The 76ers have dropped two in a row. They haven't lost three straight all season.

Minnesota is a much improved team, but the Timberwolves aren't in the 76ers' class. Minnesota is under . 500. The 76ers are 20-11. The only teams they've lost to who were under .500 are the Knicks and Nets.

No team is giving up fewer points per game than the 76ers. The 76ers also have had 11 or fewer turnovers in 11 of the past 12 games. They are averaging a league-low 10.4 turnovers per game.

The 76ers are actually eager to be on the road having lost their past three home games. Those losses were to upper level teams - Spurs, Clippers and Mavericks. Philadelphia is 9-2 ATS following a loss.

The 76ers have beaten Minnesota during the past three meetings. The Timberwolves have a losing home record. They have covered only four of the past 14 times when playing at home.

This isn't the Celtics of a couple of years ago, or even last season. Age and a weak bench have taken enough toll on Boston that the Celtics are far from being considered an elite team. They are one game above .500.

Yet the Celtics are being priced on their former reputation. Detroit is playing its best ball, but not being given any respect for it.

The Pistons are 6-2 in their last eight games. Boston is 4-4 in its last eight games. The teams just met this past Wednesday in Boston and Detroit won, 98-88.

Sparked by a return to health of Ben Gordon and Rodney Stuckey, who is playing at a high level, the Pistons are averaging 96.1 points in their last eight games. Boston is averaging only 84.8 points during its last five games.

The Celtics continue to be overrated by the marketplace. They are 3-7 ATS as road favorites. The Celtics have a bigger matchup on tap playing at Dallas on Monday in a nationally televised game.

The Pistons, though, consider this a marquee matchup. They are 7-1-1 ATS in their last nine home games and have covered each of the last six times they've been an underdog.

Golden State has had this game circled since getting nipped 91-90 at home by Memphis on Jan. 23. That was the Warriors' most frustrating loss of the season as they choked away a 17-point lead with 7:26 remaining.

The Warriorrs rebounded from that shocking loss to play well. Golden State, though, was crushed last night by Oklahoma City, the best team in the Western Conference. The good news, though, for the Warrors was the blowout allowed coach Mark Jackson to empy his bench. No Golden State starter logged more than 31 minutes.

Memphis also played Friday night. The Grizzlies had a very difficult game against Denver. Memphis edged the Nuggets on a tip-in with less than one second left.

The Grizzlies basically play just six players. Their big stars had to log major minutes against the Nuggets. Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol each played 41 minutes while point guard Mike Conley was on the floor for 38 minutes. There is going to be a fatigue factor for the Grizzlies as this marks their fourth game in five days.

Golden State had been looking good until going up against the Thunder. The Warriors had knocked off the Nuggets by eight in their previous road game. Following that matchup, the Warriors were home for three games going 2-1. The Warriors defeated Houston and Phoenix and lost to Portland by two.

There is no shame in getting blown out on the road by the Thunder. There would be shame losing big to Memphis in a revenge spot with a favorable situation going. The Warriors know that. They have the talent, deeper bench and motivation to keep things close if not win straight-up against a very-average Grizzlies squad.

The 76ers will be up for this matchup - their only home game during an eight-game stretch. The 76ers just got back from a 3-game road trip and start a four-game road swing following this game. They are 5-0 straight-up and ATS following a road game this season.

Philly is off a bad road loss against Orlando. The 76ers are 8-1 ATS following a defeat.

The 76ers have the stronger defense and better depth that Dallas. It's not a fluke the 76ers are 20-10 with six players averaging in double figures. Jrue Holliday is an underrated point guard. The 76ers have committed the fewest turnovers in the league.

Dallas has a cluster injury problem in its backcourt. Three players are out - Jason Terry, Delonte West and Rodrique Beaubois. That means major minutes for over-the-hill veterans Jason Kidd and Vince Carter.

Dallas has won five in a row. Two of those victories, though, were against a short-handed Nuggets squad. Another came in OT versus a slumping Trail Blazers squad and another came against the Clippers missing Chauncey Billups. The Mavericks aren't in a position to upset a motivated and very good 76er team on the road.

You know with LeBron James making his first appearance in Cleveland this season that the Cavaliers will be highly motivated for this home contest.

Cleveland is a respectable 6-7 at home this season. The Cavaliers have covered six of the last seven times they've been a home 'dog.

The key for the Cavaliers is getting back Kyrie Irving. He returned against the Pacers this past Wednesday in Cleveland's last game and sparked a 98-87 Cavaliers' home win with 22 points. Irving had missed three games with a concussion.

Miami is playing well. But this is the Heat's sixth straight road game and Miami has a much bigger game on tap Sunday when the Heat return home to face in-state rival Orlando in a revenge spot for a 102-89 loss that began their current road trip.

Detroit is playing its best ball of the season and is at home. The Pistons have won five of their last seven games. They are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games.

Sacramento had been playing better, too, but has dropped three in a row after going 4-1. The Kings are playing their third road game in four nights. The Kings have failed to cover in 10 of their 15 away matchups.

The Pistons are riding a lot of confidence after knocking off Boston on the road for the first time since 2009. A key for the Pistons' turnaround is the return to health of veterans Ben Gordon and Rodney Stuckey.

The Pistons also have been getting better production in the paint. Greg Monroe remains one of the more underrated players in the Eastern Conference.

Oklahoma City has the best road mark in the NBA at 12-5. The Thunder also have covered in nine of their last 13 away games.

The Thunder played last night, but had an easy time beating Utah, 111-85, at home. The Thunder were able to rest their starters for long stretches of time.

Houston also had to play last night, losing at Memphis. The Rockets now return home following a six-game road trip without a single day of rest. This marks their 10th straight different venue.

The Thunder match up well to Houston as evidenced by a four-game win streak. The Rockets have been unable to control Kevin Durant, who has averaged 28.8 points against them while shooting 55.3 percent from the floor during the past four contests.

Miami and Milwaukee have played twice this season. The Bucks are surprisingly 2-0 versus the Heat holding them to an average of 89.5 points.

The over/unders in the two meetings were 194 1/2 and 197 1/2. This opened as the highest total yet. I don't see the justification in such a high total even though Miami is the No. 2 scoring team in the league.

The Bucks are mainly composed of lunch-pail type players who would rather rebound and set picks than score. One of Milwaukee's few scorers, Stephen Jackson, is playing less than 20 minutes per game.

Brandon Jennings, the Bucks' main source of offense with Andrew Bogut out, is a streaky shooter who is on a cold streak converting on only 22 percent of his field goals during the past eight games.

This is a kill-the-pain type of matchup for the Bucks as they've dropped three straight home games following their victory against Miami at Bradley Center. The Bucks know that to have a chance of beating the Heat again, they'll have to play intense defense. Their emphasis will be on defense not offense.

Miami, of course, should be highly motivated in a rare double-revenge situation. So I'm expecting a tough, physical matchup with not a lot of free-wheeling and loose scores.

Kevin Love is in the argument for best power forward in basketball. Ricky Rubio is averaging 8.7 assists per game.

Those two give Minnesota respectability and edges at two key positions against the Magic.

The Timberwolves have been an excellent under-the-radar road team covering eight of their 11 away contests. They actually have a winning straight-up road mark at 6-5 with three of those defeats coming by the combined margin of 10 points.

Dwight Howard is an elite player, but his Orlando team isn't. Since winning their first four home contests, the Magic are just 5-6 straight up at home. They are 3-8 ATS during this span.

The Timberwolves are off a frustrating home loss to the Knicks. Rick Adelman will have them ready to play in this matchup. The overrated Magic are in for a fight here.

The line is short here considering the quality difference between these two teams.

Orlando is a whole level higher than Milwaukee.

Yes, Orlando has the greater distance to travel following its home loss to Atlanta. But the Bucks are off an overtime win at Cleveland last night.

Milwaukee is 2-8 ATS the past 10 times it has played in the second of back-to-back games.

The Magic have covered seven of their last nine road games. They are much stronger offensively when not going against Boston or Atlanta, who have their number defensively.

The Bucks have no counter for Dwight Howard with Andrew Bogut out.

Dallas is coming on and Portland is a bad road team.

The Mavericks are 5-1 in their last six games. The key has been Dirk Nowitzki getting healthy and finding his shooting eye. Nowitzki is averaging 28 points on 60.6 percent field goal shooting during the last four games. He has a strong history, too, versus Portland.

The Mavericks also have been helped by the return of Jason Kidd.

Portland is 4-9 straight-up and ATS on the road. The Trail Blazers would own only two road wins if you discounted their games versus New Orleans, the league's worst home team at 2-14.

The Trail Blazers are 1-8 ATS the last nine times they've been road 'dogs.

Portland has struggled in Dallas, too, losing 20 of the past 25 times there. Dallas has covered the past four times it has hosted Portland.

Philadelphia won't be taking the banged-up Cavaliers lightly after losing at home in the finals seconds to the Clippers last night. It was the 76ers' second loss in a row - both at home.

The 76ers are 8-1 ATS following a straight-up defeat. The 76ers also are 8-2 ATS when laying between five and 10 1/2-points.

This is a step down for the 76ers after having faced seven straight winning teams.

Cleveland lost in overtime to Milwaukee last night. Worse, the Cavaliers may not have their most effective front-court player, Anderson Varejao, who was hurt against the Bucks suffering a sprained right wrist. The Cavaliers already are minus their best backcourt player in rookie Kyrie Irving, out with a concussion.

Cleveland has failed to cover 12 of the past 17 times when hosting a foe with a winning road mark.

The Grizzlies overachieved last season. They aren't that good of a team and it has been showing this season, especially with Zach Randolph sidelined.

Memphis beat Minnesota at home in its last game this past Wednesday by five points. The Timberwolves were missing their best player, suspended Kevin Love. Even with that victory, the Grizzlies are 3-7 in their past 10 games.

It's not just Randolph the Grizzlies are missing, but also underrated sparkplug Tony Allen, who has a hip injury.

Scoring has become a serious problem for Memphis. The Grizzlies have reached triple digits just once in their last 11 games and that was in overtime against Denver. Counting just regulation, the Grizzlies are averaging 86.7 points during this span.

Indiana is off a loss to Atlanta in which the Hawks were energized and played well. The Pacers are just one of three teams to not lose two consecutive games. Indiana is 10-6 on the road with away victories at Boston, Dallas, Orlando, Utah, Chicago, and against the Lakers. That's impressive. So is the Pacers' covering eight of the last nine times following a loss.

Entering this season, Dallas had defeated Minnesota in 18 of the past 19 meetings. This included nine straight wins in Minnesota.

But this season, the Timberwolves are 2-0 versus the Mavericks. Don't look for the Timberwolves to defeat the Mavericks a third consecutive time.

The Timberwolves beat Dallas in their last meeting, 105-90, at Dallas. Dirk Nowitzki didn't play in that matchup because he was resting a sore knee.

Nowitzki is back and has regained his shooting touch. He's averaging 26.3 points on 61.5 shooting from the field during his last three games.

The Mavericks could get another boost, too, as Jason Kidd may see his first action in seven games.

Dallas has traditionally been strong versus Western Conference opponents and when playing on the road. The Mavericks are 27-10-1 ATS in their past 38 Western Conference matchups and 16-6-1 ATS during their past 23 away contests.

Minnesota is 3-8 in its last 11 home matchups.

The teams just met Wednesday at New Jersey and the Pistons won, 99-92.

Detroit is getting improved play in the paint and is healthier with sharp shooter Ben Gordon back in action after missing 10 games with a sore shoulder. The Pistons also could get back Will Bynum, who has missed the last 15 games with a strained right foot tendon.

