In their last matchup against the Denver Nuggets, the LA Clippers used a strong fourth quarter to surge past the number. Friday, they’ll face an Oklahoma City Thunder team that will be without both Chris Paul and Dennis Schroder. Short-handed look for the youth of the Thunder in Darius Bazley, Terrance Ferguson, Hamidou Diallo, and Luguentz Dort to relish in the spotlight. Grab the Thunder. 

Injuries and pressure in the NBA bubble have been a big problem for the Memphis Grizzlies. Instead of increasing their lead for the eighth seed, they’ll now have to be in a play-in matchup on Saturday. Expect an increased effort from the Grizzlies against a Celtics team that is in exhibition mode. Grab Memphis. 

The Miami Heat welcome back both Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic for today’s matchup against the Pacers. Normally, two starter’s back is high value ATS. Yet expect the Miami Heat to be cautious and play both on a minutes restriction. Grab Indiana to continue to excel as they improve to 5-1 ATS in the bubble.

Monday, the Milwaukee Bucks will be without superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo against the Toronto Raptors. Thus far in bubble action the Bucks have been subpar. Blown leads and inconsistent bench play have been primary reasons. Yet at the latter stage of the bubble regular season, expect the Raptors strong defense to lag. Grab the Bucks.

Facing an undermanned Lakers squad the Rockets pulled away for a sixteen point victory. Essentially with a seven man rotation the Rockets have figured it out. Their small ball lineup is mixed with competitors that bring it every night. Sacramento on the other hand has too many lapses to trust here. Grab the Rockets. 

Teams with high spreads haven’t necessarily been strong ATS. Expect that to change Sunday as the Celtics take on the Magic. Even if the Celtics have their players on a minutes restriction expect a comfortable pull away. Orlando has not benefitted playing near their home city as expected. Grab the Celtics.

Just 1-3 in the bubble the Dallas Mavericks have shown a lackluster capability on the defensive end of the floor. Saturday, they’ll likely be short handed without Seth Curry and possibly Dorian Finney Smith. Even with depth limitations look for the Mavericks to be the latest to challenge the Milwaukee Bucks. Grab Dallas here.  

Second unit expectations of a championship level team are high. With the Bucks resting starters in the second half against the Nets, The second unit failed in a 119-116 loss, as the Bucks rested the majority of their starters in the second half. Expect a high level of intensity as the Bucks end their two game slide against the Heat.

The pressure is officially on Indiana Pacers forward TJ Warren. He has been an automatic basket leading the Pacers to an unblemished 3-0 start. Facing his former team in the Phoenix Suns should be added motivation for himself and his teammates to flourish once again. Grab the Pacers to put a dagger to the Suns playoff hopes.

The San Antonio Spurs have come to the bubble and played with strong intensity. The result has been three straight covers. Facing a Nuggets team that is a bit dinged up could mean an early lead for the Spurs. Yet look for the Nuggets intense pace to eventually get the Spurs. Grab Denver.

Tuesday, the Miami Heat will look to bounce back from yesterday’s loss to the Toronto Raptors. They’ll face a Boston team that defeated them by eight and nineteen points this season. Yet the Heat have a new starting five and a dynamic bench coming into form. Look for former Celtics in Jae Crowder and Kelly Olynk to spark both units. Grab Miami. 

Sunday, the first big injury inside the NBA bubble occurred with Orlando losing Jonathan Isaac to a torn ACL. That’s created immediate ATS value for Tuesday, as the Magic face one of the hottest teams in the Indiana Pacers. In two games, the Magic’s fluid offense has featured an incredible 42 percent three-point shooting. That should be a catalyst to override the Pacers red-hot TJ Warren. Grab Orlando.

An NBA team that was hit hard by the coronavirus were the Sacramento Kings. Expect them to have a similar edge in game one that the Jazz did against the Pelicans. They’ll face a Spurs team Friday that’s odds to make the post-season is minimal. A strong burst early from the Kings should put the Spurs away. Grab Sacramento. 

