Betting news, trends, odds and predictions for Wednesday, February 28, 2018 from various handicappers and websites
Wednesday’s NBA
Home side won last five Milwaukee-Detroit games; Bucks are 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to the Motor City. Under is 6-2-1 in last nine series games. Milwaukee lost three of its last four games; they’re 8-5 in last 13 games as road underdogs, 6-3-1 if they played night before. Four of their last five games went over. Pistons lost six of their last seven games; they’re 2-7 in last nine games as home favorites. Last three Detroit games pushed the total, which is odd.
Raptors won seven of last ten games with Orlando; they’re 1-4 vs spread in last five visits to the Magic Kingdom. Six of their last nine games stayed under. Toronto won eight of its last nine games; they’re 10-8 as road favorites. Over is 4-0-1 in their last five games. Magic lost their last six games; they’re 7-2 in last nine games as home underdogs. Under is 5-3 in their last eight games.
Indiana won its last four games with the Hawks; they’re 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to Atlanta. Last seven series games stayed under the total. Pacers won four of their last five games; they’re 6-3 as road favorites. Under is 7-2 in their last nine road games. Hawks lost six of their last seven games; they’re 2-5 vs spread in last seven home games. Six of their last nine games went under the total.
Celtics won nine of last ten games with Charlotte; four of last five series games stayed under. Hornets are 1-2-1 vs spread in last four visits to Boston. Charlotte won its last five games; they are 7-5-1 in last 13 games as road underdogs. Under is 4-2-1 in their last seven games. Celtics won their last three games; they’re 0-6 vs spread in last six games as home favorites. Over is 4-0-1 in their last five games.
Grizzlies won five of last seven games with Phoenix; over is 5-5 in last ten series games. Suns are 2-3 vs spread in last five visits here. Phoenix lost its last ten games; they’re 1-4 in last five games as road underdogs. Four of their last five road games stayed under. Memphis also lost its last ten games, but they covered last four tries as home favorites. Four of their last five games went over the total.
Warriors won eight of last ten games with Washington; they covered three of last four games in this arena, three of which went over the total. Golden State won six of its last seven games; they are 2-5 vs spread in last seven road games. Five of their last seven games went over. Washington won four of its last five games; they’re 2-1 as home underdogs. Over is 5-3 in their last eight games.
Spurs won six of last eight games with New Orleans; under is 6-2-1 in last nine series games. Pelicans covered once in their last four visits to the Alamo. New Orleans won its last six games, three of which went to OT; they covered five of last seven games as road underdogs. Seven of their last nine games went over. San Antonio lost six of its last eight games; they’re 2-4 in last six games as home favorites. Over is 8-2 in their last ten games.
Dallas won three of last five games with the Thunder; six of last nine series games went over the total. Thunder are 0-3 vs spread in last three games here. OKC won three of its last four games; they’re 1-4 in last five tries as road favorites. Four of their last six games went over. Mavericks lost six of their last eight games; they’re 1-3 in last four games as home underdogs. Five of their last seven games went over.
Clippers won five of last seven games with Houston; under is 3-1 in last four series games. Rockets are 2-3 vs spread in last five series games played here. Three of last four series games stayed under. Houston won its last 13 games; they covered six of last seven road games. Three of their last four games stayed under total. Clippers won four of last five games; they’re 3-5 as home underdogs, 5-4 if they played night before. LA’s last four games went over total.
Preview: Bucks at Pistons
Gracenote
Feb 28, 2018
The Detroit Pistons are sliding in the wrong direction and will try to reverse course on Wednesday, when they host the Milwaukee Bucks. Detroit has lost three consecutive games by an average of 19 points during a funk in which they have dropped six of seven contests.
The Pistons are in ninth place in the Eastern Conference - 3 1/2 games behind Miami for the final playoff spot - and weren't very proficient while being drubbed 123-94 by Toronto on Monday. "We have to get it rolling," guard Reggie Bullock told reporters. "It's a frustrating time for us. We have to try to get it rolling before it's pretty much over." Milwaukee resides in sixth place in the East and has dropped four of its last five games after suffering a 107-104 loss to Washington on Tuesday. All-Star small forward Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded 23 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists, a season-best six blocked shots and three steals in the setback.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee), FSN Detroit
ABOUT THE BUCKS (33-27): Jabari Parker scored a season-high 19 points against the Wizards but is expected to be held out of the second game of a back-to-back set since he recently returned from ACL surgery on his left knee. "We've had a lot of discussions about that and it's something we're going to continue talking about and keep with the plan we have in place for right now," coach Joe Prunty told reporters. "We've got an idea and we've discussed it, and we'll leave it at that for now." Parker is beginning to hit his stride as he scored 18 points in Sunday's loss to New Orleans before making 6-of-10 shots in a season-high 27 minutes against Washington.
