Orlando (29-8, 24-12-1 ATS) at San Antonio (24-11, 17-17-1 ATS)
Two of the hottest teams in the NBA square off at the AT&T Center, where the Magic, winners of 12 of their last 14, hook up with the Spurs, winners of nine of their last 10.
Orlando now has the second-best record in the Eastern Conference after sweeping a home-and-home series over the Hawks Wednesday and Friday. The Magic went to Atlanta and got a 106-102 win as two-point ‘dogs on Wednesday and then crushed the Hawks 121-87 at home on Friday and easily cashed as five-point favorites. Orlando is on a 14-3 ATS run overall and it is 12-5-1 ATS on the road this season.
The Spurs have won four straight (3-1 ATS), including a 106-84 rout of the Clippers on Thursday, covering as 13-point home favorites. San Antonio is 14-6 SU at home, but just 8-11-1 ATS.
The Magic got a 90-78 home win over the Spurs back on Dec. 18, easily cashing as 2½-point favorites. But going back to 2003, the Spurs are 4-1 SU (3-2 ATS) against the Magic at home and they have covered the number in three of the last four overall.
Orlando is on a bevy of positive ATS streaks, including 19-7-1 overall, 26-10-1 as an underdog, 14-3 against the Western Conference, 11-2 following a spread-cover, 4-0 as a road ‘dog, 9-1 against teams with a winning record and 45-22-3 on the road. The Spurs are on ATS slides of 1-5-1 against the Eastern Conference, 1-4 as a home favorite and 1-5 following a spread-cover, but they are 8-3 ATS when getting two days off and 9-4 ATS against the Southeast Division.
The Magic are on “under” streaks of 29-14 after a spread-cover and 5-2 against Western Conference teams, but they have topped the total in four of their last five on the highway and five of their last six as a ‘dog. San Antonio is riding “under” runs of 29-14-1 overall, 20-7 against the Southeast Division, 20-8-2 after a straight-up win and 4-1 in Sunday games, but they have topped the total in four straight at home and four of five after a spread-cover. In this series, the under has been the play in four of the last five meetings in the Lone Star state.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
Miami (19-16, 14-19-2 ATS) at L.A. Lakers (29-6, 16-19 ATS)
The Lakers will try to avenge one of their six losses this season when they welcome the Heat to the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles has won eight of its last nine (5-4 ATS) but had to hold on to beat Indiana on Friday, escaping with a 121-119 win but coming nowhere near covering the 14½-point number. The Lakers have followed a five-game ATS winning streak with three consecutive non-covers. They are 19-2 at home this year but just 10-11 ATS.
The Heat are in the midst of a seven-game road trip, having dropped the opener in Denver on Wednesday 108-97 as a 5½-point ‘dog and then winning 119-115 in overtime in Sacramento on Friday, cashing as 3½-point favorites. Dwyane Wade was a beast against the Kings, putting up a season-high 41 points with seven assists and five rebounds.
The host has won seven of the last eight series clashes between these two (5-3 ATS), including Miami’s 89-87 home victory back on Dec. 19 as eight-point ‘dogs. The win snapped a three-game Lakers’ winning streak (2-1 ATS) in this series, including a 106-88 triumph in the Staples Center last year laying 14 points.
The Heat are just 1-4 ATS in their last five games overall and 8-22-2 ATS in their last 32 Sunday games, but they are on ATS streaks of 5-2-1 against the Pacific Division and 4-1-1 as an underdog of 11 points or more. The Lakers have been a disaster at the betting window, riding negative trends of 1-11 after a non-cover, 4-18 against the Eastern Conference, 0-5 against the Southeast Division, 4-13 as a favorite, 5-13 overall and 17-35 as a favorite of 11 points or more.
For Miami, the under is on streaks of 20-9 as a ‘dog, 13-6 as a road ‘dog, 6-1 on Sundays, 5-0 after a straight-up win and 4-1 on the road against teams with a winning home record. Los Angeles is on “over” runs of 11-4 against the Eastern Conference, 4-1 at home, 4-1 after a straight-up win and 12-5 as a favorite of 11 points or more. However, in this rivalry, the under has been the play in seven of the last eight.
