NBA Knowledge
Tuesday's hot teams
-- Washington won its last three home games (3-5 last 8HF).
-- New Orleans won four of its last five games (6-3 last 9AU).
-- Kings won last two games after losing seven of previous eight (0-4 last 4AU).
-- Portland won nine of its last ten games (9-2 last 11HF).
Cold teams
-- Orlando lost three of last four road games (4-0AF).
-- 76ers are 1-8 in their last nine games (7-2 last 9HU).
-- Rockets lost three of their last four games (3-7 last 10AU).
-- Jazz lost three of last four games.
-- Denver lost three of its last four games (1-5HF).
-- Brooklyn lost seven of its last ten games (2-5 last 7AU).
Series records
-- 76ers lost five of last seven games with Orlando.
-- Wizards won seven of last eight games with New Orleans.
-- Rockets won six of last seven games with Utah.
-- Kings won four of their last six games with Denver.
-- Trailblazers won four of last five games with Brooklyn.
Totals
-- Five of last seven Philly-Orlando games stayed under.
-- Four of last five New Orleans games went over total.
-- Eight of last ten Houston games went over the total.
-- Last five Sacramento-Denver games went over total.
-- Six of last eight Brooklyn games went over the total.
Back/backs
-- None
Armadillosports.com
Tuesday's Tip Sheet
By Kevin Rogers
VegasInsider.com
Magic at 76ers
Orlando (24-30 SU, 30-23-1 ATS) wrapped up a three-game homestand at 1-2 SU and 2-1 ATS after dropping a 105-102 decision to Indiana on Sunday. In spite of the that loss, the Magic have put together a 7-2 ATS record the last nine games, including three straight road covers at San Antonio, Oklahoma City, and Atlanta. Scott Skiles’ club has split a pair of matchups with the 76ers this season with the road team winning each time, including Orlando picking up a 105-97 victory at Philadelphia in November.
Through 55 games, the 76ers (8-47 SU, 26-28-1 ATS) are two wins shy of the double-digit mark. Philadelphia has lost eight of its past nine games, including road setbacks to start the second half at New Orleans and Dallas. The 76ers have been impressive at home since January by posting an 8-2 ATS record in the last 10 games at the Wells Fargo Center, but have lost five straight games in the role of a home underdog. Philadelphia has scored at least 100 points in three consecutive contests, but also allowed at least 114 points in each defeat, resulting in three straight ‘overs.’
Pelicans at Wizards
Even though reaching the playoffs may not be in the cards this season, New Orleans (22-33 SU, 23-32 ATS) is coming back to life after a four-game skid by winning four of its past five contests. Anthony Davis lit up the Pistons in Sunday’s 111-106 victory as five-point underdogs by scoring a career-high 59 points and pulling down 20 rebounds. However, the Pelicans have lost four of their last six games away from Smoothie King Center with three of those defeats coming at Oklahoma City, Cleveland, and San Antonio.
The Wizards (25-29 SU, 28-26 ATS) have been off for two days since playing three games in three nights. Washington won the first two contests in that set at home against Utah and Detroit, but showed signs of fatigue in Saturday’s 114-94 setback at Miami. Randy Wittman’s squad has split its last six games at the Verizon Center, while allowing 94 points or less in each of the past three home victories. The Wizards are looking to avenge a 107-105 loss at New Orleans as 3½-point underdogs in December, snapping a seven-game winning streak against the Pelicans that dated back to 2012.
Rockets at Jazz
Following a seven-game winning streak, Utah (27-28 SU, 28-27 ATS) has fallen back to Earth by dropping three of its past four contests. The Jazz squandered a 13-point second half lead in Sunday’s 115-111 setback at Portland, as the Blazers squeezed out a cover as three-point favorites. Quin Snyder’s team has allowed at least 100 points in five straight games, while cashing the ‘over’ four times in this span. Utah begins a three-game homestand as the Jazz play with double-revenge against the Rockets, while losing six of the past seven matchups with Houston since 2014.
The Rockets (28-28 SU, 24-32 ATS) snapped a three-game losing streak by cruising past the Suns, 116-100 on Friday as 7½-point favorites. Houston continues its road trip as it looks to stay in the top eight of the Western Conference playoff race, while trying to improve on a 2-4 record in its past six away games (both wins against Phoenix). Nine of the last 10 road contests for the Rockets have eclipsed the ‘over,’ while Houston is seeing its lowest away total since sailing ‘over’ 196½ in a 107-91 win at Memphis on January 12.
Kings at Nuggets
Sacramento (23-31 SU, 24-30 ATS) begins a killer homestand on Wednesday when the Kings host the Spurs, followed by the Clippers and Thunder invading Sleep Train Arena over the next week. However, George Karl’s team hits the road on Tuesday to face the Nuggets for the second time in four days after Sacramento outlasted Denver at home on Friday, 116-110. The Kings have allowed at least 100 points in 11 straight games, resulting in a 9-2 mark to the ‘over’ in this stretch.
