Tuesday Tips
By Kevin Rogers
VegasInsider.com
The eight-game card on Tuesday night in the NBA has plenty of underdog opportunities with five teams receiving at least eight points. The Bobcats and Kings are each listed as 15-point road underdogs in revenge spots, while the struggling 76ers look to cover as double-digit 'chalk' against the woeful Magic. We'll begin with the most intriguing matchup of the night in the Hoosier State.
Warriors at Pacers
Indiana is riding a four-game winning streak after pulling off a home-and-home sweep of Detroit. Danny Granger will suit up for the first time at Bankers Life Fieldhouse this season after missing the first 55 games with an injured left knee. Granger put together a rusty effort in his season debut on Saturday, knocking down just 1-of-10 shots from the floor for two points. The Warriors invade Indianapolis on a three-game hot streak following a six-game skid through early February. Golden State beat Indiana at Oracle Arena, 103-92 on December 1 as five-point favorites, but the Warriors have lost 10 of their past 11 meetings in Indianapolis.
Magic at 76ers
Philadelphia's slim chances at the final playoff seed in the Eastern Conference took another hit this past weekend with losses to Miami and New York. The Sixers have now dropped five in a row, as Philadelphia is hosting a team that is actually playing worse than them at the moment. The Magic owns a dreadful 1-17 SU and 3-15 ATS record the last 18 contests, which includes a 78-61 setback at the Wells Fargo Center on February 4. Orlando's offense has gone south on the road by scoring less than 100 points in nine of the previous 10 contests, while losing eight times in this stretch by double-digits. In spite of Philadelphia's struggles, the Sixers have cashed in five of the last six times in the favorite role.
Kings at Heat
Miami is hitting its stride by winning its last 11 games, while covering in seven of the past eight contests. The Heat squandered a 22-point lead in Sunday's 109-105 victory over the Cavaliers, costing Miami an ATS win as 12½-point favorites. The Kings head to South Florida after losing five straight games, while allowing at least 108 points in each of the last seven contests ('over' is 6-1). Sacramento has dropped eight consecutive road games, as the Kings look to avenge an embarrassing 128-99 defeat to the Heat last month. Miami has lost one home game since mid-December, while posting a 14-1 record in the last 15 contests at the American Airlines Arena (9-6 ATS).
Nets at Hornets
Brooklyn's offense struggled without Joe Johnson in the lineup the last two games, suffering a pair of home losses as short 'dogs to Houston and Memphis. The Nets started the second half with a pair of comeback victories over the Bucks, but Johnson's lingering foot injury has slowed down Brooklyn's already inconsistent offense. The Hornets snapped a three-game skid in Sunday's 15-point rout of the Kings, improving to 7-4 SU/ATS the last 11 contests in the Big Easy. Brooklyn has cashed the 'under' in four straight games away from the Barclays Center, while allowing 94 points or less each time. New Orleans has lost seven of nine home games against Eastern Conference opponents, as the Hornets have scored 87 points or less six times in these interconference contests.
Cavaliers at Bulls
Cleveland has turned into one of the more profitable teams recently by cashing in seven of the last nine games, including four straight. The Cavs have topped the 103-point mark seven times in this stretch, resulting in a 6-3 ledger to the 'over.' Chicago returns home after splitting a pair of blowouts at Charlotte and Oklahoma City, while the Bulls go for the four-game season sweep of the Cavs. Cleveland hasn't had much luck against Chicago by losing all three meetings by double-digits, as the Cavs have been limited to 92 points or less in each defeat. The Bulls have lost each of their last two home games, but both came in the underdog role to the Spurs and Heat.
Bucks at Mavericks
Milwaukee is ice-cold from an ATS standpoint by failing to cover 11 of its last 12 games, as the Bucks head to Texas for a pair of contests the next two nights at Dallas and Houston. The first stop at the American Airlines Center tonight comes against a Mavs' squad that has won five of their last seven games, despite a four-point home defeat to the Lakers on Sunday. The Bucks have dropped four straight games away from Milwaukee, but the lone cover in this 1-11 ATS stretch came at Brooklyn in an overtime defeat as five-point 'dogs. Since losing consecutive home games to the Spurs and Thunder, Dallas has captured five of its last seven contests at the AAC, while covering the number in each of its previous 12 home victories.
Wolves at Suns
This could be a "roll the ball out" game in the Valley tonight with both these clubs not going to the playoffs this season. Minnesota squandered a double-digit lead in Sunday's home defeat to Golden State, but the Wolves barely cashed as two-point 'dogs. Now, the Wolves head west to take on a Suns' team that is in the midst of a 1-7 SU and 2-6 ATS stretch. Phoenix has failed to bust the 100-point mark in 13 straight home games, resulting in an 11-2 record to the 'under.' Minnesota held off Phoenix the last time these teams met at the Target Center in December, 111-107, but the Suns cashed as nine-point 'dogs.
