Wednesday, the Atlanta Hawks continue their road trip as they take on the Sacramento Kings. Thus far they’ve covered three straight on the road and are coming off an outright win over the LA Clippers. Oddly enough the Kings last game was also against the Clippers in a blowout loss. Expect the Kings to be re-focused as they return home from a six-game road trip. Grab Sacramento. 

Oddsmakers have recently began to push forward the Knicks underdog number even at MSG. That’s the case on Wednesday as a below .500 Dallas Mavericks team are sizable favorites. This comes as no surprise as the Knicks last home win was December 1st against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Knicks lack the offensive cohesion to keep up with a team as potent as Dallas. Grab the Mavericks. 

Record-wise the Celtics and Nets are only separated by 3.5 games. That’s hard to believe and showcases just how difficult the Celtics transition of success from last year has been. Before the Celtics loss to the Warriors they had won five straight. While the Celtics bench is a question mark versus the Nets, look for the starters to maintain a sizable lead. Grab Boston. 

The New York Knicks woes have been plagued by injuries and benching of veteran Enes Kanter. New York may has not left home aside from a short trek to Brooklyn Friday since January 11th. Yet they’ve lost eight consecutive games. Meanwhile the Miami Heat have struggled all season at generating consecutive wins. Grab the value on them here as they get past the Knicks.

The Detroit Pistons continue the third game of their current road trip tonight against the Mavericks. Value lies on the Pistons as they used the hot-hand of Blake Griffin to topple the Pelicans two nights ago. That was without Anthony Davis. An uplift of production with Dennis Smith Jr back ended a four-game losing streak for the Mavericks. Yet look for the Pistons lineup to give the Mavericks issues. Grab Detroit. 

The Brooklyn Nets have recently seen their ATS number creep up. Against the Orlando Magic two nights ago they fell just short as a favorite. Tonights scenario marks the first time all season that they’ve been favored three consecutive games as they host the New York Knicks. That’s a value attractor combined with their 1-2 overall ATS mark against the Knicks this season. Grab Brooklyn. 

For Tuesday there is a rematch between the Phoenix Suns and Timberwolves. Saturday the two met in Minnesota and the Suns played a fairly close game, losing late by a few points. With the Suns knack for tanking it’s always a question to follow suit with them. Yet this is a spot where the Suns can catch a struggling Timberwolves team off guard. Grab the Suns. 

The degree of difficulty for the Rockets to get wins has been highly evident. James Harden once again needed to lead his Rockets from a big deficit against the Lakers in which they won in overtime. They’ll now head back onto the road to face a Philadelphia 76ers team that has been dominant at home. Yet with the Rockets offensive synergy all it takes is one explosive quarter. Grab the value on the underdog Rockets. 

The Milwaukee Bucks will be part of an early MLK holiday schedule as they host the Dallas Mavericks. That means they will have had less than forty-eight hours to step onto the court after their road win in Orlando. That’s where the value lies on the Bucks even with the Mavericks horrific road record. Grab the Bucks here.

The LA Clippers have faltered to the degree of five straight losses. Reeling they’ll head onto the road to take on a San Antonio team that is 18-6 at home. Issues with the Clippers have mainly included non-existent half-court defense. During their current losing streak they’ve yielded an average of 118 points per game. Sunday expect a better showing and sense of urgency from the Clippers.

The Miami Heat are in a back to back scenario Saturday as they travel to take on the Chicago Bulls. The Heat showed sporadic play in their Friday loss to the Pistons getting down big early before clawing back and eventually losing. Chicago is coming off a long west coast road trip that is embedded into tonight’s line. Look for the lowly Bulls to surprise tonight and grab the ATS cover. 

Friday, the Pelicans continue their fourth game on their current road trip as they travel to take on Portland. The Pelicans are showing much better effort on the road that’s attracted value on a small number tonight. With just a 6-18 road record this is a game where one has to forecast the Pelicans clawing their way back to a decent away record as we enter the mid-point of the NBA season. Grab New Orleans.  

The Toronto Raptors are coming off a nationally televised loss to the Boston Celtics. They return home to host the Phoenix Suns but will be without both Kyle Lowry and Kawhi Leonard whom will rest. This compounds the current absences of OG Anunoby and CJ Miles. With the back to back factor and resting starters scenario there is value to be had on the Raptors. Grab the buy down on the spread. Take Toronto. 

