NBA Saturday 10* Top Play OVER 231.5 in Golden State Warriors vs Orlando Magic @ 8:40 ET - This is a light spot in the Warriors schedule as they have not played since Wednesday and will not play again until Tuesday. That makes this is an ideal spot for an absolute "run and gun" affair. Warriors love to score big at home and they will look to run the Magic right out of the arena in this one as they seek payback for a loss earlier this season at Orlando. That game totaled 259 points and this should be another wild one here. Golden State's last 3 home games have averaged 238 points per game NOT including the OT points of their recent double OT win. Warriors enter this game off a high-scoring loss and they host a Magic team that has also, unlike earlier this season, been trending toward higher-scoring games. 5 of Orlando's last 8 games have totaled at least 238 points. Another wild one here. 10* OVER 231.5 in Golden State

NBA Friday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls +5 @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:10 ET - The Bulls have not beaten Philly since March of 2019. I love fading streaks like that when the time is right and this is the time. Embiid is out for Philadelphia. The 76ers are off a tight, hard-fought win over the Pacers without him. Now they faced a Bulls team determined to end that streak of losses against the Sixers and it is a Chicago team that has been playing better of late. When these teams met earlier this season the 76ers ultimately prevailed by 5 points but the game was tied with under a minute to go and Embiid, out for tonight, played a key role in the win. The Bulls are playing much better of late and so they provide excellent value here. Chicago has won 6 of 9 games and one of the losses was in OT and another loss was by just a single point. Excellent value here with the underdog Bulls. 10* CHICAGO +5

NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics Money Line -130 @ Dallas Mavericks @ 7:30 ET - The Celtics did not just lose at OKC Tuesday, they got embarrassed as the Thunder seemingly knocked down everything in a 150 to 117 final. Suffice to say Boston is ready to respond as they are off B2B losses and that one was embarrassing. They get a key defensive performer back too with Robert Williams back for this one after he sat out the last game for workload management. They will be ready here and, though I certainly do respect this Mavericks team, the Celtics will prove to be too much. Boston is 3-1 this season when entering a game on a losing streak. The Mavs have won 7 straight games but are an underdog here. Why do you think that is? Exactly! Do note that Dallas has big game on deck versus divisional foe New Orleans! 10* BOSTON Money Line -130

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Indiana Pacers +7 @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:10 ET - The Pacers are playing well with 4 straight wins and victories in 6 of last 7. The Sixers may not have Embiid tonight. First off I will be clear here that I like Indiana here even if Embiid does play for Philly. But I do find it interesting that he was a late add to the injury report this time AND it is different reason (left foot) than the prior one (lower back). The Sixers have been playing well too but this is a lot of points to be laying to quality Pacers team that is getting its confidence back and that also has revenge from losing here in Philly in October. In fact, the Pacers last FIFTEEN games have seen them lose by more than 6 points only ONCE! Give us the points here! 10* INDIANA +7

NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics -8.5 @ Oklahoma City Thunder @ 8:10 ET - Normally I do not like to lay big points in the NBA and this is particularly true with road teams. However, the key word there is "normally" and this is not a normal situation. The Celtics are angry off a loss and will be in blowout mode here. They are vastly superior to this Thunder team even if OKC was healthy. But therein lies another key in this one. Oklahoma City is not healthy and they have been ravaged by injuries particularly at the forward position. The Celtics are going to dominate the frontcourt in this game and they will ultimately pull away and win this game comfortably by a double digit margin. 10* BOSTON -8.5

NBA Monday 10* Top Philadelphia 76ers -3.5 vs New Orleans Pelicans @ 7:10 ET - We are getting line value here because Embiid is listed as questionable for the 76ers due to lower back soreness. I do expect him to play here but, even if he did not, keep in mind that the 76ers actually have had some hot streaks even when he misses. What I like here is the revenge angle with Philly. They just lost at New Orleans last week but that is one of just two losses the Sixers have in their current 9-2 run. This is their only shot at revenge against the Pelicans this season. Philly only has one win by less than 4 points in that 9-2 run and the average margin of victory was 13 points. New Orleans is facing a Philly team that is 9-0 SU in last 9 home games. Pelicans have lost 8 of last 12 road games. Blowout time here. 10* PHILADELPHIA -3.5

NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Washington Wizards +6.5 @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 8:10 ET - The Wizards are hot with 4 straight wins and could even get Beal back for this game. While he is listed as questionable for Washington, the Bucks have a pair of key guys out with both Middleton and Holiday out for this game. That sets this one up well for a potential upset so I certainly like having the half-dozen points on our side as well. The Wizards have won 4 in a row. The Bucks are off a win but, prior to that, Milwaukee had lost 4 straight games. Excellent underdog line value here. 10* WASHINGTON +6.5

NBA Saturday 10* Top Play Miami Heat +4.5 @ Utah Jazz @ 9:10 ET - Both teams in a back to back but like the fact the Heat, a strong defensive team, are off a loss in which the Nuggets shot lights out. Note that Miami is 5-0 SU the last 5 times they were off a loss in which they scored 107 or more points. The Jazz were 12-6 earlier this season and were a big surprise. However, reality is setting in now and they have lost 13 of 20 and I am happy to fade them here plus to be getting more points, 4.5, than the opener of 3.5 in this one. Utah has lost 3 straight and I see no reason for that to change here. 10* MIAMI +4.5

Wednesday NBA 10* Phoenix Suns -2 @ Washington Wizards @ 7 ET - Because the Suns have some injury issues we are getting some line value here on the road against a rather weak team. I know the Wizards have won 2 straight but they have only had one winning streak this season that lasted more than 2 games. Also, both teams in a B2B but that Washington win over a red hot Philly team likely meant more emotionally. As for the Suns, no one had to play more than 27 minutes in last night's win at Memphis so that shows the depth of this Phoenix team and that will pay dividends again tonight. 10* PHOENIX -2

NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -4 or -4.5 @ Washington Wizards @ 7:10 ET - Philly has won 8 straight games and is one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now. Washington is off a win but had lost 14 of 16 games coming into that one. Just simply do not see them winning another game here against one of the hottest teams around and the 76ers last 8 wins featured only one by less than a 5 point margin. 6 of Wizards last 7 games have been losses by at least a 7 point margin. Lay the points with red hot Philly here. 10* PHILADELPHIA -4 or -4.5

NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies -6.5 @ Golden State Warriors @ 8:10 ET - Big time revenge factors here as the Grizzlies want payback for getting knocked out of the playoffs by Golden State in the spring. Right now the Warriors are "wounded warriors" and also have been struggling overall. That makes this a great spot to lay the points and 6.5 is a very fair line here. Memphis has won 8 of 10 games and all 8 of them by at least points. Golden State has lost 7 of 9 and 5 of the 7 losses by at least 8 points! Each of the Warriors last two losses by at least 30 points. Another blowout happening here. This will be a double digits loss for GSW as they are just missing too many guys here and the Grizzlies will avenge the post-season series loss. 10* MEMPHIS -6.5

NBA Friday 10* Top Play OVER 214.5 in Philadelphia 76ers vs Los Angeles Clippers @ 7:10 ET - The Sixers game was on pace for 227 points Wednesday heading to the 4th quarter but then an ugly 4th quarter resulted in an easy under as the Pistons in particular did not score well at all and Philly pulled away for the easy win. This one will not be so easy as the Clippers hang around in this game and it should fly over the total. The over/under has dropped from near 220 to the 215 range so there is extra value with the over. The Clippers have won 5 of 6 games and have averaged 111 points per game in the 5 victories. The 76ers are also hot and scoring well. Prior to scoring only 103 in the game against Detroit that finished so ugly, Philadelphia did have a low-scoring OT win versus the Raptors but the 4 games before that in this current 6-game winning streak saw the Sixers average 123 points per game. This one should well into the 220s given the above. 10* OVER 214.5 in Philadelphia

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER 223 in Philadelphia 76ers vs Detroit Pistons @ 7:10 ET - The Pistons have an OT win and 6 losses last 7 games. The last 6 games for Detroit, not including OT points, have seen them allow an average of 123 points! They are an 11 point dog here. That would put this final at 123-112 if the oddsmakers are right and if Pistons keep allowing a lot of points as they have been. Considering this is a back to back and Detroit has tired legs on defense, we should see this game get into the mid 230s rather than just low 220s and that means value with this total to go over. The 76ers are off a tight low-scoring OT win but this was preceded by 4 straight wins in which, not including OT points, the Sixers did average 123 points per game. 10* OVER 223 in Philadelphia

NBA Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -7.5 vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:10 ET - The Sixers off a win versus Warriors FRIDAY. The Raptors off a loss versus those same Warriors SUNDAY! So Toronto is in a back to back and has lost 5 straight. Philadelphia is at home and well-rested and has won 4 straight. Philly has won 10 of last 11 home games. The Raptors have lost 9 of last 10 road games. Yes we must cover a fairly large spread here but you can see why a 76ers win is likely. The Raptors continue to deal with injury issues and a back to back spot does not help in that regard. Lay the points with confidence here. 10* PHILADELPHIA -7.5

NBA Saturday 10* Top Play OVER 222.5 in San Antonio Spurs vs Miami Heat @ 5:10 ET - We get a rather low total because the Heat are known for lower-scoring games but I love the over here with high-scoring Spurs off a loss following 3 straight wins. San Antonio scores very well but has a leaky defense to say the least. That said, note that SA has scored 112 points or more in 4 straight games. Also, the Spurs have allowed 122 ppg last 15 games. The line on this game is near 10 and 122 to 112 sounds right. That total is a full 10 points higher than the number posted on this game and we have got a great number on this total to work with here. 10* OVER 222.5 in San Antonio

NBA Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -8 vs Golden State Warriors @ 7:40 ET - The Sixers will take advantage of a wounded Warriors team here. Curry is out. Even if Green and/or Wiggins play, neither one of them is 100 percent. Of course the loss of Curry - expected out one month - is a big one. Golden State just won't have the firepower to keep up with a surging Philly team in this one. The Warriors are 2-13 on the road this season. Philly is 10-5 at home this season. The 76ers have won 10 of 15 overall and 3 straight and all 3 of the wins by a double digit margin. Golden State has lost 4 of last 5 games. 10* PHILADELPHIA -8

NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies -1.5 or -2 vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 8:10 ET - Two strong teams but the key here is home court for Memphis plus the fact Milwaukee is still without starting point guard Jrue Holiday for this one. The Grizzlies have won 12 of 14 home games. Memphis has won 8 of last 9 games and 6 straight home games. Milwaukee has won only 5 of last 9 road games. Bucks really going to miss Holiday when going up against Ja Morant and the Grizzlies. Morant is just such a back court start and will be too much at home for Milwaukee in this one. 10* MEMPHIS -1.5 or -2

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Orlando Magic +2.5 or +3 vs Atlanta Hawks @ 7:10 ET - The Hawks are so banged up dealing with recent injuries. Even if Trae Young plays, he has been struggling badly. As for Orlando, they have also had a few guys out but they have been out for awhile and, right now, the Magic have been hot even without those guys. Orlando has won 3 straight games and they catch a Hawks team that has just 3 wins last 10 games. The Magic saw Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner come up with big games in the B2B versus the Raptors. Also, Orlando's bench came up big with Bamba, Anthony, and Ross all having strong games versus Toronto. That said, at home and playing with confidence and catching an Atlanta team that is short-handed and struggling, the Magic are the play again here. The kicker is that Orlando lost the first two meetings with the Hawks, each by double digits. Double payback here! 10* ORLANDO +2.5 or +3

NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Sacramento Kings +5.5 @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:10 ET - I lost with the Hornets going against the Sixers on Sunday but Charlotte actually had the same number of free throws made (26) as Philly but managed to lose the game by 18 despite having 10 MORE field goal attempts. So, what happened? As you would guess it was hot shooting for the 76ers and there is no way they will repeat those ridiculous numbers here against a scrappy Kings team. Philly made 55% of their shots from the field plus 48% from 3-point land. The 76ers have won B2B games but 2 of the 3 prior to the win over the Hornets were OT games and I look for Philly to finally wear down here. The Kings are off a loss to the Knicks but had won 4 of 5 before that. Also, Sacramento still has won 14 of last 21 games and 3 of those 7 losses were by 5 or less points. So if you had Kings +5.5 in last 21 games you would have gone 17-4 ATS! Love the value here with the scrappy Kings catching a nearly half dozen points for this one. 10* SACRAMENTO +5.5

NBA Monday 10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies -6.5 vs Atlanta Hawks @ 8:10 ET - I am generally not a big fan of laying many points in the NBA but this looks like a great spot for a huge home win. The Hawks are off an OT win versus Chicago last night. Atlanta was already a banged up team so playing the 2nd night of a B2B after going to overtime the night before is not going to do them any favors. Also, Trae Young's shooting slump has continued and the Hawks are expected to still be without Dejounte Murray tonight and he is their 2nd leading scorer. The Grizzlies have the rest edge and are at home where they are 11-2 this season. The Hawks had lost 6 of 8 before getting the win over the Bulls yesterday. Memphis has won 5 straight home games. The Grizzlies won all 5 of those by at least 8 points and by an average margin of 14 points. Another big win likely here. 10* MEMPHIS

NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Charlotte Hornets +10.5 @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 6:10 ET - The 76ers are off a very fortunate cover versus the Lakers in their most recent game. They won big in OT after blowing a big fourth quarter lead late. The Sixers were a comedy of errors in their late game sequence versus the Lakers and ended up very fortunate to win that game let alone cover the spread. That being said, the Sixers just can not be justified in laying double digits against anyone right now. I know they have revenge against the Hornets from losing at Charlotte earlier this season but this Philly team just can not be trusted right now. They also certainly were much more motivated to face LeBron James and Anthony Davis and the Lakers in most recent game and they will not be as excited about facing the Hornets in this one. A hungry road dog that is on a losing streak is absolutely the play in this one as they will bring plenty of energy. Philadelphia knows they have a tough game with a surging Sacramento team on deck and I expect a bit of a listless performance from Philly in this one. 10* CHARLOTTE

NBA Saturday 10* Top Play Utah Jazz +8 @ Denver Nuggets @ 9:10 ET - The Jazz are in 2nd game of B2B and even if Markkanen is still unavailable I do like Utah here. They lost last night simply because the Wolves shot better than they did. That was the key to the final outcome. Now a Utah team that is hungry off a loss is catching too many points because of the situational perspective this has presented to the marketplace. Note that Denver is actually just 2-3 last 5 home games. Also, the Nuggets had lost 3 straight before the 1-point win at Portland Thursday. Denver should find a way to win this game but I don't seem them covering. They hammered the Jazz when they last faced them here in Denver by 16 points in late October. Utah has not forgotten and coming off a loss last night insures proper focus from them here. 10* UTAH +8

NBA Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -4.5 vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 7:40 ET - The Lakers should have Davis and James back tonight. However, the 76ers now have Harden back. Keep in mind Harris and Embiid had also missed time recently and those guys will be on the floor too. Coming off multiple days off but also off multiple consecutive defeats, the 76ers are rested and ready to turn things around. The line here is short enough that it is well worthy of investment here. The Lakers are 4-8 on the road this season and all 8 losses were by at least 9 points! LA is now on their 3rd losing streak of the season. The first two lasted 5 games apiece. This one is only 2 games into it but you get my point. Philly is on a 3-game losing streak but has not lost 4 in a row yet this season. The 76ers are 6-1 in home games this season! So if you like Philly to win here and you know the Lakers have a knack for losing big on the road with all 8 defeats by at least 9 points, you can see why we have bargain line here. I will take it. 10* PHILADELPHIA -4.5

NBA Thursday 10* Top Play OVER 230 or 230.5 in San Antonio Spurs vs Houston Rockets @ 8:35 ET - Who will play defense here? Exactly! This one should be very high-scoring and I like the fact the total dropped from mid-230s to the 230 range in terms of what is posted at the books as of Noon ET on gameday. The Spurs have lost 11 straight games and allowed at least 117 points in 10 of those 11 games. The Rockets, not including the OT points from their double OT win over the Sixers Tuesday, have allowed 119 points per game last 8 games. So two teams that play at a fast pace and give up points in bunches and that each see this as a winnable game so they will be pushing hard here. It all adds up to a great pace and a lot of points and a game filled with transition buckets. 10* OVER 230 or 230.5 in San Antonio

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play New York Knicks Money Line -113 vs Atlanta Hawks @ 7:40 ET - The Hawks are off a loss and would love to bounce back here but they are hurt by injuries right now. They are missing their starting frontcourt and 2 of their top 4 scores as Hunter and Collins are out with injuries. Atlanta has lost 4 of 6 games and the Knicks are the much healthier team and offering solid line value at home here. I like the fact that New York is off a solid defensive win and has allowed an average of 105 points last 4 games. The Knicks have averaged 115 points per game last 7 games, not including OT points of course. The Hawks still have Young and Murray of course but missing both Hunter and Collins at the same time is just too much to overcome here on the road. Also, I like the fact that the Knicks have home loss revenge here because the Hawks beat them here in New York in early November! Collins led Hawks with 13 rebounds and Hunter was 2nd leading scorer with 21 points. Again, neither guy playing tonight plus Young was held to 17 points and a bad shooting performance which reflects there is a match-up issue here and that will be magnified here because Knicks can focus more on defending the backcourt with the frontcourt of the Hawks being the walking wounded. 10* NEW YORK money line -113