Memphis was one of the few teams that ensured their main core of player’s was not on restrictions in exhibitions. This included Ja Morant played 29 minutes in Tuesday’s exhibition finale against Miami. Portland on the other hand went 0-3 in exhibitions and did not burden their player’s. Look for the Trailblazers to be the looser team. Grab Portland. 

A number that was adjusted quickly was the Jazz and Pelicans. The adjustment swiftly moved to the Pelicans as a small favorite and has stayed there. Even with Zion Williamson’s status unclear, the Pelicans have enough arsenal to give the Jazz fits offensively. Grab the Pelicans to roll in this one.

The Charlotte Hornets depleted lineup has led to losses in four of their last five games. Yet ATS wise they have been solid covering five of their last six. Expect that trend to continue Wednesday against a Heat team that’s dominant 27-4 home record has skewed the spread. Grab Charlotte. 

The Phoenix Suns have played just two games in the last seven days. One was a double-digit win over tonight’s opponent in the Portland Trailblazers, and the other was a dominant win over the NBA’s best team in the Milwaukee Bucks. Yet tonight serves as a buy opportunity on a Blazers team that’s just 3-8 ATS their 11 games. Grab Portland to even the season series against the Suns at two games a piece. 

A team the Chicago Bulls have had success against has been the Cleveland Cavaliers. In a season that’s been mired with forty-three losses, two of of the Bulls last five wins have been over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Expect another win Tuesday against a Cavaliers team thats recent wins over the Spurs and Nuggets have diminished this spread. Grab Chicago. 

The Orlando Magic come into Friday’s matchup against the Timberwolves on a three-game losing streak. Their play has not resembled a team that can be either the seventh or eighth seed in the East. Continue to fade them as the Timberwolves are seeking their first three-game win streak since October 27th. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder find themselves a sizable road favorite Wednesday against the depleted Detroit Pistons. In the lone prior matchup this season the Pistons lost by just seven points and that was without Derrick Rose. Don’t look for a similar outcome as the Thunder have not lost three straight since November.

Winless post All-Star break the Utah Jazz have suffered three home losses. All have been by nine points or more by an average defeat of thirteen points. Wednesday night they’ll face a surging Celtics team that’s 9-3 ATS over their last twelve games. Yet anticipate the Celtics coming out flat at the tail end of a four-game road trip. Go contrarian here as the Jazz have not lost four straight home games since 2014.

Wednesday, the New York Knicks have an opportunity to end a four-game skid as they travel to Charlotte. The Hornets are playing in consecutive nights and are just 2-6 in back to back scenarios this season. At virtually a pick’em grab the value here on the Knicks.

Friday the Oklahoma City Thunder will look to thwart impressive streaks by the Denver Nuggets. Since early December the Nuggets have managed to go thirty-three games without losing consecutively. They’re also undefeated in the Northwest division at 9-0. Yet look for the Thunder to buck that trend and hand the Nuggets their first division loss of the year. 

The Toronto Raptors will be looking to restart a win streak after losing to the Nets prior to All-Star break. They’re impressive streak stands at seven consecutive home wins but since December 3rd they are 1-5 at home straight up against a Western Conference opponent. Phoenix also has won outright at Toronto in three of the last four matchups. Grab Phoenix here. 

Prior to All-Star break one of the best rising teams in the NBA were the Memphis Grizzlies. Led by likely rookie of the year Ja Morant they won eight of their last ten games. In late December through January 17th the Grizzlies also won eight of nine games. The one loss came at Sacramento. Expect the eight-day layoff to hinder the Grizzlies as the Kings win both games at home against the Grizzlies this season. 

Four nights ago the Brooklyn Nets nearly took advantage of a Raptors team playing in back to back nights. The comeback was thwarted with a one-point loss. Look for Brooklyn to build off the eleven point fourth quarter advantage they had over the Raptors tonight. Grab the home underdog with the Nets

A rematch from Wednesday will take place as the Raptors head to Indiana. Toronto’s streak of twelve straight wins has been remarkable to witness. It’s been a team balanced effort with six different leading scorers during that stretch. Yet grab the value on Indiana ending the Raptors streak as they finish off what could have been accomplished Wednesday. Grab Indiana. 