The Nets have proven vulnerable on the glass with center Brook Lopez still probably at least a week away from returning.

The Nets are 5-20-1 ATS vs. foes with a losing home mark.

Phoenix is playing for the fourth time in five days and in a prime letdown spot after upsetting Atlanta, 99-90, on the road last night.

Milwaukee is rested having been idle since Saturday. The Bucks are 7-3 at home, 6-4 ATS. The Suns have a losing spread record on the road.

The Bucks have revenge for a 109-93 road loss to the Suns early last month. Phoenix shot a blistering 55 percent from the floor in that matchup canning 10 of 22 3-point shots.

If you discount their games against the Bulls, the Bucks are 4-1 in their last five games. Their only defeat during this span, aside from losing to Chicago, was on the road against Detroit this past Friday.

The Bucks entered that matchup having upset Miami at home in their previous game and taking on the Bulls the following night. The Bucks overlooked the lowly Pistons. That won't be the case in this matchup.

It's attractive to take points with the better team, which is the case here with the 13-9 Jazz against the 9-15 Knicks.

New York is 3-11 in its last 14 games. Carmelo Anthony has been cold and the Knicks still haven't solved their point guard woes.

The Jazz have been and are better than perceived. They added to their growing confidence with a 96-87 win against the Lakers this past Saturday at home.

Utah is 8-3 ATS following a victory. The key question is how will the Jazz do in this road setting? The Jazz have played just seven road contests, fewest of any team in the NBA.

Last January, the Jazz went 0-4 during an East Coast road swing. That disastrous road trip marked the end of the Jerry Sloan-Deron Williams era.

The Jazz don't want a repeat of that. So they will be taking this matchup very serious as they will be playing five of their next six games away from Salt Lake City. They want to get this stretch of road games started off right.

The timing is good for Utah as the Knicks will be playing for the fourth time in five days. New York has covered just four of its last 11 games at Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks have lost five of their past seven home games, only defeating weaklings New Jersey and Detroit during this home-court span. During this time frame, the Knicks lost to the Bucks and Suns at home. Utah is better than those two teams and far superior to the Nets and Pistons.

The 76ers are an impressive 17-7, but they are only .500 when playing elite teams.

The Lakers aren't an elite team, but they have enough advantages to beat the 76ers namely Kobe Bryant and front line aces Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum.

The 76ers kept Bryant in check when they hosted the Lakers last season. Bryant scored only nine points, but the Lakers still won, 93-81.

The 76ers have problems matching up against Los Angeles' tall front line even with the return of Spencer Hawes. The 76ers may not have Elton Brand, who suffered a thumb injury this past Friday.

Expect the Lakers to be highly motivated for this game after suffering a meltdown in their last game on the road against Utah. The Lakers gave up 14 straight points in a 96-87 loss in which coach Mike Brown was tossed out.

Things are looking a bit up for Sacramento these days. The Kings have some confidence after ending their five-game losing streak this past Thursday by defeating Portland, 95-92, at home.

The Kings' offense is better now with the return from injury of guard Marcus Thornton. Opponents can't gang up on Tyreke Evans now with Thornton back in the lineup. John Salmons finally has started to show something, too, after being a major disappointment up until now.

Golden State has been playing better, too, but the Warriors aren't very good on the road. The Warriors have lost road games to the Bobcats by 12, to the Suns by 11 and to the Nets by seven. Sacramento has a winning home record.

The Warriors slipped past the Kings this past Tuesday at Golden State, 93-90. Now the Kings get revenge. The Warriors had trouble handling DeMarcus Cousins in the front line. Golden State won that game because of its reserves.

Expect a spirited effort from Sacramento's bench this time around after being outplayed. The Kings' depth is better with Thornton back from injury.

The Kings are 3-1 in their last four home contests versus the Warriors. Sacramento doesn't get much respect, but the Kings have covered eight of their last nine Pacific Division matchups. They also are 10-3 versus foes with a losing record.

We knew the Pistons would be a work in progress with a new coach, system and mixing in more youth.

The Pistons have been even worse than expected dropping 20 of their first 24 games, including the past seven.

This, however, is an excellent spot for Detroit to be competitive hosting Milwaukee in a double-revenge situation.

Milwaukee is playing its best ball despite no Andrew Bogut. Brandon Jennings is as hot as any player.

The Bucks came from 18 points down at home to upset Miami. The Bucks host arch-rival Chicago on Saturday, which will be their biggest game of the season and a revenge matchup for them.

It's easy for the Bucks to overlook the lowly Pistons, a team they beat less than a week ago. Detroit is a respectable 4-6-1 ATS at home. The Bucks have been playing better on the road, but still have a losing spread record away from Bradley Center. Milwaukee has also failed to cover seven of the past 10 times it has been favored.

The Pistons have a chance to gain a measure of respect back with four straight easy games following this one, including three at home. Detroit won't lack for motivation in this matchup.

The Pistons have covered six of the last eight times they've hosted the Bucks.

Utah is averaging more than 102 points in its last 10 games. Golden State's offense has been down compared to past high-scoring seasons. Lately, though, the Warriors have picked up their scoring. They are averaging more than 100 points in their last three games - all at home.

I see the Warriors again reaching triple digits at home as Utah gives up an average of 102.7 points on the road. During their past five overall games, the Jazz have surrendered 103.2 points.

Golden State has gone over in eight of its last 11 games.

Note that when a total is between 190 and 199 1/2 points, the Jazz have gone over 25 of 37 times. The Jazz also have a strong history of going over as a road 'dog when taking between five and 10 1/2 points compiling a 44-18-2 over mark in that pointspread range.

Golden State has had a day to rest. The over has cashed seven of the past eight times the Warriors have played on one day rest. Their backcourt is one of the highest scoring in the league with a healthy Stephen Curry alongside Monta Ellis.

A key for Utah's upswing in scoring is a healthy Devin Harris, who provides the Jazz with an up-tempo pace.

Portland is very tough at Rose Garden. But the Trail Blazers are far from being an elite team as evidenced by their 9-9 January record.

It's difficult for a "B" team such as Portland to cover this large of a number unless they have special incentive going. If anything, Charlotte should be the more motivated team.

The Bobcats are off an embarrassing 106-73 road loss to the Lakers last night. If there was a positive to come out of that game for Charlotte it's that only Kemba Walker played more than 30 minutes.

So the Bobcats should be rested having been idle this past Sunday and Monday. The Bobcats don't play again until Saturday so a full effort should be forthcoming, too.

Charlotte has covered eight of the past 11 times it has received 11 or more points. The Bobcats are getting healthier with Gerald Henderson returning to action last night. Walker has been playing well lately.

Portland goes on the road to meet the Kings in Sacramento on Thursday, so the Trail Blazers won't necessarily be looking to play their starters long minutes unless the game is close. This keeps the backdoor firmly open for the Bobcats.

Only twice in their last 13 games have the Celtics won by more than eight points.

Boston isn't strong enough offensively to lay this high of a number, especially now that word is out that Rajon Rondo will not play in this game.

Rondo is targeting a Friday return against New York. That's a much bigger game for Boston than this matchup. The Celtics have revenge against the Knicks.

Toronto laid an egg last night after returning from a five-game road trip getting smashed by the Hawks, 100-77, at home.

The Raptors had been playing well until then winning three times during their just concluded road swing.

Dwane Casey has transformed Toronto into a decent defensive club. The Raptors rank sixth in defensive field goal percentage and are 12th in fewest points allowed giving up 93.2 per game. Boston averages under 90 points a game.

This also is a back-to-back spot for the aged Celtics. They had a tough time putting away Cleveland last night in a three-point victory. This marks the fifth time in seven days that Boston is in action.

Minus Rondo, Toronto has a backcourt edge at point guard with Jose Calderon.

Denver has defeated Memphis in 14 of its past 17 meetings and this matchup sets up well, too, for a Denver victory.

The Nuggets have won their past five road games. They own the second-best record in the Western Conference, but are off a home loss this past Sunday to the Clippers.

The Clippers were outscored by 10 points in the last quarter to lose, 109-105, to the Clippers. The Nuggets are 15-5-1 ATS following an ATS loss. They are expected to be back at full strength with point guard Ty Lawson likely to return after missing the past two games with a sprained ankle. Lawson and Andre Miller give the Nuggets a big backcourt edge on Memphis.

Memphis is still getting too much respect from the linesmaker following a seven-game winning streak. The Grizzlies defeated the Bulls, who were minus Derek Rose, during that winning streak. The rest of the opponents they faced were a combined 27-74.

The reality is Memphis is just a .500 team, not in the same class with Denver. The Grizzlies have dropped four in a row since their win streak and face fatigue issues in this matchup playing for the sixth time in eight days and third in four days. Memphis lacks depth, especially with Zach Randolph out.

During their losing skid, the Grizzlies are averaging 83 points while shooting 38.4 percent from the floor. Denver leads the NBA in scoring averaging 105.8 points a game. Note, too, that the Nuggets are 20-7 ATS in their last 27 road games versus a foe with a winning home mark. Memphis is just 3-7 ATS the past 10 times it has faced an opponent with a winning mark.

There's not much defensively separating Atlanta and Toronto. The Raptors give up one more point per game than the Hawks.

Toronto is just 2-5 at Air Canada Centre this season, but should be primed for this matchup.

The Raptors concluded their five-game road swing going 3-1 during their past four games, including burying the Nets, 94-73, this past Sunday. That victory may not seem impressive on the surface, but the Nets had won two in a row beating the 76ers and Cavaliers on the road. The Raptors also showed they are capable of blowing out a foe despite not having Andrea Bargnani in the lineup.

DeMar Rozan is showing signs of stepping up in Bargnani's absence scoring a season-high 27 points versus New Jersey. Jerryd Bayless had a big game against the Nets, too, with 17 points while playing strong defense against Deron Williams.

I see Bayless doing the same against the much less heralded Jeff Teague.

This marks Atlanta's fifth consecutive road game. The Hawks are 4-10-1 ATS on one day rest. They begin a four-game homestand Thursday hosting Memphis. It's easy for the Hawks to not be at their best against Toronto, a team they beat just two weeks ago.

Miami is off a tough 97-93 home victory against Chicago this past Sunday. It was the team's first meeting since the Heat defeated the Bulls in the Eastern Conference finals.

On Wednesday, the Heat play at Milwaukee to face the Bucks, a team that upset the Heat, 91-82, just eight days ago in Miami.

Before that game, though, the Heat host lowly New Orleans. That takes place tonight. I see this as a definite flat spot for Miami. The Heat are 3-9 ATS the past 12 times they've hosted foes with a losing straight-up record.

New Orleans certainly can't match Miami's talent level. But the Hornets should be motivated and have several factors in their favor.

New Orleans was embarrassed by Atlanta at home this past Sunday losing 94-72. The Hornets shot a season-low 37.5 percent from the floor and were ripped by their coach, Monty Williams, following the game with Williams questioning his team's effort. New Orleans usually responds well in these situations covering the past five times following a defeat.

New Orleans has played much better on the road this season. The Hornets are 6-2 ATS away from home this season. They have covered in their last four road contests. The Hornets also rank No. 1 in defensive rebounding are the seventh stingiest team to score on allowing 91.2 points per game.

Miami averages 103 points per game. Splitting the difference between what New Orleans gives up and what Miami scores and you come up with the Heat putting up 97 points. So the Hornets probably would need just 85 points to cover. Miami gives up 96 points a game.

The Hornets average 87 points a game. Splitting the difference there and you figure New Orleans to put up 90 points. In their three previous games prior to losing to Atlanta last night, the Hornets have been averaging 95.3 points a game.

