NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls +3 @ Sacramento Kings @ 6:10 ET - The Kings are off huge win versus a short-handed Clippers team. That game was in LA yesterday. So it is not a big travel spot but it is still a travel situation and it is a back to back. Now they face a rested Bulls team that is angry off B2B losses. Chicago is the play here. Kings have been playing better but had lost 3 straight before B2B wins and the Bulls come into this one hungry. Chicago only has had one losing streak go longer than 2 games. The other 3 were all 2-game losing streaks that ended on that 3rd game. That is what I expect here. There is a reason this is a road game and yet Bulls are only a 3 point dog even though Sacramento has such a solid record. Don't let the line fool you. 10* CHICAGO +3

NBA Saturday 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks -6 @ Charlotte Hornets @ 6:10 ET - Even though this is a back to back spot for the Bucks it is also a back to back spot for the Hornets. The key here is Milwaukee off loss and Charlotte off a win. The Hornets are 1-5 SU when off a win this season and 4 of those 5 losses were by at least 7 points. The Bucks are 4-1 SU when off a loss this season and 3 of the 4 wins by at least 8 points. More of the same on tap here. This road team will be very hungry off the loss as that was just their 6th loss of the season and it was the first game that Middleton came back. The Bucks will want to redeem themselves here and facing a Charlotte team that loses about 2/3 of their games will certainly help in that regard. 10* MILWAUKEE -6

NBA Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers +5.5 @ Memphis Grizzlies @ 8:10 ET - This is just too many points. I will be surprised if Tobias Harris does not play here as he has been dealing with his illness since the prior game. Also, though he will not play tonight of course, James Harden's return is now imminent and is an emotional booster for this team too. Additionally, the Sixers have been playing surprisingly well dealing with injury issues including the absence of Joel Embiid. The fact he has been back for a bit now but Philly is off an ugly 113 to 85 loss has set this up beautifully. The 76ers are 6-0 SU the last 6 times they are off a loss in which they scored less than 110 points. That said, they do not even have to get the outright win for us to get the cash here. Grab the points here and look for that situation to improve to 7-0 and, even if they fall short of outright win, the points should prove enough for the all-important cover. Of last 11 games for Memphis, the Grizzlies only have 3 victories by more than 4 points. 10* PHILADELPHIA +5.5

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers +3.5 or +4 @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:10 ET - The 76ers had Embiid on Monday and he was strong in his return. the Cavaliers are still without Love and Allen. Also, Mitchell is coming off a game in which he scored only 8 points so that is concerning for Cleveland too. Overall, the Cavs have lost 7 of 12 games since that red hot 8-1 start to the season they had! The 76ers have been dealing with injury issues of their own but they have now won 7 of 9 games! Also, one of those two losses was by just 3 points. One of the just 5 wins that Cleveland has since their slump started in early November was a double OT win. So the point is that, even if this game is tight, we still have a shot to get the cash with the plus points but an outright upset would not surprise me at all. The Sixers are playing with more confidence of late and the same can not be said of the Cavaliers over the past few weeks. Grab the points. 10* PHILADELPHIA +3.5 or +4

NBA Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers +1.5 vs Atlanta Hawks @ 7:10 ET - The 76ers have won 6 of last 8 games. They have been without Embiid lately but might even get him back tonight. Even if they don't the way they are playing now they are loaded with confidence and here they are back at home and facing a Hawks team that is also in a back to back spot for this one. Atlanta has lost B2B games and also is an ugly 2-5 last 7 road games including even losing to the Rockets in Houston! The Sixers are 5-1 last 6 home games and I have a feeling that Embiid was waiting for this home game to return. That would just be an added bonus for us here. Either way, I like Philly and the home team is 2-0 in the two meetings between these teams this season and Trae Young off a rough shooting game last night and now he is on the road after last night's game was at home. 10* PHILADELPHIA +1.5

NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers +7 or +7.5 vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:30 ET - Yes the Sixers have injury issues as Harden and Maxey were already out and now Embiid is going to miss a couple games. However, there is an expression about "wounded dog bites the hardest" and this hungry 76ers team will put up a dogfight here at home. They do get back Harris and Korkmaz for this one or at least that is expected. I know the latter has not done a whole lot this season but Harris is one of Philly's top players and both guys will carry, and are happy to have, a bigger share of the production tonight on the floor. The Nets have had team chemistry issues all season long and though they should find a way to win this game I do not expect the margin to be enough. Brooklyn has played 17 games and only have 4 wins by more than 7 points this season! The 76ers already have 3 losses by 3 or less points on their home floor this season. They will put up a fight here and the 76ers are 2-2 in games Embiid has missed and one of those two losses was by just 2 points. 10* PHILADELPHIA +7 or +7.5

NBA Monday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers -2.5 vs Atlanta Hawks @ 7:10 ET - The last time the Hawks visited Cleveland, they knocked the Cavaliers out of the post-season race as they knocked them out of the play-in round with a 107 to 101 win last spring. The Cavs have not forgotten and Trae Young was waving to the fans after the game and slammed the ball on the court as the Hawks got it done that night. That was not just any loss for Cleveland as it was a defeat that made sure their playoff drought - dating back to 2018 - continued. The Cavaliers will want some payback tonight and I like their chances on their home floor. These teams have identical 10-6 records on the season but the Cavs are 6-1 at home and the Hawks are just 2-3 last 5 road games. Also, Atlanta is coming off an OT win over Toronto. The Hawks were at home for that one and have a home game on deck Wednesday so this is a one-off road trip and those generally are tough on a team especially when off an OT win too. I just don't think Atlanta is going to be able to match the intensity of the Cavaliers here. Cleveland is off a big home win over Miami and Garland is playing unbelievably well right now plus they have Mitchell, Allen, Mobley plus Osman is coming off a huge game. That 26-point win over the Heat will really get this team going. Look for the Cavaliers to get their revenge in convincing style tonight even if LeVert and or Love do not play. The other guys mentioned above are the bigger factors in this one and the home side rides a ton of emotion in this game. 10* CLEVELAND -2.5

NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Golden State Warriors -9.5 @ Houston Rockets @ 7:10 ET - Finally, the streak will end. Yes, I am calling my shot as they say. Golden State is 0-8 on the road this season and they are sick and tired of hearing about it. Now they take on a Rockets team with injury issues and Houston is one of the worst teams in the NBA with a 3-13 record. They lost 2 starters early this season and then two of their best current players that are starters might be out for this game. The Rockets Porter is doubtful and Sengun is questionable. Either way, the Warriors will take advantage of facing one of the worst teams in the NBA and roll to a win by a double digit margin here. Yes they lost at Detroit, another bad team, earlier this season but that was a tough B2B spot and off an OT loss. This situation sets up much better for the Warriors and there is a reason a team with a winless road record is favored by double digits here. Don't let the big line scare you away here. The Warriors will not want any doubt to creep in late in this game and I look for a win by a 15 to 20 point margin as GS wants no part of a comeback attempt for the injury-depleted Rockets here. 10* GOLDEN STATE -9.5

NBA Saturday 10* Top Play Minnesota Timberwolves +2.5 @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:40 ET - Horrible spot for Philly. 2nd night of a B2B and off a hard-fought win versus Bucks last night. Already without Harden, Harris missed last night's game plus Maxey got hurt during the game. Embiid has been red hot for the Sixers but how will he be handled in the 2nd night of a B2B? The fact is that, all the way around, this is a tough spot for the 76ers and Minnesota has a big rest edge. The Timberwolves have disappointed so far this season as they have had some issues adjusting to the new roster they have after the big off-season changes. But this is still a solid Wolves team and they have the talent and the situational edges to get a big road win here. 10* MINNESOTA +2.5

NBA Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -1.5 -115 or money line -125 vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:40 ET - The Bucks have lost 3 of 5 and one of the two wins was in double-OT versus OKC. To say the least, Milwaukee has not been overly impressive. For sure the Bucks have had the Sixers number often in recent meetings but this Milwaukee team is still missing key guys and this looks like the perfect spot for the 76ers to finally exact some revenge. Embiid is back for Philly and they have won 3 of last 4 including all 3 home games. Also, he has averaged 40 points and 11 rebounds per game during this stretch and the Sixers are well rested heading into this one. Embiid also had 7 blocks in most recent game as he was dominant. He and the 76ers want this game badly because, as noted above, the Bucks have had their number. It is time for some payback here. The Bucks are in a shorter rest situation too in comparison with the Sixers. Home team should pull away and get revenge for the 2 point home loss to the Bucks that began Milwaukee's season. 10* PHILADELPHIA -1.5 -115 or -125

NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls +4 @ New Orleans Pelicans @ 8:10 ET - The Bulls are off back to back losses for the 4th time already this season. The good news for Chicago fans - and for us tonight - is that the Bulls are a PERFECT 3-0 this season when they enter a game off consecutive losses. As for the Pelicans, they are off B2B wins for just the 2nd time this season. They have yet to win 3 straight and I don't see that changing here. They managed to pull away from the Grizzlies in the 4th quarter last night. However, the Bulls will prove to be more determined tonight plus this is second night of back to back for New Orleans plus Zach Williamson missed last night's game and is hurting right now. The Bulls were up by 4 with about 5 minutes to go when these teams met in Chicago last week but the Pelicans rallied and ended up winning the game by 4. This is a revenge spot for the Bulls and I look for them to get it. Grab the points for the added insurance. 10* CHICAGO +4

NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies +1.5 @ New Orleans Pelicans @ 7:30 ET - Ja Morant is expected back for Memphis tonight. Not only are the Grizzlies 9-3 this season in games in which he has played, they are also 3-0 this season when off a loss in which they scored less than 107 points! The Pelicans are off a win versus Houston but are 0-5 this season when off a win in which they scored less than 125 points! That sets this up as a double perfect year to date spot and I really like having this strong Grizzlies team hungry off a loss and catching a New Orleans team off a win but against one of the worst teams in the league this season as they hosted Houston. 10* MEMPHIS +1.5

