Brad Wilton
No shocker here, as Philadelphia has picked right up where they have left off a season ago. Loss after loss continues to pile up for the 76ers. They are off to an 0-6 straight up start, and thus far the points have only helped them 3 times.
Indiana is just 3-4 on the season, but all 3 of those wins have come at home where the Pacers stand at 3-0 straight up, covering in 2 of those 3 wins.
The Pacers have also had little trouble dispatching the Sixers, as Indiana has won and covered each of the last 5 in this series, and are 9-1 straight up the last 10 showdowns with covers in 6 of the last 7.
Philly drops another by a large margin tonight.
Take Indy to cover.
3* INDIANA
Brett Atkins
My Wednesday comp play is to back the Thunder as the small home favorite over the Raptors.
Toronto is off to a 4-2 start to the year which is not really a surprise, but the fact Oklahoma City is off to a 6-1 start which is indeed a surprise considering Kevin Durant has taken his talents to the Golden State Warriors.
I will side with the Russell Westbrook "express" to continue their early season tear.
OKC has won all 4 at home, and they have covered in each of their last 3 on their home hardwood.
The Raptors are playing only their second road game of the young season, and I say they have a tough go of it against an Oklahoma City team that has a major chip on its shoulder.
Play the Thunder as your Wednesday comp play to cover another.
4* OKLAHOMA CITY
Bob Valentino
If you've been waiting for a time to jump on the explosive Golden State Warriors, tonight is the night. The two-time defending Western Conference champions are going to put it on the Dallas Mavericks tonight, and should win this game by at least 20.
Golden State has been having some issues with chemistry, but it shouldn't have any in this one, as the Dallas Mavericks come in after playing in Los Angeles last night, and scoring the win over the Lakers. Now to travel to Oakland and take on a rested team that just beat the New Orleans Pelicans by 10 a couple nights back, well, this can't equate to anything good.
Lay the number with Golden State.
5* WARRIORS
TEDDY DAVIS
Raptors vs. Thunder
Play: Thunder -3½
This Thunder team is flat out rolling right now and I don't see that changing any time soon. This will only be the Raptors second road game of the season and I see them struggling here. Westbrook is simply on a mission right now and this line should honestly be around 6. The Thunder's only loss came at the hand of the Warriors which they were on a back to back. Plain and simple I see the Thunder getting the job done here tonight
DAVE PRICE
Indiana Pacers -11
I expect a big effort tonight from the Indiana Pacers. They have disappointing this season at 3-4 and are coming off a 22-point loss at Charlotte. But while they're 0-4 on the road, they are 3-0 at home this season and winning by an average of 11.0 points per game. Now they get to take their frustrations out on the winless Philadelphia 76ers, who are 0-6 and losing by 13.7 points per game despite playing five of their first six games at home. The 76ers are also expected to be without their best player in Joel Embiid, who will rest. He has been the lone bright spot on their team. The Pacers are 5-0 SU & 5-0 ATS in their last 5 meetings with the 76ers, winning by 13, 16, 27, 20 and 11 points.
SPORTS WAGERS
PHOENIX +4 over Detroit
The Detroit Pistons have had some nasty bumps in the road already this season despite boding a 4-3 record overall. While Detroit sits at a perfect 4-0 at home, they are 0-3 away from The Palace so far this season. When Detroit has lost these games, they weren’t hard fought defeats by any means. Frankly, the Pistons were blown out by an average margin of nearly 20 points in each of their three road losses. The Pistons enter this fixture reeling off a 114-82 thrashing suffered at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday. Now, just two days later, the Pistons are once again out on tour, continuing their West Coast trip that takes them through Phoenix where they are spotting road points to the Suns. who although are just 2-6 on the year, have looked impressive in defeat.
This Suns’ team is a dangerous outfit to overlook, especially when they are at home. In their last two games at home against both Portland and defending Western Conference champion Golden State, the Suns are 1-1 while posting a 2-0 mark against the spread. The Suns beat Portland in overtime but had plenty of chances to pull off the upset against Golden State before the Warriors creeped away to a 106-100 final. The Suns have the offense to light up any scoreboard and though they have lost their last two, they were in both those games, as they lost by a combined three points in those aforementioned fixtures on the road at the much improved Los Angeles Lakers and in another collision with the Portland Trailblazers. This Suns' team has the firepower to go toe-to-toe with any team and while they are on a back-to-back, the Suns have the stronger bench and will likely tap in to that reserve to alleviate their starting personnel. Given the potency of Phoenix’s offense, Detroit may find themselves in all kinds of trouble if they let this team malinger. Six of Phoenix’s eight games have been decided by six points or less, which is a strong indication of just how difficult it has been to put the Suns away. Detroit has not shown the swag to put away teams.
