golden State. Meanwhile the Phoenix Suns have won three straight games including last night over Atlanta, 117-110 as a 6-point favorite. The Suns have also won six of their last seven games while covering five of those games. The Suns are now 20-7 ATS their last 27 games as a favorite and 22-8 ATS in their last 30 home games. Phoenix is also 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games with no days rest. Despite having played last night, I still like Suns here tonight.

 Philly is on their West Coast swing, having started with a win at Golden State, 108-98, then beating the Lakers 109-101, before losing to the Clippers last time out, 112-122. The Sixers lead in the East conference has gotten smaller with time to where they now lead Brooklyn by just a 1/2 game. Have to think Philly is getting road weary, with their fifth straight on the road tonight. They are also just 7-18-1 ATS in their last 26 games as a road dog. Denver has won two straight games and six of their last eight games. Denver always a tough place for visitors with their high altitude. I'll take the Nuggets tonight.

 Denver Nuggets fell to 26-18 after losing to Toronto on Wednesday, 111-135. The Nuggets are 3-3 S/U and ATS in their last six games. They are also 4-2 O/U in those six games. The Nuggets have now gone over in 21 of their last 29 road games as a favorite. The New Orleans Pelicans are 19-24 after winning two straight games, including a game at Denver last Sunday, 113-108. The Pelicans have gone over in eight of their last nine home games as a dog. They are also 30-8 O/U overall their last 38 games. These teams have gone over in five of their last seven meetings in New Orleans. That's what I'm on here tonight. Play OVER.

Washington Wizards travel to NY tonight to take on the Knicks. The Wizards are just 15-26 S/U and 21-20-0 ATS on the season. The Wizards are coming off a loss at Brooklyn, 106-113. They are just 1-6 in their last seven games and 3-4 ATS. The NY Knicks are 21-22 on the season and can climb back to the .500 mark with a win tonight. The Knicks are coming off a loss to Philly, 100-101. They are 3-4 S/U and 4-2-1 ATS in their last seven games. The Knicks are also 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games as a favorite. Knicks laying just 2 1/2 points here tonight. Play NY Knicks.

Minnesota Timberwolves are 9-31 and S/U 17-22-1 ATS on the season. The Wolves have won two of their last four games. This on the heals of a nine-game losing streak. They are also 3-1 ATS in their last four games. They have also covered just three of their last 13 games overall. The Phoenix Suns are 26-12 S/U and 26-12 ATS on the season. The Suns lead the Pacific division by one-game over the Lakers. The Suns have won and covered six of their last seven games. The Suns are also 19-7 ATS in their last 26 home games and 25-10 in their last 35 as a favorite. Phoenix has covered five of the last six games and seven of the last 10 games in Phoenix against the Wolves. Play Phoenix.

OKC Thunder are 17-22 S/U and 21-16-2 ATS on the season. The Thunder are coming off a win over Memphis on Sunday, 128-122 as a 9.5-point dog. It was the team's third win and cover in their last four games. The Chicago Bulls are 17-20 S/U and 20-16-1 ATS on the season. The Bulls are coming off a home win over Toronto on Sunday, 118-95 as a 3-point favorite. The Bulls are 5-4 both S/U and ATS in their last nine games. Chicago isn't favored much, but they are 4-1 ATS in their five games when laying points. They are also 19-7 ATS in their last 26 games against a team with a losing record. I'll lay the points here tonight with the home team. Play the Bulls.

The Sacramento Kings are 15-23 on the season with a 16-22 ATS mark. The Kings opened 2nd half play with a win at Houston, 125-105 and then a loss on Saturday at Atlanta, 106-121. The Kings are 3-3 S/U their last six. Before that they had lost nine games in a row. The Kings are just 2-5 ATS in their last seven road games.They are 3-12 ATS in their last 15 overall. The Charlotte Hornets are 19-18 S/U on the season and 20-17 ATS on the season. The Hornets bring a 3-game win streak into today's contest and winners of four of the last five games. The Hornets have covered the last four in this series and I expect them to cover again here tonight. Play Charlotte.

