Warning: Use of undefined constant PAGE_HEADER - assumed 'PAGE_HEADER' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/profe126/jesseschule.com/respsportscapping.php on line 15
PAGE_HEADER

Tuesday the Washington Wizards will embark on their second west coast road trip of the season. They’ll begin in Denver ahead of back to back scenario Wednesday night against the Suns. Denver has raced out to a 12-3 record while picking up three straight home wins over the Rockets, Celtics, and Suns. That’s created a window of value on a Wizards team that will not let up on the offensive end. Grab Washington. 

The Brooklyn Nets will play their in town New York City NBA team in the New York Knicks. For the Knicks they’re coming off a  blowout home loss against a Spurs team that had dropped several straight. As great as the Nets are at scoring look for the Knicks to find rhythm even in a back to back scenario. Grab the Knicks 

Just six days ago the Miami Heat blew out the Cavaliers on the road by eleven points. The final score was not indicative of the halftime twenty-four point lead the Heat held over Cleveland. In the second half the Heat scored just forty points. This time around look for value on the Cavaliers as the Heat’s unblemished 5-0 home record gets tested. 

A team that has carried over their strong home court edge from the past two seasons has been the Toronto Raptors. They’re 5-0 at home and have been soaring past the ATS number. Tonight look for that to change based on Orlando Magic team soaring with confidence. They’ve won three straight games and will be aiming to avenge last year’s embarrassing playoff series against the Raptors. Grab Orlando. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder return home in hopes of reversing losing three of their last four games. A positive is they’ve been a juggernaut at home ATS, covering four of their last five. For the 76ers their road heavy schedule to start the season has shown in the wins and loss column. Overall in 11 games they’ve played seven on the road. Look for the Sixers to shown a road warrior mentality in this one and get the win ATS. 

Phoenix was brought down to Earth two nights ago as the Lakers pulled away to defeat them. They’re now 6-4 but have caught the attention of NBA circles with their strong starting five and young bench. Thursday they’ll face an electric young Hawks team that is coming off a big outright win over the Denver Nuggets. Yet Thursday look for the Suns hosting their fifth straight home game to pull through ATS.

The Memphis Grizzlies head to take on a Charlotte team Wednesday that has lost a bit of their early success. After beginning the season 4-3 they’ve dropped three straight. Offense shouldn’t be an issue for the Hornets tonight at home but look for their defense to continue to suffer. Memphis gets the job done Wednesday with their impact young roster.

What will give Sunday? The Oklahoma City Thunder are in a back to back scenario. Typically back to back games involve travel but that’s not the case as the Thunder are hosting consecutive nights. The team they will play in the Milwaukee Bucks is enduring their fourth straight road game. Expect the Bucks to get back on track after a let down against the Jazz Friday. Grab Milwaukee. 

The Pelicans have shown flashes of what they can be but are lacking a secondary scorer. Brandon Ingram needs help and should get it Saturday against a Hornets team that has issues with on ball defense. Expect Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart to be able to attack and get their shots. The Pelicans finally get back in the win column and go to 2-7.

The Miami Heat extend their NBA road trip as they play the Los Angeles Lakers. It’s hard to argue the Heat’s depth and team defense. That’ll put up a challenge against a Lakers team that has still shown to be highly vulnerable defensively. Still look for the Heat to showcase a bit of tired legs in the second half. Grab the Lakers. 

The Thunder went from 1-4 to 3-4 thanks to consecutive home wins over the Pelicans and Orlando Magic. Still they have a lot of pieces in their starting five and bench rotation that are becoming accustomed to NBA minutes. Facing a well coached veteran Spurs team on the road will be a challenge. Yet look for the Thunder to continue to be competitive and close within the number. 

The Cleveland Cavaliers are coming off one of the worst home losses by an NBA team this young season. Against the Dallas Mavericks they were gave up 131 points in a twenty point blowout loss. This loss showcased their young back court and inexperienced NBA coaching from John Beilein. With the Celtics coming off strong wins look for value here on the home Cavs. 

Indiana has just one win on the season and will be without Myles Turner tonight against the Cavs. That shouldn’t stop their potent offensive attack and may even increase their pace to a higher level. That’s concerning for a Cavaliers team that uses several big men for offensive balance with Kevin Love/Tristan Thompson and still has a young back court adjusting to the NBA. Grab Indiana here.

