Miami is playing great. I acknowledge that. But this is an excellent spot for an improving and motivated Cavaliers squad to cover what I see is an inflated number.

The Heat just finished a perfect 4-0 road trip last night at Philadelphia. They are returning home - with all of the Southern Miami distractions - without rest. This marks Miami's fourth game in five days. The Heat don't have a strong bench and could be missing Mike Miller again.

Cleveland is playing well. The Cavaliers have covered six of their last eight. They, too, played last night on the road rolling past Orlando, 118-94. It was the Cavaliers' most lopsided victory of the season. Cleveland coach Byron Scott was able to rest his starters the entire fourth quarter.

It was the seventh time in the last eight chances the Cavaliers have covered versus an Eastern Conference team.

Cleveland still has a chip on its shoulders about LeBron James departing to Miami. This should ensure a full effort. The Cavaliers historically have played the Heat tough in Miami covering during six of their last eight visits. The Heat just nipped the Cavaliers by two during the first meeting this season.

This is my 100-Dime play. Golden State has 12 more victories than Minnesota this season and its confidence is soaring after coming up with perhaps its strongest defensive effort in a 107-101 overtime home win this past Friday. That victory halted a 16-game losing streak to the Spurs.

The Warriors are right there for a playoff berth. A loss to the lowly Timberwolves would be extremely painful as this is the beginning of a five-game road trip for Golden State. The Warriors play back-to-back games on Tuesday and Wednesday against the Pacers and Knicks followed by a game at Boston on Friday and then at Philadelphia on Saturday, which would be their fourth road game in five days. Since the Warriors don't figure to be favored in any of the other road games during this trip this becomes almost a must-win situation.

The Timberwolves have lost 17 of their last 21 games. They are 1-9-2 ATS during their past 12 games versus an opponent with a winning record. Injuries have zapped their morale.

Golden State has dominated Minnesota winning the past four times. The Warriors are 9-2 during their last 11 visits to Minnesota, covering seven of the last eight times on the road against the Timberwolves.

The spread has gotten high enough where the home 'dog is worth backing.

Yes, Miami and LeBron James are playing great. But consider the situation. This is Miami's fourth of a four-game road trip. The Heat have won all three games in impressive style beating the Thunder, Hawks and Bulls all by convincing margins. They return home after this game to face the Cavaliers on Sunday. Miami won't be going on the road again until next weekend. So the Heat are going to have to cover this game probably while being on cruise control.

Even winning and covering the first three games on their road trip, the Heat aren't anything special on the road with a 13-13 ATS mark.

The 76ers have been one of the most disappointing teams in the NBA. Yet they still are within striking distance of gaining a playoff berth. Philadelphia last played on Wednesday. The 76ers are rested and play better at home where they have covered seven of their past 10 games.

This is a stop-the-pain matchup for Philadelphia, which has lost three in a row. Doug Collins will have his team playing hard in this game.

Stressing again, the 76ers play better at home. Since Jan. 12, the 76ers have posted home victories against the Rockets, much improved Raptors, much improved Wizards and Knicks. They lost to the Grizzlies by three and fell to the Spurs, the best road team in the NBA, by just five.

Boston is not a good road team. But Phoenix is plain awful whether home or away. The Suns have failed to cover in six of their last eight home games.

This is the third of a five-game road trip for Boston. The Celtics already have lost at Denver and at the Lakers. They have Portland and Utah next up. Those are two of the most difficult teams to beat at home. So this becomes a crucial game for the Celtics.

The Celtics should be pumped up acquiring talented Jordan Crawford at the trade deadline. More important, the Celtics didn't deal any of their stars keeping Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.

I don't like to play Boston as road chalk, but this is a short price and the Celtics are the better team and in a crucial win situation.

The Nuggets are a far superior and deeper team than Washington. They were before yesterday's trade deadline and they're even more so now that the Wizards shipped out Jordan Crawford, their third-leading scorer, to Boston for injured Leandro Barbosa and little-used Jason Collins.

The Nuggets will be taking this matchup very serious after suffering a rare home loss to the Wizards on Jan. 18.

Denver has dominated the Wizards on the road winning seven of the last nine. Point guard Ty Lawson is playing extremely well and can negate John Wall. The Wizards are thin in the backcourt and they can't match the Nuggets' depth in the frontcourt.

Rarely will I fade San Antonio on the road. The Spurs have the best road mark in the NBA. But I believe the Clippers will be sky-high for this nationally televised matchup where they want to make a statement that they rank with the Heat, Thunder and Spurs as an elite powerhouse. This is their opportunity.

It takes more than motivation to beat the Spurs. I understand that. I'm not thrilled with laying more than a basket, so I'm taking LA on the money line. I want the Clippers going for me in this matchup.

Finally with a healthy Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, the Clippers were playing great heading into All-Star break winning their past four games by an average of 16.2 points.

The Clippers are going to get their points. The key for them is shutting down Tony Parker. I'll take Chris Paul over any point guard, but Parker is having a magnificent season. The Clippers, though, have handled Parker this season holding him to a combined 15 points in two November victories against the Spurs.

Despite those two earlier victories, the Clippers have much to prove against the Spurs, who swept them in the playoffs last season. Not only have the Clippers done the job against Parker, but they have DeAndre Jordan and Griffin to bottle up Tim Duncan inside. If the Spurs are going to win, they'll need to hit a high number of perimeter shots.

I'll go for the motivated home team that has the talent and is the right form to beat the Spurs.

Philadelphia has been a big disappointment this season. But the 76ers still are a better team than Minnesota. The 76ers' winning percentage is .431. The Timberwolves' winning percentage is .380.

The 76ers still are in the fight for a playoff spot. Minnesota isn't. The Timberwolves' forlorn hopes were dashed when Kevin Love went down for the second time this season. The 76ers want to start the post-All-Star break with a victory. They know it's crucial especially with their next two games against Miami and the Knicks on the road.

Minnesota has lost 16 of its past 19 games. The Timberwolves have dropped 17 of 21 since Love broke his shooting hand for the second time. The 76ers have underachieved, but they have taken care of business against bad teams going 6-0 ATS the past six times when facing under .500 opponents.

The Rockets are too weak defensively and deficient on the boards to keep up with Oklahoma City.

That already has been proved during the previous two meetings this season won by the Thunder, 120-98 at in Oklahoma City and 124-94 at Toyota Center.

The Thunder have been itching to get back into action after going into the All-Star break with two consecutive losses. The Thunder lost those games to Utah on the road and to the world champion Heat at home, 110-100. There's no shame in losing to the Heat, or to Utah on the road. But the Thunder won't be happy with a third straight loss, this time to an inferior opponent. Oklahoma City is 16-5 ATS following a double-digit home loss.

Houston does play much better at home. But the Rockets rank second-to-last in defense surrendering 103.3 points a game. Oklahoma City is No. 2 in scoring at 106 per game. The Rockets are giving up an average of 109.3 points during their last six games. Their defensive problems are not going to get fixed under Kevin McHale.

So the Rockets are going to need to win by offense alone. James Harden, the former star bench player for Oklahoma City, is Houston's offensive key. The Thunder, though, have done the job on their former teammate knowing his tendencies. They've held Harden to a combined 9-for-33 shooting from the field in the two games this season. Oklahoma City has outshot the Rockets, 50.8 percent to 40.6 percent from the field in holding Houston to an average of 96 points. The Thunder is 30-2 when keeping their opponents under 100 points.

Oklahoma City is going to be well-prepared and highly motivated trying to put an end to its losing streak and facing Harden. The Thunder are 7-1-1 ATS the last nine times they've played when having had at least three days rest.

Sparked by newcomer Rudy Gay, Toronto has reeled off five straight wins. Memphis, though, is playing well, too, having won four in a row. It's clear now that the Grizzlies have adjusted to life without Gay.

I'm always attracted to a superior team getting points. And that's the case here with the early number.

Toronto does not match up well to Memphis even with Gay. The Grizzlies have a tall, physical frontcourt that piles up points in the paint. The Raptors are a weak rebounding team. Memphis ranks No. 2 in rebounding differential while Toronto is 24th. Winning the rebound battle has been a key in Memphis beating Toronto seven of the last eight times, including the past three in Toronto.

The Grizzlies have covered nine of the past 13 times when facing a sub .500 opponent. The Grizzlies will be highly motivated to show they can win without Gay by proving it first-hand to their former star.

Memphis is averaging 104.3 points while hitting 52.2 percent of its shots from the field during its last four games. Toronto ranks 22nd in defensive field goal percentage allowing foes to shoot better than 46 percent from the floor.

Point guard Mike Conley has been playing well for Memphis. While Toronto improved itself acquiring Gay, the Raptors did deal off Jose Calderon, their best all-around point guard.

The line is right to back the superior team. The Bulls have been pointing to this matchup not just because it's a revenge spot, but because they went into All-Star break losing four of their last five and two in a row.

The veteran Bulls are just one-half game out of fourth place and have the urgency to get a good playoff seed. The Bulls have Miami on deck so they can't afford a loss here. Look for All-Star Luol Deng to not only score well, but clamp down on the Hornets' long-range specialist Ryan Anderson.

New Orleans is better when Eric Gordon plays, but they are still at least a level lower than Chicago. The Hornets have dropped 13 of their last 20 home games.

Chicago has one of the better road spread marks at 15-10 ATS.

The Pistons don't match up well to Western Conference foes covering just twice against them in their last 10 games. Detroit has failed to cover the last six times it has met Memphis. The Grizzlies have won four in a row at Detroit.

The Grizzlies not only play in the stronger conference being in the West, but have a .647 winning percentage to Detroit's .389. The Grizzlies have a winning straight-up road record while Detroit is just .500 at home. The Pistons also are without Andre Drummond, a key contributor who is out with a stress fracture in his back.

Drummond's presence really is going to be missed in this matchup as the Grizzlies have a tall front line featuring stars Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph.

After an initial adjustment period following the trade of Rudy Gay, the Grizzlies have started to get it together. They come out of the All-Star break having won three in a row. They really want to win this game for Tayshaun Prince and Austin Daye, who were acquired from the Pistons as part of the Gay deal.

The Grizzlies are the better team, are rested, have motivation and the price is short enough.

Only one team in the NBA has a worse record than Orlando and that's Charlotte. The Bobcats are three games behind Orlando. It actually would be advantageous for the Magic to lose to the Bobcats in order to better their chances of finishing with the worst record and thus increase their odds of landing the top overall draft pick.

I doubt either of these teams is going to be real interested in getting back on the court after the longest layoff of the season and with no playoff hope. Orlando's players face more distractions, though, being home and with trade rumors circulating that some of their key players, including J.J. Redick, Jameer Nelson and Arron Affalo, could be dealt before Thursday's trade deadline.

I'm certainly not a fan of the Bobcats. Any handicap to Charlotte is based far more on fading the opponent. But the Bobcats did defeat the Magic, 106-100, at Orlando on Jan. 18. The Magic had Glen Davis for that game. The Magic don't have Davis or suspended Hedo Turkoglu for this matchup. Charlotte beat the Magic without big man Byron Mullens and lost Gerald Henderson to a back injury in the second half. It was the fourth consecutive time Charlotte had covered on the road versus the Magic.

As bad as Charlotte is, Orlando simply can't be favored by this margin. The Magic have lost 24 of their past 27 games. This includes a 2-12 record during their last 14 home contests. The Magic are 2-12 ATS in their last 14 overall games and have failed to cover the last NINE times as chalk.

Orlando has averaged less than 88 points during its past nine games while giving up an average of 110.3 points in its last three games.

On paper, the West has the better players. However, many of the West's stars are nicked up and not 100 percent.

Nobody is playing at a higher level right now than LeBron James. James will lead an East squad full of emerging stars who will be highly motivated having not participated in this national showcase like the West's old standbys.

I see a hungry young East lineup featuring Kyrie Irving, Jrue Holiday, Paul George, Luol Deng and Brook Lopez going all out. The East also has a double revenge motive. The conference with double revenge has covered the last seven times in All-Star action when playing the third time.

The average victory margin during the last three games has been 3.3 points so things figure to be close.