ABOUT THE PISTONS (28-32): Detroit is just 9-18 since losing starting point guard Reggie Jackson (ankle) in late December, and the team is hoping he will be ready to return in about two weeks. The target date is March 13 against Utah in the opener of a six-game road trip that could determine the club's playoff fate. "He is progressing," coach Stan Van Gundy told reporters of Jackson, who averages 14.6 points and 5.5 assists. "We're hopeful that those practices before the West Coast trip that we'll get him back. I think anything earlier than that would be an unexpected bonus."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Antetokounmpo averaged 25 points as the Bucks won two of this season's three previous meetings.
2. Milwaukee swingman Khris Middleton is averaging 20.3 points over his last six games.
3. Detroit All-Star C Andre Drummond has recorded 15 straight double-doubles and 45 overall.
PREDICTION: Pistons 102, Bucks 98
Preview: Raptors at Magic
Gracenote
Feb 27, 2018
The Toronto Raptors are clinging to the top spot in the Eastern Conference and continue a relatively favorable stretch of the schedule when they visit the stumbling Orlando Magic on Wednesday. Beginning with Monday's 123-94 rout of the Detroit Pistons, the Raptors play seven of nine games against sub-.500 squads with contests against each of the three worst teams in the East entering Tuesday.
Toronto seems primed to pick up a slew of victories after dominating the Pistons by shooting 52.5 percent from the floor and winning the second half by a 64-43 margin to bounce back from an overtime loss to Milwaukee three days earlier. "We really value ourselves as a good team and think of ourselves as one of the great teams in the NBA, so any time you drop one like that, it feels bad around here and you just wanna come back in and get that taste and wash it away," guard Fred VanVleet told reporters. "We did a good job of coming in and tightening up and getting back to the way we play." Wednesday's matchup opens the three-game season series between the Raptors and Magic, who have lost six in a row and sit a half-game out of last place in the East. Opponents are averaging 111.3 points against Orlando during the slide.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TSN (Toronto), FS Florida (Orlando)
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (42-17): Monday offered up another opportunity for Toronto to rest its starters down the stretch, as All-Stars DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry - who scored 20 points apiece - played 29 and 25 minutes, respectively. The vaunted second unit had 54 points and Pascal Siakam took the lead for the reserves with 11 points, six assists, five rebounds and two blocks in 24 minutes. "I'm really impressed with Pascal, and I think he's doing a heck of a job," coach Dwane Casey told reporters. "His energy is an NBA skill. He sets the tone for that second unit, the speed they play with. He'll embarrass you if you don't play to his speed and tempo."
ABOUT THE MAGIC (18-42): Orlando burst out of the gate with 38 first-quarter points at Oklahoma City on Monday, but it was held to 15 in the third quarter and wound up on the wrong end of a 112-105 decision. "We got stagnant and stopped doing in the second half what we were doing in the first half," guard Jonathon Simmons told the team's website. "Those are great players over there and they capitalize on that. … That's kind of been the theme of this year – teams hit us and we don’t hit back." Simmons scored 19 points while Evan Fournier matched him to record his 33rd straight double-digit scoring effort.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. DeRozan leads the Raptors with 34 minutes per game but has been under that mark in seven of the last nine games.
2. Orlando C Nikola Vucevic is averaging 16.3 points and 7.3 rebounds in three games since returning from a broken hand.
3. The teams split four meetings last season and DeRozan averaged 29.7 points in his three games against the Magic.
PREDICTION: Raptors 114, Magic 106
Preview: Pacers at Hawks
Gracenote
Feb 28, 2018
The Indiana Pacers suffered an odd letdown on Monday at the lowly Dallas Mavericks to snap a four-game winning streak. The Pacers had no trouble with the Hawks at home in their previous game and will try to pick on the Eastern Conference's worst team again when they visit Atlanta on Wednesday.