Note, too, that the past 16 times the Hornets have received 11 or more points they are 13-3 ATS. They are 4-1 ATS this season when taking 9 1/2 or more points.

Surprised to see the Timberwolves open a favorite against the Lakers?

Yeah, a little bit. But Minnesota is much improved just one game under .500, while the Lakers are struggling on the road and just 1-4 in their last five games.

Still, the Lakers are much the better team and the timing is right to back LA on the road in this matchup.

The Lakers are off an embarrassing road loss to short-handed Milwaukee Saturday night. The Lakers have covered in six of their last seven visits to Minnesota.

The Lakers' three other losses in their last five games have been to Indiana, Orlando and Miami - teams all superior to Minnesota.

The Lakers did play last night, but had been idle during the two previous days. The Timberwolves are 1-5 ATS the past six times they've been home 'dogs.

The Timberwolves could be missing center Darko Milicic, who has been sick. The Lakers already have a height advantage on the Timberwolves' front line with Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol.

A key for the Lakers is getting more backcourt scoring to aid Kobe Bryant. Lately rookie guard Andrew Goudelock has been providing that.

San Antonio hasn't played well on the road, but I see the Spurs rested and motivated for this matchup.

San Antonio last played on Wednesday when it buried Atlanta, 105-83, for its third straight victory. Gregg Popovich was able to rest his starters more than normal because of the lopsided victory. The Spurs don't play again until Sunday.

So this is a good spot for the Spurs, especially in a revenge situation. San Antonio had defeated Minnesota 16 straight times until facing the Timberwolves on Jan. 2 on the road.

The Timberwolves shot a season-high 57.7 percent from the floor - the second-highest percentage allowed by the Spurs this season - and upset San Antonio as 5 1/2-point 'dogs winning, 106-96.

Now the spread is much smaller and the Spurs will be up for this matchup. The Timberwolves are highly unlikely, too, to have Michael Beasley, who played in the first meeting. He's been out since Jan. 6 with a sprained right foot.

It's not just Beasley who is hurting for Minnesota. Point guards Luke Ridnour (knee) and J.J. Barea (hamstring) also have been out. In addition, Wes Johnson has been dealing with pneumonia.

Minnesota is 1-5 ATS in its last six home games. The Timberwolves also are 4-11 ATS the past 15 times when taking up to 4 1/2-points.

Memphis had been one of the hottest teams in the NBA winning seven in a row until losing this past Tuesday at Portland. The Grizzlies simply ran out of gas playing for the fourth time in five days and having overcome a 16-point fourth quarter deficit the night before to beat Golden State.

A day of rest and being on the national stage should have the Grizzlies in high spirits. Memphis was beating foes by an average of 13 points per game during its winning streak.

The Grizzlies are a solid rebounding team and they surrender four fewer points per game than the Clippers. The Grizzlies' only losses this season have come to elite teams (Spurs, Thunder, Bulls and Lakers) and those with strong home-courts (Jazz and Trail Blazers).

Memphis is 27-10 ATS following a defeat so the Grizzlies usually respond well after a loss. The Clippers are 3-8 ATS against foes with a winning record.

The Clippers are playing their second game in 48 hours. They just played a huge rivalry game against the Lakers. It was a fierce and brutal matchup both physically and mentally with hard fouls, trash talks and six technical fouls along with several ejections.

It may prove difficult for the Clippers to reach the fever intensity they had for the Lakers in this matchup. Chris Paul returned last night against the Lakers. He played 27 minutes after missing five games due to a left hamstring strain. The rest of the Clipper starters all went at least 30 minutes.

Vinny Del Negro may limit Paul's minutes even more tonight since it's the second of back-to-back games. The Clippers don't want to take any chances with Paul.

The Clippers have a lot of upward mobility thanks to Paul. But right now they are a work in progress and inconsistent. They can't be trusted to close out games. They blew a 15-point lead at home to the Timberwolves this past Friday in a loss. The scrappy Grizzlies should hang in all the way if not pull out the outright victory.

Golden State is desperate for a home win after blowing a 16-point fourth-quarter lead in a one-point home loss to Memphis this past Monday.

The Warriors are back at full strength in the backcourt with Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry. The Warriors are more than capable of winning at home having posted victories there against Miami and Chicago.

Portland isn't nearly as strong on the road as it is at home. The Trail Blazers are 3-10 ATS in their past 13 away contests, including losing their last road game to the 4-14 Pistons.

While the Warriors were idle on Tuesday, giving them extra time to stew over their embarrassing loss to the Grizzlies, the Trail Blazers were busy dispatching a tired Memphis squad. All five of Portland starters went at least 30 minutes in Tuesday's home victory.

But now it's the Trail Blazers' turn to deal with fatigue as this matchup marks their third game in three nights. It's also Portland's sixth game in eight days. The Warriors are an up-tempo team that can take full advantage of this situation with their fast pace.

Portland has been a money-burner as a road 'dog failing to cover seven of the past eight times in this role. Portland historically has struggled at Golden State covering just once in its last 12 visits. The Warriors are 6-0 ATS versus the Trail Blazers during the past six overall meetings.

Utah is outscoring Toronto by 10 points per game. Throw in a strong situational spot for Utah and the Jazz should win this game by more than 10 points.

Toronto upset Phoenix on Tuesday ending an eight-game losing streak. It was the first time in eight years the Raptors defeated the Suns in Phoenix. The Raptors were greatly aided by the return of Andrea Bargnani, who had missed the previous six games with a calf strain.

But the Raptors were fortunate to draw the Suns after Phoenix had just concluded a five-game road trip.

Now Toronto, fresh off that huge and satisfying victory, has to play for the third time in four days. This one is in high altitude against the well-rested Jazz, who have played great in Salt Lake City.

Utah is 8-2 at home, 7-3 ATS. The Jazz's two home losses came to the Lakers in overtime and to the world champion Mavericks by three points. Utah has been idle since Saturday.

Toronto has failed to reach triple-digits since opening night going 17 consecutive games without reaching the 100-point barrier. The Raptors are averaging only 83.7 points during their past nine games. The Raptors also are 3-8 ATS following a straight-up win.

The Jazz have dominated this series covering 11 of the past 12 meetings.

The Rockets are one of the hottest teams in the NBA with seven straight wins and eight of their last nine. Houston has covered in eight of its last 10 games.

The Rockets have owned the Bucks in Houston, too, winning the past 11 times while going 8-3 ATS. The last time Houston lost at home to Milwaukee was 1999.

The line is short enough to back the Rockets in this spot as Milwaukee is playing for the third time in four days.

The Bucks have shown signs lately of playing better on the road after losing their first eight away matchups. Milwaukee also is healthier than it has been. However, the Bucks traditionally struggle versus Western Conference opponents failing to cover 11 of the past 14 times they've played them.

Houston holds a backcourt edge on the Bucks. A major key for Houston's resurgence is recently-signed center Samuel Dalembert, who has picked up his game considerably since getting in shape. The 7-foot Dalembert is averaging 13.1 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks in the last seven games. He can contain Andrew Bogut while the Rockets win the backcourt battle.

The Bucks are too reliant on the outside shooting of Brandon Jennings and Stephen Jackson, who already is firmly entrenched in coach Scott Skiles' doghouse.

Both teams were in action last night, but Portland had a much easier time than Memphis.

The Grizzlies came from 20 points down late in the third quarter and 16 points down in the fourth quarter to beat Golden State, 91-90, on the road.

Now the Grizzlies must play at Rose Garden, one of the toughest road venues in the league. Portland is 7-1 at home.

The Trail Blazers have beaten Memphis in 11 of the past 14 meetings, including by 13 the last time they hosted the Grizzlies back last April.

It's a particularly brutal matchup for Memphis because it hasn't been in this type of back-to-back road setting before. The Trail Blazers are a physical team that grinds away and won't let a lead slip like Golden State.

The Trail Blazers should be rested more than Memphis, too, having coasted to an easy win against Sacramento after building a 20-point second-quarter lead.

The line is lower than I anticipated. The oddsmaker is giving Memphis a lot of respect because the Grizzlies have won seven in a row. But the Grizzlies played a number of easy foes - Pistons, Hornets, Kings - during their current winning streak and drew the Bulls minus Derrick Rose and Knicks without Carmelo Anthony.

The Grizzlies lack depth and will miss former Trail Blazers Zach Randolph in this matchup.

Orlando scored a franchise-low 56 points on Monday night against injury-riddled Boston.

Now the Magic play at Indiana. The Pacers are yielding less than 85 points a game at home. They currently rank No. 1 in defensive field goal percentage.

The Pacers have the inside muscle to bother Dwight Howard. The Magic will need to rely on making outside shots to put up a decent point total. Based on how poorly the Magic are shooting and Indiana's top defensive field goal percentage, I don't see that happening.

Orlando has a top 10 defense. Howard is the best defensive center in basketball. Indiana center Roy Hibbert is about defense not offense. The Magic have held their last three opponents to an average of 80.6 points during regulation. So I see the Pacers having trouble putting up points, too.

The Pacers are 6-2-1 to the under in their last nine games. Orlando has very strong under tendencies. The under has cashed in 26 of Orlando's past 36 games versus Eastern Conference competition. The under also has cashed seven of the past eight times when the Magic have played with no rest.

Apparently current form and superior opponent doesn't mean anything to the linesmaker - at least when it comes to this Grizzlies-Warriors matchup. They've made the Warriors the favorite. I couldn't disagree more.

Memphis is in great form winning six in a row. The Grizzlies have won all six of those games by six or more points.

The Grizzlies have proven they can win without Zach Randolph going 8-3 in his absence.

Memphis is holding opponents to seven points less per game than Golden State. The Grizzlies average more points per game than the Warriors, are a much better rebounding team than Golden State and also lead the league in steals.

Does Golden State's home-court trump all of that? It sure shouldn't.

The Warriors are 1-4 straight-up and ATS during their past five home contests. Golden State hasn't been playing well losing nine of its past 12 games. Golden State is 0-2 ATS during the two times it has been favored this season.

Star guard Stephen Curry is back for the Warriors. But he still figures to be rusty. This will be just his second game since missing eight games with an ankle injury.

The Grizzlies have been playing excellent defense holding opponents to 88.5 points per game during their six-game winning streak. Memphis plays at Portland on Tuesday and at the Clippers on Thursday. Those matchups are more difficult than this one so the Grizzlies know they can't slip up here.

The Warriors will play eight of their next 10 games at home so there isn't a such a strong urgency factor for them.

The 76ers have dominated weaker competition at home. But this is a great spot for the Wizards to hang in and certainly cover this inflated number.

Philadelphia recently dealt Marreese Speights to Memphis. The 76ers could have used him in this matchup because they have a cluster injury problem with their big men as neither center Spencer Hawes nor backup Nikola Vucevic may play. Elton Brand also is under the weather.

The 76ers begin a seven-game homestand with four seemingly easy games in a row. The Wizards should have plenty of motivation having lost twice to Philadelphia during the past 10 days.

Sparked by John Wall, their catalyst, the Wizards are playing better averaging 102.3 points in their last four games. Wall is averaging 24.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 8.4 assists in his last five games after a terrible start to the season.

In their last three games, the Wizards upset Oklahoma City, nearly knocked off Denver losing by four and lost by six to Boston after trailing by three with 22 seconds left.

This is what Wizards coach Flip Saunders was quoted as saying about his team: "Ten days ago we weren't competing at a high level. We've gotten to the point now we're competing at a high level. Now we've got to find a way to close out these games."