The pressure is on the LA Lakers after an opening night loss to the Clippers. In the loss they showed they do have the offense to contend right away. Several spurts erased big Clippers leads but the defense just was not there. That’s going to continue to be a problem for Friday’s contest against the size and half-court sets of the Jazz. Grab Utah. 

For the first time in several seasons the New York Knicks have formidable players at every starter position. Backing the starters up will be one of the more intriguing second units in the NBA. What will be missing in game one against the Spurs is on court execution. Expect the Spurs embedded style of basketball to wreak havoc in turnovers for the Knicks and create pull away opportunities. Grab the Spurs. 

The new look Boston Celtics will be missing three familiar players in Kyrie Irving, Al Horford, and Terry Rozier. They’re now expected to let their young stars in Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum take the next step forward alongside free agent pickup Kemba Walker. Facing a Philadelphia 76ers team that has elevated expectations and improved defense will be an immense challenge. Yet grab the Celtics to make a statement and cash Wednesday. 

The second day of the NBA season features a bevy of marquee games. One that will fly under the radar are the Timberwolves vs the Nets. Minnesota’s core of players has the same featured talent while the Nets kick things off with Kyrie Irving. Lacking big names around him should provide Irving a calmer setting to just play his game. Look for the Nets to feed off his play while the Timberwolves falter in the second half. 

The new season kicks off with all eyes on the new acquisitions of both LA teams. The Lakers of course added Anthony Davis and a bevy of veteran free agents. Their quest looks much stronger than the youth mix they had a season ago. Meanwhile the Clippers big acquisitions of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will be minus George to start. That’s a factor but expect the Lakers units to struggle at times adjusting to the new season. That’ll leave the door open for the Clippers to cash in a neutral site game. Grab the Clippers. 

For the fourth straight game line movement has went against the Golden State Warriors. Injuries, depth concerns, and the health of Klay Thompson are all main factors for Friday. The series could easily be a 3-0 lead for the Raptors if not for an early third quarter meltdown in game two. Still I’m leery of the Raptors newfound offense continuing to grow. Look for the Warriors to have an efficient game and pull away late to cover in game four. 

Three straight losses from the Bucks has put themselves in a single game elimination environment.  Failing at home with multiple big leads in game five is a spread influence for game six. This is why seven game series exist in the NBA. Expect the Bucks to respond in what surely will be a hostile environment in Toronto. 

The Bucks and Raptors have all the dynamics of a seven-game series. Each team has shown an ability to play at a heightened level on their home floor. That’s a bit of a conundrum for oddsmakers at this stage of the playoffs. Youth is the downside of the Bucks but their advantage on their home floor is uncanny. Grab Milwaukee to get back on track after a game four let down.

The Trailblazers heartbreak in game two featured every component. After losing a seventeen point lead the Blazers regrouped and had game two won. Yet they couldn’t muster defensive stops and the Warriors were able to take advantage. Instead of expecting the Warriors to get in position to sweep look for the Blazers to take this next phase of the series head on. They still haven’t clicked 100% offensively as we saw in their series against Oklahoma City and Denver. Look for their home crowd to energize them and get the win Saturday. Grab Portland. 

The Bucks stormed back to not only win game one but topple the number ATS in the final seconds. It was a gut-wrenching loss for bettors and should motivate the Raptors to fix their issues from the fourth quarter. Yet the Bucks have different units to throw at the Raptors and will continue to adapt for four quarters of a game. Grab the Bucks to grab another ATS win.

Adjustments will need to be made quickly by the Trailblazers after ineffective offense and lackluster ball screen defense in game one. Expect an increase in both areas and for the Trailblazers to respond ATS. Golden State’s weakness remains with their role players and this should be an opportune time for the Trailblazers second unit to shine similar to game seven against the Nuggets. Grab Portland. 

Consecutive victories by the Warriors ended the Rockets chances to take advantage of the Warriors minus Kevin Durant. Portland took advantage of a young Nuggets team that appeared to more talented but lacked the experience to put a game away. That’s where the Warriors advantage comes into play and should be worthy of backing in game one. Grab Golden State.

