Death, taxes and the Kings have a losing season. Sacramento is going to finish below .500 for the 16th consecutive season. 

However, look for the Kings to soundly beat the Knicks here as this spot sets up well for them.

New York is playing its fourth road game in six days. The Knicks are fat and happy after a 116-93 victory against the Clippers last night that halted a seven-game losing streak. That win isn't likely to prevent Tom Thibodeau from getting fired. 

The Kings are more respectable since they acquired Domantas Sabonis and fired Luke Walton. They are 4-6 in their last 10 games. Sacramento would be 5-5 in its last 10 games if not for a late 3-pointer by Dorian Finney-Smith in a 114-113 loss two days ago to Dallas. 

The Kings should be placing a lot of emphasis on winning this game because after this matchup they meet the Nuggets, Jazz, Bulls, Bucks, Celtics and Suns.

Except for the questionable status of Mike Conley, the Jazz are at full strength. That makes them a better team than the Mavericks. 

Dallas has won four in a row. But look at who those victories were against: The Kings by one point on a late 3-point basket. A victory against the 2-7 slumping Lakers and two victories against the slumping 2-8 Warriors. 

Before those victories the Mavericks lost, 114-109, as 6 1/2-point road 'dogs to the Jazz. Utah kept Luka Doncic in check while holding Dallas to just 42 points in the second half.

Doncic missed the Mavericks last game with a toe injury. I expect him to play here, but it would be a nice bonus if he didn't. Underrated Dallas guard Jalen Brunson also is a game-time decision due to a foot injury. 

It's getting to the crucial stage for the Spurs. San Antonio is in stop-the-pain mode having lost four in a row while falling 3 1/2 games out of postseason contention.

San Antonio has played nine of its last 10 games on the road, though. This is the first of seven straight home contests. They are 6-2-1 ATS the past nine times when favored.

The Lakers are off a satisfying, 124-116, home win against the Warriors this past Saturday. LeBron James scored 56 points in that game. James is a freak of nature, but he is 37. How much will he have left for this game?

Prior to defeating the Warriors, the Lakers had gone 1-7 SU, 2-5-1 ATS.

The Spurs have a solid bench and rate a huge coaching edge with Gregg Popovich.

The Pelicans have been playing tremendous defensive basketball. They've held their last four opponents to an average of 95.5 points. Among the offenses they've shut down during this span are the Lakers, Jazz and Suns.

Denver has been producing at a fairly high-scoring clip lately. But look at the Nuggets' last five foes - Rockets, Thunder, Blazers and Kings twice. Those are bad defenses.

There's a chance the Nuggets won't have Nikola Jokic for a second straight game. He missed Denver's last game with a non-COVID illness. It's a nice bonus for the Under if he's out, but I'm not counting on that.

The Pelicans are going for their fifth straight win, but won't be able to count on getting many 3-pointers. They rank 28th in 3-point accuracy. Denver is 12th defensively and No. 2 in 3-point defense.

The Under is 9-1-1 in New Orleans' last 11 games. The Under has cashed the past six times these two teams have met in Denver.

Expect another Under winner in today's matchup.

The Spurs are in the playoff hunt. The Hornets are a mediocre Eastern Conference team with a horrendous home record lately. Charlotte has lost nine of its last 10 home games. The Hornets are 1-9-1 ATS during their past 11 home contests.

The Spurs are 7-1-1 ATS the past nine times when playing a below .500 opponent.

San Antonio has revenge and stop-the-pain motivation with three straight losses. Charlotte is a bit fat and happy having pulled off a 119-98 road win against the Cavaliers this past Wednesday.

Sparked by Gordon Hayward's 41 points, the Hornets embarrassed the Spurs, 131-115, at San Antonio on Dec. 15. Hayward is out and the Hornets' rotation is in transition.

This is a key matchup for the Wizards, who trail the Hawks and Hornets by 1 1/2 games for the final playoff position in the East.

The spot should work for the Wizards. They've beaten the Hawks eight of the past 11 times at home, including 122-111 on Oct. 28 the last time they hosted them.

The Wizards have been idle since Tuesday. The Hawks are playing for the third time in four days and second in two nights. Atlanta is off an impressive, 130-124, victory against the Bulls. Atlanta remains without John Collins, its best big man and second-leading scorer. He's out with a foot injury.

Washington is without Bradley Beal. So the Wizards kind of lack an identity. But Kyle Kuzma has emerged as an excellent player and steady presence averaging 17 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists.

This has to feel weird for the Spurs. This is their first home game since Feb. 4. San Antonio has concluded its annual rodeo-related road trip. Now the Spurs are home where they are just 11-18 this season, including 2-5 ATS during their past seven games at AT&T Center.

Neither team is playing well. The Kings are four games out of the final playoff spot. So any game against an average-type of opponent, such as the Spurs, is crucial to them.

Sacramento doesn't lack for talent with Domantas Sabonis, De'Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes. The Kings are 11-7 ATS the past 18 times when the underrated Fox has been in their lineup.

There are two ways of looking at Oklahoma City. One is the conventional way where the Thunder have the fourth-worst record in the NBA. The second way is the point spread route where lo and behold the Thunder have the second-best ATS mark in the NBA.

Minnesota is much improved this season. That's evident by the oddsmaker opening this game in the pick range. 

But I really want Golden State in this situation. The Warriors are coming off a frustrating, 107-101, home loss to the Mavericks from Sunday. Golden State let a 21-point lead slip in that game. Needless to say, Steve Kerr was not happy. 

The Timberwolves are off a satisfying, 127-122, road win against the Cavaliers last night. Minnesota is 0-5 ATS the past five times when playing without rest. 

Toronto is off two ugly losses to the Hornets and Hawks. The Raptors haven't lost three in a row since late November.

The Nets return home after a huge 126-123 road win against the Bucks two days ago with Kyrie Irving scoring a season-high 38 points in that victory.

I have to believe the Raptors are going to up for this game while the Nets come home fat and happy.

Irving won't play because of local mandates against unvaccinated players being unvaccinated. The Nets have been below par at home all season with a 13-16 record. Toronto has a winning road mark.

The Lakers, especially LeBron James, are angry after losing a controversial, 105-102, game to the Clippers this past Friday. The Lakers are angry about how their season is going so far.

I want an angry James going for me at home against New Orleans. The Pelicans are an up-and-coming team, but they enter this matchup fat-and-happy after ending the Suns' eight-game win streak with a 117-102 upset win this past Friday.

The Lakers are 8-2 ATS following a loss. The Pelicans are 0-4-1 ATS the last five times playing the Lakers in LA.

The Jazz are a much stronger defensive club with Rudy Gobbert back in the lineup. He's the top defensive center in the NBA. Gobbert has missed many games this season so Utah's defensive numbers are misleading. Utah plays at an extremely slow pace with Gobbert on the court.