With this high of a spread, we don't need the Wizards to close out the game. Just for them to hang around, which given the circumstances, shouldn't be hard for them to accomplish.

After a slow start, the defending world champion Mavericks are coming on. They have won six of their last eight going 7-1 ATS.

New Orleans, on the other hand, can't beat anyone especially at home. The Hornets have dropped 12 of their last 13, including their past six.

Since beating what's turned out to be a not-very-good Boston team in their home opener, the Hornets have gone 0-7 straight-up and ATS at home. Every one of those home losses were by six or more points.

The Hornets haven't been able to overcome playing without their best player, Eric Gordon. They are 28th in scoring averaging 86.8 points a game.

Dallas has held four of its past five opponents to less than 40 percent shooting from the floor. This includes holding Utah to 38.8 percent shooting from the field in a three-point road win in Salt Lake City this past Thursday.

Don't underestimate that victory. Utah is a much improved team. The Jazz were 7-1 at home going into the game with their only loss being to the Lakers in overtime. The Mavericks played well. Jason Kidd had a season-high 11 assists in the victory.

Kidd didn't play when the Mavericks hosted the Hornets two weeks ago. Dirk Nowitzki missed nine of 11 shots from the floor in that game, too. Still, Dallas smashed the Hornets, 96-81.

Kidd is back and Nowitzki certainly figures to have a better shooting night.

The Mavericks are pointing to this matchup. They want to finish 2-2 on this road trip, which ends with this matchup. The Mavericks had lost to the Lakers and Clippers in the first two games of the road swing. Dallas has been a huge money-maker on the road going 18-7-1 ATS during its past 26 away contests.

New Orleans is playing for the third time in four days. The Hornets lack the Mavericks' depth. New Orleans does play solid defense and can rebound. Lately, though, Dallas centers Brendan Haywood and Ian Mahinmi have quietly done a credible job averaging a combined 13.7 points and 12.3 rebounds during the last three games.

The oddsmaker is giving Detroit too much credit. Portland is a far superior team and should be favored by double digits even on the road.

The Pistons have lost and failed to cover in their last five home games. They've lost these games by an average of 15.6 points.

Detroit is the lowest-scoring team in the NBA at 84.8 points per game. Only twice in 16 games have the Pistons scored more than 93 points. They have yet to reach triple-digits. The Pistons can't shoot, turn the ball over way too much with rookie point guard Brandon Knight, lack height and are last in offensive rebounding.

Portland is 10-1-1 ATS when laying between 5 and 10 1/2 points. The Trail Blazers have covered in 10 of their last 11 visits to Detroit. They've beaten Detroit six consecutive times.

While Detroit has scored more than 96 points only one time, Portland averages 97.1 points per game.

The Trail Blazers are looking hard at getting a win here to finish their six-game road trip 3-3. Detroit, on the other hand, is an absolute train wreck.

The Pistons are learning a new system, have multiple injuries and low morale. This is reflected in a 2-9 ATS mark the past 11 games.

This also is Detroit's fourth game in five days. The Pistons played short-handed last night in a 98-81 home loss to Memphis missing guards Rodney Stuckey and Will Bynum along with forward Charlie Villanueva.

Both Indiana and Golden State are off embarrassing and disappointing defeats.

I expect the Pacers to do something about that since they are not only the superior team in this matchup, but also are in a better situation even though they are on the road.

The Pacers are yielding nearly 11 fewer points per game than Golden State. The Warriors aren't expected to have star guard Stephen Curry for a ninth straight game. He's out with an ankle injury.

Indiana blew a 14-point fourth quarter led in its last game this past Wednesday to lowly Sacramento on the road.

That was Indiana's fourth loss of the season. The Pacers, 9-4, have followed up each of their previous three defeats with straight-up victories and covers winning by an average of 13 points in those games.

The Warriors, notoriously bad on the road, finished 2-2 on their recent road swing that concluded with a 107-100 loss to New Jersey. That was the Nets' first home victory of the season. Golden State's two road victories on its trip came against Detroit and Cleveland.

The Nets outrebounded the Warriors by 20 boards. Keep in mind, the Nets are without their top rebounder injured Brook Lopez. The Pacers rank among the league's best in rebounding. Roy Hibbert is averaging nearly 10 boards a game for Indiana, while David West and Tyler Hansbrough each average more than six rebounds per game.

This is just the second time in six days Indiana is in action. The Pacers are idle again on Saturday.

Golden State, however, is playing for the fifth time in seven days. The Warriors didn't even practice on Thursday after getting back from their cross-country flight from the East Coast.

The Warriors are 2-8 ATS the past 10 times when taking up to 4 1/2 points. Note, too, that Indiana has covered 14 of the past 18 times in this series.

Golden State hasn't won three consecutive road games in more than four years. New Jersey is 0-4 at home. Something has to give. And I say it's the Warriors' road winning streak ending.

This marks Golden State's fourth road game in five days. The Warriors' two game road win streak has occurred against Detroit and Cleveland. They opened their road trip losing by 12 to Charlotte, a team with a worse record than New Jersey. After this matchup, the Warriors return to the Bay Area for six straight home games.

Golden State had lost 35 of its previous 45 road games before defeating the Pistons and Cavaliers, whose combined home record is 4-7.

The Warriors are without star guard Stephen Curry, who has missed the last seven games with a sprained ankle.

Yes, New Jersey is winless in four home games this season. Those defeats, though, were to Miami, much-improved Indiana and twice to Atlanta, which had All-Star Al Horford in both of those games before he was injured.

The Nets are returning from the West Coast where they played well during the last three quarters in a loss to the Clippers. The Nets had opened their four-game West Coast swing by covering against Denver and beating Phoenix straight-up before suffering a letdown in a blowout loss to Utah.

The Nets are getting more accustomed to new coach Avery Johnson's system. Deron Williams is coming around after a slow start and rookie MarShon Brooks is playing well at shooting guard. He's scored double figures in eight straight games and is averaging 17.3 points at home. The Nets hold a backcourt edge with the Warriors minus Curry.

While the Warriors face fatigue issues and may be dragging in the last game of their road swing, the Nets are playing at home for the first time in nine days. New Jersey doesn't play against until Saturday so a strong effort should be forthcoming.

Golden State isn't that tough of an opponent, especially given its road history. This is the Nets' easiest home game up to date. The opportunity and motivation are there for the Nets to notch their first home victory.

Yes, Milwaukee does play much better at home. But there still is a huge class difference between these two teams. Denver is much better right now.

The two teams already have met. That happened 15 days ago in Denver. The Nuggets beat Milwaukee, 91-86, despite playing for the fifth time in six days and missing Nene, who was out then with a bruised foot.

The Bucks are not playing good defense and probably missing several key cogs again - injured Mike Dunleavy and Luc Mbah a Moute, who is questionable with a knee injury.

Denver knocked off Miami at home this past Friday, winning 117-104. Following that great victory, though, the Nuggets laid an egg losing 106-96 at home to Utah. The Nuggets were embarrassed in that defeat. They should be primed to kick butt again under George Karl, who formerly coached the Bucks.

Danilo Gallinari is becoming a star for Denver, averaging 20.5 points and making 15 of his 32 3-pointers during the past six games.

The Bucks are just 1-12 ATS versus Northwest Division foes. Denver is 20-6 ATS in its last 26 road games and 20-6 ATS when facing Eastern Conference foes. The Nuggets also have covered 72 percent of the time against Milwaukee during the past 23 meetings.

Charlotte is bad, very bad. But the Magic aren't as good as their 10-3 record. They are not some elite team having beaten just one foe, Portland, that has a winning record.

The Magic finished a 4-0 road trip by defeating the Knicks, 102-93, on Monday. Now Orlando returns home for its first home contest in 11 days.

After this game, the Magic host San Antonio on Wednesday. I see the Magic being distracted returning home after being away so long, feeling fat and happy with a bigger game on deck.

The Magic have a weak backcourt. They aren't strong enough to cover a double-digit number without playing well. They are 3-7 ATS versus opponents with a losing road record and have failed to cover 22 of the past 34 times when favored.

The Bobcats should have double motivation. They were embarrassed by the Magic, 100-79, at home on Dec. 30. Charlotte also blew a game on Monday losing to Cleveland after blowing a 14-point third quarter lead.

Point guard D.J. Augustin is playing well for Charlotte. Rookie shooting guard Kemba Walker has given the Bobcats scoring punch since being promoted to the starting lineup. They can keep the Bobcats within double digits.

Charlotte doesn't play again until Saturday so a full effort should be forthcoming.

Sure the Celtics want and need to finally beat an elite team at home.

There's just one problem - the Celtics aren't ready to do it. The aging Celtics just don't have the offense anymore.

Boston is averaging less than 90 points a game. The Celtics are 4-7. Oklahoma City is 11-2 and is the best team in the Western Conference right now.

The Thunder have won six in a row. They've beaten the Celtics in their last two visits, accomplishing the feat last year in Boston despite missing Kevin Durant. The Thunder have covered in 10 of their last 12 games against Eastern Conference opponents.

Boston has played four strong teams in a row. The Celtics have lost all four games falling to Indiana by 13 at home, losing to Dallas by five at home, losing to Chicago by nine at home and then losing again to Indiana by 14 on the road. This is Boston's third game in four days.

The Celtics are 3-10 ATS facing a foe with a winning mark. Perhaps the Celtics can step up and pull the upset. But so far there has been no proof or evidence of that.

The Thunder are tough enough to beat even if you play your "A" game. Even if the Celtics finally show their "A" game it still probably wouldn't be good enough.

Atlanta has responded well so far to star big man Al Horford being out for at least three months with a torn pectoral muscle. The Hawks are 2-0 since losing Horford.

Now the Hawks have a seemingly easy home contest against Toronto. I can see the Hawks playing with less intensity for this afternoon matchup, especially with tougher games on tap against Portland at home on Wednesday and at surging Philadelphia on Friday.

It is easy to overlook the Raptors. But new coach Dwane Casey has the Raptors playing much better defense. Toronto ranks second in defensive field goal percentage and is seventh in fewest points allowed holding foes to 91.8 a game.

The Raptors have a winning road spread mark and also are 5-0 ATS the last five times they've received 11 or more points. Consequently, Atlanta is 1-4 ATS the last five times it has laid 11 or more points.

The 76ers have been terrific at home going 5-0 SU and ATS. Milwaukee has been terrible on the road going 0-7 SU and 1-6 ATS.

The 76ers have just been steamrolling opponents at Wells Fargo Center winning by a staggering average of 25.2 points per game.

The 76ers have become one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference. Next to the Bulls, the 76ers are the best defensive home club in the league holding foes to 79 points per game at Wells Fargo Center on 37.6 shooting from the floor. The 76ers are holding opposing clubs to 39.8 percent from the field, tops in the NBA.

That's bad news for a Bucks club that ranks 22nd in field goal percentage and has a tendency to rely too much on the erratic outside games of Stephen Jackson and Brandon Jennings.

Doug Collins has transformed the 76ers into not only a strong defensive club, but also one that takes care of the basketball committing an NBA-low 12.5 turnovers a game. Louis Williams and Thaddeus Young could be the top reserve tandem in the league.

The Bucks have struggled in Philadelphia losing in six of their past seven visits while going 1-5-1 ATS.

Center Andrew Bogut has been cleared to play for Milwaukee after missing the Bucks' last game due to concussion-like symptoms. The Bucks, though, are not healthy as Mike Dunleavy and defensive specialist Luc Richard Mbah a Moute remain out.

Until proven otherwise, the 76ers remain a hot home play while the Bucks are strictly fade material on the road.

It's tough to win at Memphis, but the class difference between these two teams is much greater than this spread.