Indiana, which is among a pack of teams jockeying for position in the top eight of the East, fell to 13-15 on the road with Monday's setback, in which they allowed 41 fourth-quarter points to the Mavericks. "Defensively, we didn't do a good job of keeping it in front of us," Pacers head coach Nate McMillan told reporters. "They did a good job of moving the ball from side to side and getting downhill on us pretty much all night. And in the fourth quarter they just had a huge quarter." Indiana was sharper on the defensive end in Friday's 116-93 win over the Hawks, forcing 22 turnovers and limiting Atlanta to 22.6 percent from 3-point range. The Hawks continued their swoon with another lopsided on Monday, dropping a 123-104 decision to the Los Angeles Lakers in the opener of a four-game homestand.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS Indiana, FS Southeast (Atlanta)
ABOUT THE PACERS (34-26): Indiana All-Star Victor Oladipo was limited to 23 minutes on Monday due to foul trouble and finished with 21 points. "I don't think it affected my rhythm, I just didn't play a lot," Oladipo told reporters of the foul trouble. "It's crazy how they (the referees) didn't miss none of mine. It just felt like every time I tried to do something, it was a foul. So, it was just one of those nights." Oladipo was only needed for 28 minutes on Friday against Atlanta, when he managed 14 points and nine assists.
ABOUT THE HAWKS (18-43): The rest of the season is all about development for Atlanta, which waived veteran power forward Ersan Ilyasova on Monday and let veteran Marco Belinelli go recently in part to open up minutes for young players. Taurean Prince is taking some of the minutes that went to Ilyasova and led the team with 24 points in Monday's setback. Guard Isaiah Taylor has seen his role increase in Belinelli's absence and is averaging 15.3 points on 18-of-29 shooting in the last three games, raising his season scoring average to 5.1 points.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Hawks SF DeAndre' Bembry (abdominal strain) sat out Monday and is day-to-day.
2. Pacers C Myles Turner recorded a double-double in two of the last three games.
3. Indiana took the last four in the series, including a 105-95 win at Atlanta on Dec. 20.
PREDICTION: Pacers 113, Hawks 96
Preview: Hornets at Celtics
Gracenote
Feb 28, 2018
The Boston Celtics have taken advantage of some struggling teams to rediscover the form that made them the top team in the Eastern Conference until recently. They'll now turn their attention to one the East's hotter squads when the Charlotte Hornets pay a visit to Boston on Wednesday.
After dropping their final three games prior to the All-Star break, the Celtics have knocked off Detroit, New York and Memphis - three teams that are a combined 41 games below .500 - to right the ship. "Just our focus level," All-Star guard Kyrie Irving told ESPN.com of the difference between before and after the break. "Getting everybody back. Just knowing what we're trying to get ready for." While Boston sits a half-game out of first place in the East, Charlotte has designs on entering the playoff race with five straight victories. Kemba Walker's 31 points lifted the Hornets to a 118-103 victory over Chicago at home Tuesday night.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Charlotte), NBCS Boston
ABOUT THE HORNETS (28-33): Dwight Howard finished with 24 points on 10-of-12 shooting to go along with five blocked shots in Tuesday's win. "The second half Dwight just took the game over. He was dominant really at both ends of the floor," coach Steve Clifford told reporters. Walker, who wrestled with a rib injury early in the win, produced 16 points in the third quarter as Charlotte produced at least 111 points for the fourth straight game.
ABOUT THE CELTICS (43-19): Irving scored 25 points on 8-of-13 shooting in the 109-98 win over Memphis on Monday and he is averaging 24.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists during the winning streak. Fellow All-Star Al Horford has not been as productive, posting a scoring average of seven points while shooting 7-for-26 from the floor since the break. He had 20 points and 12 rebounds in a 102-91 win at Charlotte on Dec. 27 as Boston extended its winning streak in the series to six.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Hornets SF Michael Kidd-Gilchrist left Tuesday's game with a hamstring strain and is day-to-day.
2. Celtics C Aron Baynes (elbow) returned from a one-game absence to score nine points on 4-of-4 shooting in the win over Memphis.