The series between the Portland Trailblazers and Denver Nuggets has been a delight each game. Yet the mistake of the Nuggets was the overtime game three matchup in which the Nuggets blew several chances to win. Portland found their legs in game six and should use their veteran roster to hurdle the number ATS. Grab Portland.  

In a potential close out game expect the Philadelphia 76ers to do their best to rise to the occasion. Amidst heavy media debate on the way they’ve lost the 76ers have created their own unnecessary added pressure. Expect the Raptors to feed off of this and use their experience in a do or die game four to surge forward. Grab Toronto. 

One overtime in game three that went the Rockets way has completely swung the series against Golden State. In years past the Warriors have been on the fortunate side against the Rockets with injuries to CP3 (Rockets-Clippers). Changes have been made by Mike D’Antoni that have kept the Rockets fresh for four quarters. Oddsmakers may have bumped this point spread up a point from games one and two but it is the incorrect move. Grab the underdog. 

The Denver Nuggets had several opportunities to take advantage of the Trailblazers in game three. Turnovers and poor execution likely cost them that victory. Now they’ll face a Portland Trailblazers team that has a chance to take control of the series. Look for the Trailblazers to continue to elevate their play via guards and do their best to contain Nokic and Millsap. Grab Portland. 

The Warriors and Rockets yearly series matchup has been dominated by the Warriors. This seems to be the case for 2019 as the Warriors handled their business on their home floor in games one and two. With the Rockets having issues with James Harden’s eye and Chris Paul’s woes game three is amped up even more. It’s a must win for the Rockets and the Warriors know it. Yet expect Houston to make this a series and cover the number Saturday.

In game two the Nuggets were vulnerable to Portland’s perimeter shooting and never could recover from an early deficit. Yet this how the young Nuggets are. They lack playoff experience and although they are a two-seed oddsmakers haven’t deterred from proper point spread adjustments. After a statement win by Portland one has to anticipate that game two being the outlier of the series. Grab the Nuggets in what should be a better matchup.

Houston losing game one has put the pressure on them to showcase themselves in game two. One would expect Kevin Durant to continue his upward play and for Curry/Thompson to be sharper. Riding their home crowd the Warriors are in-line for another trip to the Western Conference Finals. Only if it were that easy. Look for the Rockets to play with the proper chip on their shoulder and for CP3 to be the main catalyst. Grab the Rockets plus the points. 

The woes of the Warriors first round against the Clippers were mainly defensive. How will they adjust in a quick turn around for game one against the Rockets? A team that gave them fits last year until Chris Paul’s injury changed the series. That angle and the Rockets seemingly growing forward are all in play for the underdog Sunday. Yet look for the Warriors to keep their playoff mode on high for game one. Grab the Warriors. 

The Eastern Conference’s first round was a quick flash for both the 76ers and Toronto Raptors. Both teams adjusted to game one losses to cruise past their opponents. Extra rest should alleviate concerns for the 76ers in Joel Embiid Saturday. Yet the Raptors are a team that finally has depth solidified to over power the 76ers. Look for game one to side on the Raptors side ATS. 

The Golden State Warriors find themselves engulfed in a first round series against the LA Clippers. A series that should have been a sweep has suddenly been extended with new life from the Clippers after game five. Returning home the Clippers have a chance to force a game seven. Instead look for the Warriors to have a crisp flow and game plan and take care of business ATS.  

The Denver Nuggets have a chance to close out the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday. After a complete rout of the Spurs in game five it appears that the Spurs are struggling to adjust. Tweaks have been made by Denver that have nullified the Spurs ability to score with them. Yet Coach Poppovich is a mastermind in these scenarios and will have his Spurs prepared to withstand the Nuggets in game six. Grab San Antonio. 

The San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets have been the lone unpredictable series thus far in the NBA playoffs. Game five is critical for a young Nuggets team that averted a 3-1 deficit to re-gain home court advantage. Yet this is a Spurs team that has rose via the youth-veteran infusion of teams past. Look for Poppovich and the Spurs to cover the 5.5 tonight.  