One of the more difficult scenarios for a home team is playing their first game at home after a lengthy road trip. The Charlotte Hornets will attempt to do so after completing a six-game road trip. Thursday they’ll take on a Sacramento team that just defeated them Saturday. While home rust will be evident early look for the Kings woes of melting in second halves to carry over Thursday. Grab Charlotte. 

The Houston Rockets plethora of injuries gets some help Wednesday as guard Eric Gordon is expected back. James Harden’s recent string of high scoring games has made it difficult for teams to match the Rockets offensive output. The Nets also lost to the Rockets by eight points earlier this season at home. Yet look for the Nets to get some traction early and cover the five points here. 

The LA Clippers will host the New Orleans Pelicans Monday night. Value here lies with the Clippers as they look to handle one of the dominant scorers in the league in Anthony Davis. Davis and the Pelicans have been able to mask their road issues (5-17 on the road) thanks to a recent extended stretch of home games. Although the Clippers have lost four of their last seven grab the value on them here as a small favorite. 

The inconsistent Dallas Mavericks will face the Golden State Warriors this evening. The Warriors are coming off their best ATS consecutive covers of the season in blowout wins over the Bulls-Knicks. Traveling on the road they’ve been a better team ATS. In fact they’ve covered six of their last eight road matchups. Yet look for the Mavericks to get balanced scoring and to have an upper hand in the interior with DeAndre Jordan. Grab Dallas. 

The Timberwolves could not slow down the Dallas Mavericks in last night’s home loss. Now they’re in a back to back scenario taking on the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans are the rested team here not having stepped onto the court since Wednesday. Yet the key reason for the line move is the Timberwolves interim coach in Ryan Saunders. The 32 year old showed will be in a tough spot tonight but look for his team to continue to rally for him. Grab the Timberwolves. 

The Boston Celtics continue their Florida road trip aiming to get back in the win column. Their nationally televised matchup against the Heat was a blowout loss. The Celtics will face a reeling Orlando Magic team currently on a four-game losing streak. Furthermore the Magic will be without key rookie Mo Bamba. Yet the value lies on the Magic as bettors are looking to capture the ATS magic the Celtics recently showed at home.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are coming off a big win minus their former Coach in Tom Thibodeau. Friday they’ll take on a Dallas Mavericks team that has been below standard on the road with a 3-18 mark. Yet this should be a nice spot to find value on the underdog as new interim coach Ryan Saunders gets acclimated in his new role.

Value against the Sacramento Kings is back on the upward trend. They’ve lost five of their last six games, while showing inconsistent offensive production. They’ll face a Detroit team that’s known for solid interior defense as well as off the ball. Yet this is a favorable spot to continue cashing against the Pistons who have been on a prolonged stretch of six of seven losses.

Utah’s transition from an out of nowhere successful team in 2017-2018 has not blossomed this season. An array of chemistry issues has them still a game below .500. Yet after a four-game road trip tonight’s spot against the Orlando Magic offers value. Expect the Jazz not treat this game lightly as it’s their first home game for 2019. Grab Utah.

The Spurs have now won five straight games as they’ve finally discovered their guard rotation minus Dejounte Murray. Wednesday they’ll face a Memphis Grizzlies team that will have revenge on their minds. Just four days ago the Spurs flourished against the Grizzlies in a twenty point victory. While the Grizzlies may build a sizable lead look for the Spurs will to not end their win streak to prevail. Grab San Antonio. 

Tuesday, the Charlotte Hornets will continue their Western Conference road trip as they take on the LA Clippers. This is a spot where a veteran team such as the Hornets should treat tonight’s matchup as a tune up before a rigorous weekend. Instead look for a flat performance as the Hornets look ahead to three road games in four nights starting Friday.  

Value lies with the Atlanta Hawks as heavy road favorites Tuesday in Toronto. The Raptors had one day of rest in between back to back games. They won both of those matchups including a victory Sunday over the Indiana Pacers with Kawhi Leonard resting. Still grab the value on the Hawks whom have lost their last three road games by an average of nineteen points.

The Miami Heat travel to take on the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday. This is a road trip intermixed with a recent one game home stand. That’s typically a tough spot for a team to keep their composure especially a .500 level Heat team. Yet they have bench infusion with Dion Waiters returning from a full year away with injury. That’s instant offense that should spark the Heat ATS over Atlanta. 

