What Bettors Need To Know: Cleveland Cavaliers at Phoenix Suns
By RYAN COLAIANNI
Return of the ‘Shaqtus’
Shaquille O’Neal returns to the desert on Monday for the first time since he was traded from the Suns in offseason.
O’Neal, who averaged almost 18 points per game last year, is struggled to fit in with Cleveland. His conditioning wasn’t up to par and it has taken him significantly longer to get into shape. That’s part of the reason why his minutes, points and rebounds are all way down.
"It's a big game Monday. We've got to take care of home court no matter who comes in. They're playing somewhat well so far. So we've got to make sure we take care of King James and the old Shaqtus,” Amar’e Stoudemire told the Arizona Republic.
Back to back
The Suns are looking to extend their home win streak to 20 straight and they will get the Cavs on the tail end of a back to back. The Suns also caught the Magic on the second of a back to back 10 days ago, and earned a three-point home win in the process.
The Suns are looking to avenge a bad loss early this year to the Cavs. Phoenix faced the Cavs Dec. 2, a night after losing badly to the New York Knicks. Cleveland added to the Suns’ misery, winning the game 107-90.
Away for the holidays
Tonight’s game is the second of a crucial four-game road swing for Cleveland. After Monday’s game, the Cavs face Sacramento on Wednesday and the Lakers on Christmas Day.
''It is a difficult trip coming up. It is a good test for us. You know that every time that we get into focus mode, we play pretty well,'' O'Neal told the Akron Beacon Journal. ''We are going to a lot of nice cities, but we are going to be locked in as soon as we get on the plane.''
Richardson healthy
Phoenix guard Jason Richardson scored 22 points on 10 of 18 shooting Saturday night after sitting out Thursday’s game because of a hand injury.
A healthy Richardson is critical for Phoenix’s attack. The club’s offense isn’t nearly as potent without the sweet-shooting two-guard on the perimeter and Richardson’s absence is especially damaging with Leandro Barbosa still recovering from an ankle injury.
Putting it all together
The Suns will go for their 20th straight home win against the Cavs after a dominating 121-95 win over the hapless Wizards on Saturday night.
While the win didn’t come against a good team, it was how they won that had the Suns pleased afterwards. The Suns dominated throughout, taking a 16 point lead at halftime and did not allow the Wizards to make a run to get it close in the third quarter, opening up a 33 point lead in the quarter.
Stoudemire is playing his best basketball of the year, averaging 21 points and 11 rebounds over his last nine games and Steve Nash continues to do what he does best, distribute the basketball. He had 15 assists against the Wizards on Saturday.
Don’t forget about my guy
Is there a better teammate in the NBA than LeBron James? Last year he pushed hard for Mo Williams’ All-Star selection and earlier this season he criticized coach Mike Brown for keeping Zydrunas Ilgauskas on the bench in a game the center could have set the record for most games played in a Cavs’ uniform.
Anderson Varejao is the latest to get an atta boy from King James.
"Andy is playing great basketball," James told the News Herald. "He's doing an unbelievable job of coming in and providing energy and helping our team win basketball games. He's always been huge at what he does for our team.
"When you talk about Sixth Man, what Andy does doesn't always show up in the box score," he said. "That's why he won't be part of that conversation because chasing down loose balls, taking charges and hustle plays don't show up in the box score."
Trends
Phoenix is 5-1 ATS in its last six games and 9-3 in its last 12 in games played with one day’s rest.
The under is 12-3-2 in Suns last 17 overall and 8-4-1 in Cleveland’s last 12. In head to head match-ups between the Suns and the Cavaliers, the favorite is 10-1 ATS in the last 11 matchups.
Utah (16-11, 15-12 ATS) at Orlando (20-7, 15-12 ATS)
The Jazz continue their East Coast road trip with a stop in Orlando to take on the Magic inside Amway Arena.
Utah is 2-1 (SU and ATS) on this five-game road swing, having beaten Charlotte 110-102 on Saturday as a 2½-point underdog. The Jazz score average just 96.2 points per game on the road this year, but they are shooting 51.1 percent from the floor and putting up 102.2 points a game over their last five contests overall (3-2 SU and ATS).
