Tonight John Wall makes his return from injury at an appropriate time. The Wizards were not been getting the same level of contributions from Kelly Oubre Jr. and Otto Porter Jr. that were vital with Wall healthy. Memphis on the other hand has been abysmal with a roster of talent that has not blended together. Three losses in a row has created value on the road tonight in Washington. Grab Memphis.

LA Lakers +3

Consecutive road wins for the Lakers have placed a tough spread for Tuesday. The Knicks return home where they boast a 12-5 record. After an ugly loss to the Bulls the Knicks bounced back with a home win against the Hawks. Yet the young Lakers seem to be playing better away from home and growing as a team. Look for Luke Walton to continue his proper rotations and have the advantage over the Knicks. Grab the Lakers.

To become a true contender in the West the Utah Jazz must find away to win on the road. Thus far on the year they’re just 2-8 away from home. Saturday, they’ll hope to end a two-game losing streak as they travel to Milwaukee. Having won five of six the Bucks are starting to find their balance on both ends of the floor. Still, one has to rank the level of play in the Western conference appropriately. Grab the hidden value here on the Utah Jazz who would be favored if not for a poor road record.

Denver Nuggets +5

We’ll grab value on the Denver Nuggets as road dogs against the Pelicans. As a road team the Nuggets are just 3-8 overall. This includes a poor loss in their latest game against the Dallas Mavericks. In the outing the Nuggets trailed by double-digits for the majority of the game. Minus Paul Millsap and Nikola Jokic the Nuggets are missing a size/scoring combo that’s detracted their ATS value. Yet, look for the Pelicans to have a hangover performance after letting an opportunity to beat the Warriors slip away. Grab the Nuggets here. 

The Spurs find themselves as an underdog on the road against OKC. OKC has won five straight home games and will look to avenge a road loss to the Spurs. This is where the point spread has swayed to value on the Spurs. San Antonio is just 5-5 on the road while the Thunder have been stout at home at 7-3. Still, the Thunder are below .500 because of inconsistencies with their core team development. Grab the Spurs to cover here. 

The Milwaukee Bucks return home after a successful west coast road trip. During their trip they defeated the Sacramento Kings as sizable road favorites to the tune of 112-87. With the Kings having played in Chicago last night that has further elevated the point spread for tonight. Grab the value here on the Kings.

Sometimes teams can realize their depth advantage when injuries occur. The Jazz have discovered that. Minus several key starters including Rudy Gobert and Rodney Hood the Jazz have found offensive balance. After a key pull away victory last night in LA there is doubt that the lineup can hold up in a back to back situation. Instead look for the Pelicans to be the team looking ahead to their back to back scenario Saturday. Grab the Jazz to take advantage of their home court in the second half. 

The Raptors saw their four game winning streak come to a halt their last game against the Knicks. It was the first road game of their current trip that witnessed the Raptors melt away a double digit lead. I mentioned a few weeks ago that I believe Indiana is one of the early season teams that’s ATS value is higher than it should be. Youth has helped the Pacers early on, but look for teams to adjust their game plans now that their core is known. Grab the Raptors today.

A team that has looked confused with their lineup has been the Memphis Grizzlies. The loss of Mike Conley has caused disarray with Mario Chalmers and Chandler Parsons getting higher minutes. Even rookie Dillon Brooks has had to take on a higher role. Five losses in a row showcase just how much of a disarray the Grizzlies are, including three straight at home. Yet, look for their cold shooting to come to an end tonight against a poor Mavericks team. 

A team that has looked confused with their lineup has been the Memphis Grizzlies. The loss of Mike Conley has caused disarray with Mario Chalmers and Chandler Parsons getting higher minutes. Even rookie Dillon Brooks has had to take on a higher role. Five losses in a row showcase just how much of a disarray the Grizzlies are, including three straight at home. Yet, look for their cold shooting to come to an end tonight against a poor Mavericks team. 

Portland

Sacramento returns home after a dreadful road trip that featured blowout losses to the Knicks, Wizards, and Hawks. Returning home seems like a sigh of relief but oddsmakers aren’t buying it. Although the Kings are 2-3 at home, side with the Portland Trailblazers to continue to expose the porous defense of the Kings. Grab Portland. 

We’ll grab the value here on the steep underdog Bulls. OKC has started to turn the corner in their level of play and clearly outmatch the Bulls. In fact OKC dominated the Bulls just a couple of weeks ago in Chicago. Yet, expect the Bulls to dig in and play a competitive game here on the road. Grab the Bulls.

