The Orlando Magic pretty much in a must win spot if they hope to stay alive in this best of seven series with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs have taken the first two games, including game two 96-86 on Monday. Donovan Mitchell led the Cavs with 23 points and Jarrett Allen added another 20. Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 21 points. The Magic hope home court cooking will improve on their dismal 36% from the field and 9-of-35 from the 3-point arc. These teams split the the four regular season games so Orlando does know they can beat the Cavs, they just need to make more shots. If Suggs is healthy enough then he can control Mitchell and the home court should be buzzing tonight. The Cavs have not shot well from 3-point land in either game so that's also a positive for the Magic. Orlando is in a must win spot here today and I expect their best performance. Take Orlando.

NBA Western Conference action here tonight has the New Orleans Pelicans taking on the Thunder from Oklahoma City. This is game two of the series as the Thunder look to hold home court advantage and go back to New Orleans up 2-0. The Thunder took game one in a very close matchup, 94-92 on Sunday. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 28 points in the win. Thunder CJ McCollum missed a 3-pointer as time ran out for the possible win. New Orleans led at half and had chances to take game one despite a raucous crowd all wearing white. The Pelicans will have to shoot better than their 38.5% in game one if they hope to steal a game in OKC. Game one left a lot to be desired for offense on both sides. Both teams shot poor from the field and the 3-point arc. The Pelicans did control the glass in game one and will have to do so again here tonight. The youth of the Thunder showed in game one with a sub-par performance. Still a lot of points tonight as I expect another close game down to the wire. Take New Orleans.

The Pelicans will host the Kings in another Play-In game here on Thursday. This will be an elimination round game so the loser will go home. The winner will take the No 8 seed in the Playoffs and face No 1 Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday. The Pelicans won all five of their regular season games vs the Kings. The Pelicans coming off a loss in their first Play-In game vs the Lakers, 106-110, as a 1-point favorite. The big news was the exit of Pelicans star Zion Williamson in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury and he didn't return. Sacramento cruised to a blowout win over the Golden State Warriors in their elimination round game on Tuesday. While the Pelicans did sweep the season series, if they are without Williamson here on Thursday that will be of utmost concern. The Pelicans have the second fewest home wins of the remaining teams and even if Williamson does go, which doesn't look good right now, how effective will that hamstring let him play. Take Sacramento.

Two Eastern Conference teams battling for Playoff positioning here tonight as the Miami Heat host the NY Knicks. The Heat are 7th right now, just one game back of 6th place Indianapolis and 2.5 back of Orlando. That 6th place or better is important since it's an automatic bid to the playoffs and not a Play-In spot as 7 through 10 will be. The NY Knicks are 44-30 and in 4th place. However, they are just a half game ahead of 5th place Orlando and 3-games ahead of these Miami Heat. The Knicks look to snap a 2-game losing streak here tonight. They are coming off a loss at home to Oklahoma City, 112-113 as a 2-point dog. While the Knicks got the cover vs the late number, they actually opened a 3-point favorite in this game. The Knicks are now 20-16 S/U and 20-15-1 ATS on the road. The main issue is that the Knicks continue to battle injuries with players in and out of the lineup. The Miami Heat have won two straight, including their last game over Washington, 119-107 as a 12-point favorite. They are 19-17 at home S/U and 14-22 ATS on the season. They play better at home when the favorite, evidenced by their 0-9 home record when the dog. Tonight they are a small favorite and in that role they are 19-8 S/U and 13-14 ATS. This game bigger for the Heat as they look to climb out of that 7th spot and into a guaranteed playoff position. Play Miami.

The Boston Celtics have the best record in the NBA with a 57-14 overall mark. They have already clinched their division and lead the East by a whopping 11-games over Milwaukee. The Atlanta Hawks are holding onto that 10th and final postseason spot. They are 5.5-games ahead of 11th place Brooklyn and 2.5-games behind 10th place Chicago. The Celtics bring a nine-game win streak into today's contest. They are also 8-1 ATS during that span. The Celtics are 25-11 S/U and 18-16-2 ATS on the road with a +8.2 point differential. The Hawks are coming off a win at home over Charlotte, 132-91, as a 8-point favorite. The Hawks are just 2-5 S/U and ATS their last seven games. They are also just 24-46 ATS on the season and 12-22 ATS at home this year. This game comes down to how much the Celtics want to play here tonight. With huge leads in most categories they can blow out the Hawks if they want. I expect them to continue their recent run of wins and covers. Play Boston.

The New Orleans Pelicans and the Los Angeles Clippers will face off in a Western Conference showdown on Wednesday, February 7, 2024 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Both teams are riding on winning streaks, with the Clippers winning four straight games and the Pelicans winning three. The Clippers are one of the hottest teams in the NBA and have been dominant at home, posting a 19-4 record S/U and 14-9 ATS mark at the Crypto.com Arena. They are coming off a road win at Atlanta, 149-144, as 4-point favorites. The win was their fourth in a row and ninth in their last 10 games. They have also gone 8-2 ATS their last 10 games. They are top team in the Western Conference a few percentage points ahead of Oklahoma City, Minnesota and Denver. The Pelicans (29-21), winners of three straight and seventh in the West, are powered by a top-ten offense averaging 116.4 points per game. Led by Zion Williamson's 22.3 points, New Orleans is shooting 48.7% from the field and 37.7% from three. However, they have been inconsistent lately at 3-3 over their previous six games. This showdown features two of the NBA's top talents in Williamson and Leonard battling for playoff position for their respective teams. While both thrive as isolation scorers and shoot a high percentage inside, Zion has displayed better playmaking skills this season by creating shots for teammates. On the flip side, Leonard remains deadly from the perimeter at 37% from three while providing more value defensively. For me, I'm sticking with the Clippers as they have been so dominant at home and have the longer win streak. Play LA Clippers.

The Sacramento Kings are 29-19 as they head to Cleveland to face the Cavaliers on Monday. The Kings are 5th in the West, 4.5 games back of the Thunder and T'wolves for first place. The top five teams get automatic playoff bids while the next spots have to go to the Play-in round. Right now the Kings hold a 1.5 game advantage over New Orleans to stay out of the Play-In. The Kings are also 27-21 ATS and average 118.5 (8th in the NBA) ppg on the season while allowing 117.5 (20th in the NBA). The Kings finish their long seven game road trip here tonight. They have won two straight and six of their last seven games. The only loss on this trip coming on the 31st of Jan at Mimai, 106-115. They are coming off a win at Chicago last game, 123-115, as a +1-point dog. They also went over the 229 point total. The Kings are 15-11 S/U and 17-9 ATS on the road with their games averaging 230.7 ppg. The Cavaliers have won five straight games and sit at 31-16 S/U and 26-19-2 ATS. They average 114.3 ppg while allowing 109.7 ppg. They are 16-8 S/U and 13-11 ATS at home with their games averaging 226.2 ppg. They are 3rd in the Eastern Conference, five back of Boston for the top spot. They are coming off a win at San Antonio, 117-101, as 9-point favorites. They are 19th in scoring (114.3 ppg) and 3rd in defense (109.7 ppg). Both teams are hot, but this long road trip has to be taking a toll on the Kings and I see their win streak coming to an end tonight. Cleveland has lost only twice since Jan 1. I'll take the Cavs here at home tonight laying a decent number. Play Cleveland.

The Utah Jazz conclude a long 6-game road trip here tonight when they visit the New York Knicks. They are coming off a loss at Brooklyn, 114-147, as a pick-em. They will also be playing their third game in the last four nights. The Jazz defense has been terrible as they have allowed an average of 130 points their last five games including that 147 to the Nets and 153 points to the Pelicans. They rank 23rd in the NBA with an average of 119.3 ppg allowed. The New York Knicks are one of the hottest teams in the NBA, having lost only twice in the month of January. They have won seven straight games including a blowout win at Charlotte last night, 113-92, as a 8-point favorite. They have also covered five straight and 12 of their last 15 games. The Knicks are 16-5 S/U and 13-7-1 ATS with a +10.2 point differential on their home court including a 5 game win streak at home both S/U and ATS. The Knicks play excellent defense, ranked 2nd in the NBA with a 109.8 ppg average. I had the Knicks last night vs Charlotte as my NBA Game of the Month and they didn't disappoint in a big win. I'm sticking with them here tonight as they have been dominant on their home court and the Jazz have to be very tired of this road swing. Play New York.

Have the Charlotte Hornets bailed on the rest of the season? Sure looks that way. The Hornets are 10-34 S/U and 16-27-1 ATS on the season. They have lost three straight and 10 of their last 12 games. They are also 2-9-1 ATS during that span. The Hornets ae 5-16 S/U and 8-12-1 ATS at home with a -11 point differential. So why have they tossed in the towel on this season? Take Terry Rozier, their leading scorer, they traded him away last week. Apparently the team is moving toward a rebuild from the draft. Now, All-Star guard LaMelo Ball might also be out with an ankle injury. The Hornets have pretty much said everyone is available to trade right now. They are 28th in scoring defense and 27th in field goal percentage. As for the Knicks, they are red-hot. They are 29-17 S/U and 27-18-1 ATS. They have won six straight and 12 of their last 14 games. That includes a 38-point thrashing of Denver just a few night's ago. The Knicks are also 11-3 ATS their last 14 games. The Knicks could be without their second leading scorer in Randle, who was injured last game with a shoulder issue. However, they really won't need here tonight against an undermanned and unmotivated Charlotte club. Take the Knicks.