The Suns rank sixth in scoring defense. They are No. 3 in defensive field goal percentage and first in 3-point defense.

Phoenix's intensity should be way up after an embarrassing 15-point loss to the Pelicans two days ago. Keep in mind, too, the Suns are minus injured Chris Paul. This puts a lot of pressure on Devin Booker to distribute the ball and he's not a point guard.

The Kings have upgraded their depth and have motivation for this matchup after losing, 128-110, at home to the Nuggets two days ago. Denver is 2-6 ATS in its last eight home games.

Sacramento played Denver tough last season winning all three games.

The Kings have better coaching with Alvin Gentry replacing Luke Walton. They also have a better rotation after being very active at the trade deadline. The key for the Kings is Domantas Sabonis, who is not outclassed by Nikola Jokic.

The new Kings players are getting more acclimated and morale is up in Sacramento. So I'm expecting a competitive effort from the Kings. The Nuggets have to be careful about their rotation since they are in action at Portland on Sunday.

I trust the 76ers more on the road than at home. Philly is a top away club with a 19-10 road record. The 76ers have covered seven of their past nine away games.
The Timberwolves are off a highly-satisfying, 119-114, victory against the Grizzlies last night. I don't see them beating both the Grizzlies and 76ers on back-to-back nights.

Minnesota is 1-5 ATS the past six times as a 'dog. The Timberwolves are 1-6 ATS the last seven times hosting the 76ers, too.

Philly is sure to have plenty of energy coming off the long All-Star break. James Harden is expected to make his 76ers debut. That's sure to pump up the 76ers, too. 
The Timberwolves have some talented players. But Joel Embiid, a serious MVP candidate, and Harden give the 76ers the two best players on the court. 

Clearly a tale of two teams here. The Heat have the second-best record in the Eastern Conference at 38-21. They come out of All-Star break 6-1. Their big three of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry are once again healthy.

The Knicks have lost 33 of their last 53 games, losers of seven of their last eight games. Kemba Walker is out for the season and morale is low. Tom Thibodeau may be out as head coach.

So I'm going to ride the Heat here.

After suffering their worst loss in seven years losing by 48 points to the Celtics this past Tuesday, I see the 76ers coming out super intense against Milwaukee.

Toronto has dropped two in a row following an embarrassing, 120-90, road loss to the Pelicans this past Monday. I'm seeing a motivated Raptors team getting back on track taking advantage of a good situational spot here.

Previous to losing two straight, the Raptors had won and covered eight in a row playing their finest ball. 

The Timberwolves are in action for the sixth time in nine days and third time in four days. Minnesota also is playing without rest. The Timberwolves exerted a lot of energy in rallying from a 10-point fourth quarter deficit to defeat the Hornets in overtime last night. Minnesota had four players log more than 37 minutes in that game. Karl-Anthony Towns played nearly 42 minutes. 

Slow tempo and great defense. That's a winning Under combination and should work for this long-standing division rivalry matchup.

Boston is first in defensive efficiency during its last 10 games. The Celtics have held 6 of their last 8 opponents under 98 points.

The 76ers also have been in the top five in defensive efficiency during the last 10 games. Their offense is in transition and James Harden is out.

Only two teams play at a slower tempo than the 76ers.

The Raptors are a top 10 defensive team. They should have their intensity for this matchup after their eight-game win streak was snapped by the Nuggets, 110-109, two days ago.

Toronto has surrendered fewer than 102 points in three of its last four road games.

The Pelicans are better defensively than perceived ranking 16th. They have allowed 107 or fewer points in six of their last eight games.

The teams met last month in Toronto and the Raptors won, 105-101, for a combined total of 206 points.

This is a high total that may be an overreaction to the Spurs' last game, which was a 136-121 victory against the Hawks last night. The Spurs aren't likely to go so up-tempo playing without rest. Their previous game before last night was a 105-92 loss to the Cavaliers this past Wednesday. The Under is 7-0 the past seven times following a San Antonio victory.

The Pelicans have quietly been playing good defense. They've held their last six foes to an average of 102.5 points. The Under is 13-3-1 in New Orleans' last 17 games.

New Orleans is in transition following the trade deadline changing their rotation with the addition of CJ McCollum from Portland. The Pelicans were out of rhythm in their last game two days ago scoring only 97 points in a 15-point loss to the Heat.

The Spurs defeated the Pelicans, 112-97, on Dec. 12 during the first meeting. That was the fifth straight time the teams have gone Under in their series.

Excitement is in the air in Philadelphia following yesterday's trade deadline with the 76ers acquiring James Harden. The 76ers dealt Ben Simmons, Andre Drummond and Seth Curry along with two first-round picks to get Harden.

Cleveland may appear to be in better current form than the Spurs. But the Spurs have played a much more difficult schedule recently and are in an excellent situational spot here.

San Antonio defeated Houston in its last game. That was this past Friday. The Spurs were 1-4 entering that matchup. But their previous five opponents were the Heat, Warriors, Suns, Bulls and Grizzlies.

Cleveland is 6-2 in its last eight games. The Cavaliers' last five games, though, have come against weak opponents - Pacers, Hornets, Rockets, Pelicans and Pistons.

The Cavaliers acquired Caris LeVert, but still may be without underrated Darius Garland, who has missed the last four games because of a sore back.

The Spurs will be playing for the first time in five days. That's more than ample time for Gregg Popovich to come up with a strong game plan for this specific opponent not to mention ensure a lot of energy from the Spurs. San Antonio is 18-8 ATS the past 26 times when playing on 3 or more days rest for a long-term mark of 69 percent.

San Antonio also has covered nine of the last 13 times it has been a road 'dog. Cleveland is 1-6 ATS the last seven times it has been favored.

The Pelicans are playing their best ball winning three in a row - all on the road. The result is they are now laying the most points they have all season.

I'm not a big fan of the Rockets. I'm not sure who is. But the circumstances are right for the Rockets to keep this one close.

New Orleans definitely is fat and happy returning home for the first time since Jan. 29. So concentration could be an issue. This marks the Pelicans' fifth different venue in nine days. The Pelicans aren't nearly good enough to cover a spread this high if they aren't playing well.

Houston has short revenge. The Rockets fell at home to the Pelicans, 120-107, this past Sunday. The game was close for three quarters. Houston even had the halftime lead. The Rockets defeated New Orleans, 118-108, at home in the team's first meeting this season on Dec. 5.

The Jazz are getting healthier. They've posted consecutive home victories against the Nuggets and Nets in their last two games. But they still are missing some key players, including center Rudy Gobert.

Utah has a bigger home game on deck meeting the Warriors on Wednesday.

The Knicks are off a 122-115 overtime loss to the Lakers from Saturday. The Knicks played well in building a 21-point lead. It was a heartbreaking loss, but there were many positive signs for the Knicks.