Against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday the Utah Jazz had a sluggish first half. They reversed course quickly and routed the Cavs for an easy cover. In a back to back scenario Saturday they’ll face a Detroit Pistons team that has not played since Wednesday. Yet the Jazz are a deep team and will be able to secure their second road win in twenty four hours. 

The returns of both Paul Millsap and Gary Harris is a big boost for the Nuggets. Both came off the bench in their recent home matchup against the New York Knicks. Thursday, they’ll travel to take on a Sacramento Kings team that’s lost three of four and struggled on the defensive end. Still look for the up and down pace to help alleviate the pressure for the Kings of the defensive end. Grab the Kings. 

The LA Lakers are coming off a great performance over the Golden State Warriors. In the rout minus Lebron James they were able to hold off a Warriors rally that closed within two points. The youth makeup of the Lakers is confident and they’ll face a Kings team coming off a game last night in LA. Yet look for a different outcome from the Lakers as they see how much they miss Lebron. Grab the Kings. 

Key injuries to the Denver Nuggets has left them needing to utilize their young bench in key stretches. Wednesday they’ll be in a tough road spot against a Spurs team that is 13-5 at home. Yet look for the Nuggets to be much more prepared on the defensive end than their last outing in which they were blown out 132-111 by the LA Clippers. 

The Raptors will be without Kyle Lowry tonight in Miami. Yet they turned in big outright victories on their recent road trip without Kawhi Leonard and boast one of the top records in the league at 25-10. The question here is will the holiday break disrupt the Heat’s five game streak? ATS it doesn’t grab the plus points in this spot.

The game everyone will be focused on for Christmas is the Lakers vs the Golden State Warriors. As of late the Lakers have struggled losing three of their last four as their defensive efficiency has dipped. That likely will continue against the fast pace electric Warriors. Yet look for the Lakers to match the Warriors intensity from a scoring stand point. Grab the Lakers.

A losing slump for the Clippers has quickly changed course. They’ve rediscovered their offense and blew out the Nuggets last night.  Doc Rivers second unit substitution tendencies in back to back scenarios are worrisome against an explosive Warriors team. Still look for the Clippers to continue their momentum ATS. Grab LA 

The Minnesota Timberwolves talented roster has not matched their on court performance.  This was an issue temporarily resolved after Jimmy Butler was traded.  Their road woes combined with OKC playing in a back to back spot is a tricky scenario.  This is where Billy Donovan’s development of his bench is key. Grab OKC 

Tuesday the Lakers will conclude a road trip stretch that spanned six of seven games. After tonight’s matchup in Brooklyn they will not leave the state of California until January 6th. That’s motivation as the team looks to respond after an embarrassing Sunday road performance in Washington. Grab the Lakers to end Brooklyn’s five game win streak.

A young Bulls team was clearly distracted by their new interim coach’s tactics. It didn’t sit well and leaked out to the media. That brought about immense value on a small line in their last game against the Kings. Venturing on the road to Mexico City one would expect issues to further compound. Instead look for a focused Bulls team that can ease their tensions in a non-familiar NBA arena in Mexico City. Grab the Bulls. 

It appears that the Pacers guard Victor Oladipo may return to the lineup tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks. Minus Oladipo the Pacers used key contributions from their bench to win six of eight games. They’ll face a Milwaukee Bucks team that’s getting back in rhythm after a recent sporadic stretch. Look for Oladipo’s potential return to be the improper ATS enticement. Grab the Bucks.

Oddsmakers had a tough choice to make when setting tonight’s line between the Raptors and Clippers. LA is coming off an overtime victory last night against the Suns, while the Raptors are on their furthest mileage road trip of the season traveling to LA. Losers of three of four the value is on the Raptors to break out of their slump in LA. Grab Toronto. 

Steph Curry returned to the Warriors starting lineup at the tail end of the Warriors East coast road trip. It resulted in three straight wins and ATS covers for the Warriors, including a Friday nationally televised victory over the Bucks. Yet the value lies on the Timberwolves Monday as the atmosphere in the Bay Area with the team back is factored into the spread. Furthermore the Timberwolves 2-9 road record adds further dog value. Play the Timberwolves.