A Eastern Conference Central Division clash here on Wednesday has the Cleveland Cavaliers heading to Milwaukee to play the Bucks. Some very interesting events happen in this game tonight which is why I'm playing this game as my Central Division Game of the Year. The Cavs are one of the hottest teams in the NBA, having won eight straight games and covering seven of those. One of those games was a 40-point blowout win over the Bucks last Wednesday. Keep this in mind. The Cavs are 4th in the Eastern Conference with a 26-15 record and 23-16-2 spread mark. They are also decent on the road with a 11-7 S/U and 10-6-2 ATS record. The Milwaukee Bucks are 2nd in the Eastern Conference and you might think that is very good. But the Bucks just fired head coach Adrian Griffin after 43 games. The Bucks 30-13 record you would think was good enough for job security. However, it's been rumored that he lost support in the locker room of the star players and that would be Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. More rumors may have Doc Rivers coming into coach the team. Milwaukee has won two straight, but both of those came against Detroit. They are also 5-1 in their last six which did include a 33-point home win over Boston. The Bucks are 19-3 S/U and 8-14 ATS at home, outscoring opponents by a +7 point differential. The two factors that have me on the Bucks tonight are the firing of their head coach. If the stars are the reason, then they will come out tonight and unite this team. Plus they have motivation after that humiliating 40-point loss to the Cavs just a week ago. I usually like a team in their next game after firing a coach. Seems to unite the players and motivate them. I see that here tonight as the coach wasn't liked by the players and that burden now gone they can let loose. Take the Bucks in a revenge win over the Cavs tonight.

The Atlanta Hawks are 17-23 S/U and 10-30 ATS on the season. They are the worst covering team in the NBA. They average 121 ppg which is near the top of the NBA in scoring, however they also allow 123 ppg. They are coming off a win over Orlando, 106-104, but failed to cover the 4.5-point favorite line. That makes them 1-3 ATS over their last four and 2-5 ATS over their last seven. They are now 8-12 S/U and 6-14 ATS on their road. Miami Heat leads the Southeast division with a 24-17 S/U and 18-21-2 ATS record. They have the best scoring defense in the division, allowing 110.9 ppg. They are also 12-7 S/U and 8-11 ATS at home this season. They are coming off a blowout loss at Toronto on Wednesday, 97-121, as a 3-point favorite. That snapped a three game win streak for the Heat. It's been good for bettors to go against the Hawks this year. Moreover, Last time these teams met was back on Dec 22 in Miami where the Heat took that game, 122-113, as a 1-point favorite. I'll lay the points at home with Miami here tonight.

The Orlando Magic are 22-18 S/U and 24-14-2 ATS on the season. They are coming off a win at the Knicks, 98-94, as a 6-point dog. The Magic are one of the best teams in the NBA against the spread with a 63.2% winning mark. Meanwhile the Hawks are the worst covering team in the NBA, going 10-29 ATS (25.6%), way below the next worst team in the Phoenix Suns. The Hawks roster is also in disarray, DeAndre Hunter is a top defender and outside shooter, but he is out. There are also trade rumors swirling around Dejounte Murray. Murray has only scored 13 points in each of his last two games as trade rumors repeatedly can might be effecting his current play. The Magic beat the Hawks by seven just ten days ago, 117-110, as a 2.5-point favorite. The Magic are also deep at all positions and they have two players coming off the bench scoring double figures with Cole Anthony and Moritz Wagner coming off the bench. I like the Magic here to win this game as Atlanta continue to have issues. Play Orlando.

It's an East vs West clash here on Tuesday in the NBA as the Denver Nuggets make the trip to Philly to take on the 76ers. Denver has won two straight games, both at home, after their win over Indiana 117-109 as a 10.5 -point favorite. The Nuggets have to make the long trip East to start this Eastern swing five game road trip. The Nuggets are 28-13 S/U and 19-22 ATS on the season. However, the are just 11-9 S/U and 7-13 vs the spread on the road. Denver averages 116.2 ppg (13th) and hits 37.8% from the 3-point arc (9th). They allow 111 ppg (3rd). The Philadelphia 76ers are 25-13 S/U and ATS this season. They average 119.8 ppg while allowing 111.6 ppg. Philly is 15-6 ATS at home and has a +10.2 point differential. The have won and covered their last two games, both at home. That includes the last game vs Houston, 124-115, as a 8.5-point favorite. Philly ranks 1st in 3-point defense and 1st in steals this year. Denver hasn't been covering spreads on the road while Philly has been very good at home. I'll lay the points here with the Sixers.

The Indiana Pacers are the highest scoring team in the NBA and today they look to win their second in a row as they host the Washington Wizards. The Pacers are 21-16 S/U and ATS on the season. They average 126.5 ppg while allowing 124.3 ppg. They get a bit better at home with a 12-8 S/U and ATS record. They also average 128.4 ppg and allow 121.4 ppg on their home floor. The Pacers are coming off a split with back-to-back games vs the Celtics. They lost the first game, 101-118, then rebounded with a win in the second game, 133-131, as a 3.5-point dog. The Washington Wizards are having a horrible season at 6-30 S/U and 18-18 ATS. They average 115.5 ppg while allowing 126.3 ppg. Away from home they are 3-17 S/U and 12-8 ATS, scoring 114.7 ppg and allowing 125.9 ppg. They have lost five games in a row and are 1-3 ATS their last four games. These teams met back in Washington on Dec 15 with the Pacers taking that one, 137-123 as a 8.5 point dog. I expect the Pacers to get over their season average here tonight in points. Take Indiana.

The Indiana Pacers come into tonight's contest with a 13-10 S/U and ATS record. The Pacers lead the NBA in scoring with a 128.4 ppg average. They are coming off a loss at Milwaukee, 126-140, as a 6.5-point dog. The club is 1-2 in their last three games both S/U and ATS. However, they are 4-2 ATS their last six games. They are also 5-4 S/U and ATS on the road and average 130.8 ppg away from home. The Washington Wizards having a terrible season at 3-20 S/U and 10-13 ATS. The Wizards only win since Nov 10 came on Nov 27 against an equally inept team, Detroit, 126-107. Washington has lost three straight games both S/U and ATS including last game vs the Pelicans, 122-142, as a 6.5-point dog. It doesn't get much better at home where they are 1-8 S/U and 2-7 ATS and are being outscore by a 13.2 margin. Going to be hard for the Wizards to keep up with the NBA's highest scoring team tonight. Play Indiana.

Oklahoma City Thunder having a good season thus far at 15-7 S/U and 15-6-1 ATS on the season. They are also 12-9-1 Over/Under. The Thunder have won two straight games, scoring 138 and 134 points in those games. They have gone over in four of their last five games. The Thunder average 120.4 ppg and allow 112.8 ppg on the season. Sacramento is 13-9 S/U and 12-10 ATS on the season. The Kings are coming off a loss at the Clippers, 99-119, as 3.5-point dogs. They have gone over in six of their last eight games. The Kings average 116.3 ppg and allow 116.9 ppg. That goes up at home to 121.6 ppg and allow 120.1 ppg. I like the over here tonight.

The Memphis Grizzlies are just 6-16 S/U and 9-13 ATS on the season. They are playing Rockets, back-to-back and tonight is the first of the two games in Houston. The Grizzlies are coming off a loss to Dallas, 113-120, as a 1.5-point home dog. That makes two losses in a row both S/U and ATS. The Grizzlies are 5-6 S/U on the road and 6-5 ATS. They have not performed well overall as a dog, going 2-13 S/U and 5-10 ATS and being outscored by 11.2 ppg. The Houston Rockets improved to 11-9 S/U with a win in their last game over the Spurs, 93-82, covering the 9.5-point spread. That was their third win in a row both S/U and ATS. In fact this Rockets team has now covered 14 of their last 17 games. They have been great at home, going 10-1 S/U and ATS and outscoring their visitors by a 12.7 point margin. I like the Rockets tonight at home. Play Houston.

The Toronto Raptors visit Dallas tonight to take on the Mavericks. Toronto looks to get back to the .500 mark with a win tonight as they sit 3-4 overall on the season. They are also 4-3 vs the spread. The Raptors are averaging 107.1 ppg while allowing 107.4 ppg. This will be their third straight game on the road as they are coming off a win at San Antonio, 123-116, as a 3.5-point favorite. Dallas is off to a nice start at 6-1 on the season. They are coming off a blowout win on the road at Orlando, 117-102, as a 1-point favorite. Their lone loss of the season thus far is to defending champ Denver, 114-125. The Mavs are also 4-3 vs the spread and are outscoring opponents at home by 6.7 ppg. I like the Mavs tonight. Play Dallas.