10* OVER 222 in Miami Heat vs Detroit Pistons @ 7:40 ET - Not including OT points of course, each of Pistons last 3 games have totaled at least 234 points! This posted total is a dozen points lower than that. The Heat are known for lower scoring games but are coming off a low-scoring loss and now are going to take advantage of facing a weaker foe and will be willing to play at a faster pace tonight. Prior to the 101-93 loss, and not including OT points of course, 4 of last 5 Miami games totaled at 217 points. This total is slightly above that number of course but the point is those games were not against a bad Pistons team that has not been playing much defense either. So the point is we should see plenty of scoring here as the Heat go for the big win and Detroit is happy to play at a fast pace even at the expense of defense. 10* OVER 222 in Miami

NBA Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -8 @ Houston Rockets @ 8:10 ET - Harden likely to come back tonight for this game and will be facing a former team in their city. Not only that, the Rockets just got back from a long road trip out west. Not only that, the 76ers are angry off B2B losses. Philly lost 3 straight games to open the season but that has not happened since. The Rockets 10 of last 13 defeats have been by 8 or more points. Their last 10 losses by an average margin of 12.6 points and they also have a winnable game against the rival Spurs on deck. Bad spot for Houston and great spot for a rejuvenated Sixers team to rally around the return of Harden tonight. If for some reason he did not play I still like Philly tonight given all the other variables here. 10* PHILADELPHIA -8

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 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER 227.5 in Dallas Mavericks vs Golden State Warriors @ 7:30 ET - Golden State had one ugly loss to New Orleans recently where they did not score well at all. Removing that one outlier from the sample, the Warriors have scored 124 points per game in their games since November 14th. They also have allowed 117.4 points per game in their last 5 games! The Mavericks have lost 3 straight games and allowed 118 per game in their last 3 games. So Mavericks give up a pile here but this line is right around a pick'em for a reason. In other words, plenty of points here. 10* OVER 227.5 in Dallas

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 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 214.5 in Orlando Magic vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 6:10 ET - We just saw this scenario play out with Lakers / Spurs as first game stayed under and then they totaled 281 points in the rematch and no there was not OT. I look for a similar result here. We lost with the over in this match-up Friday but I am coming right back with it here. The Magic are starting to get healthier and they just did not shoot well Friday and that cost us a winner as the game finished close to going over. The 76ers are still missing Embiid and his interior defense and Orlando will take advantage and, similar to the LA/SA dichotomy of the two results, we'll see something similar here. 10* OVER 214.5 in Orlando

NBA Friday 10* Top Play OVER 217 in Orlando Magic vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:10 ET - Of course the 76ers defense is not the same when Embiid is not on the floor to guard the interior. Philly again will be forced to play more of a small ball lineup here and I am expecting plenty of points. The Magic are expected to have Banchero back for this one plus could get Carter back as well. Orlando has allowed 116.4 last 5 games. Philly has allowed 110 points per game in the last 5 that Embiid has missed but also had averaged 112 points per game in the first 5 games he missed this season prior to Sixers being held to just 101 in the loss at Charlotte Wednesday. They make up for that defeat here with a strong road effort but Orlando is rejuvenated with Banchero back on the floor and this game will have a great tempo and pace for scoring. 10* OVER 217 in Orlando

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER 214.5 in Charlotte Hornets vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:10 ET - What is Philly's solution without Embiid? How about run and gun and attempt nearly 100 shots from the field? That is what they did last night in their upset of Brooklyn. Keep in mind they got Harris back last night and he led them with 24 points. Additionally they got Korkmaz back and he came off the bench and combined with Reed and Naing for 44 points between the 3 of them. Charlotte is simply not a very good team and this is true on defense as well. The Hornets have lost 11 of 12 games and, not including OT points of course, Charlotte has allowed 111.4 ppg last 12 games. They are favored by 4 points here. So you can see that the predicted final could fall somewhere into the 115 to 111 range which gives a total double digits above the posted number on this game. I like our chances for a high-scoring game because Sixers play a more "small ball" style when Embiid is not on the floor. The 5 games Embiid has missed this season, the 76ers have scored an average of 112 points per game. This one should get into the 220 to 225 range considering all of the above. Hornets so hungry for a win and Sixers hungry to prove they can win without Embiid and Harden, just as they did last night. The also are missing Maxey right now but the backcourt of Milton and Melton showed yesterday that they can mesh very well. 10* OVER 214.5 in Charlotte

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 Thursday 10* Top Play Portland Trail Blazers Money Line -120 vs Brooklyn Nets @ 10:10 ET - This line is so low now that the money line may prove to be your best option here. I am seeing prices as low as -120 on the money line which is more value than laying 1.5 points on the spread. The fact is Brooklyn is still without Irving. They are getting some love from the markets here because they just allowed over 150 points to the Kings in their most recent game and are off B2B losses. However, their coach is Jacque Vaughn after Steve Nash was fired. Vaughn entered this season with an NBA career coaching record of 65-161. He was a much better player than a coach. I like the fact that Nurkic came back for the Blazers in their most recent game and they also could get Winslow back tonight. Both guys are listed as questionable for tonight but I would not be surprised to see both of them get into the action here. Either way, Portland is a team that is 10-4 this season and 4-2 at home and playing much better than this Nets team. I know Brooklyn wants to respond after what just happened but this is not the right place to do that. The Nets simply are not a very good basketball team right now and Portland is certainly not going to lay down at home in this one. The Trail Blazers do have a big game with Utah on deck but they won't look past KD and the Nets. Remember when Brooklyn had Big 3 of Durant, Harden, and Irving? Now they just have KD! The Blazers have Lillard, Simmons and Grant and all 3 are playing well right now. 10* PORTLAND -120