Houston -6

Tuesday, the Rockets will look to win their seventh straight game as they take on the Toronto Raptors. This is the second game of the Raptors road trip which started with a loss to the Celtics. In the loss the Raptors surrendered a steep lead to a Celtics team minus Kyrie Irving. That’s a deflating start to a road trip and one that will carry over on the road against the dynamic Rockets.

At 7-5 the Grizzlies have shown a knack for staying in games. Of their five losses three have been by five points or less. With the Bucks adjusting to life without Greg Monroe and the insertion of Eric Bledsoe, one may expect their offensive lulls to continue against a solid Grizzlies defensive team. Instead, grab the Bucks to prevail with a higher level of offensive efficiency seen recently. 

At 5-7 the Oklahoma City Thunder have undoubtedly struggled to adapt to their new big three. One area they have been impressive is cashing ATS against teams in back to back scenarios. They’ve done so against the Pacers and their latest matchup against the Clippers. With the woeful Mavericks coming off last night’s loss to Cleveland this may seem a spot to back the Thunder again. Yet, look for the sluggish Thunder to leave the door open for Dallas.

Sunday there is value on the road Miami Heat against the Detroit Pistons. Detroit has jumped out to an impressive 9-3 start which features a 6-1 home record. In fact they have not left home in November as today marks their fifth straight home game. Miami on the other hand is playing their sixth straight road game that started in California. Grab the value here on Miami.

Saturday there is attractive value on the Bucks based on their extended road trip conclusion last night. They were able to defeat the Spurs and now will take on a Lakers team that has looked woeful on their current road trip against the Wizards/Celtics. Grab a favorable number here on the Bucks who are rejuvenated with the arrival of Eric Bledsoe.

As a steep double-digit favorite Tuesday we have our eyes set on the Nuggets. This is a home-away series for the Nets who just played in one last night against the Suns. After losing at home to the Suns the Nets got revenge Monday. Yet, look for a different outcome Tuesday as the Nets surrendered a fifteen point home lead to get blown out by the Nuggets last week. Denver has the proper game plan to carry over that success against a Nets team playing in a back to back scenario. 

Tuesday we’ll look for a reversal with the Knicks recent great stretch. Having won five of their six games they’ve performed at a heighten level. Tuesday marks their fifth straight home game against a Hornets team that is just 1-4 on the road. Yet look for the Hornets to get on track after a poor outing Sunday against the Timberwolves.

Consecutive games value lies with the Timberwolves for Sunday. Having won four straight games they’ll be tested against a young Hornets team. The Hornets themselves had one three straight before a hard fought loss against the Spurs. Here look for the Timberwolves to show a veteran fortitude in a game that’ll catch attention of oddsmakers.

The Knicks are a team oddsmakers are trying to figure out. Minus Carmelo they’ve shown a new grit defensively and have reshaped their offense. Indiana on the other hand may be the early season out the gate inflated team. Ride the Knicks momentum as they topple oddsmakers adjusting value once again. 

The Jazz deep lineup should give the Rockets problems. Although Houston doesn’t have expanded depth they still have the ability to run D’Antoni’s dynamic offense to a high degree. Utah is 0-3 on the road and has had poor droughts offensively. Look for the Rockets to capitalize.

Over the years the Raptors dominance at home against the Wizards is alarming. The fact that the Wizards dropped consecutive home games is a value side for Sunday. In both losses the Wizards were exposed for lackluster defense as the Suns scored 122 and the Cavs 130. Yet look for road travels to spark the Wizards. Grab Washington.

The Bulls are coming off a two-game road trip in Florida that featured competitive affairs. After last night’s lopsided victory over the Magic they’ll make an unusual trek back to Chicago for a night game against the Pelicans. The Pelicans dynamic lineup may pose problems for the Bulls but look for Chicago’s home court edge to persevere ATS. 

Oklahoma City is in another road spot tonight against the Bucks. The Bucks length and expanded depth figures to bode a big problem for the Thunder. While it may expect the new look Thunder to take advantage of late collapses in two recent games against the Timberwolves. Grab the veteran Thunder in this spot.

The Phoenix Suns travel to Brooklyn on Tuesday as they continue their west coast trip. While the Nets did not impress Sunday as a five point underdog against the Nuggets, look for that to change tonight against the Suns. Phoenix has shown much more grit with the subtractions of former Coach Earl Watson and exit of PG Eric Bledsoe. Yet, look for the young Nets to be up for the task tonight. Grab Brooklyn.