The Denver Nuggets on the verge of winning their first ever NBA Championship here tonight on their home court. After the teams split the first two games in Denver, the Nuggets took the next two in Miami, 109-94 and 108-95. Some good news for the Heat is that guard Tyler Herro will play tonight as he's nursing a hand injury. Denver is the best team offensively in the playoffs and that has showed. But I do believe the coach and management of the Heat are too good to let this team just give up. That's why I'm looking at the over here tonight. Only one game of the four has gone over and that was the Heat win in game two in Denver, 111-108. The Heat shot great from the 3-point line, 48.6% and that's what I believe they have to do again here tonight. They can't go toe-to-toe with this Denver team. They have to outscore them as they did in game two hitting nearly 50% from the 3-point line. They need to do that here again. If they can get near that 50% from 3-point, this game goes over. It's all up to the Heat in this one since I believe Denver will get their points as they have done all series long. Take the OVER tonight in game 5.

Game four of the NBA Finals has the Denver Nuggets with a two games to one lead. The teams split the first two games in Denver and in their first game in Miami, the Nuggets dominated from start to finish winning, 109-94, covering the spread and the game going under. The Nuggets have now shot above 50% from the field in all three games while game three was their worst 3-point shooting at just 27.8%. Miami had their worst shooting performance in game three, hitting just 37% overall and 31.4% from the 3-point arc. This series has thus far been a classic rebound type series. The Nuggets take game one, Miami game two and then Denver game three. I look for the Heat to rebound again here in game four. They had a pretty dismal performance in game three and will look to make amends for that showing. Take the points here in game four with the Miami Heat.

I had the over in game 2, but today I'm taking a look at the UNDER. I fully expected the Heat to come out big in game 2 after that lackluster performance in game 1. They did just that, using a huge fourth quarter to not only cover the 8.5-point dog line, but win straight up. They also just made it over the total. Both teams shot very well in game 2, Miami hitting 48.7% from the field and a blistering 48.6% from 3-point. The Nuggets were 52% from the field and 39.3% from 3-points. Despite all that great shooting, they just got the over. Game one went under, not even getting close to the 219 total. Game 2 going over by just three points. Tonight, I expect these teams to slow back down and even if they don't I don't believe they can make the over. Miami has gone under in five of their last six playoff games. Denver is 3-5 O/U in their last eight playoff games. Take the UNDER in game three tonight.

The Boston Celtics look to make history here today as the only team ever to come back from an 0-3 deficit to win a series. Game 6 was a great game and we can only hope game 7 here on Monday is as good. For me, I'm taking the points here today. I don't feel Miami will just roll over and give in. This is still a lot of points to lay in a NBA conference finals. Take Miami plus the points.

 The Celtics could have easily rolled over and went quietly after being down 0-3 in this series with the Heat. But, they didn't and won easily on game four, 116-99. The Celtics shot 51.2% from the field and a series best 40% from the 3-point arc. The only negative is that they were out-rebounded for the third time in the series. So here we are in game five and the Celtics face the arduous task of trying to become the ONLY team in NBA history to come from a 0-3 deficit to win a series. The oddsmaker thinks they have a good shot tonight, making them an eight-point favorite. For me, that's too many points to give this Heat team that has already beaten the Celtics at Boston twice in this series. I'll take the points here tonight with Miami.

I had the Lakers in game two because I liked the momentum that had in the fourth quarter of game one. They made that huge comeback and gave Denver a big scare. Game two they had that same energy for the first three quarters and led by as much as 10-points. But Jamal Murray went wild in the 4th with 20 points and the Lakers lost, but did get the cover - just barely. So, how will game three play out? First, the Lakers transition game has to get better than it did in games one and two. Second, while the Lakers have a very deep team, Lebron and Anthony Davis need to step up their scoring. If Davis and James get their rear ends in gear here in game three, they will win. Plus, both teams have been much better on their home courts. Must win spot here today for the Lakers. I'm taking them minus the points. Play LA Lakers.

The Lakers and Nuggets begin their seven game Western Conference Finals here tonight from Denver. The Lakers went six games to dispose of the Golden State Warriors, winning game six in a blowout, 122-101. In fact, only two of the six games in the series were decided by five points or fewer. The Lakers also lost two of three on the road in that series, by 15, 27 and they won game one by 5-points. The Lakers are now 1-4 ATS in their last five road games. Denver also won their series with Phoenix in six games. And like the Lakers series, only two games were within seven points. The other four were blowout wins. The Nuggets are 6-1 ATS their last seven at home vs a team with a losing road record. The Nuggets are also 5-1-1 ATS their last seven vs the Lakers from Denver. I'm taking Denver in game one and if it sticks to script, likely a blowout win by the Nuggets.

Game seven of this NBA Eastern Conference Semifinal match between the 76ers and the Lakers. The winner goes to the conference finals. Philly could have closed this series out in game six at home but came up short to the Celtics, 86-95. The Sixers shot just 36.1% from the field (their lowest of the series). They also shot 23.5% from the 3-point arc, their second worst of the series. While Boston has regained home court, home court hasn't been all that kind to them. The Celtics have lost two of their three games at home to Philly, including game five, 103-115. The Sixers star forward, Joel Embiid, is probable today with a knee injury. I like the Celtics today, mainly because the Sixers blew their chance in game six. Boston just too good a team all season long to give up a game seven on their home court. Play Boston.

It's game six of the NBA Western Semifinals as the Warriors take on the Lakers from LA. The Warriors face elimination again here today. They faced elimination in game five and beat the Lakers at home, 121-106. Now they have to win game six in LA to return home for a game seven. Problem is that they have lost both games in LA by 97-127 and 101-104 scores. Two of the last three games have also gone UNDER. These teams have also gone under in their last four meetings in LA. Lakers forward Anthony Davis has been upgraded to probable for this game with a head injury. I like this game to go under tonight. They seem to play tighter in LA and I look for that again here tonight. Play the UNDER.

Golden State and the Lakers play game five of their best of seven series with the Lakers holing a 3-1 lead and the Warriors facing elimination here tonight. The Lakers took game four at home on Monday, 104-101, and either covered or didn't depending on the number you got. For me, I had the Warriors but found a 3.5 and got the win. The Warriors are a very experience and well seasoned team and I don't expect them to go quietly. I'm taking the Warriors here tonight to get back in the fight. Play Golden State.

The Lakers and Golden State Warriors play game four of their best of seven series here tonight from LA. The Lakers lead this series two games to one after winning game three, 127-97. The Lakers hit 52.5% from the field to just 39.6% for the Warriors. They also hit 48.4% from the three-point arc to just 29.5% for the Warriors. Both teams are as healthy as they have been all year so that won't be of concern tonight. The Warriors usually bounce back well, going 6-1 ATS their last seven games after a straight-up loss and 4-0 ATS after a straight-up loss of 10-points or more. We saw Golden State do this in the Kings series, losing game six by 19-points and then coming back and winning game seven by 20-points. I look for a rebound game here tonight from the Warriors as they even this series tonight. Play Golden State.

The Boston Celtics blew a big lead in game one of this best of seven series with the Sixers. Now they are in the hole down 0-1 in the series and almost in a must win situation. What's more impressive is that Sixers won this game without their star forward Joel Embiid, who missed the game with a knee injury. Today, Embiid has been upgraded to probable. We are looking at an inflated line here tonight. I can see the Celtics winning this game, but not by the seven or eight points the line is now and was once at 10 points. With Embiid back, I look for the Sixers to once again be in this game. Embiid is rested, is the MVP and will be ready for a big game tonight. I'm taking the points in this one.

 Game seven here tonight. The Warriors blew a big chance to advance with their game six at home, but lost 99-118 as a 6.5-point favorite. So now we have game seven back in Sacramento. The Kings lost game five at home, 116-123. So really each team has lost their last game on their home court. Game seven for me comes down to this. The Warriors have been here before, they are extremely experienced in the playoffs and have the veteran players to take over this kind of game. The Kings have not been in this spot, in fact just being in the playoffs. In fact you have to go back to 2005-06 when they lost 2-4 to the Spurs for their last playoff series. So for me, it comes down to experience and the Warriors hold all the cards in this one. I'll take Golden State.

The Cleveland Cavaliers look to even their best of seven series with the Knicks here today. The Knicks lead the series 2 games to 1 after winning on Friday, 99-79. All three games have gone under the total and the Cavs have gone under in five straight games. The Cavs where held to just 38.8% from the field in their 79 points in game three. They also hit just 21.2% from the 3-point arc. The Cavs usually bounce back well after an ATS loss, evidenced by their 13-6-1 ATS record the last 20 times. Cavs have been the better team all season and I don't see them going down 1-3 in this series today. I'll take the few points but look for an outright Cavaliers win here on Sunday. Play Cleveland.

It's been an injury plagued NBA postseason thus far and none bigger than the Timberwolves guard Ja Morant who has been battling a hand injury. Morant missed game two but has returned to full practice, though he's considered questionable for game three here on Saturday. The Lakers didn't take advantage of his abscense in game two, never being in the game from the start to the 10-point loss, 93-103. The Lakers had been hot too, taking game one vs Memphis 128-112 and winning eight of their previous nine games before that loss in game two. Their two stars, Lebron James and Anthony Davis both still show up on the injury report but both remain probable here tonight. The Grizzlies are just 7-20 ATS in their last 27 road games vs a team with a winning home record. They are also 2-5 ATS in their last seven overall road games. The Lakers have been rebounding nicely of late, evidenced by thei 7-2 ATS record their last nine following a straight-up loss. The Lakers have covered five of the last seven meetings in LA and that's what I'm looking for again here today. Play the Lakers.