NBA Monday 10* Top Play San Antonio Spurs +8 @ Golden State Warriors @ 10:10 ET - Spurs off upset win over Bucks and Warriors off upset loss at Sacramento last night. Looks easy to just play GS, right? Not in today's NBA. These guys are paid so many millions and are athletes in elite shape but they can't dare play in a B2B situation, right? At least according to Golden State head coach Steve Kerr, that seems to be the case. Hard to say who will be on the floor for the Warriors tonight and I am sure at least some of the key pieces will be sitting because of how Kerr has handled these B2B spots recently. One thing I do know is the pesky Spurs will come into this one hungry and playing with confidence after knocking off the Bucks. San Antonio should field their normal roster and though they are still rebuilding and are young, they are well-coached and the Spurs have given Warriors good games in recent meetings. Look for this to be another tight one. 10* SAN ANTONIO +8

NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Oklahoma City Thunder +5.5 @ New York Knicks @ 12:10 ET - The Thunder and Knicks each off big wins Friday. The thing is that Oklahoma City knows they need to get their road game going better. They have struggled away from home this season. Sometimes these early starts on a Sunday can be tough on teams and they can be sluggish. That makes it harder for a favorite to pull away and cover the spread and this one is in the half-dozen range. Plus I like the motivation factor for OKC wanting to improve their road play. Look for them to be the more focused club in this one and the Knicks have not won B2B games in two weeks so I am going to challenge them here and I like having the points on our side with a team I feel has a great shot to win outright given the intangibles of this one. Thunder have been scrappy early this season and just took the Bucks to double OT recently too. 10* OKLAHOMA CITY +5.5

NBA Friday 10* Top Play Phoenix Suns -7 @ Orlando Magic @ 7 ET - The Suns recently lost Cameron Johnson to injury but then, even without Chris Paul, they knocked off the Timberwolves at Minnesota by a double digit margin. Not only have the Suns won 7 of 9, all 7 of the victories have been by at least 9 points. That said, and especially with Paul likely coming back tonight, I am not going to hesitate to lay the 7 points here with one of the best teams in the NBA against one of the worst. Even if Paul is not back, note that Payne had a huge game filling in for him against the T-wolves. Also, Orlando is off a rare win as Mavericks shot horrific in that game and the Magic stole it even though they were without Banchero. He has an ankle injury so he could miss again here. Ankle sprains are not easy to come back from and he already missed one game and would not surprise me if they hold him out since next game not until Monday. So he can rest up some more this would be the logical thing to do. Even the Magic must know this is not likely to be a winnable game but Monday they host a bad Charlotte team. Will see how smart Orlando management is on this one but Banchero should not play. Either way I look for the better team to win and to continue their trend of winning games by at least 9 points. Note that the Magic were 2-9 this season before they got the shocking upset over Dallas. Lightning will not strike twice. 10* PHOENIX -7

NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks -3.5 @ Washington Wizards @ 7:10 ET - Yes this is a back to back for Dallas and we did lose with them last night. However, the Mavericks had a simply awful shooting night and that was the difference in the game. I certainly do not expect a repeat of that here. That said, some perfect trends in play here too. Dallas is 3-0 this season when off a SU loss and all 3 wins have been by at least 4 points. The line on this game is 3 or 3.5 and I feel we can lay it with confidence. That's because Washington is off a win and they are 0-3 last 3 times they were off a SU victory this season. All 3 losses were by a double digit margin including the most recent one coming by 42 points in a blowout defeat. Double perfect trends here favoring the Mavs. Lay it. 10* DALLAS -3.5

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks -6 @ Orlando Magic @ 5:30 ET - The Magic are tied with Rockets for worst record in the NBA and just let Houston score a ton of points against them and shoot lights out from the field. The point is that Orlando, other than rookie forward Paolo Banchero, is really having a rough start to this season. Making matters even worse here is that if Banchero even plays in this game he could be limited by an ankle sprain. I am away that Hardaway could miss this game for Mavericks but his injury seems less serious and is not an ankle. Don't be surprised if he plays and is very effective. Even if he does not play, the other guys who would get a lot of minutes in his absence are Finney-Smith and Josh Green and they are coming off huge games as is Luka Doncic as he continues to dominate. The Magic have one OT loss in last 8 defeats but the other 7 were are all by at least 6 points. Dallas has a lot of tight wins this season but they have won 4 straight games and that includes 9 point win over Orlando. I really believe Banchero could miss this game but, even if he plays, he will not be himself 100% and that is a key detriment for the Magic. By the way, Mavs have allowed just 102 ppg last 4 games while Orlando, not including OT points, has allowed 120.4 points last 5 games. Big difference in terms of level of defense when comparing these two teams. 10* DALLAS -6

NBA Friday 10* Top Play New Orleans Pelicans -4 vs Golden State Warriors @ 8:40 ET - The Pelicans are off an unbelieve, inexcusable OT loss at Los Angeles when they missed 2 free throws with under 2 seconds to go in the game. That then allowed the Lakers get off a 3 at the buzzer which did go in to force OT. After LA won the game in OT you know New Orleans is going to be extremely fired up here. Not only that, the Pelicans are getting back Brandon Ingram and Herbert Jones for this game. Those reinforcements will help and what also helps is they are catching the Warriors in a back to back. Golden State has been getting good production from their starting five. But the Warriors bench has struggled and that means if the Warriors starters are worn out from the B2B than this one sets up to be very tough sledding for GS. Look for NO to take advantage. the Pelicans will run them right out of the arena and Golden State has been struggling defensively so this sets up for a big-time home blowout here. 10* NEW ORLEANS -4 

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -7.5 vs Washington Wizards @ 6:10 ET - The Wizards have not been traveling far but still they are bouncing around quite a bit right now. Washington was at home than on the road at Boston then at home versus 76ers and now on the road at Philly to face the Sixers again. This is also a 4 games in 6 days situation for Washington so this is all part of their toughest test so far this season in terms of scheduling. I like the fact that the Sixers, even without Embiid, were able to win by 7 on the road at Washington Monday. This is a Philly team that is finally starting to find its footing. The 76ers have won 3 straight games on the road and also won their last home game by 14 points. I look for them to build their run to 4 straight wins even if Embiid is not back tonight.  But I do expect him back and also want to note that even though they are not stars, Kispert and Wright being out for the Wizards is still taking away a couple guys that average about 24 minutes a game. They are rotation players that Washington wants to use as part of the core group for the team! As for the Sixers, the only current "injury" situation was Embiid's illness and I would be surprised if he misses tonight's game. Look for the Wizards to run out of gas as this game goes on and the deeper Sixers again take advantage just like they did Monday with their big 3rd quarter in DC leading to solid win. 10* PHILADELPHIA -7.5

NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Minnesota Timberwolves +5 or +5.5 @ Phoenix Suns @ 10 ET - When something looks too good to be true it usually is. Keep in mind, Phoenix is 4-0 at home this season and the Suns enter this game on a 4-game winning streak in which all 4 wins were by a double digit margin. That said, how can the Suns have opened up as only a 4-point favorite at home? Exactly! Sure enough this line is already up to as high as a 5.5 in some spots and I love being a contrarian in situations like this. Minnesota went out and made the big move for Gobert in the off-season because they want to be a force to be reckoned with. To prove they have indeed arrived in the Western Conference, the Wolves must prove they can compete with one of the best teams in the West (and in all of NBA) in the form of the Suns. I feel Minny is going to be extra hungry here as a result and I love having the handful of points being offered here too as an outright upset would not surprise me in the least. If the Wolves do fall short, look for it to be by the slimmest of margins. 10* MINNESOTA +5 or +5.5

NBA Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -4 @ Washington Wizards @ 7:10 ET - The Wizards are playing in a B2B for the first time this season and yesterday's game was on the road at Boston. This is also a 3 games in 4 days situation for Washington so it is their toughest test so far this season in terms of scheduling. Yes, the Wizards get the benefit of being at home for this one but that is also helping to keep this line very manageable on a Philly team that is finally starting to find its footing. The 76ers have won B2B games on the road and will be hosting the Wizards on Wednesday so they are fully focused on Washington here and I look for them to build their run to 3 straight wins! Look for the Wizards to run out of gas as this game goes on and the rested Sixers take advantage. 10* PHILADELPHIA -4

NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons +8 vs Golden State Warriors @ 6 ET - Back to back spot for Warriors who are winless on the road this season and they went into overtime at Charlotte last night so not a good situation here. Not only could Steph Curry and company need a little extra rest tonight, Jordan Poole is dealing with an ankle injury. The Pistons are off to a rough start to this season but they will take advantage of facing Golden State in a tough situation for the Warriors. You also know the home team will be up about having Curry and Company in town for this one. 10* DETROIT +8

NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets +2.5 vs Dallas Mavericks @ 7:40 ET - I know the Nets are in a back to back spot here so many are jumping on the Mavericks. I get it. But this Brooklyn team from top to bottom is very angry and fired up and I am expecting a huge effort from them tonight as result. Last night frustrations boiled over in the loss at Milwaukee and head coach Steve Nash was dealt his first ever ejection as a head coach! That is how intense the situation was for the Nets last night. Now they are back home and ready to put the frustration to work for them in a positive way here and I fully expect a positive result to follow! Keep in mind that Dallas, just like Brooklyn, is off to a slow start. The Mavericks also have just 1 win on the season. By the way the home team is a perfect 3-0 in Dallas games this season and the home team is a perfect 3-0 in the Nets last 3 games. Look for this double perfect trending to continue here with another home win but I will grab the generous points being offered here as added insurance. I do expect the outright win though. 10* BROOKLYN +2.5

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers PICK (-110) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:40 ET - I know Toronto wants revenge for the post-season exit at the hands of the Sixers in the spring. However, I look at the Philly starters and bench and compare to the Raptors starters and bench and to me it sure seems the 76ers are the much stronger and deeper team. This is currently even a magnified issues because Philadelphia is the healthier team. For Toronto, Otto Porter has yet to suit up this season and is doubtful for this game and the Raptors were hoping the new acquisition could be a solid contributor for them. Also, Scottie Barnes is listed as questionable for this contest. Even if he does play his ankle is unlikely to be 100% and he may not be able to play up to his full potential in this one. Again, if he even sees the floor! Yes, Toronto is off a big win at Miami but the Raptors rallied in the 4th quarter for the victory as they trailed heading to final stanza. Also, the Heat shot horribly from distance in that game. The fact the Raptors outscored the Heat by six 3-pointers (18 points) from beyond the arc was absolutely the difference in that win. As for the Sixers, they just got their first win of the season against Indiana. Getting that win over the Pacers is just what the doctor ordered! Philly will finally have some confidence back after a frustrating 0-3 start to the season. Look for the Sixers to look like a different team tonight and they have the better shooters in this match-up too and I just don't see the Raptors as being able to keep up in this one. 10* PHILADELPHIA PICK (-110)

NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Phoenix Suns -2.5 vs Golden State Warriors @ 10 ET - The Suns have played the tougher schedule so far with a pair of a road games and their only home game was against at tough Mavericks team. Now Phoenix is at home facing the Warriors in a huge match-up. For Golden State, this is their first road trip of the new season. I feel this is a significant edge for the Suns in this spot and we are getting a bargain price with this line at -2.5 for Phoenix at home. The Warriors were great at home last season but only 22-19 on the road. The Suns were 32-9 both home and away last season! Amazingly only ONE of their 64 victories had a margin of victory under 3 points! Even in the post-season all 7 of their wins were by at least 3 points. So I have no hesitation in laying the points here considering that 70 of the 71 wins that Phoenix had last season were by at least 3 points! Also, the Suns are very hungry entering this season after losing in the 2nd round of the post-season to the Mavericks in 7 games. 10* PHOENIX -2.5

NBA Monday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls +4.5 or +5 vs Boston Celtics @ 8:10 ET - This is a great spot for the Bulls. They are off an embarrassing home loss to the Cavaliers in which they actually were about equal in shot attempts from the field plus had more free throw attempts yet lost the game by 32 points! So what happened? The Cavaliers shot a ridiculous percentage from 3-point land and had a hot shooting night overall. After getting embarrassed like this on their home floor I am sure Chicago is going to respond here. Remember the Bulls prior game was a road loss but just by 2 points and they opened the season on the road with a solid win at Miami also. Yes the Celtics are 3-0 this season but the teams they beat are a combined 1-8 so far. So maybe Boston caught the right teams at the right time but that is not the case here. I look for an angry Bulls team to be relentless at both ends of the floor tonight. 10* CHICAGO +4.5 or +5

NBA Thursday 8* Philadelphia 76ers -4 vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:30 ET - 76ers lost their season opener at Boston because the Celtics shot a robust 56% from the field! Look for Philly to be much better on the defensive end here at home and off a loss and plus they catch the Bucks playing their first game of the season. Milwaukee could be a little slow out of the gate this season and adding to the slowness is the fact that Middleton and Connaughton both going to miss some time early this season. The Sixers will take advantage here and are in bounce back mode here. Also, though Milwaukee has mostly still had the 76ers number, Philly has not forgotten when Giannis Antetokounmpo sat down in the middle of the Philadelphia court after knocking down a clutch basket in OT. Yes that was the season before last but Philly does not forget. The Bucks have mostly still had Philly's number since then but with Giannis Antetokounmpo playing this one without a couple of key Milwaukee teammates! He and the Bucks will get no mercy from the Sixers here that is for sure and that is why I am not hesitating in laying the points here. 8* PHILADELPHIA -4

NBA Tuesday 8* Philadelphia 76ers +2.5 @ Boston Celtics @ 7:30 ET - This rivalry goes way back and, in fact, these teams have met 457 times heading into this season opener. Why I am mentioning the 457? Because that 457th meeting was the biggest margin of victory ever for the Celtics over the Sixers and it happened in Philly. The 76ers got embarrassed on their home court by a score of 135 to 87. This game today will mean a little something extra as a result as that was actually also one of the worst losses for the Sixers in their entire franchise history. That said, they will be seeking payback here and the last time these teams met in the post-season, Boston delivered a 4-game sweep. The Sixers have been trying to work their way back to being one of the NBA's best teams and they have been getting there for sure. I like the way this roster has been built and the chemistry this team has now. Look for Philly to step up big in this one. 8* PHILADELPHIA +2.5

NBA Friday 10* Top Play Golden State Warriors +4 @ Boston Celtics @ 9 ET - The Warriors are 6-0 the last 6 times when off a loss. That is 6-0 SU / 100% PERFECT! That said, the fact we get an added 4 points here with underdog Golden State is simply a bonus! I do expect GS to win outright but will grab the points as added insurance. The Warriors led the first game by 12 after 3 quarters and the second game by 21 after 3 quarters and they only trailed the third game by 4 after 3 quarters. The point is that the Warriors could just as easy be up 3-0 in this series rather than down 2-1. Give credit to the Celtics for their resilience and their ability to come up strong in 4th quarters. However, I look for the Warriors - with their backs against the wall - to absolutely come up big in this one. They should improve to 7-0 SU / 100% PERFECT last 7 times when off a loss but I will grab the points here as I feel this is an excellent line value that could prove well worth it in the event Boston prevails by a very slim margin. 10* GOLDEN STATE +4 

NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics +4.5 @ Golden State Warriors Sunday @ 8 PM ET - The whole world will likely line up on Golden State here. In fact this line could drive up even higher but I am getting the early jump here with a solid 4.5 soon after Game 1 of this series finished. I know the expectation is that the Warriors bounce back but that is hard to trust. They just outscored 40-16 in the 4th quarter of a game on their home floor in which they also were the more rested team. The news gets even worse for Golden State. Steph Curry had a huge Game 1 with 34 points and nailing 7 of 14 threes while Celtics start Jayson Tatum had just 12 points on 3 for 17 shooting. Stop and think about that for a minute. Should be easy GS win given those numbers. Yet the Celtics won the game by double digits. Not only that, the two days off in between games also means that Boston can hit the reset button and comfortably relax. All the pressure here is on the Warriors and they wish they could take the floor right away on Friday to make up for the debacle. This situation is perfect for a rested and relaxed Celtics team to steal Game 2 as well but will grab the points this time just in case the Warriors find a way to steal it late. Took the money line in Game 1 but more points are available in Game 2 and given the situation that is the best value as I will gladly challenge a Golden State team questioning itself to win this game by at least 5 points. The road dogs loaded with confidence now. 10* BOSTON +4.5

NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks +7 @ Golden State Warriors @ 9 ET - Amazingly, the Mavericks have not had a standalone win in 4 months. You have to go all the way back to January 24th to find the last time that the Mavericks were off a loss, had a win, and then lost their very next game. Since that time, the Mavs are 12-0 / 100% perfect in this situation. That is a SU record. 12 straight times the Mavericks have managed to avoid the dreaded standalone win. That said, I definitely like our chances here of getting at least a cover as the Mavericks look to keep their season alive with one big upset. Once again, when off a win that was preceded by a loss, the Mavericks are 12-0 / 100% perfect SU. Give me the points here. 10* DALLAS +7

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Miami Heat +1.5 @ Boston Celtics @ 8:30 ET - The Heat are off a loss and have been so strong off a defeat. The Celtics got the key Game 4 win to even this series up but now are over-valued on the road. Boston has been alternating wins and losses frequently in this post-season in the last two series and I look for that trend to continue here. The Celtics will have their hands full here with a Heat team that had won 10 straight home games prior to losing to 25 points as a host versus Boston in Game 2 of this series. Not only payback for that but Miami enters this game off a 20 point road loss in Game 4 at Boston. The Heat take back series lead with a key revenging win over the Celtics in this one. 10* MIAMI +1.5 

NBA Monday 10* Top Play Miami Heat +6.5 @ Boston Celtics @ 8:30 ET - The Heat could get Butler back for this game and I do expect that plus they are loaded with confidence after the big Game 3 win on the road. Miami does not have to win this game to get the money for us either. A loss by 6 or less points also cashes our ticket and 5 of Boston's 9 post-season wins have been by a margin of 4.8 points. All the pressure on Boston here to avoid a 3-1 series hole before heading to Miami for Game 5. As for the Heat, they already have accomplished the success of insuring they have home court edge for this series no matter what happens in Game 4. That said, they can play loose and relaxed basketball. With all the pressure on the Celtics, the Heat are going to be tough to put away in this one. Huge value with the points. 10* MIAMI +6.5

NBA Friday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks Money Line +220 @ Golden State Warriors @ 9 ET - If you think this series is over already think again. Ton of value here with Dallas and we don't need any points. Yes the Mavericks got blown out in Game One of this series but that was only the 2nd time they have been blown out by Golden State in the last 7 meetings. The two defeats were blowout losses but the Mavs won each of the other 5 games and ALL were straight-up outright wins. That is why I am advising NOT to take the points here. We will not need them. Dallas, overall, is 16-3 SU the last 19 times when off a loss. These teams knows how to bounce back and that is why losing streaks have been rare. That has played a key role in why the Mavericks finished up the regular season on a 36-12 SU run last 48 games. As for post-season, the Mavs are already 4-1 when off a loss and I am looking for a big-time bounce back here. The Mavericks had 4 more shots from the field and 5 more shots from the free throw line in Wednesday's 25-point loss. We have value here as a result because I am expecting much better shooting from the Mavs in this one. 10* DALLAS +220

NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks +5.5 @ Boston Celtics @ 3:30 ET - Boston has home court here for Game 7. Critical, right? Hardly! The home team has only gotten the money ONCE in the first SIX games of this series. These are two very evenly matched teams and I like the value of having the 5.5 points on our side here. We'll grab the points in what should be a tight battle in Game 7. There has been only one blowout win for a home team so far in this series. Also, the same team has not won B2B games in this series yet and I do not expect that to change here. I am expecting the Bucks to get the outright upset win as they have the champion pedigree. But I am also grabbing the points should this be a tight finish decided by just a bucket or two. 10* MILWAUKEE +5.5

NBA Thursday 10* Philadelphia 76ers -2 vs Miami Heat @ 7 ET - We have seen the zig zag theory working quite well in the NBA of late and I expect more of the same here. Philly just got blasted by the Heat in most recent game so watch them bounce right back here. The home team is a perfect 5-0 in this series and the host has actually won 7 straight meetings dating back to regular season action in March. More of the same expected here and another solid home win projected in this one. 10* PHILADELPHIA -2

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks +5.5 @ Boston Celtics @ 7 ET - The Bucks fell short in Game 4 as the Celtics rallied. However, Milwaukee is 4-0 SU the last 4 times when off a loss. Whether or not the Bucks get the outright upset here, I definitely like the fact that Milwaukee is getting a handful of points and I expect this game could go down to the wire! The Bucks had won 4 of 5 SU against the Celtics prior to Monday's loss and I feel strongly they will bounce back big here. At worst it will be a loss by a bucket or two in my opinion. Boston a bit over-rated here after the huge fourth quarter rally in Game 4. I do not expect a repeat of that here but yet we get line value as a result of that game 4 finish. 10* MILWAUKEE