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 Monday 10* Top Play OVER 231 in San Antonio Spurs vs Denver Nuggets @ 9:40 ET - These teams just met in Denver and that game stayed just under the total but neither team got to the free throw line much and both teams shot poorly at the free throw line. Look for the Spurs to play at a faster pace here at home and score plenty in this one as they will be stronger on their home floor then they have been on the road. The issue for San Antonio in this one, as has been the issue all season long, is just that they can not stop anyone. The Spurs have had one home game this season in which they held their opponent under the century mark but in their other 4 home games they have allowed 127 points per game. The line on this one is right around a -7 for Denver so that would put the final score here at 127-120 and that total is well above the posted total on this game. The Spurs have averaged 114 points scored per game their last 9 games and won 5 of those so don't be surprised if they do indeed get close to 120 here. The Nuggets have averaged 118 points per game their last 8 games and are allowing 122 points per game on the road this season. Look for a high-scoring shootout int this one. 10* OVER 231 in San Antonio

NBA Monday 10* Top Play Phoenix Suns Money Line -115/-125 @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 8:10 ET - I know the Suns just lost Cameron Johnson to an injury but the 76ers are without James Harden plus who knows if Joel Embiid will finally play for the Sixers in this one after missing time with an illness. I do expect him to play but the last I heard was Coach Rivers saying he was at about 75% in the latest practice. What I do know though is that even if he does play he won't be 100% plus probably can't play as much as usual here in his first game back. Also, Philly is actually just 2-4 in games in which Embiid has played this season. That said, I feel we have great value here with this 7-2 Suns team even without Johnson. Again, the Sixers are without Harden here. So adding up all the factors and the line value because home court is baked into this line, the road team is the play here. I am seeing money lines as low as -115 on the Suns so I would rather lay a money line here than the 1.5 points and risk getting burned if the road teams wins by just a single point. Of course this play being posted early so there could be a lot of line movement but let's go ahead and get involved now and grab the Suns. 10* PHOENIX -115/-125 money line

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 Friday 10* Top Play OVER 224 or 224.5 in Orlando Magic vs Charlotte Hornets @ 7:10 ET - The Magic are winless on the season and will be fighting hard for their first win here. They will have to score plenty to do that because the Hornets have continued piling up big points this season. Though Orlando might scare you to be involved with because of their 0-5 record, note they have played a tough road-heavy schedule so far. Also, this team scored 120 points in their only home game so far this season. Trouble was that the Magic allowed 126 points in that game. I know Cole Anthony is now out with an injury but the point guard shot a combined 8 of 28 last two games! Keep in mind that Anthony had only 14 points in the home game in which Orlando scored 120 versus Celtics. The point is that the Magic, even though still dealing with some injury issues early this season, are fully capable of putting up plenty of points here at home - just their 2nd home game of the season! Charlotte, not including OT points of course, has seen each of their 4 games this season total at least 231 points. More of the same expected here! 10* OVER 224 or 224.5 in Orlando

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 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 225.5 in Oklahoma City Thunder vs Minnesota Timberwolves @ 8:10 ET - Look for extra energy from each club here. Minnesota off first loss of the season and though that game went into OT it went over the total in regulation. OKC is playing their home opener so that adds an element of energy and excitement for an 0-2 Thunder team. These teams met already this season and that game should have gone over the total but a sub-par 4th quarter kept it just under the total. People were expecting new acquisitions for Minny were going to result in a slowdown but they have had plenty of pace in their games and are scoring very well. The Thunder also playing at a fast pace and scoring well but they can not stop anyone. That said, I think we're going to see a ton of scoring in this one as Oklahoma City again gives up a ton of points but, this time, they are in the game all the way to the end as home court is a big boost for the Thunder here. 10* OVER 225.5 in Oklahoma City 

NBA Saturday 10* Top Play OVER 223.5 in Philadelphia 76ers vs San Antonio Spurs @ 6:10 ET - The Spurs have allowed huge points in each game this season but they are off a win last night in which they scored 137 points and no there was no overtime. They shot the ball very well and nailed threes and they will be confident now heading into Philly. Keep in mind SA had 99 shot attempts in their first game this season so they are willing to play at a fast pace. I expect Philly to want to play at a fast pace in this one. They are angry off B2B losses to start the season and they need a huge game from Embiid here as he has had a frustrating start to the season. I don't see the Spurs interior as being capable of putting up must resistance in that regard. Also, the Sixers scored just 88 points versus Bucks because they shot so poorly including from 3-point land. I fully expect Philly to unload on this Spurs team that has given up massive point totals in their first two games this season. With Philly favored by about 13 points in this one and if Spurs allow their average of 132 points per game that puts this one at 132-119 and we don't need 250 to win this pick. In other words, you get my point. Even if Philly only scores 120 against this bad Spurs defense and the spread is right we still get this one into the upper 220s. Love this over as it should be a loosely played non-conference match-up that sees Philly score tons of points but the hot-shooting Spurs hang around and score well too. 10* OVER 223.5 in Philadelphia

NBA Friday 10* Top Play OVER 228.5 in Minnesota Timberwolves vs Utah Jazz @ 8:10 ET - Like the fact that both teams got to games in the 223 to 225 range on Wednesday even though there were some strange results there. The Nuggets scored only 102 points at Utah on Wednesday but it is because they made just 5 of 22 three pointers. You know the Timberwolves are going to shoot much better than that from beyond the arc in this one against that same Jazz defense. Minnesota at home should score plenty here but I also like the fact that Utah's bench players combined to score 68 points in the win over Denver! That means even if Minny gets a big lead in this game the Jazz will have scorers coming in off the bench throughout and even late in "garbage time" if we need it. What I also like about this one is the fact that the Wolves game against the Thunder was played at a very fast pace. It absolutely should have gone over the total. OKC took 99 shots from the field including 45 from 3-point land. The problem is they made just 38% of their shots from the field and a modest 31% from beyond the arc. By the way, the Timberwolves made just 10 of 38 shots from 3-point land and that is highly unlikely to be repeated here. That was tough loss for us with that over in Minny the first time. A tough tight one in which we deserved much better. Tonight on Friday we'll get that "much better" this go around! 10* OVER 228.5 in Minnesota