The Clippers return home after splitting the first two games at Phoenix. They took game one, 115-110, but lost game two, 109-123. Now they hold home court advantage as they return to LA. This will actually be the third game in a row between these teams as they met on the final day of the regular season and won at Phoenix, 119-114. LA has been out-shot in both playoff games, 47.6% to 44.1% in their win and 58.8% to 43.8% in their loss. The Clippers are 7-2 ATS in their last nine times following a ATS loss. They are also 5-2 ATS in their last seven Conference Quarterfinals games. The Suns have been just average on the road this year, going 22-21 S/U and ATS and scoring 114.3 ppg while allowing 115.6 ppg. They are 2-5 ATS in their last seven road games. Yet, here the Suns are a 2 to 2 1/5 point favorite at LA tonight. I'll take the points since I look for the Clippers to win game three. Play LA.

The LA Lakers look to be peaking at just the right time of the season. They took game one of this seven game series at Memphis on Sunday, 128-112 and now look to take a commanding 2-0 lead as they head back to LA. The Lakers have won four straight games and 11 of their last 13 games. Most of this due to the fact that for really the first time all season their stars, Lebron James and Anthony Davis, are both healthy. But they also got their best game out of a player they got mid season from the Wizards, Rui Hachimura, who had 29 points. Austin Reaves was also a standout for LA with 23 points. While both popped up on the injury report with foot issues, they are both probable for tonight. Can't say the same for the struggling Grizzlies. Their star guar Ja Morant, is questionable tonight with a hand injury. Morant missed the final six minutes of game one after the injury occurred. The Grizzlies have lost two in a row and four of their last six games. Also remember that their two best big players, Steven Adams and Brendan Clarke are out for the playoffs. Must win spot for the Grizzlies and with injury concerns. Plus they are facing a resurgent Lakers team! I'll take the Lakers here in game two.

 The LA Lakers made a late season rush to improve and climb into the play-in picture here tonight. The Lakers finished at 43-39 on the season and won eight of their last 10 games. The Lakers are also 4-1 ATS in their last five games vs a team with a winning record. The Minnesota Timberwolves finished right behind the Lakers at 42-40. They won their last three games and seven of the last 10 games. The bigger question is what is the status of the Lakers big stars. Lebron James (foot) and Anthony Davis (foot) both are expected to play here tonight. T'Wolves Karl Anthony Towns (calf) is questionable. I like the Lakers when they have their stars both in the lineup as they will tonight. I'll lay the points with the Lakers.

Western Conference clash has two playoff teams looking to keep or improve their standings in the playoff hierarchy. The LA Clippers are 5th with a 40-36 record, but just 3.5 games separate 4th place from 11th place so anything can happen. The Grizzlies have locked up a playoff spot with their 48-27 record as they sit second in the West, 3-games back of top dog Denver. The Clips have split their last six games, going 3-3 S/U and ATS. They are coming off a win over Chicago, 124-112, as a 4.5-point favorite. LA is jus 3-9 ATS their last 12 playing on one day of rest. They are also 3-7 ATS their last 10 road games playing a home team with a 60% or better win percentage. Meanwhile, Memphis has won seven straight games and 11 of their last 12. They are 5-5-1 ATS during that span. They are coming off a win over Orlando, 113-108, as a 7-point favorite. The Grizzlies are 35-16 ATS in their last 51 home games. They are also 5-0 ATS in their last five meetings with the Clippers and 4-1 ATS in their last five at Memphis. I'll take the Grizzlies here tonight.

The Houston Rockets have the 2nd worst record in the NBA at 18-57, only Detroit has fewer wins. The Rockets have also lost five straight and seven of their last 10 games. Houston has also been bad on the road, going 11-23-3 ATS and allowing a whopping 122.3 ppg. The Rockets playing the 2nd of a back-to-back spot here tonight. They played at Cleveland last night and lost 91-108, failing to cover the 14-point dog line. The Rockets are just 1-8 ATS in their last nine with no rest. The Knicks are 5th in the East with a 42-33 and have lost three straight games. They are still 12-6 ATS in their last 18 games and 6-2-1 ATS their last nine home games. The Knicks have covered the last six of seven in this series. I'll lay the big points tonight with New York.

The Houston Rockets are the worst team in the West at 18-55 and have been eliminated from the Playoffs. They have lost three straight and six of their last 10. They are coming off a loss at Memphis, 125-130, but covered the 12.5-point line. They do a bit better vs the spread, going 7-10 ATS their last 17 games. The Rockets are 5-13 ATS in their last 18 road games and 8-21 ATS in their last 29 road games vs a team with a winning record. The Grizzlies are 2nd in the West and have already secured a playoff spot. They are 45-27 and have won four straight and seven of their last 10 games. The Grizzlies are 42-19-2 ATS in their last 63 home games. Should be an easy win tonight for the Grizzlies. They didn't cover on Wednesday vs this same team, however I don't see Houston putting up the same effort tonight. Play Memphis.

Western Conference clash here on Sunday has the LA Clippers taking on the Trailblazers from Portland. The Clippers are in 5th in the West with a 37-34 record. The Clippers are 10-games back of the Nuggets for 1st in the West. Looks more like they will need to fend off those behind them as seven teams are within 3.5 games of the Clippers. The Clippers had their four game win streak snapped last game vs Orlando, 108-113, as a 6.5-point favorite. That also made them 4-2 ATS their las six games. Portland is in 13th place in the West, 3-games back of 10th place Utah and 5.5 games back of the Clippers. The Blazers look to snap a five game losing streak here today. They are also 2-8 S/U their last 10 games. Portland is also 3-7 ATS their last 10 games. When playing on 1 day rest they are 6-19-1 ATS their last 26 times. They also haven't done well at home recently, going 2-8-1 ATS their last 11. The Clippers have covered nine of the last 11 in this series and I look for that again here on Sunday. Play the Clippers.

The Brooklyn Nets sit 6th in the Eastern Conference as they bring a 2-game win streak into today's contest. They have also won five of their last six and covered six straight but are just 5-5 their last 10 games. The OKC Thunder are 5-5 also their last 10 games and are in 10th place in the West. They score the fourth most points per game at 117.8 ppg. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been great for the Thunder, averaging 31.2 ppg on the season. Though he has an abdominal injury, he is listed as probable for today's contest. The Nets traded away Durant and Irving before the All-Star game and while they have been winning, I don't think this team is nearly as good without those star players. I'll take Oklahoma City here tonight.

 Eastern Conference clash here today has 4th place Cleveland taking on 9th place Chicago. Chicago is 26-29 overall on the season. They have lost two straight games including last game vs the Nets, 105-116, as a pick'em. The Bulls are 9-18 S/U and 13-14 ATS on the road. The Bulls are also 1-4 ATS in their last four road games. The Cavs are 36-22 overall this season and have won five straight games both S/U and ATS. They are coming off a win over the Pelicans, 118-107, as a 3-point road favorite. The Cavs have been a great home team, going 23-6 S/U and 20-9 ATS. The Cavs are also 4-1 ATS in their last five home games. Take Cleveland

The Portland Trailblazers are just under the playoff line right now as we get closer to the half way point of the season. The Blazers are 24-26 in the tough Western Conference, but are a couple games back of New Orleans right now for that last playoff spot. Portland is coming off a home win over Atlanta, 129-125, as a 2.5-point favorite. Despite the win, they are just 3-4 S/U and ATS their last seven games. They are also 4-10 ATS their last 14 overall games and 0-8 ATS their last eight road games. Meanwhile, Memphis sitting 2nd in the Western Conference with a 32-18 record, 2.5-games back of Denver. The Grizzlies have been great at home, going 21-3 S/U and 16-8 ATS. They also outscore their visitors by a 119.7 to 108.5 ppg average. Moreover, they are 36-14-1 ATS in their last 51 home games. I'll take the Grizzlies here tonight and lay the points.

The Atlanta Hawks look to get above the .500 mark as they continue their Western road trip at Portland tonight. The Hawks have dropped to 25-25 with their recent 1-3 slide. They are coming off a loss at home to the Clippers, 113-120, as a 1-point favorite. The Hawks are just 10-24 ATS their last 34 road games vs a team with a winning home record. Portland is 23-26 on the season and is coming off a loss at home to Toronto, 105-123, after wins over Utah and San Antonio. This team can score too, getting 134 vs the Jazz and 147 vs the Spurs. They eclipse 130 quite frequently. The Blazers are 14-9-1 ATS at home and average 119.4 ppg. Five of the last six meetings in this series have gone OVER. The Hawks have also gone over in six of their last seven games. With the points the Blazers can score, this one could be a high scoring affair. Take the OVER.

It's been a rough stretch for the Washington Wizards as they are just 1-11 S/U and 3-8-1 ATS their last 12 games. They are coming off a loss at Utah last game, 112-120, as a 6-point dog. More bad news, the Wizards could be without one of their best players here tonight in Forward Kristaps Purzingis who is battling an illness. Purzingis is averaging 22 points a game this season. Meanwhile, Sacramento is having a decent season with a 17-13 S/U and 19-11 ATS record. The Kings are coming off a win over the Lakers, 134-120, as a 7.5-point favorite. That makes three wins in the last four games both S/U and ATS. The Kings have averaged 123.7 ppg at home this season and if they come close to that tonight I can't see the Wizards keeping pace, especially if they are missing that key cog. Take the Kings.

