The Philadelphia 76ers can take total command of the best of 7 series, as they are in Miami on Saturday. The 76ers played well on Thursday, and will now carry that over to this game. The 76ers have a lot of youth and they are playing wel. Look for Joel Embiid to have another big game and take Hassan Whiteside out of the picture early and often. Miami shot very well in game 3 and yet the Heat lost by 20. There's no reason to believe the Sixers won't impose their will again in Game 4 and go up 3-1 with a win here on Saturday afternoon.

5* 

The Bucks do not stand much of a chance in this series, but a win on Friday will get them a little momentum. We have seen Milwaukee play huge bounce back games, and being at home is going to be huge for them. The Bucks are athletic and long and know how to get to the FT line. Look for a big bounceback from their perimeter shooters on their homecourt plus they should be able to limit their turnovers. The Bucks now know they're just as good as these depleted Celtics. Look for a big game from the Bucks at home on Friday night!

5* 

The Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat are tied at 1 game a piece as they head back to South Beach. The 76ers aren't going to shoot 7 of 36 from three-point range again and D Wade isn't going to have another huge game like he did in game 2.

 Expect Ben Simmons to be an active scorer and the 76ers to bounce back after dropping their 1st game after their 17 game winning streak.

 Look for Philadelphia to get back on track  and win pivotal Game 3.

5*

Utah had the NBA's best defense over the final month of the season and I expect that defense to resurface in Game 2. The Jazz are 32-9 their last 41 games and they will rebound here tonight.

Paul George isn't going to go 8 for 11 from deep again. I like the underdog Jazz here in this one tonight.

5*

The extra day of rest is just what the Cavs need to regroup, as they're dealing with several injuries. LeBron James and Kevin Love will be much more aggressive offensively than they were in Game 1, and Cleveland will shoot much better from deep than its disastrous 8 of 34 opener. Look for the Cavs to make adjustments and get a big win here on Wednesday night.

5*

The Trail Blazers lost Game 1 to a perfectly executed game plan from the Pelicans, but I expect them to be prepared in Game 2. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum will both do better. The Portland big men should do a better job with Anthony Davis. Moe Harkless is a huge piece of this team's game plan, and his likely return will change this series. Look for Portland to shoot much better tonight and even up this series with a big win and cover

4*

The Bucks are athletic and long and know how to get to the FT line. Look for a big bounceback from Eric Bledsoe, who was held to just nine points Sunday due to foul trouble. The Bucks now know they're just as good as these depleted Celtics. Milwaukee also had 20 turnovers in that game and I expect them to take better care of the ball tonight. Grab the points but don't be surprised by an outright win here in game 2 on Tuesday night.

5* 

Presumably, the Heat learned something in Saturday's 27-point blowout loss that they can improve upon for Monday. The 76ers made 65% of their 3 pt shots and were on fire but I don't see that happening again. The Heat are well coached and will make the proper adjustments. The public is all over Philly but we are taking the underdog Heat here in Game 2.

5* 

OKC beat the Jazz 3 out of 4 during the season, but the odd thing about those games is that they were all played before Dec. 23rd, and the last two without Rudy Gobert, who completely changes the dynamic of the Jazz defensively. They're one of the top teams in the league with him in their lineup. When Gobert returned in late January, the Utah Jazz went on a 30-8 run to close out the season and one of the hottest teams in the league right now and well coached. The Jazz are tough and they're disciplined, everything the Thunder aren't, and I'll back them as an underdog here. The key is to keep Paul George in check. Play the UTAH JAZZ plus the pts.

5* 

Cleveland has been a very dominant team at home while the Pacers were just .500 on the road. LeBron James has been the most dominant player in the first round of the NBA playoffs, has won 21 games in a row in the opening round (an NBA record). He's never lost a first-round series (12-0), nor even a Game 1 of any first round. I think the Cavs are the better team and should win this one at home by 10 or more on Sunday afternoon.

5* 

The 76ers are still churning wins without Joel Embiid. They come in winning 16 straight (11-5 ATS), the last eight without Embiid. Everyone on the squad has been picking up the slack, such as J.J. Redick, who has averaged 24 ppg in his last four. Saric has been solid and  Ben Simmons is nearing, or accomplishing, a triple-double almost nightly. The bench is giving them production and Philly is also playing great defense.