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 Wednesday 8* OVER 225.5 in Minnesota Timberwolves vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 8:10 ET - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is good to go Wednesday for the Thunder. I know that Minnesota will now be adjusting to life with Rudy Gobert and he is known for his defense but don't forget that the D will also trigger the Timberwolves transition game and of course they are loaded with scorers like Karl-Anthony Towns and D'Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards. Plus Gobert will be demanding of the ball down low and now they have a couple of 7 footers with him joining Towns. This T-wolves team going to be tough to guard but also note that Minny allowed more PPG than any other Western Conference playoff team last year. They will fix things on the defensive end but won't be an overnight fix. I really like their high-flying offensive capabilities though and OKC did allow 112 ppg last season. I think we'll see this game get well into the 230s and I like the downward line move we've seen on this total. I also like the fact that the Wolves are going to want to put on a show in their home opener and with Gobert now on the team. They are a double digit favorite for a reason and won't hold back here. Last night's home teams scored an average of 124.5 points apiece. If this one is 125 to 115 you are talking about a game that gets to the 240 range. 8* OVER 225.5 in Minnesota 

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 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER 210 in Boston Celtics vs Golden State Warriors @ 9 ET - The Warriors are now one step away from winning it all but you also know the Celtics are going to respond off B2B losses and now being back on their home floor. That said, I see no way this game does not find its way over the total. Golden State playing with so much confidence right now but Boston will ride a wave of emotion at home and score a ton of points in this one. Celtics had averaged 106.7 points per game at home in this playoffs before the Game 4 home loss in this series. Golden State averaging 112.3 points per game in the post-season. 10* OVER 210 in Boston

NBA Monday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics Money Line +150 @ Golden State Warriors @ 9 ET - This is perfect spot for Celtics to grab another game in this series on the road. The Celtics are 8-3 SU in road games in the post-season plus are 7-3 SU last 10 versus the Warriors including a rock solid 4-1 SU last 5 at Golden State and you have the perfect set up for an upset here. No points needed. No team has won B2B games yet in this series and this should not be a huge surprise because both teams are so good at bouncing back off losses. The Warriors are now 8-0 SU when off a loss after bouncing back in the Game 4 win. As for the Celtics, they enter this game on a 9-0 / 100% SU run when entering a game off a loss. I know the Warriors were the better team in the 4th quarter of Game 4 but overall the Celtics have been an amazing 4th quarter team of late and I expect a big response here from Boston on the road. As noted above, they have been so strong on the road overall in this post-season and, again, they have also been phenomenal when off a loss. 9-0 last 9 and I am expecting the streak to reach 10 in a row so will go with the money line here. 10* BOSTON +150

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 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER 212 in Boston Celtics vs Golden State Warriors @ 9 ET - The Warriors have scored an average of 113 points per game last 8 games. The Celtics have scored an average of 116 points per game the last 8 times they have entered a game off a loss. I feel certain that Boston is going to respond on their home floor after an embarrassing effort on the road Sunday in which they scored just 88 points. However, I also feel certain that Golden State is going to continue piling up points. The result should be an easy over here and I like the fact that this total dropped a little from its opener which is serving to give us even more line value here. Each of the last two meetings between these teams in Boston have gone over the total and the games averaged 225.5 points apiece. That said, it comes as no surprise that my forecast models are reflecting this one getting to at least 220 points just like saw in Game 1 of this series which totaled 228 points. A ton of line value here. 10* OVER 212 in Boston

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 Boston Celtics Money Line +145 @ Golden State Warriors @ 9 ET - This is perfect spot for Celtics to steal one of the first two games of this series on the road. The rest versus rust factor is a key. Boston has had a little bit of rest since their hard-fought series win over Miami. I feel the amount of rest is ideal and Celtics will still have good game flow here. As for the Warriors, they have been off for about a week. That is certainly at the point of being too much rest and when the rest can turn into rust as noted above. Couple that with the fact that the Celtics are 7-2 SU in road games in the post-season plus are 5-1 SU last 6 versus the Warriors including a perfect 3-0 SU last 3 at Golden State and you have the perfect set up for an upset here. No points needed. 10* BOSTON +145

NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Miami Heat Money Line +125 vs Boston Celtics @ 8:30 ET - The Celtics continue to get a lot more respect than the Heat and this has resulted in line value here. Miami has been getting a lot of shots from the field but just was not shooting well at all and that allowed Boston to take a stranglehold on the series. However, with the Heat bouncing back in Game 6 thanks to Jimmy Butler proving to be Mr Clutch as he so often is, the value is with Miami on their home floor here. The Heat are getting healthier including Butler certainly looking 100 percent again and couple that with the home court and momentum edge here and I just do not see Miami being denied in this one. Tatum is a beast for the Celtics of course and they are a very strong team just like Miami and that is why this series is going 7 games. However, just can not see the ultra-competitive Butler being denied here as he and his teammates put it all together again for a big win on their home floor. Their confidence is back and better shooting will follow and they are at home here and, keep in mind, the Heat averaged 19 more shots from the field than the Celtics in the 3 games that preceded their big Game 6 road win. 10* MIAMI +125