Aside from an overtime loss to the Wizards, the Clippers have been flawless. They’ve won eight of nine games while covering the majority of them. Tonight they’ll face a Sacramento Kings team that is coming off its second worst loss of the season, in a 133-112 home loss to the Jazz. Although they’re a young team look for the Kings to bounce back in this spot. 

One of the teams that many pegged to be a formidable team in 2018 were the Utah Jazz. Instead they’ve been inefficient and are quickly fading out of the picture in the West. Wins against struggling teams have to not be taken lightly by the Jazz going forward. Tonight’s an opportunity against a Nets team that is just 3-6 at home. Yet look for Brooklyn to eradicate the issues in blowing a win to the 76ers. Grab the Nets. 

Friday the Rockets travel to take on the Detroit Pistons which will cap a home-away mini series between the two. With the Rockets aiming for their sixth straight win it’ll be interesting to see how they begin the game. Coming off a holiday a sluggish start is possible. Yet look for the Rockets win streak to give them an edge in the second half ATS. 

Suddenly the Lakers have hit their stride and have won six of their last seven games. They’re getting high contributions in points distribution and two of their last four wins were featured nationally televised games. They’ll take on an Orlando Magic team that is very young at key positions and bench depth. Yet look for the travel factor to be an issue as well as the Lakers defense.

A small line is offered tonight between the Philadelphia 76ers and Charlotte Hornets. A prime reason for the Hornets being small favorites is their extended rest versus the 76ers playing in a back to back scenario. With the 76ers new look starting lineup one may expect value to be on them. Instead grab the Hornets who have a long standing personnel group that will be ready for the scenario. 

After losing three straight games at home the Miami Heat won decisively on the road Wednesday at Brooklyn. The Nets were adjusting to the season-ending injury of 18 PPG guard Caris LeVert. Now they’ll face a well-rested Pacers team whom has not played since Sunday. Also factored into the point spread is the Pacers recent win in Miami. Look for the extended rest of the Pacers to boost the Heat in getting back into this game and covering the number. 

The San Antonio Spurs have caused severe detraction ATS with outright losses as favorites against the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns. Both outings the defense suffered and offensively the Spurs look out of sync. Tonight they’ll face a Clippers team that has used their home dominance at 6-1 to defeat the Warriors and Bucks. Both teams are the best in their conferences which creates peak ATS value on them. Grab the Spurs as they find a way to turn the corner from their current offensive rut. 

The Celtics record does not reflect their on court production. Thanks to a five game road trip in which the Celtics lost four of five. They return home Tuesday and will face a Bulls team that’s been good against the number against teams such as the Hornets, Pacers, Rockets, and Nuggets. Yet look for the Celtics to show no mercy as Brad Stevens expects a complete game from his starters-bench. Grab Boston.

The Brooklyn Nets won three straight games including ones over the 76ers and Nuggets before faltering on the back end of their road trip. They return home Wednesday and will be without their leading scorer in Caris LeVert for the rest of the year. With the Nets deep bench rotation one would expect LeVert’s absence not to be a problem. Yet look for the Heat and Coach Spoelstra to have answers even minus Dwayne Wade. Grab Miami.

After capturing the market with a 9-1 record things have went in reverse for the young Nuggets. They’ve dropped three straight games but all were in close fashion. Two 2-point losses and a nail biter home loss to one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference in the Milwaukee Bucks. They’ll face a Rockets team that has distractions involving Carmelo Anthony and is one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA. That doesn’t bode well in altitude against the multi-scorers the Nuggets have. Yet the Rockets are digging themselves out of a hole and seem to be playing with a chip on their shoulder. Grab the Rockets. 

The Sacramento Kings have had a bit of a slide lately after starting the season 6-3. They’ve lost three of four to drop to 7-6 as the youth mix has had its trouble recently against veteran teams. Tonight look for the team to rally for the city against a Spurs team that’s catching too many points based on their recent win over the Rockets. Grab the Kings here. 

Opportune value ATS is high with small dogs with poor road records. That’s an identified exact scenario with the Philadelphia 76ers against the below .500 Miami Heat. Certainly this line may have moved to a pick or on the 76ers side as favorites with Jimmy Butler in the lineup. Catching more points now look for the 76ers to rally behind the move as their starters and second unit handle the Heat. Grab Philadelphia.