Its been a while since Philly has been in the playoffs and I like the team and the arena to be rocking on Saturday night.

Take the Sixers as they get the win & cover.

10*

The Spurs by far are the worst road-playoff team at (14-27), and it's not even close.  The Spurs struggle to score and Golden St is very good at home even without Curry, I expect them to step up for the playoffs.

They still have Durant, Green and Thompson. Not to mention Cook has been playing really solid since losing Curry. Golden St should put it together and be motivated for the playoffs and I look for them to roll in game 1 on Saturday afternoon.

5*

The Portland Trail Blazers would like to get healthy before the postseason starts. They are very tough at home with a 27-13 record. Portland has dropped 4 in a row all on the road and  I look for them to finish the season strong at home as the Jazz won by 40 last night plus had to travel.

This is a big game because the winner will be the third seed in the Western Conference. Look for Damian Lillard to come out with a big game. 

5*

The Heat are coming off a lethargic 24-point loss against the Knicks, in which they allowed offensively challenged New York to shoot 51 percent from the floor. Miami is 2-5 against the spread in its last seven and will have its hands full with a determined Oklahoma City squad that must keep winning to secure a playoff berth. Expect the Thunder to to give a full effort on Monday night and pull away in the 2nd half for a big win.

5* 

The Sixers are fighting for the third seed in the Eastern Conference and have a very winable game against a Dallas Mavericks team intent on playing guys that don't belong on an NBA roster. 

Philly gets off to quick starts and I am looking for a big blowout win at home for the 76ers on Sunday afternoon.

Look for Philly to build an early lead and  I expect the Sixers to pull away in the 2nd half and cruise to a 20-pt victory.

5*

I believe the 76ers can hang with Cleveland, especially at home. Philly is a balanced team and playing great defense. They are rested while Cleveland played a tough game last night plus has to travel. I'm on the 76ers on Friday night.

4* 

Denver is very good at home sporting a 29-10 record. They are also playing with double revenge in this THursday game. No question this is a playoff game for Denver and they’ve done well with the playoff pressure going 5-2 with the only losses to #1 & #4 seeds of Toronto and Philadelphia. A win tonight would give the Nuggets the same record as the T-Wolves. Minnesota is 2-3 SU/1-4 ATS the L5 games with the wins against Atlanta and Dallas (2 of the 5 teams with 24 wins or less). The T-Wolves are really struggling without Jimmy Butler and also their PG Jeff Teague. I'm on the Nuggets here tonight.

5* 

Milwaukee is 24-15 at home this season, while Brooklyn is just 11-27 on the road. This Nets team relies too much on outside shots. It’s hard to trust the Nets right now after back-to-back ugly performances. The Nets lost by 12 at home to Detroit and by 26 at Philadelphia. Milwaukee is in the middle of a playoff race battle, and I like them at home here Thursday night. The Milwaukee Bucks are currently in 8th place in the Eastern Conference. The Bucks would love to move into 7th because that would put them against the injury-ravaged Boston Celtics in the first round. They will be looking to win big tonight. Lastly the Bucks are now 10-0 SU & 7-3 ATS in their last 10 meetings with Brooklyn and 2-0 against them this year winning both games by 12 or more points.

10* 

The 76ers playing great defense lately as none of their last 9 opponents have reached 43% shooting. Detroit has also been an Under team of late going 3-7 O/U their last 10 games. Look for a low scoring battle as many of the 76ers rested in the 4th quarter last night in  their blowout win.

5*

Denver has won 4 of the past 6 while Indiana has won 5 in a row! Denver looking to get revenge from their 10 point road loss to Indiana back in December. This is the Pacers 4th road game in a row and I am backing the Nuggets fighting to make the playoffs, while Pacers have already clinched.

4* 

Pacers play a slow pace as they are #24 in possessions per game while Sacramento is even lower at #28. The Pacers are off an upset win in which their defense allowed Golden St to shoot just 40.7% and 13 of their last 15 games have gone Under. Sacramento is struggling on offense failing to reach 100 points in 5 of their last 6 games and they’ve shot 50% or better once in the last 13 games. They may get Zach Randolph back but with him in the lineup they slow the pace even more.

 Kings are playing solid D as in their last 16 games they’ve held 9 opponents to under 45% and 14 under 50%!

Lets back the UNDER here in NBA action tonight.