NBA 2nd Rd Game of the Year Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers +3.5 vs Miami Heat @ 7 ET - The Sixers will still be without Joel Embiid. However, even on the road in Game 2, the only difference in the game was really the 3-point shooting of Miami. The Heat outscored Philly by 18 points from 3 point land and won the game by 16 points. The 76ers had just 8 turnovers while Miami had 14 and Philadelphia did have 6 more FG attempts in the game. Philly is going to bring a huge effort here and are going to shoot much better than the combined 14 of 64 they shot from distance in the first two games of this series in Miami. At the same time, I do not expect the Heat to make a ridiculous 14 of 29 from outside the arc like they did in Game 2. The Sixers can get back into this series with a win here and Embiid possible returning for Game 4. That said, this is Philly's season here and I expect a huge amount of fight in this dog at home! The Sixers have won 5 of last 6 home games and the Heat have lost 2 of last 3 road games. The home team has won 10 of last 13 meetings between these teams and I expect that trend to continue here. 10* PHILADELPHIA +3.5

NBA Early Dominator Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers +8.5 @ Miami Heat @ 7:30 ET - The 76ers off a double digit loss in Game 1 but should respond here even without Joel Embiid. Philly just getting no respect here and, with backs against the wall, will get back on track in Game 2. The Sixers had won 9 of 12 before the ugly loss in Game 1. The Heat are 1-3 ATS last 4 times when off an ATS win. The 76ers are going to battle all the way to end in this one and remember they were only down 4 with 4 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter Monday. 10* PHILADELPHIA +8.5

NBA Situational Slaughter Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers +7.5 @ Miami Heat @ 7:30 ET - How many times have we seen a key player out for a team and then the line jumps the other way of course but it is the wounded team that actually gets the cover? Plenty! This has been a strong regular season trend and it has continued into the post-season. That said, with Joel Embiid out for at least the first two games of this series, this line on the Heat has gotten out of hand. Keep in mind, Miami is currently dealing with some nagging injury issues as well. Too much value to pass up here. 10* PHILADELPHIA +7.5

NBA 10* Top Play New Orleans Pelicans +2.5 - It is the Pelicans turn here. No team has won B2B games yet in this see-saw series and New Orleans is a home dog and will take advantage of Booker still being out for the Suns and I look for the home team to get it done here. I know there is speculation he might return tonight but I doubt he will. Even if he does, I like the fact that the Pelicans have been the much stronger rebounding team in this series and I expect them to shoot better from long-distance after a 5 for 25 at Phoenix in Game 5. The home dog gets it done here and extends the series. 10* NEW ORLEANS +2.5

NBA Double Perfect Play Wednesday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls +12.5 @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:30 ET - The road team is a perfect 4-0 ATS in this series and on a 5-0 ATS run dating back to the regular season. Once this one is in the books, I am predicting that streak to reach 6 in a row. I do expect Milwaukee to close this series out with a home win tonight but look for Chicago to rally the troops, with Zach Lavine out, and battle hard all the way in this one to lose by just a single digit margin and get us the all-important ATS cover. By the way, the Bucks are on an 0-5 ATS run in home games dating back to the regular season as well. Hence, the double perfect situation here and I understand the line move but love fading line moves too and this is the perfect spot (literally) - filled with high value in my opinion. 10* CHICAGO +12.5

NBA Earliest Cash Tuesday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks +7.5 @ Miami Heat @ 7 ET - The Hawks just got embarrassed on their home floor in a 24 point loss on Sunday. This is now their season right here. I am not saying they will win this game outright but I do like the odds of at least a cover here. Since mid-February, Atlanta has gone 10-1 SU when entering a game off a non-OT loss! The only time they lost back to back was in Games 1 and 2 of that series and in that one that Game 2 loss they were down by just 3 points with 2 and 1/2 minutes to go and missed a game-tying 3 at that juncture in the game. The point is that the eventual 10 point loss was a closer finish than you think and that game was here in Miami too. Big value with the big points here given the situation and the 10-1 / 91% angle. 10* ATLANTA HAWKS +7.5

NBA Eastern Conference Game of the Month Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -7.5 vs Toronto Raptors @ 8 ET - Look for the Sixers to respond off the Game 4 loss at Toronto. Even though the 76ers are still very much in control of this series they last thing they want to do is let this series go back to Toronto for Game 6. That is for two key reasons. Not only would that then give the Raptors a chance to tie the series up on their home floor and force an "anything can happen" Game 7, it also would lead to more tired legs for Philly if they do advance. Philadelphia wants this series to end right here right now and to let guys like Joel Embiid get some rest for the next round. Similar to the huge energy and motivation we saw from the Sixers in the opening game of the series, I am expecting a similar effort here. Philadelphia in a big home rout is my expectation here. The 76ers are on a 5-0 run in home games and the average margin of victory was 18 points in those 5 games. More of the same expected here. 10* PHILADELPHIA -7.5

NBA Payback Special Friday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks +1.5 vs Miami Heat @ 7 ET - After 3 straight games for us all slipping away in the 4th quarter in the NBA after cashing 8 in a row in NBA - most all of them easy no doubt winners without drama - I have no doubt we are getting back on track starting today. One thing is for sure, if a break is involved it most certainly should go our way here! The home team has won 6 of the last 7 meetings between these teams and the Heat won each of the first two games of this series at home. The home team dominance in this series continues here. The Hawks have won 28 of 42 home games this season and the Heat are 21-16 SU last 37 road games. You can see why, given those numbers, we have some line value here with the desperate and hungrier team available as a home underdog. 10* ATLANTA +1.5

NBA Game of the Month Thursday 10* Top Play Minnesota Timberwolves +2 vs Memphis Grizzlies @ 7:30 ET - The Wolves had turnover problems in the two games at Memphis but look for them to clean that up now that the series has shifted home to Minneapolis for them. As disappointing as the 124-96 annihilation was for the T-wolves in Game 2, they are still feeling very good about their situation in this series as they earned the all-important split at Memphis. Ja Morant suffered a quad injury in Game 2 and though it is not serious at all could it get sore on him as Game 3 marches on into the later stages and effect him a little bit? Certainly is not impossible but either way I love the Wolves here in a key game for them to respond after a 28-point drubbing. Keep in mind, before that big win, Memphis had lost 4 of 5 games and Minnesota had won 5 of 7 games before the blowout defeat. Hungry home team will get it done here in my opinion as they are buoyed by the confidence they gained by getting the big Game 1 win at Memphis and they draw on that here to take a 2-1 lead in this series. We'll grab the bucket being offered in case this one ends up decided by the slimmest of margins but I do sense a big home team win here! 10* MINNESOTA +2

NBA Earliest Cash Wednesday 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets +3.5 @ Boston Celtics @ 7 ET - The Nets fell just short on a last second buzzer beater in Game 1. I actually expect a bounce back win here for Brooklyn after falling just short but I am still going to grab the points here just in case the visitors again fall just short. We can get 3.5 points with the road dog here and I will take it as the Nets showed me a lot in Game 1 and the fact they fell short on a last second shot only serves to give us even more line value here in Game 2. You know Brooklyn is going to be extremely hungry here in Game 2. The Nets have great shot at outright win which also means superb extra value with getting more than a 3-pointer's worth as the dog in this one again in Game 2. I'll take it as the impact of Boston not having Robert Williams available showed up already as they Celtics barely survived Game 1 and I feel they will not be so fortunate here. 10* BROOKLYN +3.5

NBA TNT Annihilation Tuesday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks +7.5 @ Miami Heat @ 7:30 ET - The Hawks and Heat nearly the exact same number of 3-point attempts in Game 1 of this series. The difference in Sunday's game? Miami made 8 more of theirs than Atlanta did. The Heat won the game by exactly a 24 point margin. You see my point? Even with Trae Young having the horrible game he did that was the difference in the final margin of the game was just 3-pointers. Of course Miami's Duncan Robinson is not going 8 of 9 again from downtown just like Young is not going 0 for 7 from beyond the arc. In fact, now that I mentioned that, note that this is your 24 point margin right there! The fact is Atlanta got to the line for 50% more free throw attempts in the game. Essentially the Heat won the game from the outside not the inside. Possible impact to that inside game is the fact that Bam Adebayo is dealing with a quad injury entering this one. I know the Hawks struggled on the road in the regular season but they were 5-2 SU last 7 road games that were NOT the second game of a B2B before that loss at Miami Sunday. They get back on track here as Young and Company are out for payback. The visitors may fall short of the outright upset but they will do enough for the all-important cover here. 10* ATLANTA +7.5

NBA TNT Annihilation Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -7 vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:30 ET - The Raptors lost by 20 in the first game and Tyrese Maxey had a ridiculous game for the Sixers scoring 38 points. So now everyone is saying Toronto will bounce back because no way Maxey plays like that again. This might be true about Maxey but it is not necessarily true about the Raptors bouncing back. The 76ers have a pair of stars you might have heard about before...guys by the names of Joel Embiid and James Harden. Those two guys combined for 11 of 32 shooting in the game Saturday and yet Philly still won the game by 20 points! Now you understand why Toronto is absolutely in trouble here. They may get a boost when the series shifts to north of the border and the Sixers Matisse Thybulle can not travel with the team due to his covid status. However, until then Raptors still in trouble and this is particularly true with injuries piling up for them. Scottie Barnes, Gary Trent Jr. and Thaddeus Young all listed as doubtful for this game! 76ers roll again in this one! 10* PHILADELPHIA -7

NBA TNT Annihilation Sunday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls +11 @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 6:30 ET - With the Bulls late season fade, we are getting extra line value here. Chicago is fully capable of turning things up a notch now that the post-season has arrived. Of course, the same can be said for the Bucks and that would absolutely be a true statement. However, lets not forget that Milwaukee is the defending NBA champion. Everyone is gunning for them in this post-season and this is particularly true of a nearby rival (Chicago only about 90 miles away). Additionally, the hunger factor is a question. Sure the Bucks want to win but will they be as hungry as other teams in this post-season? Honestly I doubt that. I am not saying the Bucks will not win this series nor am I saying that will not win Game 1. However, I am quite confident this Game 1 match-up will be decided by only a single digit margin. That said, big value with the big points here! Milwaukee won all 4 regular season meetings but the Bulls had at least 10 more field goal attempts in each of the last two defeats even though they were blowout losses. The problem was that the Bucks shot lights out. We are getting line value because of this here. The Grayson Allen with Alex Caruso further adds spice to this match-up and you are going to see a hungry underdog giving its strongest effort in a long time in this one and I just do not see them getting blown out here and an outright upset in Game 1 would not surprise me but a loss by a range of 5 to 9 points is the more likely result and that gets us the cash here! 10* CHICAGO +11