An interesting NBA Sunday matchup features two of the up and coming teams from both conferences.  Yet the Bucks have lost two of three games on their current road trip and the Nuggets have lost two straight. Add in the factor of the Bucks playing in a back to back scenario and this creates value on them. Grab the line movement shift on Milwaukee

On the year the LA Clippers have failed to win more than two games in a row. That’ll be put to the test again against a Portland Trailblazers team that has been exceptional this season. In fact they’re coming off a grandiose performance against the Milwaukee Bucks. That win was as a slim underdog and has created extra value for tonight. Grab the Clippers to play a competitive road game here. 

A nationally televised game tonight features the Timberwolves against the Lakers. On paper both teams have similar struggling records. The main difference ATS is the Timberwolves horrid road record of 0-6. During their current road trip they’ve been blown out by double digits in all. Yet look for a stronger showing tonight from the Timberwolves as they cover the number. 

After playing six of their last eight games at home the Milwaukee Bucks will venture onto the road Tuesday night. Theyll take on a 7-3 Portland Trailblazers team that has built leverage with a strong bench. This has created an interesting ATS conundrum against the strong 8-1 Bucks.  Typically the Trailblazers would have the edge but look for the size and skill set of the Bucks to give the Blazers problems.

The Detroit Pistons and Philadelphia 76ers meet for the second time this season Saturday. The earlier matchup featured a close overtime win for the Detroit Pistons. In that matchup the 76ers were without Ben Simmons. That factor plus the 76ers undefeated home record are variables to side with the underdog Pistons.

The Dallas Mavericks venture to California to take on the Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday. The Lakers continued losing is puzzling as they’ve been in the majority of their games. Now the pressure is on Lebron and his young teammates to get wins. That’s an ATS factor against a winless Mavericks team on the road. Grab Dallas.

Out the gate the Memphis Grizzlies have shown a renewed spirit. Healthy on floor veteran leadership is back with Mike Conley and Marc Gasol, and new veteran additions in Kyle Anderson and Garrett Temple are helping. Opposite tonight are the Washington Wizards whom are concluding a peculiar five game road trip. That’s the value angle as the Wizards will be prepared tonight against the Grizzlies. 

Teams in back to back scenarios Sunday and Monday are noticeably poor ATS. Oddsmakers have caught onto that and rightfully boosted the Spurs tonight. Dallas ranks near the bottom of the NBA yielding over 117 points per game and were just defeated handily on their home floor Sunday night. Yet, this is far too many points on the Spurs side as San Antonio plays their third straight home game and have double-whammy Lebron-inflation. Grab the Mavericks.

A debate amongst the best conference in the NBA is non-negotiable with the high dominance of the Western Conference. Portland’s early success against the Lakers and Spurs have improperly boosted them against Eastern Conference opponents. Although the Trailblazers are getting dynamic bench contributions from a host of players, the Pacers home court edge will prevail. Grab Indiana. 

The number ATS continues to be an issue for a Thunder team that is obviously much better than their 0-4 record. They’ll face a Phoenix Suns team that’s been blown out in three straight games including last night against the Memphis Grizzlies. With extra emphasis on the Thunder needing this win and the Suns in a back to back scenario that’s created value on the Suns.

Line movement has occurred in tonight’s Lakers vs Spurs matchup. Los Angeles has put together consecutive wins with a blowout over the Suns and a great win over the Nuggets. They’ll also get Rajon Rondo back and face a Spurs team that they had on the ropes in LA days ago. Yet look for the Spurs to showcase similar offense that they did in LA and take advantage of the Lakers recent success. Grab the Spurs. 

The Boston Celtics were on the brink of faltering to 2-3 against an ultra hungry OKC team. On the road they rallied and held a winless OKC team to another loss. Now they’ll travel to Detroit to face the undefeated Pistons where value is on the Celtics. Detroit has had a home friendly schedule with all games decided in close fashion. Grab the Celtics to hand the Pistons their first loss. 

The undefeated Bucks venture to the Western conference to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves Friday. An edge for bettors is oddsmakers dismissing the Bucks early season schedule which is common with such a small sample size. The depth of the Bucks is very underrated and will be the edge to clear a small road number to put them at 5-0.

An 0-3 Lakers team ventures to take on a young Phoenix Suns squad Wednesday. As bad as the Lakers start has been their are positives to sidestep their early season record. Even minus two key players the Lakers should have enough of an arsenal to get by a Phoenix Suns team that is coming off consecutive lopsided road losses.  