The 1-6 Mavericks have not resembled anything remotely close to an NBA franchise to start the season. Monday, they travel to Utah whom is a very dangerous home team. After a blowout win against the Lakers as steep favorites one would expect a similar outcome here. Instead, look for the Jazz’s defense to suffer against a Mavericks team that likes to push the ball. Grab the big spread dog here. 

The Spurs have lost consecutive road games with glaring issues. Against the Magic their defense was no where to be found. Yesterday against the Pacers they showed the effects of playing with a younger team and not protecting a lead on the road. Yet I see value in a back to back spot against a Celtics team off momentum building wins against the Knicks and Bucks. Grab the Spurs as a slight dog Monday. 

The Denver Nuggets have been winless on the road but should be in a good spot Sunday in Brooklyn. They have the lineup to attack the Nets fast paced strategy and depth to hurdle road fatigue. Look for Denver to get their first road win and cover.

Washington continues their west coast trip after two an overtime loss and an up and down frenetic game against the Warriors. One would expect tired legs and not 100 percent focus after two tight games. Instead look for the Wizards veteran depth to showcase their skillset and gain an ATS cover against a Kings team drained from a loss to the Pelicans. 

Thursday the Pelicans will be without Anthony Davis as they travel to Sacramento. In a battle of 1-3 teams the plot will be on DeMarcus Cousins return to Sacramento. Though New Orleans does have an upper hand in bench depth the concern lies with minutes dispersed. Look for the Pelicans rotation to be out of sync as the Kings familiar rotation pays off at home. 

One of the strangest schedules to open a season belongs to the Atlanta Hawks. Friday, they’ll compete in their fifth straight road game to start the season against the Chicago Bulls. Though the Bulls are winless they showed a competitive spirit in their last matchup against the Cavaliers. Yet, don’t fall for the Hawks road trip trap line. Grab Atlanta.

The Utah Jazz are coming off a steep double-digit loss to the Clippers last night. The game was closer than the score indicated with a slim halftime deficit and the Jazz within a few baskets late fourth. With the Suns still in disarray as a franchise it’s not hard to see why they’re a steep underdog at home. Yet, look for the Suns to continue to rise to the occasion and get their second consecutive cover.

The Mavericks have started 0-4 and have looked like the worst team in the NBA. After a solid first half against the Warriors Monday, they unraveled for a thirty point second half loss. With Memphis undefeated off of wins against Golden State and Houston, this is a perfect spot to nab the Mavericks. Grab Dallas. 

The Timberwolves aren’t considered a super team but have the talent to contend with anyone. After a buzzer beater victory Sunday at Oklahoma City, they’ll take on the young Pacers Tuesday. Indiana has struggled defensively surrendering 119 points per game. They also have an intriguing look ahead game for Wednesday as they travel to OKC to take on their former teammate Paul George. Grab the Timberwolves here.

The Celtics injuries to Gordon Hayward and Marcus Morris has suddenly turned them into a team that has to rely heavily on youth. That furthers the burden for newcomer Kyrie Irving who is still adapting to his new setting. For the Knicks one has to wonder how they will respond from surrendering a 21-point lead Saturday to the Pistons. Expect their dreadful second half against Detroit to carry over against Boston. Grab the Celtics.

The Spurs have been a home dominant team against the Raptors. Minus Kawhi Leonard this line is severely downgraded from last year’s six to seven point range. Yet, the defensive intangibles that led to a Spur blowout are still there. Grab the Spurs to negate the Raptors superstars and start 3-0 on the season. 

During the off-season the Western Conference grew in strength. While many teams have rising youth, the Mavs are a team still led by veteran Dirk Nowitzki. Behind him is strong uncertainty that will build behind rookie Dennis Smith Jr. In an opening night matchup you would not expect a mid-point line against a talented young Hawks team. Yet, look for the Mavericks to capitalize and take advantage of a home court edge.

The Warriors come in off another NBA championship after destroying the Cavaliers in last year’s NBA Finals. There’s no doubt there destined for another run but I’m always leery in backing a champion off the bat of a season. Houston lost their on ball strong guard defender in Patrick Beverly in a trade for Chris Paul. Bringing together chemistry of two talented guards is hard to do with Paul and Harden. Yet, I like the steps the Rockets role players took last season. They’ll match the Warriors role players and get enough from Harden/Paul to cover. Grab Houston.

Monday, we'll grab the home Miami Heat as they look to bounce back from a poor showing against Brooklyn. They will take on a Charlottes Hornets team that has an extended five days of rest. The Hornets do have several key pieces in place that pushed a Dwayne Wade led Heat team to a seven game series two years ago. Still, look for the Heat to show signs of last years team ascension. Grab the Heat tonight. 