NBA ESPN Blowout Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -4.5 vs Toronto Raptors @ 6 ET - The 76ers are undervalued here because of past playoff disappointments. In my opinion the Sixers will keep things up a notch now that the post-season is here and they have a guy by the name of James Harden to help lift them rather than a guy named Ben Simmons that was weighing them down. I know that the Raptors won the regular season series between these teams but this is playoff time and the Wells Fargo Center will be rocking for this one. Each of the last 7 meetings between these teams was decided by at least 5 points and I expect that that trend to continue here. Philly get gets it done on their home floor and opens the series with a big win and cover as Raptors drop to 1-3 SU/ATS last 4 road games (only win was against bad Magic team at Orlando). The hosts roll here. 10* PHILADELPHIA -4.5

NBA Earliest Dominator Wednesday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks -5 vs Charlotte Hornets @ 7 ET - The home team went 52-30 SU in Hawks games this season. Atlanta was 27-14 at home this season. Of all the teams that either made the post-season or play-in tournament, the Hawks are the team with the worst road record. That said, home court carried them. It is the reason they are here today and it is the reason they will advance to play Cleveland. Note that Charlotte lost 2 of its last 3 road games this season and the two defeats were each by at least 29 points. The Hawks have won 19 of last 22 home games and only 2 of those 19 wins were by less than a 6 point margin. You can see why I am backing the hosts for the win and cover in this one! 10* ATLANTA -5

NBA Earliest Dominator Tuesday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers +8.5 @ Brooklyn Nets @ 7 ET - The Cavaliers are expected to again be without Allen but that is keeping this line higher than it should be. Mobley has returned from a recent 5-game absence and is coming off a double-double performance. Look for Mobley to continue to fill the shoes of Allen and look for he and Love to carry the load in this match-up. The Cavs might fall short on the scoreboard but only by a bucket or two in my opinion. In the 118-107 loss at Brooklyn last week, the Cavaliers actually led that game by 5 heading to the 4th quarter after trailing by 15 after 1 quarter of play. Now it is payback time when it matters most after the Cavs were done in by a poor 4th quarter last week against the Nets. 10* CLEVELAND +8.5

NBA PA Dominator Sunday 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons +12.5 @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:10 ET - We had a tough loss with Philly yesterday when they dribbled out the shot clock late for a 24 second violation intentionally because they led the game by 16 points at the time and then the Pacers subsequently jacked up a 3 and hit it with just few seconds left on clock. Indiana then only lost by 13 and Philly was a 13.5 or 14 point favorite when we released that selection. Tough beat but now the situation Sunday is much different and favors the big dog strongly in my opinion. The Sixers need to stay healthy going into post-season. Yes their big guns are likely to see plenty of floor time here but not into the latter portion of the game if 76ers have a big lead. Also, the Pistons are off B2B ugly losses but had been one of the best ATS teams around for many weeks before those two big defeats. Dating back to March 1st, Pistons were on a 13-3 ATS run before the losses to Mavericks and Bucks. The Sixers know Boston is likely to also win Sunday and that means Philly is likely locked into the #4 seed and facing Toronto in first round. That said, giving too much effort here and ending up getting somebody hurt would be the worst thing the 76ers could do heading into the playoffs. Grab all the points you can and look for the Pistons to hang around throughout this contest! 10* DETROIT +12.5

NBA Earliest Dominator Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -13.5 vs Indiana Pacers @ 1:10 ET - Normally I do not lay big points but this is a rare exception. I love this spot for the Sixers. I successfully played against the 76ers with the Raptors on Thursday. But that situation was different as Philly was on the road and Toronto wanted that game just as bad as they did. Now the Sixers are back home where they won their most recent game by 30 points over a Charlotte team that is certainly better than this short-handed Pacers team. Indiana has been dealing with a myriad of injuries and they have lost 8 straight games! They are simply playing out the string on a disappointing season and here they run into a motivated Philly team that had won 3 straight before the loss at Toronto. The Pacers last 7 losses by an average margin of 15 points and I expect this one to be by 20+ as an angry 76ers team at home will show no mercy here. 10* PHILADELPHIA -13.5

NBA Early Dominator Thursday 10* Top Play Toronto Raptors +1.5 vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:30 ET - Long-time followers know I love fading line moves and this one has moved a full 5 points as yesterday it opened up with the Raptors at -3.5 and now the 76ers are at -1.5 this morning. This game has importance for both teams in the playoff picture so lets dive into some other factors I like a lot here. The 76ers have won 3 straight games but are on a 1-7-1 ATS run against the closing number last 9 road games. The Raptors are off a win and are  fantastic 12-3 SU last 15 games. Toronto is 5-1 SU L6 home games. The Raptors have covered 4 of last 5 games as a host to the Sixers. For all the hype Philly has had because of the big move for Harden, this is a team that has covered only 5 of its last 18 games. I know the spread here is very small but even SU Philadelphia was on a 7-7 SU run before this little 3-game winning streak they are currently on. These teams could meet in the playoffs and I look for the Raptors to make a statement about that on their home floor tonight. 10* TORONTO +1.5

NBA Earliest Cash Wednesday 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons +8.5 vs Dallas Mavericks @ 7:10 ET - The Mavericks need to win for playoff reasons. But just like we used the Wizards over the Timberwolves last night for another easy outright underdog win, we roll with the Pistons here. It is practically the same situation except even better because Detroit is at home for this one. But, just like Washington, the Pistons currently are playing some of their best basketball of the season because they are fully relaxed and any pressure to make the playoffs is long gone for them. Detroit enters this game having won 3 in a row SU and also 5 in a row ATS and, in fact, the Pistons are on an incredible 17-3 ATS run last 20 games. So you have a Mavs team that is certainly high-quality but on the road and playing with all the pressure to try and move up to the #3 seed or at least make sure they hang onto the #4 seed and Dallas has B2B home games coming up to close the season. If there was a spot for the Mavericks to get tripped up late this season, this is it. The Pistons confidence is very high right now with 3 straight wins, 2 on the road, and they also have home wins over Sixers and Hawks recently so it is not like these victories were only over chumps. The hosts will not necessarily win this game outright but I absolutely expect them to be in it all the way to the final buzzer and that means they lose this by a half dozen points or less if they even do fall short! 10* DETROIT +8.5

NBA Dominator Game of the Week Tuesday 10* Top Play Washington Wizards +12.5 @ Minnesota Timberwolves @ 8:10 ET - The Wizards just got their doors blown off at Boston Sunday. However, these Wolves are not those Celtics! It is the perfect time to back a Washington team that entered Sunday having won 4 of 5 both SU and ATS. By the way, the Wizards also have won 3 in a row over Minnesota. All the pressure here is on the Timberwolves. With the Wiz eliminated from the post-season they have been playing without pressure and really were playing well before running into a Boston team that was determined to put on a killing display in their final regular season home game. The Wolves are coming off a 4-game road trip and have 2 more home games after this one to close out the regular season. All these factors make this the perfect spot to fade them. Yes I see Minny finding a way to win this game but I absolutely see this one being decided by single digits. That said, I also love the fact that the line has gone from 10.5 to 12.5 as of early Tuesday morning. Grab the extra value! 10* WASHINGTON +12.5

NBA Dominator Game of the Week Sunday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets -2 @ Los Angeles Lakers @ 3:40 ET - The Lakers are still a public team when it comes to betting and they also are a team desperate for wins right now to keep playoff hopes alive. Also, the Lakers are at home here and have revenge against a Nuggets team that blasted them by 37 points in first meeting this season. However, in spite of all that both James and Davis are banged up right now and the fact is the confidence of LA is shaken as their hopes of earning a play-in spot for the post-season are fading. The Nuggets fully capable of blasting this Lakers team and we get line value because Denver is on the road! That is keeping this line low and yet Denver actually has won 9 of last 10 road games! Each of last 7 road wins by 4 or more points and I expect this one will fall into that category as well! The Lakers have lost 27 of 37 games. Incredible value here in fading LA! Adding to the value is the fact the Nuggets are off a tight, high-scoring home loss to Minnesota Friday. 10* DENVER -2

NBA Earliest Cash Sunday 8* Washington Wizards +13 @ Boston Celtics @ 1:10 ET - Wizards playing loose and relaxed basketball as they are eliminated from the post-season. That is the reason they have won 4 of 5 both SU and ATS and just crushed the Mavericks by 32 as an 8-point underdog! Indeed, Boston should win this game but I just don't see the Celtics covering this large spread against the Wizards. Back when these teams met in Washington in January, the Wizards got blasted at home but they have won the first two meetings this season and now it is time for payback for the January loss. They may fall short of the outright win but they at least get the cover here. I don't see them losing by anything more than single digits here. All the pressure is on the Celtics here. Boston has covered only 2 of last 7 home games! 8* WASHINGTON +13

NBA Earliest Dominator Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -5 vs Charlotte Hornets @ 12:30 ET - The 76ers have lost 3 straight and the Hornets have been playing well so is it any surprise that a line that opened up as high as an 8 is down to a 5? Not really, no! But, in typical contrarian fashion I am going against the line move and grabbing the extra value here! The Sixers are very hungry and at home and they also have revenge here! After a long winning streak against Charlotte, Philadelphia got beat in mid-January by the Hornets in a rare double-digit home loss. Philly is out for revenge here and remember they were on a 30-11 run since Christmas before this current 3-game losing streak. Time for the 76ers to get back on track here and they will not be at home again until they wrap up the season here in Philly next weekend. So this game is ultra important for them and they catch the Hornets off a road win at New York. The set up is ideal for the hungry home team to do what the odds makers said they would do and yet what the betting markets are doubting here. Look for the Sixers to roll big at home. 10* PHILADELPHIA -5