3. Walker is averaging 25.8 points while making 17-of-32 3-pointers in his last four games.
PREDICTION: Celtics 107, Hornets 101
Preview: Warriors at Wizards
Gracenote
Feb 28, 2018
The Golden State Warriors insist there are no distractions associated with their once-per-season visit to the nation's capital as they face the Washington Wizards on Wednesday. The Warriors had no interest in making the customary White House visit that is tradition for NBA champions and instead spent their off-day on Tuesday hanging out with children at an African-American museum.
On the basketball front, the Warriors have won three consecutive games and six of seven but trail streaking Houston by one-half game in the battle for the top seed in the Western Conference. Golden State's offense is thriving with an average of 122.9 points over the last seven games, including Monday's 125-111 road victory over the New York Knicks. While the Warriors were enjoying the city sights, the Wizards were posting a 107-104 triumph in Milwaukee on Tuesday. Washington has won five of its last six contests and begins a four-game homestand with the matchup against Golden State, which will be followed by a visit from Eastern Conference-leading Toronto.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN, NBCS Bay Area (Golden State), NBCS Washington
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (47-14): All-Star forward Kevin Durant recorded 31 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in a win over his hometown team earlier this season and has topped 20 points in eight of 10 games this month, including a 50-point performance against Portland on Feb. 14. All-Star point guard Stephen Curry also has registered eight 20-point performances in February, with his best effort coming on Thursday as he collected 44 points and 10 assists against the Los Angeles Clippers. Meanwhile, All-Star shooting guard Klay Thompson produced his best showing of the month with 26 points against the Knicks after being just 1-for-11 from 3-point range and scoring only 11 in Saturday's win over Oklahoma City.
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (36-25): Washington let a 21-point lead slip away against Milwaukee and had to fight to the finish to notch the road victory. "They are the playoff team we played (Tuesday) and they didn't give up," shooting guard Bradley Beal told reporters. "We did a good job of staying poised. We've been in this situation before. We just trusted our defense and made sure we got stops and executed our offense." Beal made a late 3-pointer to help the Wizards hold on as he scored 21 points on 9-of-16 shooting for his third straight 20-point performance.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Warriors have won 12 of the last 14 meetings, including a 120-117 home victory on Oct. 27.
2. Washington PG Tomas Satoransky has recorded six or more assists in five of his last six games while starting in place of injured All-Star John Wall (knee).
3. Golden State backup PF David West is 29-for-41 from the field this month.
PREDICTION: Warriors 115, Wizards 112
Preview: Suns at Grizzlies
Gracenote
Feb 28, 2018
The race to the bottom in the Western Conference is heated, with four teams fighting for the most ping pong balls in the NBA draft lottery. Two of those teams meet on Wednesday when the Memphis Grizzlies host the Phoenix Suns.
The Suns are currently holding down the worst record in the NBA at 18-44 and are enduring a 10-game losing streak -- tied for the longest in the NBA with the Grizzlies. Memphis is 1 1/2 games up on Phoenix but is getting crushed of late, with each of its three losses since the All-Star break coming by at least 11 points. "They fight, and they continue to fight," Grizzlies interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff insisted to reporters of his team. "I've seen people crumble in these moments and we haven't done that. We've gotten off to slow starts and even more reason to think we should give in and the guys haven't done that. They've continued to battle, they've continued to fight, and they will continue to battle and continue to fight." Phoenix at least came out strong and built a 17-point lead in the first half at New Orleans on Monday before wilting after the break and suffering a 125-116 setback.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Arizona (Phoenix), FS Southeast (Memphis)
ABOUT THE SUNS (18-44): Squandering double-digit leads is becoming commonplace for the young Phoenix team, which was up 15 with under eight minutes to play on Saturday against Portland before falling 106-104. The bright spot for the team continues to be shooting guard Devin Booker, who collected 40 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in Monday's loss. The 21-year-old is averaging 31.3 points over the last four games but sat out a 120-109 loss at Memphis on Jan. 29.
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (18-41): Memphis power forward JaMychal Green is finding ways to stand out in the lost season and posted his third consecutive double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds in a 109-98 loss at Boston on Monday. "In tough situations your true character shows and (Green) hasn't laid down," Bickerstaff told reporters. "JaMych continues to fight, continues to give effort, continues to battle. Credit to him, his character as a human being." Green is shooting 56.8 percent from the floor over the last four games and knocked down a pair of 3-pointers on Monday.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Grizzlies SG Tyreke Evans (ribs) missed the last two games and is not expected to play on Wednesday.