Friday there is value to be had on the Memphis Grizzlies as they travel to take on the Philadelphia 76ers. Philadelphia’s recent woes are well documented. With the Grizzlies elevating their play something has to give with Philadelphia’s stout 23-2 home record. Look for the young Grizzlies to be the latest to give Philadelphia problems. Grab Memphis.

The Warriors head into the back end of their east coast road trip on a two-game win streak. They’ll face a Brooklyn Nets team that’s won three consecutive home games by outscoring opponents by an average of fifteen points. That’s a value contrarian edge as the Warriors keep their focus even amidst heavy trade deadline speculation. 

The Houston Rockets will get a Hornets team that is in a back to back scenario. Charlotte has lost eleven of twelve games and each of their last six losses has been by twelve points or more. That’s a value angle to back the Hornets here against a Rockets team that’s prone to allow teams to go on runs. Grab Charlotte. 

The likelihood of the Rockets being without James Harden creates an interesting position tonight for bettors. Houston showed in their last road game against the Jazz that their depth is better than people give them credit for. D’Antoni just chooses to play a smaller rotation. With the Blazers still struggling for consistency their prior home court edge has caved. Grab the Rockets.

A rematch from four days ago will occur between the Detroit Pistons and Brooklyn Nets. In the prior matchup Kyrie Irving exploded for forty-five points. It was the difference as the Pistons blew a half-time double-digit lead and lost in overtime. Tonight expect a better effort from a Pistons team that is coming off losing three straight at home.  

Eight of nine home victories by the Memphis Grizzlies has positioned them as a slight favorite tonight against a 32-14 Denver Nuggets team. With this being the Nuggets third road trip since January 16th expect the Grizzlies to capitalize. Look for an early lead to build before the Grizzlies hold off the Nuggets in the second half. 

The Chicago Bulls will face a Cleveland Cavaliers team that has lost six games in a row tonight. Cleveland’s disarray will setup a nice ATS matchup with the Bulls playing in back to back games. Star Zach Lavine nearly carried the Bulls back from a double digit half time deficit but the offense fizzled with just twelve fourth quarter points. Expect the offense to struggle again and the Cavs to get the win.

The Sacramento Kings have lost six straight games heading into Friday’s road matchup against the Bulls. During their losing streak the Kings have yielded an average of 123 points per game. Yet look for the Kings to have value in this spot in their fourth straight road game. Grab Sacramento.

After six consecutive road games the Orlando Magic return home Wednesday to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder. While Chris Paul may keep his scoring momentum going look for his teammates to have some rust on the road as the Thunder have lost three of four against Eastern Conference opponents. Grab the Magic. 

The Toronto Raptors and Atlanta Hawks will participate in an early MLK day game. The time frame and travel for the Raptors would be expected to be an issue on a high number. Yet the Hawks defensive efficiency is to poor for a Raptors team that is well coached on a nightly basis. Grab the value on the octane Raptors. 

Tonight the last game on the board presents value for the Pacers. Denver has played well without Jamal Murray due to their extensive depth and shining youth. Both of those intangibles have been strengths of the Pacers. Expect the impressive 17-5 home record of the Nuggets to not withstand tonight. Grab Indiana. 

Friday, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Indiana Pacers will meet for the second time in three days. The Pacers won 104-99 at Minnesota on Wednesday and will get an even more depleted Timberwolves team tonight. Minnesota traded away Jeff Teague Thursday and will continue to be without Karl Anthony Towns. Yet expect the Timberwolves to compete and produce a better second half than Wednesday’s forty points. Grab Minnesota. 

The Toronto Raptors travel on the road Wednesday to face an Oklahoma City team that has been red-hot. Winners of eight of their last ten games they’ve been led by a variety of players. Their balanced scoring will be difficult to negate but look for the Raptors to utilize gain from their recent poor stretch. Grab Toronto. 

