Wolves/Nuggets 10:00: Wolves didn't waste any time going into a hostile environment and punching them in the mouth. Similar to the Phoenix series. Like I mentioned in first game analysis, Wolves have the length and depth to give Denver trouble. Denver's starting five are the best in the NBA but bench production is limited. Braun, Holiday and Jackson spell some good relief, but Wolves have players that fill in without missing a beat. Naz Reid, as I mentioned in Game 1 analysis, didn't get Sixth Man of the Year for nothing. And Jordan McDaniels spent 39 minutes on the floor without scoring a bucket. Normally he's a double-digit scorer.  Legs look fresh for Anthony and the Wolves. We'll stay on them here. 

Pacers/Knicks 7:30: Brunson gets to show his old boss (Carlisle) how much he's grown since running the show for Indiana. Knicks are proving they have players who can step up when it counts most (playoffs) unlike previous years with Randle (injured) and departed Barrett, Toppin, Quickley and Grimes. The new Knicks with DiVincenzo, Anunoby, Hart and even McBride can hit clutch shots. And Hartenstein and Robinson are workhorses on the boards. Pacers are softer and weak defensively. We'll look for the Knicks to deliver. 

Magic/Cavaliers 1:00: Game 7's historically have gone to the home team; however, since Covid era, road teams in Game 7 are 6-3 SU. Want to lean on Cleveland but Donovan Mitchell was virtually a one man show in Game 6. It looks like All-Star Jarrett Allen (ribs) won't go and Evan Mobley is working through a swollen ankle. Orlando has a more balanced team now. The young Magic got ordained to the playoffs in a harsh way in Cleveland for the first two games. Then they settled in at home and nearly pulled the upset in Cleveland for Game 5 before finishing off Cleveland Friday to force a Game 7. Banchero, Wagner brothers, Suggs, Carter. Orlando has been a more cohesive unit down the stretch of the game in the last four games of this series. We'll look for the carry over today. Orlando the call. 

Wolves/Nuggets 7:00: This series in last year's playoffs was tightly contested despite the Nuggets win in 5 games. Wolves showed signs of competitiveness. In the off season, Wolves bolstered their 3 spot with length and athleticism in Jaden McDaniels, and off the bench with Naz Reid. Minnesota has the height with Big K.A.T. and Golbert to strongly compete on the boards. Conley is a veteran PG and we know what Edwards can do. We'll look for the Wolves to deliver Game 1. 

Analysis to follow...

Knicks/76ers 9:00: Tuesday night at MSG, the Knicks left the door open in the last minute of the game for Philadelphia to force a Game 6, and the 76ers took advantage of it. Maxey was brilliant. Knicks can't be too disappointed coming into this one. They've played great in this series, and they have grit. Their on-court leadership with Brunson running the show will allow them to stay focused. Hart, DiVincenzo, McBride, Anunoby giving Brunson consistent scoring support. Embiid, on the other hand, needs another monster game from Maxey to deliver. 76ers deficient in consistent bench scoring. We'll look for the Knicks to deliver. 

Dallas/Los Angeles 10:00: In Game 4, Clippers jumped all over Dallas early to build a 39-16 lead before Dallas woke up an made a furious comeback to just fall short. Lue is doing a great job adjusting to previous game while Kidd counters late. Clippers were able to keep Lively and Gafford (combined 13 points) from getting easy throw downs. Lue only has so many tricks in his arsenal without Leaonard (out). Mavericks adjusted to the Clippers running their offense through Zubac. And George and Harden expended themselves in Game 4. We'll look for the Mavericks momentum to carry over here and deliver. Doncic not on injury report but told media his knee is hurting (gamesmanship). He'll be fine and should be on his game tonight. 

Heat/Celtics 7:30: Road series, with road team covering 6 of last 8. We'll get back on Miami here. Porzingis (out) is a big part of spreading the floor to open up Celtics' perimeter game. Veteran Horford has to play extensive minutes. Bam does a nice job on both ends of the floor. He'll need help from Herro, Martin, Robinson to hit shots that weren't falling in Miami. We'll look for the Heat to be competitive here. 

Lakers/Nuggets 10:00: Nuggets hurting themselves by playing catch up in this series. They're expending enormous amounts of energy late to put the pesky Lakers away. And Jamal Murray has a calf strain which means, one bad twitch could spoil the chemistry of the best starting five in the NBA; moreover, his backup - Reggie Jackson- is dealing with a sprained ankle. We'll look for Los Angeles to once again make a game of it.  