Orlando has won three of its last four (2-2 ATS), beating Portland 92-83 at home on Saturday night and barely cashing as an 8½-point chalk. Center Dwight Howard took just eight shots but had 12 points, 20 rebounds and four blocks to lead the Magic to their 10th home win in 12 tries this season. The Magic limit the opposition to 95.9 points a game at home on 44.3 percent shooting.
These squads collided on Dec. 10 in Utah with the Jazz rallying for a 120-111 victory, cashing as 2½-point underdogs. Orlando has still won five of the last eight (6-2 ATS) in this series, including last year’s 105-87 home win as a 5½-point favorite. The Magic are 12-3-1 ATS in the last 16 meetings and 5-1 ATS in the last six clashes in Orlando.
Utah is just 7-19 ATS in its last 26 as an underdog and 8-20 ATS in its last 28 roadies against teams with winning home records, but it is on positive pointspread streaks of 9-4 overall, 5-1 against Eastern Conference teams and 20-7 on Monday. Orlando is on ATS slides of 1-5 after a spread-cover and 2-7 on Monday, but it is on ATS surges of 7-2 after a day off and 33-16-2 against Northwest Division opponents.
The Jazz are on several “over” streaks, including 15-6-1 on the road, 30-12-1 as an underdog, 24-8-1 as a road ‘dog, 4-1 on Monday and 11-4 on the road against teams with winning home records. The Magic have topped the total in five of six after a spread-cover and nine of 12 at home, but they are on “under” runs of 4-1 overall, 9-3 on Monday and 12-5 against the Western Conference. Finally, the “under” has been the play in five of the last seven head-to-head clashes between these two, though this month’s battle in Utah topped the posted total.
ATS ADVANTAGE: ORLANDO
Cleveland (20-8, 13-15 ATS) at Phoenix (18-9, 16-11 ATS)
The Cavaliers look to bounce back from Sunday’s upset loss to the Mavericks when they visit the Suns inside the US Airways Center in Phoenix.
Cleveland opened a four-game West Coast road swing Sunday in Dallas, losing 102-95 as a four-point road favorite, ending a five-game winning streak while dropping to 2-6 ATS in its last eight. During its five-game winning streak, the Cavaliers had given up just 92 ppg while limiting the opposition to 41.8 percent shooting, but on Sunday the Mavericks – playing without All-Star Dirk Nowitzki – had 102 points on 47.5 percent shooting.
Phoenix has alternated wins and losses over the last six games (5-1 ATS), most recently blasting the Wizards in the desert on Saturday, rolling 121-95 as a 10½-point favorite. Amare Stoudemire had 23 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Suns with Steve Nash adding 15 points, 15 assists and seven rebounds. Phoenix averages 116.9 points a game at home while shooting 51.7 percent from the field.
The Cavaliers scored a 107-90 home win over the Suns back on Dec. 2, cashing as 7½-point favorites. Cleveland has now won and covered three straight in the series after losing six of the previous seven both SU and ATS. In last year’s meeting in Phoenix, Cleveland got a 119-111 victory in Phoenix last season, cashing as a 4½-point favorite. The home team is 8-3 ATS in the last 11 series meetings with the favorite covering the spread in 10 of the last 11 matchups.
Cleveland is just 2-5 ATS in its last seven games as a road ‘dog, but otherwise it is on positive ATS runs that include 9-5 on the road, 35-15-1 on Monday and 24-11 as a road ‘dog of less than five points. Phoenix is on a plethora of ATS upticks, including 5-1 overall, 20-8-1 at home, 19-7-1 as a home favorite, 4-0 as a home chalk of less than five points, 9-3 after a day off and 10-4 against Eastern Conference.
The under is 7-3 for the Cavs in their last 10 Monday games, but otherwise it’s all “overs” for Cleveland, including 6-1 as an underdog, 6-2-1 against the Western Conference and 9-2 against teams with a winning record. For Phoenix, the under is on stretches of 12-3-2 overall, 6-1-1 after getting a day off, 6-0-1 against Eastern Conference teams and 5-2 on Monday. In this series, the “over” has been the play in eight of the last 11, with last year’s game in Phoenix soaring over the posted price.