2. Suns PG Tyler Ulis (back) sat out the last three games and is questionable for Wednesday.
3. The home team took the last five in the series, with Phoenix last winning in Memphis on March 6, 2016.
PREDICTION: Grizzlies 109, Suns 106
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Preview: Thunder at Mavericks
Gracenote
Feb 28, 2018
The Dallas Mavericks forgot they were supposed to be tanking on Monday and instead pulled off an impressive win with a 109-103 triumph over the Indiana Pacers. The Mavericks will try to make it two in a row against playoff-hopeful opponents when they host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday.
Dallas owner Mark Cuban was fined $600,000 by the NBA last week for suggesting on a podcast that it might be best for the franchise if the team continued to lose this season in order to improve its draft prospects, but the players are refusing to participate in the tank. "I think it's important for our young guys to learn how to compete and to compete all the time, play hard," Mavericks future Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki told reporters. "You play your minutes hard. That's the only way to get better. That's the only way to play in this league, and whatever happens after the season, we'll just go from there. But for now, you play your minutes hard and you play to win." The Thunder are playing to win and bounced back from a loss at Golden State by beating the Orlando Magic 112-105 on Monday. Oklahoma City is among a group of teams clustered between No. 5 and No. 9 in the West and can't afford a loss to a team at the bottom of the standings.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, FS Oklahoma, FS Southwest (Dallas)
ABOUT THE THUNDER (35-27): Oklahoma City got 48 points from its reserves in Monday's win and is counting on contributions from players other than Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony and Paul George. "This is the way we have to perform for the rest of the year and throughout the postseason," reserve guard Raymond Felton told reporters. "That's something that we talked about. We talked about it with coach (Billy Donovan), we talked about it amongst ourselves. ... Everybody has a role. We have to continue to play the way we played (Monday)." Felton led four reserves in double figures with 13 points against the Magic.
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (19-42): Dallas gets plenty of support of its bench from point guard J.J. Barea, who scored 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting in 26 minutes on Monday. "I'm playing great basketball, I'm really comfortable with this team, I love my teammates," Barea told reporters. "My coaches, they put me in great situations. Whether I start or whether I come off the bench -- and I got great rhythm with this team and with my teammates -- it feels great to be out there." The Mavericks added to the bench at the trade deadline with Doug McDermott, who is 10-of-14 from 3-point range over the last three games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Westbrook is 11-of-41 from the floor in three games since the All-Star break.
2. Mavericks PF Dwight Powell grabbed a season-high 14 rebounds on Monday.
3. Dallas took two of the first three meetings this season, including a 116-113 win at Oklahoma City in the latest matchup on Dec. 31.
PREDICTION: Thunder 112, Mavericks 103
Preview: Pelicans at Spurs
Gracenote
Feb 28, 2018
The New Orleans Pelicans own the longest non-Houston winning streak in the NBA and are being driven by transcendent performances from superstar Anthony Davis. Davis and the Pelicans will try to make it seven in a row when they visit the team directly in front of them in the standings at the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.
New Orleans sits 1 1/2 games behind the Spurs for fourth place in the Western Conference thanks to Davis, who collected 53 points, 18 rebounds and five blocks in a 125-116 win over Phoenix on Monday while fouling out three Suns big men. “He’s just playing great basketball," Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry told reporters of Davis. "I don’t know what else to say about it. I just think that he’s dominating on both ends. He’s carrying the load, offensively. Rebounding the basketball. He’s just playing really good basketball." San Antonio won’t have one of their big men available to guard Davis with center Pau Gasol (bone bruise) doubtful for Wednesday's contest. The Spurs snapped a four-game slide with a 110-94 win at Cleveland on Sunday to end their annual rodeo road trip and are kicking off a three-game homestand on Wednesday.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, FS New Orleans, FS Southwest (San Antonio)
ABOUT THE PELICANS (34-26): Davis stepped up when center DeMarcus Cousins went down for the season with an Achilles injury and has been at his best during the six-game winning streak while averaging 41.5 points and 15 rebounds. “We’ve had stretches where we’ve played well," Davis told reporters. "But right now, everybody is playing their part and doing it together, I think that’s what makes it so special. And we’re doing it without one of our main guys, and that makes it more special. Everyone thought we were going to go down in the standings, but we’re actually moving up." New Orleans' winning streak is its longest since the 2010-11 season.