The tide has swung dramatically in the favor of the Houston Rockets in their series against the Jazz. A Utah team that has been competitive against the Rockets has been in complete disarray. A win tonight gives the Rockets a chance to rest their veterans and accomplish a series sweep. Oddsmakers sense that. With the Jazz’s issues defensively and offensively take the Rockets ATS Monday.  

Value continues to be on the Toronto Raptors for their series against the Magic. After losing game one in Toronto oddsmakers have dwindled value on the two-seed Raptors since. After a close call in game three the pressure would seem to still be on the Raptors. Instead it’s on the home Magic who know if they don’t even the series the tide switches dramatically to the Raptors. Grab Toronto.  

The complete dominance of the Bucks over the Pistons is what one would expect with a one-seed versus an eight-seed. Mid-teens spreads were easily covered by the Bucks in the first two games, and forced the oddsmakers hands for game three’s spread. Look for the Pistons to grab an early lead but be completely dominated when the spread matters in the fourth. Grab Milwaukee. 

Two straight bad losses to open the series in Portland has changed the dynamics for Oklahoma City. They’ve shown an inability to adjust to Portland’s defense as well as being capable of defending the Trailblazers. Home court edge played a big role in that and now OKC gets a chance to show their atmosphere tonight. Grab OKC to get a big win on a line that is skewed appropriately.

One playoff win and a lot can change in the eyes of oddsmakers. Off of Houston’s game one dominant win that’s not the case for Wednesday’s game two. Oddsmakers hardly shift the line even though there has been a frenzy for how well the Rockets have looked. The reason why is because over the last 4-5 seasons the Utah Jazz have been one of the best teams against James Harden. Look for a better performance in game two to cover the six and a half point spread. 

Skewed value to earn a win before heading on the road is the oddsmakers angle for Tuesday. They have the Nuggets as sizable favorites against a Spurs team they trailed the entirety of game one. Although the Nuggets are a young team they earned a second-seed in the West. Expect them to bounce back tonight against the veterans of the Spurs. 

In round one in both the 2017 and 2018 post-season the Portland Trailblazers were swept. It won’t get any easier in the 2019 playoffs with the Blazers minus a key player in Joseph Nurkic. Yet this is where the foundation of balance and depth pays off to the Trailblazers side. Oklahoma City falls in game one as the Trailblazers finally get a win in round one.

Market correction on opening lines was driven hard on the 76ers and Nets. A steep line would not be the case in the regular season and the Nets have shown vast depth and not to be taken lightly. Yet this 76ers team is a playoff roster. Look for their playoff ats value to start off with a huge rise

The Bucks phenomenal regular season has set them up for a well deserved end of season scenario. Similar to a dominant NFL team they have earned the right to treat tonight like an exhibition.  Although they’re a deep team it’s a different mentality as a whole even at home. Grab OKC in a game that will have has wagering limits in Vegas.

The youth has begun to shine for the woeful New York Knicks. They’ve won two of their last four games including a win at home recently over the Chicago Bulls. Tuesday’s opponent for the Knicks is a Chicago team that’s been decimated by injuries. This is a game where you throw the records out and prior player data and instead focus on the Knicks front office. They’re moving forward and have cemented their season goal of getting a top pick and off-season luring of top free agents. Grab the Knicks Tuesday. 

Consecutive losses for the Miami Heat have left them on the outside looking in for a playoff spot. The good news for the Heat is they’re one game behind for three playoff spots in the East. With three of their final four games on the road they must find a way to win Friday against the Timberwolves. Grab the Heat Friday to make things interesting as the season winds down.

After consecutive victories over the Pistons and Bucks, Cleveland has now lost six straight games. Now it’s unclear if the Cavaliers will even attempt to win a game to conclude the season. As the Phoenix Suns are just one game back of them in the loss column leaving the door open for an NBA Draft tank situation. Oddsmakers know this and have boosted tonight’s spread against the Kings far too high. Grab the value on Cleveland. 

The woeful Chicago Bulls are on an elongated losing streak that has featured ATS losses galore. Perhaps their ATS value could not be over extended as is the case today.  They’re coming off a loss to the NY Knicks and will be without the majority of their roster today.  Grab the ATS value tonight on the Bulls

Thursday the Detroit Pistons return home hoping to end a three-game slide. They’ll face an Orlando Magic team that is currently entrenched in the eighth spot of the East and just a half game back of the Pistons. With the stakes high with playoff assurances on the line grab the value with the points in Orlando. 