This is that rare February matchup that has a playoff atmosphere to it - and it's priced that way, too. It has a zig and zag feel.

Miami has won six in a row. LeBron James is playing his finest basketball, which of course is saying a lot. But James has scored more than 30 points during each of the last six games while shooting above 70 percent during the win streak. The Heat have beaten the Thunder during the past four meetings - three in a row in the NBA Championship Series and 103-97 at home on Christmas Day in a game that was closer than the final score shows.

So the value is with Miami. However, my handicap is to Oklahoma City. A money line option is too pricey. I'm going to go with the side I think wins the game and that's the Thunder.

Oklahoma City also is playing well winning a franchise-best four straight games by 20 or more points before losing big at Utah this past Tuesday. There's no shame losing in Salt Lake City as the Jazz are one of the best home teams. The Thunder also were caught looking ahead to this matchup. And why not? This is Oklahoma City's biggest game of the season.

The Thunder protect their home-court well. They are 23-3 straight-up at Chesapeake Energy Arena this season and have covered 72 percent of their last 32 home matchups.

This is the Heat's first road game since Feb. 3. They are going into a very tough road venue. The Heat are just one game above .500 on the road this season. They are 10-13 ATS away from home. The Thunder have something to prove to Miami. I say they seize the opportunity.

Boston has a cluster injury problem in its backcourt and has lost its edge after a road loss this past Monday to Charlotte, the worst team in the league.

The Bulls are off a bad loss to San Antonio, but are 8-2 ATS following a non-cover. Chicago is stronger defensively than Boston and a better rebounding team.

The Bulls have exploited these edges to defeat Boston in seven of the past nine meetings. Part of Chicago's dominance against the Celtics is because of its head coach, Tom Thibodeau. He knows the Celtics well having been their lead assistant coach before coming to Chicago.

Already without Rajon Rondo, the Celtics lost backup guard Leandro Barbosa to a torn left ACL. Thibodeau will know how to take advantage of those injuries.

The Bulls have covered 58 percent of their road games this season. They are 8-3 ATS the past 11 times they've been underdogs.

The Wizards are playing their best ball - but they still are the Wizards.

Washington has the worst road record in the NBA and has lost 12 of the past 14 times to the Pistons. The Wizards are 1-14 SU on the road versus Eastern Conference foes.

Detroit is not going to overlook Washington, especially after a brutal 105-86 home loss to bottom-feeding New Orleans this past Monday. The Pistons are 5-1 ATS the last six times they've faced foes with a losing record.

Orlando has lost 23 of its last 26 games. The Magic have failed to cover in 11 of their last 13 games. They are incapable of beating a solid playoff team such as the Hawks.

The Hawks have won their last eight regular-season games versus the Magic holding them to an average of less than 80 points per game during this span. The Hawks won the last meeting back on Dec. 12, 86-80, when the Magic had Glen Davis, who is out now.

Atlanta is better on the road when facing weak competition going 12-5-2 ATS when facing opponents with a home winning percentage of less than .400. The Hawks have covered during seven of their past eight trips to Orlando.

The Magic have less urgency as they approach All-Star break having just ended their 12-game losing streak by defeating Portland at home this past Sunday.

This has been a home team series with the host covering eight of the last 10 times. I see that trend holding up in this matchup.

The Warriors desperately need to get back on track before the All-Star break after a brutal winless four-game road trip. They lost 116-91 to Dallas this past Saturday in their last game. That was their fourth game in five days. The Warriors have had two days now to regroup.

Golden State has done the job at home winning 15 of its last 19, including the last four. The Warriors also have a strong revenge motive in this matchup as last Tuesday the Rockets rubbed things in trying to set an NBA mark for 3-pointers in a 140-109 rout of the Warriors. That humiliation is very much fresh in the Warriors' minds.

The Warriors didn't have center Andrew Bogut against the Mavericks as he rounds back into shape following a serious ankle injury. Bogut, though, is expected to play tonight having had amble rest.
Houston is one of those good home-bad road teams. The Rockets have failed to cover in nine of their last 12 away contests and are 2-7 ATS on the road when facing a foe with a winning home record.

The 76ers are home for the 12th time in their last 13 games. This wraps up their eight-game homestand. The Clippers are playing in their eighth consecutive road game.

Philadelphia entered its current homestand dropping 10 of 13. But being home has revived the 76ers. They've gone 5-2 in their last seven games and are just three games out of a playoff spot. After this matchup, the 76ers play three of their next four on the road with the lone home game during this span coming against the world champion Heat. So this is a big game for the 76ers.

The Clippers are healthy again, but this is a flat spot for them. Los Angeles is off an impressive 102-88 win against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden yesterday. Prior to that game, the Clippers lost to the Heat in Miami. Following this game, the Clippers return to sunny Los Angeles from the stormy East Coast to host Houston on Wednesday and then take on their most hated rival, the Lakers, on Thursday before All-Star break.So I don't see the Clippers having as much motivation as the 76ers for this matchup.

The 76ers aren't at 100 percent, but they've stepped up their defensive game holding their past four opponents to an average of 76.3 points a game and 35.3 percent field goal shooting.

Kudos to Boston for playing hard and winning six in a row after losing star point guard Rajon Rondo. But all but one of those victories occurred at home and four were against foes who were at least four games under .500. They beat the Clippers by two and Lakers during this span. The Clippers, though, were missing Chris Paul and the Lakers were minus Pau Gasol.

The object of pointing this out isn't to disparage the Celtics, but illustrate that they are overvalued in this matchup. Denver is 15-2 in its last 17 games. The Nuggets are even hotter than Boston winning nine in a row.

The Nuggets beat the Cavaliers,who have been playing well, in Cleveland last night. Denver, though, is 10-3 ATS the past 13 times when playing without rest, including 7-3 ATS this season.

The Nuggets are playing with a chip on their shoulder after none of their players were chosen for the All-Star Game. Matchup-wise, the Nuggets have the point guards with Ty Lawson, who is playing at a high level averaging 19.1 points in his last 10 games, and veteran Andre Miller to take advantage of no Rajon and a deep frontcourt to take advantage of Boston's lack of rebounding.

The Nuggets outscored the Cavaliers, 62-32, in the paint on Friday night. Boston has been outrebounded in six of its last eight games.

The Celtics also have to deal with the mental distraction of a winter blizzard. The storm forced them to cancel practice on Saturday.

The Magic have lost 23 of their last 25, including 12 in a row. But they should be a very live home 'dog with leading scorer Arron Afflalo back in the lineup and facing a tired Portland squad that has a weak bench and is a bad road team.

The Trail Blazers have the lowest scoring bench in the league. That's a big factor because this marks Portland's fourth road game in six days. The Trail Blazers have dropped six of their last seven away contests. They are 8-17 SU away from Rose Garden, 10-15 ATS for 40 percent.

Portland has failed to cover 16 of the past 21 times when taking on a sub-.500 opponent. The teams met last month in Portland and the Magic took the Trail Blazers to overtime before losing.

Orlando is bad. There's no getting around that. But the Magic aren't Bobcats-bad. Now that Afflalo is back to join promising big man Nikola Vucevic and JJ Redick - who is probable to play after missing the last three games with a sore shoulder - the Magic are better. Afflalo and Redick are Orlando's two top scores and Vucevic had 25 points and 13 rebounds in Orlando's last game.

The Magic have held their own this season versus Western Conference foes going 8-10. This is the Magic's best chance to end their horrid losing streak before the All-Star break since their lone remaining matchup before then is against the Hawks.

Yes, it's always risky to ask the Kings to win straight up. But this certainly is a golden spot for them.

Sacramento took Utah to overtime this past Monday before losing. So there is the revenge factor. More important is the rest factor. The Kings haven't played since that game. The Jazz played a tough game at home last night and lost to Chicago. This is Utah's third game in four days.

The Jazz are 9-16-1 ATS on the road. They have failed to cover in seven of their past 10 overall games. Utah also is 0-5 ATS when facing a team with a losing record.

This is Sacramento's first home game since Jan. 25. It's one of the rare times when the Kings should be highly motivated as it looks more and more like they are headed to Seattle after this season.

The Kings have a big backcourt advantage with Tyreke Evans and Isaiah Thomas. The Jazz could be missing three guards as Mo Williams and Gordon Hayward are out and Earl Watson might sit, too. That leaves Jamaal Tinsley and slow-footed Randy Foye.

Look for the Kings to run on the Jazz, a half-court team facing fatigue issues after playing last night. I see the Kings coming out with a lot of energy and desire. It's not often you can say that about this team, but this should be one instance where it does occur.

I know it's tough to step in against the Pacers, who have won five in a row and 15 straight at home. But this line is inflated and Toronto is improved with Rudy Gay.

This marks the Pacers' fourth game in five nights. They finally had a break on Thursday after being the only team in the NBA this season to play on three consecutive days. The Pacers won all of those games by double-digits. Certainly that's impressive although the 76ers on Wednesday were missing Thadeus Young and Jason Richardson and for some reason never showed up scoring just 69 points.

The Pacers are one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. They are not structured, though, to cover big numbers like this especially in a flat spot. Indiana averages less than 93 points a game. Only two teams average fewer points per game.

The Raptors are better than what they are perceived with talent and young legs. Gay has revived their spirit and shown that management is behind them. Andrea Bargnani also is back to boost Toronto's offense after missing 26 games with an elbow injury.

Toronto is 1-2 since Gay came on board beating the Clippers, but falling to the Heat and red-hot Celtics. The Raptors led Boston by double-digits entering the fourth quarter. The Raptors believe they can make the playoffs. They will be playing hard here, perhaps wanting the game more than the Pacers.

The Raptors have played the Pacers tough this season splitting a pair of two-point games. I see a similar scenario enfolding in this matchup.

The Bucks exerted a lot of energy in blowing a 17-point lead last night at Denver. Now the Bucks have to play for the fourth time in six days and second in two nights in high altitude facing Utah.

Milwaukee has failed to cover during 10 of its last 11 visits to Salt Lake City. I don't see that pattern changing here.

The Jazz have won nine of their last 10 home games. They traditionally have a huge home-court advantage and that hasn't changed this season. Utah has covered 61 percent of its games at EnergySolutions Arena.

The tired Bucks are going to have problems matching up against Utah's tall and physical front line, especially matching up against Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap. The Bucks have lost 14 of 21 times when giving up at least 46 points in the paint.

Utah is holding foes to 89 points a game during its last three home contests. The Bucks have been held under 90 points 12 times this season. They are 0-12 straight-up and ATS in those games.

The Bucks have become more high energy since Jim Boylan replaced defensive-minded Scott Skiles. Milwaukee relies heavily on its backcourt tandem of Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings for its offense. Those two, along with the rest of Milwaukee's players, though, figure to have tired legs. The Bucks are just 4-11 ATS when playing with no rest.

Phoenix is playing better since switching head coaches going to Lindsay Hunter. The Suns, though, are a terrible team and I don't see them playing well in back-to-back road games after upsetting Memphis, 96-90, last night on the road.

The Suns have a conference-low five road wins. They also are 6-17 in their last 23 games and catch the revenge-minded Hornets extremely well rested. The Hornets last played on Saturday. The Hornets are 12-3 ATS when they've had three or more days of rest. The Hornets just got through playing five straight games on the road. After this matchup, they go back on the road three more consecutive times.

The Hornets will have Eric Gordon and Anthony Davis in the lineup. They are a completely different team when Gordon plays, capable of beating any opponent. Gordon and Davis missed the team's first meeting when the Suns pulled out a 111-108 overtime win on Nov. 23. The Suns came back from 19 down in the third quarter to pull out the victory.

Finally healthy, the Wizards are very much under-the-radar screen covering 14 of their last 18 games.

New York is playing well, too, but now goes on the road for the first time since Jan. 26.

Lottery-bound, the Wizards pick and choose which games give them extra motivation. This is one such matchup. New York has defeated Washington 10 consecutive times the last coming this season when the Wizards were missing John Wall.