Thunder/Pelicans 8:30: Pelicans not going to get it done averaging 17 turnovers per game in this playoff series; moreover, shooting less than 30% from the perimeter and their top two scorers - McCollum and Ingram are a combined 7 of 29 from beyond the arc. That's not going to get it done vs a well-coached OKC team that's settling in and playing very well together. And this court offers no advantage to the Pelicans. Thunder should roll again. 

Celtics/Heat 7:30: Spoelstra does a nice job at making adjustments. I had the Celtics (-9') in Game 3 after picking Miami (+14') in Game 2. In Game 3, Celtics immediately got Porzingis more involved, and his quick success eventually opened up the perimeter. Although Miami won the second half in scoring, the first two quarters of a scoring barrage by Boston was too much to overcome. Tonight, Heat will need to be energy driven out of the gate on both ends of the floor. Without Butler, Adebayo has been the most consistent player on both ends. He'll need Herro, Martin, Jacquez, Jovic and Highsmith to turn up their games a few notches. We'll look for Miami to cover here.  

Bucks/Pacers 7:00: I'm going to lay the wood with the Pacers here. With Giannis out and now Lillard bailing, I don't believe a hobbling Middleton (ankle) can carry the Bucks. They still have depth as Portis can get hot, but the defensive discipline under overrated coach Rivers is not there. Pacers' offense can turn it up on this floor. Indiana the call. 

Clippers/Mavericks 3:30: I'm going to look for Clippers' HC Lue to make the needed adjustments here. Mavericks got too many easy buckets with Lively and Gafford. Clippers were still in Game 3 despite getting virtually nothing from Leaonard and everybody else besides Harden and Powell shooting 1 of 15 from 3-point range. Clippers had a lack of energy and sloppy in Game 3. Look for that to change today. Dallas was not that consistent of a defensive team all season under Kidd; tonight, I'm looking for that inconsistency to present itself. Clippers the call. 

Knicks/76ers 1:00: Knicks have a lot of grit. They'll fight in there to the end.  This series has been tight, and they've done well at Philadelphia covering two of the last three trips. Mitchell Robinson, who spells great relief for Hartenstein, sprained his ankle and could sit out here. But second tier guys under Thibodeaux have a tendency to step up when needed. Achiuwa should get more minutes. Like the consistency f the role players on this Knicks team in relation to 76ers. Hart, Anunoby and Hartenstein and DiVincenzo have been consistently supporting Brunson. While McBride and Bogdanovic come off bench to add quality minutes. 76ers rely on Maxey to support Embiid with inconsistency in supporting cast. Knicks the call. 

Nuggets/Lakers 8:30: This series is taking a similar pattern to last year's series in which the Lakers covered the first two in Denver, and Denver covered and finished them off in Los Angeles. I'll stay with that sequence. Nuggets have beaten the Lakers twelve consecutive times. Lakers don't have the answers for a couple reasons. Number one, Nuggets just a better starting five. Jokic, Murray, Porter Jr., Gordon and Caldwell-Pope are just better. Number 2:  Lakers' A.D. playing great but there is clearly a disconnect between HC Ham and his players. Defensive lapses, confusion in crucial times of the game, and inability to execute on both ends of the floor down the stretch of games spells impending doom. Denver, on the other hand, runs like a well-oiled machine when they have to. Denver the call. 

Celtics/Heat 6:00: I had the Heat (+14) in Game 2 and they delivered in a big way. Spoelstra was determined to win the perimeter game and slow down Porzingis. It worked. His men shot 53% from 3-point range, compared with Boston's 38%, while Porzingis shot 1 of 9 from the field. It was a complete flip of the switch from Game 1. Today, look for the Celtics to make the needed adjustments. They clearly have the advantage in personnel, and a better regular season road record than Miami had a home record. Boston is also in the top tier defensively guarding the perimeter whereas Miami is 12th in hitting three pointers. Tonight, a bit much to ask for Herro to take over that Jimmy Butler (out) role that he did so well in Game 2. Boston the call. 