ATS ADVANTAGE: PHOENIX
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Indiana Pacers
The division rival Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers are set to renew hostilities on Monday when they meet at Conseco Fieldhouse.
The Bucks were defeated 96-95 by the Kings last time out, as 6-point home favorites. The game's 191 points fell UNDER the posted total of 209.5.
Brandon Jennings collected 15 points, six rebounds and nine assists for the Bucks.
The Pacers were badly outplayed in the fourth quarter on Saturday, but managed to hang on for a 100-99 upset victory over the Spurs. The Pacers won the game as 12-point underdogs, while the 199 points went UNDER the posted total of 204.
Tim Duncan tossed in 19 points and grabbed 16 rebounds for a double-double in the win.
Current streak:
Milwaukee has lost 3 straight games.
Indiana has lost 2 straight games.
Team records:
Milwaukee: 11-14 SU, 15-10 ATS
Indiana: 9-16 SU, 10-15 ATS
Milwaukee most recently:
When playing on Monday are 4-6
Before playing Washington are 5-5
After playing Sacramento are 3-7
After a loss are 2-8
Indiana most recently:
When playing on Monday are 6-4
Before playing Boston are 6-4
After playing San Antonio are 6-4
After a loss are 3-7
A few trends to consider:
Milwaukee is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Milwaukee is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Milwaukee's last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Milwaukee's last 16 games
Indiana is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
Indiana is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Indiana's last 10 games
Indiana is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Next up:
Milwaukee home to Washington, Wednesday, December 23
Indiana at Boston, Tuesday, December 22
Utah Jazz vs. Orlando Magic
The fans at Amway Arena will be treated to a game between the Utah Jazz and the Orlando Magic when they take their seats on Monday.
Carlos Boozer collected a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds in helping the Jazz defeat the Bobcats 110-102 on Saturday. The Jazz won that game as 2.5-point underdogs, while the 212 points sailed OVER the posted total of 190.5.
Deron Williams tossed in 23 points for the Jazz, and C.J. Miles chipped in with 20 in the victory.
Dwight Howard dropped 12 points and hauled down 20 rebounds for a double-double on Saturday, leading the Magic to a 92-83 victory over the Trail Blazers. The Magic covered the 8.5-point spread, but the combined score went UNDER the posted total of 192.
Rashard Lewis tossed in 15 points for the Magic, and Jason Williams added 13 in the win.
Team records:
Utah: 16-11 SU, 15-12 ATS
Orlando: 20-7 SU, 14-11-2 ATS
Utah most recently:
When playing on Monday are 6-4
Before playing Miami are 5-5
After playing Charlotte are 7-3
After a win are 5-5
Orlando most recently:
When playing on Monday are 4-6
Before playing Houston are 5-5
After playing Portland are 5-5
After a win are 7-3
A few trends to consider:
Utah is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games
Utah is 9-4 ATS in its last 13 games
Utah is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing Orlando
Utah is 6-16 SU in its last 22 games on the road
Orlando is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home
Orlando is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Utah
Orlando is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Utah
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Orlando's last 5 games
Next up:
Utah at Miami, Wednesday, December 23
Orlando home to Houston, Wednesday, December 23
Sacramento Kings vs. Chicago Bulls
The Sacramento Kings and the Chicago Bulls will both be trying to pick up a win on Monday when they battle at United Center.
Jason Thompson went for 22 points and 10 rebounds in a double-double performance on Saturday, as the Kings defeated the Bucks 96-95. The Kings won the game as 6-point underdogs, while the 191 points fell UNDER the posted total of 209.5.
Tyreke Evans had 24 points with seven rebounds in that victory.
The Bulls came from behind to upset the Hawks 101-98 on Saturday, as 4.5-point underdogs. The 199 points made it OVER the posted total of 194.5.
Derrick Rose had 32 points, four rebounds, and six assists in leading the Bulls. Luol Deng chipped in with 21 points in the win.
Current streak:
Chicago has won 2 straight games.