For the second consecutive night the Wizards find themselves in a small spread matchup. With the regular season winding down the Phoenix Suns appear to be set in finishing with the second to worst record in the NBA. In fact they’ve lost their last three games in blowout fashion. Returning home look for the Suns to play above a Wizards team that’s lost five in a row.

Wednesday, the Oklahoma City Thunder look to repay a loss on March 14th to the Indiana Pacers. The loss was one of a many that featured five losses in six games for the Thunder. The back pedaling has put the Thunder in position and be in an unenviable position as the eighth seed in the West. Yet expect a wake-up call tonight for the Thunder as they attack a prime weakness of a Pacers team that has lost eighth straight road games.

Tuesday the Lakers will look to build off their last game victory over the Sacramento Kings. They’ll take on a Washington Wizards team that’s lost four straight games but is coming off three days rest. Los Angeles on the other hand has won just three of their last seventeen games. While Washington has the depth advantage look for the Lakers to get their first consecutive victories in quite a long time. 

Wednesday the Orlando Magic will host their third straight home game as they take on the Pelicans. Chances of the Magic continuing to climb into contention for the final East playoff spot are on the line. They’ll face a Pelicans team that had lost six straight  before a win in their last game over the Mavericks. Look for Orlando to have their way tonight against a Pelicans team with imbalanced scoring options. 

The LA Clippers just won on a thrilling buzzer beater victory over the Brooklyn Nets Sunday night. They’ve now won seven of their last eight games and will take on the Indiana Pacers tonight. While the Pacers made things interesting in the final minutes against the Blazers their not playing a full four quarters of solid basketball. Grab the Clippers to continue their momentum but this time ATS. 

A banged up Orlando Magic team received positive news for Wednesday as Aaron Gordon is expected to play. That’ll be key against a Washington Wizards team that has been a strong home team (20-12) this season. In fact, they’ve won four of their last five at home including a thrilling ATS finish in their last outing against Sacramento. Still look for the Magic’s youth to outshine a Wizards team that is the second-worst defensively in the NBA. 

The Celtics have been sparked by their current road trip. Three straight wins and two that were dominant over the Warriors and Lakers. Offense has sparked the Celtics turn around as they’re back in sync. Tonight they’ll have the rare opportunity of facing a road team in LA without travel. They’ve been in LA since Wednesday night’s victory over Sacramento. Yet look for the Clippers to continue their surge and cover the small home dog line. 

The Milwaukee Bucks endured a mini slide losing consecutive road games. The puzzling losses haven’t changed their position in the East as they hold the top seed. Yet the Pacers have confidence and are only five games back of the Bucks. Even off of three days rest the value lies against the Bucks. Grab Indiana

The woes of the San Antonio Spurs featured a 1-7 road trip. Returning home is certainly a welcomed sight as they’ve been 22-7 at home this season. They’ll face a Detroit Pistons team that is subpar on the road but playing strong. They’ve won three in a row and are now in the 7th seed in the Eastern conference. Keep rolling with the new momentum which is squarely on the Pistons. Grab Detroit. 

The LA Clippers travel to Denver off a close call Friday in Memphis. Since the trade deadline that dealt Tobias Harris the Clippers have had an unorthodox lineup. Off the bench Montrezl Harrell continues to be a key igniter. Look fro the second unit to give the Clippers the spark they need against a Nuggets team that has covered each game since Isaiah Thomas’s return. Grab the Clippers

The Knicks win before All-Star break gave the Suns a slight advantage as the worst team in the NBA. They’ve lost fifteen straight games and will take on the other team vying to tank in the Cleveland Cavaliers. Look for the Suns to get a rare road win as the Cavaliers falter Thursday night. 

Long road trips right before the All-Star break are tough to deal with. The LA Clippers are attempting to complete their sixth game of their East Coast road trip. This will be the first matchup on the trip that they’ll face a Western Conference opponent. Minus Tobias Harris, Boban, Muscala, and Mike Scott the Clippers have not stopped producing offensively. Better interior defense is in-play now with the combination of Ivan Zubac and JaMychel Green. Look for the Clippers to continue shining ATS as they play a Timberwolves team reeling. 