The Jazz have been terrible as a home favorite going 3-12-1 ATS the past 16 times in that role.

The Knicks are a gritty bunch with a top-seven defense. Now that the line has climbed to 8 I'm going to back the Knicks.

Already short-handed in the backcourt with Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso out, the Bulls may not have star shooting guard Zach LaVine and Coby White. Both are questionable due to injuries. 

I find this to be a buy-low spot on the Trail Blazers following Portland's, 96-93, home loss to the lowly Thunder last night. 

Kevin Durant is out and the Nets have lost six in a row. I didn't expect the Nets to lose their last game to the Kings in the middle game of their five-game road trip after previously losing to the Warriors and Suns. The defeats to Golden State and Phoenix weren't a surprise. The one to the Kings was shocking as James Harden had a rare off game scoring only four points on 2-of-11 shooting.

Still, the Nets are 17-9 on the road this season. I expect a much better performance from them here.

Utah is off a victory against the Nuggets and isn't at full strength either. Out for the Jazz are Rudy Gobert, Joe Ingles and Danuel House Jr. with Hassan Whiteside and Jordan Clarkson questionable. The Jazz get sharpshooter Donovan Mitchell back. MItchell, however, could be rusty having been out since Jan. 17.

The Jazz have been terrible in this role going 5-16-1 ATS the last 22 times as a home favorite.

I really hope Dejounte Murray plays. But even if he doesn't the Spurs have enough depth and a huge edge in coaching to cover this short number against the Rockets. San Antonio is in stop-the-pain mode losers of three in a row.

The Rockets enter San Antonio fat and happy after a 115-104 home victory against Cleveland this past Wednesday. Houston has lost its previous four games.

The Rockets are 6-17 ATS the past 23 times as a 'dog. They are 2-6-1 ATS during their past nine meetings against the Spurs.

Houston was no match for San Antonio when the teams just met on Jan. 25. The Spurs buried the Rockets, 134-104, dominating the paint with 82 points.

This is a potential flat spot for the Suns playing in just their second road game since Jan. 20. It's also their first Eastern time zone start time in more than two weeks.

The Hawks aren't known for their defense. But their defense has been under-the-radar good recently. If you discount giving up 121 points to the Lakers, the Hawks have given up an average of just 100.2 points during their last five games.

Atlanta has been idle since Monday. So the Hawks should be energized with a strong defensive game plan.

The Suns have held their last 10 opponents to an average of 103.5 points if you throw out their game against the Timberwolves where they surrendered 124 points. Phoenix ranks seventh in the league defensively. The Suns are in the top four in defensive field goal percentage and 3-point defense. Big man Deandre Ayton just returned from missing seven games with an ankle injury. That's a plus for the Under because of Ayton's rebounding shot blocking. He's rusty on offense.

The Hawks lost, 106-100, to the Raptors in their last game. Atlanta was bothered by Toronto's defensive pressure. The Suns are a better defensive team than the Raptors.

Trae Young did not play against Toronto. He's questionable here with a shoulder bruise. It's a nice bonus for the Under if Young doesn't play again, but it doesn't change my handicap if he does see action.

The Nets have been strong on the road all season with a 17-8 away record. This is the middle game of Brooklyn's five-game West Coast trip and the easiest of the matchups. The Nets already have lost to Western powers Golden State and Phoenix. The Nets face the Jazz and Nuggets following this game. So a loss to the lowly Kings would be unacceptable. 

There's no Kevin Durant. But James Harden is back in the lineup and Kyrie Irving is there for road games. 

The Nets draw the Kings at a good time. Sacramento has dropped seven in a row. The Kings returned home this past Monday night following an 0-5 road trip that took them to the East, Midwest and South. Sacramento is not at full strength either. Big man Marvin Bagley III is out with an ankle injury. De'Aaron Fox is questionable with an ankle injury that kept him from playing during the recently concluded road trip. 

Sacramento is 3-9 ATS the past dozen times at home when facing an opponent with a winning road record. 

The Kings lost to the lowly Pistons and Rockets during their previous two home contests. 

The 76ers are flying high. They just won their fifth straight beating the hot Grizzlies, 122-119, in overtime two days ago. Philly achieved this feat resting Joel Embiid.

This is the final game of a five-game homestand for the 76ers. They are 0-4 ATS following a point spread cover and are in letdown mode here against a slumping Wizards team that is without its best player, guard Bradley Beal.

The Wizards should produce a better effort than they did last night when they fell, 112-98, on the road to the Bucks. Wizards Coach Wes Unseld Jr. expressed optimism his team would step up with Beal out.

I believe the Wizards will do that here and the 76ers will be flat allowing Washington to stay within single digits.

The Spurs are expected to be at full strength against the Warriors. That's fine because it keeps the spread down while making the money line an option.

There's a class difference here. Golden State is an elite team riding a six-game win streak. The Spurs are just a playoff contender.

The Warriors are the No. 1 defensive team in the league. They rank 12th in scoring. Stephen Curry is off a hot performance.

The Spurs surrender nearly nine more points per game than the Warriors. San Antonio shoots much worse from the field and free throw line than Golden State.

The Warriors are averaging 121.5 points in their past four games.

The Bulls are coming off a 130-116 home win against Portland this past Sunday. So maybe this total looks right on the surface. But I find it too high.

The Trail Blazers are well below average defensively with the worst perimeter defense in the league.

The Magic rank 28th in scoring and shooting percentage. But the Magic are 3-1 in their last four games because they are playing good defense. Orlando has held its last four foes to an average of 104.2 points.

The Bulls are going to be up for this matchup after losing 114-93 on the road to the Magic nine days ago. Billy Donovan has been pushing the Bulls to play stronger defense. This is their opportunity against a weak offense.

The Magic know the Bulls well since this already is the fourth meeting between the two teams. The Bulls also are short-handed in the backcourt with point guard Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso out with injuries.

Note, too, the Under has cashed eight of the last nine times the teams have played in Chicago.

The teams just met 10 days ago in Golden State. The Rockets nearly pulled the upset losing, 105-103.

That victory was the start of a five-game win streak for the Warriors. Golden State has won three of those games by a total of eight points.

The Warriors are off a big emotional win against the Nets from two days ago. They are at the Spurs on Tuesday in a revenge spot.

So this looms as a potential flat spot for the Warriors, who remain without Draymond Green.

Houston only has played twice since losing to the Warriors 10 days ago. The Rockets' last game was this past Friday. That should ensure a rested, full effort and an added bonus if Kevin Porter Jr. and Christian Wood are able to return to the lineup.

I'm not in love with the Pacers. They've lost four of their last five games and really miss rim protector Myles Turner.

But I want to fade the Clippers in this spot. This is the final game of the Clippers' eight-game road trip that started back on Jan. 19. It's also the Clippers' fifth game in seven days. They remain without their two best players, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

The Pacers should be fired-up after an embarrassing, 132-105, road loss to the Mavericks this past Saturday.