The Indiana Pacers are 5th in the Eastern Conference with a 13-11 record. They are the only team though in the top eight with a negative point differential. They have also gone 5-5 their last 10 games. The Pacers are 14-10 vs the spread this year. They snapped a 3-game S/U and ATS losing streak with a win at Golden State on Monday, 112-104, as a 11-point dog. Their road trip continues here tonight as they head back East to play the T'Wolves. This will be the club's 7th straight game on the road. The Minnesota Timberwolves look to get back to the .500 mark today as they sit at 11-12 overall and 8-15 vs the number. The Wolves have lost four of their last five games including last game vs the Thunder, 128-135, as a 5-point favorite. Pacers have to be tired of all this travelling they have done, now with this their 7th straight game on the road. They return home after tonight's game and not soon enough for them. I'll playing against the road weary Pacers tonight. Take Minnesota.

The NY Knicks are 10th in the NBA in the East with a 6-7 record. They have a -2.1 point differential and are coming off a loss to OK City, 135-145. The Knicks led that game by double digits in the first half but couldn't contain the Thunder offense. The start a five game road swing tonight at Utah. It's always difficult to play in Utah at the altitude. The Knicks are now 2-7-1 ATS in their last 10 games and 2-5-1 ATS their last eight after 1 day rest. The Utah Jazz are 3rd in the West with a 10-5 record and have a +4.2 point differential. The Jazz look to snap a two-game losing skid here tonight. Utah won the opener of their three game road trip at Atlanta, but then lost to Washington and last game at Philly, 98-105. Until these last two losses, the Jazz had covered seven straight games. The Jazz are 4-1 ATS in their last five home games. Utah is 25-9 ATS in their last 34 vs the Knicks and 4-0 ATS in their last four meetings in Utah. Take the Jazz tonight. 

The Washington Wizards hit the road today for a game at Memphis. It's an East vs West contest in the NBA and like usual, the West is just the way better conference. That is panning out again this year. The Wizards are 4-5 S/U and 3-6 ATS on the season. They are coming off a brutal beating in Brooklyn, 86-128 as a 3-point favorite. That makes them just 1-4 S/U and ATS their last five games. The Wizards don't have much magic on the road either where they are 5-11 ATS their last 16. They are also 6-18 ATS in their last 24 road games vs a team with a winning home record. The Memphis Grizzlies are 6-3 S/U and 3-4-2 ATS on the season. Memphis is 3-0 S/U and 2-1 ATS at home with a point differential of 14.7 ppg as they score an average of 126. 3 points on their home court. It pans out then that the Griz are 23-7 ATS in their last 30 home games. Memphis is 17-5-1 ATS their last 23 meetings at home vs the Wizards and 5-1 ATS their last six overall. I look for a Memphis blowout here today. Play Memphis.

The Utah Jazz are in 3rd place in the Western Conference with a 6-2 mark and have won two straight games. The Jazz are coming off back-to-back wins over Memphis at home, 121-105 and 124-123, covering both games. Now they hit the road again where they are 2-2 both S/U and ATS and have allowed 119.5 ppg this season. The Dallas Mavericks are 3-3 so far and coming off a win at home over Orlando, 114-105, pushing the number. The Mavs remain at home where they are 2-1 S/U and 1-1-1 ATS. The Mavs have averaged 120.7 ppg at home while allowing 106.0 point. Even though Utah has the better record, they are just +3.9 point differential this year compared to the Mavs +7.3 point differential. The Jazz have not been kind to bettors on the road, going 8-22-1 ATS their last 31 away games. They are also 4-12 AT in their last 16 games coming off 1-day rest. The Mavs have been good at home, going 18-7-1 ATS in their last 26 home games. The Mavs are 10-1 ATS the last 11 in this series and 5-1 ATS the last six at Dallas. I'll be on the Mavericks here tonight.

The Minnesota T'Wolves in 6th in the West with their 4-3 record. The Wolves coming off a loss at the Spurs, 98-107 as a 6-point favorite. The Wolves only have played twice on the road and are 1-1 both S/U and ATS. The Phoenix Suns are tied for 1st in the West with a 5-1 record. They also have the highest point differential at +12.4 points. The Suns have won and covered four straight games including their last game vs Houston, 124-109. The Suns are 7-2 ATS in their last nine home games. They have also gone 6-2 ATS in their last eight meetings with the T'Wolves and 9-4 ATS the last 13 meetings in Phoenix. Take the Suns here on Tuesday.

These teams play the 2nd of a back-to-back set here on Thursday as the Clippers lost at OKC a few days ago, 94-108. The loss dropped the Clips to 2-2 on the season and got the Thunder their first win, 1-3. LA played without some starts as Kwahi Leonard, Paul George and Marcus Morris (all starters) missed the game. But the defense really shut down OKC, holding the Thunder to just 38% from the field and 13% from three-point arc. It was turnovers and defensive rebounding that killed the Clippers though with 18 give aways and 13 fewer rebounds, especially on the defensive boards where they gave the Thunder 21 offensive boards or 2nd tries. Leonard is out again here tonight, but Paul and Morris are both questionable and likely will try to make it on the floor Thursday. The Thunder are not that good and I don't expect the Clippers to lose two in a row here tonight. They just need to shore up the turnovers and boards and even without Leonard they should pull out the win here tonight. Play the Clippers.

The season is just a few games old and the Lakers are already panicking after starting the season 0-3. They are already considering trades that can help bolster LeBron James and cast to at least be competitive. The Lakers opened the season with a loss at Golden State, 109-123, then lost to the Clippers, 97-103 and then again dropped their last game at home to the Trailblazers, 104-106. The Lakers might be without guard Russell Westbrook who is nursing a hamstring injury. Not that he's contributed much as it is, with just 10 point average in the three games this season. He's hitting 28.9% from the field and 8.3% from three point arc. Westbrook didn't work too well last year either and some are calling for his trade to get someone who can help Lebron get this team back on track. Meanwhile, Denver is 2-2 after four games played, coming off a loss to the Blazers, 110-135. The Lakers have had a couple days off, but they are just 4-12 ATS in their last 16 when having two days off. Denver is 3-1-1 ATS the last five vs the Lakers and until this Westbrook situation is cleared up, I believe the Lakers will continue to struggle. Play Denver tonight.

NBA Season just underway and the Detroit Pistons are 1-2 after three games. The Pistons opened with a win over the Washington Magic, 113-109, but have lost two straight games. The Washington Wizards are 2-1 after three games. Washington won its first two games but lost its last game at Cleveland in OT, 107-117. Bradley Beal leads the team with 23 ppg average. Center Kristaps Prozingis is averaging eight rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. Still early in the season but I like the talent on this Wizards team more than the Pistons. I'll lay the points at home tonight with Washington.

The Boston Celtics went into Game 5 saying that they weren't going to let Steph Curry beat them like he had in previous games. They did just that, keeping Curry under check and keeping Curry from hitting a 3-point shot for the first time in is playoff career. However, Wiggins went off on the Celtics and so did Thompson as other stepped in to lead Golden State to the win and cover in game 5. Tonight, the venue moves back to Boston as the Warriors can win the NBA Championship on the road here tonight. I have hit my last four NBA playoff selections including my last two NBA Totals. Tonight, I see another physical, low scoring game. I won't get involved with the line here tonight. Rather I'll be on the UNDER.

The Boston Celtics jumped out to a big lead in game three of the NBA Finals, only to have Golden State rally in the third and take a lead entering the fourth quarter. However, like game one, the Warriors collapsed in the fourth quarter and Boston won going away to also cover the spread, 116-100. Thus far none of the three games have been close, with Boston winning game one by 12, Golden State game two by 19 and the Celtics game three by 16. Today, I'm looking at the under. Just one of the first three games have gone under and that was game two in Golden State, 88-107. First, Stephen Curry hurt his foot in game two and while he's probable today, have to wonder if that will effect his performance here today. 2nd, I'm looking for a much more physical game here in game four. That will mean fewer scoring opportunities. So far it's been over, under and then over. If the bounce comes right, we are looking at another under here in game four. Play the UNDER.

Game three of the NBA Finals moves to Boston for tonight's contest. The Warriors returned their game one blowout loss with their own blowout in game two to even the series at 1-1. The Celtics were close in game two but came out the break and shot very badly in the third quarter which led to their demise. The Celtics also missed a lot of wide open shots in game two, something they need to fix tonight if they want to win. Tonight, I'm looking at the UNDER. The Warriors have gone under in 11 of their last 13 vs a team with a winning straight up record. They are also 1-4 O/U in their last five games when the dog. The UNDER has also been quite dominant in this series, with seven of the last 10 meetings in Boston going under and 20 of the last 28 overall meetings going under. I'll take the under here today in game three.

It's really this simple, the Warriors blew a huge lead they held for three quarters of game one. They got totally blown out in the fourth quarter to lose badly. They have to regroup here in game two or this series is likely done. I don't believe the Warriors can win four of five games with three of those at Boston. So tonight, the Warriors can't let what happened in game one happen here. They are too experienced and too good to let it happen again. I have to take the Warriors here tonight. And as big as the money line will be, I'm going to lay the money line with Golden State.