The Bulls have emerged as one of the three best teams in the NBA, while the Grizzlies have regressed and are missing their No. 2 scorer, Zach Randolph.

A look at each team's statistics reveals just how superior Chicago is.

The Bulls rank No. 1 in the NBA defensively giving up 83.8 points per game. That's 11 points less than the Grizzlies permit per game.

The Bulls also score two more points per game than Memphis, shoot better from the floor and make 73.6 percent of their free throws compared to 71.4 percent for the Grizzlies.

Chicago also is a much better 3-point shooting team than the Grizzlies (37.9 percent to 28.1) and the Bulls outrebound the Grizzlies by four boards per contest. The Bulls also commit fewer turnovers per game.

All this was evident when the teams met earlier this month and the Bulls won by a whopping 40 points.

Chicago has covered six of seven road contests. The Grizzlies are 1-9 ATS the last 10 times they've received points.

Detroit's scoring has gone up in each of its last three games. The Pistons are beginning to play better, but they still aren't good enough to be this high of a favorite.

Golden State is off a dreadful 112-100 loss to Charlotte last night. But that defeat should ensure a strong effort from the Warriors in this matchup.

Warriors coach Mark Jackson ripped his team after they allowed the Bobcats to make 50 percent of their shots from the floor. Jackson said he was embarrassed by how poorly the Warriors played, saying he won't accept that lack of effort.

I'm expecting the Warriors to play extremely hard in this matchup. The Warriors will have arguably the two best players on the court in Monta Ellis and David Lee.

Golden State will be missing star guard Stephen Curry again, but Nate Robinson has done a nice job in the backcourt while Curry's been out and Dorell Wright is back in the starting lineup after missing time with a knee injury.

The Warriors have actually been scoring more without Curry, putting together three straight triple-digit games after failing to reach the century mark during their first eight games. Detroit, by contrast, is averaging only 87.2 points at home.

The Pistons are 1-6 in their last seven games. The Pistons are starting a rookie point guard, don't shoot well from the outside or defend well from the perimeter and aside from Greg Monroe have little scoring punch in the paint. They are not the type of team to lay this many points.

The Clippers dominated the Lakers when they met a couple of times during preseason.

Yes, that was just exhibition. But the Clippers wanted to make an early statement then and they want to make an early statement now. Those early preseason games give the Clippers a dose of badly needed confidence against their cross-town rival that has dominated them in the past.

The Clippers catch the Lakers in a tough situational spot. The Lakers are playing for the fourth time in five days. They just nipped the Cavaliers last night in a game that turned out more difficult than the Lakers were hoping.

The Lakers began the season weak at point guard. They are even weaker now at that pivotal position with backup point guard Steve Blake out for three to four weeks with broken cartilage in his ribs.

Ancient Derek Fisher, already way over the hill,had to play 30 minutes last night as did the four other Laker starters. The Lakers had trouble with rookie point guard Kyrie Irving last night. They're going to have problems with most team's point guards, especially with the Clippers' athletic Chris Paul.

The Clippers can continue to attack the Lakers even when Paul is sitting with former All-Star point guards Chauncey Billups and Mo Williams.

In contrast to the tired Lakers, the Clippers have been idle since knocking off Miami at home this past Wednesday.

The Clippers are rested and ready. Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol remain great players. But in this instance, with a fatigue factor at work, they are trumped by Paul and Blake Griffin and a stronger Clippers bench.

OK, so the Hornets have dropped five in a row at home, including last night's game against Minnesota.

It just means the Hornets are an outstanding value play in this matchup.

Memphis is a "C" level type team. Who are the Grizzlies to be laying double-digits against an excellent defensive club?

Last I remembered, defense still meant something - at least in basketball.

New Orleans ranks fifth defensively giving up 91 points a game. Memphis is 23rd in scoring averaging 91.3 points per contest. The Grizzlies are without their No. 2 scorer, Zach Randolph.

Memphis is averaging just 89.2 points in it last five games. The Hornets are having trouble on the offensive end, but they should be good for at least 82 points, which would get them the cover if Memphis doesn't go over its scoring average, which should prove difficult against an excellent defensive opponent.

The Grizzlies have height, but they don't figure to get many easy inside baskets. The Hornets are a top four rebounding team thanks to Emeka Okafor and Chris Kaman.

The Hornets have been dreadful in New Orleans, They do own a winning spread mark on the road, though, owning straight-up away victories against Denver and Phoenix.

The Hornets have covered 11 of the past 14 times they've been a 'dog of 11 or more points. Memphis is 2-11 ATS the past 13 times it has been favored by 11 or more.

Sure, New Orleans is really missing the scoring and leadership of departed All-Stars Chris Paul and David West.

But the oddsmaker has gotten carried away opening Minnesota as a road favorite against the Hornets.

The Timberwolves have injuries, are not playing well either and Kevin Love is in a shooting slump missing 26 of 34 shots from the floor during the last two games.

Minnesota is 1-4 ATS in its last five games and 4-10 ATS the past 14 times it has been road chalk.

The Timberwolves aren't going to have injured Michael Beasley, their second-leading scorer, and reserve point guard J.J. Barea in this game. Beasley has a sprained foot and Barea is sidelined with an ankle injury.

The linesmaker is down on the Hornets because New Orleans has dropped seven of its last eight and lost four in a row at home.

The Hornets, though, defeated Denver this past Monday on the road and then hung in at home against powerful Oklahoma City until the final quarter this past Wednesday.

Minnesota, while improved under Rick Adelman, is far below the class of Oklahoma City and Denver. The Timberwolves are finding their way and could have a new startling lineup for this matchup.

New Orleans ranks fifth in the league defensively surrendering 91.4 points per game. Only once have the Hornets given up more than 96 points.

Minnesota, which has the same record as New Orleans, allows four more points per game.

Perhaps Lawrence Franks will get things turned around in Detroit despite a late start. But right now the Pistons are worth fading until they get things together.

Judging by their current form, the Pistons are a long ways from getting straighten out.

Detroit has lost and failed to cover in its last five games. The Pistons have been outscored by an average of 20 points during this stretch. Detroit has failed to reach the 90-point mark during its last six games.

The Pistons have been particularly brutal on the road where they are 0-4 straight-up and ATS losing by an average of 17 points.

Milwaukee, on the other hand, plays its best at home. The Bucks have yet to lose in three home contests. They just defeated San Antonio, 106-103, this past Tuesday at home. The Bucks average 102 points at home, that's 20 points higher than the Pistons average on the season. Detroit is last in the league in scoring.

The Bucks are a much better team with center Andrew Bogut back in the lineup. He played against the Spurs after missing the past four games while in his native Australia tending to a personal matter.

The Bucks are getting some of their other injured players back, too, while the Pistons have been without starting point guard Rodney Stuckey for the last four games and former Buck Charlie Villanueva, a good-shooting big man.

Rookie Brandon Knight has been filling in for Stuckey and is a work in progress. Knight is likely to get schooled by Brandon Jennings. Knight is committing more than four turnovers a game since filling in for Stuckey.

On deck for Milwaukee are road games against the Mavericks and 76ers. Those are likely losses so the Bucks should be fully focused for this matchup as they try to maneuver themselves into playoff contention.

This is the lowest total on a Bucks game this season. On the surface, it seems justified because Detroit is last in scoring averaging less than 83 points a game.

Milwaukee, though, is averaging 102 points at home. The Bucks are a much stronger offensive team with center Andrew Bogut back in the lineup. He returned for the Bucks' last game a 106-103 home win against San Antonio this past Tuesday.

Bogut had missed the previous four games tending to a personal matter back in his native Australia. Milwaukee averaged 88 points during Bogut's four-game absence. The Bucks averaged 98 points in the last four games Bogut has played in.

It hasn't fully shown yet because of Bogut's absence, but the Bucks are playing more up-tempo this season. They have the talent to do that now with Stephen Jackson.

Detroit is an average defensive team at best. The Pistons are undersized so they surrender a lot of points in the paint. Bogut should be in line for a big game. Milwaukee shouldn't have a problem matching their average point total at home, which means scoring between 98-104 points.

The Pistons wouldn't have to score too many points if that were to happen for this game to go over. Detroit averages just 83 points. But the Pistons also have played excellent defensive teams during their past eight games. In this span, the Pistons have twice taken on the Bulls, who rank No. 2 in fewest points allowed.

The Pistons also played the 76ers, who rank first in defense, Orlando (No. 5 defensively), Dallas (No. 11), Indiana (No. 3), Boston (No. 7) and New York (No. 13). The Bucks are giving up 95 points a game, which ranks them 17th.

So the Bucks should be the easiest defense the Pistons have gone up against in their last nine games. The Pistons are frustrated. They lack an inside game and their outside shots haven't been falling. Look for the Pistons to try to take it to the Bucks inside even though they don't have the personnel. This could mean a lot of foul shots.

It's a plus for Detroit if starting point guard Rodney Stuckey is able to play after missing the past four games. If he can't, Bucks point guard Brandon Jennings should fare well against Stuckey's backup, rookie Brandon Knight.

The Pacers have yet to lose in three home games this season. They catch the tired Hawks playing for the seventh time in 10 days and probably missing versatile Marvin Williams again.

The Hawks have failed to cover five of the last six times they've played on one day's rest.

Indiana plays much stronger defense at Bankers Life Fieldhouse giving up just 82.3 points per game while holding foes to 35.7 percent shooting from the field.

The Hawks have matched up well to Indiana before. But the Pacers have gotten more athletic with the additions of David West and George Hill. The key to beating the Hawks is matching their athletic talent.

The combination of this, the Pacers being at home where they have been at their best and Atlanta fatigue issues put me on the Pacers to cover this short number.

I expect the Kings to play much better tonight than on Tuesday when they were blown out on the road by the 76ers.

Philadelphia is a very strong team. Toronto is not.

The Raptors are playing for the fifth time in six days and in action for the third consecutive day.

Toronto doesn't have nearly enough bench strength to overcome this kind of fatigue issue.

It didn't show last night, but the Kings have been playing better under new coach Keith Smart. Morale is better, too, especially with DeMarcus Cousins. He can cause match up problems against the Raptors' weak front line.

The Kings may be without their top scorer, Marcus Thornton, for a second straight game. Jimmer Fredette would most likely would start again if Thornton can't go. The Kings, though, would be more used to this new arrangement having had to make this adjustment last night.

Sacramento has covered eight of the last nine times it has met a foe with a losing record.

The Kings do have a bad track record on the road. However, Toronto isn't very good either, have serious fatigue issues with a weak bench and the improved Kings should be motivated after last night's embarrassment.

Portland is 5-0 SU, 4-0-1 ATS at home this season. This is a revenge spot for the Trail Blazers, who played poorly for three quarters in losing 93-88 on the road to the Clippers on Jan. 1.

The Clippers are improved no doubt. But Portland right now is at a level higher. The Trail Blazers also play much better at Rose Garden.

The Trail Blazers have a coaching edge and a strong rebounding edge, too. The Clippers haven't out-rebounded an opponent yet while ranking last in rebounding.

The Clippers have failed to cover 15 of the last 22 times they've been a road 'dog. Los Angeles also has a strong look-ahead game upcoming when they host LeBron James and Miami on Wednesday.

Dallas is coming on after a slow start, while the Pistons have shown no signs of life.

It's not just that Detroit has lost four in a row. The Pistons have lost by an average of more than 21 points during their losing skid. They are averaging less than 83 points - on the season.

The combination of injuries, lack of talent and depth plus a coaching change have all factored in Detroit's slow start.