Monday the Pelicans will embark on their third game on their current road trip. Prior to their last game and loss to the Celtics the Pelicans had been playing better. After surrendering 140 points poor defense is likely to carry over into tonight. Grab the Pistons who will attempt to win just their fourth home game since December 1st. 

The Utah Jazz have upped their level of scoring since their recent trade for former Cavaliers guard Jordan Clarkson. They’ve won seven straight games and twelve out of thirteen. They’ll face a Hornets team that has lost eight of ten and has a thin rotation. Look for a competitive game as the last Hornets have covered two consecutive games on the road. Grab Charlotte. 

The Portland Trailblazers are coming off a thrilling win in which Carmelo Anthony drilled a game winner over the Toronto Raptors. That win has moved the Trailblazers to a current three-way tie for the eighth seed in the West. Minnesota on the other hand has been without big man Karl Anthony Towns and is just 5-11 at home. Yet look for the Timberwolves to get necessary contributions from their bench and get the win at home. Grab Minnesota. 

The Utah Jazz have been on a tear having won five straight games and ten of eleven overall. Throughout their winning streak the Jazz have found uncanny ways to cover ATS, including narrow spread wins over the Nets, Pistons, and Bulls. Tonight though look for the Pelicans to show some life as they’ve been a team improving. Grab the Pelicans to thwart the Jazz’s incredible surge. 

The Utah Jazz have now won eight of their last nine games. They’ve done so with a an increase in offense without limiting their half court defense. That’s a style adjustment that has led to several blowouts but one that can’t be sustainable. Tonight look for the Bulls to take advantage of their home court and keep this game close. Grab the Bulls. 

One of the early New Year’s Eve games in the NBA will be between the Clippers and Kings. The Clippers have dealt with a few injuries that have caused them three losses recently. Point guard Patrick Beverly remains out for today’s game. For the Kings they’ve lost seven straight games. The majority of those losses have been competitive games. Yet look for another loss as the Clippers play with an edge to close out 2019.

The Utah Jazz head into Monday’s game against the Detroit Pistons winners of seven of their last eight games. Expect another big effort from the Jazz as they’re facing a Detroit Pistons team unsettled on both ends of the floor. An uncanny schedule from the Jazz is in the middle of seven of nine road games. Look for the Jazz to take advantage Monday of a home spot before a three game road trip. 

The Golden State Warriors have now won three straight games. Their win over the Rockets on Christmas Day showcased their rising youth along with Draymond Green and DeAngelo Russell. Friday they’ll face a Suns team that’s been trending in the wrong direction. Yet look for the Suns to be the aggressor early and end the Warriors win streak. Grab Phoenix 

News of Luka Doncic returning for the Mavericks today is big news for Dallas. Minus Doncic they had struggled with consistency going 3-4 over their last seven games. An area they’ve faltered throughout the year is creating a standout identity on their home floor. Look for tonight’s task against a veteran Spurs team that’s out of sync to be of capitalization. Grab Dallas. 

The Brooklyn Nets come into Thursday’s game against the Knicks with a full five days of rest. Brooklyn has won both matchups this year against the Knicks by a combined margin of six points. This included a matchup on November 24th where the Nets allowed a backdoor cover after nearly surrendering an eleven point lead. Grab the Knicks here for another competitive matchup even with Spencer Dinwiddie playing at an elite level. 

Christmas Day features five main games in the NBA, and I’m eyeing the first. The Boston Celtics will take on a team in the Toronto Raptors that have been outstanding at home. They also got Kyle Lowry back from injury a few games ago. Yet this Celtics team has gained major momentum over the last ten days. Look for their rising strength to show on the road in a tough environment against the Raptors. Grab Boston.

The LA Clippers travel up north to face Oklahoma City. It’s their third game in four days and will be a back to back scenario. That likely means no Kawhi Leonard to go up against Paul George’s former team. Keep in mind the Thunder also have a plethora of ex Clippers including veteran leader Paul George. Yet this Clippers team has a different pedigree even minus Leonard. Grab the Clippers. 