The Sacramento Kings are 12-18 S/U and 13-17 ATS on the season. The Kings are 5-7 S/U and 7-5 ATS on the road. The Kings are in a bad slump, going 0-7 S/U and ATS in their last seven games. They are coming off a loss at Milwaukee, 115-128, as a 10-point dog. The Brooklyn Nets are having a good season with a 20-12 S/U and 16-16 ATS. They are 11-5 S/U and 8-8 ATS at home. While the Kings are in a midst of a losing streak, the Nets are in a winning streak. They have won six games both S/U and ATS. The Nets have also covered 10 of the last 12 meetings with the Kings in Brooklyn and are 20-8 ATS in their last 28 overall with the Kings. Lay the points here tonight. Play Brooklyn.

The Minnesota Timberwolves look to snap a three game losing streak here tonight at New York. The Wolves are just 7-23 S/U and 14-15-1 ATS on the season. They are 3-12 S/U and 7-7-1 ATS on the road. The Wolves are also 1-4 ATS in their last five as a dog. Meanwhile, the Knicks look to climb back closer to the .500 mark as they sit at 14-16 S/U and 16-13-1 ATS on the season. The Knicks are 7-6 S/U and 7-5-1 ATS at home. New York saw its three game win streak snapped last time out at Orlando, 89-107. The Knicks are 5-2 ATS in their last seven home games. I like the Knicks here tonight on their home court. Play New York.

Cleveland has to be road weary here tonight having played their fifth game tonight on the road. In addition, they are playing back-to-back nights after playing at the Clippers last night and getting blown out, 111-128. It's also the team's third game in four nights. The Cavs how now lost seven straight games and have failed to cover in their last nine games. The Cavs are also 1-10 ATS in their last 11 road games and 0-7 ATS their last seven as a road dog. Golden State saw its two game win streak snapped on Saturday against Brooklyn, 117-134. They are now 14-13 S/U and 13-14 ATS on the season. The Warriors are 4-1 ATS their last five as a favorite. The Warriors are also 5-1 ATS in their last six meetings with the Cavs. Cleveland will be anxious to return home after this horrendous run. Play Golden State.

 The Cleveland Cavaliers look to snap a six game losing streak here tonight in LA. That will be a tough task against this Clipper team. The Cavs are also just 1-8 S/U and 0-9 ATS in their last nine games. The news isn't much better for Cleveland on the road where they are 3-10 both S/U and ATS. Meanwhile, the Clippers have won two straight games and are 6-3 S/U their last nine games. In addition, the Clippers are 4-0 ATS in their last four meeting with the Cavaliers in LA. I don't have much faith in this Cavs team, especially on the road. I'm looking for a Clippers blowout late here on Sunday. Play LA Clippers.

The Orlando Magic near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, just three up from the bottom with a 9-16 overall record. They have lost two straight and eight of their last 10 games. The Magic have covered just one of their last five road games and are 1-6 their last seven as a dog. The Warriors are 13-12 both S/U and ATS. They are coming off a win at San Antonio, 114-91. The Warriors have covered four of their last five as a home favorite. I'll lay the points here tonight with the hosts. Play Golden State.

Utah Jazz improved to 17-5 S/U and 15-7 ATS on the season with their win Thursday night at Atlanta, 112-91. It was the team's second straight win and their 13th in their last 14 games. They are playing back-to-back nights though, which is always tough. The Charlotte Hornets are 10-12 S/U and 12-10 ATS on the season. The Hornets have won three of tehir last four games both S/U and ATS. The Hornets had last night off after losing to Philly on Wednesday night, 111-118. The Hornets are also 9-2-1 ATS in their last 12 games as a home dog. Not easy to play the 2nd of a back-to-back spot like the Jazz are doing tonight. I'll take the generous points with the host here. Play Charlotte.

