NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets -2 or -2.5 @ Miami @ 8:30 ET - The Nuggets are 3-0 SU the last 3 times they have entered a game off a loss by 6 or less points. Given that straight up (SU) trend as well as the fact the line here is only 2 or 2.5, I do not have any hesitation in laying the points in this bounce back spot for Denver. Note that they outrebounded the Heat in the Game 2 loss. They also led the game by 8 points entering the 4th quarter. The fact the Nuggets fell short as a result of getting outplayed in that 4th quarter on their home floor will only strengthen their resolve here. The Nuggets were outscored by 18 points from beyond the arc in that game and it was the difference maker. The fact the Heat knocked down about 50 percent of threes and hit 17 of them while Denver hit 11 means that the final score would have been Nuggets by 15 if you take the threes out of the equation. Of course you can not do that and I had the Heat in Game 2 on the MONEY LINE as an outright +300 winner and expected them to respond big Sunday. However, I now expect Denver to make adjustments too and they respond here and get the road win. Note that Denver is 7-0 SU when they allow 100 or more points in their prior game. Nuggets D up here and the big road win by 3 or more. 10* DENVER -2 or -2.5

NBA Sunday Miami Heat Money Line +300 @ Denver Nuggets @ 8 ET - For those of you that prefer taking the points of course you can do that instead if you wish (currently +8.5 is out there) but I am going with the +300 on the money line here. Note that Miami saw Martin, Strus and Robinson combine for 2 of 23 from the field Thursday. The Heat also had only 2 free throw attempts in the game. Miami also saw Jimmy Butler score just 13 points. All of these insane numbers and yet the Heat still won the game. Wait, you are telling me Denver won and not Miami? Well technically you are 100% correct but the fact is Miami won the game from the field despite those numbers above. Indeed the Nuggets scored 14 more points than the Heat from the free throw line. This means that Miami (104-93 losers in Game 1) actually won the game by 3 points from the field. When I look at this series I feel certain that the Nuggets can win at Miami and the Heat can win at Denver. The Heat will respond here and are very well coached (admittedly Denver is too) and I could see the Nuggets getting caught feeling a little too good about themselves after the way Game 1 went. In further support of this pick and in terms of having the guts to take a +300 money line, note that the Heat are 9-0 SU (STRAIGHT UP) the last 9 times they have entered a game off a loss by a margin of a dozen or less points. The points are a generous offer here for sure but we won't need them so I am going for a triple your money wager here. Take the Heat on the money line as this streak reaches 10 in a row! MIAMI +300

NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Miami Heat +9 @ Denver Nuggets @ 8:30 ET - I really like both these teams. Guys who follow me closely know I rode both the Nuggets and Heat heavily in the conference finals. That said, I got the match-up I wanted and I feel we have a solid competitive balance here. Certainly the Nuggets are the stronger overall team and deserve this heavy line generally speaking but Miami is a very good team. Also, this is not a normal situation here either. Rest is a good thing but too much rest can lead to rust. That is an issue here for Denver. There already is a normal automatic layoff between the conference finals and the NBA finals. That said, the fact the Heat / Celtics series went 7 games did not necessarily hurt them entering this series. It could hurt them if this series goes deep but early on it actually is an advantage that Miami could be more game ready here considering the fact that the Nuggets have not played since Monday. No not the Monday of THIS week but the Monday of LAST week. So a weak and a half later Denver is taking the floor again finally for a real game. Nothing compares to real game action no matter how much you practice. So the point is Denver is likely rusty enough that the Heat can take advantage early on in this one. I still think Nuggets find a way to win this one but I do not think they win this by double digits. Grab the big points here. MIAMI +9

NBA Monday Miami Heat Money Line +250 @ Boston Celtics @ 8:30 ET - For those of you that prefer taking the points of course you can do that instead if you wish (currently some +7.5 is out there) but I am going with the +250 on the money line here. First off, Boston is trying to do something that has never been done in terms of coming all the way back from down 3-0 in an NBA series to win 4 straight and take the series. Secondly, the Heat are so well-coached and have a huge experience edge with Spoelstra over Mazzulla as I have mentioned in my prior write-ups. Thirdly and, for me, a huge key here is a look inside that Game 6 boxscore in the thriller that Boston won by just a single point on a late tap-in. Note that the Big 3 of Boston - Brown, Smart, Tatum - totaled 78 points and shot a respectable 24 of 53 from the field. Conversely, the Big 3 of Miami - Butler, Adebayo, Vincent - totaled only 50 on disastrous 15 of 55 shooting from the field. Look at those numbers again. Look at the final score again. I am telling you straight up that I will actually be SHOCKED, given all of the above, if the Heat do NOT pull off what the public would perceive as a SHOCKER and win this game OUTRIGHT! Seriously, I am not exaggerating here. Given the number above the Heat should have lost by at least 20 points in that last game and they did not as they were 0.1 seconds from an outright win. That says a lot. I am confident in Spoelstra and in Butler and the fact they will bounce back here after the horrible shooting in Game 6. Grab the points if you want but my play is on the outright money line winner. MIAMI +250

NBA Saturday 10* Top Play Miami Heat +3 vs Boston Celtics @ 8:30 ET - I just can not see Gabe Vincent missing this game. The Heat know a win tonight is critical. Vincent was able to take Game 5 off because of the situation but now in Game 6, and considering the injury is not major, I feel strongly that he will be back. Even if he is not, I look for Jimmy Butler to have a much better game on his home floor. He and all of the Heat players should bounce back. They have been so strong this year when at home and off a loss. Miami is 17-4 the last 21 times they have entered a home game coming off a loss. This includes a perfect 8-0 the last 8 times! This is a SU record but, of course, any SU win tonight is also an ATS win for the Heat as they are catching 3 points here. So the system fits and we will not hesitate to back it. Also, Boston is 0-6 the last 6 times they have entered a road game on a winning streak of 2 or more games. So this is a double perfect spot as both these team trends are also perfect in this post-season. Indeed I am expecting the outright win here but I will grab the points just in case the Heat fall just short but I am looking for a major response here at home and the long-term numbers in this situation certainly support that. MIAMI +3

NBA Thursday Miami Heat +8.5 vs Boston Celtics @ 8:30 ET - I did have Boston in Game 4 and expected Celtic pride to rise up and avoid the sweep. However, as I mentioned in that write-up I sill expect Miami to end up winning this series. Even if that does not happen, I do expect them to stay inside this inflated number. The Heat are up 3-1 in this series. Now, because Boston finally got a win but is down 3-1 and returning home and has a 34-year old coach and first beat a Hawks team that did not even have a winning record in the regular season and then beat a Sixers team that is softer than a paper towel and plays without true hunger and passion more often than not...now, because of all that, this Celtics team is supposed to blowout Miami in Game 5? I am not buying any of this for one second! The fact is the Heat have been fantastic in this post-season, playing with a ton of confidence, winning games with hustle and heart, playing with passion, and they are coached by Erik Spoelstra who will be coaching his 177th PLAYOFF GAME - all with the Heat. Compare this to Mazzulla who just coached his first ever season in the NBA. I know Boston won Game 4 by 15 in Miami but the Celtics outscored the Heat by 30 points from 3-point land as they were hot from downtown while Miami struggled to hit from deep. I did like the fact that the Heat resumed being the stronger rebounding team in Game 4 and I expect more of the same here. Miami has only had one losing streak (3 games) since early March as when they have entered a game off a standalone loss they have won the next game 8 of 9 times including all 3 times in this post-season. Even if they do not win outright here, look for them to get at least th cover and yes I am aware of the questionable status of guard Gabe Vincent but this team has battled through injuries all post-season. MIAMI +8.5

NBA Tuesday Boston Celtics +2 @ Miami Heat @ 8:30 ET - Even though I have been on Miami throughout this series and do expect them to win the series eventually. I don't see that happening tonight. The Celtics actually had 98 field goal attempts compared to 81 for the Heat in Game 3 on Sunday. Boston was done in by poor shooting and the fact that Miami shot lights out. That said, the value is with the Celtics here in desperation mode. The Heat have the coaching edge big-time in this match-up but Boston has a very talented cast and they can will this team to victory if they want it bad enough. I think this Celtics team absolutely does want to win this one for pride and to get one more home in at least as this would send the series back to Boston for Game 5. Note that the Celtics made just 26% of threes Sunday while the Heat knocked down 54%. That was your game right there. Rebounds were 57 to 35 in favor of Boston plus a crazy 21 to 1 edge for the Celtics in terms of offensive rebounds. So some of the hustle stats were there for the C's Sunday and odds in terms of regression to the mean certainly would suggest that Miami regresses in Game 4 while the Celtics improve from the floor in Game 4. BOSTON +2

NBA Monday Denver Nuggets +3.5 @ Los Angeles Lakers @ 8:30 ET - All the pressure on the Lakers here. Nuggets would be okay if there was a game 5 in Denver. LA will not see a Game 5 unless they win tonight. Lakers have not handled the pressure well so far in this series and I like the fact that Nuggets won Game 3 despite Jokic scoring "only" 24 points. This says a lot about how strong this Denver team is and they also got outrebounded in that game. So when you combine all those factors with the fact we can get 3.5 points here with a Nuggets team that has won 5 straight games and 11 of 14 in this post-season, you have value on your side with this one. The Lakers have lost 3 straight of course and are just 7-7 last 14 games in this post-season. Also one of their round two wins came by just 3 points and one of their round one wins came in OT. We have a lot of value here in a game the Nuggets could win outright but also could cash for us even with a SU loss as this could be a tight finish. Keep in mind, the Lakers biggest lead in Game 3 here in LA was 2 points while the Nuggets led by as many as 14. The visitors just have too much for the hosts here. DENVER +3.5

NBA Sunday Miami Heat +3.5 vs Boston Celtics @ 8:30 ET - The Heat are up 2-0 in this series. Now, because Boston is down 0-2 and has a 34-year old coach and first beat a Hawks team that did not even have a winning record in the regular season and then beat a Sixers team that is softer than a paper towel and plays without true hunger and passion more often than not...now, because of all that, this Celtics team is supposed to go down to Miami and turn all this around in one game? I am not buying any of this for one second! The fact is the Heat are 5-0 at home in this post-season, playing with a ton of confidence, winning games with hustle and heart, playing with passion, and they are coached by Erik Spoelstra who will be coaching his 175th PLAYOFF GAME - all with the Heat. Compare this to Mazzulla who just coached his first ever season in the NBA. Considering all of the above factors I do like the Heat to go up 3-0 in this series but the money line is only in the +135 range and, in a case like this, considering I can get 3.5 points with the underdog, I am going to side with the points rather than the money line in case Miami falls just short. But look for the Heat to get the job done yet again as they win their 8th straight home dating back to a loss in way back in late March. MIAMI +3.5