Surprisingly the Boston Celtics will meet the Detroit Pistons for the first time this season Friday. The Celtics were able to avoid a three game losing streak by mounting a comeback win over the Dallas Mavericks. The late surge was done via offensive spurts that should carry over against the Detroit Pistons. Grab the Celtics to roll Friday.

Thursday night a big game will take place between the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers. The Rockets have already defeated the Clippers once this season but that was when the Clippers were minus Paul George. Houston has also been sporadic as of late. Yet even with the Clippers strong home record look for the Rockets to play spoiler as they did earlier this season. Grab Houston.

Wednesday the Boston Celtics will look to avoid their first three-game losing streak of the season. They’re on the road against a Dallas Mavericks team that ended the Milwaukee Bucks eighteen straight victories on Monday. It was a big win but also showcased the Mavericks strong away record at 10-2. At home they’re not as strong. Look for the Celtics to take advantage tonight. 

Aside from a blowout losses to Milwaukee and Houston the Orlando Magic have been ATS friendly against teams above .500. A strong reason for that is their immense depth which translates to different scoring options. Yet look for the Jazz to have one of their showcase home wins as they neutralize the Magic’s depth advantage.

The Knicks just ended their elongated losing streak but still made it difficult on themselves. They blew an 18 point lead against the Warriors and had to win the game in overtime. Friday they’ll face a Kings team that has won three straight games. They also have a road blowout win at Madison Square Garden under their belt. Still look for the Knicks to continue to show fight as they continue on their west coast road trip 

Eight straight losses by the Cleveland Cavaliers have put them in another predicament. Trade rumors have began to swirl around big man Kevin Love as the Cavaliers look to go in a complete rebuild mode. Friday they’ll face a Spurs team that has recently patched together wins after losing ten of eleven. Still there are high concerns in uncharted territories for a Spurs team coached by Popovich. Grab the points here on the Cavaliers. 

The Miami Heat’s home dominance has reached double digits at 10-0. Two of their victories have came against tonight’s opponent in the Atlanta Hawks. Both matchups were decided by nine points or more. With the Hawks poor defense and Heat’s ability for explosive offensive quarters a third victory is likely for Miami. Yet I’ll take the points here as Atlanta gives a better effort than the prior two.

With Houston’s loss last night the Mavericks moved up to first place in the division. Winners of eight of their last nine games the Mavericks have shown they are a true elite contender in the West. They’re also returning home from three straight road wins that featured a six-point outright win over the Lakers. I’ll still take the points here as the Mavericks have shown a bit of weakness at home and the Timberwolves on the other hand play better on the road. Grab the Timberwolves. 

Offensively the Portland Trailblazers have seen a spark since acquiring Carmelo Anthony. Where they still are lacking is defensively. That could be troublesome Tuesday against a Clippers team that prides itself of both ends of the floor. On a big number look for Portland to have a couple of surges offensively to offset the number and Clippers 12-1 home record. 

The Miami Heat extend from Brooklyn to Toronto for Tuesday’s big showdown. Miami’s win over the Nets boosted them back over .500 on the road at 6-5. Meanwhile the Raptors have been undeniable at home with a stout 9-0 record. They’ve been able to carry over last year’s title run with a deep roster of talent. Tonight though look for the Miami Heat to match the Raptors intensity and come within the number.

Internal issues have once again carried over onto the court for the Chicago Bulls. Three straight losses have dropped them to 6-14. If not for a dramatic come from behind win against the Hornets they’d be on a five game losing streak. They’ll face a Sacramento Kings team coming off a thrilling crazy fourth quarter against the Nuggets that led to an overtime win. Here though look for the Bulls to finally showcase a formidable effort and get the job done ATS. 

Tuesday the Washington Wizards will embark on their second west coast road trip of the season. They’ll begin in Denver ahead of back to back scenario Wednesday night against the Suns. Denver has raced out to a 12-3 record while picking up three straight home wins over the Rockets, Celtics, and Suns. That’s created a window of value on a Wizards team that will not let up on the offensive end. Grab Washington. 