5*

Its hard to believe the Clippers are going to get up for this game. Phoenix has lost 12 straight and 27 of their last 29 contests but they are still playing hard and competitive. The Clippers are play their 12th straight game in a different venue, had to rally after blowing a 16 point lead last night, are playing their 3rd game in 4 days and 6th game in 10 days and are playing with play-off pressure as the current #9 seed. The Clippers on the season have NEVER been a favorite of 7 or more points. Phoenix has covered B2B games and held 3 of their last 4 foes to 45% shooting so I like them as a double digit home dog here tonight.

5*

Portland now 11-1-1 ATS since Feb 27th with the only non-covers at home against Houston and Boston. Portland does own a 20-13-2 road spread mark this season, while New Orleans has a below .500 home spread mark at 17-19-1 on the campaign. This one is all about the Blazers proving that after a 1-4 slide over the last 5 meetings, they can actually step up and defeat this Pelicans club. I like Portland to do just that here on Tuesday night.

4* 

10* NBA GAME OF THE WEEK:

I'm rolling the 76ers here on Big Monday in NBA action.  This is the fifth game of a 7-game road trip for the Nuggets, who enter play 13-23 away from home. The Sixers have played brilliantly during their current six-game winning streak, and in their last three contests against the Timberwolves, Magic and Grizzlies have built up huge leads before coasting to victories. That means Philly's starters have gotten some much-needed  rest in the fourth quarters and should be fresher than the road-weary Nuggets. 

The Sixers won in Denver by five earlier this season, and I expect Philly at roll at home on Monday night!

Cavs got back 4 of their top 6 rotation men in the last 3 games and will now start playing good ball again with a solid bench. They are now focused on playing post-season basketball and we’ve seen it especially on the defensive end as they allowed 44.4%, 47.8%, 39.3% and 44.2% their last 4 games. Cleveland owns this team’s first round draft choice and is going to want to beat them good here on Sunday afternoon.

5*

The Pistons have gone 6-2 ATS in their last eight games overall. They recently got Reggie Jackson back from injury and are playing very well with his return. In their last three games, they won by 16 in Sac, by 27 in Phoenix and only lost at Houston by 4 pts a few nights ago. Now they host the Chicago Bulls, who have lost four straight and haven’t even been competitive in their last three. The Bulls lost by 18 at New York, by 33 to Denver and by 13 to Milwaukee. They have several injuries right now with Dunn and LaVin both out with injuries and Markkanen also questionable to play.  It seems like tank mode for the Bulls and they don't have much talent with all of their injuries.

The Bulls played last night and this is their 3rd in the last 4 days. I'm backing the Detroit Pistons in a blowout.

5*

San Antonio is playing with triple revenge and this is a good spot for them to get the win.

With so much firepower missing from the Warriors' arsenal, it's hard to imagine them keeping pace with a determined Spurs team attempting to make the playoffs for a 21st consecutive year.  The Spurs' defense has made the difference of late, conceding 90.6 points over their last five games. They've won and covered their last three decisions all at home and on Monday night I expect them to make it four in a row and grab this one by double digits.

10* NBA GAME OF THE WEEK

The Thunder won by 17 when these teams met in OKC in December. Yes the Raptors enter Sunday on an 18-1 tear, including 11 straight wins, but they're admittedly tired. And this game means more to OKC and Corey Brewer has given the Thunder an energy lift at both ends of the court.  I think the Thunder matchup well with the Raptors and we'll take the 6.5 pts with the underdog OKC here on Sunday as OKC goes for its sixth straight win.

5*

Lets go with the UNDER here on Friday night NBA action.  The Celtics last played the Magic on January 21 and lost 95-103 in a bit of a shocker. This is a Celtics team that prides itself on defense, and the fact they not only lost but gave up 103 points is a bit upsetting for a squad that is first in the league in opposing field goal percentage and second in overall defense. This team will have revenge on its mind when they face them again in Orlando, and this team comes in holding its opponents to less than 100 points in four out of their last eight games. Look for the Celtics to likely have a strong defensive effort in Orlando as they will not overlook the Magic again. Look for the UNDER to come in here on Friday night NBA action.