ATS ADVANTAGE: MIAMI
Gametimepicks.com
BOSTON vs. TORONTO
Boston is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Boston is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games
Toronto is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Boston
Toronto is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Boston
PHILADELPHIA vs. ATLANTA
Philadelphia is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Atlanta
Philadelphia is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta is 13-2 SU in its last 15 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games at home
PHOENIX vs. LA CLIPPERS
Phoenix is 2-4 ATS in their last 6 games when playing LA Clippers
Phoenix is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Clippers
LA Clippers are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of the LA Clippers last 5 games
ORLANDO vs. SAN ANTONIO
Orlando is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
Orlando is 13-4 SU in its last 17 games on the road
San Antonio is 17-6 SU in its last 23 games when playing Orlando
San Antonio is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Orlando
DALLAS vs. SACRAMENTO
Dallas is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Dallas is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
Sacramento is 3-6-1 ATS in its last 10 games when playing at home against Dallas
Sacramento is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Dallas
INDIANA vs. GOLDEN STATE
Indiana is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Indiana's last 10 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Golden State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Golden State is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games at home
MIAMI vs. LA LAKERS
Miami is 4-8 ATS in their last 12 games when playing LA Lakers
Miami is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing LA Lakers
LA Lakers are 4-2 ATS in their last 6 games at home
LA Lakers are 16-1 SU in their last 17 games at home
Sunday's best NBA bets
Covers.com
Orlando Magic at San Antonio Spurs (-3, 185)
The Magic look to improve the NBA's best road record as they meet the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night in a matchup between division leaders that have been two of the league's hottest teams lately.
Orlando (29-8) has won 16 of its 19 home games, including 11 in a row for its longest home winning streak since taking 12 straight from March 10-April 15, 2006.
The Southeast Division-leading Magic extended their current run Friday night with a 121-87 rout of division rival Atlanta. Hedo Turkoglu made all five of his 3-point attempts and led six players in double figures with 21 points as the Magic pulled into a tie for the most wins in the league.
The Magic are 7-2 in road games and 14-4 overall against the Western Conference. However, they've lost 14 of their last 16 in San Antonio, including 128-110 on Nov. 21, 2007.
They'll likely have their hands full Sunday with the Southwest Division-leading Spurs (24-11), who have rebounded from a slow start with 22 wins in their last 28 games. San Antonio had five players with at least 11 points as it cruised to a 106-84 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday, its ninth victory in 10 games.
After getting held to 16 points in the first quarter, the Spurs outscored the Clippers 90-62 the rest of the way.
The slow start to the season was primarily due to ankle injuries that kept Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker out of 12 and nine games, respectively. San Antonio, though, can't claim injuries as an excuse for its 90-78 loss in Orlando on Dec. 18.
All three of the Spurs' top players were healthy for that game, but Tim Duncan was 7-for-17, Parker was 3-for-17 and Ginobili was 4-for-12 as the Magic held the Spurs to a season-low 37.5 percent shooting.
Pick: Spurs
Miami Heat at Los Angeles Lakers (-11, 203)
On one side, there is a player that can seemingly score at will in Kobe Bryant. On the other, the league's top scorer in Dwyane Wade.
Both are coming off spectacular late-game shooting heroics on Friday night that led their respective teams to victories.
But on Sunday night, one of the two superstars will come up short as Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers host Wade and the Miami Heat in the teams' second meeting this season.
Los Angeles (29-6) goes for its third straight overall victory following a 121-119 win over Indiana on Friday that improved the Lakers to 19-2 at home this season.
Despite cold shooting to open the fourth quarter, Bryant scored the Lakers' final 11 points, including the game-winning fadeaway jumper with three seconds left. Bryant had 36 points, a season-high 13 assists and seven rebounds.
"I just played the game and made (the Pacers) make decisions," said Bryant, averaging 27.7 points and 6.7 assists as the Lakers have won three straight over Miami in Los Angeles. "In the fourth quarter, you just have to stay home a little more ... but I had shots in the past, like the one in Miami that felt good, but it came in and out. So I made sure that one stayed down."
The shot in Miami he was referring to was a jumper at the buzzer that rimmed out in the Lakers' 89-87 loss on Dec. 19.
Since that defeat, though, Los Angeles has won eight of 10. Bryant is averaging 32.3 points, 5.5 boards and 5.1 assists during that stretch.
Lamar Odom, who averaged 17.1 points and 9.7 rebounds with Miami in 2003-04, missed his second straight game on Friday after suffering a bone bruise in his right knee in Tuesday's 116-105 loss to New Orleans. Lakers coach Phil Jackson would not speculate on when the 10-year forward would return.
Pick: Over