Nuggets/Lakers 10:00: Game 3 was as demoralizing as it gets for the Lakers. To know that as a franchise, they gave up a 20-point lead late in the third quarter for the first time ever in a post-season game, it will be hard to function, again, down the stretch vs a team that has their number. Lakers have uncertainty down the stretch; consequently, that leads to tiredness, missed defensive assignments, and poor offensive execution. On the other hand, Nuggets, which have the best five starters in the NBA, are well versed in crunch time and have the confidence to deliver. Nuggets the call. 

Knicks/76ers 7:30: Without question, 76ers are a formidable opponent under Nurse. Maxey is arguably one of the best guards in the NBA, and they have a good blend of veterans to give support to Embiid. Embiid is battling in there but still struggling with that surgically repaired knee. Hartenstein and Robinson doing a bang-up job at the 5. And I like the grit of the Knicks. DiVincenzo, Hart and Brunson working great together like their days on Villanova. And Bogdanovic is turning in big time scoring help off the bench. And when Anunoby and Brunson play in a game, they are 6-0 ATS as underdogs! We'll take the points. 

Heat/Celtics 7:00: Miami has actually covered 4 of the last 6 and 2 of the last 3 in Boston. The Heat were thrashed in Game 1 as Boston was up as high as 34 before Miami actually whittled it down to as low as 14 in the final minutes. Miami, of course, is without Butler. Boston defensively tied up Herro with Holiday. Herro was just 4 of 13 from the field. The Heat will need Bam, Herro and more bench production to stay in this today. Moreover, will need to at least break even at the perimeter, where they were sorely outdueled. Spoelstra a solid coach in adjustments should keep his men competitive tonight. Take the points. 

Mavs/Clippers 10:00: Game 1, Clippers' HC Lue put in a nice wrinkle to his offense that Kidd and company just couldn't iron out. Without Leonard, again, they ran their offense through Zubac, who had season highs of 20 points/12 rebounds. In the process, Harden got good looks and George did some quality work. Chance Leonard plays tonight. He was involved in the shootaround this morning. The line adjusted favoring his return and I'll take it. Clippers' defense was impressive whereas Dallas looked lost and out of rhythm. Clippers the call. 

Analysis to follow...

Lakers/Nuggets 10:00: Lakers need to get out of the gate strong, like Game 1, but this time hold on with a better finish. Lakers have trouble finishing against the Nuggets, which operate like machine-like precision down the stretch of games. If the Lakers can just get something out of D. Russell (1 of 9 from 3 pt./ 6 of 20 field) and increased bench production to help out A.D. and James, they have their best chance of covering tonight. We'll look for that scenario to play out tonight. 

76ers/Knicks 7:30: In Game 1, Brunson didn't have his usual spectacular game, but he got help from teammates Hart and McBride who took advantage of open looks. Hart and McBride are normally single digit scorers. 76ers' HC Nurse should employ similar defensive strategy on Brunson to once again test the shooting ability of the other Knicks' role players. The 76ers' health is a concern. Maxey, who was virtually unstoppable slashing to the basket in Game 1, missed the morning shootaround with an illness. And Embiid still working through a painful knee that isn't totally healed. Nevertheless, we'll look for the two superstars to grit it out while others - Hield, Batum, Oubre, Lowry, Payne and C Reed continue to step up to make it competitive.  

Analysis to follow...

Pacers/Bucks 7:00: Giannis is listed as "out" in this one and that goes without saying that it's a huge blow to the Bucks. Giannis had monster games vs Indiana earlier this year including dropping 64 on them December 13th in Milwaukee. Pacers did win the next two in this regular season series. None of that past is significant because their coach Griffin was fired and replaced by Rivers while Indiana acquired Siakam on January 23rd. Rivers is not great at shuttling in players while Siakam has been rock solid - 21.3 PPG/7.8 RPG in helping Haliburton and C Myles Turner light up the scoreboard. Can't count on Lillard here either. He's a hit and miss with injuries and personal problems. Pacers should deliver. 

Mavs/Clippers 3:30: Last few times the Mavericks faced the Clippers, in late November and late December, they were blown out. In both of those games, Mavericks got nothing out of their then Center - Holmes (now with Washington). As the Mavericks reloaded with new Center - Gafford, they're a much more dangerous team. Gafford adds to the transition game of Dallas, giving scoring support to Doncic and Irving. Also hits the boards hard. Clippers once again have the drama on whether or not Leonard (knee). We're betting he doesn't based on the line. And Dallas has been money this season when cast as a small road favorite (-1 to -3') at 14-3 ATS. Dallas the call. 