5*

The Lakers have won seven of their last nine overall, and they're on a big 11-1 run in their last 12 at Staples. They also do not like the Nuggets as several of the Denver players have been talking a lot of trash. They just played on Friday and the Nuggets won by 9 in a game they took 30 FT's. All you have to do is watch this team to see that they're loaded with confidence and off their current form, it's legitimate. I like this motivated Lakers squad to get a little revenge tonight at home.

4* 

The Milwaukee Bucks, coming off a win over the Knicks, go on the road to take on the Memphis Grizzlies who are on a 17-game losing streak and have been struggling to keep things close against any opponents. The Grizzlies have lost 17 straight and they weren't competitive Saturday versus Dallas. The Bucks struggle against top-flight competition but are more than talented enough to handle Memphis. Look for the favorite to improve to 6-1 ATS in the last seven Milw-Memphis matchups. Take the Bucks to get the win and cover as they should have no problem getting a double digit win here.

4* 

The Philadelphia 76ers, coming off a comfortable win over the Charlotte Hornets, go on the road to take on the Miami Heat for the second time in their last five games, hoping for a different result this time around. The 76ers have been playing well as of late winning 7 of their last 10 overall and establishing some distance between them in the six seed and the Bucks and Heat in the seven and eight seeds. Take the 76ers on the road in this one as they are the better team and playing significantly better than the Heat right now

4*

Denver handled the Cavs in Cleveland just five days ago. With Tristan Thompson and Jeff Green still out, I like Nikola Jokic to have a big bounceback game for Denver after he struggled on the road trip. Back Denver here at home to improve to 25-9 straight-up at home, and to cover the small number as the home fans will be fired up to get a win over LeBron James and the Cavs.

5* 

I like the Home underdog here on Sunday night.  Dallas has played well at home lately and have split two games this season , each winning on the other's home court. Dennis Smith Jr continues to shine as a Mavs rookie averaging 15 ppg.

4*

Houston will look to remain extremely aggressive on the scoring attack, as the Rockets hope to continue beating teams with their 3rd ranked free throw attempts/game. Al Horford is only putting up 11 ppg over the last month, and he hasn't been effective. I think the Celtics are in trouble on Saturday night here. They wont be able to guard the Rockets 3-pt shot attack.

 Boston can, at times, make bad switches and Houston will be able to capitalize on those kind of mistakes.  In their first meeting this year, the Rockets had a HUGE 26 point lead and blew it.  They didn't have Chris Paul or Capela in that game and I look for a big blowout for the Houston Rockets here at home.

10* NBA GAME OF THE WEEK

Having dropped their first two games of the season to the Thunder, the disciplined Warriors won in a blowout vs Oklahoma City on Saturday night in a 112-80 rout. 

Less than 48 hours and a cross-country trip to Madison Square Garden later, the Warriors face the hapless Knicks who are 1-5 since Kristaps Porzingis' season-ending ACL injury. New York has covered just once in its last eight games. The fans at MSG will want to see a dazzling display of dunks and the Warriors won't disappoint with a blowout city at NY.

4*

The Rockets have won 11 straight but this number is a bit inflated. Look for the Nuggets to show up with a huge effort after getting embarrassed in Houston on Feb. 9. I'm on Denver to cover for the 8th time in its last 10 games. The Nuggets only made 3-28 three-pointers in their last meet and I expect some much better numbers here at home for Denver.

5* 

The Hornets cannot afford a home loss and could edge closer to a playoff spot by knocking off the Pistons today. Howard has turned it up down low and Kemba Walker is doing his thing. Detroit doesn't have the guards to stay with the Hornets quickness.

I like Charlotte by 8 or more on Sunday afternoon.

5*

Magic get Aaron Gordon and Vucevic back for Knicks game

The Orlando Magic are getting a dose of good news while the last three weeks have been nothing but bad news for the New York Knicks.

Gordon leads the team in scoring at 18.4 points per game. He is shooting 44.7 percent after shooting 32.8 percent in his last seven games following a 30-point showing against Cleveland on Jan. 6.

The Magic were 7-16 without Vucevic and most of the losses piled up early in his absence.

Vucevic is third on the team at 17.4 points per game and leads the team in rebounding with 9.3. Before getting hurt, he was averaging 22.1 points and 13 rebounds in his previous eight games.

Instead of going on vacation during the All-Star break, Vucevic continued working out to improve his conditioning.