The Suns have won nine in a row. It seems, though, with each of their victories their betting line gets more and more inflated.

None of Phoenix's last five victories have been by more than 10 points. The Suns should have only beaten the Timberwolves by eight points instead of 10 in their last game two days ago. A late meaningless Minnesota foul resulted in two free throws by the Suns to account for a final 10-point margin.

The Suns have been playing short-handed with Deandre Ayton (ankle), Jae Crowder (wrist) and reserves Cameron Payne (wrist) and JaVale McGee (knee) all missing in action. Ayton is out. The other three are questionable.

San Antonio has been up and down. But the Spurs rank in the top 10 in scoring and are perhaps off their best game of the season, a 131-122 home win against the Bulls this past Friday. San Antonio had 35 assists in that win. The Spurs have covered seven of the last eight times on the road versus opponents with a winning home mark.

This already is the fourth meeting between these two teams. The Spurs have kept two of the three close, losing by four points twice. They are 3-0-1 ATS the past four times in Phoenix.

The Raptors are rested, have short revenge and are likely to get Fred VanVleet back in their lineup.

The Heat are playing without rest, are minus Kyle Lowery and Markieff Morris and Jimmy Butler is dealing with a toe injury.

Toronto fell to Miami, 104-99, on the road 12 days ago. The Raptors have been idle since Wednesday when they lost, 111-105, to the Bulls on the road. Toronto came back to take the lead with 3:11 left after trailing by 19 points in the second half. 

The Raptors have covered the past seven times when failing to cover the spread during their previous game. I like their resiliency, toughness and coach, Nick Nurse. 
The Heat ended up having a tough time with the road weary Clippers last night after opening a 23-point lead. Miami ended up winning by seven, 121-114. 

Lowry and Morris remain out. It would not surprise me if Butler sat out, too. He played more than 37 minutes against the Clippers despite dealing with a sore big toe. 
VanVleet, who leads Toronto in scoring and assists, has missed the past two games. But he practiced on Friday. So there's a good chance he plays. 

I see this as a ripe spot for the Spurs. San Antonio is off a 118-110 home loss to the Grizzlies two days ago. The Bulls are a bit fat and happy having won their second straight game with a satisfying, 111-105, home win against the Raptors also on Wednesday. It has been three weeks since the Bulls last won three in a row.

This marks Chicago's fourth game in six days, all at different arenas. The Bulls are 2-5-1 ATS in their last eight road contests.

The Spurs are 11-5 ATS following a non-cover.

Kudos to the Clippers for coming back from a 35-point deficit against the Wizards to pull out a victory three days ago. That was the second-largest comeback in NBA history. 

Kudos again to the Clippers to beat the Magic two days ago in an obvious letdown spot after trailing by 14 points against Orlando. 

Now, though, the Clippers step way up in class against the team with the best record in the Eastern Conference - Miami. The Heat are 17-5 at home this season. They have covered nine of their last 11 games. 

LA is 10-13 on the road even with its consecutive away victories versus the Wizards and Magic. This marks the Clippers' third game in four days and sixth road game in 10 days. 

The Heat have taken off now that Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro are back in the lineup joining Jimmy Butler. The Clippers are missing their two best players, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Also out is their third-leading scorer, Marcus Morris. 

I see a double-digit Heat victory. 

No player is performing better lately than Joel Embiid, who has scored at least 38 points and pulled down 12 rebounds in four straight games. The 76ers catch the Lakers playing their fourth road game in six days.

The Lakers welcomed Anthony Davis back with a 106-96 victory against the Nets two days ago. Davis, though, is working his way into the lineup. I don't see the Lakers being able to sustain that momentum against this tough opponent. LA is 7-20 AT following a cover.

The Lakers are 2-1 on their current road trip having opened with a victory against the Magic, However, during their previous four away contests the Lakers lost to the Heat by six points, were blown out by the Nuggets by 37 points, lost to the Kings by nine and fell to the Grizzlies by five points.

The Kings should be fired-up after being embarrassed, 128-75, by the Celtics last night. The Kings ended up playing all 13 of their rostered players. No Sacramento player reached the 30-minute mark. So fatigue should not be a factor. 

Prior to that loss to the Celtics, the Kings had gone a respectable 2-4 with their four defeats occurring by a combined 15 points, which is less than four a game. 
Atlanta is in a fat and happy mood, winners of four in a row, including a blowout of the Hornets on the road in their last game four days ago. The Hawks' intensity level could be down here.

The Hawks have not been good as home favorites either, failing to cover 11 of the last 14 times in that role.

There's a chance the Kings get back injured De'Aaron Fox, who I consider their best player. He's been out two games with a sore left ankle. It's a nice bonus if Fox plays, but I'm not counting on that. 

After facing the Knicks, 76ers and Nuggets - all top 11 defenses - the Clippers step way down in defensive class. Washington ranks 20th defensively giving up nearly 110 points per game.

Washington has permitted 115 or more points in three of its last five games.

The Wizards are due to break out of their cold streak after averaging just 96 points in their last two games versus the Raptors and Celtics. The Wizards had averaged 115.8 points during their previous five games. They have scored at least 110 points in 11 of their last 14 games. The Wizards are healthy and full of sharp shooters headed by Bradley Beal.

The Over has cashed four of the past five times the Wizards have hosted the Clippers.

New Orleans has been strong at home winning and covering seven of its last nine. The Pelicans catch a schedule break here hosting a short-handed and tired Indiana squad that is concluding a five-game road trip.

The Pacers are playing for the fifth time in eight days. They are minus their two best players with Domantas Sabonis and Malcolmb Brogdon both out. They've been without Caris LeVert, maybe their third-best player, too. He's questionable. 

Those are Indiana's top three scorers. The Pelicans have held five of their last seven opponents to 105 points or fewer. 

New Orleans enters this home matchup on a winning note beating the Knicks, 102-91, this past Thursday in New York. That was a big confidence builder for the Pelicans after they were blown out during the first two games of their road trip by the Nets and Celtics.
 
The Pelicans have been idle since that game giving them three full days of rest and preparation. The extra time also may allow Brandon Ingram to play. He's questionable after turning his ankle against the Knicks. 

Even if Ingram is out, I still like the Pelicans. 

I find this spread too short.

The Heat will be up for this matchup with the return of LeBron James to Miami. The Heat also are off a Friday road loss to the Hawks.

Miami has been much better at home. The Heat have won nine of their last 10 home games. They have Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, their two best players, healthy again.

The Lakers are playing for the fourth time in seven days. Anthony Davis remains out.

LA defeated the pathetic Magic in its last game two days ago to open its road trip. Prior to that, though, the Lakers lost at home to the Pacers. Before beating the Magic, the Lakers had lost their last two road games by a combined 46 points to the Nuggets and Kings.

