NBA Knowledge
Tuesday's hot teams
-- Indiana won three of its last four games (5-7 last 12HF).
-- Charlotte won five of its last seven games (5-1 last 6AF).
-- Oklahoma City won its last seven games (5-1 last 6AF).
-- Detroit won five of its last six games (1-5 last 6HU).
-- Cleveland won eight of its last 11 games (3-6 last 9HF).
-- Golden State won 11 of its last 12 games (5-3 last 8HF).
-- Washington won six of its last eight games (1-4 last 5AU).
Cold teams
-- Nets lost four of their last six games (1-4 last 5AU).
-- Orlando lost six of its last seven games (8-5 last 13HF).
-- Chicago lost its last four games (2-4 last 6AU).
-- 76ers lost their last nine games, covered five of last seven.
-- Rockets lost four of their last five games (1-3 last 4AU).
Series records
-- Nets lost their last three games with Orlando.
-- Bulls won three of last four games with Indiana.
-- 76ers lost six of last seven games with Charlotte.
-- Thunder won nine of last ten games with Detroit.
-- Rockets won six of last seven games with Cleveland.
-- Warriors won nine of last ten games (7-3 vs spread) vs Washington.
Totals
-- Four of last five Orlando games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last six Chicago games stayed under the total.
-- Five of 76ers' last seven games stayed under the total.
-- Eight of last ten Detroit games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Houston games stayed under total.
-- Four of last five Golden State games stayed under.
Back/backs
-- Nets covered one of last six games if they played night before.
-- Bulls are 3-10 in last 13 games if they played night before.
-- Oklahoma State is 5-7-1 if it played the night before.
Armadillosports.com
NBA: Streaks, Tips, Notes
Sportspic.com
Brooklyn Nets at Orlando Magic
A miserable season is almost over for both Orlando Magic (30-43, 40-32-1 ATS) and Brooklyn Nets (21-51, 37-35 ATS). It's certainly a challenge picking either one of these teams, however someone has to win. To that end, one thing favoring Orlando is that Magic off an impressive 111-89 home win over Chicago have a winning record at Amway Center both straight-up (19-17) and against the betting line (21-15 ATS) netting 102.9 points/game. Additionally, Magic cashing five of it's last six on home court have won/covered three of the last four hosting Nets. Finally, Orlando has made a habit of cashing tickets vs the Atlantic Division posting a profitable 12-5 record including 6-2 against the betting line in Orlando.
Game of the Day: Wizards at Warriors
By Covers.com
Washington Wizards at Golden State Warriors (-13, 226.5)
The Golden State Warriors are trying to pull off the balancing act of fine tuning for the postseason, keeping players fresh and going after the record for regular-season wins. The Warriors will try to push their NBA-record home winning streak to 54 straight and draw one win closer to the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls’ regular-season mark when they host the Washington Wizards on Tuesday.
Golden State coach Steve Kerr wants the team to clean up its turnovers and tighten up the defense in preparation for the playoffs, and allowing the NBA-worst Philadelphia 76ers to shoot 46.7 percent while committing 18 turnovers in a 117-105 win on Sunday was not a giant step in the right direction. Klay Thompson’s 40 points, Draymond Green’s triple-double and an offense that handed out 32 assists ensured the Warriors would avoid a letdown, but bigger challenges remain. The Wizards are desperate for wins as they cling to hope of catching the Detroit Pistons for the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference. Washington earned a 101-88 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday to draw within 2 1/2 games of the Pistons.
LINE HISTORY: The point spread opened with the Warriors as 13-point favorites and hasn't moved. The total debuted at 225.5 and was quickly bumped up to 226.5 by Monday afternoon.
INJURY REPORT:
Wizards - SG B. Beal (Probable Tuesday, leg), SG A. Anderson (Questionable Tuesday, ankle), PF M. Morris (Questionable Tuesday, calf).
Warriors - SF B. Rush (Probable Tuesday, knee), SF K. Looney (Questionable Tuesday, hip), SF A. Iguodala (Out Tuesday, ankle).
POWER RANKINGS: Wizards (-2) - Warriors (-15.2) + home court (-3) = Warriors -16.2
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (36-37, 37-36 ATS, 37-34-2 O/U): Sunday’s performance marked a big step in the right direction for Washington, which held the Lakers to 37.9 percent shooting after allowing its previous two opponents to shoot better than 53 percent from the field in a pair of losses. The win marked the opener of a five-game road trip for the Wizards, who will see two more losing teams in Sacramento and Phoenix later in the trip. All-Star point guard John Wall is doing his part to keep the team in the race and recorded 22 points and 13 assists on Sunday for his ninth straight double-double.