The New York Knicks have lost eight straight and covered the spread just once during that stretch. HC Jeff Hornacek said he is going to start some of their younger players and see what happens.  That tells me they are tanking the rest of the season.

 The ORL MAGIC has played well and should get better with 2 returning starters as they headed into the All Star break off three straight losses, but all by single digits and they've battled hard in recent weeks covering the spread in five of their last six (13-3 ATS in their last 16) games. Look for Orlando to come out strong here at home.

10*

LeBron is happy again and that makes all the difference as he has a ton of athletes and speed around him. This is a nice revenge spot for the newly-energized Cavs who got smoked and gave up 148 pts the last time they played. I'm playing the road dog with the CAVS again tonight.

5* 

Boston has really been just above average after the16-2 start this season and just 18-14 their last 32 games. I think Cleveland has more firepower now, and renewed motivation and hope. Cavaliers has now added more younger, and fast moving players for their offense. Good job by the Cavs in the first game following the wheeling and dealing, That was with a skeleton crew as the new guys didn't play, but they will today. I'm buying the premise that the vastly improved clubhouse atmosphere and I would expect a surge by this Cleveland team. Gotta think the intensity will be there today against the Celtics. I'm backing the underdog here with Cleveland today.

10* NBA Game of the Week 

This is a double revenge game for Charlotte and I like the way they are playing the past few weeks despite their record. I'm backing the home underdog in this one on Sunday.

4* 

The Pelicans are one of the NBA's top offensive teams averaging 111 per game. They are coming off a bad game allowing the Jazz to shoot 58% and got outrebounded. New Orleans starting 5 is very solid and they are also 14-6 versus the East. With Mirotic in their lineup and Cousins out for the Pelicans, they’ve become better offensively and Anthony Davis can be the center. Pelicans cover as the underdog here on Friday night. 

5*

Memphis had a season high 27 turnovers last night so I expect them to clean it up tonight and play better defense. Offensively the Griz don't have many options so they need to slow the pace here tonight.

The Jazz are 3-0 on their road trip winning 6 in a row and playing solid defense. I am backing the UNDER here on Wednesday night.

4*

The Cavs are experimenting with new lineups. The Cavs have maybe the worst ATS record in the history of the game. They are 14-36 ATS in all games and lately they're having trouble winning, as evidenced by their 6-9 SU record over the last 15 games. The Cavs are 5th in the league on offense but 28th on defense. They beat Orlando twice in January, by 1 at home and by 4 in Orlando. Look for another tight game throughout.

4* 

Washington has won four in a row without John Wall, and the Wizards are 8-0 ATS in their last eight visits to Indianapolis. But this is a bad spot for them against a Pacers team that's won four of five. I really like the way the Pacers shoot and play defense at home and I'll back tonight here tonight in a near pick'em situation.

5*

 Orlando's main playmaker, Elfrid Payton, has been playing good ball averaging 14 pts, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. The Magic are very good at home despite their record and also expect to get Aaron Gordon back tonight. Orlando is a very balanced team with 8 players averaging 8 pts or more.

The Wizards are 3-0 since losing John Wall, but now go on on the road and I expect them to struggle.

Look for the Magic to use their home court, balanced attack and perimeter shooting to get the win/ATS Cover versus the Wiz on Saturday night.

10*

Washington lost John Wall for the next 4-6 weeks, and he's worth 3 points to the betting line. Washington is just 9-16 ATS at home and coming off a big win over OKC. The Wizards are 28-22 but I say without Wall they will go down to the wire for the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference. As is the case with NBA injuries to star players, teammates step up for one or two games and then the value of the star starts to kick in. Toronto is No. 4 overall on offense, No. 3 on defense. Look for Toronto to win this one by double digits on Thursday night!

5*

The NY Knicks are returning home from a long 7-game road trip. The Brooklyn Nets are playing with triple revenge in this cross town rivalry game on Tuesday night.

The Nets play small but they are also in the top-5 for team rebounds and I expect Brooklyn to use a small lineup and push the tempo against a tired Knicks team who doesn't have a deep bench.

Look for a tight game throughout tonight and I like the NETS plus the pts.

10* NBA Game of the Week

 The Memphis Grizzlies will try to finish their four-game homestand with a .500 mark when they host the Phoenix Suns on Monday. After taking the opener of the homestand, the Grizzlies have dropped two in a row to match their longest losing streak since before Christmas.