During the regular season consecutive road games at Portland and Utah are extremely tough. With the Jazz already 2-0 at home in the pre-season, Phoenix will be in for a tough test against the depth of Utah. Still, there is too much room for value on the Suns side to ignore five points. Grab the Suns. 

An unordinary position lies for the Atlanta Hawks. They’ll be on the road for their third straight pre-season game. I find value here on the home Pistons based on the Hawks standout sixteen point victory over the Cavaliers in their last game. Though the Pistons struggled defensively in their opener look for an increased level of defense tonight.

Both Brooklyn and the Heat have jumped out to 1-0 records in the pre-season. This is a series that was dominated by the Heat last season, as most teams did against the lowly Nets. Though there are new faces in the Nets starting lineup there are enough players remaining that will serve a payback performance. Grab the Nets.

Game one's take will side with the Cavaliers. A healthy Steph Curry and addition of Kevin Durant have spiked this spread based on the two past Finals. Yet, I look for two keys to stand out in game one. Quietly over the last two postseasons the Cavaliers have won by the merit of playing Golden State offense. Last post-season they shot 40% from three point range and this year a league best 44% (Five percentage points better than the Warriors). Yet the biggest key in game one hails with the Cavaliers small ball lineup. Tristan Thompson's versatility proved critical last year as he averaged ten points and ten rebounds a game last NBA Finals. Not to mention Kevin Love's natural all around game as a big. The addition of Kevin Durant was the eye-popping move but losing size with Festus Ezeli, Andrew Bogut, Harrison Barnes, and Anderson Varejao leaves the Warriors with a high dependance on Durant and Green to rebound. Grab the Cavaliers to cover game one.

Kawhi Leonard's serious ankle injury has flipped the series completely. Without him in game two the Spurs were unable to put forth any type of challenge. Dating back to game one when Leonard left in the third quarter the Spurs haven't resembled a playoff team. Yet, in game two support ATS was on the Spurs and failed miserably. Here, look for a better effort and value on a two point increase.

The Cavs came out ready and on fire in game one. With the Celtics in a must win situation this may seem like an opportune spot to grab the Celtics. Instead, look for the Cavaliers mission of excellence to continue. Proper rest is on the Cavaliers side and that will pay the difference tonight ATS.

Mistakes happened in the post-season linger. With that being said the Wizards great play through three games is bound to come to a screeching halt Sunday. While the Wizards did creep back into this series on game three, they dug themselves a hole blowing games one and two. This is where Boston can seize full control of the series and head back home for game five. Grab the value here on the Celtics off of game three's blowout loss.

There's been a little movement here ATS for good reason between the Warriors and Jazz. Golden State has dominated the first two games yet did not cover games one and two. With the Jazz strong home court ways this may be a spot to see them get back on track. Yet a veteran team like the Warriors wants to leave little room for the Jazz to have a confident surge. Look for the Warriors to make a statement here through four quarters.

Seizing control of the series was a possibility for the Wizards, but they failed to guard the perimeter in game one. Offensively they have the flow to cause problems for the Celtics, who are riding a five game playoff win streak. That's factored into tonights spread by a solid 1.5-2 points. Grab the value here on the Wizards.

After looking down and out after three games, the Raptors have switched gears and exposed the Bucks in games four and five. With the Bucks defense weakening it has regained the Raptors confidence. Yet, bettors can't over react to a lopsided game five. The Bucks at home can frustrate the Raptors into poor shots. Grab the Bucks.

Typically a veteran laden team in a mismatched series will prevail in a big way for one moment in a series. We saw that from the Grizzlies over the Spurs two nights ago. For Saturday expect more of what we saw from games one and two from the Spurs with much better defense. Grab the Spurs.

The Pacers have tested the Cavaliers for six of eight quarters in the post-season. In a do or die game this is a tricky spot for a Cavaliers team that has no new wrinkles for the Pacers to identify. Look for Indiana to cover the small number with proper scoring balance amongst their core starting five.

We've seen in the East how off the ATS number is for the eighth seed versus the one. The same can be said in the West with the top seed Warriors still showcasing reluctancy to play tenacious offense and defense for four quarters. The Blazers were fortunate to get into the post-season and have a nucleus of core talent that's hungry to develop. Grab the Trailblazers. 

Sunday, look for value on Oklahoma City's side on the road in Houston. Thunder Coach Billy Donovan comes in devalued because of a seismic shift in personnel from last season. Lost from last post-season were his brilliant in-game and game to game adjustments that curtailed Dallas, San Antonio, and nearly Golden State. Grab the Thunder to have the road defense needed to cover this number. 