The Lakers continue their road trip in Philadelphia on Sunday. The revamped 76ers showcased their new depth in a thrilling ATS cover and finish at home against the Denver Nuggets on Friday.  Yet there is a new level of cohesion developing with the Lakers core talent likely from no major deals at the trade deadline. Look for a second consecutive road cover from the Lakers. 

The disarray of the Miami Heat has hit a season-high. Three straight home losses have occurred including a blowout home loss to the Chicago Bulls. Rotations are in disarray as production just isn’t there for the up tempo style of todays game. Portland routed the Heat on a similar spread last season. Look for the same occurrence Tuesday night.

After a blowout win over the Indiana Pacers the Washington Wizards will be up for a much more difficult challenge Saturday. They’ll take on a Milwaukee Bucks team that is cruising and playing at top levels of the season. Returning to their lineup in a dominant win over Toronto were Eric Bledsoe and Malcolm Brogdon. Expect another surge from the Bucks out the gate but not as effective offense as the Wizards play within the number. 

The last time the Warriors returned from a lengthy road trip of five games or more they struggled ATS. In fact they went a stretch of 1-8 ATS after a five game road trip in December. This time the Warriors have concluded a stretch of seven of eight road games. Don’t expect severe missteps this time around as the Warriors have found new ways to get offense with their second unit. Grab the Warriors to put on a show against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Earlier this season on December 9th the Raptors shockingly fell at home as 5.5 point favorites to the Milwaukee Bucks. Positive news for the Bucks heading into tonight’s matchup is that both Eric Bledsoe and Malcolm Brogdon are probable. That’s a big edge for production for the Bucks but look for the Raptors to continue their recent offensive surge. Grab the Raptors in a battle of two top Eastern Conference teams. 

Minus Victor Oladipo the Pacers have had issues adjusting. This has resulted in three consecutive losses. Signs of the Pacers wearing down before All-Star break are evident as the Pacers played extremely well minus Oladipo earlier in the season. On the other hand Orlando has been solid ATS and is desperate for a win. Still look for the Pacers to break out of their funk and cover ATS. 

Wednesday, the Atlanta Hawks continue their road trip as they take on the Sacramento Kings. Thus far they’ve covered three straight on the road and are coming off an outright win over the LA Clippers. Oddly enough the Kings last game was also against the Clippers in a blowout loss. Expect the Kings to be re-focused as they return home from a six-game road trip. Grab Sacramento. 

Oddsmakers have recently began to push forward the Knicks underdog number even at MSG. That’s the case on Wednesday as a below .500 Dallas Mavericks team are sizable favorites. This comes as no surprise as the Knicks last home win was December 1st against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Knicks lack the offensive cohesion to keep up with a team as potent as Dallas. Grab the Mavericks. 

Record-wise the Celtics and Nets are only separated by 3.5 games. That’s hard to believe and showcases just how difficult the Celtics transition of success from last year has been. Before the Celtics loss to the Warriors they had won five straight. While the Celtics bench is a question mark versus the Nets, look for the starters to maintain a sizable lead. Grab Boston. 

The New York Knicks woes have been plagued by injuries and benching of veteran Enes Kanter. New York may has not left home aside from a short trek to Brooklyn Friday since January 11th. Yet they’ve lost eight consecutive games. Meanwhile the Miami Heat have struggled all season at generating consecutive wins. Grab the value on them here as they get past the Knicks.

The Detroit Pistons continue the third game of their current road trip tonight against the Mavericks. Value lies on the Pistons as they used the hot-hand of Blake Griffin to topple the Pelicans two nights ago. That was without Anthony Davis. An uplift of production with Dennis Smith Jr back ended a four-game losing streak for the Mavericks. Yet look for the Pistons lineup to give the Mavericks issues. Grab Detroit. 

The Brooklyn Nets have recently seen their ATS number creep up. Against the Orlando Magic two nights ago they fell just short as a favorite. Tonights scenario marks the first time all season that they’ve been favored three consecutive games as they host the New York Knicks. That’s a value attractor combined with their 1-2 overall ATS mark against the Knicks this season. Grab Brooklyn. 