 Six Memphis players scored at least 12 points and the squad posted 31 assists on 39 baskets but couldn't make enough stops and turned the ball over 20 times in a 109-100 loss to Los Angeles Clippers on Friday. 

The Grizzlies suffered a pair of two-point losses at Phoenix in six-day span last month, so Memphis is playing with double revenge here tonight.

The Suns are pretty much a 1-man show with Devin Booker and they also played last night.

The Griz Mike Conley, who had been sidelined with a heel issue since Nov. 13, will have surgery and miss the remainder of the season. Tyreke Evans has done an admirable job filling in for Conley ALso, Veteran center Marc Gasol recorded his fourth career triple-double - first this season - in the loss to the Clippers while tying his season high with five blocked shots.

I like Memphis here at home behind their balanced team attack on Monday night.

5*

The Bucks play their first road game since Jason Kidd's firing and playing with double revenge. In their earlier matchups the Bucks had a ton of turnovers and got beat on the boards. Look for Milw to make the proper adjustments and take care of business here. Milwaukee needs to concentrate on getting their front court better shots. Like I said on Friday its tough to prepare for a new coach and I like the Bucks chances here on Sunday afternoon at Chicago.

5* 

The Hornets have been playing some good ball lately and getting a balanced attack led by Kemba Walker. The Heat are looking to bouncing back from last weeks dismal performances, where they had some problems with their lack of passing. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra will expect a better effort than they had in recent losses to the bottom feeding Brooklyn Nets - which was uninspired and sad. Losses like that brought some concern into fans minds. The Hornets will be playing with double revenge and I expect a big game from Dwight Howard - and getting their shooters better looks. Look for the Charlotte Hornets to pull the upset here in Miami on Saturday night!

10* NBA GAME OF THE WEEK 

The Spurs are 32-18 and playing at home and only a 3.5 pt favorite. I think the odds-makers are begging you to take San Antonio tonight. Philly already beat the Spurs this year at home and beat them in all aspects of the game. The 76ers are young, hungry and playing some great ball right now winning 8 of their last 10 games. They are giving a balanced attack led my Simmons and Embiid. The team is 1st in the league in rebounding, 3rd in assists and 7th in scoring. The Spurs bench is still in trouble with Ginobli still hurt. I'm on the Philadelphia 76ers plus the points tonight.

5* 

Kristaps Porzingis is questionable for this game, and, without him, the Knicks are dreadful. All of this points to a Nuggets win, but they’ve been anything but a sure thing against bad teams at home in the past month. Denver plays well at home and will be pumped up to play NY tonight.  Take the Nuggets!

5*

These two teams combined for 223 when they played just 2 weeks ago.  So why are we taking the UNDER.  A closer look shows that the teams shot 50% for the game and combined for 50 FT attempts and 29 turnovers.  Look for both teams to clean things up and play better defensively this time around.

Play the UNDER!

4*

4*

4*

The additions of Lauri Markkanen and more court time for Denzel Valentine look like good upgrades for Chicago. With size and deep shooting - they add promise to the team. Markkanen will be a good player for the Chicago frontcourt - and Valentine is a dangerous young player with his ability to generate some offense off the dribble. Markkanen doesn't have great athletic ability - but he really is a monster in the lane with his length and offensive awareness. The bigs of Atlanta will struggle stopping his aggressiveness and touch. It's amazing that Atlanta hasn't been playing better. Since 2 weeks ago - the Hawks have been slacking with just poor play. The shooting from Taurean Waller-Prince has been a real disappointment for the Atlanta fans. The 6-8 forward has only been hitting around 30% of his shots since the beginning of January. They have also really struggled on defense - allowing teams to score at will from all over the court. Chicago wins this one on the road Saturday evening.

5* 

4*

4*

4*

The Celtics had plenty of time to rest up following their London trip, and I like them to get their eighth straight win here tonight. If there's one team that might come out flat, I'll say it's the Pelicans, who are coming off a taxing long OT win at New York on Sunday where the starters played a ton of minutes. Back Boston to improve to 13-5-1 ATS in its last 19 games versus winning teams and they play the better defense and have the better coach.