Wall has helped spark the Wizards into semi-respectability. Washington has won six of its last seven games at Verizon Center, including knocking off heavyweights Miami, Oklahoma City and the Clippers. The Wizards have covered seven of their last eight.

The Knicks haven't covered more than five in a row since mid-November. They have a history of playing down to the level of their competition. The Wizards are playing their best ball. The Wizards can deal with the rebounding of Tyson Chandler thanks to the tandem of Emeka Okafor and Nene.

Indiana is playing outstanding basketball especially at home where it has won 14 in a row. The Pacers are 10-5 in their last 15 games. They would be 7-1 in their last 8 games if they didn't lose by one point at Denver and on the road to Utah when the Jazz made two free throws with one second left in overtime to win by four.

Contrast this with Atlanta, which has lost seven of its past eight road contests, has injuries and is off a bad 93-76 home loss to Chicago this past Saturday despite the Bulls missing four key players. The Hawks have failed to cover the past seven times when playing on two days rest.

The Pacers haven't lost at home since Dec. 7 in building a 19-3 record at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana has double revenge having lost twice in Atlanta this season.

The Hawks are averaging 84.5 points in their last two games, both at home. The Pacers rank either first or second in scoring defensive, defensive field goal percentage and defending against 3-pointers. The Pacers also are the superior rebounding team.

Atlanta figures to be short-handed, too, as center Zaza Pachulia and Devin Harris are not likely to play.

The Knicks are playing well. Detroit isn't. The Knicks have owned the Pistons winning nine of the last 10 in the series.

Because of this we have an inflated line. The Knicks haven't covered four in a row since mid-November. The Knicks are 4-9 ATS following a pointspread cover. They are due for a letdown and I see it happening here.

The Pistons have covered five of their last seven road games. They have revenge for an embarrassing 102-87 loss to New York in London during their last matchup on Jan. 17.

Detroit's backcourt is bolstered with the expected debut of newly acquired Jose Calderon.

The Knicks have covered just three of the past 10 times at home when facing a foe with a losing road mark.

This is a rest stop for Miami. The Heat just concluded a four-game, 10-day road trip going hard in the fourth quarter to beat Toronto on Sunday. The Heat are 2-8 ATS following a victory. Their concentration and focus figures to be off after being away from home this long and going against such an easy opponent.

This marks Miami's third game in four days. The Heat actually delayed their flight home from Toronto on Sunday in order to watch the Super Bowl. The Heat host the Rockets on Wednesday, the Clippers on Friday and Lakers on Sunday. Those are all home marquee matchups for the Heat, who don't want to exert much energy in dispatching the Bobcats.

Charlotte does get decent production from its backcourt. The Bobcats are weak up front, but Miami's weakness is rebounding. The Bobcats aren't likely to have Michael Kidd-Gilchrist for this game, but power forward Byron Mullins is expected to play for the first time since spraining his ankle in late December.

Like most opponents, the Bobcats should be motivated to play against LeBron James and the defending world champions.

The wrong team is favored. The Hornets are superior to Minnesota, which has been sunk by multiple injuries, bad defense and low morale. The Timberwolves are 4-13-1 ATS in their last 18 games.

Minnesota has lost six in a row. This is a stop-the-pain game for the Timberwolves, but they don't have depth nor talent to beat New Orleans. The Timberwolves fell behind the Lakers by 29 points last night. They launched a great rally to cut the lead to four, but couldn't pull the game out losing, 111-100. The Timberwolves exerted a lot of energy in that loss.

The Hornets are 7-2 ATS in their last nine road contests. They've beaten the 76ers, Celtics and Grizzlies straight-up on the road during the past two weeks. The Hornets are an entirely different team when Eric Gordon is on the floor so their overall record is skewed. New Orleans has a winning record with Gordon. Without him, they are 7-25.

New Orleans also played last night losing at Denver. The Hornets, though, aren't in action again until Wednesday so they shouldn't be holding anything back in this very winnable game.

The Lakers' troubles are well chronicled being such a high profile team. But the Timberwolves are far worse.

Plagued by multiple injuries - and not very good to begin with - the Timberwolves are 2-8-1 ATS in their last 11 games. They have dropped five in a row while being outscored by an average of nearly 10 points a game during their losing streak. Opponents are shooting 51 percent from the floor against the Timberwolves during this span.

The Lakers had shown signs of life sweeping a three-game home series while averaging 106 points. However, the Lakers suffered a bad loss in their last game this past Thursday losing on the road to the lowly Suns, 92-86.

The Lakers still are far more talented than the Timberwolves even without Dwight Howard. Minnesota, remember, doesn't have its best player, Kevin Love. The Lakers have covered in their last five visits to Minnesota.

Getting upset at home by Washington woke up the Nuggets. Denver hasn't lost since then going 5-0, 4-1 ATS.

The Nuggets are very tough at home with a 19-3 mark covering 63 percent of the time this season at Pepsi Center.

Denver is the fourth highest scoring team at 103.8. New Orleans has allowed an average of 103.6 points per game during its last seven matchups. The Hornets have dropped four of their last five games.

New Orleans is playing its fourth road game in six days, while the Nuggets are rested. The Hornets have a much more winnable game on Saturday when they travel to Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves. So the Hornets might conserve their energy for that game if they fall behind early.

The Nuggets shouldn't lack for motivation since they don't play until Tuesday.

The Bucks showed little energy in an embarrassing 104-88 home loss to the Bulls this past Wednesday. The Bucks are a good bounce back team and they will be motivated, especially Brandon Jennings, to play well in Madison Square Garden.

The Bucks are 6-1 ATS following a double-digit defeat. They are a solid road team and have covered 13 of their last 18 versus Eastern Conference competition.

Jennings is a streaky shooter who has been hot. Jennings averages 20 points a game against the Knicks and wants to show the New York media that he was deserving of an All-Star selection after getting bypassed. Mike Dunleavy also usually plays well versus the Knicks.

Jennings and backcourt mate Monta Ellis should be able to take advantage of New York's point guard situation. Jason Kidd is 39 and saddled with a bad back. Raymond Felton is just getting his legs back in shape after being out with a broken finger.

Now that this line has reached double-digits, I'm going to get involved with the underdog.

The Grizzlies are a quality team with or without Rudy Gay. They eliminated the Spurs, if you recall, in the playoffs two seasons ago without Gray, who was out the entire series after undergoing shoulder surgery. Memphis has the fifth-best record in the NBA this season.

Teams often play hard in their first game without a star player. Their newcomers are anxious to show their worth. This isn't the greatest situational spot either for Oklahoma City.

The Thunder haven't been home in nearly two weeks having played six consecutive road games. The Thunder weren't real sharp in these contests either alternating wins and losses in going 3-3.
Oklahoma City is 3-10 ATS following a road trip of at least one week. Memphis has covered in six of its last eight road games. On the season, the Grizzlies have covered 60 percent of their road matchups.

The Raptors have hit a wall losing seven of their last nine. This is what Toronto coach Dwane Casey said about his team, "I see mental and physical fatigue."

Toronto is giving up 104 points per game in regulation during its last nine matchups. That would rank last in the league if it were computed over the entire season.

Injuries are a big part of Toronto's problem. The Raptors aren't expected to have Andrea Bargnani, Jonas Valanciunas and Linas Kleiza. Kyle Lowry and Landry Fields may not play either. Lowry is suffering from back spasms while Fields is dealing with illness. Reality has caught up to the Raptors as their young players aren't as effective as before no longer having the element of surprise going for them. The league is familiar with them now and has adjusted.

This isn't a great situational spot either for the Raptors. They just played two home games in a row. Now they have a single road game in Atlanta before returning to Toronto for three home games against marquee opponents.

The Hawks' arrow is pointing up after a 2-8 stretch. Atlanta had won three in a row until suffering a tough 106-104 road loss to the Knicks this past Sunday. The Hawks are averaging 102.5 points in their four games while shooting 52.1 percent from the field during this stretch.

Atlanta has been getting strong production lately from Al Horford, Josh Smith, Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver. The Hawks lack a strong inside game, but the Raptors don't have enough size to take advantage of the Hawks' weakness especially with Valanciunas out.

Washington is playing its best ball winning seven of its last 11. But the Wizards are off a 96-94 home loss to Sacramento when the Kings' Isaiah Thomas hit a floater with one second left. That loss has to be deflating to the young Wizards.

I don't see the Wizards coming back to play well in this matchup. They have a bad history against Philadelphia. The 76ers are poised to make a move. They won't be taking the Wizards lightly after Washington posted surprising victories against Oklahoma City, Atlanta, Denver, Portland and Chicago. Every one of those teams indicated after their loss that they didn't take the Wizards as seriously as they should have and weren't prepared.

The Wizards have too much inexperience and not enough talent to keep up that overachieving pace.

The 76ers have covered seven of the last eight in this series, including covering the past four times at home versus Washington.

Detroit is not a good home team. The Pistons are 12-12 at The Palace of Auburn Hills, 10-13 ATS. Milwaukee is a solid road club. The Bucks have won more than they've lost on the road while covering 62 percent of their away contests.

This is Detroit's first game back from a three-game road trip that finished on Sunday with the Pistons nipping Orlando, 104-102. The Pistons are 4-9 ATS when playing on one days rest. They also are 5-11 ATS the past 16 times when taking on a foe with a winning record.

The Bucks have played their finest ball under interim coach Jim Boylan going 7-3 since Boylan replaced taskmaster Scott Skiles. The Bucks hold a backcourt edge on Detroit with Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings and their frontcourt players have played better under Boylan.

Milwaukee is at its strongest when going against fellow Eastern Conference clubs covering 12 of the last 16 times.

Just seven games ago, the Kings nipped the Wizards, 95-94,in Sacramento. Now the Kings are nearly double-digit road 'dogs to Washington. Yes, the Wizards are playing well and the Kings aren't since that game, but this is still an overreaction by the oddsmaker.

Sparked by the return of John Wall, the Wizards have won six of their last nine.

Still, the Wizards are far from being a playoff contender. They are a bottom level team same as Sacramento. This has been a 'dog series with the underdog covering eight of the last nine.

The Kings beat the Wizards in the first meeting by scoring 62 points in the paint and winning the rebounding battle. DeMarcus Cousins is an immature baby. But he's talented and off a bad game. I see him having a strong game after scoring 21 versus the Wizards in the first meeting.

Sacramento has allowed foes to shoot 49.4 percent from the floor in its last four games, all losses. The Wizards, however, rank last in points per game and field goal percentage. They are averaging just 91.4 points per contest. If you discount a 114-point performance against the Timberwolves, the Wizards are averaging 89.7 points during their past four games. They just don't have a strong enough offense to lay this many points.

The Suns have the second-worst record in the Western Conference. The Suns surrender nearly 100 points a game and rank second from the bottom in defensive field goal percentage and defending against 3-pointers. Their offense isn't nearly good enough to compensate for their defensive weaknesses.

The Suns need a supreme effort to stay competitive. They recently got a boost winning their first two games under new coach Lindsey Hunter. Phoenix played hard last night on the road against San Antonio, too, but fell 108-99. Now the Suns, in their fourth game under Hunter, have to play again on the road against a Dallas team that is playing better and has covered nine of the last 10 times in this series.

This is the Suns' fourth game in five days. The Suns don't have the talent, depth and the incentive to produce an "A" game in this matchup.

The Mavericks have stepped up their game. They have covered seven of their last eight. The Mavericks have won five of their last seven with their only defeats during their past seven games coming to the Spurs and Thunder in overtime. After this game, the Mavericks go on the road for games against the Trail Blazers, Warriors, Suns and Thunder.

Despite a horrible 2-15 mark in their last 17 games, the Magic still are in playoff contention being 5 1/2 games behind free-falling Boston.

The Magic have a lot of youth and a first-year coach. But their chemistry has remained good. Orlando stuck together and nearly beat much-improved Toronto in its last game this past Thursday coming from 11 points down before losing, 97-95. The Magic played one of their better defensive quarters holding the Raptors to 22 points in the fourth quarter.

This is a key game for Orlando. Not only do the Magic have recent revenge as Detroit beat them, 105-90, this past Tuesday in Detroit. But the Magic go on the road for five games starting on Monday following this matchup.