The Brooklyn Nets will play their in town New York City NBA team in the New York Knicks. For the Knicks they’re coming off a  blowout home loss against a Spurs team that had dropped several straight. As great as the Nets are at scoring look for the Knicks to find rhythm even in a back to back scenario. Grab the Knicks 

Just six days ago the Miami Heat blew out the Cavaliers on the road by eleven points. The final score was not indicative of the halftime twenty-four point lead the Heat held over Cleveland. In the second half the Heat scored just forty points. This time around look for value on the Cavaliers as the Heat’s unblemished 5-0 home record gets tested. 

A team that has carried over their strong home court edge from the past two seasons has been the Toronto Raptors. They’re 5-0 at home and have been soaring past the ATS number. Tonight look for that to change based on Orlando Magic team soaring with confidence. They’ve won three straight games and will be aiming to avenge last year’s embarrassing playoff series against the Raptors. Grab Orlando. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder return home in hopes of reversing losing three of their last four games. A positive is they’ve been a juggernaut at home ATS, covering four of their last five. For the 76ers their road heavy schedule to start the season has shown in the wins and loss column. Overall in 11 games they’ve played seven on the road. Look for the Sixers to shown a road warrior mentality in this one and get the win ATS. 

Phoenix was brought down to Earth two nights ago as the Lakers pulled away to defeat them. They’re now 6-4 but have caught the attention of NBA circles with their strong starting five and young bench. Thursday they’ll face an electric young Hawks team that is coming off a big outright win over the Denver Nuggets. Yet Thursday look for the Suns hosting their fifth straight home game to pull through ATS.

The Memphis Grizzlies head to take on a Charlotte team Wednesday that has lost a bit of their early success. After beginning the season 4-3 they’ve dropped three straight. Offense shouldn’t be an issue for the Hornets tonight at home but look for their defense to continue to suffer. Memphis gets the job done Wednesday with their impact young roster.

What will give Sunday? The Oklahoma City Thunder are in a back to back scenario. Typically back to back games involve travel but that’s not the case as the Thunder are hosting consecutive nights. The team they will play in the Milwaukee Bucks is enduring their fourth straight road game. Expect the Bucks to get back on track after a let down against the Jazz Friday. Grab Milwaukee. 

The Pelicans have shown flashes of what they can be but are lacking a secondary scorer. Brandon Ingram needs help and should get it Saturday against a Hornets team that has issues with on ball defense. Expect Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart to be able to attack and get their shots. The Pelicans finally get back in the win column and go to 2-7.

The Miami Heat extend their NBA road trip as they play the Los Angeles Lakers. It’s hard to argue the Heat’s depth and team defense. That’ll put up a challenge against a Lakers team that has still shown to be highly vulnerable defensively. Still look for the Heat to showcase a bit of tired legs in the second half. Grab the Lakers. 

The Thunder went from 1-4 to 3-4 thanks to consecutive home wins over the Pelicans and Orlando Magic. Still they have a lot of pieces in their starting five and bench rotation that are becoming accustomed to NBA minutes. Facing a well coached veteran Spurs team on the road will be a challenge. Yet look for the Thunder to continue to be competitive and close within the number. 

The Cleveland Cavaliers are coming off one of the worst home losses by an NBA team this young season. Against the Dallas Mavericks they were gave up 131 points in a twenty point blowout loss. This loss showcased their young back court and inexperienced NBA coaching from John Beilein. With the Celtics coming off strong wins look for value here on the home Cavs. 

Indiana has just one win on the season and will be without Myles Turner tonight against the Cavs. That shouldn’t stop their potent offensive attack and may even increase their pace to a higher level. That’s concerning for a Cavaliers team that uses several big men for offensive balance with Kevin Love/Tristan Thompson and still has a young back court adjusting to the NBA. Grab Indiana here.