NBA Friday 10* Top Play OVER 200.5 in Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat @ 8:30 ET - Back to back unders but the Heat actually have averaged 92 shots from the field the last 3 games. The only reason the last two games have stayed under is because of horrible shooting from Miami which is highly improbable to continue here. At the same time, you know Boston is likely to stay hot. Celtics are at home where they are loaded with confidence. Boston has only had one poor game offensively in their last 8 home games. In the other 7 games, the Celtics have averaged 108.4 points per game as a host. Considering that plus the Heat facing elimination and likely to finally shoot at least a halfway respectable rate in this one we have great line value with this ultra low total. 10* OVER 200.5 in Boston

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 10* UNDER 218 in Dallas Mavericks vs Golden State Warriors @ 9 ET - Barring another absolutely ludicrous finish like the 24 points we saw scored in the final minute and 20 seconds of last night's game between the Celtics and Heat, we should finally seen an under here. The Mavericks will dial up the defense here as they look to avoid an 0-3 hole here and the Warriors are known for struggling with their shooting on the road at times. Golden State fully capable of more solid defense here though just like they showed in the 2nd half of their Game 2 win. The result is a game that should fall well short of the total tonight unless we again see another absolutely preposterous final 81 seconds of basketball like we saw last night. 10* UNDER 218 in Dallas

NBA Saturday 10* Top Play UNDER 207.5 in Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat @ 8:30 ET - The first two games of this series have totaled at least 225 points yet the odds makers have hardly budged on the O/U they are posting. As I have said many times before, the odds makers are super sharp and I feel they have this match-up pegged. We're going to finally see the type of defensive-minded chess match many have been expecting with this series. Keep in mind the Celtics just knocked down 20 of 40 from three point land in Game 2 and also note that each team has combined to hit above their normal shooting percentages from the field in the first two games of this series. These numbers are not sustainable and with this series tied at 1-game apiece, we are going to see some solid defense here in a critical swing game here in Game 3. The under has cashed in 4 of last 5 Boston home games. The under has cashed in 4 of last 5 Miami road games. 10* UNDER 207.5 in Boston

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 Thursday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics Money Line +157 @ Miami Heat @ 8:30 ET - The Celtics lost game one of this series and feel challenged by their coach after a horrific 2nd half at Miami. Boston is 10-1 SU the last 11 times when off a loss. Also, the Celtics are a fantastic 7-0 / 100% PERFECT SU when on the road and off a loss. No points needed here. Boston set to improve to 8-0 SU when on the road and entering that game off a defeat. Celtics get it done at solid plus money here as they are an angry bunch after being embarrassed by the Heat in the 2nd half of Tuesday's game. 10* BOSTON +157

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks +180 @ Golden State Warriors @ 9 ET - Dallas has won 8 of the last 10 meetings. That is a SU 80% record in last 10 meetings and also that includes 4 of last 5 in San Francisco. That said, we have exceptional line value here with the money line in my opinion. The Mavericks already beat two division champs - Utah and Phoenix - to get here. The Warriors, on the other hand, beat a Memphis team that ended up without star player Ja Morant as the series went on plus Golden State defeated a Denver team that went just 6-10 in divisional play this season. In other words, the teams that the Warriors beat to get here were not on par with what the Mavs faced. Don't get me wrong, GS is a great team of course. I just think the hunger and resolve that Dallas has already shown in this post-season is going to carry over to Game 1 of this series. Warriors are at home and feeling good about themselves and will be guilty of overlooking the Mavs in this one. The road team makes them pay and steals game one. 10* DALLAS +180

NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics Money Line +114 @ Miami Heat @ 8:45 ET - My family is from the Philly area and I am about as passionate of a Philly fan as you will find and have followed the sports scene in Philadelphia like a hawk for 4 decades now! What does that have to do with this play? More than you would think! The 76ers, at times, played the series with the Heat like it was preseason. Their lack of hunger and passion and effort on the floor is absolutely sickening to me. You are paid to play a game and you can't get up for a do or die post-season series? What is wrong with teams/players like this? Well how that relates to this is that Miami is here because they just beat a Sixers team that was without Embiid in the first two games of the series and then played later in the series like a team lacking heart and fire. Now the Heat face a real team. A real team that knows how to play high-level basketball and that will not quit and that has the talent level to knock off the defending champion Bucks. Unlike Philly, Boston has killer instinct, hunger, passion, fight. I admire Boston much more for their series victory over Milwaukee in comparison with Miami beating a gutless, heartless Philly team that needs shaken up in a big way. Now look at this game. The Heat are at home and playing with rest and the Celtics are off a hard-fought series victory over the Bucks and yet Miami opened up at a pick'em line. Talk about a trap! The whole world will likely be lining up on the Heat here and, indeed, the line has already moved that way. Guess what Miami...this is not the sad-sack Sixers you are facing here...this is a real team. Celtics get the outright win. We don't need any points here. Fading the masses and fading the trap line in this one! 10* BOSTON +114

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 Friday 10* Top Play OVER 210.5 in Milwaukee Bucks vs Boston Celtics @ 7:30 ET - Finally B2B overs in this series but truly the pacing has been there for overs in all but one of the five games so far in this series. That said, and with Boston facing elimination here and the Bucks continuing to push the pace at home, I am going to take advantage of this low total. The posted total has moved down a little from its opener and I feel we have excellent line value here as a result. Keep in mind, the Celtics have averaged 117 points per game last 7 road games. The Bucks have averaged 110 points per game last 7 home games. This line is practically a pick'em and whether the Bucks get to their recent 110 range and or the Celtics get to their recent 117 range and if the odds makers are right about this game being decided by a slim margin, you can see why this one should fly over the total. Milwaukee has had at least 90 shot attempts from the field in 4 of the 5 games and they are not going to change this faster pace which has been serving them well. This is a chance for the Bucks to close this series out on their home floor. Great pace expected here. 10* OVER 210.5 in Milwaukee