NBA Saturday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets +6 @ Los Angeles Lakers @ 8:30 ET - Much is being made of the Lakers returning home and how they are now going to respond and that everything will be okay in La-La Land. I beg to differ! The most recent home game for the Lakers saw them allow 103 field goal attempts (they had just 75) in the 122-101 game that eliminated the Warriors from the post-season. Golden State lost that game for one key reason and that was simply horrible shooting overall including from 3-point land. The home game before that saw the Lakers go 20 of 20 from the line while the Warriors had just 9 free throw attempts. Even with that the Lakers won the game by just 3 points. That said, and with knowledge the free throw disparity between the Nuggets and Lakers will NOT be the same here (Lakers 62 to 26 edge in FT attempts in last 2 home games of series with GSW). Denver has looked very strong so far in this series and remember their 3 post-season defeats have come by 5 and 6 and 7 points and one of those was in OT. This team getting 6 points against a team they are clearly superior to especially when you consider the Nuggets have NO pressure here makes them a VERY dangerous dog in this spot. All the pressure is on the Lakers. The underdog has a great shot at the upset here but certainly the Nuggets should at least do enough for the cover the way I see this one unfolding! 10* DENVER +6

NBA Friday Miami Heat +9 @ Boston Celtics @ 8:30 ET - Boston might bounce back and win this game but I am still going to challenge them to win big after we rode Miami in game one to a solid outright upset win. The fact is the Celtics got past a mediocre Atlanta team and a dysfunctional soft weak 76ers team to get to this point. They are facing a real team now in Miami that is also so well coached. The fact is the Celtics are coached by 34 year-old Mazzulla and I think this is the series where his lack of high-level experience is finally going to be exploited. The Hawks did not have the talent to beat this Celtics team. The 76ers did not have the heart or the coaching ability (yes Doc Rivers deserved blame too) to get past Boston as the talent went to waste. This Heat team has talent and hunger and an X-factor in Jimmy Butler as he continues to be playoff Jimmy in this post-season. More of the same here. Give me the points against a Boston team that is 8-10 SU last 18 home games. This team can't even win a good percentage of home games come playoff time let alone cover a double digit spread. Grab the big points as the Heat have played 12 post-season games thus far and only 1 was a loss by a double digit margin. MIAMI +9

NBA Thursday Denver Nuggets -5.5 vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 8:30 ET - This is just a typical contrarian play for me. The zig zag theory is in effect here because when the markets zig I prefer to zag. The point being that most will be backing the Lakers here after they fell just short in Game 1 and so most will be looking at the underdog as that is the traditional zig zag approach. However, what I see in this game is that Denver is going to be a very tough match-up for the Lakers and the Nuggets also will have proven to have learned their lesson from Game 1. What I mean by this is that they let the Lakers get back into the game late as Denver blew a massive and comfortable lead they had for much of the game. The Nuggets will not make the same mistake twice and I look for them to win this one big by double digits. DENVER -5.5

NBA Wednesday Miami Heat +8.5 @ Boston Celtics @ 8:30 ET - The Celtics were gift-wrapped this appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals. They faced a Hawks team that barely made the playoffs. Then they faced a 76ers team that has a guy by the name of Embiid that should return his MVP Trophy and the NBA should reissue it to Jokic. The 76ers Embiid and Harden - to lose those final two games and put the stat lines together they had - is absolutely inexcusable. You did not see heart, you did not see effort, you did not see the heart of a champion. Jimmy Butler has that heart and he is the leader of this team. Even battling through injuries they have made it this far because they are also well-coached unlike Doc Rivers running a 3-ring circus in Philly. The point is that this Boston team is not what they used to be, not the same team they were when Brad Stevens was patrolling the sidelines rather than sitting in the front office. They simply ran into a Philly team that has so much talent but was poorly coached and did not show heart and fortitude. Simply put, the Sixers are a joke. The reason that has so much to do with this play is because now Boston runs into a true foe that can battle them all over the floor. Yes they have injuries but these guys play hard and they are gamers and the energy is infectious all over the floor. So the Heat are going to battle hard. I am not saying they win this game or win this series but the Celtics are about to face something they have not yet faced in this post-season. A team that is talented AND well-coached AND scrappy AND hard-working. The Heat have it all and they will be in this game to the final minute the way I see it. Give me these huge points. MIAMI +8.5

NBA Tuesday Denver Nuggets -6 vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 8:30 ET - Game 6 of the Lakers prior series they were hosting Golden State. Take a look at this: Warriors 103, Lakers 75. Now, of course we all know this was not the final score or else there would have been a Game 7 at Golden State and the Lakers would not even be here. But the point is the Lakers won Game 6 despite the Warriors having 28 more FG attempts. Yes LA got to the line a ton but the biggest problem was the Warriors shot horribly from the field. That is not happening here with this Lakers opponent. The Nuggets are rested and ready and are strong. Jamaal Murray is on the injury report as questionable with illness but we also saw that in the final game of the series with the Suns. The fact is that Denver has won 8 of 11 post-season games and 7 of the 8 wins have come by a margin of at least 9 points. The Nuggets are so strong at home and the Lakers 4 post-season losses have all come by double digits and this one will too. DENVER -6

NBA Sunday Philadelphia 76ers Money Line +230 @ Boston Celtics @ 3:30 ET - The Celtics have home court here so they are practically being handed their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals by most pundits. However, the road team is actually 7-2 SU in Boston's last 9 games. So you might think that stat is just because the Celtics are so strong on the road but it is NOT just that. Boston has actually lost 3 of last 4 home playoff games. Also, the Celtics are only at .500 (straight up!) in their last 20 home post-season games! That said, the ability to get even BETTER than 2 to 1 odds on the Sixers to surprise in this game is just too good to pass up! Many think Philly only goes as Harden goes. However, the 76ers won Game 5 by DOUBLE DIGITS despite Harden making only 4 field goals and just 1 from deep! He did not have a big scoring game yet Philly won the game big and that was here in Boston. Embiid dominated, Maxey had a huge game, Harris was solid in that one and Harden was good but not spectacular. All these guys are capable of stepping up again. Embiid is capable of taking over in this game if he puts his mind to it. Harden could take over and have a massive game and that would make a Sixers win even more likely. but even if Harden does not, I point to the most recent Philly win in this series and that was here in Boston. A key here is confidence and the Sixers have already won here twice in this series. All the pressure is on the Celtics as they are expected to win at home. We all know what often happens when a team is expected to win and they are harboring all the pressure. I look for a loose and relaxed and confident Philly team to shock everyone and get the outright win here! Not only is Boston 1-3 SU last 4 home games, the 76ers are 6-1 SU last 7 road games. They have traveled well and they do it again here. No points needed, the Sixers win this outright. PHILADELPHIA +230

NBA Friday New York Knicks +6.5 @ Miami Heat @ 7:30 ET - Waiting has paid off as this line is all the way up to a 6.5 on this one. The Knicks could have closed shop in Game 5 and headed to the golf course but they proved they are hungry and are not done yet. With a win tonight Game 7 is in New York. Wouldn't that be nice? Yes it would and we all saw what the Celtics did at Philly last night in a similar situation. No the Knicks are not the Celtics but the Heat are certainly not the Sixers either! The point is that an outright upset would not surprise me at all here and yet we have 6.5 points to work with here. I'll take it. Two of the Knicks losses in this series have been by single digits and their confidence is back after winning game 5 at home. Jimmy Butler is the best player on the floor for sure but the Knicks have shown they have other players who will step up for them for sure and they are hungry here and will be scrappy on the road after the locker-room incident they had here in Game 4. They want tonight to be different and they have the horses to get it done! NEW YORK KNICKS +6.5

NBA Tuesday Philadelphia 76ers +7.5 @ Boston Celtics @ 7:30 ET - This one is all about the line value. The series is tied 2-2. Each team has won on the other teams home floor. Yet home floor is of course a factor in the lines. That said, this is big value with the big points here. The Sixers got that huge win in Game 4 as the Game 1 Harden showed up again and simply would not let Philly lose. Of course if the Sixers lost that game they were likely finished as they would have been down 3-1 and would have had to win twice in Boston. They were very close to being in a nearly impossible situation. However, oftentimes one key break like this can lead to a domino effect and now the 76ers could shock here. They have confidence and they have momentum and here we can have a lot of value because of the 7.5 points. We do not need Philly to win outright to cash our ticket and yet the fact is they already won here once and this Celtics team is not as strong as recent seasons. The Sixers have really closed the gap on Boston - finally - and this could be the year they finally get past their nemesis. This year is definitely different as the Celtics won the most recent playoff series by a combined 8 games to 1 but that was with Brad Stevens as their head coach. Now it is 34-year old Joe Mazzulla. The Sixers might find a way tonight for the SU but, either way, I am not expecting much of a margin in this game and this one should down to the wire. Yes I know Embiid is questionable but I can't see him missing a game of this magnitude. PHILADELPHIA +7.5

NBA Sunday Philadelphia 76ers +3 vs Boston Celtics @ 3:30 ET - This is it for Philly for all intents and purposes. If they lose this game they are down 3 games to 1 and would have to win twice at Boston to win this series. Basically this game is about as must-win as it gets without truly being an elimination game. Now, of course, just because a team needs to win does not mean it will win. However, the motivation and hunger and desire and home court edge all are with Philadelphia in this one. Also, a nice angle supports this play as Philly enters this game off B2B losses after winning 5 straight games to open up the post-season. Note that you have to go all the way back to October to find the last time Philly entered a home game off consecutive losses and did not win the game. Indeed, from late October onward, the 76ers are a PERFECT 5-0 SU when they are at home and are entering the game on a losing streak of at least 2 games. Those 5 wins were by an average margin of 11 points per game and all 5 of them were by at least 8 points. However, the money line on this game is only in the +120 range and we can get as much as +3 with the spread currently so I am going to suggest grabbing the points just in case Philly falls just short here. However, I absolutely expect they are going to get another win here and improve to 6-0 SU in this situation! PHILADELPHIA +3