The momentum built at the end of the first half for the Nuggets (22-34 SU, 30-34-2) hasn’t carried over to the second half yet as Denver has lost to Sacramento and Boston. In Sunday’s home setback to the Celtics, the Nuggets fell behind by 18 points after the first quarter and never recovered as Denver fell to 3-4 in the past seven games at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets split a pair of home matchups with the Kings last season, as Mike Malone’s club has lost four of their last five home games against Western Conference opponents.
Nets at Blazers
It will be a nice getaway for Brooklyn (15-41 SU, 27-28-1 ATS), who embarks on a nine-game road trip with the first seven games taking place against Western Conference foes. The Nets have alternated wins and losses in each of the past seven contests, coming off a 104-96 home defeat to Charlotte on Sunday as seven-point underdogs. Brooklyn has dropped six consecutive games away from the Barclays Center, while going 1-4 ATS as a road underdog of eight points or more in this stretch.
The Blazers (29-27 SU, 32-24 ATS) have turned the corner in a major way since January by winning 14 of their last 17 games, including posting a 10-2 mark at the Moda Center in this stretch. Portland rallied past Utah on Sunday night, 115-111 to pick up their fifth straight win and cover as Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum combined for 61 points in the victory. The Blazers go for the season sweep of the Nets after beating Brooklyn at the Barclays Center, 116-104 last month, while Portland has won four of the past five meetings.
Tuesday's Top Action
By Sportsbook.ag
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS (22-33) at WASHINGTON WIZARDS (25-29)
Sportsbook.ag Line: Washington -5.0
The Pelicans will be going for their third straight victory when they face the Wizards in Washington on Tuesday.
New Orleans has played extremely well recently, defeating Detroit 111-106 as a 4.5-point road underdog on Sunday. It was the team’s second straight victory and fourth in its past five games. The Pelicans are finally playing some efficient offense and have now shot 47% or better from the field over the past five contests. They will need to continue to take good shots moving forward.
The Wizards, meanwhile, are coming off of a 114-94 loss as 1.5-point road favorites against the Heat on Saturday. Washington had won-and-covered in its previous two games and will be hoping to get right back on track with a win on Tuesday. These teams have already met once this season and the Pelicans won that game 107-105 as 3.5-point road favorites. The Wizards have been the better team in this series, though, going 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS versus the Pelicans over the past three seasons. That includes a 2-0 SU record at home, but the Pelicans are 2-0 ATS in those games.
One thing worth noting coming into this one is that New Orleans is 34-19 ATS after failing to cover in two of its past three games over the past two seasons. Washington is, however, an impressive 15-5 ATS after five straight games committing 14 or less turnovers over the past three seasons.
C Omer Asik (Ankle) is questionable for the Pelicans, who are already without SG Eric Gordon (Finger) for the next few games and SFs Tyreke Evans (Knee) and Quincy Pondexter (Knee) for the season. SGs Alan Anderson (Ankle) and Gary Neal (Thigh) are both listed as questionable for the Wizards.
The Pelicans are coming off of a big victory in Detroit and PF Anthony Davis (24.3 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 2.2 BPG) turned in the performance of the season in that one. Davis finished the game with 59 points, 20 rebounds, four assists and a block in 43 minutes of action. He was efficient as well, going 24-for-34 from the field, 2-for-2 from the outside and 9-for-10 from the line. He is in a groove recently, shooting 61.2% from the field over the past five games and should have no trouble getting it going against Washington.
The Wizards are weakest at the power forward position and don’t have anybody with the size or speed to stick with him. He’ll need to be extremely aggressive in order to get his team a big victory.
Another guy that will need to play well is PG Jrue Holiday (15.3 PPG, 5.7 APG, 3.0 RPG, 1.3 SPG). Holiday has been on a tear lately, averaging 23.0 PPG and 9.0 RPG over the past five contests. His ability to get into the lane causes Davis’ defenders to collapse on him and that usually results in a dunk for the Pelicans’ big man. Holiday will need to be aggressive in this one, as he can’t afford to lose his matchup against John Wall by a wide margin.
The Wizards most recently suffered a bad defeat in Miami, but the team is playing a lot better since the All-Star break. As always, Washington will need a big game from PG John Wall (19.9 PPG, 9.8 APG, 4.6 RPG, 2.0 SPG) if they are going to beat New Orleans on Tuesday. Wall averaged 19.5 PPG and 9.5 APG in the two Wizards victories since the break, but he had just 12 points and four assists in the loss to the Heat on Saturday. He will need to be aggressive as a scorer and also find his teammates in this one. Washington is not talented enough to overcome a poor outing offensively from its superstar. Wall will also need to play well defensively, though. If he is torched by Jrue Holiday then things could get ugly fast for the Wizards.