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (66-7, 40-31-2 ATS, 41-31-1 O/U): Thompson scored 40 points in back-to-back games for the first time in his career and Green extended his franchise single-season record with his 12th triple-double on Sunday, and Kerr came away pleased with the effort despite some mistakes. “I know how much of a grind this is at this point, especially down several guys,” Kerr told reporters. “I’m proud of them. They continue to put forth the effort and grind out these wins.” Kerr rested reserves Shaun Livingston and Anderson Varejao on Sunday but does not expect to rest any starters as Golden State gears up for back-to-back games on Tuesday and at Utah on Wednesday.
TRENDS:
* Wizards are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Favorite is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings.
* Over is 5-1 in Wizards last 6 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings in Golden State.
CONSENSUS: The public is evenly split on the -13 point spread but the over 226.5 is getting pounded at a 67 percent clip.
Inside the Paint - Tuesday
By Chris David
VegasInsider.com
Favorites opened up the week with a 5-0 straight up mark on Sunday and the ‘chalk’ covered four of those games. That trend continued Monday with favorites posting an 8-2 SU record but the underdogs saved face at the betting counter with a 5-5 record against the spread. The ‘under’ went 7-3 last night and is 11-5 the past two days.
Tuesday’s card offers up six games on tap, which includes a nationally televised double-header on TNT that unfortunately is lacking any punch but that’s what happens late in the season with players resting and meaningless games.
Let’s handicap the card.
Brooklyn (21-52 SU, 37-35-1 ATS) at Orlando (30-43 SU, 40-32-1 ATS)
Speaking of meaningless, this matchup between the Magic (-6½) and Nets certainly fits that billing. After notching solid wins over Cleveland and Indiana last week, Brooklyn was humbled 110-99 last night in Miami as an 8 ½-point underdog. Orlando hasn’t played since Saturday when it snapped a six-game slide with a 111-89 win over Chicago as a seven-point home underdog. The Magic have gone 12-7 SU and 9-10 ATS as home favorites this season and that includes a 4-1 mark in their last five. Orlando has won all three (2-1 ATS) encounters against Brooklyn this season and the ‘under’ is 3-0 in those games. The Magic haven’t been healthy all season and the status of Nikola Vucevic and Victor Oladipo remains up in the air tonight. Make a note that Brooklyn is 2-10 SU and 6-6 ATS on zero days rest this season.
Charlotte (42-31 SU, 38-34-1 ATS) at Philadelphia (9-65 SU, 34-39-1 ATS)
The Hornets and 76ers wrap up their season series this week with a home-and-home set that starts tonight before the second meeting on Friday in Charlotte. The 76ers are double-digit underdogs (+11 ½) for this game and could be jetlagged after finishing up a four-game road trip that saw them go winless. The club did manage to go 3-1 ATS and the ‘under’ cashed in all four games. It’s hard to make a case for Philadelphia here based on a number of factoris, including talent, travel and form, plus Charlotte has been one of the hottest teams in the league since the All-Star break (15-5 SU, 12-8 ATS). The Hornets have beaten the 76ers by 20 and 25 already this season and I’d expect that number to be in this neighborhood on Tuesday. However, I might come back with Philly on Friday knowing Charlotte has key games versus the Cavs and Raptors on deck.
Chicago (36-37 SU, 30-43 ATS) at Indiana (39-34 SU, 37-36 ATS)
The Pacers opened as seven-point home favorites over the Bulls and I thought this line was a tad inflated. I know Chicago is in horrible form right now, four straight losses, but it still has the talent to win in this spot and I’m not exactly sold on Indiana. The Pacers are 3-3 SU and 2-4 ATS in their last six games and two of those wins came against the 76ers and Pelicans. Indiana has dropped two of three to Chicago this season, both losses on the road and by a combined three points. In the home win, Indiana pulled away for a 104-92 victory and have won six of the last seven home encounters against Chicago. It’s hard to argue for the Bulls, who have dropped 11 of 12 on the road but backing Indiana as a home favorite (20-8 SU, 14-14 ATS) doesn’t jump off the page either. The ‘under’ (203) could be a good look knowing both clubs could shorten this game late since it has playoff implications and none of the first three outcomes between the pair this season eclipsed tonight’s number.
Oklahoma City (52-22 SU, 33-39-2 ATS) at Detroit (39-35 SU, 37-34-3 ATS)
I’m not a big fan of Oklahoma City and I’ve knocked them around for being a bully and they are. However, the Thunder made me take a second look at them last night when they hammered a good Toronto team 119-110 as three-point road favorites. OKC has won eight straight games and more importantly, they’ve covered six of them for bettors.
The club heads to Detroit on Tuesday and the Thunder are currently listed as a 2½-point road favorite. That number right there tells you that the Pistons are worth a look, especially when you know that OKC has gone 6-6 both SU and ATS on no rest this season. Detroit saw its five-game winning streak snapped on Saturday as it was humbled 112-95 at home to Atlanta. The Pistons are in the middle of a playoff hunt and if Stan Van Gundy’s team ever needed a big win, it starts tonight at the Palace. Detroit has gone 8-5 SU and 7-4-1 ATS at home this season versus foes from the West, which includes a win over Golden State to boot.