NBA Earliest Dominator Friday 10* Top Play Washington Wizards +8.5 vs Dallas Mavericks @ 7:10 ET - Interesting late-season match-up here because one has to wonder...does Dallas even know what it wants here? In actuality, the West is a jumbled mess from spots 3 through 6 in the playoff picture. So yes Dallas will want to win but it is not even as critical as you think just yet because there is so much uncertainty who will finish in the 5 and 6 spots and then of course that impacts the match-ups for the 3 and 4 spots. Conversely, the Wizards are eliminated from the playoff picture and playing loose, relaxed basketball as a result. That makes for a dangerous underdog the way I see it and note that Washington is 20-19 SU at home this season and in terms of current trending, the Wizards have covered 5 of last 7 games at home. In terms of all games, home and away, Washington is on a 3-1 SU/ATS run. Look for the Wizards to hang around in this game on their home floor. 10* WASHINGTON +8.5

NBA Earliest Dominator Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -9.5 @ Detroit Pistons @ 7:10 ET - Long-time followers know I love fading line moves and this one was as high as an 11 but has dropped to a 9.5 and the 76ers offer strong value here off B2B losses. Philly has lost B2B games for just the 2nd time since mid-December. The only other time it happened since then the Sixers went into Chicago and won by double digits! The Bulls are 2nd place in the Central Division behind only the defending champion Bucks! As for the Pistons, no team in the entire league has fewer wins than the paltry 20 victories that Detroit has on the season. The Pistons have been more competitive of late but they are hosting the Sixers at the wrong time. Philly will show no mercy given the situation and that means when they are up by 20+ points as this game goes on they will still keep their foot on the gas. I see no way they do not win this game by at least 10 points. Lay it! 10* PHILADELPHIA -9.5

NBA Contrarian Crusher Monday 10* Top Play Charlotte Hornets +3 vs Denver Nuggets @ 7:10 ET - This is a contrarian play because most will be looking the way of the road team in this one because of the scheduling situation but I am grabbing the home dog! The Hornets are off a big win at Brooklyn yesterday and that was an upset win on the road which also followed an upset win at home versus Utah Friday. Will Charlotte run out of gas here? Absolutely not! The fact they are at home and in a battle for playoff position and are playing so well means they will not come up short here! The Hornets are red hot with wins in 7 of last 8 games. The Nuggets are off a win Saturday but it was a non-covering win versus a bad Thunder team. Denver's ATS slide has now reached 3-8 last 11 games. Also, prior to the SU win over OKC, the Nuggets had lost 5 of 8 SU. Based on all of the above, you can see why I am grabbing the red hot home dog that is playing with a lot of confidence right now. 10* CHARLOTTE +3

NBA Game of the Month Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers +4 @ Phoenix Suns @ 6:10 ET - The Suns are a great team of course but missing a couple solid contributors here with Cameron Johnson and JaVale McGee both expected to miss this game. Against a lesser team that would be no big deal but the Sixers are going to give Phoenix all they can handle here. Keep in mind, Philadelphia wants to prove that, with James Harden now on board too, they belong with the elite of the NBA. Phoenix, on the other hand, has certainly proven in recent seasons that they are among the elite of the NBA. That said, I also expect the 76ers to be the hungrier team in this one. They will want it a little more and I feel we have excellent line value with Philly as an underdog. The Suns have dominated this series in recent seasons and that includes winning at Philly early last month. Payback time here as Sixers hungry to end the dominance of Phoenix in this series by coming up big today. Suns off big win at Denver and have big game at Golden State on deck. Will they be totally focused on this non-conference match-up? Perhaps not and this is a Sixers team that won 12 of 16 games and going for 4 in a row here. 10* PHILADELPHIA +4

NBA Contrarian Crusher Thursday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers +5.5 @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:40 ET - Toronto opened up at a -3 and has jumped up to as high as a -5.5 already. In typical contrarian fashion I am fading the line move. As per usual, the fade is not without reason! The Cavaliers are off a loss and the last 3 times they were off a loss by a margin less than a dozen points, Cleveland has gone a perfect 3-0 SU. Also, the Raptors are off a road loss (SU and ATS) at Chicago but, prior to this, the road team was on an 11-1 ATS run in Toronto games. Look for that strong road trend to resume here. The Cavs already won all 3 meetings with Raptors this season and average margin of 18 points per victory. Look for another road win here. 10* CLEVELAND +5.5

NBA Contrarian Crusher Wednesday 10* Top Play New York Knicks +7.5 @ Charlotte Hornets @ 7:10 ET - This line has jumped from Charlotte as a very small home favorite all the way up to as high as 7.5 points. In typical contrarian fashion, I am fading the line move and going with the big underdog. The Knicks are in 2nd game of a B2B but the last time they were in this situation they won by 16 points in the 2nd game of the B2B. New York is off B2B losses but last night's defeat was by just 6 points after Sunday's loss was by a double digit margin. Also, note all this was preceded by a 5-2 stretch SU and an 8 game run in which the only 3 SU losses were each by 4 or less points! Tremendous big dog value here when you consider that, althought the Hornets are on a 5-game winning streak, this was preceded by a 3-7 SU run. Also, Charlotte is playing 3rd game in 5 days so their scheduling situation truly not that much better than that of the Knicks. 10* NEW YORK +7.5

NBA Earliest Dominator Saturday 10* Top Play Minnesota Timberwolves +3 vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 5:10 ET - Both teams playing well but the Wolves are not getting enough respect on their home floor here and I am happy to grab them as a home dog in this one. Minnesota has won 9 of last 10 games and also already beat the Bucks earlier this season in Milwaukee. The Bucks are off B2B road covers but this was preceded by a 5-7 ATS stretch overall. The Timberwolves are 23-12 at home while the Bucks are 20-14 on the road this season. But due to long-term reputation of these teams this game is priced this way. We'll take advantage. Give me the points! 10* MINNESOTA

NBA PA Dominator Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -4.5 @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:10 ET - Yes, Cleveland is a solid team playing with revenge here and they are on their home floor. However, the flip side of that is the fact that Philly being on the road gets a small number for the point spread and I love the fact that the Sixers enter this game off a loss. Philadelphia is a rock solid 10-1 SU last 11 times when off a SU loss. Also, the 76ers have won each of last 3 meetings with the Cavaliers and they won each of the games by at least 6 points and that includes a 20-point win in their last visit to Cleveland. Look for another big win for the Sixers in this one as they face a Cavs team that is off a win but this was after losses in 8 of last 11 games! Look for the road team to get back on track after they blew their game Monday at home against Denver and they will make it 4 in a row over the Cavaliers! 10* PHILADELPHIA -4.5

NBA Situational Slaughter Tuesday 10* Top Play Orlando Magic (+) vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:10 ET - The Magic have been competitive with covers in 7 of last 9 games! Also, one of those two non-covers was an 8 point loss and, with this spread in the 10-point range, that would be enough for an ATS cover in this case! Certainly I am expecting a game decided by single digits as the Magic have been tough on the Nets with covers in 3 of last 4. Also, 2 of the 3 ATS wins were SU wins and the lone loss by just 2 points. I know Brooklyn should have Kyrie Irving for this one since it is a road game but also note that the Nets are off B2B divisional games including that huge win at Philly and a tight win over the city rival Knicks. Also, Brooklyn has a tougher match-up on deck tomorrow night as they are hosting a solid Mavericks team then. All that said, this is an ideal flat spot for the Nets. Great spot to fade Brooklyn. 10* ORLANDO

NBA Situational Slaughter 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (+) @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:40 ET - The 76ers are in the 2nd game of a B2B and it was a hard-fought OT win yesterday and it was on the road at Orlando. That said, this is a tough spot for Philadelphia and the situation is made even tougher because they are now hosting a Nuggets team that is angry off B2B losses. Denver, dating back to late November, is 4-1 SU when they enter a game off B2B SU losses. Also, prior to the B2B defeats, the Nuggets had won 12 of 14 games. Consider that plus the fact Philly could have some key star players resting or on minutes restrictions here and this is a great spot for a road dog! Strong upset possibility but will grab the points (currently 2.5) here as additional insurance. 10* DENVER +

NBA Situational Slaughter Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Orlando Magic @ 6:10 ET - This play all about the situational value as Philadelphia has had two days off since a blowout home loss to the Nets as a favorite. The 76ers also had two days offs heading into that one. That said, it has been almost a week since Philly tasted victory and they can't wait to erase the bitter taste of an ugly home loss to Brooklyn Thursday. As for the Magic, they are actually off 3 straight covers, and 2 straight outright upsets, as underdogs! As a result, they are a little over-valued here. The Sixers don't just want to win this game, they want to come out with a vengeance...a huge blowout win. Look for a no-doubt blowout rout for the road team in this one. The 76ers want to do to the Magic in Orlando what just happened to them in Philly versus the Nets. 10* PHILADELPHIA -

NBA Atlantic Div Game of the Year Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:30 ET - The 76ers have won 8 of 10 games and still have not lost a game with James Harden on the floor. Now he faces his former team as the Nets are in Philly and this line is very manageable in the -4 range. Brooklyn unlike the Sixers, has been trending the wrong direction. The Nets are off a win, albeit versus a slumping Charlotte team, and this followed losses in 6 of 7 for Brooklyn. Yes they have Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant but this 76ers team is loaded with weapons and plus the absence of LaMarcus Aldridge tonight gives them one less big body to try and stop Joel Embiid. Look for huge games from Harden, Embiid, Tobias Harris, and Tyrese Maxey to lead the way for the home team tonight. Thybulle and Niang also have been contributing well for this surging Philly team. The Nets, even with win over Hornets, are just just 3-10 SU last 13 road games. This is a very fair line on the 76ers to roll big at home and they have added motivation of blowing a 7-point halftime lead and losing to Nets in the only other game in which they hosted Brooklyn this season. Payback time and the Wells Fargo Center will be jumping tonight! 10* PHILADELPHIA