Team records:
Sacramento: 12-14 SU, 16-9-1 ATS
Chicago: 10-15 SU, 8-15-2 ATS
Sacramento most recently:
When playing on Monday are 2-8
Before playing Cleveland are 4-6
After playing Milwaukee are 3-7
After a win are 6-4
Chicago most recently:
When playing on Monday are 5-5
Before playing New York are 5-5
After playing Atlanta are 7-3
After a win are 4-6
A few trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Sacramento's last 7 games when playing Chicago
Sacramento is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Sacramento's last 6 games on the road
Sacramento is 16-5 SU in its last 21 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chicago's last 7 games when playing Sacramento
Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Sacramento
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chicago's last 7 games when playing at home against Sacramento
Chicago is 17-7 SU in its last 24 games at home
Next up:
Sacramento home to Cleveland, Wednesday, December 23
Chicago at New York, Tuesday, December 22
Los Angeles Clippers vs. San Antonio Spurs
The fans at AT&T Center will be treated to a game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the San Antonio Spurs when they take their seats on Monday.
Chris Kaman poured in 24 points and hauled down 11 rebounds for a double-double on Saturday, as the Clippers defeated the 76ers 112-107. The Clippers won the game as a 3.5-point underdog, while the 219 points sailed OVER the posted total of 193.
Baron Davis added 20 points for the Clippers, and Rasual Butler had 18 in the win.
The Spurs were nipped 100-99 by the Pacers on Saturday, as 12-point favorites at home. That game's 199 points went UNDER the posted total of 204.
Roy Hibbert had 20 points with seven rebounds in the loss.
Current streak:
San Antonio has won 2 straight games.
Team records:
Los Angeles: 12-14 SU, 10-16 ATS
San Antonio: 14-10 SU, 11-12-1 ATS
Los Angeles most recently:
When playing on Monday are 2-8
Before playing Houston are 3-7
After playing Philadelphia are 5-5
After a win are 4-6
San Antonio most recently:
When playing on Monday are 9-1
Before playing Portland are 6-4
After playing Indiana are 7-3
After a win are 7-3
A few trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 5 of the LA Clippers last 6 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of the LA Clippers last 14 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of the LA Clippers last 6 games when playing San Antonio
LA Clippers are 6-16-1 ATS in their last 23 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
San Antonio is 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games when playing LA Clippers
San Antonio is 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Clippers
San Antonio is 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against LA Clippers
San Antonio is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Next up:
LA Clippers at Houston, Tuesday, December 22
San Antonio home to Portland, Wednesday, December 23
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Phoenix Suns
The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns will both be trying to pick up a win on Monday when they battle at US Airways Center.
The Cavaliers lost to Dallas 102-95 as a 4-point favorite on Sunday. The combined score went OVER the posted over/under total (188).
LeBron James led Cleveland with 25 points and Delonte West had 18 points.
Steve Nash collected 15 points with seven rebounds and 15 assists to lead the Suns over the Wizards 121-95 on Saturday. The Suns covered the 10.5-point spread, while the 216 points went UNDER the posted total of 218.5.
Amare Stoudemire netted 23 points for the Suns, and Jason Richardson added 22 in the win.