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 Money Line Mauling Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers +140 @ Miami Heat @ 7:30 ET - The 76ers have swung momentum in this series and have won the only two games that Embiid has played in. I know one could argue that the home team has won every game in this series and that should continue would be their argument. However, my argument would be that I think Joel Embiid is the different maker and I am also expecting another big game from James Harden here. Simply put, just too much value with the road dog getting a money line payback price in this one. Will take the Sixers here as they stay red hot in games in which Embiid has played. 10* PHILADELPHIA +140

NBA Money Line Mauling Monday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics -102 @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:30 ET - The Celtics rallied to put a scare into the Bucks in Game 3 but ultimately came up just a bucket short. That huge 4th quarter for Boston and yet still falling short will only increase their motivation here and they will not be denied here as they look to even this series up. Milwaukee has been managing without Middleton but this is the type of game they could really use him and he is not there. The Celtics as determined as ever and have gone 8-1 the last 9 times when off SU loss. That strong 89% trend continues here. 10* BOSTON -102

NBA 2nd Rd Total of the Year Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 207 in Philadelphia 76ers vs Miami Heat @ 8 ET - Game 3 of this series was a dead under. But the 76ers last 8 home games, prior to the under Friday, had featured 6 overs - a 75% over rate as a host. Look for both teams to finally put it together offensively here as I feel certain the Heat are going to bounce back after scoring just 79 points in the Game 3 loss. At the same time, the 76ers tend to be a better shooting team when at home and I expect them to roll up big points in this one as, with Embiid back, they are hell-bent on getting back into this series and tying it up at 2 games apiece. Keep in mind the 76ers have scored an average of 114 points per game last 5 home games versus Miami. 10* OVER 207 in Philadelphia

NBA Money Line Mauling Sunday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks +115 vs Phoenix Suns @ 3:30 ET - The home team trend continues here in my opinion. The home team has won all 3 of the games so far and 5 of the last 6 meetings between these teams have seen the host come out victorious. Phoenix has lost 5 of last 8 road games. The Mavericks have won 16 of last 19 home games. The home edge here is simply offering great value in this one because so many bettors play the zig-zag theory and yet I don't see it in this case. Just because Mavs won Game 3 does not mean the Suns come back and win Game 4 on the road. 10* DALLAS +115

NBA Money Line Mauling Saturday 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks -117 vs Boston Celtics @ 3:30 ET - The Celtics rolled the Bucks in Game 2 in Boston by a 23 point margin. However, Boston outscored Milwaukee by 51 points from 3-point land! That's right, from beyond the arc, the Celtics hit 20 threes while the Bucks hit just 3. Suffice to say that was the difference in the game and that kind of insane variance will not be happening again in Game 3 in Milwaukee. Look for the return home to get the Bucks going here. Milwaukee 6-1 last 7 times when off a loss. 10* MILWAUKEE -117

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 Contrarian Crusher Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER 215 in Boston Celtics vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7 ET - The Bucks have had unders now in 6 straight games. In typical contrarian fashion, I will take the over in this one given that streak! I love the fact that Milwaukee held Boston to just 89 points in the Game 1 upset win. The Celtics entered that game having won 8 of 9 games and scoring an average of 122.6 points per game! Boston will bounce back and make adjustments and score well here but the Bucks are the defending champs for a reason. Milwaukee will hang around in this game and they had averaged 114 points per game last 4 games before the low-scoring Game 1 win in this series. Celtics were on an 8-4 run to the over last dozen games before that under and also in match-ups between these teams the over was 7-3 last 10 meetings before that under. Game 2 will play out much differently. 10* OVER 215 in Boston

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 Money Line Mauling Sunday 10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies Money Line +127 vs Golden State Warriors @ 3:30 ET - The Grizzlies just are not getting any respect here and waiting until Sunday morning has paid off in terms of line value here as now we can get some extra plus money with the money line in this one. The home team has won 3 straight meetings between these teams and 5 of the last 7. The Warriors are 4-4 SU in last 8 road games. The Grizzlies are 32-12 SU in home games including post-season this year. Golden State is barely above .500 on the road this season. The public will be all over the Warriors here. They see Curry, Thompson and know the history of these guys and the playoff runs they have had. Conversely, most do not know too much about this Grizzlies team and how good they can be on defense and particularly when at home. They will know more about just how good this Memphis team is after they notch the upset in Game 1 on their home floor. All the big comebacks the Grizzlies had in the series with Minny also gives this team a ton of confidence and a never say die attitude. They win this one at home. 10* MEMPHIS +127

NBA Earliest Cash Sunday 8* Milwaukee Bucks Money Line +170 @ Boston Celtics @ 1:05 ET - The Celtics swept the Nets but the average margin of victory was 4.5 points and none of the wins was by more than a 7 point margin. The Bucks beat the Bulls in 5 games. The first two games were close. The last 3 games, including two in Chicago, were blowout wins by an average margin of 23 points! Milwaukee, as you can see, has adjusted well without Khris Middleton and, keep in mind, these are the defending champ Bucks. I love the line value here with Milwaukee having won 6 of its last 7 road games and the Bucks will surprise the Celtics here. Boston goes from facing a dysfunctional Brooklyn team (Irving problems, Simmons never played after coming over from Philly for Harden) to now facing the defending champs. I think the Celtics are over-valued right now because Brooklyn was a mess and yet still gave them a run for their money in all 4 games of that sweep. Now Boston faces the defending champion Bucks. Upset here in Game 1. 8* MILWAUKEE Money Line +170

NBA Money Line Game of the Month 10* Top Play Minnesota Timberwolves +110 vs Memphis Grizzlies @ 9 ET - Look for the long-term home team trend to continue here as the host has won SU in 78% of the last 9 meetings between these teams. I know Memphis is the better team defensively overall but if you look at the road/home dichotomy that is not the case. The Timberwolves allow less points and a lower shooting percentage when they are at home compared to what the Grizzlies allow in those two categories when on the road. That said, we have some home dog value here in my opinion because Minny is known for lighting up the scoreboard when on their home floor and they should do just that here. 10* MINNESOTA +110