Orlando ranks last in forcing turnovers. However, this is negated by the Pistons ranking last in turning the ball over. Detroit has lost 16 of its 20 road games. This is the Pistons' third and final game on their three-game road swing.

Indiana is playing its third of four consecutive road games. The Pacers are 10-14 away from home and have a losing road spread record. Indiana averages less than 88 points on the road. Only one team averages less.

Utah is one of the top home-court teams. Utah is 14-2 in home games not involving the Clippers, surrendering less than 93 points per game in Salt Lake City.

The Jazz are particularly strong in their home high altitude versus Eastern Conference clubs winning 13 of the past 14 times. They are 5-0 at home versus Eastern teams this season with their average victory margin being 12 points. The Jazz are 4-1 ATS the last five times they've hosted Indiana.

Utah is playing well going 6-2 in its last eight games. The Jazz did lose to the Lakers on the road last night, one of the few times this season the Lakers actually showed up. But none of Utah's starters logged big minutes.

The Jazz have a big, physical frontline that won't be intimidated by the Pacers' pushing and shoving. The Jazz also have revenge for a 104-84 road loss to the Pacers on Dec. 19.

The 76ers are well-rested having last played on Tuesday. Philadelphia is 6-2-1 ATS when playing on three or more days rest.

The 76ers catch the Knicks in transition and off a big 89-86 win two nights ago in a division grudge matchup against the Celtics in Boston. New York has failed to cover seven of the last nine times following a victory.

Point guard Raymond Felton is expected to play after missing the last 12 games with a broken right pinky. Felton doesn't get nearly the attention Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire draw, but he's a key component for the Knicks.

It's going to take a game or two, though, for Felton to get back into the groove and for New York's shooters to get into the flow with Felton dishing off. The 76ers have one of the best point guards in the league, Jrue Holiday. He'll be primed for a big game.

Don't look for the Clippers to take the Suns lightly in this nationally televised matchup. The Clippers have lost two in a row and their next game is Saturday at Portland, which is always a tough place to play. The Clippers then host Portland on Sunday before embarking on an eight-game road trip. So this is a game the Clippers don't want to lose.

The Suns are 3-13 in their last 16 games and have dropped a season-high four in a row at home. They are off a rare road win last night against the Kings. The Suns were motivated for that matchup since it was the first game under Lindsay Hunter, who replaced fired Alvin Gentry. Phoenix is 5-13 ATS following a straight-up victory.

The Clippers have dominated the Suns in two meetings this season winning by an average of 22 points, including winning 103-77 at Phoenix on Dec. 23. The Suns had trouble matching up against Blake Griffin.

I'm not expecting Chris Paul to play. It would be an added, an unexpected bonus, if he did play. Eric Bledsoe, though, is a capable fill-in.

As bad as Charlotte is, the Hawks are in no position to lay this many points on the road.

Atlanta is 3-8 in its last 11 games and has lost its last six away games. The Hawks have a cluster injury problem in their backcourt, will be missing big men Al Horford and Zaza Pachulia and have averaged only 78.2 points during their past four road contests.

Charlotte has lost 15 in a row at home. The Bobcats nearly beat Houston in their last home game, losing 100-94 after blowing a seven-point fourth quarter lead.

The Bobcats won't lack for motivation not only wanting to end their embarrassing home losing streak, but they also have triple revenge incentive.

Charlotte's strength is its guard plays. The Bobcats' top four scorers are all guards. The Hawks are short-handed in the backcourt with Lou Williams out for the season and Devin Harris, DeShawn Stevenson and Anthony Morrow all banged-up although Harris and Stevenson are expected to play.

The Celtics have dropped three in a row with the last being an embarrassing 103-88 road loss to the Pistons this past Sunday. It would be a second straight humiliating and embarrassing loss if the Celtics were to fall to the Cavaliers. It also would drop this proud team to under .500.

I don't see the Celtics being flat. Doc Rivers is mad as hell about the Celtics' poor showing at Detroit. The Celtics have the matchup edges and veteran experience to take care of the young and very bad Cavaliers.

The Cavaliers may not have their full focus returning from a 1-4 West Coast trip that finished up Saturday night. The Cavaliers are 9-27 (25 percent) during their past 36 home games. They have dropped 12 of their 16 home contests this season.

Cleveland is ranked last in defensive field goal percentage. The Celtics have made at least half of their shots from the floor in five of their last six games versus the Cavaliers, including hitting a season-high 59.7 percent in a 103-91 home victory on Dec. 19.

Cleveland not only is weak at small forward, but with Anderson Varejao out for the season they have to rely on youngsters Tyler Zeller and Tristan Thompson. Both players are young and inconsistent. I can see Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett coming up big in this matchup.

Boston has been terrible on the road going 6-12-1 ATS. But the Celtics have covered 67 percent of the time the last 38 times they've been on the road facing a home opponent with a winning percentage of less than .400.

On paper, this appears to be a big mismatch. But the Spurs aren't playing that well and the 76ers could start turning things around now that they're home for a while. Philadelphia has been home since Jan. 10 and has just one road game until Feb. 13.

Philadelphia had dropped 13 of 16 while suffering through an eight-game road trip until winning two of its last three. The final game of that extended road swing came on Jan. 5 at San Antonio and the Spurs bashed the tired 76ers, 109-86.

Now the 76ers catch San Antonio playing for the third time in four days. The Spurs have lost seven of their last nine road games. They are minus Manu Ginobili.

Philadelphia is 9-3 in its last 12 home contests. They have covered four of the past five times when hosting the Spurs. The 76ers are looking to build on a big overtime victory against Toronto this past Friday when they rallied from 19 points down in the second half. It was Philadelphia's biggest comeback of the season.

The 76ers have a strong revenge motive for their embarrassing showing at San Antonio. I see the 76ers also playing extremely hard on this special Martin Luther King Day game.

The key for the 76ers is point guard Jrue Holiday and he's playing at a high level averaging 30.7 points, 11.3 assists and shooting 54.8 percent from the floor during the last three games. Sparked by Holiday, the 76ers have averaged 104.7 points in their last three games.

The Nets have a double-revenge motive, urgently need this game to stay close to the Knicks in the Atlantic Division and have been playing better than New York.

Brooklyn is 10-2 since P.J. Carlesimo replaced Avery Johnson. The Nets have won eight of their last nine. The Knicks reached their peak early breaking out to an 18-5 record. But New York is 5-5 in its last 10 games and is 4-9 ATS when facing opponents with a winning record.

The Nets remember the taunts from the fans at Madison Square Garden during their last visit, a 100-86 loss on Dec. 19. That was before the hard-nosed Carlesimo took over and got the ship straight. The Nets are not going to lack for motivation.

The Knicks remain without point guard Raymond Felton, who started all three of the games against Brooklyn. The Knicks also are returning from a Thursday game in London. They could have trouble getting adjusted returning from England and with this being a day game in celebration of Martin Luther King Day.

Golden State came up with a gritty effort on Friday night but lost at San Antonio for the 28th straight time. To the Warriors' credit, they went all out. It was a physical game with playoff-like intensity.

Unfortunately for the Warriors they have to play again on the road tonight taking on a Hornets squad that is rested and playing their best ball with six wins and covers in their last seven games.

New Orleans has won its last three home games beating the Spurs by seven, Rockets by 9 and Timberwolves by 12. Getting Eric Gordon back has been huge for the Hornets. Point guard Greivis Vasquez has been playing extremely well, too.

The Hornets have been idle since Wednesday. Golden State is playing for the third time in four nights and second in two days. Stephen Curry, the Warriors' point guard and engine to their offense, is out with a sprained ankle. The Warriors aren't rushing him back anytime soon. Golden State is 10-32 when Curry doesn't play.

The Warriors had four of their starters log at least 38 minutes against the Spurs last night. These were hard minutes, too. Their bench is extremely short with Curry out. Jarrett Jack had to play a game-high 43 minutes. Jack isn't 100 percent either dealing with a sore elbow, but the Warriors don't have any other viable point guard options to reduce Jack's minutes.

The Bucks are bucking history in this matchup. Milwaukee has lost 24 straight times on the road against Phoenix. The Bucks have never won in 19 tries at US Airways Center, which opened in 1992. There are seven players on Milwaukee's roster who weren't even born when the Bucks last won in the desert.

The Bucks have fared well on the road versus Eastern Conference opponents going 9-4, but they are 0-5 when playing Western Conference opponents away from Bradley Center. This fits the Bucks' history. Milwaukee has covered just 32 percent of the time during the past 60 times it has played a foe from the Western Conference.

Milwaukee caught the Suns down in the dumps when the teams met nine days ago at Bradley Center. The Bucks won, 108-99. That was just the second time in the last 13 overall meetings the Bucks have defeated Phoenix.

The Suns are playing better now. They upset the Bulls on the road this past Saturday, 97-81, and in their last game trailed by just four points in the fourth quarter before losing to NBA-best Oklahoma City, 102-90. on Monday.

Phoenix was missing Jared Dudley in that loss to the Thunder. He's expected back for this matchup. The Suns are trying to avoid losing four in a row at home for the first time since 2004. They will be highly motivated. This is an instance, too, where history must be respected.

The Bulls have the best road record in the Eastern Conference at 10-5. They've won eight of their last 10 away contests so I have no problem laying a short number with the Bulls against a banged-up Raptors squad playing for the third time in four days and second in two nights.

The Raptors were playing well winning 10 of 13. However, they are in bad form now with two consecutive losses, including a 113-106 road loss last night to the Nets.

Toronto is banged-up minus Andrea Bargnani and Jonas Valanciunas. Now the Raptors might also be without Jose Calderon, who has a hip pointer, and Alan Anderson, who had dental work.

The Bulls are much stronger defensively than Toronto ranking third in fewest points allowed. Chicago surrenders seven fewer points per game than Toronto.

The Bulls have matched up well to Toronto in the past winning seven of the past eight time. Chicago also is 11-5 ATS at Toronto and has covered seven of its last 10 overall road games.

Chicago has its confidence back after blasting the Hawks, 97-58, at home on Monday. Atlanta had just 20 points at halftime.

There are certain key home games throughout the season. This is one of those games at Wells Fargo Center for Philadelphia.

The 76ers are 3-8 in their last 11 games. They are six games below .500 and would not make the playoffs if the season ended today. Is Philadelphia this bad?

No. The 76ers had played nine of their past 11 games on the road. This game is the start of Philadelphia playing 11 of its next 12 games at home. It's a crucial homestand. The 76ers opened the homestand in impressive style beating Houston scoring a season-best 107 points in regulation. The 76ers don't play again until Friday. The 76ers are focusing heavily on this matchup. It's a winnable game and the 76ers know it.

New Orleans has lost and failed to cover in five of its last six versus Philadelphia. The Hornets had been playing their best ball winning four in a row until going on the road and getting blasted, 100-87, by the Knicks on Sunday. The Hornets have a road game on Wednesday against the Celtics. The Hornets have struggled versus Atlantic Division teams failing to cover in 21 of their last 28 meetings.

Yes, I realize the Jazz are strong at home and Miami is mediocre on the road.

But the Heat are energized and focused after crushing Sacramento by 29 points this past Saturday. A focused Heat can beat any team in the NBA at any location. Miami opened its road swing losing to the Pacers and Trail Blazers. After this matchup they are at Golden State on Wednesday and the Lakers on Thursday. Those are difficult matchups. The Heat can't afford a loss here.

The Heat crushed Utah, 105-89, at home without Chris Bosh on Dec. 22. This is Utah's first game back from a three-game road trip that ended Saturday night so the Jazz might not be fully ready mentally. The Jazz won't be hitting the road for another 11 days so that might be a factor in treating this matchup in a less urgent matter.

The Jazz have failed to cover six of the last eight times when playing an opponent with a winning record.

LeBron James usually plays well against Utah. He's averaging 30.4 points versus the Jazz. Utah is without starting point guard Mo Williams and has been missing Marvin Williams (knee) for the past three games.