Team records:
Cleveland: 20-8 SU, 13-15 ATS
Phoenix: 18-9 SU, 16-10-1 ATS
Cleveland most recently:
When playing on Monday are 9-1
Before playing Sacramento are 6-4
After playing Dallas are 8-2
After a loss are 7-3
Phoenix most recently:
When playing on Monday are 5-5
Before playing Oklahoma City are 6-4
After playing Washington are 6-4
After a win are 4-6
A few trends to consider:
Cleveland is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Cleveland's last 11 games when playing Phoenix
Cleveland is 6-15 SU in its last 21 games when playing Phoenix
Cleveland is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
Phoenix is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Phoenix is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Phoenix's last 11 games
Phoenix is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Cleveland
Next up:
Cleveland at Sacramento, Wednesday, December 23
Phoenix home to Oklahoma City, Wednesday, December 23
NBA RoundUp For 12/21
By Dan Bebe
Bucks @ Pacers - Indiana by 2.5 with a total of 202.5. Apparently, the Pacers have done enough to convince oddsmakers that they're good enough to warrant being a small favorite. I'm not sure I agree. Obviously, this isn't the world's best spot for a visitor, as the Bucks are coming into town off a painfully close defeat at the hands of the Sacramento Kings (a fairly open layup being the game-ender). Still, sometimes a loss in the game before, especially one with an ending that airs constantly on SportsCenter can actually be helpful for us. The Pacers are not a good team, let's face it. They're 3-7 this month, 4-6 ATS, and coming off a buzzer-beating loss of their own in San Antonio. Indiana is only 6-6 at home this year, and indeed they have won their last 2 home games, but those were over the Bobcats and Nets, two teams that can't win on the road, and can't win anywhere, respectively. Here, they face a team that is one tiny rung up on the ladder. The Bucks still aren't very good on the road, but they have covered 3 of their 4 road games this year, all as dogs. They're losing games straight up, though, and that is a point of concern. When you're only getting 2.5 points, it isn't too easy to lose straight up and still cover. I lean to the road Buckaroos, but not strong enough to make any sort of move on it. I also lean to the Under, as I don't see Milwaukee trying to get into a shoot-out. Scott Skiles prefers a defensive game, and Indiana can't run n' gun the same way without Granger.
Jazz @ Magic - Orlando by 7.5 with a total of 204. This could be a fun one. The Magic covered in their last game against the Blazers, but in all honesty, they haven't been impressing me much beyond that narrow cover. They've scored just 86 and 92 points in their last two games, and have shot 43 and 42% from the field. Now, that being said, the Jazz defense is significantly more porous than those of the Heat and Blazers, so that percentage should jump just a bit, but this will also be a more the potent offense than the Blazers. I'm a little afraid to make a call either way on this game, as we all know the Magic have enough weapons to open up an 8-point awfully fast, even if the Jazz are outplaying them. Orlando has gone Under the total in 4 of the last 5 games, so perhaps looking at the total may be the way we want to go. Utah has traded off wins and losses in their last 5 games both straight up and ATS, so they're apparently due for a loss on both fronts, but we all know that's not really how things work. The Jazz got a monster road win over the Bobcats (to my chagrin), so the value isn't really with either team. I really don't like betting two teams both coming off wins/covers, since the perception gives us zero edge. I have a feeling that the real road Jazz show their colors in this one, and the Magic win by 9 or 10, so I would lean to the home square choice, but I doubt I'll have a play on the side. The public is probably going to embrace the Over, since the Jazz generally play high scoring games, but I get the feeling we'll see more defense in this one than most expect.
Kings @ Bulls - Chicago by 4 with a total of 200.5. Why couldn't the Kings have lost in Milwaukee? Curses! That would have been a nice situational spot, instead we have two teams coming off big wins. The Kings' win was large because they improved to TWO-11 away from home, and had to be a nice confidence boost, and the Bulls win was large because, well, it came against the vastly superior Hawks in OT. I think the value is with the Kings in this game, but the Bulls are suddenly waking up at home, and this game will conclude the homestand, so they'll likely want to wrap up the stint in Chicago with a nice little mark. The Bulls have covered 3 straight games, which makes going against them a little scary, even though they're suddenly giving up more than a possession's worth of points. When I keep seeing matchups like these, as multiple games on this card seem to have similar feels, I usually take a peek at the total. I think this game has a great shot of going Under. The Kings have played 2 straight Unders, but when the public thinks of Sacramento, they envision high-flying, zero-defense basketball. The Bulls had a supremely high-scoring game against the Hawks, but that involved overtime, and was also a situation where Chicago just turned up the scoring. This one has value on the Under, and I wouldn't be surprised to see the Under get steamed before most west-coasters wake up tomorrow.