Injuries have repeated a similar pattern as last season for the Chicago Bulls. Early in the season it’s unaccustomed to see a team have as poor of a schedule as the Hornets. Wednesday marks their fourth straight road game that started in Florida and ventured to Toronto, Canada two days ago. Spotting the Hornets as a road favorite in this spot speaks to oddsmakers faith in the Hornets overcoming their road fatigue. Grab the Hornets. 

The 76ers have officially ruled Ben Simmons out for today’s matchup against the Detroit Pistons. That’s the type of value one is looking for early in the season in the NBA. Detroit’s 2-0 record have featured close tight games. A narrow three point victory over Brooklyn as well as a two point victory over Chicago. Look for the 76ers cohesiveness to pay dividends as they land the early season road victory. 

The new look Spurs were able to hang on at home against the Timberwolves to start the season. Now they’ll travel to take on a Blazers team that looked superb to open up the season against the Lakers. The depth and home court edge for the Trailblazers figures to give the Spurs problems. Yet look for the Spurs to be able to answer the Trailblazers runs and cover the number. 

The well documented struggles of the Warriors in Utah are long standing. They fall into the category of many teams that struggle with rotations in the altitude of Salt Lake City. Early in the season this figures to be a problem as the starters aren’t going to play a high volume of minutes and the bench rotation is the weakest it’s been in years for Golden State. With Utah’s vast depth there will be issues of the Warriors playing from behind. Yet this team knows how to close and I wouldn’t be surprised of a big second half run that closes the door on the Jazz. Grab Golden State. 

The New York Knicks lit up the scoreboard in their opener over the Atlanta Hawks. The blended roles of youth shined and now they’ll get the fortune of playing their second home game right up the street in Brooklyn. That’s where the value lies as the short trek to Brooklyn in New York City is an attractor on a small line. This early in the season it’s enough of an indicator to take the proper value on the Nets. Grab Brooklyn.

The Lakers moves for improvement went beyond Lebron James. They added several key veterans in Michael Beasley, Lance Stephenson, JaVale McGee, and Rajon Rondo. These additions are expected to mesh well with the Lakers young talent and their fast pace style. Yet Portland is a stout home team that will have extra motivation. They had a quick exit in last year’s playoffs in which they lost four straight to the Pelicans, but they’ll also be playing for recently passed owner Paul Allen. Grab the value on Portland to spoil Lebron’s first game in LA.

Zack sees value on the Magic for his second release of the NBA season. The Heat figure to be a top threat in the Eastern Conference but come into the regular season with injuries to several key players. Dion Waiters, Justice Winslow, James Johnson, and Wayne Ellington are all likely out. This is where their success last season with injuries creates value against them Wednesday. The Magic were the second worst Eastern Conference team last year and an in-state game figures to give the Heat the upper hand. Instead look for the Magic to show proper cohesion and get the cover on the small line. 

The Boston Celtics had one of the more impressive runs based on injuries in postseason memory last year. Now they must find a way to blend in Irving/Hayword and blend in everyone else’s roles. These chemistry issues were on full display as the Celtics struggled in pre-season. This is a factor in Tuesday’s small line against the experienced and hungry 76ers team that has revenge on their minds. Yet look for the Celtics to combat the 76ers and show they are the team to beat in the East. 

The Lakers showed last year that they take the summer league as serious as any team. They played key young talent and both rookies in Lonzo Ball/Kyle Kuzma extended minutes. The same has been showcased this year along with key young talent in Josh Hart and Alex Caruso. Still, look for the Bulls to limit the offensive explosion the Lakers showed in their debut Friday. Grab Chicago. 

A day off of rest and a new arena could be troublesome for the Memphis Grizzlies summer league team. They’ve made the trek down from Salt Lake City as they take on a Detroit team that will be looking to bounce back from a loss yesterday. Summer league play usually has teams switch the look of their rosters as days go on. This should bode to the advantage of the Pistons getting a steep plus four Saturday.

Summer league continues Saturday as the Brooklyn Nets take on the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Nets fell short on Friday as their roster was not indicative of whom they played on the floor. The big name NBA roster players are not playing which has created value against the Thunder whom lost by a point Friday. Terrance Ferguson is one of the big names that generated solid minutes with the Thunder and creates this value opportunity.