Two narrow wins helped the Wizards end a three-game skid. Yet, they needed to erase a twelve point halftime deficit against the Hornets and beat an undermanned Knicks team by three points. They'll face a Heat team Saturday that is in complete desperation mode as they sit one game back of two remaining playoff spots in the Eastern conference. Still, it's hard to ignore their extended road trip as they were in Charlotte on Wednesday, Toronto Friday, and DC tonight. Grab the Wizards to hold their home edge tonight.

A two game losing streak by the Hornets has all but eliminated their chances of getting into the playoffs. Their opponent Saturday is also on a costly two-game losing streak in the Boston Celtics. Just a few days ago the Celtics were looked at as the top seed in the East, and now could be in jeopardy of slipping to the fourth seed. While the Hornets haven't shown the defense of last year's playoff team they're still one of the more dangerous offensive. Grab the Hornets to continue the Celtics end of season slide.

The Heat showed some upward signs as they defeated the Hornets in runaway fashion on Wednesday. Yet, they were coming off multiple days rest while the Hornets were playing in a back to back. Toronto on the other hand erased a steep deficit to win on the road against the Pistons. It was Kyle Lowry's return to the lineup. As the playoffs approach this may seem a spot to back the Raptors as they look to gain more momentum. Instead grab the Heat who will aim to gain in the playoff race. 

Thursday, there is value to be had on the home Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers have inserted both Justin Anderson and Timothe Cabarrot into the starting lineup as their NBA draft mindset is clear. All the while the Bulls have found themselves in the playoff hunt as they currently sit in the seventh seed. In fact, they're only two games back of the fifth seed Bucks. Yet, the Bulls are the type of team that can lose their focus for four quarters. Expect that to happen tonight as they face new faces 

Miami Heat +2

The Heat have stumbled as of late losing five of their last eight games. Wednesday's road game against the Hornets is a crucial game in the Eastern conference for playoff seeding. Both the Heat(1 game) and Hornets (2 games) are on the outside looking in as the regular season winds down. Look for the Heat to take advantage of the Hornets playing in a back to back scenario and win this game with offense versus defense.

The Clippers head to Phoenix tonight after winning in cruise control fashion on Wednesday against the Wizards. Witnessing teams rest in back to back scenarios recently may leave the window open on a steep road spread tonight. Yet, we'll still tail a Clippers team that has depth in line from several players that had to step up when the Clippers were ravaged with injuries. Grab the Clippers to tackle a Suns team that has snuck in ATS at the tail end of games recently.

The Hawks free fall has garnered seven consecutive losses. The loss of Paul Millsap indefinitely has plagued them, but they'll also be without Thabo Sefolosha and Kent Bazemore. Sunday, minus all three the Hawks last by fifteen on their home floor against the Nets. Yet, we'll grab the value here on the Hawks against a Suns team that has lost eight straight and is at the tail end of a five game road trip.

An oddsmaker number conundrum is in line for Saturday. Dallas comes off a home win as sizable dogs to the LA Clippers. On the other hand the Raptors are coming off a road win in dominant fashion against the Miami Heat as 4.5 point underdogs. Although the Raptors are twelve games ahead of the Mavericks, I'll side with their offense defeating a Raptors defense that still is makeshift post All-Star trades.

The Cavaliers continue on the road Friday against the Charlotte Hornets. Over recent years the Cavaliers have owned the Hornets with several double digit wins. Seemingly after a blowout road loss in Denver this would seem an appropriate spot to take the Cavaliers against the struggling Hornets. Instead, grab the continued road grind value against the Cavaliers. Grab the Hornets.

Post All Star break the Celtics have continued to elevate their level of play. Their rising bench play has only continued with Avery Bradley at full usage. Coming off a buy low ATS cover and dominant win over the Wizards, has created ATS value against them tonight. Indiana's demise this season has been an 11-24 road record. Yet, they're currently the sixth seed in the East and a game back for the fifth spot. Grab the Pacers as a Wednesday value play.

Brooklyn +6

The Nets struggles all season long have been well documented at 13-56. For possible playoff seeding this is a matchup that the Pistons can ill-afford to lose. Yet, I'm not going to ignore the Pistons inabilities on the road of an 11-22 record. Grab the value on the home Nets.