NBA Wednesday Philadelphia 76ers +10 @ Boston Celtics @ 8 ET - When I played Philly in Game One I definitely did not expect them to win outright. However, now that they did this really has everyone lining up on Boston here. In the traditional zig-zag theory of handicapping, when the markets zig I like to zag. So, the point is, this is a bit of a contrarian play but I am confident the 76ers will stay within this inflated number here. The Celtics have not been the same team defensively recently as evident in the Hawks series. Also, as mentioned in my Game One write-up: the 76ers are without Embiid most likely in Game 2 of this series. However, they did play well without him this season. Also, getting double digits is a lot of points when you are a team as strong as Philadelphia is. The Sixers also still have a big rest edge here as they quickly dispatched of the Nets. Remember that also including winning the clinching Game 4 at Brooklyn and without Embiid. The Celtics, on the other hand, had to fight hard to get past Atlanta. The Hawks were scrappy with Boston in the first round. I am not saying Philly wins this outright of course. But I am saying they have enough edges to keep this margin single digits throughout the match-up. This should be quite a battle as the Sixers are better than people realize even when Embiid is not on the floor. So I am sure Harden will not have such a big game in this one like he did in Game One but others are certainly capable of huge performances too. This team about much more than just Embiid. Also, the Celtics never led Game One by more than 12 points. Just so much value with the big points here the way I see it. 10* PHILADELPHIA +10

NBA Tuesday Miami Heat +6.5 @ New York Knicks @ 7:30 ET - This is too many points the way I see it. The Heat have Jimmy Butler listed as questionable for this one but I see no way he will not play here. Also, the Knicks do have Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson both listed as questionable on their report. It is not like New York is 100 percent healthy. As for Miami they have been missing guys for awhile and yet still others have stepped up and I look for them to continue to do. I grabbed the money line in Game 1 of this series in Miami's upset and was happy to get the bigger payback but this time I feel the Knicks might scratch out a tight win and so the value is with the points in this one. As I mentioned in my Game 1 write-up, "The Knicks just beat Cleveland. However, the Cavaliers had not even been in the playoffs for 5 years. Now New York faces a real playoff team. The Heat are in the post-season for the 4th straight year. They have been to the NBA Finals once and the Conference Finals twice in the past 3 seasons alone. They just beat a Bucks team that not only had a fantastic regular season, they have a great recent playoff reputation as well with 7 straight playoff appearances and also a recent NBA Championship. The Heat lost guys to injury and it did not matter. The key is that it was NOT just about Jimmy Butler either. Yes he is the star but other guys have stepped up. If these guys can beat the Bucks and score on them like they did, you know the Knicks are going to have to really amp up their offensive game to have a chance in this series. New York averaged 100 ppg in the 5 games of the series with the Cavs." All of the above considered, getting about a half-dozen points to work with here is a great value for us. MIAMI +6.5

NBA Monday Philadelphia 76ers +10.5 @ Boston Celtics @ 7:30 ET - 76ers are without Embiid most likely in Game 1 of this series. However, they did play well without him this season. Also, getting double digits is a lot of points when you are a team as strong as Philadelphia is. The Sixers also have a big rest edge here as they quickly dispatched of the Nets. Remember that also including winning the clinching Game 4 at Brooklyn and without Embiid. The Celtics, on the other hand, had to fight hard to get past Atlanta. The Hawks were scrappy with Boston in the first round. I am not saying Philly wins this outright of course. But I am saying they have enough edges to keep this margin single digits throughout the match-up. This should be quite a battle as the Sixers are better than people realize even when Embiid is not on the floor. 10* PHILADELPHIA +10.5

NBA Friday Sacramento Kings +7.5 @ Golden State Warriors @ 8 ET - Line moving toward Golden State at home, of course. I am grabbing the value on the other side of the move. The Kings still believe and with one win they send this series back to Sacramento for Game 7. There has been one blowout in this series. The other 4 games have been decided by an average margin of 4.8 points. The Kings are 8-2 SU the last 10 times they have entered a game on a losing streak of at least two games. Not only is that impressive, we do not need a SU win to get the cash in this case. We also have 7.5 points to work with. I like our chances! SACRAMENTO +7.5

NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks +7 vs Boston Celtics @ 8:30 ET - Some might look and say there is no way the Hawks have a chance here because it was a Trae Young miracle in Game 5. While certainly his feats were ultra-impressive, the fact is that the Hawks played an all-around great game. The rest of the team shot 14 of 28 from distance plus contributed 81 points and played good clean basketball by limiting turnovers. This was on the road AT Boston. So I am not saying the Hawks will win this game outright but I do feel we have excellent line value here with the big points at home and the fact that Atlanta has shown they will not quit in this series. The Hawks home record this season is nearly identical to the Celtics road record this season and expecting Game 6 to go to the wire is really not asking too much here. This game could go either way late the way I see it so having the 7 points on your side is a huge benefit. 10* ATLANTA +7

NBA Wednesday Minnesota Timberwolves +8.5 - The Wolves did not just lose Game One at Denver, they got completely embarrassed. An unbelievable 109 to 80 loss for Minny in the first game will also bring an equally unbelievable focus from the losers of Game One. Of course the Nuggets are still the better team overall but this is one of those games where it is all about who wants it more. I am not saying that Minnesota will win this outright, though that would not be a total surprise either, but I am saying they should get at least the cover in this one. Remember when they lost at LA against the Lakers in the play-in round everyone thought the T-wolves were finished. They responded by blasting OKC by 25 points. We will see a response from the Wolves here. MINNESOTA +8.5

NBA Monday Philadelphia 76ers -10 vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:30 ET - The 76ers never trailed in Game 1. They led the game by as many as 25 points and won the game by 20 points. The scary thing for Brooklyn is that the Nets shot 56% from the field and 45% from 3-point land and yet still got destroyed. Part of the problem was turnovers for Brooklyn but Philly had 14 steals in the game so it is not like it was all on the Nets. The fact is that Philadelphia was able to create an uncomfortable environment for Brooklyn in that one and I expect more of the same here. Keep in mind, Philly won every single quarter.  The Nets were outscored by at least 3 points in each of the 4 quarters. The Sixers bench also dominated Brooklyn's subs when you compare that aspect of the game as well. Top notch talent, depth, overall team quality...the 76ers have it all in this match-up and they prove that again Monday. I am never too fond of laying big numbers but it is again justified here. PHILADELPHIA -10

NBA Sunday Phoenix Suns -7.5 vs Los Angeles Clippers @ 8 ET - The Suns will have Kevin Durant for this game. The Clippers will not have Paul George. Phoenix also is at home. I also do expect Cameron Payne to play for Phoenix here as he has been dealing with lower back soreness but the time off should have helped him. If he does not go, Landry Shamet should do just fine with the extra minutes he'll get. The Clippers will really miss George. He is a key contributor for them including averaging 23.8 ppg just like Kawhi Leonard. Suns were 28-13 at home this season and Clippers basically a .500 team on the road. I also like the fact that LA was just 20-27 against teams with a winning record this season. They basically padded their record big time against bad teams. It is playoff time now and the Suns come ready at home here and should win this game by double digits. Suns had 28 wins by double digits this season and Clippers had 21 losses by double digit margins. This looks like another one. Big win for the home team in this one as I know the road team took all 4 regular season meetings between these teams but the entire set-up and injury situation is different here with this playoff game. PHOENIX -7.5

NBA Sunday Milwaukee Bucks -9 vs Miami Heat @ 5:30 ET - The Heat had to play 2 games just to get here. The Bucks are rested and ready and at home. I know this is a big number but I expect Milwaukee to show no mercy here. Keep in mind, the Heat struggled on the road this season and the Bucks are so strong at home. Also, they do not want to give Miami any sense of hope in this one. I look for Milwaukee to jump on them and then keep the hammer down. Note that the Bucks were 32-9 at home this season. Overall, on the season, they won 30 games by at least 10 points and I look for one of those types of big wins here in this one. The Heat are off a win versus the Bulls but outscored Chicago by 17 points at the free throw line. Of course they are not going to have that kind of edge here on the road at Milwaukee like they did at home against the Bulls. The home team won all 4 meetings between these teams this season and Miami's backcourt still banged up and I certainly don't expect Strus to score 31 again like he did against Chicago! Healthy and rested this one is home dominance. MILWAUKEE -9

NBA Saturday Atlanta Hawks +9.5 @ Boston Celtics @ 3:30 ET - The Celtics are a fantastic team that also creates match-up problems for the Hawks. However, in this post-season match-up I am going to challenge Boston to win the first game by double digits. If there was one game where Atlanta could do something a little different and surprise then I would say this would be it. The Hawks can shake some things up, give the Celtics some different looks, tweak a few things that would make Boston uncomfortable. I would say the Celtics still respond and prevail and get the SU win here but not the ATS cover. I look for the Hawks to surprise. Atlanta's win by double digits at Miami now looks more impressive after the way the Heat took care of the Bulls last night in the finale of the play-in round. Also, if you look at the entirety of this season, Atlanta was rarely blown out. This is particularly true since Thanksgiving which, of course, we as a very long time ago. There are just not many double digit losses for the Hawks over the past nearly 5 months. Also, in the last meaningful match-up between the teams, so NOT the regular season finale, the Celtics did win by 9 points and the game was AT Atlanta. However, Boston outscored the Hawks by 30 points from 3 point land! Yes the Celtics shot lights out and made 20 threes compared to just 10 for Atlanta. That means not including the 3-ball, Atlanta won the game by 21 points. And in the first meeting, the Celtics won by 25 at Atlanta but outscored the Hawks by 42 points from 3-point land as they made 14 more threes! It is pretty amazing how hot Boston was in both games and certainly Hawks not known for defense but you can see why this has resulted in some extra value baked into this line and I feel Atlanta is absolutely going to D up more in this one as playoff time has arrived. Play ATLANTA +9.5

Saturday NBA Philadelphia 76ers -8.5 vs Brooklyn Nets @ 1 ET - The Nets just don't have the horses to compete with a loaded and healthy Sixers team that could win it all this season. The 76ers will want to establish their superiority early in this series and they won all 4 games against Brooklyn this season including dominating them in the season finale. Keep in mind they beat them by 9 at home earlier this season and that was when the Nets had Durant, Irving, and Simmons all on the floor. Durant now in Phoenix, Irving in Dallas, and Simmons recovering from injury as per usual with him. I know Brooklyn has other guys but this team just can not match up well with Philly and I look for Sixers to roll big at home here. Keep in in mind that 9-point win earlier this season saw the Sixers without Embiid and Harden and yet Philly still won big. Depth, bench play, home court, starting five prowess...all the edges to Sixers in this one. PHILADELPHIA -8.5

NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Utah Jazz +16.5 @ Los Angeles Lakers @ 3:40 ET - So this game is priced this way because the Lakers have some motivation to win. However, 4 of the Lakers top 5 scorers on the injury report. Even if those guys, including LeBron and Davis, play here I have a very important question to ask? What would happen if the Lakers - already guaranteed of being involved in at least the play-in round - have a late double digit lead and keep guys like LeBron and Davis on the floor and one of them gets a season-ending injury? That can't happen, right? Exactly! That is why I love the big points here because the Jazz rested a bunch of guys versus Denver because they are dealing with some injury issues too but Utah rallied for the win. Yes, that game was at home and the Nuggets rested starters in the 4th quarter of that one. However, the point is that Utah just would not quit. They played hard and their coach has whoever is on the floor playing hard for him. This Jazz team is still playing competitive basketball and while that will not mean a SU win here I do feel an ATS cover is in the cards for the big dog here. Lakers have to be careful about injuries here and the Jazz do not as their season is over anyway. They will continue to compete hard here just like they showed against the Nuggets. Also, this is game #82 of the season of course and the Jazz have had only FIVE losses ALL SEASON by more than 16 points! 10* UTAH +16.5

NBA Friday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks -9.5 vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:40 ET - The Sixers will not play Embiid tonight. Even though he played last night, Embiid was part of an embarrassing home loss for Philly versus the Heat. You can sense that maybe the 76ers do not care so much if they get the #3 or #4 see as the Cavs are nipping at their heels but Philadelphia is playing soft. The Hawks will not play soft here. This game is very important for Atlanta based on playoff implications and the Hawks have been going strong for awhile and that continues here. Atlanta has won 3 straight overall and also 6 of last 7 home games. Also, each of last two Hawks wins have been by 18 points and 4 of last 6 Atlanta wins have been by at least 13 points. Each of last two losses (and 3 of last 4) for Philadelphia have been by 13 points. So I know this line is big but don't let it scare you away. The Sixers last 5 losses by an average margin of 15 points. 10* ATLANTA -9.5

NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -4 vs Miami Heat @ 7:30 ET - The 76ers are virtually (but not yet) locked into the #3 seed for the playoffs. With a win here they can lock it up and this is Philly's final home game of the regular season. So I know they are off the big win versus the Celtics and they wanted that game badly, but they have an upcoming two game road trip on deck. That ends their regular season and is against a couple of playoff teams that could also be motivated to win. That said, I think Philly wants to lock things up tonight and then get some rest. They dominated Miami the last time they faced them and can do so again here. The Heat are 5-11 last 16 road games and 2 of those wins were recent ones against the lowly Pistons. Also, another of the wins was against another non-playoff team. That said, Miami certainly has not shown a knack for winning on the road and I look for the Sixers to lock up the #3 seed with a solid win tonight. The last 5 losses for the Heat all by 9 or more points and the average margin of defeat was 14.4 points. More of the same on tap here. 10* PHILADELPHIA -4

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks -10.5 vs Washington Wizards @ 7:40 ET - The Wizards are done and eliminated from the playoff contention and not even playing half their guys including their stars. I am not fond of laying big points but I sense a complete blowout here from a Hawks side that needs to keep winning and will surely show no mercy here at home against a divisional foe. Washington has lost 13 of 17 games. They got hammered again last night while the Hawks got a big win at Chicago last night. Atlanta has had some recent tight home wins over playoff-level teams (each by 2 points) but this was preceded by 5 of last 7 home wins coming by at least 13 points and I am expecting another big blowout home win here. Keep in mind they did not have Trae Young or De'Andre Hunter last night in the win at Chicago. Either or both could return here. Even if they do not, I like our chances with the Hawks as they will still have a lot more firepower on the floor then a Wizards team that has quit on the season. 10* ATLANTA -10.5

NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -2 vs Boston Celtics @ 8 ET - This is a crucial game for the 76ers as the Celtics always seem to have their number. The Sixers really need to get a win over Boston before the post-season and this is their last chance after losing each of the first 3 meetings of the regular season. Look for Philly to take advantage of Robert Williams being out for this game and Jaylen Brown not quite at 100% (and might not even play as a result). The Sixers are the healthier team and get the big win here. 10* PHILADELPHIA -2

NBA Sunday Atlanta Hawks -3 vs Dallas Mavericks @ 6:10 ET -  The Hawks are at home off a loss and that is a situation that has seen them go 7-2 the last 9. Atlanta just lost by double digits at Brooklyn and the Hawks should be aggressive and focused in this one as a result. I like Atlanta to bounce back here at home as they host a Mavericks team that is really out of sorts right now. Dallas has now lost 6 of last 7 games and 15 of last 21 as they plummet in the standings. Making matters worse for the Mavs here is the fact that this is a B2B spot. Taking a look at the other side of this equation, the Hawks are still in a key must-win situation as they need to improve their position in the standings and make sure they get into the post-season and they will surely go strong here at home. Note that Dallas has been solid at home but actually is 10 games below .500 on the road with an ugly 15-25 record. I have no hesitation here with investing in the Hawks off an ugly road loss to bounce back big at home. ATLANTA -3

NBA Friday Philadelphia 76ers -5.5 vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:10 ET - Raptors are motivated to win and that is keeping this line low. The key is that the Sixers have not locked in their playoff position just yet either so they will continue to be motivated for seeding purposes. Then you must factor that Philly is at home. Note that the Raptors have been awful on the road. Not only 12-24 on the season away from home, Toronto has lost 6 of last 7 away from home! The only win came in overtime and the 6 losses featured 5 by at least a 7 point margin. The average margin of the 6 defeats was 11 points and that sounds about right here. The 76ers are getting healthier again and are at home here and they have won 26 of last 33 home games. Their last 9 home wins have come by an average margin of 10 points and this should be another solid home win here as they take advantage of the Raptors road struggles. PHILADELPHIA -5.5

NBA Wednesday Philadelphia 76ers -4 vs Dallas Mavericks @ 7:40 ET - The 76ers have lost 3 straight games for just the 3rd time this season. They have NEVER lost 4 straight games this season. Also, Harden has been out for a few games but I would not be surprised to see him back tonight. Additionally, Embiid missed the game against Denver Monday but now with extra rest and the fact he is in the MVP race, I feel certain he will be back for this game. Either way, I do like the Sixers here at home as Dallas has been struggling quite a bit of late. The Mavericks are off win but this followed a 5-13 stretch for Dallas as the losses keep piling up including 7 of 9 games being defeats prior to the win at Indiana. The Mavericks beat the 76ers the last time these teams met in Dallas and that was in early March so the Sixers surely have not forgotten this and will be out for revenge here. Irving and Doncic each had 40+ points in that game and the Mavs still barely won the game. Of course that says a lot and I like the odds that Philly again responds and avoids what would be a 4th straight loss for the first time this season. PHILADELPHIA -4

NBA Tuesday Atlanta Hawks +1.5 vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:40 ET - The Hawks are at home off a loss and that is a situation that has seen them go 6-2 the last 8. I like Atlanta to bounce back here at home as the host team has won both meetings between these teams this season and both wins were by double digit margins. The Cavaliers have won 6 of 8 games but the 6 wins included 4 against teams that are currently not in a playoff or play-in position while the other 2 wins came against a struggling Nets team that is a shell of its former self. The Hawks are still in a key position and need to improve their position in the standings and will go strong here at home. Note that Cleveland has been great at home but actually is a below .500 team on the road and I love the Hawks here off a loss to bounce back. ATLANTA +1.5

NBA Monday Minnesota Timberwolves +5 @ Sacramento Kings @ 10:10 ET - The Timberwolves in a back to back spot but they have a critical position in the standings and have won 3 straight games and have Karl-Anthony Towns back and I just do not see them slowing down here. Their roll should continue. Also, De'Aaron Fox is still dealing with a hamstring injury for the Kings too. The Sacramento point guard is a key player and may not be 100% here if he is even able to go. The Kings are off B2B wins but this was preceded by B2B losses and this team has allowed 124 ppg last 5 games. No matter who is on the floor here, I like the defensive intensity and overall defensive intensity the Wolves brought to the game at Golden State last night and feel there were will be some carryover here to this game. Also, great value with having the points here. If you look at Sacramento's last 4 losses, 3 of them were very tight. One by just 2 points, one in OT and one in double-overtime. Yes, the Kings are motivated to win here too as they are still looking to lock up a playoff spot officially but T-wolves already took 2 of the 3 meetings this season and the only Sacramento win was in overtime. Grab the points. MINNESOTA +5

NBA Saturday Indiana Pacers +9.5 @ Atlanta Hawks @ 5:10 ET - The Pacers lost by 25 at Boston last night but actually won the game by 17 points inside the arc. Why do I say that? Because the Celtics outscored Indiana by 42 points from three point land! Boston made 18 threes while the Pacers were an uncharacteristic 4 of 26 from three point land. That is unlikely to be repeated here plus Indiana got Haliburton back last night and might have Duarte back this evening. Either way, I like the Pacers here catching big points after last night's unusual results. Prior to last night's blowout loss due to disparate 3-point shooting results, Indiana had won 8 of 14 and 3 of the 6 losses were by 6 or less points. As you can see, a lot of value here with Pacers catching big points. The Hawks have only 2 wins by more than 8 points in last 13 games! Great value with the big points here! INDIANA +9.5

NBA Tuesday Los Angeles Clippers -6.5 vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 10:40 ET - Both teams off a win that followed a loss but the real key here the way I see it is that this is a double revenge spot for the Clippers. LA lost both games against the Thunder this season but both of those meetings were in Oklahoma City. Now they finally get a chance at home facing OKC. The Thunder are 13-21 in road games this season and are just 2-4 SU last 6 road games and one of those wins was against a horrible Spurs team. That said, you can see the value we have with the home team here. Also, the last 6 losses for the Thunder have come by an average margin of 13 points per defeat. The Clippers have won 5 of 6 and the average margin of victory has been about 10 points. Look for this double-revenge spot to result in a home win by a double digit margin. LA CLIPPERS -6.5