Clippers @ Spurs - San Antonio by 9 with a total of 193. So, San Antonio escaped from Indiana in their first game home off a road trip, and now, after a few days to catch up on rest, they host the better-on-the-road LA Clippers, who grabbed an OT win in Philadelphia their last time out. This is game four of six on the Clippers current road trip, which continues tomorrow with another one in Houston, so a tiring spot for the Clippers, to be sure. I think what all this information tell us is that it's extremely risky to put money on the Clippers, as we don't know how they'll approach the back-to-back, even though they're a decent road team. I also feel it's risky to put money on a team favored by 9 in almost any scenario. The Spurs have won 5 of 6 games, and when they get the motor going at home, they can certainly win by double digits, but I like the way the Clippers have been playing far too much to advocate a play on San Antonio. As you'll hear about on the next episode of "Today in Sports Betting", when there are this many reasons to take both teams, it's best to take neither. No lean on the side, lean to the Under on the total, since the Clippers are not about to push the pace.
Cavs @ Suns - The marquee game of the night, to be sure, Lebron heads into the Valley of the Sun to tackle Steve Nash, and the undefeated-at-home Suns, with Phoenix favored by 2.5 with a total of 209. How about that performance by the Dirk-less Mavs last night? The line move on that game was far too screwy to make a play on either team (I believe Guevones pointed out that the Cavs were a Morrison "A" bet?), and once again it led to extremely powerful value on the home team, as it looks like books are indeed beginning to pre-adjust for the public money. Along the same vein, though, they're not moving the line the full 3 points that the Morrison system instructs the followers to buy. Thus, the books are merely taking 1-2 points of value away from the Morrison folks (really hurting their odds in the long run). From a mathematical standpoint, we need to realize that if books know they're going to get a certain rush of money on one team, they're not that concerned with which team is going to win, as long as they can now get 50% of money on both teams. They know sharps are going to jump on the non-Morrison team if they're getting an extra point of value every time (those 15 cents will add up!), but as long as one team is losing -- they always do -- the books can still win. So, we do need to be judicious when we fade Morrison. Last night was a little scary. Tonight might be equally frightening. Cleveland definitely did not cover the Morrison 3 points, so I can only assume they'll be a "B" bet in this game, and we might see the Suns line drop like the Mavs line did, and at this point, I can't in my right mind tell people to play against the Suns when they're at home. Phoenix is a perfect 10-0 in their own building after wrecking the Wizards on Saturday. The Cavs are historically not great on back-to-backs, and they haven't been all that dominant on the road, but coming off the loss in Dallas, you can imagine they'll be a little perturbed. The value is, amazingly, with Cleveland, but again, playing against Phoenix at home right now is like playing against Peyton Manning in the NFL - it keeps LOOKING good, but when the game ends, you lost. I lean Phoenix, and I think the total is pretty close. Each team is going to try to force their preferred tempo on the other, which makes me think Cleveland tries to keep this thing closer to 100. Cleveland has won and covered the last 3 meetings between these teams, but Phoenix may look to avenge the loss in Cleveland just 3 weeks ago. Be careful here.
Tips and Trends
Cleveland Cavaliers at Phoenix Suns
Cavaliers: Cleveland is tied for the 5th best record in the NBA at 20-8 SU. Cleveland is 9-6 both SU and ATS this season. Strangely, the spread hasn't mattered for the Cavaliers on the road as their ATS record matches their SU record exactly this season. This is only the 3rd time this season the Cavaliers have been an underdog. Both prior occasions saw the Cavaliers win both ATS and SU as 1 point road underdogs. F LeBron James is 3rd in the NBA in scoring at 28.8 PPG. James also averages 8 APG which is 6th in the entire NBA. G Mo Williams is the only other Cavalier that averages more than 11 PPG. Williams has made 62 three pointers this season while shooting 44% from behind the arc. The Cavaliers allow the 4th fewest points in the NBA at 94 PPG. Cleveland is also 2nd in the NBA at opposing field goal percentage at 43.2%. Only the Lakers allow a lower percentage than the Cavaliers.
Cavs are 24-8 ATS last 32 games following a SU loss.
Over is 7-1 last 8 games as a road underdog up to 4.5 points.
Key Injuries - F Leon Powe (knee) is out.