Dallas, on the other hand, is coming on. Dallas is 3-1 in its last four games. This despite Dirk Nowitzki being in a shooting slump. He's shooting only 30.8 percent in his last three games.

Nowitzki, however, has a strong history against the Pistons. He is averaging 29.5 points in the last six games versus Detroit while making 52.8 percent of his shots from the floor.

The Mavericks are vulnerable to tall, physical teams. The Pistons don't have that. Dallas has a much stronger bench and is coming on strong. The Pistons are strictly fade material right now.

The Kings are revived following a coach change from Paul Westphal to Keith Smart. They are 1-1 since the change and morale has picked up.

Are the Kings a good team at this point? No, far from it. But they are dangerous in this situation.

Sacramento is rested. The 76ers played last night and will play for the third in three days tomorrow taking on division rival New York at Madison Square Garden. This is the 76ers' fourth game in five days. It's a flat spot and while improved, the 76ers still aren't that strong to be laying this big of a number when they don't figure to produce anything close to their "A" game.

The Kings have several players from Philadelphia, including star point guard Tyreke Evans. They upset the 76ers on the road last season.

Sacramento players will be up for this game. Smart has DeMarcus Cousins excited to play for the first time in two years. Cousins could be in line for a big game against Spencer Hawes, a former King who has been bothered by back spasms.

New Jersey has double-revenge motivation going having already lost twice this season to Atlanta, including being embarrassed by 36 points in its home opener.

The Hawks, on the other hand, are in a letdown spot after an impressive 109-94 win against the Bulls this past Saturday.

Atlanta faces fatigue issues playing for the 10th time in 14 days and fifth time in seven days. In their last five games, the Hawks upset the Heat by eight on the road, lost by two at Chicago, lost to the Heat at home in overtime, won by six in overtime at Charlotte and then knocked off the Bulls at home.

The Hawks have a bigger game on deck Wednesday when they meet the Hawks. If there's a rest stop for Atlanta this game is it.

The Nets begin a four-game West Coast trip starting Wednesday after this matchup. So this is an important game for the Nets. The Hawks have failed to cover in seven of their last nine visits to New Jersey.

Atlanta's depth may be down as small forward Marvin Williams is questionable after suffering a sprained ankle this past Saturday night against the Bulls.

New Jersey has injuries, too, but is getting healthier. Kris Humphries played this past Saturday in New Jersey's last game and produced 25 points and 12 rebounds. Rookie guard MarShon Brooks also is back.

The key for the Nets is getting more comfortable in new coach Avery Johnson's system and having elite point guard Deron Williams play better, which lately he has started doing.

The Hornets are anxious to rid themselves of a four-game losing streak.

The perception is the Hornets are down because Chris Paul no longer is with the team. The reality is that Jarrett Jack is playing his finest ball by far.

Denver has been very good in the early going, but the Nuggets have been playing above their heads. The Nuggets have a much bigger game on deck when they play at San Antonio on Saturday.

The Nuggets also could be without star forward Nene for a third straight game. He's nursing a bruised foot.

Mentally, the Atlanta Hawks probably won't look past lowly Charlotte tonight after losing to Miami on Thursday despite the Heat missing LeBron James and Dwayne Wade.

Physically, though, the Hawks are going to have a difficult time even getting out of bed.

As is often the case with NBA regular-season games, it's not who you are playing but when you are playing them. That certainly applies here.

Of course the Hawks are more talented than the Bobcats. It's not close. But the Bobcats' favorable situation in this matchup trumps talent and makes Charlotte a play.

This game marks the Hawks' eighth game in 11 days! Atlanta lost to Miami in triple overtime last night. The game didn't finish until close to midnight.

Then on Saturday the Hawks will host Chicago in a big revenge matchup. The Bulls edged the Hawks by two points this past Tuesday. The Bulls also knocked the Hawks out of the playoffs last season in a spirited six-game series.

So if the Hawks are going to tank any game it's the one tonight against the Bobcats.

Charlotte didn't play on Thursday. The Bobcats played their finest game of the season on Wednesday defeating New York, 118-110, on the road. The Bobcats shot a season-high 53.3 percent from the field. Boris Diaw, a former Hawk, had a season-best 27 points.

Charlotte's victory snapped a four-game losing streak. The Bobcats enter this matchup with confidence. Not only are they off a well-played victory, but they have defeated Atlanta 11 of the past 14 times at Time Warner Cable Arena.

I actually thought this line would come higher. The Lakers have dropped both of their road games and have lost in nine of their last 10 visits to Rose Garden.

The Lakers are just 6-23 at Rose Garden during the Kobe Bryant era.

Speaking of Bryant, the Lakers are too reliant on him. That will hurt them in this matchup as Nicolas Batum does a good job hounding Bryant.

The Blazers won't be intimidated by LA at home. They can match up front to the Lakers physically and mentally with Gerald Wallace, Marcus Camby (who's not hurt yet) and LaMarcus Aldridge. The Lakers are less physical and versatile missing Lamar Odom.

The Trail Blazers have the stronger backcourt and the top reserve in Jamal Crawford. Portland is 4-1 and very well could be 5-0.

This line is priced on the Lakers' reputation. In reality, Portland should be a higher favorite.

Only the Washington Wizards have yet to win in the NBA this season.

That makes them a dangerous foe tonight against Orlando.

It's not just being desperate that makes the Wizards a live 'dog.

First off, Orlando isn't that good to be priced this high. The Magic's backcourt hasn't played well and their perimeter shooters run hot and cold.

Yes, Dwight Howard is a monster. But the Wizards have two improving big men in Andray Blatche, who had 28 points against Boston in Washington's last game two days ago, and JaVale McGee, an excellent shot-blocker.

Washington is 0-5. Three of its losses, though, have been by eight or fewer points, including both defeats to Boston. The Wizards also have played the Hawks so they haven't faced an easy schedule.

The Wizards will be up for this game after being blown out in their last visit to Orlando last season and having Rashard Lewis, a former Magic. The Wizards hold a strong edge at point guard with John Wall against Jameer Nelson.

It's not often - if ever - I strongly recommend the Wizards on the road. But Orlando hasn't been great shakes either failing to cover in 22 of its last 32 games.

The Magic also are playing for the fifth time in seven days and third time in four days. They host the Bulls in their next game on Friday. That's the game they are pointing to so this isn't a kill spot where the Magic will let their starters play big minutes especially if the game begins to get out of hand.

San Antonio isn't getting enough respect these days. The Spurs still have their starting lineup intact that produced the best record in the Western Conference last season.

The Spurs face a Timberwolves squad that is playing for the second time in two nights. The Timberwolves still could be celebrating after beating defending champion Dallas, 99-82, on Sunday night at home.

That victory halted a streak of 18 straight losses for Minnesota. The Timberwolves should be improved under Rick Adelman and not just because they can't be worse. Adelman is a huge upgrade on overmatched Kurt Rambis.

But it's going to take time for Adelman to implement his system in Minnesota where things were delayed due to the lockout. Adelman faces a major rebuilding job.

I don't see the young and immature Timberwolves playing well a second straight night. The Spurs not only own a big talent edge, but also a psychological advantage having defeated the Timberwolves 16 straight times.

Mike Brown is no Zen-master, but the Lakers do appear improved defensively.

The problem right now for the Lakers is offense. Los Angeles is averaging a pedestrian 93.2 points per game. The Lakers have yet to reach 100 points in four games.

The Lakers may have the league's worst point guards. Kobe Bryant isn't 100 percent because of a finger injury on his shooting hand. If you discount a blowout against Utah, the Lakers are minus four in scoring when Bryant has been on the court.

Center Andrew Bynum comes back this game. He's missed the past four games due to a league suspension. Brown figures to incorporate Bynum more into the offense than Phil Jackson did. But there's going to be a transition period with Bynum and his teammates.

Denver ranks No. 1 in offense averaging 111.3 points per game. That's 18 points more than the Lakers average. The Nuggets were a better team without Carmelo Anthony last season and they're a better team without him this season.

The Nuggets are much stronger and deeper at guard than Los Angeles. Ty Lawson is becoming a stud point guard. He can force a lot of turnovers from decrepit Derek Fisher.

Denver has an excellent track record covering 12 of the last 16 times (75 percent) when taking on a foe with a winning home mark. The Nuggets are 20-8-1 (71 percent) ATS in their last 29 road matchups.

Kudos to the Nets for coming back from 21 points down and beating Washington on Monday night.

But the Nets are still the Nets, which is one of the worst teams in the NBA. New Jersey made a lot of noise about signing big-name players, but came up empty. They were unimpressive in preseason going 0-2. Now the Nets have to play a second game within 48 hours.

Oh, yes, the Nets are missing their best frontcourt player, center Brook Lopez, out with a broken right foot.

Atlanta holds a major talent edge. The Hawks are rested and eager to start the season right. When we last saw the Hawks they were hanging tough with the Bulls in the Eastern Conference semifinals taking that series to six games.

The big revelation was point guard Jeff Teague, who hung in nicely against Derrick Rose. Teague now has to face Deron Williams, but the Hawks hold major edges against the Nets at shooting guard with Joe Johnson and in the front-court with Al Horford and a slimmed-down Josh Smith, who is primed for a big season.

Atlanta also has the more experience and savvy bench with veterans Tracy McGrady, Vladimir Radmanovic and Jerry Stackhouse.

Orlando opened its season Sunday losing on the road to Oklahoma City, 97-89.

Now there's no shame in that as the Thunder are a threat to win the championship.

The Magic actually outrebounded the Thunder, but were not sharp shooting just 37 percent from the floor and committing 18 turnovers. Dwight Howard didn't play well, perhaps still distracted by trade rumors.

But with a game under their belts and returning to Orlando, I expect the Magic to perform much better against Houston, which is making its season debut.

I expect Howard to be focused and dominate against the Rockets' overmatched big men trio of Jordan Hill, Patrick Patterson and Hasheem Thabeet.

Houston is not a good defensive team. That doesn't figure to change under new coach Kevin McHale, who failed to impress during his coaching stint with the defensively-challenged Timberwolves.

The Rockets historically struggle against Orlando losing the past four times to the Magic by an average of 15.5 points per game.

The Magic have the advantage of already playing a game. Playing on consecutive nights shouldn't be a disadvantage this early in the season. The Rockets are breaking in new players with a new coach. This is not a good matchup for them against a dominant center, Howard, and what should be a motivated Magic team at home.

The Bulls are far ahead of the Lakers in development for this season. Chicago has all of its pieces already in place. The Bulls' one weakness - shooting guard - has been addressed with the addition of Richard Hamilton.

Derrick Rose will control the game. The Lakers are really weak at point guard with over-the-hill Derek Fisher, who isn't even in playing shape, and Steve Blake. Rose will absolutely dominate.

The Lakers have really struggled during preseason, which isn't a surprise given their many problems. Besides a weak point guard rotation, the Lakers no longer have Lamar Odom to help run their offense through.

Kobe Bryant isn't close to being 100 percent because of torn ligaments in his right wrist. The Lakers also have injuries in their front-court.

Don't expect much of a strong home court either for the Lakers for a mid-afternoon Christmas Day game.

The Heat have several key factors going for them in this matchup.

The first of course is revenge. The Mavericks surprised a lot of people - including LeBron James and Dwayne Wade - when they beat the Heat in the NBA Championship Series.

The Heat have been anxiously awaiting this game ever since the schedule finally came out.

Another key thing Miami has going is continuity. The Big Three of James, Wade and Chris Bosh are all in place and in sync with one another. The Heat have undergone few changes since the championship series.

The Mavericks have not.