Heat/Celtics 1:00: Heat have proven to be a resilient team under Spoelstra regardless of injury. Butler out and still delivered as I anticipated. Tougher task on hand today but like their chances to be competitive here. Someone always stepping up for Miami. Herro, Jaquez, Love helped significantly Friday. And remember, Miami won the first 3 games of this series last year before Boston roared back to force Game 7. And Miami blew them out in Boston. Miami was a solid road team during the regular season and shouldn't fold here. Adebayo playing large and we'll look for continued good play from the supporting cast of Heat. 

Lakers/Nuggets 8:30: Nuggets, who've recently dominated this series, may have to shake off a bit of rust before rebooting. Denver has been off since the 14th and may get out of the gate a bit slow here. Nuggets swept this playoff series last season and swept the regular season series. But let's not forget that the Lakers covered the first two games in Denver of that playoff series. Denver doesn't have Bruce Brown (Toronto) locking down Russell anymore. And Jeff Green (Houston) isn't around hitting clutch shots. Lakers added sharp shooting Gabe Vincent who overcame injuries this season to give them a boost since late March. And the Lakers did the right thing by beating New Orleans in the Play-In, getting the needed rest for veterans LeBron and A.D. Look for Los Angeles to show up competitive tonight. 

76ers/Knicks 6:00: Knicks have finally assembled a playoff caliber team. They have championship experienced players in Divincenzo, Hart and All-Star Brunson. Throw in Anunoby, who was a huge pick up for them mid-season, and they're money. Knicks are 20-3 SU with him on the floor. Of course, 76ers have a huge advantage with Embiid patrolling the paint. Thibodeau will shuttle in Hartenstein and Robinson to contain him. Embiid did not look impressive vs Miami on Wednesday. Miami's Adebayo, who has been Embiid's kryptonite in recent years, kept him at bay. Embiid's conditioning looked questionable at best, walking up floor, waving off plays in post. His knee not fully recovered. The 76ers do have really good surrounding talent in Maxey, Harris and someone (Batum/Hield) seems to step up consistently. They're also well coached with Nurse. This will be a dog fight but going to give it to the gritty Knicks today. They're 3-1 ATS in this series this season and in good hands with Brunson running the show when the lights shine the brightest. 

Suns/Wolves 3:30: Suns control a 13-2 SU record in the series including this season's 3-0 SU/ATS sweep. With Durant, Booker and Beal healthy, Minnesota should find more trouble in Game 1. T-Wolves haven't made it past the first round since 2004 and should get off to a rocky start here. 

Magic/Cavs 1:00: Defensive intensity picking up in playoffs. In addition, two defensive minded coaches who know each other well. Both teams are solid defensively. However, I'm not buying into the low total. Despite the defensive discipline, these teams managed to go "over" in 4 of the last 6 clashes, including 2-0 O/U in the last 2 in Cleveland. Based on the numbers, I was projecting a total of around 215 and this one comes in under 208. Both offenses are efficient and execute well. Orlando's Suggs, Banchero and Wagner can put up numbers. Cleveland's backcourt duo of Garland and Mitchell are very good at penetrating, scoring and kicking out to open perimeter shooters. "Over" the call. 

Kings/Pelicans 9:30: New Orleans has beaten Sacramento like a drum five consecutive times. Kings' HC Brown not the greatest basketball mind but should construct a game plan to deliver a win against a team without the services of Zion Williamson (hamstring) and a guy who is working his way back into condition Ingram (knee bruise). Kings, who spread the floor well and attacked Golden State Tuesday, despite the absence of Monk and Huerter, will need Barnes to show up big to aid Sabonis and Fox. And we'll look for someone else on the Kings to step up. Kings the call. 

Bulls/Heat 7:00: With Butler out, Heat still a bargain here. Butler didn't have a great game Tuesday night and the Heat came within a bucket from upsetting the red hot 76ers. Adebayo, once again, did a bang-up job on Embiid and he should get the best of Vucevic. These teams split games during the regular season; however, Miami was without Herro for all of them and Adebayo sat out two. Herro is playing well and he's getting help from Jaquez Jr. The Bulls' defensive stopper and clutch shot maker - Caruso - is laboring with a sprained ankle sustained Tuesday night. He will have a hard time staying with Herro. And look for playoff savvy Spoelstra to employ a solid game plan on stopping Coby White from a big follow up from his 42-point Tuesday. Edge to Miami. 

