There may not a be a team with a higher stock in the NBA than the Celtics at this point. Now, takers of Detroit can benefit from this narrative as the point spread here is likely inflated. Undoubtedly, the Pistons are one of the most improved teams in the NBA this season so-far. The Pistons navigated a brutal stretch of three consecutive games against Minnesota, Cleveland, and Oklahoma City; two of which were on the road. Detroit went 2-1 SU in this series of contests, so you can best rest assured that they will show no timidity here. Whilst Boston could be on their way for big things this season, they will have their hands filled against a tough and scrappy Pistons team. Grab the points.

There are quite a few misnomers in this market that make Chicago a value play here. First, the fact that the Bulls have lost their last four outings sells the stock in this outfit to extremity. One result in particular sticks out like a sore thumb: the aforementioned rout in Oakland at the hands of Kevin Durant and company. However, backing a team coming in off a blow out loss is a favorite strategy of many sharp bettors. Generally, you get the option at an enhanced price and in some cases an upset can actually occur as well. In this case a Money Line play split with a point spread play may actually be worthy of a peek. Nevertheless, Chicago has hovered around .500 at the United Center this season and in spite of their woes they were offered as just a mid-range dog at the open. The Miami win at Minnesota is also hard selling the Heat here. Buy low, sell high. Those rudiments apply here to both teams. We’ll take the points.

Situational betting is a huge part of any handicapper’s acumen. The prospect of a home dog when compared to spotting points with the road team and extra juice is a delectable proposition indeed. The problem with Washington is that it has a knack for getting in its own way. Against teams they should win against, they stumble. However, when the Wizards are off the radar and undervalued they are very dangerous to overlook. This scenario sets up that narrative to come to life. As we have mentioned previously, Portland is a team that is consistent in it how it performs overall. This is magnified even more when they are away from home. Case and point, the Blazers were lucky to get out of Brooklyn alive last night.

From a match-up perspective, the defenses will take the forefront. This is a rather interesting paradigm shift given the fact that both the Blazers and Wizards are known for the stellar offensive production of both their point guards John Wall and Damien Lillard. Nevertheless, two of the best teams at defending the three-pointer will be on the hardwood in this one (Portland – 4th in the league at 33.1%, Washington – 5th in the league at 33.2%). In a contest of this nature, it is hard to spot this many points with the Blazers.

Miami has dominated this series over Minnesota in recent years getting the push or cover in six of the last seven meetings. They come into this game off of a confidence building six-point win over the Celtics and should have revenge on their minds after losing the earlier match this season in overtime by 3. I expect another close game tonight making the plus points the way to go.

As a whole, the Brooklyn Nets are a team that the general public look at with impunity given their poorly portfolio of performances in the 2016-17 season. However, teams of this quality often bode tremendous value be that they are accompanied by saturated odds to entice action. Whilst the Nets have been less than attractive as an outright, they have been profitable against the spread. At home, the Nets are a different basketball team. The Nets have a penchant for playing up to the some of the premiere teams in the league when they are in Brooklyn and own a win at home against Cleveland already this year. The Nets also gave the Golden State Warriors quite a fight at the Barclay’s as well, on Monday. Portland is a team that is very topsy-turvy in it how it performs and thus its quasi-.500 record indicates their propensity to have both come-ups and let-downs. This situation seems to be set up for another let-down albeit Brooklyn has already taken this team down on its court just two weeks ago. Take the points.

We have to like Miami in this situation be that they are the better rested of the two teams and furthermore get this one at home. Furthermore, the public is more likely to get aboard Boston by virtue of a recency bias in both head-to-head and overall bodies of work. The Celtics also required additional time to dispatch their most recent opponent which sets them up here to be a fade target as well. Miami is completely off the radar be that they looked terrible in their most recent contest. Despite Boston’s dominance and Miami’s mediocrity, the market is reluctant to move with the heavy action on the Celtics. It would be bold to predict an outright upset even if the Money Line offers more value. However, Miami is an excellent choice to cover here. Look for Boston to get a scare, if nothing else.

Everybody and his brother are on the Lakers to get the money tonight, but the line isn’t budging. That normally signals an automatic go against fore me, but I just can’t back a Bulls team that not only loses the game they tend to get blown out. The play here is on the total. Chicago has allowed 105 or more points in five of their last six and 113 or greater in four of those five. The Lakers haven’t been playing much defense at home allowing their last five to score in triple digits. No reason to think that’s going to change tonight.

Now normally, we would urge takers to stay clear of Cleveland given the premiums they are bound to inflict upon punters. However, the fact that Detroit has been dominant at home while also owning the better record should raise flags that they are not favored here. Despite the public passing on the bait, the fact remains that the low hanging fruit is a huge trap. Cleveland is in position here for a big win.