The Detroit Pistons are 5-15 S/U and 10-9-1 ATS on the season. The Pistons are coming off a loss at Golden State, 91-118. They have won two of their last four after a losing streak of four straight games. The Pistons are just 1-8 S/U and 3-5-1 ATS on the road. The Utah Jazz are 15-5 S/U and 14-6 ATS on the season. They have been very good at home, 8-2 both S/U and ATS. In addition, the Jazz have covered 10 of their last 11 games as a favorite. Jazz have also covered seven of their last nine meetings with the Jazz. That's what I'm sticking with here tonight. Play the Jazz.

The Milwuakee Bucks are 11-6 S/U and 8-9 ATS on the season.  They have won two straight games including their last at Toronto, 115-108 as a 6-point favorite. The Bucks have really trended toward if their star players are in the game or not. With the shortened schedules this year we will see more resting. That's not the case tonight as all the players will be available. The New Orleans Pelicans are 6-10 S/U and ATS ont he season. They are 10-6 Over/Under on the year. This has been a very good over team, evidenced by their 5-0 O/U record their last five at home; 10-1 over/under in their last 11 overall. The over has also been good in this series with seven of the last eight meetings going over and four of the last five in New Orleans going over. That's my play today, Play OVER.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are 8-8 S/U and ATS to start their season. They played last night at Boston and were never in the game, losing 103-141 to the Celtics. Now they have to play their second game in a row against the LA Lakers. The Lakers are 13-4 S/U and 11-10-1 ATS on their season. The Lakers have been a very good under team this year, evidenced by their 7-15 O/U mark. They are even more of an under team on the road where they are 1-8 O/U on the season. Cleveland will likely be tired after Boston ran up 141 points on them last night. That coupled with the excellent under record of the Lakers and I'll look for a lower scoring game here tonight. Play UNDER.

The Houston Rockets are just 4-9 S/U and ATS here on the season. The Rockets have lost three straight games and five of their last six overall. They have also covered just once in their last five games. They have also gone under in four of the last five. The Detroit Pistons are 3-11 S/U and 7-6-1 ATS on the season. The Pistons are also 2-5 S/U and 4-3 ATS at home along with going under in five of their seven home games. I'm looking at the under here tonight. The Rockets are 5-15-1 O/U/P in their last 21 overall. This series has gone under in five of the last seven meetings. I look for this game to go UNDER.

The New Orleans Pelicans are 5-8 S/U and ATS on the young season. The Pelicans have been in a drought of late, winning just one of their last seven games. They are also 2-5 ATS during that span. They are playing the second of a back-to-back spot here in Utah. The Jazz took game one 118-102 on Tuesday. The Jazz are now 10-4 S/U and 9-5 ATS on the season. They have won six straight games both S/U and ATS. We have a hot team in Utah playing a cold team in New Orleans here tonight. I'll lay the points with the Jazz and look for repeat of Tuesday's contest. Play Utah.

The Lakers are one game away from the NBA Championship. However, Jimmy Butler and the rest of the Heat will make it as difficult as possible for that to happen, at least today. Butler has basically taken this team on his shoulders with injuries to center Bam Adebayo and point guard Goran Dragic. Abedayo likely will play today while Dragic is doubtful with a foot injury. The Heat covered game four, albeit within the last minute of the game. I expect the Heat to stay within striking distance of the line here tonight and do what they did in game four. Furthermore, I like this game to go over the total. Your free play is on the OVER.

The NBA Finals have finally arrived. It's been a long time in the bubble in Orlando, but the teams made it through with no Covid cases. The Heat dispatched the Boston Celtics to get here tonight while the Lakers got rid of the pesky Denver Nuggets. The Lakers are prohibitive favorites, which isn't surprising since they are a very public team. The Heat are a bit of a surprise to be here today. The Lakers are really a two-player team of Lebron James and Anthony Davis. This is exactly why these two players were brought to LA, to bring back the Championship trophy. For me, I like the Heat as I believe they are a much deeper team. Once you get pas James and Davis, this Lakers team is quite ordinary. I'm throwing out all the numbers in this and taking the Heat who I believe will give the Lakers all they can handle. Play Miami.