There have been changes in Dallas with the Mavericks losing Tyson Chandler, a key to their inside defense, Caron Butler and backup point guard J.J. Barea. The Mavericks no longer have their defensive coaching guru either as Dwane Casey is the Raptors' new head coach.

The Mavericks did add Lamar Odom and Vince Carter. There's going to be a feeling out and transformation process to incorporate those two veterans into the rotation since both need the ball to be effective.

The Heat don't have such concerns. The one player they added was Shane Battier, a nice role player who can play defense and hit 3's.

The Mavericks are going to have a tough time focusing as they will be honored for their world championship and presented rings. That's going to make the Heat all the more mad and determined.

Note, too, that Dallas hasn't been the strongest of home clubs versus the spread. The Mavericks had a losing spread mark at home last season.

I respect Dallas. The Mavericks are resilient and usually play well on the road.

But there's a class difference. The Heat are the superior team and they will play with ultra-intensity being at home in a must-win spot. So I have no problem laying five points.

The Mavericks trailed by 12 and 15 points during the fourth quarter in their two playoff games at Miami. There's no way the Heat let up or take the Mavericks lightly in the final quarter this time around.

Miami is 7-1 ATS as playoff chalk.

Dallas is off a 112-103 Game 5 home victory. The Mavericks accomplished that win by shooting 56.5 percent from the floor and making a phenomenal 13 of 19 shots from beyond the arc. That's not going to happen again, especially against the caliber of defense Miami has.

On a normal shooting night, the Heat probably would have won Game 5 since they outrebounded the Mavericks by 10, scored 12 more points in the paint and had more assists.

The Heat accomplished this despite Dwayne Wade playing fewer than 35 minutes. The Mavericks have done a nice job defending LeBron James with Shawn Marion, but they have no answer for Wade.

Wade, who is averaging better than 28 points and five assists per game against Dallas, is a matchup nightmare for the Mavericks.

I don't want to detract from the Mavericks. But they shouldn't be ahead 3-2 in the series. They stole a game in Miami and shot out of their minds in the last game.

Neither is going to happen in this Game 6. You never can be fully sure what can happen in a Game 7, but for this Game 6 it's Miami all the way.

All the credit in the world to Dallas for pulling off perhaps the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history coming from 15 down with less than seven minutes to win Game 2 in Miami.

But that improbable victory by the Mavericks doesn't change my mind. Miami still is the better team in this NBA championship series. The Heat have more superstars, are better athletically and are the superior rebounding team.

The Heat had a rare off-game from all of their key players in that Game 2 loss on Thursday. But now, with three days to recover and the Mavericks facing the pressure of being home and favored, I see the Heat bouncing back to win this Game 3.

Certainly the Heat will be playing hard the entire game. The Heat have the road pedigree to back with confidence.

The Heat are 3-0 straight-up following a playoff loss. They haven't lost two in a row in nearly three months. Miami has won key road games at Philadelphia, Boston and twice in Chicago to end the Eastern Conference finals.

Backing the underdog has been the way to go during the past four NBA finals. Underdogs have covered 65 percent of the time during this span.

Miami's Big Three has much to prove after an epic meltdown in Game 2. LeBron James took bad shots and went to the foul line only twice. Dwayne Wade only shot twice during the final seven minutes, and both were forced long 3-point attempts. Chris Bosh missed 12 of 16 shots and let Dirk Nowitzki go in for the winning basket.

Miami's key reserves - Mike Miller, Udonis Haslem and Mario Chalmers - all had terrible games, too, shooting a combined 4-for-14 from the floor and only pulling down a combined seven rebounds and getting just three assists in nearly 70 minutes of action.

Every one of these players is capable of far more. Their playoff performance since Game 2 of the Bulls' series heavily suggests they will play much better.

I'm not going to turn down points with the better team. So I'm backing Miami.

I'm surprised Miami remains just a 4 1/2-point favorite against Dallas, the same spread as Game 1.

It's clear the Heat have raised their level and have matchup advantages against the Mavericks. Homecourt is huge, too. Miami has won all eight of its home playoff games with the smallest victory margin being by six points.

The linesmaker is putting too much emphasis on the zig-zap revenge theory and what happened during the entire season.

Miami's new season began in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals against Chicago. That's when Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller, two unsung and overlooked cogs in Miami's rotation, finally became incorporated into the rotation.

This hadn't happened up to this point because both players had been out with injuries with Haslem missing nearly the entire season. Haslem has provided toughness and rebounding inside while Miller has allowed the Heat to get away from their weakest component - point guard.

The Heat haven't lost since then. They are a matchup nightmare for the Mavericks, which can't rebound with them, lack Miami's athleticism and now have superstar Dirk Nowitzki at less than 100 percent because of a torn tendon on his left middle finger, his non-shooting hand.

Dallas was outrebounded in every game of its Western Conference finals by Oklahoma City, losing the board battle by an average of 7.6 rebounds per game. The Heat outrebounded the Mavericks, 46-36, in Game 1. The Heat pulled down 16 offensive rebounds.

The Mavericks have heart, solid veterans and excellent long-range shooters. But they aren't in Miami's upper elite class. Their defense lacks the quickness to shut down Miami's superstar trio of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. A telling statistic from Game 1 was Dallas forcing only 10 Miami turnovers despite the Heat's point guard deficiencies.

The Mavericks don't have enough offense and perimeter marksmen unless they have Jason Terry and Peja Stojakovic on the court to relieve double-team pressure on Nowitzki. However, the Mavericks suffer defensively with Terry and Stojakovic on the court.

The Heat defense is geared not to allow Dallas to shoot many spot-up jumpers, which is its strength. Nowitzki's injury hinders his ballhandling. The Heat were able to dispatch Dallas in Game 1 by eight points without James, a great defender, even having to switch on Nowitzki like he did on Derrick Rose.

Sometimes the zig-zag works. This is one of those times I'm willing to lay a little higher price than I would like in order to back the Bulls in Chicago in a must-win spot down 3-1 against Miami.

Chicago has played Miami extremely tough throughout the series. The Bulls have scored as many total points during regulation in the four games as Miami, but the Heat have built a 3-1 lead by virtue of their Game 4 home overtime victory.

There's no way the Bulls lay down at home. The Bulls took the Heat to overtime in the last game despite Derrick Rose missing 19 of 27 shots from the floor and committing seven turnovers.

The Heat have done a great job defensively on the league MVP. But I can see Rose willing the Bulls to a victory back in the United Center.

The Bulls hadn't lost three straight games all season until now. Chicago is 17-7 ATS in its last 24 games after not covering the spread in its previous game. The Bulls also are 13-3-2 in their last 18 home contests versus a foe with a winning road mark.

The Heat have outshot the Bulls from the floor, 46.8 percent to 39.9 percent. Yes, much of that has to do with Miami's defense. The Heat's backups also have outplayed Chicago's during the past three games.

It's hard to believe, though, that outside marksman Kyle Korver can stay this cold. The Bulls don't have the superstars Miami has, but they play the best defense in the league and had been a better team through the first game of this series.

I see the Bulls regrouping at home and covering this short number. The Bulls have too many good players to stay under 40 percent from the floor and 25 percent from 3-point range since Game 1.

Miami has been great at home going 8-0 during the postseason. But the Heat are just average on the road posting a 3-3 straight-up and ATS mark.

This has been a home team series, too, with the host going 8-3-1 ATS. The Heat are 5-12-2 ATS during their last 19 visits to United Center.

Yes things appear bleak and grim for Oklahoma City down 3-1 to Dallas after blowing a 15-point lead with five minutes left at home in Game 4.

Teams down 3-1 in an NBA playoff series have gone on to lose 96 percent of the time.

So history certainly is against Oklahoma City. The Thunder, though, are not as down and out as some believe.

While veteran teams may know what's in store and quit, the Thunder are extremely young. Their players, particularly superstar Kevin Durant, are not going to quit.

The Thunder match up very well to the Mavericks. Dirk Nowitzki is playing like superman, but Durant is a superstar, too, and I like Russell Westbrook more than an over-the-hill Jason Kidd at point guard.

Oklahoma City won't be intimidated playing in Dallas. If anything, it takes the pressure off the young Thunder. Oklahoma City beat the Mavericks at American Airlines Center in its lone regular season meeting and defeated Dallas again on the road in Game 2.

The Thunder have other factors going for them, too, besides an inflated point spread based on the false belief that they are too immature and down in the dumps to bounce back.

The Thunder have out-rebounded Dallas in every game of the series. They have pulled down 33 more rebounds than the Mavericks, including a 22-rebound edge in Game 4.

Oklahoma City also has consistently shot more free throws than Dallas holding a 130-87 edge in the series. The Thunder knock down their free throws, too, making 83.8 percent from the line. This is in sync with how the Thunder shot during the regular season when they sank a league-best 82.4 percent from the foul line.

Forget any zig-zag theories or faith in Derrick Rose. It's not going to happen in Game 4 for Chicago. Not in Miami, not against a Heat team that not only has their confidence and swagger, but has at last found its identity.

The Heat are the only unbeaten home team in the playoffs. Their 7-0 post-season record includes a 4-0 ATS mark against Boston and Chicago. Miami won each of those games against the Celtics and Bulls by nine points or more.

It's easy to point to LeBron James and Chris Bosh for much of the success against the Bulls. James had 10 assists and no turnovers in Game 3. He's doing a great job of finding Bosh's right spots. Bosh is averaging 24.6 points in the series on 66 percent shooting from the floor.

The Heat whipped the Bulls by 11 this past Sunday in Game 3 despite Dwayne Wade missing 11 of 17 shots from the floor, committing more turnovers than assists and failing to block a shot or getting a steal. It's not difficult envisioning Wade to have a much better performance today.

But what has suddenly made this a lopsided series in favor of Miami hasn't been just James, Bosh or Wade. Credit goes, too, to unsung Udonis Haslem.

Haslem missed nearly the entire season with a foot injury. But he returned in Game 2 to score 13 points, grab five rebounds, pick up a steal and block a shot in a little more than 23 minutes. These aren't LeBron numbers, but they were well-timed and sparked the Heat giving them an inside toughness they lacked all season.

In the last six quarters - or since Haslem came on the scene - the Bulls have been held to an average of 19 points per quarter. That comes out to 76 points for the game. The Bulls scored their lowest two-game total of the season in Games 2 and 3.

Rose has been particularly bottled up by Miami's switching, quick defenders. Haslem and Joel Anthony have helped close the inside on Rose keeping him from the basket while Miami's double-teams have also been highly effective on the league MVP.

Rose had only five assists in Game 3. He hasn't been able to step up against the Heat after taking advantage of inferior playoff opponents Indiana and Atlanta. Rose needs to draw fouls, but that hasn't happened in this series as he's averaging barely more than six free throw attempts per game.

The Bulls have been outscored by 25 points when Rose has been on the court during the series. The Bulls don't have enough good shooters to make up for Rose being keyed on.

Rarely can a team win an NBA championship without paying dues, which often means deep playoff experience. Chicago doesn't have that.

It's becoming obvious that the Bulls can't handle the limelight. Rose spent some of his Sunday denying he said NBA players use performance-enhancing drugs and Joakim Noah drew a fine for using an anti-gay slur in Game 3. After that exchange with the fan, Noah failed to score.

Maybe the Bulls can get right when they return to Chicago. But there's not enough turnaround time for them to keep this Game 4 close.

The Bulls have shown an amazing resiliency to bounce back this season. The Bulls and the Celtics were the only teams to not lose more than two consecutive games during the regular season.

The last time the Bulls lost two in a row was back in early February.

I don't see it happening here.