Miami/Philadelphia 7:00: Big difference in the way 76ers play under Nurse as opposed to Rivers last season. Nurse has turned Philadelphia into a legitimate contender in the East. Their success is contingent on Embiid staying healthy. He tweaked his knee Friday vs Orlando and sat out Sunday. The 76ers continued to roll (10 straight covers) as Maxey and Harris continue to shine while Hield, Reed and Payne added significant quality minutes. Miami is always dangerous this time of year under Spoelstra but with Rozier (neck) down, the shooting depth a shade down to take down the rolling 76ers. We'll look for Philadelphia to advance to play #2 seed NY while the Heat will have to take on Bulls or Hawks on Friday for that 8th seed. 

Warriors/Kings 10:00: Both teams are well disciplined defensively. Both of these teams picked up defensive intensity down the stretch of the regular season. Both of these teams allowed approximately 115 PPG during the season. Over the last 10 games, Warriors allowed an average of 108 PPG while Kings yielded 104 PPG. This playoff series last year went "under" in 4 of 6. And both games in Sacramento combined to average 220. With a play on or go home mentality, "Under" is the smart call here. 

Lakers/Pelicans 7:30: I had the Lakers (+2) on Sunday and I'm staying on them here. They've won 3 of 4 games in this series this season and New Orleans continues to struggle at home. The winner of this game gets #1 Denver. The loser gets a second chance with either Golden State or Sacramento. Look for the Lakers, again, to jump on them early and hold on. 

Lakers/Pelicans 3:40: Pelicans went on an unusual ride down the stretch by dropping four straight at home before reversing course to win four straight on the road. Pelicans now back at home in the critical finale to determine play-in seeding for Los Angeles or help playoff seeding for New Orleans. Lakers have covered 4 of the last 5 in this series. With LeBron and AD good to go, we'll take the Lakers and the points with much on the line. 

Raptors/Heat 1:10: Raptors got waxed by Miami Friday but still competing. Of course, Miami in need of a win and some help to avoid play-in. But don't expect the Raptors to roll over here. Miami will not yet be at full strength with Rozier and Robinson out. We'll look for Toronto to keep it tight. 

Phoenix/Sacramento 10:40: Both teams jockeying for position in the Western Pacific as we go down the stretch of the regular season. Kings, currently holding the #6 seed, want to avoid the play-in-tournament. Meanwhile, Suns want to clinch the #6 seed to avoid play-in. These teams split the season series thus far at 2 games to 2. Suns, however, were without Durant and Beal in the first loss, and without Beal in the second. Suns are fully loaded now and playing a pretty good stretch of basketball (4-2 SU/ATS). Kings haven't really been the same when they lost Huerter (out) 3-6 ATS. And not having Monk (out) hurts their depth, especially going unrested. I'm fading the Kings again tonight. 

Pelicans/Kings 10:00: Pelicans have been a thorn in the ass of Sacramento. They've beaten them four straight, including the last two in Sacramento. Pelicans won't have Ingram but Sacramento not quite the same without the significant minutes from Huerter (out) and Monk (out). Pelicans not ready to give up their seeding and it should show tonight. 

Knicks/Celtics 7:30: Knicks in more need of this win tonight. They're looking to secure the #3 seeding and avoid a second-round matchup with the very team they're playing tonight. Boston has dominated this series this season to the tune of 4-0. They have already secured the #1 seed. Boston's key defensive stopper - Holiday - is a game-time-decision. And Porzingis (hamstring) is day-to-day. Knicks playing a pretty good stretch of basketball in April with DiVincenzo hitting a blistering 45% of his perimeter shots. And as long as Brunson is on the floor, the Knicks have a fighting chance. Knicks the call. 

Suns/Clippers 10:40: Clippers got off to a quick start last night and hung on for dear life as the Suns rallied to come back from a 37-point deficit to cut it to seven, before falling off. Paul George was part of the Clippers win, contributing 23 points, 5 assists, 7 rebounds and a steal. Tonight, George (knee) along with Harden (foot) and Leonard (knee) will sit. A major uphill climb for them without the Big 3 as they take on the vengeful and fully loaded Suns. Moreover, Suns need the win a lot more than the Clippers; after all, they're now currently sitting in Play-In territory. Lay the wood tonight with Phoenix. 