Houston (36-38 SU, 32-42 ATS) at Cleveland (52-21 SU, 32-39-2 ATS)
The Cavaliers are listed as 1 ½-point home favorites over the Rockets and the short price is due to LeBron James sitting out for Cleveland. As much heat as he takes, he’s only missed three games this season and the clubs is 1-2 but the lone victory came by one point. Cleveland dropped Houston 91-77 on Jan. 5 as a two-point road underdog, which snapped a six-game losing streak to the Rockets. With Toronto losing on Monday, the Cavaliers are now three games ahead of them for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Rockets are barely holding onto the eighth seed in the West and have struggled recently, losing four of five games. The offense has been inconsistent (100.8 PPG) during this skid, which has led to a 4-1 ‘under’ mark. Knowing the Cavs have averaged 94 PPG without James in the lineup, a lean to the low side (214) could be warranted tonight.
Washington (36-37 SU, 37-36 ATS) at Golden State (66-7 SU, 38-32-2 ATS)
The Wizards began their five-game West Coast trip Sunday with a wire-to-wire 101-88 victory over the Lakers. Winning on Tuesday certainly won’t be easy as Washington meets Golden State as a 13½-point road underdog. As most know, Golden State is gunning for historical records and they’ve already busted one earlier this season by winning 53 straight games at home. Washington is listed as an 8/1 underdog (Bet $100 to win $800) on the money-line and that’s not a sound investment, especially for a team that has gone 4-7 SU and 5-8 ATS versus non-conference foes on the road. All but two of those opponents racked 107 points or more and that weak defensive effort helped the ‘over’ go 9-2 in those games. Should we expect less from Golden State? The team total for the Warriors (119½) might be a better play considering the Warriors are just 1-4 ATS in their last five games despite a 4-1 record. Plus, they’ve averaged 112 PPG in 13 home games versus teams from the East this season.
Rockets visit Cavaliers
By Sportsbook.ag
HOUSTON ROCKETS (36-38) at CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (52-21)
Sportsbook.ag Line: Cleveland -1.5, Total 211.5
The Rockets will be looking to break out of their recent slump with a road win over the Cavaliers on Tuesday.
Houston is coming off of a 104-101 loss as a 1.5-point road underdog against Indiana on Sunday. The Rockets are really struggling and have now lost four of their past five games. They’ll need to turn things around quickly, as there is not a lot of time left in the season and this team is in serious danger of missing the playoffs.
Cleveland, meanwhile, defeated New York 107-93 as an 8.5-point road favorite on Saturday. The Cavaliers have won three of their past four games and also defeated this same Rockets team 91-77 as two-point road favorites on Jan. 15. Houston, however, is 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS versus Cleveland over the past three seasons. One thing favoring the Rockets in this game is that they are 14-3 ATS on Tuesday nights over the past two seasons. They also get to face a Cavaliers team that is likely to be without SF LeBron James (Rest) in this one.
The Rockets are really struggling and will need to earn a victory on Tuesday or they could find themselves watching the playoffs on television when the season comes to an end. One guy that must put his team on his back is SG James Harden (28.6 PPG, 7.5 APG, 6.4 RPG, 1.7 SPG). Over the past five games, Harden is averaging 28.2 PPG, 11.0 APG, 7.6 RPG and 3.0 SPG. He has been doing an excellent job of finding his teammates, but he is going to need to be a bit more aggressive as a scorer moving forward.
C Dwight Howard (14.1 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 1.6 BPG) is somebody that the team must get more involved. He’s averaging just 8.6 PPG on 5.8 shot attempts per game over the past five contests. Howard is one of the best post players in the league and Houston needs to find a way to take advantage of that.
One guy who could be the x-factor in this game is PG Patrick Beverley (9.5 PPG, 3.0 APG, 1.3 SPG). With LeBron James likely to miss this one, Kyrie Irving will be very aggressive and it’ll be Beverley’s job to stop him. If he can contain him on Tuesday then the Rockets will have a good chance of winning this game.
The Cavaliers are going to be without James on Tuesday and that means that PG Kyrie Irving (19.4 PPG, 4.5 APG, 1.0 SPG) and PF Kevin Love (15.8 PPG, 9.9 PG) will need to come through for Cleveland. Irving should be able to find some success in this one, as he sat out Saturday’s game against New York to rest. Irving had 23 points the last time he faced the Rockets and he may need to score even more to win this one for his team.
Love should also be in for a big game in this one on Tuesday. He is coming off of one of his best performances of the season against the Knicks, finishing with 28 points and 12 rebounds in 34 minutes of action. Love was 10-for-19 from the floor in that game and he also went 4-for-9 from behind the arc. The Cavaliers need him to play with that type of confidence for the rest of the season and also in the playoffs.