NBA Central Division Game of the Year Wednesday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls -5 @ Detroit Pistons @ 7:10 ET - The Pistons enter this game on an 8-0 ATS run but the Bulls are 8-0 ATS last 8 meetings with Detroit. So which trend stays alive here? The latter as Chicago rolls in this one. Love the fact that the line came down already from 6.5 to a 5 and we have good value here with the road favorite. The Bulls have lost 5 straight games (and 0-5 ATS) but have faced a truly brutal schedule during this time. The Pistons have won 6 of 8 games SU (and 8-0 ATS) but faced more favorable scheduling and match-ups in this stretch. Now, coming off a hard-fought OT win versus Atlanta, the Pistons host an angry Bulls team ready to get back on track. Chicago just lost at Philadelphia but the 76ers, when James Harden is on the floor, have looked like the best team in the NBA in recent weeks. This also was the 2nd game of a B2B for the Bulls and they also have recently had to face the Bucks and Grizzlies plus they visited the Heat. I expect Nikola Vucevic to play tonight (questionable with hamstring injury) but even if he did not, this is ideal spot for the Bulls to get back on track. They have gone 8-0 ATS last 8 versus Pistons and each of last 5 wins by 6 or more points with an average margin of victory of 18.6 points per game during this stretch. Road rout by double digits here. 10* CHICAGO -5

NBA Eastern Conf Game of the Month Tuesday 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets -2.5 @ Charlotte Hornets @ 7:10 ET - This line keeps coming down and yet I feel strongly that Brooklyn was made a sizable road favorite here by the odds makers with good reason. Look for the Nets to roll in this one. Brooklyn has lost 4 straight and 6 of 7 but now comes in as a road favorite over a team that has won back to back games. Fishy, right? Well we are not going fishing today, we are winning sports bets! Lets get this one as the Nets get revenge for a home loss to Charlotte much earlier this season. The Hornets are off home win versus Spurs but his followed losses in 8 of last 9 games on their home floor. More of the same expected here! 10* BROOKLYN -2.5

NBA Situational Slaughter Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -7 vs Chicago Bulls @ 7:10 ET - The Bulls Nikola Vucevic is likely to play here but is also unlikely to be 100% as he missed practice yesterday due to hamstring tightness. This could hurt the Bulls some and Chicago enters this game off 4 straight losses. Now they take on an angry Philly team that just lost at Miami in a game James Harden missed. He should be back here and I am expecting huge games from Tobias Harris, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Harden as the Sixers get right back on track here. Philadelphia has dominated the series with the Bulls in recent years and I see no reason for that to change here. Most recent win for the 76ers against them came in Chicago recently and was by 11 points and the average margin of the last 6 wins is 11 points also! Look for another win by double digits here as the Sixers get right back on track here. 10* PHILADELPHIA -7

NBA PA Dominator Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers +1.5 @ Miami Heat @ 8:10 ET - The road team is a perfect 2-0 in this series this season. The 76ers have not lost since James Harden has this the floor in a Sixers uniform. Yes, this is a back to back for Philadelphia but it is also a great value spot for them because you don't have to lay any points to back a team that looks absolutely like an NBA title contender. The Heat are certainly a strong team in their own right but they are also a banged up team right now and the healthier and hungrier team right now is the roadie in this one. Also, both teams are playing 3rd game in 4 days so is really not a huge rest edge one way or other. The travelers get it done and remain perfect with Harden on the floor. 10* PHILADELPHIA +1.5

NBA TNT Game of the Week Thursday 10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies -2.5 @ Boston Celtics @ 7:40 ET - The Celtics Jaylen Brown is out for this game with a sprained ankle. The Grizzlies are currently riding a very special run from a very special player Ja Morant! Memphis has won 11 of 14 games and 6 of last 7 on the road. Boston is off a major comeback win versus the Hawks but will not be able to do the same against a streaking Grizzlies team playing with a ton of confidence right now. Before rallying from a double digit halftime deficit to defeat Atlanta, the Celtics were on a 1-3 ATS run. The road team pulls away as this one goes on as Morant and Company prove to be too much against a Celtics team that will really miss Brown in this game. 10* MEMPHIS -2.5

NBA TNT Annihilation Tuesday 8* Atlanta Hawks +7.5 @ Boston Celtics @ 7:30 ET - The Hawks lost at Boston by 10 points two weeks ago but Atlanta actually led that game by 10 points at the half. I am expecting payback here for the road dog. Yes, John Collins and Lou Williams are out but Colins was out for the most recent meeting too and Williams does not play big minutes. Also, Atlanta actually had 8 more shots for the field in the 10-point loss as they simply were done in by poor shooting. Boston is off a loss at Indiana and has failed to cover 3 of 4. The Hawks are off a huge win versus Toronto and have won 3 of 4 games with the only loss by just 4 points. Huge value here with the big points in my opinion. 8* ATLANTA +7.5

NBA Earliest Cash Monday 8* Minnesota Timberwolves -2.5 @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:10 ET - This a great spot to back a small road favorite. The Timberwolves are off an embarrassing 31 point home loss to Philly and have had back to back days off heading into this one. Minnesota will be ready here and is a much healthier team than Cleveland is. The Cavaliers are still expected to be without Darius Garland, Caris LeVert, and now Rajon Rondo out as well. The Cavs are off a low-scoring win but it was a non-covering victory and they have now gone 0-4 ATS last 4 games. The Timberwolves were on an 8-3 SU/ATS run before getting their doors blown off on their home floor against a 76ers team rejuvenated by the addition of James Harden to the lineup. This is a fantastic set-up. 8* MINNESOTA -2.5

NBA ESPN Smash Pass Sunday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks +4 @ Golden State Warriors @ 7:30 ET - The Mavericks are off a loss by 5 points at Utah in a game in which the Mavericks had 14 more field goal attempts! Yes, it was a bit of a phony final as the Jazz shot 54% from the field. Now the Mavs are only getting about 4 points against Warriors team that is 26-6 at home while Dallas is only about a .500 team on the road. If you look up the definition of "trap line" in a bettors dictionary they could use this game as an example. Looks so easy to lay a short number with the Warriors on their home floor, especially off a huge win. However, that big win came against a very short-handed Blazers team and note Golden State had lost 4 of 5 heading into that game. Dallas is a fantastic 6-1 the last 7 times they were off a loss. Also, the Mavs lone loss in those 7 games came in OT. The Mavericks have shown a propensity for responding off losses and I expect that to continue here. Adding fuel to the fire for Dallas here is the fact that Golden State destroyed the Mavericks by 38 points last month. Payback time is here and now. 10* DALLAS +4

Rickenbach NBA Earliest Cash Thursday 8* Charlotte Hornets +4.5 vs Miami Heat @ 7:10 ET - Yes the Hornets have been struggling but I expect them to get payback here after losing to Miami by 18 points in an ugly home loss two weeks ago. The Heat have beaten Charlotte 3 straight times and this one has been circled in red for the Hornets as a result. Note that Herro is out for Miami tonight and Butler might miss this game too as he is dealing with a shoulder injury. 8* CHARLOTTE +4.5

NBA Contrarian Crusher Monday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls -4.5 vs San Antonio Spurs @ 8:10 ET - Can you imagine how high this line would be if Zach LaVine was not out for the Bulls? Exactly! The point is we are getting a ton of line value here on a very good Chicago team that also is playing this game with triple revenge! Indeed the Bulls lost both games versus Spurs last season plus lost at San Antonio earlier this season. In that match-up however, SA shot a ridiculous percentage from 3-point land and outscored the Bulls by 24 points from beyond the arc. Of course this was the difference in the game and the Spurs aren't going to be hitting a ridiculous 16 threes in the rematch on the road. Also, Chicago is off a non-covering SU win versus OKC Saturday and the Bulls are 4-0 ATS the last 4 times they have entered a game off an ATS loss. The Spurs are off B2B wins and have not won 3 straight games since right around Christmas. From a situational standpoint, I love the value with the home team as a small favorite in this one. 10* CHICAGO -4.5

NBA Game of the Week Sunday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks +7 @ Boston Celtics @ 2:10 ET - Trae Young is probable for the Hawks in this one. Atlanta has won 4 of the last 5 meetings with Boston SU and is on an overall 6-2 ATS run last 8 meetings. I know the Celtics have won 7 straight games overall but their two most recent home wins each by 6 points and I love the value with the Hawks here off a loss. Atlanta had won 9 of 12 games before losing at home versus San Antonio Friday. Also, the Hawks are 3-1 SU last 4 times when off a loss. I would not be surprised at all to see an upset here but am grabbing the points for added insurance in this one and, yes, I am aware of the John Collins injury. 10* ATLANTA +7

NBA PA Dominator Saturday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers +3.5 @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:40 ET - Both teams off wins and both teams in 2nd game of back to back but I feel it will be much tougher on the 76ers than the Cavaliers. Keep in mind the Sixers lost Curry in the trade for Harden and they still don't have Harden available yet. Also, this is the 2nd game of a back to back and Embiid might be limited or possibly even miss the contest. You never know for sure these days but he could end up being in street clothes with it being 2nd game of a B2B and he is so injury-prone. In any event I like Cleveland taking on a team that is without a key outside shooter and they did struggle overall with the 3-ball yesterday and the Cavs are not the Thunder! OKC was missing a ton of personnel for yesterday's game but the red hot Cavaliers will present a much stiffer challenge. The Cavs have won 13 of 16 games! 10* CLEVELAND +3.5

NBA PA Dominator Friday 9* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -12.5 vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 7 ET - Even if James Harden does not play tonight, Philly is bolstered by the huge trade that got rid of the toxic Ben Simmons and brought in a superstar. The Sixers will be bolstered by this trade no matter who is on the floor tonight and Philadelphia is hungry to bounce back after the home loss to Phoenix Tuesday. With two days off between games, the 76ers will have fresh legs here and they can run and gun their way to victory past a Thunder team that just does not have the horses to keep up. Oklahoma City is already one of the league's worst teams even when healthy but right now the Thunder are extremely short-handed. Yes this is a big number to lay but OKC is off B2B home losses by an average margin of 15.5 points and its last 4 road losses have also come by an average margin of 15.5 points. Lay it! 9* PHILADELPHIA -12.5

NBA Earliest Cash Thursday 9* Top Play Detroit Pistons +7.5 vs Minnesota Timberwolves @ 7:10 ET - Yes, Detroit has an ugly SU record on the season. However, Minnesota has been a road-adverse team. Looking at the last 11 Timberwolves games, the home team is a perfect 11-0 ATS in those games! Wolves at home, they get the cash. Minny on the road, their opponent gets the cash. This pattern going for 3 weeks now and I look for it to continue here. Pistons off a home loss to New Orleans but were on a 5-1 ATS run heading into that one. Detroit also is on a 6-2 ATS run in home games. Pistons lost Cade Cunningham to injury in that game and he only played 21 points. He could come back for this game and is listed as questionable. Either way, I do like the home dog here catching big points. 9* DETROIT +7.5