On the road Sunday night the Pacers were walloped by the Raptors. After receiving public/sharp support in that loss, it's always a tough spot in a back to back scenario. Yet, the Pacers are who they are, which is a poor road team ( 11-24 and above average (24-10) at home. Grab them Monday to cover against the surging Jazz. 

Sometimes winning in poor fashion is a key sign. Yesterday the Wizards protected a big lead by preserving the minutes of their key stars. The move was made in anticipation of a back to back game. Instead of anticipating the roster showing fresh legs I expect a flip result. Grab the Hornets to take care of the Wizards.

Consecutive losses by the Wizards have drawn attention to the decline side on the Wizards ATS. Furthering matters is the fact that John Wall possibly could miss with a foot injury suffered in their home loss to the Mavericks. Facing a team such as the Bulls who can score a high amount is a troubling sign. Yet, grab the Wizards who have put proper balance in line to prepare for such situations if Wall is out. Grab Washington. 

The Pacers embark on a road trip Tuesday as they travel to New York City. This is a series that the Knicks have the upper hand with two of three wins on the year. Furthermore, the Pacers haven't won consecutive games since February 6th. That's created value on a number that's much smaller than it should be. Grab Indiana in Madison Square Garden tonight.

Sunday, we'll grab the home value on the Indiana Pacers. The red-hot Miami Heat continue to gain confidence and close in on playoff positioning. After a big win yesterday against the Toronto Raptors in which the Heat were able to rest their starters in the fourth period. Still, look for the Pacers to control tempo and gain a home win tonight.

Saturday, we'll eye the Detroit Pistons at home against the New York Knicks. Over the recent weeks the Knicks have played a more disciplined brand of basketball. Coming into tonight's game with three days of rest would seem like a great spot to be refreshed on the road. Yet, the Pistons at 32 wins cannot afford a loss. Currently in the 7th seed three teams are right behind with 31 wins to bump them out of playoff position. Grab Detroit to play above their record Saturday.

Friday the new-look Toronto Raptors travel to take on an Atlanta Hawks team that survived a close scare against Brooklyn. That's created value against a Raptors team that has a 17-15 away record, and a Hawks team that's been shaky ATS for a large portion of the past month. Grab Atlanta to turn the corner and cover this small number.

Tonight we'll grab the value on OKC who has lost value by losing four consecutive games. With their main stars resting San Antonio impressed with a dominant comeback win yesterday against the Kings. Yet, we saw last year in the playoffs what kind of level Russ Westbrook can get to against the Spurs. Look for the home value edge that bettors looked for from OKC last game (Loss to Portland) to be the main story tonight.

Wednesday the Atlanta Hawks continue a home stand with their fifth game in a row. They'll take on the Nets who are a disastrous 4-27 on the road. This is also their seventh consecutive road game, which started on the west coast. Yet, we'll grab the value here on the NBA's worst team to hang around a Hawks team that's been out of sorts since trading Kyle Korver.

With the Bulls poor road record of 12-18 we're seeing an abnormal line against the .500 Detroit Pistons. Adding to the spread is Dwayne Wade missing tonight's game. Still, the Bulls are playing inspired basketball thanks to all around better play. This has been done with Jimmy Butler playing at a subpar level. Grab the value here on Chicago.

Road favorites in the NBA by a wide margin are always tricky. Sunday, we get an even trickier situation as the Celtics travel all the way to Phoenix for a road game. Still, we have an opposite of the spectrum view here. The Celtics continue to elevate their play on court, while the Suns are in clear uprooting mode. They've given minutes to Derrick Jones Jr. and Alan Williams, while not playing veterans Brandon Knight and Tyson Chandler. An extra side note is current GM Danny Ainge's past affiliation with the Suns as player/coach. Grab the Celtics.

We continue to see oddsmakers entice bettors on the Wizards. After an incredible run that lasted through All Star break, the Wizards have fallen back to Earth. Trade acquisitions to boost their team haven't helped on court yet. While Orlando is not a stalwart they're worthy of backing here as a double digit dog.

After a nationally televised record breaking win, the Cavaliers take a short trek down to Miami. Miami on the other hand faltered in a big way as 4.5 point road favorites to the Orlando Magic. Still, I'm leery here of the Cavaliers settling for three pointers tonight. We saw how dangerous that became yesterday as the Hawks erased a steep fourth quarter deficit in a quick span. Grab the Heat to reverse their fortune off of a poor loss last night.

Philadelphia was able to do enough to hold off the New York Knicks to win a game they were favored. For Saturday they'll host the Detroit Pistons, a team they blew out with a weaker lineup back in December. Detroit returned the favor though three weeks ago. Don't expect the Pistons to take the 76ers lightly here. Grab the Pistons.

