NBA Knowledge
Monday's hot teams
-- Orlando won four of its last five home games (5-2 last 7HF).
-- Hawks won seven of their last nine games (5-2 last 7AU).
-- Cavaliers won three of last four home games (5-3 last 8HF).
-- Celtics won our of their last five games (4-2 last 6HF).
-- Mavericks won six of their last seven games (6-2 last 8AU).
-- Jazz won five of their last eight games (4-6 last 10HF).
Cold teams
-- Bucks lost three of their last four games (5-3 last 8AU).
-- Hornets lost three of last four road games (1-4 last 5AU).
-- Wizards lost four of last five road games (5-5AF).
-- Brooklyn lost its last eight games overall (1-7 vs spread).
-- Lakers lost nine of their last ten games (0-5 last 5AU).
-- Oklahoma City lost three of last four games (12-5 last 17HF).
-- Bulls lost three of their last five games.
-- New Orleans lost three of its last four games.
-- Rockets lost three of their last four road games (6-9AF).
-- Minnesota won its last three games, all on road (1-4 last 5HU).
-- Sacramento lost three of last five games (4-3-1 last 8AU).
-- Suns lost their last three home games (8-9HF).
Series records
-- Bucks won six of last nine games with Orlando.
-- Cavaliers won their last six games with Atlanta.
-- Celtics won their last four games with Charlotte.
-- Wizards won seven of last nine games with Brooklyn.
-- Lakers lost last seven games (2-5 vs spread) with the Lakers.
-- Pelicans lost their last three games with Chicago.
-- Rockets won their last six games with Minnesota.
-- Mavericks won eight of last ten games with Utah.
-- Kings won four of last five games with Phoenix.
Totals
-- Last three Milwaukee-Orlando games went over the total.
-- Last four Atlanta-Cleveland games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Charlotte games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Washington-Brooklyn games stayed under.
-- Over is 7-3 in last ten Laker-Thunder games.
-- Under is 8-1-1 in last ten Chicago games.
-- Last eight Houston-Minnesota games went over.
-- Six of last seven Dallas games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 4-1 in Kings' last five visits to Phoenix.
Back/backs
-- Milwaukee is 12-7 vs spread if it played night before; Orlando is 9-8.
-- Charlotte covered five of last seven if it played night before.
-- Washington is 0-7 vs spread last seven times they played night before.
-- Nets are 2-6 in last eight such games.
-- Lakers are 2-5 vs spread last seven times they played night before.
-- Jazz are 9-7 vs spread if they played the night before.
Armadillosports.com
NBA: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com
Lakers at Thunder
There is an 'Over'-Whelming chance this matchup busts 'Over' posted totals. The Los Angeles Lakers' defense is cashing in big time for 'Over' bettors. The Lakers shredded for 130 points at Houston Sunday, 110 points at New Orleans Friday have now played 'Over' in eight of eleven away from the Staples Center. Oklahoma Thunder carrying a league second best 110.1 points per 100 possessions on the season, 115.3 points per 100 possessions the past five on the hardwood going 'Over' in all five games.
Consider 'Over' as Lakers have a tendency towards 'Over' playing without rest. On the campaign the Lakers are 11-6 'Over' with little shut-eye giving up a whopping 11.8 points/game. Additionally, the series has played 'Over' in seven of ten meetings and in six of last seven encounters on Thunder hardwood.
Monday's Tip Sheet
By Kevin Rogers
VegasInsider.com
Hawks at Cavaliers
The Southeast division title will come down to the end, as Atlanta (48-32 SU, 42-37-1 ATS) owns a one-game advantage over Miami with two games remaining. The Hawks won their final regular season game at Philips Arena on Saturday over the Celtics, 118-107 to extend their winning streak to three. Since losing at Golden State in overtime on March 1, Atlanta has compiled a 15-4 SU and 12-7 ATS record the last 19 games, including a 7-3 ATS mark on the highway since the All-Star break.
Atlanta has lost each of its two matchups with Cleveland this season, including a 110-108 overtime setback at Philips Arena on April 1. The Hawks erased a 14-point halftime deficit to force overtime, as both teams shot 40% from the field. Mike Budenholzer’s team won three of four regular season matchups from the Cavaliers in 2014-15, but are currently riding a six-game losing streak against Cleveland after getting swept in the Eastern Conference Finals last season.
Cleveland (56-24 SU, 36-41-3 ATS) wrapped up its final road trip of the season with back-to-back losses at Indiana and Chicago. The Cavaliers fell to the Bulls at the United Center on Saturday as seven-point favorites, 105-102, as Tyronn Lue’s squad allowed at least 100 points for the fourth time in the last five games. In this stretch, Cleveland cashed the ‘over’ four times, with three of those ‘overs’ coming away from Quicken Loans Arena. Since getting upset at home by Memphis last month, the Cavaliers have won five of the last six games at the Q, while covering just three times in this span.
Hornets at Celtics
All eight playoff spots in the Eastern Conference have been clinched, but the middle of the race is still up in the air with three days remaining in the regular season. Charlotte (46-34 SU, 40-39-1 ATS) fell to the sixth spot after getting tripped up at Washington on Sunday, 113-98 as a 5½-point favorite. The Hornets dropped to 1-5 ATS the last six games overall, including 1-3 SU/ATS the past four contests away from Time Warner Cable Arena.
Boston (47-33 SU, 41-38-1 ATS) can creep closer to locking up home-court advantage in the opening round of the playoffs with a win on Monday. The Celtics close out the regular season on Wednesday against the Heat, who also own a 47-33 record, as Boston lost a critical contest at Atlanta (who is currently third in the East) on Saturday. Brad Stevens’ club went through a scoring roller-coaster on Saturday by posting 71 first half points before being held to just 36 points in the second half of a 118-107 defeat. Boston has struggled to cover numbers down the stretch with a 2-6 ATS record, although five of those ATS defeats came away from TD Garden.