The Lakers aren't nearly the team most people thought they would be going into the season. But Los Angeles isn't as bad as its shown recently with six straight losses. Four of those defeats came on the road. The other two were at home to Denver and Oklahoma City. There certainly is no shame in losing to those two quality opponents at home.

Still, the Lakers are desperate for not only a victory but a lopsided one at that to restore their sagging confidence and pride. Into Staples Center comes the Cavaliers, one of the worst teams in the NBA.

Cleveland is playing in the second of five consecutive road games. The Cavaliers were very competitive against the Nuggets in their first game on the road trip before losing, 98-91. The Cavaliers play Sacramento on Monday. That's a winnable game for them. They know that, so I wouldn't be surprised if the Cavaliers tank when they start falling behind. Cleveland is 2-7 ATS the game after covering a spread.

The Lakers aren't likely to have Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol. However, the Cavaliers are missing their best frontcourt player, Anderson Varejo.

Portland has won nine straight at Rose Garden. But the combination of a fatigue factor and very strong opponent are going to prove too much for the Trail Blazers.

Portland is playing its third game in four days. The Trail Blazers upset the Heat at home on Thursday and then came back hard in the second half in a loss Friday at Golden State. The Trail Blazers have a weak bench. That's going to hurt them in this matchup.


The Trail Blazers are 5-13 ATS when playing on one day rest. Oklahoma City is 16-5 ATS when playing on one day rest.

Oklahoma City has been highly reliable when facing quality foes on the road covering seven of the past nine times when taking on opponents with a winning home mark. The Thunder also are 8-1 ATS when laying four or more points on the road.


The Thunder has beaten Portland in seven of the past nine meetings, including the last four. Oklahoma City has yet to lose in 23 games when scoring in triple digits. The Thunder are averaging 110.7 points per game in their last four road contests. Kevin Durant is red-hot shooting 57.7 percent from the floor this month.

The Hornets are playing their best ball winning four in a row. They are energized by the return of Eric Gordon. The Knicks have lost three in a row.

So how does this line make sense? It doesn't, but the oddsmakers aren't stupid. They're anticipating a big game from the Knicks and so am I.

The Knicks have lost three in a row falling to the Celtics, Pacers and Bulls. They are treating this as a must-win game. New York is stepping down in class drawing a lottery club from the other conference.

The Hornets have been in New Orleans for the last eight days. Now they're flying into the East Coast from the Big Easy. The Knicks have dominated this series winning seven of the last eight.

However, the Hornets won the last meeting at Madison Square Garden last February when the Knicks didn't have Carmelo Anthony. Anthony has been going through a tough time. He'll be home here and poised for a huge performance.

The Pacers are averaging less than 91 points a game. That's second lowest in the league. The Pacers have the third-lowest field goal percentage and are not a good free throw shooting team. They just don't have enough offense to cover big margins despite their excellent defense.


Indiana is 1-4 ATS this season when laying eight or more points.



The Pacers are also in letdown and look ahead spots. Indiana has won its last three home games beating the Bucks, Heat and Knicks. The Pacers were sky-high for those games. They face the red-hot Nets, winners of five in a row, on Sunday in Brooklyn.


The Bobcats had won their last two road games, beating the Bulls and Pistons, until getting blown out Friday night by the Raptors. I look for Charlotte to put forth a much stronger effort as Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap is talking about lineup changes.

The Trail Blazers are in a super letdown spot after upsetting Miami at home last night in perhaps their biggest win of the season. They aren't going to be ready physically or mentally for this matchup against a much-improved Warriors team.

Portland is 13-27-1 ATS following a victory. The Trail Blazers have only covered 38 percent of their road games this season while Golden State has covered in nine of its last 13 home contests.

Golden State is eager to get on track after successive losses to elite opponents the Clippers and Grizzlies. The Warriors are an up-tempo team that is going to take advantage of Portland's tired legs.

This line is just too short. Maybe the oddsmaker has yet to catch up to the fact that the Hornets are on the upswing with Eric Gordon back. New Orleans is playing with revived energy and focus.

With Gordon and a much improved Greivis Vasquez running things, the Hornets just posted victories against the Spurs, Mavericks and Rockets. Now they're stepping down in class.

The Timberwolves, on the other hand, are short-handed minus Kevin Love, Brandon Roy, Jose Barea, Chase Budinger and Malcom Lee. In addition, coach Rick Adelman hasn't been with the team the last couple of games.

The Jazz are playing well winning four of their last five. Their lone defeat during this span came in a game at Denver without rest. The Nuggets are 12-2 at home.

Utah hasn't been a good road team, although it has won three of its last five on the highway. But the Hawks aren't a good home team going 5-13-1 ATS in their past 19 games in Atlanta. The Hawks are 3-10-1 ATS when hosting a foe with a losing road mark. Atlanta isn't playing well in general going 5-6 in its last 11 games. The Hawks have had a distinct lack of energy recently and there's no guarantee they break out of their funk in this matchup.

Hawks coach Larry Drew recently called his team soft. Drew wasn't just being sarcastic. The Hawks are soft and have maturity issues especially Josh Smith. The Hawks are going to encounter matchup problems because Utah has a tall, physical front line with Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap and Derrick Favors, who is returning to the city where he played college ball.

Indiana held Miami to a season-low 77 points in the Heat's last game this past Tuesday in an 87-77 victory. The Pacers give up the second-fewest points per game in the NBA and are ranked No. 1 in defensive field goal percentage, but the Heat have been out of sync for the past two weeks losing four of their last seven games. Of Miami's three wins during this span, two were in overtime and the other occurred against the lowly Wizards.

The Heat aren't getting steady production out of anyone not named LeBron James. Portland has one of the better defenders in the league to match up up against James or Dwayne Wade in Nicholas Batum.

Miami is just a .500 team on the road. The Heat are 5-9 ATS in their 14 road contests.They have failed to cover in their last four road contests. Portland has one of the stronger home-courts. The Trail Blazers have won 12 of their 16 games at Rose Garden, including the past eight. Portland has covered the past six times when meeting a foe with a winning record.

The Trail Blazers have an underrated starting lineup with Damian Lillard, Wesley Matthews, Batum, LaMarcus Aldridge and center J.J. Hickson. Matthews is particularly hot making 23 of 40 shots from the floor in the last three games.

This is a rare marquee home matchup for Portland on national TV against the defending world champions. No doubt Rose Garden will be rocking. Portland's major weakness is a weak-scoring second unit. The Heat, though, don't exactly have a strong bench either.

The Hawks have lost three in a row. Don't look for them to drop a fourth consecutive game.

Atlanta coach Larry Drew called out his team after last night's disappointing road loss to Minnesota. Drew called his players soft, a huge insult. I'm expecting a strong effort from the Hawks, which would be enough to cover this number against a dreadful Cavaliers team that has dropped five of their last six and has multiple injuries.

The Cavaliers aren't expected to have Anderson Varejao, their best frontcourt player, for the 11th straight game. The Cavaliers are vulnerable on the boards to Al Horford and Josh Smith without Varejao. Cleveland could also be without C.J. Miles and Daniel Gibson.

The Hawks are 7-2 SU and ATS in the second of back-to-back games. The Cavaliers are 3-11 ATS when facing a foe off a loss.

Atlanta has dominated this series winning eight of the past nine. This includes four straight victories in Cleveland by an average winning margin of 13 points.

The 76ers couldn't be in a more difficult situational spot. Philadelpia is playing its worst ball losing 15 of its last 20. The 76ers just returned from a grueling 2-6 road trip to get buried at home by Brooklyn last night, 109-89. Now they have to fly to Toronto to face the rested Raptors.

76ers coach Doug Collilns admitted his team is incredibly tired. Philadelphia has failed to cover 17 of the past 21 times when playing on zero rest. The 76ers also have lost 11 of the past 13 times when playing away from home.

The Raptors had won eight of their last nine before losing to Sacramento and then Oklahoma City this past Sunday. The Raptors lost twice to the 76ers in November. Toronto is rested and highly motivated. The Raptors have a new rotation since losing those earlier games to Philadelphia. The Raptors have been getting outstanding play from a number of under-the-radar young players, including Alan Anderson, Ed Davis and Terrence Ross. The league - and 76ers - still don't have a very good idea of these players.

Toronto has covered in eight of its last 11 home contests.

Neither the Bucks nor Suns are playing well. Milwaukee just made a coaching change sacking Scott Skiles. Alvin Gentry probably is on borrowed time for Phoenix.

I see the Bucks playing with a lot of engergy and motivation for interim coach Jim Boyland. Milwaukee is home and taking on an easy opponent.

The Suns have lost eight of their last nine games. The Suns rank 25th defensively and second to last in defensive field goal percentage. They are the perfect antidote to the Bucks' struggling offense, which should be fortified with the expected return of Ersan Ilyasova.

The Suns need to have their offense going to make up for their lack of defense. But Phoenix's offense is in the tank. The Suns have averaged less than 19 points a quarter during the past seven quarters. Only once in their last nine games have the Suns reached triple digits. Phoenix's confidence is at a season low.

While the Bucks are a disppointing 16-16, they still are a borderline playoff team capable of winning their division. Phoenix, though, has the fifth-worst record in the NBA. The Bucks usually take care of business against such inferior competition covering five of the last six times verus a below .500 foe.

The Pacers are a good, but not great team. This is proven by their 2-7 ATS record versus opponets with a winning percentage of at least .600.

The Heat figured out the Pacers during the playoffs last season outscoring them by an aveage of 17.3 points a game during the last three matchups to win the series. Miami has covered in six of its last eight visits to Indiana.

This is Miami's first of six consecutive road games. The Heat want to start their trip out right as their next five games are on the West Coast.

Indiana has won seven straight at home, but nearly all of those victories came against sub-quality foes (Cavaliers, 76ers, Suns and Wizards), bad road teams (Jazz) or a slumping foe (Bucks).

Golden State is well rested. The Warriors last played on Wednesday when they rolled past the Clippers, 115-94, at home. The Clippers meanwhile had a huge victory last night beating the Lakers, 107-102, in an extremely hard-fought, emotional game. That loss halted a two-game losing streak for the Clippers and showed that right now they are the No. 1 team in Los Angeles. That's heady stuff.

Now, though, the Clippers have to turn right around and lay mid-sized points to a much improved Warriors team that has covered 62 percent of their road contests. Golden State has covered 20 of the past 27 times when playing on the road against a foe with a winning home record. The Clippers are 1-4 ATS the past five times when playing on zero rest.

The Warriors, like the Lakers, have no love lost for the Clippers considering them an in-state rival. So they won't lack for motivation.

Golden State beat the Clippers at Staples Center, 114-110, on Nov. 3 outrebounding the Clippers, 48-33. Golden State also had a 53-38 rebound advantage when the teams met this past Wednesday. The Clippers could be without Jamal Crawford, their top scoring reserve.

It's rarely wrong to fade the Jazz on the road where Utah is 6-14-1 ATS the past 21 times. Phoenix is 16-5 ATS in its last 21 home games when taking on a foe with a losing road mark.


The Jazz are 10-4 straight-up at home, but have lost 13 of their 19 away games.


Phoenix is decent in the desert where it's gone 5-1-1 ATS the past seven times. In their last seven home contests, the Suns have defeated the Grizzlies, beat Utah by 15, defeated the Kings by 11, defeated the Bobcats by 17, suffered a blowout loss to the red-hot Clippers, lost by just two to the Knicks and knocked off the 76ers, who had just beat the Lakers in LA, by six.


The Jazz are struggling minus point guard Mo Williams. They are 3-8 in their last 11 and 1-4 during their past five road matchups. The Suns crushed the Jazz, 99-84, at US Airways Center three weeks ago. It was Utah's fourth straight road loss to Phoenix.


The Suns are in good enough current home form to cover this short number. Utah isn't playing well, has a key injury and doesn't have the road history to pull the upset.

This is a stop-the-pain game for Boston, which has lost eight of 10. The losses, though, have come mainly on the road versus good competition.

This is Boston's second game back home following a four-game road swing. After this matchup, the Celtics go back on the road to take on the Hawks and Knicks. So this becomes a crucial matchup for Boston.