NBA Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -7.5 vs Chicago Bulls @ 7:10 ET - The 76ers have won 8 straight games. They also have revenge here from a home loss to the Bulls in early January. Not only did Philly lose that game, Chicago got the better of them by a double digit margin. This will be a payback game! The Sixers are on a 36-10 run and Embiid missed that 14 point loss to the Bulls. Looking at Philly's last 46 games they had only one loss by a bigger margin than that one. In other words, the 76ers have not forgotten and you know Embiid will be ready to lead the way here for the Sixers to get some payback. Chicago has been playing well of late but let's not forget they are just 13-21 SU in road games this season. Also, the Bulls average margin of defeat last 14 games is 9 and I am looking for a double digit loss here as Philly wants to return the favor for what Chicago did to them the last time they met here. These teams meet again in Chicago on Wednesday so the Bulls have the full focus and attention of the Sixers here and the result should be a home blowout by a double digit margin. 10* PHILADELPHIA -7.5

NBA Sunday Milwaukee Bucks -8 vs Toronto Raptors @ 8:10 ET - Bucks are off a loss. Raptors have won 3 straight but all those games were at home for Toronto. The Raptors have not traveled well at all this season. Milwaukee has been fantastic off a loss for months now. That said, this is the ideal spot to the lay the points with a home team poised to win this by at least a dozen points. In their recent loss to the Pacers, the Bucks saw Indiana come back from double digit 3rd quarter deficit. But it was all because the Pacers shot lights out from 3 point land. It was a crazy performance as Indiana simply would not miss from outside. For the game, the Pacers outscored the Bucks by 33 points from 3-point land. As you would guess, that was the difference in the game. But, after one like that, you know Milwaukee is going to be hungry to bounce back here. The Bucks are 7-1 last 8 times when off a loss. 16 of Bucks last 21 wins by at least 8 points. The home team has been the winner in 12 of last 14 Raptors games. Toronto's last 5 losses have featured 4 by at least 8 points. Given the situation and the Raptors road struggles, I sense a bounce back blowout from a well-rested Bucks team as they have had since Thursday night to stew about the loss and get fired up for this game. MILWAUKEE -8

NBA Friday Atlanta Hawks -4 vs Golden State Warriors @ 7:40 ET - The Warriors have been horrible on the road this season. The Hawks are solid at home. Golden State will be without the suspended Draymond Green for this one. Additionally, GS could be without Steph Curry due to a left thumb injury. Even if he plays, Curry just scored 50 points at LA against the Clippers and the Warriors still lost the game by 8 points. That is ridiculous but it shows you just how mediocre this GS team is these days. Atlanta takes advantage. The Hawks are off B2B losses but are 6-0 SU the last 6 times they have entered a game off B2B losses. Also, 4 of the last 5 of those wins in that situation came by a margin of at least 5 points. Considering all the Warriors issues right now, this one should too. ATLANTA -4

NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets +1.5 @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:40 ET - These teams recently met in Denver and the Nuggets won that game. However, they have since lost 3 straight games. That has some significance here for sure because Denver has never lost 4 straight games this entire season. Also, the Nuggets have been on the road on a losing streak of at least 2 games just 2 times this entire season. Both times they won the next game and I expect that trend to continue here as they remain perfect in this situation and avoid what would be their first 4-game losing streak of the season. I expect Jamal Murray to play here. I am aware of his injury but feel he did not return in the most recent game more due to precautionary reasoning than anything else. Looking to avoid their longest losing streak of the season, Nuggets likely to put Murray back on the floor tonight. Either way, they should topple a Raptors team that also has struggled of late and, long-term has been struggling much more than this solid Nuggets team. Denver had won 4 straight and 12 of 15 before their current 3-game skid. Toronto, on the other hand, is just 12-12 last 24 games and has essentially been only a mediocre team this season. 10* DENVER +1.5

NBA Monday 10* Top Play Minnesota Timberwolves +5.5 @ Atlanta Hawks @ 7:40 ET - Bogdan Bogdanovic is questionable with a back injury and will not be 100 percent if he even does play in this game. I know Rudy Gobert is on the report as questionable for the Wolves but I would be very surprised if he did not play here. Either way, I like Minny in this solid scheduling spot. Timberwolves are coming off an OT loss and are 2-0 this season when off an OT loss and they are rested here. Minnesota is also actually 5-0 last 5 times they are entering a game off a loss by 7 or less points. Atlanta is off a loss so you might be thinking bounce back for them here too. But couple things about that. The Hawks gave up 134 points in that loss. Also, they have had very few standalone losses of late. The fact is when Atlanta is off win and then loses a game it has often been followed by a 2nd straight loss. Indeed, this has happened 5 of the last 6 times and I expect it to happen again here but we will grab the points as added insurance too. 10* MINNESOTA +5.5

NBA Saturday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics -4.5 @ Atlanta Hawks @ 7:40 ET - So the Celtics are off a big home win Wednesday that ended a 3-games losing streak and now need to start another winning streak and they have had two days off prior to this game and start a 7-game road trip. They are fully focused, given the situation, on a very successful road trip and that should begin with taking advantage of a fatigued - mentally and physically - Hawks team. Atlanta not only is in a B2B spot but they are playing 3rd game in 4 days and those 2 wins were over a Wizards team that was right behind them in the division standings. Put another way, if Wizards had won both those games instead of Hawks, Washington would now be in front of Atlanta in the standings instead of it being the other way around. That said, the series in over the Wiz not only fatigued the Hawks physically but perhaps mentally too. 10* BOSTON -4.5

NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Golden State Warriors -2.5 @ Memphis Grizzlies @ 7:30 ET - These teams do not like each other. This insures that both teams are certainly motivated to win this game and you absolutely can not say that about many NBA regular season games especially in today's NBA of guys sitting out games or even taking games off, so to speak, when they are actually playing in those games! So the point is we have the motivation factor working for both teams in this one. What does that all mean here? It means Warriors should win this game in a road rout. They are the healthier team and the Grizzlies are a mess right now because of the combined injury situation and then the Ja Morant situation off the court. The fact Morant is still out and this team has been distracted by everything going on plus the fact this team is still without a couple key contributors (Adams still out and role player Clarke lost for the season Friday), this Memphis team could get blown out here even though they are at home. Steph Curry now back for the Warriors but Golden State is fired up coming off B2B losses. The Grizzlies have lost 13 of 20 games overall. The Warriors are 8-2 the last 10 times they have entered a game on a losing streak of 2 or more games. Lay the short number here. 10* GOLDEN STATE -2.5

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks -3 @ Washington Wizards @ 7:10 ET - The Wizards are off a win yesterday but it was at Detroit. Not only are the Pistons a bad team, it was also a road game for Washington and then they had to travel back to DC for this game. Prior to that win, the Wizards had lost 8 of 14 games. Now they face a Hawks team in the first of B2B games here versus Atlanta. The set-up for this first game certainly favors the Hawks as they have the rest edge and I like the fact they are off B2B losses. Note that Atlanta is 5-0 SU the last 5 times they have entered a game on a losing streak and all 5 of those wins by at least 3 points and, in fact, the games averaged 13 point margin of victory. The Hawks also lost to the Wizards about a week ago in Snyder's first game as head coach and Atlanta blew a 4th quarter lead in that one. In other words, there is plenty of extra motivation in this revenge divisional game. 10* ATLANTA -3

NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Minnesota Timberwolves +1.5 vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:30 ET - Both Tobias Harris and PJ Tucker could be back for this game after missing last night's game at Indiana. But, overall, how much can the Sixers have left in the tank after going all out in a 147 to 143 win over the Pacers last night. This is a tough back to back spot for Philly and prior to B2B high-scoring wins over the Bucks (miracle comeback win in 4th quarter) and Pacers, the 76ers had lost 3 of 5 overall and also 3 of 5 road games. So this B2B road spot is sure to be a tough one for Philadelphia and they are facing a Timberwolves team that has won 3 straight games. Those 3 Wolves wins were on the road too and now they are back home and have a rest edge over the Sixers. Minny did lose their last 2 home games so you know they want to make this one count! They get it done here! 10* MINNESOTA +1.5

NBA Monday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers -3.5 vs Boston Celtics @ 7:10 ET - This is a very tough spot for Boston. The Celtics are off a loss in double OT versus the Knicks yesterday. They had 4 guys play 44 minutes or more. This was the equivalent roughly of 4 guys playing a full normal regulation game of 48 minutes. Then Boston struggled with a couple of reserves in that played fewer minutes. Hauser had a +/- of -16 in 20 minutes and Muscala was -9 in 12 minutes on the floor. The point is that, considering tired legs here and some unimpressive bench play, the Celtics likely to struggle badly at Cleveland here. The Cavaliers are hosting a Boston team that is now 4-4 last 8 games. Cleveland has revenge for a 4 point loss at Boston last week. The Cavaliers have won 11 of last 14 home games and are 27-7 as a host on the season. Each of last 15 Cavs wins have been by 8 or more points so there is no hesitation in laying the big points here. Average margin of win was 16 points in these 15 wins. This one, considering Boston's double OT back to back situation, sets up well to be another home blowout for the Cavaliers. 10* CLEVELAND -3.5

NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks -4.5 @ Washington Wizards @ 7:40 ET - Playing a strong team off a loss is always something worth looking at. But not all situations merit a play nor are all situations created equal. That said, this is a great one and I will not hesitate to get involved here. The Bucks just saw their 16-game losing streak come to an end last night. However, the key is how it happened. Milwaukee was up by 14 heading to the 4th quarter and then got outscored 48 to 31 in the final stanza. The 76ers just could not miss in that fourth quarter as they were seemingly making everything. Giannis Antetokounmpo and company are fired up now and want to bounce right back after letting a 4th quarter double digit lead slip away. Also, 17 of the last 19 Bucks wins have been by 6 or more points. Washington is off a home OT loss and actually has lost 7 of last 12 home games. So the fact Wizards are at home here is not a big help necessarily and plus they are in a B2B spot just like the Bucks. That said, I am backing the angry road favorite here. 10* MILWAUKEE -4.5

NBA Saturday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks +2.5 @ Miami Heat @ 8:10 ET - Both teams in a B2B but like a few key factors with Hawks here. Atlanta had a solid win and got to rest guys some as the game went on. Also, the Hawks have revenge here from a loss to Miami in most recent game. The Heat, on the other hand, really pushed hard in last night's game and it was a tight finish that also had a rough ending for them. Miami gave up a last second 3 pointer to lose the game and that is a tough one to bounce back from especially in a B2B and facing a revenge-minded division rival. The Hawks got their first win since the coaching change after losing the first game with coach Snyder. Look for them to build off that here after knocking off the Trail Blazers convincingly last night. 10* ATLANTA +2.5