Summer league continues Saturday as the New York Knicks will host Trae Young’s Hawks. Anyone whom watched the Hawks saw Young’s struggles as his team looked out of sync. Young couldn’t buy a basket and will now face tougher defense in a bigger tournament in Las Vegas. Yet look for the Hawks to finally display a team effort as they get the cover Saturday. 

Summer league provides opportunities of value based on makeshift short term teams. Value today lies with the fact that the Denver Nuggets first round pick in Michael Porter Jr. won’t be playing throughout the summer league. This comes via a team that traded away some of their younger assets in Emmanuel Mudiay and others. Grab the value on them as slight underdogs. 

Finding value in the summer league can get tighter as days go on. The reason being is more dynamic players begin to rest and some wrap up contracts to play overseas. Yet the new Sacramento/Salt Lake schedule brings high value. One today lies with the Memphis Grizzlies as they take on the host Utah Jazz.  Both teams are coming off day one dynamite victories but look for the Grizzlies to continue to shine offensively. Grab Memphis. 

On paper the Celtics seemingly are under manned. Yet the results beg to differ as the Celtics immense depth has flourished with their youth. They’re under valued home court has dominated ATS in the playoffs with a 5-0 mark. Yet the level of offensive efficiency witnessed in game one is not a familiar scene for the Celtics. Expect the 76ers high talent to adjust appropriately. Grab Philadelphia.

Key returning stars are always hard to re-implement in the playoffs. Steph Curry’s return surely will take away minutes from bench contributors as well as shots from the first-unit. The Pelicans have gelled with their post DeMarcus Cousins roster where nearly every player knows their role. Curry’s return combined with the Warriors game one dominance has created value on the Pelicans for Tuesday.

The Thunder and Jazz series is showing what we’ve become accustomed to with superstar player led teams. A more balanced Jazz team has the arsenal and schemes to outdo the Oklahoma City Thunder. While Carmelo’s downgraded play has been the majority of the season it’s Russ and Paul George’s play that’s more troubling. Both have been held in check for stretches in this series. At home in a potential season ending game value lies on the Jazz.

Recognition of line movement in a playoff series is crucial. After a dominating game three win by the Jazz, oddsmakers curiously lowered the game four spread. It’s noteworthy and centered around the improbability of the Thunder winning the series if they sustain another loss. Expect the Thunder to be much more prepared for game four even as Billy Donovan tinkers with rotation minutes. Grab the Thunder.

Instances of chaos this season amongst the Washington Wizards players were well documented. Yet the fact of the matter is the Wizards missed Wall for key games that derailed their true seed. Games three performance seemed to give the Wizards the jolt they need. While they may not have the same dominating output look for a cash out plus the points.

At the start of the NBA playoffs few teams have shown carry over value from the regular season. One team that has are the Western Conference top-seeded Houston Rockets. Houston destroyed the number and the Timberwolves in game two as the Timberwolves could not contain Houston. Yet, today is a value spot with yet another home team. As great as the Rockets have been against the Timberwolves this is a heightened line. Grab the underdog.  

The Pelicans have now won seven straight games as they defeated Portland in games one and two on the road. Thursday’s game will put to the test both teams as it’s a quick transition of just a couple of days rest. With the Pelicans struggles in second halves this may open the door for another close finish. Yet, look for the Pelicans to continue to get just enough from role players to go along with AD and Holiday. Grab the Pelicans to secure their eighth straight win and small line cover. 

The hindered Celtics looked like the flip-seed of the Bucks in game one. Yet, they had just enough in the tank to withstand the Bucks. While the depth and skillset advantage continues to lie with the Bucks the Celtics continue to have the upper hand in coaching. Knocking two points off game one’s point spread has withered away underdog value and posed proper value on the Celtics. Grab Boston.

Utah’s run post All-Star break was truly a spectacle to watch. They went from a team at 21-28 to a post-season team in the elite Western conference. From an oddsmaker stand point today’s line has more to do with Utah’s rise and layoff. Both the Jazz and Thunder have had four full days to rest after the regular season conclusion Wednesday. It’ll be a tight game but expect the Thunder to beat the number by a mere few points.  