The Celtics were desperate for a win in game three and they got it, beating the Heat 117-106. The Heat had taken games one and two of this series and now the Celtics look to even it at two apiece here tonight. The Miami Heat have used a baffling zone defense that had confused the Celtics through two games. However, the Celtics finally figured it out in game three as they got the win. The Celtics would have been a good under team if they could have stayed out of all the OT's they have played. I'm going to stick with what I have liked in the playoffs and that's the UNDER here tonight.

The Denver Nuggets sure don't like making things easy on themselves. They had to come from 1-3 down to the Jazz and the Clippers to win both series in seven games. Now they are down 0-2 to the Lakers and in real danger of going down 0-3 after this game. The Nuggets lost the opener 114-126 and then made a much better showing in game two, but still game up short, 103-105. For the Lakers, you would have to go back to 1969 to find the last time they lost a best of seven series in which they led 2-0. The improvement the Nuggets can build on is their defense, which did a much better job in game two holding the Lakers to just 105 points. The Nuggets defense also forced 24 turnovers after getting just 12 in game one. The Nuggets know this is the game they have to win and that means defense has to lead the way. I look for a similar game to the last one and for me, that's the under. Play UNDER.

Game two here in the NBA Western finals as the Lakers hold a 1-0 lead over the Nuggets. The Lakers dominated game one after the first quarter, cruising to a 126-114 win. Most of the 2nd half the Lakers held near 20 point leads. I wasn't surprised, the Nuggets came out flat in game one of their series with the Clippers after their come from behind win in the previous series vs the Jazz. Now the Nuggets have had their game to get back on track and tonight I look for a high scoring game. I'm taking the OVER.

The Denver Nuggets did it again, coming from down 1-3 in a series to pull the upset. They beat the Clippers after being down 1-3 just as they did in the previous series vs the Jazz. When they closed out the Jazz in game seven (80-78) they started the Clippers series with a blowout loss, 97-120. This was likely due to the emotion and exhausting win over the Jazz. The Lakers lost their first game to the Rockets and then rattled off four straight wins to take that series in five games and give them some rest. Now they face the tired Nuggets here again today. The Nuggets will be tired and mentally exhausted after two straight come from behind series wins. The Lakers should be a blowout win here in game one just as the Clippers were vs the Nuggets. I'll lay the points with LA. Take the Lakers.

Game four of the series between the Clippers and the Nuggets with the Clippers leading 2-1. The Clippers rebounded from their game two loss with a win in game three that Denver led for a lot of the way, 113-107. Denver led 98-90 in the 4th and was outscored 8-0 and then never got the lead back again. The Clips can take a commanding 3-1 lead with a win today or Denver can make this a series with a win of their own. Denver center Nikola Jokic had 32 points and 12 rebounds despite playing with a bad wrist. This is the game that Denver can ill afford to lose. I look for their best effort here tonight. Take the points with the Nuggets.

 The Boston Celtics and the Toronto Raptors play game five of their best of seven series here on Monday. The Celtics open the series with two straight wins 112-94 and 102-99. However, the defending champion Toronto Raptors have rebounded with two straight wins, 104-103 and 100-93. They have shown why they are one of the best defensive teams in the NBA and that defense has gotten them back into the series. The Celtics will need to see Kemba Walker step it up here in game five after taking just nine shots in their last Saturday loss. Also struggling was Jaylen Brown who had just 14 points on four of 18 shooting from the field. The good news for the Celtics today they get back Gordon Hayward in the bubble and he will play for the first time since he sprained his ankle in game one of their first round playoff series. For me I like the Celtics here in game five. Play the Boston Celtics.