The pressure is on the LA Lakers after an opening night loss to the Clippers. In the loss they showed they do have the offense to contend right away. Several spurts erased big Clippers leads but the defense just was not there. That’s going to continue to be a problem for Friday’s contest against the size and half-court sets of the Jazz. Grab Utah. 

For the first time in several seasons the New York Knicks have formidable players at every starter position. Backing the starters up will be one of the more intriguing second units in the NBA. What will be missing in game one against the Spurs is on court execution. Expect the Spurs embedded style of basketball to wreak havoc in turnovers for the Knicks and create pull away opportunities. Grab the Spurs. 

The new look Boston Celtics will be missing three familiar players in Kyrie Irving, Al Horford, and Terry Rozier. They’re now expected to let their young stars in Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum take the next step forward alongside free agent pickup Kemba Walker. Facing a Philadelphia 76ers team that has elevated expectations and improved defense will be an immense challenge. Yet grab the Celtics to make a statement and cash Wednesday. 

The second day of the NBA season features a bevy of marquee games. One that will fly under the radar are the Timberwolves vs the Nets. Minnesota’s core of players has the same featured talent while the Nets kick things off with Kyrie Irving. Lacking big names around him should provide Irving a calmer setting to just play his game. Look for the Nets to feed off his play while the Timberwolves falter in the second half. 

The new season kicks off with all eyes on the new acquisitions of both LA teams. The Lakers of course added Anthony Davis and a bevy of veteran free agents. Their quest looks much stronger than the youth mix they had a season ago. Meanwhile the Clippers big acquisitions of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will be minus George to start. That’s a factor but expect the Lakers units to struggle at times adjusting to the new season. That’ll leave the door open for the Clippers to cash in a neutral site game. Grab the Clippers. 

For the fourth straight game line movement has went against the Golden State Warriors. Injuries, depth concerns, and the health of Klay Thompson are all main factors for Friday. The series could easily be a 3-0 lead for the Raptors if not for an early third quarter meltdown in game two. Still I’m leery of the Raptors newfound offense continuing to grow. Look for the Warriors to have an efficient game and pull away late to cover in game four. 

Three straight losses from the Bucks has put themselves in a single game elimination environment.  Failing at home with multiple big leads in game five is a spread influence for game six. This is why seven game series exist in the NBA. Expect the Bucks to respond in what surely will be a hostile environment in Toronto. 

The Bucks and Raptors have all the dynamics of a seven-game series. Each team has shown an ability to play at a heightened level on their home floor. That’s a bit of a conundrum for oddsmakers at this stage of the playoffs. Youth is the downside of the Bucks but their advantage on their home floor is uncanny. Grab Milwaukee to get back on track after a game four let down.

The Trailblazers heartbreak in game two featured every component. After losing a seventeen point lead the Blazers regrouped and had game two won. Yet they couldn’t muster defensive stops and the Warriors were able to take advantage. Instead of expecting the Warriors to get in position to sweep look for the Blazers to take this next phase of the series head on. They still haven’t clicked 100% offensively as we saw in their series against Oklahoma City and Denver. Look for their home crowd to energize them and get the win Saturday. Grab Portland. 

The Bucks stormed back to not only win game one but topple the number ATS in the final seconds. It was a gut-wrenching loss for bettors and should motivate the Raptors to fix their issues from the fourth quarter. Yet the Bucks have different units to throw at the Raptors and will continue to adapt for four quarters of a game. Grab the Bucks to grab another ATS win.

Adjustments will need to be made quickly by the Trailblazers after ineffective offense and lackluster ball screen defense in game one. Expect an increase in both areas and for the Trailblazers to respond ATS. Golden State’s weakness remains with their role players and this should be an opportune time for the Trailblazers second unit to shine similar to game seven against the Nuggets. Grab Portland. 

Consecutive victories by the Warriors ended the Rockets chances to take advantage of the Warriors minus Kevin Durant. Portland took advantage of a young Nuggets team that appeared to more talented but lacked the experience to put a game away. That’s where the Warriors advantage comes into play and should be worthy of backing in game one. Grab Golden State.