The Pelicans enter the playoffs as the overlooked one-man show team. In this ERA of the NBA it’s almost unheard of seeing a team reach the heights the Pelicans have with one star. Portland’s home dominance and spurts will be a dangerous combination for a Pelicans team susceptible defensively. Still the Trailblazers looked out of sync as the NBA season wound down as they lost four straight games before a win over Utah. Grab the Pelicans to come out the gate in this series and cover.

Pelicans -3.5

Tonight the Pelicans will aim to keep their playoff intensity level secure as they take on the San Antonio Spurs. Having won four games in a row put the Pelicans in the playoffs without a worry in Wednesday’s regular season conclusion. Still, look for old school coach Alvin Gentry to continue to demand a solid output as the Pelicans aim for five wins a row. Grab the Pelicans.

The Celtics blow on losing point guard Kyrie Irving for the remainder of the season is official news. Friday will be the first game that we see how the team handles the situation. Key starters in Al Horford and Jayson Tatum also won’t be playing Friday against the Bulls. That’s created drop down value on the Celtics as the Bulls have shown no signs of tanking with three straight victories. Grab the Celtics.

The Dallas Mavericks travel to face the Orlando Magic Wednesday. This is an interesting spot as the Mavericks are coming off a home win last night against Portland that concluded at 8PM PST. Travel for tonight’s game is further impacted as the Mavericks have decided to sit Dirk Nowitzki, Harrison Barnes, Dwight Powell, and Dennis Smith Jr. Still look for the Magic to showcase a bit of rust as well after a blowout win last night at Madison Square Garden. 

One of the biggest mystiques in the NBA has been the sporadic level of play of the Washington Wizards. This year they received a pass due to John Wall’s health. Now back the Wizards are devalued against the NBA’s ATS juggernaut in the Houston Rockets. In their last two games Houston has not been sharp with a narrow win against the Suns and a blowout loss to the Spurs. Look for the spread to be a factor once again and not on Houston’s side. Grab Washington. 

The assumption that Lebron can get his team to hit another gear at the tail end of the season is a fact. He’s led his Cavs/Heat teams to the title game in countless consecutive years. With just a handful of games left in the regular season this is where you’d expect a playoff intensity performance from the Cavs. Yet, the Cavs are no where near the level of play seen in recent Lebron post-season runs. With a league-wide day off Monday value has been created on the Raptors. Grab Toronto. 

With virtually identical records the Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves will square off Sunday. Where the ATS implications from oddsmakers circle around the log jam of five teams from the 4th-8th position separated by one game. The Timberwolves stout home record is voided here as the Jazz have been one of the hottest teams in the league. Grab the oddsmakers hint and play on the Jazz.  

For the first time on their road trip the Indiana Pacers will face a team that is near full strength in the LA Clippers. LA does not have a starter below 6’5 now that Danilo Gallinari is back. Yet the Pacers should be able to shake off their rusty performance against the Kings and get a hard small number cover in LA. Grab Indiana. 

Phoenix +10

A home dog of double digits is an eye opener but not with the Phoenix Suns. They continue to rest or sit out key starters while signing-starting D-League talent. It’s a scenario oddsmakers have caught onto ATS in spots. Tonight is one of those spots as the Clippers have held well ATS recently. Grab the reverse tank value line here on Phoenix.

Minus Kyrie Irving the Celtics have relied on their young roster. That has resulted in  four straight wins and three consecutive on the road. Heading to Salt Lake City will be a stiffer test as the Jazz have won 24 of their last 29 games. Still in a nationally televised game look for the Celtics to continue their surprise road efforts. Grab Boston. 

For Tuesday, will take the value on the Denver Nuggets in consecutive road games. This comes in a spot that after last night’s blowout loss to the 76ers. This also marks the sixth straight road game for the Nuggets. Toronto’s standout home record has been in reverse with two home losses in their last three. While Toronto likely will maintain a double-digit lead early look for Denver for to finish on the proper side ATS. Grab Denver.  

A winning streak is always going to catapult an ATS edge. The Spurs come into Sunday’s road matchup with a six-game win streak. The wins have been over quality teams such as the Pelicans, Timberwolves, Warriors, Wizards, and Jazz. Yet Saturday’s line move against the Bucks has more to do with the status of Giannis Antetokounmpo. Just hours before game time the line has continued to move north on the Spurs, hinting at Giannis resting another game. Either way, expect the Bucks to hold court at an irregular Sunday start time.