The Pacers rank in the bottom 10 in tempo. They certainly aren't going to look to play fast against the Suns, a top-five defensive unit, playing their fourth road game in six days. The Under is 14-5 in the Pacers' last 19 road games. 

Indiana is in a major letdown spot, too, after stunning the Warriors on Thursday with a 121-117 overtime victory. The Pacers accomplished that win minus perhaps their best player, Domantas Sabonis, and their starting backcourt of Malcolm Brogdon and Caris LeVert. Those are their three leading scores. Combined they account for 52 percent of the Pacers' scoring. Sabonis is out while Brogdon and LeVert are questionable. 

The Pacers' bench stepped up in a big way against the Warriors two days ago. I don't see Indiana's reserves reaching that caliber again. The Suns rank fifth in scoring defense and are No. 2 in defensive field goal percentage and 3-point defense. They can clamp down on long-range shooters Chris Duarte and Justin Holiday.
 
The spot isn't good either for the Suns. They return home having gone 5-0 on their road trip that concluded two days ago with a 109-101 victory against the hot Mavericks. Phoenix has to guard against a letdown. 

The Under has cashed six of the last seven times the Suns have hosted the Pacers.

Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins are getting more in sync with each other. That's bad news for the rest of the NBA and should be a boost for Golden State's offense. Thompson had his best shooting and scoring game in the Warriors' last matchup two days ago against the Pistons since returning five games ago.

The Warriors should be able to connect frequently from 3-point range against a weak Pacers perimeter defense. Indiana also is without rim protector Myles Turner, out with a foot injury. Turner has been the premier shot blocker in the league the past couple of seasons.

Turner's absence is a plus for the Over. So is the absence of Draymond Green, a tough defender and rebounder. Golden State ranks No. 1 defensively, but has missed Green. The Warriors held the punchless Pistons to 86 points in their last game, but previous to that had surrendered 116, 118 and 119 points in three of their last four games.

The Pacers beat the Lakers, 111-104, last night. The Warriors like to play up-tempo. They don't figure to deviate from that style, catching Indiana without rest.

The oddsmaker is downgrading the Knicks because they've lost two straight home games, sleepwalking through a loss to the Hornets during an early start on Martin Luther King Day and then blowing a late lead in a 112-110 loss to the much improved Timberwolves on Tuesday.

Prior to those defeats, though, New York had won five consecutive games at Madison Square Garden with the last two being blowout wins against the Mavericks and Spurs.

The Pelicans are a drop in class for New York. The Knicks are a much stronger defensive club than New Orleans giving up six fewer points per game.

New Orleans is 0-5 SU, 1-4 ATS in its last five road contests. The Pelicans are averaging under 100 points during their last three games.

Golden State can't be laying this many points considering its injury situation and current form. This also is a bad spot for the Warriors, returning home after a four-game road trip. This is Golden State's fifth game in eight days.

I don't think the Knicks should be a home 'dog to the Timberwolves. New York couldn't get awake for yesterday's early-start Martin Luther King home game against the Hornets losing by 10 points after trailing by as many as 23 points.

 Look for the Knicks to be more awake for this game after Monday's embarrassment.  Prior to that loss to the Hornets, the Knicks had won five straight at Madison Square Garden with the last two being blowout victories against the Mavericks and Spurs.  The Timberwolves are looking good to the oddsmaker right now because they just rolled past the short-handed Warriors, 119-99, at home this past Sunday night. Keep in mind, though, that before that victory Minnesota had lost and failed to cover consecutive road games against the Pelicans and Grizzlies.

Dallas is 8-1 in its last nine games after a 108-92 home win against Orlando. Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis were both in Dallas' lineup for the first time since Dec. 10.

Now the Mavericks draw the Thunder, a bottom feeder that is 1-6 in their last seven games and 0-2 versus Dallas this season with both losses coming in Oklahoma City. 

Safe to say the Mavericks are in a fat and happy state. They host the Raptors in a bigger game on Wednesday. 

Oklahoma City, though, is very dangerous in this role going 19-7-1 ATS the past 27 times as an underdog, including covering seven of their last nine road contests. The key for the Thunder is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He's been on fire averaging 28.7 points, eight assists and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 52.5 percent from the field during his past three games.

Utah has lost four in a row. Denver is off a 133-96 beatdown of the Lakers last night.

So are you surprised the Jazz are such a strong road favorite? 

Don't be. The oddsmaker knows what he's doing. This is a stop-the-pain game for the Jazz and they have star center Rudy Gobert to help them achieve this. Utah hasn't played in four days. Gobert is as valuable to his team as any player. The Jazz didn't have Gobert, who was in COVID-19 protocol, during their current four-game losing streak.  

Gobert is back. The Jazz are rested, prepared and anxiously pointing to this game. They catch the Nuggets fat and happy after Denver buried the Lakers, 133-96, last night. 

These just met two days ago in Sacramento and the Kings won, 126-114, shooting 50 percent from the floor.

Neither team is good defensively. That's fully acknowledged. But familiarity should help the defensive effort today. The Rockets know they have to improve their pick-and-roll defense against the Kings. It's something they are well aware of.

The Kings had held their previous three opponents to 109.3 points before giving up 114 to the Rockets on Friday.

Another plus for the Under is the Rockets will have rookie center Alperen Sengun back. He's a high-energy, defensive-minded big man.

The timing is right to buy low on the Spurs in this home spot. San Antonio is in circle-the-wagons mode saddled with a four-game losing streak. The Spurs are off a 128-124 loss to the Rockets two days ago, which opened their seven-game homestand. 

Dejounte Murray could be the most underrated player in the NBA. The Spurs certainly are capable of winning this game straight-up. There's the chance their rotation could be bolstered if Derrick White and Doug McDermott return today from COVID-19 protocol. 

The Cavaliers are much improved. But they are far from elite. Their 111-91 victory against Utah on Wednesday comes with an asterisk as the Jazz were missing several players, including their star center and key to their team, Rudy Gobert. 

This marks Cleveland's fifth road game in eight days. The Cavaliers close their road trip tomorrow at Oklahoma City.

The Cavaliers had opened their road swing beating shorthanded Portland. They then lost by 14 to the Warriors, nipped the lowly Kings by one point before knocking off Utah. Cleveland is 4-5 in its last nine games, 2-6-1 ATS. 

Oklahoma City lost on the road to the Wizards, 122-118, two days ago. But the Thunder enjoyed their finest offensive game of the season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander broke out of his shooting slump with 32 points. The underrated Gilgeous-Alexander can make the Thunder a dangerous road foe if he's on his game. Oklahoma City has covered 23 of its last 32 road games.

Brooklyn returned home in the wee hours Thursday morning after a highly-satisfying late Wednesday victory on the road against the Bulls, 138-112. Kyrie Irving won't play today. Kevin Durant might get rested, too, although I still like the Thunder in this spot figuring Durant is going to play.