 Game one of the NBA Finals here tonight as the Boston Celtics make the long trip West to take on the Warriors from Northern Cal. The Celtics had to withstand a big comeback in game seven of their Eastern Conference finals against Miami to hold onto their four point win, 100-96. Meanwhile, the Warriors had little trouble dispatching the Dallas Mavericks in five games, including their final win 120-110. The Warriors are on familiar ground, having been to the NBA Finals in six of the last eight years. And, while the Celtics have been to the Finals 22 times, they have not been here in the last 12 seasons. That gives the Warriors a huge experience factor here of 132 games to zero. The other factor to figure here in game one is fatigue. Golden State winning has everything to do with fresh legs and the penalty of travel. The Warriors have not played for a week while the Celtics have seen their last two series go to seven games, including a highly emotional win at Miami Sunday. Between the history and the recent play, I'll take the Warriors here in game one on the Money Line.

 I believe the Boston Celtics could have cost themselves a NBA Finals appearance by losing game six at home the Miami Heat. The series returns to Miami for game seven and the winner moving on to the Finals against the Golden State Warriors. Two things stand out to me; 1st is that the Heat took all the momentum in this series after losing game six. The other and bigger thing is that NBA home teams have a distinct advantage in game 7 of a series. Let take a quick look. The Celtics have the most games 7's in NBA history, with 33 and that will be 34 after Sunday's game. There have been 133 games 7's with the home team winning 79% of the time or 105-28. That is a huge stat when it comes to home court advantage. And yet, here we have the Miami Heat a home dog in game seven. Not only do they not have to win, but they have a couple of points to play with as they currently are +2.5 or +3 points. For me, the momentum has shifted to Miami and with home court here in game seven, I'll take the points.

The Boston Celtics took a 3-2 lead in this NBA Eastern Conf Finals Championship series with their win on Wednesday night, 93-80. In what was a very low scoring contest, the Heat led at the half, 42-37. However, the Celtics came out of the half firing and won the third quarter 32-16 and then the fourth quarter 24-22. Now the Heat are force to win the last two games in this series, including Friday's contest at Boston. The Celtics are a 3-point shooting team, they live and die beyond the arc and that's why we've pretty much seen blowouts in every contest. The Celtics opened game six line as a 9-point favorite and that's for good reason. Miami guard Tyler Herro missed Wednesday's game and that's a big loss for this team. With his status in question for game six here on Friday and the game in Boston, this becomes my favorite play in the championship series. Take Boston.

The Boston Celtics and Miami Heat are tied 2-2 in this best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals Championship. The Heat got beat bad ly in game four on their home court, 82-102. In fact, these teams have alternated win/losses with the winning team covering the spread. The Heat had to play game four without their guard Tyler Herro, who has a groin injury. Herro is questionable today and the Heat could really use his 20.7 ppg average. The Heat also need this game to maintain home court advantage or else they face going back to Boston down 2-3. For me, this is a key game for the Heat, lose and they are likely done in the series, win and they only have to win one of the last two games. I'll take Miami here tonight, especially since I believe Herro will return. Play Miami.

The Golden State Warriors can wrap-up their Western Conference Finals with the Dallas Mavericks tonight. The Warriors took a 3-0 lead in this series after beating the Mavs in Dallas last game, 109-100. The Mavs led early, but once they fell behind in the 2nd quarter they never were able to fully recover. The question for me here tonight is how much does the Warriors want to win this game. A win and they get a nice rest while the Eastern Conference teams battle it out for their rep in the Title match. Sometimes too much rest can take away from a teams momentum too. But tonight, I think the Warriors want the rest and will do all it takes to put this series to an end. Play Golden State.

The Boston Celtics look to even this best of seven series at 2-2 with a win tonight at home over the Miami Heat. The Celtics lost game one in Miami, 107-118, took game two 127-102 and then lost at home in game three, 103-109. The Heat will be with0out guard Tyler Herro tonight who has a groin injury. They do look to have guard Jimmy Butler playing though who was upgraded to probable with a knee injury. The Celtics Jayson Tatum is expected to play with a cervical sprain. Celtics can't afford to lose another game on their home court. This line is a bit stiff, but I look for the Celtics to win here tonight. Play Boston.

The Mavericks could easily be tied 1-1 in this series, but instead they are 0-2 after their two games at Golden State. The Mavs led by double digits at half time in game two and led at the end of the third quarter. However, they were outscored by 11 points in the third quarter and not only lost 117-126, but failed to cover the 6-point dog line. That means game three is pivotal here today for the Mavs. Lose and they go down 0-3 in this best of seven series. Win, and they are back in it. Something that could help their cause is that Warriors' guard Andrew Wiggins is questionable today with a ankle injury. I look for this to be the game the Mavs must win and I'll give them a shot. Take Dallas on the Money Line.

 The Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors play game two of their series here tonight in Northern California. The Warriors blew out the Mavs in game one, 112-87. The Warriors were red hot, hitting 56.1% from the field and 34.5% from 3-point arc. The Mavs had their worst shooting performance in the playoffs, hitting just 36% from the field and 22.9% from the 3-point line. The Mavs have been a good covering team, going 9-4 ATS their last 13 games. The Warriors are 2-6 ATS their last eight as a favorite. The Mavs have done well vs the Warriors, going 11-4 ATS their last 15 meetings and 6-2 ATS their last eight meetings in Golden State. I don't see the Mavs shooting that bad again here tonight. I'll take the Points with Dallas.

Game two of the Eastern Conference Championship has the Miami Heat with a 1-0 lead in the best of seven series. The Celtics took pretty good pounding in game one, though the 107-118 final made the game look closer than it was. The Celtics have lived and died by the three-point shot this year. They had 110 attempts vs the Bucks and that was third all time in the NBA playoffs for 3-pointers attempted. In game one they hit 32.4%, well below their game seven win over the Bucks of 40%. Still, the Celtics do well as road dogs, going 7-1-1 ATS their last nine. They also bounce back well, going 4-1 ATS their last five after losing straight-up by 10 points or more. The Celtics have done well vs the Heat, going 13-6 ATS their last 19 meetings in Miami and 23-11-1 their last 35 overall. I look for the Celtics to bounce back here in game two.

Game one of the NBA Western Conference Championships here tonight as the Dallas Mavericks take on the Warrior in Golden State. The Mavs pulled the big upset thus far, beating the regular season best team in the NBA the Phoenix Suns. And they did so by taking games seven in Phoenix in a blowout win, 123-90. Three of the seven games went over the total and three of the four on the road went over for the Mavs. The Mavs have now gone over in eight of their last 11 road games. Golden State beat the Memphis Grizzlies 4-2 in their series. They split the over/unders with three over and three under. The Warriors have been a very good over team when they have rest, evidenced by their 15-5-1 O/U/P record their last 21 with 3 days or more of rest. This has also been a over series with 12 of the last 16 games going over. I'm taking game on OVER here tonight.

It took seven game but the Boston Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference Championships after beating Milwaukee. They had little trouble with the Bucks in game game, cruising to a 109-81 win. The Celtics were 4-2-1 ATS in the series. The Miami Heat advanced to the Championship series by beating the Philadelphia 76ers in six games. They were 4-2 vs the number and their two losses were on the road. They had little trouble on their home floor, winning by 40, 16 and 14 points. This will be a rematch of the 2020 conference finals when they were played in the bubble in Orlando. The Heat won that series in Orlando. The Celtics live and die by the 3-point shot. They had 53 more 3-pointers than the Bucks in that seven game series. With their 110 3-pointers, the Celtics tied for third most in any playoff series. The Heat had the East's best home court record at 29-12 this year in the regular season. They are 6-0 at home in the playoffs. I'll take the Heat here in game one on the money line.

It's Game 7 of this Eastern Conference Clash between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics. The Bucks extended the series with a game 6 win, 108-95 to force this game seven back in Boston. Four of the six games in the series have gone UNDER the total. Milwaukee has had some very poor shooting games in this series, hitting just 41.5% or worse in four of the six games. Their three-point shots have also been bad with half their games having a 26.5% or worse mark. Two of the three games in Boston have gone under and for me, I'm sticking with a lower scoring game here today. Play UNDER.

Game six of this Eastern Conf Semifinal has the Celtics taking on the Bucks from Milwaukee. The Celtics somehow lost game five, despite a large 4th quarter lead. Now the Celtics face elimination with a loss here tonight. In their previous two games at Milwaukee, Boston lost 101-103 and won 116-108. The Celtics live and die outside the paint. They did well last game hitting 51% from the field but just 32% from 3-point line. Only one other game they shot worse and that was also a losing effort. I look for the Celtics to rebound here today and take this game six and force a game seven back in Boston.

Game 6 of this best of seven series tonight shifts back to Dallas after the Mavericks lost game five in Phoenix, 80-110. The Mavs now face elimination tonight with a loss. Like a lot of other series, this has been dominated by the home team. The Mavs lost the first two games in Phoenix and failed to cover either game, then won and covered the next two at home, before getting blown out in game five at Phoenix. The Suns are a small favorite, but I'm sticking with the home team in this series and that means a small dog here on Dallas.