The Miami Heat are on the verge of doing something that no one expected of them, sweeping the Milwaukee Bucks. If being down 0-3 isn't enough for the Bucks, they also ould be without star player, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Antetokounmpo is questionable with an ankle injury and in fact was downgraded to doubtful. Don't think there is much hope for the Bucks, who I believe have thrown in the towel as they likely will be without their star player. I'm taking the Heat as the sweep the Bucks right out of the Bubble! Play Miami.

 The Boston Celtics have taken a 2-0 lead here in this best of seven series with the Toronto Raptors. The Celtics have held the defending NBA champs to under 100 points in each of the first two games. The Raptors were in a similar situation last year, trailing the Milwaukee Bucks 0-2 before winning four straight. The Raptors blew a 12-point lead in game two, something they can ill afford here today. The Raptors in pretty much a must win situation here as they look to get a win in this series. The Raptors know what it takes to get back in this series and I look for them to do just that here today. Take the Raptors.

Game 7 here between the OKC Thunder and the Houston Rockets. The Thunder staved off elimination in game six by taking the Rockets out of their run-and-gun normal game plan. The Thunder slowed the game way down and it resulted in a win, 104-100. Now, can they do it again here in game seven? That's the question. Turnovers also were a big part of the Rockets losses. They turned the ball over on average 17.3 times per game in their three losses. I think these teams will once again be playing a low scoring game. I'm taking the UNDER.

The Utah Jazz look to close out their series with the Denver Nuggets tonight. The Jazz lost game one to Denver and have since won three straight. Utah has had little trouble scoring against Denver with 125, 124, 124 and 129 points in their four games. Denver finally broke a two-game scoring drought with 127 points in game four, but still came up short. I don't see any reason to change in tonight's contest. I'm going to take the OVER here in game four.

The Denver Nuggets won the opener in this series and since then it's been downhill. The Nuggets lost game two, 105-124 and then got blown out in game three, 87-124. That makes today's game four a very important one for the Nuggets. They can ill afford to go down 1-3 in this series. The Nuggets need to regroup on defense and keep the Jazz from score 120+ points here today, as they have done in all three games. They also need to find the offense again too. The key here today is not to get out to another slow start for the Nuggets. I look for them to come out aggressive and get away from being down big in the first quarter. I have to give them a shot here, their collective backs are up against the wall and they are too good a team to go down like this. Take Denver.

The Lakers flexed their muscles in game two of their series with the Blazers. After losing game one in bad fashion they rebounded with a resounding shutdown of the high scoring Portland offense, winning game two easily. The Lakers look to continue that here in game three. The Blazers realize that they need to play more of an uptempo game against the Lakers. The Blazers are led by Damian Lillard, who has been unstopable up until game two of this series. Problem for Blazers is that he hurt his index finger in game two, dislocating the finger. He will be playing today in game three, but how will this effect his play? Lilliard had only 18-points before leaving in the 3rd quarter with his injury. For me, even with a healthy Lilliard the Lakers have found out how to shut down this offense of the Blazers. Number a bit high for me here today, so I will go with the UNDER.

The Portland Trailblazers and LA Lakers play game two of their best of seven series. The Blazers have been basically in the playoffs since they returned, as every game was crucial to them making the postseason. They did so by beating the Grizzlies in a play-in game last Saturday, 126-122. The Blazers shocked the Lakers in game one, taking the opening stanza of this series. Damian Lillard has been unstoppable, as he collected 34 points in the game one victory. The Lakers could see the return of Rajon Rondo, who has been cleared to play and is day-to-day. Still, the Blazers will continue to pile on the points as they have done since returning to play. The Lakers will have to match the here on Thursday. Take the OVER.

Early game here on Tuesday has Houston and San Antonio squaring-off in a battle of Texas. Houston has clinched their division title and a playoff spot. Right now the Rockets are 4th in the West but could overtake 3rd place Denver which is just one game ahead of them. The San Antonio Spurs are close to elimination. The Spurs are 2-games back of the 8th and final playoff spot, currently held by Memphis. That means the Spurs can't lose here tonight or they are done. The Spurs have covered five of their last seven games. With what's on the line here tonight, I'll take San Antonio to keep their playoff lives afloat. Take San Antonio.