SPORTS WAGERS
Anaheim -½ +138 over COLUMBUS
Regulation only. In one of our recent hockey podcasts, we discussed targeting the Blue Jackets as an under the radar team but it appears as though the market has caught on somewhat. Thus, it would be a good time to sell. Furthermore, a lot has happened in the last few days. The Jackets have won three of their last four including a 10-0 thumping of the Canadiens. A score like that will raise some eyebrows but we're not going to put much stock into one crazy game. The Blue Jackets have some major problems on defense so an injury to Seth Jones amplifies their woes. Columbus is 29th in Corsi against (with Jones), which accounts for all shots directed at the net including those that are blocked and those that miss the net. Columbus is giving up 62.3 chances per 60 minutes during 5-on-5 play, which is the second worst mark in the NHL. Now take Seth Jones’ 24 minutes per game out of that equation. Furthermore, the Jackets 39% power-play efficiency is tops in the NHL, which is simply a completely unsustainable number. The Jackets have some nice wins but they have also been bailed out by great goaltending nearly every night. Lastly, Brandon Saad was put on the fourth line last game and may be a healthy scratch tonight after sitting in the stands during the Jackets last practice. That’s the John Tortorella way. He gives players “time-outs”, when he doesn’t like their effort or he tries to embarrass them. Saad is not a fourth line player. He may need a kick in the ass from time-to-time but this is just another example of why players can’t stand Torts. He hasn’t learned a damn thing from his past failures and will never change. The point is, the Jackets may stop responding and even if they don't, they are up against it here.
The Ducks were slow out of the gate with a 0-3-1 road trip to start the season but since then, they’re 6-2-1. The return of Ryan Getzlaf sparked them to a 4-1 win over the Flames Sunday night. Anaheim has now won two in a row and three of four with only loss over that span occurring against the Penguins. In fact, over their past three wins, the Ducks have outscored the opposition 13-2. The Ducks are loaded with talent from top to bottom and very often we find the first game of a road trip to be a teams’ best effort in an attempt to set the tone for the rest of the trip. The Ducks lack very little. When they’re focused, they are an upper echelon squad and if they’re focused here, they should have little trouble of disposing of the Jones-less Jackets.
Ottawa +131 over BUFFALO
OT included. Despite missing several key players, the Sabres have been competitive all season with five wins in 11 games and a few close calls too. However, as the chalk in this range, Buffalo must be faded because they are an offensively challenged bunch whose chances of losing are probably greater than its chances of winning. Buffalo has scored two goals or less in four straight games. Tyler Ennis now joins Zach Bogosian and Jack Eichel as another key injury on the rack. The Sabres have been outshot and out-chanced in five of their past six games. They have also played four of five on the road including the past two. The Sabres took eight minor penalties in their last game so there is lots to clean up in terms of their overall play.
The Senators played last night in Nashville and lost 3-1. They will also use backup Mike Condon here instead of Craig Anderson. Combine the back-to-backs with the backup goaltender and the result is a serious market overreaction. For one, Condon looked very comfortable in his Senators debut when he shutout the Canucks, 3-0. Ottawa had two full days off prior to last night's loss so fatigue isn’t likely to be a factor. Incidentally, the Senators played a solid game last night in Nashville, outshooting the Preds 34-30. Ottawa has the firepower and the will to pull off this mild upset but at the end of the day, this one is still all about playing the value. Buffalo cannot and should not be favored by this much over the Senators.
Brandon Shively
Detroit vs. Phoenix
Pick:Phoenix
I disagree with this line and think it should be closer to a ‘pk’. The Pistons are somewhere between the 8th and 10th best team in the East in my opinion with Reggie Jackson. Without him, they are struggling in the 4th quarters and fighting to make stope on the defensive end. Tonight they are out on the West Coast laying points to a scrappy Phoenix team that is hungry for a win after barely falling short last night.
There is a positive to this and that is Phoenix scoring 39 points in the 4th quarter. Home underdogs that are coming off a road game where they scored more than 38 points in the 4th quarter in their previous game are 7-1 ATS the L8 times this angle has been applied. The rationale here is that the team finished the game on a high note and with momentum heading into their next game.
Detroit is coming off a an ugly 32 point loss Monday at the Clippers. Detroit is now 0-3 on the road this year and have given up 109, 109, and 114 points. While the Suns are playing on a back to back, their guards have young legs and they will be looking to use their speed and quickness over the slower team of Detroit.
I do feel that the Pistons will be ready to play, but I don’t think there is a big talent gap between the two teams. I feel the Suns have the more momentum after scoring 39 in the 4th last night and that they have some veteran players down low to help keep the youngsters balanced.
Teams like Detroit that are coming off a loss as a road dog and then play their next game as a road favorite are 1-7 ATS the last 8 times this angle has been applied. It’s strictly a case of role reversal and one they are not ready to handle.
It is early in the season and I don’t think playing on a back to back is much of a fatigue issue along with the Suns having the youngest starting five in the NBA. Take the points.
Bruce Marshall
Celtics at Wizards
Pick: Celtics
It was all Boston in this series a year ago, as Celtics won and covered all four meetings. And not sure that changes unless Washington begins to bare some teeth on the stop end after Wiz posted some of the league's worst defensive stats in the first week. John Wall and Bradley Beal also both shooting under 40% in the early going, suggesting new HC Scott Brooks' schemes might need some time to resonate.