For Tuesday there is a rematch between the Phoenix Suns and Timberwolves. Saturday the two met in Minnesota and the Suns played a fairly close game, losing late by a few points. With the Suns knack for tanking it’s always a question to follow suit with them. Yet this is a spot where the Suns can catch a struggling Timberwolves team off guard. Grab the Suns. 

The degree of difficulty for the Rockets to get wins has been highly evident. James Harden once again needed to lead his Rockets from a big deficit against the Lakers in which they won in overtime. They’ll now head back onto the road to face a Philadelphia 76ers team that has been dominant at home. Yet with the Rockets offensive synergy all it takes is one explosive quarter. Grab the value on the underdog Rockets. 

The Milwaukee Bucks will be part of an early MLK holiday schedule as they host the Dallas Mavericks. That means they will have had less than forty-eight hours to step onto the court after their road win in Orlando. That’s where the value lies on the Bucks even with the Mavericks horrific road record. Grab the Bucks here.

The LA Clippers have faltered to the degree of five straight losses. Reeling they’ll head onto the road to take on a San Antonio team that is 18-6 at home. Issues with the Clippers have mainly included non-existent half-court defense. During their current losing streak they’ve yielded an average of 118 points per game. Sunday expect a better showing and sense of urgency from the Clippers.

The Miami Heat are in a back to back scenario Saturday as they travel to take on the Chicago Bulls. The Heat showed sporadic play in their Friday loss to the Pistons getting down big early before clawing back and eventually losing. Chicago is coming off a long west coast road trip that is embedded into tonight’s line. Look for the lowly Bulls to surprise tonight and grab the ATS cover. 

Friday, the Pelicans continue their fourth game on their current road trip as they travel to take on Portland. The Pelicans are showing much better effort on the road that’s attracted value on a small number tonight. With just a 6-18 road record this is a game where one has to forecast the Pelicans clawing their way back to a decent away record as we enter the mid-point of the NBA season. Grab New Orleans.  

The Toronto Raptors are coming off a nationally televised loss to the Boston Celtics. They return home to host the Phoenix Suns but will be without both Kyle Lowry and Kawhi Leonard whom will rest. This compounds the current absences of OG Anunoby and CJ Miles. With the back to back factor and resting starters scenario there is value to be had on the Raptors. Grab the buy down on the spread. Take Toronto. 

One of the more difficult scenarios for a home team is playing their first game at home after a lengthy road trip. The Charlotte Hornets will attempt to do so after completing a six-game road trip. Thursday they’ll take on a Sacramento team that just defeated them Saturday. While home rust will be evident early look for the Kings woes of melting in second halves to carry over Thursday. Grab Charlotte. 

The Houston Rockets plethora of injuries gets some help Wednesday as guard Eric Gordon is expected back. James Harden’s recent string of high scoring games has made it difficult for teams to match the Rockets offensive output. The Nets also lost to the Rockets by eight points earlier this season at home. Yet look for the Nets to get some traction early and cover the five points here. 

The LA Clippers will host the New Orleans Pelicans Monday night. Value here lies with the Clippers as they look to handle one of the dominant scorers in the league in Anthony Davis. Davis and the Pelicans have been able to mask their road issues (5-17 on the road) thanks to a recent extended stretch of home games. Although the Clippers have lost four of their last seven grab the value on them here as a small favorite. 

The inconsistent Dallas Mavericks will face the Golden State Warriors this evening. The Warriors are coming off their best ATS consecutive covers of the season in blowout wins over the Bulls-Knicks. Traveling on the road they’ve been a better team ATS. In fact they’ve covered six of their last eight road matchups. Yet look for the Mavericks to get balanced scoring and to have an upper hand in the interior with DeAndre Jordan. Grab Dallas. 

The Timberwolves could not slow down the Dallas Mavericks in last night’s home loss. Now they’re in a back to back scenario taking on the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans are the rested team here not having stepped onto the court since Wednesday. Yet the key reason for the line move is the Timberwolves interim coach in Ryan Saunders. The 32 year old showed will be in a tough spot tonight but look for his team to continue to rally for him. Grab the Timberwolves. 