After each of their three previous playoff defeats, the Bulls have come back with a double-digit victory in their next game.

Chicago had the best defense during the regular season and there is nothing wrong with the Bulls' defense in this Eastern Conference finals either. You can talk about how great LeBron James and Dwayne Wade are, but the Heat are averaging 83.5 points in this series.

The problem for the Bulls is their shooting has been off. Chicago has shot 43.7 percent from the floor and 34.1 percent from the field in the first two games. Derrick Rose missed 16 of 23 shots from the field in Game 2.

I see Rose bouncing back, Carlos Boozer making shots that he normally hits from inside and Kyle Korver shooting better.

The Bulls have covered 27 of the past 38 times they've been a road 'dog. They are 29-10 ATS following a pointspread loss.

The Heat should have their confidence up after winning Game 2 in Chicago, but I'm not sold on them being the better team in this series.

The Mavericks' wake-up call came in Game 2. Dallas is superior to Oklahoma City and catching points.

Expect a focused Mavericks team to control tempo and beat the Thunder.

The Mavericks are one of the strongest road clubs in the NBA. They are 24-9-1 ATS the past 34 times they've played away matchups versus foes with a winning record. The Mavericks also have won their last three road playoff games.

Oklahoma City is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 home contests against an opponent with a winning mark.

Dallas is 8-1-1 ATS the past 10 times it has played with one day rest.

After controlling Game 1, the Mavericks were noticeably lethargic in Game 2 perhaps relying too much on superstar Dirk Nowitzki. That won't happen again.

The veteran Mavericks don't make nearly the mental mistakes the Thunder do. You have to wonder how Russell Westbrook will react to his benching in Game 2.

Look for the Thunder to come out tight being at home for the first time in a Western Conference finals series. The veteran Mavericks know what it takes to win on the road and will get the job done here. The points are just a nice bonus.

Not sure why the love for Miami, but this spread puts me right back on the Bulls where I had an easy Game 1 winner.

The Heat simply do not match up well to Chicago. They are 0-4 versus the Bulls this season. Miami managed to lose Game 1 by 21 points despite out-shooting Chicago from the floor, 47.1 percent to 43.7 percent. How does this happen?

That Game 1 loss wasn't on Dewayne Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh. The Big Three shot a combined 24-for-50 from the floor. That's probably the best percentage they can manage against the best defense in the league.

No, the Heat got blown out because they have serious matchup problems, deficiencies at point guard and are weak inside.

The Bulls grabbed 21 more rebounds in Game 1, had seven fewer turnovers, 12 more assists and four more steals than Miami. Derrick Rose had more assists than the entire Heat squad. Joakim Noah pulled down more offensive rebounds than the entire Miami team.

The Bulls not only play the stronger defense, have a tighter rotation, a better bench, but also play more sophisticated defense than the Heat.

Aside from Rose, the Bulls don't have marquee superstars like Miami does. But the Bulls are the better team. They proved it during the regular season and they are showing it again during the series.

Perhaps Miami comes back when the series shifts to South Florida, but right now it's prudent and profitable to stick with the Bulls in Chicago. There's no reason to switch.

Because the Mavericks swept the Lakers in four games and the Thunder went the full seven games in getting past the Grizzlies, there's a perception that Dallas is vastly superior to Oklahoma City.

I don't buy it. The Thunder match up very well to the Mavericks and are just as playoff tested having won 10 post-season games during the past two seasons, the same amount the Mavericks have won during this span.

Yet the oddsmaker has bought into this perception jacking up the spread due to the Mavericks being well-rested while Oklahoma City just finished its series versus Memphis this past Sunday giving the Thunder only one day of rest.

The value is on the Thunder because this is another false perception. The Thunder are much younger than Dallas. They can easily bounce back with one day's rest. Only two of their players are past 30 and both are backups. The Thunder have depth, energy and athleticism.

The Thunder are road-tested having posted away victories against 10 different playoff teams this season. The Thunder have covered the past three times when playing in Dallas, winning two of the three straight-up. They are 10-4-1 ATS in their last 15 away contests.

It's more of a negative for Dallas having not played for nine days. That's way too long of a layoff. The Thunder still have lots of adrenaline going while the Mavericks are going to be out of sync.

Oklahoma City can match the Mavericks in talent, size and athleticism. They have the defenders in Serge Ibaka and Nick Collison to bottle up Dirk Nowitzki.

Nowitzki had a huge series against the Lakers. He was able to take advantage of the Lakers' front-court players not being comfortable playing defense away from the basket. The Mavericks were also able to exploit the deficiencies of point guard Derek Fisher and small forward Ron Artest.

But now the tables are turned. It's Oklahoma City that has strong edges at the No. 1 and No. 3 spots with point guard Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. Jason Kidd doesn't have the quickness anymore to defend Westbrook.

Durant should be in line for a big performance operating against a past-his-prime Shawn Marion and defensive liability Peja Stojakovic. Durant and Westbrook are the Thunder's key players and they are in great matchups to produce big games.

Miami outnumbers Chicago in superstars at 2-to-1, but while the Heat have great players in LeBron James and Dwayne Heat they are not a great team.

Chicago can't match Miami in great players, except for Derrick Rose. But the Bulls play great basketball.

The combination of team basketball and home-court advantage are key factors why the Bulls will cover this small Game 1 number.

It wasn't a fluke that the Bulls finished with a better record than the Heat this season, while winning all three regular-season matchups. The Bulls are simply better.

The Bulls outscored Miami by an average of 10 points in the second half during their matchups, grinding and frustrating the Heat down during crunch time. Chicago also out-rebounded the Heat by more than 10 boards per game.

Yes, James missed one of those matchups. But Joakim Noah also missed that same game. The two teams met twice following the All-Star break with both teams healthy and the Bulls won on the road and at United Center holding the Heat to less than 88 points per game during those two contests.

Miami has failed to cover the last six times it has been a playoff underdog. The perception is that James, Wade and Chris Bosh make the Heat a great team. Those are elite players, but the truth is Miami still remains an unfinished product.

The Heat weren't impressive in dispatching the 76ers in the first round of the playoffs and they may not have won Game 4 and Game 5 of the Celtics series if Rajon Rondo was healthy. The Celtics probably would have beaten the Heat if their aging lineup didn't wear down.

Yet the Heat celebrated that Celtics series win like they had just won the world championship. The Heat have had ample time to come down from that high, but I'm not sure they have the maturity to be at a peak level for this Game 1 road matchup.

While the Heat are still experimenting with their rotation, the well-coached Bulls have their rotation in place. The Bulls are the best defensive team in basketball, have the best defensive-minded coaches and a good bench. The Bulls have covered 69 percent of their last 54 games versus foes with a winning mark.

Look for the Bulls' brain trust to throw some defensive wringles at the Heat in Game 1.

Miami isn't the complete team Chicago is. The Heat don't have a playmaking point guard and aren't strong inside. Their point guards - Mike Bibby and Mario Chalmers - are going to have huge problems containing Rose, who is playing as well as any player.

Once again the oddsmaker has set a very low total in this series. The Hawks are in do-or-die mode down 3-2.

The popular perception is this is going to be a strong defensive game. I see more points being scored than generally thought, however.

The Bulls were No. 1 during the regular season in defensive field goal percentage. The Bulls held their opponents to 43 percent from the field.

The Hawks, though, have given the Bulls trouble with their athleticism. Atlanta has made 45.9 percent of its shots from the floor. This percentage would be much higher, too, but is weighed down by a 33.8 percent shooting performance from the Hawks in Game 2 when they scored 73 points at United Center.

If you discount that performance - which was a flat spot for Atlanta following its Game 1 road upset victory - the Hawks are averaging 92 points per game in the series. The Bulls are averaging 92.6 points a game in the series, which comes out more than six points higher than this total.

The Hawks are not going to beat the Bulls by playing better defense or being more physical. That's not their style. The Hawks can get to the Bulls by quickness and athleticism. The Hawks play much more free and confident at Philips Arena. That's a factor why the over has cashed nine of the past 11 times the Bulls have played the Hawks in Atlanta.

The Hawks were held to just 83 points in their Game 5 loss in Chicago. However, the Hawks only were able to get to the free throw line 17 times. They are averaging 22 1/2 free throw attempts in this series when playing in Atlanta. The Hawks are one of the top free throw shooting teams in the league.

Chicago will continue to ride Derrick Rose. The Hawks have been unable to stop his penetration. Rose will continue to be able to burn the Hawks.

Forget the fact that Memphis is trying to make NBA history by becoming the first No. 8 seed to reach the Western Conference finals.

The most impressive thing about the Grizzlies is what a gold mine they've been for bettors covering 64 percent during the regular season and then going 7-1-1 ATS during the playoffs.

But now is the time to step in against the Grizzlies in this Game No. 4.

Look I appreciate the Grizzlies. I really do. I actually believe they are a better team without Rudy Gay and never would have gone this far if he had been playing. But Oklahoma City is the better team here.

The Thunder was beating the Grizzlies, 76-63, in Game 3 in Memphis entering the fourth quarter. The Thunder were in total control, but inexplicably got cold scoring only 10 points during the fourth quarter and going into mini-panic mode.

The Grizzlies then pulled the game out in overtime. Don't look for Kevin Durant to have a second straight off-game, or for All-Star guard Russell Westbrook to miss five of six fourth-quarter shots while committing three turnovers.

These are superstar players. Durant was averaging better than 30 points during the first seven games of the playoffs until this last one. The Grizzlies don't have similar aces to match up against Durant and Westbrook.

I've been following the NBA since the early 1960s and it almost always is a hierarchy thing. Upstarts don't just emerge and win two series in a row as underdogs. Dues have to be paid.

Oklahoma City has paid its dues the past two years, including losing a hard-fought six-game series to the Lakers last year. Durant and Westbrook have gotten even better since then. So has the team.

But a loss to Memphis in this matchup puts the Thunder down 3-1 and obviously in serious trouble. I don't see it happening. Take the better teams and the points in this must-win spot.

There's good Atlanta and there's bad Atlanta.

Good Atlanta took out Orlando in the first round and upset the Bulls in Game 1 of this series.

Bad Atlanta has lost the last two games of this series. The last being an embarrassing 17-point home loss this past Friday.

So which Atlanta do we get today?

Look for the good Hawks to show up.

Yes, the Hawks still are a bunch of talented head cases. But they are better coached this season and somewhat more mature. A maximum effort should be expected from the Hawks after being humiliated at home and with the playoffs realistically over for them if they should lose this game.

One of the keys for the Hawks is slowing down Derrick Rose. The Hawks are going to get far more physical with Rose in this matchup. Neither Rose nor Carlos Boozer is 100 percent for the Bulls.

The Hawks have been hurt in their last two losses by Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford making a combined 16 of 44 shots from the field. That's 36 percent shooting. Johnson and Crawford are streaky, but that low shooting percentage isn't going to continue.

The Hawks are 4-1 the past five times they've been home 'dogs getting up to 4 1/2 points.

This is a physical series. Sure that means tough defense, but it also means a lot of foul shooting. The Celtics have gotten to the free throw only a combined 31 times in the two games. Look for Boston to shoot many more free throws with the scene shifting to its home floor.

The Heat have shot a combined 53 free throws. They are not going to get that many free throws now that the scene shifts to Boston.

The teams last played back on Tuesday. The aged Celtics were especially banged-up. But now they'll be refreshed and totally focused with their season on the line. There's no way the Celtics can afford to go down 3-0 in the series.

The Celtics are far more aggressive and intimidating at home.

The zig-zag is at full work. The oddsmaker has adjusted the point spread - just not enough. Lay Boston and feel secure.