Bobcats at Clippers
In another big mismatch on the board, Los Angeles looks to beef up its record against a Charlotte team that is just ready for this season to end. The Bobcats were swept in a three-game homestand by the Pistons, Bulls, and Nuggets, as Charlotte heads west for a four-game trip. The Clippers have won five of their last six, including a 13-point triumph over the Jazz on Saturday night as nine-point home favorites. Los Angeles own a 1-5 ATS record in the last six games as a double-digit favorite, but the Clips lost only one of those games straight-up (Orlando). Charlotte has cashed just once in its previous five opportunities as a double-digit road 'dog, while scoring 78 points or less three times in this span.
NBA: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com
Orlando Magic at Philadelphia 76ers
Making a case for Orlando has it's challenges, the Magic have just one win in their last seventeen games and have managed to cover the spread just three times during the slide. Drilled 118-94 by the Cavaliers on Saturday the Magic have now lost 28 of their last 31 games posting a 10-21 mark at the betting window including 1-14 (6-9 ATS) away from the Magic Kingdom. Now, nothing special about Philadelphia these days as they're on a 0-5 (2-3 ATS) slide after dropping the last matchup vs Knicks. But, if there was ever a chance to halt the tumble it'll be Tuesday when not so magical Orlando pays a visit. Sixers ranked 7th in scoring defense (95.8) won't need to tighten up much against offensively challenged Magic (93.8) setting the stage for an easy victory/cover as Magic are on a 1-18 SU, 7-11-1 ATS road skid held under the century mark in scoring. Look for Sixers to halt the current slide moving to 5-2 SU/ATS following a divisional loss while making it 2-0 SU/ATS vs Magic this campaign.
Warriors at Pacers: What Bettors Need to Know
Covers.com
Golden State Warriors at Indiana Pacers (-8, 196.5)
With how well the Miami Heat have played recently, the Indiana Pacers’ surge in the Eastern Conference has fallen below the radar a bit. The Pacers will be looking to post their fifth straight double-digit win when they host the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday. Indiana has won its last four by an average of 27 points and just got former All-Star Danny Granger back on Saturday. The Warriors have won three straight behind Jarrett Jack and David Lee.
Golden State snapped a five-game road losing streak as Jack came through for 23 points at Minnesota on Sunday. The veteran guard comes off the bench for the Warriors but plays starter minutes and is usually running the offense at crunch time, with Stephen Curry sliding over to the shooting guard spot. Jack gives defenses an extra outside shooter to account for in addition to Curry and Klay Thompson. The Pacers, who own the best scoring defense in the NBA, will not be intimidated by Golden State’s plethora of options.
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (33-23, 29-26-1 ATS): Golden State was struggling to adjust to having Andrew Bogut back in the lineup. It is hard not notice that the Warriors have played better the last two games with the former No. 1 pick out again dealing with back spasms. When Bogut is out, Golden State relies heavily on a smaller lineup with Carl Landry in the frontcourt and Lee crashing the boards. Lee has posted back-to-back double-doubles, including a 25-point, 22-rebound effort in an overtime victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday. Jack, who like Landry comes off the bench, has been the team’s best crunch-time option on offense during the three-game winning streak. The veteran point guard has put up 24.7 points and 7.3 assists in that span. The Warriors kicked off a five-game road trip with Sunday’s 100-99 win at Minnesota and will get stiff tests from four of the best defensive teams in the East over the next week, with visits to the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers following Tuesday’s date with Indiana.
ABOUT THE PACERS (35-21, 32-24-0 ATS): Indiana is starting to look like a legitimate challenger to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers are holding opponents to an average of 89.4 points and lead the league in rebounding. Granger went 1-for-10 in 19 minutes off the bench on Saturday as he began to shake off the rust from missing the first 55 games. Granger could prove to be the biggest midseason addition to any contending team if he can provide the Pacers with another perimeter scorer to go along with Paul George. Indiana has put up 107.5 points during its four-game winning streak - almost 14 points better than its season average - and has moved up into the No. 2 spot in the East.
TRENDS:
* Favorite is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.
* Home team is 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
* Over is 15-7 in the last 22 meetings.
* Warriors are 5-16 ATS in the last 21 meetings.
* Warriors are 1-10 ATS in the last 11 meetings in Indiana.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Bogut did not travel with the team to Minnesota on Sunday but could join the trip at some point this week.
2. The home team has won nine of the last 10 meetings in the series, including Golden State’s 103-92 home win on Dec. 1. George was held scoreless on 0-of-7 shooting for the Pacers in that setback.
3. Granger has averaged 23.6 points and 7.1 rebounds in 14 career games against the Warriors.