The Boston Celtics continue their Florida road trip aiming to get back in the win column. Their nationally televised matchup against the Heat was a blowout loss. The Celtics will face a reeling Orlando Magic team currently on a four-game losing streak. Furthermore the Magic will be without key rookie Mo Bamba. Yet the value lies on the Magic as bettors are looking to capture the ATS magic the Celtics recently showed at home.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are coming off a big win minus their former Coach in Tom Thibodeau. Friday they’ll take on a Dallas Mavericks team that has been below standard on the road with a 3-18 mark. Yet this should be a nice spot to find value on the underdog as new interim coach Ryan Saunders gets acclimated in his new role.

Value against the Sacramento Kings is back on the upward trend. They’ve lost five of their last six games, while showing inconsistent offensive production. They’ll face a Detroit team that’s known for solid interior defense as well as off the ball. Yet this is a favorable spot to continue cashing against the Pistons who have been on a prolonged stretch of six of seven losses.

Utah’s transition from an out of nowhere successful team in 2017-2018 has not blossomed this season. An array of chemistry issues has them still a game below .500. Yet after a four-game road trip tonight’s spot against the Orlando Magic offers value. Expect the Jazz not treat this game lightly as it’s their first home game for 2019. Grab Utah.

The Spurs have now won five straight games as they’ve finally discovered their guard rotation minus Dejounte Murray. Wednesday they’ll face a Memphis Grizzlies team that will have revenge on their minds. Just four days ago the Spurs flourished against the Grizzlies in a twenty point victory. While the Grizzlies may build a sizable lead look for the Spurs will to not end their win streak to prevail. Grab San Antonio. 

Tuesday, the Charlotte Hornets will continue their Western Conference road trip as they take on the LA Clippers. This is a spot where a veteran team such as the Hornets should treat tonight’s matchup as a tune up before a rigorous weekend. Instead look for a flat performance as the Hornets look ahead to three road games in four nights starting Friday.  

Value lies with the Atlanta Hawks as heavy road favorites Tuesday in Toronto. The Raptors had one day of rest in between back to back games. They won both of those matchups including a victory Sunday over the Indiana Pacers with Kawhi Leonard resting. Still grab the value on the Hawks whom have lost their last three road games by an average of nineteen points.

The Miami Heat travel to take on the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday. This is a road trip intermixed with a recent one game home stand. That’s typically a tough spot for a team to keep their composure especially a .500 level Heat team. Yet they have bench infusion with Dion Waiters returning from a full year away with injury. That’s instant offense that should spark the Heat ATS over Atlanta. 

Against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday the Utah Jazz had a sluggish first half. They reversed course quickly and routed the Cavs for an easy cover. In a back to back scenario Saturday they’ll face a Detroit Pistons team that has not played since Wednesday. Yet the Jazz are a deep team and will be able to secure their second road win in twenty four hours. 

The returns of both Paul Millsap and Gary Harris is a big boost for the Nuggets. Both came off the bench in their recent home matchup against the New York Knicks. Thursday, they’ll travel to take on a Sacramento Kings team that’s lost three of four and struggled on the defensive end. Still look for the up and down pace to help alleviate the pressure for the Kings of the defensive end. Grab the Kings. 

The LA Lakers are coming off a great performance over the Golden State Warriors. In the rout minus Lebron James they were able to hold off a Warriors rally that closed within two points. The youth makeup of the Lakers is confident and they’ll face a Kings team coming off a game last night in LA. Yet look for a different outcome from the Lakers as they see how much they miss Lebron. Grab the Kings. 

Key injuries to the Denver Nuggets has left them needing to utilize their young bench in key stretches. Wednesday they’ll be in a tough road spot against a Spurs team that is 13-5 at home. Yet look for the Nuggets to be much more prepared on the defensive end than their last outing in which they were blown out 132-111 by the LA Clippers. 

The Raptors will be without Kyle Lowry tonight in Miami. Yet they turned in big outright victories on their recent road trip without Kawhi Leonard and boast one of the top records in the league at 25-10. The question here is will the holiday break disrupt the Heat’s five game streak? ATS it doesn’t grab the plus points in this spot.