ABOUT THE SPURS (36-25): The Spurs got some encouraging news on the injury front when it was reported on Monday that star small forward Kawhi Leonard (quad tendinopathy) returned to San Antonio to practice with the team. "We're facing the end of the season as if he's not coming," Spurs guard Manu Ginobili told reporters of Leonard. "Then, if he does, awesome. We'll figure it out and we'll try to adjust as soon as possible. But at this point we don't know, so we've just got to keep fighting and keep working." Ginobili (chest) sat out Sunday's win but is expected to be back on Wednesday.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Spurs SG Danny Green came off the bench for the first time this season on Sunday and scored 22 points in 23 minutes.
2. Pelicans PG Jrue Holiday is averaging 25.3 points over the last six games.
3. New Orleans took the first meeting this season 107-90 at home on Nov. 22 behind 29 points from Davis.
PREDICTION: Pelicans 111, Spurs 106
Preview: Rockets at Clippers
Gracenote
Feb 28, 2018
The red-hot Houston Rockets are looking to match their season-best winning streak of 14 games when they renew their heated rivalry with the host Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. When the teams played in Los Angeles last month, the Houston trio of Chris Paul, James Harden and Trevor Ariza attempted to crash the Los Angeles locker room afterward to confront Blake Griffin (since traded) and Austin Rivers.
The Clippers' 113-102 victory Jan. 15 was contentious from the start with it being Paul's first game against Los Angeles at the Staples Center since being traded and it featured two ejections and five technical fouls in addition to the postgame incident that was thwarted by arena security. Harden is expecting a tense atmosphere in Wednesday's meeting despite the fact that Griffin is no longer with Los Angeles. "We've been playing extremely well, they've been playing well, they're fighting for a playoff seed as well," Harden told reporters. "We're fighting for the No. 1 seed, so it's going to be a playoff atmosphere in there." While Houston holds a half-game lead over the Golden State Warriors for the top spot in the Western Conference, the Clippers are streaking with nine victories in their past 12 games after rallying from a 19-point, third-quarter deficit to notch a 122-120 road victory over the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, AT&T Sports Net Southwest (Houston), Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (47-13): Harden missed the mid-January loss to the Clippers because of a hamstring injury but recorded 51 points and eight assists in a 128-118 loss to Los Angeles on Dec. 22. Harden, who leads the NBA with a 31.4 scoring mark, is averaging 32.5 points during Houston's winning streak and has topped 40 three times, including posting the first 60-point triple-double (11 assists, 10 rebounds) in NBA history against the Orlando Magic on Jan. 30. Power forward Luc Mbah a Moute was a surprise star in Monday's 96-85 victory over the Utah Jazz when he scored 17 points on 7-of-7 shooting.
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (32-27): Los Angeles moved into eighth place in the West by one percentage point over Denver with its victory Tuesday. Shooting guard Lou Williams scored 25 points to continue his torrid stretch that has seen him score 20 or more points in 26 of the past 29 games, including outings of 32 and 31 against Houston. "We understand the position we are in," Williams said of the team's situation after Tuesday's victory. "We've got to just give ourselves the opportunity to go out there and win games. We can't afford to go out there and drop them on bad effort. If we lose a game on good effort, I think we can live with that and move on."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Clippers are 2-0 against the Rockets this season and have won the past three meetings.
2. Los Angeles F Danilo Gallinari (hand) will likely miss his third straight contest.
3. Houston's 14-game winning streak earlier this season started Nov. 16 and ended with a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 20.