NBA Western Conf Game of the Month Tuesday 10* Top Play San Antonio Spurs +3.5 vs Golden State Warriors @ 8:40 ET - The Warriors are off 5 straight wins but are in the 2nd game of a B2B and Klay Thompson will sit. Conversely, the news is much better on the Spurs front as they were able to rest up yesterday plus get Dejounte Murray back tonight for this one. Also listed as probable are Poeltl and White. San Antonio as a home dog is the play here as they are 4-1 SU the last 5 times off a loss. The Spurs did win at Golden State earlier this season and it was no fluke. San Antonio played a strong game in Oakland and they can do it again here with a refreshed Murray ready to go and he is having a great season. The Warriors barely covered at Houston against a bad Rockets team and, keep in mind, Golden State was on a 1-5 ATS run in road games heading into that one. I don't think we'll need the points here but I will grab them for added insurance. 10* SAN ANTONIO +3.5

NBA Game of the Week Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -2.5 vs Memphis Grizzlies @ 7:10 ET - The 76ers did not just lose at Memphis last month, they got embarrassed by 35 points. Philly played that at game without Embiid and Curry but both those guys will be playing in the rematch in Philadelphia. On that ugly night in Memphis last month, the undermanned Sixers simply shot very poorly while the Grizzlies were on fire. That will not be the case in the rematch. I like the fact that Philly is off an ATS loss versus Sacramento, we had the Kings as a big dog that night and was a solid winner. Note that the Sixers have not had back to back ATS losses since that tough mid-December stretch that included the ugly loss at Memphis. So it has been about 7 weeks since the Sixers have had B2B ATS losses. Coming off the non-covering win versus the Kings, look for Philly to not only win this game but also cover as it is a much shorter number to cover. Yes Memphis is a very strong team but Philly is tough at home and especially when they are motivated. The 76ers will be ready to go here and their 2-point win versus Sacramento ended a streak that saw each of the Sixers last 17 wins come by a margin of 3 or more points. Look for this win to get the job done and get the hosts right back into the ATS win column. Lay the short number! 10* PHILADELPHIA -2.5

NBA Game of the Month NBA 10* Top Play Sacramento Kings +10.5 @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:40 ET - The Kings are off B2B ugly losses but have been off for two days since that B2B situation. Also, there is a chance that BOTH Fox and Metu will be back for this game. Even if only one returns or neither returns, Sacramento has a great shot at a solid cover in this one in my opinion. Prior to the B2B ugly losses, the Kings last 7 losses featured only one by more than ten points! Here we are working with a line of 10.5 and a rested and angry Sacramento team is going to put up a helluva fight in this one. Philly is 4-2 SU last 6 games but only 2 of the wins by more than 10 points and the Sixers just beat a Lakers team without LeBron James. The road team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings between the Kings and 76ers. Philadelphia is 0-3 ATS the last 3 times they were at home and coming off an ATS cover in their prior game. That is the situation here and a hungry and motivated and rested Kings team that should be healthier here too is going to be a handful for Philly to deal with. This one decided by single digits. 10* SACRAMENTO +10.5

NBA Earliest Cash Thursday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Lakers +3 @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:30 ET - Right away this morning this line jumped out at me. This line opened nearly at a pick'em even though Philly is at home and has won 12 of 15 games and they are hosting a Lakers team that had lost 11 of last 18 games before the win at Brooklyn. Also, LA is only 9-12 in road games this season. Sure, Anthony Davis is back now for the Lakers but essentially a "pick" on the road against a 76ers team that has been hot and has the better record this season. Looks funny, right? Sure enough the betting masses have hammered the Sixers here and the line has gone as high as a +3. As long time followers know, I love being a contrarian and I am all over the small road dog here. This game was priced this way for a reason and I feel the Lakers have a chip on their shoulder and are out to prove some things now that they are getting healthy. Keep in mind, Sixers still dealing with some injury issues too. 10* LOS ANGELES LAKERS +3

NBA Situational Slaughter Wednesday 9* Top Play Orlando Magic Pick vs Los Angeles Clippers @ 7:10 ET - The Clippers are off a hard-fought win last night at Washington where they rallied for the win after being down by 30 points at the half! Look for this to have taken a lot out of LA and now they face a rested Orlando team. While the Clips are 2nd night of a back to back and playing 5th road game in 8 days, the Magic playing just 2nd game in 5 days and have been off the past two days. Also, Mo Bamba has been back in starting lineup and is expected to be there again for Orlando tonight. The Magic going to be too much for a tired Los Angeles team in this one. 9* ORLANDO Pick

NBA Philly Special Tuesday 9* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -8 vs New Orleans Pelicans @ 7:05 ET - The Sixers are off a 6-point win at San Antonio but each of their last 7 wins heading into that game had been by a double digit margin. In fact, those 7 Philly wins came by an average margin of 15 ppg. Now catching New Orleans off a hard-fought win last night and in the 2nd night of a back to back and with Brandon Ingram hurting (if he even does play) this looks like another rout. 9* PHILADELPHIA -8

NBA Game of the Week Thursday 10* Top Play Phoenix Suns -2.5 @ Dallas Mavericks @ 7:30 ET - Huge scheduling edge for the Suns here. The Mavericks are in the 2nd game of a back to back while Phoenix has been off since Monday. Phoenix has beaten Dallas in 8 of last 9 meetings SU and we have a small number to cover here with this one in the -2.5 range. I know the Mavericks are hot but so too are the Suns and they are the better overall team. Phoenix has the better shooting stats on offense and defense and given the scheduling edge and match-up edges here, look for the Suns to continue their series dominance in meetings between these teams. By the way, Phoenix is also 8-1 last 9 road games and the Suns have won 6 straight away from home! 10* PHOENIX -2.5

NBA Earliest Dominator Wednesday 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets +1.5 @ Washington Wizards @ 7:10 ET - Teams tend to step up big in the first game after a superstar goes down. With Durant getting hurt in Brooklyn's last game, the Nets will have guys upping their game for this one and lets not forget they have two guys on the floor (Harden and Irving) that are superstars that can carry this team too. I like the fact that Brooklyn is 4-0 SU last 4 times when off a loss. I like the fact that Wizards are off a big win over Philly and could be flat here. Yes, Washington has been stacking some wins recently but these were against a lot of weaker competition - until the upset of the Sixers. The upset of Philly had a lot do with the 76ers being in a bad situation and we actually used Washington right here in that game and got the win. Now we come right back and fade a Wizards team that was on an 0-6 ATS run before that win and cover versus Philadelphia. The Nets are hungry and they get the win here! 10* BROOKLYN +1.5

NBA Early Contrarian Tuesday 10* Top Play New York Knicks +3.5 vs Minnesota Timberwolves @ 7:40 ET - The Wolves are attracting attention here as a small road favorite but, in typical contrarian fashion, I am on the other side. I like the Knicks as a home dog off an embarrassingly low-scoring home loss to Charlotte. Keep in mind, New York had won 5 of 6 (both SU and ATS) before that loss. Also, the Knicks now catch the Timberwolves off a huge win over Golden State. Could Minnesota be a little flat after the Warriors? I absolutely believe so. Also, the Knicks have won 2 of the last 3 meetings and the only loss was by a single point! Value with the home dog getting solid points here! 10* NEW YORK KNICKS +3.5

NBA PA Dominator Monday 8* Washington Wizards +3.5 or +4 vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 2:10 ET - This is a tricky spot for a hot Sixers team. Philly just got a big win over a Miami team they do not like. They could be a little flat here and I do not expect the Wizards to be flat all. Washington has revenge for a 21 point beating they suffered, also at home, versus the Sixers a few weeks back. The Wizards Kuzma shot poorly, as did the team, in that game. Kuzma is now hot! Plus Bradley Beal did not play in that game and though there is a chance he could miss this one too, the Wizards star performer might be back as he was upgraded to questionable for this game. He has been in covid protocols and the fact he was upgraded to questionable here I have a strong feeling he will play. Either way I like the revenge-minded home dog here as they catch Philadelphia off back to back big wins over the long-time rival Celtics and a more recent rival, Jimmy Butler and the Heat. Wizards hungry for a home win and get the job done here. 8* WASHINGTON +3.5 or +4

NBA PA Dominator Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -3 vs Boston Celtics @ 7 ET - Yes the Sixers off a loss but they clearly got caught looking ahead to this showdown with the rival Celtics. Philadelphia had won 7 straight games before that loss. Also, the 76ers have won 4 of last 5 versus Boston. The Celtics are off a win and cover but this was preceded by ATS losses in 6 of last 8 games. The better team at home and laying a manageable price and they had been the hotter team. I'll take it as the Sixers bounce back off a loss. 10* PHILADELPHIA -3

NBA PA Dominator Wednesday 10* Top Play Charlotte Hornets +5.5 @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:10 ET - Not only does Charlotte have revenge here from the Sixers having dominated recent meetings in this series, the Hornets also catch Philly with a big game against rival Boston on deck. I love this game for the situational aspects and Charlotte comes into this one hot with wins in 6 of last 8 games and 1 of those 2 losses was by just 3 points. The Hornets are on a 7-2 ATS run last 9 games and I am fully expecting at least another cover here and an outright win would truly not be a shock by any stretch of the imagination! There is a reason the 76ers, even though at home and on a 7-game winning streak, are priced so low here. In other words, don't let the line fool you! Grab the points with the underdog. 10* CHARLOTTE +5.5 

NBA Situational Slaughter Monday 10* Top Play San Antonio Spurs +6.5 @ New York Knicks @ 7:40 ET - Yes the Knicks might get Kemba Walker back tonight but that is a question mark and he has played only 6 games since around Thanksgiving. He has quite a ways to get in getting back in to top form if he even plays tonight. I love the Spurs in this revenge spot. They lost at home to New York earlier this season by a double digit margin. They are hungry from a win after coming up just short in overtime at Brooklyn yesterday. Even though this is a back to back spot the game yesterday was an ultra early one and San Antonio is actually in pretty good shape for this one. New York has only 3 wins by more than a 3 point margin in their last 9 home games! The Spurs last two road trips ended with tough match-ups at Phoenix and at LA (versus Lakers) but they got the job done ATS in both games and actually blew out the Lakers in a SU win there. Another upset here would not surprise me in the least but we should get a least the ATS cover at a minimum. 10* SAN ANTONIO +6.5