Philadelphia has won three straight games and sits in the 6th place in the East standings. The Sixers are just a half game from fourth place Miami with the Pacers in between. Portland still on the outside looking in as the Blazers are 9th right now, 1 1/2 games back of Memphis. That makes every game a must game for the Blazers at this point. Both sides have key injuries. The Sixers are going to be without guard Ben Simmons (16.7 ppg) who has a knee injury. The Blazers center Hassan Whiteside (16.3 ppg) is questionable with a hip injury. Portland laying a few points here. I'll have to side with the Blazers in this one as they need the win badly. Play Portland.

Clippers sitting firmly in 2nd place in the West with no hope of catching the Lakers at this point. Therefore, today expect them to be resting Kawhi Leonard, their best player. Some teams already putting it in cruise control as they await the playoffs and the Clippers might be one of those teams. Portland is one game back of the Grizzlies for that final playoff spot so this is a must win for them. I look for a big effort today out of the Blazers. Your Bubble Game of the Month is on the Blazers.

Celtics are 3rd in the East, though they did lose their opener of this restart a few nights ago to the Milwaukee Bucks, 112-119. They had the spread covered most of the game between falling back at the end. And no shame in a good game vs the NBA's top team in the Bucks. Now they play a Portland team who had to go to OT to beam Memphis on Friday, 140-135. Celtics still looks like one of the favorites and I'll lay this short 4-point line on Sunday. Play Celtics.

Opening day for the resuming of the NBA season after the Covid break. The teams are all playing from the bubble so the risk of infection might not be the same as the MLB is going through. Good news for the Pelicans is that rookie phenom Zion Williamson cleared his quarantine period and has rejoined the team at practice. The Pelicans looked in fine form when they destroyed the Nets a few days ago, 99-68. Really when Zion plays this Pelicans team wins and with him now cleared to go, I like New Orleans minus the small number. Play Pelicans.

The Atlanta Hawks are the last team in the Eastern Conference with a 17-43 record, just a half game worse than the Knicks. They have lost two straight and four of their last six games. In addition, they are 2-4-1 ATS in their last seven games overall. The Nets have done well off a loss, going 5-1 ATS in their last six after losing the game before. They are also 7-2 ATS in their last nine games with 1-day of rest. The Nets are 7-1 ATS in their last eight vs the Hawks and 5-1 ATS in their last six at Atlanta. I like the visitor in this one, play Brooklyn.

 The Detroit Pistons not only are a long ways from home, but now they have to play in the high altitude of Denver tonight. Detroit has lost six straight games and is 2-8 their last 10 games. The Pistons are 8-17-1 their last 26 as a road dog. They did cover their last game at Portland, but that's not good as they are just 5-15-1 their last 21 following an ATS win. The Denver Nuggets are 2nd in the Western Conference with a 39-18 record. They have won seven of their last 10 games. Denver is also 5-1 ATS in their last six games as a home favorite. Don't expect much fight here tonight out of the Pistons. Take Denver in a blowout win.

The New Orleans Pelicans need to pick up the pace if they hope to make the playoffs. The Pelicans are 11th in the West, five-games back of 8th place Memphis. Same goes for the Blazers who are in 9th place, 3 1/2 games back of the Grizzlies. Tonight though, I'm looking at the OVER in this contest. The Pelicans are the third highest scoring team in the West at 115.8 ppg. Bad news is that they are the worst defensive scoring team with 117.3 ppg. The Pelicans have gone over in four straight games and six of their last eight. They are 16-11 O/U on the road this year. The Portland Trailblazers have gone over in six of their last eight games and 11 of their last 14. They average 117 points per game at home and allow 115 ppg at home. This one should be very high scoring tonight. I'm taking the OVER.