PREDICTION: Rockets 128, Clippers 119
__________________
NBA
Wednesday, February 28
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Trend Report
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MILWAUKEE @ DETROIT
Milwaukee is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Detroit
Milwaukee is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 6 games at home
Detroit is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
TORONTO @ ORLANDO
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Toronto's last 10 games on the road
Toronto is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
Orlando is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Orlando's last 5 games when playing at home against Toronto
INDIANA @ ATLANTA
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Indiana's last 7 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Indiana's last 12 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Atlanta's last 7 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Atlanta's last 12 games when playing at home against Indiana
CHARLOTTE @ BOSTON
Charlotte is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Charlotte's last 6 games when playing Boston
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Charlotte
Boston is 5-0-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Charlotte
PHOENIX @ MEMPHIS
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Phoenix's last 11 games when playing on the road against Memphis
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Phoenix's last 6 games on the road
Memphis is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Memphis's last 11 games when playing at home against Phoenix
GOLDEN STATE @ WASHINGTON
Golden State is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Washington
Golden State is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Washington is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Washington is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
OKLAHOMA CITY @ DALLAS
Oklahoma City is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games when playing Dallas
Oklahoma City is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Dallas is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Oklahoma City
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dallas's last 7 games
NEW ORLEANS @ SAN ANTONIO
New Orleans is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
New Orleans is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
San Antonio is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 6 of San Antonio's last 7 games
HOUSTON @ LA CLIPPERS
Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
LA Clippers is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
LA Clippers is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
__________________
NBA
Long Sheet
Wednesday, February 28
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MILWAUKEE (33 - 27) at DETROIT (28 - 32) - 2/28/2018, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 367-443 ATS (-120.3 Units) in the second half of the season since 1996.
DETROIT is 11-20 ATS (-11.0 Units) as a favorite this season.
DETROIT is 1-10 ATS (-10.0 Units) in February games this season.
DETROIT is 1-10 ATS (-10.0 Units) in the second half of the season this season.
DETROIT is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 6-4 against the spread versus MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
MILWAUKEE is 6-5 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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TORONTO (42 - 17) at ORLANDO (18 - 42) - 2/28/2018, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
ORLANDO is 61-79 ATS (-25.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 25-43 ATS (-22.3 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 10-21 ATS (-13.1 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
ORLANDO is 5-2 against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 4-3 straight up against ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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INDIANA (34 - 26) at ATLANTA (18 - 43) - 2/28/2018, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 15-7 ATS (+7.3 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 6-3 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 6-3 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
7 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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CHARLOTTE (28 - 33) at BOSTON (43 - 19) - 2/28/2018, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHARLOTTE is 60-76 ATS (-23.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 7-18 ATS (-12.8 Units) as an underdog this season.
CHARLOTTE is 6-19 ATS (-14.9 Units) against Atlantic division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 13-22 ATS (-11.2 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
BOSTON is 35-24 ATS (+8.6 Units) in all games this season.
BOSTON is 38-23 ATS (+12.7 Units) against Southeast division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) in home games in February games over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 7-1 against the spread versus CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 8-1 straight up against CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
7 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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PHOENIX (18 - 44) at MEMPHIS (18 - 41) - 2/28/2018, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
MEMPHIS is 5-5 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
MEMPHIS is 6-4 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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GOLDEN STATE (47 - 14) at WASHINGTON (36 - 25) - 2/28/2018, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) as an underdog this season.
WASHINGTON is 65-47 ATS (+13.3 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 59-33 ATS (+22.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 402-470 ATS (-115.0 Units) in home games since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 3-2 against the spread versus GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 4-1 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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NEW ORLEANS (34 - 26) at SAN ANTONIO (36 - 25) - 2/28/2018, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 1035-905 ATS (+39.5 Units) in all games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 826-703 ATS (+52.7 Units) as a favorite since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 527-440 ATS (+43.0 Units) in home games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 50-33 ATS (+13.7 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 211-162 ATS (+32.8 Units) in home games after a win by 10 points or more since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 183-140 ATS (+29.0 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
NEW ORLEANS is 6-3 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 6-3 straight up against NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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OKLAHOMA CITY (35 - 27) at DALLAS (19 - 42) - 2/28/2018, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 24-37 ATS (-16.7 Units) in all games this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 18-34 ATS (-19.4 Units) as a favorite this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 32-51 ATS (-24.1 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
DALLAS is 404-329 ATS (+42.1 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
DALLAS is 24-13 ATS (+9.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 8-7 against the spread versus OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA CITY is 11-4 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
9 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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HOUSTON (47 - 13) at LA CLIPPERS (32 - 27) - 2/28/2018, 10:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
LA CLIPPERS is 5-4 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
LA CLIPPERS is 5-4 straight up against HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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