SG Bradley Beal (18.5 PPG) can take a lot of pressure off of Wall by performing at a high level in this game. He has played well recently, averaging 19.4 PPG on 49.3% shooting from the field and 43.3% shooting from the outside. The Pelicans are relatively weak at the shooting guard position and Beal will need to take advantage of that and give the Wizards a lift.
PF Markieff Morris (11.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG) can also give Washington a spark in this one. Morris is averaging just 5.5 PPG on 4-for-15 shooting from the field in his two games since being acquired by the Wizards, but he will be leaned on in this game. The team needs Morris to do his best defending Davis and if he cannot find a way to at least slow him down then it’ll be tough for Washington to win. It’d also help if Morris can knock down some outside shots and provide the floor stretching presence that the Wizards thought they were acquiring.
BROOKLYN NETS (15-41) at PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (29-27)
Sportsbook.ag Line: Portland -11.5
The Blazers will be going for their sixth straight victory when they host the Nets on Tuesday.
Brooklyn has been lousy all season and the team is now coming off of a 104-96 loss as a seven-point home underdog on Sunday. The Nets have lost two of their past three games both SU and ATS and 13 of their past 17 SU as well. Where Brooklyn really struggles is on the defensive end. The Nets have allowed 15 of their past 17 opponents to shoot over 45% from the floor and that is not going to cut it.
The Blazers, meanwhile, have now won-and-covered in five straight games and will be more than ready to go up against this Nets team. Portland has been one of the most explosive teams in the league offensively as of late, averaging 120.0 PPG over the past four games. The team will be looking forward to facing this porous Brooklyn defense and the Blazers have actually been dominant in this head-to-head series recently. They are 4-1 both SU and ATS against the Nets over the past three seasons and that includes a 2-0 record both SU and ATS at home.
There are some noteworthy trends that favor both teams coming into this one. The Nets are 21-7 ATS versus up-tempo teams that average 83 or more shots per game in the second half of the season over the past two seasons. The Blazers, however, are 9-1 ATS in home games versus terrible teams - outscored by their opponents by six or more points per game – over the past two seasons.
PG Jarrett Jack (Knee) is out for the season for the Nets and SF Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (Ankle) is out indefinitely for the team. The Blazers, meanwhile, are not currently dealing with any significant injuries.
The Nets are not a good team right now and things are going to be very difficult in Portland on Tuesday. One guy that absolutely must play well if Brooklyn wants to stay competitive in this game is C Brook Lopez (20.3 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 1.9 BPG). Lopez is still one of the best offensive big men in basketball and he’ll need to dominate the post against the Blazers. Portland is a perimeter oriented team, so it’s possible that Lopez can really have his way in this one. He’ll just need to make sure that he isn’t overly focused on his offense, as the team also needs him to defend the rim.
PF Thaddeus Young (15.0 PPG, 9.0 RPG) will also need to play well for the Nets around the rim. Brooklyn will need to win the battle inside, as the team lacks the firepower to keep up with the Blazers’ backcourt. Young can do some damage in this one, as Portland is weak at the power forward position. It would also help the Nets if SG Joe Johnson (11.6 PPG, 4.1 APG, 3.9 RPG) can find his stroke in this one. Johnson is averaging just 10.0 PPG over the past five games and he is taking just 7.2 shots per game in that span. The Nets need him to be aggressive and get it going from the outside or they just will not be able to score the amount of points required to win this game.
There aren’t many teams in the league that are playing as well as the Blazers at the moment and PG Damian Lillard (25.0 PPG, 7.3 APG, 4.3 RPG, 1.1 SPG) is big reason for that. Lillard has looked like an MVP candidate recently and is clearly motivated by his snub from the All-Star Game. Over the past five games, Lillard is averaging 33.2 PPG, 7.2 APG and 2.2 SPG on 46.9% shooting from the field and 43.9% shooting from the outside. Lillard dropped 51 points in an upset win over the Warriors on Friday and followed that up with 30 against the Jazz on Sunday. He should have no problem lighting it up against a Nets team that is lousy at the point guard position.
Brooklyn also struggles to defend the shooting guard position so SG C.J. McCollum (20.9 PPG, 4.3 APG, 3.6 RPG, 1.2 SPG) should be able to get it going as well. McCollum really gave the Jazz issues on Sunday, finishing with 31 points in 37 minutes of action. He is just as dangerous as Lillard with the ball in his hands and his ability to change speeds will haunt the Nets. Former Net C Mason Plumlee (9.1 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.0 BPG) will be important in this one for Portland. He will spend a lot of time guarding Brook Lopez and must hold his own defensively in order for the Blazers to win this one.