Dave Price
Utah Jazz -2
The Lakers are 7-20 ATS in their last 27 games following a SU win, 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a SU win of more than 10 points and 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games. The Jazz have won their last two against the Lakers by 9 and 4 points. They have also won 5 of the past 7 home matchups. Getting the nod as the favorite has been significant in this matchup as the fave is on a 5-2 ATS run. Utah is one of the best home teams in the NBA, and the Lakers are still trying to jell. Lay the deuce.
Scott Delaney
I like the way the Houston Rockets have performed to start the season, and after scoring with the Denver Nuggets last night as my freebie, I'm going against them tonight in H-Town.
The Nuggets were the NBA's last team to play at home, and yes, they looked good in dismissing the Detroit Pistons, 109-97, behind a balanced attack to earn their first victory of the season. Thing is, the Nuggets finally did things they weren't able to do in their first three games and will arrive in Houston a bit hungover from last night.
The Rockets, now 2-1 in the most competitive division in the NBA - no team in the Southwest Division has a losing record - are going to be out to avenge a loss in their home opener. After winning their first two on the road behind newly James Harden, the Rockets lost Saturday at home to the Portland Trail Blazers, 95-85.
Harden leads the NBA in scoring at 35.3 points per game, while the team ranks second with 53 rebounds per game and first in rebound differential, out-rebounding opponents by 11.3 boards per game.
Lay the cheap number with Houston in this one.
3♦ HOUSTON
Chuck O'Brien
Again, forget about football on a Wednesday, I'm investing in the most profitable game on the board, that being my 20 Dime NBA Line Mistake Winner, a game twice as strong as the 10 Dimers I'm 2-1 with.
Did anyone else think the Golden State Warriors would be atop the Pacific Division standings at any point this season. What, with the Los Angeles Lakers' revamped lineup, it's hard to imagine any other team even thinking about leading this division. But, a week into the season, and the Warriors are tied with the Los Angeles Clippers for first place in the Pacific.
I think the Warriors will add to the win column tonight at home, avenging their only home game of the young season - a 104-94 loss to Memphis. I don't think it'll be an issue against a Cleveland team that will be coming in a bit hungover after ending a two-game slide with Monday's 108-101 road win against the Clippers.
The Cavs are 1-1 on a six-game road trip, and could be starting to feel their grind during their first road trip. Besides, in this series, Cleveland is in on ATS setbacks of 3-7 in Golden State and 0-6 overall against the Warriors.
Take Golden State.
2♦ GOLDEN STATE
Craig Davis
Free play winner on Oklahoma City last night, now 9-4 the past 13 days
Going with the Dallas Mavericks as the home chalk over Toronto tonight.
I know it's early, but I really like the way Darren Collison and O.J. Mayo are playing together in Dallas's backcourt.
Gone are the days of Jason Terry and Jason Kidd and in is the new youth movement. Shoot, the Mavs haven't even gotten to play a game with their leader, Dirk Nowitzki, and they are still squashing teams like the Lakers and Blazers fairly handily.
Their only setback thus far was a Utah Jazz road game in which the Mavs squandered a 13-point lead and ended up getting blown off the floor.
Tonight, at home, against the struggling Raptors --- a team that just got humiliated in OKC last night, I like my chances.
With all these new faces, it's a surprise they have meshed together so quickly, but that's exactly what has happened. Chris Kaman is averaging double figures, Brandan Wright and vince Carter are providing valuable minutes off the bench, and even Elton Brand is getting into the act.
This is a deep Dallas team with a lot of potential facing a Toronto team that is trying to avoid being posterized every night.
Dallas by 10 as your free play of the day.
4♦ DALLAS
Jeff Benton
Your Wednesday freebie is the Kings over the Pistons.
No choice right now but to lay it when the Pistons play on the road.
Detroit just lost touch last night in the thin air of Denver, as the Pistons dropped to 0-4 on the year, losing all three of their road games with just one cover along the way.
Now the Pistons must play yet again on the road, and also in a back-to-back situation, while the host Kings have had an extra day to savor a nice 94-92 home win over Golden State on Monday night.
With their 1-2 road spread mark, Detroit is now on a protracted 8-21 spread slide since last season when getting +4 points or more.
The Kings are looking to end a five game series losing streak, and tonight is their best chance to do just that.
Going to back Sacto as the home favorite to keep the Pistons early season woes in tact.
Kings hold court.
2♦ SACRAMENTO
Chris Jordan
As exciting as it may be to have the NBA in the heart of Brooklyn, things haven't started off that well for the Nets, at least not defensively. They looked horrible defensively on Monday, and after their first two games they rank dead last in defensive efficiency in the NBA. Now you really expect this team to shut down the Miami Heat, with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh playing at full throttle?
And if there is one person fully capable of even slowing down James, it's the Nets' Gerald Wallace, and he will miss his second straight game tonight due to a sprained left ankle. He did not play in Monday night's 107-96 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves after suffering the injury late in the fourth quarter of the team's regular-season opener against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday. And without their defensive stopper on the floor, I don't know who is going to lead Brooklyn's defensive charge. Reserve small forward Josh Childress will miss his third straight game due to a sore left ankle, and that doesn't help either.
Miami has gone over the 118-point plateau in three of four games this season and is 3-0 at home thus far. Dating back to last season, the defending champs have won 15 of 17 home games. The Nets, meanwhile, have lost six straight in Miami, and have lost 10 in a row overall in the series.
Lay the points as the Heat roll to an easy win.
3♦ MIAMI HEAT
Sharky
LA Lakers +3
There is a ton of value in this line as well as the moneyline. The Lakers are fresh off their first win of the season dismantling the Pistons at home last game, and now I expect them to put together a little streak. While Utah has developed a pretty solid home-court advantage over the past few seasons, this line is extremely inflated in Utah’s favor. I think the Lakers should be favored here, and we are getting 3 points. The Jazz are fresh off a very poor second half against the Grizzlies where they blew a 12 point first half lead, and I expect a lot of the offensive stagnancy that they displayed to carry into this game. Mike Brown has finally moved away from the Princeton offense and is employing more of a triangle, inside-out offense, and I think this is exactly what the Lakers need to get rolling. I expect Dwight to be a handful down low for Jefferson and Millsap, and if Dwight and Pau are able to get Millsap into some early foul trouble, the Jazz lose a crucial offensive threat which they will need to pull out this win tonight. The Lakers did shoot surprisingly well last game against the dreadful Pistons, so I expect some regression against a better defense tonight, nonetheless I expect Kobe and Dwight to have their 2 man game in full throttle tonight and I anticipate a hard-fought, intense game with the Lakers pulling away at the end.
Harry Bondi
BOWLING GREEN (+2) over Ohio
It's a great technical and situational spot for Bowling Green tonight. First off, the team comes in fresh off a bye week while Ohio is playing its third game in 12 days. Secondly, it's a great match-up for the defensive-minded Falcons, who rank in the Top-15 in the nation in a number of key defensive categories and will be able to limit the run-heavy Ohio offense. Bowling Green is also the hotter team, covering five straight, while Ohio University is 1-4 ATS in its last five. Let's take the points with the team that's in better form and has the better defense. Falcons win outright!