Charlotte is making its first trip to Boston this season after losing a pair of home games with the Celtics in December. Boston held off Charlotte in the first matchup on December 12 as three-point underdogs, 98-93, as point guard Isaiah Thomas scored 21 points and dished out 13 assists in the victory. The Celtics cruised past the Hornets less than two weeks later at Time Warner Cable Arena, 102-89 as two-point ‘dogs, as both matchups finished ‘under’ the total.
Mavericks at Jazz
The final two playoff spots in the Western Conference are up for grabs with three days left, as Houston barely remained alive with a win on Sunday. Dallas (41-39 SU, 44-35-1 ATS) couldn’t clinch a berth as it saw its six-game winning streak snapped by the red-hot Clippers, 98-91. The Mavericks held their seventh straight opponent to under 100 points, but head to Utah with a 2-3 SU/ATS record in its last five games with no rest. In spite of the loss to the Clippers, Rick Carlisle’s team owns a 10-4 ATS record in its past 14 contests, while starting point guard Deron Williams returned following an eight-game absence to score 15 points against the Clippers.
Utah (40-40 SU, 41-39 ATS) bounced back from a stunning overtime loss to a short-handed Clippers’ squad on Friday as 14-point favorites to rip Denver on Sunday to reach the .500 mark. Power forward Derrick Favors sat out with a knee injury, but the Jazz crushed the Nuggets as 6½-point favorites, 100-84, as Trey Lyles stepped up with 22 points for Utah. Quin Snyder’s club has lost three of its past four home contests, dropping those games to several of the top Western teams (Warriors, Spurs, Clippers).
The Mavericks travel to Salt Lake City for the first time this season after splitting a pair of home matchups with Utah earlier this season. Dallas took care of Utah in late November at the American Airlines Center, 102-93 as 1½-point favorites to extend its home winning streak over the Jazz to 10 games. That hot streak ended in one of the most exciting games of the season on February 9, as Gordon Hayward drilled the game-winning jumper at the buzzer in overtime to give Utah a 121-119 triumph.
Monday's Top Action
By Sportsbook.ag
ATLANTA HAWKS (48-32) at CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (56-24)
Sportsbook.ag Line: Cleveland -5.5, Total 203
The Cavaliers will be looking to clinch the top spot in the Eastern Conference with a victory over the Hawks on Monday.
Atlanta is playing extremely well heading into the postseason, winning three straight games and covering in each of the past two. The Hawks most recently faced the Celtics as 5.5-point home favorites on Saturday and they won that game 118-107. They still have to battle for their positioning in the Eastern Conference playoffs, so these next two games are extremely important for them.
The Cavaliers are in the same boat, as they are still looking to earn the top seed in the Eastern Conference. A win over Chicago on Saturday would have done the trick, but the team lost 105-102 as a seven-point road favorite in that one. The Cavaliers must now win one of these next two, but it won’t be easy against the Hawks.
Cleveland has, however, beaten Atlanta in six straight games. The Cavaliers also happen to be 5-1 ATS in those contests. One thing worth noting is that the Hawks are 33-17 ATS off a home win by 10 points or more over the past three seasons.
SG Iman Shumpert (Knee) and PG Mo Williams (Knee) are both listed as questionable for Cleveland in this one.
The Hawks are rolling heading into the postseason and that is something that will be extremely important for this team. They took their foot off the pedal heading into the playoffs last year and it seemingly messed with their chemistry.
One guy that is playing well for the Hawks recently is PF Paul Millsap (17.3 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.8 SPG, 1.7 BPG). Millsap had 31 points, 16 rebounds, five blocks and two steals in 39 minutes of action against Boston. He’s going to need to win his matchup with Kevin Love in this game or it’ll be tough for Atlanta to win.
PG Jeff Teague (15.6 PPG, 5.9 APG, 1.2 SPG) has also been on fire for Atlanta lately. Over the past five games, Teague is averaging 22.6 PPG, 5.2 APG and 1.0 SPG for the Hawks. He’s shooting 50.0% from the field and from the outside in those contests and he’ll need to play well against Kyrie Irving in this one. That should be no problem for him, as he had 28 points and nine assists the last time these teams met.
C Al Horford (15.1 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.5 BPG) has struggled against the Cavaliers this season, averaging just 12.0 PPG on 31.0% shooting in two meetings with the team. He should, however, be able to turn it around and perform at a high level in this one. Cleveland is weak at the center spot and Horford really should be a guy that the Hawks can go to often in this matchup.
The Cavaliers are one win away from giving themselves a major advantage throughout the playoffs and SF LeBron James (25.1 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 6.8 APG, 1.4 SPG) is going to need to come through for his team on Monday.
James was on fire against Chicago, finishing the game with 33 points on 13-for-17 shooting from the field and 4-for-5 shooting from the outside. If he is to somehow shoot that well again then it’s very unlikely that Cleveland will lose this one. The Cavaliers ran into a Bulls team that was fighting for its season on Saturday and ended up falling just short.
PG Kyrie Irving (19.3 PPG, 4.7 APG, 1.0 SPG) is going to need to play better for Cleveland against Atlanta this time around. He had 20 points the last time these teams met, but he was a miserable 5-for-23 from the floor. The Cavaliers need him to be a bit more efficient on Monday.
PF Kevin Love (16.1 PPG, 9.8 RPG) has been playing his best basketball of the season for Cleveland recently. He’s averaging 20.0 PPG and 8.4 RPG over the past five contests and the Cavaliers really need him to keep it up heading into the postseason.