The series between the Portland Trailblazers and Denver Nuggets has been a delight each game. Yet the mistake of the Nuggets was the overtime game three matchup in which the Nuggets blew several chances to win. Portland found their legs in game six and should use their veteran roster to hurdle the number ATS. Grab Portland.  

In a potential close out game expect the Philadelphia 76ers to do their best to rise to the occasion. Amidst heavy media debate on the way they’ve lost the 76ers have created their own unnecessary added pressure. Expect the Raptors to feed off of this and use their experience in a do or die game four to surge forward. Grab Toronto. 

One overtime in game three that went the Rockets way has completely swung the series against Golden State. In years past the Warriors have been on the fortunate side against the Rockets with injuries to CP3 (Rockets-Clippers). Changes have been made by Mike D’Antoni that have kept the Rockets fresh for four quarters. Oddsmakers may have bumped this point spread up a point from games one and two but it is the incorrect move. Grab the underdog. 

The Denver Nuggets had several opportunities to take advantage of the Trailblazers in game three. Turnovers and poor execution likely cost them that victory. Now they’ll face a Portland Trailblazers team that has a chance to take control of the series. Look for the Trailblazers to continue to elevate their play via guards and do their best to contain Nokic and Millsap. Grab Portland. 

The Warriors and Rockets yearly series matchup has been dominated by the Warriors. This seems to be the case for 2019 as the Warriors handled their business on their home floor in games one and two. With the Rockets having issues with James Harden’s eye and Chris Paul’s woes game three is amped up even more. It’s a must win for the Rockets and the Warriors know it. Yet expect Houston to make this a series and cover the number Saturday.

In game two the Nuggets were vulnerable to Portland’s perimeter shooting and never could recover from an early deficit. Yet this how the young Nuggets are. They lack playoff experience and although they are a two-seed oddsmakers haven’t deterred from proper point spread adjustments. After a statement win by Portland one has to anticipate that game two being the outlier of the series. Grab the Nuggets in what should be a better matchup.

Houston losing game one has put the pressure on them to showcase themselves in game two. One would expect Kevin Durant to continue his upward play and for Curry/Thompson to be sharper. Riding their home crowd the Warriors are in-line for another trip to the Western Conference Finals. Only if it were that easy. Look for the Rockets to play with the proper chip on their shoulder and for CP3 to be the main catalyst. Grab the Rockets plus the points. 

The woes of the Warriors first round against the Clippers were mainly defensive. How will they adjust in a quick turn around for game one against the Rockets? A team that gave them fits last year until Chris Paul’s injury changed the series. That angle and the Rockets seemingly growing forward are all in play for the underdog Sunday. Yet look for the Warriors to keep their playoff mode on high for game one. Grab the Warriors. 

The Eastern Conference’s first round was a quick flash for both the 76ers and Toronto Raptors. Both teams adjusted to game one losses to cruise past their opponents. Extra rest should alleviate concerns for the 76ers in Joel Embiid Saturday. Yet the Raptors are a team that finally has depth solidified to over power the 76ers. Look for game one to side on the Raptors side ATS. 

The Golden State Warriors find themselves engulfed in a first round series against the LA Clippers. A series that should have been a sweep has suddenly been extended with new life from the Clippers after game five. Returning home the Clippers have a chance to force a game seven. Instead look for the Warriors to have a crisp flow and game plan and take care of business ATS.  

The Denver Nuggets have a chance to close out the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday. After a complete rout of the Spurs in game five it appears that the Spurs are struggling to adjust. Tweaks have been made by Denver that have nullified the Spurs ability to score with them. Yet Coach Poppovich is a mastermind in these scenarios and will have his Spurs prepared to withstand the Nuggets in game six. Grab San Antonio. 

The San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets have been the lone unpredictable series thus far in the NBA playoffs. Game five is critical for a young Nuggets team that averted a 3-1 deficit to re-gain home court advantage. Yet this is a Spurs team that has rose via the youth-veteran infusion of teams past. Look for Poppovich and the Spurs to cover the 5.5 tonight.