A loss of Kevin Durant's extent would seem troublesome on a lengthy east coast road trip. Yet this is a Warriors team that has utilized it's depth to a better extent than years prior. Look for the Warriors to showcase to the NBA world that they're not going to miss a beat with Durant out.

The Suns have played two close games on the road post All-Star break. Surrendering a lead and losing to the Bulls in overtime, and also losing a tight one against the Bucks. Both games witnessed the Suns run out of gas with sizable leads in the third quarter. Look for that issue to lurk against a defensive minded Grizzlies team that has had immense success against the Suns. 

Tuesday, at home the Detroit Pistons look for a series sweep over the Portland Trailblazers. In Portland, the Pistons staged a heroic final minute overtime win to steal a game. Yet, they may have been where the Pistons peaked on the season. Since that moment the Pistons are 10-10 and remain far too inconsistent on both ends of the floor. Although Portland has lost seven of ten they've shown a different level of focus out the gate from All Star break. Grab the Trailblazers to keep this one close.

Not having a prime backup point guard and back line depth is starting to show severe issues for the Wizards. John Wall has had fifteen turnovers in two games post All-Star break, including nine in the Wizards loss to the Jazz. After a marginal road win by the Warriors last night in Philadelphia this may seem like a spot to back a Wizards team strong at home. Instead, grab the Warriors who will hit another gear tonight.

Sometimes a break can derail team momentum. Out of the break the Wizards lost a head scratcher to the 76ers but now return home to take on Utah. Utah is a team that has fared well on East coast road trips. They also have newfound confidence amongst their young talented players relying on All-Star Gordon Heyward. With Rodney Hood back in the lineup the Jazz should be able to challenge a Wizards team that's over achieved at home with a 24-7 record. Grab the Jazz.

The Hornets travel west after blowing a steep lead and losing in overtime to the Pistons. To make matters worse the Hornets fell just short of the number. Now they criss cross the country to take on a Kings team that over achieved in game one from the All Star break. Confidence is on the young Kings but look for the veteran core of the Hornets in Kemba Walker, Batum, etc to give the young Kings a long night.

Trade deadline acquisitions of Serge Ibaka and PJ Tucker have bolstered a needed defensive presence for the Raptors.  Boston on the other hand is coming off a road trip of five of six games. With the break at the tail end there is a likely possibility that the Celtics come out flat in the tough home building of the Raptors. Yet, teams can gain confidence when no deadline moves are made. GM Danny Ainge has perpetually added pieces but restrained this year. Look for the Celtics to showcase the confidence of a team that has a chance to go five games in front of the Raptors.

Tonight the Wizards will travel too Indiana having won seventeen of their last twenty. On February 11th they defeated the Pacers by five points falling short of the closing number of six. In fact, all three games in the series this season have been decided by six points or less. With the Pacers lineup missing Thaddeus Young and likely Lavoy Allen this figures to be a tricky spot in a back to back scenario. Star player Paul George has shown severe signs of fatigue with all three of his season low point totals coming in February with one coming last night against the Cavaliers. Instead look for Pacers star Paul George to bounce back nicely and for the Pacers to play the Wizards tight once again. 

Typically one won't see a team below .500 favored less at home than they were on the road against the same opponent. That's the case with the Pistons who were higher favorites on the road in a slim ATS victory over the Mavericks on December 14th. Adjustments to the Mavericks lineup with Seth Curry and health are main elements for the oddsmakers adjustments here. Still, the Pistons are a lethal home team especially against poor defensive teams. Grab the value on the Pistons.

Oddsmakers did a splendid job in pin-pointing a precise line in the Jazz versus Celtics first matchup, and have done so again here. In Boston, the Jazz were playing in back to back nights as a 5.5 point underdog to the Celtics. Boston pulled away late tow in 115-104. Tonight look for the Jazz to utilize their home court altitude edge to wear down 5'9 Isaiah Thomas. An added bonus here is for former Butler players in Shelvin Mack and Gordon Hayward to get a win versus their college coach.

Friday the Spurs play in their third of eight road games as they take on the Detroit Pistons. Thus far they lost by fifteen points to the Grizzlies and defeated the 76ers in a tight contest by eight points.  New balance offensively has helped ignite the Pistons in winning seven of eight home games. Yet, becoming a more potent offensive team has hurt them defensively. Grab the Spurs to have no problem matching the pace of the Pistons on Friday.