5*

Memphis has been solid at home over the past few weeks. Lonzo Ball played 43 minutes in Saturday's OT win over Dallas, and he suffered a minor knee sprain in the process. It makes no sense for the Lakers to push their rookie sensation to play Monday in Memphis, and we all know LA is a much different team without him. Not to mention, Brandon Ingram also is dealing with an ankle injury. He had been playing lights out until going down Saturday. Even if Ball and/or Ingram play, chances are they won't be as effective as usual. Lay the small number with the Griz.

5* 

Devin Booker needs to hit his 3 point shot - as his smooth shooting game has shown he can do. Booker has on many occasions, done just that, with more than his fair share of games of knocking down 3+ treys over the last few seasons. He always seems finds a way to get wide open shots and make defenses pay. The guards of Phoenix have been playing very good lately - that is going to be the the answer here. Indiana doesn't look at the 25yr old journeyman, Victor Oladipo, as the player who brings them to the next level. Even with 25ppg and shooting 41% from deep - it is hard to see the concern for him, but he hasn't brought them to a serious level. Indiana has had their problems with defense - and they will have problems doing that vs the shooters of Phoenix. The Suns know what they need to do to throw the frontcourt of Indiana off. Phoenix gets this win here at home on Sunday night.

5* 

Booker is back for the Suns and he provides a big spark as Phoenix has shown big wins over Oklahoma City, Memphis twice and Sacramento on the road, and this team without a doubt has not quit on the season and will play with a lot of pride and revenge when they host Houston on Friday night with a great home crowd behind them

When will the injuries end for Houston?

They have 6 injured players right now: Harden, Nene, Mbah a Moute, Tarik Black, Troy Williams, and Chinanu Onuaku.

The Rockets are allowing even more points per game than Phoenix does since they lost Mbah a Moute last month.

They allowed just 102.8 PPG in the games he has played, but without him they allow 113.8 PPG, 11 more PPG!

 The Suns will be looking forward to this game as the last time they played the Rockets they were embarrassed by a score of 142-116. These are professional NBA players, and nothing gets them more upset given their competitive nature than to get routed by a team by allowing 142 points, which was one of the most embarrassing defeats even for this franchise. I like the home UNDERDOG with the Suns here at home on Friday night.

10* GAME OF THE WEEK

4*

4*

4*

4*

Dallas is coming out of a four-game stretch when in which they were a favorite in ALL FOUR games. That in a nutshell tells you their competition of late as the Mavs have the second worst record in the NBA (9-25, Atlanta 8-25). Now Dallas hosts the team playing the best basketball in the NBA, the Raptors, as Toronto has won & covered 5 straight. The Raptors do play at OKC tomorrow but they are 3-1 ATS this season in the first of B2B games. 

3*

The Cavaliers made the double-digit comeback win last year in this matchup.

I'm taking the points with the Cavaliers again. Curry is out which does take away offensive production and steals from the Warriors' stats. Sure, Durant, Klay Thompson and Green are surely a dangerous trifecta on any given day; however, I do like the rhythm the Cavaliers are in on a 19-2 SU run. And a healthy Tristin Thompson, who whipped himself in game shape off calf injury, gives the Cavaliers the physicality down low as a premier garbage player to aid LeBron James and Love. And if streaky Korver continues his hot run off the bench, we're in business. 

With Steph Curry unlikely to play in this game, I expect the Cavs to have enough to keep this game close. LeBron James likes the big stage and he'll show up ready for the Christmas Special. 

Take the points.

Cavaliers are a perfect 4-0 ATS as a dog this year.

5*

4*

The Wizards had a seven-game winning streak snapped in the series in their last visit to Brooklyn. 

Washington is 12-3 in the last 15 meetings and I look for that trend to continue tonight.

Very unique scheduling spot as the Wizards made the same trip 10 days ago and lost 103-98. That game was the last of 5 game road trip and the tired group shot 40% which is the second lowest they % they have made this season (at Utah 12/4 28.7%). Since that game Washington has had played 4 games, all at home, winning 3 and losing only to the Cavs. 

The Wizards defense is what has impressed me as they have held their last 5 opponents to 42.5, 47.1%, 38.8%, 28.3 and 40.5% shooting with the 47.1% coming against Cleveland. 

Brooklyn has lost 4 straight with an offense that has shot 38.6%, 42.0% and 42.1% the last 3 games while the defense has allowed 48.8%, 56.6% and 55.7%. Washington is the far superior team here and the Wiz get their Revenge!