PROJECTED SCORE: 99
Suns (-2.5, O/U 209): Phoenix is 18-9 SU this year, with a huge part of their success coming at home. The Suns are a perfect 10-0 SU this season, including 7-3 ATS at home. Phoenix is a perfect 4-0 ATS as a home favorite of 7 PTS or less. 2 of their past 3 games have seen spreads of -3 or less for the Suns, and they've won ATS on both occasions. This is a revenge game for the Suns, as they lost by 17 PTS earlier this season against Cleveland as 7.5 underdogs. The Suns lead the NBA in scoring, at nearly 109 PPG. Phoenix has scored more than 100 PTS in every home game this season. The Suns have a very efficient offense, as they lead the NBA in shooting percentage at over 49%, while also averaging the 3rd most APG as a team in the NBA. Phoenix still needs to improve their defense, as they've allowed 9 of their past 10 opponents to score more than 100 PTS.
Suns are 19-7-1 ATS last 27 games as a home favorite.
Under is 6-0-1 last 7 vs. Eastern Conference.
Key Injuries - G Leandro Barbosa (ankle) is out.
PROJECTED SCORE: 108 (Side of the Day)
Trend Report - Monday
By Ed Meyer
Kings at Bulls - The Kings are 0-8 ATS (-9.0 ppg) since December 22, 2008 on the road as a dog after losing the previous matchup at home in which Jason Thompson scored fewer than 10 points. The Kings are 0-6-1 ATS (-6.9 ppg) since March 19, 1998 as a dog when facing a non-conference team they lost to as a dog by double digits in their first match-up of the season. The Bulls are 7-0 ATS (15.2 ppg) since December 20, 2008 when facing a non-conference team they beat in their first match-up of the season. The Bulls are 0-8 ATS (-12.4 ppg) since March 31, 2007 at home as a favorite after winning the previous matchup on the road in which Kirk Hinrich was not the Bulls’ high scorer. The Bulls are 8-0 OU (14.1 ppg) since December 15, 2006 at home when they won their last two games and both were at home.
Jazz at Magic - The Jazz are 0-8 ATS (-8.9 ppg) since December 28, 2006 as a dog after winning the previous matchup at home in which Mehmet Okur took fewer than 10 shots. The Magic are 9-0 ATS (7.2 ppg) since December 20, 2008 with at most one day of rest after a game at home in which they allowed less than 40% from the field. The Magic are 6-0 ATS (6.8 ppg) since January 05, 2000 as a favorite with at most one day of rest after a game at home in which they had at least five more turnovers than their season-to-date average. The Magic are 0-6-1 ATS (-6.4 ppg) since January 20, 2005 as a home favorite after a home win in which less than 45% of their baskets were assisted.
Bucks at Pacers - The Bucks are 7-0 ATS (8.4 ppg) since April 06, 2008 with at least a day of rest after a loss in which Andrew Bogut had a double double. The Pacers are 0-8 ATS (-8.6 ppg) since April 14, 1999 with at most one day of rest after a game on the road in which they blocked at least 10 shots. The Pacers are 7-0-3 ATS (3.4 ppg) since February 09, 2008 as a favorite with at least one day of rest after a game in which they had at least five fewer turnovers than their season-to-date average. The Pacers are 0-6 ATS (-6.5 ppg) since April 27, 1999 as a home favorite with at least one day of rest after a loss in which less than 40% of their baskets were assisted. The Pacers are 6-0-2 ATS (4.8 ppg) since January 16, 2008 at home off a road loss in which they led by 10+ points.
Clippers at Spurs - The Clippers are 0-11 ATS (-10.9 ppg) since January 05, 2007 as a dog with at least one day of rest when their DPS was at least plus 15 points in their previous game. The Clippers are 0-9 ATS (-11.6 ppg) since December 26, 2004 with at least one day of rest off an overtime win. The Spurs are 12-0 ATS (6.5 ppg) since November 05, 2002 before playing the Trailblazers at home. The Spurs are 0-7 ATS (-7.4 ppg) since March 12, 2009 at home after a win in which Tim Duncan had a double double.
Cavaliers at Suns - The Cavaliers are 0-8 ATS (-7.8 ppg) since March 25, 1997 on the road after playing on the road against the Mavericks.