The Nets haven't won two in a row in nearly a month. Brooklyn also has been very mediocre at home going 11-10. The Nets are 1-5 in their last six home contests with the lone victory during this span occurring in overtime to the Spurs. Going back to last season, the Nets are 4-17 ATS as a home favorite.

The Bulls are healthy. That makes them dangerous. Chicago has won 10 of its last 11 games. The Bulls have covered five of their last six home games.

The price is cheap enough to back the Bulls at home against the Nets, who are playing for the fourth time in six days and just flew in from Portland yesterday.

Brooklyn has failed to cover in its last seven games going 2-5 SU during this span with one of the victories coming at home in overtime against the Spurs.

The Nets aren't nearly as healthy as the Bulls. James Harden and Kyrie Irving are both questionable. So is Nic Claxton. LaMarcus Aldridge is out.

The teams just met two days ago and the Celtics won a defensive battle, 101-98, in overtime.

Indiana shot 38 percent from the field. The Pacers missed a lot of easy shots. Celtics defensive ace Marcus Smart played 23 minutes in that game. Smart is questionable for this matchup.

The Celtics know they have to step up on the offensive end. Boston had played the defensive-minded Knicks in back-to-back games prior to meeting Indiana. The Pacers are a much worse defensive team than the Knicks.

The Hornets caught the Bucks at the right time when the teams met this past Saturday. The Bucks had just knocked off the Nets the night before and were in a flat spot. The result was a 114-106 Charlotte win.

Oh, yes, the normally strong Bucks bench produced just five points. I don't see that happening again.

So give me the vastly superior team in a rapid revenge spot.

Kudos to the Heat for beating the Trail Blazers, 115-109, this past Wednesday in their last game.

However, I don't see the Heat keeping up with the Suns today. This is Miami's fifth of a six-game road trip and the team has 12 players on its illness/injury report list, including Jimmy Butler.

Meanwhile the Suns are expected to get reinforced with Deandre Ayton, Jae Crowder and JaVale McGee. All are off the COVID-19 list. Ayton is the Suns' leading rebounder and No. 2 scorer.

The Suns own the best record in the NBA at 30-8. They are playing well with three straight wins and covers, winning by an average of 22 points during this span. The Suns shouldn't lack intensity since they won't play again until Tuesday and won't be home again until Jan. 22.

Miami ranks fourth defensively in the NBA. The Heat have been a strong defensive team for years. That's not the case right now, though, with the Heat missing injured players Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Dewayne Dedmon and Markieff Morris.

Miami has lost its hard-nosed, defensive intensity without these key players, especially Butler. Miami is giving up an average of 113 points during its last four games.

The Trail Blazers have scorers to take advantage with Damian Lillard, underrated Norman Powell and emerging Anfernee Simons. Portland is an above average scoring team, but is one of the worst defensive teams in the league. The Trail Blazers rank 27th in points allowed, 29th in defensive field goal percentage and 30th in defensive field goal percentage.

The Trail Blazers are in especially bad defensive form surrendering an average of 130.5 points during their last four games. Miami is averaging 115 points in its last four games.

I'm expecting a good performance from the Pelicans here now that their two best players, Brandon Ingram and Jonas Valanciunas, have returned to the lineup. Both played last night in a 115-104 home loss to the Jazz. Each was rusty, not shooting well. The rust should be off now.

The Suns have COVID issues. They could be minus coach Monty Williams along with starters Deandre Ayton - their best big man - and underrated Jae Crowder. Two backups could be out, too. Williams, Ayton and Crowder all missed the Suns' last game, a 133-99 road win against Charlotte.

The Pelicans are prepared for this step up in class having faced the Cavaliers, Bucks and Jazz during their last three games. New Orleans is 7-3 ATS as a home 'dog.

The Nuggets, like most NBA teams, are dealing with COVID issues. But they still have Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon just returned to the lineup following a hamstring injury. Denver also catches Dallas in a vulnerable spot.

So I'm going to go ahead and take the points with the road 'dog.

The Mavericks got Luka Doncic back in their 95-86 road win against the Thunder on Sunday. Doncic had missed 10 games. He was playing for the first time in 23 days, logging 31 minutes wearing a knee brace. Not surprisingly, he felt sore after the game. So Mavs coach Jason Kidd has to be careful how he uses Doncic in this back-to-back spot.

The Nuggets are the more rested team. This is their second game in six days. Dallas is in action for the fifth time in eight days. The Mavericks just concluded a five-game road trip so their concentration level could be off returning home following the holidays. Dallas hasn't been a good spread home team failing to cover in 14 of its last 20 home games.

The Pistons are an NBA team in name only. They may have been the worst team in the league - and that was before injuries and COVID-19 chewed up nearly their entire roster. Aside from Saddiq Bey and Hamidou Diallo, the Pistons lack NBA-qualified players.

This is reflected in Detroit losing 18 of its last 19 games.

The two teams just met six days ago. Final score: San Antonio 144, Detroit 109. The Pistons couldn't stop any of the Spurs.

The Spurs aren't likely to win by 35 points again, but they should easily prevail by double digits.

San Antonio won't enter this matchup overconfident after losing, 118-105, to the Grizzlies on the road last night. Fatigue shouldn't factor for the Spurs either as they had been idle for four days prior to that game.

The Raptors were one of many NBA teams ravaged by COVID. But now they should be back at nearly full strength getting back Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby and Scottie Barnes. That's a combined scoring mark of nearly 55 points. These key cogs will join Pascal Siakam, Gary Trent Jr. and Malachi Flynn, who returned in the Raptors' last game three days ago, a 114-109 home loss to the 76ers.

The Raptors are rejuvenated now and should be sky high being home to take on the Clippers, who are in a flat spot after beating the Celtics, 91-82, on the road two days ago. The Clippers are 2-8 ATS following a point spread cover. The Clippers are minus their two best players with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George both out. They also are missing Nicholas Batum and possibly Reggie Jackson.

The Clippers have yet to get it together this season. They were 1-5 before upsetting the Celtics.

This would be a huge mismatch if the teams were fully healthy. But they're not. Milwaukee not only is vastly superior - an "A'' level team to Orlando's "F'' level - but the Bucks are healthy and the Magic are down numerous rotation players because of COVID. 

This is the Rockets' fifth straight road game. But it's their first game in four days. They draw the Hornets playing at home for the first time in 17 days. Charlotte recently returned from a six-game road trip. It's tough playing that first game at home from a concentration standpoint after being away for so long. 

The Rockets' rotation depth is better with the return of Jalen Green. The Hornets, meanwhile, have been missing a key rotation player, Cody Martin. The underrated Martin has missed the last three games because of COVID-19 safety protocol. 

The Hornets are simply a .500 team. I don't think they're good enough to cover a mid-size point spread given this spot.