Indiana isn't as desperate having won six of its last seven. The Pacers play tough defense, but rank among the bottom in scoring and field goal percentage. The Celtics just got back their best perimeter defender in underrated Avery Bradley.

The Celtics are better when facing slow, half-court type opponents such as the Pacers rather than athletic foes in the open court. So the Pacers are a good from a matchup perspective. The Pacers are just 4-9 ATS, too, as road 'dogs having lost straight-up to quality road opponents Milwaukee, New York, Golden State, Atlanta, San Antonio an Oklahoma City.

Both teams are playing well, but Toronto has the advantage of being home and rested. Portland is in a letdown spot after upsetting the Knicks at Madison Square Garden last night. Portland is 5-10 ATS in its first 15 road contests and 11-22 ATS on the road when facing a foe with a winning home mark.

Toronto is 7-1 in its last eight games. The Raptors have excellent chemistry right now, an underrated point guard tandem and have improved their defense since Andrea Bargnani suffered a serious elbow injury.

The Raptors have been getting excellent production from their unsung bench. Portland has the lowest scoring bench in the league. Damian Lillard, the Trail Blazers' star point guard, has not played as well on the road as he has at home.

Toronto just concluded a three-game road swing. But the Raptors last played on Saturday. So they should be focused and ready. The Raptors should be highly motivated, too, having lost eight in a row to Portland.

Portland is averaging 95.3 points on the road. The Trail Blazers are 1-10 away from Rose Garden when failing to score at least 103 points. Toronto has held its last eight opponents to an average of 91.9 points a game. So the Raptors' season defensive average of 99.8 points is misleading.

This is a golden opportunity for the Mavericks to end their six-game losing streak - and they know it.

Dallas is off consecutive home blowout losses to Denver and San Antonio. Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle was livid about those defeats. The Mavericks had a good practice on Monday. They are stepping way down in class. They should be primed for a full effort, which should be enough to cover this small number. Dallas has covered 11 of the last 14 times in which they are coming off a double-digit loss.

The Wizards are the only NBA team that doesn't have at least seven wins. The Wizards have multiple injuries. Trevor Ariza, A.J.Price, Trevor Booker and John Wall all are out. Leading scorer Jordan Crawford is dealing with a sore left ankle.

The Wizards have dropped nine of their last 10. They are the worst shooting team in the league averaging 40.6 percent from the floor. The Mavericks are a respectable 17th in defensive field goal percentage. No team scores fewer points per game than Washington at 88.8.

This will be Dirk Nowitzki's fifth game back since returning from knee surgery. His timing has been off, but he'll be getting back to form as his conditioning improves.

The Mavericks have won the past five meetings in the series, including defeating the Wizards, 107-101, at home in mid-November.

New Orleans is headed to the lottery, but the Hornets are better than they've shown. The Hornets are 1-9 in their last 10 home games, but are ready to make a move upward. The timing is good for the Hornets as the Raptors recently overachieved with a five-game winning streak that ended this past Wednesday in a 20-point road loss to the Spurs.

Of the Raptors' five wins during their streak, four came at home. Toronto is 2-15 on the road. The Raptors are 0-10 versus Western Conference foes with an average loss of 16.1 points. They are 1-5 ATS in their last six road contests.

The Raptors are without two of their key big men, forward Andrea Bargnani and center Jonas Valanciunas. Point guard Kyle Lowry has been out, too, although he may return for this game. If he does, his minutes will be limited.

The Hornets are going to be getting Eric Gordon back soon. Morale is up because of that. Robin Lopez and Greivis Vasquez are playing well and star rookie Anthony Davis is getting back into good form after being out.

The Magic defeated Washington, 90-83, at home just nine days ago and I like Orlando's chances of duplicating that feat. Orlando has defeated Washington in 10 its last 11 meetings.

Orlando is putting a lot of emphasis on this matchup and tomorrow's home game against Toronto because after those games the Magic face the Heat, Bulls and Knicks before going on the road to take on the Trail Blazers, Nuggets and Clippers.

The Magic also have added incentive because Glen Davis suffered his shoulder injury against the Wizards on a hacking foul by Emeka Okafor with just 47 seconds left.

Orlando has struggled without Davis, but the Wizards are an NBA-worst 3-23 and are more banged-up than the Magic. Out for Washington is its first two point guards, John Wall and A.J. Price, along with starting forwards Trevor Ariza and Trevor Booker.

The Magic average just 92.8 points per game. Washington, however, is last in the NBA in scoring at 88.6 points a game.

Orlando is 7-1 ATS in its last eight road games while the Wizards are 2-11 at home with a losing home spread mark. The Wizards are 1-5-1 ATS the past seven times they've hosted a foe with a losing road record.

While most people in the country were celebrating and enjoying Christmas on Tuesday, the Heat were involved with their most intense game of the season surviving a hectic ending to beat Oklahoma City at home. This was a rematch of the NBA Finals and the Heat survived the Thunder's best punch.

Now the Heat have to fly into Charlotte and take on the coldest team in the NBA, Charlotte. The Bobcats have dropped 15 in a row. It's going to be near-impossible for the Heat to get up for this matchup.

The Heat also have to look ahead because after this matchup they have road games on Friday, Saturday and Monday. That should mean reduced minutes for LeBron James and Dwayne Wade, who logged 42 and 38 minutes, respectively, yesterday against Oklahoma City.

Miami is under .500 against the spread this season when laying more than eight points. Charlotte has lost only one game by more than 10 points at home and that was to San Antonio.

This is Charlotte's first home game since returning from a brutal four-game, five-day road swing. The Bobcats have been idle since Saturday. This is their marquee home game of the year against the defending champions. Unlike Miami, they should be highly motivated and rested.

The Bobcats aren't likely to have big man Byron Mullens, but shooting guard Gerald Henderson and key reserve Ben Gordon should be back from their respective minor injuries.

The Clippers are the headline team in the NBA these days riding a 13-game winning streak. Granted, this may be the Clippers' finest team ever. But this huge winning streak isn't as cracked up as you might think.

The Clippers' last six victories have been against the Suns, Kings, Hornets, Pistons, Bucks and Bobcats. The Bucks are the only serious playoff contender of that sad lot - and that's only because they play in the Eastern Conference.

The only team the Clippers have beaten during their long winning streak who is more than two games above .500 is the Bulls. Denver is the toughest team the Clippers have faced. Note, too, that the Clippers are 2-5 ATS the past seven times they've met a foe with a winning record.

This line is inflated due to the Clippers' winning streak and subsequent publicity. The schedule-makers didn't do the Clippers any favors either scheduling them as a home team on Christmas Day. Road teams are more focused facing less distractions when playing on a major holiday.

Denver is playing well, too, winning four its last five while going 6-1 ATS in its past seven games.

The Nuggets have the point guard depth to keep pace with Chris Paul, have the bench strength to match up against the Clippers' excellent reserves and the inside game to cause the Clippers problems in the paint. Denver leads the NBA in points in the paint at 55.6 per game.

Despite making just 26.6 percent of their 3-point shots during the last four games, the Nuggets still are averaging 109.3 points a game during this time frame.

The record shows Denver to be just 7-12 on the road. However, the Nuggets have a winning spread mark away from home. They have hung in during most of their road contests despite playing a tough away slate. Denver has posted road victories against the Rockets, Warriors and Grizzlies. They have lost road games by six or fewer points to the Heat, Jazz, Hawks and Knicks.

Steve Nash won't be back for this game, but Pau Gasol is and the Lakers have finally started to play better.


Los Angeles has won three in a row for the first time this season. Those victories, however, have come against unimpressive competition - the Wizards, 76ers and Bobcats.


The Lakers have been playing with more energy and ball movement, but want to prove they are indeed better by defeating a quality team, which the Warriors have become.


Scheduling dynamics and history are on LA's side. The Warriors are playing for the fourth time in five nights. They just played last night. The Lakers, on the other hand, have been idle since Tuesday. Gasol returned in the Lakers' last game after missing eight games with knee tendinitis. He helped spark the Lakers past Charlotte by scoring 10 points, pulling down nine rebounds, dishing off five assists and blocking four shots in 29 minutes.


The Lakers have owned the Warriors defeating 17 of the past 18 times. This includes an 8-1 mark at Oracle Arena. The Lakers defeated the Warriors for a fifth straight time on Nov. 9, burying them, 101-77. Both Gasol and Kobe Bryant have strong histories against the Warriors with Bryant averaging 33.3 points versus Golden State during the last six meetings. Gasol is averaging 23.2 points and 11.8 rebounds per game the past 18 times he's faced Golden State.

Why step in against the Clippers, winners of 11 in a row? Line inflation that's why. The Clippers have posted many of their 11 straight victories against weak opposition, including beating the Hornets, Bobcats, Raptors, Pistons, Suns and yes, the Kings. The Clippers humiliated Sacramento, 116-81, at the beginning of the month. So the Kings shouldn't lack for motivation.

Sacramento is 1-10 on the road, but only one other time have the Kings lost by more than 13 points. The Kings are 4-7 ATS on the highway. But that poor spread mark would look more respectable at 5-6 if the Kings wouldn't have lost at Indiana by 12 points in overtime as a 7 1/2-point 'dog.

The Kings received a much needed confidence boost in their last game beating Golden State, 131-127, at home this past Wednesday to end a five-game losing streak. Point guard Aaron Brooks had a big game with 23 points, five assists and two steals. Brooks is a key for the Kings and his strong play should carryover when he matches up against Chris Paul.

Tyreke Evans may still be out for Sacramento, but the Kings did get back Marcus Thornton, their strongest bench player. He scored 19 points against the Warriors after missing the previous three games to be with his ill mother.

The Mavericks are an under .500 team through their first 25 games, which isn't a surprise since they haven't had Dirk Nowitzki. The Mavericks aren't going to be a respected playoff contender until Nowitzki starts playing and that's not going to happen for this matchup. The Mavericks have beaten just one winning team at home.

Dallas ranks 27th in scoring defense giving up 101.5 points a game. The Heat averaged 103.1 points per game and rank No. 1 in field goal percentage at 49.5 percent.

The Heat are rested. This is just their second road matchup in their last 12 games. Miami has covered 12 of the past 16 times when playing on one day rest.

Ever since Dallas defeated Miami in the NBA Finals two years ago, the Heat have taken this matchup very serious with lots of intensity. The Heat swept both games last season winning by an average of 18.5 points.

The Heat is 7-2-1 ATS during its past 10 games a Dallas. The Mavericks are 4-10 ATS when meeting an opponent with a winning record.

Both Utah and Indiana were in action on Tuesday night. The Jazz posted a rare road victory beating the Nets in Brooklyn, 92-90. That was a nice win for Utah, but I don't see the Jazz winning back-to-back road games. Utah is 5-10 away from Salt Lake City, 5-9-1 ATS. Utah has not won two road games in a row all season.

The Jazz are 2-4 ATS in the second of back-to-back games this season and playing for the fourth time in six days. Utah is 1-7 ATS in its last eight away contests when meeting a foe with a winning home record.

Indiana lost 98-93 on the road to Milwaukee last night. The Pacers are a strong rebounding team and rank first in defensive field goal percentage and third in fewest points allowed. But they were done in by a rare hot-shooting performance from Brandon Jennings while connecting on only 40 percent from the field themselves.

The Pacers have been playing well, though, going 9-5 in their last 14 games and 4-1 during their past five matchups. Look for the Pacers to shoot better while maintaining their defensive excellence. This will be enough to cover this short number against a road-challenged Jazz squad that is far more effective at home.

The Pacers fell to 3-6 when the Bucks beat them in Milwaukee, 99-85, back on Nov. 14.

Indiana is playing much better now winning nine of its last 13, including three in a row. The Pacers haven't forgotten about that embarrassing loss to Milwaukee. The Bucks were burying the Pacers by 29 points when Larry Sanders committed a flagrant foul on Tyler Hansbrough that left Hansbrough sprawled on the court.