NBA Friday 10* Top Play Phoenix Suns -5.5 @ Chicago Bulls @ 8:10 ET - It has only just begun. Kevin Durant made his debut for the Suns and now look for things to continue to build off that victory by a double digit margin at Charlotte. This Suns team is stacked and they take on a Bulls team that is off a win but that had lost 7 of 9 games before that victory. Also, that Chicago win came against a very bad Pistons team. Also, the other two wins were against another team (Wizards) with a losing record plus a Nets team that has been an absolute train wreck of late. All that said, the Bulls likely in trouble here against a very strong Suns team. Phoenix is ready to make a major move now with a revamped roster while Chicago is an ugly 6-13 this season in games against teams from the Western Conference. Also this line has moved down to a 5.5 and 6 of last 7 Bulls losses have been by a margin of 6 or more points. Look for another one here to fall into that category. 10* PHOENIX -5.5

NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks -2.5 vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:30 ET - This line has moved toward Philly from its opener and I do understand that for sure because Dallas has lost B2B games and 5 of 6 and is still trying to adjust since the trade for Irving. However, the 76ers are in a very tough B2B spot here as they just a big revenging win at Miami last night. Look for Philly to fall flat here in the 2nd game of the B2B. I know Embiid missed last night so he will play tonight most likely but I still like the Mavericks here to get back on track. Dallas off B2B tight losses including one in which they blew a 27 point lead to the Lakers. There will be no quit in the rested Mavericks tonight as they play for just the 2nd time this week. For the Sixers, this is 2nd game of B2B and 3rd game in 4 nights situation. 10* DALLAS -2.5

NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks -7 vs Indiana Pacers @ 8:40 ET - While he is not a star, Maxi Kleber is a solid role player for the Mavs and could be back for this one. That may not seem like a big deal but, believe it or not, Dallas is 9-1 SU last 10 home games and he has played in and the only loss was to the big, bad Bucks. In other words, his presence helps. Of course the big story now is Irving being paired with Doncic and this pairing will continue to get stronger together. Also, Dallas is off a loss here and in bounce back mode. At the same time, Indiana is off a win so I really like the set up here. Hungry home team facing a Pacers team that has not record back to back wins since early January! The Mavericks are 11-3 SU this season when at home off a loss and Indiana had lost 17 of 20 prior to the big win at Orlando. Laying the reasonable number on the home team in this spot should prove well worth it in a game that has the makings of a rout at home by double digits. 10* DALLAS -7

NBA Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -5.5 vs Miami Heat @ 7:10 ET - The 76ers are off a loss. Win Philly is coming off a loss and wins their next game, 11 of those 12 wins have been by at least 8 points! So, the point is, if you like the Sixers to win this game, don't hesitate to lay the points! Certainly I do like Philadelphia to win this game as they are a perfect 6-0 SU the last 6 times they were at home and coming off a loss! All 6 of those wins have been by at least 9 points too! Here they are catching a Miami team that has lost 4 straight games overall plus is horrible 2-7 SU last 9 road games. Last but certainly not least here is the fact that this is the first time these teams have met since the Heat ended the Sixers season last year! Indeed, the 76ers season ended right here in mid-May in Philly when Miami got the final win for a 4-2 series victory in the post-season. Payback time has finally arrived. 76ers in a home blowout rout. 10* PHILADELPHIA -5.5

NBA Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers +1.5 vs Boston Celtics @ 8:40 ET - This is a tremendous revenge spot. Revenge is absolutely overplayed in sports betting but there are certain cases that are ultra strong, like this one, compared to just a normal revenge spot. Not only have the Sixers lost both games this season to the Celtics, this will be the first meeting in Philly between these long-time rivals since last February. What happened in that 457th meeting one year ago? It was the WORST EVER loss for a team in this rivalry that has had over 450 meetings through the many years. The Sixers got beat 135 to 87 on their HOME floor! That is the kind of defeat not easily forgotten and I fully expect Philadelphia to do everything they can to finally get some long-awaited payback here. Note that Sixers enter this game having won 27 of 34 games including 5 in a row. Not only 5 straight wins overall but also 5 straight home wins. Boston is off B2B wins but, prior to that, the Celtics had gone just 6-5 last 11 games. This is the right spot for the Celtics to lose a game and the red-hot Sixers to get some home-cooked revenge! 10* PHILADELPHIA 76ers +1.5

NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -3 vs Memphis Grizzlies @ 7:30 ET - The Grizzlies still without big man Steven Adams and sure could use him here against the Sixers. That said, Memphis is only 4-9 last 13 games and they have gone 11-17 in road games this season. Philadelphia is 23-8 in home games and laying a small number here at home and I feel we have great line value after the downward line move on this one as it opened up around a 5 and has fallen to around a 3 as of late morning gameday. Philly has won 26 of 33 games and gets the cash again here with the SU win covering the small spread in this one. 10* PHILADELPHIA -3

NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Washington Wizards +3.5 @ Minnesota Timberwolves @ 8:10 ET - The Wizards got Kuzma back from injury and he had a huge game in a big Washington win in their most recent game. The Wizards have now won 3 of 4 games and are heating up at the right time. Gobert and Anderson are questionable for the Timberwolves heading into this one. Minnesota is at home and a very small favorite so don't let this "tricky line" fool you. Washington is 5 games below .500 on the road this season while Minny is 8 games over .500 in home games this season yet the Wolves are hardly favored here. Looks easy, right? Exactly! Don't be fooled. The Wizards are surging and are the play here as they are also the healthier team here. The Timberwolves also off a big win at Dallas and are 0-4 the last 4 times they were off a win. They have not won back to back games since last month and I look for that trend to continue here. 10* WASHINGTON +3.5

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -2 vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:40 ET - The 76ers have played 56 games so far this season. That means the 82-game season is more than 2/3 of the way complete and, in this final game before the week-long "mid"-season All-Star break, the Sixers have a chance at big-time revenge. This not just any revenge, this is a big one! The worst game the 76ers have had all season long out of all 56 games is a 28-point defeat at Cleveland way back on the final day of November. No other margin of defeat for the Sixers this season eclipses the half-way mark of that drubbing as their 2nd worst loss margin is 14 points this season. So, the fact is the Sixers have not forgotten that loss and the fact the Cavs shot 60% from the field overall and 50% from three-point land while Philly could not throw it in the ocean that night! It was just one of those nights but what better way to head into the break than with this glorious revenge opportunity? For sure Cleveland is a strong team and for sure the Cavaliers are not going to be push-overs here but the fact is this revenge-minded Sixers team will prove to be the hungrier team. The Cavs started the season 4-1 on the road but they have since gone 9-15 SU in road games! Philly started the season 1-4 at home but they have since gone 21-4 in home games! I have plenty of respect for this Cavaliers team but given this home/road dichotomy and the low line here and the big-time revenge factor, I am all over the 76ers in this one. 10* PHILADELPHIA -2

NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Orlando Magic +6.5 or +7 @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:40 ET - This is a high value spot for the Magic. They are off the radar of many because they do not have an overly impressive overall record plus have struggled on the road this season SU. But there is a lot of ATS value in a road spot like this with Orlando. The Magic are "only" 9-8 SU last 17 games but 5 of those 8 defeats were by 5 or less points! That means that, at +6 or more, Orlando would be 14-3 ATS last 17 games! That is why I feel we have exceptional line value here as the Magic just do not get blown out often. Also, if you look at the Raptors, they are 8-8 SU last 16 game but 4 of those 8 wins by 6 or less points! So at the -6.5 or -7 current line as of very early gameday morning, Toronto would be an ugly 4-12 ATS last 16 games! Grab the road dog here as the ultra-competitive Magic should be in this one all the way and, if they do fall short, look for it to be by just a bucket or two! 10* ORLANDO +6.5 or +7

Sunday NBA Top Play Memphis Grizzlies +4.5 @ Boston Celtics @ 2:10 ET - Memphis has not been good on the road this season. Boston has been great at home this season. So what gives? Well the fact is this line is priced this way because the Celtics are without Brown and Smart. Those are a pair of key guys that are a big part of the success in Boston. Of course this is still a solid team even without them on the floor. But I am looking for Ja Morant and company to get it done here. Yes the line looks "funny" to most but do not let it fool you. Great upset potential here as the Grizzlies have been getting adjusted to life without Adams for a bit and are off B2B wins and I look for them to keep it rolling here. If they do fall short, look for it to be by just a bucket so the value here is with the points in a big way the way I see it. 10* MEMPHIS +4.5

NBA Saturday 10* Top Play New York Knicks -5 vs Utah Jazz @ 7:40 ET - Great situational spot in my opinion as both teams are in a B2B but Knicks are at home and played yesterday in nearby Philly while the Jazz are on the road and were in Toronto last night. The big key here is the situational aspect as New York led the Sixers last night going to the 4th quarter but then lost by double digits. Also, the Jazz were down by double digits against the Raptors heading to the 4th quarter last night but then rallied for the win. Love this as a flat spot for Utah and an extremely hungry spot for the Knicks. 10* NEW YORK -5

NBA Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -5 vs New York Knicks @ 7 ET - The Sixers get their revenge here. I do expect Embiid, seemingly a constant on the injury report, to play in this one tonight but would still make this bet even without him. Philly is off B2B road losses and they are 3-0 the last 3 times this season that they have been at home and off consecutive losses. Not only were both losses on the road, they just faced a tough Celtics team in Boston and this was after blowing a 21 point lead in their prior game which was (you guessed it!) at New York. So here they are seeking revenge on the Knicks and they are at home and they are off B2B losses and they catch the Knicks off B2B wins! When Philly lost at New York it had a lot to do with a rare poor shooting night. The Sixers will bounce back here at home where they have been so hot for so long! As for the Knicks, they are off those B2B wins but had lost 7 of 10 overall before that. Also, New York had lost 3 of last 4 road games before getting the big win at Orlando after knocking off the 76ers at home. The Sixers will be "Raining Threes" tonight and the Knicks luck runs out here. Yes they just beat the Magic by 4 at Orlando but they outscored them by 27 points from three point land! In other words, inside the arc in that game the Magic won it by 23 points! Great spot for Philly revenge here. 10* PHILADELPHIA -5

NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks -4 vs Phoenix Suns @ 7:40 ET - As a result of the blockbuster trade between Nets and Suns with Phoenix acquiring Kevin Durant in the deal but losing Johnson and Bridges, the Suns are going to be very short-handed for this game tonight. That is why a line that opened up around a pick'em has shot up to the -4 range and even as high as the -6 range as of very early gameday morning. I am looking for the Hawks to roll big here as the Suns just do not have enough talent to put on the floor in this game to match Trae Young and Atlanta. Keep in mind, the Suns barely beat the Nets at Brooklyn earlier this week and that was with Ayton scoring 35 plus Booker was back and plus they had Johnson and Bridges on the floor. Booker is expected to miss this game as it is front end of B2B and he is recovering from injuries. Johnson and Bridges are on their way to Brooklyn. Newly acquired Durant is injured plus the add-on in the trade was Warren but he will not play tonight. So Suns are super short-handed and Atlanta recently beat them 132 to 100 in Phoenix so you know what is likely here. 10* ATLANTA -4

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers +4.5 @ Boston Celtics @ 7:35 ET - I do not think it is a mere coincidence that the Celtics are 3-4 since losing Marcus Smart to injury and the fact that those 3 wins came against below .500 teams (Pistons and Lakers) and a team (Nets) that is currently a dumpster fire. So Boston has not really beaten a quality team in this 7-game run and now faces a very tough test here. Celtics without Smart and taking on a red hot Sixers team that had won 22 of 27 games before loss in most recent game. Definitely Philly was looking ahead to this game when they fell apart in the 4th quarter and lost by double digits at New York. Here at Boston they will be fully motivated and ready to prove the Celtics don't have this division locked up just yet! Also, though Embiid is on the injury report, that has been the case for multiple weeks now and he continues to play through his injury and has been plenty effective plus there has been plenty of time between games recently for Embiid too. The 76ers are 4-0 L4 times when off a loss and also 5-0 L5 times when off a loss by 9 or more points. Boston, without Smart, has recent losses to Phoenix, New York, and Miami teams that all have a winning record on the season. Those 3 teams are a combined 12 games over .500 on the season. But this Philly team is 16 games over .500 by themselves and, once again, the Celtics without Smart struggle and fall short here. I am expecting an outright upset for Philly here but, at the very least, a cover in a loss by the slimmest of margins. 10* PHILADELPHIA +4.5

NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Orlando Magic +1.5 or +2 vs New York Knicks @ 7:10 ET - This is a great spot to fade the Knicks. Look for the defensive intensity for the Knicks to be lacking in this one. New York is off that huge comeback win over division rival Philly on Sunday. The Knicks held them to just 18 points in the 4th quarter as they rallied for the win. On deck for New York is a trip to that same division rival, in Philadelphia this time. That said, this is a horrible scheduling spot for the Knicks and let us not forget they had lost 7 of 10 games before the shocking win over the 76ers. As for the Magic, they are rested and at home and have won 6 of last 10 games overall. Also, they had won 9 of last 12 home games prior to losing the most recent one so look for a big bounce back effort from the hosts in this one! 10* ORLANDO +1.5 or +2

NBA Monday 10* Top Play LA Clippers -6.5 @ Brooklyn Nets @ 7:40 ET - The Clippers won in overtime Saturday night. The guys that led them are who you would expect - Leonard, George, Powell. The Nets are off a win over Washington in which they rallied from a 23 point deficit in the eventual 2-point win. Brooklyn had 2 guys have career-best scoring games in that one and their output was ridiculous and will not be repeated here. Not even close. That said, we have a lot of value here because this Nets team is still without Durant and it sounds like Irving has been traded to Dallas. Also, Brooklyn has a lot of other banged up guys, including Curry who will miss tonight's game. Curry and Durant were the only two guys to score more than 13 points when the Nets upset the Clippers in LA by 15 points earlier this season. So this is a revenge game plus the situation is perfect. Normally I do not laying points on the road but I just can not see the Nets as being able to hang in this game. They are too depleted and guys will not repeat the magic they did on the floor against Washington this past weekend. This is a defensive and revenge-minded Clippers team that Brooklyn has to deal with tonight. 10* LA CLIPPERS -6.5

NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -5.5 @ New York Knicks @ 7:05 ET - As per usual, Embiid is on the injury report. As per usual, I am expect him to play. Even if he does not, look for the Sixers to roll any way in this one. But Embiid keeps showing up on the report with left foot soreness but he has played 5 straight games. A key here to why he is likely to play too is Philly was off yesterday and they then have Monday and Tuesday off before facing the Celtics Wednesday. There really is no reason to rest Embiid here. He rested yesterday and can rest Monday and Tuesday too! As for this scheduling situation, it definitely favors the Sixers as the Knicks are off an OT loss to the Clippers last night. That leaves them spent here both emotionally and physically as it was 7th loss in last 10 games for New York also. By the way, each of Knicks last 6 losses have been by at least 6 points. As for Philly, they enter this one on a 22-5 run! They have been one of the hottest teams in the league for months now and 15 of last 22 wins by at least 7 points! They should roll here on the road as they beat the Knicks by 7 the last time they met and that was despite New York having a rare 14-rebound edge over the 76ers in that one. Lay it! 10* PHILADELPHIA -5.5

NBA Friday 10* Top Play Indiana Pacers +3.5 vs Sacramento Kings @ 7 ET - I know the Pacers are in a back to back but I love this spot. Indiana is finally getting healthy. They blew a 14 point 4th quarter lead last night to lose by just a single point. They felt completely ripped off on their home floor in terms of free throw attempts as the Lakers were on the line all night long and Indiana could not buy a trip to the free throw line. Additionally, they are catching a west coast team that has been on the road for a bit already and also will be without their leading scorer tonight as Fox is out for personal reasons. He is a key contributor all over the floor so this is a big deal. Last but, certainly not least, this is a revenge game for the Pacers. They recently lost by 23 points to the Nuggets about a week and a half ago. That tied their biggest margin of defeat this season as the only other time they also lost that big this season was at Sacramento when they fell short by 23 and lost 137 to 114. This will be a payback game for Pacers as their head coach and players are very fired up about the way they lost to the Lakers last night and could not get calls plus they want payback here against the Kings. They should get it but will grab the points here in case Pacers again fall just short of an outright win! 10* INDIANA +3.5

NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Indiana Pacers +1.5 vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 7 ET - Long-time followers know I am a contrarian so often and that is the case again here. The Pacers have lost 10 of 11 games. This line is about a pick'em on a Lakers team that has won 10 of 17 games. Looks easy right. You know that usually means! Also, though LeBron James and Anthony Davis are expected to play, neither are 100 percent and LA off that OT win over the Knicks. As for the Pacers, though Haliburton is listed as questionable, he is expected to make his return as the Indiana star player has been practicing fully and is ready to go here. What a great spot for his return. Home game versus LeBron and Company. This is a big game for the Pacers and I had them in their lone win in these last 11 games and am 2-0 with picks involving them in 2023. I feel strongly that this is the perfect spot to back them again and I just do not seem them being denied here in this bounce back spot at home. Look for them to rally around the imminent return of Haliburton as he should hit the floor tonight but, even if he did not, this Pacers team ready for a huge run. 10* INDIANA +1.5

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -8.5 vs Orlando Magic @ 7 ET - Even if Embiid, listed as questionable, does not play here I do like Philly to bounce back after losing to the Magic by double digits Monday. The Sixers blew an early 21 point lead there and were still up double digits at halftime in the eventual 10-point loss. They were sloppy, turnover-prone, and out of sorts as that game went on. This will be a payback game for them and they will get their revenge. This is the 6th time this season that Philly has had one of these situations where you facing the same team in consecutive games. Of the first five, they have NEVER lost both games. Also, in four of the five B2B sets like this, the 76ers have won the 2nd game 4 times and they have all been blowouts too! The average margin of victory for the Sixers in those games was 24 points! Philly had won 7 straight games before the loss to Orlando Monday. They are not happy at all about how that one played out and will make adjustments in the 2nd game of this B2B set just as they have done in other ones, including at Orlando, earlier this season! The result is a blowout home win by a double digit margin! 10* PHILADELPHIA -8.5 

NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Clippers -3 @ Chicago Bulls @ 8 ET - The Bulls are off a win but had lost 5 of 8 games before that win. Also, each of last 8 games for Chicago came against teams that currently have a losing record entering Tuesday's action. This will be the Bulls toughest test in awhile and, making matters even tougher, the Clippers enter this game fired up off a loss. LA had been hot before the loss and they also are a perfect 3-0 the last 3 times they have been off a defeat in which they scored less than 110 points. In this case, Los Angeles off an ugly loss in which they were held to just 99 points and I fully expect a huge response here as a result. The Clippers had won 5 in a row before that loss and get right back on track here. 10* LA CLIPPERS -3

NBA Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -9.5 vs Orlando Magic @ 7 ET - Normally I do not lay big points in the NBA but this is not a normal situation. The 76ers already beat the Magic twice in Orlando. The average margin of those two victories was 19 points and again this was at Orlando! But that is not all. The Sixers were without Embiid, Harden, and Maxey in those 3 games! Those are 3 key players and most likely all 3 will be on the floor here. The only one who might miss is Embiid as he is questionable again with his foot issue. But again, I just do not think he will be rested in a spot like this where no back to back is involved. Also, the Sixers will have Harden and Maxey and those two guys missed the first two games and those games were still big wins and those were both at Orlando. Note that Philly has won 20 of 24 games. The Magic have lost 10 of 16 games and the average margin of defeat is 14.2 points in those 10 losses. Another blowout defeat for Orlando here as the Sixers roll continues! 10* PHILADELPHIA -9.5

NBA Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -4 vs Denver Nuggets @ 3:10 ET - The Sixers have Joel Embiid on the injury report but I can not see him missing this game. The 76ers have not played since Wednesday and they do not play again until Monday. This is not a situation where it would make sense to sit Embiid for what is really best defined as a nagging injury. As for the Nuggets injury report, many of their guys will likely play tonight but they have a long list of players on the report and this includes guys who could miss or who are unlikely to be 100%. That said, I do like the Sixers here even if Embiid does not play. The Nuggets are banged up and have lost 2 of 3. Philly is hot and has won 6 straight and 19 of 23 games! The situation plus home court edge means plenty of value with a rather low number here. 10* PHILADELPHIA -4

NBA Friday 10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies -3 @ Minnesota Timberwolves @ 7:40 ET - The last time these teams played the Wolves had both Towns and Gobert on the floor and yet still lost by double digits. I know the Grizzlies are now without Adams but the point is that Towns is going to miss tonight for sure as he has been out for two months. As for Gobert, he is dealing with a groin injury and may not play or might be limited. It adds up to a great to back a road team very hungry to get back to winning ways. The Grizzlies have lost 4 straight and will hit the floor running hard tonight and the Timberwolves just do not have the horses to keep up here. Minnesota has a number of injury issues and the road team is favored here for a reason. Don't let the line fool you. Lay it! 10* MEMPHIS -3