The Memphis Grizzlies face elimination here tonight in this Western Conference Semifinal matchup with the Golden State Warriors. The Grizzlies lost game four, 98-101, but played well and were in the game from the start. And, they played without star Ja Morant. That makes them 24-5 this year when Morant has been out of the lineup. It appears Morant will miss again here tonight with that knee injury. The Grizzlies played both games on their home court tough, winning 106-101 and losing 116-117. In fact, they have covered three of the four in this series. I'm going to take the Grizzlies again here in game five plus the points and won't be surprised by a straight-up win.

Bad news for the 76ers as it looks like Joel Embiid will likely miss the rest of the playoffs with a concussion. He hurt his hand in the last round, but still played. Now he's out with this concussion and that's 30.6 ppg that the Sixers will have to replace. Philly has lost the first two games of this series at Miami, 92-106 and then the last game, 103-119. Now they return home here tonight for a pivotal game three in which they could face going down 0-3 in the series. The Heat have covered both games in this series and have also covered 11 of their last 14 games overall. They also will have guard Tyler Herro in the lineup tonight with a ankle injury that landed him on the injury report. I'm going to take the Heat here tonight on the Money Line with Embiid definitely out.

 The Boston Celtics lost home court in the first game of their semi-final series with the Milwaukee Bucks. The Celtics getting beat soundly in game one, 89-101. You have to go back to December 29th for the last time the Celtics scored fewer points. They hit a miserable 33% from the field and were out-rebounded. Now they can ill afford to go down 0-2 on their home court. The Celtics are too good a team having won 55 games to do so. Plus, the Bucks are happy to escape Boston 1-1 so I don't look for a win here today by the Bucks. I'll lay the points with Boston and see if they can even the series. Play Boston.

Game one of this best of seven series between the Mavericks and the Suns from Phoenix tonight. The Mavericks took six games to beat Utah including winning the last two games. The Jazz also covered every game in that series except the first game. The Suns had the best record in the regular season, but had to go to six games to beat the New Orleans Pelicans. They did have some injury issue with Devin Booker is recovering from a hamstring injury. Booker looked limited in game six of the Pelicans series but looks ready to go at full speed here in game one tonight. With the Suns back at full strength I do like them here in game one. Play Suns.

 Game one of this best of seven Semi-Final series between the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies. The Warriors won their quarterfinal matchup with the Denver Nuggets 4 games to 1. The Warriors also covered three of the five games in the series. With the exception of the last game, the Warriors hit 50% or better from the field in the other four games. The Warriors were never the dog in any of the five games either. The Memphis Grizzlies won their series with the Minnesota Timberwolves, four games to two. The Grizzlies were tied 2-2 before taking the last two games in the series. The Grizzlies covered three of the six games and were favored in all six games. Game one should be excellent between these team and I'll take the road club here on Golden State.

Game five of this best of seven series between the Chicago Bulls and the Milwaukee Bucks is an elimination game should the Bulls lose. The Bulls are down 1-3 in this series and facing the end of their season tonight. So far all four games have gone under in this series as the Bulls have had trouble scoring points. The Bulls have 95 or fewer points in three of the four games. I'm not getting involved in this big line today, rather I'll stick with the UNDER as the Bulls exit the playoffs.

The Miami Heat can wrap-up their best of seven series tonight on their home court. The Heat lead the series 3-1 after taking the first two games at home and then splitting the next two at Atlanta. They won game four in Atlanta, 110-86. They have also covered three of the four games in the series. That makes nine out of the last 11 games the Heat have covered. The one mark against the Heat tonight will be the loss of guard Kyle Lowry, who is out tonight with a leg injury. Is this an issue tonight? Well, consider that Lowry also missed game four and the Heat still won by 24 points. I believe this will be more of an issue going forward in their next series. For me, I'm taking the Heat to wrap it up tonight and cover this game. Play Miami.

The Toronto Raptors staved off elimination in game four with a win over the Sixers, 110-102. That was the clubs first win and cover in the four games thus far. In addition, three of the games have gone UNDER the total. The Raptors will be without a key offensive player tonight in Fred VanVleet, who is out with a hip injury. The 76ers were also dealt a blow when Joel Embiid tore a ligament in his right thumb. That injury will require surgery after the season is over. He has vowed to play through the injury. However, with both teams having key offensive players hurt, I have to wonder how this game makes it over tonight. I'll take this game UNDER.

 Game three of this series looked like a dead under until about 1 minute left when the teams went wild hitting threes and making foul shots to send it over. That makes two straight in the series that have gone over. However, The Suns have been a decent under team, having gone under in six straight and eight of the last nine before these last two games. The Suns have taken a 2-1 lead in this series and regained home court after taking game three at New Orleans, 114-111 as a 2-point favorite. This should be another close game and I will take the UNDER one more time.

The Golden State Warriors have had little trouble with the Denver Nuggets. Well, at least in Golden State where they won both games by 20 and 16 points. Now they have to travel to Denver and the higher elevation. Golden State has been hot, winning their last seven games S/U and going 6-1 ATS. Denver was a fair home team this year, going 25-18 S/U and a poor home covering team at 15-26 ATS. Denver is just 2-5 S/U and ATS their last seven games. Denver is also just 3-9 ATS their last 12 games vs a team with a winning S/U record. I'm going to take the Warriors on the money Line tonight.

The Toronto Raptors return home for game three of their best of seven series with the Sixers down 0-2. They lost game on in Philly, 111-131 and then lost game two, 97-112. This is a pivotal game three as they can ill afford to go down 0-3 in this series. Up until this series, the Sixers had not been a good covering team. Yet they covered both games so far in this series. The Raptors do have a few good things here in game three. They are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 home games vs a road team with a winning record. They are also 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games playing on one day rest. The Raptors are 5-1 ATS in their last six games vs the Sixers in Toronto. I'll take the Raptors here as it's do or die. Play Toronto.

The Phoenix Suns showed the league why they are the best team in the NBA this year as they opened the playoffs with a decisive win over the Pelicans in game one, 110-99, covering the 10-point spread. Despite the close cover, the Suns led by double digits most of the way. Phoenix has now covered four of their last five playoff games as the favorite and is 4-0 ATS their last four quarterfinal games. New Orleans will try and avoid returning home down 0-2. They haven't done well lately against good teams, going 1-6 ATS the last seven against a winning team. They are also 0-4 ATS their last four as a dog. I don't look for Phoenix to have any more trouble then they did in game one. Of all the games in round one, this is the one that believes plays out just as it should, a Phoenix blowout.

The Timberwolves and Grizzlies begin their best of seven series here today at Memphis. The T'Wolves split their last four games 2-2 S/U and 1-3 ATS. The Wolves are just 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games as a dog. They are also 3-8 ATS their last 11 rod games vs a team with a winning home record. Memphis finished the regular season with a loss to the Celtics, 110-139 in what was a meaningless game for the Grizzlies. Still, they would like to get back to the streak that saw them win seven straight games. Unlike Minnesota, Memphis has been hot vs the number. They are 17-4 ATS their last 21 games at home. They are 14-3 ATS their last 17 as a home favorite. They have also dominated the T'Wolves of late, covering the last 16 of 21 meetings. They are even better at Memphis, going 24-8 ATS their last 32 vs the T'Wolves. I'm taking Memphis here in game one.

Win and move on, lose and you go home. That's the theme here tonight for these two teams. The Pelicans won their first play-in game last Wednesday, beating the San Antonio Spurs 113-103 as a 5.5-point favorite. The Pelicans are 13-5 ATS in their last 18 road games and 10-4 in their last 14 road games as a dog. The LA Clippers got some bad news today when star shooting guard Paul George tested positive for Covid and will have to miss this game. That's a huge loss since they are already playing without their Superstar forward Kawhi Leonard. The Clippers lost their opening Play-In Round game to the T'Wolves, 104-109. This line dropped to a pick'em with George out tonight. I'm taking the Pelicans as they move onto the seeded playoffs.

NBA Play-In tournament continues here today as the San Antonio Spurs take on the New Orleans Pelicans. The Spurs finished the regular season with a 34-48 record. They did lose their last three games though they covered two and pushed the other. In fact, this Spurs team has bee a very good team vs the number, going 5-0-1 ATS the last six games and 9-1-1 ATS their last 11 games. The New Orleans Pelicans have a lot of injury questions coming into today. However, two seem solved with center James Valancions and forward Brandon Ingram now both probable for today. Forward Zion Willamson does remain out though with a foot injury. The Pelicans finished the regular season with two losses both S/U and ATS. The Spurs have covered eight of the last nine in this series and all seven of the last seven meetings in New Orleans. I'll take the Spurs here in the Play-In game.

Early action on the NBA hard court today as the 76ers host the Pacers. The Indiana Pacers are just playing out these last two days before their vacation. However, the Philadelphia 76ers still have something to play for this weekend. The Sixers are in 4th in the East, just a half game behind the Celtics for third place. They are 1.5 games back of Milwaukee and 1.5 games ahead of Toronto. The Sixers had their three-game win streak snapped at Toronto on Thursday, 114-119 as a 3.5-point favorite. Philly will close out their season at home against Detroit tomorrow. Both these games should be wins for the Sixers, which will put some pressure on those teams in front of them. The Pacers won't win here today. They haven't won since March 20th, losing eight straight games. They have also covered just three of their last eight games. The Sixers can't let down now. I'll lay the points with Philly today.