This has become a bitter rivalry so getting points is huge in what shapes up to be a defensive battle. The Pacers are clearly the better defensive club ranking first in defensive field goal percentage and third in scoring defense holding foes to 90.4 points per game. The Bucks shoot 43.3 percent from the floor, which ranks them 23rd. Milwaukee is giving up an average of 97.2 points per game.

Indiana has been playing exception defense holding its last three opponents - the Cavaliers, 76ers and Pistons - to an average of 81 points and 38.4 percent field goal shooting.

The Bucks are not a good home club failing to cover in 15 of their last 16 at Bradley Center. The Pacers have won five of their last seven away games. They also have beaten Milwaukee in five of their last six meetings.

Even though the opponent is the Wizards, the Hawks should be very focused for this road matchup. Atlanta is off an embarrassing 115-93 home loss to Golden State this past Saturday. The Hawks never showed up for that game. Hawks coach Larry Drew said it was his team's low-energy game of the year.

I see Atlanta bouncing back strong against a beat-up Wizards team that ranks last in scoring at less than 90 points a game. Atlanta is 5-1 ATS following a defeat. The Hawks have a top 10 defense and force the most turnovers in the Eastern Conference. The Wizards are starting a pair of shooting guards as they are down their top two point guards. They are ripe to commit a lot of turnovers.

The Hawks are 18-7-1 ATS in their last 26 road contests. They have dominated the Wizards winning 17 of the past 18 in the series going 10-4-2 ATS in the last 16 meetings.

Minnesota is playing well going 5-2 in its last seven games. But I see the Hornets ending their five-game losing streak with a home win against the Timberwolves.

Considering their upcoming schedule, this becomes a must-win, stop-the-pain game for New Orleans. The Hornets go on the road for four games starting on Sunday following this matchup with road games versus Portland, Golden State, the Clippers and San Antonio. They will not be favored in any of those matchups.

The Hornets are stronger defensively with Anthony Davis back in the lineup. The Timberwolves are 7-16 ATS the past 23 times when facing a foe with a losing record.

Kevin Love missed the first nine games with a broken hand. He's still struggling to regain his shooting touch shooting just 34 percent from the floor during his last nine games.

Already without Ricky Rubio, the Timberwolves will be without another guard in this matchup, Malcom Lee. He suffered a knee injury in the Timberwolves' last game, a win this past Wednesday against Denver. Lee had started 12 of the last 13 games at shooting guard.

Granted the Clippers are playing well. But this is their second game in two nights and fourth matchup in five days. The Clippes are 6-13-1 ATS in their last 20 road contests versus a foe with a losing home mark. The Clippers have failed to cover in four of their last five away games.

Charlotte has fallen back after a surprise beginning. The Bobcats are mired in a nine-game losing streak. Still, they are a much improved team capable of springing upsets having beaten Indiana, Dallas and Milwaukee. In their second to last home game, they lost by two on a buzzer shot to the Knicks.

The Bobcats received a boost at yesterday's practice when owner Michael Jordan played one-on-one with several of the players. Expect a strong effort from the Bobcats while the Clippers take it easy in a tired, let down spot.

This would be a tough matchup for Cleveland anyways, but it's made worse by the timing.

The Cavaliers are in a huge letdown spot after an improbable 100-94 home win against the Lakers that put an end to a five-game Cleveland losing streak.

Now the young Cavaliers have to turn around and play the rugged Pacers on the road. Indiana has been idle since Sunday. The Pacers are not in a good frame of mind either after one of their poorest defensive efforts in their last game, a 104-93 road loss to the Thunder.

The Pacers rank first in defensive field goal percentage. They are No. 1 in rebounding and surrender the third-fewest points. Kyrie Irving is back for the Cavaliers after missing 11 games with a broken finger. But the Cavaliers are soft up front, which is reflected in a 2-11 road record. They are 5-11 ATS the past 16 times they've played a winning home team on the road.

The Cavaliers have lost their last four road games to the Pacers and are 1-8 overall in the series.

Indiana's offense is its weakness. The Cavaliers limited the Lakers to 41.3 shooting, but even with that effort still rank last in the NBA in field-goal percentage defense at 47.8 percent. The Cavaliers also may be missing guard Daniel Gibson, who hyperextended his right elbow against the Lakers and missed the second half.

The Knicks have dropped only five games, but the one that really bothers them is a 96-89 overtime defeat to rival Brooklyn on Nov. 26. Brook Lopez had a huge performance in that game with 22 points, 11 rebounds and five blocked shots.


Lopez, though, is out with a foot injury. He's missed the last five games and won't play here. The Nets have lost four in a row minus Lopez with the closest loss being by six points. Opponents are taking advantage of Lopez's absence in the middle shooting 52.1 percent against the Nets during the past four games.


The Knicks rank fifth in scoring at 102.8 points a game and have Carmelo Anthony back in the lineup and playing at a high level. Anthony is averaging 30.1 points in his last eight games. The Knicks should get a major contribution, too, from their backcourt in this matchup. Jason Kidd missed the first Nets game. He's back in the lineup. Raymond Felton has been pointing to this matchup, too, after playing one of the worst games of his career in the first Nets game with five turnovers and 3-of-19 shooting from the floor.


Timing means a lot in the NBA. The Nets are 2-6 ATS versus foes with a winning road. They are going to be good, but right not they are a work in progress and not close to fulfilling their potential with Lopez out. The Knicks are a much better team right now and highly motivated for this matchup.

Golden State's 13-7 record is no fluke. The Warriors are much better defensively and on the boards than they've been in a long time. They are playing their best ball right now with a 10-3 mark in their last 13 games.


That record probably is going to take a hit as the Warriors are in the middle of a seven-game road trip. So far the Warriors have beaten the Pistons, Nets minus Brook Lopez and Wizards. The Bobcats are easier than the first two road opponents. The Warriors know they can't slip here because their last three road matchups are against Miami, Orlando and Atlanta. That's probably at least two losses.


The timing is right to play Charlotte now. The Bobcats have dropped seven in a row as opponents take them fully serious now. The Bobcats' big people have gone in the tank and their defense has been horrendous surrendering 110 points per game during the losing streak.


David Lee and Stephen Curry are playing at a very high level for Golden State. Lee has never played better, which is saying a lot since he's been a good player for a few years. Curry went to high school in Charlotte and then nearby Davidson college. He is averaging 24.5 points while shooting 50.7 percent from the floor in four lifetime games against the Bobcats.

The Suns are 1-7 in their last eight games and mired in a six-game losing skid. Only one of these losses, however, has occurred on the road.

This is just Phoenix's second home matchup in its last nine games. It's a big game for the Suns and they draw a weak opponent that is tired and having their own problems on the road.

Orlando is 3-7 away from home. The Magic are concluding a five-game, nine-day road trip with this matchup. The Magic are dragging and anxious to get home. The Magic have become a perimeter team without Dwight Howard, living and dying by the 3-pointer. Tired legs are not a good thing for an outside shooting team. The Magic are just 5-for-30 from 3-point range in their last two games.

Phoenix is vulnerable inside, but the Magic don't have the inside forces to take advantage although Glen Davis is playing better.

The Suns are not a playoff team anymore. But they are better than they've shown. Their recent record looks bad because they just finished a demanding East Coast trip where they went 1-6. Except for a horrible effort in Detroit, though, they were in the other games. Their lone home game during this span came against the Mavericks and they lost in the final minute still dragging from the three-hour time change.

I'm expecting the Suns to be ready, rested and strongly motivated. Orlando is the team in the bad spot. The Magic lack the talent to win against a motivated opponent on the road unless producing a super effort and hitting a large number of their long-range bombs. I don't see that happening here.

The 76ers nipped Boston, 95-94, at home on Friday night. It was the second time in two meetings the 76ers have defeated Boston this season.


This was a particularly tough loss for the Celtics. Boston did a great job defensively on point guard Jrue Holiday, who is having an All-Star caliber season. But every bounce and loose ball seemed to go against the Celtics. The Celtics also missed several open shots.


I don't see the 76ers beating Boston three straight times. It's going to be a different game in Boston tonight. The Celtics are the more talented team, have the stronger bench and will be highly motivated to get their immediate revenge. This is a home series with the host covering five of the last six times.


The Celtics have age on them, yes. But Philadelphia is the team that has really struggled when playing with zero rest going 4-12 ATS in that situation.

Orlando is deep into its lengthy road trip playing its fourth away matchup in the last six days. The Magic don't go home until they play Phoenix on the road Sunday. So Orlando could really be dragging in this game.

Sacramento has tightened up its perimeter defense. This is huge because the Magic have showed a tendency under first-year head man Jacque Vaghan to live and die by the 3-point shot. Sacramento ranks 11th in defending against the 3-point shot holding foes to 34.2 percent. The Kings also were averaging 46.1 points in the paint per game, which ranks them fourth-highest.

The Magic are going to have trouble containing DeMarcus Cousins inside. Tyreke Evans has been hot, too, for the Kings averaging 20.3 points per game in his last seven game while connecting on seven of his last 15 shots from 3-point range.

Sacramento has won its last three of its last five home contests, beating the Lakers and Jazz during this span.

The record shows Washington to be 2-13 overall and 0-7 on the road. Those records are deceiving, however.

The Wizards have a winning point spread road mark and are playing their best ball having won two of their last three, including a huge confidence-building victory against the defending world champion Heat this past Tuesday.

Washington is in action for just the second time in seven days. The Wizards have a strong revenge motive as the Hawks nipped them in overtime in Atlanta on Nov. 21.

It's a much different situation for Atlanta. The Hawks defeated the Nuggets, 108-104, at home this past Wednesday. Up next for Atlanta following today's game against Washington is much more challenging and high-profile games - road matchups on Saturday against Memphis and on Monday versus Miami. The Hawks have a tendency to play up or down to the level of their competition.

The Hawks also had covered only two of their last 11 home games.

Indiana has compensated for its lack of offense without Danny Granger by playing outstanding defense. The Pacers rank No. 1 in the league in both scoring defense and defensive field goal percentage. They also rank No. 3 in defending against 3-pointers, which is a staple of Portland's attack.


Meeting the top defensive team is tough any time, but it's especially so in this matchup for the Trail Blazers because it marks the conclusion of a seven-game, 11-day road trip that began before Thanksgiving.


In their last two games, the Trail Blazers have had to play three overtimes. They were fortunate to beat Charlotte in overtime this past Monday because of Bobcat mistakes.


The Trail Blazers are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games when playing on one days rest. Portland is at a real disadvantage when turning to its bench because its reserves are averaging less than 15 points per game. That's the lowest in the league. Because this is the end of their trip and off consecutive overtime games, the Trail Blazers are going to be forced to use their bench. Indiana has a big advantage there when the reserves play.


The Pacers have been on the road for their last four games, although they had a short trip to Chicago last night and posted an impressive 80-76 win to even their record at .500. The Pacers went 3-1 on their road trip. They are playing better and their confidence is up.


Indiana is a rugged rebounding and defensive club. The Trail Blazers aren't a very good team to start with and they lack the height and bench strength to hold up playing in their seventh consecutive road game. Portland also doesn't have a good history versus the Pacers failing to cover in seven of the last nine meetings.

Perhaps at first glance this number seems high. On closer inspection it's actually a bargain. The Grizzlies are good, darn good and this is a kill spot for them.

Memphis and Miami are tied for the best winning percentage in the NBA with 12-3 records. The Suns are a lottery team facing a bad situational spot.

The Grizzlies last played on Saturday against the Spurs in San Antonio. This was the second of back-to-back games for the Grizzlies, while the Spurs had sat out their three main stars against Miami in their previous game to give them two full days of rest instead of one. Still, the Grizzlies took the Spurs to overtime before losing. Memphis also played without Tony Allen, who may be back for this game. The Grizzlies led San Antonio by 14 with less than 10 minutes left.

That defeat left a bad taste in the mouth of the Grizzlies. Now the Grizzlies are the rested team. They are 8-1 at home this season, covering seven of the nine. Memphis leads the NBA in defense yielding 90.7 points a game and ranks in the top six in defensive field goal percentage and defensive 3-point percentage. The Grizzlies have covered 12 of their last 14 games.