Wolves/Lakers 10:10: LeBron ruled out (illness). Lakers have played well without him the last few times he was out; however, Minnesota a tall task. They're healthy and still fighting for that #1 seeding. Minnesota the call. 

Analysis to follow...

Pacers/Bulls 8:10: Road team 4-0 ATS in the last 5 meetings. Pacers traveling well (5-1 SU/ATS last 6 road tilts). Indiana getting great work out of Siakam lately. Meanwhile, Bulls have lost 3 straight including an inexcusable loss to a depleted cellar dweller - Washington on Monday. Grab the Pacers.  

Suns/Spurs 8:10: On the surface, this looks to be another route. Suns are reasonably healthy this time of year with a fully loaded lineup while the Spurs will be without Wembanyama (ankle). Spurs got smoked in the front end of this series at Frost Bank Center. Suns, however, do have Denver on deck Wednesday and may rest some starters late. Spurs still have some fight, and pride, left in them and should put up a respectable revenge effort here. Backdoor cover a possibility. Spurs the call. 

Knicks/Warriors 10:10: Knicks' defense has been awesome lately. Over the last five games, they've held opponents to an average of 83.2 PPG. And they're coming off a strong performance against Sacramento. They won't have to travel far in a revenge matchup tonight. The Knicks looking to avenge the 110-99 loss at MSG on February 29th. With a healthy Brunson - who makes his teammates on the floor a bit better, we'll look for NY to be competitive here. 

Lakers/Kings 10:10: Although the Kings have dominated this series (7-1 SU/ATS) in the last 8 matchups, this is a trouble spot for Sacramento. The Kings have not fared well in back-to-back games at 3-7 ATS; moreover, coming off a big win unrested just 1-4 ATS. Lakers' James (ankle) and Davis (Achilles) were in shoot around earlier so most likely a go. Lakers playing a decent stretch of basketball now and most likely will send a message to the young Kings. Look for Lakers to avoid the season sweep. 

Analysis to follow...

Analysis to follow...

Analysis to follow...

Thunder/Lakers 10:40: Thunder has had some trouble in Los Angeles losing 2 of their last 3 there. And they're coming off a grind out winning outing last night. Nevertheless, we'll side with the young guns of Oklahoma City that's 7-3 ATS in the second of back-to-back games this season. Lakers off another disappointing but predictable loss to Denver on Saturday. James got his 40,000 points record but logged plenty of minutes (37) in the process. And A.D. was near 39 minutes. Both are dealing with injuries - James (ankle) and A.D. (Achilles). OKC likes to run up and down the floor so it could be troublesome for the Lakers - especially with an uncertain Ham dishing out the minutes. OKC the call. 

Nuggets/lakers 8:40: James should get his 40,000 tonight but Jokic and rolling Nuggets should get their 3rd win of the season against the Lakers. Murray (ankle) is questionable, and that's a concern; however, his backups - Jackson, Holiday, Braun shouldn't have trouble blending in with an uber talented Porter Jr., Caldwell Pope, Gordon and Jokic. Nuggets the call. 

Wizards/Lakers 10:40: Lakers coming off a second half 21-point deficit comeback win over their court shared rival Clippers. Now, they go unrested at home against league bottom feeder Washington, that had a day off to mull stopping their 12-game losing streak. Consequently, that means James and Davis will either take the game off or check out mentally vs the punchless Wizards. Washington has actually been a decent spread winner on the road at 18-10-2. Former Laker Kuzma will surely be motivated to help ignite a fire in the belly of the Wizards. We'll take the points. 

Mavericks/Cavaliers 7:10: This series has gone to the visitor at 6-0 ATS. December 27th of this season, Cleveland went into Dallas to deliver a 113-110 win. Tonight, look for Dallas to return the favor. Irving and Doncic starting to play well together but will need not only Hardaway Jr. to step up his game but other supporting cast members against the #2 defensive team in the league. Dallas was riding a 7-game win streak until they stumbled at Indiana Sunday. Look for the Mavericks to bounce back vs a Cavaliers team on an 0-5 ATS slide. They're coming off a sluggish road win vs league bottom feeder Washington. Dallas the call. 