10* NBA GAME OF THE WEEK

3*

This game features the 13-15 Jazz and the 24-6 Celtics. I feel the rested Jazz are getting no respect in this game they play the Celtics tonight and Cavs Saturday so I expect them to go all in tonight to try and get a win in tonight's game. They have the talent and the Jazz are coming off a sloppy game with 19 turnovers vs the Bulls. Look for Rodney Hood and 1st year star Donovan Mitchell to come up big along with the Jazz defense to get the win and cover. The public is all over the Celtics at 90% but we'll take the pts with the Utah Jazz.

10* NBA GAME OF THE WEEK 

4*

The Denver Nuggets, coming off solid road win against the Orlando Magic, go on the road once again here on Sunday evening. The Pacers shoot the ball very well at home and from behind the arc. The Indiana Pacers have been one of the most surprising teams in the league this season and with a win over the streaking Cavaliers it is becoming clear this team is not one to be taken lightly. The main question that has arisen from the success of the Pacers this season is where the hell was this version of Victor Oladipo last year? Offensively Indiana has been great with Oladipo leading the way and are doing a great job moving the ball, averaging 23.2 assists per game.

The Nuggets have been trying to keep their heads above water as they wait for Nikola Jokic to recover from a sprained ankle. It has become very obvious during his absence that Denver is not going to be a great road team or really much of anything without him on the floor. Denver has struggled all season long on defense as they are allowing 106.9 points per game, a number that puts a ton of pressure on them on a nightly basis to put the ball in the basket. I'm sure they are tired and had to travel. Take the Pacers to get the win and cover at home where they are 8-5 ATS and going up against a Denver squad that is a near league worst 3-10 ATS.

5* 

4*

The Toronto Raptors, winners of their last four in a row, go on the road tonight to take on the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Raptors, at 15-7, are starting to look like a slightly better version of the team they were a season ago. Offensively Toronto is putting up very solid numbers, averaging 111.5 points per game and with Kyle Lowry and DeRozan both playing great that number actually looks sustainable for this squad. The ball movement on this team really sets them apart as they are averaging 23.6 assists per game and really get everyone involved across the board. 

The Memphis Grizzlies have been predictably floundering with Mike Conley out of the lineup and at 8-16 have a huge hole to dig themselves out of if they want to be able to compete for a playoff spot. The Grizzlies had little offense before Conley was sidelined but now that he is out and they have only Marc Gasol to rely on things have gone from bad to worse. In addition to having no offense the Grizzlies rebounding is near worst in the league as they average only 38.8 boards per contest. 

Take the Raptors to get the win and cover in this one as they are the better team by a landslide margin and are fully capable of winning this game in blowout fashion on the road here Friday night!

Take the TORONTO RAPTORS as our 10* NBA Game of the Week

4*

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4*

Doc Rivers is coaching for his job tonight and I think his players will respond.  They had a team meeting yesterday and I look for a big effort tonight at Atlanta.

The Clippers lost by 20 to the Knicks on Monday and shot just 37%, got outrebounded by 17 dropping their 9th straight game.  Patrick Beverly is back at full strength and I think LA will dominate in the paint here on Wednesday night and get a win.

5*

Not sure when odds makers are going to start adjusting for how bad the Clippers are, but in no way do I want any part of them. They are going to be without their best shooting guard - Gallinari and best perimeter defender -Beverly again. The Knicks have been an overachieving team even though they are just one game above .500 Most people thought they would be a lot worse. They defend their home court very well with a 7-3 record and shouldn't have a problem here coming off two days of rest. Take the NYK at home tonight!

5* 

Pacers HC Nate McMillan said a goal of the team is to play faster and knock down 3's. I believe they'll do that at home after shooting poorly at Detroit last week. I expect the long ball to be falling tonight as they'll give a balanced attack in Indiana. I like this team at home and they have a log of depth. The Pacers have 8 players who score and average over 7 ppg which is tough to defend. I'm backing INDIANA here on Friday night.

10* NBA GAME OF THE WEEK 

4*

4*

The Pistons are 7-1 their last 8 and playing great defense. They are outrebounding their opponents and forcing turnovers.

The Pistons are looking to complete a perfect homestand Sunday.  I'm backing  the home team in this series to improve to 9-3 in the past 12 meetings. 

5*

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4*