For those that love offense, this game will supply plenty of it. Two of the most potent offenses in the league will be featured in this intra-conference clash. To use football vernacular, this one has all the makings of a shootout. In such scenarios, the academic move is to take the points. The same approach applies here. This is amplified by the the fact the Warriors presence in this contest is bound to inflate the points to an even friendlier number to Nets takers. Take the points.

I was wrong about last night’s total on the OKC/SAN game, but I think this recommendation will be sending my followers to the cashier’s window after the game. The Mavs just aren’t shooting the ball well reaching the century mark in just one of their last four games. The same can be said about Milwaukee who also hit triple figures just once in their last four. The recent trend in this series is to the UNDER with three of the last four.

Targeting overreactions is a big part of finding value. No team is prone to an overreaction now more than the Boston Celtics. Now team in all of the NBA has a higher stock than the Boston Celtics, as well. In many instances we would expect to see a recency bias given the fact Boston struggled to get by Atlanta less than two weeks ago. However, the market has opened close to where we saw Atlanta close last time and even more of the public are willing to get aboard the Celtics regardless. It is simply gluttony for punishment. In situations like this one, Boston is vulnerable not only for a let-down but to possibly lose altogether. Boston takers beware.

Both teams have been playing good defense as of late and there is no reason to think that will change tonight. The series trend is to the UNDER with three straight falling below the closing line and seven of the last 10 and four out of the last five in San Antonio.

As we have championed previously, when you back the Raptors in the Air Canada Centre there is likely a premium to do so. This is only enhanced further by the fact that Toronto is now 4-1 SU at home to start off the season. The Knicks have been playing as good exceptionally well lately and have been shown a lack of respect in this market. Chances are New York won’t need this much of a cushion to generate a cover.

Look I was way wrong on the Raptors game backing the Rockets, but I think that they can bounce back here big time. Houston has won the last four in this series including both games in Phoenix and while the latest at Talking Stick Resort Arena was by just 7 points the other three were by more than tonight’s allotted handicap. The return of PG Chris Paul and coming off an embarrassing loss should lead to a blow out win by the visitors.

Given the fact Boston is prone to be overvalued in light of their recent supremacy, the points may seem too good to be true and as a result be a risky move. However, the opposite may actually be the case be that Boston is up against a team with a higher market assessment. Boston has been waiting for this opportunity for weeks. Whilst the Celtics were playing the Lakers, commentators were already pondering the “what if Boston keeps winning and they face Golden State?” angle. Now, they will find out. As we have mentioned previously, the Boston defense is rugged and their fan base is animated. These two narratives in itself will be very difficult for Durant and company to overcome. Grab the points.

It is very hard to fade Detroit when they have been playing at such a stellar level. The Bucks undoubtedly play a different brand of basketball when at home but the Pistons have been doing that all season long regardless of where the contest took place. After years of curating the talent, Detroit is finally firing on cylinders. It is without question that the addition of forward Tobias Harris is starting to pay off as he has been a monster in the scoring department, averaging 20.1 points per game. The talk of this game will surround all-star forward Giannis Antetokuonmpo who Milwaukee boasts as their trump card. Whilst he may indeed be the next big thing league-wide, Detroit plays better as a team. We’ll take the points.

Toronto is only 3-4 on the road this season, but Are a positive 4-3 against the spread and 3-2 ATS as a dog in those games. That said, Houston comes into this game on a roll winning six straight and getting the money for their backers in five of those contests. The margin of victory in five of the six games matched or exceeded 15 points with the lowest MOV being the four points against the Cavs.

The loss of C Rudy Gobert is huge for the Jazz as there is no one on the team that can replace his defense. The Timberwolves may not have C Gorgui Dieng coming off of the bench or I’d be on the OVER here, but I believe that Minnesota can get the win here. They suffered an embarrassing loss as 10-point favorites to the Suns on Saturday and G Jimmy Butler has sounded off on the team, so I expect an all-out effort tonight at the Vivint Smart Home Arena.

Very simply, the Knicks look too easy in this market. After winning by a fifteen-point margin at Cleveland and curating hosting duties, the Knicks remain a marginal dog in this market. This is in light of the fact, New York also has the better record and a near flawless dossier at the World’s Most Famous Arena. While there is reluctance to get aboard a public team like Cleveland, this situation may be one of the rare cases where it is warranted. The market is not convinced New York will pull off the stunt it did in Cleveland yet again, neither are we.

The fact remains that as Detroit continues to win and look seasonable in the Motor City, the more they are bound to spot an inflated number even if the price looks quite agreeable. The low hanging fruit suggests that not only are the Heat are comparable opponent for the Pistons, but they have the potential to orchestrate the upset outright on Detroit’s own court. Miami may be worth a look here on the Money Line as well.