 Neither of these teams will be going to the playoffs this year. Does this mean that the Lakers will shut down their stars? Russell Westbrook, Lebron James and Anthony Davis are all questionable tonight. I'll be looking at the total here tonight. The Thunder are 16-6-1 O/U in their last 23 games as a dogl. They are also 16-7-1 O/U their last 24 overall games. The Lakers are 8-3 O/U their last 11 games. While we may or may not see the stars play tonight, I like these two teams to put up plenty of points and take this game OVER. They have gone over in seven of their last 10 meetings and that is what I expect tonight.

The Phoenix Suns have the best record in the NBA locked and put away. They really have nothing left to play for in these final days of the regular season. In fact, I won't be surprised to see key players doing a lot of sitting here tonight. The Suns snapped a two-game losing streak last game with a win over the Lakers, 121-110. Still, they haven't covered a game in four straight. The Clippers have already clinched a Playin berth as they currently sit 8th, four games ahead of the Pelicans. The Clippers have won two straight games and covered both after a stretch that saw them go 1-6 S/U and ATS. The Clippers are 11-3 ATS in their last 14 meetings in LA with the Suns and 19-9 ATS the last 28 overall meetings. I'll take the Clippers here tonight.

As we come down to the finals games of the NBA regular season, Miami finds themselves sitting in 1st place in the East, 2-games against of the Boston Celtics and 2.5 games ahead of Milwaukee and Philly. While the Heat have clinched the SouthEast division, they would like to lock of that top spot in the East. Charlotte looks to hold one of the two Play-In berths in the East. The other currently held by Brooklyn. Charlotte is coming off a loss at Philly, 114-144, failing to cover the 5.5-point dog line. While Charlotte has been good at covering, they don't do well against very good teams. They are just 8-18-2 their last 28 games vs a team with a 60% or better winning mark. Miami had to endure a four-game losing streak in last March. However, they have rebounded and have won four straight both S/U and ATS. More good news tonight, star Jimmy Butler, who has been rested, is probable tonight. I like Miami here, they need to win to lock up that top East Spot.

Early game here on Sunday has the Washington Wizards taking on the Boston Celtics in a NBA Eastern conference clash. Washington was eliminated from the playoffs as they sit 11th, 5.5 games back of 10th place Brooklyn. The Celtics are 3rd in the East and can improve or fall back. They are a half game back of 2nd place Milwaukee and two back of 1st place Miami. The Wizards are just 3-7 ATS their last 10 games as a road dog. They are also 6-16 ATS their last 22 games on one day of rest. The Celtics snapped a two game losing streak with a win over Indiana, 128-123, though they failed to cover the 15-point favorite line. Still, the Celtics are 6-3 ATS their last nine games. The Celtics have also gone 12-4-1 ATS their last 17 games against the Pacers at Boston. I'll lay the big number here today with a Boston team that can still change their playoff position.

The Basketball Classic Championship here tonight between Fresno State and Coastal Carolina. Fresno State lost three of their last four games to close out their season. They have hit the NIT running though, beating Eastern Washington, Youngstown State and then last game over Southern Utah, 67-48 as a 7-point favorite. Fresno not the best offensive team, as they rank just 148 in the Kenpom offensive efficiency rankings. They do better in defense though, ranking 32nd overall. The Dogs haven't done well covering against winning teams, evidenced by their 3-9 ATS mark their last 12 games. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers have just 19 wins on the season. Though six of those have come in the last seven games. They lost in their conference championship game to Georgia Southern and have since won three straight in this tournament. The last coming over South Alabama, 69-68, as a 1-point dog. Carolina just out of the top 100 in both. Carolina is 6-1 ATS their last seven games. Have to figure Carolina with chance to win today, so I'll take the points with them.

The Miami Heat have not only clinched their Division, but they have the best record in the NBA Eastern Conference, a half game ahead of Philly and one game back of today's opponent, Boston. The Heat snapped a four game losing streak with a win over Sacramento, 123-100, last game as a 13.5-point favorite. The Heat have not been good at covering spreads, going 1-7 ATS their last eight games. A win tonight by Boston and they will be tied with the Heat. The Celtics had their six game win streak snapped in their last game at Toronto, losing 112-115, but covering the 8.5-point dog line. They have now covered three straight and six of their last seven games. I'll lay the points here tonight with Boston.

The Best of the East meets the Best of the West today as Philly travels to Phoenix. It's a four way dog fight for the best record in the NBA East, with Philadelphia 76ers percentage points in first. The Sixers have won three straight to improve to 46-27 overall and 35-37-1 vs the spread. They have also gone over in three straight games, scoring 122, 126 and 113 points in those games. The Phoenix Suns have the NBA West best record all theirs with a 8 1/2 game lead over 2nd place Memphis. They also have the NBA's best record by far over the East. The Suns have been a scoring machine of late, posting 125 or more points in each of their last seven games. They have also gone over in seven of their last eight games. The Suns are 13-3 O/U in their last 16 home games vs a winning team. This has been a great over series, with the last six meetings in Phoenix going OVER and 18-7-1 the last 26 overall meetings going OVER. I'm taking OVER here today with these two powerhouse teams.

Southwest Division battle here between a pair of Texas teams as the Dallas Mavs host the Houston Rockets. The Houston Rockets are 18-54 S/U on the season and 28-43-1 ATS. The Rockets snapped a five-game losing streak with a win over Washington, 115-97, as a 4.5-point dog. The Rockets are just 13-31 ATS their last 44 games as a dog and 0-5 ATS their last five road games as a dog. The Dallas Mavericks are 44-28 S/U and 38-33-1 ATS. The Mavs snapped a two-game losing streak with a win over Minnesota last game, 110-108. That makes Dallas 9-3 S/U their last 12 games. The Mavs are 7-3 ATS their last 10 home games. I'll take the home team here tonight and lay the points with Dallas.

The Portland Trailblazers have dropped to 26-44 after losing four straight games. That includes last time out at Indiana, 98-129, as a 8-point dog. In fact, the Blazers are 1-10 S/U their last 11 games. Portland also has been hurting vs the number, going 3-8 ATS their last 11 games and 2-6 their last eight as a road dog. The Detroit Pistons are just 19-52 overall on the season but have a winning spread record at 39-32 ATS. The Pistons are coming off a loss at Cleveland, 109-113, but covered the 6-point dog spread. Even though the Pistons are 1-5 S/U their last six games they are 13-1 ATS their last 14 games! They are also 5-1 ATS their last six home games. The Pistons has covered four of the last five games in Detroit. Also to note here tonight, the Blazers will be without their best player in Guard Damian Lillard who is out with an abdominal injury. Take Detroit tonight.

The Chicago Bulls improved to 41-26 thanks to winning two games in a row. They are coming off a win at home over Cleveland, 101-91, as a 5.5-point favorite. The Bulls are 7-3 ATS their last 10 games vs a team with a losing S/U record. They are also 35-16-1 ATS in their last 52 games as a favorite. The Sacramento Kings have lost four straight games. They are also 2-9 S/U their last 11 games. The Bulls are 4-1 ATS the last five meetings with the Kings. I'll lay the number here tonight with Chicago.

The Golden State Warriors are 43-21 on the season. That's the good news. The bad news? Well, this team is in fast decline, losing four straight games and going just 2-8 their last 10 games. They are also 1-11 ATS their last 12 games. They have lost their last four games by 8, 9, 15 and 6 points. Tonight, there is a certain situation that really goes against the Warriors. They will be resting Andrew Wiggins, Klay Thompson and Stephen Currey. To add to the situation, they have to travel to the high altitude of Denver with a short bench. The Nuggets are 38-26 on the season. They have won two straight and eight of their last nine games. They are also 6-3 ATS their last nine games. Great situation for the Nuggets tonight. They are hot and they get a ice code Warriors team with three stars sitting out. Play Denver.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are still having a good season at 36-26 overall and 33-26-3 vs the spread. The Cavs are just 1-5 S/U their last five games and 0-6 vs the spread. They are coming off a loss at home to Charlotte, 98-119, as a 4.5-point favorite. They are also 2-5 ATS in their last seven games as a dog and 2-6-1 ATS in their last nine games on the road. They also look to be without their shooting guard, Caris LeVert, who will miss today's game with a foot injury. The Sixers big pickup with James Harden and he could be a game changer down the stretch for this Philly team. Philly is 38-23 overall and 31-30 vs the spread. They have won all three games both S/U and ATS since the All-Star break. And, all three have been blowout wins by 15, 16 and 29 points. The Sixers look like a team that is hitting all cylinders right now. Play Philadelphia.

The Dallas Mavericks head to LA tonight to face the Lakers at the Staples Center. The Mavs are 36-25 overall on the season and 34-26-1 vs the spread. The Mavs are coming off a road win over Golden State, 107-101 as a 3.5-point dog. That makes them 3-1 S/U and 4-0 on this current road trip. The Lakers are just 27-33 on the season both S/U and ATS. They have lost two straight games since the second half of the season started, 102-105 to the Clippers and last game 95-123 at home to the Pelicans. They are now 1-5 S/U their last six games and 2-4 ATS their six. Lakers will be without Anthony Davis today who is out with an ankle injury, while LeBron James is back and is probable with a knee injury. Mavs playing very well and I'll lay the points at LA with the Mavs.