Neither team is good defensively. But circumstances, current form and a very high total make the Under a worthy play.

The teams met earlier this season on Nov. 27. The Rockets won, 146-43, in overtime. Maybe the oddsmaker considered that in making this total so large.

But things are different now. Each team has been idle for the past four days. That should mean some offensive rust.

The Rockets have been held to 106 or fewer points in four of their past six games. The Hornets held the Nuggets to 107 points in their last game. That was the fewest points Charlotte allowed in nearly a month.

Note the series history, too. The Under has cashed in nine of the past 11 meetings in Charlotte.

This a battle of two disappointing, injury/illness racked teams. Yes, the Clippers are missing several key players, including Paul George. But the Nuggets also are minus important players, including Jamal Murray, Michael Porter and possibly Aaron Gordon.

So I see no reason why the Nuggets should be this high of road chalk.

The Nuggets will have the best player on the court, Nikola Jokic. The Clippers have the big body depth to defend him, though, with a rejuvenated Serge Ibaka and Ivica Zubac.

Denver is 1-3 SU and ATS in its last four games.

The Clippers have been up and down. They won four in a row before losing three straight. The Clippers halted that losing skid in their last game, a 105-89 road win against the Kings four days ago. The Clippers are 21-6-1 ATS when playing on three or more day's rest. They also are 9-3 ATS the last 12 times as a home 'dog.

Certainly the situation spells Under with the Hawks and Knicks meeting early Christmas morning after being idle Christmas Eve.

The Hawks don't have any firepower. A COVID-19 outbreak has taken away all of Atlanta's explosive scorers, including Trae Young, Danilo Gallinari, Lou Williams and Kevin Huerter. De'Andre Hunter also is out due to a wrist injury. That leaves the Hawks with very little firepower as evidenced by their scoring 98 points in each of their past two games.

The Knicks are going to be stressing defense after Tom Thibodeau ripped them for giving up 124 points to the Wizards in a 124-117 loss this past Thursday.

The Hornets conclude their six-game, 11-day road trip in Denver's high altitude. Key rotation player Cody Martin is out for Charlotte and Gordon Hayward is questionable with a back injury. 

The Nuggets won't be feeling sorry for the Hornets, who have lost their last three games by nine points to the Trail Blazers, 31 to the Suns and 10 to the Jazz. Denver is off a 108-94 road loss to the Thunder where the Nuggets were 6 1/2-point favorites. Previous to that game, though, Denver hadn't played since Friday. So the Nuggets shouldn't be rusty like they were against the Thunder. They also shouldn't be fatigued either since nobody played more than 27 minutes last night.

Charlotte is 10-21 ATS the past 31 times as an underdog. The Hornets have failed to cover during their last four visits to Denver. 

This is the revenge game of the year for Oklahoma City. The Grizzlies broke an NBA record for largest victory margin when they buried the Thunder, 152-179, at home on Dec. 2.

The Thunder surely will be highly motivated. They have some confidence, too, after nipping the Clippers, 104-103, this past Saturday. Lugentz Dort, one of the more underrated players in the league, is back for the Thunder after being out with an ankle injury. 

Oklahoma City is 8-2 ATS the last 10 times as an underdog. 

Memphis could be coming back to earth after falling, 105-100, to the Trail Blazers on Sunday. The Grizzlies were 10-1 going into that game. Memphis still is without injured Ja Morant. This will be the Grizzlies' fourth game in six days, too. So there's a fatigue issue with them.

This is my NBA Game of the Week. 

I understand the Nets being favored at home. But they shouldn't be considering their COVID situation.

This is who the Nets will be missing: James Harden, LaMarcus Aldridge, DeAndre' Bembry - all starters - along with Bruce Brown, Jevon Carter, James Johnson and Paul Millsap. That leaves the Nets' thin bench with just three rookies.

The Nets are going to encounter an angry 76ers team that is off an embarrassing, 101-96, home loss to the Heat last night. 76ers coach Doc Rivers ripped his team after that game. I'm expecting the 76ers to be fired up. They certainly are capable, having defeated the Warriors just five days ago.

Joel Embiid is expected to play. But I still would like the 76ers even if he isn't considering the drastic situation the Nets are in.

Brooklyn has failed to cover the last six times as a home favorite.

Surprised the Bucks are a home 'dog to the Pacers? Don't be. Giannis Antetokounmpo is out and Khris Middleton also may miss this game because of a knee injury suffered against the Celtics this past Monday.

Still, I want the Bucks going for me.

The Bucks are off a bad 117-103 loss to the Celtics. They lost that game with Antetokounmpo in the lineup. Milwaukee has a deep bench that can withstand its two best players being out at home against a mediocre opponent. The Bucks' rotation gets a boost with defensive specialist Donte DiVincenzo expected to make his season debut after being out with an ankle injury.

This is just Indiana's second road game since Nov. 23. The Pacers lost to the Timberwolves in their last away matchup back on Nov. 29. Indiana is 3-10 on the road. The Bucks have won their last eight home contests.

The Bucks also are 2-0 versus the Pacers this season winning those games by an average of 14 points.

There are a lot of unknown here - all of which could be positive for an Under.

Luka Doncic is questionable. He's missed the last two games with an ankle injury. Anthony Davis has missed the last two games, too, because of a knee injury. He's also questionable. The Lakers aren't likely to have Talen Horton-Tucker and Malik Monk. They are in COVID-19 protocol. Those are two plus players for the Over. 
Even if Doncic and Davis should play, I still like the Under. 

The Lakers are playing excellent defense lately holding their last four foes to an average of 99.7 points. Dallas is the No. 6 defensive team in the NBA. The Mavericks' last seven games have all gone Under. The Lakers' offense could be out of sync missing scorers Horton-Tucker and Monk. LA also was unable to practice on Tuesday because of COVID testing. 

This total is too high given the key injuries each team has.

The Suns are going to be without Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton again. Those are Phoenix's two leading scorers. Phoenix is averaging just 102.5 points in its last four games.

The Trail Blazers are without CJ McCollum, their second-leading scorer. Portland is averaging 99 points in its last five games. The Suns rank eighth in scoring defense and are fourth in defensive field goal percentage.

This is the third meeting this season between the two teams so there should be familiarity, which is a plus for defense.

The Wizards won't lack incentive here coming off an embarrassing 25-point home loss to the Jazz this past Saturday. It's a huge game for Washington's first-year head coach Wes Unseld Jr. He spent the previous six years as an assistant coach for the Nuggets. So he's extremely knowledgeable about the Nuggets in this non-conference matchup. 

The Warriors haven't lost two games in a row all season. They are the best team in the NBA. I look for them to bounce back strong against the Pacers after getting beat by the 76ers on the road two days ago. 

The Pacers have stepped up their game winning three in a row. Those victories were against slumping teams - Wizards, Knicks and Mavericks.