Pistons/Knicks 7:40: The Knicks have absolutely owned the Pistons the last few years - winning 13 straight. The last win in this series for the Pistons was November 6, 2019. Knicks have been vulnerable recently on a 1-7 ATS slide. Brunson is limited in his help with Randle, Robinson and Anunoby all sidelined with injuries. Detroit, the worst team in the league, has shown signs of competitiveness recently - on a 6-4 ATS run. They have a tendency to follow up an isolated cover with another cover at 8-3 ATS in that role. They were competitive at NY on November 30th this season with a 118-112 loss. We'll look for Detroit to keep this one competitive. 

Analysis to follow...

Warriors/Jazz 9:10: Both of these teams are coming off losses last night. Utah defense was torched from the perimeter as the LeBron-less Lakers sank 14 of 31 from the perimeter at a 45.2% clip. Now they face the NBA's all-time perimeter scorer who has sunk at least 6 trey bombs in 8 of his last 11 games. And usually before All-Star break teams will dismiss defensive prep - lots of them already checked out for break. Going unrested, I see that magnified tonight. We'll grab the "over"

Analysis to follow...

Wolves/Clippers 10:40: Going to lay a little wood here based on how this series has unfolded. Wolves have captured 5 of the last 6 SU vs Los Angeles. Clippers realize they have to be able to beat one of the top teams in the Western Conference if they're going to get anywhere come playoff time. Clippers are healthy and playing a good stretch of ball. T-Wolves are playing well too but haven't played since the 8th and that could have stalled out momentum. Lue does a good job in matching personnel and can offset Gobert's height and strength by occasionally going small when they're hitting their perimeter shots. We'll look for the Clippers to make a statement here. 

Pelicans/Lakers 10:40: Lakers off a losing effort last night at home vs Denver. Denver worked them late with a clinic-like performance in the final two minutes. Lakers' veterans James and Davis gassed while the supporting cast cooled off. I see more late collapse here in the second of back-to-backs; after all, they're 1-5 ATS in that role. Pelicans are starting to gel on both ends of the floor as Williamson taking over a strong defensive presence. Pelicans have the younger and fresher legs tonight after having day off yesterday. Pelicans won here vs the Clippers a few nights ago and should deliver again on this floor. 

Analysis to follow...

Analysis to follow...

Pacers/Knicks 7:40: Knicks on fire since acquiring Anunoby. They've gone 14-2 SU/13-3 ATS, including an 8-0 run since the trade. He has an elbow issue and is a game-time-decision but leaning on playing. I don't think he'll want to miss a crack at his former teammate Siakam (day to day). The Knicks are dinged up with Randle (shoulder) out but so are the Pacers. Knicks have been able to continue their run with the next man up mentality. They're well coached and ready. Brunson has been the catalyst of the team and makes everyone around him better. We'll look for NY to avenge their 140-126 December 30th loss. 

Analysis to follow...

Analysis to follow...

Kings/Warriors 10:00: Golden State has won this series SU in 6 of the last 8 games. Sacramento won the most recent game 124-123 November 23rd in Sacramento. Revenge is a motivator here as well as heavy hearts (Milojevic death) in a carry-over from yesterday's big win over Atlanta following an extended layoff (1st game in 9 days). And now that Draymond Green is back in action and in the flow of things since January 15th, the Warriors should be able to step up their game a notch. Looney and Green usually out muscle Sabonis in this matchup. And the Warriors are catching Fox and company not at their shooting best - on a 1-4 SU slide. We'll back Golden State here. 

Lakers/Clippers 10:00: Both of these teams on an extended road trip after this game on account of the arena used for Grammy Awards. Clippers seem to have the greater urgency now. They're on an 8-2 ATS run as Harden has found his place in the Clippers loaded lineup. And now that Zubac is out, HC Lue is going with a smaller lineup and it should continue to produce the desired result. Revenge seeking Westbrook, who is now getting extended minutes, is using his athleticism to ignite more up-tempo full court ball; consequently, Lakers' AD will tire, especially with LeBron James (ankle) tonight. After a two-game slide in this series, we'll look for the Clippers to return to recent domination vs Lakers. Lay the points. 

Knicks/Nets 7:30: Knicks have been rocking since acquiring Anunoby. They're 9-2 SU/8-3 ATS since acquiring him. And 7 of those 9 wins were by double digits. Meanwhile, Brooklyn on a 2-8 slide. Last time these teams met (December 20th), Knicks delivered a 121-102 beatdown. NY won the last 3 in this series by a combined 61 points. We'll stay on surging Knicks here.