Phoenix is 2-8 on the road. The Suns are playing in their sixth straight road game. They are 1-4 on this road trip with their lone win coming against the Cavaliers.

The Suns' confidence is down. In their last three games they lost by 40 points to the Pistons, lost by four to Toronto and lost by seven to New York this past Sunday with the final losing margin not indicative of how bad the Suns played because the Knicks relaxed in the second half after building a 59-42 halftime lead.

The Suns desperately want to get back to the desert. They rank last defensively allowing 102.7 points per game. They've surrendered 108 points per game in their last three matchups. Phoenix could be missing Jermaine O'Neal, the team's second-leading shot-blocker who has a right quadriceps strain.

New Orleans hasn't been playing well, but the Bucks aren't playing well enough either to be laying this many points on the road. The Hornets have won the last 10 times they've hosted Milwaukee, covering four of the past five, and can't afford a loss here. After this game, New Orleans plays the Lakers, Grizzlies and Heat.

New Orleans can hit from the perimeter with underrated Ryan Anderson. The Bucks are a below average rebounding and defensive field goal percentage team. Milwaukee is just 2-5 in its last seven games with the victories coming against the Bulls in Chicago by one point when the Bulls blew a 27-point lead and in their last game against Boston at home on Saturday when the Celtics were playing in the second of back-to-back nights and missing suspended Rajon Rondo. Milwaukee is 3-15 ATS following a straightup victory.

The Bucks are averaging just 88.6 points in their last five games. Scott Skiles is still searching for the right frontcourt combination and guards Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings were shooting a lowly 40 and 41 percent, respectively, from the floor.

Early money has moved Charlotte into the favorite role. I agree. The Bobcats are vastly improved under Mike Dunlap. They've beaten much tougher teams at home than Portland, a terrible road club. Portland is 1-5 ATS on the road this season. The Trail Blazers have to deal with fatigue issues, too, as this is their sixth road game in nine days.

Depth is huge on long road trips and the Trail Blazers don't have it. They have the lowest scoring reserves in the league. Portland has failed to cover nine of the last 11 times when playing with just one day rest. Portland also is 7-20-1 ATS following a straight-up victory. The Trail Blazers are off a one-point double overtime victory against Cleveland this past Saturday winning on a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

That's what it took for the Trail Blazers to beat Cleveland. The Trail Blazers already have lost to Detroit and Washington on this current trip. It's not a fluke. Portland isn't very good this season ranking 29th in defensive field goal percentage and 27th in points allowed per game at 101.8. Charlotte was ranked in the top 10 in both steals and blocks, a rare distinction.

Unlike the Portland players, who just want to get home, the Bobcats have major motivation. The Bobcats suffered the worst loss in team history last Feb. 1 in Portland when the Trail Blazers rolled them, 112-68. It was the low point of the lowest of seasons. They want to avenge that loss in a big way.

Both Indiana and Golden State are playing well. But this spot and matchup set up well enough for the Warriors to cover this spread.


This is Indiana's third of four straight road games. The Pacers began their trip shocking the Lakers, 79-77, this past Tuesday. Frank Vogel is an underrated coach. He had four days to devise a game plan against the Lakers. Victory achieved. The Pacers then beat Sacramento, 97-92, on Friday night. The Pacers had two full days to practice and scheme for the Kings. Victory achieved.


Now, however, Vogel has no time to specifically game plan and practice for the Warriors since Indiana played last night. Indiana is 1-2 ATS the past three times its played on the second night of back-to-back games.

Golden State has won its last four home games beating Denver by one, Minnesota by 11, Brooklyn by nine and Atlanta by four. All of those teams except the Timberwolves are better than the Pacers.

The Warriors are averaging eight points more per game than the Pacers. Minus their leading scorer Danny Granger, the Pacers' offense is down this season ranking near the bottom at 90.8 points per game.

Indiana wins by playing tough defense, getting points in the paint and rebounding well. Golden State has been deficient in these areas - until this season. The perception is the Warriors are soft and not a good rebounding team. That perception is false.

Golden State ranks fifth in rebounding margin, one spot ahead of Indiana. The Warriors have won the rebounding battle during each of their last five games by a combined 45 rebounds. Twice in this span they've outrebounded Denver, which is the No. 2 rebounding team in the NBA.

The Pacers don't have enough firepower to outscore the Warriors, especially on the road when Golden State is more likely to dictate pace. The Pacers will try to control the paint and outrebound Golden State. I don't see that happening. David Lee is playing tremendous and the Warriors have greatly improved their defense ranking in the top 10 in defensive field goal percentage and in defending against 3-pointers.


Indiana has lost in four of its last five visits to Oracle Arena. The Pacers also have a more important game on deck traveling to face division rival Chicago on Tuesday.

The 76ers are playing better realizing that Andrew Bynum is not coming back any time soon. Doug Collins is an excellent coach, adept at getting the best from his talent. The 76ers have talent despite missing Bynum, who I find to be the most overvalued big man in the game.

Jrue Holiday has emerged as one of the best point guards in the league averaging 18.5 points and 9.1 assists per game, which ranks him No. 3 in the NBA. Evan Turner is stepping up after coming on strong last season. Turner is averaging 17.8 points while shooting nearly 50 percent from the floor during his last six games.

Charlotte has been the surprise of the season so far. The Bobcats are much improved from last season when they were the worst team in NBA history. But they're still not very good and they no longer have the element of surprise on their side. The Thunder buried the Bobcats, 114-69, this past Monday. The Bobcats played much better on Wednesday, but lost 94-91 to Atlanta.

Now the Bobcats return home for the first time in four games. This will be their fifth game in eight days. The Bobcats rank second to last in field goal percentage at 40.7. They haven't shot above 35 percent from the floor in their last two games. Philadelphia gives up the fewest points on the road of any team at 87.4.

This is the time to back Detroit as a favorite. Yes, a favorite.

The Pistons began the season losing their first eight games. But now they've turned things around going 4-3 in their last seven games, including winning their last three home contests.

Lawrence Frank is doing a better job of figuring out his lineup. Elevating Kyle Singler into the starting lineup replacing a struggling Rodney Stuckey was the right move. The Pistons are playing better defense and catch Phoenix in a bad situational spot.

The Suns are playing their third road game in four days. They have three more road games in a row after this one. Phoenix played the 76ers tough in Philadelphia in the opener of their current road swing losing by three. Then, last night, the Suns beat the Kyrie Irving-less Cavaliers, 91-78.

What are the chances of the Suns turning in a third straight solid road performance? Phoenix is 1-10 ATS following a straight-up victory.

The Suns are giving up 101.6 points per game even after holding the punchless Cavaliers to 78 points. The Pistons have revenge for a 92-89 loss suffered to the Suns in Phoenix on Nov. 2 when they were playing terrible. Stuckey was 0-for-7 from the field in that game scoring one point in 22 minutes.

Their won-lost record reads 3-11. But the Raptors are better than that as evidenced by a more convincing 7-7 ATS mark. The Raptors have lost four in a row since defeating Orlando by 11 at home.

In each of those four losses, though, the Raptors had the lead during the fourth-quarter. They lost a pair of one point road games to much-improved Charlotte and Detroit and then nearly upset San Antonio at home losing in double overtime on Sunday. The Raptors played the Spurs tough despite go-to-scorer Andrea Bargnani missing a staggering 19 of 21 shots from the floor.

Toronto is 5-0 ATS following a straight-up loss.

The Rockets last played on Friday at home when they played their finest game of the season crushing the Knicks, 131-103. The Rockets had little time to savor that great win, however. The daughter of their coach, Kevin McHale, died on Saturday. The organization has been in mourning since. It's not hard to envision the team thinking more about their grief-stricken coach rather than the Raptors.

Another side note to this matchup is the return of point guard Kyle Lowry to Houston. The Rockets dealt Lowry to the Raptors this past year. Lowry is very underrated, a superior player to the more overpublicized Jeremy Lin, who is shooting less than 35 percent from the floor and has three more turnovers than assists in his last three games.

The fiery Lowry wants this win bad. So does Bargnani who stunk up the joint against the Spurs. The Raptors are not nearly as bad as their record. They are going to be motivated for this matchup.

Houston is nothing special, just a .500 team capable of beating elite teams and losing to bottom-feeders. The Rockets might come out fired-up, too. They also could be in a sad funk. The Rockets also could be thinking ahead as they play the Thunder in Oklahoma City on Wednesday.

For the first time under the tenure of defensive guru Tom Thibodeau, the Bulls are saddled with a three-game losing streak. No, the Bulls aren't nearly as good as they were last season when they had Derrick Rose. But they aren't as bad as they've shown recently either.

Now the Bulls draw their favorite patsy, the Bucks. Chicago has beaten Milwaukee eight consecutive times, winning by an average of 11.1 points during this span. This is the first meeting of the year between the two teams although the Bulls defeated the Bucks, 100-94, in a home preseason game.

The Bucks aren't a very good home team spread-wise failing to cover 21 of their last 29 at Bradley Center. The Bulls have covered in six of their last seven visits to Milwaukee.

The Bulls are 12-4 SU when facing the Bucks under Scott Skiles, who used to coach the Bulls. The Bulls have the Bucks' number and will be highly motivated for this matchup. Thibodeau put his team through a 135-minute practice on Friday to specifically game plan for this matchup and sharpen his team's defense.

Milwaukee nearly pulled a road upset this past Wednesday against Miami losing in overtime,113-106, but covered as 9 1/2-point 'dog. The Bucks are 1-8 ATS following a cover.

Philadelphia is a very ordinary team weak offensively without a stable rotation.

The 76ers aren't at a stage right now where they can hang close with Oklahoma City.

The Thunder are looking for redemption after a loss to Boston last night. The Thunder are 23-11 ATS following a defeat. They won't lack for motivation in this matchup and own a huge talent gap across the starting lineup.

Before losing to the Celtics, the Thunder had won eight of their last nine going 6-3 ATS. All of their victories during this span except one were by at least six points.

Oklahoma City is averaging 102.8 points per game and shooting 47.9 percent from the floor. Both are top-four figures. The 76ers rank second-to-last in points per game and field goal percentage. They are averaging 89.8 points, 13 points per game fewer than Oklahoma City.

The 76ers are 3-3 in their last six games with their three victories coming at home against Utah, a terrible road team, Toronto and Cleveland. The 76ers' losses during this span have occurred to the Pistons and Bucks at home and Cavaliers in Cleveland, who were minus its best player, Kyrie Irving. The 76ers are just 2-9 ATS at home versus foes that have a winning road mark.

The 76ers haven't been able to slow down Kevin Durant even when they had premier defender Andre Iguodala. Durant has averaged 29.4 points per game in the last five matchups against the 76es. The Thunder have defeated Philadelphia six times in a row.

The Spurs own the Pacers having defeated them 10 straight times, including a 101-79 blowout victory earlier this month. The Spurs beat the Pacers in that game despite Tony Parker making just three of 13 shots from the floor.

The Pacers are playing better, but there remains a huge gap between these two teams. The Spurs have only lost to two teams - the Knicks and Clippers whose combined record is 16-5.

Indiana has defeated just one team above .500 and that's 7-6 Dallas. The Pacers' offense has gone down the tubes without leading scorer Danny Granger. Indiana ranks 27th in scoring and 28th in field goal percentage.

San Antonio ranks in the top 10 both offensively and defensively. Gregg Popovich is the most dangerous coach when having at least a day to game plan. San Antonio is 26-11-1 ATS when playing with one day rest. Indiana is 1-5 ATS following a victory.

I'm not comfortable laying points with Charlotte and neither should you. The Bobcats are a shocking 5-4. They are much improved. Do note, though, that every one of their victories except one has been by four or fewer points. Their lone lopsided win came against winless Washington.

The Raptors aren't pretty, but they are a gutty bunch. They have covered five straight times when playing on zero rest. This includes three straight-up victories in three games this season when playing on the second of back-to-back days.

The Bobcats are missing Gerald Henderson and reserve Tyrus Thomas. Charlotte is 1-7 ATS against opponents with a losing record.

Star point guard Kyle Lowry is back for Toronto.