Losing Zach Lavine to a season ending injury has derailed the Timberwolves even further. They've lost consecutive games at home and just signed Lance Stephenson to a ten day contract. Meanwhile the Toronto Raptors just received All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan back from an ankle injury in their latest rout win over the Clippers. Still, the Raptors haven't been playing sharp basketball. The Timberwolves have enough offense to hang in this one on their home floor.

We'll jump in here with money being bought down on the Wizards side from 8.5 to 7. Seemingly the sudden out of no where momentum from the Wizards has caught bettors/oddsmakers off guard. Records aside the Wizards are playing the best basketball in the Eastern conference as they're currently a third seed. Tonight, the edge on a sizable number should come via the Pelicans inconsistent interior play. While the guard play has been terrific the balance alongside Anthony Davis just isn't there (Where they miss R Anderson). Solomon Hill has been the biggest free agent bust (Yes, ahead of Evan Turner), Terrence Jones has peaked his last ten games, Dante Cunningham is at the end of the line of a solid career after being undrafted, and Motiejunas team chemistry isn't there. An added bonus points wise should come via Markieff Morris after his twin brother Marcus poured in a career high 36 points last night for Detroit.

The Pacers look to continue momentum of a four game win streak as they travel to Brooklyn Friday. Indiana has won eleven of their last fifteen thanks to Nate McMillan's proper lineup adjustments. Former starter Monta Ellis now comes off the bench with equally important young forward Glenn Robinson III. On a nightly basis teams typically count on a sixth man spark in the form of a guard, but the Pacers do so with big man Al Jefferson. Jefferson's averaging 8.6 points per game in just under fifteen minutes. While the Pacers lost game two this year in Brooklyn as six point favorites, this is a team with newfound chemistry from the starting five to the first five off the bench. Steep road favorites have poured it on in Brooklyn but don't be surprised if the Pacers impress at an elite level.

Suddenly the Miami Heat have won seven straight games. During the streak one of their more difficult wins came against the Nets. Down eighteen points the Heat needed a miraculous fourth quarter to pull out the victory. The nature of the win may look attractive to ride the dog tonight with a near double digit line. In fact, the Nets have scored an average of 110 points over their last nine games(Including a recent eight point loss in Cleveland). Still, look for the Heat to to dictate this game with the same defense they showcased in their fourth quarter comeback win days ago in Brooklyn. Grab the Heat.

In a quick turn around the Suns will aim to get payback against a Nuggets squad that's defeated them twice this season. Dating back to last year the Nuggets have defeated the Suns four games in a row. Still, the Suns offensively have been receiving additional points from the bench and bottom end starters. With the Nuggets shootout mentality on a nightly basis, look for the Suns scoring depth to payoff Saturday.

Perhaps no team has been less talked about that has had to endure a complete overhaul from last season than Atlanta. The Hawks traded away Shelvin Mack, lost Al Horford/Jeff Teague in the off-season, and recently traded Kyle Korver. Korver's lost presence is a bigger void than anticipated, as the Hawks have found themselves in steep early deficits recently against the 76ers, Bulls twice, and were blown out by the Pistons and Clippers. Grab the momentum of the Wizards to take care of business Friday.

Since Stan Van Gundy received a vote of confidence, not only has he coached better but his team has performed at an elite level. The return of Reggie Bullock from injury has provided the team with the necessary forward play missing. Sacramento did fall just short against the Bulls in their last matchup, but tonight are running into a team with higher confidence. Grab the Pistons

Earlier this season we nabbed an early Sunday morning blowout win with the Hawks in Philadelphia. Now the tide turns as both teams are playing in back to back nights. With Philadelphia coming back to defeat Portland, one has to wonder what energy they have left. They'll also be without big man Joel Embiid. Meanwhile Atlanta in a blowout spot nearly let the Bulls back in with a 21 point fourth quarter disadvantage. Look for Atlanta to carry over the lackluster finish and for Philadelphia to cover this time around.

It's always difficult for a team to go right back on the road. That's the case with the Bulls as they lost their lone home game sandwiched in between against the Mavericks. Compounding decreased value on them is the fact that the Hawks were obliterated in their latest game a road loss to the Pistons. Still, I like the Bulls to get back on track here. They played a methodical game in their last outing against the Mavericks but were still in a winnable position. Grab Chicago.

The Raptors just have not been able to get back into proper flow since their extended west coast trip. It may be until the All-Star break that they get refreshed completely. Yet, I like the value on them for Friday at Charlotte. The Hornets themselves have lost a step after a five consecutive losses on the road. Don't be fooled by their twenty-two point win against the Trailblazers on Wednesday.