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -5.5 vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:35 ET - I am aware Embiid is questionable. I do expect him to play but, even if he does not, note that the Nets are 100% going to be without Durant here. Durant did play in the first meeting this season while Embiid did not. Plus Harden did not play for Philly in that one either. The Sixers still won the game by 9 points. Note that Harrell is coming off a big for the 76ers and could get the call again for a lot of minutes if Embiid misses. But the fact Brooklyn has no KD is the biggest key here. Also, I would really be surprised if Embiid does not play here. It is a divisional game and he has already had time off since neither he nor Harden played this weekend at Sacramento. Also Philly does not play again until this Saturday and that is a non-conference game and this game tonight is a divisional battle. Look for Embiid to go and Harden is not even on the injury report. The Sixers stay red hot here and roll to another win even if Embiid misses. The 76ers take advantage of a Nets team that has lost 4 of 6. The Sixers have won 5 straight and 18 of 22 games! 10* PHILADELPHIA -5.5

NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Indiana Pacers +1.5 vs Chicago Bulls @ 7:10 ET - I am aware of the fact that Andrew Nembhard is listed as questionable for this one with an illness. But he played through that illness Saturday at Phoenix and I do expect him to play here tonight and to be stronger. I know he missed practice yesterday but that was likely just to get him as healthy and full-strength as possible before this game. Even if he does not play, I like the Pacers here at home. Yes they have lost 7 straight games but they have a huge rest edge here. Bulls are in the 2nd game of a B2B after facing the Hawks last night. Chicago also just got back their long travel to Paris late last week. That said, this B2B could prove to be too much as the Pacers have a big rest edge coming off B2B days off. Also, there is plenty of motivation for the Pacers here as they lost early this season at Chicago and they also are hungry to end their losing streak. As for the Bulls, yes they have won 3 straight but they have NEVER WON 4 in a row this season! Also, when on the road this season and having won at least 2 straight games, the Bulls have gone 1-5 SU in those games. Adding to the value here is that this is a B2B for Chicago and they were just in Europe at the end of last week. 10* INDIANA +1.5

NBA Monday 10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies PK -115 @ Sacramento Kings @ 10:30 ET - The Grizzles are off B2B losses for the 6th time this season. What happened after the first five times this happened? A win all 5 times! In fact that 5-0 mark punctuated by an average margin of victory of 15 points. The beautiful thing about this spot though is we do not have to even worry about covering a spread. The line on this game is essentially a pick'em as of very early Monday morning even if you have to lay slightly more juice (-115) to get the pick'em line. It is worth it! I know Memphis is in a back to back spot here and the Kings have the rest edge. However, the fact the Grizzlies are off B2B losses each by the slimmest of margins will insure a special focus from them here. The Kings are off a loss and want to bounce back but, prior to that loss to Philly, the 6-game win streak of Sacramento was not overly impressive in terms of opposition. As I mentioned in my Saturday NBA write-up: "Although Sacramento has won 6 straight games, note that all the teams have a losing record. In fact 5 teams were faced in those 6 games and their combined record is 84-144." So I am backing the Grizzlies here to get a big road win and make it a PERFECT 6-0 SU this season when entering a game on a losing streak of 2 games. 10* MEMPHIS Pick -115

NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Phoenix Suns +8.5 vs Memphis Grizzlies @ 8:10 ET - The Suns are playing short-handed and in a back to back spot. However, are you seeing how hungry some of the guys are that are now getting extra playing time? This Phoenix team is fighting hard and has won B2B games. I am well aware that Memphis is off a loss and wants to bounce back here but they also recently embarrassed the Suns by 30 points in Memphis. You can bet Phoenix has not forgotten and they will put up a fight here at home! By the way, 6 of the last 8 Grizzlies games have been decided by a single digit margin. The average margin of those 6 games was 5 points. This game is going to be a lot closer than many expect and, as an added bonus, some Suns guys might be back on the floor tonight. Either way I like them at home catching all these points. 10* PHOENIX +8.5

NBA Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -3.5 @ Sacramento Kings @ 10 ET - Great spot to fade the Kings as they are in a back to back. Although Sacramento has won 6 straight games, note that all the teams have a losing record. In fact 5 teams were faced in those 6 games and their combined record is 84-144. Now the Kings are in a B2B spot and hosting a 76ers team that is 29-16 this season and has won 4 straight games. Also, the Sixers are off until Wednesday's home game versus Brooklyn. So, prior to finally heading back east, Philly can most certainly leave it all on the floor tonight and, remember, these Sixers have won 17 of 21 games! 10* PHILADELPHIA -3.5

NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -2 @ Portland Trail Blazers @ 10:10 ET - Portland was once 10-4 on the season. They have since gone 11-19 in their last 30 games! Philadelphia was once 12-12 on the season. They have since gone 16-4 in their last 20 games. The 76ers have won 5 straight road games. The Sixers are healthy and full of confidence right now. The Trail Blazers have lost 4 straight games against Eastern Conference opponents. Portland did win their last two home games big but they caught the Mavericks in a unique scheduling situation and took advantage. That is not the case here and the better team rolls to a solid road win here. 10* PHILADELPHIA -2

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers +7 @ Memphis Grizzlies @ 8:10 ET - Well aware of the Cavaliers likely being without Donovan Mitchell in tonight's game. Keep in mind, he has not played well in either of his last two games and arguably hurt the team more than helped. Why else do you think a Memphis team that is at home and has won 10 straight games opened up in the 7-point range here. I am grabbing the number here as Grizzlies fall flat after their huge revenging win over the Suns. Remember, prior to their 10-game winning streak it was a loss to Phoenix. That win over the Suns in most recent game was a big one for Memphis and I look for the hungry Cavaliers to give the Grizz all they can handle here. Note also that the Grizzlies view this is the non-conference match-up that it is and they have a huge road trip on deck facing Western Conference foes and rivals. Cavs surprise here and, at a minimum, they keep it interesting and get the cash because an outright upset would not shock me here given the situation. 10* CLEVELAND +7

NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -2.5 or -3 @ Los Angeles Lakers @ 9:40 ET - The Sixers are in the 2nd game of a B2B and barely snuck by the Jazz last night in Utah so this would seem like a spot to fade them. However, the Lakers are hurting right now. It was only last month they rallied from a huge deficit to tie the Sixers and force OT but then lost that game by double digits in OT in Philly. But here is the key about that. Some of the key scorers in that game and other contributors are either out or hurting. Davis, Reaves, Walker all were big in that game and none of those 3 will play tonight. Also, Patrick Beverley is questionable with an illness and even LeBron James continues to be listed on the injury report as his knee troubles continue. The point is that the 76ers are the much healthier team. Also, without Davis, the interior defense of LA is really going to struggle against the attacking Sixers. Look for the road team to dominate in this one. 10* PHILADELPHIA -2.5 or -3

NBA Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -4.5 @ Utah Jazz @ 9:10 ET - Since starting the season 10-3 the Jazz have since gone 12-20. Utah was actually on a 10-20 run before B2B wins which were each very tight victories. One of those was last night so this is a very tough spot for Utah as they are in a back to back and facing an angry Philly team. The 76ers have been a strong team when off a loss and had won 13 of 16 games before the loss to the Thunder in their most recent game. Off that ugly home loss by a double digit margin, the Sixers will bounce back big here to start their long road trip with a big win against a Jazz team that will fade as this game goes on as fatigue sets in for the home side. 10* PHILADELPHIA -4.5

NBA Friday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls -4.5 vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 8:10 ET - The Thunder had everything falling in for them last night in a big road win at Philly. Now in the 2nd game of a B2B on the road they face an angry Bulls team. Chicago is coming off a road loss at Washington Wednesday in which they blew a 13 point halftime lead. The Bulls are much stronger at home than they are on the road and the same holds true for the Thunder. Given the home/road dichotomy and the situational aspects here, the home team Bulls are the play in this one as they should roll big. OKC had a loss Tuesday at Miami by just a single point but their 3 prior losses all by at least 8 points and this one will be too. Chicago's last 5 wins all by 6 or more points. Also, the Bulls had won 8 of 11 overall before the tight loss at Washington. 10* CHICAGO -4.5

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Minnesota Timberwolves -5.5 @ Detroit Pistons @ 7:10 ET - First reaction here might be to play the Pistons even though they are in the 2nd game of a B2B as they got blasted last night at Philly. Teams tend to bounce back off ugly losses like that but the problem for Detroit is that this is a B2B with travel involved to get back home and they are hosting a Timberwolves team that they recently beat in Minnesota. In fact, that is the most recent loss for the Wolves so you know a payback revenge response is likely here. The Timberwolves have won 4 straight since then and all 4 victories by at least 7 points and the average margin of victory was 10 points. Another double digit blowout likely here so very comfortable laying the fair price here. 10* MINNESOTA -5.5

NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Miami Heat -4 vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 7:30 ET - I am aware of the injury issues for the Heat. However, it would not surprise me if both Adebayo and Herro end up playing in this game. Yes, Lowry is out for this game but Butler has a way of willing his teams to wins in games like this and he is such a gamer and should go off big time here. Also, the Heat are off a loss and known for bouncing back off defeats. Then look at the home/road dichotomy here as the Thunder have lost 5 straight road games and are 5-13 on the road this season. Miami is a modest 11-9 at home this season but had won 10 of last 15 at home before the loss to Brooklyn Sunday. The Heat bounce back big here as the Thunder see their road woes continue. This line has been adjusted down too low based on the injury situation and we can take advantage here. 10* MIAMI -4

NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -5.5 @ Detroit @ 3:10 ET - I know the Sixers are still without Embiid and also will be without Tucker in this game. However, Pistons are missing some guys too and Philly hammered Detroit by 20 points the last time these teams met. Philadelphia off a loss in which they allow a lot of points have a been a great ATS moneymaker in their next game. I like them to bounce back here after allowing 126 to the Bulls in an ugly home loss. The Sixers had won 11 of 13 games before that loss! The Pistons have lost 12 of 16 games. The spread should prove inconsequential here as each of Detroit's last 7 losses by a double digit margin. 76ers roll on the road in this one. 10* PHILADELPHIA -5.5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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