Indiana is three levels below the Warriors. The spread is too short. 

No brilliant handicap here. Just a huge class difference. The Warriors are the best team in basketball with a 21-4 record. They rank first defensively and are No. 3 in scoring.

The 76ers are 14-12 with a losing home record. They've been without superstar center Joel Embiid, but even with him they still aren't within two levels of Golden State.

The teams met on Nov. 24 at Golden State and the Warriors won, 116-96. The 76ers didn't have Embiid and Tobias Harris in that game. They should have them here although Embiid is dealing with abdominal pain after just returning from the COVID-19 list.

Sure Embiid and Harris bolster the 76ers a lot. Just not enough to keep them in this point spread range.

The Warriors have been idle since Wednesday. They are 14-3 ATS during their last 17 games versus above .500 opponents so they haven't been just fattening up on bad teams. The 76ers have failed to cover in their last six home games. The game is being nationally televised by ABC so the Warriors should be pumped especially with Stephen Curry in pursuit of the all-time 3-point record.

One thing's for sure here: The Lakers won't be taking the young, rebuilding Thunder for granted.

This is the third meeting between the teams. The Lakers are 0-2 versus Oklahoma City blowing leads of 26 and 19 points.

LA has been playing better after a disappointing November going 3-2 in its last five games. During this span, the Lakers blew out the Kings on the road and Celtics at home. They lost by four to the Clippers, who played their "A" game in that matchup, and last night were flat in a road loss to the Grizzlies.

The Thunder return home winners of two straight road games beating the Pistons and Raptors. It's a rare situation where the Thunder are fat and happy. They also haven't been home in nine days so their focus could be off.

Before their two-game road win streak, the Thunder had lost eight in a row, including a mind-boggling 73-point loss to the Grizzlies three games ago.

This spot sets up well for the Spurs. 

Denver is playing its sixth consecutive road game. This also is the Nuggets' fourth road game in six days. They escaped with an overtime victory against the lowly Pelicans last night. The Nuggets are basically playing an eight-man rotation. Their starters were forced to log big minutes against New Orleans last night.
Denver is 3-7 ATS in its past 10 away contests.

The Spurs had returned home to face the Knicks two days ago following a 2-1 West Coast trip. San Antonio had beaten Portland and Golden State before falling to the Suns in a close matchup. They laid an egg against the Knicks. Gregg Popovich should have the Spurs motivated for this revenge matchup especially now that the Spurs have settled in at home. 

The Grizzlies have won five in a row since their star point guard Ja Morant suffered a knee injury. How are the Grizzlies doing this without their best player? Defense. Memphis has held its last five foes to an average of 90.2 points.

The Mavericks have short revenge for a 97-90 home loss to the Grizzlies from last Saturday. Dallas was without Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis in that loss. Both are expected to play here. Dallas is in stop-the-pain mode, too, losers of eight of its last 10.

Doncic is a superstar, but the Mavericks are a defensive-minded team. They rank 25th in scoring, but give up the 12th-fewest points. Dallas has a great history of going Under in an underdog role with the Under cashing 22 of the past 30 times.

I'm looking for another tight defensive battle here.

The Timberwolves have shown major improvement this season going 7-1 from Nov. 17-Nov. 29. However, they are 0-3 in their last three games with road losses to the Wizards and Nets and then a bad home loss to the Hawks this past Monday.

Minnesota is going to be up for this game. The Timberwolves aren't likely to get injured D'Angelo Russell back here, but Patrick Beverley is expected to play for the first time in six games. Russell and Beverley are Minnesota's two top point guards. Lack of ball movement hurt the Timberwolves in their loss to Atlanta. That should change with Beverley's return. Beverley also is a top-notch defender. He's one of the more unsung players in the NBA.

The Timberwolves have the scorers to compete with Utah thanks to Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards.

Utah is fat and happy on a four-game win streak. The Jazz haven't been great in this role lately going 2-5 ATS the past seven times as a favorite and covering just one of their past five road games. The Timberwolves are 6-2 ATS the last eight times meeting a foe with a winning record.

I want the Lakers going for me in this revenge spot and catching Boston fat and happy.

The Lakers have begun to play better winning four of their last seven games as LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook get more acquainted. The Celtics can't match that star power especially if Jaylen Brown has to miss a third straight game due to a hamstring strain.

The Lakers have been idle since Friday when they suffered a frustrating loss to the Clippers, 119-115. They have been pointing to this matchup since losing, 130-108, on the road to the Celtics on Nov. 19.

Boston is off a 145-117 waltz against the Damian Lillard-less Trail Blazers this past Saturday. The Celtics have been up-and-down under first year head coach Ime Udoka.

Surprised the Knicks opened a road favorite against the Spurs? Don't be. Even though the Knicks are 1-4 in their last five games and have a losing record, the oddsmaker knows what he is doing.

New York has gone against the Nuggets, Bulls, Nets, Hawks and Suns during its last five games. This is a step down in class and a stop-the-pain game for the Knicks. It's a good thing the Knicks are leaving New York after consecutive home losses. They are 19-9 ATS in their last 28 road contests.

The Knicks catch the Spurs returning home having yet to host a game this month. The Spurs are in action for the third time in four days and playing without rest after a hard-fought 108-104 road loss to the Suns last night. New York, on the other hand, had been idle the previous two days.

The Spurs were riding a season-best four-game win streak until losing to the Suns. So their mental approach may be down. Same perhaps with their focus level having not been home since late November.

No Ja Morant, no problem for the Grizzlies. They are 4-0 since losing their star guard. I don't see that continuing, though, starting with this matchup.

The Heat are 1-3 in their last four games. They were without superstar Jimmy Butler for all of their games. Butler is expected back from a tailbone injury for this game. That should make a huge difference.

Worst case scenario is if Butler has to miss this game. Still, I would back the Heat even if Butler is out banking on Tyler Herro, Kyle Lowry and Duncan Robinson.

Miami has played better at home going 6-3. This is the Grizzlies' fourth game in seven days - all at different venues. Morant isn't the only Memphis player out. Underrated Kyle Anderson also is out with a back injury.

The teams just met Wednesday in LA. The Kings won, 124-115. That put their record at 3-3 under interim coach Alvin Gentry, who replaced overmatched Luke Walton. The Kings are a better team under Gentry. They also have been idle since that Wednesday victory.

The Clippers, however, will be playing for the sixth time in nine days. They are off a highly-satisfying, 119-115, tough win against the Lakers last night. 
Paul George rolled his ankle against the Lakers. So he may be out. He's LA's best player with Kawhi Leonard sidelined. The Clippers haven't been consistent all season adjusting to life without Leonard. 

The rested Kings could get back Harrison Barnes, who is having a career year averaging 19 points and 7.2 rebounds. 

This game sets up well for Sacramento with the situational aspects outweighing the Clippers' revenge spot.